CHAPTER ELEVEN
The Raven's Claw's thrusters ignited as it rose out from one of Thani's spaceports, and it blasted off into Telos' sky. At the ship's controls, Kyle sighed and turned to Toah, who was sitting right next to him.
"Where to now?" he asked.
Toah shrugged, looking at his datapad. "I don't know. I guess we could try Dathomir..."
"Dathomir?" Kyle replied, shuddering slightly. "I'm not sure about that. From what I've heard, that planet's home to witches. They have very little to do with Jedi."
"Well, I was sent to find Force-sensitives," Toah said. "So I'll do just that. Set in the coordinates for the Dathomir system."
Kyle gave Toah a look, but obliged anyway. Soon, the stars elongated as the Raven's Claw jumped into hyperspace.
* * *
The Eclipse was the only ship to return to Byss from the one-sided battle at Empress Teta. As the Super Star Destoyer came to a stop at the Imperial Docking Station, a small shuttle which carried Darth Sidious, Grand Admiral Klev, and other commanding officers left the Eclipse and headed for the Emperor's Citadel. It slowly landed at a protruding platform, and its passengers walked out to the citadel.
They eventually reached the Emperor's Throne Room, where Sidious took his seat in his ornate throne. He looked upon the loyal advisers and high-ranking officers that stood before him. Sidious grinned proudly.
"Our revenge has begun," he said. "I have tasked Executor Sedriss in negotiating with some of the Core Worlds, starting with Alsakan. If the people of Alsakan do not comply with our terms, they will be destroyed..." He threw an aside glance to Klev, whom he knew was from Alsakan himself. The Grand Admrial simply stared off blankly.
"What of the Jedi?" asked Moff Darius Onneir, one of the few remaining Moffs after Thrawn and his forces defected. "What if they get in the way?"
Sidious chuckled. "With our new weapon, Skywalker's aspirant Jedi are simply bugs waiting to be crushed by me heel. They will pose no threat."
"And how do you plan on crushing them?" inquired the Imperial Sentinel leader Atha Prime, his crimson eyes boring into Sidious'.
"You will see in due time, Atha," Sidious answered. To all of his guests, he said, "You are dismissed."
Klev, Onneir, and the others all turned to leave, with only Atha lingering. The Imperial Sentinel gave the Emperor one last look-one that seemed to be of disdain or disappointment-before leaving the room.
* * *
Luke groaned in pain as he struggled to recover from Animus' first attack. The shapeshifter had taken the form of a bovine-like reek and had threw Luke across the pit, much to the amusement of the crowd above. As soon as Luke had gotten to his feet, Animus charge again, his main horn aimed right for Luke's head. The Jedi Knight reached for his lightsaber, only to realize it was still missing. He leaped away just in time, and the reek lodged its horn right into one of the pit's stone walls.
Animus roared in pain and rage as he forced his horn free. The shifter then morphed into a creature that Luke never thought he would see again: a wampa.
The bipedal beast slowly approached Luke, its yellow eyes intent on murdering. Luke quickly searched for something he could use against his adversary. His eyes landed upon a nearby discarded club which seemed to have belonged to a previous victim. He took the club and raised it in self-defense, prepared for whatever Animus had in mind.
The wampa lashed out, swinging its huge arm at him. Luke held up the club and the arm smashed it to pieces. So much for that idea, Luke thought. He then reached out with the Force to try and distract Animus' mind, but to no avail. Apparently, while he may act like a beast, Animus was more strong-willed than one.
The wampa swung its arm again, and Luke barely managed to dodge it in time. He quickly ran to the other side of the pit to retrieve another club. This time, he flung it at Animus, hitting the wampa in the head. Blinded with pain, Animus fell to the ground, shifting back into his human form.
"Well...well played, Skywalker," he muttered, rubbing his skull. "It seems that I underestimated you."
"So do you concede?" Luke asked, panting.
Animus chuckled and gave a sly grin. "Not yet. I have one last trick up my sleeve."
Suddenly, an invisible force pushed Luke back as Animus began to morph once again. His body grew in size and mass, his limbs becoming bone-like, and his hand becoming claws. From his back emerged a pair of large, skeletal wings, and a tail that ended with a blade. Finally, his head changed into a reptilian shape, and a pair of horns grew from his temples, and another from his scalp.
Where mere seconds ago a man once stood, a dragon now glowered at Luke with menacing, soulless black eyes.
"What are you waiting for, Skywalker?" Animus growled. "Let us end this child's play."
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