CHAPTER TEN
Valorum staggered back as Leia's lightsaber brushed against his shoulder, leaving a small burn. Cringing in pain, he glared at the ex-Senator-turned-Jedi, her azure blade held up in self-defense.
"You're fighting for a lost cause," Valorum spat. "Even if I die, there will be no stopping Vorath and his plan. Your Republic is doomed."
Leia stared coldly at the 'Chancellor'. "What are you talking about? What else does the Empire have planned?"
Valorum laughed softly. "Listen for the sound of thunder. Or, in your case, feel the Force float away and leave an empty void behind."
Sure enough, right after speaking those words, the ground began to shake violently. Valorum watched Leia as she stumbled back and clamped her hands over her ears. Valorum could hear the deafening roar as well, but his cybernetic helmet managed to decrease the volume.
As Leia struggled to recompose herself, Valorum grinned beneath his helmet. "The Beast Lord descends..."
* * *
Toah cried out as a tremendous quake moved the ground, accompanied by a thunderous roar. Luke seemed to hear it as well, as he nearly dropped his lightsaber when his hands shot up towards his ears. Darth Nemesis merely cringed while Vorath remained motionless.
"And so the end begins," the Dark Lord said. "And soon, a new beginning will come forth."
Luke managed to resist the pain and glowered at Vorath. "What is the meaning of this? What is it that you have planned?"
Vorath paused, glancing from Luke to Toah, until his eyes lighted up. "Seeing as you are unlikely to stop me," he said, "I might as well tell you."
Another tremor shook the ground as Vorath continued. "For many years, ever since I claimed the mantle of Dark Lord, I searched through the tombs of my predecessors for the key to victory. After a certain number of years, I would put myself in stasis to preserve my life, and reawaken a decade or two later.
"When I awoke on the eve of the Naboo Invasion, I found the holocron of Ajunta Pall, which held info on the armor of Valtheran. Years later, I uncovered Exar Kun's holocron and learned of the Tedryn Holocron. Later on, I found out about Palpatine and his 'Grand Plan', and decided to go to the Unknown Regions and wait out the Clone Wars. Once the conflict had ended and returned to Imperial space, I started my plan.
"Over the following years, I acquired the armor and the Tedryn Holocron, the latter from which I learned of the Prophecy of the Apocalypse, which foretold the rebirth of the universe under a sole ruler."
"Which you took to mean yourself," Luke muttered, raising his lightsaber up again. "I am not going to stand for this."
Vorath sighed. "Predictable as always."
With the sound of a snap-hiss, a red lightsaber blade appeared in the Dark Lord's hands. He raised it up towards Luke, his eyes glowing sinisterly.
"Normally, I would simply take your soul," he said quietly. "But since you are the son of the Chosen One, as well as leader of the Jedi Order, I will make an exception with you."
Toah could only watch as the two warriors charged towards each other, and emerald clashed against ruby.
* * *
The battlefield was silent. Jedi Knights and Sith Lords, Republic soldiers and Imperial stormtroopers, looked up in a mix of awe and terror as a being almost as large as a Star Destroyer descended from the sky. The ground trembled beneath its feet, and its green eyes struck all below him like an invisible blade.
For the longest time, everyone was silent, gazing up towards the titan. It was Kyle Katarn, mouth hanging open, who gave out the call they were all anticipating:
"Run."
* * *
Admiral Pellaeon stared in disbelief at where the titanic monster once was.
One moment, the Imperial fleet had been warring against the Republic, slowly rising to become the victor. Then, a black monstrosity came out of nowhere and passed the waging battleships, letting out a noise that should have been impossible to make since it was in zero gravity.
Once it was gone, the entire crew of the Chimaera was left with an empty, void-like feeling, as if they no longer had a purpose in the galaxy.
Pellaeon was quick to shake the feeling off, but the sense of doubt soon replaced it. Who-or what-was that being? What was it's purpose? Why had he not been informed of it? Combined with his doubt on his allegiance, Pellaeon was now certain on what to do.
"Admiral, what are your orders?" the still-stunned captain of the Chimaera asked.
"Avert your fire away from the Republic forces," Pellaeon replied, ignoring the shocked looks from the rest of the bridge crew. "Give out the order to the rest of our fleet as well."
"S-sir?" the captain stuttered in surprise. "Are...are you feeling all right, sir?"
"I will be once this battle is over. Now do as I say!"
Hesitating only slightly, the captain turned around and barked out orders across the bridge. Pellaeon simply remained silent, staring out the viewport, knowing that if Thrawn were still around, he would likely glance at him and give a curt nod of approval.
* * *
From the Galactic Voyager's command deck, Captain Cha Niathal focused her large eyes on the Super Star Destroyer up ahead, shrugging off the empty feeling the monstrous entity had left for her and her crew.
Red plasma bolts pounded onto the Star Destroyer's hull. Judging by the dreadnaught's slow reaction, Niathal presumed that the Imperials on the ship were still trying to shake off what had just occurred. The Star Destroyer returned fire, green bolts crossing with red.
At first it seemed that the two ships were evenly matched, until the tables suddenly turned when an emerald bolt struck directly into the Galactic Voyager's bridge, causing Niathal to nearly lose her balance. More fire pounded onto the Republic cruiser, which was beginning to lose control, allowing the Star Destroyer to take the upper hand once again.
Just when Niathal was about to call for a retreat, she heard one of the bridge officers cry out, "Look!"
Looking up at the viewport, she saw, much to her utter surprise, a group of Imperial ships approaching the Super Star Destroyer from behind.
Firing upon it.
The tables had turned once again. Niathal turned to the bridge office and said quietly to him, "Resume firing."
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