Star Wars: Galaxy At War I: Retribution
Dramatis Personae
Ahsoka Tano Palpatine; Jedi Knight, New Repubilc "Fulcrum" Network Leader (Togruta Female)
Akku Seii II; Mandalorian Captain (Anzati Male)
Anakin Skywalker; Jedi Master (Human Cyborg Male)
Bail Organa: New Republic Chief of State (Human Male)
Barton Coburn; Imperial Admiral (Human Male)
Celebion; Dúnedain Ranger (Human Male)
Connor Uriel; Jedi Apprentice (Human-Kynachi Male)
CT-7567 "Rex"; Clone Captain (Human Male)
Darth Bahl'al; Dark Lord of the Sith; Imperial Sovereign Protector (Humanoid Male)
Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine; Dark Lord of the Sith, Galactic Emperor (Human Male)
Darth Vader; Dark Lord of the Sith, Supreme Commander of Imperial Military (Human Male Clone)
Jarael Chantique; Medic/Psychiatrist (Iskalloni Female)
Kal Skirata; Mandalorian Clan Leader, New Republic Colonel (Human Male)
Mitth'raw'nuruodo ("Thrawn"); Imperial Commodore/New Republic Agent (Chiss Male)
Nagme Jamaane; Shamed One/Former Master Shaper (Yuuzhan Vong Female)
Obi-Wan Kenobi; Jedi Master, New Republic Councilman (Human Male)
Occisor; Cult Leader, Daemon Host (Human Male)
Sarcev Quest; Dark Jedi, Imperial Deserter (Human Male)
Tau Palpatine; Jedi Knight, New Republic Councilman (Human Male)
Trachta; Imperial Grand Moff/New Republic Agent (Human Cyborg Male)
Vega Ryal; Jedi Knight, New Republic Agent (Human Male)
Ventis Uriel; Former Inquisitor/Jedi Apprentice (Human Male)
Wullf Yularen; New Republic Intelligence Director and Councilman (Human Male)
Good evening, everyone! How are you doing on this warm evening of Tuesday, September 17, 2019? I'm doing all right, as I did some homework, read more of Star Wars: Thrawn (I should be done with that book by tomorrow, or tonight if I really wanted to), and finished my previous story, Star Wars: Shadow Wars II: Escalation, a few hours ago. I'm quite proud of my work, and glad that a bunch of people are reading it. I just wish that Squasher's AU could become official, as it's far better than the current Star Wars canon, at least in my opinion. So, I'm starting my third story that's set in Squasher's AU, and things have really diverted from both timelines! Man, does it feel like a lifetime ago that I discovered fanfiction, and it's been a great time on this website. I'm glad that I started writing, as my skills have vastly improved thanks to the experience, and helpful criticism from Squasher and JSailer. So, in other news, DaWitcher is back on the web, and he updated his story this morning. I can't wait to read his take on The Witcher, as he's very brilliant with his interpretation of that universe. But, I must ask if you could pray for me, as I'm going through a… difficult struggle right now that's leading me astray from my lord Jesus Christ, and I want to go back onto the straight and narrow. I'd rather not go into any specifics, but I could use some prayers, just like countless others are, I know. Well, time to get started on my story. Fair warning, it'll take a while to write this chapter, as I need to rewrite much of my material, considering that I altered my material from the last couple of chapters in Escalation, and my current material is ill-suited for the battles to come. Wish me luck
Nelona 27th, 14 BBY
Onboard the Venator-class Star Destroyer Tenacious
In Hyperspace, En Route to Dromund Kaas
24 Hours From the Dromund System
Vega Ryal, Jedi Knight of the reborn Jedi Order, was pacing through the hallways of the New Republic capital ship, making his way to the hangar bay. The crew kept their distance, knowing the man was in something of a mood, and in truth he was. There was a deep boiling unease in him; a kind of angsted rage that made him want to hit something.
Normally, he kept such things under control by punching things or slicing them or bashing them with his Goudendag, specifically the monstrous Grimm of the world of Remnant. Unfortunately, such an option wasn't available, and no amount of physical exercise or meditation could keep the beast in him at bay. He needed a mission.
The hangar doors opened, and he found the rest of the strike team there. His eyes ran through the lot of them. The leaders of the Light Sith Auron and Asajj Ventress were talking with Anakin Skywalker about something he couldn't hear while Auron helped adjust his cumbersome silver armor.
On the other side of the hangar, Quinlan Vos and Elezar Ahohite were sparring under the watchful eyes of Master Tholme, who stamped his cane with mock frustration at the pair. "Children, take this seriously. It's a fight, not a dance."
"Master, of course this is a dance," Elezar grinned, "if it were anything else, we'd have to kill one another. And I'd really hate to kill Quinn over here."
Quinlan smiled thinly at him, "Please, you've barely even landed a hit on me."
Elezar pointed behind him, "I'm pretty sure that dent over in that shipping crate says otherwise."
"Yeah, thanks for that!" someone called in the distance.
Eleazar grinned sheepishly, "I'm sure it will buff out."
"Sure." Tholme said dryly, suddenly smacking him over the head with his cane, "I think I've honed down your issue, Eleazar. You lack restraint. You'd tackle any issue with the grace of a thermo-hammer, even if that is not required."
Eleazar rubbed his head, his grin never going away. "I had to improvise by myself for six years, Master Tholme. Besides, those savages in power armor learned the hard way that Jedi are no easy prey."
"Yes, we get it. You survived being hunted by the Knights on one of their training worlds. You only told that story a hundred times." Quinlan groaned.
"Still true, and here we are now."
"I would not let your accomplishments blind you, son. After all, when you enter the battlefield, your past victories do not carry much weight." Tholme told him.
"Aside from the fact that I am alive and my enemy is mostly dead?" Eleazar pointed out. Tholme was not amused, and Eleazar sighed, "I understand your point, master. I will keep that in mind."
"That's all I can ask, now again, and take it seriously."
"Are you alright?" Vega turned to see that Anakin looming over him, having crossed the room while Vega had been eavesdropping.
"I'm okay," he shrugged, "just watching my step-mother's husband throw Quinlan around and get chewed out."
"You don't think of Eleazar as your step-father?"
Vega shrugged again, "I just don't him very well. He disappeared a long time before I entered the picture. So, I just don't know how I feel about him right now."
Anakin watched as Eleazar and Quinlan again engaged in their bout, "Well, he's a good man. Naomi chose well."
"I'm sure she did." Vega nodded absently, "I just need to get to know him more before I make any firm judgments."
"I should have taken that advice with Palpatine." Anakin sighed.
"We all make mistakes, some more than others."
"What does that mean, exactly?"
Vega blew out an air of frustration, "Honestly? I'm vexed at the fact I have to work so closely with the Yuuzhan Vong."
"Because of what they did to you?"
"Yes," he let out a restrained snarl, "and what they forced me to do. But I suppose you're already familiar with that, what with Ventress and Auron over there."
"I actually don't have an issue working with them," Anakin admitted offhandedly, "Ventress helped my apprentice during her darkest moment, and Auron is just a kid. Besides, considering what I was… and what I did," he sighed wearily, "I actually understand how you feel, but it was not from working with them."
"Who then?"
"A'Sharad. It's funny actually. I liked the man a lot as a kid, but after what happened to my mother," he couldn't finish the sentence so he moved on, "if only I had listened to him, turned myself in for what I did to the Tuskens, perhaps none of this would've happened."
"Why did you do it? I understand taking revenge on the men who tortured her, force knows I wanted to kill A'denn for the longest time, but the woman and children-"
"You don't understand the context of what happened there. The men were not the only ones who were torturing her. The children did too, as a right of passage. And the women were keeping her alive just so that they could torture her again and again until they couldn't anymore. In my eyes, they were all guilty."
Vega looked down and to the side, "I can understand that. I feel the same towards the Vong. It's almost like whenever we encounter barbarism, we have to respond in kind. Despite the fact that this group is from a different world ship, I still can't help but feel vitriolic hatred rise up and tell me to kill them all in retribution."
"Vega," Anakin put his hand worriedly on his shoulder, "I know that rage all too well. But the moment you let it out, unleash it even for a second, innocent people will die. That is not something you want on your conscience, no matter how tempting the release is. I am the result of that."
"What would you have me do then? Forgive them?"
"No. A long time ago, I heard a phrase on a border world from an old lawman I should've taken more seriously. 'The greatest revenge one can have is to not become like his tormentor.' You say you hate the Vong for what they did to you. Then do not take up their methods, and do not become like them. Be the better man and rob them the satisfaction for bringing you low."
"You want my opinion? You should look at the positives." Auron said, coming in and wrapping his arm around Vega's shoulder.
"And what would that be you, sith spawn?" Vega asked sardonically.
"Well, look at you, you're a giant of a man packing all those muscles. The lady's are practically throwing themselves at you by now."
Vega turned to Auron, "That is literally by design. The Vong engineered me to be desirable for the purp-"
"See? Gonna happen soon."
"That doesn't mean I like it."
"Vega, this is me you're talking to. Don't sell me that whole puritan crap."
"If I recall correctly, you planted that magazine on my bed!"
"Excuse me?" Anakin said scoldingly, "Auron, would you stop trying to get your pupils in trouble? We're in the middle of a damn war."
"More the reason!" Auron grinned widely, "Best way to fight depression is to be hilarious and stupid. Well, not too stupid, but still! Even Noami's husband gets it, and he was hunted on a death world-"
"We know!" Vega groaned, "I was there too, remember?"
"Yeah, still I find the story amazing. Speaking of which, how far have you gone with Ruby?"
"That's none of your damn business," Vega snarled.
"Yes, it is none of your business," they all felt Anakin smirk then, "unless you want to tell us about that brunette crush of yours?"
"Do you have a chair? It'd take a while. Oh wait, someone secretly recorded us on our wedding night!" Auron glared daggers at Vega.
"For the last time, I had nothing to do with that!"
"Oh sure. Didn't stop you from watching though."
"I didn't! I don't want to see you do it with someone!"
"Sure you didn't."
"...is this about what I think it is?"
"If you're thinking someone secretly recorded the night my wife and I consummated our marriage, oh yes that happened." Auron growled.
"Yeah it happened. He keeps saying I did it, and I didn't. I keep telling you, Auron, Rarok, Yang and Sun are more convincing suspects." Vega retorted, "Besides, why do you think it was me?"
"Because unlike them, you've always had a bone to pick with me."
"Well maybe that's because you're a sadomasochistic-"
"Enough! Both of you!" Anakin snapped, "Force, you sound like me when I was your age. Actually no, I was whinier."
"Oh, we do this all the time." Auron waved off, "It's our way of relieving stress when we don't have a beautiful woman to hold."
"You mean when you don't have one." Vega said with a smirk.
"The hell's that supposed to mean? Which one of us is married? And last I checked, you're actually fighting your desire to take your woman."
"What are you morons talking about?" Ventress asked as she came over, "You've been leaving me guessing for five minutes now."
Vega couldn't help but crack the obvious joke, "Oh dear, Auron. Should I tell the misses you're cheating with baldy over there?"
Surprisingly, it was Ventress who reached over and smacked him, "I have hair, you little fodder pile. And Auron is not my type."
"You have a type?" Anakin asked, "And to be honest, your hair looks awful."
"At least I have hair and don't look like a roasted nerf rib, Skywalker," Ventress chuckled.
"I don't know, your tattoos made that look come together." Vega commented.
"You do realize those were made to mark my kills right?"
"So?"
She sighed as she smiled thinly, "Sometimes, I wonder if the Vong actually made you annoying, or you were just like that to begin with."
"He was like that to begin with," Auron said. Before it could go any further, Tholme came up behind them.
"The captain wants us for the briefing," he said. They all nodded, and Anakin and Vega took to the rear of the group.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Anakin asked.
"It's not really a question anymore. I need this. Otherwise, I'm probably gonna either hurt or impregnate someone."
"Well, let's mitigate the former and avoid the latter, shall we?"
"Deal."
Concurrently, In the Vermund System
On Vermund
Outside the Uriel Family's Estate
Benjen Uriel was a man of a hundred titles. Patriarch of the Uriel family, Grandmaster of the Ordo Carmino, Elected Jedi Lord of the mysterious Ordo Indagator, and Populus Tribune of the Teutonic Sectoral government. He chuckled slightly at that last one. Technically, his was far more an advisory position than one of any real legal authority. Today however, his position was finally given weight in light of recent events.
This much was emphasized as four ships approached his family estate. He didn't need to look to know who they were and why they were here. After all, the title of Tribune necessitated he be the one to address any foreign delegations in the name of the Teutonic Senate, especially in the case of what one might consider to be their governmental cousins.
A moment later, the New Republic Ambassador shuttles landed, the delegation slowly milling out to meet him. Benjen quickly caught the eyes of the others accompanying them. There was his nephew and protégé, Jedi Knight Daniel Valo. Flanking him was an Elf operative Eltariel, on loan from Lady Galadriel of Arda.
They were not here to negotiate with his government. His brother, Ventis Uriel, had only a year ago escaped the clutches of the Daemon Gallies. The bastard however had left the stain of corruption on him, one that was changing him. Benjen could only hope and pray he might be able to save him. The alternative was death.
Daniel was the first to approach Benjen, and quickly gave him a strong hug that the older man quickly reciprocated.
"Thanks so much for coming." Benjen gratefully told his nephew.
"Hey, nothing could've stopped me from coming here. Besides, I wouldn't wanna miss this reunion for anything."
Benjen then noticed the two-year-old girl curiously staring at him with those big adorable eyes of hers. He smiled warmly, bending down to her level as he brushed his grandnieces hair gently.
"Hi there. You must be Lily, Your dad's sent me holos of you, but they don't do you justice. My name is Benjen Uriel. Guess that makes me your great-uncle."
"Hi, unca Benjie." Lily politely told Benjen, the failed pronunciation of his name making him chuckle.
"I take it that your father told you of that particular nickname of mine?"
"Maybe." Lily shyly admitted.
"Is everyone here, Uncle?" Daniel asked.
"Yes. Sandor, Charter, and Edward are finishing the preparations. We'll be ready for Ventis by night's end."
"That's good." Tau abruptly joined the conversation, with his wife, Ahsoka Tano Palpatine, and Butch, his Tuk'ata hound right beside him, which caught the master hunter's attention. "Apologies for interrupting, Grandmaster."
Appraising the futuristic Palpatine scion with a warm smile, though his eyes glared at the abominable Sith Hound for a moment. He hunted the little monsters, and even now were still a problem for many of the outlining ranchers. But that was neither here nor there at the moment.
Suspicion clouded the married couple, and Benjen smirked at making them wonder before he explained, "Ventis kept me appraised of the more exciting parts of his travels with you. Besides, I can sense the Force bond radiating between you two like a hurricane. You two must really be in love."
"You have no idea, Mr. Uriel." Ahsoka confirmed, her composure returning to her usual calm and friendly self. Her hand instinctively went to her womb and he smiled as he felt why.
"I must congratulate the two of you. Human and Togrutans having children is, quite frankly, a genetic rarity. You truly are blessed by the Force."
Daniel and Eltariel were taken aback by the disclosure. Tau blithely replied "With respects, Grandmaster, I would prefer if you kept that to yourself for the time being. My ancestor, or one of his minions would love to get their hands on my children. I will not allow that."
"Teuton is perhaps the safest you could be, Tau Palpatine, and no harm will come to either of you. Though with respect to you, you should have left her back in the safety of your territory if you were so adamant about keeping her pregnancy a secret."
"She's not leaving my side."
"Tau-" Ahsoka began, but Benjen raised a hand.
"Then she will be under my protection. Speaking of which, your… pet. I'm going to have to ask you to keep him on your ship."
"What, Butch? Why?" Tau asked.
Daniel turned to him sheepishly, "I really should have mentioned this, but the people of Vermund consider the Tuk'ata hounds pests, since the Sith introduced the species here. They don't like them."
The newly weds looked at each other as Butch whined. "It's okay, buddy. It's okay," Tau soothed as he scratched the hounds ear.
"Stop it," Benjen sighed, "you're making me feel bad. Look, it'll be safe for him if he stays."
"We understand," Ahsoka nodded, pulling on the hound's leash, "c'mon boy, I'll take you up and give you a nice bone to chew on. Or, maybe a few."
As she parted, the Negotiator himself appeared. Even a man like Benjen knew well the reputation of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He offered his hand.
"Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. It's both an honor and a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance."
"The honor is mine, Grandmaster Uriel." Obi-Wan answered as he shook the hand "Or should I call you Tribune?".
"Of course not, Master. Though our ideologies may differ, we are both Jedi. But for what it's worth, I hope your negotiations go well. From what Ventis sent me on your government's structure, it's a much better organization than the original republic. However, I must caution you about the senate. They are not quite what you might expect."
"And why is that?"
"Let's just say dueling is still legal in this sector, and many a decision was made at the point of sword or a blaster."
"Sounds a lot like the Mandalorians from before Satine's time, then." Obi-Wan observed.
"Don't go around telling people that. Most people aren't too fond of all Mandalorian sects, not after their seven millennia of warmongering."
"Is it going to be a problem that we've got one Mandalorian onboard my ship?" Tau asked.
"You mean Akku? Not as long as he stays on the estate's grounds, it won't be."
"Good. Then we ought to finalize our preparations for when your brother arrives." Eltariel prudently advised Benjen.
"A good idea, Miss Eltrariel. We've spent enough time chatting out here. If you'll follow me." Benjen turned to lead the groups into his family estate.
Sixteen Hours Later
Nelona 28th, 14 BBY
Just Outside the Dromund System
Onboard the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Serrator
"Sir, Lord Vader's fleet is exiting hyperspace at Point 2.098." A sensors-officer informed Vice Admiral Savit Ronan, who turned his head to the designated area. There, a squadron of eight of Star Destroyers backed by three squadrons of escort craft emerged into realspace and moved to link up with his.
"Very good. Open a channel to him and Director Krennic at once so I can appraise them of the situation."
"Patching you through now, Sir."
The holograms of the Dark Lord of the Sith and Director of Advanced Weapons Research appeared. Unbeknownst to the Vice-Admiral, the towering monster of the Dark Side was not the real Darth Vader, but instead a clone unleashed when the former had betrayed the Empire.
"Vice Admiral Ronan," Vader addressed, "what is your appraisal of the Dromund Kaas invasion?"
"I've already deployed scout ships and probes to ascertain the situation, and we've gathered much preliminary data on the enemy's fleet. We're also coordinating with the ground forces on the ground to gather a sense of the enemy's strength and objectives." Pulling out a datapad, he quickly added, "I'm sending you copies of the data as we speak."
Quickly receiving and reviewing the information, Orson Krennic observed the lineup of the enemy fleet: two Munificent-class star frigates, an MC75 Star Cruiser, one Separatist Supply ship, three Sphyrna-class corvettes, two Braha'tok-class gunships and three Nebulon-B Frigates, along with three dozen escort craft. They were positioned in a blockading position, while several battalions of Knights decimated the Imperial legion on the planet's surface.
"Well, at least I now can see why Lord Bahl'al needed us for this mission," Krennic admitted, "the Knights are hammering the Prophets hard on all fronts, and won't hold out much longer, especially if their elite forces are here on this world."
Turning to Darth Vader, Ronan added, "I've kept my fleet at combat readiness, and am ready to merge my forces to yours upon your command."
"Do so at once, but you will retain command of the fleet in my absence, Vice Admiral. I will punch a hole through the enemy's fleet, and then lead the assault on the surface to relieve the beleaguered defenders before the Jedi and New Republic arrive."
"The New Republic is coming?! How could they have known about our operation?" Orson wondered.
"I doubt they did. More likely they saw an opportunity to deliver another blow against the Empire, and took it. They'll be here in a few hours, which means we need to hurry before we're caught in a three-way battle. Link up our fleets, and then make a microjump into the Dromund System at once."
Twenty Minutes Later, In Orbit Above Dromund Kaas
Onboard the MC75 Cruiser Hunter's Legacy
"General, we have an enemy force arriving in-system! Sensors are identifying them as an Imperial fleet." Admiral Shoore alerted the ground commander, General Vlad Karamazov III.
"I thought the Jedi would have gotten involved in this, not the Imperials after Palpatine pulled back most of his forces." Vlad mused, before he gloatingly continued, "Too bad for them, they're too late. We've already decimated their dogs that were guarding this ripe world, and we'll soon have an entire planet's population to bolster our ranks, and spread our message across the stars. How strong is their force?"
"Just enough to surpass ours, General. Thirteen Star Destroyers, and forty-eight escort craft, not to mention the flights of fighters they'll release any minute."
"Then they'll have to be taken out, just like the Imperials on the ground." Vlad dismissively said before blasted away at an unseen foe, and ordered the admiral, "But, first things first. Protect our blockade and do your best to slow down the Imperials from landing on the planet. The last thing we need is fighting a reinvigorated enemy when we're on the verge of victory."
Says the guy who surrendered the Mortis Dagger to the Jedi all those months ago. Shoore blithely thought before obeying the orders. "Right away, General. Just finish the mission before any more surprises come our way."
"Don't worry about me. We'll be done with the mission by the end of the planet's next rotation." Vlad assured the admiral before ending the communication, leaving the Zabrak to plan his fleet's defensive formation.
Two Hours Later
In Hyperspace
Onboard the Freedom's Envoy
Twenty Minutes From the Vermund System
"About time we'll be at Vermund, Da'. I'll just be glad to finally get off this stuffy ship and see your family." Connor groaned, utterly relieved to soon be on solid ground again after spending so many days on this ship with his family; his brother-in-law, former Imperial Army sergeant Kaiden Forn; and Jedi Master Celeste Morne, his father's girlfriend.
"Don't forget about Daniel and Lily. They're coming a long way to get to know the rest of their family, and my granddaughter would be heartbroken if you ignored her." Ventis reminded the Kyanchi-Human hybrid. He then suppressed a series of terrible coughs, and quickly checked his hand. No blood. That was an improvement.
"Yeah, I know. It'll be good to have a member of the family that's legally allowed to drink. Drinking alone is a real drag. "
"I still can't believe you helped convince the New Republic's leaders to lead a diplomatic mission, and were also given ten days to spend at Vermund out of it. That took a whole lot of guts." Kaiden commended the older Jedi Apprentice.
"Hey, I've put off seeing my brother for too long, and you guys deserve a vacation after all you've been through. I just hope he forgives me for the delay."
"He'll understand, Dad. You were helping people escape the Empire, rescuing one of Gallies' victims from her own demons, and helped wound a strong Dark Jedi in the process, all in just over twenty-four hours. If anything, he'll be impressed and worried over your efforts." Elias Keller, a former Planetary Security Force sergeant before joining the New Republic after being rescued from a Daemonic cult, reassured his father.
"I hope you're right." Ventis acknowledged, before activating the ship's intercom, "Listen up. I want everyone here on their best behavior, because the last thing we need while we're here is a diplomatic incident between the New Republic and the Teutonic Sector, and I don't know how much things have changed here since I've been gone. So, once Daniel arrives and we meet Benjen and his family, we're going straight to his home to catch up, and learn the landscape. Understand?"
"Yes, sir." Everyone ruefully complied.
Forty Minutes Later
On Vermund
Outside the Uriel Estate
Daniel Valo, Jedi Knight, undercover student of Beacon Academy, and father of his daughter, stood at the bottom of the ramp of his personal ship with his two-year-old daughter, Lily, nervously clinging to his leg as his father and half-siblings noticing him from their docking bay.
Ventis smiled and slowly made his way over to them before he hugged his son, who eagerly returned the gesture before the older man noticed his granddaughter. Ventis beamed at the adorable girl, and, while fighting the joyful tears, kneeled down to greet her.
"Hi, Lily." Ventis gently greeted Lily.
"Hi." Lily bashfully returned the acknowledgement, "Daddy showed me pictures of you, and said that you were my grandpa."
"I am. I'm glad to finally meet you." Ventis' eyes widened at the little girl's growing connection to the Force, "I can sense you're strong in the Force, just like your father."
"Thank you. Are you sick, Grandpa? Daddy's been scared ever since we left home, and talks about you a lot." Lily innocently asked.
Touched at Lily's innocence and concern for his wellbeing, Ventis admitted, "Actually, I am sick, Lily. But your dad and his friends are going to help me get better while we're here." After seeing Lily nervously back away from him, Ventis warmly chuckled, "It's not that kind of sickness, so don't worry about being near me."
While Ventis continued speaking his first known grandchild, Kaiden turned to Satele, "So that's Daniel?"
"Yeah. And that's his daughter, Lily."
"Ah, how old is he?"
"Uh, I think he's eighteen." Connor answered.
Kaiden's eyes widened, "What the?!"
Connor realized what he was saying, "Yeah, uh... he's the youngest one so far, and... Damn, he got married at 16?"
"So what he knocked up a girl and married her?" Kaiden asked "Where is his wife?"
"Um... I don't know, you'll have to ask him." Connor hesitantly said, remembering from his final days on Kyanchi the vague details of how Daniel was studying at Beacon Academy in order to find the people who put his wife into a coma.
Ventis lead Daniel and Lily over to the group. Daniel smiled at them and bowed in greeting, "It's nice to finally see you in person, Connor." He smiled and held out his hand to shake it, Connor smirked, clasped the hand and pulled him into a one armed hug.
"Its good to see ya too, little brother." Connor ruffled Daniel's head jovially.
Daniel chuckled, and turned to the others, "You must be Elias?" Daniel asked Kaiden.
"Oh, God no." Satele said, "This is my husband Kaiden."
Daniel grimaced at his mistake, "Sorry about that sir." he held out his hand.
"Don't mention it, son. It's a pleasure to meet Satele's youngest brother." Kaiden smiled sincerely, "And I'm glad you're helping raise your daughter despite having her so young."
Daniel blinked at that a few times, "Why wouldn't I? I will admit it was a bit hilarious how it happened, lets just say Lily is incredibly lucky."
Connor snorted.
Kaiden breathed a sigh of relief the boy in front of him at least tried to take precautions. They just failed, so he could understand that.
"So you're Kaiden, that makes you Satele." Daniel pointed to the last man in the group, "you must be Elias."
Elias nodded, and shook his hand.
"I'm sorry about what happened to your squad."
"Yeah, nothing I can do about it now."
Daniel gently urged Lily next to him; she still clung to his pant leg as Daniel introduced her to her new family. "Everyone this is my daughter Lily, Lily meet your uncles and aunt."
"Well aren't you a little bonny rouge." Connor asked getting down to eye level with the girl, who hid her face into Daniel's pant leg.
"Daddy, Unca Conny smells weird."
Connor pulled back for a moment and breathed into his hand and sniffed, "You're right, I do smell weird. I will be right back." With that he ran back into the Freedom's Envoy and washed out his mouth with the most acidic mouthwash he had on hand. It burned his mouth, but that was fine. He was back in about five minutes, "Do I smell better now?"
Lily nodded, "Yes."
The others all chuckled at the interaction.
Kaiden got down to eye level and smiled, "I guess I'm your Uncle Kaiden."
"Hi, unca Cayden."
"And I'm your daddy's sister, making me your aunt Satele, Kaiden is my husband."
Lily tilted her head, "So you and unca Cayden are together like my mommy and daddy?"
"Yes, sweetheart, they are." Daniel smiled sadly.
"Then where are their babies, daddy?"
Connor and Elias stifled their laugh at Satele and Kaiden's reaction to that question.
"W-well um… We're not ready for children sweetie." Satele answered awkwardly.
"Grandma said the same, about daddy." Lily said suddenly. "She said daddy's away too much."
Daniel flinched upon hearing that, remembering the arguments that he and his mother would get into about this subject,
"What about your mommy?" Kaiden asked, "I imagine that she's around to help?" Ventis gulped upon hearing that.
Lily just shook her head, "Mommy, was hurt real bad, and couldn't take care of me. She's asleep now."
Daniel fought back the tears in his eyes and explained, "My wife, Amber, is in a coma. It's lasted for two years, almost three."
The others grew silent upon hearing that, "I'm sorry to hear that." Kaiden said, and bowed his head, "My condolences."
"Thank you."
A melancholy silence fell upon them for a bit, Elias sensing this shift in mood, decided to introduce himself.
He got down to Lily's level, "And I guess that means I am your uncle Elias." he gently smiled while patting her blond head.
Lily did something that everyone didn't expect, she walked up to him and hugged him, her tiny arms wrapped around his neck, "W-what's this for?"
"Daddy said you were sad. He also said hugs make everything better."
Elias felt tears in his eyes at that touching explanation and gently returned her hug, "T-thank you." he said barely keeping his voice even.
"You're welcome." Lily cheerfully replied.
"Aren't you just adorable?" Celeste Morne, a Jedi Covenant Shadow from the Mandalorian Wars, cooed and kneeled down to greet the little girl.
"Hi." Lily shyly said. "What's your name?"
"My name's Celeste. I'm, well, I'm a special friend of your grandfather, and I'm honored to meet his granddaughter." The Jedi Master introduced herself.
"Hello, Celeste."
"So, where are the rest of your squad, Kaiden, and your… special guest?" Daniel carefully asked, wondering how Satele's mother, Rebecca Moze, was holding up after her forced liberation from the Imperial's grip.
The mood dampened once Rebecca was mentioned, and Satele especially became crestfallen at the mention of her mother, but Kaiden kept composed, "She's not doing so well. She's been a handful since we brought her onboard, and she won't listen to anything we say."
"I see." Daniel knew how hard it was for him to wrap his mind around Ventis and Gallies sharing the same body, and imagined how impossible it would be for one of Gallies' first-hand victims to believe this.
Not willing to give up so easily, for Satele's sake, Daniel offered, "You mind if I go check on her before we go in? I don't want her to die of thirst or hunger while we're purifying Ventis."
"You don't have to do that, Daniel. Zerka and Tops are keeping an eye on her. They can handle her if she tries anything." Satele insisted.
"It's more than that. I was wanting to talk with her, and maybe see if I can help calm her down. I don't want you to lose your mother to her grief."
"A little late for that, considering what I said to her yesterday." Satele sighed, "If you want to try and talk to her, go ahead. Just don't expect her to believe anything you say."
"I'll let my boys know you're coming, but they'll have to stay close by in case she tries anything."
"Hey, in this position, I'll take what opportunities I can get." Daniel admitted before he walked onto the ship.
Onboard the Freedom's Envoy
Rebecca Moze, prisoner of the New Republic and the man who ruined her corporate life her over two decades ago, wondered if she would ever get out of this nightmare. Of course, she'd first have to remove the stun cuffs that kept her locked in her makeshift prison. Not to mention the two Imperial deserters that were keeping her alive and guarded.
Her thoughts were interrupted as she stared at the strange blonde man who entered her cell with a suspicious eye, instantly catching the resemblance between him and her attacker, "You look like Gallies. I take it you're one of his children?"
Daniel didn't answer that right away, instead he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of smokes, "Cigarette?" Daniel asked.
Rebecca stared at it for a moment, before gently pulling at the cuffs, "I'm detained, remember?" she asked rhetorically. "Besides, I thought you Jedi didn't smoke. You know, because it's bad for your bodies, against your Jedi Code and all that."
"Well, the Code never said anything about pipe," he replied, producing one made from splendid oaken in Dwarvish style, "I'll unlock the cuffs, but don't try to run."
Rebecca let out a breath, and nodded hesitantly. With that the cuffs suddenly unlocked and floated away from her hands. She gently took a cigarette from the pack, she was about to ask if he had a light when Daniel suddenly created a flame in the middle of the air.
She touched the end of the cigarette to it and lit it, before taking a riff of it and blowing out smoke.
Getting over her momentary shock and awe, she lit her smoke and took a long draw. "So, are you one of his children, then?"
Daniel lit his pipe and took a seat. "I am. My name is Daniel Valo, Jedi Knight."
"I figured as much with the whole snapping flame thing."
"Pyrokinesis, and yes it's rare. I'm one of a few practitioners. They think I inherited it from my mother."
"So your mother was a Jedi, too?"
Daniel nodded, "She was 15 when she had me. The Jedi helped raise me."
Her eyes widened at that before they hardened into a scowl. "And you're protecting him, even though he raped your mother, a minor at that? My daughter I could perhaps understand, but you? How could you follow a man like that willingly?"
"Would it surprise you that I originally wanted to find him and kill him?"
"So why didn't you?"
"Because I met my uncle and I learned the truth about him."
"Oh this again," she scoffed, "how can you believe in such nonsense about demons and possession? And don't say you're a Jedi. We both know the Force is a product of certain people having the right genetics. Anything else is just superstitious nonsense."
"You can believe what you want, Rebecca, but I have fought 'superstitious nonsense' non stop for the past half decade. Hell, I even fought a god once."
"Really?" she smirked, "And what was this god's name?"
"Mnngal Mnngal."
That caused her to flinch in fright, "He's just a legend."
"No, he's very real. I fought him, and I won. Granted, it took about ship's worth of white phosphorus and a baradium fusion devise to do it, but I won. Besides, I know Gallies is real because I'm the one who exorcised him to begin with."
"Translation: you tortured him, right? I've seen all the reports on such barbaric practices."
"Not really, he beat the hell out of me while I was trying to perform the damn ritual, and all I did was give the man inside a large enough window to take back control of his body."
"I'm sorry, Daniel. I want to believe you, because it would mean that the man who ruined my life was a victim of a monster. But it isn't true, because such under-the-bed monsters don't exist. The only monsters that do lie in the hearts of evil men who are broken, damaged. Have you ever considered that all you did was cause a split in Ventis' personality?"
"Yes. I even had a psychiatrist check to be sure. His report was that there was no sign of psychopathy."
"I'm sorry, but I don't believe you."
"Let me guess, you need to actually see all this to believe it?"
"That would be a good start."
"Okay then, I will show you tonight. We're going to be purifying the remaining corruption from Ventis' soul and body. You can come if you like."
Rebecca was taken aback by the offer. She scrutinized the man for a long moment before she asked, "Why do you care so much?"
"Because even though I don't know Satele very well, she is still family… and I know what it's like to lose a mother."
"Oh, I'm sorry-"
He held up his hand, "She's not dead. She was kidnapped by a Sith Lord for years, and I thought she was dead. I got her back eventually. Just like Satele did with you, and if convincing you of Ventis' innocence is the way to get you two to reconcile, then so be it."
Rebecca thought about it, coming to the conclusion that she honestly didn't have anything else to lose right now and perhaps this would be her last chance to escape. She didn't know if she would get another.
"Alright, I'll play along."
Hey, everyone! Surprised to find this story's first chapter updated so quickly? Well, don't be, because I didn't write it all in the last couple of days. I modified and moved stuff around from what I've written earlier when I was writing ahead during intervals in Star Wars: Shadow Wars II: Escalation. Anyway, I can't believe that I put about seven thousand words in this chapter! That's quite an impressive feat for me. I hope it works for an introduction to the story. So, how are you doing on this warm evening of Wednesday, September 18, 2019? I'm doing well, as I finished Star Wars: Thrawn, and begun Thrawn: Alliances, reading over a quarter of it already. Oh, by the way, I need to let you know that I'll be working this Friday and Saturday nights, so I won't be able to write too much this weekend, with work, homework, and everything else in the way. Just giving you a heads-up.
(September 25, 2019 Addendum.) Hey, everyone. Sorry it took so long to revise this chapter, there were outside concerns to address, and this chapter needed a bit of work on it, specifically the part on the Tenacious, and the dialogue between Rebecca and Daniel. Still, it's a good start for the first chapter on the next saga in Squasher's AU. I hope you all are doing well, as I read Star Wars: Thrawn: Alliances and Star Wars: Thrawn Treason, and begun to read Star Wars: Specter of the Past. Unfortunately, I have a bit of homework to worry about over the next week, so I won't be able to write as much as I'd like. However, I was able to revise two future chapters of this story, and wrote a chapter on a future battle a few months ahead in the story. Well, I'd better get this chapter to Squasher for his look over before I publish it. May God bless us all in these trying times.