Star Wars: Rebels: The Promised Day

Disclaimer: Star Wars Rebels and all Star Wars characters and Lore are not my property, as they are all owned by Lucasfilm and the Walt Disney Company.

A/N: Welcome back, everyone! Here we are, at Part 2 of the 4 part finale. I expect most of you are eager to begin reading, so I won't delay you any further. Enjoy!

Warning: This chapter contains depictions of severe and intense violence including dismemberment and character death. Please be advised if you are sensitive to such content.

Chapter 10: Homecoming

Several Months After the Clone Wars:

Most of the time, the acid rain storms on Hutta were too dangerous to safely be caught in or venture through. Long ago, the toxic mixture of pollutants on the ground and in the atmosphere contaminated the rain cycle to the point where being drenched in a downpour could easily cause permanent defects to an individual's health.

It was during one such downpour that the afternoon shift began at salvage plant outside Jiguna, one of the oldest and largest spaceport cities built by the Hutts after their takeover of the once beautiful homeworld of the Evocii. A network of underground tunnels connected the main labor sites the Hutts put their slaves to work at, such as this particular plant, to various internment camps scattered throughout the surrounding swamplands. This was done to lessen the chances for escape, and ensure the pollution in the environment didn't cause irreparable damage to the precious living property. A horribly diseased or misshapen slave was much less productive on the clock, after all.

However, it was also this set up that made travel in and around the perimeter of these work sites through the swamps a significantly easier endeavor, provided one had the survival skills and the know how to successfully navigate the hostile and noxious bogs. Little did the hired thugs and gangsters running the salvage plant in question know that on this particular day, just before the rain set in, a cloaked infiltrator had breached the perimeter and was lying in wait for the opportunity to strike.

Two Weequay armed with bolt-action blaster rifles were on patrol single file on the covered walkway along the edge of the rooftop to the west when the fleet-footed, cloaked individual corkscrewed through the air up over the edge and behind them. He was clothed in dark grey pants and tunic along with brown boots, utility belt, and gloves. A dark green, hooded cloak obscured his form, and a beige bandit mask obscured the lower half of his face. He was an Evocii male with unkempt, wild black hair and crimson eyes. His ensemble was largely worn and caked in mud. Clearly, this infiltrator had experience moving about the hostile marshlands all around the facility.

His gloved left hand sealed over the mouth of the Weequay in back, and a dagger in the matching one on the right slit his throat in the next instant. By the time his partner realized something was wrong, it was too late. He turned around while raising his blaster, but he was immediately pulled through the Force until the left hand was around his throat, and the dagger in the right punctured his cheap fiber chest armor, straight through his heart. A choked and pained gasp was the first and last the stealthy infiltrator heard from his latest victim. It was through an unsealed door around the corner that he found his way inside.

One by one, the cloaked individual silenced the opposition in his path using a combination of his rudimentary Force powers, both a dagger and a short sword of ancient design, a lone and outdated blaster pistol with a stolen silencer on the barrel, and superb skills at stealth. He eventually succeeded in cornering, ambushing, and killing the Quarren overseer of the salvage yard as well as the latter's two Gamorrean guards before finally arriving at the main level. So it was where they were surrounded by their stations of labor, various conveyors, chutes, and smelting furnaces, that the Evocii slaves finally caught sight of their liberator. Obscured beneath his garb, it was only by seeing the small bit of his face above his half mask that the slaves knew he was one of their own.

"What's going on? Where are all the guards?" an older, more malnourished and worn male asked weakly.

The cloaked infiltrator remained silent, but his expression noticeably hardened at the sight before him. What was at least two dozen of his people, diverse in age range from child to elder, dressed in scraps and rags while clapped in old, metal chains. It was clear they had all been starved, given just enough food to remain alive and functional. When his gaze fell upon a mother knelt down in front of her young son and daughter, his crimson eyes noticeably softened as he heard her whispering hushed words of reassurance and comfort with her hands on their shoulders.

Shifting his focus back to the older slave in front of him, his eyes narrowed once more before he abruptly reached out with both hands into the air between them, clenched his fists, and pulled both arms back in the next instant. Simultaneously as he did so, all the shackles keeping the large group of slaves in chains shattered and fell to tiny pieces on the floor. The slaves were visibly startled at the unexpected display of power, and the implications of what being rent of their chains meant for them. Once more, the expression of the cloaked infiltrator softened, but his voice conveyed the seriousness of the situation as he finally addressed his people who stood before him. At the same time, outside, the acid rain storm finally wore down.

"You are slaves to those disgusting slugs no more. I've come to bring you to a camp a few clicks southeast of here. The Sacred Bands and others keeping the resistance have fighters stationed there, and can give you food and protection. Please, come with me. I'll guard each of you with my life as we make our way there."

The trek through the swamps took about another four standard hours, and frequent stops for rest. In their heavily weakened state, the liberated slaves could only move so fast and far without a pause. The cloaked individual kept constant vigil over his charges, refusing to allow anyone to fall behind. He divided the entirety of his own rations amongst them, and took turns supporting the elders as they walked, as well as carrying children over his shoulders. Finally, just when it seemed the liberated slaves could go no further, they came upon and arrived at the makeshift war camp operated by those freed before them.

The new arrivals were just settling in when, by one of the barricades cobbled together out of large rocks and pieces of scrap metal, the cloaked infiltrator was approached by the mother he'd seen comforting her two children back at the salvage yard. He waited patiently for her to finish collecting her thoughts, his expression unreadable. Her own expression, however, was unmistakable; immense gratitude.

"T-thank you, stranger. Thank you so much. How… how can we ever repay you for this?" Now, hearing her voice quiver as she thanked him, his eyes shifted back and forth from sympathetic to resolute over the course of a few seconds, finally remaining fixed on the latter as he replied.

"Live, that's all I ask. You, your children, everyone else broken from their chains, simply make use of the second chance you've been given. That's all I could ever want from this," his crimson orbs shifted back to sympathy as he saw her tear up, swallowing a lump forming in her throat. Then, they went wide as he audibly gasped when she threw her arms around him, unable to contain herself any longer.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you…" she sobbed, the feelings of relief at the salvation gifted to her children, herself, and the others overwhelming her. Awkwardly, the cloaked infiltrator returned the gesture briefly before sending her on her way. He knew he would be heading back out, shortly.

"You really should be mindful of your own limits. Don't overextend yourself, Dunkel."

Looking over his shoulder, the cloaked infiltrator saw who had addressed him by name; one of the Sacred Bands infantrymen on guard duty at the camp. It wasn't a surprise, his name was becoming quite well known amongst the opposition movement against the Hutts and their lackeys. He didn't fight for recognition, however, and that was part of the reason he refused to wait around spinning his wheels.

"Your concern is noted, soldier, and appreciated. Nonetheless, I believe I know my own limits better than anyone, and every day could be the last for those yet to be freed. You realize that last part yourself, I'm sure," his tone was hard, but not dismissive. He knew the Sacred Bands had other obligations than just taking to the field at every opportunity.

"Just don't go fighting and working yourself to exhaustion. That was the largest group we've seen set free this month. You do good work, it'd be a real shame to lose you."

After a brief and grim chuckle, reminiscing the gruesome details of his past missions, and the toll they'd taken on him as well, he turned and raised his crimson eyes to the soldier behind him, his gaze showing nothing but conviction and resolve.

"If I am to die out there, I promise you this, it won't be without taking the entirety of the Hutts and their lapdogs on our world with me. I won't settle for anything short of their absolute and wholesale annihilation final and done!" he finished his affirmation with a low growl, his eyes becoming intense with immense devotion and restrained fury. The soldier nodded grimly, knowing full well the desire to avenge their fallen.

It was shortly after that when, stepping beyond the barricades of the war camp, Dunkel suddenly shifted his gaze from looking straight ahead to off to his right instead. He focused intently through the trees and brush in the murky swamp, something calling to him through the wilderness. It felt familiar…

Trudging and wading his way in the direction of this dark presence calling to him from afar, the Evocii traveled for what was about ten minutes before he came upon a clearing. The afternoon sunlight was bright through the smog-laden sky above. It would begin setting soon as the early evening began. As he stepped into the clearing of mud, dirt, and roots surrounded by the swamp all around, Dunkel began hearing a steady repetition of deep, mechanized breathing. It was here where he felt the dark presence at its strongest, and the young man quickly realized he was wasn't alone as he put two and two together almost instantly. A voice called out to him from the direction of the breathing just outside the clearing through some more brush and between two trees. Simultaneously, his eyes went wide as he felt a chill rush through him even through the high humidity of the swamp.

"You walk with intent, with purpose in your movements. Are you looking for me, I wonder?" the voice sounded like a mixture of mechanical and organic, like a cyborg. Dark power, and much of it, flowed with every word. The ominous breathing returned, preventing silence. Recollecting himself, Dunkel answered the presence, whatever or whoever it was.

"I could sense you from miles away. These noxious marshlands may be ripe with various lifeforms, but you stood out above all others," after he finished, Dunkel stood silent as he waited for the dark presence to respond, or reveal itself. He didn't have to wait long, for both.

The deep, mechanized breathing grew louder as what appeared to be a man clad from head to toe in a suit of black armor stepped out into the clearing in full view, mud caking his otherwise polished, plated boots and the bottom of his fiber mesh cape. Judging by the built-in respirator on his mask, and the numerous buttons and other controls built into his chestplate, gauntlets, and belt, it was clear that this stranger was indeed a cyborg. Dunkel could sense the eyes of this man sizing him up with his unseen eyes from beneath the lenses on the mask, adorned by the rims of his helmet. Mere seconds went by before the stranger addressed the Evocii again.

"You are indeed gifted with a superior connection to the Force. I can sense it within you, and no doubt it is what led you to me."

"The Force? The elders spoke of outsiders who referred to my power in that manner, but you certainly don't look like a Jedi," Dunkel narrowed his eyes once more as he scrutinized this ominous stranger before him.

"You are correct, I am not Jedi. I am Sith. Curious, you sense the Dark Side within me, yet you do not look afraid. Is it you are unaware of what it means to stand face to face with a Lord of the Sith, or something more?" Darth Vader inquired with whom he was beginning to regard as a curious Force-sensitive, someone he certainly hadn't been expecting to find on this slimy rock.

"With all due respect, stranger, those who live in fear do not last long as free men on this world. I've killed and gotten my own blood shed too many times to fear the unknown."

"Is that so? Strong in the Force and not willing to cower before a superior power... you are an interesting lifeform, but not among the ones I came here to find," Vader paused and watched as the Evocii raised an eyebrow at his words and decided to inquire further, "Are you familiar with a site known as the Caraba Ruins? My master dispatched me to eliminate two Jedi stragglers purported to be hiding out, there. Surely you don't have any misplaced loyalties to their kind?"

"Most definitely not, Sith. From what I know, Jedi were merely pawns to the corrupt Old Republic senate, lapdogs at their beck and call who never bothered with anyone outside the jurisdiction of their handlers," Dunkel spat viciously at the mere suggestion he'd harbor fugitive Jedi. He saw one of their Order only once before, a Knight who came to negotiate with a Hutt in one of the compounds. The Jedi paid no heed to any of the Evocii slaves present, instead entirely working in the best interests of the Republic alone. Needless to say, Dunkel decidedly did not take kindly to such lack of concern for the plight of his people. It enraged him.

"Then you shouldn't be averse to providing me some direction. You sensed my efforts to pinpoint the Jedi through the Force, but they mask their presence well, if they are to be found at all that is."

"Those ruins are sacred to my people. I won't tolerate outsiders taking up residence on our world with no intention of doing their part to earn the right to stand with us. I will show you to Caraba, Sith," the Evocii nodded in affirmation, and Vader crossed his arms in contemplation.

"You've earned the right to keep living in my presence, for now. Prove your worth to me, and we may both come out of this ahead. What is your name, Evocii?"

"My name is Dunkel, Dunkel Nachtgeist. What are you called, outsider?"

"I am Lord Vader, second to only the Emperor himself," the former Jedi mentally noted that his new acquaintance had impressive nerves indeed; not even mention of the strongest Dark Side practitioner and supreme ruler of the Galaxy was enough to cause any adverse reaction.

Neither Sith nor Evocii infiltrator knew it at that moment, but their journey to the Caraba Ruins through the noxious marshlands of Hutta would be the start of something much greater than the task at hand. An arrangement or mutual benefit and evolution of power, commitment, devotion, and ambition forged in darkness, one that would culminate above the very same world years later…

Twenty Minutes Ago:

Three standard days had passed since the Rebel boarding party was taken down in Hangar Bay C22. As per the instructions of the Grand Inquisitor, the handful of survivors were given basic medical care for their wounds while they remained unconscious, and were sealed away immediately after. Among the many examples of hypertech on the ancient capital ship, a network of on board brigs with numerous, tight-spaced, cylindrical and single occupant stasis cells were readily available to house captives in suspended animation. Pumped full of narcotics designed to induce artificial comas during their treatments, the Rebels could offer no resistance to being placed and locked away inside the cells.

The stasis cells were merely one example of the foreboding alien technology of the Rakata to be found on the Infinite Reformer. Each one featured an independent life support system and was linked to a master control terminal that kept each sealed shut. If a cell was breached or destroyed, the prisoner was killed instantly. It was only through multiple layers of encrypted codes that the cells could be unlocked from the lone terminal in each brig, and no room had the same set of codes for its cells.

It was for this reason that Special Operative Kavir Oslan considered himself fortunate that he knew the set of codes for the brig where the entirety of the Rebel survivors were being held. He knew full well the ramifications for what he was about to do. Hell, the Rebels may actually decide to kill him themselves, and he couldn't find it in himself to fault them if they chose to do so. A lot of people, many he knew on a first name basis, were now dead because of him. Many times when he was asleep, he could still see their faces. It haunted him, tormented him, the knowledge of all the atrocities he was complicit in. He was going to do whatever he could to try and set things right, even if it cost him his life.

Kavir steeled his nerves as he punched in the codes. Whatever happened next, there was no turning back now. He took in a deep breath to help keep himself steady as he turned to face the cells, their doors slowly opening amidst a loud hissing, steam being funneled out from the pressurized interiors. It took about a couple of minutes for the occupants of the cells to regain consciousness, and enough of their senses to recognize and remember the danger of their current situation. Ezra was the first to pull himself out of his cell, and the moment his dark blue eyes rested on the lighter blue ones of Kavir, the young Padawan quickly reacted as he was expected to.

"You! I'm not finished with you, yet!" Ezra growled while simultaneously raising his voice. One by one, the other Rebels present pulled themselves up and out into the brig as well. Kanan could easily sense the anger in his apprentice.

"Ezra, calm yourself. We don't know where we are or what's happening," while Ezra's expression softened at the voice of his master and the sight of the rest of the survivors in his presence, a certain Mandalorian and Lasat warrior weren't so easily deterred. Kavir did his best to keep up a brave front, but nonetheless was internally grateful that they were still lacking their arms and armor. Cassian and the other commando watched from behind the Ghost crew.

"Just how long were you working for the Empire?! You led them right to our base, didn't you?!" Sabine raised an accusatory finger, pointed squarely at the Mantellian by the terminal.

"I'm disgusted to think how many good men and women died because of you and your two-faced cowardice!" Garazeb Orellios snarled, only refraining from moving to tear Kavir limb from limb because he knew Kanan would stop him. Looking the Rebels squarely in the eyes, the former freedom fighter finally spoke up in a voice filled with urgency, desperation, and regret. Ezra felt his nerves soften a bit as he saw how Kavir's eyes almost looked… pleading.

"I doubt there's anythin' I can say or do that will explain or make up for everythin' I've done. My actions right now can't undo my sins, and there was neva' anythin' personal about it. But please, you have ta listen to me! I leaked word of the fleet's destination to the Rebellion shortly before we left Grakouine. That was three days ago. We'll be arrivin' over Hutta shortly, where the Grand Inquisitor plans to unleash the full power of this ship, the power of both suns he had drained over the last two weeks," Kavir paused briefly to let his warning sink in, but he could tell each word was met with skepticism, "Once his work is complete, he intends ta hand this ship over ta the Emperor! Just imagin' what the supreme tyrant himself would be willing to do with such power! The Grand Inquisitor must be stopped, now, or the Imperials will foreva' have the means ta destroy suns an' reshape entire worlds!"

"'Reshape entire worlds'?" Ezra raised an eyebrow.

"You seriously expect us to believe any more of your lies?!" Sabine lividly stomped forward with fire in her eyes, but was stopped the moment she felt Kanan's hand on her shoulder. She looked over at him, startled and confused.

"If Kavir truly did tell the Rebellion of where we're headed, Hera and the rest of the fleet will be inbound. We'll need to move and take this ship down from within to give them a fighting chance. You saw the firepower on the exterior, did you not?" the blind Jedi Knight reasoned, and the officer standing behind them gave his own input immediately after.

"Kanan is right, we need knowledge of this ship this defector knows. It's not an ideal situation, but it's what we have to work with," Cassian nodded as he spoke in agreement.

"The combined might of the Fourth and Seventh Fleets will be guarding the ship from exterior attack, and from what little intel I've been afforded on this ship, her shieldin' and weaponry are so strong she could probably take on the entirety of your fleet alone. Any window of opportunity ta take'er down will be brief, but I can help ya with sabotage," for his own part, Kavir was sincere and earnest as he hurriedly explained. He knew they had to get moving soon, as time was certainly not a luxury they possessed.

"We'd better not regret this, Kavir," Kanan warned sharply as he folded his arms. Ezra nodded in agreement as he hardened his own expression once again.

"You won't. Now, I'll show you all where your gear is bein' kept."

Present:

It lasted but a second, but a desperate and surprised gasp was cut short by a startled and pained shout as a red lightsaber was ignited and plunged straight through Kavir's stomach. Nachtgeist had grabbed hold of his cybernetic right arm with a vice-like grip, the strength behind his hand amplified through the Force.

Through narrowed eyes that radiated pure and cold rage, the Grand Inquisitor tightened the grip his left hand had on the cybernetic arm of his would-be assassin, the overwhelming might evident as the metal frame and wiring began to crack and bend out of shape beneath his gloved hand as the artificial limb was slowly crushed. Kavir winced in pain, eyes wide in shock. He willed himself to try and fight back, but under the intense, murderous, crimson gaze of his captor, he felt completely paralyzed. The energy blade currently running him through certainly wasn't making free movement any easier, either. Next, Nachtgeist clamped down on Kavir's cybernetic arm to such an extent it was crushed down to the center, rendering it useless as wires split apart within under the weight of his grip. Immediately after that, the Evocii recoiled his left arm with such strength it tore the crushed artificial limb completely off. Pieces of metal and wiring went flying as the demolished arm hit the floor, as did the blaster pistol which clattered far out of its owner's reach.

Kavir's howl of sharp pain that went shooting through him ended with a choked gasp as Nachtgeist then reached over, seized his organic left arm in an equally vicious grip, and then tore that off as well, flesh and bone and all. This time, it was blood that showered onto the floor. An agonized scream reverberated throughout the chamber. Kicking the crippled man off of his saber with his right foot, Nachtgeist disengaged and sheathed his lightsaber while using his left hand to hurl Kavir up into the ceiling, slamming him into the metal plating with great force. Next, using his right hand, the menacing Dark Side master fired a continuous volley of Force lightning into the former freedom fighter, all the while telekinetically throwing him into the wall above the window panes on the left side of the chamber, and then over into the right wall. Bones were cracked and splintered with each impact while thousands of volts of electricity surged into the crippled and bleeding body of Kavir Oslan, who was then finally hurled with overwhelming strength through the Force into the back wall, beyond the guard rails over the chasm. Ceasing his barrage of Force lightning, Nachtgeist made sure that Kavir could see his narrowed eyes once again, remorseless fury radiating from his crimson orbs and nothing else.

"Your family will be informed you died for the Empire."

And with that, the Grand Inquisitor dropped his hand, and allowed the battered, bloodied, charred, and armless body of Kavir Oslan to plummet into the chasm, tumbling while striking hard against various pipes on the way down. The vicious, fatal counterassault had lasted mere moments, and the fall took longer. Kavir could barely register any of his senses. His vision was blurring, and he barely felt the pain with every bash against a pipe on the way down. For the unwilling traitor to the Rebellion and the last minute defector to the Galactic Empire, it truly was the end. When Nachtgeist turned back around to face the front of the chamber, it was right then when the Infinite Reformer and the Imperial Fourth Fleet dropped out of hyperspace.

Almost immediately, the sublight engines on the Imperial warships flared to life and the fleet began navigating towards Hutta. The heavily-polluted swamp world continued its daily rotation beyond Nar Shaddaa, the notorious city-wide moon and criminal underworld nexus. The Furious Vengeance took point, the armada providing a barrier around the Infinite Reformer. On the bridge of the former, Vice Admiral Paelleon was the first to see off to the right as the Imperial Seventh Fleet dropped out of hyperspace, led by the Chimaera and Grand Admiral Thrawn.

"Commander Eclipse, have a channel opened to the Chimaera immediately! Our friends in the Seventh Fleet have just arrived," the middle-aged Human relayed to his first lieutenant further back on the bridge behind him. The young woman readily obeyed, Starkiller observing silently at her side.

"At once, sir!"

Once communications were set between the two fleets, they began their coordinated effort to ensure nothing would interfere with the final phase of the operation. The Chimaera and the Seventh Fleet moved to form an orbital blockade over Nar Shaddaa while the Furious Vengeance and the Fourth Fleet did the same in orbit over Hutta. All efforts by the Hutt Cartel to hail the Imperials were thwarted as all non-Imperial comm chatter was quickly silenced. Both local and long-range channels and frequencies were jammed, just as they'd been before. Sizable squadrons of modified Action V frigates and Porax-38 starfighters were deployed from both the planet and moon, but quickly found they were severely outnumbered and outgunned by the blockading fleets above.

It was less than a couple minutes after the Fourth Fleet dropped out of hyperspace when, down several hundred feet from the Observation Tower inside the superstructure, the six Rebel survivors were crossing a walkway that led across the chasm. Having been given a copy of blueprints to the Infinite Reformer with highlighted routes to the vital systems from Kavir back in the brig, Sabine was leading the way to a set of stairs up ahead that would lead to a turbolift atrium just three levels down. Both Ezra and Kanan felt they could sense a foreboding presence up ahead as well, but that was interrupted by a sudden, violent thud that rattled the walkway behind them. The team were all startled at what had caused the commotion as they came to a halt.

"Kavir!" Ezra flew into a panic with wide eyes as he pushed his way past Kanan, Zeb, Cassian, and the other commando to reach the disfigured and literally disarmed man. His broken, armless body had crashed right onto the edge of the walkway, the impact so vicious it caused some of what little was left of his blood to spatter further, and both of his legs, bones completely shattered from hitting various pipes on the way down at high-speed, to dangle uselessly over the side.

"Damn…" was the only word Cassian found he could mutter as his own eyes took in the gruesome scene. Zeb merely sighed as he lowered his head and Kanan did the same. Sabine found she couldn't take her eyes off Kavir or Ezra. She moved to go to the side of the latter, but Kanan stopped her with an arm blocking her path and a silent shake of his head. It was impossible to tell at a distance whether Kavir was even still alive. Kneeling down and pressing two fingers to the man's neck, the young Padawan found that the agent still had a pulse, but it was faint and fading. Ezra delicately placed a hand under the back of Kavir's head, and could feel blood oozing from where the man's skull was split open.

"My… my c-code cylinders… please… take them…!" Kavir gasped and choked out, his voice strained, hoarse, and weak. Blood was slowly running from the corners of his mouth and his nostrils, and every breath was shallow and strained. Ezra followed the man's gaze down to his chest pocket. Three color-coordinated code cylinders were arrayed in place, there, and he removed them as instructed. "I'm… sorry," the defector rasped in a final apology. Ezra's eyes peered into Kavir's, and through the glimmer of restrained tears in the darker blues, the latter saw something he'd first caught a glimpse of during their fight in the hangar, "You have strength and fire in your eyes, Ezra Bridger. This is good. Now, I can die, and leave what remains to you."

Kavir Oslan took solace in this knowledge as he closed his eyes for a final time, his last, strained breath and heartbeat following soon after. Ezra choked back a sob as he lowered his own eyelids, setting Kavir's lifeless, cracked cranium back down gently. Rising to his feet, he wiped his eyes and sniffed deeply, his eyes opening back up to reveal nothing but fierce determination. He strode back to where he'd been standing behind Sabine before without a word, pocketing the cylinders as he did so.

"Ezra?" Sabine asked softly, knowing the gravity of the situation.

"This ends, now!"

The moment the Rebels arrived at the atrium, they stopped in their tracks. Sitting cross-legged on the metal floor with his back to the turbolifts behind him, Inquisitor Jerec formed his usual, twisted grin as he sensed his anticipated arrivals. It was clear he had been meditating in silence, expecting them to come this way. Both Kanan and Ezra raised their lightsaber at him, but the blind Dark Side master paid the gesture no heed. His tone was mocking and thick with malice and condescension.

"I have a pretty good idea as to how you managed to find your way here, but I'm sure my exalted superior will be handling that little mess if he hasn't already. How pleasant of you to join me, little rebels, I was oh so against taking prisoners anyway. Such a needless hassle when information can be torn from skulls on the spot, wouldn't you agree?"

"Stand aside, Jerec, and we won't have to take you down to size," Kanan was in no mood to mince words with the former Jedi Knight blocking their path. Jerec merely chuckled as he rose to his feet, but with no intention of getting out of their way at all.

"The Grand Inquisitor may be willing to allow vermin like yourselves a chance to surrender without harm, but I'm not quite as merciful," as he finished his grim statement, the middle-aged Human Inquisitor reached and unclasped the hilt of his doublesaber from his belt, drawing it and igniting both blades, "Hyperspace travel is such a bore. I'm grateful to each of you for providing outlets for my neglected and built-up bloodlust," now the chuckling morphed into full blown, demented laughter. The Jedi and their allies kept steady in the face his of challenge.

"You do realize you're severely outnumbered?" Cassian fired back while taking aim through the scope on his rifle. He knew from reports on how these Inquisitors fought that precision would very much be key.

"No I'm not," Jerec's vile grin widened as he retorted simply. The ominous, telltale sound of many metallic footsteps clamoring in rapid succession down the hall the way they came alerted the Rebels to the fact that more of the battle droids were closing in.

"Karabast!" Zeb growled, raising his bow rifle as he took cover to the right of the doorway while Cassian did so to the left.

"Hold them off! We got this!" Ezra assured the former two as Sabine holstered her right pistol to draw and ignite the Darksaber instead.

As Cassian and the other commando began shooting the moment the droids were in sight, Jerec lunged at the four facing him, his doublesaber spinning like a sawblade as he did so. Zeb switched his weapon to melee mode just in time to block the twin red blades alongside the two Jedi and the Mandalorian. Jerec's movements were so quick they were within the blink of an eye. Firing a blast of Force lightning from his left hand down into the floor, he successfully separated the four Rebels. One of his blades locked with Ezra's own saber while Sabine ducked to avoid his sweeping kick. He used his free hand again to propel the Lasat warrior away with the Force, but immediately after, gasped as he felt himself hit with a blast of the energy. Using his own free hand, Kanan telekinetically slammed Jerec into the wall to the right of the lifts. The former quickly urged the other three to get on one of the lifts while they had the chance.

"Go! Get down to the reactor level and do some damage! I can handle this guy by myself!"

Jerec's demented laughter returned in earnest as he focused his blind and unseen eyes squarely on the Jedi Knight holding him in place through the Force. A single surge of his dark power and he was freed, Kanan nearly knocked off his feet. The latter raised his lightsaber back up just in time to block another blast of Force lightning, and was firmly kept on the defensive as he blocked and dodged both blades of the doublesaber bearing down on him in rapid succession. It wasn't long before a turbolift arrived at the atrium, its doors flying open and offering temporary respite from the chaos of battle. The three Rebels just outside in the atrium, however, could see that Jerec was proving more formidable than Kanan had anticipated. One look at their alien friend, and both Ezra and Sabine knew they'd be continuing on, alone.

"I'll help Kanan bring this madman down. You two get the honors of destroying this ship."

"Good luck, big guy," Ezra nodded with a smirk. Sabine nodded with a like expression beneath her visor.

"You too, kid," Zeb grinned before turning back to the fight, raising his weapon once more before charging back into the fray.

The young Padawan and the teenage Mandalorian stepped inside the lift, and the doors immediately sealed behind them as they disengaged their blades. Utilizing the highlighted digital layout provided by Kavir, Sabine quickly pinpointed the level they needed to head down to. When she attempted to press the necessary buttons, however, the lights on all of them instantly went out, and a loud clanking rattled the entire lift.

"That doesn't sound good," Ezra mused aloud.

"Not at all," Sabine agreed warily. Just a moment later, the turbolift shot up the shaft in a high-speed ascent instead of the intended descent, "Not at all!" Sabine reiterated. Ezra frantically tried pressing the emergency control buttons, clearly labeled on the panel with the others, to no avail.

"Come on! What the hell is going on here?!" he kicked the doors in worry and frustration. Neither he nor his female companion had to wait long to find out what exactly was happening.

The lift came to a stop at the very top of the shaft, and the doors flew back open to reveal one of the two corridors that led into chamber atop the observation tower. Ezra could sense the Grand Inquisitor beyond the second set of doors into the chamber, and knew the Evocii was already aware of his presence as well. He exited the lift first as Sabine tried in vain to attempt to get the controls working again.

"It's completely offline, now. Damn thing," she huffed as she joined Ezra in the corridor, "Jedi senses at work again?" she inquired once she saw him eyeing the doors at the end of the hallway intently.

"The Grand Inquisitor is inside beyond those doors. I recognize his level of power, and the Dark Side immersed with it," his voice was both solemn and serious, his brows furrowing in concentration. After a tense, long moment of silence, Sabine spoke up once again.

"Well," she began with a sigh, "it's not like we have much of a choice. It's clearly a trap, but it looks like one we have to face. What do you think?" she looked to him as he stood to her right, waiting for his take on their situation. She smiled in spite of herself upon seeing no fear or doubt in his features.

"I think it's time we end this, one way or another," his voice dripped with absolute determination. If the Dark Side master who awaited them just ahead was intent on a fight, neither he nor the young woman at his side would go down easy.

The two Rebels found the doors at the end of the corridor were unsealed as they immediately opened once they neared. The first thing they noticed was the broken section of the guardrail at the edge of the chasm to immediately to their left once they stepped inside, as well as the blood stain on the wall behind it. Their focus quickly shifted, however, as a dark and familiar voice called out to them.

"So, you've arrived at last. Is the rest of your team inbound, or was it only the two of you who managed to give Jerec the slip?" the nonchalant tone of the Evocii both irritated and slightly unnerved the two Rebels, but they kept their heads level as Ezra spoke up.

"It's over, Grand Inquisitor. You're cornered with no place to go," his voice exhumed confidence and defiance, but the menacing Dark Side master was undeterred.

"Am I? Then it's a good thing I'm exactly where I want to be."

At that moment, a deep red energy barrier instantaneously formed horizontally across the expanse of the large chamber, effectively separating Ezra and Sabine from Nachtgeist, who all the while remained with his back to him, paying their startled faces at this sudden twist no heed at all. No, his gaze remained fixated on the ancient holocron set upon the pedestal directly in front of him. It was time…

Growing frustrated, the young Padawan raised his lightsaber and took a step forward, but the teenage Mandalorian was quick to stop him, "Wait, Ezra, this is no ordinary energy barrier! It's a laser gate!"

"Huh? A 'laser gate'?" Ezra halted in his tracks, alarmed and confused at the sudden warning from his female companion. From beyond the shimmering wall in front of them, the Grand Inquisitor elaborated as he raised his hands to the holocron in front of him.

"You have a sharp eye, Mandalorian. Indeed, the barrier that separates us is a laser gate. I would sincerely recommend you avoid trying to break through it, unless you wish to run the risk of being incinerated alive. Feel free to leave the way you came, but be warned, there is nowhere on this ship you can run where I cannot follow."

"We're not running, from you or anyone else!" Sabine spat viciously as Ezra narrowed his eyes in a like-mind beside her. The two Rebels felt a sudden chill run down their spines as an unseen grin formed on the face of their foe who remained with his back to them.

"Then you get to bear witness to the true power of the ancient creation that brought us here, and that of the holocron I've coveted. Rejoice in knowing you get a front row seat to The Promised Day!" using the commlink built into the device on his left wrist, Nachtgeist relayed his instructions to his subordinates on the bridge, "Fire now, captain! It's time!" his voice now exhumed authority and confidence. His hands proceeded to grasp the edges of the pyramid structure of the holocron, and he closed his crimson eyes while he did so.

"What're you doing?! What's going on?!" Ezra demanded, but his own voice fell on deaf ears.

The young Padawan could feel the raw Force energy emanating from the holocron. So much of it was nothing but pure Dark Side, but as he concentrated, Ezra could also sense traces of a familiar presence that felt neither light nor dark. He'd felt something similar at the Temple of the Ancients all those months ago, and just a few days prior at the ruins of the Jedi Enclave on Dantooine. He couldn't quite place the implications of what this familiar presence meant for what was going on, but somehow, somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, Ezra knew the power surging beyond the laser gate would do neither him nor Sabine any harm.

The eyes of the Grand Inquisitor shot back open, and this time they glowed a deep red as an aura of the same color exerted out from the holocron and engulfed his entire form. His unseen grin grew wider as he felt the ancient energies from within the device surge into his very being. He'd never, ever felt such power. To him, it was exhilarating, glorious. Immediately after this, a bright beam of yellow-white energy fired out from the barrel of the Reformer Cannon, but this time its width was at the edges of the barrel rather than before when it was a simple thin line meant to reel in the power of suns. This time, the energy beam was fired directly into the surface of the planet bellow, instantly vaporizing a wide area of impact, precisely-calculated and in an uninhabited reach of the marshes, as well as steadily and quickly carving down past the bedrock and into the crust. In mere seconds, the beam made contact with the molten core of the heavily-polluted swamp world.

"Yes… yes! At long last! It begins! Symbiosis! I feel it!" for the first time, both the young Jedi and the teenage Mandalorian heard their nemesis cackle out loud. His hands clutched the holocron in front of him as though it were a lifeline. Deep red light continued glowing from his eyes as the matching aura grew larger and wider, flaring about wildly. The entire chamber was now shaking in vibration, the panes of glass rattling. The surging Force energy howled of its own accord, flowing and spiraling all around as though it were gale force winds. For his part, Ezra held on tightly to Sabine as she did the same to him. They truly believed if they weren't anchoring one another, they'd both have been blown away by now. Nachtgeist continued his euphoric declaration, "Watch now, as I turn back the hands of time! To a time before the Hutts, before the decadence and corruption of outsiders doomed my people! Behold, The Promised Day!"

All the while, down on the surface of Hutta, the very ground beneath the bloated and thick marshlands began to crack and splinter as massive earthquakes erupted across the planet. Volcanic eruptions, courtesy of numerous breaches opened up to the core of the swamp world, spewed lava and ash out and high into the polluted skies. It wasn't long before one town, compound, and city after the next was hit by these artificially-induced natural disasters that threatened to tear the entire planet apart. At this point, the last of the Hutt Cartel warships were finished off by the overwhelming firepower of the Imperial fleets in orbit above both Hutta and Nar Shaddaa. Under normal circumstances, just about all life on Hutta would succumb to the volatile terraforming process which finally began in earnest, starting from the site of impact around the continuously-firing beam. However, Nachtgeist was not willing to sacrifice the remainder of his people to restore their world. His modifications to this process were about to begin.

A/N: And so it begins, ladies and gentlemen. While the Jedi Knight and the Lasat Warrior take on a former Jedi turned Inquisitor, the Padawan and the Mandalorian face off against the Grand Inquisitor one last time. The final battle for the course of this war is at hand, and far more is on the line than the fate of an entire world and its native people.

Thanks again to my beta reader, Wikked Grin, for his continued assistance in finalizing these chapters. Also, another thanks to each and every one of you once more for your continued support. :) Chapter 11 is already in progress, and set to be out sometime within the next two weeks as of right now.