Chapter Twelve - The Start of the Great War

#The Emperor is down! I repeat! The Emperor's palace is down!#

Pain.

#Can you repeat that, Overlord? Did you just say the Emperor's Palace was destroyed?#

Anger.

#Yes! For Empire's sake, yes!#

No.

#Repeat to all channels, the Emperor is now seen MIA/KIA until further notice.#

Not yet!

2 Hours Earlier

Naruto sat in a chair, holopads and other information spread across his table, in the study of his home world palace.. It's been a month since the defeat of the secessionists, and Naruto has been taking more into his role as Emperor. Especially now that he knows he's a father. That thought always made him smile. The seats of the dead Councilors had been replaced, with a young Darth Acina replacing Karrid, Lana replacing Thanaton, Krovos replacing Decimus, Skotia replacing Aruk, and Vengean being replaced by Darth Arho.

Sighing, he looked at the paper once more. A few of their resource planets were attacked by the Republic and, at the cost of too many ships lost, kept them from being overrun by the Republic and falling into their control. They were getting bolder in their attacks, and his apprentices and soldiers have had a few run ins with the "heroes of the Republic". Sori'pin Misvalin, the Jedi Consular heralded by the Grand Master herself, Lieutenant Erileo Spest and her squad, the last loyal members of the rebuilding Havoc Squad, and Byss'mach, a smuggler that most of the time worked with the Republic against the Empire.

Erileo Spest intrigued Naruto the most, as her commitment to the words - and let's be honest, they are lies - of her superiors has been wavering. If not for the cathar soldier, Aric Jorgan, helping her keep in place she'd have gone against many commands from her superiors. Her closest companion, a Mirialan by the name of Les Rorki, isn't for the Republic and the dissention caused by this friction has always proved well for Naruto in the past.

War is nearly inevitable at this point, and Naruto was having many Sith Lords and imperial soldiers stationed on every planet. Working with Kilran, who he had promoted to leading Grand Moff, he was getting the imperial fleets in position with orders on battle plans. It will only be a bit longer until they will be able to begin uniting everyone under his rule.

He felt a vibration shake his room, jingling many of his possessions from the force, and looked around in confusion. He heard a whirring outside and the next second his room exploded in a large blast of plasma. He fell to the ground from the expulsion of the blast and could only groan as his alarms were ringing.

"My Lord, are you alright?!" An imperial marine squad ran inside, five of them, and checked the corners as their leader helped Naruto to his feet. "We are under attack by the Republic."

Naruto growled but nodded his head, standing up and brushing off wood splinters from his robe. "How many strong?"

"Five Valor-class are in orbit blockading any shuttle from exiting planetside. Over a hundred shuttles are landing around the Palace, and we are heavily hurting from the surprise orbital attack."

"Who is heading the operation?" Naruto mumbled, but didn't expect the soldier to know, and at the lack of response they were as confused as he was.

They rocked on their feet again as a rocket launcher hit the wall outside the hole that exposed the room.

"We need to get you to safety, Emperor!"

Naruto growled and stalked to the open hole to see five shuttles fly back over head and over a hundred soldiers encroaching on his palace walls. "I will not run from Republic cowards! The fact they think they have the balls to attack my home speaks of their stupidity!"

Naruto gathered the Force around him and within seconds dark black and purple lightning started crackling around him in static pressure. Thrusting his hands forward, a large bolt of electricity hit the soldiers and shuttles that were outside his home. They all vaporized to dust, screams escaping their lips in an ominous second that was the last before their death. However, much to his glee and disappointment, another wave of landing shuttles replaced those that were lost and this time it was with Jedi amongst their ranks.

That will cause trouble for him as only ten acolytes guarded his homeworld palace whenever he was there.

"Have you tried contacting nearby systems for help?"

The imperial marine shook his head. "The invading Republic dogs have us jammed! They thought this assault through."

"Of course, they think that we are weak after replacing half of our council," Naruto hummed, eyeing his gathering forces at the courtyard in preparation for the doors to be blown off. "Gather as many forces to the courtyard right now. We will make our stand right here, and drive back these cunts from our land. Or die amongst taking as many of them with us."

"Yes, sir!"

Naruto jumped from his position, soaring through the air before landing amongst the defenders. He gave a glance to the Sith near him that looked at him for orders, their eyes narrowed and ready for a war, and began his walk to his gate that was being swarmed be charging Republic marines and Jedi. "Fight for your Emperor, citizens of the Empire! Fight for your home, for those you lost, and for your own freedom! If the republic bastards want our planets and our lives, they will take it from us with more loss than our own for we will fight with each breath we take!"

A warcry erupted from the defenders and like a switch a flurry of bolts were shot from each side, Naruto choosing instead of his lightsaber to stick to the Force. Crushing, flinging, vaporizing, and altogether devastating any who sought to get within a few yards of his soldiers. He was indiscriminate, making sure that if there will be blood then it will flow from the body of his enemies.

"They will regret all of this!"

One lucky Jedi strafed the side when a Force wave was made to send her flying back and dashed for the blonde Emperor, her lightsaber poised to strike upwards. "For galactic harmony!"

Naruto stepped the side, allowing the blade to strike the air, and instead thrusted his palm forward and caved in the chest of the Jedi. Watching her eyes widen in shock, and fear, he was able to relish in the emotions for only a second before three other Jedi swarmed him. He was pushed back, allowed two Republic marines to check the body of the young Jedi before shaking their heads and continue on their assault.

"Cute little pawns," Naruto muttered as he grabbed the wrist of one Togruta Jedi and used his weight to strike his own comrade in the chest, creating a blade of the Force in his hand and used it to cute off the Togruta's head.

He went to attack the last Jedi but found himself dodging five lightsaber blades. Four more had joined in the attack against him. "What am I fighting, a fucking Hydra?!" Growling, the Force gathering around him and crackled in electricity, he shouted, "enough!"

The expulsion of the Force flung the Jedi back, vaporizing most of their body, and proceeded against the Republic soldiers and their transports. The sky turned grey with a blue hew, lightning coursing without clouds, caused from the furious look on Naruto's face. His stronghold was burning, his cities likely being taken over by Republic bastards, and he was stuck killing constant onslaught of Jedi and Republic marines? Fuck that!

"Die!"

Naruto thrusted his arm in the sky, aiming at one of the visible Valor-class starships. A purple-black beam pierced the hull of the ship through, causing explosions around it and tore the ship apart. He thrusted his other arm and sent the large ship away from its crash course on his planet.

"Now, leave!"

Before he could do the same with the rest, the Force trembled around him and bright red lights began overtaking the blue of the sky. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he stared, before widening when he realized what they just did. "Orbital bombardment!"

Taking the short time he had left, he erected a barrier around himself and as many of those around him.

#The Emperor is down! I repeat! The Emperor's palace is down!#

#Can you repeat that, Overlord? Did you just say the Emperor's Palace was destroyed?#

#Yes! For Empire's sake, yes!#

#Repeat to all channels, the Emperor is now seen MIA/KIA until further notice.#

"I'm not dead."

"My lord? Hey! Over here!"

Naruto opened his eyes to see who was talking to him, ignoring the pain that he felt all over his body. A marine rushed over, dropping his blaster rifle and began lifting pieces of rubble off of him. Two others arrived to help with the largest that covered his body.

"Emperor, can you stand?"

Naruto nodded, gritting his teeth as he got himself to a sitting position. Looking at himself, he noticed his communications were destroyed and his lightsaber lay shattered on the ground. "Shit."

Sighing, he got up to his feet and looked at the survivors; four marines in minor wounds and a Sith acolyte that was bleeding at the side. "Are you okay?"

"I will live," he grunted, a wince could be heard beneath the mask. "I am still of use to the Empire."

Naruto nodded his head to the conviction before looking around. They were blasted into his underground bunker used to house his armament and innocents in case of this very thing. This was too sudden of an attack to have been used, however.

"We need to make contact with a nearby system, then we are going after the command of this attack." The marines moved to attention as the plan was now being laid out before them. "Today, we will end this in less than 24 hours and kill them by our own hands. I, for one, want to kill any who thought they could challenge our power and kill and enslave our people."

Turning around, he stared at the mountain of rubble that caved in and, with the Force, pushed it through the ground to allow a way through. "Come, my short-range communications center should be down this hall to the left."

Meanwhile - Emperor's Ziost Cathedral

Lana Benito enjoyed her days since finding out she was pregnant, often surrounded by the Royal Concubine as well as many of her love's most trusted friends. She was guarded - at Naruto's persistence - by their private military force. Currently, she was with Haku as they thought out different names for whichever gender the baby may be.

"Ahkukai for a boy and Drusui for a girl," Lana said as she wrote in a scroll.

Haku looked up from her book - a tome on Republic sniper tactics - and gave a confused look to the blonde woman. "Are those names of your home planet or…?"

"They are traditional Sith names. Strong, deserving of my child," Lana rested a hand as she felt for the life of her growing child once more. She's found this the best feeling ever, and she would interrupt anyone and everyone to do so no matter how rude it was.

"Lord Beniko," a young voice interrupted her musings, much to her aggravation.

"What is it," she snapped and looked at who intruded, but was surprised to see Naruto's most trusted General, Kakashi Hatake, standing in the room. "Kakashi, what is the problem?"

The man gave a grim face with a low bow, his single eye finding hers. "It is Naruto, the Emperor. Communications and leading forces on Estea have marked him MIA/KIA. His estate was destroyed by orbital bombardment from invading Jedi and Republic ships."

Haku gasped as soon as she heard the news, but Lana could only stare in shock and disbelief. "A-are you sure that he is dead? Have they seen his body?"

"That is why he is considered more missing than dead, my lady. Estea is currently under heavy attack now that the Republic forces have turned their sights on conquering the Emperor's homeworld. Grand Moff Kilran is leading a retaliation to stop the invading force and, once the Emperor is found, intends to take the fight back to them. We are now at war, ma'am."

Lana went to stand, intending wholly to go after her missing husband, but was firmly stopped by Haku. Looking at her, she found a worried but frowning face staring back at her. "Trust in Naruto, Lana. He will be fine. But I know he will be greatly upset with you and us for letting you go out while in your condition. We must stay here and trust in the capabilities of our soldiers and our Emperor."

Lana was reluctant, Force knew she wanted to go help her husband and kill the insolent fools that wanted to attack their people, but she knew what the raven-haired girl said was true. She had no choice but to sit and wait, and pray that her husband was found alive and only minorly injured.

"Besides," Haku continued on and sat back in her seat, bringing that book back up into her hands. "I know for a fact that anything short of a planet-killer will only agitate Naruto. And he's never merciful when he gets agitated like such."

Lana chuckled at that small truth.

A few moments of silence rested on the room, Kakashi deciding to stay in the room with a few Marines to protect the Royal Cathedral that house the Emperor's closest friends and allies. It was a while before the buzzing chatter of Kakashi's comms burst to life like a flurry and only a few words could be heard.

#Zzt-lorian ships! Defense Station Alpha destroyed-zzt! Clan Orund betra-zzzt us!#

"Clan Orund? That's Mandalorian." Lana muttered to herself with narrowed eyes, deciding to reach in the Force only to find three Mandalorian battlecruisers orbiting above their location.

"Mandalore would never betray Naruto. They respect each other too much," Haku started as she got to her feet, walking to the steel cabinet and opened to show an array of blaster carbines.

"Not to mention Clan Orund has been falling out of favor after their chief was caught beating a Sith child nearly to death," Kakashi muttered, motioning for the two marines to go out and gather more soldiers to reinforce their current spot. "This is the safest location you can be at, so we will hold this location until the Ziostian response team arrives. Clan Orund, while one of the largest still doesn't have enough forces to take over this planet or destroy it. They must be here to cause chaos and steal the Emperor's pregnant wife."

"Over my dead body," Lana spat, knowing that she will kill herself and her child before letting her love's enemies use them against him.

"It will not come to that," Kakashi said lowly, looking at her grimly before giving a small smile. "I've owed Naruto a life debt. I will forfeit my life before letting his family be used against him."

"As will I," Haku nodded as well, loading her weapon with a cold stare to the door.

Estea - Jedi Forward Command

Crack!

Naruto snapped the neck of another padawan with his left hand as he held up a Jedi Master in a Force Choke with his right. His hair was wild, a red mist having grown animalistic to accentuate his features like a terrifying demon. The bodies of other various soldiers and Jedi lay dead around him and his group.

"I will kill everyone in this station, young and old, if you do not fucking tell me who commanded this attack!"

"There is no emotion, there is only peace."

"Again with this garbage." Naruto muttered before snapping his hand again, ending the life of a young Republic soldier.

"There is no ignorance, there is knowledge."

Snap!

"Just tell me what I want, old man, or else everyone will die here and I will move to the next command center to repeat the same process."

"Please, Master Oruk, just tell him!"

A young Togruta woman urged the man, her eyes tearing and pleading the old man.

"There is no passion, there is serenity."

Snap!

A Jedi padawan, no older than seventeen, slumped over next to the Togruta female, making her yelp at the gruesome marks on his neck.

"Listen to the Padawan, Jedi."

"There is no chaos, there is harmony."

Naruto growled in anger and frustration as he snapped the neck of another Jedi. "I'm getting real sick and tired of this old man. If you tell me that last verse of your damned code and not what I want to know then I will kill everyone here except that Padawan. Instead, I will twist her mind and make her join my ranks and my concubine. She will help me kill her allies at the next station and when I free this world she will be the next to please me. So tell me, old man. I am done playing games."

"There is no death, there is-"

"Stop! I'll tell you!" The Togruta jumped to her feet, being met with the red blade of the Sith acolyte. We are being led by the Grand Master herself, with Sori'pin Misvalin under her command. Please, just stop killing us."

She fell to her knees crying, unable to keep herself together anymore. Her master lay dead among the bodies, their station practically destroyed by the one man they tried to kill. It was a mistake going against him, she knew now how much so it was, and now she just wanted to live. She wanted to leave and go home, to be anywhere but facing this demon!

"Thank you, my little bird."

She looked up to see his smirk, this one genuinely directed to her as his hand tensed and clenched ever so tightly.

"There is only the Force- hrgh!"

"Enough of that," Naruto muttered as he killed the man and released the Force to let the body fall to the ground. He looked at the Padawan, and took notice of her slim and curvy body. "What is your name, Padawan?"

She looked at him with wide eyes and could only stutter, "A-Ashara Zavros."

He grinned, sending shivers down her spine and he raised a gloved hand to her eyes. She felt a sudden exhaustion wash over her and could not fight the blackness encroaching over her. "Sleep, and when you wake up you will be in a better place, I promise you."

As soon as she fell into his arms, he motioned to his group to kill the rest.

Now he knew that this was all planned and led by the Grand Master herself. Good, he had a few things he wanted to go over with her. The fact Sori'pin was here as well was only icing on the cake. Maybe he actually trained and got stronger. Or he's still the arrogant prick from chapter six.

Whatever it is he will still feel pain, the Emperor mused to himself as he lifted Ashara in his arms. Now that he thought about it, he didn't think this through. He still needed to get to the flagship, and he needed to fight the Jedi on said flagship.

"Hm, I don't want to trek all the way back to the palace just to come back and get access into the flagship."

Noticing the Emperor's dilemma, the marine closest to him bowed his head, "I will take her back to safety if the Emperor wishes. I will make sure to keep her safe until the Lord's return."

Naruto looked at the man and if he were to be in any other situation he would have thought the man deceiving him or trying to avoid a fight like a coward but he knew this soldier was truthful and humble in his offer. "Alright, but I don't want her harmed at all. Whatever happens to her will be dealt to you hundredfold, is that understood?"

"Yes, my Emperor."

A shuddered voice could be heard in a dark room, a frosty breath escaping pale lips. "It's time."

Harsh clanks was heard before a durasteel door with Sith runes etched onto it was blown off their hinges, caving in it's adjacent door. A few more shudders were heard before a lithe form exited the dark, frozen room. The skin was pale and a near-sickly white, with dark brown eyes and light black hair. Their robe is ripped and old, creased from a long time sitting.

"Time to prepare the Star Forge for the Force Avatar."

Naruto chuckled as he watched a Republic soldier sacrifice themself by jumping onto a primed thermal detonator. While saving his nearby comrades, it mattered little after the fact because they would still throw away their lives trying to kill him. It amused him, however, and he appreciated that from his enemies. It made it less of a chore.

"For the Repu-!"

Naruto gripped the charging soldier's armored chestpiece before throwing him through the wall on his right. One thing he didn't like about these people, their loyalty to their government bordered on fanaticism and it creeped him out. Why would you be so deeply devoted to something that you had to shout about it every minute? He made sure the Empire didn't get to this point in their patriotism. There were those few bad eggs but they were still somewhat useful, if only slightly.

"Grand Master~!"

Naruto's melodious voice thundered through the halls of the Retribution, the flagship of this battle fleet under the command of Satele Shan. Sori'pin was kept with the Grand Master and was using his powers to make the soldiers not even contemplate surrender or retreat. Again, this fanaticism scared him.

"The bridge is just up ahead, my Emperor," The acolyte spoke deeply, cutting a Jedi from shoulder to pelvis.

"Then let's make an entrance," Naruto chuckled and, like a switch, time seemed to stop for everyone. One by one, the Republic and Jedi all began rising in the air and began being clumped in one large group by the blonde man. "I hope she likes my bouquet."

Thrusting his hand forward, he watched as they all collided with the large door blocking their way to the bridge. The force killed a large majority of them, but the door broke down under the insistence of the Force.

Naruto stalked forward, a dark smirk on his face as he regarded the room in only slight enthusiasm. Countless rifles and lightsabers awaited his arrival and behind them was the one he was looking for. "Grand Master Shan."

"Sith," she greeted with a scowl.

"Emperor now, I'm sure you've heard," he chuckled and waved his hand, a wind disintegrated everyone between him and his enemy. "I hope you don't mind, I wanted this to be a private session."

"All this loss of life, it's an imbalance to the universe and to the Force! You are the ultimate evil to the universe and life as it is!" She brandished her lightsaber at the ready, her eyes narrowed in contempt as she stared him down. "And it is my duty as the Grand Master of the Jedi, the first defence of the Republic, and the keeper of balance, to restore order to the galaxy!"

Naruto raised his eyebrows in amusement as he stared at the woman, before snorting and shaking his head. "Imbalance, and yet you yourself are bringing the very same thing you claim I do. You call yourself a keeper of balance, and yet the restrictions you put on natural things such as love and sex and family is the highest hypocracy I have heard of yet. I've heard the Force speak to me all her desires knowing I was not swayed by the ideals of either Sith or Jedi. I am the only one to herald her vision of the galaxy. But do not confuse me, Shan, for I am evil. I'm a bastard. I'm a demon. I am not anything you or any other person can define with mortal words. I am her herald, her son, her very own Avatar!"

Black and red lightning shot out from his body in horrific lights and spontaneous directions, scorching and destroying anything it landed on; his hair raised in a flowing wind amidst a red mist and his eyes are blue as the pupils and iris were enveloped fully by the blue light. His right hand brought out a stolen lightsaber from his belt as his whole left arm and hand was swallowed by a grey miasma-like substance that dripped on the floor and burned through the steel. It caused a horrified surprise from the Grand Master, but she remained ready.

"Come on, Grand master," Naruto taunted as he began walking forward, "show me your screams!"

Naruto launched himself at the Grand Master, his miasmic arm swatting the blade away from him and went for a slash across her head but she ducked and backed away. He pressed forward with calculated grasps and swings, making her step back and away from him as fast as she could while staying on her feet. She rebounded his slash and went for an abdominal slash but the blonde jumped over it and used the Force to send her catapulting back.

Spinning with her back blade, she was prepared to meet that of her enemy; a grimace graced her face at his calm grin. However, she was forced to jump back when the miasmic arm went to strike her, something telling her that she should avoid that substance at all costs. "I do not believe your honey-coated heresy. I will show you that you are nothing but a liar and nothing more than a snake."

Naruto's grin grew and he cocked his head slightly; "Please do, Shan."

Meanwhile - Emperor's Ziost Cathedral

"Another marine's hit!"

Lana looked over to Haku when she shouted, seeing a marine slumped over the makeshift barricade that protected the Royal Guard and herself. That was the tenth one so far, leaving only five more marines, Kakashi, and Haku.

"We can't worry about that now! Just focus on holding these fool's back!"

Kakashi reloaded his blaster, wincing when a Mandalorian blaster nearly hit him in the head. He sighed, noting the last magazine in his pouch. "I'm almost out," he muttered to himself, glancing over the edge as he took out another charging berserker. They were still outnumbered.

"We can't hold out any longer, Kakashi!" Haku screamed over a detonator blast that nearly killed her. "Where is the Ziostian defense force!"

"I don't know, dammit!"

Lena glanced at the body of the marine next to her; his whole armor was destroyed with blast burns all over. He died laying on top of a grenade for her, saving her and her child. He will be remembered.

"Rocket launcher!"

Lena had only a second to register the shout before an explosion launched her into an overturned couch. Holding back a whimper of pain, she turned herself over to look for Kakashi and Haku; what she saw made her veins run cold. Walking into the room towards the prone forms of Kakashi and Haku, was the chief of Clan Orund; Fruk Orund. He was a hulking man, nearly a foot taller than those around him, the weight of him and his armor causing his steps to stump and echo in the room. His armor, in the colors of his clan, were red and black.

"I knew you Imperial bastards were all talk," Fruk said as he stopped in front of Kakashi.

Kakashi coughed as he brought himself to his hands and knees, looking up at the imposing man. "And I didn't take you for a Jedi lapdog, Orund."

Fruk striked Kakashi with his gauntlet fist, cutting him above his eye. Sighing, the man brought a blaster pistol from his hip, aiming it at the General's head. "Any last words?"

"Yeah, just a few," Kakashi brought his mask to his neck, giving a bloody grin. "Let's go say hi to Shinigami-sama."

That's when Lana saw it; a belt of thermal detonators primed. "No-!"

She was stopped as two marines covered her with their bodies just in time to protect her from the detonation blast. She couldn't help but release a whimper as she tried to fight back the tears. She had just lost someone who was greatly loyal to Naruto, his own mentor and friend.

"I'm sorry Naruto," she whispered to herself.

"Empress, are you still there?!"

"Over here, Darth Skotia!"

Lena looked up tiredly as one of the marines got off of her, revealing the Sith Council member as he ran up to her with a full squad of Imperial Spec Ops. He glanced at the blast zone to see the disfigured bodies - one being that of General and assumed the worst.

He came to her and got to his knee, checking over her with his cybernetic eye for any injuries. Once done, he sighed and motioned for someone to get the body of the General and looked at Lena in sorrow. "He does a hero, for his Emperor and Empress. He will be remembered, and we will have our revenge. The Emperor will make sure."

Lena said nothing as she let herself be picked up and brought out of the room, only noticing Hali's body being brought out with her.

So...this chapter took a lot of deliberation. This whole even was decided since Chapter Five, but how things led up to it had changed and shifted it to how you see. Timing, how the war will start, and what will come of the initial attack that may or may not affect Naruto. So, it was in this last bit that I had - inadvertently, mind you - found myself led to this very action. There was no way that Karachi, Haku, and 4-5 marines could fight off a whole clan. Lena is pregnant, disrupting her ability to use the Force, and Kakashi is a veteran of two wars and countless skirmishes. Once he saw that they were going to lose, and they were overwhelmed, he repaid his debt to his mentor's son and sacrificed his life. And no, he is not somehow alive; he didn't throw himself away from the blast in time. This will help Naruto, guiding his anger into the heart of the Republic and Jedi.

Thank you so much to those who enjoy and read this story, it is fun.

Long live the Empire.