Good afternoon, everyone. Surprised to see me so soon after another update? Well, don't be, as this story is both a constructive outlet for my creativity and love of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. So, how are you doing on the afternoon of February 20, 2018? I'm doing well, but I won't be able to write for too long for most of the rest of the day, because I have class in less than two hours, which will, ironically enough, last for at least two hours. So, when we last left our heroes, they had arrived to help Celeste Morne free herself from Sith torment by destroying the Sith artifact known as the Muur Talisman, which is the source of the Rakghoul Plague, and the vessel that contains the spirit of the ancient Sith Lord Karness Muur. And, to further raise the stakes, Ventis was going to lead the mission in destroying the talisman, thanks to his gift of the Shatterpoint ability. Well, without further ado, let's get started on this chapter.
"So, can we expect any Rakghouls prowling the ruins when we reach them?" Ahsoka asked Tau as the six Shadow Alliance members quickly made their way to the ruins that her boyfriend managed to locate.
"Unlikely. I didn't sense any other presences in the Force when I probed the ruins, and the Second Chance's sensors only found one life sign in the vicinity. Unless Muur found a way to mask their presence from modern technology, as well as preserve their lifespan through Sith sorcery, then the Rakghouls likely cannibalized each other for food, and they would have died off over three years ago." Tau replied, seeing the skeleton of a Rakghoul that, from a brief glance, looked to be about four years old.
Motioning for the group to stop, he had them take a look at the corpse. Arden impatiently asked, "What are we doing standing around a decaying skeleton? We have a Jedi to save."
"This Rakghoul wasn't a Stormtrooper, which belies the question of just who was this victim of the Muur Talisman." Tau inquisitively said, an idea forming in his mind.
He then said, "I'll be a minute. I need to Flow-walk back in time in order ot figure out the person's identity."
Out of everyone who was with Tau, the only person who knew what he was talking about was Arden, due to her deceased lover's travels in discovering other Force schools, and she looked less than pleased about Tau using one of the Aing-Tii's most sacred abilities so blatantly.
She then said, "Why would you want to travel back in time in order to discover the cause of one person's death?"
"Call it a hunch, but I have a feeling that there's more to this story than meets the eye." Tau mysteriously said. He then continued, saying, "Worst case scenario, we lose only a few minutes of time."
"Yeah, and those few minutes could be the only thing that could save us. I say that we help Celeste now, and afterwards, you can investigate this little matter of yours." Ventis said, taking charge of the mission that his own master trusted him with.
After a moment of silence, Tau nodded in acceptance at the decision, and said, "Very well. This is your mission, so we'll do it your way. Maybe we can get some answers from Celeste instead."
As Ventis prepared to continue to lead the team and mission, Tau complimented him by saying, "I guess that the bet has really boosted your confidence, because the Ventis that I first met would never have taken command like that. Daniel would be proud of you."
Ventis smiled at the remark before he resumed running towards the ruins, with the rest of the team close behind him.
Fifteen Minutes Later
At the Unidentified Ruins
"This is it. I can sense an immensely powerful dark presence inside, so Muur must be in here." Ventis said, remembering with vivid clarity the darkness of the Sith of his time, which made him shiver in fear of being reminded of those horrific years of torture and experimentation.
"I can sense a bright presence as well, but it's tinted with… sorrow, and loss." Ahsoka said, extending her Force sense as well within the ruins.
"Then that must be Celeste. No surprise there, as waking up nearly four thousand years later, only to discover everything that she knew and loved was destroyed by the Sith can drive anyone mad." Arden sympathetically said in reference to Celeste's obvious mental state. She then said, "Well, we're not going to save Celeste by standing around and using the Force, so let's get moving." She then pulled out her Dunedain sword and slowly advanced into the ruins, with everyone else following behind her with their lightsabers drawn but unlit, not intending to scare away the former Jedi Covenant Shadow.
As the six Force-sensitives slowly advanced into the ruins, A'Sharad decided to see if Celeste would respond to the group's inquiries, and loudly said, "Celeste? Celeste Morne!"
"Well, so much for the element of surprise." Bardan lightheartedly muttered as he activated his helmet's Head-Up Display mode, and searched the room in infrared vision, only to detect a heat signature about fifty meters up ahead. He then said to his comrades, "Guys, I've got her. Fifty meters at Twelve Hundred."
The group then continued its slow advance, and, as they approached the room where Celeste resided, their eyes confirmed what they already knew: Celeste Morne the current, and hopefully, last, wielder of the Muur Talisman was sitting on the ground in a Jedi meditative position.
Just when they did not expect it, Celeste opened her blue eyes and said, "So, Zayne was able to send someone after all, even after dying nearly four thousand years ago. I certainly did not expect one of them to be a Force-sensitive Mandalorian after all of the harm that they caused the galaxy in my time."
Tau, thanks to Revan's instruction of his brother, knew who she was talking about when she mentioned the former Jedi Padawan Zayne Carrick, and politely said, "The Force does work in strange ways, Jedi Morne." He knew that now was not the time to discuss his faith in Iluvatar, and, focusing on the matter at hand, said, "We have come to set you free from your imprisonment by destroying the Muur Talisman."
Celeste then looked crestfallen as Karness's specter appeared, and, after laughing haughtily, said, "Foolish Jedi. The Muur Talisman cannot be destroyed! I designed it so that it could endure the end of time itself."
In response to those arrogant words, Tau smugly smirked as he said, "You mean Sorzus Syn designed the Muur Talisman. I bet that you didn't know that she had designed a second talisman for your old rival, Remulus Dreypa, in order to pit you two against each other for eternity," Seeing the scowl on the Sith Lord's face at the mention of his old enemy, he continued, saying, "And, I'm willing to wager that you didn't know of Syn's plans to make a third talisman that would surpass her two previous creations, making her the superior of the three of you."
"How could you possibly know that?" Muur menacingly whispered as Morne began to wonder just who this young man was, and if he could be trusted due to his apparent extensive knowledge of the ancient Sith.
"That's for me to know, and for you to never find out, Muur." Tau simply said as his apprentice began to walk in front of him, and slowly approached Celeste, who could sense a pall of regret and anger hanging over the Jedi's heart.
"Who are you?" Celeste cautiously said as she stood up from her meditative position, and felt the aging man mentally prepare himself for being a conduit for the Force energy of his five companions.
"My name is Ventis Uriel, and I am going to lead the efforts in saving you from your torment." Ventis said with as much confidence that he could muster.
"Ha! I doubt that, Jedi. I can sense the fear permeating your heart and soul. What makes you think that a pathetic wretch like yourself can end me?" Karness said in derision of the
"Because I have the Shatterpoint ability, the one thing that can take you down, Muur." Ventis grimly said, which made Muur look at him with a glint of fear in his eyes.
He then said, "This is for all of the innocent people that your damned Rakghoul Plague corrupted and killed." He then began to feel the molecular fractures within the Muur Talisman, and, once he found the fault lines that he was looking for, he, along with Tau, Ahsoka, A'Sharad, Arden, and Bardan, began to pour their Force energy into the miniscule weakness, and the Muur Talisman began to form small cracks from the excess Force power.
Muur, seeing that his life was in mortal danger, began to resist the attack on his talisman by unleashing immense waves of Dark Side energy from the talisman. The influx of power pushed back everyone but Celeste, Ventis, and Tau, who were prepared for the attack thanks to their training to resist Dark Side influences.
"Give up, Jedi, the three of you cannot hope to defeat me. I was one of the creators of the true Sith Order. I have transcended the limits of flesh and blood, and unleashed havoc on countless peoples over millennia. You are nothing before me!"
Ventis, beginning to fear the possibility of defeat, suddenly remembered the Númenorian song that always invigorated him to continue fighting. He began to sing "Fires of War",
"Stone by stone
Cracked, crushed, fallen
Beauty burned, erased
But not forgotten."
"What is this infernal song?" Karness angrily said, sensing Ventis's confidence beginning to rise, and the assault on his Talisman resumed in full force, as more fractures began to appear.
"I'll take your melodies
May your last breath
Fill the air with embers
I inhale."
By this point, Tau had begun singing alongside Ventis, and master and apprentice were working in perfect sync. Their many hours of working and training together helped them knew about their respective strengths and weaknesses. In addition, Celeste, despite not knowing the song, knew that it was intended to give the two Jedi hope, and added her Force energies to the battle for her freedom.
"In their blood I will stand
Let the waning light of man
Cast my shadow on the fires of war
Till our time burns away
Till our embers fade to grey
Cast my shadow on the fires of war."
The Muur Talisman was, at this point, trembling from the assault on it, as its inhabitant was not prepared for this level of strength from just three Jedi. During this battle, Ahsoka and Bardan were able to rise to their feet, and resumed helping the three Jedi in their little war as they too sang "Fires of War" alongside their friends.
"My grief is swollen
In rusty chains
Tethered to the killing wheel
Sun up, sun down, sun up, sun down, again
One burning candle
One wind whipped flame
I carry in my teeth like an animal
Vengeance my strength."
Muur knew that he could not withstand the continued bombardment of Light Side energy for much longer. In a final, last-ditch effort to survive, he detached his talisman from Celeste, and prepared to latch itself to Ventis, only to be pushed back by A'Sharad and Arden's usage of the Force, knocking off two of its golden tentacles, and immobilizing the decaying Sith artifact as the song was about to reach its crescendo.
"In their blood I will stand
Let the waning light of man
Cast my shadow on the fires of war
Till our time burns away
Till our embers fade to grey
Cast my shadow on the fires of war!"
As the song ended, the seven practitioners of the Light Side of the Force reached the core of the Muur Talisman. They then, with their combined strength, managed to purify it with the Force, eradicating the spirit of the talisman's sole inhabitant.
Karness, with his dying breath, then let out a powerful scream in the Force, which echoed throughout the entire galaxy, and was felt by the most powerful servants of both sides of the Force.
Meanwhile, On Imperial Center
Within the Imperial Palace
Darth Vader was destroying the last of the ASP-19 battle droids that was programmed to kill him when he felt the scream of the spirit of Karness Muur, and he nearly stumbled to the ground. The ASP droid, seeing a moment of weakness, prepared to deal a finishing blow against the Sith Lord when the voice of Darth Sidious suddenly said, "Droid, stand down."
With that said, the training droid deactivated itself, and Vader quickly rose to his feet. He turned to face his master, and said as calmly as he could, "Tau and his allies have struck again."
"Yes, my apprentice. I saw them eradicating the Muur Talisman, and the spirit of Karness Muur within it. This is a grievous loss." Sidious solemnly said, knowing that the loss of the Muur Talisman meant that the Rakghouls could never return, or use the talisman as a weapon and example to keep the worlds of the galaxy in check.
What Sidious failed to sense, however, was the fear that coursed through his apprentice, as Vader knew that, with the Muur Talisman destroyed, the Shadow Alliance would gain the help of the Jedi Celeste Morne, who knew of Vader's attempts to recruit her as a Sith Apprentice. If the Shadow Alliance capitalized on this opportunity, then Vader's life would hang in the balance of his master's non-existent mercies.
Fortunately for Vader, Sidious was too distracted by his schemes and plans that he was forming in his head. He then turned to his Sith pupil, and said, "Order Grand Moff Tarkin to accelerate the construction of Sentinel Base. I want it to leave the Geonosis System within six months. We will take it to Khar Shian for the next phase of construction."
"What of the Geonosians, Master? What if they would dare to reveal the weapon to our enemies?" Vader asked, as he was quite eager to destroy another reminder of Anakin Skywalker's past.
"The answer is obvious, Lord Vader. We cannot risk the Geonosians revealing our plans before we are ready. Nevertheless, at the same time, we may need their expertise in weapons construction in the future. Therefore, we must kill off the majority of the Geonosians so that they will be too focused on looking to their own in order to be a nuisance for at least a generation. Order them to sterilize the most populated portions of the planet when the Death Star is hyperspace capable." Sidious said in a tone that befitted an annoyed teacher instructing his student how to solve a simple problem instead of the ruler of the Sith's galactic empire.
"As you wish, my master. I will go to inform Grand Moff Tarkin of this change at once." Vader said as he departed to go inform the Empire's first grand moff of his new schedule, grateful for evading suspicion for his duplicity, while Sidious continued to contemplate other ways to counter the growing threat of Tau Palpatine.
Concurrently, On Dagobah
While Yoda, the former Grand Master of the Jede Order before its destruction, prepared his usual assortment of food for dinner, he felt a dark shudder in the Force. It felt as if a great and terrible evil was eradicated from existence, but who or what it was, he could not identify it. All that he could determine was that it was a very ancient evil, and it was destroyed by several Jedi, including A'Sharad Hett and four others that he could not recognize, and Ahsoka Tano and Bardan Jusik, both of which left the Jedi Order during the Clone War for different reasons.
As he tried to meditate in order to understand what the vision meant, he heard the voice of his teacher, Qui-Gon Jinn, say, "Do not fear, Yoda. The Jedi have destroyed the spirit of the ancient Jedi Exile and Sith Lord who called himself Karness Muur."
Yoda was, to put it lightly, stupefied to hear this, as he had not heard that name in many years sicne his time in the Jedi Archives of Coruscant. He then said, "Understand, I do not."
"Two years ago, a Jedi Knight was sent back in time in order to help prepare the galaxy for what is to come. Ever since then, he has been building an alliance so he can wage war against Sidious and Vader's forces, as well as the threats that will soon arrive in full force." Qui-Gon explained, which filled Yoda's heart with dread and sorrow, for he did not want any more Jedi to go to war as he did.
Qui-Gon then consolingly said, "Do not fear for the Jedi, my friend. This Jedi will ensure the Order's survival and rebirth into something greater and stronger than the one of our time."
"Wish I do, to know who this Jedi is, Master." Yoda politely inquired, as he wished to know who was going to lead the Jedi Order into a new age.
"His name is Tau Palpatine, and he is both a Jedi Knight, and descendant of Darth Sidious. The ones that created the universe, as well as the Force, sent him here. He is to be trusted. You will meet him when the time comes, and offer him guidance when he is at his lowest point."Qui-Gon said as the former Jedi Grand Master felt the presence of his master vanish, leaving the near-nine-hundred-year-old man alone to contemplate the revelations that he had just learned.
"Never easy, the life of a Jedi is." Yoda annoyingly said, knowing that he would not be able to eat for the rest of the day, and dumped his dinner out of his hut's window in order to meditate over this new development.
Meanwhile, On Moon F32W45S23T, Two Parsecs from Aridus
"You have my thanks for freeing me from my torment, fellow Jedi." Celeste said in gratitude as she took in her allies in destroying the Muur Talisman. She noticed that one of them was a Togruta in her late teens to early twenties, while the rest were humans of various ages and clothing. Each of the six individuals that she was conversing with had a degree of dark emotions within them, but they were kept in check by their devotion to the Light Side of the Force, which both astounded Celeste, and made her wonder how grim the state of the galaxy was under Darth Vader's rule.
The youngest of the humans, who wore a type of Jedi armor that Celeste could not recognize, and had the strongest connection to the Force, graciously said, "You are welcome, Celeste Morne."
His face then turned serious, and said, "I gather that you have many questions for us, but we have to leave this moon before the Empire gets here, as I'm sure that Sidious and Vader will have felt the echoes of Muur's destruction."
"Then I will call Akuu and have him pick us up. We can head to Dantooine to plan our next move from there." The tattooed human man said as he pulled out a comlink, and began to speak into it.
"Dantooine?" Celeste said, wondering why this group would travel to where such a well-known Jedi Enclave once resided, as she figured that the Sith would have destroyed it sometime during their rise to power.
"There's a rebel cell there that our allies agreed to rendezvous with us there. Don't worry about the Empire finding us for now. The Jedi haven't had a presence there in millennia, plus it's close to the shipping lanes, and it's obscure enough so that we can operate there with little to no attention. " The Togruta said, which increased Celeste's curiosity even more.
Twenty Minutes Later
Onboard the Second Chance
In Hyperspace
Forty-Eight Hours From Dantooine
"Well, welcome to our merry group." Tau said as he finished introducing his crew to their recent addition, who bowed in gratitude for them welcoming her onto their ship, even if she thought that its design, both exterior and interior, was very bizarre.
"It's an honor to meet you all." Celeste said in appreciation for the group's hospitality.
"Don't mention it, Celeste. However, I would like to evaluate you in order to make sure that your psyche is stable, due to your… extreme circumstances." Jarael said in her trademark professional tone.
"Of course. However, first, I need to know what the state of the galaxy is, since I've been imprisoned in a Sith Oubliette for nearly four millennia, and trapped on that Force-forsaken moon for four years. I need to know just how the Sith took over the Republic, and decimated the Jedi." Celeste said, desperate for answers before she went with Jarael for her exam.
"It'll take too long to explain everything that happened since Jebble was bombarded by Cassus Fett's nuclear weapons to you. I'll share the information with you by letting you into my mind. Fair warning, my mind has… a lot of terrible facts and memories to absorb, so we'll have to take it in stages." Tau said in both a proposal and a warning.
Celeste chuckled at the declaration, and then said, "Tau, I've done a lot of shady things for the Jedi Covenant, so I think that I can handle whatever you've got wrapped in your head."
"All right, don't say that I didn't warn you. We'll start with the first thirteen years of your imprisonment, as that will tell you of the both the Covenant's self-destruction, and the First Jedi Purge." Tau said as he sat down, and motioned for Celeste to do the same. Once their minds formed a mental connection, the transference of memories began, and Celeste started to see the lessons that a man who looked just like Tau learned from a Mandalorian-helmeted Jedi.
Well, that ends the shortest chapter that I've written so far. So, what did you guys think? I know that it was a bit anticlimactic, but I didn't want the fight to drag on, and I wanted to give Ventis a big chance to shine. So, now an ancient Sith Lord has been destroyed, but both the Rule of Two Sith and Yoda know of it. How the actions of the crew of the Second Chance will continue to affect the galaxy will be anyone's guess, but I can promise you that it will be an amazing ride for everyone. Anyway, how have you guys been today? I'm doing well, as I did some homework and yard work, and read some good fanfictions, especially Iron117Prime's Avatar/TMNT crossover, Worlds Collide. Let me tell you, that fanfiction takes me back to the good old days of my childhood. Well, I guess that that's it for the night of February 21, 2018. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!