The planet below was dying.
Leia Skywalker stood motionless at the edge of the observation deck, her gaze fixed on the world that had, mere hours ago, been teeming with life. Now, the only movement across its surface came from the wind, carrying the ghostly remnants of the Blue Shadow Virus through the once-bustling streets, leaving only stillness in its wake. Even from this altitude, she could feel the presence of death rolling across the planet like a thick, inescapable fog.
The purge was nearly complete.
Her golden eyes narrowed. Amongst the billions that had once lived below, now reduced to a fraction and dwindling with every passing second, something stood out. A ripple in the Force. Faint. Distant. But becoming clearer and clearer as the noise of countless dying minds faded into oblivion.
Interesting.
Leia tilted her head slightly, reaching out further. It was no simple xeno resistance fighter. No ordinary survivor. No, this was something more. Something trained.
A Jedi.
She clicked her tongue in amusement. How had she missed them until now? Were they hiding, suppressing their presence to avoid detection? Cowards to the end. But the Force had a way of revealing the inevitable. The deadening silence of the planet had only made it easier to sense them.
She turned her head slightly to the officer standing one step behind her, the clone trooper stiffly at attention, awaiting orders with the rigid discipline bred into every inch of his being.
"Prepare a strike force," Leia commanded, her voice carrying a quiet authority that brokered no argument. "There is a high probability this will escalate to Contingency 66."
The officer didn't hesitate, offering a crisp salute before reaching for his wrist communicator to relay the orders.
Leia lingered for a moment, considering. A Jedi, alone, hiding in the corpse of a fallen world? If they were worth anything, they would have already tried to escape. Yet they hadn't. That meant they either lacked the means… or believed they could fight back.
A slow, ruthless smile crossed her lips.
"Add one of the prototypes to the deployment team," she added.
The clone officer hesitated only for the briefest moment, enough to be nearly imperceptible, before nodding sharply. "Yes, General." He stepped away, already relaying the updated orders through encrypted comms.
Leia turned her gaze back toward the dying planet, hands folded behind her back. This was no longer just a routine cleansing. It had become a hunt.
And she intended to enjoy it.
======================
The alarms blared through the warship's corridors, their shrill tones cutting through the dim, sterile lighting of the preparation bays.
Inside the armory, elite clone troopers moved with precise, controlled efficiency, securing their gear with rapid, practiced motions. ARC Troopers—the best of the best within any standard deployment force—methodically checked their equipment, their armor pristine, their visors reflecting the crimson warning lights flashing overhead.
"CONTINGENCY 66. REPEAT. CONTINGENCY 66 HAS BEEN PUT IN EFFECT."
The words echoed through the ship's speakers, hammering into every soldier's mind.
A Jedi was present on the field.
Even after all these years, the phrase still sent a ripple through the ranks—a mixture of determination, revulsion, and the cold, ingrained fury that had been cultivated in them since the birth of the Empire. A Jedi. The ultimate traitor. They had been bred for this. Trained for this. The clones may have been warriors by design, but this? This was a duty.
Blaster rifles were quickly swapped out for area-of-effect weaponry. The Force was an unpredictable thing, and a cornered Jedi was among the most dangerous foes in the galaxy. Flamethrowers, electrical dischargers—anything that could counter their supernatural abilities was loaded and prepped.
No chemical weapons. That order had been clear. Most of the Empire's biological arsenal was still undergoing testing, and the Blue Shadow Virus already blanketed the planet below. The last thing they needed was an unexpected reaction.
Mechanical footsteps pounded against the durasteel as Droidekas rolled into position and started deploying, their shimmering energy shields humming to life as they were prepared for rapid deployment. Additional war droids lined up in silent formation, their mechanical minds indifferent to the gravity of the situation.
But all of them turned as the true terror of the armory stirred.
The Dreadnought.
A hulking monstrosity, its form hidden beneath reinforced plating, slowly rose from its containment platform. Its movements were deliberate, almost calculated, as if awakening from some deep, mechanical slumber. Even in the vast hangar, its sheer presence was overwhelming. The weight of each step sent tremors through the durasteel floor, a deep, thunderous reminder of the power it carried.
The clones watched, unshaken but attentive. They knew better than to let their thoughts wander. This was a weapon, a creation of the Empire's relentless drive toward supremacy. It had no name—only a designation.
And now, it would be tested in live combat.
The sound of boots striking metal echoed through the chamber as the final piece fell into place. Leia Skywalker had arrived.
A line of salutes snapped into place as she entered the deployment bay, her golden eyes sweeping over the gathered forces. She gave a single nod of approval. No words were needed.
The transport doors hissed open.
Leia stepped inside first, her flowing cape trailing behind her, and the soldiers followed, their synchronized movements echoing like a marching drumbeat.
The Jedi was waiting.
======================
The transport's engines roared as it cut through the thick, virus-tainted atmosphere, leading the formation of gunships and escort craft through the desolate skies. The entire world below lay in ruin—a silent tomb where death had spread like wildfire. Charred husks of cities stretched as far as the eye could see, skeletal remains of infrastructure standing as grim monuments to the planet's final moments.
Leia stood at the front of the troop bay, her piercing golden eyes locked on the horizon, her hand resting on the hilt of her saber. Through the Force, she could feel it—a presence growing ever more distinct, no longer drowned out by the cacophony of dying minds. The Jedi was here. Hidden. Waiting.
She raised a hand to her earpiece, issuing a calm but decisive command.
"All units, maintain formation. We are closing in on the target zone. Prepare for full deployment."
A chorus of acknowledgments came through her helmet's receiver.
"Copy that, General. Transports holding formation."
"ARC squads prepped and awaiting orders."
"Droid detachments standing by. Awaiting dispersal orders."
Leia barely acknowledged them, her focus narrowing as the distant structures finally came into view.
The area was small—a cluster of residential buildings, some still intact despite the devastation that had befallen the world. Most of the planet's strategic and military zones had been reduced to rubble by orbital bombardments, but these structures had survived. Their remote placement had likely saved them. It was here, in these last remnants of civilization, that the Jedi had chosen to hide.
Leia frowned slightly. Too close for another orbital strike. If she wanted an intact corpse, she'd have to take it by hand.
A cruel smirk touched her lips as she pushed aside the sentiment. There was no time for distractions. The Jedi was not a fool—they wouldn't come out to meet them head-on, as so many of their kind had before, desperate and reckless. No, this one was patient. Calculating. Likely a veteran of the Clone Wars, not some naive Padawan.
Good. This was getting interesting.
She turned sharply, her voice carrying over the low rumble of the engines.
"All units, encircle the complex. Keep a perimeter but maintain distance. No unnecessary casualties. The Jedi is expecting us to spread out, hoping to isolate and eliminate us in small engagements or attempt to hijack an escape craft. We will not give them the opportunity."
"Acknowledged, General."
The transports adjusted course immediately, their pilots obeying the order without hesitation. The first wave of ships began descending into position, scattering around the complex like a tightening noose.
"ARC squads, deploy in full. Secure vantage points, prepare for a breach operation."
"Roger. Troopers dropping now."
The gunships slowed just enough for elite ARC troopers to rappel down, their armored figures gliding through the open air with practiced ease, landing in positions that allowed them to oversee the droid deployment.
"Droid divisions, fan out and prepare for suppressive maneuvers. No unnecessary forward advances until the Jedi is flushed out."
The response came not in words, but in precise mechanical efficiency. The clanking of durasteel feet against the transport's floors reverberated as Droidekas rolled down the ramps, their sleek metallic forms unfurling as they hit the ground, blue energy shields flaring to life.
Rows of B1 Battle Droids and B2 Super Battle Droids stomped into position, heavy blasters primed and aimed at the empty windows of the ruined buildings.
Leia watched from the troop bay, eyes flicking across the unfolding scene. A steel tide had descended upon the complex. A force of overwhelming firepower.
She grinned and reached for her comm again.
"Deploy the Dreadnought."
The clone officer standing inside the other transport ship, turned toward the massive secured prototype at the rear of the transport. A hulking war machine—a monstrosity of Imperial engineering, locked in place by reinforced restraints that barely seemed capable of holding it in place for transport.
A moment of silence. Then—
"Affirmative, General. Engaging release protocols."
The locks detonated, a series of deafening metallic clangs as the restraints snapped apart, freeing the beast within.
The Dreadnought stirred.
A deep, metallic affirmation rumbled from within its armored frame, the hum of its internal power core intensifying as its massive limbs flexed. And then—it moved.
"Search And Destroy Protocols Are In Effect. Enemy Operational Area Designated... PROCEEDING!"
With a single, thunderous stomp, the machine rushed toward the edge of the transport, its titanic weight rocking the entire gunship, despite the stabilizers fighting desperately to compensate.
Then—it jumped.
A free-fall drop.
=================
The initial impact sent a shockwave of dust and debris cascading through the air, followed by an ear-splitting grinding roar as its sheer mass carried it downward, obliterating floor after floor in its descent.
For the briefest moment, silence settled over the battlefield. Then—
CRASH!
A section of the outer wall exploded outward, showers of stone and shattered plasteel raining down as the hulking monstrosity burst forth, its heavy limbs crushing the wreckage beneath it. The once-sturdy residential tower shuddered, its very foundation compromised.
Then it tipped.
The groan of stressed duracrete filled the air as the massive structure lurched sideways, collapsing into the adjacent building. A domino effect had begun—one structure leaning into the next, sending cracks racing up their sides before the inevitable collapse. A chain reaction of ruin.
And yet—the Dreadnought did not stop.
Like an unstoppable force of destruction, it moved through the wreckage, slamming through walls, pillars, and remaining supports, systematically dismantling what little remained of the district. Each motion was precise, each step carrying the weight of a weapon designed to break anything in its path.
Above, aboard the command transport, Leia Skywalker observed the devastation with a cool, calculated expression. Her officer stood beside her, datapad in hand, fingers moving swiftly as he compiled an on-the-fly assessment.
"Damage assessment in progress. The Dreadnought has fully penetrated the structure and compromised the foundation. It appears the entire block is undergoing structural failure. Unit response time is optimal—no errors in movement sequencing detected."
Leia nodded slightly.
"Run a secondary analysis. Focus on the stress on its mechanical parameters. We need an accurate measurement."
The officer acknowledged with a sharp nod, adjusting his inputs as his helmeted gaze remained locked on the destruction below.
The Dreadnought was still experimental, after all. While its current systems relied on advanced droid command programming, it was merely a stepping stone—a platform meant to eventually be integrated into the Clone Corps. The day a clone could be integrated into one of these monsters…
A new transmission crackled through the command channel.
"General, sniper unit reporting visual on our HVT."
Leia's gaze sharpened immediately.
"Send it through."
A live feed flickered onto her HUD display, showing the sniper's enhanced scope view.
Through the swirling dust and falling debris, a figure emerged, darting from the remains of a collapsing tower. Moving with desperate precision, it sprinted along the tilting side of the crumbling structure, leaping from one fragment of debris to the next, landing with a controlled slide onto the open ground below.
Even through the grainy visual, Leia could see the effort behind the maneuver—the sharp breaths, the unsteady footing upon landing. This was no unscathed escape. Either the collapse itself or the strain of movement had taken a toll.
The sniper droid, ever methodical, continued its scan, cross-referencing every motion with its internal database.
"HVT identified: Togruta. Female. Adult. No visible weapons detected."
The mechanical voice relayed its observations with cold efficiency.
"Target has demonstrated enhanced acrobatics. Scan review confirms—no protrusions matching a standard lightsaber hilt."
Leia's lips curled slightly.
Unarmed? Now that was unusual.
Jedi did not go anywhere without their weapons. Even when in hiding, they kept their blades close—somewhere, somehow. This one was either exceptionally skilled at concealment or had abandoned her saber entirely.
Her comm clicked active.
"Paint the target."
"Acknowledged, General. Marking target now."
Through the scope, the sniper's reticle locked onto the Togruta, a subtle red marking now overlaying the figure in the command network.
At that precise moment, as if sensing the shift, the Jedi's head snapped around sharply—eyes locking onto the sniper's position.
Even through the droid's feed, Leia could see the way the Jedi's posture shifted. Recognition. Awareness. A prey that had realized it was being hunted.
But there was no time to react.
Behind her, the ground trembled once more.
The Dreadnought was coming.
A deafening crash rang out as it plowed through the wreckage, its massive form bursting forth like a titan from the depths of a ruined city.
The Jedi spun at the last second, leaping with almost prophetic timing—but not fast enough.
Whether due to the virus's effects, injuries or simply the unfamiliar bulk of the war machine, she miscalculated.
The Dreadnought's enormous frame clipped her mid-air.
The force of the impact sent the Togruta's body spinning violently, flung like a ragdoll through the air.
Leia's eyes gleamed.
The instant the Togruta was sent flying through the air, Leia extended a hand, fingers curling as she reached out with the Force.
The Jedi's body jerked mid-flight, momentum cut short as an invisible grip wrapped around her form like iron shackles. Her limbs convulsed in an instinctive struggle, but resistance was futile—Leia's will was absolute.
With a mere pull, the Togruta was yanked downward with terrifying velocity, the air whipping past her as she was forcibly dragged toward the battlefield's epicenter.
CRASH.
She slammed into the ground with bone-rattling force, the impact kicking up a cloud of dust and debris as the dirt cracked beneath her. The very air seemed to reverberate from the sheer violence of the throw.
Leia was already moving.
Her crimson blade ignited with a deadly hiss, a blood-red glow illuminating her sharp, predatory gaze.
Then—she disappeared.
To the clone troopers and droids surrounding the battle zone, Leia became nothing but a blur, a streak of darkness and red surging forward faster than the eye could track. Only the faint ripples of displaced dust betrayed the unnatural speed of her movement.
She was upon the Jedi in an instant.
Leia's blade descended like a guillotine, a perfect execution strike meant to end the fight before it even began.
But then—
A snap-hiss.
A flash of blue.
Their blades met in a burst of sparking plasma, the clash ringing through the ruins like a thunderclap.
Leia's eyes narrowed as she took in the sight before her.
The Jedi had managed to roll out of her crash at the last second, her body moving on instinct honed by years of combat. Now she knelt in a defensive stance, her single blade braced against the crushing weight of Leia's strike.
A shorter blade.
Leia's mind immediately processed the implications.
A shoto.
A secondary weapon, an assisting blade—one used either by dual-wielding Jedi or those who had lost their primary saber.
Her lips curled slightly. Had she lost her dominant weapon in the Clone Wars? Or during the collapse of the building?
It didn't matter.
Leia's power poured through her limbs, and the Jedi buckled beneath the pressure, her arms shaking as her own saber was forced downward. The blue glow trembled, flickering dangerously as the plasma blade struggled against the overwhelming force pressing upon it.
Then, with a brutal shift of motion—
Leia drove her knee into the Jedi's face.
Crack.
The impact was sickening. The Togruta's head jerked backward violently, her body staggering from the sheer force behind the blow. Blood splattered onto the ground as her nose snapped to the side, a dazed expression flashing across her features.
Before she could recover, Leia threw her back once more with a force push—
Right into the Dreadnought.
The Jedi hit the massive war machine's armored hull with a brutal slam, her body crumpling against the unyielding metal. A sharp gasp tore from her throat, but she refused to fall. Even through the obvious pain, she twisted her form with the same desperate agility as before, flipping upright and bringing her lightsaber down in a swift counterattack.
Her blade met the Dreadnought's plating with resistance.
The Jedi's eyes widened in shock, her mind reeling as she tried to process the impossible.
Leia knew that reaction well.
A Mandalorian would have recognized it instantly. A Jedi? Not so quickly.
Still, the realization set in within moments. Beskar.
She had encountered something like this before— during her escape from Mandalore. But even then, it had been against armor plating worn by warriors. It was nowhere near the amount the armor of the dreadnought required. It was thicker. Heavier. And therefore Stronger.
A presence loomed behind her.
She twisted—aiming for the head.
Leia was already in motion.
The Jedi's saber lashed out in a desperate swing, but—
Again, resistance.
Her blade had struck Leia's forearm. The crimson plasma burned against the armored plating woven beneath Leia's Imperial Knight gauntlet, but the Sith warrior remained unmoved.
The Jedi's disbelief was evident.
Then, she looked down.
A red glow flickered at her midsection.
Leia's blade had already pierced her body.
A gasp escaped her lips, a sound of disbelief, pain—defeat.
With a pull, the blade broke free of her body and she collapsed.
======================
The metallic clanking of droid footsteps echoed through the desolate ruins, accompanied by the murmurs of disappointment.
"Didn't even get to fire a shot," one B1-series battle droid whined, its elongated head tilting slightly as it held its blaster loosely at its side.
"Affirmative. Enemy Jedi was terminated before we could provide support, this unit expresses untold sorrow." another chimed in, the monotone voice carrying a hint of robotic dismay.
The squad of droids continued their lamentations until—
SMACK.
A sharp clang rang out as a B1 officer droid delivered a firm slap to the back of the first droid's head.
"Shut up and follow protocol."
The affected droid stumbled forward, momentarily confused, its photoreceptors blinking in rapid succession.
"Ow. That was unnecessary, sir."
"So was your whining," the officer retorted.
The other droids exchanged looks before another metallic smack followed, this time directed at a different droid who had joined the complaints.
"Cease chatter. Continue loading."
Watching the exchange from the side, the clone troopers of the Zero Legion couldn't help but be mildly entertained.
Though their helmets concealed their expressions, the slight shifts in their posture—the small shakes of their heads, the barely contained chuckles in their voices—betrayed their amusement.
"Alright, cut it out."
The ARC captain, his dark gray kama swaying as he turned, gestured toward the transports.
"Get your metal cans back in formation and start loading up. Now."
"Roger roger," the droids responded in unison, moving to comply.
The moment of levity shattered as Leia suddenly froze, her back stiffening, her amber eyes flickering wide as an unseen force rippled through the air.
Her hand instinctively went to her lightsaber.
Something was wrong.
Something was here.
Or was it?
She turned sharply, eyes scanning the horizon, but there was nothing.
Then she felt it again.
A presence in the Force—one she hadn't sensed in years, yet it was as familiar as her own heartbeat.
The Emperor.
Her breath caught in her throat.
She reached out with her mind—called for him.
Nothing.
The presence flickered. Appearing—disappearing—like a mirage in the Force.
"Commander?"
The ARC captain had noticed her sudden stillness, his voice edged with concern.
Leia ignored him, reaching deeper into the Force, trying to grasp onto the presence, to confirm it, but—
It was gone again.
Her commlink crackled to life.
"Lady Skywalker."
It was Sors Bandeam, his voice steady yet carrying an edge of unease.
"I believe the Emperor is arriving in the system."
Leia's eyes narrowed.
"You feel it too?"
"Yes."
There was a pause before his voice returned, lower this time.
"And we're not the only ones."
Leia's grip on her saber tightened.
One by one, her comms flared to life, reports from Imperial Knights across the galaxy—those who were currently deployed in the field.
"I'm sensing… something powerful in the force near my sector."
"The Emperor, he—he's near, but I cannot seem to locate nor get in contact with him!"
"I feel him—no, he's gone—no, he's here again—!"
"What's happening?!"
The messages flooded in from every sector—Knights in battle or commanding—all feeling the same thing.
And then, all at once—
The galaxy itself seemed to hold its breath.
Leia's body seized, an indescribable pressure crushing down upon her.
Not just her—everyone.
The entire planet.
The entire fleet above.
All at once, an immense, immeasurable weight pressed upon the fabric of reality itself, a presence beyond mortal comprehension manifesting into existence.
It was not just the Knights who felt it now.
The clone troopers dropped to their knees, helmets scraping against the ruined stone, hands clutching their chests as if the air had been sucked from their lungs.
Officers aboard the Excalibur collapsed at their stations, eyes bulging as their bodies trembled, struggling to withstand the overwhelming gravity of his presence.
Even Leia—trained, hardened, forged in war—felt her bones threatening to shatter.
She could feel herself—coming undone.
As if her very essence was at risk of being unmade.
=================================
The droids stood awkwardly, their photoreceptors flickering as they processed the chaos unfolding around them. A few hesitantly shuffled toward the fallen clones, their skeletal frames tilting in what could only be described as confusion. One B1 unit hesitated before patting a clone on the shoulder with a metallic clang.
"Uh… you good?"
The clone didn't respond, still gasping for breath, eyes wide with shock. Another droid, clearly following some misguided logic, turned to the commanding officer.
"Commander, do you require assistance?"
The officer, still recovering from the overwhelming pressure that had just crushed them all, merely stared.
So did the rest of the clones.
The droids looked at the clones.
The clones looked at the droids.
Silence.
The B1 officer droid twitched before straightening.
"All units, unload and form a perimeter around the organics!"
A chorus of whining and grumbling erupted as droids obeyed, weapons clanking as they unlatched from their harnesses and began fanning out. More than a few audibly complained.
"Ugh, we just loaded up!"
"Why are we always on guard duty?"
"I bet the droidekas don't have to do this."
Nevertheless, they took positions, their mechanical limbs moving with well-rehearsed efficiency—until, to their collective dismay, the clones began stirring, shaking off their disorientation and rising to their feet.
The droid officer's photoreceptors flickered in what could only be mild annoyance before it snapped back to attention.
"All units, reload and board the transports."
The grumbling immediately resumed.
"Oh, come on!"
"Make up your mind!"
"This is why I miss the Separatists."
One particularly disgruntled B1 even smacked its rifle against the ground before stomping—stomping—back up the ramp. But despite their protests, they all fell into line, weapons locking back into place as they begrudgingly climbed aboard.
=========================
And then—
As quickly as it came—
It vanished.
Leia gasped, her lungs desperate for air, her entire body trembling as she fell to one knee, fingers digging into the ground.
She could still feel the aftershocks in the Force. The lingering echoes of something far beyond comprehension.
Silence.
And then—
"Come back. It's an emergency."
Sors' voice crackled through the comm once more.
Leia didn't hesitate.
"We're leaving. Now."
The retreat was swift, the gunships lifting off as the last remaining troops and droids loaded up.
Within minutes, she was aboard the Excalibur, her boots echoing sharply through the silent corridors as she strode toward the bridge.
Leia pushed past the officers, ignoring the shaken expressions of the men and women around her. Even the clones, battle-hardened and fearless, had yet to fully recover.
But Sors Bandeam?
He looked immaculate.
Leia's gaze narrowed as she took in his perfectly kept appearance, his armor unblemished, his expression as neutral as ever.
She scoffed.
"You took the time to fix your hair before calling an emergency?"
Sors simply rubbed his chin, his lips curving slightly.
"You could say so."
Then, with a deliberate gesture, he lifted a hand and pointed toward the viewport.
Leia followed his gaze—
And froze.
The bridge crew—the entire crew—stood motionless, their gazes locked on the vast expanse of space beyond the transparisteel window.
Leia's stomach tightened.
These were not simple men.
These were Imperial clones.
Soldiers born and bred for war.
And yet, they stood in stunned silence, their hands clenching, their bodies stiff.
Her head snapped toward the viewport.
And her breath caught in her throat.
Because outside, in the depths of space, illuminated by the distant light of stars— 99% of those stars were simply gone.
A.N: I think this is a new record on chapter length, and i had quite the fun writing this, though had to change it quite few times. I think it came out quite nice, and i hope you all enjoyed it... because we are nearly done setting up the stage :)