Thanks be to those that reviewed previous chapter! At this particular moment, I am writing the final epilogue of OAC, and indeed the Veneficus Trilogy as a whole. It's still a ways off before it will be posted however, so there will be plenty of story to go before we reach that point, but the story is just about completed at long last. ~F

Chapter Twenty One

Discoveries

Euka took no time to delay her return to Korriban.

On one hand, she understood that their mission was of most importance, and she had a few candidates in mind for the best options to serve her master in his façade for the Emperor, but on the other she wished to see what damage to their world had occurred by the traitor Feyd and his barbaric apprentice.

From orbit at the least it looked relatively unchanged, but she did not trust that the pair of Dark Adepts with all their authority and vengeance in their hearts had not run through the hierarchy of the world and replaced all those who had been loyal to Zhar specifically.

Even still, there would be few that could challenge her skill in battle left on the planet, especially after the Emperor crushed all resistance. There were still the hulks of the annihilated ships in orbit, and the sheer show of power that the singular man of their Emperor left Euka shaken as she came in for her landing.

Those ships would linger for a long time as a reminder of just who it was that led their Empire, and that to turn on him was folly. The fact of this was echoed in the faces and demeanors of those that resided on the planet.

The amount of fear that tore across the planet was startling, and Euka knew that this would hinder the training of many new apprentices for a long time yet, as they would not wish to even attempt to match their power against any that held favor with that magnitude of strength.

It was almost as though the Emperor had ceased to be a mere mortal human and had transformed into some sort of devastating force of nature, indiscriminately crushing aside any that were stupid enough to stand against him.

The sentiment was near enough to the truth that Euka did nothing to ease or alleviate the debilitation that surrounded the city. Rather, she used it as part of her screening process, and now sought for any that were still fearlessly working toward their own goals.

Any fool too timid of the Emperor's strength would not serve then in any regard in escaping the grasp of the madman anyway.

Starting at the academy temple and working her way slowly outward, Euka simply observed, sweeping the Force for those that might fit the description that she sought. There were few, many the strong that were not intelligent enough to understand that anyone could be the next victim of the Emperor's wrath, or else those who were too confident in their own power to wish to be subjected to another's will.

Even worse were the loyalists, fanatics to the Emperor and his causes, who gloried in the thought that their world was so important to the Empire that their leader came in person to put down the treachery of Feyd and his forces. These Euka avoided at all costs, as they clearly were gearing toward a massive political takeover of the planet, swinging the entire system further into the control of the Emperor and undoing everything that Zhar and Euka had secretly been planning.

Still, she had not expected anyone to directly confront her while she skulked around to locate someone ideal for their purposes. On the third day of her searching, she was investigating those that were working in the Valley of the Dark Lords, when a familiar presence entered her mind.

"Well, well, the triumphant new apprentice of the Supreme Prophet has returned to her little backwater of a world… come to gloat?" the high accosting voice of Ekitc Batoi reached her ears, seconds before the activation of a lightsaber drew the attention of all present.

"Shouldn't you be fleeing from the Emperor's soldiers?" Euka asked, casually drawing her own weapon, wondering whether she would have the pleasure to end him before the Imperial guards arrived to take her rival.

Slowly circling each other for a few moments, Euka sized up the changes in her rival. Life here on Korriban clearly didn't agree with him. Apparently hiding in the rocks and desert from those who would capture him on the order of the Emperor had slowly worn on the privileged Mirialan, and the male had clearly lost weight and sleep from constantly being on the run.

"I had heard that you had returned, and even if it costs me my life at the hands of the Emperor, I will avenge my master of you and your traitorous Zhar…" Ekitc snarled, seeming more like a feral animal rather than the sophisticated Dark Adept that he once had been.

"How the mighty have fallen, I suppose…" Euka taunted back, activating her weapon as she sensed her rival edging toward attacking her. "One would have thought you of all would realize that strength is power, and your master was clearly lacking if he thought he could overthrow the Emperor…"

With a roar of rage, Ekitc charged, swinging his blade almost wildly in his anger. Euka was disappointed that their fated battle was going to be so one sided, and dodged to the side, not even bothering to score a hit on her rival, as he had already defeated herself.

"You are weak now…" Euka taunted, "I will not waste my time fighting you when you've already shattered what strength you had held before. Go run and hide in the desert Ekitc, and pray that the Emperor's forces do not find you, as they will not be nearly as merciful as me."

She started to walk away, but the Force warned her that the other former apprentice was not done trying to defeat her. "I demand satisfaction!" he roared, "Face me!"

Euka could already see the guards of the Emperor arriving, their crimson armor glinting in the overbearing sunlight of the tomb world. "I will not… you are beneath me now, and I refuse to lower myself to fighting you."

Ekitc screamed, but the guards already had him, and subdued him in little time, dragging the unconscious Mirialan away, likely to face his own death at the hands of the Emperor or one of his minions.

Euka did not care however, and focused herself on her task once more. But there was a small problem. Ekitc's challenge and attack on her had revealed her presence to a large portion of the dark adepts. And it was sure to spread like wildfire throughout the planet that the apprentice of the new Supreme Prophet, their former High Prophet, was on world.

She wouldn't be surprised if they thought that she was seeking her own apprentice in order to rise to power as the new High Prophet of Korriban, which while she thought about it, could be useful to her in seeking out the select being that she sought.

Therefore, with all eyes on her, Euka abandoned her search in the field and returned to her small speeder, making a direct line for the academy, where she planned to wait for individuals to muster the courage to approach her directly.

The guards of the academy saluted her as she arrived, and momentarily she wondered if the rumor had spread faster than even her speeder. Taking up her own seat in the High Prophet's office in the academy, she waited some time for realization to hit those in the building.

It was a surprisingly short time before someone came to see for themselves if she was there.

"My Lady, we are pleased for your presence," the human said, bowing as though Euka was indeed the High Prophet. "I suppose that the organization of the Dark Council has begun to shift?"

Euka did not reply, as she knew that lying outright would be significantly worse than saying nothing at all.

"But of course, who am I to question one of the Dark Council…" the man said after a moment, nerves taking control of his voice. "I suppose you are here to seek an apprentice…"

"I am," Euka said half truthfully, as she did seek an apprentice, but not for her.

"I shall start the trials for those who are ready, and start bringing the paperwork to you for review." The man said, backing away as his fear grew.

He departed quite swiftly after that, and Euka smirked. The fool was likely spreading the word that she was not High Prophet of Korriban, and from here the news would spread far quicker than out in the Valley of the Dark Lords.

Leaning back in the throne, she relaxed for a time, allowing her mind to wander in the Force. This particular deception might backfire on her, but if she found one worthy to assist with their escape plan from the terror and madness that had enveloped the Empire, then it would be worth it.

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Diábolis had to exert effort to keep the smirk from playing across his lips as the desired signal finally came. He was also surprised to learn that the ancient map's coordinates were actually a well known planet, although since the Great Hyperspace War it had fallen into ruin and primitive cultures: Ossus, the planet of the once great Jedi Library.

It made perfect sense to Diábolis, not only would he be able to contend that the rebels would go there, attempting to find what knowledge may yet remain in the deserted place, but at the same time the Jedi would have had some sort of weapon or knowledge from that time that could potentially be used to help defeat Veneficus.

Setting the course for the planet immediately, Diábolis started to search out what research on the planet, finding minimal amounts. It was likely that as a Jedi planet, the Empire had blotted out all that they could regarding it, and if there was anything that Veneficus didn't want anyone to find there, all the more reason that little would be available.

Even his personal clearance added little, aside from the backstory as the planet was destroyed by Exar Kun, which was little more than basic knowledge for a Sith. Therefore, he contented himself to just have to wait and see what he may find here, and whether there was anything worthy of his time and talents to procure.

It took little more than a day for them to travel to the system in question, and by the time they arrived, Diábolis was more than eager to get his feet on solid earth and see what there was to discover. The problem was making sure that all aboard his ship that may be spies of the Emperor did not grow suspicious of his motives.

Striding onto the bridge therefore, and with holocommunications open to the ship of the Adept Trio, Diábolis laid out his grand plan. "Admirals, I want both ships to start orbiting the planet in opposite directions, scanning for every sign of life on this disgusting little rock," he started. "Once you locate them, Lord Fury and his forces will be sent in to crush the rebels, or whatever potential allies that they might be trying to recruit."

Looking toward the lead Marauder, Diábolis saw the small nod from the other man. He was not pleased with his lot, as Fury knew full well that there were no rebels on the planet, but he was there to make a distraction large enough for whomever might be watching for the Emperor to focus on instead of what Diábolis himself was doing.

"You will be supported by Jenah and Srilis, and battalions of their forces as well," Diábolis added, turning to the hologram of the Dark Trio, locking eyes with the Sorcerer, "Meanwhile, Kelrek and myself will take another group and investigate the ruins of the Jedi Library. It is very likely that the rebels are there, with Jedi, trying to find some scrap of information."

His eyes swept the whole of his command staff for this mission as he paused for a moment, "When you are finished with their allies, you will converge on our location outside the Library, and we will make sure that none of them escape."

"Yes, my Lord," the officers and military personnel chanted, while the Dark Adepts merely inclined their heads in submission.

"I and Kelrek will go immediately, while the rest of you perform your duties," Diábolis said finally, and dismissed them all to their stations, turning himself from the bridge and starting for his shuttle.

"You know I'd prefer to join you in the Library," Fury said, walking up beside the Sith Apprentice and following in his wake as they moved through the small surge of troopers and officers that were departing from the meeting.

"Yes, I know you would," Diábolis replied, sensing a bit of that real reason that the Marauder truly wanted to keep his eyes on the Devaronian. There was no trust between them, and it was clear that the mained man would rather throw his lot in with the Emperor than with Diábolis. In a small way, the Devaronian couldn't fault the human, it seemed like a mad plan to try and fight against the Emperor, with how much power the man cast about with all the ease of swatting a fly.

But Fury had not seen what Diábolis had seen, the fatal flaws that were growing plainer by the day with his Master, and the very real need for a change of leadership in the heart of the Empire. If Diábolis failed, who knew if the Sith Order would survive? It was equally likely that Veneficus would just persist, until his time and body finally failed him, and lacking any heritage for the future, all the collective knowledge and power of the Dark Side would be lost forever.

That was something that Diábolis could not allow. He would rather see the Empire crumble and start again from the dust than allow everything he had be put through avail nothing. And perhaps in time Fury, and all the others, would see things his way, when he finally stood over the fallen form of his Master victorious.

But first, he needed to find whatever manner of wisdom still lingered within this place. The slightest twitch of the Force told him he was on the right path, and that pushed him onward, taking to his shuttle and departing from Fury. The cold vacuum of space enveloped the ship, and from the other cruiser he saw a second shuttle also launch, bearing Kelrek and his force down to the planet.

They would land as close to the Library as they could, and make all speed toward it, searching for anything that might be of use in their fight against the Emperor. The atmosphere was thick with smoke and vapor, and despite knowing that the air would be more than breathable, Diábolis momentarily though about holding his breath.

The land had been devastated in the Great Hyperspace War, the nearby sun, Cron, being forced to go supernova and charring the once green and fertile planet forever. The arid wasteland before them was about as inviting as the deserts of Korriban, but Diábolis had learned long ago to never allow first impressions cloud his judgment of a location.

They landed, not as close as he would have enjoyed, but well within walking distance. The only potential problem that Diábolis sensed was a great deal of sentient, and Force-sensitive, life barring the way into the Jedi Library.

"Fan out and secure the area," he ordered the troopers and other acolytes that he had hand selected for their loyalty. Descending the ramp to the dusty ground, Diábolis looked to the other shuttle, nodding as he noticed the other platoon of troops fanning out to support his forces.

Kelrek approached, "So, there seems to already be some form of life scurrying around this place. Where do you suspect we will find what you seek?" he asked.

"Somewhere hidden inside that ruin," Diábolis replied honestly, "Hopefully not tucked away in some chamber deep down in the crumbling foundation."

It was clear that the building was extremely dangerous, and Diábolis was already planning that only he and Kelrek would actually set foot within the structure. Any more than those two powerful Force users, and he felt confident that parts of the building would crumble beneath their feet outright.

"Let's go," he said, leading the way in the most direct route toward the entrance of the Jedi Library. Scaling the ridge that they had landed beneath was child's play for the two Force users. Once they mounted that rocky barrier however, Diábolis was convinced that there were many eyes upon them.

"Odd, isn't it?" Kelrek mentioned as they continued toward the Library, "that there are so many Force users here, but not a one has dared to approach us as of yet…"

"They seem primitive," Diábolis reasoned, "possibly descendants of some survivors of the cataclysm on this world, having lost all civilization due to the supernova and all but lost to the rest of the Galaxy."

They arrived at the entrance of the Library. All seemed deserted, but the two intruders knew better. There were enemies all around them, watching their every move, and waiting to see if they would leave or continue on.

As they had no such intentions on departing, Diábolis prepared himself, casually removing his lightsaber twinblade and keeping his eyes alert for when the first opponent would make their appearance.

Just before they reached the steps leading up to the cracked and heavily damaged front entrance it finally happened. The entire front entrance suddenly was crowded with dozens of beings, their faces shrouded by actual Sith warrior masks from the Great Hyperspace era.

"You shall go no further!" the lead figure demanded, holding out a hand as though to physically hinder them, "these sacred grounds are not for you!"

Exchanging a momentary glance with Kelrek, Diábolis nodded. His permission given, the Sorcerer stepped forward once more, allowing Dark Side Lightning to leap from his fingers, showering over several of the guards on either side of the lead figure.

"We are more powerful than you could possibly imagine, and we will enter regardless of your wishes…" Diábolis replied coolly, even as the other figures visible flinched and withdrew a few steps as several of their fellows dropped dead from the sudden electrification.

Instead of fully scattering however, it seemed that the figures were steeling themselves for a drawn out fight, spears and other primitive weapons being brandished.

Sighing to himself, as he would have rather entered without a fight, Diábolis allowed his weapon to activate, quickly followed by the saber of Kelrek. While the Sith Lord was aware of the ancient design that the Sorcerer used, it was still interesting to look at the odd little cross guards, completely useless practically but more than effective as terrifying devices as the human swung the saber casually in a circle, letting the sound of the saber pick up to a loud whirring.

Darting forward and taking the initiative, Diábolis impaled the leader through the chest, before forcefully flinging the man away. The others attempted to react, utilizing the Force to throw a dozen small telekinetic blasts at the Sith Lord, which amounted to very little.

Lightning poured forth from Kelrek's free hand, annihilating half of the remaining guards, while Diábolis carved through the others, unleashing his rage and power in deadly and overwhelming strokes of the saber.

Soon enough the way was finally clear of opponents. Surprisingly, Diábolis did not sense any more inside the building itself, although if he cared to recall what the leader had said at the onset, they regarded the ruins as some sort of Holy place and likely did not enter it often, if at all.

Scooping up one of the ancient Sith masks, which had fallen from the face of the leader, Diábolis examined it. It was of excellent quality, and quite authentic. Likely it was plundered from within, but there was another reason that he procured this particular item.

Reaching out with the Force, he could use the mask to lead him to where it once resided within the Library, and hopefully there were other relics within that had remained, likely hidden away by the Jedi of old and therefore out of reach of these primitives.

He could sense that there were many, many more of them out on the outskirts of the area surrounding the temple, and Fury's forces would have encountered some of them already. That would keep the other occupied while he and Kelrek ventured within the Library for whatever it was that he sought.

"Let's move onward, and I doubt we'll need our weapons for the time being," Diábolis advised Kelrek, sheathing his own blades and stepping inside the crumbling building.

The entryway seemed more or less intact, the stones somewhat cracked and scarred from what seemed to be a heavy battle between lightsaber wielders, but many of the chambers and corridors beyond it were completely blocked, the floors above having collapsed down onto them.

Of the few passages that remained, one looked too unstable to even attempt to traverse, while another two others were small chambers that were stripped of all artifacts or knowledge that had been stored within. Negating all of those, there was one viable pathway ahead, which seemed to lead to the main floor of the library itself.

Diábolis did not expect to find anything there, but he proceeded onward regardless, hoping that there would be side passages that might navigate around the collapses and lead to deeper and better secured vaults.

Passing into the vaulted room that once held hundreds of thousands of ancient scrolls and artifacts that they Jedi had collected, there was a sense of reverence that came over Diábolis through the Force. This place had a magnificence behind it that resonated even with those who wielded the Dark Side and hated the builders of the same structure.

As he had suspected, many more of the off shooting passages from the main hall were still intact and led in varied directions throughout the structure. Granted, determining which route to take was now the challenge.

They did not have the time that Diábolis would have wished to fully explore the bowels of the Library. If they took too long they would have his forces, and specifically those who were spying on him for the Emperor asking pointed questions.

Therefore, they needed to find a swift route through the Library and locate whatever was left that the Force had directed Diábolis here to find. To that end, the Sith Lord was forced to halt in the main chamber and relax himself into the Force, seeking out the path that they needed to go in order to find what he sought.

Letting the energies of the library swallow his senses, the Devaronian Sith felt his consciousness flood through the building, following a distant well of powerful Force energy. Whatever this source of power was, it was ancient, far older than anything Diábolis had ever encountered before of that magnitude of strength in the Force.

Opening his eyes after several moments, he now knew the exact route that they had to take, and quickly strode to the rearmost right hand corridor. The corridor beyond was weakened, several of the pillars and other supports showing distinct strain from the weight of the floors above, but the two Force adepts were able to pass quickly through without incident.

"This way," he told Kelrek, and led the way past several intersections and down a flight of old fashioned stairs into the deeper levels of the Library.

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Yoda watched as their fleet came out of Hyperspace into a seemingly empty section of space. Even in the Force he could sense nothing for light years in all directions, but according to the information that the Director Granger and the other leaders of the rebellion had acquired, these were the coordinates of the secret, hidden Imperial factory.

Filius Flitwick was already in the midst of a ritual spell, which once completed was supposed to break through the enchantment that kept the place hidden and reveal their target to them. Yoda had it on good advice that there would be a strong resistance to their attack, and that was why he, Ist, and many other of the Jedi from Hoth and Bakura had come to lend their aid in removing this powerful location from the Emperor's grip.

There was a pulse of power from the main ship, where Commander Flitwick was leading the strike, and through the Force Yoda felt a wave of mutated Force energy waft outward, harmlessly passing through the fleet and into open space.

For several moments it seemed as though there would be no reaction, but in due time there was a massive explosion of Force energy washing over Yoda's senses as something that was not there suddenly blossomed into life. Like a massive curtain dropped from in front of it, the space station came into view, seeming to feed off the nearby solar body like a parasite.

Yoda froze, not sure if he could believe what he was seeing. The factory was familiar to him, and indeed would be familiar to every Jedi that had done their studies into the time of the Jedi Civil War between the end of the Great Hyperspace War and the much later Cold War when the Empire returned.

"It's not possible…" a Jedi near to Yoda breathed.

"The Star Forge…" Yoda said to himself, naming the facility before them.

Looming like a beacon in space, with a handful of cruisers hovering around it like small children, the ancient Rakatan facility. From what they had recorded regarding the time of Revan, the station was destroyed when the prodigal Jedi was redeemed and sabotaged the factory himself.

Where and how Veneficus had gotten a hold of another of these devastating factories Yoda did not know, but he simply couldn't be allowed to make use of it any longer.

"All ships," the voice of Commander Flitwick sounded over the battle channel that all ships were turned in to, "prepare to advance, shuttles prepare to launch."

"Time now it is," Yoda said solemnly, turning away from the viewport and preparing himself mentally for what was to come. This facility was rank with the taint of the Dark Side, and the likelihood that there wasn't any Dark Adepts overseeing the production was slim to none.

Their blades would be more than needed in order to secure a victory here, and Yoda was more than willing to lend what aid he could, now knowing for certain what they faced. Once they were ready and secured in the assault shuttles, Yoda felt the stirring of the Dark Side as the factory started to react to their presence and the fact that they were being detected.

"Launch!" the command came, and the shuttles lurched forward, blasted out of the larger ship and into open space, heading directly for the swarming mass of fighters that were starting to launch from the Star Forge.

It was stressful, and multiple times their shuttle rocked violently when it was directly hit by a stray shot as fighters from both factions started an intense dogfight around them, their own trying to prevent the Imperial fighters from directly targeting the shuttles.

"Were coming in upon the nearest hangar, prepare for a hit landing," the shuttle pilot shouted back, even as the shuttle made a hard turn toward the station, and pulled up in order for the landing gear to find purchase on the metal floor of the station.

Before the shuttle came into a complete stop Yoda was already on his feet, saber hilt in hand and ready for the boarding ramp to lower. The other rebel troopers prepped their weapons, and removed themselves from the strapped seats.

The ramp lowered, revealing the chaos of the hangar they had chosen. Imperial troopers were pouring in from the doors to the rest of the station, and the rebels seemed sorely outnumbered.

Even as the troopers around him surged forward to join the fray, Yoda activated his saber. That was the signal for the rest of the Jedi to attack. Out of the five assault shuttles that had taken to this particular hangar there were around half a dozen Jedi, and as one they leapt into the air.

Arcing over the firefight, Yoda deflected several shots as the Imperials adjusted to try and shoot down the Jedi before they landed among their lines. Twisting in the air, Yoda propelled himself forward further and collided with one trooper, saber impaling the man through the chestplate.

Ripping his blade out and deflecting another couple of shots, Yoda pushed off from the man's body and took to the ground, darting in and among the legs of the far taller figures, slashing at the legs of the enemy troopers and moving quickly toward the doors where more troops were entering.

The other Jedi held them at bay while Yoda sheathed his weapon, drawing the Force to him. Even as a massive war droid started to advance toward the door, Yoda pushed outward, throwing the droid backward and tearing up parts of the floors and walls down the corridor, making it far more difficult for the advancing forces to join those in the hangar already.

With their reinforcements cut off from the main route, the rest of the Imperials in the hangar were quickly mowed down by the Rebels and the Jedi, securing the hangar as a powerful entry point for more of their forces.

Yoda overheard the commanders of the trooper divisions sending word for more reinforcements to be sent from the cruisers to make sure that they held this position for as long as they needed it.

Meanwhile the other Jedi were being fitted with small squads to escort their demolition teams to the structural weak points, which had been scanned on the command ship while they were making their landing.

"Master Yoda," the commander said, turning his helmeted head to look at the Goblin, "We have a high priority target for you to hit, if you are willing to lead out commandos?"

"Prepared for this, I am," Yoda replied, already having an idea what he was about to be asked.

"There is a powerful Dark Side wielder on this station, who personally led a counter attack on one of our other landing points. We need this being eliminated to make sure we hold our tenuous grasp on the station." The man explained, and Yoda closed his eyes, reaching out to find this Force wielder.

At the very core of the facility, a great nexus of Dark Side energy was located, and it more or less dwarfed any other signature in the facility to almost nonexistence. Straining his sense however, Yoda could see the pinpricks of light and darkness moving through the facility. The largest of these was actually backtracking toward the powerful nexus, and regardless of their goal Yoda now could sense them and knew where they were going.

"Sense them, I can." Yoda announced when he was sure that he would be able to track the signature wherever it went in the facility.

"Excellent," the commander said, motioning for a group of heavily armed soldiers, "You all know your objective, Jedi Master Yoda will guide you through the facility and lead the attack on the threat to our presence here. Keep them busy as long as you can, eliminate the target if you can."

"Sir, yes sir!" the troopers replied, before starting out of the hangar toward the nearby corridor.

"Take care of my boys, Master Jedi," the commander requested, "break off and withdraw if you absolutely have to."

Yoda nodded, understanding that the man cared deeply for his subordinates, and wanted as many as possible to come home after this battle. Hurrying out past the troopers, who were waiting for him outside the hangar, Yoda started to follow the presence he had felt in the Force, only taking the briefest moment checking to make sure that the commandoes were following.

They moved swiftly and silently through the facility, acutely dodging the battles that were breaking out across the station and more and more rebel ground forces invaded the facility from multiple levels and hangars.

When they were within several turns of the massive Nexus of Dark Side energy, Yoda paused, halting at the end of a turn and slowly gazing around the corner.

A group of high ranking Imperial troops were there, guarding the next chamber beyond, wherein the Goblin Jedi could sense the massive energy source of the station, and the location of their target.

"Six there are," he said to the troopers behind him, "and a sealed blast door."

"Well handle them General," the squad leader said, nodding to his comrades, and together they started prepping explosive s and their weapons.

After mere moments, they threw themselves around the corner and opened fire, charging the long corridor to the door and providing the perfect distraction for Yoda to weave through their legs unseen by their foes. Hurling his blade with the aid of the Force, Yoda skewered the nearest enemy trooper, leaping up to retrieve his weapon and gain a momentary vantage point to block several blaster bolts from reaching the commandos as the Imperial fell.

Using the Force to propel himself into the air once more, Yoda allowed himself to embrace the Force and begin a long and complicated flurry of Ataru strikes, making his way toward the sealed door as the commandos lay down a suppressing fire on those that blocked their path, pinning them between themselves and the door.

Despite the ease in which they finally defeated those guards, Yoda had to give the troopers some small credit of skill. The rebels did not claim this entry unscathed, and even Yoda himself sported a few wounds from bolts shot at close quarters that he barely managed to maneuver away from vital locations on his small body.

The medic all but demanded to patch him up while the demolition expert started work on the door, layering it with enough to shatter the durasteel and send it all inward as shrapnel for whatever lay in wait on the other side.

With a shattering detonation, the door crumbled before them, and Yoda led the way into the innermost chamber of the Star Forge, saber aloft and lit in preparation for whatever they might find.

As the dust and metal fragments settled they looked around, searching for their target, and Yoda recognized from description where they were, and the realization of what was causing the massive nexus of Dark Side energy send chills down his spine.

Row after row of suspended animation chambers lined the room, each filled with figures of Jedi or Mage-Born thought captured or slain during the war. Many were so drained of their life force in order to power the station that they were little more than dried husks, incapable of surviving outside of the prison that was slowly killing them anyway.

And in the midst of all of this, a massive dark colored centaur waited, a lightsaber pike in hand and already pawing at the ground, ready to charge.

"Lord Veneficus will be pleased to learn of your death, Jedi Master Yoda…" the centaur said sinisterly, "long has he waited to add your saber to his collection of defeated foes."

Yoda unconsciously tightened his grip on the same blade. He knew that with whatever had happened with Luna now completed, the Emperor would turn his attention to the last remnants of his home world more fully, although the fact that the man had not foreseen their attack of this station betrayed his overconfidence in its secrecy and his power.

The fact that the centaur seemed irritated and frustrated betrayed that fact, although Yoda was sure that the being had already been in direct contact with the Emperor, and the madman was on his way with a supporting fleet to crush them, meaning that they had limited time to finish what they started and escape before the Emperor himself arrived.

"The stasis pods, destroy them you must to cripple the station. The centaur, deal with him I shall." Yoda ordered the commandos.

The squad leader nodded, and as one the commandos scattered, each running for cover in a different location of the room as Yoda stepped forward, his blade held in a high guard and waited for the centaur to make the first move.

The Darksider didn't wait long, as he clearly knew their intentions, and charged, saber held down like a lance, prepared to gore straight through the goblin Jedi Master. An easy enough attack to avoid and dodge, but Yoda kept his guard up, knowing the strength and dexterity of the creature he faced, and even as he dodged to the side his blade intercepted the counter swing that would have removed his head from his shoulders.

The centaur turned swiftly, leveling a powerful blast of telekinesis, which caught Yoda, only partially diverted by a hasty shield of energy from the gifted Force user. He still skidded backward several feet, and had to regain his footing properly in order to deflect the next barrage of attacks, as the Dark Side adept lunged in, hammering at him with heavy Djem So strikes.

It was a powerful combination, and a lesser Jedi might have crumbled before that onslaught, but Yoda had learned much from his time around Luna Lovegood, and his knowledge of Soresu was vast, allowing him to weather any attack that the centaur laid into him, dodging and tuning in a massive circle, looking for an opening to turn the tables and gain advantage to attack.

The moment came when the first pod detonated violently, causing the centaur to turn in rage and throw a blast of lightning at the commando that was there, which the man dodged. Yoda sprung into action, dropping all pretense of defense and going into a full tilt attack of Ataru, allowing the momentum of his swings and the Force lift him into the air.

The centaur cantered back a few steps, the oversized saberpike dancing swiftly to parry and block many of Yoda's strikes, even as a second and third pod ruptured.