Good evening, everyone! How are you holding up on this cool night of Monday, October 15, 2018? I'm a bit nervous, as tomorrow morning is my midterm, and I'm worried about it. Fortunately, I studied a bit, so I'll hopefully, do well enough on it. In other news, I've completed Mass Effect: Andromeda about an hour ago, and it was good to play the game again. I also got 70 Gamerscore points in the game today, and I look forward to the next game on my Xbox One. So, the last chapter was a great shocker, with Wolffe killed by Barr, the Shadow Alliance trying to find a shortcut to the Hoth System in order to help their allies, and Quest and Barr are preparing their second assault on Gardna Base. I wonder how the next one will go? Well, I'd better get this chapter started, despite my previous chapter not being published yet. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all.
(Tuesday, October 16, 2018 Addendum) Hey, everyone. How's' your evening going? Mine's going well enough, as I did my midterm today, and took a good nap to rest my mind after that grueling test. Hopefully, I'll get more time to write for a couple of weeks before my next big assignment. So, hopefully, Chapter 34 will be posted tonight, as my revisions should be done in a couple of hours or so. Well, I'd better get back to writing this chapter, as it's slow going, but I'm making progress. Oh, and, I'm almost at four hundred pages in this story, and I have no intentions of stopping anytime soon. Wish me luck.
(Thursday, October 18, 2018 Addendum.) Hey, guys. How's your day going? Mine's stressful, as I have a research paper to do in two to three weeks, so that, coupled with me working at my movie theater on Friday to Sunday again this weekend, I'll be quite busy. Man, do I miss community college, as it was much less stressful than a four-year college. So, I posted Chapter 34 yesterday, and I'm ready to revise this chapter so it fits the revisions. By the way, did you guys hear about Volume 6 of RWBY? I'm very excited to collect the Blu-Ray edition of that series when it comes out, hopefully by next year. Anyway, I've got about seven hours before going to bed, so I'd better get to writing. May the Force and Iluvatar be with me in these stressful two to three weeks.
(Saturday, October 20, 2018 Addendum.) Hello, everyone. How are you all doing on this cool evening? I'm doing all right, as I just got home from working at the movie theater, and I got $12 from last week, as well as found another $20 not long before my shift ended, which I'll hopefully claim in a week. Unfortunately, I'll be busy with homework and a project for school for a while, so I'd better get back to writing. Wish me luck.
Ten Minutes Later
Within Phobos Station
"Sir! The Imperials are beginning their advance on Gardna Base." The sensors officer reported.
Took them long enough.Mysta mused before Oniye walked up to inform him, "The fleet is ready to engage the Imperials, and Captain Pellaeon and his crew are ready to 'escape' our hospitality."
"Good. We need to give our enemies pause if we're to hold out another fifteen hours." Mysta satisfactorily replied, "Tell the men to begin the assault, and have the Partisan ships begin their ambush in the next thirty minutes."
The command crew diligently carried out their orders, eager to dish out retribution on the Imperials for uprooting their lives.
Thirty Minutes Later
Onboard theExactor
"Captain Traynor! We're getting multiple ships exiting hyperspace by the Ascension!" Upon recognizing the ships' signatures, the sensors officer warned Sam, "It's the Partisans!"
"Order our fleet to swat them down the moment they near the Ascension's position." Sam ordered the communications officer, eager to destroy these nuisances and redeem herself in Hand Quest's eyes. She especially hoped that Black Krrsantan didn't kill her for her failures since the half-blind Wookiee was receiving treatment for his burns, poison, and gouged-out eye on her ship.
Before the orders could be carried out, the sensors officer spoke up again, this time with a more urgent tone, "Ma'am! We're getting about three dozen Mandalorian ships emerging from the asteroid belt, and… No. This can't be right."
"Well? Don't keep us in suspense, Lieutenant! What have you got?" Sam impatiently demanded.
"According to these readings, the Adjudicator and Black Talon are in this fleet." The officer fearfully remarked, dreading the response that was sure to follow.
"What?" Sam whispered in a barely audible tone, before the communications officer spoke up.
"Captain! We're getting a hail from the Conqueror. It's Captain Pellaeon! He's requesting a line to you."
Sam shook herself from her daze, and walked over to the officer. "Put him through."
"Patching you through now, Ma'am."
After a few moments, the channel opened, and Sam heard Gilad's strained voice speak, "I don't care about the weapon systems, Rumahn! Divert all available power to the rear shields and engines, and get us out of here!"
"Captain Pellaeon, what in the blazes is going on!? Where are you, and what happened in that damned asteroid field!?"
"The Shadow Alliance had everything planned out from the start!" Gilad bellowed, static cutting in and out, "They decimated our fighters, took out two of our light cruisers, and convinced the rest of the ships, and half of my crew to defect before taking the hostages! It's a damn miracle that we were allowed to leave the system before Bo-Katan Kryze decided to hunt us down for target progress."
"But- How did- I mean- How could they leave the Empire for a false cause!?" Sam shrieked.
"They deluded them with propaganda about the Empire's alleged atrocities, and promised the clones a cure for their accelerated aging in exchange for their loyalties. The enemy captured Captain Desmond, and most of my crew were the only other ones to stay loyal. We have to evacuate before we're destroyed. Good luck." and the comm channel shut off, leaving Sam to fret on how she was to explain this disaster to Hand Quest and the Emperor.
"Captain? The Shadow Alliance's fleet has exited the asteroid belt. You need to see this." The sensors officer meekly spoke.
Sam turned to see the an Acclamator IIs, three Venator-Class Star Destroyers, two Imperial Light Cruisers, three dozen Mandalorian ships, and one capital ship that eerily resembled a Dreadnought-class Heavy Cruiser come into visual range.
Oh, someone's going to answer for this debacle. Sam silently snarled before grimly ordering her crew, "Inform Hand Quest and our inbound reinforcements of the enemy fleet, and prepare for battle."
As the fleet took formation to repel this new danger, the communications officer spoke up again, "Ma'am! We're being hailed by one of the renegade Venators. It's the Tenacious, Captain Denimoor's ship."
Recognizing the name among the growing number of defections from the Imperial Military, Samantha clenched her fists in fury at the Jedi taking good officers away from restoring order from the galaxy.
"Put it through." She growled through gritted teeth.
The image of a calm and confident Dalin Denimoor appeared, and he wasted no time with pleasantries.
"Captain Traynor. I've heard about you and your marginalization over the Empire's lack of regard for their fighter pilots since the TIE Fighter began mass production. Why have you stayed with a government that treats good officers with such disrespect due to their sex?"
"If you're trying to recruit me for your pathetic alliance, then prepare to be disappointed, Denimoor." Sam growled. "I am loyal to the Empire, and would never desert my post just because things get tough. Some officers may want an easy way out, or believe the words of traitors and charlatans… but I will not. You and your pitiful band of traitors will be brought to the Emperor in chains or in coffins. This I swear."
Sighing in disappointment, Dalin remorsefully responded, "Well, I am sorry to hear that, Captain Traynor. Well, regardless of your admirable, but misplaced loyalties, you must surrender. You have several hundred civilian hostages spread throughout your fleet, and I must insist on their safe transfer."
"Those 'civilians', as you put it, are traitors for harboring a fugitive of the Empire, and collaboration with the Shadow Alliance. They will not be released, not while I am still breathing. They will face Imperial Justice." Sam boasted.
"Justice? You mean vengeance." Denimoor disgustingly sighed, "Those people deserve better than to rot away for being in the wrong place in the wrong time. You're no better than Captain Relik and his murderers in the Arkinnea Militia."
"Big talk, allying with Saw Gerrera and his Partisans. It matters not. Call us what you will, but comparing us to a pathetic militia captain will not change anything. You can't win against us, even if your reinforcements arrive. The Empire will destroy you all."
"Really?" Dalin skeptically asked, "Tython. Agon Nine. Lah'mu. Had Abbadon. The Empire's lost every engagement against us, and the galaxy is uniting against the Emperor's tyranny. It's only a matter of time before you fall, and only those that side with us will survive what comes."
"Enough banter! This is your first, and last warning. Either you surrender to us now, or suffer destruction at the Imperial Navy's might." Samantha delivered her ultimatum.
"The lady's right, Dalin. Enough of this pointless debate!" A powerful, heavily accented voice came through the communication, and the image of a species that Samantha did not recognize appeared below Dalin's screen.
"Cassius, did you really have to interrupt? I was handling this just fine." Dalin sighed in exasperation.
"You two were going around in circles with your ridiculous conversation, and we Taungs prefer action over talking." Cassius explained, while Samantha remembered the Taungs from her history classes on Coruscant, more specifically, their exile from the galactic capital and the formation of the Mandalorian culture.
"Oh, come on! What is this, a travelling freak show!?" Samantha explained, having enough of talking with the enemy, and ordered her crew, "Cut the channel, and attack the enemy, NOW!"
"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" The Exactor's crew scurried to carry out their irate commanding officer's orders, and Samantha prepared to deliver the Empire's swift and brutal justice.
The only officer to protest this set of commands was Captain Delani. "Ma'am, we can't afford to make any reckless decisions! Our reinforcements are still less than five hours away, and Hand Quest ordered us to maintain our blockade."
"Which will be decimated by the Shadow Alliance unless we deal with them at once!" Samantha seethed, before ordering two adjacent Stormtroopers, "Take this idiot off of the bridge at once!"
The aghast Delani futilely protested as she was forcibly escorted off of the bridge, leaving Samantha to observe the Imperial fleet form up to repel the Shadow Alliance fleet.
Ten Minutes Later
Onboard theVenator-class Star DestroyerTenacious
"So, Samantha took the bait." Dalin mused while the smaller Shadow Alliance and Partisan fleets prepared to hit the Imperials from both sides.
"Heh. These Imperials have such vain egos, it's rather pathetic." Cassius commented from the Parjai.
"Can we please get on with the next phase of our plan, and give the Imperials a good beating?" Bo-Katan warned, "Because the Imps are launching their first wave of fighters."
"All part of the plan, milady." Staven politely interjected.
"Don't make me hurt you, Partisan."
"Enough. Deploying the fighters and bombers." Dalin put an end to the bickering before the ship's complement of Y-Wings, ARC-170 fighters, and V-Wings, forming up into a spearhead formation with 170's at the front and the V-Wings on the flanks, the Y-Wings cushioned between them.
"So it begins," Taung said softly.
Twenty Minutes Later
On Hoth
Within Gardna Base Entrance One
"Don't let up! Make the Imperials pay in blood for every inch of ground!" Saw proclaimed to the assembled Shadow Alliance army as they fired at every Snowtrooper in range.
The AT-ATs had decimated Gardna Base's turrets, and established a blockade of the base's main entrance, while the smaller walkers accompanied the troopers inside the base, encountering fierce resistance every step of the way.
The Imperials had lost five walkers and half a battalion of Snowtroopers from previously inert minefields, antipersonnel turrets, and the tenacity of the diverse Shadow Alliance army.
Saw could not help but admire the resilience of his allies, being reminded of his battles of liberating Onderon from the Confederacy.
Fortunately, he kept his mind in the here and now by contacting Kal, "Well, Skirata? Have the Imps found our other entrances?"
"They've found two of them, but they're getting decimated by Mysta's Battle Droids and cannons." Kal enthusiastically responded. "At this rate, we might hold out long enough for this insane plan to work."
"Good. I've got too much to live for to die on this iceball!" Saw ended his communication to see Team RWBY in action, especially Weiss.
The four girls were, along with the three Jedi, leading the Wolf Pack in defending the left flank, and all but massacring the foolhardy Imperials that dared to attack them.
Weiss was particularly in her element, with her mastery over the cold to use Ice Dust to encase the Imperials with ice latches and cocoons, leaving them easy pickings for Ruby and Yang with each of their personal weapons.
Blake was using her superior speed and dexterity to outmaneuver an approaching AT-XT, climbing on its leg to plant a thermal grenade on its joints before gracefully jumping away as the impending explosion took out the walker's cockpit and its two occupants.
Viridian, Daniel, and Vega, on the other hand, were fighting beside Comet and Sinker, two of the oldest members of the Wolf Pack, and the battalion's de facto leaders after they learned of Wolffe's death.
Vengeance guided their aim, and they desperately hoped to find and kill Ferren themselves. Saw knew the feeling all too well.
"Sirs! We've got movement at 11 o'clock! You need to see this!" Comet warned the three young Jedi, and they used their macrobinoculars to see several squadrons of Snowtroopers approach from a kilometer away, along with a snarling Aurra Sing leading them.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in." Viridian growled, disgusted to see the infamous Jedi hunter charge at them with two stolen lightsabers activated.
"Should we engage, Sirs?" Sinker inquired. Each of the Jedi strongly desired to put the woman like the mad dog that she was, but knew that they couldn't lose sight of the overall objective on Hoth. Besides, her just suddenly finding her way to their position was nothing short of convenient.
With a great reluctance, Vega beat the others to it, "Negative. She's bait, and we don't have the numbers to charge headfirst into the enemy's grip. For now, just concentrate on the Imps attacking us. We'll deal with Sing when the time comes."
"Fine by me. As long as we deal with her and her bosses before we leave Hoth." Sinker complied with the orders, focusing their fire on the enemies right in front of them.
N-K Necrosis could not help but feel a sense of admiration for these organic enemies. Despite all of the numbers and odds arrayed against them, they continued to hold their ground, making the Imperials pay dearly with lives for every inch of territory gained.
It made him wonder, what was it that motivated these people to follow the Jedi to all but certain oblivion, and what did they know that he did not?
Perhaps I'll capture one of the Jedi or their best allies, and question them myself before I turn them over to Hand Quest. N-K thought as he deflected a Mandalorian's blaster bolts back at the warrior, the blt striking her in the chest and knocking her to the floor.
As NK fell upon her with ghostly speed, he noted she was still breathing and soon she had a blaster pointed in his face. In a blurring wave of plasma, her hand fell to the floor and before she had the chance to scream, his mechanical talons plucked her by the neck. He held her wriggling form there for moment, tilting his head at her before he squeezed his talons shut.
Tossing the corpse aside, he turned to see Sarcev and Ferren contending against several giant, white-furred predators that his internal databanks identified as wampas.
Well, it seems that our enemies are more resourceful than any of us had anticipated. N-K quickly swapped out his lightsaber for his sniper rifle, and landed a bolt through beast's left eye, dropping the beast to the floor.
This action startled the five remaining wampas, turning to see a creature of metal standing several dozen meters away from them, carrying a strange metal spear that was smoking from its tip.
The distraction allowed the two Dark Jedi to unleash a combined storm of lightning against them, frying them as their internal organs were disintegrated from the agony of the attack.
N-K quickly approached his superiors, "Did you sustain any damage from these predators?"
"No. The wampas just caught us off guard, but we might have been in trouble if you hadn't provided that timely distraction." Sarcev nodded approvingly.
"Thank you, Hand Quest. Where did these wampas come from? Did Mysta have them trained for this sort of situation?"
"No." Ferren shook his head, "Wampas can't be trained. They probably had 'em locked away somewhere. One of Mysta's men launched a smoke grenade at us, and all of a sudden seven wampas came snarling out of a hidden passageway."
"I told you, that dummy grenade made us smell like tauntaun meat, making us prime targets for these beasts." Sarcev crossly corrected.
"What about Hunters Kravous and Sing? Are they still fighting?"
"Kravous is leading our walker assault from an AT-XT, while that moron Sing is leading from the front, and she's charging head-on towards those three Jedi like a droid grunt." Sarcev growled.
"Knowing her, she'll probably either get herself killed, or come crawling back to us for mercy after the bungles this up." Ferren concurred, right before Sarcev received a priority call from the Exactor.
"What now?" Sarcev groaned out, sick of everything going wrong on this mad hunt.
He activated the comlink, and saw a freaked out Captain Traynor struggle to keep herself level on her own two feet.
"Traynor, what the blazes is happening up there!?"
"The Shadow Alliance is attacking us head on with the Black Talon and Adjudicator, and Captain Pellaeon had to withdraw from the system before his ship was destroyed!" Samantha shouted to the Emperor's Hand before she yelled to an unseen officer, "Have the Tenebrae and Thunder Wasp protect theObedience from the Partisans, and cover theDefiance's repairs!"
Returning her attention to her superiors, she fretted, "The Shadow Alliance are using extremely powerful ion bombs, and they've already disabled five of our capital ships! They played us from the start!"
That shattered the collected composure of the human Dark Jedi, and with barely constrained rage, he quietly growled, "And you didn't tell me of the Shadow Alliance's attack, why?"
"I-I thought that we didn't have the numbers to maintain the blockade if we were under attack from two fronts, so I decided to take out the more immediate threat." Samantha meekly admitted, the veins in Sarcev's head expanding with every word that the woman uttered.
"Where is Captain Delani? Did she protest the decision at all?"
"I… had her escorted off of the bridge for what I thought was self-preservation. I'll retrieve her at- gahk!" Samantha began to grip her throat as Sarcev telekinetically strangled her. He held her there for a long minute, her face turning purple and her eyes ready to pop from her skull when he suddenly released. As she sprawled to the floor, struggling to even breathe, Sarcev dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
"Count your stars that I am not Vader. He is not as forgiving as I am. Now," he turned his head to the XO standing behind her, "lock this fool in the brig and bring Captain Delani back to the bridge. She will be in command now," he then looked down at the stricken Sam, "if she tries to escape, throw her out the airlock."
"Aye, sir," the XO replied before the communication line cut out.
"So, what now?" Ferren asked.
After a moment's consideration, Sarcev came up with a brilliant delaying tactic, pointing to Ferren as he spoke. "You're heading to the Exactor to take command. You're the best pilot in our fleet, and you can rally and hold off the enemy until our reinforcements arrive."
Ferren was less than pleased at the idea, "And, just how are you supposed to conquer this base without me, given that the enemy has the home field advantage, and outnumber us with five Jedi?"
"Oh, I'm certain that I'll manage." Sarcev maliciously grinned, hiding his makeshift plans from his compatriot, not pleasing him at all with the secrecy.
"Fine, if only to help strike fear and hopelessness into the Jedi and their minions." Ferren reluctantly complied, knowing that time was of the essence. He took a nearby speeder bike to return to the landing zone, and fly his Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor into space.
Ten Minutes Later
Onboard theSecond Chance
Thirteen Hours and Forty Minutes From the Hoth System
"Are you quite sure about this route, Captain Seii? If any of the Ruling Houses catch us crossing their territory, they'll probably give the Empire enough credits to outfit an entire fleet to destroy us." Raddus questioned the Anzati on the hidden smuggler's route through the Senex and Juvex sectors, two oppressive isolationist and aristocratic sectors that bordered on the edge of the Mid Rim and Outer Rim.
"Not if we go through the Thull's Shroud. That'll cut our trip by up to three hours, which might make all the difference in giving us the chance to save our allies from utter annihilation." Akku assured Raddus. "Besides, those di'kuts are too caught up in their own scheming and slave trading to notice us, and," he added with a venomous smile, "they they've had this coming for years."
"And how do we expect to navigate through a karking nebula safely, especially with a fleet of our size?" Cham disbelievingly demanded.
"We have a way to protect the fleet from any gravitational effects of the nebulae, General Syndulla." Vem Carr confidently replied. "Thanks to the data that we received from Tau and his timeline on my people's failed invasion, we have developed a safe way to travel through interdiction fields. We've already successfully managed to modify the technology to travel through several gravitational anomalies in the Unknown Regions."
"Okay, but that still leaves the rest of the fleet, which isn't based on organic technology." Raddus impatiently pointed out.
"We can… for lack of a better term, extend this protection throughout the entire fleet as a shield for up to four hours." Vem finished, catching everyone's attention.
"And we're just supposed to go along with this insane plan!?" Cham fretted. "I won't risk my people on a suicide run through a nebulae! No one in their right mind would do that."
"Really, General? Because I recall how General Skywalker did the same thing through the Balmorra Run to save the Kaliida Shoals Medical Center from the Malevolence." Ahsoka countered, holding on tightly to the memories of her surrogate brother and master.
"I hardly think that matters now, Commander Tano, especially considering what Anakin became after the Clone War." Cham dismissed.
"Enough! We don't have time for this." General Ironwood ended the argument there, and continued his passionate speech, "While we pointlessly bicker like children over every miniscule detail, many of our allies are giving their lives to deal another blow against the Empire. Now, I may not be fully knowledgeable about every detail about the greater galaxy, but where I come from, we do what it takes to win the battle and our comrades. We need to get to the Hoth System as quickly as possible, and this gambit is the best chance that we've got at making it there while there's people to save."
"The general is right." Raddus agreed. "We have a responsibility to do whatever is required of us to protect our allies, and this might be the only way that we can help them. You have the support of my fleet."
Everyone but Cham nodded their heads in gratitude for the show of support from James and Raddus, and turned to face the last holdout among their fleet.
Sighing in defeat, knowing that he was outvoted, and understood the need to protect one's own, Cham caved in, "Very well. My fleet will stay for the duration of the mission. Just make sure that your gravitational device works, or there'll be hell to pay, one way or another."
"Of course, General Syndulla." Vem Carr ended the transmission, and the rest of the commanding officers followed suit, leaving the Second Chance's crew to prepare to travel through the two insular Mid Rim sectors.
Thirty Minutes Later
On Phobos Station
"You keep finding new ways to astound me with your crazy schemes, Tau." Mysta exclaimed, "I mean, you're travelling through a no-fly zone full of aristocratic barons that have the guns to enforce that policy."
"Hey, this way, we'll get here in about ten hours. That could mean all of the difference in saving your shebs,"Tau changed the subject to a more immediate matter. "So, what's the status on the battle?"
"So far, so good. Thanks to my fleet's ion bombs, we've disabled two Imperial-class Star Destroyers, a Victory-class Star Destroyer, and two Acclamator II-class assault ship, and I've sent boarding parties to take control of each ship. We even managed to destroy three Imperial Light Cruisers." Mysta optimistically explained before returning to his trademark stoic attitude,
"Of course, the enemy reinforcements will be here in about three hours, so there's no telling how the battle might go afterwards."
"Wait. Mysta, we've got a problem." Oniye suddenly warned her superior, getting both his and Tau's attention.
Knowing that they were listening, the Alliance Intelligence captain quickly notified them, "Our sensors are picking up an Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor entering the space battle, and they've already picked apart two squadrons' worth of starfighters. Our best guess is that it's High Inquisitor Barr, since he was sighted exiting the battlefield in Gardna Base. "
"Looks like Quest and Barr split up to cover more ground." Tau speculated. "I hope you have a plan to deal with Barr, because the only one who might even stand a chance against him in space is Bo-Katan, and she'll be the first that Barr will go after."
"You just focus on getting your fleet here safely, and I'll deal with that sociopath." Mysta confidently told Tau, who only nodded in understanding.
"Just try to keep the bloodshed down." Tau warned, knowing what the original plan was for capturing the Imperial fleet.
"I'll do my best." Mysta promised before ending the transmission.
"Do you even have a plan, Mysta?" Oniye skeptically questioned the bounty hunter.
"I've got a few in the works." Mysta began. "We need to draw Barr in with bait that vengeful idiot can't resist, and that's me."
Oniye was not pleased with how this plan was turning out, and protested as much, "You're going to use this station as bait!? You do realize that it's the nerve center for our space operations. Not to even mention how if you and Elain are captured, then Barr will have Vega right where he wants him. "
"I'm not an idiot. What I'm saying is that we need to buy more time for Tau to get here, and, if we're going to protect our fleet, then we need to get Barr to split the Imperials up. Which means that I send out a signal through several decoy relays that I established throughout the asteroid belt. This'll draw Barr and several Imperial ships into trap after trap, thinning their numbers down until he's dead, as I'm not taking chances with a High Inquisitor."
"How much stuff did you build in this system, Ryal!?" Oniye incredulously asked.
"Enough to put any military to shame."
Oniye was reluctant to go through with the proposal, but the choice was taken out of her hands when Mysta ordered the comms officer, "Open a transmission to High Inquisitor Barr. It's time for the hunted to become the hunter."
Well, that ends another chapter of my story! What did you guys think, as it had plenty of action and scheming on both sides? So, the Shadow Alliance is preparing two risky gambits to thwart the Emprie's plans, and Barr is changing his attack against the Jedi. Sounds like a lot of action is upon the horizon. Now that this chapter's done, how are you doing on Sunday, October 21, 2018? I'm all right, as I have to go to work in less than an hour, but it'll be the last day to work for this week. Oh, and I've got to get to work on my research paper tomorrow, so I'll be plenty busy for a while, so I probably won't be able to write that much for a couple of days. By the way, did you guys hear that Butch Hartman is creating a brand new Danny Phantom Halloween special? I can't wait for that hit show to return, if just for one more special. Now, I'd better get to work on getting this published, as I hope to get it published by late tonight, or tomorrow night. May the Force and Iluvatar be with you all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!