.Okay, a note to everyone who might be paying any attention to the ship classes I introduce throughout the story, the Nova is classed as a Star Dreadnaught, not a Star Destroyer. This is because of its size and power, and dreadnaught is a far more suitable naval term for it. Also, I am currently making a site which will list the statistics of the various ships shown throughout the story.

Original vessels introduced this chapter:

Hym'br­-Class Tetra-Dreadnaught

Qarrda-Class Tetra-Dreadnaught

Guardian-Class Star Dreadnaught

Genome-Class Star Battlecruiser

Angels and Demons: Searching for Elysium

Chapter 2

"The Nova… I've never seen such a huge ship," murmured Captain Richards quietly as he stepped out of the yacht and into the docking bay. The bay itself was huge, able to accommodate an Imperator-Class Star Destroyer with fair comfort. Captain Richards breathed in the cool, ventilated air and looked around the bay. It was obviously a brand new ship, as the only use the docking bay had seen was construction ships. He walked towards where everyone else seemed to have gathered, not sure what was of such interest. Emperor Solo himself had remained aboard the yacht, and already it was warming up its initial launch engines.

Heels clicking on the floor, Captain Richards drew towards the spot, and began to catch glimpses of the centre of the crowd. It seemed there were people there to take them on partial tours of the ship. Remembering his mission specifications, Captain Richards looked for a certain Admiral Trask. He spotted him, standing near the corner, in his immaculately pressed grey uniform, his grey hair parted neatly over his brown. He had stern blue eyes, and his lips were pressed into a thin line. Richards approached him and saluted flawlessly. Admiral Trask returned the motion.

"Captain Richards, sir."

Admiral Trask gave him a looking-over and snorted, eyeing him disdainfully.

"You're just a boy. No Captain is that young. The Emperor must be a fool to appoint someone like you to the Nova. Not bad enough we have a mere girl running the show," growled Trask with agitation. Richards blinked, taken aback by the comment.

"What do you mean sir?"

Trask pointed to Katel, who stood apart from the crowd. She was reading a datapad that the Emperor had provided her with.

"Her. She is apparently the leader of this mission. If she orders something, we have to order it. We'll never get any battle success if we have a commander who will run at the slightest conflict. And to expect someone with no experience at all on a starship command unit to lead us is insane." Trask clipped his words, but kept his tone level as he spoke.

Captain Richards observed the young Sith apprentice. She looked cool and collected to him, but that was no indication of aptitude. Still, he gave her the benefit of the doubt.

"By your leave sir, I do believe that the Emperor knows what he is doing. After all, isn't she rumored to be the heir to his throne?" asked Richards calmly. Trask nodded almost imperceptibly, but didn't seem any happier. He looked at Captain Richards again, then glanced at his holopad.

"You were the last in the group. Let's move to the command bridge, crew. Follow me." With this, Trask strode towards a large turbolift, which could comfortably fit the 6 of them to go up. Richards saw other groups, maintenance, gunners, starfighter commanders, and all sorts of groups moving off in various directions. Richards entered the turbolift and it zoomed off towards the bridge.

Katel finished reading her private report from the Emperor and looked around the almost empty docking bay. Two darktroopers had remained to escort her around the ship. Most of the crew was already aboard, had been since the ship became habitable. Solo had just decided to bring in the best of the best once it was completed, to command his mighty ship.

She glanced at the two darktroopers. They were hers to play with. Everyone on the ship was hers to play with. Everyone on this ship had to bow before her. She smiled at the thought, then turned to one of the troopers. First she'd need to learn about the ship she was to rule.

"Trooper." At the mention of his title, the trooper swung to full attention, snapping off a salute, waiting for a return one. It didn't come. Katel stared at him with disapproval.

"I am not one of your military associates. My name is Katel. You will address me as such. We are all part of the Empire, working towards the same goal. We are all equal, except for one fact. I own you. So from now on, do not salute me, and only address me as Katel. That is the way it shall be." Katel smiled and then continued on.

"I've read my reports as to what this mission is about, now I need a tour. You are my escort yes?" she asked the man sharply. A flicker of consternation appeared across his face as he replied.

"Yes sir, I mean Lad- Katel. Follow us. WE will show you to your private quarters and fill you in on the Nova along the way."

The two men turned and walked away, Katel following them silently.

"You stand aboard the bridge of the Nova. 29 000 meters in length, this is the biggest ship ever operational in the Imperial Navy. It has a crew of over one million, and is packed with the most powerful and advanced technology in the galaxy."

Trask indicated a holographic image of the Nova to his audience, who watched silently, not showing the awe they felt. The area he pointed to was a unique command tower structure which had a main support pylon, but extended so far ahead of it a second pylon was required, creating a circular tunnel in the middle of the tower. It extended forward over five kilometers in total, slightly overshadowing the cortex that covered the dorsal hull.

"This command ship possesses weaponry beyond what entire fleets are capable of fielding, with 1500 heavy turbolasers, 4000 light turbolasers, 2000 heavy laser cannons, 300 ion cannons, 250 tractor beam emplacements, 45 gravity well projectors, 1000 concussion missile launchers and of course, the modified co-axial superlaser." As Admiral Trask ran these statistics off, the jaws of most of the command crew fell open in disbelief. This ship had weapons everywhere!

Admiral Trask pointed towards the rear of the ship, at the strange engine structure. It was terrace so the highest level extended back from the back of the command tower, while the bottommost bank was right under the frontal pylon. There were five banks in total.

"Each of the banks you see possesses 3 primary sublight engines, a kilometer in diameter, and 4 tertiary engines, 200 meters each in diameter. This aft section covers an area over 68 square kilometers, and is the most vulnerable part of the Nova though the sublight emissions will defend the aft quite well. Make sure you memorize the weaknesses of this ship, what few it has."

Captain Richards nodded, as did some of the other commanders. Richards wasn't worried though. As if anything could stand up to the Nova.

"Impressive weaponry. Continue." Katel nodded to the trooper on her right as she approached her quarters.

"Yes, ma'am… Katel" corrected the trooper quickly as she shot him a glare. He continued hurriedly. "Due to advanced composite generators, the Nova possesses enough power to generate a shield with strength equal to that of a planetary shield of the highest level. Also, by reducing the power output of the superlaser, the recharge time for the laser has been reduced to around 5 minutes before it reaches full charge. Hyperdrive is Class I, of course."

Katel nodded approval as she stepped up to her door. She knew what was to come next. A month of preparation training, including skirmishes and drills. She looked forward to it, very much.

"Thank you. You may leave now." She closed the door to her chambers, and the troopers blinked and looked at each other.

"Did she just thank us?"

Katel observed her quarters with interest. These were her private operations quarters, not residential quarters as she'd expected. The chamber was designed very much like the diagrams she'd seen of the famous Grand Admiral Thrawn's chambers, with familiar double rings of holo-repeaters, and a tactical command board. Situated in the middle was a luxurious chair, which Katel sat in immediately, smirking. She studied the panel installed in the chair, and thumbed on the intercom.

"Admiral. Report," snapped Katel with some impatience. She was prone to mood swings, and the changes she was going through at her age didn't help. She wanted his attention right now.

"Admiral Trask reporting Lady Katel," came the clear, crisp reply, frosty in tone.

"Katel. Call me Lady again and I will kill you," growled Katel moodily, winding her hair around one of her fingers absently as she listened to Trask's report that the preliminary tour had been completed.

"Excellent. Let's start the training routine," ordered Katel, her eyes roving across a schedule she managed to bring up in front of her. There was supposed to be a week for adjustment…. But she couldn't give a damn.

"Um… the schedule has us for a week of adjustment first, Lad… Katel. I do suggest we take this opportunity." Admiral Trask stood firmly at the head of the bridge, his voice modulated and calm. Inside he was cursing Katel for her foolishness.

She must be insane. Most of the command crew has no idea of the ship's capabilities, nor does she. I shall have to make sure to monitor her orders.

"Very well… Katel." Admiral Trask turned to a man behind him. "Alright, let's go. I believe that… Corellia is as good a place to start as any. There are insurgents barricading the planet. They are fools, but provide us with a perfect target. Lock co-ordinates for Corellia." Admiral Trask pressed his lips together grimly as he heard the intercom beep and thumbed it on.

"Yes… Katel?" asked Trask, struggling to call her such an informal name.

Down in her chambers, Katel had her brows furrowed in concentration as she focused on a particular mind aboard the crew.

"Override those orders. Someone in your crew wants revenge for something Admiral. Just in case you were interested. I can feel the pulsing rage." Katel's voice was dreamlike as she floated through her trance state.

Admiral Trask quickly surveyed the room, then replied.

"It's of no matter. The Nova will not be used for petty vengeance."

"Oh no… I want you to oblige him. Revenge is a powerful force. I wish for him to feed off it. Go where he tells you. That is an order Admiral."

Katel's eyes cracked open and she massaged her temples. Mind-reading was one of the more difficult Sith abilities, and it drained her.

Admiral Trask stared at the intercom with disbelief, then turned to face the crew, his face a mixture of resignation and resent, for both Katel, and the man who dared to override his orders.

"Who is it then? Who is the fool who has revenge on his mind?" snapped Trask, grumpily. Captain Richards calmly raised his hand in a salute.

"Me sir. By your leave, I wish to return to Dov'nik II, and destroy it. I lost a lot of good friends, and I want them avenged." Richards stared across the bridge into Trask's eyes, unfaltering in his gaze. Trask slumped slightly in resignation and turned to his navigator.

"Set a course for Dov'nik II."

The Troll'ko Mo'rath, a Hym'br-class Tetra-Dreadnaught, floated through the vastness of space. Far behind it, only just visible, was the planet it guarded, Dov'nik II. It was a massive ship, nine kilometers long. About as long as the biggest ships the Empire had, and much more powerful, the Mo'rath was armed to the teeth. The hull was sleek and dark, and the bridge was located in a flat area that was attached to the front, perpendicular to the hull. On the dorsal and ventral surfaces were large weapons blisters and large triangular panels for extraordinarily long range sensors, and at the sides were small wings that housed tertiary engine banks. The entire thing looked a lot like a hammerhead-shark in fact.

As it glided through space, a slight flicker appeared off to its left, and the sensors blipped for the briefest moment. However, further sensor scans confirmed nothing was within several lightweeks of the ship, so there was no threat.

Aboard the Nova, Captain Richards stared out of the view port at complete blackness. There was no light to be seen at all. He was a little surprised in fact.

"The Nova has a cloaking device? That'd cost a lot for a ship like this… and the sensors are useless. How do we know what's out there?" he glanced at Admiral Trask.

"It was expensive. And we installed crystal grav-traps into the sensors, so we can detect objects through the cloaking shield. We'll approach the planet on a pre-programmed vector, and we'll have early warning of any approaching vessels."

Trask smiled inwardly. It was an ingenious way to approach a planet. He was disturbed by a sensor crewer approaching him.

"Admiral sir, the CGT has detected a gravity mass very near by. Small… a large ship at best." Admiral Trask smirked and nodded. He ordered the coordinates of the ship fed through to the gunnery station.

"Charge superlaser. Nominal charge only. Fire on my mark." Admiral Trask dispatched his orders, and observed the charge level of the superlaser. When it reached 100, he thumbed his intercom on again.

"Fire."

Directly below the bridge, on the ventral hull, a large cannon, two kilometers long, glowed and fired a beam straight at the superlaser spike. The beam flew through seventeen kilometers of open space, struck the spike, and was then redirected, the beam changed from red to green as a focusing crystal in the spike amplified the blast. The beam shot outwards and vanished as it passed beyond the stealth cloak.

Trask watched the monitor and smiled with satisfaction as several large shrapnel impacts were registered against the cloak.

"Excellent. Continue vectored approach, maintain cloak."

A mere fifty thousand kilometers from Dov'nik II, the second of the great battle ships, a Qarrda-Class Tetra-Dreadnaught, floated in space. It was vastly different from the Mo'rath, being shaped like a gianttwelve kilometer wide crescent. This ship was the Twyleth Teg. It was made of a strange type of metal, and had no obvious engines. Studded all over both sides of the hull were large half-kilometer obelisks of unknown purpose. On the port hull was a vicious blast mark, and several broken obelisks. These were the only signs that an Imperial Star Destroyer had ever met this ship.

As it floated silently in space, the alien crew prepared for the Imperial fleet that was quickly approaching from hyperspace, intent on getting revenge for the destruction of the Discontinuity. The entire quadrant to the west of the ship seemed to shimmer slightly, and then a mass fleet emerged from hyperspace.

The fleet was composed of over twenty Imperator-class Star Destroyers, a few Guardian-class Star Dreadnaughts, several smaller Genome­­-class Star Battle cruisers, and several wings of TIEs. The fleet approached the silent ship quickly, several squadrons of TIE Avengers flying in for swift attacks.

The dorsal obelisks glowed momentarily, and then a flurry of beams poured forth from them, striking the squadrons with incredible accuracy, and destroying them immediately. When the Imperials saw this, the Star Destroyers moved into a defensive formation and began to shower long-range turbolaser blasts upon the hapless Twyleth Teg.

As the ship shook from the blasting it was taking, the dorsal and ventral obelisk networks glowed and then all the obelisks fired beams towards each other, connecting in a flash of light. The Teg glowed momentarily, and then fired a large beam straight towards the fleet. The beam impacted with a Guardian-class Dreadnaught, and began to slowly but surely dissolve the heavy plating of the ship, ignoring the shields completely. This barrage continued for around twenty seconds, and then the ship began to gout flame as the hull was stripped and internal reactors exposed. The beam hovered for a moment over one spot, severing the command tower from the main hull, causing the ship to spiral away into a second Guardian, destroying both.

The man sitting in front of the sensor console in the Nova's bridge stared down at his screen, then alerted the Admiral. He pressed the comm. And hailed the commander.

"Yes, what is it?" snapped Admiral Trask.

"You might want to check the CGT readings sir. We seem to be approaching several ships. There are quite a few large ones. Which should we target?"

Admiral Trask considered for a moment his options. Then he made his decision.

"Charge the superlaser… nominal, then drop the cloak. Find the greatest threat and destroy it."

The order was relayed to the gunners, Admiral Trask felt a tremble as the laser charged, and then… the darkness suddenly became flooded with pricks and beams of vicious light. Admiral Trask recoiled in surprise. A behemoth of a ship by normal standards seemed to be tearing through an Imperial fleet while it took a huge beating. However, the glimpse of the ship was only fleeting, as a lone Guardian flailed and writhed in its death throes, and slammed into the ship's surface They both exploded, and this time the Teg really did explode. A vast ring of superheated plasma burst from the ship, destroying the remaining fighers. The capital ships managed to survive mostly unharmed though, and Admiral Trask grimaced as a hail of comms began to flow through the channels.

"Don't respond to any of the comms. Charge superlaser to maximum, and destroy the planet. Then, we leave." Admiral Trask moved to the back of the bridge to watch the show. The superlaser fired, the ship jolted a little, and the beam swept over the planet, scorching and blackening the crust. The seas boiled instantly, and magma began to spew forth from the now-molten crust. Then as soon as it had started, the superlaser cut out, and the Nova-winked into non-existence through hyperspace.

Katel smiled as she gnawed on a ration bar. She'd become ravenous over the past week or so, and had become rather irritable because of it. Just the day before, she'd killed a crewmember for no real reason. It had seemed fun at the time.

Now the month of preparation was over, and the Nova was a unanimous success. She had one final order to issue, and then the mission began in earnest.

"Admiral. Are the Galactic Core coordinates locked?"

"Yes, Katel."

"Excellent. Enter hyperspace."

The Nova flickered briefly, and vanished as it headed towards the Deep Core.