The Battle of the Imperial Museum of History was the final action fought during the Siege of Mors in 3,955 BBY during the Old Sith War.
Prelude[]
The Morsian Emperor had been touring the inner city defenses of Malum when the Sith assault broke through and started advancing further into the city. The Emperor was successful taken away to return to the Imperial Palace but Darth Mortem continued to track down the Emperor with the intent to either kill or capture him. Several times the Imperial convoy was stopped by Darth Mortem was pushed back along with his troops. When the convoy once again broke down outside the Imperial Museum of History, a decision was made to fortify and defend the museum rather than keep running.
The Battle[]
Preparation[]
The 66th Legion was the Emperor's official bodyguard legion and started to defend the main museum atrium, rounding up any civilians or staff left in the museum to get them out while also blocking all entrances/exits and barricading all windows. While doing so, they were reinforced by a cohort from the 14th Praetorian Legion, adding 100 men to their already low numbers, though bolstered by the 50 Publicae Auxiliam who had joined them in defense of the Emperor. A barricade was set up towards the rear of the atrium, facing the entrance, which had two ballistae set up behind it, taken with their ammunition from the museum displays. The Emperor was hidden further within the museum while the Publicae Auxiliam forces were set up on the walkway balconies overlooking the atrium which was reinforced with whatever flat pieces of wood or metal could be found. Museum staff volunteered to join the defending forces, arming themselves with armor taken from displays as well as various weaponry also taken from displays, including javelins, bows, spears and swords.
The 66th Legion's forces along with the 100 men of the Praetorian cohort took up positions behind the barricade, with some of the Publicae Auxiliam manning the ballistae, while the remaining Publicae along with the volunteers hid behind the upper walkway defences to throw their javelins and arrows down onto the Sith forces in a surprise attack should they push into the atrium.
Initial assaults[]
When Darth Mortem and his forces arrived at the museum, they attempted to ram the door open before successfully blowing down the entrance doorways and create a breach with which to enter. However, they were quickly attacked by the Morsian defenders, who were already aimed at the doorway. Initial Sith assaults faltered as casualties piled up at the door, preventing any sort of large numbers of infantry from entering the building, while the Sith infantry's morale started to waver due to being already very low. Morsian ballistae succeeded in causing mass casualties as the Sith infantry were unused to being attacked by these weapons, though as they became wise the casualties started to reduce.
Sith infantry advance into the atrium[]
The ballistae soon ran out of ammo and were swiftly destroyed by the Sith infantry who finally managed to enter the museum building, causing several publicae casualties from the crew manning the ballistae. Darth Mortem entered the museum at this point and quickly escaped further into the museum on the hunt for the Emperor. Morsian ammunition was running low and the Sith infantry attempted a charge towards the defenses at the far end of the atrium. This sprang the Morsian trap as the armed civilians and remaining publicae forces rained bowshot and javelins down onto the Sith infantry, causing casualties and breaking up the first assault. This was quickly followed by a second Sith assault that succeeded in reaching the Morsian defenses, with both sides engaging in melee combat as the last of the ammunition of the publicae and volunteers were used up.
Mortem finds the Emperor[]
Darth Mortem had been scouring the museum and eventually found the Emperor with three of his Imperial Guard in one of the back corridors of the museum. The guards and Mortem engaged in combat which, despite the fighting prowess of the guard, resulted in the death of all three and leaving Mortem with the Emperor. To prolong the engagement, the Emperor engaged Mortem in conversation, distracting Mortem as long as he could. Soon Mortem tired of this and went to strike down the Emperor. However, the Emperor produced a dagger and stabbed Mortem before he could react, surprising the Sith and allowing the Emperor to escape, bellowing for help from the other Imperatoris Custodes who converged on his position. Knowing that his defeat would be certain if he engaged the Custos in combat, Mortem escaped from the museum, leaving his infantry to continue fighting the Morsians.
Sith infantry rout[]
The Sith infantry was taking heavy casualties engaging the Morsian infantry in melee combat, who were far better equipped and trained for this close, hand-to-hand fighting than the Sith were, despite their superior numbers. Sith morale was wavering as the Morsian units resolved to fight until they were killed, adamant on not surrendering. This combined with prior Sith losses, their slow loss of orbital superiority and an 'accidental' broadcast made by Morsian High Command that a large Morsian fleet was en-route to Mors in reinforcement caused the Sith to mass rout across the planet, including from the museum. Sith infantry quickly disengaged the Morsian infantry and retreated back towards the surface in a bid to get back to the Sith fleet and escape the system. During this time, the Morsian legionary traitor Firax Co’hiir was fought and captured by Marridum Ra'akdoon in the museum despite the heavy injuries sustained by both of them.
Aftermath[]
The Morsian units in the museum did not chase the retreating Sith forces, but instead dealt with their own injured and the injured Sith infantry left in the museum. They gathered around the Emperor and cared for their immediate injured before boarding their vehicles, which they had abandoned out the front of the museum, to return to the closest legionary fortress.