"Saba!" Hamner's voice called over the StealthX comm frequency. "We must abort the mission! We've already lost two-thirds of our forces so far! We can't take anymore losses, and we certainly can't take anymore of the Chiss head-on! We must return to base!"
Saba blew away yet another clawcraft before ending up on the tail of another one that just atomized a StealthX and killed the young Jedi Knight piloting it. "We can do thiz, Kenth! I can feel it! We can win this day! The Forze is with uz!" She hadn't felt like this since the Battle of Talfaglio during the Yuuzhan Vong War so many years ago; sure, they didn't lose a single Jedi in that battle, but for Saba, the feeling of the hunt was too much for her to just abandon this mission and run home with her tail tucked between her legs. And that feeling only increased with every clawcraft she eliminated, and the one she just blew up with two well-placed lasers was no exception.
"Master Hamner iz right, Mother!" Tesar's voice cut in. "We can't win thiz one! It's too much for uz!"
Saba blew away yet another clawcraft, ignoring her son's words. "You cannot feel the Force in thiz, Tesar?" she asked, her tone almost in a trance as she blew up two more clawcraft.
"Mother, the thrill, it'z overcome you!" Tesar declared in shock. "You can't lead us like thiz! Abdicate your authority right now!"
"Not on my life, Tesar," Saba said before she completely shut off communication with the rest of the StealthX fleet.
As she continued to fly through the Csilla system, blowing away clawcraft wherever she found them, Saba could feel through the Force the entirety of the fleet remnant's loyalty dissolve gradually. It was obvious that Hamner and her own son believed that she was unfit now, but as the moments in the battle continued to pass, it was obvious that she would lose followers soon.
She couldn't help but snort in derision. Once, she thought herself unfit to lead the Order against Daala after she killed this reality's Kenth Hamner, and now, this new Hamner would take her place as the will of what remained of the StealthX fleet fell to him. And they would no doubt run while they could, and in the process, show that the Jedi were weak against the Chiss.
Cowards, she thought angrily, continuing to blow up Chiss clawcraft every time she found one as she felt the presences of her fellow Masters and Jedi leave the system.
Less than a minute later, after every Jedi who didn't die in the battle left for hyperspace, Saba found herself all alone against an a still-strong army of clawcraft, which she still blew through as if she were a celebrity spending copious amounts of money. She let the thrill of combat completely take her over until anything that was even remotely resembling the calm and calculating individual that was Jedi Grand Master Saba Sebatyne was gone. All that was left was a single-minded predator whose sole purpose was to kill all rivals for her domain.
But after almost five minutes of destroying clawcraft, the overwhelming power of the Ascendancy fleet overpowered Saba's sole StealthX fighter and managed to vaporize her craft, taking her with it.
.
The Faux Harla, piloted solely by Plagueis, dropped out of hyperspace along with Captain Ford's Mindabaal yacht, which contained both the captain himself and Five-U. Up ahead of the vessels was their destination.
Plagueis smirked in remembrance. He had been here about one hundred and ten years ago in his public guise as Hego Damask to facilitate a deal between Damask Holdings and this world's monarchy, which not only led to an economic boon for both parties, as well as laying the groundwork for Plagueis's failed attempt to become co-Chancellor of the Old Republic, but it was also where he met his apprentice of thirty-three years, Darth Sidious, then known only as Palpatine.
Naboo.
Plagueis activated his in-system comm. "Captain Ford, do you read me?"
"Loud and clear, Master," Ford's voice replied.
"Good. Follow me in."
"Yes, My Lord."
Plagueis then shut off the comm and began piloting the Harla toward the planet that, in a way, was both where his descent as a Muun began and where his ascension as a human will begin.
Minutes later, the Harla and the yacht landed outside an abandoned, dying field whose sole remarkable landmark was an equally decrepit homestead. After both ships had their engines shut off, the occupants of both vessels stepped out and closed and locked up the boarding ramps before looking about their surroundings.
Plagueis remembered coming to this homestead not too long after arriving to deal with then-King Bon Tapolo to meet with Cosinga Palpatine, the father of the man who would become Lord Sidious. The Sith, as a Muun, didn't much care for the man, but that was only because they were on opposite sides of the bargain between Damask Holdings and Tapalo. Looking back, Plagueis couldn't feel anything but admiration for the man; he was ruthless and cold, just as he was, and just as his son would grow up to become.
Now what was the home of House Palpatine had been deserted, and Plagueis had a feeling that it had been deliberate. No doubt after Palpatine's first death, the inhabitants of his homeplanet gladly sacked and raided his home out of spite to ruin whatever traces remained of his life here. What a shame, Plagueis thought. Even to his Muun sensibilities, this place was rather... beautiful.
"Is the Dagger of Mortis somewhere nearby, Master?" Ford asked, cutting into Plagueis's musings.
The Sith Lord turned to look at the captain and Five-U. "I can feel it nearby, yes," he said. "Let's find it."
The human of the trio then began leading the others as they walked towards the homestead, where the powerful presence that was the Dagger of Mortis loomed through the Force like a great entity lurking beneath murky waters.