Harry Potter and the Dark Lord of the Sith

Chapter 56.

"As you can see," Palpatine said, "your friends have failed, even with the warning from my traitorous Hand. Now witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational battle station."

He pressed a button on the armrest. "Fire at will, commander."

Maybe we should have recalled the fleet, Harry thought. But that wouldn't do any good, either. They eventually would be hunted down if they continued fighting.

A large explosion flashed outside. Luke stared at it.

"Your little friends have no hope, Potter," Voldemort said. "In addition to the stormtrooper legion, my loyal servant is there to stop him."

"Your loyal servant? Who?" Harry demanded. His mind was spinning. Voldemort sent a Death Eater down to Endor. There were only a few possibilities as to whom he might choose for something like this.

"Oh, you know him, Potter. I have to admit, I enjoyed his description of his probes of your undisciplined mind. And how the old fool trusted him until the end."

"Snape," Harry said. So he is a traitor after all.

"Your fleet has lost. And your friends on the Endor moon will not survive. There is no escape for either of you. The Alliance will die... as will your friends," Palpatine announced.

Luke glared at the Emperor. So did Harry. He then turned, gave one look at Vader, and focused on Voldemort. He then heard something stirring at the bottom of the stairs. He didn't dare turn.

Harry couldn't tell who reached out first. Luke summoned his lightsaber at the same time as he yanked his sword and wand from Voldemort's belt. They flew into his outstretched hands.

Harry expected four lightsaber blades to ignite in the dark throne room. But there were five. Vader's red, Luke's green, Voldemort's white, and his purple. But at this moment, Mara Jade leaped up the stairs and activated her blue lightsaber. She swung.

XXXXXX

Hermione pulled away immediately. The A-wing blasted her pursuer and sped on.

"Thanks."

"No problem."

Hermione turned back towards the cruiser's bridge, only to see Pash destroy another enemy fighter. The area of space around them was, at least for the moment, relatively calm.

Considering what happened next, this was ironic.

Prompted for no apparent reason, Hermione turned her fighter up, and accelerated. "We have to get out of here!" she yelled, although Linra'sin and Loth already followed so they could maintain the formation.

"Nine, what're you doing?" Pash demanded.

Before Hermione could answer, a massive explosion flashed behind them. One glance was enough for Hermione to see that hot debris was all that was left of the Liberty.

"That blast came from the Death Star! That thing's operational!" Lando exclaimed.

Oh, no... Hermione couldn't find anything to say.

"We saw," Admiral Ackbar said. "All craft prepare to retreat."

It seemed like the only thing they could do. And abandon Ron, and Harry, and...

Hermione twisted out of the way of a stream of green bolts. She cursed herself for abandoning concentration, despite what happened.

Six fighters from Blade Squadron registered on the instruments. Two must have perished in the blast. "Pash," she called out.

No response.

"He was furthest behind," the voice of Blade Four, a human woman whose name Hermione forgot came through.

Pash is dead. I guess that puts me in command.

"Blade squadron, form up on me," she said. "They'll pay for this."

XXXXXX

Ron dodged one lightsaber strike, but had to leap back to avoid the next. He stumbled over Dean's body, and, without thinking, grabbed his wand. "Stupefy!" he roared. Roganda, however, managed to catch the spell on her lightsaber, and dissipate it.

"Protego!" He cast up a shield to deflect further lightsaber strikes. Roganda summoned an automatic blaster and began sending bolts at him, hoping to wear the shield down. And it felt like she was going to succeed.

Then Kyle Katarn knocked her down with the butt of a blaster rifle. She wasn't knocked out, however, and immediately turned towards the other man. But this gave Ron the opening he needed.

"Petrificus Totalus!" he yelled, hitting Roganda in the shoulder. The woman fell to the ground, motionless.

"Thanks," Kyle said, taking her lightsaber.

Ron said nothing, running to confront Snape instead. Ginny and Susan were lying on the ground next to him.

"Stupefy!" Ron shouted, but Snape easily blocked the attack. Ron got his own shield up again, although it flickered when Snape's spell hit. He was getting tired.

Kyle tried to attack Snape with the lightsaber, but the Death Eater avoided the strikes.

"Accio!" he cried, summoning his--well, really Hermione's--wand back from Roganda Ismaren. Having two wands helped somewhat--casting attacks with one and holding the shield with the other. Of course, Snape was doing the same thing.

Kyle attempted to get close enough to tackle Snape, but one brush against the magical shield made him wince in pain. Despite the futility, he resumed lightsaber attacks.

"Calorio!" Snape called, and Kyle dropped the lightsaber, flinching at his hands.

Snape's next spell exploded on Ron's shield like a grenade. The power was enough to break the shield, send Ron stumbling on his back, and send one of the wands he held flying in the air. "Stupefy!" Snape snarled, knocking out Kyle before the man could fire a blaster at him. "Potter is already dead at the hands of the Dark Lord, Weasley. And now--"

"Expelliarmus!" Ginny's voice shouted. Both of Snape's wands were ripped from him. "Susan, what're--"

Susan picked a blaster from the ground and fired. Snape turned, opening his mouth in shock. Susan fired again. The Death Eater stumbled, tried to say something, and fell dead. Ron gathered himself and approached the body.

"Did it work?" Susan asked. "Is he--"

"He's dead," Ron confirmed. "I can't believe--"

"He killed my boyfriend," she said.

"I'm sorry. If it wasn't--"

"Ron, it wasn't your fault," Ginny stepped in. "We still haven't blown the shield. Get back to the bunker. I'll help Susan here."

Ron nodded. "Ennervate!" he said, pointing at Kyle. He helped the man up. "Let's go."