No words today, only action, enjoy!
Chapter Seven
Opening Volleys
Lord Fury watched silently as Admiral Odjek fired orders to all ships in their fleet, keeping them all in pace as they traveled through Hyperspace to their target. The word had been given at last, and war was to begin. Those Dark Side Adepts, Marauders and others who could feel the Force radiated excitement and bloodlust, even to the point of inspiring the rank and file to extra levels of obedience and discipline.
"Exiting Hyperspace now Admiral," one of the junior officers declared, just as the starlines around them started to slow, reverting back to the blackness of space as they rapidly approached a swirling green planet that lacked in sunlight.
"Approaching Umbara, Admiral," another aide said.
"So it begins…" Fury said, smirking as the orbiting Republic satellites started broadcasting their warning signals to the oncoming fleet. This was to be the opening strike of the war, and Lord Fury was given special honors of being the first fleet to arrive, and therefore first crack at breaking the planet.
As it was a strategic former Sith world, it was fitting that this place begin their battle with the cursed Republic, especially when the planet had been allied with the Senate since nearly the beginning of the Republic's history.
Ships started to scramble from the planet's surface, but Fury waited, allowing the sensors and other communications to get a good look at their might. "My Lord, what are your orders?" Admiral Odjek requested, and Fury sighed.
"I suppose we've given them long enough to look at us. Open fire on the satellites, then launch fighters to clear a path to orbit." Fury replied, turning to depart, "Once there we will debark for ground assault. I will lead the way personally."
"As you command, my Lord." The Admiral replied sharply, turning to bark orders at his people even as Lord Fury departed.
All around, the sounds of weapon fire erupted as all guns targeted the first station to have spotted them, and the Marauder relished the sounds and the flare of emotions through the Force.
It would be a day worth remembering. The Manticore plowed onward, and as he entered the hangar, Fury spotted dozens of Sith fighters zipping through the bay force field, out into the cold vacuum to bring the fight to the oncoming Umbaran ships.
Let the fools of the planet fight, it would only delay the inevitable. Even as his fleet passed where the satellite had once been, Fury sensed more Force signatures enter the system. Another Lord with his fleet had arrived, followed by a second and a third.
If the planet was doomed before, what hope had they against four fleets?
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As The Basilisk entered the edge of the Umbaran system, Zhar turned to Admiral Setis, "Status report of the battle, Admiral."
"Long range sensors indicate that the lead ship, the Manticore, is engaging the Umbarans head on, smashing through their fighters to reach low orbit, accompanied by The Terentatek and its fleet. Meanwhile, the Krayt Dragon and its fleet are hanging back to protect from the inevitable arrival of a Republic security force."
"What's the estimated time of arrival for the Republic?" Zhar questioned.
"Within the hour, my Lord," was the reply. Zhar nodded, that was about what he had expected from the Republic. By the time the fleet arrived, not expected what they would find, the planet would already be besieged, and with four fleets of ships in orbit, there was little that their security ships would be capable of to stop them.
"Move the Basilisk to the most likely Hyperspace point, and assist the Krayt Dragon with protecting the system. Let's allow Lord Fury his fun planetside." Zhar ordered.
"Yes, my Lord," Setis replied, relaying the orders to the officers in command of the bridge.
Unsurprisingly, the Republic came earlier than expected, and in greater numbers. At least two Hammerhead-class Capital Cruisers, along with four Invincible-class Dreadnaughts, mere relics of a bygone age in comparison to the Empire's forces, but still nothing worth underestimating.
"My Lord, their hailing us." One of the engineers called.
"Put them through," Zhar said, smirking. Partially he hoped there was a Jedi with them, just for the shock value, but a transmission back to Coruscant would be good enough. Still, he was disappointed when some overinflated commander showed up on screen. Zhar didn't even bother listening to the demands.
"This is Zhar Quelmok, High Prophet in the Neo-Sith Empire," he declared, freezing the fool in his words. All eyes that he could see through the connection were glued to his. "We are taking this world, as it rightfully belongs to the Order of the Sith Lords, you will either flee and give up the world, or die trying to retake it."
"You see here…" the man blustered, trying to regain some semblance of order within his own ranks, let alone intimidate Zhar, but the Darksider had no such cares. "You have made your choice, then…" he interrupted, cutting communications.
"Admiral, open fire and launch all fighters, I will be joining them personally." Zhar instructed. He hadn't been behind the controls of a snub fighter in a while, and with the Force at his command and no Jedi to contend with, he had to keep himself amused somehow.
"As you command, my Lord," Admiral Setis replied, and the space outside was filled with light as all ships opened fire on the Republic cruisers. By the time Zhar arrived in the hangar, his chosen five pilots were awaiting him, ready and prepared to take to their ships. "Let's go, focus on their Dreadnaughts. Let the rank and file take care of the fighters."
"Yes, Sir," they chanted, taking to their fighters. Leaping into the air with the Force, Zhar slid comfortably into his ship, a sleek design specially made for Force users. Settling into the spherical cockpit, Zhar fired up the magically enhanced engines, which flared to life with a jet of green flames. Around him, the angular Neo-Sith interceptors sped ahead through the force field into open space.
Gunning the engines, Zhar leaped through the hangar, enjoying the rush of power from the ship, and the elite group of ships formed up behind him. All around them, standard Sith fighters were dogfighting with the Aurek-class Republic strike fighters, and while they took potshots at them as they passed, Zhar kept his group focused securely on the nearest Dreadnaught. The massive ships were the greatest threat out of the Republic fleet, and while the Sith Fleet dwarfed the Republic by two to one, and had them outgunned, a flawless victory would speak far more than losing even a single cruiser to the Republic would.
"Target the main systems," Zhar ordered as they approached, weaving through the far slower ships around them. "Fire alternate weapons systems, now!"
Almost as one, the six ships fired, the five sending orange blasts that impacted the ship with concussive force, while his own ship fired a bright green projectile, piercing straight through the enemy shields and rupturing the main communications array.
As the passed over the ship, Zhar felt the tiniest glimmer in the Force, knowing that all focus had just turned onto his ship, as it was now the greatest threat. "Three squadrons have locked onto us," Gaze Two reported.
"Stay on course, let them come to us before engaging," Zhar ordered. There was time to make one or two more strategic strikes on the Dreadnaught before they were forced to contend with the fighters.
They passed once again, bombarding the ship with their weapons again, and Zhar managed to detonate one of the hangar doors, while the shield shimmered and fell from the interceptor's attacks.
Then the fighters, around eighteen in all, were upon them. "Eliminate these flies, and return to dismantling the Dreadnaught quickly," Zhar ordered, and Gaze Squadron separated, picking targets and wheeling about to pick them off one by one.
Zhar laughed when several shots from the fighters ricocheted harmlessly off his powerful shields. This ship was truly magnificent, almost a work of art as well as a combative creation.
Sleek and elegant, with three angular projections surrounding a spherical cockpit, the ship could twist and turn with surprising efficiency and grace, outstripping the Republic fighters by leaps and bounds. Its shields and weapons were also of a kind that these other pilots had never before witnessed. All the more pity for these poor souls, as they were about to die by something they could not possibly comprehend.
Pulling up with an alarmingly steep curve, Zhar wheeled about until he was behind his own pursuers. Switching quickly to primary weapons, Zhar began firing full auto at the handful of ships before him. A barrage of faintly yellow bolts flew from the weapon systems, lancing across the fighters and wreaking massive havoc among them, literally tearing apart two of the ships, and scattering the rest with massive damage to their frames.
With that, Zhar swiftly turned his attention back to the Dreadnaught, gunning the engines to boost himself around to the rear of the ship. While the Interceptors kept the rest of the fighters occupied, the Darksider could punch through the Dreadnaughts armor and seriously cripple the ship's engines.
Across the battle, one of the other Dreadnaughts erupted in fire and debris as the Inferi and the Dementor focused fire on either side of it, ripping the slightly smaller ship to shreds between their full salvos. Transports were being launched from the Basilisk and crossing toward the nearest Hammerhead Cruiser.
Knowing that his squadron would be best used protecting those shuttles, Zhar stopped playing with his prey and shot upward, dropping a payload of torpedoes directly upon the bridge of the Dreadnaught, making the ship effectively dead in space.
"Gaze squadron, form up and protect the shuttles from the Basilisk," Zhar commanded, darting toward the far slower ships as the rest of his squad acknowledged his orders. More fighters streamed from the Republic vessels, trying desperately to stop the oncoming shuttles, and Gaze squadron hit them like a rampaging rancor, scattering the fighters and sending a fourth of them spiraling into space in flames. It was ridicules how outstripped the Republic ships were in this fight.
Zhar decided, as the shuttles entered the exposed hangar of the second Hammerhead Cruiser that he would join them inside. "Break off, target the Dreadnaughts, I'm going in to capture the capital ship." He ordered.
"Copy that Gaze One, form up on me," replied Gaze Two, and the fighters scattered around the cruiser, fanning out to rejoin the space battle around them.
Landing his ship amid the circle of shuttles, even as the armored troopers began a firefight in the hangar, Zhar readied his lightsaber and climbed out of the cockpit. Even as he began to deflect bolts from the Republic security guards, Zhar felt the overwhelming presence of Emperor Veneficus. It didn't take much to rationalize that the command fleet had arrived at the battle.
"Onward!" he yelled, directing the soldiers to attack, "Long live the Emperor!" the armored warriors chanted, charging forward with their guns blazing steams of death. Zhar smirked, but ran with them, lightsaber spinning and redirecting every stray bolt that came at him back toward the now retreating security forces.
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Veneficus watched passively from his personal mediation chamber as the battle unfolded before him. His forces were performing admirably, driving both the planets defenders and the Republic security fleet before them like chaff in a storm.
Even his Battle Meditation was truly unneeded to make this bloodbath a decisive victory, but Veneficus considered it a practice for all involved, himself included. The overwhelming power of the Dark Side washed over him in waves, allowing Veneficus to sense every individual in this battle. See them, and influence them. His servants, Force user or not, would be boosted to new heights as the dark power would infuse them with confidence and strength. Meanwhile, the Republic and Umbarans would be sapped of their will to fight, their very strength turning against them as the malevolence of the Sith Emperor bore down upon them.
Idly, Veneficus wondered if Jedi would be able to sense him all the way back in their precious temple on Coruscant. It didn't matter now, this was merely the beginning of a long game that he had spent two decades personally, and Sith before him had spent centuries more, preparing for.
Let the Jedi sense his power, it would do them no good. His war would rage across the Galaxy with or without their say so, and whether they wanted it or not, duty to their precious Republic would draw them into his snare. The Great Hyperspace War, Revan's attacks and even the resurgence from Emperor Vitiate were all going to be considered mere stepping stones to his great victory.
"Master…" Darth Diábolis said, stepping forward from the shadows. Veneficus was most pleased by the actions of his apprentice on Dromund Kaas. Uncovering the Republic plot to unveil their Empire before its time was commendable, and as reward Veneficus had permitted the devaronian to join him upon the Predator for the first climatic battle.
But naturally, the young impulsive Sith was eager to prove himself in battle, and wished to join the fight himself. "Yes," Veneficus acquiesced, acknowledging that his apprentice had earned this right, "you will join Lord Fury upon the planet's surface, and after eliminating the resistance enough to establish a foothold, you will seek out the ruins of the Sith assassin training facility. There may yet be something we can return to our Empire."
"Of course, Master, but may I ask…" Diábolis replied, pausing for a moment for Veneficus to permit the questioning. "Do we truly need to continue scrounging around in the dust and ruins of various Dark Side markers of old? We are the Sith now, not they."
"Because, my apprentice," Veneficus chided gently. He understood the young alien's question, and would have asked it himself if he were in Diábolis' place, "every ounce of knowledge that we gain from the past is another weapon that the Jedi have forgotten, or strived to keep hidden, and is something that we can exploit against them. Nothing is done without express purpose."
"I understand, Master," Diábolis said, nodding to the point.
"Good, now go and wreak your just wrath upon these fools that would prevent us from our goal on this world."
"Yes, Master."
Once Diábolis left, Veneficus returned his full attention to space battle before them, sinking as deep into the Force as possible without losing himself in its depths. Great and terrible was the magnificence of the Dark Side, and only a chosen few were able to wield it properly, without succumbing to madness and chaos. Diábolis was once such of these, as Veneficus himself was. Long ago, he might have thought that Anguis may be made worthy of such power, but the boy had been greedy and corrupt already, and without much effort would the Sith have been able to rend him down and remake him in the image of a true Sith, and circumstances as they were made that impossible.
More the pity, as Anguis' combine sensitivity to the Force and magical power were a strength that would have been appreciated by Veneficus, but the Force's own will had prevented that route. Not that Diábolis was less than Anguis, if fact the devaronian was far more capable with the Force, more moldable in Veneficus' image and to what the Order of the Sith Lord demanded of its members.
Nevertheless, Anguis was still valuable, and thusly Veneficus had kept the knowledge of Diábolis from the blond man, leading the fool to believe that he was the apprentice, and heir apparent of the Sith, although Veneficus felt that the other man knew that it was not his destiny any longer. But no matter, in the end, all would be dealt with as it should, and Anguis would receive his just reward for his services.
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Lord Fury rocked with excitement as the shuttle descended nosily through the atmosphere of Umbara. His orders were clear, eliminate all resistance, break the inhabitants' spirits and make way for the establishment of a Sith base on the site of the ancient Assassin Academy.
Light faded away as they sailed through the massive cloud barrier around the planet, sinking lower toward what seemed to be a large settlement. Anti-air fire steamed upward from the city's defenses, but the designers of the Sith craft had expertly woven heavy armor as well as powerful shield for the transports, rendering them all but invincible to the plasma projectiles of the turrets.
"The LZ is hot, prepare to come out swinging boys," one of the troopers said into his comlink, relaying information to the other shuttles coming in behind them.
Fury just smirked, unclipping both his sabers and drawing on his rage and hatred to fuel him. "Touching down now, my Lord," the pilot said over the ships comms, just as the shuttle hit the ground with a cushioned thud.
The a moment of purest silence, just before the shuttle bay door slid open to a barrage of blaster fire outside. Twin crimson blades erupted to life, and Fury charged forward with the Sith troopers falling behind every stride. Within moments he was upon his first victim, dismembering the near-human handily, and launching off to the next before the first even hit the ground.
All focus turned immediately to him, which allowed the troopers to start mowing down the resistance in an expanding line from the landing zone, while Fury moved to a more defensive form, spinning and transforming his twin blades into a whirlwind of deflection, slaughtering these Umbarans with their own blasters.
Meanwhile, the pair of Battleships from Fury's fleet, the Thestral and the Horntail flew overhead, bombarding the anti-air defenses with their heavy cannons, while fighters streamed overhead, causing chaos and other devastation with every pass. A few more shuttles touched down, disgorging more troopers into the battle.
Pressing the attack, Fury quickly arrived at the entrance to the city proper. There was sadly a wide durasteel door blocking the path inside, and auto-turrets firing full auto into their ranks. It would have been problematic, if they didn't have a pair of fighters fly overhead at that moment, firing torpedoes into the gate and punching a massive hole in the durasteel.
It was still somewhat of an obstacle, but two more dropships arrived with hovertanks, their massive turrets blasting the remains of the door wide open, clearing the way for Fury and his platoon to surge forward, the troopers laying down suppressive fire to cover the Darksider as he leapt high into the air, landing with a telekinetic explosion that knocked a sizable group of the defenders to the ground.
The city was in ruins from the orbital bombardments rained down by the two battleships, but there were still plenty of desperate fighters willing to die in the vain attempt to prevent the Sith forces from taking control of the city. The Force raged in Fury's ears, and he swarmed into action, blades singing with each and every death he inflicted, until the occupants of the city were in full retreat.
Reaching an open plaza, Fury was just in time to see a ship setting down, one of the sleek Sith fighters that were reserved for Force users only. But who would be joining the ground battle this late? The cockpit opened, and a slim male figure leapt from it, extra long Saberstaff hilt in hand to land before Fury. Eyeing the Devaronian, the Marauder recognized the apprentice of the Emperor himself.
"Well, well, Darth Diábolis himself graces us with his presence…" Fury said tauntingly, "here to make up for your failure at Lighthouse station?"
The Sith Lord glowered at Fury, but the pair's banter was interrupted by the arrival of several dozen defenders, and the pair of Darksiders activated their weapons to deal with the threat.
Whirling, Fury crossed both his blades and started deflecting the hail of bolts from his side, not even pausing as he felt the back of Darth Diábolis press against his as the Devaronian covered his flank, saberstaff whirling in wide circles to catch even bolts that would have sailed over them, flinging them back at the troopers.
Foolishly, the soldiers tried to get nearer, thinking probably that they could get their shots past the wall of crimson light that the pair of Darksiders was generating with their four blades. Even as Fury noticed this insane tactic, he heard the Devaronian behind him speaking softly.
"Three… Two… One!" At the final count, the Sith Lord broke away from Fury, throwing himself at the troopers; Diábolis deflected one final blaster bolt in midair before he cut the soldier who fired it down. But Fury hadn't the time to focus on the Devaronian, not while he had his own group of soldiers to fight against.
Lunging forward several yards, Fury impaled the nearest soldier in the chest, before twisting out of a small barrage of blaster fire and throwing his offhand saber at the offending Umbaran, severing the irritant's head from his body. Another of the fools tried to throw a grenade at Fury, but the Force snapped into action at his command; snatching the thermal orb out of the air and flinging it right back at the knot of soldiers.
Screams and fire enveloped his mind as the grenade detonated, adding to the fuel of rage that Lord Fury felt for this world. Was it so difficult to ask for some people to just lie down and die already? Leaping to cross the distance to the next soldier, Fury slashed violently, dismembering the man even as he tried to flee.
It took very little time to eliminate or scatter the remaining Umbarans, leaving the pair of Force users alone once again. "Well, that was rather dull…" Diábolis stated.
Fury rolled his eyes regarding the statement, but rather pursued his original thoughts upon seeing the Sith Lord, "So why are you here during my conquest?"
Diábolis huffed, "As though you are so important…" he said snidely before continuing, "I suppose it may be of assistance for you to know that I am here to assist securing our foothold, then I have a mission of my own to accomplish, that will not interfere with yours."
Fury paused, thinking, "The lost academy then…" he surmised.
"My, my, we are a smart one aren't we?" Diábolis hissed back smugly. "Yes, the academy. But until that blissful time that we separate, where am I needed?"
Fury smirked; snide as the young apprentice was, he knew his place when orders were given from his Master. "If you would go assist the troopers in taking the airfield, that would secure a landing site for most of our warriors, and allow me to press on toward the government sector alone, hopefully make a dent in their defenses before the rank and file arrive to get slaughtered."
Diábolis nodded, seeing the logic of the plan, "As you wish, Lord Fury…" without another word, the young alien turned and bolted through the city streets, leaving a trail of dust with the Force assisted sprint.
Fury shook his head, the annoyance finally departed to do something useful for a change, and turned to slip through the retreating lines of Umbarans to reach their government buildings before they could.
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Master Coven was sitting with the rest of the Jedi Council in session when a wave of pure malice and anger washed over them all. Several members physically flinched at the emotional tide that wound itself through the Force.
"What in the Force was that?" Master Lanen Quelross said, sitting up straighter in her seat. Just then all their comlinks sounded at once as countless Jedi in the Temple sought to report to them.
"It was like a massive torrent of ice sounding itself from out in the Galaxy. Unlike anything I have every sensed before…" Master Dolik said, looking oddly greener, even for a Rodian.
"If I am not mistaken," Master Antross stated, growing concerned, "then it was likely the effects of the Dark Side of the Force." The leader of the Council turned to face Fae as he continued, "Likely one of the Sith that attacked Lighthouse Station…"
Fae nodded, one of those unknown figures was a highly likely culprit for such a powerful burst of darkness. "We need to discover what had occurred to cause such a growth of power in the Dark Side."
"I agree," Master Cater spoke up, "this investigation needs to be our highest priority, if the Dark Side is stirring in the Galaxy, then it is up to us to counter this threat."
The central holoprojector flared to life just then, and a panicked looking Chancellor Enib'Kiju appeared in the center of the room. "Master Jedi, I am truly sorry to interrupt your private meetings, but we are in a state of emergency."
"Please, speak on Chancellor," Fae urged, sensing a foreboding in the Chancellor's words.
"The planet Umbara is under attack, by a sizeable fleet of unknown ships, and the only communications that we received from our security fleet before a complete lockdown was a small exchange between the captain of the security force and the leader of the attacking fleet… and, well you'll just want to see this…"
The feed jumped to a view screen from a standard republic cruiser, as they were hailing the other ship. Fae's eyes widened as the opposing commander's face was revealed.
It was Zhar Quelmok. It may have been a few decades, but there was no mistaking the face of the Dark Jedi that had fled the order so long ago.
"This is Zhar Quelmok, High Prophet in the Neo-Sith Empire," he declared, "We are taking this world, as it rightfully belongs to the Order of the Sith Lords, you will either flee and give up the world, or die trying to retake it."
"You see here…" the Captain retorted, but Zhar clearly was not of the mind to listen to him. "You have made your choice, then…" he interrupted, moments before cutting communications completely.
Master Coven stretched out her feelings, striving to understand. Looking around at the various council members, she could tell that they all felt the innate oddity with the burst of Dark Side energy and Zhar's presence at this seemingly random attack. Were they connected, oh yes, most definitely, but was Zhar the cause of the burst of power… that was less than likely. Zhar Quelmok may have been a strong Jedi before his fall to the Dark Side, but this surge of hatred and malice was well beyond anything they could have expected from him after a lifetime of studying the Force, Light or Dark.
No, there was more to this than they had just born witness to, but regardless, the gauntlet seemed to have been thrown at last, and the true enemy revealed after a manner of speaking. "We understand your concern now, Chancellor." Fae said calmly, "I presume that the Senate is being called for another emergency session to once again decide what course of action is needed here?"
"Yes," the Chancellor acknowledged, "Many are going to suddenly be in favor of giving up our era of peace and remilitarizing to fight off this Empire, but at the same time many questions will be asked, mainly why the Jedi did not sense this coming, or do anything to prevent it…"
"To which you may respond that we did try," Master Antross replied, and Fae resisted the impulse to smile to herself. Having the Council finally on her side of this matter was a great comfort opposed to being the only Jedi that believed that the Sith had returned after so many years of Galactic peace, "We saw the current of this coming conflict back on the attack of the Tund system, but the Senate chose to do nothing, and now together we must deal with the consequences of that inaction."
Enib'Kiju was quiet for a moment, but Master Coven knew that he was of the same opinion, and was not offended by the bluntness of Master Antross' statement. "Yes, we are in the thick of it now, aren't we?" he stated after a moment, "there is also rumor of a possible vote of no confidence against myself, which would mean a new Chancellor would be nominated in the midst of the outcropping of a war. I just want to say if such an event occurs, it was a pleasure to work with the Jedi Council to maintain peace in the Galaxy for so long."
The Jenet Jedi Master sensed in the Chancellor's words that the Twi'lek had more than a suspicion that such a vote would take place. It was true however, Enib'Kiju made an effective peacetime negotiator and administrator of legislation, but even Fae could tell he would not be able to handle the pressures of running a war as Supreme Commander of the Republic. New leadership would be sought out immediately, signaling an end to their era of peace.
"We understand," Master Antross replied, "it has been a pleasure to work with you to assist the Senate in maintaining peace for this long, and we hope to continue to do so for centuries to come."
"Thank you Master Jedi," Enib'Kiju said with a small nod of his head, "I believe the session will be starting soon, and I must prepare. Hopefully we may end this conflict as quickly as possible, I shudder to think what will happen in the Galaxy is plunged into another massive war. The horrors and atrocities from the records of the last few were more than enough to turn a stomach…"
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Lord Anguis could almost laugh out loud as the Senate convened for yet another emergency session, amid the terror and fear that the Umbaran attack by the Sith Empire had caused. Behind the scenes, he felt in the Force that many of the Senators were ready to change their minds on the matter of reinstating the military of the Republic, and he had even managed to help plant seeds of the need of a new Supreme Leader of the Republic. Not that he was planning to announce the need of a Vote of No Confidence himself; that would be too obvious.
Nevertheless, he had a few well placed and loyal aides and representatives that would ensure that such a vote was called for, and that Drakis Malfay of New Terra was nominated as a potential Chancellor, which from there his campaign would be swift and decisive. Thanks to Veneficus and his eagerness to begin the war, Anguis had his moment to snatch control of the Republic right under the collective noses of the Jedi Order, and then the real game of a shadow war would begin.
Between the madness that was the life of a Senator, Anguis had had less than ample time to research what he could of the nature of the Force, and by extension his own magical powers, but he was confident that he had found the key to freeing himself from service to Veneficus. Magical oaths were binding yes, but such a binding could in essence, while not be broken or twisted, they could be passed on to another if the subject was willing.
Ironically, Anguis knew just the candidate that would give his life to have such a connection to the Sith Emperor, it was merely a matter of gathering time and ingredients to prepare a ritual of transfer. It was almost sad how easy the concept was, for it to have taken this long for Anguis to find it, but the concept was not an easy one to accept in Earth wizarding society. He had had to dig through countless tomes and scrolls from ancient wizards to even learn that such enchantments were less that fully binding, let alone the idea that they might be able to be transferred.
But if it meant freedom from the Sith Lord that cared not for his life any longer, then so be it.
As the Senate calmed to activity, Anguis turned his attention to the Chancellor's podium, watching Enib'Kiju carefully. The Twi'lek stood to address the entirety of the Senate personally, something that wasn't done except in very important circumstances. "My fellow representatives of the Republic," he said, his voice strong and booming through the hall, but Anguis could sense the fear in the back of the being's mind as he addressed his peers, "A tragedy has occurred. For those who are not aware, not six standard hours ago, the planet of Umbara, a longtime ally of this body, fell under attack from an unknown fleet."
There were small handfuls of gasps from several of the Senators of more remote worlds, or those who had not been on Coruscant and were here via Holoprojector. "What is more," the Chancellor continued, "once the Republic security fleet arrived to contest control of the planet, the leader of the fleet announced themselves as a resurgence of the Sith Empire…" this announcement brought significantly more startled cried throughout the Rotunda.
Anguis controlled his face to appear concerned and not bored. "I admit my own negligence toward this threat," Enib'Kiju said, hanging his head slightly before the amassed Senators, "the Jedi Council warned me, warned us, that something was afoot with the destruction of Lighthouse Station, and we chose to do nothing. We now reap the reward of that poor action. In light of this event, I personally represent the option to remilitarize the Republic, preparing ships of war and soldiers to combat this threat."
This time, the voting was swift and loud, with many Senators simply shouting their newfound decisions to bring back the Republic Army and Navy to their former glory, and strike down this threat, regardless of how strong they may be. The positive vote was overwhelming, and naturally Anguis voted in favor of the military.
As the voting was concluded, Anguis glanced up and to his left, locking eyes with a Senator from Chalacta. The near-human Senator was one of those who agreed that a stronger leader was needed if such a war time was entered, and he was the one to whom Anguis was looking to for the initiation of the Vote of No Confidence. A simple nod was all that was needed.
"The chair recognized the Senator of Chalacta." One of the Chancellor's aides declared as the repulsorpod launched forward into the open area to float around the central podium. "In light of this monumental vote, it is the view of Chalacta to ask you Chancellor, what is your plan in regards to this new resurgence of military campaigns? How will you combat the threats to the Republic?"
The Chancellor started a lengthy anecdote about protecting the Republic and ousting the threat of this supposed Sith Empire, but Anguis didn't need the Force to see the fear in the man's words. He was exposed as a clearly peaceful man, an admirable trait in a Chancellor, but not in a time of war.
"I must say that I had hoped for a more refined approach to how to handle the new military, and sadly I must admit that I find yours lacking, Chancellor. Chalacta believes that new leadership of the Republic must be needed to guide us through this rough time of possible war. I move for a Vote of No Confidence, we need a strong Chancellor if we are to win this conflict."
Not surprisingly, many of the other Senators were in agreement, and the Senate was adjured for the time being to deliberate and decide who would step forward with nominations for the Chancellorship. Anguis smirked inwardly. Soon a new Chancellor would be chosen, and he would put on a show of such strength in the face of the Sith that there would be little choice but for the Senate to support him.
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Diábolis dodged another blaster bolt, yanking the fool toward him with the Force to dismember the soldier with a furious slash of his saber. The Dark Side rang in his every action, and he glanced around swiftly for his next victim. As much as tormenting Lord Fury for his almost animalistic way of plunging into battle, there was a certain appeal to the madness that accompanied bloodlust.
The difference however was control. Where the Marauder would launch into this death wish inducing state on a whim, Diábolis only did so when he had no other choice, or simply needed to clear an area with utmost speed. And that was what he was tasked with at the landing zone. Sith troopers were only just swarming the area when Diábolis had arrived, ready to slaughter the Umbaran defenders.
Even the heavy weapons and anti-air cannons in the immediate area were on no use against the Sith Lord, the Force surging around him like a tank, slamming the cannons to the side and detonating their precariously placed energy cells, detonating small pockets of the Umbarans who tried to protect them.
Diábolis almost laughed when more soldiers arrived, a tank in tow, its main cannon aimed directly at the Devaronian. "You think you are safe in there?" he questioned aloud, raising a hand toward the tank. The entire vehicle lifted off the ground, and with tremendous effort, amid batting aside blaster bolts that tried to hinder his concentration, Diábolis clenched his fist.
The tanks groaned loudly, and the Umbarans swarmed to escape as rivets started to pop. Durasteel was incredibly strong, but so was the connection of the Force that the Sith apprentice possessed. The tank buckled, crumpling together like a smashed scroll of parchment, sparks and fuel rupturing outward, turning the sophisticated weapon into a flaming ball of scrap, which was quickly hurled back toward the now fleeing Umbarans, scattering them and crushing at least two of the slower infantry.
The airfield secured, Diábolis started to move on, even as a dozen more transports entered the atmosphere, preparing to land and spew more soldier and vehicles for the Empire. The city would fall soon, it was inevitable against the size of their forces, and Diábolis would be able to branch off from Fury and his march of madness and seek out the ruins for which they chose this world as their first target. He would please his Master, and this time nothing would stand in Diábolis' way.