Chereads / Star Wars: Skywalker / Chapter 229 - V.3-C.27│Battle II│

Chapter 229 - V.3-C.27│Battle II│

"Move, move, move!" A voice was heard, speaking out towards the distance.

Within the space that was once considered under the Republic, now a part of the great and grand Galactic Empire, were beings exchanged in combat.

An explosion happened. Shouts of pain and despair were heard throughout the place.

Great and grand fires were spreading throughout the buildings, with alot of the native flora being destroyed by the invading forces.

The Yuuzhan Vong, upon their living planet of Zonama Sekot, with whom had agreed to co-exist with the Yuuzhan Vong in exchange for better protection and other such things. Zonama Sekot didn't exactly have much choice in the matter if it wanted to start going after those that had wronged it.

Traveling to the Outer Rims, or more specifically escaping to the Unknown Regions after being attacked was the only choice it had back then. Now with all of its 'children' being destroyed in the process because of some destruction done to itself, it wanted to find those that has wronged it and punish them.

"Kill them! Fight back those monsters!" A voice called out. A distinctly human voice for they were under threat and siege of the Yuuzhan Vong.

A planet had appeared so suddenly towards them which resulted in their sky being blocked up completely.

"The Emperor would not like these beings being here!" Another voice called out during the destruction, trying to make sure everyone here knew of the consequences if this situation is discovered by their current leader.

Another creature, another Yuuzhan Vong came around the corner of a building and immediately hopped onto one of the soldiers, completely eviscerating them in the process through the use of their biological weapons.

"Argh!"

"Retreat! There are too many of them!"

"Go! Go! Go!"

Byss was a mythic paradise world enshrouded in the dark side of the Force, located within the isolated and nearly inaccessible Deep Galactic Core. It was situated at the end of the Byss Run, a heavily guarded artificial hyperlane kept open by hundreds of non-mass S-thread boosters, connecting the planet to the Core Worlds.

The planet was otherwise nearly impossible to reach safely through hyperspace, due to the high density of stars in the Deep Core and the constantly shifting patterns of the region's natural hyperlanes.

Byss was the fifth planet of the Beshqek system and orbited the star Beshqek; it was one of two habitable planets in the system, the other being Relus. The planet was orbited by five small moons, which had little influence on its tides.

The Yuuzhan Vong, along with the help of the living planet they saw as a child of their home planet and divine being itself invaded this place with haste. Not wanting to waste any time at all, the Yuuzhan Vong immediately attacked this place in spite of another meeting taking place right as of this moment between Palpatine and one of their representatives.

It is only through manipulation and maybe some dark side Force influence that Palpatine was able to set up such a diplomatic move between himself and these beings.

Bathed in a blue-green sunlight, Byss was originally a lush and fertile world. A natural conduit of Force power, it invigorated force users in a flood of Force energy.

Byss was corrupted by dark energies after Emperor Palpatine made the world his personal retreat and began leeching Force energy from the immigrants he lured there. Over time, the planet was transformed into one of the most powerful nexuses of dark-side energy in the galaxy.

The planet was dotted with chains of lakes and rivers where microscopic lifeforms dwelled, as well as wind-smoothed plateaus and canyons. Its isolation from much of the galaxy allowed for its natural islands and pre-Expansionist Era ruins to remain untouched for thousands of years.

After its corruption, the planet's soil lost much of its natural quality and produced little more than ferns and lichens. No intelligent species ever evolved on Byss, and what wildlife there existed was largely nocturnal and harmless.

Byss was also devoid of any rare elements or heavy metals. The planet's calm, balmy climate and mild seasons, ranging from clear to rainy, were primarily caused by its minuscule axial tilt and stable geologic foundation. Violent phenomena, such as storms and volcanism, were extremely rare.

The Yuuzhan Vong of course did their research and had decided to go after this place exactly, as despite their nature for direct conflict they are aware of their current militaristic level. It would not be enough to stand up to and against the Empyrean Empire, which is their targeted goal.

What the Yuuzhan Vong wanted to do is try and manipulate the manipulator, the dark lord of the Sith, Darth Sidious to their goals. No matter if the guy listened to them, agreed or anything else... as long as they are able to get this person to allow them to do what they wanted, the Yuuzhan Vong didn't care.

However, that didn't mean they are just about to just allow Palpatine go and run rampant without some backup plan of their own.

Politically, Byss was ruled by three major galactic powers. The planet was controlled by the Rakatan Infinite Empire for nearly five-thousand years before its collapse, and thousands of years later the planet came under the rule of the Galactic Empire, where it served as Emperor Palpatine's resort world.

A towering citadel was built using non-Human slave labor at the heart of the ruling city, along with ornate buildings and resort complexes, and soon an entire continent, the Imperial control sector, was covered in city. The planet was ruled as a dark-side theocracy, led solely by Palpatine and his Dark Side Adepts.

Something that he had been planning on and doing ever since his discovery of his now former apprentice, Darth Tyranus, now known by and gone back to Count Dooku.

Under Imperial rule, Byss became one of the most reclusive and heavily guarded worlds in the galaxy. Most natural routes into the Deep Core were mined and the rest were covered by the Imperial Hyperspace Security Net, a system of gravity well projectors and hyperwave transceivers designed to monitor and control traffic into and out of the Deep Core.

As a fortress world,[ Byss was guarded by a number of security forces and technologies, all of which were overseen by Byss Security itself. The Byss Security Zone, a restricted area of space around Byss, was guarded by a ring of Star Destroyers, while an entire sector fleet was additionally spread throughout the Beshqek system. It also included the Byss Defense Fleet.

A METOSP, or 'Message To Spacers,' was broadcast to all travelers entering the system as a warning against trespassing. Gargantuan Hunter-Killer probots were responsible for patrolling the skies above Byss, and were used as capture and detainment platforms for unauthorized ships.

The planet itself was surrounded by a planetary shield controlled by Byss Security, and a system of Gauntlet Scanner Stations were used to monitor traffic around the planet.

All of this however is currently being overrun by the Yuuzhan Vong quite easily.

Especially because of the conflict Palpatine is currently dealing with elsewhere, including the Jedi, Separatists and various independence factions within his own newly restructured and formed Empire.

The Gauntlet Scanner Stations comprised of many Golan III Space Defense NovaGuns orbiting Byss, where security personnel would coordinate space traffic with the scanner satellites spread over the planet.

Officers stationed aboard these platforms typically oversaw the daily operation of the Byss Security Zone by monitoring IFF transponder codes, security codes, and other forms of authorization used to control traffic to and from the surface of Byss.

If any traveler was found possessing forged documents, the Star Destroyers guarding Byss had authorization to use lethal force against them.

The Gauntlet Scanner Stations additionally served as orbital defense platforms for Byss, boasting firepower equal to some capital ships, and also housed squadrons of TIE fighters and other defensive forces.

On the surface of Byss, surveillance and a heavy military presence was commonplace. Soldiers that were recruited and trained are stationed at every street corner, each landing pad was guarded by a TIE fighter, and undercover Imperial Security Bureau agents were present at most of the planet's public areas to watch out for any potential traitors.

Additionally, shipyards, fighter bases, and military barracks large enough to hold an entire army were present all across the Imperial Control Sector. All of these complexes were camouflaged behind colorful plazas and public buildings, themselves armed with the latest defense turbolasers and shock fields.

A Yuuzhan Vong caught up to a soldier that had fallen down, before pressing their enhanced leg into the downed trooper. "N-No! P-Please dont kill me!" The soldier begged for his life, but he was just as bad as the Yuuzhan Vong if not worse for working under Palpatine here on this planet.

The Yuuzhan soldier bent down, grabbing ahold of the mans head wrapped in armor made out of metal material.

A material that the Yuuzhan Vong absolutely abhorred, and through an grasping motion, this particular Yuuzhan Vong soldier grabbed on and pulled.

Pulled and pulled and pulled.

Palpatine's soldier didn't even have the ability to vocalize the pain he is currently feeling as the next moment, the cracking of ones bones was heard. The tearing of the skin was also starting to be heard, before a head was separated from the body.

Reveling in the blood, the Yuuzhan Vong absolutely marked themselves with the blood of their enemy. Not a particularly powerful enemy, but still an enemy nonetheless.

The Yuuzhan Vong then proceeded to take off the helmet, then also rip out the eye of the human underneath. It would seem that this Yuuzhan Vong in particular wanted the eye of the human for itself.

The head and helmet were both thrown to the ground, where next the Vong joined up with some others as the planet of Byss is now under the control of the Yuuzhan Vong.

All of the planning and time, energy and effort put in by Palpatine has now come to and end on this planet.

[]

"Greetings. Welcome! Welcome to my... humble place of current residence..." Palpatine had gotten up off of his seat, moving towards a position of power, defense and other such factors.

He wouldn't put himself at danger after all to meet with these beings, and would instead want to have a way to better protect himself. With very little planning and timing, Palpatine has been able to arrange this meeting after a very arduous process, including having to find someone to translate the language and communicate for him.

The Yuuzhan Vong representatives were quite quiet, and instead opted to stay quiet and await for the current language translator to convey Palpatine's words.

'And here I had thought they would be a bit more... antagonistic.' Palpatine thought to himself, as he watched in morbid fascination the creatures repulsion to anything that remotely showed off technological advancement.

From this point on, Palpatine and the Yuuzhan Vong representatives would understand each other through the translator.

"Yes... You have called us here because you wish to discuss some things?" The representative of the Yuuzhan Vong asked.

"I wanted to inform you and your people that I am not the person you are looking to attack." Palpatine took an almost lingering and hidden passing glance towards the Yuuzhan Vong representatives physical features.

"We are well aware that your... Empire is not the main enemy of our people and instead it is that Empyrean Empire on those Outer Skirts of the galaxy instead." The Yuuzhan Vong representative said.

This surprised Palpatine, for he didn't know that they knew of the Empyrean. "So you know of these despicable people?"

"Do not try to fool me or my people. Your heresy and use of the metal technologies is a spite on my people and our gods!" The representative seemed to be able to see through Palpatine's scheme, if only for this thing in particular.

Either that or Palpatine was not as prepared as he thought he was, but this wouldn't matter for Palpatine would now start implanting the seeds he needs to plant.

"Of course! Of course! I wouldn't ever dare to suggest such a thing..." Palpatine would then go on to say some placating words that his translator had a hard time translating for the Yuuzhan Vong representative.

However, it still managed to win this particular representative over with his ego boosted, he was now much more pliable for Palpatine's taste. "You are quite the nice human. I think that you would do fine as a slave for myself indeed." The representative said, which lead to Palpatine having to conceal some of his anger at such a comment.

Things are going accordingly with his plan after all, and messing up now due to some temporary anger would do him no good. "Your words are too kind! However, I must tell you some more about the Empyrean and just how they like to disrespect your peoples gods!" Palpatine, playing the flatterer continued to say words that appeased and inflated the representatives ego.

Thus, this was the birth of an alliance, with Palpatine making false promises and the representative being none the wiser about his ways.

Why would the representative worry anyway? They had after all just captured the hidden planet of importance from Palpatine, and this could be used against him in future endeavors. With both Palpatine and the Yuuzhan Vong none the wiser about each others goals, objectives, intent and hidden cards, they would prove to be rather unlikely allies...