Impressed is the least of what I can say regarding the reviews and alerts/favorites that have rolled in over the last two weeks. it is a downright delight to know that what I have created is so well liked, and I hope that the trend continues, allowing my muse to flourish into new heights regarding this and other stories. Please, enjoy the next morsel that I bring to the feast. R&R!
Chapter Ten
The Second Battle of Umbara
Zhar stepped lightly down the ramp of his shuttle onto the deck of the Basilisk, Admiral Careth Odjek approached him in double time. "My Lord, we estimate the Jedi strike force to be mere minutes away from exiting Hyperspace, what are our orders?"
Zhar nodded, "Prepare all fighters for the true battle, Gaze Squadron will hold back until I speak with the commanders, then unleash all batteries upon the Republic forces. They will not take orbit of this world."
"As you command, my Lord." The Admiral said, turning to depart even as Zhar followed from the hangar to the command deck. As they walked an alarm started, signaling all pilots to man their fighters. As Zhar entered the bridge along with the various Fleet commanders from the other ships, the warning became shrill as the flashes of Hyperspace blossomed beyond their blockade, unleashing from the vortex over half a dozen Republic cruisers and escort frigates.
"Hail the command ship," Zhar ordered, and within moments a screen appeared, showing some random Republic officer.
"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, we…" the man started but Zhar cut him off authoritatively, "I refuse to recognize the authority of your Republic. I represent His Majesty Darth Veneficus the Eternal; you have entered Sith Space and will turn back or be destroyed."
The Republic officer looked flabbergasted, and spoke quickly to someone off screen before stepping aside. "And where is your Master then, Zhar Quelmok," said the voice of Jedi Master Rar Lalsok, as the Weequay stepped into view.
"Ah, I had wondered who the Jedi would send on this suicidal mission," Zhar said tauntingly. "Withdraw your forces, Lalsok, or they will be slaughtered. This world is under our occupation now, as it was from the beginning."
"You will not find us as easily daunted by your forces or your schemes Zhar," Master Lalsok stated flatly, "prepare yourselves. We come to liberate this world from your tyranny."
"So be it, Jedi…" Zhar said, cutting all communication. Things had just gotten slightly more complicated, with the presence of a Council Member in the strike force. Zhar was only supposed to keep as many of the Republic forces from planet fall as possible, but with the Weequay and his determination to kill or capture Zhar specifically, he would have to devote all attention to the Jedi Master over even the battle.
"Prepare Gaze Squadron, send forth all fighters. Destroy that command ship as priority One. Prevent as many shuttles from reaching the planet as possible. Contact Lord Fury on the surface and tell him the Republic has arrived."
Zhar didn't wait for confirmation of his orders, but strode from the bridge in suppressed rage, as he gathered the power of the Dark Side around him. He would need every ounce of power for this upcoming battle, especially if the acclaimed Jedi Master took to the field.
Battle was already joined when Gaze Squadron launched, turbolaser fire flying in every visible direction as the elite fighters joined the fray. Sinking deeply into the power of the Dark Side around him, Zhar gunned his craft full throttle toward the command cruiser, dodging both allied and enemy ships in his determination to eliminate the Jedi Master.
Firing a full salvo of missiles to broadside the ship, Zhar switched to heavy laser cannons and fired, breaching the shields with ease and causing massive structural damage to the front of the ship, where auto turret and other nonessential systems were located by his knowledge.
"Come on… come on… show yourself…" Zhar muttered as he made another pass. One of the farther Republic cruisers exploded, the ship rupturing from the barrage of fire from the concentrated blockade.
The holo-comm flared to life before his controls, showing the visage of Lord Veneficus, "All is ready for the Jedi's trap. Slaughter their forces, but allow the Jedi to reach the planet. I will deal with them… personally…"
"As you command, your Majesty," Zhar replied, before returning to his attempts to bait the Jedi out of their ship.
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Luna struggled to remain balanced as the cruiser rocked again. Once Professor Flitwick and McGonagall had agreed to come and fight at Umbara, she, Yoda and the two wizards had wasted no time in taking the fastest ship to catch up with the fleet at one of its refueling stops, joining with Jedi Master Lalsok and his group of ten Jedi Knights in the command cruiser for the rest of the journey.
There they had briefed the Jedi Master with the slight change of plans, and the additional power they had brought with the Wizards. Rar Lalsok had been skeptical at first about how the wizard's magic would aid them, until he underwent one training match with Dueling Champion Flitwick. The diminutive half-goblin had rained spells down on the Jedi Master for nearly fifteen full minutes before Lalsok had managed to even cross the room and close distance.
Once the skill and prowess of the two magic users had been verified, the Weequay Jedi had been more than willing to share all their intelligence and plans with the new group, even though little was known about what they faced.
"We need to prepare to fight other lightsaber wielding forces," Luna said as this was expressed. To his credit, the Council member only nodded, "I feared as much was the case. We shall alter our plans accordingly."
That had been several days ago, and now they had arrived at Umbara, and Luna had witnessed firsthand the man that was infamous throughout the Temple, Zhar Quelmok the Fallen. The man looked saner than she had been led to believe, even with the darkening lines over his face and around his eyes, which had turned the golden red of the Dark Side.
The fleet had pulled out of Hyperspace into what seemed to be an asteroid field, except that upon closer inspection, the debris blocking their path were the remains of the initial security fleet that had answered the Umbaran distress call when they had been first attacked. The power of the Dark Side was thick about the planet now, and the massive number of ships blockading orbit were staggering.
"Sir," one of the lieutenants called to the Admiral in charge of the security forces, "we're being hailed."
"Put it through," the officer stated, and the screen appeared, presenting the man that the Jedi had hunted prior to Luna and Yoda joining the Order.
"In the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, we…" the Admiral started but Zhar cut him off authoritatively, "I refuse to recognize the authority of your Republic. I represent His Majesty Darth Veneficus the Eternal; you have entered Sith Space and will turn back or be destroyed."
Luna froze, her blood chilling at the name. There was something decidedly evil about this mysterious Emperor that Zhar claimed to serve, and it reminded Luna strongly of the Darkness. The Republic officer looked flabbergasted at the wanton disrespect, and looked to Master Lalosk for guidance, who ushered him out of the way before stepping in front of the screen himself. "And where is your Master then, Zhar Quelmok," the Jedi Master said, which cause a tiny visible reaction in Zhar as he recognized the Weequay, but nothing more.
"Ah, I had wondered who the Jedi would send on this suicidal mission," Zhar said tauntingly. "Withdraw your forces, Lalsok, or they will be slaughtered. This world is under our occupation now, as it was from the beginning."
"You will not find us as easily daunted by your forces or your schemes Zhar," Master Lalsok stated flatly, "prepare yourselves. We come to liberate this world from your tyranny."
"So be it, Jedi…" Zhar said, before the communication system was cut off abruptly. The Sith ships started mobilizing almost instantly. "Commander, launch your ships, we need to get shuttles planetside as quickly as possible." Master Lalsok said, turning to lead the other Jedi and wizards to the hangar.
"Sir, with all due respect, there's little chance of piercing that blockade soon enough to safely launch shuttles," the admiral complained, but one look from the Weequay silenced him, "We must do what we can to relieve the Umbarans, and distracting their fleet will be more than necessary to get a few ships through. May the Force be with you commander."
Now they were running to the hangar with all speed, staggering every so often as the Sith fighters swarmed over the command cruiser, try desperately to dismantle the ship before anyone could think about leaving. Luna felt the madness swarming outside the ship in the Force, as fighters swam through the vacuum of space to try and annihilate each other. "You all get into a shuttle, make for the planet along with the other troop carriers," Master Lalsok said hurriedly as they arrived in the spacious hangar. "I will take to my fighter with some of the other Jedi and escort you as best we can."
"May the Force be with you, Master" Luna said swiftly as the parted ways.
"And with you, Knight of the Republic," the Weequay replied.
Settling into the shuttle and strapping down for what promised to be a bumpy and most jarring ride, Luna stretched out her senses as they lifted off. Besides herself, Yoda and the two Professors, they had two other Jedi with them, an Ithorian and a Mirialan, along with nearly a dozen Republic soldiers, all crammed in shoulder to shoulder in the transport as tightly as possible.
The ship lifted off, launching straight into the battle, surrounded by several Savage Star Fighters piloted by various Jedi. From the small porthole in the side of the shuttle, Luna could see that it was utter chaos outside the ship. Fighter streamed over the command cruiser and one in particular was overflowing with Force energy, all tainted by contact and use of the Dark Side.
If Luna was to guess, even as Master Lalsok's fighter pelted toward the other ship that it had to be Zhar Quelmok in that fighter. It was hard to see through the tiny porthole, but the two ships spiraled and curved around each other before the Sith fighter sharply turned toward the planet, leading Master Lalsok toward orbit and the rest of the blockade.
"Pilot, hurry, we need to follow Master Lalsok and support him against that fighter." Luna called.
"Yes, commander!" the soldier said, throttling the ship faster, with their escort swarming around the shuttle. The shuttle rocked as the Sith ship started targeting them. Thankfully the Republic ships closed range at that time, and took more focus from the blockade as the fight for control of orbit began.
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Lord Fury gazed upward from his command structure in the heart of the captured city, watched the progress of the space battle above. It seemed that, despite Zhar's ineptitude, the space forces were effectively holding back the Republic from getting to planetside too quickly. Only a sparse few shuttles were entering the skyline, dodging the anti-air fire that their hastily reconfigures gun placements.
Many of these were easily shot down, but a select few touched down well outside of the city, unleashing their soldiers to the field. "Orders, my Lord?" the field commander said, turning to Fury.
Smiling deviously, Fury looked through the magnifying scope that the officer had with him, scanning the landing site for what they would be facing. About five of the shuttles had landed, and rank and file troopers were pouring out of them, prepping to march on the city. Fury was about to order the zone bombarded with artillery fire, when he spotted robed figures following the troopers out of the shuttles.
"Jedi…" he breathed, feeling his blood quicken as the Force presences blossomed in his senses. Turning back to the field commander, Fury returned the scope, "Wait for them to be away from their shuttles, and then bombard the ships with our cannons. I don't want a single one of them escaping when we hit them with our ground forces. As they have no vehicles, I see little threat in allowing them to walk straight into a trap here."
The commander surveyed the same area with the scope, nodding to indicate he was still listening to Fury as he did so, "I will be done, my Lord, I presume we leave the Jedi to your warriors?"
"Exactly…" Fury said tersely, already turning to signal the entire camp to man the defenses of the ruined city, and give the Jedi the illusion that they were fighting their way in. These soldiers were not important to him in the slightest, and if it thinned the ranks of the Republic before Fury could demolish them himself, so be it. He wanted a solid fight before the day was done, and the Jedi were currently his best bet for that.
A pair of ships sailed overhead, one of the Empire's Adept fighters, being chased by a wing of Jedi Savage Stars, heading in the direction of the old ruins, and the trap that their Lord and Emperor was setting for the leader of these Jedi. 'So Zhar had a bigger role to play than just leading the blockade,' Fury mused momentarily. It would be like the Emperor to use the irritating man as bait for his own trap, as the Jedi so foolishly hunted the man with little regard or remembrance for Fury himself.
Letting his hatred of the Jedi flow through his system, reminded by their lack of so much as an investigation in his disappearance, probably supposing himself dead at the hands of Zhar, the knights that were coming right for them would never suspect that it was once one of their own that led these forces. And Fury remembered many of their tricks and tactics, and planned to exploit every one of them he could.
Once the Republic arrived, and blaster fire started to lance across the small clearing around the ruined walls of the city, Fury gave the order, and their several large artillery cannons fired. Massive balls of plasma arced over the field, landing with mighty explosions of the shuttles of the Republic, cutting off any escape for the fools, who seemed to sense the finality of their situation when the ground shook from the systematic detonations of their ships. The troopers out in the scorched grasslands dug in their heels, and fought harder than ever, actually managing to push the Sith troopers and their superior firepower back into the city.
Fury allowed them to do this, even ordering several of the better snipers away to the next layer of rubble and buildings so that the Jedi could come to his blades. The Republic forces charged through the demolished gates of the city, scanning the rubble and firing at the pockets of soldiers that Fury had left there, Jedi keeping watch and deflecting bolts back from their allies. Giving the officer at his side another signal, Fury watched as the hastily hidden explosives detonated, throwing up a cloud of dust and smoke as various mound of rubble exploded, wrecking the gate and causing the entire structure to collapse down on half the regiment of Republic soldiers.
Fury made a signal motion with his hands, and the Dark Side Adepts all around him marched forward into the dust, using their power in the Force to guide them when their eyes could not. It didn't take long for the dust to resettle, and as it did Fury allowed himself to grin at the looks on the faces of the Republic warriors and their Jedi protectors to see nearly a dozen figures walking towards them, crimson lightsabers illuminating the way.
Knowing that the Jedi would try to shield their allies, Fury let out a roaring battle cry, and charged forward with the rest of his Marauders and other Darksiders, even as the snipers high in the rear buildings started to pick off the Republic soldiers at the rearmost sections of the knot of troops. The Jedi were forced to deal with the advancing wave of Darksiders, which opened the way for their soldiers to die by other means.
Fury struck, his twin blade clashing powerfully with the green of the first Jedi he encountered, some furry creature that was neither a Wookiee nor some kind of Bothan, but he didn't care to pay attention to find out. Allowing himself to slip deeply into his rage, Fury made several vicious swipes with his blades, forcing the Jedi to duck and dodge around him and rendering the emerald energy blade quite useless in the hands of his opponent.
Switching tactics before the Jedi could adapt to this, Fury stabbed with one blade, before swinging low with the other, forcing the Jedi to parry one weapon and jump the second. It was a dangerous dance he was making the Jedi play, attempting to keep ahead of multiple weapons when he had only one shield from the pair of weapons aimed to kill him.
Drawing on the Dark Side to empower him further, Fury executed a powerful leaping strike that drove the Jedi backward, kicking the robed figure squarely in the torso while his weapon was knocked to the side from a powerful swing, then bodily rolling over the Jedi's back as he doubled over, before upper cutting with his offhand. Pleasantly, the Jedi did not go down so easily, managing to recover in time to bring his weapon to bear and parry the otherwise fatal strike, before dodging back and centering himself in the vaunted Light Side of the Force.
All around them, Fury could sense that the battle between Light and Dark sides of the Force was growing brutal. Several on both sides had fallen, the weak being pruned quite efficiently. Neither Fury nor his opponent made any sound other than their breathing, each knowing that talk was pointless at this time. Words would only be wasted breath in this life or death contest, and weapons would be the instrument of their solution this day.
To his credit, the Jedi realized that defensive fighting would only lead to his death, and rushed at Fury with an arcing Ataru strike, which the Marauder parried with his main hand, only for the Jedi to move with the momentum and come at him again from the side.
Blocking heavily with his offhand saber, Fury felt the entire weight of the other being's strength press into and through him. If not for the training he had with the pig-headed Gamorreans he may have buckled from such a blow, but the warrior stood against the strike like an imposing tower, before bringing his other weapon to bear once again, and turning the tables back on the Jedi. It was very difficult for a single weapon to maintain an offensive against two, and while this Jedi seemed to have been marginally prepared to fight an opponent like Fury, there was no mistaking the simple mistakes that the fool was making.
Slashing wide, Fury forced the Jedi to dodge, before ramming himself into the other being, knocking the servant of the Light Side off balance. Pouncing in a moment of victory, Fury brought both weapons down, slaying the Jedi Knight where he fell. Taking only the briefest of moments to savor his triumph, Fury turned to assist his weaker allies as they fought with the Jedi's associates and the remains of the Republic soldiers.
By the time they had finished, and were preparing for the next wave of shuttles to arrive, five Jedi lay dead, with only a pair of Darksiders as the price they had paid for the victory.
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Yoda sensed something terribly wrong as their shuttle pelted after Master Lalsok and the mystery Sith fighter across the planet's surface. Glancing around him, the goblin Jedi spotted that Luna was very much of the same opinion.
"What is it?" the observant wizard, Flitwick, said.
"Sense something not right, we do," Yoda explained, "a trap, this feels like…"
"And sadly, we have little choice but to walk toward it," Luna finished, staring out of the windows.
"Hang on tight lads, were coming in for a landing!" the pilot said, before the shuttle went into a deep dive toward the ground, chasing after the two snub fighters. The rest of Master Lalsok's squadron still followed, and as the shuttle touched down they landed in a protective ring, the many Jedi Knights climbing out and surveying the eerily quiet landscape as Yoda, Luna and the wizards emerged.
"Oh my, Pamona would be amazed at all the strange flora here," the tall Professor McGonagall commented as she looked around at the thick vegetation.
"Rather dark here though," Flitwick commented, even as Yoda saw Master Lalsok approaching.
"The fighter carrying Zhar has touched down somewhere further into the wilderness, about three or four klicks north. I will take some of the Jedi and pursue him, while you…" he started to say to Luna, when they all paused. A thick level of Darkness washed through the Force, sickening in its depravity and reeking of hatred and anger.
"What is that?" one of the Jedi Knights asked cautiously.
"The Darkness…" Luna breathed, but none understood her but Yoda and the two Professors.
"…change of plans," Master Lalsok said abruptly, "I need to take the majority of the Knights and discover what madness Zhar has unleashed, putting a stop to it if need be. You and Knight Yoda take these two esteemed people toward the city, and see if you can support our main attack force."
"Yes, Master," Luna said, but Yoda could hear the relief in her voice at not having to go toward the source of that pure evil.
"If anything goes wrong, or you start to get overrun, retreat here and escape," the Weequay Jedi Master explained to the assembled group. "Now let's move, there is much to do if we are to liberate this world."
The group split, Master Lalsok taking the five other Knights while Yoda and Luna led the security forces to protect the two wizards. The trek through the dark forested area was tense, even with the malevolent presence in the Force growing more distant. The sensation seemed to persistently hamper all attempts to harness the Light Side, as though there was some Nexus of Dark Side energy trying to pollute the entire planet into shadow and despair.
Yoda tried to push the sensation away, but it was nearly overpowering.
"Expecto Patronum!" Professor Flitwick intoned, and a bright, silvery bird appeared out of thin air, chasing away the negative thoughts and returning the peace of the Light Side of the Force to their group.
"Thank you, Professor," Luna said, even as they approached the northern edge of the city. The fighting was not so intense here, as the majority of the attack had commences to the west, far from them, but there was still a significant presence of Sith troopers and heavy weapons, but no Dark Side adepts to speak of.
Even as Yoda unhooked his saber and began to step forward, the imposing Professor McGonagall strode forward, "We'll handle this," she said sternly, even as Flitwick walked by her side.
Waving their wands the two Professors blended into the jungle surrounding them, and if not for the Force and having seen it with his own eyes, Yoda would have had a difficult time knowing where exactly they went. The pair of wizards crept across the clearing from the line of trees they hid in, flanking the squad of six armored soldiers.
A mildly large rock started levitating itself from a pile of rubble past the guards, inside the city, and came crashing down, sending a small avalanche of dirt and debris cascading, drawing the attention of all six, who raised their weapons. Only, when the one carrying the largest heavy repeating blaster hefted his, the gun was gone, replaced with a bizarre looking creature, reptilian in nature, that snapped and hissed, startling the soldier into dropping it.
The troops whirled again, and madness broke loose among them. Multicolored jets of light sprouted out of thin air, bright lights and flashes exploded all around the six soldiers like they were under attack from a full battalion. In the end, sporting all manner of strange and in some cases amusing markings, the six guards were rendered unconscious.
Yoda signaled for the soldiers to move forward and capture the entrance, and both he and Luna quickly stepped toward where the two wizards had reappeared, smiling at each other with the exertion of so many spells. "I had forgotten the last time I did something that dangerous," McGonagall said dryly, pain and excitement plain on her weathered face.
"Yes, quite. Not that any of them really stood a chance, but it was an excellent opportunity to see where we need to work on removing the rust from out fighting styles." Flitwick agreed quickly.
Now that the entrance to the ruined city was secured, Yoda and Luna decided that it would be best to split their group as they went to cause havoc in the enemy camp while they were believed to be only fighting on the opposite side of the city. Luna took Professor McGonagall and half the troopers, while Yoda and Flitwick went the other direction.
"So," Flitwick said softly as they separated, "what are we looking for to use as our distraction?"
One of the trooper officers stepped forward to answer, for which Yoda was somewhat grateful, he himself keeping watch with both his senses and the Force for any sign that they had been discovered. "Any sort of munitions, vehicles, important plans or other documents…"
"Ah, so the standard sabotage and infiltration," Flitwick said, brightening, "I believe I can help us with that," and with a small tap on his own head with the small wand in his hand, Flitwick melded back into his chameleon form. "Hold still," he said, before proceeding to recast the spell on every trooper and finally Yoda himself.
The sensation was odd, but passed quickly, and Yoda could feel the Force clinging to him where the spell was taking effect. A most interesting variation, he thought as they made their way deeper into the camp, being able to move better in the open while the Sith troopers all around were less observant than they ought to have been.
Soon enough they arrived at some artillery emplacements somewhere near the center of the city, and one look at them told Yoda what their target ought to be. The three massive guns were standing on support legs that held them fast as the turrets fired, each blast launching a ball of plasma high into the air as it arced over the city and rained down on some poor soul, most likely their own soldiers.
Reaching out with the Force, and sensing where each member of his group were, Yoda spoke softly, "Take out the cannons, we must. Professor Flitwick, to the farthest we shall go. Troopers, the other two can take out. Explosives will be times for twenty minutes, hmm yes…"
"As you say commander," the lead officer replied quietly, and began hastily whispering orders to the near invisible troopers.
Yoda and Professor Flitwick however, didn't wait for the troopers to finish their strategy, but the two goblinoids moved off around the large clearing of rubble and debris to the far cannon, where several gunmen were recharging and aiming the massive weapon. As they were about to approach, Yoda paused, sensing another Force presence in the area. Grabbing the wizards arm to stop him, Yoda turned to spot a pair of dark robed figures walk into the clearing, lightsabers prominent on their belts, and seeming to direct the artillery crews from orders they were delivering. "Take out the gun, I trust you can?" Yoda asked, even as he unclipped his own saber form his belt.
Sensing Flitwick's acknowledgement, Yoda released the older half-goblin and ducked around off to the side of the two Dark Side adepts, and centered himself in the Force. That act seemed to confuse the pair, as they looked in his direction, each going for their weapons even as Yoda lit his. The snap hiss of the green blade seemed to be the catalyst for his group to move, as Flitwick and the troopers started for the artillery as Yoda was already flipping through the air at the two Darksiders, who raised their weapons in glee at a Jedi of their own to fight.
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Diábolis could sense the approach of the six Jedi, all following Zhar Quelmok as the obedient servant led them straight into the trap that Lord Veneficus had so precariously placed for them. once they entered the cave network, it would be very hard for these devoted Lightsiders to find their way, as Veneficus had attuned the aura of the cave to himself and intensified it, shrouding any and all that were within aside from himself.
When the Jedi came they would be drawn to his master like moths to the flame, and much like the insects, they would be burned beyond their ability to survive once they did. It was Diábolis' task to prevent any from diverting from the main path to his Master, and if a Jedi did do so, he had free rein to slay the being at his leisure.
In an alcove off to the side of the main Academy entrance, shrouded from sight and detection by the Force, the Devaronian Sith Lord watched as Zhar ran past, turning into a random corridor and disappeared. Soon afterward the Sith apprentice heard the slap of boots on stone, and six more pair of legs ran into the chamber.
The first, a large Weequay with a powerful Light side aura, stopped the group as they entered, and Diábolis smirked as even the apparent Jedi Master failed to sense his presence. "I can't sense Zhar anymore Master," one of the others said.
"It is the power of the Dark Side in this place," the Weequay replied, turning this way and that, trying to determine the direction that Zhar might have taken, "it is shrouding Zhar from us, but I do feel something… else in here."
"Could Zhar have found some sort of ancient Sith artifact in here?" another of the Jedi Knights queried, "it would explain why he thinks of himself as a Sith now, or at least the servant of the Sith…"
"I believe there is more here than we suspect," the Master said, before determining a direction, pointing at the two passages directly ahead, neither of which were the one Zhar entered, "three of you go that way, and the others follow me this way."
The group split up, and Diábolis smirked at the luck. As expected and foreseen by his Master, the Jedi were walking straight to him, and Diábolis had a nicely sized group of three Jedi to toy with and eventually slaughter. As he stepped into the corridor, Zhar reappeared as well, nodding his head slightly at the Sith apprentice, "Shall we take out the three stragglers, my Lord?" he said, feigning politeness and gesturing at the side passage that Diábolis was heading for. The Sith grinned, revealing the large sharp teeth of his species, "Let's…"
Together the pair of Darksiders followed the trail of the Jedi as easily as a hunting hound followed a scent. The sickness of their auras stood out so sharply against the comforting darkness around them that it was impossible to mistake where they were at all times.
Through the winding tunnels the Jedi went, unaware of the dangers that followed them. Once or twice Diábolis thought that they might stop or split up, but the Light sided fools were unwavering in their irritating desires to stick together. Zhar split off after the fourth time Diábolis thought they may halt, and the Sith Lord sensed his intent to circle around in front of them and catch them with Zhar before and Diábolis behind them.
Keeping his saberstaff unlit in his hand, the Devaronian continued his stealthy pursuit, when a small tremor in the Force washed over him. The Jedi Master must have found Lord Veneficus, he mused, but the reaction among the Jedi was far more pronounced. They all visibly flinched, probably due to the reaction of the Emperor wielding the power of the academy in addition to his own monstrous amount of Force presence. From farther ahead, Diábolis spotted Zhar step from the shadows.
"Ah, so my Jedi pursuers have finally arrived at their funeral," he said tauntingly, even as the three Jedi activated their weapons. The green, blue and orange blades illuminated the shadows, but Diábolis was well hidden just out of sight, ready to charge one of the three from behind with his staff when Zhar initiated combat.
"Oh, please," Zhar said mockingly, slowly unclipping his own weapon from his belt, "You honestly think that you three stand a chance against me, one who has learned many secrets about the true nature of the Force at the feet of a Master of the Dark Side?"
"You are still only one man against three," one of the Jedi shot back, the numbing emotionless nature sickening Diábolis even as the being spoke.
"Whoever said that I was alone?" Zhar commented idly, activating his weapon and rushing at the Jedi. Diábolis took this as his cue, and darted forward, planting the activating front blade of his staff directly into the back of the rearmost Jedi, snuffing out the orange blade before it could even be raised to defend its owner.
Accosted on both sides by the Darksiders, the two remaining Jedi stood back to back, their blades working quickly to try and keep up with the onslaught. Even as they fought, another spike through the Force told the Sith apprentice that his Master had slaughtered another of the Knights, and the Jedi recoiled in horror as their ally's death rang through them.
Taking advantage of the situation, Diábolis came at them from the side, forcing both to block each of his weapon's blades, before they were overpowered from the bad angle of their sides and being forced off balance. Zhar stabbed at one, who rolled from under his blade, but the other wasn't so lucky, crying out as Diábolis' blade entered the being's chest. The blue lightsaber clattered to the stone floor as the two Dark Side Adepts circled their final prey.
The female put up a valiant struggle, but in this place it was only a matter of time before her light was extinguished as well by the powers of the Dark Side. Looking over the surprisingly easy battle, Diábolis felt greatly disappointed. "I would have though those of your old order would have at least been a challenge…" he commented to Zhar.
"I never professed that they would be," the man retorted, smirking, "shall we backtrack and watch your master deal with his opponents in like manner?"
Diábolis couldn't help but agree. There was something about his Master's power and ability that deserved to be appreciated by an audience after all.
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Veneficus waited in the central chamber of the Umbaran Sith Academy, the Dark Side flowing through him in waves, calling the Jedi to him. It was the perfect bait, as they either would view him as the threat that he was, or foolishly think that this amount of energy was from some artifact that Zhar had managed to locate. Either way they greatly overestimated their chances.
Alas, it was to be expected that the first dozen or so encounters with the Jedi would be rather underwhelming, as they simply had no idea who or what they were dealing with. But the Dark Side taught one patience, when it was needed, and this would be one of those times.
Soon enough the Jedi Master, the Weequay call Lalsok, and two Jedi Knights arrived, flanking out and holding their weapons aloft, but unlit as they approached him. Sitting cross legged on the stone floor, Veneficus knew that they would sense how dangerous he truly was, but it was unimportant if they thought him a threat or not, he would deal with them as he pleased, not a moment before.
"Master Jedi," he said slowly, drinking in the Weequay's disgusting Light aura, familiarizing himself with the first true Jedi Master he would cross blades with, "I had thought you would arrive sooner. I am most disappointed with your tardiness here…"
The Weequay refused to acknowledge Veneficus, instead turning to the two knights, "be careful, I sense a great amount of Dark Side energy in this one. Prepare yourselves for a fight."
Drawing on the energy throughout the Academy, Veneficus sensed and relished the agitation and beginnings of fear in the two young Knights, intensifying and feasting off of it. The Jedi Master however was an entropic void of emotion, which would pose a terrible problem if his training was that of a mere assassin. He had had plenty of time to peruse the manuscripts and tomes of the academy. The Brotherhood of Darkness was indeed a foolish to believe that all foes would be so easily forced into emotion to leech off of for their own power.
"You have no idea what you are dealing with, Master Jedi," the Sith Lord commented lightly, smirking at them.
"You are under arrest in the name of the Galactic Senate of the Republic, Sith Lord…" the Weequay said as he approached, leveling his weapon at Veneficus.
The Dark Lord of the Sith glared back at his passionless opponent, "No, you weathered old fool; your Senate and your Republic have no authority here. Here, I AM EMPEROR!" he roared.
Drawing upon the unlimited rage within himself, Veneficus tapped into the Dark Side, lifting completely off the ground in his meditative position, robes flapping around him as wind kicked up around him. Lightning, intensified from years of practice to a violet hue exploded outward from raised hands.
The Jedi Master predictably raised his lightsaber to catch and deflect the bolts, but one of the two Knights was completely caught off guard by the sudden attack, screaming out as the violent storm consumed him. The Weequay Jedi flung a telekinetic blast at Veneficus, but the attack washed over his Force aura like water on rock. Standing upon the stone floor and withdrawing only one of his weapons, Veneficus rose to his full height and ignited the crimson blade.
"You shall not stop my Empire, Jedi. Know that your deaths will be just the first of countless." Veneficus hissed, before charging at the Jedi with the full power of the Dark Side.
The Master raised his weapon, intercepting the initial attack and deflecting his blade. Veneficus' excitement roused as combat started, even as the Jedi Knight leapt into the battle. Dancing between the two swordsmen, Veneficus felt a sensation he hadn't experienced for a long time.
Bloodlust raged in his ears, and the Dark Side channeled through his veins. His off-hand saber slapped into his hand and ignited, parrying the Knight's counterattack. Veneficus laughed, relishing the strain of his muscles and the pulsating power of the Force around him. "Death and ruin comes to your Order, fools, if only you'll live long enough to think about it," he laughed.