Good evening, everyone. How are you doing on the night of February 18, 2018? Let me tell you, I am exhausted after a seven-hour shift at my movie theater. It was quite a challenge to work that long, but I'm just glad that it's over, and I have a few hours left in the day to write, since I did some homework before I started on this chapter. So, with the small talk out of the way, let's get started on the next humor-filled and dramatic chapter, as there is so much to do, but so little time to do it in. May the Force and Iluvatar be with our heroes as they prepare to confront the spirit of Karness Muur.

(February 19, 2018, 10:20 P.M. addendum) Good evening, everyone. I'm sorry for adding this addendum, but I have news with you that I cannot wait to share. As of fifty minutes ago, in Star Wars Rebels, Kanan Jarrus sacrificed himself to save his love, Hera Syndulla, and Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren from an Imperial explosion. I can still hardly believe this, even as I write it. I cannot begin to imagine how the creators of this show plan to end the series, as it will no doubt end on an epic note. Now, before you criticize me for watching the show, just know that I am still loyal to the Expanded Universe, but I can still enjoy "new canon" things, as long as it doesn't contradict the EU too much, or goes against my moral values. Anyway, I also wanted to tell you that I worked a hard nineteen hours at my local movie theater through the last three days. Let me tell you, I am beat. I'll be glad when I get at least a day off from work, and can do schoolwork and fanfiction writing tonight and tomorrow. Well, I'd better get back to writing, as I have so much to do, but so little time to do it. Wish me luck.

Two Hours Later

Onboard the Second Chance

In Hyperspace

Two Hours From Moon F32W45S23T, Two Parsecs from Aridus

"Well, I'll be a Kowakian monkey-lizard's uncle. You guys actually managed to pull it off." Tau said, completely impressed at the repairs that his apprentice had managed to carry out while he was gone for the previous seven hours.

From his trained, eye, the turbolasers were functioning at optimal efficiency just through rerouted power from the dejarik table. The vents were cleaner than they had been when the ship had traveled through time, and, the last one confounded Tau, as the brains of the R3-series astromech droid and V-5 transport droid were getting along as if they were friends instead of rivals.

"How did you manage to pull this off?" Ahsoka said in a similar shape of amazement at the ship's excellent performance.

"Well, Nagme was able to create an organic solvent that cleaned the ship's vents, while Arnine made the call to ration power from the dejarik table in order to bring the turbolasers back to full strength, and Celebion and Jarael managed to create a bypass program that allows whoever's piloting the ship to take control of the three brains while we're in combat mode." Ventis proudly said. He was glad that he could contribute to the Shadow Alliance in a manner that did not remind him of his past transgressions.

"Well, clearly I was wrong about your leadership abilities, Ventis. As promised, here are a thousand credits for your spending pleasure." Tau said in praise of his pupil's skills as he reached within his pockets to pull out ten one hundred credit chits, and then handed them to Ventis, who took them with pride laced across his entire face.

"Thank you for the leap of faith, Master." Ventis humbly said as he put the credits in his pocket, and his expression then turned serious as he said, "So, can you remind me what our next move is, now that Master K'Kruhk, his Padawans, and the two Imperial leaders that you met with have joined the Shadow Alliance?"

"We're going to recruit Celeste Morne, a former Jedi Covenant Shadow into our Shadow Alliance before being trapped in a Sith Oubliette, after you lead the efforts in destroying the Muur Talisman, which contains the spirit of the Jedi Exile Karness Muur." Tau said, which shocked everyone present, but no one as great as Ventis, who had a look of pure unadulterated fear cover his face.

"Wh-why would you have me face off against an ancient Sith Lord, let alone the one who created the vile Rakghoul Plague?!" Ventis said, remembering how, through the very detailed historical records that Tau kept from his timeline, Karness Muur had fellow Sith Lord Sorzus Syn design a talisman that would house Karness's spirit after his body was destroy, and how the talisman allowed the deceased Sith Lord's spirit to create mindless sithspawn that carried the terrible Rakghoul Plague through even the smallest bites and scratches. Everyone looked at Tau as if he had finally lost his mind.

"Two reasons. One, because you need to lead a mission in order to help build up your confidence, as you cannot rely on us forever in order to help keep your despair in check. Sooner or later, you're going to have to face up to what Gallies did if you're going to become a Jedi Knight, and you'll need a strong mind, body, and spirit if you are to survive the Jedi Trials." Tau said as he began to explain his reasoning to everyone present, as he could sense the disbelief in everyone's minds as he spoke.

"Okay… And what's the second reason, Tau?" Arden asked, wondering just her leader's plan was for a man that she considered to be a kindred spirit due to their equally tragic pasts and manipulation by the Sith for their own selfish ends.

"Because Ventis is the only one here who possesses the Shatterpoint ability, and that gift is what's going to send Karness's spirit into the Shadow once and for all." Tau grimly said as he imagined seeing the look of horror on the deceased Sith Lord's face when his apprentice struck the final blow against him, and a disturbing smile was plastered against his face, which startled everyone.

Seeing the scared looks on everyone's faces, Tau immediately retracted the smile, and shamefully said, "Sorry. I got giddy when I imagine helping destroy Muur's spirit. I guess that I carry a lot of rage in my heart when it comes to true monsters."

"Don't we know it." Akuu muttered to himself, and shared a look of worry with both Jarael and Ahsoka, as they further feared how Tau would react when they eventually told him of their efforts to find and recruit Chelli Lona Aphra in to the Shadow Alliance.

"What was that, Akuu?" Tau asked in plain curiosity, since he did not catch what his longtime friend had said.

"Nothing." Akuu quickly said, leaving his comrade and leader confused over his quick denial.

But, before Tau could inquire as to what was bothering Akuu, Ahsoka quickly said to her boyfriend, "So, Ventis possess the same gift as Master Windu? I heard that he was a legend with it."

"Indeed, Ahsoka. His usage of it, and his custom lightsaber form of Vaapad, made him a legend on the battlefield, and both factors let him go toe-to-toe with Sidious, and overcome him in lightsaber combat before his death at the Sith Lord's hands through Force Lightning." Tau said, wishing that the Jedi Master was still alive, as, despite his arrogance, distrust of others, and attachment to the corrupt and decaying Old Republic, he believed that Windu would have helped them in their cause to protect the galaxy from the dark designs planned for it.

"I'm missing something here. What exactly is 'Shatterpoint'?" Nagme said, as her brief time among the people of this galaxy, as well as her people's total lack of connection to the Force, had not allowed her to become well versed in the knowledge of the Force and its many abilities.

"Shatterpoint is the ability to see the fractures in… well, just about anything. From equipment, to people, to the entire galaxy, it allows the user to see things that could, for instance, shatter a set of Mandalorian armor. Or, in a more galactic scale, commit a small action that could alter the course of history in the entire galaxy." Ventis said before he became nervous, and said, "My family was proficient in the usage of Shatterpoint through several generations. That was one of the reasons that Tenebrous and Plageuis set Gallies loose as a distraction for their plans."

"Well then, I see no reason as to why you shouldn't take the lead on this mission, Ventis." Nagme said, before she continued, saying, "You already managed to beat back Plagueis's spirit with only Tau's help, so it's a logical reason that, with the help of the rest of us who can use the Force, can destroy Muur's spirit.

Ventis still seemed unsure of this course of action, but, remembering how his son risked everything to save him, and how he still had a brother to visit, he said, his voice full of resolve as he spoke, "Al right, I'm in. But, for the record, it was Tau, General Kota, Master Hett, and Ahsoka that helped me dispel Plagueis's specter from my mind."

Tau then clasped his hands together in approval, and said to his apprentice, "Good. Don't worry, Ventis. We'll be behind you every step of the way."

He then turned to face the rest of his crew, and said, "Here's the plan: Since the Muur Talisman's effects don't work on Force-Sensitives and various non-human species, we'll only have Ventis, Ahsoka, A'Sharad, Arden, Bardan, and I go help Celeste, as I don't want to risk anyone here becoming a Sithspawn that will have to be destroyed. You'll drop us down a couple of klicks away from Celeste's last known location, and head into orbit until we give the signal for retrieval. Once we're onboard, we'll head for Dantooine in order to rendezvous with Clan Skirata and Whiplash. Any questions?"

"What happens if Vader decides to come here in order to clean house, as I doubt that he'll let us get away with someone who knows that he tried to supplant Sidious with?" Jarael said, worried that Vader would attempt to cover up his failed attempt to procure a Sith apprentice through murdering them all.

"I doubt that he'll come, but, if he does, then you guys get out of here. We'll find a way to deal with Vader if it comes down to it. Besides, between the seven of us, we stand a chance of taking Vader out of the equation." Tau said, noting the fear in Ahsoka's eyes as he finished speaking, as he knew that she was unsure if she could kill Vader, as she was once his Padawan when he was still Anakin Skywalker.

A'Sharad and Bardan also noticed the fear in Ahsoka's eyes, and, after the two of them shared a look of mutual understanding, the former said, "Ahsoka, can Bardan and I speak you for a minute?"

Wondering just what the two former Jedi Generals wanted to talk to her about, she followed them as they headed to the room where the Second Chance's hyperdrive was housed, and she said, "What's up, guys?"

"We know that you feel like you failed Anakin, but the failure was his, not yours." A'Sharad said, getting right to the heart of the matter. He then continued, saying, "When you left the Order, he blamed himself for his perceived failure of you, but the failure was the Council's for not standing by you in your darkest hour, and you took the path that was best for you, not anyone else. Yes, he rightly felt anger at the Council, but his anger, and his obsessive desire from losing Padme, put him on the path that pushed away anyone that could have helped him from falling into darkness. And, in his darkness, he betrayed everyone that truly believed in him, and is now the very evil that he once abhorred. It is our responsibility, not merely as Jedi, but as honorable individuals, to put a stop to his evil, even if it claims his life."

"I know that he has to be stopped, Master Hett. Don't take me for a fool." Ahsoka snarled out, before she calmed herself, and she continued, saying with a trembling voice, "In the timeline that Tau came from, he killed me, and helped massacre billions, maybe trillions, of innocent people, so I know what the stakes were and are! But… Like Edaan rightly believed that Vestara Khai could come back from the Dark Side, I have to at least try to bring him back from darkness."

"We understand that, Ahsoka." Bardan sympathetically said before he continued, saying, "But, Tau told me a story about a Jedi Knight who, less than a generation from his time, was forced to kill her twin brother in order to save the galaxy from his tyranny. Would you like to hear it, Ahsoka?"

Confused as to what the Mandalorian was speaking of, Ahsoka only nodded in acquiesce, and she began to hear the tale of Darth Caedus and Jaina Solo.

One Hundred Minutes Later

Ahsoka could barely believe what she had just heard: Due to the Sith Lady Vergere's twisted teachings during the Yuuzhan Vong War, and the manipulations of the subsequent Sith Lady Lumiya during the beginning of the Second Galactic Civil War, Jacen Solo, the son of Han and Leia Organa Solo, as well as the nephew of Luke Skywalker, became a murderous Sith Lord known as Darth Caedus over the course of a handful of months.

As his descent into darkness began in earnest, he took control of a secret police force, engineered the deaths of tens of millions of beings, including the murder of his own aunt, Mara Jade Skywalker, took control of the Galactic Alliance through subversion, and corrupted a great Jedi Knight named Tahiri Veila, the one true love of the late Anakin Solo, into his Sith Apprentice before she was redeemed by Luke's son, Ben Skywalker.

But, what was truly the final twist in the knife that pierced Ahsoka's heart was the fact that Boba Fett, by then the Mand'alor of the Mandalorian mercenaries, trained Jaina Solo, Jacen's own twin sister, in order to take him down once and for all. She found her motivation through the words of the aged Bardan of her time before his death, who told her that she had to kill Jacen out of love, and then deal with the consequences of her decision later, as she was the only one that could kill him without falling into darkness.

Ahsoka immediately realized what Bardan and A'Sharad were inferring, she ardently said, "No. No, no! You can't ask me to kill Anakin. There's still good in him, Luke's redemption of him proves it!"

"No one is denying that, Ahsoka. But, you must set aside your personal feelings on the matter, and look at it objectively, as a leader must do, not just as a Jedi would. The timeline has changed due to Tau's arrival, and now the future is uncertain. There is no telling what we will change through the Shadow Alliance, and we need to be prepared for any eventuality. If we cannot redeem Vader, we won't have a choice but to put him out of his misery. And you must be the one to do it, for you are the only one that can do it out of pure love." A'Sharad sympathetically said to the Togruta.

"You want me to kill the man who stood by me in my darkest hours, and loved me like a sister. How can you possibly ask me to do that, knowing that there's still a chance for him to come back?" Ahsoka said as the tears came falling down her face like water gushing down from a waterfall.

"Because you love him like a brother, and familial love is one of the purest and strongest kinds of love in the universe. If it comes down to it, you must be the one to set him free from the prison of his own making." Bardan said, truly wishing that he and A'Sharad did not have to place this burden on her, but knowing that it was the best, and possibly only, way to stop Vader's self-destructive galactic rampage.

Realizing that nothing that she could say would deter the two warriors from their proposal, and as horrendously painful as it was, she reluctantly said, "I… I will consider your words."

"That is all we ask, Ahsoka Tano." A'Sharad said, believing that, with time, she would come around, and would take on the burden of setting her former master free if it came down to it.

She then took in several deep breaths in order to center her turbulent mind. Once the tears stopped flowing out, she wiped her eyes, and began to walk out of the room, where a concerned Tau was waiting for her, and he embraced her due to the torrent of fear that was coursing through her soul.

She instantly returned the embrace, and said, "I have to be the one to set Anakin free from his torment, even if it costs both my life and his."

Tau then grew alarmed at the way his companion was talking, and turned his head to A'Sharad and Bardan, and then severely said, "What did you two say to her?"

"Only what had to be done, Tau." Bardan cryptically replied.

Before Tau could say anything else, Arnine's voice came through on the intercom, and the astromech droid told everyone how the Second Chance was less than twenty minutes from its destination.

Tau, out of worry for the woman that he had strong feelings for, compassionately asked, "You want to stay on the Second Chance for this mission, Ahsoka?"

"No. Thank you, though. I need a good, hard mission in order to take my mind off of the choice that I've made." Ahsoka replied in gentle rejection of her boyfriend's request.

"All right." Tau hesitatingly said before he added, "You feel like you can't handle the mission, just let me know, and you can head back to the ship. Promise me, Ahsoka."

"I promise you, Tau." Ahsoka said as she slowly came out of the warm embrace, and kissed him on his lips with a tenderness that he slowly reciprocated.

After about ten seconds of kissing, the couple separated, and Tau then sternly said to Bardan and A'Sharad, "After we save Celeste, you two and I are going to have a nice, long talk about this."

"Fair enough." A'Sharad said as he and Bardan followed the couple to the boarding ramp, where Arden and Ventis awaited the rest of their strike team's arrival.

As soon as they appeared, Ventis concernedly asked Ahsoka, "Are you all right? You felt as if your heart was breaking in that room." He then turned his head to face Bardan and A'Sharad, and said, "What did those two say to you?"

"Only the cold, hard truth on a crucial matter that I may be the only one that can solve." Ahsoka cryptically said, as she knew that now was not the time for divisions within the team, not with a confrontation with an ancient Sith Lord's spirit on the horizon.

Not liking the vague answer in the slightest, but, knowing that the full answer would likely lead to infighting among the team, Ventis decided to drop the matter for now.

Twenty-Five Minutes Later

On Moon F32W45S23T, Two Parsecs from Aridus

Two Kilometers from Celeste Morne's Last Known Location

"All right. We all know the plan here. We go in, destroy the Muur Talisman, and rescue Celeste Morne from both her physical and spiritual imprisonment. We'll be dropped off two klicks from her last known location, and make our way to her on foot. Any questions?" Tau grimly said, knowing that the team was in danger from both within and without.

"What are we doing standing around talking about this? Let's get on with the mission" Arden eagerly said, ready to get her hands bloody again with some action. She was wearing full body armor, and was equipped with two blasters, and a Dunedain sword. She used this equipment because, despite her resistance to using a lightsaber, she knew that, in this dangerous situation, practicality won out over personal preferences.

Everyone else wore their customized body armor of various designs, with their Lightsabers equipped to their belts, while Tau wore his brother's customized Jedi Combat armor, and had his vonduum crab lightsaber and Edaan's personal lightsaber attached to his belt.

"No other questions?" Tau said, awaiting a response, but was awarded with nothing but silence. After about five seconds, he said, "All right, let's get started." With that, the six Force-sensitives jumped off of the ship, and the Second Chance made its way into the moon's orbit in order to avoid the risk of falling victim to the powers of the Muur Talisman.

Tau then reached out with his Force Sense, and quickly found a hidden presence that contained an immensely powerful mixture of both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force. He then said to his compatriots, "I found her. Two kilometers due east. Let's get moving. I'm willing to bet that either of our hosts sensed my little trick."

With that said, the six friends swiftly began their journey to save a fellow Jedi from the darkness that threatened to devour her whole.

Meanwhile, in the Unidentified Ruins

Two Kilometers Away

Celeste Morne thought that she had finally snapped. After four long years of isolation on this desolate moon, with no true company besides the Sith Spirit of Karness Muur, she had all but given up hope that anyone would come to save her, especially a Jedi, after she had learned from a dead historian that they and the Republic was overthrown by the Sith. She had sensed an immensely powerful Jedi use the Force to locate her, and responded back with equal amounts of hope and fear. She then used the Force to sense six powerful individuals racing towards her location, and she began to believe that Zayne Carrick's last promise to her would finally be fulfilled.

"Oh, do not be fooled by these supposed Jedi, Celeste Morne." Said the fiery specter of Karness Muur, who took this moment to appear from the Muur Talisman, and hovered in front of the Jedi Shadow. He then continued to speak, saying, "Why would six Jedi come here to save you, after nearly four thousand years of imprisonment with me? They are acolytes of Lord Vader, and they are here to destroy you and claim my talisman for their own usage. Your only hope of survival is to give yourself over to me. Only together can we hope to survive this attack on our lives."

"Never." Morne growled out, tired of the Sith Lord's constant attempts to let him take control of her body for his twisted plans of galactic conquest. As she spoke, however, a seed of fear emerged from her heart, as a part of her worried that, for once, Karness was telling the truth, and that these Jedi were coming to destroy her.

Deciding to rely on her Jedi teachings by placing her trust in the Force, and not in the treacherous hands of Muur, she sat in a meditative positon and awaited the imminent arrival of the six Jedi, where her fate would at last be decided.

Well, that ends another grim chapter of my story. I know that I promised action in this chapter, but I can assure you that the next one will be very dramatic in terms of what comes next. So, what did you enjoy or not enjoy in this chapter, as I live to please? I had a bit of help from Squasher in this chapter, especially with regards to Ventis knowing the Shatterpoint ability, so you can thank him for allowing me to include that fun tidbit. And, I plan to use more Vector references in these next one or two chapters as well, and the "Fires of War" song for a special purpose. Well, I guess that that's it for the day of February 20, 2018. I'd better be going, as I have a lot to do today, including school, which is where I am right now. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!