HP: Dance of the Veela

Nar Shaddaa Orbit, Hutt Space…997 ARR…

Hutt Space was a place where you could find anything, have the right connections and credits and you could generally get anything that you wanted no questions asked. The Hutts would do business with anyone regardless of who they were and as long as the parties paid, then no one would ever know. Imperial, Rebel, Rift Alliance it didn't matter as long as you could pay…then you were free to do business here and find whatever your heart might desire.

But even the Hutts would not be happy to find a battle raging above one of their most important planets.

An Imperial Fleet led by Admiral Winstel Greelanx had chased a Rebel Force here only to discover that it was in fact a trap engineered by the Rebel Leader, Meetra Surik. From the bridge of her Nebulon-B Frigate the Lament she watched the battle with a calm eye, judging the tactics being used by Admiral Greelanx and countering them but she was not fighting alone in this battle she thought with a small smirk.

The Underworld Alliance was involving itself in this one.

Not only was Talon bringing ships of his own but a lot of Smugglers who had joined his alliance had brought their ships to this fight and a pirate called Drea Renthal had brought her small fleet here as well to assist in the battle.

Their ships were supposedly inferior to the Empire but they were in far greater numbers and Meetra had a reason for this, why she had leaked her position to the Empire and why she had lured them here after going to the trouble of negotiating with the Underworld Alliance and others to arrange this ambush.

They wanted the Imperial Ships.

The Rebel Alliance was in desperate need of more ships with the Mon Calamari, the Corellians and the Dorneans pulling back. There were okay for starfighters but larger warships were in very short supply. So, she had found an Admiral with a small fleet and an even smaller fuse on his temper to follow them out of Imperial Territory and into neutral space.

Seeing she had the Imperial Fleet enveloped she then turned to the communications officer.

"Order all ships to deploy Ion Torpedoes, disable targets." Meetra commanded and the order was relayed to the Y-Wing Bombers. They had been working hard to manufacture as many of these expensive weapons as they possibly could at the Foundry just for this mission.

The hundred Y-Wings streamed out from behind her ship and began running towards the enemy ships while boarding parties prepared to join the assault. The Gears from Sera had been a massive help in training and developing equipment for their ground forces and today they would show the Empire why COG armour was superior to their flimsy plasteel armour.

The Y-Wing pilots led by Gold Squadron flew in a full speed before firing their deadly ordinance at the Imperial ships they wanted. The Star Destroyer, Imperial Destiny named for the decommissioned Dreadnaught of the same name was an easy target but the Neutron Star class Bulk Carriers were valuable prizes too as with the right refit the Rebels could make them into formidable warships. The Guardian class Light Cruisers and Carrack class light cruisers were also a priority but the Tie Fighters and three remaining Dreadnaught cruisers were to be destroyed the moment they were crippled.

True the Underworld Alliance and pirates would take a couple but the Imperial Destiny, eight of the Guardian class cruisers, three of the Neutron Star Bulk Carriers and one of the Carracks were flying Rebel flags by the end of the day. Meetra sent their new fleet to the Mako-Ta Space Docks for refitting. The Imperial Destiny would be invaluable as the Rebels had precious few capital ships to call on for the moment now the Mon Calamari had backed out Meetra thought with a frown. That Star Destroyer would be vital in giving them some heavy fire power in the days ahead.

Ryloth, Outer Rim Territories…

For nearly twenty years Cham Syndulla had been planning the liberation of his planet, he had been storing away weapons and even vehicles for the uprising in several locations across the planet. He had been recruiting as many people as possible along with studying the enemy as closely as he could to make sure his people had the best chance of success.

The Twi'lek Jedi that Aayla Secura had been training for years, male and female were all ready to lead their charge and emboldened their people. Every single city had a cell of his people ready to open the doors to his people who now numbered in the tens of thousands he thought proudly having been training them in secret for years in anticipation of this moment. He would have continued fighting them as he always had but the Jedi had advised him that fighting the Empire head on was fighting their war by their rules so it was better to fight in their own way and take a long-term view.

The people were ready to be free and after over two decades of fighting, Cham was ready to free his people and retake their world. Aayla at his side was smiling too as she had long dreamt of making things better on their world and now, they would have their own version of the Jedi Order to accomplish that Cham thought with pride.

As he personally joined the fight to retake Lessu he had a flashback of when he was a younger man, fighting for the same city alongside Mace Windu and the clones. This time he was doing it solely with his people with the sole exception the older clones that had been the one that trained their new army.

Seeing his people open the bridge and the gates of the city as planned he led the charge riding his personal Blurrg into action with Aayla at his side, her blue lightsaber like a beacon to their troops. The Imperials had no idea just what had hit them he thought with pride as his people stormed the city and secured their prisoners and the liberation of their capital. The cheers of his people filled the air and he knew he had to make a speech to them later but right now he was just happy to see the joy on his people's faces and their elation of being free.

Ordo Compound, Reijar…

Jyn Erso had been in a rather dangerous situation when she had been kidnapped, captured by a petty dictator after failing to blow up his ship and steal his weapons collection. He had been about to have her paraded through the streets for her humiliation and then torture her by any methods he could allow.

But as it was about to happen, he was silenced by a strike force that dispatched him and his guards without even being seen, then she had felt a stun dart hit her and then without knowing just how long she had unconscious she woke up, sluggish from the effects of the drugs and looked around in confusion as to where she was.

"It has been a long time since I last saw you, Jyn Erso. You have grown and suffered much in that time I see." A voice said from the side, she bolted around even if it made her head throb with discomfort. She saw that she was in an office of some sort and was laid down on a coach, a man stood up from the desk where he had been working. He was wearing armour in dark green and black with golden markings. He was a human she noticed with hair that was dark and rather impressive green eyes.

"Who are you?" Jyn asked him, her mind now clearing and making her wonder desperately just who she was dealing with. Not that she had ever crossed a Mandalorian to her knowledge she thought as she now recognised the armour. She hoped his name might give her some idea just what this was all about.

"My apologies, it is rare that I deal with those that don't know me these days. My name is Haron Ordo." He told her as he walked over and held out his hand, Jyn with uncertainty shook it as she knew that name quite well. Everyone did, Haron Ordo, Mandalore the Unifier who led his people in their fight against the Empire and founder of the Rift Alliance.

Possibly the biggest threat to the Empire she thought and wondered just what he would need her for? He who had an army and over thirteen hundred worlds to do his bidding? She pondered but as he poured her tea, she remained silent rather than ask him since it was clear he was not treating her as a prisoner but more like a guest…a forced guest she admitted given she had been kidnapped but still a guest.

"Now I know you will have questions but I will be frank with you Miss Erso, we need your help." Haron told her as he sipped his tea, showing her that it wasn't poisoned so she did the same slowly and with care. It was quite nice she noticed as she sipped it.

"What could you need me for?" Jyn asked with suspicion as she was confused at again why he would need her when he commanded so many people and resources? Surely, he could have just about anything he wanted. He smiled slightly before explaining to her.

"The Empire is building a superweapon that is capable of destroying entire planets, they are hoping to subjugate every system in the galaxy with it and to stop it, I need you to convince your father to trust us." He said which made her blink in surprise.

"Your father is the chief scientist on the project, responsible for the primary weapon but knowing that the Empire is responsible for the death of his wife, your mother and his separation from you I highly doubt he is 'loyal to the cause'. I need him to tell us how to destroy it. And you are the likely the only person he will trust." Haron told her plainly as they sat there sipping tea. "I have a lead on your father and should have his location soon. But I need someone that he will trust. I have no desire to kill him…far from it. I had intended to recruit him to my side years ago but he did not like the idea of working with warriors but right now the fate of the literal galaxy may depend on what your father knows." Haron told her and waited for her response.

Jyn was stunned, she had not seen her father for so many years…it felt almost like a dream whenever she did try to think of him. Him, not the horrible day the Empire had come and killed her mother and taken him away. To discover he was involved in such a destructive weapon shocked her, he hated violence she remembered, why would he work on something like that? She thought before realising the simple answer was that he had been forced too.

But she knew him, he was smart…he would have made sure that this weapon could be destroyed she thought with certainty and she had no love for the Empire either. Hurting the Empire like this would be deeply satisfying Jyn thought especially as they had taken her parents away from her, not to mention the chance to be with her father again was too much of an opportunity to pass up. She had missed him so much she thought with a deep longing to be with him again. But one question quickly reared its head that made her enjoyment sour.

"What will you do with my father and me when the Death Star is gone?" She asked him with suspicious eyes and Haron just smiled as he told her.

"Repeat the offer I made to him during the Clone Wars. That he and his family have sanctuary within our space." He told her which made her raise an eyebrow in surprise before he told her with amusement. "Your father is a genius of this era, in either military or civilian projects I have no doubt that he would be of great help to my people in our fight against the Empire. Naturally as family means a great deal to us you would be welcome also." He added to ensure that she knew this offer extended to her too. She was no scientific genius like her father but she had great potential all the same and he would like to see it flourish. He felt old sometimes as he considered she had been a small child the last time they had met and now she was a young woman.

But that was life, he thought with a mix of emotion. Nothing ever stayed the same and those who tried to hold onto the past ended up being left behind. It was a harsh truth but truth all the same.

Jyn seemed to be torn for a moment, not sure if this was a real offer or not but the desire of finally being reunited with her father eventually pushed her to make a decision, one that he had been hoping she would make.

"I'll help you."

- x -

Mandalorian Temple, Reijar…

Luna sat in her private meditation chamber, built with materials that she had enchanted to help with her powers and to achieve a deeper harmony.

She was looking into the future and it was as blurred as ever, things were still in motion and but she felt things turning slowly in their favour as time progressed. As more of the galaxy became free and the Emperor's hold on the force lessened but this war, she thought with resignation was far from over.

She could see in her mind's eye that the Akaan and even Galen Marek where training the younger generation, the students were all progressing at different rates but once they had been only half a dozen, then two dozen.

Now, she thought with amazement at how much they had progressed, they had over twenty Akaan and a hundred students. Some of the Akaan had families who would no doubt in time produce more students as their order continued to grow.

They had even set up a smaller temple on Earth to monitor the planet and ensure everything was okay. Luna herself was able to see in her mind's eye that her sons were taking their first force exercises while Mira Marek was preparing for her trials to become a full Akaan like her brother.

She was not able to contain a tear running down her cheek, her children were growing up and her order was growing up too. She suspected they were in for some growing pains as they grew and developed further but that was something to worry about when it happened, she reassured herself. She was making something from almost nothing and it was bound to be problems along the way but she would deal with what she could control Luna thought before returning to her meditations.

- x -

Ravara, Mandalorian Space…

Neville was sitting in his family's new stronghold and admiring the new and functional command centre he had been given. It was the most advanced anywhere in Mandalorian Space and he could run the covert operations teams from here with ease. The planet's various information feeds too could be run through this room which allowed him to monitor the productivity of his new world and see where the potential problems were.

Hannah and their sons were touring the planet so they could get used to it as it would now be their new home and the place that his sons would raise their own families, which brought up a rather thorny issue.

Neville was reluctant to admit it but while on Earth the name Longbottom had been a respected one in the magical world, however in space it was treated as an insult and many jokes were being made at their expense. Being a personal friend to the Mandalore, an Akaan and the head of the Special Operations Unit had quieted most people but he didn't want his grandchildren to deal with the insults that had been sent his way by those too immature to see past his name…so after careful consideration he had decided to change the family name. He did this with a heavy heart as he had been so proud of it once but like Harry and Daphne who had embraced new names before had realised, that Longbottom was the past…Ravari was their future.

Tak Base, Talay…

Rebel Alliance Mercenaries Jan Ors and Kyle Katarn looked around at the rubble that had once been a Rebel base, only a minor one but still a base and yet apart from a small and incomplete distress call from Admiral Toka, the Mon Calamari that had been commanding the base no one had managed to escape or even say what it was that was attacking them.

The devastation stunned Jan and Kyle as they picked their way through the base, desperate for some kind of clue as to what had happened here. But there was precious little left of the base let alone of their attackers. A bunch of Imperials had been present, probably trying to find any information that might have survived to use against the Rebellion but Kyle had dealt with them swiftly.

But Kyle felt an urge he couldn't explain to check a pile of debris nearby, he went over and picked through it carefully until he discovered a strange looking rifle. It was not rustic in anyway and looked state of the art so he guessed it must be Imperial, he looked at it and while slightly battered it would have been powerful.

"You found something?" Jan asked him and he held up the rifle for her to see.

"Hope so, otherwise we are all out of leads." Kyle said with concern as he didn't know of any Imperial unit that could cause this sort of damage apart from orbital bombardment and that would have left nothing intact at all.

"Nice." Jan said as she took the weapon and wondered if they could repair it. "I think we should have some contacts that can tell us where this bad boy came from."

"Good, soon I hope otherwise we might be seeing a lot more of this." Kyle said while Jan smirked as she teased him.

"Maybe you could 'sense' something if you took Satele up on her offer."

Kyle frowned as this subject was brought up again.

"Look, I'm not cut out to be a Jedi. End of story." He told her but she told him with an urging look.

"You don't have to be…she explained that. All she was offering was to show you how to use the force. That could be a big help against whatever did this." She said wishing he would do it as it might be the difference between life and death, she honestly did not understand his reluctance and just put it down to being too stubborn for his own good. Kyle uncomfortable with the direction this conversation had taken changed the subject.

"Let's just get this identified and find out where it comes from…then once we're done with this, I'll think about it." Kyle said hoping she would drop it and thankfully she did, he however as they left for Anoat in the hopes of finding out more about the weapon they'd found felt unsettled and hoped she would forget about it but knew she wouldn't. Jan was far too stubborn for that he thought with a smile, that was why he loved her so much.

Jedha, Mid Rim…

Saw Gerrera watched as his people set up in the catacombs, once a holy sight but not it would serve as his base for the war against the Empire. He had been mounting many raids and was sure that somehow the Empire's operations here had something to do with this enormous project that they were working so hard to keep under wraps. The key to understanding just what they were up to was here! He thought with hatred burning in his veins, whatever they were doing it was big and he was going to not only find out what it was but more than that he was going to destroy it! He thought with angry determination.

Orbit of Eadu, Outer Rim…

A small fleet of Imperial Ships orbited Eadu, protecting the vital weapons lab that lay on the surface given its importance. The lab itself was one of the most closely guarded secrets in the Empire and so the fleet while vigilant had little fear of being attacked.

But Star Chaser came in under cloak, hidden from their sensors as it made its way towards the weapons lab on the surface, aboard it where two teams of Special Operations warriors. Both in full tactical gear and a squad of Akaan led by Trilla was accompanying them, Jyn Erso sat among them wearing Mandalorian armour which many thought was an affront but there was a good reason for it as Trilla briefed the people going in.

"Our objective is to infiltrate the Research Station, locate Professor Galen Erso and extract him and his daughter safely. No matter the cost, they must both be evacuated alive…all other concerns are secondary. In addition, if we can take the research data that they are working on here then that is also a priority. Our fleet will in just ten minutes begin an attack on the Imperial Fleet as a distract and to cover our escape. Once inside the facility we are committed, use portkeys to evacuate when we are done. Now, gear up. It's time to drop." Trilla told them and they all as true professionals got their equipment ready quietly while Jyn looked uncertain.

"Any problems?" She asked and Jyn frowned before saying.

"No. But did you really mean what you said? About me and my father being first priority?" Jyn asked, still not trusting them completely despite knowing what was at stake. Trilla swallowed her annoyance at her distrust and reminded her.

"You and your father could literally hold the fate of the galaxy in your hands, of course we mean it. Why do you think we made sure you know how to use a jetpack? Why you are carrying a portkey?" Trilla told her and Jyn finally accepted that even if she was still confused about the magic they were using. She had seen a portkey demonstrated and experienced it first hand, ending up throwing up when she had first tried it but the fact that they could teleport honestly was astonishing, making her wish that her mother could have seen all of this…to know what the force was really capable of she sighed as she put her helmet on, not used to wearing it but it was essential for her own safety.

Penetrating the atmosphere the Star Chaser finally stopped over the Imperial base which was built into the side of a mountain. The cargo hatch opened and showed the deeply scary jump and Jyn hesitated for a moment while the Special Operations Teams jumped without any worry, activating their packs so they could land on the platform and shot the few Imperials standing there. Once clear they went to the access hatch and attached their slicing gear to the panel and on the corvette Trilla grabbed Jyn by the shoulder and without warning jumped off the ship.

Jyn was frozen for a moment as she fell, her mind paralysed with fear before she remembered to activate the pack and stabilized herself, seething at Trilla who was hovering nearby. Jyn glared at her not that you could tell with the helmet before awkwardly flying to the landing platform and stumbling a little as she landed but was safe. Trilla who landed beside her touched down with much more grace and told her.

"Come on."

Jyn glared again but got to her feet and ran after her, arriving as they got the door open and charged in. The Special Operations Team ran alongside the Akaan as they flooded into the facility, weapons drawn be it lightsaber or blaster and started shooting at every Stormtrooper and Imperial Officer they came across while taking scientists prisoner in case they knew something important.

Trilla followed the will of the force and led herself, two other Akaan and Jyn to a lab at the depths of the complex. The door was locked shut and there was no panel on this side so Trilla plunged her saber into the door and began to cut it open, the metal gave way with agonising slowness but with the help of one of her other Akaan, the door was cut open.

They entered through the hole and saw a pair of stormtroopers about to kill Galen Erso but Trilla thought quickly and grabbed them both with the force and snapped their necks with a satisfying crack. Galen was disturbed by this and questioning what was happening while one of the Akaan downloaded the information from the station's computer. Jyn then took the time to remove her helmet and make herself known.

"Dad." She said with a breathless whisper, her heart beating fiercely as she looked at him for the first time in years. He looked older and more tired than she had ever seen him but those caring loving eyes that she had missed so much were still there.

He likewise knew who she was straight away, his eyes watering as he took her in. No longer the child he had lost so many years ago but now a grown woman who looked so much like her mother.

"My Stardust." He said with joyful acceptance and held her close as she ran into his arms, holding him tightly and praying that nothing would ever separate them again. They just held each other and took comfort in being together again.

Trilla watched their reunion, wondering again just what her own family would have been like. A DNA test had confirmed that she had no living relatives unfortunately, they had all been killed in an accident, the same one that had injured her mother so badly that she died giving birth to her. Apart from Cal, her adopted brother she didn't have much else and she saw him and his family on Dathomir whenever she could but it was deeply unsettling to see what she would never have. She was dating and hopefully would be starting a family of her own soon but that was not a certainty.

Receiving a signal that the fleet had arrived she checked with her teams and they had all secured the data and scientists including the technical schematics of the Death Star and with the fleet about to begin their attack she knew they had moments to get clear.

"All units, pull out. The attack is coming. Jyn, it's time to go. Hold this Mr Erso and say the word 'Freedom.'" Trilla ordered and handed him a lump of metal. Galen looked confused but with an encouraging nod from his daughter, he did just that as Trilla and Jyn did the same.

"Freedom."

The portkeys activated and they felt that strong pull at the naval and vanished from the room, reappearing in the cargo hold of the Star Chaser. While Galen threw up from the rough travel and Jyn helped him to the side of the room, the other members of the team arrived, some injured and others carrying the prisoners who would need to be processed but as Trilla counted she made sure all members of the team were accounted for before telling the ship's bridge.

"Captain, get us out of here." Trilla ordered now sure that she had all of their people and prisoners aboard. The ship's captain didn't waste a moment and took the ship up while still under cloak, making sure they were well clear of the target zone.

- x -

The small fleet that jumped it converged on the Imperial fleet quickly and started firing straight away, Gladius and Halberd class ships fired missiles at long range but at the main centre of the formation was the largest ship any of them had seen.

The first of the new Orar class battleships, its sleek and aggressive shape made it look dangerous and it was proven to be more than cosmetic as it opened fire with the heavy mass driver cannons built into its bow. Heavy ordinance passed straight through the shields of the Imperial Star Destroyer above it and skilfully tore it apart at the neck. Now closer the missile launchers and turbolasers roared to life and filled the area as it came into range, Tie fighters and smaller ships torn apart by the CIWS defence system of laser cannons and flak guns.

Its shields were holding without trouble but as the Star Chaser escaped the target area the Orar opened fire with its mass drivers again, pounding the base relentlessly until both it and the cliff that it was built into shattered into rubble and plunged into the ravine below, erasing all evidence that they had even been there.

The Star Chaser still under cloak made its way clear and jumped to hyperspace while the Orar and its escorts made sure no Imperial was left alive to reduce the risk of detection. Leaving only when they were completely certain that the job was done.

Rhelg, Sith Worlds Region…

The forgotten Sith Worlds Region had once been home to the Sith Empire at its height but had been forgotten as the centuries passed, leaving most of the planets devoid of intelligent life. Some expeditions to these worlds especially to Korriban delivered treasures of the lost empire but others were ignored as they lacked the enormous tombs and monuments that drew any real attention.

Rhelg was one such world, it had played part in no famous battles nor had enormous tombs to legendary Sith Lords to plunder so it faded into the background. But it did still have some important landmarks of its own. Ludo Kreesh, the famed rival of Naga Sadow had built a palace on this planet which now was a ruin but he had left something else, ready to be used against his deadly enemy when he felt the time was right but he had died before he could use it. Its location hidden in a holocron that he had left behind for his descendants to use, but none of them had even known to look. Thousands of years later it had fallen into the collection of Palpatine who himself had not probed it as deeply as he should have.

But Silri had.

She had been working hard for years to uncover this secret and smirked as she used the holocron to open the door of the secret chamber, the tomb door parted and revealing the hidden army frozen in carbonite. They had been here for thousands of years but still slept until they were awakened.

Silri smirked as she walked through the chamber arriving at the Sith Master who would command the army. She activated the revival sequence and held the holocron securely to her chest as the metal melted away and left the Sith Master free for the first time in nearly five thousand years.

He stumbled and while she abhorred weakness, she was too delighted by her new army, looking at him he was not human as she had presumed that he would be. Instead, he was red skinned with bony spurs protruding from his face. Silri activated her lightwhip and told him with a cruel smirk.

"I hold the holocron, you will follow me." She told them and the Sith Master who had been conditioned long ago to follow the one who held the holocron as had the rest of the army, knelt before her and asked.

"What is your command, Mistress?" He asked and Silri smirked in triumph as she told him.

"The Sith have been twisted so now only one true Sith Lord exists. He controls an Empire and I will take his place." Silri told him and the Sith Master who bowed his head in acceptance of the order asked her.

"How shall we get to him Mistress? There are only small ships here, they cannot even leave the system." He told her and she nodded before telling him.

"I have already arranged for that. Now wake the rest of the army. There is much to do." Silri told him as she prepared for the arrival of her new flagship.

- x -

The Imperial Star Destroyer Perilous came into orbit of Rhelg only a day later, not sure why they had been brought to such an isolated and unimportant area of the galaxy but they had been called her by one of the Emperor's Dark Disciples and it was best not to disobey orders from them or the consequences would be terrible.

When small shuttles started coming up from the surface, ancient ones at that they had been about to shoot them down but they again where commanded not to by Silri and to let them dock and they were so afraid of disobeying orders…they did as she told them.

An action they would not live to regret.

The moment the shuttles docked a screaming horde of soldiers with red skin and ancient weapons came out of the shuttles and attacked the Imperials, only those necessary to run the ship would be spared as Silri led them into taking the ship, laughing with manic abandon as her new army tore its way through the Imperial scum.

And with this army she thought with a cruel smirk not only would she reclaim Dathomir from the weakling that now ruled it but she would take the Empire itself! She thought with an intense look of hunger. All the secrets of the dark side would be hers and she would rule.

Garn, Outer Rim…

In their small shuttle Luke and Mace Skywalker were on their first mission without their parents' supervision, technically it was only a search and rescue mission and only if there was someone left to rescue.

A rebel scout team had come to this planet to see about establishing a base here to replace Tak Base, but no one had heard from them in days. Clearly something was wrong and Luke and Mace had been dispatched to see if they could find them. It was somewhat nerve wracking for the pair as this was the first mission that they had ever done on their own and it was to investigate what might have wiped out a whole rebel scout team.

"There's the shuttle." Mace pointed out and saw the shuttle set down near some kind of ancient fortress which was what had attracted them to this planet in the first place. The building was large and could easily accommodate the needs of the alliance but as they came closer, they both felt a familiar chill roll over them.

"Death." Luke said as they landed and reluctantly left the ship in the hopes that there might be someone left to rescue. Holding their sabers in their hands as they crept forward carefully, the area around them seeming threatening to their heightened tension. They saw the bodies of the scout party ahead and that was accompanied by a mechanical clanking sound. Both ignited their sabers, blue and green respectively and a squad of ancient looking droids came clanking their way towards them, firing antique looking blasters mounted to their arms, Luke and Mace both started deflecting the bolts back at them but as they looked behind them to make a retreat, they saw another group of the droids coming up behind them. Mace immediately went back-to-back with his brother, defending each other from the approaching droids.

Seeing more approach Mace asked Luke as they tried to keep up their defence.

"More incoming. Luke, what do we do?" Mace asked, feeling slight fear while Luke was desperately looking for a way out for them both but seeing as there were more droids between them and the ship, he made his call and just hoped it was the right one.

"We press on, find a passage so we can loop around them and back to the ship." He said and then gritted his teeth and then told his brother. "Forward."

Luke began to press forward as he defended himself and Mace kept step with him as he protected his brother from behind. Luke got close enough to the droids to dispatch them with his lightsaber and they pressed forward into the structure. Now free to assist Mace Luke turned and helped his brother deflect the blaster bolts back at them as they broke into a run to escape them.

The droids were far slower than they were so it didn't take long to get out of range down a maze of passageways but in doing so they arrived in a large centre chamber and saw a pyramid shaped glowing computer in the centre.

"Jedi, you return to Garn. I have waited long for my revenge on your kind." The disembodied voice said as an image of sorts appeared of a strange looking alien creature the likes of which neither Luke nor Mace had seen before.

"Who are you?" Luke demanded as he guessed that the droids worked for this…whatever it was he thought. This looked to be more than just a computer, he could feel the force and even a mind in it.

"I am Nur, High Shaman of the Order of the Terrible Glare. You must know child, otherwise why would the Jedi return to this place, where me and my kind were destroyed by yours." Rur told them with great anger.

"The Pius Dea Crusades." Luke said with reality dawning on him.

"This was the place where the Jedi who sided with the human zealots were destroyed by the Order resided." Mace said as he too now recalled just what had happened. A group of Jedi who had split from the main order after it had refused to support the human's systematic destruction of alien species and forcing other species from their worlds, they had settled here and become a dangerous cult that the Jedi Order had been forced to put down when they brought the crusades to an end.

"Yes, I have waited over ten thousand years for my revenge." Nur said with fury but Luke and Mace shared a look and a nod.

"Then you have waited in vain, the Pius Dea Crusades ended and now it is your turn." Luke said before he and Mace turned towards the Pyramid shaped computer and stretched out their hands, Master Kagame had taught them much over the years and one ability he had bestowed to them was the ability to use a special version of force lightning that targeted specifically at droids.

The charged ions surged forth from their hands and the computer or whatever it was screamed out in frustrated agony as it was being fried, both brothers putting their utmost into it and the droids caught up with them just as the pyramid was reduced to a twisted mess of circuits and debris. The droids stopped; their strings cut now the computer was no more and fell to the ground in a heap.

Luke and Mace, both panting with all of the effort looked at the computer and then each other before slowly making their way out of the fortress. Luke would definitely recommend the Rebels avoid this planet; it was cursed by the echoes of past atrocities.

Coruscant, Core Worlds…

Imperial Centre as Coruscant was fast becoming known was easily one of the best defended planets in the galaxy, two legions of Stormtroopers at all times were stationed here not to mention a fleet as big as a Sector Control Fleet in orbit.

Only someone who was completely insane would even dare to try and attack this world and yet that was exactly what was about to happen.

The Star Destroyer Perilous came out of hyperspace and did not acknowledge any signal, Imperial space controllers looked up in confusion as the ship was not due to arrive and no one aboard was speaking to them. The ship ploughed forward at full sublight speed as smaller ships emerged from its hull and followed in its wake. The controllers were alarmed as the ship appeared to be coming right at them, immediately they opened fire with the defence satellites but the momentum of the ship was unstoppable and despite the damage the turbolasers were doing there was nothing they could do. They ran for the landing bay but no one would make it before the star destroyer collided with the station, destroying it completely and leaving the planet's defence force in a state of shock.

The smaller ships that followed avoided the debris which was falling rapidly towards Coruscant and flew towards the Imperial Palace.

The ships were crude and strange looking towards the people of Coruscant as they landed but the sight of the vicious red skinned soldiers that came screaming out accompanied by a massive bellowing Rancor terrified them all. They ran but the soldiers with incredible brutality armed with both Imperial Blasters and scary looking melee weapons chased them down and began slaughtering anyone they could find. Stormtroopers finding themselves stunned and unsure of just what was happening but they still tried to fight back only to be massacred.

Silri walked out of the landing ship and smirked broadly at the carnage she was causing; everything was going as she had dreamt it would.

- x -

From a viewing platform at the Imperial Palace Palpatine watched the chaos and frowned slightly before turning towards the hulking form of his new and improved enforcer.

"Lord Vader. The Palace is threatened, I sense that Silri has betrayed us, deal with her army and then bring her to me." He commanded and Vader stood up and spoke.

"As you wish."

Vader turned and left, his boiling rage a comforting thing to Palpatine who had ordered all Stormtroopers and vehicles to repel the invasion.

"General Tantor, Colonel Veers. Repel the Invasion with all the force required, Lord Vader is moving to assist you." Palpatine ordered as the holograms of two of his best Imperial Officers appeared, both nodded and answered his command.

"As you wish your excellency." They both said before disappearing.

- x -

The heavy clunking AT-AT walkers moved into position, Colonel Veers in command of the forward line while General Tantor was in overall command. Looking at the holo displays of the battlelines Tantor gave his orders.

"Second Battalion, use the windows in civilian buildings for elevation on the attackers. Walker group 3, march up Shan Road to force them back towards Artillery Group 4, bombard them as they are chased towards you. Colonel Veers, establish defence line at Point Bravo and hold them there. The other units will drive them towards you." Tantor commanded and Veers nodded, both men knowing the capabilities of the other and having mutual respect for them.

The Stormtroopers now they had General Tantor in command felt better, he had never lost a battle and had proven himself on the field many times before. But also, the sight of the unstoppable Lord Vader as he came up to lead them from the front line bolstered their courage.

Tantor's tactics slowly started paying off, Stormtroopers used the windows of civilian buildings that lined the road to shoot from up high. Rocket and grenade launchers were deployed alongside E-Web blaster repeaters, doing their best to thin out the enemy ranks while heavy AT-AT walkers accompanied by AT-ST walkers and more Stormtroopers moved alongside them in support.

The Sith warriors were ferocious in battle but not well led as Silri had no real skill in warfare or in leadership in general. Their armour was also struggling to deal with the firepower being brought to bear on them by the Empire and slowly they were being pushed back, artillery began to rain down on them too from another direction and forcing those that survived down another street and towards Colonel Veers and his walkers who would decimate the survivors.

Cuddles was stomping towards them but he was an easy target given his size, Veers saw the monster coming towards him and commanded.

"Lock on target…maximum firepower."

The large and powerful walker fired its big cannons, striking the Rancor hard and it let out one last defiant roar before falling down dead.

Silri felt the death of her pet and it enraged her but not as much as the sight of the Emperor's cloned monster Vader stomping towards her. She ordered the Sith Master to attack him and while powerful the Sith ignited his lightsaber first, crossing it with Vader but had not bargained on his enemy's greater strength, Vader with some difficulty forced the saber aside and grabbed the Sith Lord by the neck and snapping it like a twig.

Silri was snarling with rage and ignited her lightwhip going to strike Vader but he surprisingly dodged this and pulled her weapon from her hands with the force. Then he delivered a powerful punch to her face, knocking her out.

- x -

When Silri came around again she found that she couldn't move, she tried to but found she was strapped to some sort of frame and her powers were being dampened much to her anger but then she recognised just where she was.

That was when she began to panic.

She knew this place although only in her worst nightmares, it was the personal workshop of the Emperor himself. Where he personally tortured his private prisoners and she had heard some truly terrible stories about what happened in this room. A voice came through the door as it opened and she dearly hoped it was not him but her hopes were dashed.

"Ensure both General Tantor and Colonel Veers are appropriately rewarded for their service. And ensure all the bodies of the dead army are collected, I will have a purpose for them." The Emperor said as he entered the room with an aide who quickly turned around and left leaving Silri alone with the Emperor, she was shaking with her fear which delighted the Emperor. He mocked her with cruel satisfaction.

"You fool, only now at the end do you understand. I am the dark side of the force; I wield its great power and you know nothing of its true strength. I do have to thank you though, your Rancor now it has been appropriately stuffed is a nice display piece in my throne room…as a trophy, but those bodies they are all pure blood Sith. I had though the species dead but now I can incorporate them into my cloning operations. Bringing back a deceased species, it's beautiful." He mocked her before standing right in front of her and Silri had honestly never been more terrified at any point in her entire life.

"You will die in this room, but I will be here watching every moment of your agony as I slowly punish you for your treason. I will not allow you to die until I am satisfied that my fury is appropriately understood so I thought we would start with these." He told her, pulling out a jar of thin looking maggot like creatures which disgusted her but that disgust would turn to terror as he told her just what they did.

"These are burrowing neural parasites found in the swamps of Dromuud Kaas. Many would never know they were there but they burrow through the skin and connect to the various nerves around the body and being to feed on that neural energy, this has the effect of keeping the subject in a constant state of prolonged agony and they secrete a chemical that keeps the nerves from dying so they can continue to feed. I think we will start with them." The Emperor said as he poured the jar of maggots all over her. Silri struggled as they moved over her skin but she was helpless and could feel them burrow under skin, wincing but then as they latched onto her different nerves she began to moan in pain before it quickly grew stronger until she was screaming in agony.

Spirit of Fire, Mandalorian Space…

"The Death Star has an immense hypermatter reactor that requires large scale cooling, so I designed the cooling system to be its weakness." Galen said as he gestured towards the area in question. A long trench with a target area at the end which was only two metres wide and equipped with ray shields.

Haron sighed quietly as he considered this, a force sensitive pilot could potentially hit it but even they might struggle with a target that small. They didn't have many Akaan who specialised in starfighter combat. He was thinking that Anakin could probably do it and maybe one or two others. He himself hadn't flown a starfighter in years and was fairly certain he wouldn't be able too.

"How many crew does it have?" Neville asked as he considered just how many people would be needed to run such an enormous structure. Galen told him with a frown given the number of people they would be killing if they destroyed this monstrosity.

"Two million when it is fully crewed but at the moment it is still being operated by a skeleton crew until the final stages of construction are complete. That will take at least another year or two…possibly more with some of the issues that have evolved during the construction and testing phase. Also moving it away from Geonosis in the hurry that they did, damaged some of the key structural elements which has set them back." Galen said knowing if they managed to destroy it then many would die but had been the only way he thought to himself.

"How big is the skeleton crew?" Haron asked with an idea that was so insane it barely seemed to be worth thinking about let alone trying but he wanted to at least think it through.

"Fifty thousand, mostly engineers to maintain and install equipment with ten thousand Stormtroopers on guard duty."

Sixty thousand, Haron thought with a pondering look in his eyes. He reviewed in his head the number of Skytroopers and smaller Basilisk war droids they had, he turned to the professor and asked him.

"I assume you know the computer system of the station well Professor." Haron said and Galen was confused along with Ara, Neville and Deera who were with him. "Could you devise a virus that will lock out the main computer and security functions without a certain access code?" He asked and Galen frowned but nodded.

"Either way we can't do anything until we can find it. Do you know its current location?" Haron asked as he got them back on task. Galen shook his head but did mention something of value.

"Director Krennic makes frequent trips to Coruscant to brief the Emperor on the project personally. He is only trying to gain his favour but that is the only person who I know who leaves the Death Star, that is the reason there are so few people there, to keep it a secret." Galen told them and Haron nodded before sending a message to Yal Takan, ordering their assets on Coruscant to make tagging Krennic's shuttle with a tracking device top priority.

"Until we have a location, we can do nothing either way." Ara said taking over as she saw that her husband was planning one of the 'crazy' schemes that should never actually work but somehow did. They hadn't really spoken since Sabine's trial. He had not approved of her leaving any more than she had but it was her choice and they had no right to control her…but the tension from the trial had lingered and neither of them seemed able to bridge the gulf that had formed between them.

The matter made them exit the room separately, something that worried Neville and Deera but it was a personal matter between them and not something they felt was their right to mess with.

Haron retreated to the main office on the ship and called up Luna on Reijar, as per usual he did not have to wait long for her to return his call, she always was one step ahead of them he thought with a small smile.

"You had a question?" Luna said, he smirked a little wider before asking her.

"You recently recreated the tents and chests that are larger on the inside, correct?" Haron asked her and smiled with a proud nod so he then asked the real question he had for her. "Just how big on the inside can you make it?"

Luna pondered for a moment before answering.

"Depends on the materials and power used, if you and the others helped, I could make it enormous. Why?" She asked him and he nodded before telling her.

"Start work on it as soon as possible, we need something that is smaller on the outside but huge on the inside." Haron said as he was keen to make sure that if the thermal exhaust port didn't work out…that he had a Plan B.