Good News everyone! this is the last "full" chapter of RoDV, leaving the Epilogue to go, and as a special gift for all of you, and to mournfully celebrate the official Star Wars holiday, I will release the epilogue early next week, on Friday May 4th. However it will still follow the schedule for releasing chapters, so we'll take a break until the 22nd to begin the 3rd part of this trilogy.
In the meantime, I would request that you, the readers, grant me the collective creativity that you possess, and submit ideas for the title of the 3rd installment, as the title I have selected I am not thoroughly convinced of. I mentioned this in a previous AN, but perhaps no one noticed it before. Until then however, please enjoy! ~F
Chapter Sixty Two
Knightfall
Fury had known he would be among the first to fall upon the waiting Jedi at their precious temple, and the first to enter battle with his old friends and pseudo-family and bring with him death and the destruction of all they loved. With the vanguard, all comprised of Dark Adepts and a few of the most agile and swiftest commandos that the Empire had to bear, he charged up the massive flights of stairs that led to the main gate of the Jedi's sanctuary, twin blades lit and leading the way as they pounded in the marble that formed the massive edifice.
The Jedi were waiting for them, a solid line of robed figures, with even more Republic soldiers, droids, and many others behind, forming a barrier before the sealed gates of the Temple, which Fury noted had gone into full lockdown. The figure before them all Fury knew well enough. None that were once Jedi could forget the Battle Master that taught all younglings, and many Padawans, the art of the saber. Jedi Master Crego Oprec slithered forward a few paces, his serpent lower body coiled and ready to strike, while his four long-fingered hands curled around each of the being's lightsabers, even as the Jedi Battle Master gathered he energy of the Light to prepare for battle.
"Charge!" Fury roared, the Dark Side pounding in his ears and demanding that it be answered with blood. With a scream of rage, he himself leapt forward, rushing at the Thisspiasian, even as the multitude of colored blades from the Jedi leapt to life. Twin crimson met the bulwark of green, blue, yellow and cyan, even as the Battle Master caught and deflected his strikes.
All around the pair of powerful sword-beings, the battle had started, Jedi and Dark Adepts clashing all over the platform before the doors of the Temple.
Even as he lashed out with his weapons, Fury knew that the Battle Master was meeting him stroke for stroke, his four weapons working in tandem to defend, counter and attack, but Fury was far younger and stronger than the old Jedi Master, and he managed for a time to hold his own.
"I know this style," the Thisspiasian commented, mouth moving beneath the thick mat of hair and beard that covered the creature's head. "You are Septin Aranis, last Padawan of Master Ta-Ras-Min…"
Instead of responding, Fury attacked even more savagely, grunting as the serpent body weaved out of the way, and the Battle Master turned to aid another in their fight, cleaving a Dark Adept with his right two sabers, before spinning back to their duel, blocking high with one left side saber, and lashing at Fury's legs with his serpent tail.
"I am sorry that the Council deemed that she be given another Padawan so soon after Zhar's fall," Oprec stated, continuing the conversation as though they weren't in a battle to the death, "I had wanted to take you on as my Padawan for the longest time, but my duty as Battle Master was too pressing and new to me, I wouldn't have had to the time to pay you the attention you deserved."
"Well," Fury said, grunting with the effort to speak and fight at the same time, "I found a teacher that gave me all I ever wanted, now didn't I?"
The Thisspiasian looked as though he had been slapped, and was silent for a few exchanges, before speaking again, "Yes, I suppose you did, in the end…" the Battle Master shifted his stance, propping himself up and forward on his tail, and started attacking far more aggressively, in a form which Fury realized with a start was Juyo, a saber form all but forbidden to Jedi, "Let's see what they taught you!"
Suddenly surprised, Fury fell back to the defensive, even as the Battle Master raged across the center of the landing, dodging and weaving through the masses of Jedi and Dark Adepts, pausing momentarily to skewer an opponent to the left or right while maintaining his forward advance on Fury, driving him back toward the stairs, and what the Marauder knew to be his doom.
"I'd have said you fought well," Master Oprec stated calmly, "but that would be giving you much more credit than you deserve. You have far more that you could have become, if you didn't let your rage and anger control you so."
Just at that moment, as Fury was pushed to the very pinnacle of the stairs, there was a rush of metallic footsteps, and the Royal Arcanamach appeared at the forefront of the tide, saberpikes lit and charging at the Battle Master, forcing the Thisspiasian to withdraw as few paces to out maneuver the longer weapons.
Fury watched, in awe as four of the heavily armored Royal Guards battled with the Jedi, matching him stroke for stroke between them, even as more of the Emperor's Guard arrived to flood through the entire platform.
"Enough of this distraction," said a voice right beside Fury, and he turned in surprise to find the Eternal Emperor himself at the battlefront, small mage-born wand in hand, aimed directly at the Battle Master.
"Avada Kedavera!" the Emperor said, the words unclear to Fury, but their effect absolute. A green bolt of energy launched from the tip of the wooden stick, zipping and singing through the air until it found its target, squarely in the back of Master Oprec, who reared up, before falling limply to the ground, stuck dead instantly by the might of the Emperor.
Even as the Arcanamach fanned out to clear a wide berth for the Emperor, pressing upon the battle in all directions, Fury found himself suddenly very alone and very near to the most powerful Dark Side wielder in the Galaxy, even as the man lifted the massive scepter that he held, its dark metal crackling with suppressed Force energy.
"So shall the end come to these pathetic Jedi," the Sith Lord stated, aiming the head of the scepter at the gates of the temple, and Fury himself felt the utter tearing of the Force around him as a massive orange blast resounded from the artifact, sailing over the heads of even the tallest combatant, and striking the gates of the Temple itself.
The resulting explosion scattered fragments of stone and metal in all directions, even as the doors were ripped asunder, and blasted away into the temple's corridors beyond. "Attack, Lord Fury, kill them all…" Veneficus said softly in the stunned silence that followed, even as he lowered the staff to his side, and the Marauder nodded hesitantly, before starting toward the line of battle all around.
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Zhar watched in stunned silence as the Eternal Emperor showcased the absolute power of the Scepter of Ragnos, causing extreme devastation to the exterior of the Jedi Temple, and forcing all the combatants on the platform before the now destroyed doors to run for cover as the Sith Lord reveled in his power.
The tide of Royal guard, in the flowing black robes and glinting armor, charged the newly opened gateway, all one hundred of the Emperor's personal soldiers deployed for this grand final battle. With them were the fanatical members of the various academies of Dark Adepts from across the Empire, all eager to prove themselves in the presence of their Emperor. Euka remained at Zhar's side, her own unease at the situation around them echoing Zhar's own.
Nevertheless, they said nothing, not even daring to garner so much as a mote of attention from the Emperor in his hour of triumph, but followed in silence as the Sith Lord stepped toward the ever clearing entrance of his enemies stronghold.
Zhar recalled with precision the layout of the Temple, he himself instructing many of their commanders and Dark Adepts on the best routes of attack for this very day, but now that he saw the ramifications firsthand, he was not so sure that it was the best move for him to make in his life.
The sheer viciousness of the armies of the Emperor was more than he assumed, and he worried that he would find butchered younglings or other atrocities that would sicken even the most strong willed of beings, but not these animals that the Emperor had loosed upon his foes.
Up ahead, the clash of sabers drew their collective attention. In the wide entry hall of the Temple, several figured were fiercely dueling, and Zhar recognized a great deal of the Jedi. Masters Chobsu Hando, Rekara, Queesa Sen and Naol'lar of the High Council were there, commanding the forces of the Jedi in defending the main entryway to the dormitory sections of the temple, guarding with their very lives those younger and far less experienced than them.
Each was a proficient fighter in their own rights, even the more diplomatic and peaceful Master Hando and Rekara, the Gungan and Mon Calimari respectfully being from peace loving races. But they were here, faces set with determination as they defended their home and their lives.
"It is time for the Dark Council to prove that they are superior to anything the Jedi have to offer," the Emperor stated, looking down into the large hall with a glow of disdain, "Slay the Jedi Masters, and bring me their weapons."
Zhar hesitated a moment, having known that such an event was likely to come in due time, but still unwilling to face off so openly against his old Masters. Veneficus must have sensed his hesitation, as he spoke again after a moment of silence, "Zhar, Ocraadi, Uowill, Sasyss, you will fight these four, and prove that the Dark Side is far stronger than the Light."
"As you wish, your Majesty," the other three Dark Councilors replied, stepping forward without pause to their battle, while Zhar and Euka were more cautious, knowing far more regarding the Jedi and their home here than the rest.
Even as they approached, Zhar was already taking stock of whom they had, their strengths and weaknesses, as well as who they faced. Master Naol'lar was probably the most dangerous of the Jedi they faced, the Twi'lek's twin sabers carving through rank and file with great ease. It would be advantageous to ensure that either Ocraadi or Uowill faced her, as the pair were far more capable with the blade and could match the wily Jedi Master toe to toe, or hoof in the case of the Dark Centaur.
Master Sen was a defensive fighter, and therefore would easily be overwhelmed by Sassyss Vyaqr, the Gand being very deadly with his own set of blades, which left the two peaceful Masters. Personally Zhar would take Euka and fight Master Rekara, who while being a master of Shii-Cho, lacked very much in the skill of the blade otherwise, and would fall to the pair of them, which left the Diplomat, Chobsu Hando to whichever of the pair did not fight Master Naol'lar. What the Gungan lacked in swordsmanship, he more than made up for in power over the Force.
The Dark Adepts and soldiers paused as the Dark Councilors appeared, sensing the greater begins of the Dark Side and their intent to face off against the Jedi Masters, who took the moment of stillness in their foes to gather their energy and regroup.
"They will likely try to fight as a unit, we must divide them if we are to succeed," Zhar hissed to the nearest pair of Councilors, Sasyss and Betru, the apprentice of Ocraadi, "Euka and I will go after the Mon Calimari, Sasyss, take out the Togruta…" he added, even as they closed their distance and activated their myriad of weapons.
There was a pointed pause, where Zhar wondered if the Jedi would try to speak with them, even if they recognized Zhar among the greatest of their foes, but it seemed that they were beyond words to try and reason with him, as they stood their ground, waiting for the Dark Councilors to attack.
Knowing that some of their number lacked the patience to wait out such a stalemate, Zhar nudged Euka toward their intended target, even as Ocraadi screamed, the mad Togruta flying at Master Naol'lar, initiating the battle between the ten fighters.
Ducking under the leaping Uowill, Zhar led Euka through the mad charge, directly aiming for Master Rekara, whom he knew had attempted to fall back and support her allies with the Force. She snapped around and blocked his strike with a carful parry when she sensed him however, dodging back when Euka followed up with a swipe at her lower extremities.
"Zhar Quelmok," she stated flatly, all the former gentleness gone from her voice, hardened by battle and death, "I should have known you would be here, on the tails of your Master… and look, you've added another to you entourage, planning to corrupt her as you did to young Johell?"
Zhar smirked in reply, "How is my dear apprentice?" he asked snidely, even as Euka frowned at the exchange of mocking platitudes.
"Dead, no thanks to your master, and having taken a many good beings with him from what I heard tell." The Mon Calimari Master replied, dropping into her signature Shii-Cho stance. Zhar was disappointed to hear that the lad had died, he had had some potential for greatness, but in the end, he had chosen his path as a disposable tool.
"It is of no consequence then," he said, shifting forward to his favord aggressive Djem-So stance, even as Euka dropped into her deep Juyo, "we have the Temple now, and the Galaxy is in the palm of Lord Veneficus' hands."
"You have to win it from us first…" Master Rekara retorted, and both Zhar and Euka struck, each attacking in perfect synchronization, alternating their strikes to keep the Jedi on the defensive.
Even as the battle continued to rage about them, Zhar focused his attention deeply into the workings of the Force, as it churned and spun around them, influenced by the various force users throughout the battle, with the monumental beacons of both Veneficus and the Jedi Temple itself battling over the tint of the force that ran through the conflict.
And that was when Zhar understood the level of inaction that the Emperor was placing personally toward this fight. The man was waiting for the paradigm of the Force to be shifted in his favor, for the Light to be just weak enough that he could overpower even the Temple's aura himself, and finish off the Jedi once and for all.
And with that, he battled harder, drawing on the Emperor's darkness to fuel himself, and launched into a staggering combination of blows which Euka had some difficulty keep up with, but Master Rekara had even more problems. Shii-Cho was not built for full scale battle, but more of a training exercise, and while it could be easily applied for full use, there were some things it could not handle, and a full battery of Djem-So strikes were one of those things.
Slamming his blade against hers in quick succession, Zhar grinned as he broke her guard, and possibly her sword arm's wrist as well, knocking the hilt away as he continued his strike through to its final destination. The Mon Calimari Healer fell first, unable to so much as cry out to her allies with the speed and ferocity that Zhar cut her down.
Taking quick stock of the battle, now that he was not occupied with defeating his opponent, Zhar saw that Master Hando was on his last legs, being swatted around like a harmess fly by Uowill, while Ocraadi and her apprentice were keeping stride with Master Naol'lar, the twin demons of the High Council striking and parrying with such speed that even the titled lightning flash that was sometimes associated with the Twi'lek Jedi Master was stuggling to meet every blow.
Finally, Sasyss was making quick work of Master Sen, the Togruta being quickly overwhelmed by the twin red sabers held by the Gand, his lethal hunting prowess of his species combining magnificently with his affinity for the Dark Side.
Still, Zhar wanted this battle ended quickly, and sent Euka to assist Uowill to finish off the Gungan Jedi Master, while he dodged around behind the fighting Master Naol'lar, before darting forward and planting his saber squarely into the back on the Twi'lek, which stunned her just long enough for Ocraadi to take one of the Jedi Master's arms, and her apprentice Betru to stab the Jedi through the torso from the front.
Only when Master Naol'lar fell to the ground did the pair of female Adepts notice that Zhar had interfered. The Mad Togruta scowled, but said nothing, knowing that Zhar was more than in the right to end the battle quickly so they could move on.
Master Sen was the next to fall, overwhelmed by Sasyss's blades, and finally the six of them turned as one upon the Gungan Jedi Master. As a practitioner of Niman, Zhar would have expected no less, Master Hando able to readily adapt by switching to a different subsection of his style to accommodate the ever-changing battle around him, but against six opponents he was no match, and fell quickly to their combined might.
Retrieving the fallen weapons of their dead adversaries, even as the army around them pushed further into the temple, Zhar and the others returned to the Emperor, each presenting the weapons of their defeated foes.
"Good," Veneficus said slowly, clasping each of the five sabers to the inside of his cloak, set to join countless others that Zhar was well aware that the Sith Lord collected as grisly trophies of his victories.
"We press onward," the man said after a moments silence, "I sense more of the Jedi Council near, preventing our access to the hangar, and we could use the space to deploy more troops from orbit…"
And without further acknowledgement, the Emperor turned, and led the way down a corridor as though he himself had grown up in the temple, flanked by no less than six of his guards.
The Dark Council followed in his wake, feeling the growing sense of darkness that was invading this once sanctuary of the Light.
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Fury followed along, just behind the main charge toward the dormitories, eager to reacquaint himself with those Padawans and Younglings he had known in his time at the Temple, who had likely grown to knighthood in the time he had been away. His blood still was boiling at how easily he was defeated by the Battlemaster, and that the Emperor himself had rescued him from death with what was admittedly a cheap shot in the realm of lightsaber dueling. But the Emperor was perfect able to do as he pleased, as who would dare to challenge him, and Fury pushed on with the seething rage that he needed to be strong, more connected to his hatred, and therefore far more powerful if he was to contend with the likes of the Jedi Masters.
His chance made itself apparent when the tide of eager Darksiders rounded the final bend toward the education wing of the temple, where all the initiates were housed, likely secued in their rooms and terrified, when a blood curdling roar filled the corridor, and a massive hairy form threw itself into the tide of red sabers.
Fury staggered back when many of his fellows went flying as Jedi Master Isshaartu rose from their midst, physically throwing several of them into the air with his powerful arms. Green and orange sabers flared to life in the wookiee's hands, and Fury knew that they wouldn't stand a chance unless he, alone, tapped into enough of the Dark Side to content with this powerhouse of a Jedi Master.
Off to the side, a double bladed violet saber also winked into existence, and Fury recognized the telltale whirling noise of the weapon of Falleen Master Ir Trangrin, even as she vaulted over the heads of many of the Dark Adpets to dive into their midst in another section, spinning her weapon to a deadly wheel of cutting power.
Knowing that there were enough bodies to keep Master Trangrin from him, Fury charged headlong at Isshaartu, reveling momentarily in the stunned and slightly fearful looks of his allies as the wookiee roared and lunged at him as well. Bring his sabers to bear, Fury locked each with the blades of the wall of fur and muscle, and the contest of strength began. Knowing full well the level of disadvantage he was in, Fury allowed his mechanical arm to release its full potential, so long as he didn't crush his lightsaber in the process, and the parts whined in protest as they slowly started to gain ground against the massive wookiee and his natural strength.
Pooling every ounce of his frustration and rage at his own inadequacy, the hatred at the Sith for taking him, for the Jedi for not rescuing him, everything compounded over the years of war, up to this very point, Fury felt the cold wave of the Dark Side come in answer, solidifying his strength and allowing him to match with the wookiee toe to toe at last.
Fury threw Master Isshaartu back several steps, and dove in once more, slashing and hacking at the Jedi Master's defenses, knowing that he had only so much time to defeat him before Master Trangrin would notice in the change of pheromones in the air and come to her ally's aid.
If anything, his act alone of matching the wookiee's strength seemed to do no more than actually enrage the Jedi Master, who roared once more and charged with greater ferocity and strength than before, and try as he might, Fury was only a human, and stood no chance against the great beast's physical prowess.
Fury was sent flying, although he managed to prevent most of the damage to his torso from the impact of the great hairy body, as well as flipping in midair to land on his feet. It reminded him heavily of the training he had undergone back on Gamorr, where strength was only allowed to be met with strength, and so Fury knew the challenge that he had to give. Empowered through the Force as he was, Fury screamed a deafening shriek, the best possible surmount to a challenging roar that the human vocal chords would allow, and released his strength in the force, propelling himself faster and faster back at his target, his blades spinning madly to ward off any attempt at the Jedi Master to cut him down before they collided.
He seemed to have tapped into the wookiee's deep seated natural propensity for violence and anger, and that was a challenge that could not go unmet. The two collided with great strength, and aided by the power of the force, all though of bladework was forgotten. They grappled, Fury utilizing his mechanical arm to the best of his ability, digging his finger deeply through the Jedi's robe fabric and entangling in the hair of the beast's arms and torso and he struggled for some measure of dominance, to force the Jedi Master back.
His eyes burned from the concentration of the Dark Side, and he strained with all his might to gain even one step, and succeeded. He overcame the physical barrier of the wookiee, and started the agonizingly slow process of forcing the great beast back. What he had not expected, was for Master Isshaartu to suddenly give way, turning to the side and grabbing Fury by the back of his robes, lifting the Marauder from the ground and throwing him, aiding by the Darksider's own momentum, and sending him careening headfirst into a stone pillar of the Temple.
Blood creeping down his face, Fury turned and rose unsteadily, knowing exactly what had happened. He had thought that he had tapped into the bestial rage of the wookiee Jedi Master, but it had been the other way around, Isshaartu tapping into Fury's own rage, and blinding him to the fact that the Jedi Master had everything in control.
He had been fooled again. Releasing all his anger, the Marauder sought to strangle the life from the Jedi, lifting the wookiee from the ground with the Force. But as effective as that power was on those who were not attuned to the Force, it was far weaker on a being that could manipulate it themselves, and soon enough Isshaartu was free, having sent a telekinetic wave at Fury's midsection, bowling him over and dropping him to a knee.
Only then did Fury realize what had been taught to him by the Emperor not minutes ago. He was faced with an opponent that vastly outskilled him, and the Emperor, while probably able to defeat and kill the Jedi Battlemaster, lacked the desire or time to see the fight to the end, so had used a tactic that would end the fight quickly, rather than duel it out.
That was Fury's flaw, he enjoyed the fight too much and rarely planned to the end, or how to end it, and move on to another objective. Refocusing himself to the opponent before him. He started to plan, even as he mocked the same strategy as before, charging at the Jedi and clashing violently with his weapons, dancing back and forth as he tried to circle the wookiee's defenses, all the while looking for something that would tip the balance in his favor and provide and opening.
Veneficus had used Fury himself as the distraction, but all that was around Fury, aside from his fellow Dark Adepts, living and dead, was some rubble that had fallen from the pillar when he struck it.
So, in like manner, Fury used what he could, calling forth every pebble and scrap of rock that had fallen with the Force, flinging them from all directions at the wookiee, who at first allowed the rock to strike him, but had to disengage to block them with his weapons once the larger ones starting moving.
At the same time, this allowed Fury to rise and take up his sabers once more, before swiftly leaping at Isshaartu once more, attacking as the rocks kept up their barrage. Adding to this, Fury switched from his typical Juyo form to the more acrobatic Ataru, allowing him to dodge and weave around the wookiee as the rocks pelted the furry body from the other direction, primarily arming for the beast's arms and head.
Fury was able to keep this up much longer than even he anticipated, the rocks providing much needed support at the right moments, preventing the wookiee from doing more than blocking his own attacks. But by the time he ran out of projectiles, Fury felt more presences of the Dark Side approaching, far stronger than even his own.
Knowing what this meant, he grinned at the wookiee, and leapt backward, knowing that his challenge of strength was not going to end with the death of either of them.
The webbed flapping of footfalls were scarcely audible over the sound of battle, but the high pitched whining hiss of a trandoshan were easily recognizable to Fury. High Prophet Nssjilirst, the leader of the Council of the fourth moon of Yavin clawed over the swarming bodies, eager to engage in combat with his race's hated foes, the wookiees.
At the same time, Fury spotted the mottled blue form of the Selkath High Prophet of Rhelg, Jhassa Los, as the aquatic creature activated his single blade and moved purposefully toward Jedi Master Trangrin, even as the Falleen cleared a wide circle around her with her weapon.
Fury knew that he would be treated to quite the rare spectacle, as few had seen either of these High Prophets in combat, nor knew where or when the Emperor recruited them, aside that the man had had to do so personally.
The Trandoshan wasted no time activating his dual blades and charging Master Isshaartu, the weapons weaving in styles that Fury knew intimately were of Juyo, while the Selkath stood his own ground, waiting for the Jedi to engage him, single blade held defensively in the standard form of Soresu, which was indeed an odd choice for a Darksider, but the power that wafted off Jhassa hinting at a much more sinister plot than bladework.
Fury stood still and watched, not only with his eyes but the Force, waiting to see the spectacle that would unfold as these four powerful Force users went to battle.
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Veneficus had purposefully sent off two more of the Dark Council to deal with the Jedi Masters in the dormitory area, even as he led the rest to the Hangar. He would wait with interest as his closest advisors finally put forth the effort that they were as strong as they ought to be for their positions, and fight against their Jedi counterparts. Veneficus expected some to not survive, and he himself would pick up the slack where it was needed, but that was the way of the Dark Side. You fought for your position, or you died.
It was a simple matter to identify the Jedi Masters once they arrived in the Hangar, as they alone were the only beings that did not feel fear at the presence of the Emperor of the Sith. Gesturing at the three, a female human, a Bith and a Rodian, he nodded at High Prophets Armdadon Jaccam, Jamasila Basksyr, and Zekhodvom clan Eikh'mir, and the two humans and one Noghri smirked as they stepped forward, igniting their blades for battle.
The three Jedi quieted even more, if that was possible, sizing up their opponents, and the three Masters stepped forward to confront the High Prophets, even as Veneficus watched in muted amusement. While he himself could have showcased all his strength to the Jedi and annihilated every last one of them, he was waiting for the appropriate moment, sensing that something was waiting for him specifically, or someone. In his mind fluttered thoughts of the Jenet Grandmaster, and the torrent of Light Side energy that she had been ableto call upon to fight him so long ago, and he knew that if she had somehow survived this long, she would be a tremendous battle that none of his minions could face alone.
He himself would have to contend with her, and whomever sided with her specifically. So until that time, or when he discovered that she lived no longer, he would wait and allow his servants to earn their fill of bloodlust, in defeating those who were unworthy of the attention of their Emperor.
Although, even as the battle unfolded between the six, he felt his mind wandering, and anger from that. He was slipping, even now in his hour of triumph the Dark Side continued to slowly degrade his body, killing him. There wasn't time for him to partake of the Elixir of Life, not with all eyes on him at this moment, which was why he needed to take control of the archives quickly. There was one secret of the Jedi that the Sith never had taken advantage of: the Great Holocron. The infinite source of all wisdom regarding the Force in the Galaxy, and it was just brushing his fingertips.
There was little that was known regarding the massive device by the Sith, and what Jedi turned to him or he captured could tell him little more than the fact that it existed, and even few Jedi Masters could find the depths of its secrets.
Veneficus was sure that a cure would be found in the depths of that ancient devise, as how else could the great ancient masters of the Force weave together Light and Darkness without the degrading effects.
His patience wearing thin, even for the battles that he had initiated, and demanded that his people follow through to the end, he watched in irritation as Zekhodvom cut down the Rodian Jedi Master, howling in fierce pleasure at the defeat of her foe, before bringing the Jedi's double bladed saberhilt to Veneficus, which joined the others in his robes, to later take a firm place in his collection.
But something was nagging him to continue toward the beating heart of the Temple, and he found himself unwilling to wait for the other Jedi to perish. Turning to Zhar, his most loyal of followers, and one that was least likely to betray him, Veneficus spoke quietly, only barely discernible over the clash of sabers. "We are pressing onward, you remain and muster the reinforcements needed to land in this hangar, I will single when the Temple is ours."
"As you command, your Majesty…" the fallen Jedi turned Dark Councilor replied, inclining his head in submission, and the Emperor turned from the battle, setting his mind and his feet toward the archives, and the treasure that awaited him there.
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Fae Coven could sense the moment when members of the Jedi Order fell, cut down before the wrath of the Emperor and his minions. It was like a knife wound to the heart with each death, but she struggled onward, knowing that they would have to hold out until the very end. She was positioned before the doors to the Holocron Chamber in the Archives, alongside Master Antross and Lord Berethon, who were to be the last line of defense of their sacred texts and the Holocrons of their order.
For them to fall into the hands of the Sith would mean the end of the Temple itself, and while the other Jedi spread throughout to hamper and defeat whom they could, Fae could sense that the Emperor's destination inevitable would be this place. It was already made apparent that his goal was the Great Holocron, which held knowledge from the very conception of the ancient Je'daii, long before the schism that broke apart the practitioners of the Light and Dark Sides of the Force.
That ancient knowledge, much of which was still locked away from even the wisest of the Jedi, couldn't be allowed to fall into the madman's hands without him needing to step over every single body in the Temple to do so, and the Genet Jedi Master knew that that would inevitably be the case at the rate of enemies flooding into their home.
Normally, they could have evacuated the Holocron in question and departed, leaving an empty temple for their enemies to find, but with the priority having been the survival of the entire Order, and the fact that the Great Holocron was too massive to be moved easily, all contributed to her standing here, defiantly waiting for the arrival of her archenemy, even as she sensed his approach like a wave of dread washing down from the polar cap of Coruscant.
Both Jedi Masters on either side of her stiffened as the sound of the lift arriving filled the nearly silent Archive, and Fae knew that the hour had arrived at last.
Naturally the Emperor was not alone, but had brought a sizeable section of witnesses to his supposed triumph over the Jedi, but none of the three Jedi remaining here wished to trade words with such a venomous serpent, and ignited their weapons simultaneously.
Reaching out with the Force to compensate for her lack of eyesight, Fae could sense that the Emperor was bent upon her directly, even as he commanded several of his followers to fight with Master Antross and Lord Berethon.
What the man had probably not counted on was the choice of location the three greatest Jed in the Temple had selected, as there was no single location, not even the very influential and powerful Room of a Thousand Fountains, which held sway under the Light more than the Archives just before the main room of the Holocron Vault.
So bolstered by the Light Side of the Force, the three Jedi shone in the gloom that was the sea of Darkness cast by the Emperor and his armies, and Fae needed not to have her sight to know that many of the lesser of his minions quailed at the sight of them.
Advancing as one, the three Jedi adopted their stances, waiting for their enemy to strike the first blow, as true defenders of the Republic, never the aggressors. The Emperor alone seemed to find this defiance amusing, as all others were silent as he spoke, "Take them…"
Time slowed, even as their foes approached, and Fae could sense that both her allies were already in motion, Lord Berethon spinning to the left and Master Antross dodging to the right. For herself, she held her ground, raising her saber to block the oncoming attack that she sensed would be crashing down from above.
The telltale crackle of lightsaber meeting lightsaber told her all she wanted to know, and the Jenet kicked outward with both feet, catching her opponent in the midsection and flipping backward to land only a few feet from where she had stood before.
It was interesting that the Emperor had not engaged her personally yet, although it was clear that he sorely wanted to. Testing his loyal followers no doubt, she mused, even as the opponent she face advanced again, swinging for the side of her head this time. Deftly parrying the blow, and lashing back with a pair of strong swings at the human's legs, she wondered how long until the Sith Lord decided to end the game and fight her himself.
Until that was to happen, she had to hold much of her suppressed power in reserve. Having known that the Emperor himself would come to them for battle, she had spent much of her time channeling the raw Force energy of the Temple through her body, gathering what she could to be used in the exact right moment, as dictated by the Force itself, so do whatever amount of damage to the Emperor that she could.
Even if she were to fall this day, she would make certain that this vile man remembered her, and the price he personally paid to secure the Jedi Temple from them. The Republic may fall, but Fae held onto the hope that one day, others would rise up and defeat this evil, and she would be damned if she didn't do her part to make that day come as soon as possible.
Deflecting another strike, and sensing that her opponent was sorely underestimating her for her blindness, Fae took the opportunity to release a tiny shove of the Force, which magnified by the energy she had stored, blasting the human away several yards from the strength of it.
"Enough!" spoke a harsh voice, and Fae knew what was soon to come. Her saber was already in place to intercept the range blast that came at her, whether mage-born spell or Sith Lightning she couldn't tell, nevertheless she staggered back a pace from the impact on her weapon, but maintained a firm grip upon the hilt of her lightsaber.
"I will deal with them, personally," the Emperor stated menacingly, and the sound of cloth ruffling meant that he was removing some sort of outer robe, a clear challenge to his opponents that he meant to kill them with all his ability.
But it was the clank of something metallic on the floor of the Temple that confused Fae, and she wondered what new weapon the Sith Lord managed to discover and bring to the temple to fight them with.
The snap-hiss of the Emperor's lightsaber was unmistakable however, and the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order knew that he would be angling for her throughout this fight, and threw herself to the side as an audible cracking sound echoed behind her, narrowly dodging the initial ambush that the Sith Lord had attempted on her life.
Both Lord Berethon and Master Antross turned, their weapons clashing off of the Emperor's , and Fae could do little more than envision what information the Force was feeding her regarding her whereabouts, so chokingly dark was the aura around the Emperor in blinding her senses.
But she was a Jedi, and knew no fear in the face of her adversaries. Rallying herself, Fae launched into the air, the Force giving her a limit glimpse of where the Emperor stood, and the whirling weapons in his hands, so that Fae could deflect his saber and strike hard at the metallic rod in his other hand.
When her saber glanced harmlessly off of the item however, she was quite surprised. Normal metal would have been hewn asunder from that form of strike, meaning that this was no ordinary weapon that the Sith had brought, but some powerful artifact of the Dark Side.
Then she felt the impact of the wide head of the staff catch her in the torso, lifting her from the ground easily and throwing her form back toward the door to the Holocron Vault.
Colliding heavily with the solid door that barred the way to the heavily protected place, Master Coven tried to rise quickly, but she was well winded from the blow, and could only get to her knees for a long moment.
Listening to the clash of sabers just near her, she could feel a sense of dread permeating through the Archive. The power of the Dark Side was building in something, or someone, and it did not take any sort of guess for the Grandmaster to figure out who was causing the shift in power.