The Force's Shepherds

by TheBobcat18

Obi Wan thought he was dead. The Empire had found him and baby Luke as they sped away from Polis Massa. Yet here he is now, alive, breathing, and force knows where. Desperate to find the baby boy, he finds help in some of the unlikeliest of people. All the while, a calamity brews on this strange planet that he now calls home.

135. The Fall of the Halidom

The Force's Shepherds

Chapter 135

The Fall of the Halidom

Thrawn expected one Jedi when he heard the name General Kenobi. He expected the royal family to act hostile. To, perhaps, draw their primitive weapons and attack him. Of course, he made sure to have a contingency in place for such a thing, but still, even with that contingency in place, he did not expect two more Jedi.

He placed a hand over Eli Vanto's forehead as a Stormtrooper medic tended to the unconscious Captain, carefully wrapping bandages and bacta around what remained of his right hand. If not for his contingency, Thrawn knew that foolish boy would have killed him next. Thankfully, the Stormtroopers of the 501st followed their orders, as good soldiers should do. But that did not save Vanto from suffering a terrible wound.

In a rare instance of anger, Thrawn grit his teeth and rose from his kneeling position. His boots, polished to a pristine black shine, crunched over shattered glass as he stepped away from his wounded aide back towards the balcony. Blasterfire screamed throughout the Ylisstol as Lord Vader began his assault. An assault Thrawn hoped to thwart, but the unpredictable nature of humans, once again, boggled his mind and tossed any plans he had to the wind. If the royal family simply heard him out, agreed to his terms, their city would not be burning. Their lives would still be their own.

But they didn't. They chose to act like rash fools. They decided to defend an enemy of the Empire.

I have no sympathy for naive fools.

He folded his hands behind his back as an explosion rocked the royal palace. More shuttles ferrying more stormtroopers descended from the Chimaera, which hovered high above, just on the edge of the planet's atmosphere. If he stared hard enough, he might even be able to pick it out among the stars, and the embers that drifted into the night sky. A heavy sigh left his lungs as he watched a pristine city begin to burn.

Still… this is a shame.

Glass crunched behind him. Thrawn glanced over his shoulder as a Stormtrooper sergeant approached him.

"Admiral, Lord Vader has landed and is engaging the enemy within the palace."

Thrawn closed his eyes. The Royal Family's lives really were forfeit. Prince Chrom, his wife Sumia, his sister, their servants; they were all going to die. Lord Vader took no prisoners when it came to hunting Jedi. That devastating reputation was well known among officers of the Imperial Navy. He only hoped Vader would hold off his wrath enough to keep himself from accidentally slaying Lucina. That girl was the entire reason the Emperor sent them here. If she died, the Emperor would be furious. That was something Thrawn did not wish to see.

"Thank you for telling me, Sergeant." Thrawn replied.

"Also sir, we have several squadrons assaulting the district next to this one. Specifically a walled citadel we believe to have military purposes."

"And?"

The Sergeant was quiet for a moment, "one squadron was wiped out. The other suffered seventy five percent casualties." Thrawn's gave the Sergeant a surprised look, "More men are heading there to reinforce, but the resistance we are facing has taken us by surprise."

The 501st taken by surprise? What in the Emperor's name could possibly catch Vader's fist off guard? These were veterans of the Clone Wars. Hardened by some of the deadliest battles in Galactic History. Some were even survivors of the deadly Umbara campaign. These men were impossible to scare, surprise, or even defeat.

What was going on at this citadel then?

"Take me there." Thrawn ordered.

"Sir." The Stormtrooper saluted, turned on his heel and marched to the exit, with Thrawn trailing behind him.

Glass crunched for a few steps, then his footfalls became silent again as he stepped onto the rich rugs blanketing the palace floor. Thrawn paused briefly next to Vanto, glancing down to check if his Aide would be alright. The Medic nodded to him, a small signal that said he would be fine and would be transported to the Chimaera once he awoke. Thrawn nodded back, and returned his attention to the task at hand.

He was in his element now. Political maneuvering may be fun. Playing a spy by hacking Imperial databanks was interesting. But War… War was what he knew. War was his dominion. No one bested him at it. No one outsmarted his tactics. No one resisted him.

No one defeated him.

---

Lucina struggled to catch her breath as she barreled into Robin's quarters, chasing after her father, her mother, Lissa, Frederick, Cynthia, Donnel, Maribelle, and Lon'qu. Frederick was the last to enter the room. The Knight-Commander spun around and slammed the doors shut behind them, quickly locking them and barking at Lon'qu to help him barricade it. Chrom raised a hand stopping both of them.

"Wait, we need a plan." Chrom breathed.

Lucina toned out Frederick's protest as she walked away from the door towards Robin's old closet. She barely registered what she was doing as she walked. Everything felt surreal. She could smell smoke as fires burned in the city she loved. The city she jumped back through time to save, burned outside of the foggy windows of Robin's old room. Tears built in her eyes as she heard scream pierce the night. Intermingled with those screams, and growing explosions, were the shrieks of those ungodly weapons the enemy wielded.

Lucina gripped the side of her head. Flashes of Ylisstol's last days danced in her mind. The smoke, the fire, the smell of cinders and ash, the rancid stench of decaying bodies: it all felt so fresh in her mind. It wreaked havoc in her thoughts. Bringing fear to her that nearly brought her to her knees.

I escaped that. She thought, swallowing hard as she struggled to stop the tears from falling, I… tried to put a stop to that. I-

"We cannot leave without my daughter!" Chrom roared at Frederick, snapping Lucina from her thoughts and making her heart stop in her chest.

She slowly turned to look at her Mother. Lissa was holding Sumia back from charging right out of the room to go get her daughter, the younger Lucina. Cynthia joined Lissa in that endeavor. If it was anyone else, Sumia might have torn them limb for limb.

"Milord, we need to get you to safety. Lon'qu and I will-"

"No," Lucina finally spoke up, her voice shaky as she struggled to regain her steely resolve. She took a deep breath, forcing the tears back from her eyes. Flames danced outside of the palace, casting long shadows throughout the room, "I'll go get her. I can fight these enemies."

"Ya ain't going alone." Donnel remarked, "Dooku taught me how to fight like him. Might be able to help out."

"You might need a healer." Lissa nodded.

"Where you go, I follow." Lon'qu told Lissa as he placed a hand on his sword.

Lucina nodded to all four of them. She wondered how she managed to gain such great friends, and a tremendous family. She took a deep breath and, even without her mask, donned the guise of Marth. A warrior of unshakeable resolve was needed now. The last days of Ylisstol came early, and she would stop them early.

"Frederick." She began, her voice commanding instead of fear filled. The Force welled up inside of her as she drew on it for strength, "If any place can hold out against this onslaught, it'll be the Academy. Get my mother, my father, Cynthia, and Maribelle there."

Chrom's eyes blazed with defiance, "You are not going-"

"You are the ruler of Ylisse, father." Lucina cut him off, "I am… just someone from the future. Someone who has been through something like this before." Chrom's mouth closed as he realized what she was alluding to, "I can handle this. For now, you, mother, and Cynthia need to get to safety."

"We'll follow you out." Frederick nodded.

Lucina did not reply. She started to march to the door, only for Cynthia to snag her by the wrist. Her younger sister spun her around then wrapped her in a tight hug. She could feel wet tears staining her shoulders as Cynthia started to cry.

"Be safe." She mumbled, "And… if you can-"

"I'll get Luke too." Lucina nodded, "I promise." She broke away from Cynthia, "To the Academy, all of you." She waved at Donnel, Lissa, and Lonq'u, "With me."

She marched out of the room, not even bothering to make sure if the corridor was clear. There was no time to hesitate or to worry about safety. Immediate actions, without any hesitation, needed to be taken. She heard Frederick and Chrom guide her mother, her sister, and Maribelle down the other end of the corridor, towards an exit. Meanwhile, Lucina marched back towards the monster that haunted her nightmares.

They reached the doors that led to the main wing of the palace. The sounds of battle within the palace were faint, signaling that the enemy had taken out most of the palace guards. Unsurprising given the firepower they wielded. But beyond the doors to the main hall, Lucina could hear the humming of lightsabers whirring wildly through the smoke filled air. She exhaled in relief. Luke was still alive.

She turned to Lissa and Lon'qu, "You both know the way back to the Princess's room from here. Donnel and I will enter, try to get Luke away from the enemy, then meet you at the Academy."

Lissa's eyes widened, "Are you sure you can-"

"Alone, probably not." Lucina admitted, "But together, we can't be stopped. Not even by a monster like the thing Luke's fighting." The force flared in her mind, and she sensed Luke's pain for a split second. A sharp sensation that made her hair stand on end, "Get moving, now!"

Lon'qu gripped Lissa's arm and tugged her away from the door, towards a flight of stairs. Once they were gone, Lucina took a deep breath and gripped her steel sword. She nodded to Donnel, who grabbed the doorknob.

"One…"

She allowed the Force to rush through her. A wave of darkness hit her mind. She grit her teeth and pushed through it, trying to find the light.

"Two…"

Her sword scraped out of its scabbard. Her mind focused, and she willed the Force to bolster her physically.

"Three!"

The door shoved open.

---

This was not something Luke had to think about. There was no hesitation when he looked back at Lucina and told her to get Cynthia to safety. She did not have the weapons, nor the limbs, to fend off the monster that stormed into the Main Hall of the Exalt's Palace. Her powers were strong, but not to the level needed to combat this. Kenobi was not here to face the monster. Dooku had gone completely missing in the face of this crisis (not that it really surprised Luke. He was always suspicious of the Deadlord).

Only Luke could fight the enemy now. He was the one with a lightsaber. He was the one with great power in the dark side of the force. He surged towards the monster, sapphire blade buzzing in his grip, ready to strike the enemy down.

A crimson blade ignited in the monster's grip, and in one smooth motion, he parried Luke's violent hack. The strength behind the parry stunned Luke. It was as if his blade hit a solid, stone wall. No matter how much he struggled against the blood red blade of his opponent, he could not make it budge.

Luke grit his teeth, then jumped back. Even from a distance, the monster's rhythmic breathing rang in his ears.

"So… Kenobi has taught another." The armored figure growled, his deep baritone catching Luke by surprise. The amount of power behind his voice made his stomach flip, "Do you know who I am?"

Luke grit his teeth, "Does it matter?" He gripped his blade with both hands, "But please, tell me the name of the man I'm about to kill."

There was no amusement within the thing. Just the steady inhale, and raspy exhale of its breathing.

"Darth Vader."

"Well then… Vader," Luke snarled, "Guess I can at least give the Prince accurate info when I kill you."

Luke lunged. Vader lazily parried his thrust to the side, then raised his free hand. Luke cried out as he was lifted off of his feet, then thrown violently to the side. His body crashed against a stone pillar, cracking it as he bounced off. He managed to stay on his feet, even after stumbling a couple steps.

There was no time to recover. His dazed mind sharpened into focus quickly as Vader beared down on him. The crimson blade slashed at his left flank. Luke quickly moved to block. His arms shuddered as the force behind the blow nearly made his own lightsaber bite into his body. The glow of the blades illuminated the lidless eyes of his opponent, and through the glossy texture, he thought he saw the glow of yellow irises glaring hatefully at him.

He's a man!

Luke used all the strength he had to shove Vader's blade to the side. Instead of following up with a predictable slash of his lightsaber, he balled up a fist and buried it into Vader's gut. He heard the monster suck in a sharp breath. Luke did not give him time to recover. He willed the force around his elbow, then slammed it against Vader's helmet. A violent crack filled the main hall, drowning out the shrieks of blaster fire outside of the palace.

But he failed to daze the enemy. Vader lashed out with a gloved fist. Luke narrowly avoided it, stepping back and creating distance. Distance he cursed himself for making, since it meant the advantage he gained was lost.

Vader did not pursue. The behemoth of a man simply glowered down at him.

"Obi Wan… has taught you well."

Luke smirked at that, "Would you believe me if I said he taught me nothing at all?"

Luke slashed right, chopped left, swung a heavy stroke towards Vader's neck, then aimed to take the man down a peg at the knees. Each swing of his weapon was easily blocked by the enemy. No matter what he did, Vader saw it coming. Vader easily blocked every attack. He was toying with Luke, as if the young Sith was nothing more than an amusing toy for him to play with. It infuriated Luke.

"Yes…" Vader growled as Luke broke their latest blade lock, "The Dark Side flows through you. You are not a student of Kenobi's. This is most surprising."

"You'll find I'm full of-" Luke allowed lightning to crackle in his fingertips, "Surprises!"

He launched a torrent of force lightning at Vader. The Sith Lord's breathing hitched, and, with speed that stunned Luke, dove to the side of the lightning. Luke felt some triumph fill him, despite the missed attack. He heard that caught breath, felt the sudden fear within Vader.

So, you don't like little sparks.

Luke roared as he allowed another torrent of lightning to flow wildly through him. Stray bolts arced from his fingertips and slammed into the floor and pillars nearby. It crackled and glowed with a ghostly aura as he attempted to hit Vader flush with the powerful attack. Vader moved with dexterity that was surprising for such a large figure. His movements with a blade were stiff, but his movements when he dodged Luke's lightning were more fluid and just as purposeful.

Frustration filled Luke as he continued to miss. Luke snarled, deactivated his lightsaber, and poured all of his power into his lightning. Finally, he managed to catch Vader. One bolt scraped against the man's suit. Electricity arced through it until it hit the strange board of blinking lights at the center.

Vader uttered a pain filled howl. Luke felt triumph

I have him no-

Vader was on top of him. In the blink of an eye, he was before Luke, between his torrents of lightning. Behind those lidless eyes, Luke sensed pure malice directed towards him. His triumph turned to terror, and he quickly reached for his lightsaber.

He activated it just in time to catch the stroke that Vader intended to bisect him with. Luke stumbled to the side from the sheer force behind the attack. Vader chased after him, swinging with a berserker's rage as the boy backpedaled.

Luke twirled his lightsaber and raised it to block another strike. He falled for a feint, and Vader backhanded him. Bones shifted in Luke's face. His jaw went slack as he twirled through the air. When he hit the ground, he slid a few feet.

The world spun. Stars danced in his eyes. Everything felt out of focus, and his mind felt fuzzy. Luke tried to push himself up to his feet, only to feel the dark side grab him and flip him onto his back. Blood pooled in his mouth as his jaw hung limply open.

Vader used the force to lift him upright, off of his feet. His lightsaber was sheathed. One hand held him in place, fingers clenched around air. The other was by his side. The Dark Lord moved to take his lightsaber, but froze when he finally got a good look at it.

Luke wanted to grit his teeth, but he couldn't move his jaw. Blood pooled up in his mouth then dripped down his chin and throat. He coughed, sending bloody spittle in front of him. Vader did not pay attention. He simply glared at the sapphire blade still active in Luke's hand.

"Where did you get that?" Vader asked.

Luke could not talk, no matter how hard he tried. He could only manage one thing. He gathered as much bloody spit as he could, and spat it at Vader's face. The droplets painted the Sith Lord's mask with red splotches, and any curiosity Vader disappeared. The faint yellow glow Luke could see behind those eyes burned bright.
Vader reached for his lightsaber. Luke glared at him with defiance. He was afraid. Naga above he was terrified. But he would not give this monster the satisfaction of seeing it. He may sense it, Luke knew he could sense it. At the very least, he would remain strong on the surface. He would not die begging for mercy.

Before the Dark Lord could draw his weapon, the doors to the Main Hall burst open. Lucina and Donnel rushed in. Immediately, the Princess fired a powerful push at Vader, catching the Sith Lord off guard. The force behind the push wrenched Luke free from his vice-like grip, and sent Vader flying back towards the shattered palace doors.

Luke flopped onto his back, utterly spent.

"Luke!" Lucina cried, rushing towards him.

His eyes widened as she skidded to a stop next to him. He tried to say something, but his words came out as a wet, bloody gurgle.

"She's safe." Lucina reassured him. Luke let his head fall back as he uttered a weak sigh of relief, "Let's get you out of here. Donnel, help me."

"Yes ma-"

"You."

Donnel and Lucina froze. Vader got back to his feet. The powerful push hardly fazed him. He shrugged dust from his broad shoulders, and eyed Lucina.

Lucina's throat bobbed. She could feel a cold presence, like icy talons, grapple her mind and attempt to crack it open. She winced, closed her eyes, and trembled as she struggled to keep her mental walls in place.

It was no use. She crumbled, and the dark side flooded her mind. It dragged up images she buried long ago. Images of her parent's marred bodies when they died at the start of Grima's War. Images of the many battles she fought. The sights of each Shepherd falling in battle in one terrible way or another. It brought tears to her eyes. Her heart lodged in her throat. All the monster could say for causing such misery, was her name.

"Lucina." The Sith thundered, taking another step towards her.

Donnel was unaffected. The brave farm boy tore himself away from Luke and stepped in front of Lucina, rapier drawn and pointed at Vader.

"Back away!" Donnel snapped, eyes defiant.

Vader glowered at the young man a moment. Then he swiped with his lightsaber. Donnel flinched, inching back just enough to avoid the blade taking a limb. However, it chopped his weapon clean in half. Donnel stared dumbfounded at his blade. That was when fear threatened to strangle him too, but he refused to budge.

"Step aside." Vader growled, "Or I will make you."

Lucina remained reeling behind Donnel. The young farmer turned Noble glared back, defiant.

"I ain't afraid of you."

The crimson glow of Vader's blade filled Donnel's vision, "Then you will die braver than most."

Donnel didn't flinch as Vader reared back. As the Dark Lord started to bring his blade forward, he froze. A rich, aristocratic voice filled the air.

"I do suggest you restrain yourself, my lord."

Vader's breathing paused a moment. Donnel's eyes lit up, and Lucina stared in shock, as Dooku's silhouette filled the open doorway.

Vader slowly turned to face the Deadlord, and former Sith Lord.

"Dooku." Donnel breathed, relief flooding his face.

Dooku inclined his chin to Donnel and Lucina, "Children, I suggest gathering what remains of the brat and leaving. The Academy is holding strong. I advise you to make your way there."

Vader stared silently at Dooku. Lucina could feel the Force around him rippling with shock and rage.

Donnel stepped around her and picked Luke's now unconscious form up like a sack of potatoes. He slung the beaten Sith over his shoulder.

"C'mon Princess. We gotta go."

Lucina hesitated as Dooku stepped further into the Main Hall. Vader glared back at her a moment, then turned to face his new opponent. There was a hesitance to Vader's movements now. A certain caution that surprised Lucina. The only explanation was that Vader knew who Dooku was, and he knew how powerful the Deadlord could be.

"Lucina." Donnel barked, snapping her back to reality.

"R-right. Er- the Academy."

"Way ahead of ya." Donnel remarked as they both turned and ran.

Dooku watched the two children rush out of the main hall. Once they disappeared down a corridor, he returned his attention to the Sith Lord in front of him. And he knew this behemoth was a Sith Lord. The dark side was wrapped around him like a dense, impenetrable fog. The power that radiated from this new Sith boggled Dooku's mind.

"So…" Dooku drawled, "You're the new plaything for my old Master." The pair started to circle each other. Dooku's hands remained relaxed, while Vader's hand tightened around his lightsaber, "You must be quite the idiotic fool. I really must know your name, just so I can tell Sidious how you died in an accurate manner."

Vader glowered at him as they circled each other, "Vader."

Dooku nodded, "Vader… not bad actually. It avoids the usual norms of a Sith title." He paused his circling, "I suppose I should introduce myself, I am-"

"Count Dooku." Vader growled, his presence in the force growing as pure rage filled him.

Dooku's eyes twinkled, "I see Sidious did not hide me from you."

"How could he." Vader snarled back, his circling ending as well. His back was to the shattered doors now, while Dooku's back was against the throne, "I killed you."

Dooku's mirth evaporated. His brow furrowed, perplexed for a moment. He delved into the force quickly, and the familiarity he felt became apparent.

"Oh…" Dooku inclined his chin, his thrill about this battle completely gone now, "I see…" His lips twitched as a snarl threatened to form over his aged face, "Kenobi failed to finish the job." He scoffed, "I should've known he lacked the spine to end your life, Skywalker."

With that one word, that one name, he sent Vader into a blind rage. The Apprentice charged, like a bull seeing red. Dooku's hand shot to his hip, drew his curved hilt, and ignited his red blade.

He danced to the side of Vader's charge, sweeping his lightsaber to parry the newly annointed Sith's powerful first strike. Dooku grit his teeth as the force behind the blow surprised him.

Dooku grimaced as she struggled against Vader, "You have not lost any of that boyish recklessness."

"Skywalker is dead." Vader growled threateningly, "I destroyed him."

Dooku's smirked back, "If that were true, then his name would not anger you so much."

He wrenched his blade free from Vader's. With grace befitting a dancer, Dooku counter attacked. The tip of his blade twirled and spun, sending Vader backpedaling through the Main Hall towards the doors, then out the doors and onto the first step, where Vader retaliated, locking their blades together with one mighty swing.

"How are you alive!?" Vader roared.

Dooku grit his teeth as his muscles strained. Why was his strength failing him? Why was the force betraying him? When he first came back to life, he felt like a new man. Unstoppable, indefatigable, far more powerful than any Jedi, any Manakete, any mage, or any Sith except Sidious. Yet now, in the face of this monster Skywalker now inhabited, he felt old. He felt crippled.

He felt weak. The vitality he had when he rose as Grima's deadlord had ebbed away. A terrible truth hit him in that moment as sparks flew from their interlocked sabers.

Grima's power was leaving him.

Dooku grit his teeth, then took a step back as Vader's overwhelming strength shoved him backwards. Vader broke the bladelock with a snarl. He wildly slashed down at Dooku. The nimbler fighter sidestepped as Vader's blade bit into the stone step. Just before Dooku could swipe his saber through Vader's abdomen, the Apprentice whipped his free hand at Dooku. An enormous push sent Dooku flying backwards, down the steps, to the courtyard at the foot of the main hall's doors.

He bounced when he hit the dirt. Dooku rolled to a stop, then quickly bounced to his feet, in time to see Vader storm down the steps to engage him again. Their blade collided in a shower of pulsing crimson light. Dooku growled as Vader pressed down, nearly forcing him to a knee.

"Your powers are weak old man."

Dooku's eyes flashed. The blue in his irises faded, and were replaced by yellow, then the red of a Deadlord's.

"That would be true if I was simply an old man."

If Grima's life is leaving me, then I will use what is left of it!

Lightning arced through his lightsaber, up the hilt, into the blade, catching Vader off guard. As he suspected, that suit Skywalker wore was susceptible to electricity. A nice little safeguard for Sidious to keep his Apprentice on a leash with. The Dark Lord of the Sith truly had the gall to spit in the Sith's one great rule. Then again, Dooku should not judge. He tried to break that rule too.

That little pulse of lightning was enough to make Vader backpedal. As he backpedaled, Dooku pounced. One slash, a thrust, a quick sidestep by Vader and a counter, then an upward slash… that connected. Sparks flew from the left side of Vader's mask as the tip of Dooku's blade wrent a jagged gash.

Dooku readied himself to continue the assault, but a barrage in the force hit him like a torrent of howling wind. Vader's breathing was labored, sounding more like an unsteady wheeze than a steady inhale and exhale. He hurt Vader, but he did not injure him. The Apprentice was very much in the fight.

Vader rose back to his full height. Through the gash in Vader's mask, Dooku saw a yellow eye, surrounded by a pale, hollow socket, glaring hatefully at him.

"Well?" Dooku remarked. He raised his blade in front of him, then whipped it to the side- a salute, "Shall we continue?"

Vader growled, but it lacked the sharp baritone. His voice fluctuated between the deep, menacing growl of Vader, and the soft, hoarse whisper of a broken man.

"We shall."

---

Morgana dared not look back as the engines to the Ark, her life's work, burst to life with a thunderous boom. She could feel the heat from the engines. The swirling of hot air, the sensation of ice melting beneath her feet, the sound of the great metal construct lumbering out of the cavern, jetting out of a tunnel in the ice, told her that Ylisse's Mad Swordsman did it. He got away with the Ark, the Manaketes, her daughter; they were all safe. Or as safe as they could be, given the circumstances. She had a feeling Ben Kenobi was taking them all back to Ylisstol, which could be in grave danger at any moment thanks to the Galactic Empire she only recently learned of.

But that Empire, the Ylisseans, they were not her concern. Her attention lay on the group of villains directly in front of her, led by the man she once loved. As the Ark jetted away, she muttered under her breath. A wall of purple flames burst to life behind her, keeping Grima's servants from giving chase.

And cutting off her only route of escape.

Escape is not my plan.

Her emerald eyes landed on Validar as he stood a few feet from her, his own yellow eyes glaring hatefully at her.

"Well, well," Validar hummed. One hand rested on the cover of the spellbook that sat in the crook of his right arm, "It has been far too long, dearest."

Morgana narrowed her eyes, "In my opinion, it wasn't long enough."

Validar feigned hurt, "How could- do you truly hate me so? Was it not I that gave you free reign within the Grimleal? Yes, I remember now." His voice dropped to a snarl, "I was the one who picked you out of the ranks of researchers and gave you greater purpose. I was the one who handed you power beyond your wildest imaginations. I was the one who made you a matriarch for the next age!"

"You gave me nothing." Morgana hissed, her voice quiet as the flames crackled behind her, melting the icy floor beneath her feet, "Need I remind you, that if not for my power behind you, you would have been killed long ago." Validar scoffed as she continued, "You were an archivist, a glorified librarian-"

"My bloodline-"

"Was dying till my power entered the picture." Morgana interrupted, her voice like venom to Validar's ears, "My power secured your position among the Grimleal. My power allowed you to pursue your ambitions." She grit her teeth, "Little did I know the true extent of them."

"Extent?" Validar sniffed, "Yes, the extent. Is it so wrong that I wished to see my bloodline's purpose come to fruition?"

"If it means killing everyone else, yes… I'd say it is wrong." Morgana snarled back, her emerald eyes flickering as a yellow tint crept into her irises. Her throat bobbed, "If it meant dooming our son-"

"Dooming?" Validar growled, "I would have given Robin power beyond anything he could have ever achieved!"

"No," Morgana shook her head, "You would have damned him to a life of enslavement. A life you lead now. Must you make everyone miserable, along with yourself?"

Validar uttered a mocking laugh. He shook his head, dumbfounded by Morgana's words. As she was dumbfounded by his flippant dismissal of them.

"You never understood. You never tried to understand the destiny that Robin had in store for him." Validar sneered at her, "You wanted to keep him a boy. A child, sucking at your teat instead of growing into the world dominator that he was meant to be."

"If I wanted him to forever be mine…" Morgana's throat bobbed as memories of her precious son flooded her mind, "I would have never left him. So, don't you dare say that I only had selfish intentions for him." She reached into her robes, withdrawing the weathered spellbook she had since she first joined the Grimleal so many years ago, "I am not you."

Validar's jaw clenched. His long fingers tapped the leather spine of his spellbook, "Indeed, you are not. You were always far too soft for my vision."

Without another word, he waved a hand. The Deadlords that entered the hideout with him attacked. First, the metal one, with the reptilian eyes surged towards Morgana. It's four limbs whirred as four blades of light ignited in its hands. Morgana hardly flinched. Her spellbook opened, the pages became a blur, and magical energy coursed through her. Her eyes turned yellow, and the dark magic she loved coursed through her veins, from her spellbook to her open palm.

A titanic blast of dark magic rocketed from her palm right as the first Deadlord swung at her. The blast of shadowy energy engulfed the Deadlord, taking it by surprise. It uttered a loud screech as it's metal melted on it's wiry skeleton. Eventually, it's feet melted to the slick cave floor, rendering it immobile.

The next two were nearly on top of her: A green skinned woman covered head to two in black robes, and a furious looking man with a circular scar on his cheek. Both wielded glowing blades, like the first deadlord- the woman green, the man red. She ducked beneath the male deadlord's wild first swing, then twirled over the woman's chop as she ducked. Black Magic twirled on her fingertips. With a quick mutter, she cast a hex.

Purple chains erupted from the stone beneath the Deadlord's feet. In the blink of an eye, they wrapped around their bodies. With another mutter, another rush of power, the earth's maw opened. The Green Skinned Deadlord uttered one panicked yelp before being swallowed whole by the earth, along with her companion.

The four armed deadlord continued to melt once the earth closed its jaws, but it's shrieking finally died. After a couple more agonizing moments, it faded to a pile of ash on the ground. Morgana scowled, and kicked the pile with her foot, scattering the ashes.

The final two Deadlords hesitated. One out of obvious fear. The armored one looked nervous about engaging her. His fingers twitched near the holsters on his hips, but he never drew the weapons within them, preferring instead to carefully watch for her next move. The other one, the trollish looking man sulking in the shadows near the Artifact's tunnel, grinned in delight at her. He enjoyed her actions, her spellcraft, which made her assume he was once a fellow dark mage.

"I see," Validar inhaled sharply, "you have not lost any of your skills."

Morgana smirked back, "I have had a lot of free time during the past decade."

Validar inclined his chin. He waited for the last two deadlords to attack. When they did not, he grabbed the armored one by his shoulder pauldron, and shoved him forward.

"Kill her already!" The Plegian King roared.

A chain of black magic erupted from Morgana's palm. Before the deadlord could draw his weapons, she whipped the chain out, wrapped it around him, then yanked hard. Barbed tips on the magical weapons shredded through his armor, spun him around, then left him slashed to ribbons on the melting floor, black blood mixing with icy water.

She saw fear flicker in Validar's eyes as she took another step towards him, the pages in her spellbook whirring at a blinding rate.

"Wh-what are you waiting for!?" Validar cried to the final deadlord. The decrepit monster simply observed him as he took a small step back, "Stop her!"

"I was sent to support you, Validar." The Deadlord started to cackle, "Not fight your battles for you."

Validar's eyes widened, "You- you-"

He returned his gaze to Morgana. She paused in front of him. The flames behind her climbed higher into the cave, causing the ice to melt faster around them. Droplets of water dripped down from the icicles over their head. Water ran like fast moving rivers beneath their feet as the floors disappeared, revealing a fissured floor beneath their feet.

Deep crevices that had no bottom started to form around Validar and Morgana, cutting off their ways out of the cave.

"Neither of us are leaving, Validar." Morgana snarled, "There is only one exit now," She charged a spell that made Validar's breath hitch. A spell he had mastered, but that she created- Grima's Truth, "And it is death!"

She fired the spell. Validar reacted quickly. He opened his spellbook and threw up his most powerful ward. The black spell blasted against the ward, briefly wrapped around it, then shattered the invisible shield. Validar howled as he was blasted backwards towards the edge of one of the deep trenches in the earth.

Smoke erupted in a giant plume around him as the spell ended. Morgana eyed the smoke, waiting to see if her one attack managed to put an end to her husband.

Lightning crackled in the smoke. Her eyes widened. A bolt of yellow lightning shot out from the smoke. Morgana gasped, and dodged to her left. The bolt grazed her hip. She yelped, her free hand dashed down to her hip as she covered the growing bloody patch where her robes were now torn. Static crackled around the wound. She winced, grit her teeth, and raised her gaze.

To see a fireball rushing at her face. She ducked, rolled, then retaliated; launching a ball of purple fire back into the smoke.

Validar soared through the air, leaping over her counter. He landed on the melting floor with a small splash. His face was bloodied, robes torn, flesh ripped by her powerful first strike. Morgana stared stupefied at him. He should have been dead. If the blast did not kill him, then he should have been shoved over the edge of the crevasse and consumed by the earth.

Instead, he emerged from the smoke, wounded, but not defeated. Great power flared from him, causing Morgana to narrow her gaze. As she watched him rise to his feet again, she got a better glimpse of his wounds, and her heart lodged in her throat.

His blood was black.

Validar chuckled quietly as he saw her look of horror.

"Yes, dearest, beloved, love of my life," Yellow lightning crackled around his free hand, "Grima's power courses through my veins as well. But unlike those little slaves you handled… I gave my life willingly!"

A massive Thoron spell rocketed towards her. Morgan sidestepped it. The static and heat from the beam of electricity burnt her flesh, even though she avoided a direct hit. She spun around, got a better angle, and launched a Bolgannone at Validar. With a dismissive wave of his hand, and a quick cast of a ward, the fire wall exploded in front of Validar, then evaporated into a plume of black smoke.

"This could have been our son's power too!" Validar roared as he charged another devastating Thoron in his hand, "I would have given him, not just this power, but the world!"

He cast it at Morgana. She jumped out of the way of this one, narrowly avoiding the deadly beam of lightning as it rocketed through the air and cut a deadly path through the stones where she once stood. She landed on her hands and knees, off balance and off guard.

How did he get so powerful?

"You're wrong." She spat back, not giving Validar the satisfaction of seeing her afraid, "You would have taken the world for yourself, and left Robin with nothing. Nothing but empty promises and a false destiny." She grit her teeth. More fire erupted in her grip, "You never cared for him. You only ever cared about yourself."

A torrent of fire erupted from her hand and rushed with a roar towards Validar. This time, he did not attempt to deflect the attack. This fire had enough force behind it to make him duck out of the way. The fire scorched the exposed stones behind him, blackening them like coals.

"Valflame," Validar said with a small laugh, "Growing desperate?"

The ice kept melting around her, turning into waterfalls that ran down into the dark pits of the world. The icicles over her head dangled precariously as more water rained down from them. Their once solid color was gone. They were clear now, like glass. Wavering with each successive explosion, and rush of power, beneath them.

They were in a stalemate now. Each powerful sorcerer threw everything they had at the other. A Thoron, a Valflame, Ruins, Wastes, Fluxes, Bolganones- Morgana tapped into every ounce of power she had within her. She needed to buy the Ylisseans time. Perhaps, in doing so, she could also remove one piece off the board. If she managed to kill Validar, that was one less enemy in their way. If she killed Validar, the Fell Bloodline might end.

Her son was dead, which left Validar as the last of the Fell Blood alive. If he died, no more Fell heirs would be born. Grima would forever remain locked away, unable to regain his true power.

Morgana snarled as a Valflame came too close for comfort, narrowly grazing her shoulder and slamming into the stone behind her. A fiery explosion erupted behind her, sending stone and embers flying over her head. She lowered to a crouch and sent another dark spell at Validar- a Mire.

A web of green energy rocketed towards Validar. It clipped his right thigh, drawing more black blood from his corrupted body. His eyes glowed brighter as Grima's power grew within him, allowing him to power through the wounds she had given him.

This was not the Validar she knew when they were nothing but mere mages within the Grimleal's temple. Back then he had been a charming, if a bit reclusive, archivist. A talent with magic, but nothing overly impressive. She had been the prodigy. The one the elders deemed the next great sorceress. If this fight had taken place two decades ago, he would have stood no chance.

Now, they were even. For how long, Morgana could not say. Validar had the Fell Dragon's power within him. It likely gave him more stamina, more reserves, more power. As the duel dragged on, as they traded lightning spells, fire spells, and fluxes, she grew wearier. Meanwhile, he hardly flinched, save for when one of her spells grazed his fell body.

This duel could not last any longer. Morgana knew she needed to end this. She needed one massive strike to bring Validar to his knees. If she had the time, she would cast a hex strong enough to chain him down. But he was not giving her that time, and unlike the Deadlords, he was not charging recklessly at her. He was not underestimating her.

That left her with an option she was hesitant to use. Years spent trapped within these ice caves allowed her time to conduct research on lost magic. Specifically on a school of magic that was practiced by those who once lived in these caves, and the ruins nearby, long ago. Magic not seen since the days of the Hero-King. She just needed an opening.

I'll make one.

She sent one Thoron at Validar, then another, and another. Two more followed in rapid succession. The first Validar ducked, the second he weaved around, the third grazed his right shoulder, the fourth glanced off his left wrist, and the final impaled him in the gut, staggering the King of Plegia.

Now!

The pages in her spellbook stopped turning. A sharp chill filled the air, crawling up her spine, along her arms, from her spellbook, to the tips of her fingers. Her breath misted in front of her face as she muttered the complex sequence of words that were needed for this spell.

"Fimbulvetr." She whispered.

A cyclone of icy shars whipped from her fingertips, wrapping into a tight pillar in front of her before surging towards Validar. A torrent of snow and ice followed, like a creeping wall of frost.

Validar's eyes widened. The shards hit him, tearing his robes and flesh to pieces. The blizzard of snow and ice followed, plowing into his weakened body and shoving him off the edge of a crevasse. He uttered a furious howl as the snow carried him off the edge, before it covered his head, muffling his roar.

The spell continued a few more moments, then finally died as the last bits of snow and ice cascaded into the bowels of the earth. The chill in the air evaporated, and the wall of fire behind Morgana flickered, slowly turning to embers as she allowed her body to finally relax.

Her shoulders sagged. Weariness flooded her mind. She uttered a ragged gasp as her body reeled from the duel. It had been many years since she was pushed that far. But now… it was over. Validar was dead.

The nightmare… is finally over.

A bloody hand reached up over the edge. Black blood stained the stones as the graying hand gripped a faint handhold. Morgana's eyes widened as Validar slowly pulled himself back up to the surface. Thick ribbons of inky liquid ran from deep gashes all over his body. He had neither the strength nor ability to stand anymore. All he could do was crawl back to the surface, then fall onto his back, utterly spent.

Still, Morgana regarded him with caution. When it came to a snake as vile as Validar, one could not be too careful. She inched towards him, a thunder at the ready in case he tried anything.

She froze as a hoarse, wet laugh rumbled from his lips.

"Ah…" He coughed hard, black blood bubbling from his lips, "I… did not see that coming." He glared at her, one eye open, the other sealed closed, "Always the researcher, aren't you?"

There it was. The charm she had fallen for so many years ago. But instead of feelings of joy, it only made her feel disgusted now. She regarded Validar with contempt as she glowered down at him, victorious.

"Of course." Morgana replied, breathing heavily, "It's through that research that I found out your intentions for my son." She snarled down at him, "When I had him, did you always intend to sacrifice his life to Grima? Did you ever plan on telling me?"

Validar uttered a mocking laugh, "Why tell you anything?" He glanced down at his wounded body, "This is the result of you finding out, after all."

Morgana felt fury build up in her, "You still act like this is a game. A little fun maneuvering for you to gain more power. You never cared for my life, or Robin's life, or Aversa's life." Validar's mocking grin wavered as her rage grew, "You only cared about your bloodline. About destiny, and gaining the power you craved. Here is where it brought you, Validar! This is what you gained! Death! By my hand!"

Morgana raised her hand. One last Thoron built up in her palm. The Deadlord off to the side still did not move to intervene. If he planned on helping Validar, he would have done so sooner. Validar's eyes widened as the lightning crackled in her grip.

Morgana grit her teeth, "This is for my son."

She lowered her hand to strike, then froze. A pair of hands clapped within the melting cavern. It was slow, purposeful, both applauding and mocking her at the same time.

A pair of boots leisurely strode down the main tunnel. Through the smoke, the cascading water raining down from the ceiling, and the frost still lingering in the air, Morgana saw someone she never thought she would see again. Her breath hitched, lodging in her throat. Her mouth was incapable of forming words as she watched her son walk into the cavern.

But he looked different. His hair was snow white, not warm brown. His eyes were a blazing yellow, like fiery coals. Not the kind brown that she loved seeing every day they were together as a family.

Her heart hammered in her chest. She desperately wanted to believe that the figure moving towards her and Validar, wearing that same coat she gave him so many years ago, was her son. But he was dead. Demon's Ingle consumed him in fire and ash. How could he be alive? What was this apparition in front of her.

The figure stopped clapping. His eyes twinkled with delight as he watched Morgana stand over Validar, ready to deliver the killing blow.

"Marvelous duel." He said, with her son's voice, "Truly a stunning display of power and skill."

He paused at the edge of a deep crevasse, unfazed by the bottomless pit in front of him. Morgana eyed him carefully from the otherside. He smiled back at her. An innocent, happy grin, that she knew was a facade hiding the true nature beneath the surface of this man.

"Hello mother." He said, smiling still, "It has been… a very long time."

"Who are you?" Morgana growled, rooted in place over Validar. Validar meanwhile, watched the newcomer with awe and surprise.

The newcomer wagged a finger, "That's funny. It is me, mother. Your beloved son, Robin." He titled his head to the side, "But… there is no fooling you, is there. If I could do that, you would never have been a threat to me in the first place."

Morgana furrowed her brow puzzled for a moment. Then she sensed it. A well of immeasurable, dark power resided within the young man across from her. It was endless, pitch black, and colder than the deepest of Feroxi winters. A shiver ran up her spine, and her hair stood on end.

"Grima…" She breathed.

He smirked at her. Then, with power unknown to her, he easily jumped over the gaping hole in the earth, onto the same patch of stone she and Validar dueled on. She staggered back from Validar, trying to create some distance between herself, and the monster now in her midst.

"So intelligent." Grima breathed, genuinely impressed. He glanced over at the last Deadlord, who glowered back, but still shrank in the presence of his master. Grima's eyes then fell to his broken servant, Validar, "And so powerful. I was right to be cautious when it came to you."

"H-how?" Morgana gasped, chest rising and falling as fear gripped her, "You- you can't be-" She swallowed hard, trying to steady herself as she took another frantic step back, "Robin died."

Grima grimaced, "Did he?" He chuckled at her perplexed, worried look, "It doesn't matter. That Robin is… beyond my reach."

Morgana's confusion grew, "Th-that Robin?"

"Yes, this time's Robin." He drew in a deep breath, "It has been a long time since I've been in this place. The Ruins of Time… I remember doing battle with the Naga-spawn here once. They were after some artifact of Naga. Thought it could kill me, in fact. They failed, of course. And that failure led to their long retreat to Ylisstol, where I laid siege to them, then broke them." He noticed Morgana's lingering confusion, "Perhaps you aren't as intelligent as I thought?" He shrugged, "Then again, the concept of time travel really is a mind boggling one."

Morgana's eyes widened, "What?"

Grima chuckled, "With all of your intellect, all of your scheming, and your spies, you were never able to piece that together, were you? Those children fighting alongside Ylisse's ruler… are his and his follower's children." He saw realization dawn on her, "Yes, you understand now. In their desperate attempt to defeat me, they sowed their final destruction. Naga's ritual has backfired. They left the door open, and I followed them through it." He glanced down at Validar, a disgusted snarl passing over his face for a brief moment, "Of course, in order to get through that blasted portal, I had to… downsize." He chuckled to himself, "But, in the end, if it means finally destroying Naga's followers then I will do so. Besides, this fresh start allowed me to gain a nice little perspective on things. It allowed me to form new goals."

"You only want destruction." Morgana breathed, her chin quivering as the embodiment of evil paced in front of her. His pacing froze when she spoke, "Death is all you crave."

He shrugged back, "Maybe. But… I've already destroyed the world once, before this little adventure." He stepped closer to her, leaning forward so that his breath brushed near her face. She wanted to shove him back, to step away, but she found herself unable to move beneath his penetrating glare, "Do you know what I learned though?"

Morgana shook her head in reply.

"Once everything is dead, once it is all destroyed, once the world is nothing more than a blasted, scorched heap of rubble, it becomes quite… boring. I mean, think about it. What is there to do, once there is nothing left to do? Nothing left to destroy. Nothing left to kill. Nothing but wastes." He shook his head, "I don't want to be alone, now that I have experienced it once before. I don't want to destroy this world. Such goals are beneath me now." He smiled at her, "I want to rule, Mother."

Morgana's eyes widened. Was this really the Fell Dragon in front of her? The one where, in all of her research, sought only to end all life in existence? What changed him in the future? What influenced him to desire power instead of destruction? Was it Validar?

No… Grima would not listen to someone as weak as Validar.

He smirked, "You aren't wrong there."

Morgana gulped.

"Yes," He nodded, "Your thoughts are not your own. Not now, at least. There is more power in the universe beyond the magic we already know, and I am a master of it all." His eyes shimmered with excitement, "I'm sure you'd love to learn about it."

"L-learn?"

"Yes," He said, voice slipping into her mind like a poison, "I need servants. Powerful servants. You have proven yourself to be the most powerful dark mage in existence. Even with my power, Validar was nothing to you." He held out an inviting hand, "Join me. Rule with me. Be the Matriarch of a new world, a new universe!"

Hesitation filled Morgana. She looked at his pale, outstretched hand. So inviting, so welcoming.

"This way, we can be a family again."

A family…

Memories of Robin as a boy flooded her mind. His bright smile, infectious laughter, innocent intelligence that she adored so much, danced in her thoughts. The kind heart that made her feel warm inside whenever it showed brought a brief smile to her lips. That Robin… was her Robin. He never desired power. He did not want to rule, or to dominate. He wanted to be a good man.

He already died a good man.

Grima's smile faded as he sensed her decision.

"I see…"

"I will never join you." Morgana snarled, allowing lightning to crackle in her hand again, "And you will never win!"

She raised her hand, ready to impale a Thoron through his black heart. Before she could, an invisible force grabbed her. It pinned her arm to her side, wrenched the spellbook from her hand, and carried it to Grima's waiting fingers as she was lifted into the air, stiff as a board. Terror filled her as she struggled against invisible bonds she could not break. Meanwhile, Grima gripped her spellbook and glanced down at the Thoron formula within.

"I remember this spell." He said, fingers on one hand clenching tight, forcing the invisible bonds to coil tighter around her body. Morgana uttered a loud cry as it felt like her bones were on the verge of breaking, "This spell… ended the Naga-spawn's hopes for defeating me, in the future." He uttered a nostalgic laugh, then the mirth died as a faraway look filled his eyes, "This spell ended the life of my best friend." He grimaced, throat bobbing a moment.

Lighting crackled in his hand. Morgana sucked in a breath. A breath that violently left her lungs as a burning object penetrated her chest, burrowing into her heart with a sickening crackle. Her eyes widened, and any strength she had left her body.

"As it has ended yours." Grima breathed in her ear.

Grima watched as she stared at him one more time, slackening his grip on her through the force. He expected to see her glare at him with hate, with rage, with utter contempt and disgusts. Instead, one trembling hand reached out and brushed his cheek.

"You are still in there…"

A last gasp left her lips, and Morgana the Black was no more.

---

"Hurry Donnel!" Lucina called over her shoulder.

Blasterfire screamed after both her and the farmboy as they slid around a corner and down another palace corridor. Lucina cursed her rotten luck as they sprinted down the hall as quickly as they could. Donnel could only go so fast, since Luke was over his shoulders. For such a slight young man, Donnel had a surprising amount of strength.

"It's from all the farming!" He hollered to her with a grin when he noticed her surprise that he was still keeping pace with her.

Lucina could not help but shake her head in reply. How Donnel kept smiling through this insanity boggled her mind. She was practically shaking from head to toe with fear, stress, and anxiety. But the simple farm boy, now soon to become a Lord of Themis, was showing indomitable resolve in the face of a siege they could not win. His courage gave her courage, just like he did in the future.

They found a flight of stairs and barreled down them. Donnel did everything in his power to keep Luke steady, but the constant jostling caused the wounded Sith to utter a weak groan with every sharp movement. Lucina glanced at her old friend over Donnel's shoulder.

He was weak, barely conscious, and utterly spent from his duel with the monster from her nightmares. It was a miracle he was even alive. Then again, she had heard about the vicious wounds he received in Valm when he was watching over Cynthia, Say'ri, Brady, and Noire; so perhaps it should not have surprised her so much.

At the bottom of the stairs was a doorway that led out of the palace. She shoved it open and stormed outside, ready to bolt down the road to the Academy. She took one step, then froze, mouth open in horror as she looked above her.

More of those things, those transports, were descending from the dark sky. Smoke billowed high into the air as fires burned throughout Ylisstol. Screams of dying men, women, and children echoed through the night like a twisted chorus, causing tears to brim her eyes. It all sounded so familiar, but the enemy was different now. It was happening all over again, but this time, she could do nothing to stop it. She couldn't jump back in time again, she couldn't fight back against that monster Dooku now fought, she could barely fend off the soldiers in white armor. All she could do was run, and pray to Naga that her family somehow made it out of this alive.

"C'mon, Lucina!" Donnel shouted to her as two strange metal birds with hexagonal wings shrieked overhead, circling around a new group of transports like a pair of guards.

She ducked her head at the shrieking noise they made. The screams in the air, mixed with the sharp whines of blasterfire, and the roaring of the transport engines: it all threatened to overwhelm her. It all reminded her of the last days of Ylisstol. Of the shrieks of Risen storming the white walls, cutting down everything in front of them with a mindless, bloodthirstiness that was utterly unholy. It reminded her of the powerful roar of Grima himself, reverberating through the sky. So terrible was his war, that Lucina wondered if it would crack the sky like a glass of wine.

Donnel shouted at her again, snapping her back to the present. He was in front of her now, barely slowing down to scream at her. Lucina grit her teeth, and sprinted after him. They both bolted for the one spot Lucina knew no enemy soldiers would be. The spot she snuck in through when she wore the guise of Marth, back when she wore the mask, and when Exalt Emmeryn still lived. When life was somehow simpler. When there were no intergalactic Empires, Sith Lords, or heretical dark mages. Just her mission, Grima, and the goal of saving her entire family.

The cleft in the palace walls had been covered up by a thick hedge, one she tore from the ground with a sharp jerk through the force. Thankfully, it was still there. A small oversight forgotten about by her father due to the whirlwind of events in their lives.

"I can't fit through with him." Donnel hollered to her as he tried to crouch through the short, narrow break in the wall.

"Hand him to me." Lucina ordered, "I hand him to you once you're through."

She hooked her arms beneath Luke's shoulders as Donnel crawled through the gap in the wall. Once he was through, Lucina adjusted her grip and turned around so Donnel could hook Luke's arms. Just as the farm boy grabbed a hold of the Sith Lord, a muffled voice barked at them.

"Stop them!" A soldier in white exclaimed, a finger pointing at her. Beside him was Eli Vanto, Thrawn's comrade, awake and weary, with heavy gauze wrapped around his wrist where Luke severed his hand.

"Take him!" Lucina screamed to Donnel as Vanto leveled a pistol at her.

The soldiers in white started firing. Red blaster bolts screamed through the air, slamming into the wall behind Lucina. She ducked her head, feeling the heat of one bolt graze the top of her head, missing her by mere millimeters.

Luke's weight left her arms as Donnel yanked his now unconscious form through the wall.

"Lucina!" Donnel cried.

Her hand curled around her steel sword's grip. A knot rested in her throat. If she turned and ran, the enemy would follow. With Luke bogging them down, there would be no way for her and Donnel to outrun the enemy. Not with their ranged weapons threatening to gun them down. On top of that, if they were being pursued, then there was no guarantee the Academy would grant them entry. Especially if the Academy was already under siege.

She glanced back at Luke and Donnel, a blaster bolt just missing her again. Her mind drifted to Cynthia. Her little sister would be devastated if they were all captured, or killed. She promised her she would get Luke out of the palace safely. In her mind, there was only one way for Lucina to fulfill that promise now.

Donnel's face softened, "Lucina don't-"

"Get him to safety." She breathed, before clenching a fist.

"No-"

He was cut off as the gap in the wall crumbled, blocking Lucina's escape. She unclenched her fist, and allowed the Force to recede from the stone wall.

Now they can't follow him.

She spun around to face the enemy, and was greeted with a blaster bolt screaming into her stomach. The force behind the bolt made her double over. Pain erupted throughout her body, centered around the sharp burning sensation in her stomach. A hoarse, harsh cry slipped from her lips as she fell to her knees, steel sword clattering from her grasp and falling softly to the grass beneath her.

It felt like a hot poker was being jammed through her, twisting, never cooling or relenting. She gasped and curled up tight over her wound, hands clasped over the charred flesh. It was a feeling she was familiar with, thanks to Maul, but not one she would ever get used to.

"Don't kill her!" She vaguely heard Eli Vanto order frantically, "We need her alive."

She snarled as an enemy soldier reached her. With all of the strength she could muster, she lashed out with her fist. It cracked against his helmet, causing the strange material it was made out of to splinter. The soldier fell back, unconscious. Before Lucina could rise to her feet and attack again, a strange, blue pulse hit her.

Everything in her body went numb. Every muscle went slack as she crumpled to the ground, unable to catch herself. Her eyes remained wide, but she could not move her head. Her breathing felt unsteady, labored, but she could not steady it. Everything in her felt stiff, and frozen. As if someone had encased her in a solid block of ice.

Vanto's polished, black boots stepped into her field of vision. She managed to glare up at him as he looked down at her, grim faced.

"Take her to a shuttle. Then inform Lord Vader and Admiral Thrawn that we have acquired the target."

She did not feel the soldiers grab her roughly by her arms and legs. She did not feel the strange binds forced around her ankles. Everything was numb, everything was fading, but she fought to remain awake. And remain awake she did, though she wished she had not.

Her city burned as they carried her through the streets. The soldiers in white moved methodically through each alley, avenue, and street. They broke down doors, dragged people out of their homes, then shot them on the orders of officers in black or gray uniforms. Merciless, unbiased, horrifying. They were executing a massacre.

Tears bubbled in her eyes as she saw homes engulfed in torrents of blaster bolts and fire. As she watched corpses left to rot in the once pristine city. The white walls of buildings were blackened. As she felt herself ascend a ramp, she saw a Ylissean banner fluttering by a thread against the city walls. A harsh, hot wind hit it, and it ripped free from its spot, fluttering without a sound into a burning building.

She broke. If she could speak, if she could scream, she would have. Everything she had fought for, had been for nothing. Her city burned. Her people died.

She had failed.

The ramp to the shuttle she was on close as the shuttle started to lift off. Tears obscured her vision, and she squeezed her eyes shut, pleading with Naga that this was not real. That this was all another terrible dream, another terrible vision.

But it was not. It happened. She failed, her family was trapped, and she could do nothing to save them.

The enemy had won.

---

Cynthia trembled as she sat on a wooden chair within the walls of the Academy. Outside, the city she grew up in burned. The enemy from the stars, the Galactic Empire, were busy conquering her people. And here she was, locked inside of the Academy's main hall. The place where the most wards were in place to protect the few citizens that managed to reach the safety the mage's provided.

Every now and again, she would raise her gaze from her lap, from her smoke encrusted hands, to the people inside of the main hall. Most of the time, when she raised her eyes, the doors would open, and another wounded or dead mage would be hauled inside to Libra, Lissa, Maribelle, and the precious few healers they had. With each opening of those doors, the sounds of battle filled the main hall, causing those seeking refuge within to shrink away.

Screams of the dying, unnatural screams from weapons none of them could understand, the moans and groans of soldiers and mages dying at the Academy walls and gate, drifted into the main hall. The doors would then close, and what little hope they all had within fell like sand in an hourglass.

Most of the Shepherds were out fighting on the Academy Walls. Cynthia knew Henry was out there, casting all manner of terrible hexes upon the enemy. She swore she could hear his mad laughter through the screams of blasterfire and the roar of spells outside. Across the main hall, she spotted Severa sitting next to her mother, Cordelia. Severa's right leg bounced up and down as she kneaded the grip of her sword. No doubt she was furious about being kept out of the fight, but her mother needed her, and she would not leave her mother's side. Not after they had finally started to grow close again. Brady assisted his mother in healing the wounded. Inigo helped haul wounded soldiers into the main hall so they could be treated, since his sword was useless in this fight. But those were the only Shepherds she could see in this mess.

Sumia and Noire sat beside her. Sumia was unable to fight alongside her husband due to her pregnancy. Noire was unable to join the battle due to her injuries from the Valm War. Everytime the doors opened, she tensed beside Cynthia. Those strange powers of hers allowed her to sense what was going on outside of the main hall. Judging by the gooseflesh on her arms, the shivers she would fall into when the doors closed, and the bob of her throat as she swallowed hard, Cynthia made the accurate assumption that this battle was not going well. The Academy would not hold out for long, but where could any of them go? Where could they all run to?

The toddler princess, Lucina, whimpered next to Noire. Cynthia glanced over and saw the small girl toddle over to her and grab her by the leg. She buried her face into the hem of Cynthia's dress, and, for a brief moment, Cynthia's heart melted. That moment ended quickly when the doors burst open again. She expected to hear the moans of another wounded mage being hauled in. Instead, she heard Donnel shout for help.

Her head whipped over, and she saw Luke over Donnel's shoulder. Her breath hitched, and she dashed away from where she was seated, leaving little Lucina with Noire as the blind archer tried her best to comfort the terrified Princess.

Donnel set Luke down beside Lissa. Cynthia's aunt quickly looked him over, the healing stave glowing green as she did some quick healing to stabilize him. He was unconscious, his jaw was slack, and there was hideous bruising forming along his entire jawline.

"Broken jaw." Lissa mumbled, casting a brief, concerned look up at Donnel and Cynthia before putting the vulnerary she grabbed away, "He won't be able to swallow that."

Cynthia's chin quivered, and she ran a gentle hand over Luke's forehead. He stirred at her touch, but did not awaken. The green glow of Lissa's staff hovered over his face.

"Give me some room, Cynthia." Lissa ordered.

Cynthia whimpered and took a step back. One hand shook at her side, the other ran over her the small bump in her stomach.

Don't die Luke. Don't die. Please don't-

Her train of thought froze as she realized Donnel was the only one to make it with Luke. She whipped her gaze over to the farmboy, who was sitting next to Maribelle, completely distraught. His head hung on his shoulders and he covered his eyes with one hand.

"I tried Mari-" He blubbered, "I really tried-"

Maribelle held him a tight embrace. As Cynthia gingerly approached them, fear gripping her heart, she froze. The Academy walls shook, and several refugees within uttered cries alarm. A few of the greener mages started muttering about the runes as they stood guard over the terrified people within the main hall, but Cynthia did not care. All she cared about was her sister.

"Uncle Donny?" She began, voice small.

Donnel froze in Maribelle's arms.

"Where's Luci?"

Donnel swallowed hard. He opened his mouth to speak, but the doors burst open again, cutting him off.

"Damn it!" Cynthia jumped when she heard her father bellow that out. She whipped her gaze over and saw him speaking quickly with the headmaster of the Academy, Byron. Maribelle glanced over as well, then stole a peak up at the tall rafters of the main hall.

"The wards aren't holding." She whispered. She placed a small kiss on Donnel's cheek, "I need to start moving people."

"I'll help ya."

"Donnel!" Cynthia snapped, drawing the attention of the farm boy, and of her father nearby, "Where is Luci?"

Guilt filled Donnel's face, "She… she stayed behind." He squeezed his eyes shut, "She didn't give me no choice either!"

Sumia tiptoed towards Cynthia, as did Chrom. The two royals were stunned by Donnel's news. The farmer shook his head.

"They shot her." He said, lips quivering, "I heard it."

Cynthia uttered a pain cry, spun, and buried her arm against her mother's shoulder. Her mother hardly moved, too shocked, and she struggled to process what Donnel just said. Chrom meanwhile, shook beside his family.

"She's… she's dead?" Chrom whispered.

Donnel inhaled, "I dunno, milord. But… those weapons don't give much hope for us."

Cynthia squeezed her eyes shut. This was not real. It could not be real. Lucina could not die. She was too strong, too powerful, too determined to die. No one could beat her in a fight, least of all strange soldiers from beyond the stars. She couldn't be-

Chrom's hand brushed her cheek. He gave both Cynthia and Sumia a comforting glance, before donning the mask of a warrior again. He was grieving, Cynthia could tell. There was a sorrow in his eyes, a slight watering in his eyes, that betrayed his true feelings, but he could not let them show. Not now; not when he needed to lead a final defense of his city.

"We need to figure out a way out of here." Maribelle informed Chrom, "I'm going to begin evacuating wounded and civilians towards the student dorms at the rear of the Academy."

"Do so." Headmaster Byron nodded in agreement, the old man exhausted from the magical strain he was under, "Myself and the mages will hold for as long as we can."
"Is there a way out of the palace?" Chrom asked Byron.

The elderly headmaster shook his head, "No… not un- wait-" His brow furrowed, "The Academy is ancient. Built during the founding of the Halidom. The cellar may yet hold a way out. It has been locked for ages due to the more-" He cleared his throat, "sinister experiments that took place there generations ago. Unsanctioned of course, but they still happened. Those ruffian mages who did them so many years ago had to have a way to get in and out with their materials without being seen."

Chrom spun on his heel, snapping a finger over a Sully and Vaike, "Both of you get on that!"

"Got it, Captain." Sully nodded.

"Teach is on it."

"Laurent!" Byron called out to the young mage, who had been helping Libra treat wounded mages, "Assist them!"

Laurent nodded and raced after Sully and Vaike. The trio disappeared down a side corridor, the light from their torches growing dimmer as they ventured further into the bowels of the Academy. Once they left, Chrom took a deep breath. He cupped Sumia's face and rested his forehead against hers.

"We will be okay." He breathed to her as a stray tear dripped down her cheek. He placed a tender kiss on her forehead, then spun back around to Byron, "If that plan fails?"

Byron shrugged, "Blast a hole through the rear of the Academy and make a run for the forest?"

Chrom nodded, "Alright, that's something at least."

"I'll have a pair of mages on standby for that plan." Byron stated as he shuffled away.

The palace doors opened again. Gaius sprinted inside with Panne.

"Prince! Stumbles!" Gaius hollered over the groans of wounded mages and panicked survivors, "That blue guy is at the gates!"

Chrom whipped his gaze over to Sumia. Sumia took a deep breath, then nodded at him. Chrom grit his teeth, gripped Falchion tight, and marched towards the doors, leaving her behind with a grieving Cynthia.

He stormed out of the main hall and back towards the battle, with Gaius and Panne trailing after him. The spell fire that roared through the air before had died away. The blaster fire that had been pounding against the Academy wards, some piercing through and wounding mages, had ceased. A heavy silence hung over the Academy, only broken by the occasional spat of blaster fire from the main city, and the shriek of strange metal ships soaring through the night sky.

He bounded up the stairs to the top of the Academy walls. Once at the top, he saw Admiral Thrawn standing before the Academy gates, undeterred by the dozens of mages with spells aimed directly at him. His red eyes glanced up at Chrom as Chrom glared down at him with rage filled eyes.

"I hope you understand that I never wanted this outcome." Thrawn spoke up, ending the eerie silence around the Academy.

Chrom took a deep breath. He gazed out at Ylisstol, the city he fought so hard to liberate in the Plegian War, the city his family had ruled over for generations. Fires burned high into the night sky. The stench of bodies filled the air. More of those shuttles descended from a dark triangle in the night sky. A triangle that blotted out the stars behind it. The only light illuminating the dark shape in the sky was the flickering light of fires burning throughout Ylisstol, and embers slowly ascended in faint spirals.

"You never wanted this?" He replied, voice trembling with fury, "This is your doing!"

Thrawn took a deep breath, "On the contrary, your majesty."

His even tone managed to unnerve Chrom. It was as if the violence and death did not disturb him the slightest. Chrom would have called it not human, but the blue skin made that fact painfully obvious. Still, even the strangest of creatures would be disturbed, even appalled, by the massacre taking place, yet Thrawn displayed not even a hint of remorse.

"I gave you a way out of this, before it even began." Thrawn continued, "My demands were not overwhelming. They were actually quite light. But you insisted on protecting the Jedi, as such, my superior deemed it necessary to send a message."

The massive triangular ship in the sky slowly descended a little lower, allowing the fires to illuminate the name and the strange creature etched into its underbelly.

Chimaera. Chrom thought, jaw clenched.

"I offer you one last chance, Prince." Thrawn's voice broke the silence again, "Although, my terms are now not as favorable. You are to surrender unconditionally to the Galactic Empire. Your kingdom will be dissolved, and an Imperial governor will be placed in your stead. Your family will not be harmed, but we will take one of them as hostage so that a rebellion will not take place. Your military will be dissolved. All claims you have will be void. You will simply become a citizen of the Empire." Thrawn folded his hands behind his back, "And you will surrender the Jedi Master known as Obi Wan Kenobi, as well as any other Jedi sheltered here, to Imperial custody. Those are my final terms, otherwise…"

Chrom furrowed his brow as he heard blasters prime from soldiers hunkered down in buildings behind Thrawn. His hands clenched the stone walls as he carefully considered the Admiral's words. If he was not so furious, he would have recognized it as an extremely generous offer. But in his experience, he knew how negotiating with tyrants worked. Gangrel never followed such agreements. Neither did Walhart. All tyrants betrayed their word, and at some point, his family would be killed, regardless of if they held power or not.

No, this was it. This was the last stand of the Ylisseans. There would be no surrender.

His silence was all the answer Thrawn needed.

"Very well." Thrawn replied with a heavy sigh. He tucked his chin, then nodded his head, "I wish you good luck then, your majesty."

He spun on his heel and waved a hand to his lines. Chrom furrowed his brow, puzzled. What was he signaling for?

Thrawn strode away, and a sharp shriek filled the air. Chrom whipped his gaze up to see a pair of those strange ships screaming towards the walls. Another pair followed, then another. He then realized an entire swarm of them were emerging from the Chimaera, like angry wasps from a hive. Green bolts screamed down at the Academy. Mages along the walls braced as the wards were hammered by massive explosions.

One bolt pierced the ward, exploding against the wall and sending stone flying through the air like deadly shrapnel. Mages screamed as they were blown sky high in an immense fireball. The wall shuddered beneath Chrom's feet.

When the smoke cleared, a section of the wall was gone. Blown to smithereens by a single, green bolt. Chrom's eyes widened, and he whipped his gaze to see stormtroopers surging towards the break in the walls.

"BREACH!" Frederick bellowed over the renewed roar of spells in the air, "WE HAVE BEEN BREACHED!"

Chrom drew Falchion and moved to charge down the gap. Gaius reached out and stopped him, grabbing him by the neck of his shirt.

"Something's coming!" Gaius shouted to him over the screams of blasterfire as mages engaged the enemy.

Fireballs roared through the air. Thunders cracked against enemy stormtroopers, impaling them with bolts of yellow lightning. Wind spells whipped over the scorched city, sending fires behind the stormtroopers into a blazing inferno. Through the chaos and flashes of light, Chrom saw a small ship zipping towards the Academy. A rickety looking thing, very different from the ships the Empire threw against the Academy. It was dogged by enemy craft, but was fighting back. Chrom could see dark magic flying from the ship racing towards the Academy and impacting against the enemy ships.

"What is it?" Panne asked.

Gaius's eyes widened, "That's Sunshine!"

Panne furrowed her brow, "How-"

"I know her terrifying magic anywhere."

Tharja and Ben. Chrom thought, a small renewal of hope welled up inside of him. Ben was here, which meant he would help them fight back, "Open the wards! Close them as soon as that craft makes it through!"

A pair of mages nodded at the base of the walls as Chrom rapidly rushed down the stairs. The walls shuddered again as more blaster fire peppered the white stone. Mages rushed to plug the gap in the walls, throwing up wards and sending deadly spells against the slowly advancing enemy. Through the gap, Chrom could see the enemy dead starting to pile up.

Thank Naga for magic.

As he reached the base of the walls, the rickety ship made it through the wards. The two mages sagged, and the wards returned to place, just in time to block an enemy fighter from chasing after Ben and Tharja. It exploded against the wards in a dazzling fireball, and a great cheer erupted from the mages along the walls. They were not done yet.

A ramp lowered as the rickety, black ship came to rest in front of the main hall. Chrom sprinted towards it, and Ben sprinted out of it, lightsaber ignited.

"Ben!" Chrom bellowed.

Ben's gaze whipped over to him. Before he could say anything, a blast broke through the ward. At first, Chrom thought it was another green blaster bolt. His eyes widened in horror as he saw an enemy ship twirling out of control towards the main hall. It slammed against the front facade, exploding in a bright ball of fire. Metal shards spat through the air, tearing through mages moving towards the main hall doors. Chrom felt a shard slash through his arm, but he shrugged the pain off. A look of horror crossed his face as he saw the front facade begin to crumble.

Ben sheathed his lightsaber and stretched out both arms, palms splayed open. The stones stopped sagging as he grit his teeth. The Force ebbed around him, and a faint white-blue glow started to form along his fingertips.

"I can't hold it long!" Ben screamed at Chrom.

Chrom nodded. He, Gaius, and Panne sprinted for the main hall. Mages started to spill out of the shattered doors, dazed and confused. A few of the Shepherds rushed down from the walls and followed Chrom to the doors in order to help people get out. Even Anna joined, which surprised Chrom since the merchant was doing everything in her power to figure out a way to escape instead of help in the fighting.

Relief flooded Chrom when, as he climbed the first step, he saw Sumia and Cynthia stumbled out. Cordelia and Severa were right behind them. Just behind the two redheads, Brady hauled Luke out, carrying the thin Sith Lord over his shoulder.

"The hell just-" Brady glanced behind him as the front of the main hall started to sag again, "OH SHIT!"

Noire stumbled out just as the front facade began to crumble. Ben uttered a loud cry and wrenched his hands downward, using the force to yank the wall straight down instead of having it fall inwards onto the wounded and sheltering civilians. Dust billowed up from the ground as the wall fell, making the ground shake with every heavy stone that fell.

Chrom's heart lodged in his throat as he reached Cynthia and Sumia.

"Lucina is-"

"They found the way out." Sumia breathed, "Lissa and Lon'qu grabbed Lucina and made for the exit when the building was hit. I was about to follow them, but the way out caved in."

Chrom's face paled, "Then-"

Cynthia nodded, eyes shimmering with tears, "We're stuck."

Byron emerged from the crumbling main hall. Dust, grime, and smoke plastered his wrinkled face. His spectacles were cracked, and hoarse coughs wracked his lungs. He took a deep breath as he approached Chrom.

"The wards are about to give." He informed the Prince, "I've ordered for the walls to be blasted open as a secondary escape."

"That won't give you much of a chance." Ben said grimly as he recovered from the strain of holding the building up. As he sank to a knee, Tharja and Tiki descended down the ramp, both horrified but what they were seeing.

"It's the only chance we have." Byron said, "Unless you can fit more onto this thing of yours, Master Kenobi."

Ben gave Chrom a weary look, "I can, but… not much more."

Chrom looked around him. The other Shepherds who had not made it out through the Academy cellar were around him now. They all looked exhausted, and defeated. For the first time in his life, he saw his Shepherds broken. Their homes were destroyed. The city, the nation they all fought so hard for, was gone in a single night. But hope remained alive as long as they remained alive too.

"Can-"

His stomach dropped when Ben shook his head, "I can fit a few more, but after that-"

"Milord." Frederick spoke up. His armor was scorched in several spots by blaster bolts that came a hair too close for comfort, "You and your family need to go."

Chrom's eyes widened, "Frederick I can't just-"

"The city is lost, Chrom." Cordelia stated, joining her fellow commander's side, "As long as you, Sumia, and Cynthia are alive, then Ylisse lives on."

"You should go as well, Cordelia." Frederick stated, "I can lead military matters here for the time being but-"

"But I can't, I'm aware." Cordelia breathed. She glanced over at the gap in the walls. Only a couple dozen mages now held it. The rest laid dead on the scorched, torn up ground, "We need to-"

The walls shuddered. Another blast rocked them. Byron's face twisted into a horrified grimace as he felt the wards fall completely.

"No more time for debate! Go!"

"But-"

Chrom's protest was cut off as an explosion slammed into what remained of the walls. Dirt, dust, and stone fell down on all of them. Cynthia let out an alarmed cry. Brady grabbed Noire with his free hand and yanked her up onto the ship. Luke bounced on his shoulders he sprinted up the ramp with them. Tharja took a nervous step back as the smoke cleared, and stormtroopers advanced on them.

"Go, milord!" Frederick shouted, "The rest of us will evacuate the city!"

Chrom felt numb. He was being told to run. This time, there would be no counterattack. In the Plegian war, Robin came up with a counter campaign against Gangrel that ended up winning the war, even though Plegia conquered most of Ylisse. In Valm, the Shepherds retreated for much of the war on the other continent, but they won thanks to savvy strategy and counter attacks that took the Valmese off guard.

There was no plan for a counter attack now. This was a pure retreat. An admission of total defeat. It made his heart ache, and burn with fury. He found himself unable to form words as a group of mages made a desperate attempt to defend the royal family. Wind spells slammed into the quickly advancing stormtroopers. Tharja joined their vicious defense, while Tiki retreated up the ramp with Cordelia and Severa. Anna sprinted over as well, dashing up the ramp. As Gaius moved to follow them, with Panne behind him, a series of blaster bolts hit the ship, making it shake.

"Chrom!" Ben shouted at him.

"Your majesty, you must leave!" Byron cried as he opened his spellbook and began his defence. Just as he casted his fourth, devastating Arcfire, a blaster bolt screamed through the air and slammed into his chest, cutting him down.

Byron's sudden death spurred Chrom into motion. Frederick gathered the remaining Shepherds and led them as quickly as he could to the rear of the Academy, where their last route of escape remained. Ben ignited his lightsaber, using the blade to deflect as many blaster bolts as he could back at the enemy.

Cynthia rushed past Ben. Blaster bolts nipped at her heels as she rushed up the ramp and into the waiting arms of Tiki. Tharja inched her way up the ramp with Sumia beside her.

Chrom stepped up onto the ramp. Ben extinguished his lightsaber and rushed past him, Tharja, and Sumia in order to get to the cockpit. Just as he reached the top of the ramp, a warning ripped through the force. He spun around, eyes wide as he searched for the threat. Chrom turned with him, and he saw Thrawn aiming a blaster pistol at him.

The Chiss pulled the trigger. Ben reached out with the force and yanked Chrom up the ramp, out of the blaster bolt's way. Chrom heard the botl whine past his ear, but he did not hear the pop of it hitting metal. Instead he heard the sickeing hiss of it hitting impacting flesh.

He fell hard onto his back at the top of the ramp. Tharja slammed her fist into a button, and the ramp began to rise. Meanwhile, Ben sprinted towards the cockpit along with Severa as the younger redhead pushed Cordelia in that direction. Gaius rushed with Tiki, Panne, Anna, Noire, Cynthia, and Brady towards the engine room.

"Nowi, Tiki!" Tharja shouted, "Get us going if… you… can… Naga no..."

Chrom lay on his back a moment, expecting to feel pain. He was certain the blaster bolt had hit him. It was aimed directly for him. If not for Ben's timely intervention, it probably would have killed him. But… he did not feel it. He did not feel any pain at all in fact. Yet, he did not hear the bolt hit metal. So who did-

His heart froze. A lump formed in his throat. His head trembled as he turned to look to his right. What he saw made an agonized howl erupt from his lungs.

Sumia was slumped against the wall of the corridor, a blackened hole in her chest. Her face was as pale as a ghost. Tears welled in her eyes as she slowly slipped down the wall to a seat on the cold, metal floor. Chrom scrambled to his feet and rushed to her side. He hardly felt the ship start to lift off from the ground as she reached Sumia. Tharja was by his wife's side, working her magic as quickly as she could in order to save the Queen's life.

He did not see anything else, or anyone else. His focus was on Sumia, his wife, sitting there, trembling like the last autumn leaf on a dying tree. Her eyes were wide, filled with pain and fear. Chrom reached out and took her hand. His heart jumped in his chest as he felt her fingertips, icy against his palm.

"No…" He breathed as she uttered a croaking breath. Tharja's incantations grew more desperate as the ship lurched to the side. He felt Sumia's grasp weakening in his hand, "No, Sumia, please!"

A tear dropped from the corner of her eyes. She gulped, taking a shaky breath as she stared into Chrom's eyes. Her pupils began to dilate as all color left her face.

"Chrom…" Her shivering started to ebb away, "I…I… love…you."

Her final word came out with a quiet exhale. A faint whisper he hardly heard through the pounding of his pulse in his ears. Tharja's incantations suddenly ceased, and her breathing stopped for a moment. Chrom stared at Sumia's face, waiting for her to say something else.

She said nothing. The light left her eyes, and her hand went limp in his. Her skin was like ice to his touch. His lips started to quiver as Tharja ducked her head.

"S-Sumia?"

Nothing.

"Sumia!" He shouted, "Please no-" He whipped his gaze to Tharja, "Do something! Do-"

He felt his spirit break as Tharja averted her eyes downward. Her fists clenched in her lap. In that moment, Chrom knew the horrible truth. That truth made him utter a loud, anguished cry. Tears cascaded down his cheeks as he held Sumia close to him, one hand gripping hers while the other tenderly cradled her head against his chest. Sobs wracked his lungs, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

The ship shuddered. He heard Ben shout a curse, but he did not care. His wife was gone… Sumia was gone.

---

For the first time since his resurrection, when Grima summoned him to become one of his Fell Servants, Dooku felt something he did not think he would ever feel again: exhaustion. His duel with Vader had carried from the main hall of the royal palace, outside to the courtyard. Glowing lines ran through the ground from where their red lightsabers slashed through the earth, burning grass and charring dirt in the process. Stones were shattered from force pushes, pulls. Through the bright light of his lightsaber smashing against Vader's once again, Dooku could see flames flickering in the night, but he could not focus his attention on burning Ylisstol. If he ripped his focus from this duel for one second, he would be dead.

The intensity of this duel matched few in his long life. Vader was relentless, and Dooku had to admire him. The amount of progress Skywalker made in the path of the Sith in such a short period of time, stunned the former Sith Lord. It took him nearly a decade before he could claim to hold power in the dark side that matched Lord Vader's. The natural talent this monster had shone in this duel. But his resourcefulness also came to the forefront.

When Dooku previously fought Vader, or when he was known as Anakin Skywalker, he had been prone to flashy displays of power. Childish notions, wasted movements in his fighting in order to dazzle or intimidate the enemy into submission. Effective against lesser opponents, but not against a seasoned warrior such as himself. It was only when Skywalker tapped into his rage, and brutal efficiency, that he overcame Dooku aboard the Invisible Hand so many years ago. When he first engaged the now christened Lord Vader, he expected much of the same. However, the obvious injuries Vader had sustained against Kenobi made his fighting style a stark contrast to Skywalker's.

Vader fought with punishing efficiency. He lacked the grace and finesse of Skywalker's fighting, and instead relied on brute force and leverage. Gone were the flashy swings, twirls, flips, and dancing of Skywalker. They were replaced by powerful chops, heavy handed slashes that rattled Dooku's bones whenever their blades collided. It was as if he was fighting an entirely different person. Which, given what Dooku knew about the Dark Side and how it could utterly corrupt a being, made sense.

Vader clearly gave himself to the Dark Side. He was wreathed in it. Soaked with the dark side to a level that Dooku thought only possible by Lord Sidious and Grima. The hatred with which he fought stunned the former Sith Lord. It did not seem possible for anyone to hate their opponent so much, let alone someone who was once as soft as Anakin Skywalker.

He's not that boy anymore. Dooku quickly reminded himself as he tore his blade free from Vader's, then scampered back a few steps, trying to catch his breath, He really has become a Sith Lord.

While he breathed heavily, Vader hardly seemed fazed. Sure, his breathing did not sound healthy thanks to the damage to that mask over his face, but he still fought with the same energy he had at the very beginning of the duel. Meanwhile, Dooku felt gassed. His arms were heavy. His head pounded with a splitting headache. He could feel the last ounces of vitality given to him by Grima's magic slipping away. If he did not end this duel now, he would lose.

No. Dooku thought as Vader stalked towards him. He uttered a heavy sigh and readied himself for another brutal onslaught. The longer he fought Vader, the more he realized something that he wished was not true. He was not capable of defeating Lord Vader. For all of the strength Makashi had in one on one combat, it could not overcome a brute force attack the likes of which Vader threw against him. It was how Skywalker killed him aboard the Invisible Hand, and it was likely how he would die now.

Although, I won't technically die. I'll be sent back to Grima. A dry laugh slipped from his lips, Once I'm before him again, I'll probably die.

At the start of this duel, he did not feel ready to die. Just like aboard the Invisible Hand, when Sidious gave the final order to have him killed, he felt that there was so much left for him to do. Here, on this backwater world, he had a duchy to take care of. A pair of idiotic, naive nobles to look out for. Donnel and Maribelle needed his guidance. With that in mind, he resolved to defeat Vader at first.

Now… now he realized that his destiny was not to defeat Vader, but to simply buy time. As always, he was a stopgap. A spacer between the larger destinies in this cursed life. Only this time, he accepts this reality. As he raised his blade to engage Vader again, the harsh rasp of the Sith's breathing ringing in his ears, he felt… content. Donnel and Maribelle would be fine. He trained the boy well, and he was a remarkable swordsman. Though he would never say that to his face. And Maribelle… so much potential as a politician. He hoped she listened to his lessons on the subject. He knew Donnel did. Those two together could conquer this entire measley continent if they wanted to through lovable charm and charisma. It made him feel quite proud.

That pride made him realize that now… now as a good time for him to die. He had done his job. He bought as much time as he could for the royals and those Shepherd brats. One more assault by Vader, and he would be finished.

But I will make him work for it.

Dooku grit his teeth, then attacked. He unleashed, scarlet blade whirring through the night air in quick, sharp arcs of red light. Vader moved just as fast to parry them. His blocky defense proved to be surprisingly effective against Dooku's fluid attacks. But every defense has a weakness, and Vader's was glaring.

He lunged for the control panel on Vader's chest, hoping to pierce it with the tip of his blade. The movement forced Vader to backpedal, and Dooku continued his assault. A flurry of quick slashes at Vader's flanks allowed him to attempt the stab at his chest again. Vader smashed his blade out of the way, only for Dooku to quickly flick it up.

The tip of his blade just barely missed the control panel. It slashed up through Vader's suit, just barely missing his throat, then up through the front of his helmet. Vader reeled, uttering a pain filled howl as Dooku's lightsaber stunned him.

He grit his teeth, ready to continue his attack, when something distracted him. A presence that caught him off guard. It was bright, and rushing towards the Academy.

"Kenobi…" Dooku breathed.

Vader's breathing hitched. Dark power surged within the dark lord, and Dooku took a step back. He could feel burning hatred boiling within Darth Vader, the likes of which he had never sensed before. Vader knew Kenobi was here, and Dooku was in the way of his ultimate prize.

A sense of calm rushed through Dooku. A warm feeling, like a gentle brush of a hand, came over him. He sensed Qui Gon's presence and knew it was time.

His thoughts wandered to the brats that had taken him in these past few years: to the Prince and his Queen, to Kenobi and the dark mage that managed to seduce him, to curious Noire and grumpy Luke, and finally, to Maribelle and Donnel. A gentle smile creased over his lips and he straightened upright, lowering his guard.

The fight is yours now.

Vader roared. Dooku closed his eyes, felt Vader's lightsaber cut into him, then embraced the cold void beyond this life.

---

Vader felt… confused. This entire mission had been both confusing and enraging. One moment he was dueling an inexperienced whelp who wielded the Dark Side like an unwieldy club, the next, a resurrected Count Dooku confronted him. And the Count gave him one of the most difficult duels he's had since Mustafar. But finally, he cut down the disgraced Sith once and for all.

He watched, pleased, as Dooku's body fell to the ground. Then his confusion grew worse as his body did not remain, but instead crumbled into fine ash blown away on a scorching wind. Vader watched the ash float away. Before he could process what happened, a shuttle descended into the courtyard. The ramp lowered, and Thrawn stepped out towards him, a grim expression on his face.

"Lord Vader, we have taken the city but-" Thrawn paused when he noticed Lord Vader's shoulders sag as a wave of exhaustion hit the Sith. His breathing regulators were shot, and now, without adrenaline or the dark side pulsing through his body, Vader could feel the wear and tear on his wounded body,

"-Pilot! Tell the Chimaera to ready a medical crew!" Thrawn barked before moving towards Vader and offering his assistance.

Vader brushed him away with a weak growl. It probably sounded more like a quiet hiss, given how damaged his mask was, but he did not care. He sensed Kenobi arrive, then depart just as quickly. The Jedi would not escape so easily. He would be hunted down with all of the resources Vader could muster.

But first… an example needed to be made of. This planet, the people on it, they needed to see what resisting the Empire could lead to.

"Have you acquired the target?" Vader asked.

A pleased look covered Thrawn's face as they both moved up the shuttle ramp, "Captain Vanto apprehended her himself, milord. She was wounded, but we have our medical staff treating her as we speak."

Vader furrowed his brow behind his mask. She probably attempted futile resistance, which was why she was wounded. Thrawn was not worried, so he would not worry. The girl would be fine, and would soon be before his Master.

The ramp closed behind Thrawn and Vader. Thrawn exhaled as the shuttle lifted off while Vader moved towards the shuttle cockpit. The other shuttles filled with Stormtroopers ascended up to the Chimaera as well as they left the burning city.

"We've sent a message today." Thrawn breathed, "This planet will know of our power, and they shouldn't resist anymore."

Vader glanced back at Thrawn, "Not enough of a message."

Thrawn furrowed his brow, "What do you-"

"Execute base delta zero."

For the first time since he met the chiss, Vader saw shock wash over the Admiral's face. Thrawn cleared his throat.

"I-I'm sorry, Lord Vader. Did you-"

"Annihilate this city." Vader growled, turning his attention back to the cockpit's viewport. The Chimeara grew overhead as they neared the lumbering star destroyer, "Let this entire planet see what happens to those who shelter rebels, and Jedi."

Thrawn's throat bobbed. He took a deep breath, and the mask of indifference returned to his face. He quickly tapped a commlink on his wrist and relayed Lord Vader's orders.

As the shuttle's wings folded together, so that it could fit into the hangar in the Chimaera's belly, Vader saw green flashes of light come from the massive turbo lasers on the star destroyer. The green bolts impacted against the ground with violent explosions that sounded like great peals of thunder. Through the force, Vader could sense lives being snuffed out in quick, brutal fashion. As the shuttle docked, he managed to catch a brief glimpse of the city, and saw nothing but husks, smoke, fire, and a crater where it once stood.

He nodded to himself, the shuttle's ramp lowered, and he limped aboard the Chimaera.

Let that be the message.

And chapter! HOLLLLLLY SHIT, it's been a minute! Sorry for the wait on this chapter everyone. Life got very busy lately, but I was finally able to sit down and get this behemoth finished.

This was a chapter I've been wanting for literal months! I had to sit down and carefully plan this one out, because I wanted it to be this big, epic chapter for you guys. I hope I did well in that regard, because this is easily the most complex chapter I've written in a very long time. So many different scenes, perspectives, and moments clashing all at once; got kinda overwhelming, I gotta admit.

So… as for what happened here, a lot happened. Ylisstol has fallen to the Empire. Dooku and Morgana executed their last stands, and concluded their arcs in this story (with Dooku getting a bit of a redemption story here, which I loved writing). Some Shepherds escaped, but not all (that was a difficult decision to make and easily the hardest part of writing this chapter). ANd Thrawn and Vader succeeded in capturing their target, Lucina. Now, our heroes are on the run, what do they do now? You'll find out soon, I assure you.

Anyways, let me know what you all think of this chapter! As always, I hope you all enjoyed! Have a nice day!

Come join the Treehouse! Discord code is: 9XG3U7a