My, my these two weeks passed by quickly, and here we are again with a new RoDV chapter. many thanks to those who reviewed, and I am pleased that many are finding new delight and joy with the direction of the story, and I hope that that trend continues. that being said, enjoy... ~F

Chapter Fifty Five

Phoenix's Fall

Arriving with a loud cracking sound and the shivers of cold space, Veneficus released the shaken pilot, who fell to the ground instantly, and withdrew one of his sabers. Several Republic troopers were already en route to investigate the sound, and the Sith Master was prepared for them.

"M…my Lord?" the pilot stammered, still very much frightened.

"Quiet…" Veneficus commanded, even as the footsteps drew nearer.

The door slid open, and the guards looked into the gloom of the supply room which Veneficus had transported them into. The Emperor stepped forward through the shadows, until he was feet from the guards.

"Who's there! Show yourself!" the guards demanded, their weapons already shaking in standing fear.

Veneficus smirked as he activated the crimson blade in response, which horrified the guards that were already so very close. "Open fire!" their leader commanded, even as they started to back away.

Batting away their wild shots was a simple task for the Sith Emperor as he strode forward almost casually, using the Force to bar the door they had entered with, and sealing them inside to their doom.

Lightning sprung forth at his command, and the Sith Emperor allowed himself a moment of pure enjoyment as the soldiers wailed in agony as the blue electricity slowly killed them. Soon enough however, Veneficus relented, and simply broke their spines by bending them in ways that normal beings were not meant to bend.

Tossing aside their limp forms without a second thought, he retrieved one of the smaller weapons and turned back to the shell shocked pilot. "You'll need this," Veneficus said, tossing the weapon to the man. "If you are to assist me taking this ship, you need to focus and obey," Veneficus commanded.

"My Lord?" the man asked, still very much confused, but still he took the weapon and stood, ready to fight and die in the name of his Emperor. Veneficus smirked at the blind loyalty.

"Come on," he commanded, motioning at the door so that it opened on its own. There were Jedi on board the ship, and they were likely to have felt the disturbance from both the apparation, and his defeat of the guards, therefore they needed to move quickly toward the bridge.

Heading out into the corridor, Veneficus felt the warning more than heard the shimmer of the Force, twisting out of the way of a blaster bolt. Clearly the Jedi were more than aware of his position and movement, and had prepared accordingly.

"Stay behind me," he commanded the pilot, even as his weapons ignited, and he charged into battle, feeling the pulsing might of the Dark Side in his ears. Sabers in both hands, the Emperor spun once, side stepping a pair of shots and swinging wide and low, relishing the screams as he took a soldier out at the knees, before throwing one blade out at his enemies to distract them while he plunged his second blade into the felled soldier, finishing him for good.

Meanwhile, as his flying saber carved off limbs and drove the remaining soldiers into a panic, the Elder Wand made its appearance, deadly green energy flashing out to slay as many as couldn't escape, until they had all died or escaped, in which he replaced the wand within in robes and caught the saber upon its return.

The pilot had not been useless during this time, having run to a nearby console and started hacking into the Republic systems, pulling up a map of the cruiser easily enough. Veneficus could already sense where his prey was, up on the bridge of the ship surrounded by Jedi, but knowing the twists and turns to get there was indeed helpful regardless.

Quickly charting the best course, Veneficus commanded the pilot to do what he could to secure them a ship to escape once McGonagall and her guard were dead; meanwhile Veneficus took the most direct and heavily defended route as a distraction from his pilot.

It seemed that the esteemed Professor was now well aware of who was aboard her ship, and was fielding everything to prevent him getting to the bridge before something, presumable they escaped from the space battle, but it was unlikely with what Veneficus could sense as his forces being whipped into a rage at the destruction of the Emperor's shuttle. Naturally the Dark Adepts were more than aware of his survival and therefore not demoralized.

Crashing through corridor after room, with all the strength that the Dark Side allowed him, Veneficus brushed aside many lesser injuries that befell him as his enemies attempted various swarming tactics to try and impede his progress.

Time and again they would fall back and try to circumvent around and flank him, but his spinning duel blades sang a humming song of death and destruction as he moved, keeping a steady shield around him that deflected the vast majority of projectiles that could have struck him, the armor weave imbedded in his robes and cloak absorbing the remainder as he neared the bridge.

Even their droids, based off the newest models that Hermione had constructed were no match for his strength, the Force ripping the machines apart with the barest of efforts. The second he sent hurtling backward through the door to the bridge, allowing the metal to crash to the deck and announce his arrival to the entire command section of the ship.

McGonagall was there, bold as brass before a storm with a flurry of Jedi Knights surrounding her. How Veneficus would have liked to have brought the scepter of Ragnos with him at that moment, but it was too valuable a tool to waste on foot soldiers and not have the energy needed to exact his vengeance fully once they reached the Temple on Coruscant.

Instead, his sabers locked together to form into a staff, he charged into the fray, allowing the six Jedi to try and encircle him, the beams of green and blue igniting to attempt to drown out the crimson of his weapons. McGonagall was not idle either, her wand in hand and hexes on her lips, which Veneficus had to bat aside, knowing that the Transfiguration Mistress would attempt something else soon enough.

The Jedi on the other hand leapt into battle against him, trying in twos and threes to outmaneuver his duel blades, pulling back before he could fully counter their attacks and allowing their allies to attempt to steal a strike within the openings they caused.

Veneficus continued to turn slowly where he stood, saberstaff spinning in mad arcs as he caught and redirected many attacks, occasionally blasting a foolish Jedi with lightning or a pinpoint shove of telekinesis, all the while countering whatever ranged spells that McGongall was attempting.

Soon the moment of his counterattack arrived, as bombers from outside flew up toward the command ship of the Republic forces, their payloads slamming hard into the shields over the bridge, making the entire ship quake, and destabilizing some of his opponent's footing.

Veneficus seized the opening, apparating behind a pair of Jedi and impaling one with his blade, while the other was physically grabbed by the back of the being's head and Lightning poured through the creature's nervous system, frying its brain and slaying it.

Just as quickly, he turned, apparating again to dodge the counter offensive of the remaining four Jedi and the Witch, appearing beside one of the Jedi that had hung back from the rush and bisecting him with a powerful two handed cut across the midsection.

Pieces of the deck were starting to fly up at McGonagall's command, transforming into bladed weapons and other projectiles to add to the din of battle, even as the Emperor danced with the final three Knights of the Republic, batting aside their strikes and catching another at the knee with a uppercut swing that took the leg off at the hip, before planting his boot in the being's torso and removing him from the fight completely.

Allowing the power of the Dark Side to flow fully through his being, Lord Veneficus felt the world grind to a standstill, and he, moving like lightning, mowed through the final remaining Jedi with ease, their amputated bodies falling back in many pieces, before he turned his attention fully to McGonagall.

"You have become just as large a monster as Albus always said…" she said to him, the first words that his former teacher had even spoken since he arrived, aside from spells meant to hinder or kill him.

"Funny," Veneficus retorted, stowing his sabers and drawing the Elder Wand, whose tip crackled with compressed energy. "You wouldn't get that from the number of times he foolishly tried to win me over to his side…"

McGonagall was silent, keeping her eyes and wand trained upon the Emperor's every move, which he recognized as a stalling tactic. She wanted him to duel her, for whatever reasons that her orders might be fulfilled or reinforcements might arrive, but whichever it was would be irrelevant before the full force he was bringing to bear against them.

Tapping into the magical knowledge he had inherited from Voldemort, Veneficus bowed lightly, in the same graceful manner that the man had used during the first war, which cause the Professor suck in a small breath of anger, and initiate her own attack, sending bolts of fire and multicolored hexes in his direction, which Veneficus easily shielded against.

Back and forth their destructive magic were traded, Veneficus quite enjoying the awesome level of dueling capability that McGonagall expressed, easily overcoming the normal degradation that her age would have normally applied to all forms of combat.

Sidestepping a powerful piercing curse, which surprised the Sith Lord that the normally rather goodly witch would use, he replied in kind, darker spells leaping to bear, detonating whatsoever they connected with when McGonagall dodged or blocked them via powerful shields.

Under his own, rather incomplete tutelage in dueling magic, Veneficus would have been easily forced to rely on his ability in the Force to outmaneuver the woman, and therefore was wielding the great knowledge of Voldemort to keep up in the heavily magical duel, literal storms splintering off from the power his wand was unleashing, even as he occasionally teleported around the room to avoid a strong attack here, or a transfigured trap there.

It wasn't until he was turned about to face the viewports out into the wider space battle that the Emperor realized what the old woman had had planned. Her entire ship was still moving, thrusters at full power as the sizeable Republic craft barreled straight for the broadside of the Apex.

It was a stroke of mad brilliance, as those aboard would not dare fire upon the ship that they could sense the Emperor upon, and therefore the witch had full license to actively attack the juggernaut of a vessel, or as she was planning, ram her own ship into it, killing herself and presumable Veneficus in the process of crippling the super-class cruiser as well.

"I see the time for games is over," he said casually, smirking back at the brilliant, yet foolish witch. All pretence of a fair magical duel gone from his mind, Veneficus launched into the blackest of spells that he knew, Killing curses, bone breakers, and other spells meant to rupture organs and incinerate the target leaping en mass from the Elder Wand, the legendary wand holding up to the strength of its wielder, and practically singing as battle issued forth from its tip.

McGonagall was immediately overwhelming, pushed onto the defensive and forced to dodge over even blocking, as these spells were designed to penetrate all known shields and magical deterrents, which forced the old woman to push herself to the very edge of her ability in teleporting around the room, or sidestepping with agility that her frail body was simply not able to keep up for terribly long.

Still, her perseverance was something to behold, and for another daunting handful of minutes they fought, Veneficus allowing several lesser spells to hit him in the effort of keeping up his offence, knowing that the Elixir of Life would mend all his wounds when he was finished with this battle.

Still, the sight of the Emperor, bloodied and fighting was something of an image for the reinforcing Republic soldiers to run into as they flocked to the bridge in droves to assist the old witch. Veneficus slaughtered these with ease as they appeared; refusing to allow the woman even a moment to rest, and eventually, she made a mistake at last.

Sidestepping into a trap he had prepared, McGonagall was hit by a powerful curse, which went to work inflaming and contorting her internal organs, which was only the worse due to her age, and she fell with a shocked cry of pain. Veneficus quickly summoned her wand, to deny her the ability to strike at him in the midst of her death, and approached quickly.

"I must admit, you were most worthy of my time and attention, Professor," he stated softly, recalling the dangers of the ship to his fleet and reaching out with the Force to manipulate the controls that would grind the vessel to a safe halt just short of colliding with his flagship. "It is almost a shame that you won't be joining me in my Galaxy-wide Empire…"

The witch said nothing, more so because of the intense pain that would kill her within a few short moments, blood leaking from her many superficial wounds and rolling along the floor. "Alas, at the least I can give you a worthy death, one that will at least bid you a token of painlessness. Nothing more or less for one of my more favored teachers I suppose…" Veneficus added, taking careful aim.

A green flash, and McGonagall slumped fully to the floor in the pool of her own blood.

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Severus was completely unable to say whether he believed in Trelawney's newfound Seer abilities, once they had reunited in the Jedi Temple, but there was something different about the woman he could admit.

Whether it was that she was more at peace in the ordered and charged building of the temple, or any number of other things he couldn't pinpoint, but it was still for her safety that he occasionally visited her, just to check in on how she was doing. Granted those visits were growing further and further apart, as he had his work cut out for him supervising and protecting Granger, but still he made what time he could.

That was why he was here now, in her faintly illuminated room, speaking with her as she went about her day, which still consisted heavily of her special practice of reading the future for everyone she knew. She had just finished the task of reading thrown stones and gazing into one of her crystals for the fourth time; out of the seven people that she knew had come from their world, and was just beginning again, when she abruptly stopped.

"Minerva is gone…" Trelawney said, the stones in her hands tumbling to the ground around her table rather than dumping out on the table as they were supposed to.

"Of course she is gone, she is out fighting," Severus said at first, only realizing what the woman had meant when she stooped from her chair to collect her tools. "Wait, you mean?"

"Minerva had fallen in battle… she is no more…" Trelawney repeated sorrowfully, "The Sith have broken through her lines."

"Then we must warn the Jedi of this matter, so that they can muster their defenses," Severus said, but Trelawney made no move to depart.

"They know already, they can sense such things, and have already sent detachments to go and fight, but I fear that it will be too late to stop the storm that comes for us all…" the Seer woman replied, gazing sadly into the stones in her hand, inspecting their stance even from where they had fallen to the floor.

"There must be something that we can do," Severus countered, growing frustrated with all the doom and gloom that the woman was willing to wallow in.

"For you perhaps, and for Ms. Granger, I daresay there will be much work to come in the future, but for those of us who are left, I See that we are not much longer destined to remain in the land of the living." Trelawney said, the finality in the words almost disturbing in their solemnity.

"So you will do nothing but wait for death?" Severus said bitterly, rising and crossing toward the door, ready to abandon the woman and not return, if she was so willing to just sit and wait for her doom to be decided for her.

"Of course not," the cold voice rang out sharply, turning the Potions Master back around. "Though I am doomed to die in this place, it does not mean that I will not put up such a fight, as to be worthy of remembrance, and perhaps a song of lament when beings of this Galaxy think of the slaughter of the Jedi. And all is still not written in stone," she added, turning to gaze at the wall, seeing things that were not there for Severus' eyes, "The endgame of this madness is still not clear, whether the Sith rule for a year or a lifetime is not determined, and yet I can see a bitter dawn at the end of this night of darkness."

"Now go, young Severus, you are needed to protect others who can better assist in ushering in this dawn, while we who remain will hold back the darkness until the last breath we breathe." She said, dismissing him from the Temple, and his duty to check upon her as well.

Severus wasn't appreciative of the commanding discharge, but nevertheless he recognized that Trelawney was more than determined, and safe enough within the Jedi Temple to not need his constant supervision. Granger on the other hand was exposed and already had a clear target on her from forces unknown, as well as the Sith specifically.

So without another backwards glance, Severus departed from the Jedi Temple, taking his personal speeder across to the industrial section and the new labs of Magi-tech incorporated, reporting back to the Director that he had returned.

"Ah, Severus," Granger said happily as the communicator activated, "how was your visit to the Professor?"

Severus paused, now knowing at first how to break the news, as despite being a Ravenclaw when she was at Hogwarts, Granger had had a close liking to the Transfiguration Mistress, but still he could not deny her the news however saddening that it might prove to be.

"Severus?" she asked, growing concerned at his silence, and the former Potions Master of Hogwarts drew a deep breath.

"Sybill Trelawney has Seen that Minerva McGonagall has perished in combat," he said slowly. Granger gasped aloud, and there was the sound of something shattering in the background, probably whatever delicate thing she had been working on.

"It can't be…" she said, a mixture and anger and loss in her voice, "after so much, I had thought… but..." she grew silent for a split moment, before a fire seemed to blossom in her voice and she spoke again, "Who…"

"Undetermined," Severus reported, all into the blank state of mind that he had used once long ago to report to either Albus or the Dark Lord when he served as a double spy, "but I can presume that there is only one that could have matched her skill in combat, especially with a half dozen Jedi Knights at her disposal."

"So Grandmaster Coven's forces that are on their way to reinforce her are walking into a trap…" Hermione said, still more angrily, "I'll call you back…" she said swiftly, and the connection abruptly broke, leaving Severus in silence as he walked through the corridors and offices of the lower areas of the magical manufacturing facility.

If Granger went any further onto her war path, Severus wondered how they would be able to go on, as the woman was already working herself to death, neglecting even basic things as food and sleep in her mad quest to develop something that would defeat the Empire once and for all, and attain revenge for her worlds that were utterly subjected to the will of the monster Veneficus.

Yes, Severus was forced to agree that Sybill must have attained some sort of higher growth in her abilities, as it was plain as day that in light of these events, someone would have to protect Ms. Granger, even from herself, in order to make sure that Republic continued to have a sense of technological advance, as it was clear that that added advantage was all that was keeping many of the core world leaders from surrendering forthright and caving to the wrath of the Sith Emperor.

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Kelrek grew steadily uneasy as they received report after report of the invaders easily crushing through their ship's defenses. Srilis had returned, and was out somewhere trying to set up ambushes for the boarders, but it was clear that the Republic commander, one Flitwick, was in charge of the attack, as there seemed to be next to nothing that the Imperial troops could do to stop the advance toward the bridge.

Still, if the dwarfish creature wished to take the bridge, there would be more than a simply skirmish in store for them. Jennah had withdrawn the majority of the Dark Adepts under their command, knowing that the final battle would take place here if it indeed was the famed commander leading the attacks.

"Scanner show them only a few corridors away," one of the officers reported, standing at the ship's internal sensors and monitoring the enemy's progress.

"Any sign of Srilis and her ambush?" Jennah requested, even as Kelrek stretched out with the Force to sense when the enemy would be approaching.

"None, but I will keep looking," the officer replied, even as the sound of boots running over metal sounded from outside. They were coming.

All the Dark Adepts could sense the figures approaching, some the dark voids that represented droids, while others radiated life of soldiers unfamiliar to them, mean it had to be the Republic attack force.

Feeling the cool metal of his cross guard saber in hand, Kelrek had a strange sensation that this battle would mark a changing point in the war for him, but soon some rhythmic tapping upon the seal blast door to the bridge distracted him from any internal thoughts.

He expected some sort of fusion burner to start trying to melt the door, or even explosives to be affixed, but after the end of the tapping, there was a simply click, followed by some muttering from beyond the door, and it slowly started to open of its own accord.

"Open fire!" Jennah commanded, and the troopers on all sides released a volley of bolts, many of which went wild as soon as the door opened fully, revealing the diminutive wizard in all his horrific glory.

The figure was floating, foremost of what Kelrek noticed, as well as wheeling around as bolts reflected off a prismatic blue shield wrapped around his person like a bubble, short before he focused his stern grey eyes upon them, the orbs filling with an inner fire that brokered no argument that there would be battle between them.

The little stick that the mage-born used swung out at them, and a torrent of spells and bolts of magic spewed forth, catching many of the troopers, and even the Adepts, off guard. Kelrek had expected this, and his crimson blade snapped into place to catch a few of the spells, sending them harmlessly into the ceiling of the ship, even as troopers and Jedi appeared behind the small wizard, charging into battle.

The attitude of the Adepts changed the moment they could see their hated foes. For the glory of their Emperor, they rushed in, eager to slay a Jedi and prove their loyalty to the Empire. Jennah and Kelrek hung back, knowing better than to rush an enemy position, but equally knowing that they wouldn't be able to quell the spontaneous bloodlust of their fellow Adepts.

The clash and sizzle of lightsaber striking lightsaber filled the air, even over the sound of repeated blaster fire, as the troopers on both sides fired into the melee without care of who they hit. And over all of this, Flitwick called encouragement and spells over his group, and Kelrek could see that the miniature being was crafting a much larger shield to go over their defensive position, blocking all escape from the bridge for the Imperial forces.

Knowing what he alone had to do, Kelrek skirted around the edge of the massive battle in the cramped quarters of the bridge, batted a few blaster shots back at their Republic enemies, and soon was in a direct line with the mage born menace.

One hand shot forward, lightning sparking between the Sorcerer's fingers, and the little wizard had to release his powerful spell to defend himself, dodging nimble out of the way as the bolts of blue-white lightning flew at the spot where he stood.

The wand came up again, but Kelrek was ready, answering the gold beam of light with another burst of lightning, their energies connecting impressively, and started to battle back and forth for the right to strike their opponent.

It was now a duel of the supernatural, the Force vs. the Mage-born magic, and Kelrek could easily sense that his opponent was incredibly strong in his arts. A Master if there ever was one of the strange magical natures that these Mage-Born had risen up from obscurity to be.

But he was a Dark Side Adept, one of the few Sorcerers of great power in the Sith Empire, and Kelrek was nearly unequalled in his power, short of those who sat upon the Dark Council. Giving himself over to the full power of the Dark Side, Kelrek felt the energy pour from his fingers, and smelt the charring flesh of his hand as the bolts spewed like fire from them, intensifying and starting to force the beam of magic back to its source.

Just then, from the rear of the Republic lines, a trooper screamed as a crimson blade pierced through the armored chest plate, revealing Srilis and her ambushing force of troopers and pilots, flanking those attacking the bridge. Flitwick saw this as well, and wrenched his little implement upward, forcing the arcing energies away from each other, and spinning out of the way as the lightning struck the spot he had stood in with tremendous force, punching a hole in the deck.

Kelrek raised his saber, intending to charge and finish off the small being, but Flitwick was already away, yelling to his fighters, even as they all activated small trinkets on their persons, and one by one vanished in a swirl of blue magic.

Only too late did Kelrek and the others realize what had happened, when shuddering explosions ripped through the ship where the infiltration team had laid explosives, causing great swaths of destruction through the cruiser and leaving them all but dead in space.

By the time Kelrek returned to one of the viewports, he was able to just barely see the Republic fleet as it withdrew to Hyperspace, likely off already to another battle, leaving them to lick their wounds and fall back defeated.

The sting of it was far worse than what Kelrek had presumed, even though they had still defeated the remaining defenders and opened the systems to their ground forces. It would take time that they didn't have to repair the ships, and there weren't many extra to spare in the meantime. Jennah and Srilis were equally furious at the course that the battle took. The fact that one non Force user wrought so much damage without them even being aware of it was staggering enough, on top of what they now had to put up with regarding the repairs and delays.

Kelrek swore to himself that the next time he crossed the diminutive commander on a battlefield, it would be the last. He was sure, given the looks on their faces as the three of them reviewed the battle recordings from their ship, that both female Adepts were making the same silent, deadly vow.

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Gor-lak smirked as he received the call to withdrawn back to the main battle over Vurdon Ka. The Hok System had fallen with very little provocation, and his forces were more than ready for a real fight. The fact that they were intentionally joining the battle to flank the Republics grand warship Hope's Radiance was an even larger bonus than the former Ork had expected from the Sith Diábolis, and he was most grateful for the opportunity to hinder the great thorn in the Armada's collective side.

The Dread Seeker slid effortless into real space behind the Republic lines, and the human face that Gor-lak wore split into a wide grin at all the possibilities they had opened to them with those annoying prismatic barriers aimed the other way.

"The enemy fleet is responding to our presence, my Lord, what are your orders?" Admiral Uardono asked of him, and Gor-lak nodded toward the massive capital ship.

"We strike hard and fast against their lead ship, full salvo of all weapons, then we circle around their blind side to hopefully draw some of their weaker ships to expose themselves to the Armada, and join back with the main attack force," he explained. "With luck, Fury will make his appearance shortly after and be able to take the same tactic, achieving a massive amount of devastation all at once…"

"As you wish," the Admiral stated, signaling for the crew to take to the helm, and the Dread Seeker surged forward, weapons blazing at full power toward the hulking Republic warship, readily catching it while its shields and other defenses were aimed toward the bulk of their armada, and scoring numerous strategic hits on the hull of the vessel.

Gor-lak wasn't surprised to find that the ship's hull was indeed powerfully built, and withstood the main share of their punishment, but they were rewarded for their diligence with several sections rupturing into short blasts of atmosphere and flames, shortly before the shields shimmered back into place all around the ship, and the smaller defensive cruisers started to rotate to face them properly.

All exactly as Gor-lak had expected them to do. The moment they had started to angle their prismatic barriers away, Diábolis and the Armada pounced, unleashing a powerful wave of energy and explosives from all sides, as they were currently locking into battle with the smaller ships toward the front lines of the Republic fleet, catching these rear ships once their defenses were redirected and capitalizing on their element of surprise at such a quick redirection of pressure.

The caught ships, torn between foe before and behind, were quick to be torn apart from the various projectiles thrown at them, but soon enough there were plenty of vessels that were facing backwards, aimed directly at Gor-lak's fleet, even as they made their wide circle to outmaneuver their formation change.

And, just as he feared that they would start to be counterattacked, another fleet appeared out of Hyperspace. Batter and far more war torn than his own, the Manticore was indeed a sight to behold. Gor-lak could stop the smile spreading on his face as Fury's flagship roared into battle, catching the ships that had turned to deflect the Dread Seeker once more on a third undefended side, and continuing the work that the Armada had started with their trap.

The three pronged battle commenced, with the Republic hopelessly caught in the middle, even if they had some small advantages in defensive technology and a massive ship at their disposal. Soon enough the Republic commander realized that their losses were growing insurmountable to any victory they could hope to achieve, and the ships all started to turn, jumping to various locations away from the battlefield as they could.

Even the immense ship that had once been deemed unstoppable by some of the lesser leaders in the Armada turned and fled, jumping back toward the recently lost Castell System. Both Gor-lak and Fury's fleets would be heralded as heroes of the Empire, coming at the right moment to turn the tide of a badly strewn war of attrition.

Gor-lak wasn't sure why Diábolis had allowed such devastation to happen among his own ranks, but there had to be a reason, as all the years he had spent among these Sith had taught the Ork only one thing. Madness was a fleeting illusion, created by them to conceal their true intentions. One underestimated a Sith Lord to their folly, and the Lord of Cruelty was not about to fall prey to their cunning devises or clever snares if they were ever directed at him, and therefore would never allow his guard to be lowered when near to Darth Diábolis, or worse still the Emperor himself.

Already aware of what their next move was, Gor-lak ordered for the Dread Seeker to prepare for Hyperspace jump in pursuit, and he wasn't disappointed when the voice of Diábolis sounded across the Armada, "The enemy is in disarray, we pursue them to return to Castell with a vengeance, and then onward to the Core!"

Signaling for them to commit to the jump, Gor-lak smirked as his vessel was in the first wave of ships hot in pursuit of the Republic forces, ready to return fire and death for the losses that they had thus far suffered.

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Luna grit her teeth as the Hope's Radiance retreated back toward Castell through Hyperspace. Why she had fallen for such a simple trap she couldn't fathom, but it must have had to do with her distraught state from learning of the whereabouts of her Padawan. Knowing that the Sith were hot on her tail, and planning to continue their push toward the Core now that the defense fleet had been scattered, there were few options she had left but to hold her ground, as much as she wanted to abandon their position and go for the Emperor himself in the northern front.

Aside her own fleet, only Havoc Squad and the Terran's Fury remained in the lead command ships of the main fleet, all others having had to splinter off in all directions to escape destruction, and there was no knowing how long it would take for them to return and aid them in the next few battles.

Luna hoped however, that reinforcements were on their way, as they were past due for another fleet from the Core, but news had been slowly stagnant as of late, and she worried that with news of the Emperor's personal approach that all additional ships would be directed to support McGonagall in the north against him, rather than even spaced out as they had been prior.

That would definitely cause some problems if they continued to be so easily pushed back, and Luna only had a few ideas on how they could buy time to defend themselves until help arrived. Even signaling that they needed reinforcements, which they would do as soon as they arrived in orbit over Castell, Luna only guessed that they would be ignored, and have to wait on their normal rotation of reinforcements as per the usual.

It was a bleak situation for a commander to find themselves in, but Luna thought that they might have a chance to eliminate a few of the key leaders of this part of the Armada of the Empire if they had the right opening.

Thinking hard, she plotted their chance to board the Dauntless if they had the chance, and actually eliminate the leader of this front, they might be able at last to push them back and circle around to flank the Emperor. It would take careful planning, and certainly not happen in the future battle over Castell, but it was something to work on for the battle afterward.

Even as they arrived over the recently retaken world, shuttles were already away from the planet's surface to rejoin up with them, as their ground forces withdrew, knowing from their long range sensors that the immense force of the Empire was upon them once again, and Luna agreed that their chances of holding the planet would be slim, so it was better to allow the empty planet to fall to the Empire once again and save their soldiers for a battle where Civilian lives mattered.

It wasn't long after they arrived that the Imperial forces came in pursuit. Several fleets, their lead cruisers firing long range ordinance at them came hurtling out of Hyperspace, and the Hope's Radiance was their primary target.

Even with the prismatic barriers set to fully cover the rear as they entered and left the planet's gravitational pull, preparing for the next jump to the planet beyond, swarms of fighters were already scrambling to try and sneak around to bombard the sides of the massive ship.

Point defense lasers and counter fighters were utilized, but they had to withdraw their own fighters almost as quickly as they were launched, as they needed to leave no soldier behind as they ran the final calculations for the jump.

Yabol Opa was the last planet in the Colonies that was still Republic controlled along this route, before they would finally be battling in the Core itself, which would come as both a hindrance and a boon to the Republic. a boon as there would be scores of angry citizens and private forces that would marshal to their assistance, but a detriment as the Senators of the Republic would start calling for negotiations of peace to stop the violence from destroying their beloved planets.

Luna would throw together a valiant defense of the Colonies at the planet, but she did not retian any idea that they would have a surprise victory once again, and that indeed fighting would spill into the Galactic Core, and her report to the Council, while brief because of duress, admitted as such.

She also greatly advised them to send all available troops to Brentaal, as according to their maps, the routes that both the northern and central Armadas of the Empire were taking would cross there, and if they merged, the handful of planets between them and Coruscant wouldn't stand a chance.

The small miracle was that Professor Flitwick seemed to be keeping a strong hold over the southern arm of the fighting, even if a handful of planets had fallen, the destruction among the Sith ranks meant that few would be left to reinforce that area, let alone supply upwards to bridge the gap of planets between them and Brentaal.

A tremor in the Force notified Luna that the Dauntless had arrived, moments before they departed to lightspeed once more, making for Yabol Opa, but her mind wasn't upon the skirmish that would take place there. She was already looking ahead and planning her defence of Brentaal, as it seemed to be the battle that would hinge the Republic's defeat or their continued fighting.

She could sense that if Brentaal fell, the will of the Senate would falter, and she doubted that anything would rekindle it afterward. They had to hold out on that planet, or else all was lost.