Chapter 12. Blood Shed
Onderon:
The King of Onderon had agreed to allow the Alliance to assemble its fleets in his system. Capital class ships of all types were there, but the predominate type of ship was the Alliance star destroyer. The flag ship was a Mon Calamari cruiser called The Admiral Ackbar where the fleet commanders met for a debriefing before the attacks.
Jacen Solo walked across the main hangar of the Ackbar with Dena in toe when he heard his name. "Hey Jacen!" The woman who called out to Jacen was Nelani Dinn, who in the other timeline was his apprentice for a short time. In this timeline the two of them were friends, "I was hoping to see you…"
"Well look at you… Jedi Knight…"
"Yeah… but I am still partnered with Master Katarn or least he is still mentoring me… They haven't given me my own mission yet…" Kyle Katarn was standing afar watching them.
Jace looked at Katarn and nodded at him, "Is something wrong…"
"What do you mean?"
"Well it seems to me that the Jedi have been acting… well funny… There are a lot of disturbances in the force… My Uncle made me a Master and I have been to busy to make my journey…"
"Journey?" She asked confused.
"Well when I faced Onimi… There was a point in the force that was sublime… I think there is a place in the force where the dark side and the force don't exist… Its just the force…"
"I'd keep that to myself if I were you…" Nalani said. "It sounds like heracy…"
"Well I just wanted to know if it were true or not… Oh excuse my manners this is my apprentice Dena Tan…"
They shook hands, "I should have been your apprentice…" She said looking back at Katarn.
"Why re you and Katarn hear anyway…" Jacen asked.
"For a top secret mission… I don't know the details… I hear you have your own command?"
"I do well I need to get going…" They hugged.
War Room:
Admiral Wedge Antillies stood up with Nas Choka on his left and Bwe'Watau on his right who was running for chief of state. "Ladies and gentlemen… We are about to begin our assaults to give you the intel on our enemies may I present Nas Choka…"
The Yuuzhan Vong stood up and looked at everyone in the room, "Greetings! There are seven warlords that we are about to face… Of the seven the three deadliest and most skilled in battle are Warlords Rhuhass, Huntair Sihg, and Turass Shar… Rhuhass believes he is a god… He will fight to the last man… those under his command he has personally trained… Then there is my student Huntair Sihg… he knows he is out numbered and he wil plan his strategy accordingly… He has a full fleet division under his command… He likes to micro-manage every aspect of battle…" He told them great details about Huntair and spoke of him with great respect, then he debriefed them on Turass, Mearn, Ny'sat, Kovass, Fuzhard.
Wedge stood up again after Nas Choka took a seat, "We will divide the fleet into three groups, one I will personally lead with Master Katarn… the next will be lead by Nas Choka and the last by Master Solo… You have your orders dismissed!"
Jacen commanded his forces from the star destroyer the Mon Mothma, "All ships report in…"
While the fleet reported in Dena Tan found a quiet place to report to Master Skywalker from. "Master Skywalker…" She told him about their encounter with Nelani Dinn and Jacen's experience with Onimi and his new beliefs about the force.
"You are doing well continue on your mission…"
"Where are you grand master if I may ask…"
"The Mon Calamari system… I want you to tell Jacen that Cha Niethel is dead…"
"Master didn't she…"
"Yes I want you to gage and watch his reaction…"
"Yes master… I will report back to you after the battle…"
Jacen stood on the bridge and Dena cae in just as the fleet went to hyperspace. "All well?"
"Not exactly master… Cha Niethel is dead…"
He looked at her as the name triggered an uncontrolled response in the force, "Did you say Cha Niethel…"
"Yes master did you know her…"
"No not personally… We met a few months back during the negotiations with the Yuuzhan Vong…" Jacen received flashes of Niethel as an Admiral and he as a a Colonel.
"Are you alright master?"
"How did she die…"
"They are saying it was an assassination… One of the Assassins was a high ranking Hapan… The Jedi are handling it…"
Jacen was disturbed by this news, somehow he and Niethel were connected, "I will be back… Dana your in charge…"
"Yes master…" She could feel his conflicting emotions about what he had just heard as he walked away. ("I wonder if I will have to face him if did turn to the dark side…") She thought to herself.
Jacen went to his suit and called all the information he could on Cha Niethel. The report read: Cha Niethel Mon Clamari age 35, weight 115 pounds, Career military minded, a student of the Ackbar doctrine. Graduated from the Alliance military academy with distinguished honors. Firm believer in the watch dog act a government watchdog program aimed at monitoring the Jedi. He sat back after reading all that trying to figure out why this woman was connected to him in the force.
Mygeeto:
Mygeeto had been taken over by Warlord Rhuhass, he was a charismatic Vong who believed he was the direct descendent and physical manifestation of the Yuuzhan Vong god Khaz'Doar the mighty. His battle flotilla orbited the planet as he was using the system to lure Alliance forces into his trap.
"Milord…" The Vong villip choir director addressed him in the Vong language. Rhuhass insisted that all Vong speak their native language. "Our spies report that the Allied fleet has divided into three smaller fleets… They have left Onderon…."
"Good have third watch break away… They will flank the force that attacks us…" Suddenly everything on the command ship went quiet, he looked around and noticed that everyone was standing still and not moving. "What sorcery is this?"
"They cannot hear you… They are suspended in the power of the force…" Rhuhass spun around and Nom anor was standing on the bridge of his command ship.
"Infidel!" He screamed in basic, but he couldn't move his feet, some unforeseen force had held him in the spot he was standing. "How are you doing this… This is a Jedi trick…."
"Its no trick… my new superior has been watching you and he would like to offer you a chance at true power… and the chance to command the other fleets of the war lords… order you ships to the Noad system and then you and your personal onterage may come to Yavin IV where all be explained…"
"Why should I trust you?"
"You are already dead… You loose this battle if you… but if you come to Yavin IV you may get a chance to rule as Supreme Overlord…"
And just like that Nom Anor was gone and the things returned to normal or so it seemed. "Belay those orders all ships prepare to leave for the Noad system…" Rhuhass said.
Mygeeto three hours later:
Jacen's fleet came out of hyperspace and found nothing, the Yuuzhan fleet they came to battle was not there. "Send out probe droids to all adjacent systems…" Jacen ordered.
"Where could they have gone?" Dena asked from his side.
Korriban:
Huntair Sihg sat on a throne aboard his living ship the C'Ushatr staring out into space, he had chosen Korriban because of the fear it inspired and the legends that came from the planet. It was an ominous thing rotating around its single star second planet from the sun. He was an honorable Yuuzhan Vong the way Nas Choka taught him, but his world had been crushed by Nas Choka's surrender and betrayal, Supreme Overlord Shimmra'a defeat and the realization that the Yuuzhn Vong gods didn't exist. In fact Huntair had all the priests that were with him killed.
"From this day forth we shall forge our own destiny…" He had told his troops and they loyaly decided to keep fighting for him.
A female Vong named Shyarr came to his side, "Milord they will be here any moment…"
"I know… Have all ships assume battle formation Tython…"
Alliance Fleet:
Just as the Vong were getting into battle formation the Alliance fleet was coming out of hyperspace. Kyle Katarn and Nas Choka were in joint command of this fleet, Kyle commanded from the capital ship Redeemer while Nas Choka was aboard his ship Yun'Harla. "All craft report in…" Kyle ordered, "COM coordinate all attack forms with the Yun'Harla…" He ordered after all ships reported in.
The Yun'Harla:
"Milord Alliance command is requesting battle formation Tipora… The war master concurs…"
"Initiate!"
"Choir master transmit communication to the flagship C'Ushatr…" The villip choir reshaped into an image of Huntair. "My son… It is good to see you again…"
He grunted, "The Vong who betrays his people dares call me son… You were like a father to me… and you taught me never to surrender… Now look at you a pet of the humans… I would rather die than bend my knee to the Jeedai or the Alliance…"
"I have not bent my knee… Zenoma Sekot…"
"Is a false planet… just as Shimmra and all the rest… If you have come here to fight then do so… Do not banter words at me and call me son… You have no place in my heart anymore…"
"It saddens me to hear you say that… If this is your wish then so be it… Mentor against student…"
"Yes as Yuuzheir was betrayed by Yun'Harla so have you betrayed me… Look for me in battle… TRAITOR!"
Nas choka sighed in disappointment, he'd hope Huntair would listen, but he didn't and Choka was very proud of his student. "Tell the alliance forces that we shall lead the first wave…"
"Yes milord…"
Huntair watched as the Yuuzhan Vong forces fighting for the alliance left the main body to lead the attack. He gasped as the Choka's fleet was engulfed by a purple cloud with flashes of lightening arcing through it. The cloud engulfed the entire Alliance/Vong fleet, "War master… analyze that cloud and report…" Everyone on the bridge was frozen in place. Huntair walked around the bridge and tried to move the people and shouted at them but they were unresponsive.
"They cannot hear you… My master calls it force stasis or something like that…"
Huntair spun around to find Nom Anor on board his ship, "You! How in space did you get aboard my ship…"
"Well my new master refuses to explain that to me as well… I have come with an offer…"
"I do not hear the words of traitors…"
"You will hear me… else you will die for nothing…"
"I will die for my beliefs…"
"And wht exactly are those beliefs…" Huntir refused to answer, "Fine… don't answer, but tell me are they worth dying here for… You want revenge and I can see it… What if I said there ws a way to put you on equal if not greater standing against the Jeedai and all your enemies and gain the command over the armies of the other six warlords…"
"You have done some amazing things in life, but now you reach beyond your position…"
"You would be surprised how far my reach goes now… Look around you… I have new friends and they bring about all I have just said… So do you wish to die here or have a chance to become the new Supreme Overlord and build a new empire for the vong… The choice is yours, but make the right one… Send your fleet to the Noad System and then you and your personal entarouge may come to Yavin IV…"
Huntair watched in disbelief as Nom anor vanished in a bright red flash. When the light faded his crew had returned to normal, "Belay the attack…" Huntir couldn't believe what he was about to do.
Darth Khan's ship the Reaver:
"Magnetic cloud holding Master…" Greelock said as Nom Anor entered the bridge and sat beside him on the floor.
"Well…" Khan coldly asked.
"I think he will accept the offer…"
Greelock spun around in his chair, "You think…" Greelock never missed an opportunity to let Nom Anor know that he didn't like him.
"Have I done something to offend alien…"
"Your very presence discusts me…"
"Greelock!" Khan warned, he sneered at Nom Anor and returned his attention to the main view screen.
"Master Huntair's forces are leaving the system…" HK-5000 said.
"Good maintain magnetic cloud field…"
"The fleet has gone to hyperspace milord…"
Greelock spun in his chair, "Perhaps we should destroy the alliance fleet…"
"The time will come Greelock when we will reveal ourselves to the Jedi and all will tremble… For now set course for Yavin four…"
Onderon a week later:
The Alliance fleet had returned to Onderon after discovering that all the Yuuzhan Vong warlords had gone missing. The fleet commanders met together aboard Nas Choka's flagship. Jacen stood in a corner with his arms folded listening as each commander reported on the situation, Luke and the rest of the Jedi council was listening via holonet along with Cal Omas.
"There can be only one explanation… The warlords have combined their forces and chosen a new Supreme Chancellor… If that is the case expect an all new war from this regime…"
"I think there is more behind this…" Luke said, "I sense…" He paused to look at Jacen, "A great disturbance in the force…"
"What does your force have to do with the Yuuzhan Vong Master Jeedai?"
"More than you think Nas Choka more than you think… We need to send out scouts and probe droids to locate them…"
"Yes Luke we have already done that and Nas choka has sent his probes and scouts as well…" Wedge said, "Well keep the fleet in tact here on Onderon… They are most likely to be hiding in the outer rim…"
Luke turned to Jacen, "Master Solo… The council has a new mission for you… Astara is being sent back to Hapes…"
"Why?"
"Someone in the government has powerful connections…" Cal Omas said, "And we can't afford to loose the Hapans as allies…"
"Who…"
"We don't know…" Luke said, "…but we believe it is someone very close to the throne and a member of the royal family with Tenal Ka's ear…You will return to Coruscant and escort Astara back to Hapes… While you are there make some discreet inquiries and report back…"
"I will go Grand Master, but I was hoping to help with the search for these Yuuzhan Vong warlords… My Vong sense can be very valuable in that regards…"
"You may return to the front after you take care of this situation for us…" Secretly Luke was pushing Jacen towards Tenal Ka so that Allana could be born.
