FicWad

Draco laughed madly as he watched the dawn, it had been nearly a month since he had felt the light of day upon his face. A month trapped in a hellhole run by lunatics and monsters.

He had spotted a crack in the security and had taken his chances to escape from the new prison that had been built on the grounds of his former home. While it had seemed far below his station, he had used the sewers to escape and had headed for one of the nearby cache's of items his father had insisted would be a useful precaution for a rainy day.

Frantically he dug through the muck of the lake shore until he found the hidden box that contained a temporary wand and some coin for use as well as a few other things that would be essential.

A low hum warned him of the patrols and dashed for cover outside the property lines, then the distinct pop of apparition and he was gone.

xXx

Sev'rance Tann smiled as she watched the wizard vanish.

"Run, run, run little rat," she sang softly, "Show us just where your little bolt hole is."

"Milady," Jag stated from his position beside her, "The transmitter is in perfect working order, the mission is a success."

"Excellent," the chiss almost purred, "Inform Lord Kogo of the location, I believe that this plan of our masters will be such a delightful play to enjoy."

Her crimson eyes turned towards the clone, "Don't you agree?"

xXx

Breaker fell back with the two remaining members of his squad.

Their numbers had been cut in half in moments by something unexpected.

Voldemort had apparently gotten outside help, help that could not be human.

"Stay sharp," he ordered while surveying the area for the silver armored monster that had eviscerated one of his team before smashing another with a support beam while the last death was from the roof collapsing on him.

A scream from behind had both him and Taunt spin to see the body of another ally fall to the ground dead.

"It's above us!" Breaker yelled as he opened fire into the roof, catching but a glimpse of their hunter.

"Sir," Taunt stated calmly, "I suggest we fall back, we should be able to take it in the open."

"Agreed," the other responded a moment later before they dashed for it.

Heavy footsteps followed them and it seemed almost like the creature was panting heavily before leaping back when Taunt dropped a grenade before both Clone Commandos crashed through a window and into the light of day.

Rolling to a stop in the grass as the structure shook behind them, weapons pointed at the smoldering window.

Finely tuned instincts alerted them as the shadows began to swirl around the building.

"Run!" the leader of the devastated squad ordered as they ran for their lives.

The being was tall, for a human anyway, and thin almost skeletal in appearance but of the flesh only the eyes were visible through the eye slits of the mask and they had a shine like fire that pierced the seemingly alive shadows that gathered around the silver armor over white cloth.

Clawed hands brushed the ground as it ran with a loping gate that was almost closer to a gorilla than a man, and the panting was feral as well. Below the mask sat two nearly foot long blades positioned to look like fangs. A cape that seemed of liquid sapphire swirled around it while it charged.

Taunt tripped, tumbling once before rotating to his back while bringing his blaster up to fire.

"Damn it," Breaker growled before he spun as well to fire.

Blaster fire didn't even slow the hunter down.

Closing his eyes to block the sight of the inevitable while hoping to manage to hit a gap in the armor.

A loud roar and a shock wave blew the squad leader off his feet followed by what sounded like an almost bird like shriek.

Eyes snapping back open barely in time to tackle the other survivor out of the mud spray from the Saber tank as it skidded to a halt while using one of the pontoons to send the monster, still smoldering from laser canon fire.

"Jade," the pilot yelled, "Do your thing!"

"Understood," the red head responded, using the force to launch herself skywards, ruby bladed lightsaber igniting midflight as the enemy recovered and attacked the new threat.

The pilot removed his helmet before speaking, "Lieutenant' Breaker, report."

"Of course Lord Stele," the Clone responded while the monster fell back from the other Imperial Knight.

xXx

Vess Kogo wandered the alleys.

His personal preference for blending into the crowd when possible had come into play when he left his armor behind, enjoying the ease of blending in the Sith Robes had with the crowds of wizards.

While the Jade was decent at infiltrations as well as just about everything, she had a strange tenancy to be rather flashy and noticeable, and Stele would rather be driving or piloting than wandering. Stele and Tann's preoccupation with straight up combat were part of why the job was left to him.

He was the one who blended into the crowd when it was beneficial while capable of defending himself.

His master had made this his usual task, to remain on the lookout at Diagon Alley to aid the troopers stationed there on the off chance that Voldemort or some other opportunistic psycho decided to attempt a raid.

The few members of Aurors that had managed to see the identical appearance of the Clone Troopers were more than a little disturbed by what they had seen, but had still worked with them when required to do so.

A part of Kogo wondered if there was anyway he could amplify his abilities with magic as like the other Knights, he had barely enough magical power to do anything and that left the four as just above squib status save for their force powers.

The use of a lightsaber as a wand had sparked an almost frantic search by several of the wizards to replicate the spell they believed had made the blade. Stele had compounded the issue by enjoying some of the other choices that magic allowed and preferred to use a spell that created a flame whip on occasion instead of or along with the blade.

However, the downside of the use of a lightsaber was that it made casting in a fight difficult when using the blade due to the necessity of certain wand movements for the more difficult spells. While, the disadvantage was countered by the ability to deflect spells away, it was something to consider, and Vess was considering adding a wand to his own equipment along with the heavy blaster pistol he already carried.

Taking a quick turn and slipping into Knockturn Alley, Vess grinned slightly as he began searching for someone he could get information out of.

The mind probe quickly located someone, the gentle touch of the force bypassed the mental defenses of the wizards using defenses against their own mental attacks.

His choice was someone he had been told about, stepping into the shop he grinned maniacally while stepping up to the man in question.

"Hello Borgin," Vess said slowly as he prepared to deal with the man.

He reacted without thinking, the power of the force flowing through him as the shop exploded in emerald flame.

Vess rotated to pass feet first through the display window in the front of the shop while using the force of the magical traps explosion to increase his speed.His hands slipped the mask that concealed his lower face as he kicked off the wall on the far side of the street, eyes closed while listening to the shattering of more glass.

Rolling back to his feet as the formerly crowded streets seemed to flood with the familiar forms of the Death Eater "Uniform" wearing wizards.

Instinctively he drew his blaster and fired while unleashing a blast of telekinetic power to send a dozen of the black robed individuals tumbling down the cobblestone pavement. The shrieks of suprise filled Knockturn before turning to terror when he snatched another and focused to use the wizard as a makeshift wrecking ball before smashing the man through a brick wall and collapsing the wrecked potions shop down on top of that one.

Slowly he brushed past the indignation at how these utter fools had dared to attack one of Lord Dion's Knights and the contempt at their actions, his mind centered on the utter rage hidden and trapped within his psyche and brought it out from the wellspring of destruction he held within.

Power surged from him in a shock wave made visible by the debris cloud it kicked up as he holstered the blaster pistol.

A long silver handle seemed to appear in his hand, a motion and a soft click as it split into two parts. The first was that of a smaller lightsaber known as a Shoto and the second was simply an attachment with a long metal chord that attached to the bottom of the Shoto with a winch to easily retract and reconnect the two portions of the weapon.

He leaped to the side, landing atop one of the few intact structural supports of the collapsed building as he activated the short ruby blade and spun it twice in a figure eight on its chord.

The Death Eaters had recovered enough to come at him in semi-circular positions in the hope to hit him with at least one curse.

"Let's do this," Vess Kogo stated calmly as he unleashed a wave of force energy to shred the street like tissue paper through a lawnmower.

The lightsaber shot forwards before being spun in a tight vertical loop as Kogo leaped, twisting like a top. The humming blade leaving glistening trails in the stone street where it's tip brushed the pavement, the weapon slicing clean through the midline of one of the death eaters before it's flight was ended by a pull by the force that dragged it back to Vess' hand while wrapping the chain around the throat of another.

The sharp crack of a snapped neck resounded as the bladeless end coiled under the direction of the force before unwrapping from the falling corpse.

The Imperial Knight lashed out with another wave of power into another one of the dark wizards, smashing the target through a wall before pitching the bladed section of his chain-lightsaber to impale yet another before pulling it back with a sharp yank on the other end.

His tactics changed, adding the magical element into his plans and apparated into the crowd as he felt the wards on Knockturn collapse.

The crack of his appearance startled his enemies and gave him the time to strike and vanish once more.

Each point of appearance was guided by the Force, allowing him to pick the best positions from which to strike with the whirling chain and energy blade of death that he wielded. It was a devilish mix that brought chaos to his enemies as they tried in vain to target him with whatever spells they could think of and several fell victim to friendly fire amidst the maelstrom of magical attacks.

The attacks based on the powers of life itself only added to the confusion.

Then they noticed that he had stopped reappearing and seemed to relax, and it was in that moment that reinforcements arrived in the form of four squads of Clone Troopers from Diagon Alley and a deployment of six ARC Troopers in combination with the reactivation of the Wards.

As they rose their wands to face the armored soldiers, Vess Kogo stepped from his hiding place behind them and raised an arm, blue lightning jumping slowly from fingertip to fingertip.

And then he unleashed the force lightning to jump from target to target, ripping into the rear of the enemies that had survived his earlier attacks.

The mass of Death Eaters fell in moments from the attack while Knocturn, known as a haven for the most vile of the wizarding arts for centuries, burned.

xXx

He was dreaming, Voldemort knew he had to be for there was no other reasonable explanation for what he saw.

The Heir of Slytherin stood upon a sea of glass and steel, a city that stretched seemingly to infinity in all directions. The sky gave way from clouds to a vast void full of countless stars.

"For countless millennia the guardians of the lie of peace feared my kind as did that which they protected," a mysterious and sinister voice whispered in his ear, causing the one who believed himself to be a dark lord.

"What?" the snake lord stammered as he glanced back and forth frantically, "Who's there?"

"I am here," the voice whispered from everywhere and yet no where before seeming to focus from the sky while the stars themselves seemed to rearrange themselves into the shape of a cowled face, "You who trespass in the minds of others should have known that there were far worse protections to the mind than what you passed through."

"Who are you?"

"Me?" the voice responded before erupting into maddening laughter, "I am the Dark Lord of the Sith."

Lightning seemed to crash nearby and the intense stench of ozone burned at his nostrils for but a moment.

"Now then," the voice continued almost in a hiss, "I've decided to let you off after letting you observe a little story, one that shows just how foolish your vaunted belief in prophecy is."

The scenery changed and smoke and brimstone filled the air, molten lava flowing all around as he stood atop a walkway watching two figures fight with glowing energy blade, one frozen blue and the other flaming red.

"The one with the red lightsaber was known as the 'Chosen One,' supposedly given life by the very thing that empowers the gifts of my kind," the voice continued, "The prophecy spoke of one being born to balance the force, but while everyone viewed this as a being who would extinguish the dark and let in the light..."

Voldemort tried to watch as that figure changed into a black monstrosity of machine and man, slaughtering others with similar blades before slaying even the black cowled figure who had commanded him.

"The Chosen One slew both sides and brought balance in a very different way," came the continued speech in an almost contemptuous tone, "He brought balance by destroying both."

Voldemort paused for a moment before talking as he watched thousands of soldiers taking to the field of battle, craft so massive they were larger than the Roc of legend.

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Why?" the voice laughed, "Why not, it gives you a small hint of just what you are up against in the end you little, insignificant man."

And then he saw it, a moon in the sky and a bright flash as he watched one of the planets explode.

The blast raced towards him.

"I believe it is past time I said farewell," the voice said, stars winking out one by one as the wave came closer and closer.

The heat was intense, he felt like his insides were boiling and his flesh cooking and when it got to the point he thought he would die just from the heat, he snapped awake and sitting in his bed.

xXx

Elsewhere, Lord Dion sat in his throne, eyes slowly opening, but a cruel smirk on his lips.

"Crimson," he ordered, "Bring Breaker and Taunt to me for reassignment."

"Yes Lord Dion," the guardsman responded.

xXx

The silver armored being sat in the dark, breathing slowly and eyes closed. The harsh panting of his breath filling the otherwise silent room.

"So the heir of the one I am in debt to sends his rabid dog to discuss things with me," he stated coldly as the sapphire eyes opened and locked upon hers.

"Your less than stunning attempts at stealth not withstanding," he stated slowly while rising to his feet, the claws of his armor scraping the stone as he moved, "What has the snake king sent you for?"

And then he moved, seeming to vanish into the shadows to reappear right behind her.

"Or are you here for another reason," the entity seemed to purr into her ear, "Something more personal perhaps?"

"That's enough Centurion," she stated, a flash of anger coursing through Bellatrix's face, "The Dark Lord wishes to have a full report on what happened."

"Remember slave of the snake," the being responded, "I have walked this earth since before the one that he is heir of was but a twinkle in his parents eye, I came to the reborn ones aid only because I was friend and ally of Salazar and gave him sanctuary when the gryphon drove him from that which he aided in building."

The being reached up and removed the mask, lowering the ghoulish steel from a face marred only by a single scar, but bore the marks of time and experience.

The scar was ancient, barely visible on the flesh save for the difference in shades coming from his glowing eyes.

Pale skin, nearly to the point where one would consider him an albino, but still dark enough to prove that he was not. The features were aristocratic to an extent, more tied to the mediterranean features than the european ones.

Vibrant crimson lips stood out along with the framing of golden hair, the lips only marred by the appearance of razor sharp fangs.

"Do not presume to order one who fought with emperors and kings since before this very nation first came into being," he continued with a flash of anger, "So do not presume that I would simply obey a mortal wizard who has refused the gifts I could have given before his first death."

"Presume!" she retorted, "Vampire, you do not match the power of the Dark Lord."

"Your Dark Lord is clinging desperately to a crumbing dream of an empire," the blood drinker responded, "I know what it is like, and that is why I came to help."

He walked across the room slowly, the cape swirling slowly, "This enemy that he has awakened is familiar to me in a way, a remnant of things that even the hero of you wizards only came to a stalemate with, both Atlantis and their own world in ruins."

Turning to face her once more, seeing the paling features, "And you wizards have only degraded since the loss of the place you first learned of magic from, while those you fight seem to have remained as strong as ever if not stronger."

Clawed fingertips of the gauntlets brushed the scorch marks on his armor, "And they have evolved from the legends and survivors I have met in my youth."

He paused again, "You mortals have a saying about Nero, that he played his fiddle while Rome burned."

"In the end, while that lunatic got the blame," the one time centurion continued after a deep breath, "It was in fact the work of the last member of that empire, my forces managed to win a victory there after thousands others died when the mad emperor disturbed one of their relics he had found."

Turning away and returning to his seat, "So do not speak to me of what I must or must not do, and do not disturb me without due reason again."

"As you wish Centurion Tartarus," she answered in a quivering tone that seemed far out of character for the lady who had once been filled with the madness of the dementors.

xXx

Bringing his personal craft in for a landing, Imperial Knight Maarek Stele pondered his new orders.

He was being assigned to lead a mission to capture a being that was responsible for dozens if not hundreds of deaths and was seemingly immortal, or at least insanely long lived.

The first records of the target were from Egypt, and he had a habit of building a cult then causing a mass suicide event before going underground and waiting a decade before starting all over again.

He had been spotted in America, this had led to an agreement by the American Magical Enforcement Teams to allow capture and extradition by a group sent, he had been placed in command of the force sent to capture him with one of the Aurors being sent as an aide while the Americans would supply a few of their own to aid in the mission.

Lord Dion had already sent an infiltrator via less noticeable means, though he had little information on just who or what was sent.

At least he was no longer consigned to just the ground forces in any case, they were useful but not what he was his best at. The skies called to him, and he could answer now.

Lord Dion had given him a craft that was the top of the line in air and space combat, a Nova Wing or as it was better known as, the Missile Boat. His subordinates, however, were given the easier to produce Torrent fighters for the time being, the first squadron based off of a different base genetic line than the Clone Troopers, namely that of one of the elite pilots of the Empire.

The fact that the template was of one of the men his own template had served under was somewhat amusing to him in an almost morbid way, but he could not disagree with the choice. The man was the third best pilot in the Empire himself and Vader were the only ones better, and he did not have the aid of the force in his own abilities and had been considered for the title of Tan at one point, but that was the end of his own knowledge there.

In the end, the template was from Baron Soontir Fel.

This had also given him the excuse to expand the crimson stripes from his own craft to the elite squadron that was being formed from the first pilots.

And with the first CR-25 being assigned for his mission, he would be able to prove his competency as a general for his master.

xXx

Breaker sighed as he leaned back in the chair. One of his squad had survived the encounter with the new enemy that they had believed dead.

Canderous, the clone commando squads demolitions expert, had survived the collapse of a section of the stone building. In the end, the clone had some serious injuries and was restricted to the bacta tank for three days.

Alpha squad was being reassigned, changing from a Commando team to Aerial Troopers. Apparently their decimation had been the deciding factor, fewer people needing additional training before deployment.

Dion had them turn in their Katarn armor for the Hawkbat armor constructed for Aerial Trooper operations. The new armor carried several of the special devices present in the Katarn that was standard for Commandos while adding the jetpack and retractable wings to give the aerial troopers the gift of flight in combat.

Taunt was out watching Lord Dion's latest venture, Project: Venator, as work happened on the large platforms extending from the island. His subordinate had the attitude of a pilot, and with their Lords statement that he would lead humanity to the stars and rule all that he surveyed.

The three, massive starships under construction were impressive to say the least, but neither the Venator-class Star Destroyer nor the pair of Acclamator II-class Assault Ships were even half way to completion.

He wasn't surprised that Commander Hades with his new yellow markings was the planned fleet commander while another ARC would once more take command of ARC squad Alpha. His opinion of the ARC teams was that their seemingly constant change of command was detrimental to their image, but they had yet to have heavy casualties and only two of their number had been killed since Dion had made the first, both in a situation where they required captives while the enemy had been in action earlier than they were supposed to be.

Now he just had to make it through the next two days and his own squad would be restored to full strength with their new assignment. They would also be the elite team sent with Lord Kogo on his mission.

xXx

Albus Dumbledore was hopeful to say the least as he was escorted from the cell.

It was Azkaban in which he was imprisoned, but not the one he had stepped into before. The dank, dark fortress seemed different, almost malignantly alive while the hewn stone was replaced with metal fixtures that terrified him.

Whoever this Lord Dion was, he had apparently taken many cues from the muggle world and twisted them into a terrifying image to any wizard who entered the fortress.

He had been informed soon after he had arrived that most of the prisoners were no longer being held within the fortress, only those who were considered the most dangerous. That had included him and Alastor from the Order apparently, and he only knew that Moody was there when he was led by few cells on his way out of the detention level and into the odd, circular elevator.

Albus had been informed of the construction of Hades Prison upon the grounds that had been the ancestral home of the, now renegade, Malfoy family. The place would hold the weaker wizards with little actual value the imprisoned leader of the Order of the Phoenix mused.

He had grimaced at the shackles that were firmly in place around his wrists, the inner layer, the former headmaster now knew, was lined with cold iron and prevented the wearer from utilizing magic outside the body.

The lift passed to a glass lined section, revealing the massive construction surrounding the island as well as the reinforced pits with immense dragons of a type the old man could not recognize.

The elevator slowed to a stop and the old wizard noticed his two escorts tense, the weapons that looked so much like the muggle rifles all but trained on him as they exited the elevator and into a throne room.

The armored figure clad from head to toe in vibrant, ruby red armor and a cloak motioned for him to enter the room and to watch the events as the black clothed form that he was told was Dion stood.

"Before we speak," the man spoke, the calm and yet commanding voice of one used to command, "I wish to show you something that will give you some insight into what I wish you to know."

"Shall we begin, Sire?" Crimson asked calmly from his position, the knowledge of his masters plans making him excited about watching Lord Dion crush the hopes of one of his betrayers.

"Yes," came the response before the masked man turned his hooded head to face the elder wizard, "One of my prisoners, a Lucius Malfoy, believes that he has escaped my prison."

Motioning to the window overlooking the courtyard, the construction facilities, and the ocean, "He should be 'pleasantly' surprised at the treat I have in store for my latest creation."

Dumbledore heard the sarcasm and disdain in that one word.

"Watch," Dion ordered as the blond man rushed through the empty courtyard and then out of sight for an instant in another corridor.

The death eater tumbled back into sight, the motion was easily seen as the man having run into something as the video monitor below that showed a closer view moved to show the corridor itself.

Two glistening points of light were visible in the shadows that moved closer, revealing a humanoid figure.

The head of the Malfoy family screamed and his eyes opened wide as the rust red figure came into clear view.

A comment came over the speakers, "Bemused Query: Meatbag, did you truly believe my master would simply let you off his island?"

And then the sound of a single blaster bolt ended the horrified screams.