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'You know, when I died –strange to say that– it wasn't my victories that gave me comfort. It was all their faces, the people I'd helped. The people I'd served, made the pain forgettable.
Suppose you last long enough to see the war end. How will you live? How will you find comfort, when your time finally comes?'
'You make it sound like the end of the Empire would put an end to conflict. There will always be pain, and there will always be struggle... I'll dance that dance forever.'
'Where there's struggle, there's also hope.
What we did today, I lied a bit. It wasn't about helping Rishi or reminding you why you fight. It was about healing an old scar you've almost forgotten. One that still aches inside you'
'The Emperor'
'You were under his control, his darkness soaked through to your spirit. When we freed you, you pushed the memories of his training down deep.
I can bring those memories back. You're strong enough to handle them...let the light cure them and make you what you deserve to be'
'The Emperor immersed me in the dark side. Darth Revan was the only other Jedi to come back from that. My memories of that time are my power. That power is my right. My weapon and I claim it!'
'You know, I think you're mistaken. No point in another lecture. I'll give you what you asked for and hope you remember the right lesson today.'
'I am whole'
'Then it's my time to go.'
'You were my Master, Orgus Din, but I found my teachers elsewhere...it's past time you rested.'
'Maybe so.
You won't see me again, but you won't have to. You won't be alone in the dark days to come. The Force will be with you, Always.'
At the peak of nighttimes the twin moons illuminated the blue ice shelfs and the orchid clouds. They were like the eyes of a calm wolf scanning the frozen peaks and districts.
Ilum wasn't like Hoth. Not by any stretch of the imagination would any galactic traveller see similarities between the two worlds. Hoth was cold, in every definition of the word the planet was a snowball hurtling through space. When the snowstorms died down to rest the sun would light up the white Sea for miles on end.
On Illum however jagged planes of ice and permafrost rose like talons from the frozen earth. In the orchid atmosphere the nighttimes were dark and the day's twilight. A howling wind passed through the Ice Mountains and with it frigid cold that pierced the bones of every creature.
At the bottom of an ice shelf and jagged mountains an extensive network of ruins lay desecrated by the gratings of machines and occasional roar of freighter engines. Of the seven possible landing sites on the Wor'ab peninsula the Empire had to choose the one with direct access to the old Jedi temple.
From the tips of the shelf that curved over the ruins and the new metal complex two Jedi watched carefully at the movements of the myriads of figures and droids.
"Isn't teamwork grand?"
At the tips of the outcrop the Jedi were knelt down, their armour near perfectly blending with the ambience. At the lead a male knight, Cathar, clad in white robes over midnight blue plates smiled at his companions comment. A few feet behind him she wore lighter armour under a thick overcoat. Despite her outwardly strong tone he could sense the edges of frost in her voice.
"Teamwork is when more than one person does the job" as the Knight spoke he was surprised at the coarseness of his voice as if a firm block of ice latched itself on his throat.
"Of course wise master I did my part, I brought you mischief and songs of many imperial war droids" despite the frigid winds picking up he still managed to hear the trademark mock humour. Forcing down another smile he picked up a mask sporting a still warm blaster mark above the right eye socket.
Jumping on the speeder and darting off she left him with nothing but ice and his thoughts.
Tearing his eyes away from his companion Leo'nydas focussed on the Imperials scurrying about below. Sliding his mask back on from a distance he may have resembled a crouched predator watching its prey for any weakness, this time the prey was a large mechanical beast with very well oiled joints and gears that moved efficiently.
After a few minutes in the frigid ice he finally spotted the opening for everything to begin. Every so often the base officers would gather all essential personnel into the separate bunkers no doubt for a general briefing. Those left on the outside were the relentless guard droids and other serfs. Bringing out a small timer he started the clock and waited again in the ice. If the Empire were criminal of one thing it was their brutal efficiency that sometimes made them predictable, soon enough the personnel would file out of their bunkers and then fall back in. According to the timer this happened every hour.
Leo'nydas played with the thoughts in his head drawing on his numerous battle experiences and reasoned that the personnel were on rotation which would explain the frequency of the calling.
Bringing out his two communicators he set them on the ground and waited until the images of Captain Sevara and Sergeant Rusk appeared.
"Captain I hope with all the frostbite I've gotten your ships are ready?"
On the other side the youngish features of a Republic fleet officer brightened up as if he was a child waiting to start a long-anticipated game
"Yes Master Jedi" Why is his voice so high? "Our ships have managed to punch through undetected and are ready to open fire!"
"Hear that Rusk? Is your team ready?" This time he spoke into the other image. Rusk was a characterful opposite of Sevara and also a strong willed fighter
"Yes Sir everyone is in position and awaiting your signal"
Nodding his approval and sliding the communicators back into his pouch he slowly stood up shaking off the thin layers of ice that had formed over him. The sky was as bleak as usual and at one point he struggled to tell the time of day. Taking a long breath he waited until the hour struck before bursting into a haze of action.
The world fell into a slow movement. The wind seemed to crawl as he pounced off the edge of the shelf, landing hard on its curve he slid down its endless length. The figures and shapes that seemed alien before started to take shape and his sharp eyes and trained mind started to pick out all the key targets. About halfway down his descent Leo'nydas arched his body and used his left hand to slow himself, with a grunt of effort he began to angle his slide diagonally.
The slope began to level out and with even more effort the white haze started to run alongside the curve. Pacing himself and ever watchful of the roving droids he continued to run until his path took him to the fringes of the base that lead into the ruins of the old Jedi temple, its discoloured walls acting as a summit for the ill feeling he had been having since his arrival in the area.
To his frozen limbs the sudden action was like tendrils of life worming its way outwards and returning feeling, the touch of the Force was a fire he had always longed for. He couldn't suppress a laugh that no doubt sounded darker than it meant to be through the mask amplified by the howling winds at the bottom of the ice shelf. Empowered by the Force he leapt from the slope latching onto the outer walls of the temple, a brief gasp for air and he was in motion again.
Jumping from the wall onto the low hanging roof he slid off the sharp angles onto a passing battle droid.
Landing with a hard smack onto the long frozen stone the droid twitched before screeching out of function. The heavy upper torso dropped loosely from the inactive legs but didn't make a single sound.
Hovering the torso softly above the ground Leo'nydas walked casually with the droid while holstering his lightsaber. As he strolled right into the midst of the Imperial camp he held the long rifle in his hands and sent the body of the battle droid into a nearby communications tower.
Sleek metal buckled and crashed onto a nearby cache room resulting in a brilliant orange explosion. Without breaking a stride he aimed the rifle at several key points, four soft whines later and he threw the turbolaser tracker onto the floor and waited.
On cue the Imperials all rushed out and organised themselves into their respective squads fanning out in all directions around the base. Several shocktroopers immediately spotted him and rushed in his directions guns trained and bellowing orders.
About nine of them had formed a neat firing line in front of him and Leo'nydas could sense just how amazingly calm they were despite the surrounding panic from the lower personnel members.
"Hands up, hood down, mask off!"
The authoritarian voice came from behind and Leo'nydas turned slowly to regard the burly officer with a curt nod. Clearly a veteran of many battles the man's face held a take no prisoner visage and within a heartbeat brought out a handgun and fired at the Jedi's leg.
The blaster bolt struck home and fizzed around the armour all the while digging into his thigh. The brief blast of pain brought him silently to his knees, the officer waited a few seconds and fired.
The bolt scrapped Bezito's hood, scorching the heavy cloth, and burnt itself into the ice
"One more time Jedi...Hands up, hood down and mask off" the officer clearly wasn't going to miss for his sake a second time so now it was time to comply a little. Dropping his hood and raising his hands Leo'nydas pointed to the mark above his right eye saying with pained humour
"Don't bother, I've already been shot in the face once... you lose the charm a second time"
"Jedi sc-"
A definitive snap forced the officer's head sideways as the thin sniper bolt shot straight through his temple.
Barrel rolling forward Leo'nydas turned to throw the two lightsabers at his side. The blue sabers arced in the air deflecting the bolts that came across their path.
In the slow wind of the camp four thunderous shards of blue light struck home in the imperial base as the orbiting republic cruiser opened fire onto the marked targets.
His white robes flowed like water in the frozen landscape as the bolts that made it past the twin sabers ripped past the cloth. Only one found its mark in his shoulder before the blades met their line, ending the blaster fire.
Catching their return in one swift spin he unleashed a force wave into an encroaching battle droid. The metal buckled and split as the machine fired wildly for a few moments. The entire base was in disarray. The efficient machine had been derailed crashing into the unforgiving jungle of combat.
Several dropships hovered above allowing Republic troopers to disembark and meet the scattered Imperial defences.
A squadron of bombers swung past the base and released their deep core payload into the temple. Leo'nydas didn't see any visible explosion but felt the faint tremor as the bombs dug deep into the core of the partly underground temple before detonating.
As he made his way into the temple a unit of troopers followed closely, the red-orange markings and claw of Raptor squad.
Leo'nydas smiled as he began to sense the dark Force of Darth Arho.
Above the rising spires and hab-blocks at the central space lay the vast network of the senate district.
The well ground surfaces and specialised marble marked the area as belonging to only the upper echelons of the Coruscant society. Robes of pillars adorned with gold and other rare compounds lined the walkway to the main senate tower. A long red carpet trimmed with a yellow crystal made its way from the entrance to the end of the main walkway.
Dozens of senators, nobles and others who thought better of themselves traversed the straight path in and out to the other sectors of the district. The superimposing main senate tower dominated the space and shrouded much of the horizon in its own splendour.
The only presence that even matched the tower was those of the advancing party. At the head of the five man party was the grand master of the Jedi order Satele Shan.
Her eyes were as focussed as ever as she made a straight line path for the main tower with her companions walking in suit. Like a sea of bodies all the well-dressed senators had parted in a neat shuffle their subconscious avoiding the Jedi masters.
Deep within the tower in the main chambers a triumvirate house with a singular golden orb at the centre an assembly of the Republics most high-ranked delegates and commanders. On one section the seats were filled with many representatives and delegates of the worlds under the Republic and the sole Chancellor.
The other section with far less members had been seated by the Military Commanders of the Republic who had much more pressing matters in comparison.
The heavy doors parted with a shallow knock and the Jedi masters found their seats in the empty section. At the close of the automatic doors the bright room darkened and the orb rose up tentatively before being phasing into a holographic image revealing the entire galaxy.
Of the Jedi only Satele stood and her eyes scanned the entire assembly noting all the faces and slight twitches of posture.
"Friends and honoured comrades of the glorious Republic I welcome you to this time honoured meetings of all facets of our society"
The delegates all nodded and smiled as one of their own took the hollow pleasure of opening the meeting with a voice more suited for a choir party. Those on the military side did extremely well to keep their faces blank with only a few revealing a snigger. The Jedi remained impassive.
"Thank you Senator-"
"That is Senator Alvan Cehoe from Alderaan" the young face had a broad smile
"Thank you Senator, I've arranged this meeting with regards to the future of the Republic" she waited for a few seconds "More specifically the future of the Jedi order"
The senators and delegates all perked up and even the military officers started to take interest
"As you all know these past two years have seen the 'Cold War' lose its momentum on the part of the Empire and the Sith"
"For that the people are ever grateful to the sacrifices made by the Jedi and our own finest" this time a different Senator spoke up, the subtle movements in the faces of the commanders caught Satele's eye as she continued to speak
"I agree with your sentiments Senator but as Jedi we can no longer ignore our main goal and that is to become the peacekeepers of the galactic order."
There was a silence in the assembly as both sides turned to each other and began to exchange words. Satele was comfortable in waiting as the other Jedi with her and found time watching specific faces, in the minutes that passed the first to speak was General Garza
"Explain something to me Master Jedi define the term peacekeeper in this context"
Before she could offer her explanation Cehoe had risen to speak but was instantly shot down by the momentary stares from the military. For her part Satele remained impassive until she sensed the moment had died down
"What I mean General was that much of what we've done so far was to engage in conflicts directly with the Empire and on even more occasions with the Sith."
"But you can't argue that on many of those occasions including the encounters in the company of the Sith without the intervention of the Jedi the outcome would have been much worse" this time a navy Admiral voiced his thoughts, acknowledging the genuine concern Satele let Master Kiwiiks speak for her
"Admiral it is good to see you well after the incidents on Corellia"
The grey haired male smiled "No thanks to you, I never thought Jedi would make good relief agents"
"And that is exactly what we intend to return to...this 'Cold War' as many of you call it has seen the deaths of many close friends and the destruction of countless more. But it has also seen the Sith Emperor defeated once and for all and many members of the Dark Council and other dark lords of the Sith have been killed"
Garza spoke once again "True but those losses tell only on those inflicted on the Sith, it doesn't necessarily speak of the Empire as a whole" her comment saw nods of approval from many of the commanders and the wiser Senators also shared her sentiments, to date much of the Empire is still shrouded and its true strength has never really been quantified.
At this point Master Syo Bakarn rose to speak
"In any other circumstance what you said may be true but the Sith and the Empire aren't antithetical...although it would be foolish to say that destroying the Sith would result in the end of the Empire much of the ruling leadership belongs to the Emperor and his Dark Council which further extends towards the Sith lords and Imperial commanders."
A disgruntled Senator scratched his greyed hair in thought as he said
"So Master Jedi are you trying to say that the Empire can survive without the Sith?"
"Ultimately yes but for the time being they will be destabilised as they reform their hierarchy of command"
"But it still doesn't mean that their threat has been eliminated, the Sith are no fools, they can and will choose extreme covert measures if needs be to ensure their survival and the downfall of the Republic" the weighty voice came from the Jace Malcom the Supreme Military Commander who merely had a heavy shadow in his eye as he waited for the Jedi response
"But it does grant us respite and time enough to meditate on the future of our Order"
"Master Bakarn is right" all eyes now made rest on Satele "The Jedi were never warriors but peacekeepers of the Galaxies balance, our purpose was never to win wars but to prevent them from starting." She let them turn to each other and waited again for their final thoughts
An older Senator was the first to share the thoughts of everyone in the assembly
"Master Jedi what you say may well be true but it is difficult to accept the withdrawal of the Jedi's support in these dark times"
Satele smiled thinly as she had already guessed what their response would be even before the start of the meeting
"Senator I can assure you that our intention isn't to withdraw ourselves from the Republic" that brought clear reassurances "But to alter our directive" the commanders weren't displeased but weren't really happy either "For the most part we will carry on as we always have been until we are sure of the end of the Cold War and then we will bring this matter to you again. Our intention now was to just make you all aware of our thoughts"
The Supreme Chancellor who had been eerily silent throughout the whole debate found his words and spoke to the no one in particular
"Then this matter is adjourned until a later date, we send our gracious thanks to the Jedi and our Commanders and the sentiments of the Republic"
With that everyone began to file out into their own agendas. The Jedi stayed to last and just as they too began to leave one of their own had remained seated, clad in a mix of robes and armour. The young master had his trademark grin and seemed like he could very rarely keep still
"It's funny how the Supreme Chancellor considers the Jedi and military separate from the 'sentiments of the Republic'" his icy blue eyes locked with Satele's as he began to stand slowly "You should know Master that many of those Senators and ministers of war no longer consider this to be a Cold War, the facade is over, this is a Galactic War that the Jedi can't leave"
The other Masters all seemed ready to throw their retorts when Satele silenced them with a soft wave of her hand. She looked down for a moment before returning the Jedi's stare.
It was too easy to believe that the threat had faded and maybe she had lulled herself into that train of thought. As she searched the Jedi's face she realised everything he said was regrettably true.
The deep core bombs had done their duty.
Wherever Leo'nydas and Raptor squadron went they were met with only the sight of a shattered temple and the smell of smouldering rock and ice. Occasionally they would spot the strewn bodies of Imperial shocktroopers and Sith Acolytes, most were beyond dead amidst the rubble.
Despite this seeming success it did make their journey all the more hazardous and longer than it needed to be. As the eight strong group trawled through the confined space they were on a constant heightened state of awareness for ambushes, dangerous pathways and terrain all in equal measure.
At the head of the group was a giant of a man, dark-skinned with a full head of thick grey hair despite his age, known as Hrolf. Slung on his back was what can only be described as a man-sized Gatling gun, six-barrels of Republic blaster fury and Alderaan reliability all rolled into one weaponised package.
Following in as orderly line as possible the rest were all garbed in a mix of take-all comers weaponry and accessories.
At the back of the line Bezito inched further and further behind with each step. His mask was sat strapped to his belt, and he let the taste of the air find its way into his lungs unfiltered.
His left thigh and right shoulder burned, the frosty air making every movement a sensitive burst of pain and the hurdle of traversing the underground ruins didn't make it any easier.
"You don't have to come down here"
His focus shifted to the trooper in front of him "And why shouldn't I be down here?"
"I didn't say you shouldn't, just that you don't have to"
"And there's a difference?"
"Whatever, just try not to slow us down"
Wit was beginning to take over but he stopped himself when he noticed the line make an abrupt halt.
Their current position was in a descending corridor encased an almost all sides by broken masonry and peaks of ice, surprisingly the orchid light found a way inside, illuminating an otherwise bleak space. Ahead was what seemed like a main room or antechamber and of all the places they've been to it seemed the least affected by the deep core bombs.
Edging past the troopers that had stopped Leo'nydas made his way to the lead and knelt down next to Hrolf.
"I can smell him, Arho, and a bunch of others" the Raptor leader ground out in a deep tone
Smiling a reply Leo'nydas looked ahead "Smell? You sure you're just not force-sensitive"
"Bah! Like I could deal with you prancing heroes, Arho's in there n' we've got a mission to do" without saying anymore he purposefully crept past the Jedi to the entrance. Coordinated hand signals to his squad saw them enter an assault formation as best as they could within the confines of the corridor.
Within seconds of assuming formation Raptor squad burst into action.
Fanning out across the antechamber in quick succession with rifles trained in every in every direction they were met with only silence.
Visibility was almost non-existent in the room and the armoured steps of the troopers gave off a hollow echo.
After a minute in the solid darkness the squad slowly relaxed and edged away their tension.
"He's here" Leo'nydas managed to whisper to Hrolf who was barely within earshot "In the shadows"
On cue the flash of a red lightsaber illuminated the barely lit room. The red tones added a sense of animosity even to the terrain which brought Raptor squadron to full alert, Leo'nydas in turn drew his two lightsabers and entered his Juyo stance. The soft blue lights were welcome warmth from the intense red putting some of the squad members at ease.
With the room now full of light Raptor squad shivered at the full scene before them. At the far end was the dismembered, disembowelled and otherwise brutalised body of Darth Arho, around him, the body pieces of his apprentices and agents.
Hunger
The word was like a knife running through the eyes. As a Jedi Leo'nydas was able to repel most of the force behind it but the same couldn't be said for his comrades. Most of them dropped to their knees in agonising screams and wails, clutching their heads for what seemed like dear life. Even the stone like Hrolf showed intense discomfort but, like a true giant, shrugged it off with sheer force of will.
Feed
As the second word came, intense as the last, the wielder of the red lightsaber stepped forward. Clad in Obroan armour whoever it was force-sensitive and powerful, Leo'nydas could sense the animalistic nature pulsing from it and forced himself to recite the mantra of the Jedi.
"Well what're we waitin' for?" Hrolf asked rhetorically
Seeing as they were in no rush to hasten to what might be their last moments Leo'nydas answered him "You know...protocol technically mandates a compulsory number of negotiations upon contact with an unknown"
Hrolf gave him a look that was tinted was disbelief "And what does protocol say if said unknown is hostile?"
"Engage with excessive force"
The beautiful ocean blue stretched on for miles on end.
Waves of sapphire calmly lapped around the city alongside the chirps of the avian creatures. The white architecture was a serene home, bathing in the ambience of the clear skies. No matter the angle, or time of day, Manaan was a perfect sanctuary. It was stunning in its features and the work of the Selkaths ensured that all their constructs were a compliment to the planets picturesque features.
In a place like this, Bezito found his mind and soul at rest. Nowhere else could he feel the same way, no other landscape could match that of Manaans and it was fortunately, untouched by the bumbling war efforts of the Republic and Empire. Sure enough both sides were welcome to the doorstep but, to come in and enjoy the serenity they had to leave their aggression and warmongering behind.
It was midday and it was the peak of activity, atop the housing district Bezito kept a watchful eye on the passing faces below. Despite wearing heavily contrasting clothes to the world around him and sitting down on the most visible spot he couldn't be spotted, he made sure of that.
In his hand he juggled a gold coin, a memento of a life once had. Whether he missed it or was willing to go back was a question that he wasn't ready to answer, just yet.
In the silence and serene ambience completely lost to his thoughts Bezito scarcely registered the multiple screeches of his communicator bleeping for his attention, annoyed at the disruption he pulled the device from his pocket waited impatiently for the conversation to end. On the other side, a gruff man with a face built like a wookie and voice to match
"C'mon bro! How long you gonna shut us down for? After Oricon you'd think we be partners by now!?"
"We'll never be partners" was all Bezito bothered to say. Before the man on the other side could reply, a bustle and distant shout rang indiscreetly until it calmed down
"Hey big B, I know how ya like to keep distance n' all but we're a team n' teams've got rules to follow ya dig?"
Although he tried not to Bezito smirked a little as he instantly recognised the new voice
"Cadaver, I've told you before...we're not a team so don't bother trying to-"
"Yeah yeah, we know, don't call, don't write, don't say hello, don't give ya soup when ya fall sick" Cadaver interrupted, his voice betraying the comical side to the outwardly 'tough guy' features he normally wore "Listen B, there's some work that's come in...big time stuff, if my boys n' I could handle it then we would've, but this is serious"
Bezito kept silent as he recalled all the members of the team, and more importantly, how good they were. Whatever it was that had them in a tight situation it was definitely not a joke.
"How bad is it?" he asked firmly
"There ya go ya rainbow heart tiger-man, I always knew you'd come back to help us out!"
Bezito frowned, aggravated that, once again, Cadaver had taken his words completely out of context. I'm not coming back, just fixing whatever mess you bantha spawns got yourselves into, he thought harshly to himself
"Zaleen's on her way to ya right now to give the low down on the deal, till then, catch ya later B" Cadaver said cutting the connection and ending any retorts Bezito was ready to fire off at him.
Even though he was now alone Bezito found himself struggling to find the sense of sanctuary he had been lost in now that his mood had been soured. Deciding it was for the best he slid down from the rooftops and landed on the outskirts of the central district. Drawing his hood up, Bezito joined the flow of the crowd, content to let his force camouflage fade away.
Eventually he got to the docks, a large usually empty space that once housed the submersibles but was traded in favour of a network line travelling directly underwater. Walking to the edge of the barriers he looked out to the blue horizon and once again found his calm.
Unfortunately it wasn't long before a newer face emerged to rile him from the desperately sought silence
"Hey there, I'm looking for your better-than-average, incredibly masculine, wild-eyed Cathar with a penchant for solitude and lightsaber tricks" the voice had a soft nature to it that almost matched the waves of Manaan. Turning to face the newcomer Bezito found Zaleen regarding him with a sly smile and feline eyes. The Twi'lek was turquoise skinned and wore an outfit that marked her as street thug and bounty hunter in one femme fatale package
"If you're wondering, I arrived earlier this morning but Cadaver didn't want us to meet till he got the green light from you" she continued "How's Kir-"
"Let's not dance around this and just get to the point of Cadaver's problem" Bezito remarked all the while pocketing an old printed photograph he hadn't realised was in his hand
"Well, that's the problem...the hit, it's on her"
Bezito froze for a second, before giving Zaleen a menacing glare "When did the bounty come out? And who sent it?"
Zaleen laughed humourlessly as she knew he wasn't going to like what was coming next "And that's another problem, the hits not just another bounty...it's a Deathmark and the only lead we have as to why she's on it is a guy named Ango Mein, last location was Ilum 3 months ago"
Bezito was clearly agitated but took his time to let it all sink in, something was obviously out of picture, and it didn't make sense for her to have a Deathmark. For now, as Zaleen said the only lead they have is Ango Mein and of all planets it had to be one of the ones Bezito hated the most.
"Get everything ready, we're heading to Ilum now" he said as he left the ocean blue behind.