Two weeks already, you've got to be kidding me, what a rush its been. so much attention has granted my muse occupancy that I'm not working on a trio of story simultaneously with no irksome mind blocks or other issues. So thank you, and keep the review coming, even if its just a longing desire for more. that said, Enjoy!
Chapter Six
Stirring the Hornet's Nest
Darth Diábolis wasted no time after recovering from the explosion, but hurried back to his speeder and swiftly transported the droid head across New Kaas City to the Imperial Palace itself. Who knew what secrets the droid might or might not hold, but the Republic's symbol upon the head was proof enough that the threat was real, and that the devaronian had uncovered something far larger than previously expected.
Gliding past the guards and other Force users in the palace, the Emperor's apprentice smirked as a wide channel was opened for him at every congested area, the petty Darksiders instinctively knowing that he was their better, and best left unhindered from his goal.
The Dark Council's chamber was devoid of life, and for a moment Diábolis wondered if he could even find where Supreme Prophet Dass'in resided in the enormous edifice, when from the corridor beyond appeared a familiar face. Feyd, the apprentice of Dass'in walked forward, only a momentary flash of concern on the otherwise cool and guarded face appeared as he approached.
"My Lord, what business do you have with the Supreme Prophet," he queried, guessing correctly the purpose of the Devaronian's appearance.
"Urgent, and not for just anyone's ears," Diábolis said cryptically. Even up here, on the most guarded place of the most secure world, Sith paranoia was more than real. Diábolis had no doubts that there were surveillance and spy networks all around, keeping a steady trickle of information of the Neo Sith Empire's every move and decision flowing to person or persons unknown.
Feyd nodded once, then turned and led Diábolis through a corridor that the Sith apprentice would never have noticed if he wasn't looking for it. The corridor led around and down slightly, into what the Devaronian recognized as a residential wing, but secreted and out of the way. How many would never even suspect that these rooms existed, he wondered. Even with the Force some things were simply put out of mind when they weren't considered. All the more reason for, as the Emperor put it, constant vigilance.
Finally they came to a single ornate room, and Feyd knocked gently upon the durasteel door. Moments later, Dass'in appeared in the doorway, tilting his head only slightly as he recognized that Diábolis had returned before beckoning the pair inside.
Diábolis took only a few moments to examine the room. Lavish, yes, with fine materials and ornate baubles scattered tastefully around the room, but at the same time it seemed rather bare, as though the collection of items were considered secondary at best to some much larger goal. It felt a great deal like a representation of the Kel Dorian himself.
"What have you brought for us?" Dass'in asked once the room was shut behind them.
Striding forward to the closest table, Diábolis set down the droid head, letting the Republic's symbol stare upwards for all to see. Feyd's anger flared, but the Force user had ample self control to prevent himself from reacting. Dass'in simply stared coldly down at the metal head for several moments.
"Feyd," he commended softly, "bring equipment to hack this droid's memory to us, while I discuss this important discovery with Lord Diábolis…"
The young man obeyed, practically flying in his haste to get the equipment and return. "You know what this means," Diábolis stated flatly, "the Republic knows, or will know soon enough, that we are here. And that means that war will start." his long teeth flashed hungrily, "I almost want them to find out, and start the bloodshed already…"
"I can see why the Emperor chose you as his apprentice, then," Dass'in replied, looking up from the droid to Diábolis. "You and he share the same ideas, except that he had taken them a step further. His first wave of attacks will strike the Republic long before knowledge of our world's inhabitance returns to the Republic. The war will start, but on the Empire's terms, not the Republic's."
"When?" Diábolis demanded.
"Within a few months, the Emperor is personally overseeing the final preparations. I am certain that he will call for you before it is to begin. He mentioned that he wanted a powerful show of force, and I doubt that wouldn't include his own apprentice."
Diábolis grinned toothily again; he was willing to wait a little longer. But the prospects of battle with the Republic left a very sweet taste in his mouth, and it would need to be sated soon. Feyd returned just then, appearing slightly winded. The darksider apparently had used the Force to sprint all the way to the droid labs and back with the equipment Dass'in had requested.
As Feyd hooked it up to the droid with expert swiftness, Diábolis could see the desire for knowledge in the man's eyes. This one, although somewhat older than Diábolis himself, had deep desires for secrets and power that none could get without being close to the beings in charge. He was well placed and selected, but Diábolis had no idea of his experience or power as a Force user or a Lightsaber combatant, so it would be hard to judge who between them was stronger.
Not that Diábolis feared anything from anyone. He was the apprentice of the Emperor for a reason.
The droid head flared to life, gibbering madly for several long moments before simply repeating a select, garbled message over and over. "It's encoded," Feyd explained, "and that may take some time to decrypt, but I can have it done within the week, easily."
"Do so, my apprentice," Dass'in said, before turning to Diábolis once again, "It seems that you may need something to keep yourself occupied while we wait for Feyd to finish with the droid. What do you say to some more hunting out in the jungles? With luck you may find some more of the saboteurs, although I do have another objective in mind."
"I'm listening," Diábolis replied. He was starting to like the Kel Dorian's approach more and more as he interacted with him.
"Several teams of researchers have disappeared out in the jungles," Dass'in explained, "their final communication revealed that they thought they had located some new ruins out there. I've already taken the liberty of forwarding you the coordinates of that last transmission. Good hunting…"
Diábolis smiled. Yes, this little punishment of tasks was already starting to become far more enjoyable than he had originally thought.
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Luna violently dodged to the left, even as Yoda did the same to the right, avoiding the emerald flame sword in Sirius black's hand. Not Sirius Black, Luna reminded herself, but something much, much worse than the supposed Azkaban convict. Gor-lak roared as he swung himself wildly, the sword making wide arcs of flame as it carved through the air.
Thankfully they learned quickly that, as Yoda clashed with the Ork spirit in its possessed human body, the mystical sword could not penetrate the blade of a lightsaber, but it didn't give instantly upon connection either. Luna gave herself over to the Force, allowing its energies to flow freely through her, and leapt into the fray, the defensive Soresu laid aside for the far more aggressive Ataru.
But even amidst all her spins, slashes and cuts, the supposed human frame that she fought alongside Yoda contorted itself in strange and downright outlandish ways, speaking a harsh tribal language that croaked and sputtered, unleashing a burst of green mist-like Force energy that Luna could only imagine was part of the creature's sorceries.
Gor-lak laughed as his spells took effect, raising the slain Sith bodies like ragdoll puppets, who activated their fallen weapons or simply charged at the two Jedi, rising again and again every time they were struck down.
Luna twisted as she leapt out of the reach of one with grasping fingers, kicked off another while deflecting the haphazardly swung blade in its hand, and lopped off the head of a third. The body fell, but rose once again as the dark powers that held then forced the bodies to fight over and over.
"You may be strong Je'daii…" Gor-lak admitted, stepping back as his minions fought his battle a second time. "But your power is no match for my magic…"
"We shall see," Luna said, even as she dismembered another limb from one of the nether creations. She had heard of inferi before, from her life on this world, but these seemed something more powerful than the wizard made necromantic creations. They were abominations to nature, even magical nature, and it was no doubt why the Je'daii had defeated the oppressive beings the first time they had encountered this world.
As bad as she felt about defiling the dead in such a manner, Luna knew that she and Yoda had no choice but to render these creatures unable to harm them, so that they could refocus on Gor-lak and stop him for good. Lashing out with their blades, the pair of Jedi once again fought the dark side assassins once again, targeting every limb that became open to attack until there was nothing left for the undead puppets to fight with.
They started to turn toward Gor'lak, to challenge him once again, just as a buildup of powerful energy surged in the Ork possessed body's hands. Dodging once again, Luna narrowly missed being struck by a violent blast of focused green lightning.
Brandishing her saber at Black's body, Luna charged, corkscrewing into a leap that dodged another blast of emerald lightning and landed well within his guard. The fiery sword blocked and parried what it could, but Luna could maneuver her blade faster and with more skill than Gor-lak, eventually scoring several light grazes.
Yoda flipped into the fray as well, landing on the possessed body's other side, and started into his own attack. Two blades that were far faster than his own was too much, and Gor-lak caused a pulsating green shield to spring to life around him, throwing the pair of Jedi away, before he melded into thick green mist, laughing madly the whole way.
Luna breathed deeply, trying to regain her energy as rapidly as possible in case Gor'lak returned, but Yoda held out a hand, turning in a full circle. "Gone, he is." The goblin said after a moment, relaxing visibly.
Luna nodded. Removing Gor'lak and the darksiders from the school was a good first step, but they still needed to find allies among the wizard populace. Turning slightly, Luna stretched out with her senses, trying to find where they ought to go. There was an immense amount of Force signatures down below, far more than could simply be the Slytherin common rooms, and Luna could only guess that the dungeons were actually being used as their name implied now.
Looking over at Yoda, she indicated the way to go, and together they plunged down the staircase to the dungeon corridors. Luna had never spent any time down there except for Potions, wanting to be as far from the lair of the Darkness at all times, but with the Force as her guide she navigated the corridors quite quickly.
Several Death Eaters barred the way, but at this point all thoughts of peacekeeping were gone. Luna considered this to be a warzone at the least, and thus the rules that governed Jedi behavior were significantly different.
Dispatching the wizards before they could try and kill them, Luna and Yoda quickly found themselves outside a row of literal cells deep in the underground portion of the castle. The prisoners flinched away from the glowing blades of their Lightsabers, but Luna wasted no time in plunging her violet weapon into the simple mechanical lock of the first cell. Enchanted though it may have been, the object was not designed to resist the powerful weapon of the Jedi Order, and melted like any other piece of metal, clanging to the ground noisily.
The person within was unfamiliar to Luna, and she directed the man toward where Yoda awaited, his own short saber out and senses alert for any returning guards. Down the line of cells Luna went, carving through the various locks and even some chains that were barring each door. The further down the line she went, the more the prisoners changed from people she had never met before to those she was more familiar with from her time at Hogwarts.
Several former house mates recognized her as well, mouths agape as they staggered out of their prisons to see Luna Lovegood standing there in strange-looking brown robes with her lightsaber aloft, casting a violet glow in all directions. But there was no time for her to speak properly with any of them, as Luna had to keep moving to make sure all the prisoners were freed.
The final cell contained only a single occupant, so weathered and beaten it was hard to tell if the man was even still alive, aside from the strong life signs in the Force. As Luna helped the battered and abused man to his feet, she noticed the flaming red hair of a Weasley. With a sharp start, she realized that this could be none other than Ronald, the onetime leader of the rebel cell that tried in vain to oppose the Darkness at Hogwarts.
"L… Looney Lovegood?" he breathed between raspy breaths.
Luna smiled thinly, so even after so many years, Ron was still his same old self. "We need to get you out of here." She said gently.
"No w-where to run… Death Eaters control everything…" Ron panted, winded from just the short steps from the cell to the corridor.
"Not everywhere…" Luna mentioned casually, indicating for Yoda to start leading the prisoners out of the school. "But we need to get supplies and a few more allies first."
Ron had already passed out from exertion. Luna passed him to some other prisoner as she made her way to the front with Yoda. When they arrived back in the entrance hall they found that the goblins had reassembled, along with several of the teachers that Luna still remembered and cherished.
Professors McGonagall, Sprout and Trelawney looked confused at all the commotion, but Professor Flitwick seemed well appraised of the situation, and was accepting of their rescue. "I... what… Miss Lovegood?" the kindly Transfiguration professor stammered, finally focusing on Luna. "Where have you been all these years?" she finally managed to ask.
"That, dear Professor, is a very long and complicated story, and one that we lack time to tell at this present moment. We need to understand what is going on here, why there are Darksiders running rampant here, taking Force sensitive children…"
"I don't understand what you mean?" Professor McGonagall countered, "Darksiders? Force sensitive? Do you mean the strange men in black robes that were taking children to an unused part of the castle? We we're told that they were part of a special training program that was transferring students from many different countries, not that we truly believed their story, but there was little we could do about it…"
Luna shook her head sadly, "There is just too much to try and explain, but we need to free those children, then you all are coming with us, we need to leave this planet, and get back to those who can help us prepare for the madness to come."
Even as the Professors tried to understand her words yet again, Luna stepped away, stretching out her feelings once again to find the Force sensitive children were being hidden. If there were any other Darksiders, and Luna high suspected that there would be, they would be on high alert after their battle with Gor-lak and the assassins.
"This way," She called to Yoda, and together they started up the stairs. The goblins remained to watch the newly freed prisoners, while the teachers followed, concerned and uncertain what to expect from their returned student and her goblin friends.
Up to the second floor they traveled, and towards what seemed to be a girl's bathroom the Force lead the pair of Jedi. When the path was finally hindered by a sink, Luna looked around, trying to find where and how they were to proceed. "What is this about Miss. Lovegood?" Professor Flitwick asked curiously, "What do you hope to find."
But Luna was barely listening to the half-goblin professor. Ushering them all to stand back, Luna unsheathed her lightsaber, the violet blade flaring to life, startling the wizards slightly with its appearance. Plunging the blade deeply into the mirror above the sink, Luna felt the blade pierce through to some open space on the far side, and she slowly began to cut the sink away from the wall. Yoda activated his blade and lent his assistance, sensing the room beyond as well.
"Miss Lovegood!" Professor McGonagall started, just as the sink fell away, revealing a dark opening that plummeted into eerie blackness.
"I do believe we found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, Professor…" Luna said softly, turning to look at the three shocked faces.
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Zhar watched closely as the newest batch of fledgling Dark Side Adepts dueled for the privilege of leadership in the Army of Darkness that the Emperor wanted prepared. By this time, with so many that came, were killed, or left for other worlds in the Neo Sith Empire, Zhar didn't even bother learning the names of the hopefuls and initiates that scraped at the floors of knowledge in his academy.
There were only four combatants left for this final round, all others defeated, if they were smart, or dead if they were fools. Currently, in his own mind, Zhar was rooting for the long haired human male with a Saberstaff. The weapon had carved through opponent after opponent, overwhelming any with less than two blades of their own. But at the same time, one of the others, a Nautolan with two sabers, one taken from a slain opponent, was also a rising contender.
The others two, a Twi'lek and an Iridonian female, each only retained their initial single blades, seemed to be outmatched compared to the two males, but if they worked together as they had been for some time, it would be possible for them to face off as a final duel.
The duels took place in the center of the Valley of the Dark Lords, as was appropriate for such a contest, within the ritualistic center for the Sith way of life. Zhar and a dozen other of the trainers and Prophets of the Dark Side stood in a wide oval around the central expanse where the combatants circled each other, looking for an opening.
Predictably, the pair of females struck first. Boosted in confidence by their teamwork, the pair launched themselves toward the Nautolan, who spun his twin blades to catch and deflect the two separate attackers. Unfortunately for the pair of single blade wielders, they failed to take into account the human with the Saberstaff, who wasn't about to allow such an opportunity pass by.
Completely ignoring the Nautolan, the Saberstaff wielding human went after the Iradonian female, separating her from her partner in her haste to defend herself from being impaled from behind. Once the pair of females was separated however, their doom was decided. The human male was merciful in simply choking his opponent to unconsciousness before throwing her to the side, while the Nautolan was vicious, amputating the Twi'lek's hand before skewering her through the chest, killing her instantly.
The finalists circled closer and closer to each other for several moments, sizing each other up. Zhar knew that both had the makings of excellent Dark Side adepts, but stopping the combat now would be impossible. The pair would just find another, less sanctioned opportunity to fight each other. At least here there was some chance that one wasn't killed.
Unsurprisingly the dual wielder struck first of the two, trying to simply overpower the staff's defenses with wide sweeps and two blade attacks. It was sloppy, but it was what was to be expected from someone just picking up a second saber mid fight with no training in it.
The human with the staff however, had trained to use that weapon, and had a distinct advantage, being able to catch the attacks with one blade and counterattack with the second. The fight was a brief burst of motion and then over, the human knocked first one, then the other saber from the Nautolan's hands, throwing him back with the Force to end the contest.
Zhar raised his hands to forestall any continued efforts on the Nautolan's part, declaring the human to be the victor. The other trainers walked into to clear the bodies and tend to the wounded, as well as congratulate the victor on his powerful success.
Zhar however, simply chose to depart, his interest in the matter concluded. Regardless of the power and strength in these ritualistic combats, he knew that battling the Jedi in open warfare would be a decidedly different matter, and most of these initiates, now warriors and adepts, had little experience in warlike situations, let alone going up against those who practiced a completely foreign aspect of the Force than they.
Even with his knowledge of how the Jedi operated, Zhar could no longer imitate the peace loving Light Side tendencies to adequately demonstrate what these warriors were to be pitted against. Their first battles were going to literally be trials of fire.
But in the end, Zhar supposed that that was in part some of Emperor Veneficus' reasoning. His own forces weren't nearly as important as the goal of bringing the fight to the Republic and the Jedi, force them to awaken from their stupor of peace and supposed prosperity.
Dziqis appeared then, smiling past the facial tentacles that adorned his red face. "Another successful bout of combatants then?" he asked, clearly desirous of the gory details. Zhar smiled slightly, his apprentice was always able to banish thoughts that would sour such experiences.
Going in depth of the various fighters, whose names Dziqis actually bothered to learn and remember, Zhar was able to quickly and decisively pick apart each of their techniques and strategies, especially where flaws were located, and how these had compounded to their victory or defeat.
As he finished, Dziqis let the air out of his mouth in a rush, pleased at the retelling. "How many more do we have lined up before the fleet arrives?" he asked, to which Zhar smiled yet again.
Looking up, he paused for merely a few moments. Dziqis turned to join him, and widened his eyes as several massive ships exited hyperspace into orbit of the planet. "That would be none, my apprentice…" Zhar answered at last.
"But my Lord, you said we had several more months until the fleet arrived." Dziqis said, although Zhar could tell that the Pureblood was more concerned about Zhar and fulfilling the Emperor's mandate more than any personal glory. Dziqis had presumed, correctly, that as Zhar's apprentice he was excluded from needing to participate in any blood sport. The pair of them had received word that they would be commanding their own fleet, which after the first grand attack would be stationed to defend Korriban from counter measures.
"I lied," Zhar said simply. "If I had told the true time, how many would be needlessly killed trying to strive for the last minute pass that they would achieve should they have waited?"
Dziqis smirked at the explanation. It made logical sense, which was why Zhar had done it so. The Jedi had the same flaw, they would be truthful about a deadline or some upcoming trials, and the Padawans and younglings would throw themselves into a frenzy to try and participate even when they clearly weren't ready.
By making them think there was more time than there was, Zhar had stalled those who knew they needed more time from doing just this and getting themselves killed. Granted, there were still a fair few who had tried, but not nearly as many. These intelligent and wise ones would come in the second wave of adepts, far more capable and prepared than they would have been otherwise.
"Come, let us go and meet our ship captains," Zhar said, indicating a shuttle that was entering the skyline of the academy.
As they arrived, Zhar smirked at the full military precession that was taking place, with Sith Soldiers marching in formation as they disembarked. The final occupant to leave was an admiral, decked in his finest no doubt, with every crease and fold perfectly in place. It was a man who thrived on order and regiment, and Zhar immediately felt that this man would either prove to be a thorn in his side, or the most useful officer that he commanded, depending.
"Admiral Liam Setis reporting," the man said as he approached Zhar, extending his hand. "The crew and soldiers of the Basilisk fleet are awaiting you orders, my Lord."
Zhar was somewhat impressed, albeit not surprised, that the man had done his research to know Zhar by sight. As he took the offered hand, the Darksider scanned the man immediately for any Force sensitivity, and found none. The man was simply a warrior, pure and simple.
"The Emperor sent us with just one command before turning ourselves over to you disposal my Lord," Setis continued, reverting Zhar's attention to him.
"Yes, what command was that?" he asked impatiently.
"To make sure that we brought as many Dark Side adepts with us back to Dromund Kaas for assignment." Zhar breathed a small sigh of relief. He momentarily feared that the Emperor had altered the orders he had issued on his personal visit some months ago, but that clearly had not been the case. Zhar had heard rumors of that happening before, a sudden stir in the Force changing the mind of their great leader, and almost on a whim his commands would completely shift, sometimes spelling death of the officers or Darksiders that were laboring under the previous commands.
"I will summon those who are prepared to fight for the Empire." Zhar said, turning to the nearest console and finding Dziqis already there, typing away at the holographic keys to issue the command.
"They will congregate momentarily, my Lord," the apprentice stated moments later, to which the Admiral smiled, "Discipline… obedience… you run a very efficient academy here, my Lord. If your warriors are half as good as that one there, I look forward to seeing them perform in battle."
The Admiral nodded to a nearby officer, who turned sharply and ducked back inside the shuttle, probably to signal for others to descend to transport the coming Dark Side Adepts to the various ships of the fleet.
"You have six capital ships at your command my Lord," Admiral Setis commented as he spotted Zhar looking up at them, "The Basilisk itself, which is the newest Interdictor-class cruiser that was issued to all fleets to take command of all battle operations. There are three Centurion-class Battlecrusier, which are to be the primary combat vessels, we have some of the stranger named ones however, but one can't have everything. They are called the Inferi, the Hippogriff, and the Dementor, although I haven't a clue as to what they refer to, they are at least unique. Finally, the troop transport ships, there is the Nimbus, and the Firebolt, both Derriphan-class Battleships. They should serve you well."
"We shall see," Zhar replied, sensing the other Force users beginning to assemble behind him, just as three more shuttles entered the atmosphere. Soon they would be prepared to depart, and Zhar had specific orders for the Korriban council to perform in his absence, that would maintain the training and running of the academy so that more adepts would be ready to fight, and die, for their glorious Empire.
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Severus cursed his rotten life for about the hundredth time, although ironically only a few years ago this very same situation would have been blessed to him. He was given a massive potions lab all to himself, with simple assistants who would do whatsoever he commanded with regards to their work, and nearly a hundred cauldrons of various types and sizes to work with as he pleased to make whatever potion his heart desired, so long as he occasionally make a specific potion or poison as the 'Emperor' dictated.
However, he was still very much a prisoner, no matter what freedoms upon this strange metal station he was given. He could not come and go as he pleased, and he was barred from certain decks altogether, such as the observation and hangar decks, not that he fully knew what their purpose were. Otherwise it was a veritable dream come true, and Severus only resisted for about twenty-four hours before curiosity overcame his desire to leave, and he began brewing. All the ingredients he could ever wish for, and an entire storeroom of things he had never seen before were available to him alone, and he was ashamed to say that he took great pleasure in researching as many of the items as he could daily to find their magical properties.
The only recourse for that boon of foreign ingredients was that he had no idea where they came from, and none of the assistants could or would tell him where they were gathered or what from. It was strange that he had seen no guards about to stop him either, but Severus was smart enough to suspect that there were other means than human eyes watching him even now.
Potter stopped by occasionally, flanked by his usual black robed bodyguards. Severus refused to give him the respect that he apparently had earned from these men, not that it did more than amuse the young man. He would bring things such as rare potions ingredients or recipes for various potions with him, and would once in a while answer a few questions, but never where they were or why he had taken Severus here.
Granted, the questions and discussions that they did have opened Severus' eyes that this man was not the same boy he had taught potions to a few decades ago. Something had changed, even from those last moments when he had seem the hideous, gleeful visage in the graveyard of Little Hangleton, it might have been maturity, but Severus suspected something darker and far more sinister.
Harry, or Veneficus as his followers demanded he be called, was more than talented with many forms of magic, and while not humble about it, wasn't about to flaunt his knowledge before Severus like some acrobat at a muggle circus. One could call the discussions productive or even pleasant, but for Severus that was about the extent of them aside from purely informational.
This time however, the Dark Lord beckoned for Severus to come with him upon arriving. Severus, suspecting that the man was coming around this time, had made sure that he had no pressing potions that needed his attention. Curious, yet highly suspicious, Severus followed the black robed man and his bodyguards through the metallic building, with its annoyingly cold atmosphere, eventually arriving at the forbidden observation deck.
While his curiosity peaked as Potter beckoned him inside, inwardly Severus felt innately distrustful of the man. Despite the obvious transfer of magical ownership, for lack of a better term, that had Potter take control of the Death Eaters, including Severus, he hadn't stopped his work as a spy and Light oriented turncoat, working to undermine the Death Eaters as they supplanted all of wizarding society. Not that he had been of too much help, being away at Hogwarts with little connection to the outside of Britain.
Why then would Potter take him of all people if not to kill him, other than for his knowledge of Potions?
Stepping onto the previously forbidden floor of the building, Severus paused when he spotted Potter looking directly at him, "Surely you must be curious still as to where exactly you are, Severus," Potter said, smirking slightly in a seductively mysterious way, which only served to irritate Severus.
He took several more steps, fully into the room, and turned about as he saw the large windows to the outside, before halting completely in shock. There was nothing but the inky blackness of space outside the window. Pinpricks of stars streamed out in all directions, and the only nearby object was a blue-green world and its blazing sun, which the seeming space station that he was on was orbiting closely around.
Large ships, wedge-shaped in design flew by, accompanied by countless tiny ships that buzzed like flies around a larger cattle.
"Welcome to the Star Forge, Severus Snape," Potter said grandly, as though unveiling a great secret. Severus wondered if that was supposed to mean something to him, but doubted it as the young man shook his head sardonically. "Of course, you wouldn't know the magnitude of those words, having lived out your days on that pitiful backwater of an earth that we were both born upon. This," he indicated the nearby planet, "is the world of Lethon, several millions of miles from our home world, and filled with races of aliens that you wouldn't believe, and there are untold others throughout the Galaxy, which Galaxy I will attack very soon, with ships and weapons created from this very factory-station."
Severus understood instantly what the young man was implying. "So," he said calmly, wondering where the line he was pushing towards truly was, "you are nothing more than the Dark Lord on a grander scale, snatching you own version of power from a much larger magical Britain…"
The guards seemed to flinch at the seemed insult, but Potter looked more amused than anything, "Oh, it is much more than simple conquest and power, although that is a large part of it. I have been joined to the Order of the Sith Lords for a long time Severus, since Dumbledore foolishly left me on the doorstep of my dear muggle relatives… here, out in the Galaxy, reign the very enemies of my Order, the Jedi. Jedi and Sith have fought since the very beginning, each holding to their aspect of the great powers that be, the Force. Soon, with this very war, I will crush the Jedi, and snuff out their insignificant Light with the overwhelming power of the Dark Side…"
Severus knew better than to mock this aspect of Potter. He could sense the almost fanatical loyalty to this ideal of a 'Dark Side' of this 'Force' and with the things he had witnessed over the four years that the boy was at Hogwarts, there was no denying that there was power in it, despite the inherent and obvious weakness such power blinded it user to, much again like Voldemort and the Dark Arts.
But Severus could inherently sense that comparing Potter to the Dark Lord again, in this sense would infuriate him to an almost irrational state, and his own preservation was far more important than any amount of vengeful goading was worth.
"Which leads us to your purpose in being here," Potter continued, smirking again, "naturally in part it is to produce potions and poisons for my armies to use against the Jedi and their Republic, but even more so it's to deny those who would overthrow my rule on our home world from their powerful inside informant…"
Severus paused in looking out the window, suddenly very afraid at the shift in Potter's tone, "Oh yes, I can sense your fear at those words…" Potter said smoothly, almost icily. "You have been trying your uttermost to stop me, and my servants, from taking total control of the earth, which has become somewhat of a, useful, training ground for my upcoming adepts and dark wizards. And we can't have someone stopping or halting my revenge in any way, can we?"
"No, my Lord…" Severus stammered, the words forcefully drug from his own mount as Potter curled a single fist.
"No indeed, dear Severus…" Potter agreed. "I know that Voldemort prized you significantly, both for your value as a Potions Master and somewhat because he felt a certain kinship to you, but know this. I hold no such closeness to you. Attempt to betray me and I will have you slaughtered in the most painful of ways possible."
Severus knew that the young man was not making idle threats. "Yes, my Lord…"
"Good," Potter said, turning back to the massive window. "Take him back to his lab," he ordered his guards, "Severus has much to prepare, and we strike at the Republic very soon."
Severus knew he had little choice anymore. Between Potter's control of the Dark Mark, and trapping him somewhere he couldn't flee, the young man had executed the perfect plan, housing a Potions Master in a place where he could do nothing but brew.
As he walked away however, Severus resolved that he wouldn't break so easily. Any chance to try and escape, he might take it. He wouldn't ruin a potion deliberately, that went against his personal pride, but he might make the wrong potion from time to time… he might be on the ropes and back into a corner, but snakes would strike only when running wasn't an option.
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Bellatrix smirked pleasantly to herself as the small freighter lifted off the landing pad. She had a small guilty pleasure when it came to flying in spacecraft, she admitted it, but it was just too much fun being free among the stars.
While Ocraadi Nuhok was content to research Sith Alchemy among the dead and dying beasts of the icy planet below, she would take the initiative, and move on to explore the moon of Khar Shian, where rumor stated that Sith Lord Naga Sadow had built a secret fortress to himself to protect his treasures from any who came seeking him.
While the Sith Lord's tombs, both real and false, were on different worlds, as well as the majority of his treasures most likely, Bellatrix was willing to take the small risk to see if anything was left behind.
With her were about two dozen of the Empire's archeological crews, which had finished excavating and refurbishing the Citadel on the planet below long ago, but were left idle as the mad Togruta ran her bloody experiments upon the War Behemoths and other creatures of the planet.
These beings were more than willing to make the short trip with Bellatrix to the moon, to see if anything else of the powerful Sith Lord remained.
Entering the thin atmosphere, Bellatrix tuned the sensors carefully, hoping to pick up on any sort of frequency or alteration in the landscape below to pinpoint where a secret ruin might be hidden.
"My Lady," one of the researchers said, and Bellatrix turned in her seat slightly as the man addressed her. The Force Sensitive being, a feline Cathar, was scanning the ground far below with lamp-like eyes, reminding Bellatrix almost of a certain caretaker's familiar from a castle long ago. "It is there," the being said, pointing down, moments before the sensors pinged a disturbance in the same location. Bellatrix grinned. It was going to be absolutely delightful to see the Togruta's face when they brought this news back to the planet, along with whatever proof they brought with them. Bellatrix hoped that Ocraadi would literally burst a blood vessel over it.