The Multiverse Hunter

'It's been a week and still no response', Malvok thought bitterly as he hovered in his levitating chair inside his dimly lit tent. The heavy fabric walls swayed slightly in the cold winds of Korriban's desert night, the sound of the shifting sands outside mingling with his irritated breaths.

Malvok's gnarled fingers tapped restlessly on the armrests of his chair, his mind racing with anger and impatience. His crimson eyes glowed faintly, and the faint hum of suppressed power emanated from his small, hunched figure.

"Malvok…"

The voice shattered his thoughts, making his head snap toward the tent's entrance. His heart skipped a beat, his body tensing. He froze, his sharp hearing catching the unmistakable sound of a voice he thought he would never hear again.

"It can't be…" Malvok muttered under his breath, his disbelief clear as he floated toward the entrance. His hand hovered near the hilt of his lightsaber, but he didn't draw it—yet.

"Malvok…" The voice called out again, low and haunting, pulling him outside.

He pushed through the heavy flaps of the tent and stepped into the open, greeted by the vast, desolate expanse of Korriban's desert under the pale light of its twin moons. The stars above were faint against the inky sky, and the endless dunes stretched far into the horizon.

"Is it really you?" Malvok murmured, his voice trembling. His eyes darted around the empty sands before settling on a silhouette in the distance—a woman standing still and motionless.

The figure seemed almost ethereal, cloaked in shadows but unmistakably real. Malvok's breath hitched, his frail body quivering as he floated forward, drawn toward her like a moth to flame.

When he was close enough, he stopped. His small hand stretched out tentatively, reaching for her.

UGH!

The pain was immediate and searing. Malvok's eyes bulged as he looked down to see a crimson lightsaber piercing his chest. Blood trickled from his mouth as he tried to comprehend what had just happened. The woman's figure dissolved into a purple haze, leaving nothing behind but the pain.

'What…?'

It was the last coherent thought in his mind before the world around him faded to black, his body falling from the chair and crumpling onto the cold sand.

Standing behind him was Malgrith, his figure imposing and unmoving. His red lightsaber hummed softly in his hand as he gazed down at Malvok's lifeless body. Malgrith's expression was cold, his glowing red eyes devoid of empathy.

With a flick of his wrist, he deactivated his weapon and pulled out his comms device. He snapped a picture of the corpse and sent it to Ali.

Seconds later, the sands beneath Malvok's body began to shift unnaturally, swirling as if alive. The ground opened like a gaping maw, pulling the dead Sith Master into its depths. The desert swallowed him whole, leaving no trace of his corpse.

In the sleek black interior of Ali's spaceship, the assassin leaned back in his chair, staring at the image Malgrith had sent. A smirk tugged at his lips as he closed the image and turned his attention to the window.

Inside Vorrangar's hangar, Drogath stood with his family, clad in his newly forged black armour. The design was imposing, the dark plating highlighted with streaks of red that pulsed faintly, like veins. His helmet hung at his side as he embraced his mother one last time.

Drogath nodded, his large frame relaxing slightly. "My father looks better," he said with a faint smile.

Ali turned to him. "The medicine is working?"

"Yes," Drogath confirmed. "His health is finally returning."

As Drogath unstrapped his massive battle axe from his back, Ali's sharp eyes caught sight of dried blood staining the weapon's handle.

"Whose blood is that?" Ali asked, his voice calm but with an edge of curiosity.

Drogath glanced at the axe and then back at Ali. "The former chief of my village and his son," he replied bluntly. "My father tried to stop me from doing this the last couple of days, but when I woke up this morning, I couldn't bring myself to leave my family with those scum around. I took care of them."

Ali nodded slightly, leaning back in his chair. "Your Force feels much calmer now," he observed. "It seems the week here has done you good, just as I hoped."

Drogath let out a quiet sigh of agreement as Ali walked to the fridge to retrieve a cup of water.

"My lord, we're ready," the pilot's voice came through the ship's comms.

Ali took a sip of his drink before setting it down. "Take us to Kaelthar. Make sure we arrive with the rest of the fleet."

"Yes, my lord," the pilot responded as the sleek ship lifted off, leaving Vorrangar's atmosphere behind. Moments later, the ship entered hyperspace, the stars outside streaking into brilliant lines.

Hours later…

The skies above Kaelthar were alive with movement. Nearly a hundred ships descended toward a massive flat plain of greenery, their landing gear deploying as they prepared to touch down. The serene landscape was abruptly shattered by deafening explosions.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

From the surrounding mountains, enormous cannons emerged, their barrels gleaming ominously in the sunlight. They unleashed devastating volleys of fire, their projectiles tearing through the Jedi fleet. Ship after ship erupted into flames, their remains spiralling toward the ground in plumes of smoke and debris.

"Command! We need emergency support—Command, do you hear me?!" panicked voices filled the comms as the Jedi pilots tried to make sense of the ambush.

Far above, in the void of space, the Jedi's colossal warship hovered. Inside, alarms blared, and the command room was a frenzy of activity.

"Activate the shields now!" the Jedi commander barked, his voice echoing as officers scrambled to follow his orders.

In the distance, a smaller Sith warship loomed, its weapons glowing as it charged for a strike. But the Jedi's problems didn't end there.

Further away, in hyperspace, a massive Empire warship flew toward Kaelthar. Its control room was tense with anticipation, the elderly commander standing near the terminal, his hand poised over a glowing red button.

"Exiting hyperspace in three… two… one…"

The warship emerged with a brilliant flash, its enormous frame dwarfing the Jedi's flagship. Inside the Jedi command centre, officers froze, their faces pale as fear rippled through the room.

The Sith commander pressed the button.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

A massive red beam tore through the void of space, obliterating the Jedi warship's shields with devastating precision. The beam pierced the vessel's centre, carving a gaping hole in its hull. Inside, chaos erupted as the vacuum of space pulled crew members, equipment, and debris into the void.

The Sith warship didn't relent, its cannons continuing to fire with ruthless efficiency. The once-mighty Jedi flagship was reduced to a shattered husk, breaking apart as secondary explosions ripped through its structure. Smaller Jedi vessels surrounding it were caught in the destruction, their defensive formations crumbling under the unrelenting assault.

From the Sith fleet, another wave of ships emerged from hyperspace, their dark forms blotting out the stars as they descended toward Kaelthar. Among them was Ali's black spaceship, sleek and foreboding, its engines roaring as it joined the armada.

On Kaelthar's surface, the remaining Jedi ships landed on the grassy plains, unloading thousands of troops who scrambled to form defensive lines. Among them were players—adventurers unaccustomed to the grim reality of war but eager to prove themselves.

From one of the larger ships, a Jedi Master stepped out, his face grim as he crushed a comms device in his hand. He had just received the last message from the now-destroyed mothership.

"This is a trap…" he muttered under his breath, his eyes scanning the battlefield.

Behind him stood a group of powerful Jedi, their lightsabers glowing faintly in the morning light. Among them was Natalya, her blue saber already ignited, its hum steady as she stepped forward. Beside her were the members of her water guild, their faces steeled with determination.

"We've already sent distress calls to Coruscant," one of the Jedi said. "We need to fortify our position and hold out until reinforcements arrive."

The Jedi Master nodded solemnly. "Take care of the wounded. The rest will march to the weapons factory and take up defensive positions there. Any questions?"

The group remained silent, their resolve evident.

"May the Force be with us all," the Master said, raising his voice. "Now, show these Empire dogs who you are!"

A thunderous cheer erupted from the troops. For the players among them, adrenaline coursed through their veins. This was their first experience of true war, and nothing could have prepared them for the chaos and carnage they were about to face.

Natalya turned to her guild members, her voice calm but firm. "Stay close to each other and look out for one another. We're a family. We leave no one behind."

The guild members nodded, their resolve strengthening as they prepared to march.

Natalya held her lightsaber, the blue blade glowing brightly as she sprinted ahead of her group. "The masked Sith is mine," she declared, her voice carrying over the din of the assembling troops.

The members of her guild followed closely behind, their pace quickening as thousands of soldiers advanced toward the weapons factory.

At the weapons factory, the Empire's troops manned their defensive positions nervously. The sight of the massive Jedi army marching toward them was enough to sow fear and doubt. Whispers spread among the soldiers, their courage faltering as they knew nothing of what was happening.

Among them were spies planted by the Jedi, who quietly began stepping away, their intentions clear. But before they could act, the factory doors groaned open with a deep mechanical hiss.

BLAST! BLAST! BLAST!

Hundreds of red blaster bolts erupted from the factory's interior, cutting down the Empire soldiers stationed outside. The spies were caught in the sudden onslaught, their attempts to retreat thwarted as the hail of fire consumed them as well.

From the factory emerged wave after wave of battle droids, each armed with heavy blasters. The droids moved with cold precision, quickly setting up defensive cannons and heavy artillery around the factory's perimeter. Their weapons were trained on the approaching Jedi army, ready to repel the assault.

The war had officially begun.

The Jedi army opened fire with their artillery, targeting the factory's deep blue shields. The energy barrier held firm initially, but each blast weakened it further. Jedi leading the charge used the Force to redirect incoming shots, some hurling massive stones or debris at the factory's defences.

The droid army retaliated with calculated efficiency, their blaster fire cutting down dozens of Jedi troopers. Despite the carnage, the Jedi pressed forward, their lightsabers deflecting the hail of red bolts.

The factory's shields finally buckled under the combined might of the Jedi's assault, shattering with a thunderous crack.

Explosions rocked the battlefield as Empire ships descended from the skies, engaging the Jedi's remaining fleet in a fierce aerial dogfight. Some ships plummeted to the ground in flames, their fiery wreckage crashing into the advancing armies below.

"Their reinforcements are here!" one of the Jedi shouted, his voice barely audible over the chaos. He hurled a massive boulder at an Empire ship flying too low, the impact sending it spiralling into the distance.

The pilot of a sleek black ship opened the vessel's door mid-air, exposing the interior to the chaotic skies above Kaelthar. The heavens were alive with the dazzling chaos of war—brilliant streams of red, green, and blue blasts streaked through the air as star-fighters from both sides engaged in a deadly dance.

Explosions rippled in the distance, and fiery debris rained down on the battlefield below.

Standing at the edge of the open door were Ali and Drogath. The wind howled past them, tugging at them, but neither flinched as they stared down at the battlefield below.

"I bet you this ship I kill more," Ali said, his voice cold and calm, muffled slightly by the menacing red mask that obscured his face.

"DEAL," Drogath rumbled in reply, his deep voice resonating even through the roar of the battle. He reached up, donning his black helmet, which seamlessly integrated with the rest of his armour.

Instantly, streaks of crimson flared to life across the plating, pulsing like veins of molten energy. His massive battle axe, its blade glowing with the deep red hue of a lightsaber, glinted dangerously in his grasp.

Without hesitation, the two leapt from the ship simultaneously, their dark silhouettes plummeting toward the ground.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The impact shook the earth, sending tremors rippling through the battlefield. A massive dust cloud erupted, obscuring the area where they had landed.

The Jedi leading the charge froze in their tracks, their advance faltering as they stared at the rising cloud. The oppressive weight of the dark side pressed down on them, sending a chill through their very souls.

From within the dust, the heavy thud of an armoured foot broke the silence. Then another. Slowly, the massive figure of a knight in black armour emerged, his sheer size dwarfing everyone around him.

His armour gleamed ominously, its crimson highlights pulsating faintly like a heartbeat. His battle axe, gripped tightly in both hands, crackled with the energy of its lightsaber edge.

The presence emanating from him was suffocating, a deep well of Force energy that seemed to twist the air around him. The Jedi could feel the power radiating from him like an unrelenting storm. Fear began to creep into their hearts.

But their attention was quickly pulled back to the dust cloud. The ominous hum of lightsabers igniting filled the air, and four brilliant red blades flared to life, hovering in a curved formation.

Between the two central red sabers, a fifth lightsaber ignited—a sharp, vibrant green that contrasted with the other four lightsabers.

The dust began to clear further, revealing a Sith floating mid-air. His pristine black uniform was immaculate despite the chaos surrounding him, every detail of its design sharp and purposeful.

One hand rested casually in his pocket, while the other effortlessly balanced a massive red longsword on his shoulder. The weapon looked unnatural, almost alive, its grotesque form resembling biological muscle tissue that pulsed faintly as though it had a heartbeat of its own.

The Sith hovered there, silent and unmoving, his crimson mask gleaming as he gazed down at the Jedi with cold, calculating eyes.

Ali's red mask tilted slightly as his piercing gaze swept across the Jedi. In his mind, the battlefield had already been painted in crimson. His cold, detached thoughts envisioned rivers of blood running beneath his feet.

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