Good morning, everyone! How are you all doing on this warm day of Tuesday, April 20, 2021? I'm doing well, if a bit tired from yesterday. I worked a good four-hour shift at my part-time job, had a challenging class, worked hard on several projects for school, and played a few hours of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla by the end of the night. So, needless to say, I've been very busy. I apologize for the lack of updates, but I have to put my academics first right now, and that'll consume a lot of my time. Oh, and I've been rereading Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime. It's a great book, but I haven't gotten to the most heart wrenching scene yet. Man, will that be devastating to read again. So, I hope you're ready for the next chapter, as it'll be very suspenseful and help start to wrap up the Honoghr storyline. It may be too short for many of your liking, but I have my own way of doing things, and I believe that it will serve me well for my plans. Plus, I can start up new storylines as well, as you'll see soon enough. Well, I'd best get started on the chapter. I hope you are all staying safe and praying hard to God in these insane times.
(Wednesday, April 21, 2021 Addendum) Hey, everyone! How are you all doing on this warm night? I'm doing well, as I got a bit done today, and have a bit of homework and projects to worry about tomorrow and over the weekend. I just hope I can get it all done in a timely and orderly manner, as I have my 2nd vaccine shot coming up in a few days, so that'll be a pain. It was fortunate that I was able to get a good chunk of this chapter done today. Oh, and I just finished Star Wars: The New Jedi Order: Vector Prime, and it was a great book. Too bad the Legends universe isn't likely to come back, as it's been nearly seven years since its cancellation. Man, does that have my blood boil.
Now, speaking of blood boiling, time for a bit of a rant and venting, so feel free to skip if you disagree with what is below. But rest assured, there will be no cursing, just a calm expression of views unpopular with the current establishment:
So, I take it you all have heard of the recent conclusion of the trial about George Floyd's death? I won't say anything provocative on it or about the man, as I agree that the man's death was a tragedy and waste of life. And the officer responsible deserves to answer for excessive force and the man's death at his hands. But to see certain politicians and leaders use Floyd's death as an engine for their own goals and narratives, especially twisted ones, makes me so angry, it isn't even laughable. Why are so many people straying from God and rebelling against him in the name of temporary things like fame and power? It's not a joke, it's a serious matter that has me, and many others, no doubt, scrambling for answers. Well, I'd better get to writing this chapter. Hope you're all staying safe in these mad times.
(Sunday, April 25, 2021 Addendum) Hey, everyone. How are you all holding up on this warm night? I'm doing fine, as I got my 2nd vaccination shot yesterday, and have been resting since. Fortunately, I have been able to get a bit of homework, reading, and writing done, with this chapter reaching over 7k words today. Unfortunately, this day is also a bit melancholy for me, as today's the 7thkarking anniversary of the death of the Star Wars Expanded Universe! Man, do I want it back so much! Well, I'd better go, as I need to charge my laptop for school tomorrow afternoon. And I want to watch a bit of an anime series I recently purchased before I go to bed in a couple hours to prepare for work tomorrow morning. So, I hope you all have a blessed night.
Within the Honoghr System
In Orbit Above Honoghr
Aboard the Vizsla's Vengeance
Within the Cargo Hold
"Are we sure of our orders, Inar? This is genocide." Hart Imarg warned his longtime friend as they and two other Mandalorians aided them in arming the defoliator. With the ship rapidly falling into the stratosphere and a growing force pursuing them, the six-man crew had to move fast if they were to complete their final mission.
"Don't get soft on us now, Hart. We have a job to do, and a war to win." Devon scolded him.
"And destroying a neutral world just to cover a bunch of corrupt senators' credit trails is gonna help Mandalore how?!" Hart exclaimed. "There is no honor in this. We don't have to follow the Sith to make our own future."
"Why are we even talking about this now?! We're falling to our fiery deaths, so we might as well make something count for it!" Erica exclaimed to the doubting warrior.
"No. I'm not going to let this happen." Hart sadly said once he deactivated his helmet's comm systems and took several large steps away from the bomb. No one could even suspect what he was about to do until the plan was set in motion.
He had done many terrible things in the two decades since he had become a Mandalorian: suppressing slave rebellions, assassinating political reformists, and allying with the scum of the galaxy just to keep his family fed and financially stable, but he could not even tell them the truth about his work. He had fallen so far from his days as a well-meaning vigilante in Hutt Space.
But working with the Sith and destroying entire worlds, that was crossing too many lines and reawakened a conscience he thought was long-since expunged from him. That was why he was prepared to betray his friends, just to save people he didn't even know. It was only sheer luck that Thornton reached out to him and gave him a chance to atone.
Was that what it was like to be a Jedi, risking everything for people he did not even know in order to be a better person? Well, he supposed it was the closest he'd ever get to feeling that way after the people all he had destroyed and murdered. His last shame was that his family would only know the truth through a holorecording he sent before they departed for their final mission.
"Hart? Galaxy to Hart? Where's your mind right now?!" Erica forcefully shook him in order to jog him out of his self-reflection.
Reactivating his helmet's speakers, he pulled out a remote detonator and sadly answered, "Right here." Right as he said that, with his free hand, he thrust his gauntlet's retractable beskar dagger through the weakened section in the woman's refurbished breastplate, taking the breath out of her through one small gasp.
In that same instant, he triggered the detonator, and the two ion charges he embedded within the bomb's shell activated, utterly rendering the defoliator and its surrounding equipment.
"Are you mad?!" Inar bellowed, reading his custom Verpine shatter rifle to gun down the traitor where he stood.
Withdrawing his dagger from the gravely injured opponent and dropping the used-up detonator, Hart let Erica fall to the ground. As blood swiftly oozed out of her right lung, he activated his left gauntlet's fibrocord whip to swipe away the highly lethal rifle and, quickly grabbed his right hand's blaster to fire several blasts at the two remaining enemies, staggering them back from the unexpected sheer force.
The opportunity allowed him to fire two of his jetpack's three missiles right at them. The force of the explosion blew apart the two, and a significant portion of the hull, exposing the ship's insides to the atmosphere of Honoghr.
And the gaping hole in the bomber allowed the air to suck out much of the debris, including the charred debris of Inar and Devon. But an unexpected side effect came, as the deactivated bomb flew out of the bomber before the defector could even react.
Well, that wasn't supposed to happen. Hart lamented before he used his final missile to blow up the Vizsla's Vengeance cockpit, hopefully killing Tera and ensuring the ship's demise.
Sorry, Nistro. He bade farewell to his final surviving friend before flying out of the gaping hole, comming the Indomitable and the Jedi StealthXs, "The bomb's been disabled, but there's a bit of a hiccup in the plan."
Hearing a sigh from someone, he heard Thornton ask, "What kind of 'hiccup?'"
Ten Minutes Later
100 Kilometers From Honoghr
Aboard the Heart Render
"Sir, our shields are down to fifteen percent, and the propulsion systems are failing fast!" The XO warned Kotar.
"How about you give me some good news instead!" Kotar bellowed, the stress evident to everyone on the bridge from his twitching and seeing the Resolute about to succumb to the barrage of proton torpedoes and laser fire from the combined enemy force.
This mission had proven to be a colossal failure for the Neo Death Watch: the cause had lost ten good ships and crews to Boba Fett's army of hut'uuns, and thanks to another traitor in their ranks, they had absolutely nothing to show for it. The defoliator bombs they lost would prove that they were willing to commit genocide against their enemies and throw the galaxy another crate of ammunition to use against them and the Sith.
Why was everything turning against them now, on the verge of their total victory?
"I have something, Captain." A lieutenant quickly yelled to be heard over the chaos of battle, catching Kotar's complete attention. "One of Tera's men escaped the Vizsla's Vengeance and is pursuing the deactivated bomb to the surface."
"Imarg?"
"No. Nistro Quinn, the ship's gunner. He reports that the bomb is landing near the region's Rakatan temple and predicts Hart will try to take it into the temple to keep it from us."
Then there's still a chance. Kotar released a breath he did not even know he held. The captain knew the mission had to succeed at all costs, even if it cost every last true Mandalorian in his force their lives. After all, a chance to help rebuild Mandalore to rival and surpass the Neo-Crusaders in strength and glory was an opportunity none of their genuine followers would pass up.
Quickly making his decision, he ordered the crew, "Redivert all power to the shields and engines. Have all fighters break for Honoghr. Once we breach the atmosphere, have all forces debark the ship. We have a bomb to detonate."
Within the Coruscant System
On Coruscant
Within the Galactic Alliance Navy Command Complex
Inside Chief Loran's Office
Scouring over the data General Farlander provided to him from a high-ranking Neo Death Watch defector, Garik Loran, director of Galactic Alliance Security and previous long-term leader of the unofficial Wraith Squadron, knew he had to plan his next move carefully.
After receiving the data from an all too eager and wrathful Chief Yimmon and verifying its authenticity, he was ordered to work alongside the Jedi Council in quietly capturing the fifteen senators complicit in funding the renegade Mandalorian movement. To add more excitement to his life, he was also tasked to create a plausible cover story for the general public regarding their abrupt disappearance, a task he wholeheartedly supported for the situation.
If the rest of the One Sith's hidden assets caught onto their efforts to purge the Alliance of traitors before the loyalists were ready, they could do irreparable damage to the wounded galactic power and compromise the galaxy's response to the dark order. It certainly did not help how the government and its rival peers were still reeling from Natasi Daala's terrorist attacks and withdrawal of the majority of, if not all of, her agents.
Perhaps it was time to call in a few favors from a few old teammates. After all, he knew that a certain general and war hero, his intelligent wife, and the executives of Donoslane Excursions to boot, would not sit idly by while the galaxy continued its war against chaos. He knew they each had plenty of off-the-books assets to call in for this kind of covert assignment.
Deciding on a course of action, he pulled out his personal comlink, and contacted his wife, "Dia, it's me. Listen carefully."
Hearing her well-meaning concerns, he assured her, "No, no, I'm all right, but I'm a bit swamped at the office right now. I'm going to need you to relay a few messages to some old friends so we can catch up and clean up a few messes in the house."
In the Horuset System
In Orbit Above Korriban
Aboard the Tof Bulk Cruiser Merriweather II
"Forgive me, Lord Wyyrlok, but are you certain this is the best use of my fleet's talents?" Malleus cautioned the Chagrian Sith Lord. "If our raiders from the Unknown Regions move so far out into the main galaxy, even to protect one of our major interests and deal with a probable traitor, then it may galvanize more worlds and groups to join the Jedi against us. Besides, if it came down to it, my fleet cannot hope to make it to Falleen in time to intercept Wren and Kitai's fleets."
"I am well aware of your concerns, Lord Malleus, and I acknowledged that there is much merit in them." Wyyrlok reminded the human Sith that had long-since donned the armor of long-deceased Sith acolyte Warb Null. "Unfortunately, time is of the essence for all of us, and these are Lord Krayt's directives. No Sith can disobey them."
"That is why I will have you do this quickly and quietly and will provide you the perfect means to reach Falleen long before the traitors do so."
"How. Did the scientists on our payroll develop a teleporter?" Malleus sarcastically laughed.
"This is no time for jokes." The Sith Voice intently stared at the lower-ranking Sith. "You know what I speak of. It is the exact same power that the reborn Darth Sidious used to capture Luke Skywalker from Coruscant six years after the Battle of Endor."
"You mean a Force Storm. Do you want the Jedi to realize precisely where we're based?" Malleus rhetorically reminded him.
Slightly shrinking under the One Sith's second-in-command murderous glare, Malleus corrected himself. "Right. We'll jump through the Force Storm after about a day in hyperspace to throw them off the trail. I'll prep my fleet for immediate departure."
"Very good. I will tell Apprentice Phasma to expect your arrival. You will work with her and Lord Oculus to coordinate the offensive against the Jedi and Resistance."
Biting back any protest at having to work alongside a Sith Apprentice as an equal, Malleus quickly nodded. He instead asked, "What of the Jedi Iteration? If Gev, Wren, and Kitai have defected, they'll share all intel with the Council. That may be the one thing that stops them from taking Falleen and limiting whatever else they might have on us."
"We can't reactivate the Iteration without dooming him." Wyyrlok quickly shot that idea down. "Several of Dician's lesser spies in the Order's ranks reported suspicious activity by Katarn, Korr, and Skywalker near the transmitter. If they haven't found it, they will soon. For the time being, he's going to have to go to ground."
Glowering underneath his helmet, Malleus curtly nodded in agreement. This was not a time for any hotheaded maneuvers like in his fiery youth under the first Galactic Empire as a Dark Jedi mercenary. No, this was a shadow conflict about to erupt into a full-scale war. And the One Sith had to think strategically if they were to win the long game.
Within the Csilla System
On Csilla
Within the City of Cssplar
Inside the Aristocra Headquarters
Within Arsitocra Sev'eere'nuruodo's Office
"It seems the Sith have a far further reach than any of us could have anticipated." Sev'eere'nuruodo, Aristocra of House Nuruodo within the the Chiss Aristocracy's Six Ruling Families, simply answered after hearing Commander Trista Zel's report. Even the vaunted Jedi Order and its ranks had been infiltrated by the One Sith's agents, and they were desperate to root out the traitors before they could do anymore damage to them.
That was a situation both she and her present protégé, syndic Arazi'ar'alani, knew had to be resolved quickly for everyone's good. Both Chiss women shared a look of complete agreement, and the syndic answered, "Then we had best assist the Jedi before they are compromised any further. In fact, it may be best if we reach out to the Aquilians to see if they can spare a few people."
"You think Zakuul can truly help us root out the traitors?" Trista quickly pressed. Judging from the urgency in the Hapan's voice, Sev'eere'nuruodo guessed it was because her ruler wanted results quickly and quietly, before the One Sith were any the wiser. It made sense, for Tenel Ka was once a Jedi herself, and had a Jedi daughter, so it was only natural she would still have strong feelings of loyalty towards them.
"They will serve you well, Commander." Arazi'ar'alani confirmed. "Even a handful of their covert agents, especially with a certain Paladin lieutenant that is a prodigy at infiltration and investigation leading them, can do just as much good as our intelligence agents. Combined with our agents, they will do a perfect job of rooting out the infiltrators."
Briefly staring at the two women, Trista soon relented, "Very well. But I would strongly urge you to move with all possible speed. I am aware that your people often consider all the variables before making a decision, so-"
"Do not trouble yourself, Commander." Sev'eere'nuruodo assured Trista. "We will assemble a team on our own, from within my house's own ranks. Only Supreme General Ba'kif will be aware of our clandestine moves, for we will need his help to sneak the task force past our borders without drawing any undue attention."
"You risk a great deal for us." Trista noted, but nodded in gratitude before returning to the task at hand, "How long will it take for you to assemble your task force and reach out to Zakuul?"
"I have a few agents in mind to form our team. It will take us two days to deploy them. As for Zakuul, we will reach out to our contacts at once. If I know our allies, they will likely need four days to prepare their team, and up to another six or eight to reach Shedu Maad."
"Then twelve days will have to do. I will inform the Queen Mother and the Jedi Council right away. I appreciate your time, Aristocra, Syndic." Trista respectfully thanked the two before she ended the comm channel.
In Hyperspace
Aboard the Keldabe-class battleship Ursa
Within the Bridge
Approximately 99 Hours and Twenty Minutes From the Falleen System
"So, you're willing to work with the Order after all the millennia of bad blood between us and the bulk of the Mandalorians." Kyle appraised Mirta after she came clean and admitted her plan to the Jedi Council, with Sabine in attendance to keep an eye on the Neo Death Watch defector.
"Yes." Mirta simply nodded.
"And you're willing to betray your friend in Kitai to do this?" Corran spoke up in holographic form.
All the Jedi knew the defecting Neo Death Watch commander was playing it straight with them. Both she and Sabine knew of Edaan's coma and divulged just who was responsible for it, along with other useful information: A fallen Jedi Padawan from the end of the Great Jedi Purge, Sith Lord Darth Snoke had been trying to infiltrate and corrupt Edaan's mind for information through an illusion of the long-gone Darth Sidious.
They even revealed that the One Sith were headquartered on Korriban, the ancestral birthplace of the first Sith Empire and the Sith species and religion. That was information the Jedi desperately needed in order to destroy the Sith's latest incarnation.
But they had to be certain Kitai and the rest of the One Sith were not luring them into a trap, hence the impromptu cross-examination.
"Not even close, Horn. She'll see things our way soon enough, no thanks to your poster boy of a Palpatine and his incessant idealistic meddling." Mirta ruefully chuckled.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Jaina wearily asked her one time friend. With the dark circles crossing her eyes, it was clear to everyone that the Sword of the Jedi was running on exhaust fumes before she collapsed.
"I mean, thanks to Edaan's mind tricks on her, Kitai's playing his game and has gone into a trance to figure out if she can find her way into the Light like he believes." Mirta allowed a small smile to cross her face. "He may be crazy, but he's definitely got a true fighter's heart and soul."
Smirking, Jaina nodded, "Yes. That he does."
"Okay, Gev, your story has more holes in it than a Kaminoan sponge. Why would Kitai go into a trance now of all times?" Kyp suspiciously asked through his hologram. Though the Jedi maverick publicly supported Edaan in his mission, he would not blindly accept the word of a wanted criminal without substantial evidence.
"Because Edaan's mad gamble is paying off." Kyle proudly admitted, earning incredulous or suspicious stares from everyone present, whether they were Jedi and Mandalorian. Both women noted how Corran and Kyp especially looked on with horror as Kyle basically admitted his foreknowledge of his former pupil's schemes. Clearly, the Jedi Order was even more fractured than anyone anticipated.
"What are you talking about, Grand Master? What do you know?" Tionne clenched her fist in a rare display of anger and betrayal.
"I hate to interrupt your internal strife, but whatever your secrets you have can more than wait until this meeting is over. None of us have the time for it." Sabine urged the assembled Jedi. She knew, despite how serene a show the Jedi put on for outsiders, how passionate as individuals they could be when not behind a holocommunicator. That was why she had to keep them on track for their shared objective and common enemy.
"Indeed." Kirana agreed before facing the younger Mandalorian. "While I believe that Commander Wren is above reproach for her past service to the galaxy, we'll need more than mere words to believe Mirta Gev after all the harm and death she's dealt the galaxy."
"I would assume so." Mirta sighed, a tinge of regret lacing her eyes before her gaze became steely again. "You lot might be arrogant, but you aren't complete di'kuts. I have information that can help the Confederation and Hutt clans prune their ranks, and Commander Wren has even more to offer you in the Galactic Alliance. The names of ten senators, a few planetary leaders, and half a dozen Hutt Kajidics would go a long way to cleansing yourselves of traitors."
"But let me make a few things clear for all of you, I'm not doing this for your reputation, your 'Will of the Force' osik, or even for my own redemption in anyone's eyes. I know I've done too many terrible things to delude myself like most of your order."
"Then why do this? We've done precious little to aid your people in recent years." Luke suspiciously questioned. He did not trust Mirta, not only because she was the granddaughter of the current Mand'alor Boba Fett, a fierce anti-Jedi sympathizer, but for her many war crimes in her quest to return to her homeworld. And Mirta never trusted Luke, not after his nephew killed her mother during interrogation, and especially not after he sacrificed her people to give Jaina a chance at killing Caedus on Nickel One.
But this offer was too good to pass up, for the chance for the Jedi to learn more of the One Sith's spy network might be the only one they get. And Mirta had to secure her family's future and help save her friend, even if she had to swallow her pride as a Mandalorian. Both sides had to seize the moment while they still could, before the One Sith could complete their dark designs for the galaxy.
"For the same reason most parents do things, even ones as shabla as you, Skywalker. To give my children a better future, and to help my best friend become a good person again. It's something most of your vaunted order forgot a long time ago, and only finally rediscovered just because of Palpatine."
"But this information isn't free. We have a few conditions for our assistance." Sabine audaciously added.
"You want to make demands of us?" Kam lowly asked, surprising both woman of the Jedi Academy's main combat instructor's hard spirit. Clearly, Caedus's atroticies and personal scars had done more damage than anyone suspected.
The oldest Jedi Council member further lowered himself in their eyes as he fiercely reminded the brigade commander, "In case you both failed to notice, we're in the middle of a tidal wave of Sith-backed crises and wars, and we don't have much to offer anyone."
"And all of this is beside the point. Right now, you need to head to Falleen and help our people drive the Sith and their cult out of the system."
"With that despotic attitude, Solusar, it's no wonder that you've had a bunch of Initiates resign." Sabine scolded the Great Jedi Purge survivor. "What I'm talking about is the situation on Batuu, where the Freedom's Riches headquarters is based."
"The Protectors and locals' combined resistance there is being worn down through sheer numbers and is running out of bolt holes. They need a lot of supplies and reinforcements if they're to stay in the fight long enough for everyone to finish getting its act together."
"I know you still have allies to call on, and you're gathering a convoy of Antarian Rangers and Shada D'ukal Karrde's fleet to slip past the blockade. But I'd advise you to change those plans."
Narrowing his eyes at the Mandalorian clan leader, Streen realized with an angry sigh, "You have spies in our allies' ranks."
"Try not to act so surprised, Master Jedi. Every power does the same thing in order to keep ahead of its enemies, you included." Sabine nonchalantly shrugged to the former Tibanna gas prospector.
"If you redirect your force to Batuu and help Din Djarin and his allies there, then we'll formally ally with you to help liberate Falleen, and give you our combined list of the Sith's collaborators with no extra charge." Mirta concluded.
"That's not an easy order." Kyle rubbed his beard in contemplation. He knew the Order had no choice, but he had to come up with a plan for both sides to get the reinforcements they desperately needed. After a few moments considering his options, a sudden idea struck him, and he capitalized on it. "But I think I might have a way to get Djarin a few key covert reinforcements, after you break the blockade over Falleen."
"Who are they?" Sabine entreated. "No, wait. Let me guess, it's some of Edaan's Anzati assassins and whoever else you've got trapped with Phasma."
"Good guess."
"However, I have a few non negotiable terms. First, you need to keep an eye on Kitai, even if she does come around to your way of thinking. None of us can risk her running rampant if her reformation reverts into another relapse or turns out to be another ruse."
Glaring at the Grand Master, Mirta relented, "I can agree to that, even if I think you're dead wrong. But I'll only do it in order to protect my friend from herself and the other Sith."
"Fair enough. Second, call in what favors you can from your people and underworld allies to assist us in destroying the Freedom's Riches. As an adequate form of compensation, you can keep a tenth of the salvage and wealth you find from their stores."
"A tenth?! That's a-" Mirta protested,
"A planet's ransom, considering how many worlds the cult has operation on. It'll be more than enough to help rebuild Mandalore's economy and infrastructure after your civil war is over." Jaina interjected.
Mirta angrily smirked at her friend before it softened a moment later to allow a bit of grudging respect, "I see your time with the Imperials and your husband helped to hone your latent diplomatic skills."
"And you're lucky I know some very skilled and honorable warriors who would be more than willing to help you clean house from those demented cultists. As long as you help Djarin, they'll be able to spare a few ships and a small army to help you in your fight." Sabine optimistically added.
"And these reinforcements of yours?" Luke asked.
"Ask your sister after she helps them mop up the rest of the Neo Death Watch trying to destroy Honoghr." Sabine deflected, before noticing Jaina struggling to stay on her own two feet. "How about your Imperial Jedi gets a good night's rest before she collapses. Having her sleep for days straight would not do anyone any good."
Jaina tried to protest, but all that came out was a barely stifled yawn, earning amused glances from everyone.
"Go get some rest." Luke implored his nephew. "You're not good to anyone half-dead, and you've got too much to do and prepare to not take care of yourself."
Heeding the advice, Jaina prepared to leave before she turned to Mirta, hesitating for a moment before, "For what it's worth, I'm glad we're going to be fighting the same enemy again, Mirta."
Letting out a huff of breath, Mirta gruffly agreed, "Yeah. Same here, Solo. Now get out of here."
Slightly smiling at her old friend, the youngest Jedi Master quickly signed off, and Sabine got this meeting back on track by asking, "Well, now that your Sword of the Jedi is off to rest, how about you give us the rest of your terms?"
"I think you'll find them to be better suited for your talents than the last two." Kyle began.
Thirty Minutes Later
On Honoghr
Aboard the Millennium Falcon
"What do you mean, there's nowhere near the drop site to land?! In case you failed to notice, we have enemy bucketheads flooding in from all over the area!" Han shouted to C-3PO as the Falcon quickly descended closer and closer to the ground, electricity cackling from about every system that was still functioning. It seemed as if the Heart Render's entire complement of warriors was converging on the drop zone to try and finish their mission, even if they got them all killed in the process.
Why was it that Han and his family had to deal with all the crazies and face such insurmountable odds?
After the Falcon's last series of maneuvers to intercept two of the defoliator bombers drained most of the power from all of its systems, the aftereffects ensured that the ancient ship was struggling to even stay in the air at this point. It seemed that C-3PO's prediction of the ship being out of commission for the next six months might be an accurate one.
But they could not land anywhere with the forests too vibrant and large to allow a ship to land, and with the nearest village several dozen kilometers away, and they did not have long before the Neo Death Watch could rearm the detonator.
"It is just as I told you, Captain Solo. The planets' forests are too deep for us to land without clearing it away. And the ship does not have enough power to clear away the foliage with the laser cannons after the last overboost. We barely have enough power to send out a distress signal!" C-3PO reluctantly informed the Falcon's captain. After decades of experiencing verbal abuse from Han and his family, he knew the threats that would follow his honest and well-meaning response. Unfortunately, his ancient programming forced him to answer in a rather blunt and often unwanted manner.
Fortunately for the loyal protocol droid, Han had bigger issues to deal with than idly threatening him. With at least two dozen Neo Death Watch Mandalorians about to reach the Falcon and finish off the failing freighter, it would take another miracle to survive this battle.
"Hang tight, Millennium Falcon. This is High General Garazeb Orellios. We'll clear these buckethead wannabes off your tail and get you squared away!" A gruff and grizzled voice emerged over the static of the comlink, mere moments before it was consumed in a miniature explosion that destroyed that whole section of the console.
Hearing the shockwave and shrieking from the stray sparks belonging to the burst of electricity that hit her, Leia snapped out of her Jedi trance. She immediately warned Han, "Get the ship ready for an emergency landing, Jedi-style!"
"'Jedi-style?!' What in the blazes is that supposed to mean?!" Han shouted back before Barratk'l and another Jedi's StealthXs appear beside them. The two X-Wings each launched two shadow bombs into the forests below, the baradium-enhanced proton torpedoes quickly blowing away half a kilometer of the green foliage before only a wide burnt circle of ashes remained.
"Well, you did ask." Leia knowingly reminded her husband before he took the Falcon to the makeshift landing site.
"Come on, come on!" Han muttered, failing to work the controls to land. Quickly deciding on a hands-on approach, he told Threepio, "Get everyone strapped in! I can't deploy the landing gear! We're gonna have to land it hot!"
"But sir, crashing on the surface at your current velocity will allow a 94.56% certainty of-"
"Just do it, or I'll shut you down myself!" Leia angrily threatened the protocol droid, holding out her lightsaber pommel for emphasis.
"Oh, my! I will do so right away, Mistress Leia!" Threepio fearfully complied.
Not even four minutes later, with the Falcon barely in the air by a few feet as it circled the clearing, Leia alerted Han, "They're ready!"
"Good! Better strap in tight! This'll be too close to call!" Han warned her as the ship finished its impromptu descent, violently running against the charred ground as it flew towards the uncleared forests.
Struggling to reactivate the thrusters and slow the ship by even a fraction of its current speed, he found the YT-1300 slowing down as if it was gently being guided by a tractor beam. Turning to Leia, he saw her in a Jedi meditation trance, and noticed the two StealthXs landing at the edge of the burnt land.
Silently thanking the Force for what might be the final miracle for the Falcon and its loyal crew, Han breathed out his fears before getting out of his seat, with Leia right behind him as they went to check up on Allana and the Dorvans.
He was very much going to miss all the traditions he held on this ship for the next few months, or a full year, given the brief glance he spared the command console. But it was a cost he would willingly pay to save a world and its entire people.
And as if Leia was reading his thoughts, she keyed in her personal comlink to Barratk'l's StealthX, "Thanks for the timely assistance, Barratk'l. Best you get a move to the crash site and help us find that bomb. We'll be alright here for the time being."
"Not until the Mandalorians in your vicinity are dealt with. Better to err on the side of caution for the time being, given your ship's state." Yantahar Bwua'tu replied as the two furry humanoids quickly exited their canopies and rushed towards the Falcon.
Unfortunately for the two Jedi and the Falcon's crew, they arrived just as the two dozen Mandalorians pursuing the Solos and Dorvans landed a mere hundred meters from the downed freighter.
"Well, this won't be a fair fight for the Mandos." Yantahar smirked as he lit his lightsaber and adopted a defensive posture.
"Don't grow overconfident or underestimate them, Knight Bwua'tu. They're fanatics with nothing to lose at this point." Barratk'l scolded the veteran Jedi Knight.
Just as the Neo Death Watch Mandalorians aimed their weapons at the two Jedi, another growl in the air caught everyone's attention as a CEC VCX-100 light freighter barreled through the air. And five LAATi gunships followed right behind it, opening up to reveal at least a dozen heavily armed Lasat warriors preparing to debark each ship.
Taking aim at the renegade warriors with both of its turrets and emplacements and launching two proton torpedoes at the twenty-four enemies, the freighter commenced the brief firefight, even though everyone, be they Jedi, Mandalorian, or Lasat, knew just how it would end.
Ten Minutes Later
On Falleen
Within the Falleen Throne Capital City
Just Outside the Royal Palace
On the Quasar Fire-class Bulk Cruiser Bounty's Plunder
Within Phasma's Mediation Chamber
To say that Phasma was feeling a renewed sense of anger and betrayal from what Wyyrlok and Dician had told her about Kitai and Mirta would be a tremendous understatement. She had listened intently to every word and piece of evidence the two leading Sith presented on the two traitors: from their going under radio silence after transferring to Sabine Wren's flagship, to the disturbances in the Force that Ship, Lord Oculus, and Lady Sarriss could feel coming from the Ursa, and she could not dispute agreed that the two had switched sides, or, at the very least, were on the verge of doing just that.
But she was not willing to destroy them yet, at least not without trying to gauge the full scope of their plans and learn something from them to save her own people. Besides, she respected them very much, and would feel great remorse at destroying such great leaders and warriors, traitors or not.
Who knows, perhaps she could do something to convince them to return before they fully betrayed the Grand Design. After all, it was not like Mirta and Kitai to abandon the Mandalorians and Sith after all the years of loyalty they gave to Lord Krayt and their own peoples, even with Edaan Palpatine's brave and idealistic meddling in their plans.
No, there was more going on than she currently knew, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it all. But she would do it with an inquisitive and cunning mind instead of brute force.
Using secrecy and cunning was something she knew many Sith in the order were no good at, even such skills had allowed them to remain hidden and protected from the galaxy throughout the last thirty-four years. And the long list of brutish Sith including her brother, Keldo, with all of his increasing fanatical loyalty to the Dark Side. Thank the Gods and the Force for her being apprenticed to a master strategist in Dician, or she very might well have ended up like him.
Shaking herself out of her reflections, she knew she had many preparations to make if she was to help the One Sith capture their quarries. But first, she had to reach out to her wayward friends and learn just what drove them to such extreme measures.
That great endeavor would need but a little bit of time, an hour at most, to prepare such a meeting. After all, if anyone asked, she could easily say that she was preparing her strength for the fight ahead by consulting with her allies. It was, at least, a half-truth, as until they confessed their treachery, she was still willing to consider them her friends and comrades.
On Honoghr
Fifteen Kilometers From the Rakatan Temple
Aboard the Heart Render
Within the Hangar
We're running out of time. Kotar fretted as he led the last of his men's charge out of the doomed carrier. Barreling their way through the fiery explosions that were quickly spreading throughout the failing ship, the captain knew his force had to move quickly before the Jedi-GA-led force completely overwhelmed them.
Thanks to Nistro's dogged pursuit before he was shot down, the captain knew the traitor Hart had found the defoliator bomb. He also knew that Hart was taking its core into the Rakatan temple in a cunning effort to buy time for the enemy to recover him. If the Jedi found him before any of Kotar's men could, then the mission was doomed. Of course, with their superior numbers and firepower, it was an ever-increasing probability.
Death was an inevitable outcome for everyone, and it was something Kotar and the Neo Death Watch had planned for all the Mando'ade's enemies. His belief in it was so fierce, that he held the conviction that for all the injustices the galaxy had dealt the Mandalorian people and culture ever since Malachor V, they deserved to deliver all their vengeance out onto their enemies tenfold.
Perhaps even one hundredfold, if the crimes against the Mandalorians were so severe. Kotar supposed this was why they found themselves allying with the Sith so many times. After all, seeking vengeance was a concept both creeds held no problem with, which was why the splinter group had no trouble working alongside the One Sith.
And their shared retribution would start with this Vong-bioformed world and its Jedi-loving di'kuts.
In Orbit Above Honoghr
200 Kilometers From the Rakatan Temple
Aboard the Mon Adapyne's Bridge
Keyan could feel the tidal wave of fear and anxiety course from the rest of the bridge's crew as they communicated the general's brutal orders to the marines fighting tooth and nail against the diminishing Neo Death Watch force.
Such terror made his heart reach out to his murdered friend and fellow retired Jedi Madurrin, murdered by Natasi Daala's anti-Force crusade. The Anx commander could have done a far better job rallying the men than he could have through her use of Battle Meditation. Sadly, she was dead, and life went on, with him having to carry on in her absence.
The would-be conquerors had given no quarter to the combined allies and the Noghri, and since none of their followers were surrendering, no quarter could afford to be given. Not that a surrender would likely be accepted by anyone, for the Heart Render's crew was a complete load of fanatics trying to destroy an unaligned world to conceal the Sith's spies.
But such ferocity was certainly costing the Alliance dearly, having already lost at least two hundred marines for killing about a quarter of the number of enemy Mandalorians. The Lasats and Jedi were doing a far better job of destroying the enemy's formations. Honestly, it was completely embarrassing for many of the newer soldiers, many of which grew up hearing hateful and jealous stories about the Jedi Order from all corners of the galaxy.
Still, according to Thornton's numbers and the casualty reports, the Heart Render and its captain had no more than one hundred and twenty Mandalorians still alive under his command, with about twenty starfighters still flying, another thirty using jetpacks in the air, or the remaining seventy relying on guerilla tactics on the ground to harry the enemy.
Under normal circumstances, he would have thought more at Thornton's decision to keep his fleet out of the battle and assisting the Lira San fleet in cordoning off the system from any potential enemy reinforcements. But since the fleet might fragment through firing on their own, Keyan heeded High General Orellios and Master Barratk'l's wiser counsel and considered himself lucky they stayed out of the fighting.
Even so, the Galactic Alliance general knew this battle would be theirs soon enough. The four forces just had to keep up the pressure on the Neo Death Watch and reach Hart and the defoliator bomb before the enemy could finish their vile mission.
But still, even though he could not enter the battle personally, there was a way he could sow a bit of doubt in the enemy's ranks. It could very well save many lives on both sides and end this battle in one fell swoop.
Within the Batuu System
On Batuu
Within the Surabat River Valley
Aboard the KDY Amphibious Interstellar Assault Transport/infantry Gunship Razor Crest
"So, it looks like the Jedi are starting to gain ground again. About kriffing time." Carasynthia Dune Djarin, wife of Din Djarin, and co-leader of Clan Djarin, gladly remarked after hearing the report from Sabine.
"You're telling me, Cara." The Clan Wren leader ruefully reminded her friend through her nickname. "It took the people enough time to get their heads out of the sand to see what's happening right in front of them. And the GA's idiotic senate will have no excuse to clean house this time, not with all the evidence we've got on them."
"Let's just hope it'll be enough to stop the Sith in time." Cara agreed.
As a longtime friend and fellow former commando in the Rebel Alliance Special Forces after the deaths of each of their loved ones, the two had formed a strong bond as surrogate sisters and carved out strong and honorable names for themselves and their new families.
For Sabine, she had married an Alliance marine captain, Goral Atar, who later became a Mandalorian after the Pellaeon–Gavrisom Treaty ended the First Galactic Civil War, and they worked together to form a respectable clan and strong and loving family. Before Caedus and his Fifth Fleet flunkies attacked Mandalore at the climax of the Second Galactic Civil War and kept Boba Fett and his family from returning home for over ten years. This chain of events had inadvertently sowed the seeds for the rise of Neo Death Watch and another batch of Sith pawns.
Cara, on the other hand, had a far greater series of tragedies dictate the course of her life. An idealist and peace-loving girl in her youth, she saw her naïve hopes for galactic harmony vanish when Alderaan and most of her family were destroyed by Grand Moff Tarkin and the first Death Star battle station.
It filled her with an ever-burning drive for vengeance and drove her and her brother to join the growing Rebel Alliance to avenge their world's destruction. She was so skilled in demolitions and hand-to-hand combat that in the following months, she found herself a spot on the short-lived but infamous Renegade Squadron.
But her anger was tempered when she met her future husband, Din, and it was not long before she and her teammates found themselves working alongside his clan to destroy the Conqueror, an Imperial-class Star Destroyer equipped with a prototype superlaser. By the time they caught up with the destroyer, she had fallen in love with Din, and he with her. Each of their teammates teased them for weeks on end when they reunited for a few pivotal missions for their shared goals. But she would not trade the precious few weeks they spent together for anything.
Sadly, they both had obligations to their people, and they decided they could not marry until a year after the Battle of Endor. By that point, the New Republic and Mandalorians had formally allied against many of the Imperial warlords and various threats outside the known galaxy. It proved to be a boon for both their governments, as they both exchanged arms and people to protect their own borders from countless enemies in the chaotic years after Sidious and Vader's deaths over Endor.
But when the Imperial Remnant surrendered nineteen years later, Cara decided to join the Mandalorian Protectors and fully commit to her family. It proved to save her family when the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy six years later, and she earned the respect of even her most despicable rivals and enemies after she personally killed at least hundreds of the extragalactic enemies in the war's final year.
Since then, she had worked hard alongside her family to rebuild the Mandalore Sector, and she would fight to her last breath to stop the self-destructive Neo Death Watch and their dark Sith puppeteers. That was why she was helping her people fight another of the Sith's proxies on the galaxy's fringes. And she would welcome the much-needed reinforcements the Jedi were sending their way.
Shaking herself out of her time-consuming reflection, Cara wished her friend luck with her assignment before signing off. She had to let Din know of their incoming aid and see the look on his helmeted face to know just how surprised he would be. After decades of getting to know each other, she knew his micro expressions and would know when he was taken off-guard. And it would be a sight she would absolutely relish.
Well, I think this is a good place to end the chapter! It took me eight days to write it, as I had a bit of other responsibilities to deal with. I apologize for going a bit all over the galactic map with this, but I just write what pops into my head, and I make it work into the overall saga. I just don't know how to focus myself into writing three arcs in each story, as I have so many ideas, and I'm hard wired from writing in the Shadow Wars and Galaxy at War mini sagas over the last three years. Sorry, but I hope you stick around and give me plenty of constructive criticism. And don't worry, the next chapter will conclude the third key memory in Edaan's backstory. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
So, how are you all doing on the warm afternoon of Tuesday, April 27, 2021? I'm doing all right, as I've been reading a decent Star Wars novel, and have class in about 40 minutes. I also played a bit of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla last night and got 40 Gamerscore points before I went to bed. I can't wait for Mass Effect Trilogy: Legendary Edition to be released in 17 days. That's gonna be amazing! Well, I'd better get this chapter to my friend for his review and constructive feedback. I hope you all have a blessed day, and I hope you all stay safe in these mad times. God bless us always, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!