STAR WARS

THE CRIMSON BLIGHT

Episode 7: A galaxy at war

IN HYPERSPACE: On board the Silent Fang.

"NO!" Briza screamed in frustration. She couldn't care less about the future of the bureaucratic nonsense they call the Republic, but convincing her jedi siblings to stay by her side, was another matter entirely now that their factions were fighting a brutal war against each other. Thousands of scenarios played out in her mind, could she and Terrow keep it a secret? No... they would definitely find out by themselves, Tikala might even have sensed a disturbance already. She certainly doubted that she could somehow force them to stay, without making schemes of drugging them, which would make them close to completely useless in a fight to say the least. "Wait, who said they needed to be physically fighting to aid the republic..? What if we gave them classified information they could sent to their jedi order?"

"That's high treason! We will be risking everything! Should we be discovered in aiding the enemy, the things we would have to endure is endless... I don't even want to think about it! This decision needs to be carefully thought through." Terrow heavily stated. But the thought of seeing them as enemies, just didn't sit right with him, he knew in his heart, that if ever came to it... He couldn't pull the trigger.

Briza just sat in silence, her mind going in circles. She couldn't really see how this puzzle could end up in her favor.

Terrow then spoke in a very soft voice. "I believe, I could make it extremely difficult, for the imperial intelligence or any other intelligence agency, to trace the leaked data to us."

"I don't want to break my oath to the empire." Briza contemplated her apparent loss. She would be missing a stupid renegade and a peace mongering pacifist... But there are family to her, she loves them and she needs them... more than ever before. They couldn't go to fight the empire, not now at least. She made the deepest sigh of her entire life, afterward she uttered. "Let's go and inform them... and present your idea of a solution."

Terrow bit his lip, but nodded in return, "It's decided then... let's see how they react to our proposal."

Once they opened the door, they found Tikala looking up at them. "I sensed a disturbance, is everything alright?!" she asked in a highly worried voice.

Briza and Terrow exchanged a look of mild amusement as they now were dead sure, that there was no way their sister wouldn't find out herself, they both sighed with a hint of chuckle in their voices.

"Get Mathorn. We all need to talk!" Briza firmly expressed.


In the conferences room. The two Jedi were shocked to hear the terrifying news. Peace was shattered! WAR has broken out!

Mathorn was wide eyed in shock, "WHAT DO WE DO!?" he exclaimed in frustration. Should they start killing each other? Or go completely rogue together?

"My fears... Became real," Tikala muttered with a single tear running down her worried face. She tried her best not to think of the countless innocent lives that would leave this world. "There is no death... only the force," she thought to herself.

"Many in the Empires dark council, have always just viewed the truce as temporary." Terrow explained in a heavy tone and continued, "So to us, this is something we believed to be inevitable."

Briza was frustrated to the point of frowning. "I've personally believed peace would have lasted at least a year before the galaxy would escalate into another war!" she muttered angrily.

Tikala took a deep breath, before saying what was needed to be said, like it or not. "I am so very sorry... But we must return to the jedi temple as fast as possible. We have sworn to protect the republic, with our lives if need be." Tikala told them truthfully and hoped they would all understand their situation.

Terrow and Briza looked at each other before laying out their proposal. It was Terrow who spoke, "What if, we allowed you to send imperial secrets back to the Republic. We have a highly encrypted setup that could be used to send useful data directly to SIS or the Jedi temple. This way you could help the republic from afar."

"Would you really do that for us?" Tikala asked in disbelief, she stared at Briza for confirmation of the legitimacy of Terrow's words.

In a shameful voice, Briza confirmed it with a heavy nod. "If it makes you stay... We will."

It took a moment for Tikala to realize that her sister didn't do this just out of love, but mainly in pure desperation for her future.

"So... We stay?" Mathorn was baffled. "You two do have a heart!" He exclaimed in joy, "What a rollercoaster."

Terrow just made a small smile at his brother's remark.

Briza chose to ignore the remark and added to their new agreement. "Once our combined mission is over, we can split up and you are free to go back to your temple."

"I agree. At some point our paths will naturally separate." Tikala nodded in acknowledgement. "I just hope you won't be called out to aid in striking on republic worlds."

At first, Briza took it as a bit of a threat, but she understood the deeper meaning of the tragic scenario it would unfold. "Let's hope so." She replied with a nod of her own.


DROMUND KAAS: The Office of Law and Order

Imperious entered his office with heavy strides. Before his secretary could say anything, he erupted. "On behalf of the dark council, I've been tasked with maintaining order in our conquest in the outer rim. I will leave Dromund Kaas within the hour."

"Am I to follow you, my lord?" Deedrah asked, wondering what was expected from her in this situation.

"No. You are to remain here and continue everything I've set in motion." Imperious ordered. "You will be my anker, whilst I assist the Imperial war effort from afar."

"As thy command my lord." Deedrah acknowledged, fully accepting her duty.

Imperious was silent for a moment, then he looked very seriously at his assistance, before stating his decision, "As you are to fill my role in this endeavor, I've chosen you as my new apprentice. Whilst I go to war, spearheading our fleet."

Deedrah could barely believe her own ears. "I am... honored my lord," She humbly bowed. These words she had never thought she would hear, but now that she was thinking about it, the only other initiated candidate was her friend and ally Briza.

"Kneel." Imperious ordered, insisting on making this proper.

Deedrah immediately did as she was told and kneeled before her new master.

"As my apprentice. You are allowed to look through all my archives, as I'm unable to teach you in person." Imperious informed directly, he made a little pause before revealing the next phase. "Because you are to oversee all activities in my stead, I have been authorized by the dark council to officially elevate you to the rank of Darth."

For the second time today, Deedrah could barely believe her own ears. "Thank you my master, You have granted me a great honor."

"Rise... Darth Deedrah. Go and fulfill the role in my absence." Imperious ordered with pride and expectation.

"I will do whatever it takes to bring your enemies to justice... My master." Deedrah declared sincerely as she rose.

"Good, that is what I like to hear, My apprentice." Imperious praised in an approving voice. "I am to assist in breaking open the republic prison, on the planet of Balsavis." He informed them directly and immediately left for the hanger.

In the silence that followed, Deedrah still couldn't grasp what had just happened. She was now the apprentice and had been approved and elevated to rank of a Darth. She suspected however, that the main purpose is to make it look like a powerful Darth takes the role of such importance as law and order on Dromund Kass... not that this could kill her urge to jubilant and celebrate this joyous occasion.

In the end, Deedrah had too much work on her hands to even think of partying or similar... But who says work and fun can't coexist at times. So the first thing she decided to do, was to call lord Briza and inform her of the revelations that had recently occurred.

She quickly established connections to the Silent fang. Soon after Briza materialized as a hologram on her desk, "Lord Deedrah! What news do you bring?"

"It's Darth Deedrah now! I'm also the new apprentice to our lord, Darth Imperious." She smirked very satisfied.

Briza was so surprised to hear such excellent news, that she had trouble not to exclaim loudly in sheer happiness. But she constrained herself and politely congratulated instead, "Well done my old friend, your patience has finally been rewarded."

"Congrats!" Mathorn uttered instantly, as he entered the hologram alongside Briza. "Are we going to celebrate when we come back?" The idea of partying with a newly promoted Darth, sounded so strange that it has to be fun.

Deedrah chuckled a bit before answering in a soft voice. "If time allows for such pleasure."

"If time permits, we will all look forward to such an event," Briza openly assured her sith friend.

"I'll see what can be done." Deedrah then changed her expression to one of pure seriousness. "Lord Imperious has been sent to the front line for the time being. Therefore, as of now, all of you will answer directly to me."

"Understood, Darth Deedrah." Briza acknowledged with a glint in her eye.

"I've also received updated info on Ord Canfre." Deedrah informed and then in an informal voice finished. "May the force serve you well."

"As may it you." Briza politely replied before the connection ended.

Now in almost total silence, except for the low humming of trafik outside. Deedrah looked at the huge amount of work she had to attend. "Better get to work... Darth Deedrah." She muttered to herself in high spirit.


IN HYPERSPACE: Onboard the Silent Fang.

"This is really cool, we have a friendly Darth on our side." Mathorn applauded, and added a simple question, "So dear sister... When will you be elevated to a Darth?"

Briza rolled her eyes at that comment, before replying. "First of all, If you think it will be easier to be under the leadership of Darth Deedrah, you're wrong. Secondly, you usually become a Darth, by killing a Darth. Sometimes a Darth who becomes a Council member, can elevate his or her apprentice to the status of Darth, this is rare however. How Lord Deedrah became a Darth, is however unknown to me."

Mathorn then asked, what he felt was the obvious question. "So... You will have to kill Deedrah to become a Darth?"

"Her or some other Darth, to claim their domain for myself. Not that I have any such plans for the moment." Briza explained sarcastically.

"Entering the spotlight is ill advised." Terrow commented, as he walked over to the twi'lek navigators and gave them instructions for the upcoming hyperspace jumps.

This topic made Mathorn curious again. "Now that we are talking about killing... Sis, just a question. Have you ever killed any jedi?"

"Just the ones who was stupid enough to get in my way... or failed to heed my warnings." Briza coldly replied.

"And counting... How many jedi?" Mathorn pushed for a numeral answer.

"I didn't count." Briza replied while counting in her mind. "Something around sixty I believe... enough to make sure the rest knew better."

"You are one murderers sister! I only killed forty eight Sith lords so far." Mathorn commented in surprise.

Briza just casually replied. "You just hope the number won't rise... We are at war you know."

Mathorn nodded in turn. "Let's hope we won't ha- Wait! You don't care if I kill hundreds of sith lords? Do you?!" He asked surprised at the possible revelation he had just discovered.

Briza looked at him with an amusing grin and replied directly. "No. If you can kill a sith lord, they have only proven, they were not fit for the title to begin with."

"I... See. I think I'll go on a Darth killing spree, when we return. Though I prefer to let Lady Deedrah live, she just seems too lovely to murder in cold blood." Mathorn joked with a smirk.

"Good to know. Always remember that anyone we benefit from having alive, is unwise to kill." Briza lectured in good fun.

"Shall I install You or Deedrah as the new Emperor? Once I kill him of course." Mathorn asked as he puzzled the scenario.

"The one who is able to kill the Emperor in a contest of power, should claim the mantle as emperor. Just do me a favor! Don't just give it all over to that bureaucratic mess of a Republic," Briza insisted as a joke.

"I hope no one is recording those sentences. I don't think Darth Imperious or Deedrah would approve of this plan of yours." Terrow pointed out as he entered the conference room.

Briza chuckled a little and as she replied. "You should have heard me and Deedrah talk, back at the academy on Korriban in our teens. What plans we had in case one of us should rise to sit on the dark-council. The new age we all would enter. I guarantee, no stone went unturned."

"Ambitious to say the least." Terrow added in acknowledgement. "Anyway, we will reach Ord Canfre in less than twenty minutes." He informed.

"Very good. Everyone get ready." Briza ordered, and went to her bed room, to put on her black lightweight battle armor.