Hey, everyone! How are you all doing on this cool night of Sunday, November 20, 2022? I'm all right, as today's the birthday of one of my relatives', and I published Chapter 8 of my story earlier in the afternoon. I also should let you know that I have work the next three days, and then I have a doctor's appointment on the 28th of this month, a rather important one, so I'll be busy and won't be able to get this chapter out as quickly as I'd like. And it won't help since I'll be writing my Kix (the 501st Clone Trooper Medic from SWTCW) Interlude instead of Robonino, as I just feel in the mood. Fair spoiler, it'll be based a lot off the short story "The Crimson Corsair and the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku" that was published seven years ago. But it'll have plenty of deviations from the canon story, as well as have an ending rather different from that short work. Well, I'd best get this interlude underway. I hope you all my US friends have a blessed Thanksgiving week, may the Lord be with us all in these dark times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
Four Years Earlier
2300 Hours, Kelona 31st, 55 ABY
Deep In the Outer Rim's Fringes, On the Planet Ponemah Terminal
Deep Within the Sea of Sand
Aboard the Munificent-class star Banking Clan frigate Obrexta III
Near its Hangar Bay
"Well, you two certainly know how to show a good friend a fun time in a simple treasure hunt!" Edaan blithely shouted to Robonino and Sidon while deflecting dozens of blaster bolts and lightning storms from the pursuing Sith, sending the attacks back to the assailants and scoring a few glancing blows on two and scorching another three before hurrying to keep up with his only way off this doomed Confederacy warship.
While he wished he could verbally lash out at his two friends, he had to keep moving if he wanted to stay ahead of any of the unlikely team's enemies and avoid dooming everyone aboard the fallen vessel. At the rate the Sith were cutting their way through the secessionist movement's last followers, Vestara and her followers would have them slaughtered or worse by the hour's end.
'Sith Lords and their last horde of bought pirates on one side, all trying to get our comatose friend and our new gift, a cruiser's worth of Separatist Battle Droids trying to protect us, and a bunch of giant sand worms that might want to tear this ship apart soon, I don't know how we're going to get out of this one.' Edaan fearfully lamented, thinking back on how the two mercenaries roped him into this mad treasure hunt of theirs back in the first place.
Three Weeks Earlier
1200 Hours, Kelona 17th, 55 SBY
Arkanis Sector, Tatooine
Mos Eisley, Inside the Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina
"Ah, Edaan! My longtime friend!" Robonino welcomed the Jedi Apprentice to the roughneck establishment before bidding him onwards. "So glad to see you here after I gave you the message. Come, come. I have another old buddy that wishes to discuss a potentially lucrative opportunity for your organization and growing friends."
"And you vouch for his credibility?" Edaan carefully asked, evading a few glares and light brawls from several drunk patrons. "I don't think either of us want a repeat of Eshan anytime soon."
"I promise you, it's all on the up and up. I've known this guy for years, and he's totally reliable and trustworthy." Robonino indignantly countered. "His credentials speak for themselves, and he's very sympathetic to your cause. Your group, not your personal mission. I know how secretive you are about that particular goal."
"Well, which of these reputable souls is your contact?" Edaan discretely scanned the crowd.
"The gentlemen who's staring right at you, third table from the left." Robonino quietly pointed out, allowing Edaan to see who the Patrolian bounty hunter was pointing at. Seeing a red-armored being wearing a blood red-Kaleesh mask, the human Jedi immediately recognized the man who his friend was referring to.
Standing a few dozen feet from Sidon Ithano, Delphidian privateer and humanitarian smuggler with decades of strong ties to many liberty-based groups going back as far as the Rebel Alliance, Edaan suddenly found himself going speechless and weak-kneed at being in the same room as such a legendary figure.
And sitting next to Sidon were five of his top officers of his private army, the five he reputedly trusted the most: His first mate, a Gabdorin named Quiggold with decades of experience as a pirate and privateer; Pendewqell, an Ishi Tib who specialize in all manner of personal weapons; an Arcona named Reeg Brosna, who served as the team's coordinator and long-range scout; Reveth, a Rutian Twi'lek who worked under Sidon as his personal mechanic and engineer; and Gorr, a Gamorrean who went by the nickname of "Squeaky", the team's muscle and primary enforcer.
Eyeing the young Palpatine Jedi behind his mask, Sidon waved him forward, with Robonino gently prodding him on until they were both able to take a seat with the privateer and his top officers, each keenly interested in the young man awkwardly sitting before them.
"Are you going to say something, young Palpatine or has the felinx got your tongue?" Sidon good-naturedly started the conversation.
Clearing his throat, Edaan stammered out, "Of-of course. I was told you had an offer for me and my associates?"
"To the point. Good, we can get right down to business." Sidon nodded, before inquiring. "What do you know of the fabled 'Lost Treasure of Count Dooku?'"
Four Days Later
1300 Hours, Kelona 21st, 55 ABY
Korriban, Sith Catacombs
Darth Krayt's Citadel
"You sent for me, Lord Wyyrlok?" Darth Kiati, the woman who once called herself Vestara Khai, reverently knelt before the Chagrian Sith Regent. "Do you have a new mission for me and my followers?"
"Rise, Kitai." The Voice of the Sith commanded. "Our spy network has uncovered a curious find deep in the Western Reaches, one that I believe warrants our direct intervention before it can fall into unworthy hands. Tell me, have you ever heard of the Lost Treasure of Count Dooku?"
"Only by the more superstitious or greedy among those I've utilized, saying he kept a portion of his Sith artifacts or Confederacy prototypes hidden away, each telling of the tale more grandiose than the next." Kitai recalled. "But even they barely believed it was real. Just a way to earn money from willing dupes or lead enemies on a wild mynock chase. Have we uncovered evidence that suggests otherwise?"
"Yes. Several rival pirate gangs and privateers are preparing to descend on the remote world of Ponemah Terminal to try and claim this prize. We believe it is an old and long-abandoned Confederacy outpost or redoubt that holds a large portion of the late Darth Tyranus's wealth and resources, assets and potential weapons that can greatly aid our Dread Lord and the Grand Design."
"What do you wish for me to do?" Kitai probed. "Do you feel this treasure needs our direct hand in acquiring it?"
"Precisely, because one of our agents reported that the Jedi have already intervened in this matter." Wyyrlok handed Kitai a data crystal. Plugging the crystal into her mobile datapad, she was annoyed to find the familiar image of Edaan Palpatine meeting with infamous privateer, Sidon Ithano, and his top subordinates. "If the brat of a Jedi Apprentice is involving himself, then it would be best to deal with him away from countless prying eyes while we have the opportunity."
"Shall I capture him? Bring him to one of our… special facilities for powerful foes like him?" Kitai inquired.
"Yes, provided you and your followers are able to secure both him and the prize." Wyyrlok confirmed with a sharp nod. "You'd best assemble a team and set out by the end of today. I've heard the crew of the Meson Martinet already set out three days ago, and they are not the only ones that are aware of the prize."
"I understand." Kitai loyally consented, already figuring out a few ways to slow them down enough for her war band to catch up. She only hoped the pirates she would hire were competent enough to get the job done and stay alive to report back to her.
Preparing to leave, Wyyrlok interrupted, "I would exercise prudence in this matter, Kitai. If the cargo is of any significant value, then a healthy portion of the bounty will go toward your mission. And if Jedi Palpatine is made ours, then I will triple that reward."
Heart stopping for a moment, she nodded, "Thank you, for your generosity, Lord Wyyrlok." All the Chagrian, her primary rival in the One Sith, did was give her another reason to succeed. With the resources and influence she had accumulated from her eleven years serving the One Sith, she was well on her way to assuming complete control over the floundering Lost Tribe of the Sith and her homeworld of Kesh. Provided this operation went off without any complications, she would likely nearly have enough to complete her goal.
Eight Days Later
0800 Hours, Kelona 29th, 55 ABY
Western Reaches, Ponemah Terminal
On the Northern-Southern Hemisphere Border, In the Town of Ratoweel
Quietly thanking the merchant while handing her the two hundred credits, Edaan waited until the Kiffar elder left before he made his way back to Ratoweel's oldest cantina, ignoring the dust and winds buffeting through the area from the nearby border to the planet's hazardous southern hemisphere.
Knowing he was about to enter Ponemah Terminal's most dangerous region, the Sea of Sand, with its many ion storms and gigantic sand worms, he wondered if his sanity was fraying from all the pressure was under for the last ten years. Hunting an old CIS distress signal for a rumored fortune of infamous Sith Lord Darth Tyranus was not a way Edaan figured he'd spend his shore leave alongside Robonino and Sidon's crew.
But if even a fraction of his wealth and resources was waiting to be uncovered as the myth claimed, then it was imperative that it didn't fall into the wrong hands. And there was two other reasons Edaan had journeyed all the way to the borders of known space, motives that only a select few were aware of.
Through glimpses the Force granted him, the wise words of his dead teachers, and Sidon's own contacts, he was certain that Vestara Khai and many of her fellow Sith were also after the treasure, and that he would find a new ally on this desolate world. If this was the chance he was waiting for, then he needed to seize the opportunity and try to save Vestara from the sea of darkness she was drowning in. Whoever this friend was, hopefully they would be a hardy bunch if they chose such a remote world to call home.
But if the Sith were on the way, led by one as cunning and lethal as Vestara was, then only a fool or well-trained professional would go up against a war band of the dark marauders on their own, especially if they were smart enough to bolster their numbers by enticing many rival gangs with additional wealth. And Edaan was neither dumb or experienced enough to face Vestara on her own, which was why he contacted Grand Master Katarn and Master Luke Skywalker to warn them of the escalating situation the moment he had his first vision. Hopefully, they would be able to arrive in time to turn the tide, should the need arise.
And speaking of preparations, Sidon should have bought the final pieces of equipment for his personal vessel to navigate the hazardous conditions of the planet's lower half. If the unlikely team hoped to survive the sandstorms, lightning storms, lava geysers, subterranean giant worms, and spontaneous bursts of lava, they would need the most advanced sensors and filters they could buy. Fortunately, Master Skywalker granted Edaan a healthy credit account to help fund the expedition, and he intended to make the most of every digit of money.
Two Days Later
1200 Hours, Kelona 31st, 55 ABY
Deep Inside the Sea of Sand
Aboard the CSS-1 Corellian Star Shuttle Meson Martinet
Having celebrated alongside the rest of the ship's crew at finally reaching their target, Edaan was glad to be through the hard part of the mission. At least, he hoped it was over, because there was no telling what kind of surprises remained functional aboard a damaged Munificent-class star Banking Clan frigate. Remembering a mission Jaden Korr went on early in his career as a Jedi, a failed extraction of a ship crashing on the planet Blenjeel and nearly being devoured by giant Sand Burrowers, he wondered if there would be any more similarities with the past assignment.
Still, that was probably the least of his worries. After having dozens of close calls with natural disasters, rival gangs and pirates, and attacks by the planet's natural defenders, only a fool would believe the worst was behind them, especially with possibly a war band of Sith hot on their tails, if the brief interrogation of several of the rival gang members provided them accurate and authentic information before Sidon shot them all dead and dumped their corpses off the ship.
"You okay, Edaan?" Sidon concernedly asked his newfound ally. Over the course of this mission, the two had grown to form a genuine respect for each other and appreciating the other's experiences, convictions, and perspectives.
With the privateer having lost his family early on from the Empire's executioners, he spent the better portion of his life fighting tyranny and defending the weak and downtrodden, no matter what form it took; Empire, Yuuzhan Vong, Sith, common criminals and despots; he fought them all to protect the innocent, a belief.
Eventually, he gathered many like minded individuals who lost loved ones of their own and gave them each a new purpose and family in each other. And every officer and crew member had skills that greatly benefitted their leader while bringing out the best in him and all those that served him, a lesson Edaan needed to remember when assembling his own team when the time came to go after Vestara.
Returning his mind back to the task at hand, Edaan truthfully answered, "Well, I've been worse. But I'm mostly nervous about what might be coming our way."
"You mean your inspiration and secret fixation?" Sidon knowingly nodded. "Robo told me about Vestara, and all about your drive to save her from her own darkness. An admirable goal, even as overwhelming as it seems."
"Thanks for the honesty and redundancy but remind me to give Robonino a stern talking-to when we make it out alive." Edaan acknowledged. "But I can tell that now's not the time for me to save her. I'm not strong enough, or wise enough to lead her back from the Dark Side yet."
"But how do you know when it will be? Maybe the Force is trying to tell you otherwise?"
"I doubt the Force, or the Celestials, would be so bold as that. Call it a gut instinct." Edaan countered while shrugging.
"I never knew you were a believer of a pagan pantheon." Sidon surprisingly noted. "You never struck me as the type."
"What, because I don't sacrifice innocents or carry out other dark ceremonies. We all have to believe in something, and after learning of Abeltoh, we know they once ruled over this plane of existence. Who's to say they had even greater power?" Edaan suggested, before asking, "Fascinating theological discussion aside, how are we supposed to finish this recovery before the Sith come for us?"
"We move hard, fast, and efficiently." Sidon answered. "Our kinetic disruptor missile is primed, which'll temporarily stop the sandstorm and give us a way inside the frigate. And thanks to our schematics of the conventional Munificents, we'll have an edge in searching for our treasure. With a bit of luck and skill, we'll be out before the Sith are anywhere near us."
"Then let's get moving. The sooner we get in, the sooner we get out." Edaan agreed.
1400 Hours
Within the Obrexta III
Onboard the Bridge
With a random spark of electricity from a lightning storm, falling onto ST-14, the energy was enough to finally jolt the Super Tactical Droid back to complete functionality after countless days of inactivity. Rising onto his metal legs, the droid that was once nicknamed "Kraken" by his organic counterparts walked to the main command console to take assessment of his downed cruiser and the status of its cargo.
Turning on the bridge's main power source, the droid was quickly astonished to discover that, according to the ship's still-functioning chronometer, the Obrexta III had been out of commission for over seven decades. His mechanical mind was bombarded by a wide barrage of questions, questions he could not stop.
What was the state of the Confederacy? Had they eradicated the Republic and their tyrannical order, or was the Separatist Alliance the ones that were destroyed by the Jedi and their clone armies? What was the state of the galaxy in general? These questions were nearly overwhelming for the droid until he manually overrode his central matrix and forced him to focus on the task at hand.
But before he let his mind drift too far away, he needed to assess the damage to the Munificent-class cruiser and see what he could salvage from its downed contents. If he could get even a handful of shuttles operational, then whatever Battle Droids he could reactivate would prove crucial in protecting them from any potential curious organics while moving the cargo entrusted to him by Count Dooku. The CIS Head of State might have passed away from old age or be slain in battle, but his cause would live on long after his expiration.
Moments after deciding his course of action, Kraken, linked in a limited fashion to the Obrexta III's central computer, detected a breach in the ship's aft hold, and that could only mean one conclusion. Someone had barged their way aboard and sought his cargo.
Pulling up the few security cameras still functional, Kraken was puzzled by the diverse mix of individuals entering his ship. Judging by their ragged clothes and armor, he would have assumed they were simple mercenaries or pirates. But they held themselves with a tight formation, and they were led by a man Kraken discerned as an experienced warrior.
And even more astonishing was how a Jedi appeared to be allied with this ragtag group, one that Kraken did not recognize from his master's databases. Just how long was he trapped in this unknown hazard of a world? Either way, he needed to work quickly and efficiently in reawakening his crew's defenders before the Republic's lapdogs got away with whatever mission they had underway.
No matter what, these intruders could not be allowed anywhere near the prisoner this ship held, nor make it off the vessel while Kraken was still functional and had a few strategies in mind for this batch of troublemakers.
1500 Hours
Inside the Central Database
"Talk to us, Robo. What are we looking at here?" Edaan uneasily pressed, his senses on high alert for any hint of danger for this unlikely team. Ever since he stepped foot on this ancient wreck, he felt more restless than usual, eager to exit this craft and return to the Jedi before something inevitably went wrong.
Even with half of Sidon's crew taking stock of the Confederacy warship's hold and loading up a small fraction of the Obrexta III's cargo, they had not found anything outside of ordinary for a military vessel. Whatever the CIS ship had aboard that warranted a distress signal to Dooku or General Grievous, it likely wasn't material wealth or rare minerals, leaving the group to draw a blank at deciding what was holed away in here.
"Well, looks like this ship was transporting something to Mustafar of Omega-Level importance to the war effort, and with Count Dooku's genuine signature signed for the commander as verification. And it seems whatever or whoever they were delivering, they were imprisoned in a stasis chamber installed deep in the ship's detention level." Robnino's eyes bulged open before finishing, "And get this, that stasis pod still has power! Whoever's inside might still be alive!"
"Then that's where we're heading." Sidon decided. "Download all these files and whatever else you can find to my ship, and then wipe the whole system clean. We can't let anyone else know whatever was held aboard here, especially any surviving members of our competition or their wicked patrons."
Hearing a distinct clanking sound approaching from behind, Edaan advised Robonino, "Yeah, you'd best step on it. I think we're about to get some old visitors."
1600 Hours
Ponemah Terminal Northern-Southern Hemisphere Border
Just Outside the Sea of Sand
Aboard the Kondo-class assault shuttle Red Hand
"I'm quite disappointed in you, Scorza." Kitai scathingly scolded the Weequay pirate lord, while applying a small amount of pressure on his diaphragm on all his surviving fighters. "You and your associates, you each had a chance to capture and eliminate a chief rival and earn a fat bonus by capturing his Jedi ally, and each of them died such a pathetic death, while you and your crew were almost obliterated before you had to turn back. Honestly, your collective failures are so disgraceful, they're almost laughable."
Having heard from onetime crewmate of Sidon the disgraceful ends of three of the four crews hired by Kitai to capture the CIS treasure, it was nearly enough to make her crush someone's neck to relieve her of some of the rage bubbling up inside.
According to Scorza, the Gray Gundarks, a swoop biker gang with idiotic aspirations of leading a grand pirate war, they were swept away several riders at a time by ten sand tornados before the last fifteen of them tried to board Sidon's ship before the Delphidian blasted them right into a spew of erupting lava.
And a local scavenger, an Ortolan who called himself One-Eye, who travelled in a sandcrawler, he and his army were devoured by a giant sand worm that popped up from underground, a fitting end for such a disgraceful and incompetent warlord.
As for Scorza and his team, they were charged with tracking Edaan Palpatine and plotting a safe course for the Red Hand to navigate to the Separatist capital ship, but they were prematurely discovered and forced to withdraw against Sidon's superior might and cunning. The only team unaccounted for was Toltek, a Devaronian pirate lord, he and his crew were reported to have penetrated the Sea of Sand one hour ago, but no one had heard from them since.
"Look, Kitai, my competitors, every last one of them, paid the price for their blunders with their lives. But I was able to escape this utter debacle, salvage something from this disaster." Scorza heatedly replied while fighting back several coughs. Handing Kitai a data chip, he explained, "In the chaos of my attack, my slicers were able to embed a virus into Ithnao's ship, and we tracked them all the way to the prize. If you move quickly enough, you can still get away with the bounty."
Reviewing the tracking software with an intent gaze, Kitai knew the pirate was telling the truth. The transmission emanated from deep within the Sea of Sand and allowed the Sith Lady to plot a safe passageway to the Separatist warship. But according to the data and the transmissions coming to and from the Meson Martinet, the larger ship was reporting activity from its main hold, and the boarding party was starting to encounter heavy opposition from old Confederacy Battle Droids. And whatever prize they were after was a still-alive prisoner of war, kept in stasis all this time as part of the commander's last orders.
Not wanting to waste her forty Sith on mere mechanical guards and knowing they would be needed in capturing Edaan and whoever he was after, Kitai knew what she needed to do to bolster her team.
Turning back to the disgraced member of Sidon's earlier crew, Kitai offered, "I don't suppose you'd like me to double your initial fee if you assist my party in reaching our destination and capturing our quarry?"
"To get me and my crews back out there, we'll need more than a mere hundred thousand credits." Scorza witheringly warned.
"How about exclusive salvage rights on whatever cargo you find onboard the Obrexta III, half a million credits, and I'll give you Sidon's ship as a guaranteed bonus, along with whoever we might capture, aside from Jedi Palpatine and our quarry?" Kitai proposed, delighted in seeing the greedy gears in the raider's mind moving at the promise of wealth and vengeance.
"Throw in a contract with your people and give us plenty more targets, and you've got yourself a deal." Scorza offered, with Kitai willingly offering her hand to seal the deal.
1700 Hours
Deep Within the Sea of Sand
Inside the Obrexta III's Main Hold
Aboard the Meson Martinet
Reveth, working diligently to filter out any stubborn sand particles that snuck their way into the ship's air ducts and engines, was pleased with her progress. At this rate, the ship would be ready to fly out in no more than an hour. Hopefully by then, her friends would return with the treasures they coveted, and they could leave this natural hazard of a world behind for more favorable climates.
The ship's proximity alarms blaring into her work, Reveth hurried to the cockpit, seeing a newcomer preparing to land right beside the ship. Recognizing the insignias of an Ubrikkian Industries Luxury-class Sail Barge as belonging to Toltek and his fellow Devaronians in the pirate gang of the Broken Horn, Reveth knew the team was in trouble. Knowing Toltek's unparalleled bloodthirsty, greedy, and lecherous reputation among virtually all galactic outlaws, she dreaded to think of what he might do to everyone if he got his hands on them.
She knew there was only one chance in stopping them from catching her crew and friends unaware, and there was no time to get Sidon's blessing on this measure. Rapidly typing a series of codes into the Martinet's main computer console, she activated the countdown to deactivate the kinetic missile that was keeping their window of escape open.
Hoping Sidon and Edaan would forgive her for this gambit, she flipped the final switch and watched the ensuing carnage erupt. With the disruptor field deactivated, the sandstorm quickly resumed its pace, only this time, the sand was volatile and explosive, bombarding the sand barge until it crashed into the ground, and dooming any survivors with the destructive force seeping into the vessel.
Breathing out a sigh of relief, Reveth contacted Sidon to report, "Captain Ithano. I'm afraid we've had an… unfortunate complication on my end. We nearly had some unexpected guests crash our party, so I had to seal off the entrance until we get the second missile primed."
"That's not news we really needed to hear." Sidon gruffly rebuked, firing a blaster at several targets, all heard by the comlink. "We've got at least dozens of Battle Droids reactivating across the ship, and we think they're all being led by a Super Tactical Droid. We're going to need a kriffing good strategy or miracle if we hope to get out of this mess."
"Just stay alive a while longer." Reveth promised. "I'll figure something out to take some of the pressure off your back."
Closing the comm signal, she knew time was short, but these droids were of a making not studied by most for decades. Thankfully for her teammates and friends, the Rutian Twi'lek took the time to learn the basics of CIS programming and frequencies, which allowed her to devise a makeshift plan on the spot. If the droids were awakening to combat a few intruders, then she speculated how well or poorly they would respond to a few dozen false flags.
1900 Hours
Within the Obrexta III
Inside the Main Vault
"I commend your ingenuity and speed, even if I must dispose of you all." The Super Tactical Droid complimented his opponents. "Most of my droids were completely convinced that your phantom teams were the true threat. Unfortunately for you all, I calculated the odds and predicted your ultimate objective."
"I don't suppose we can convince you to surrender or negotiate a truce, can we?" Edaan hopefully suggested. "You've missed out on over seventy years of history, and your cause and government are both dead. There's nothing to gain from fighting against us."
Pausing for a moment, the lead droid inquired, with a hint of what nearly sounded like fear creeping into his voice, "Then the Republic won the war?"
"No. Neither won, because the Confederacy and Republic were replaced by the Galactic Empire, a tyrannical government run by Emperor Palpatine." Sidon caught on. "If you like, our Patrolian friend here can transmit all essential data from my ship's databases, and you can verify it for yourself. But there is one catch."
"And that 'catch' being?"
"The clone trooper you have locked away. We won't leave without him." Edaan resolutely answered. "The Clone War's over, you have no need to hold him or fight against us."
Undoubtedly calculating the odds, the droid warned, "Perhaps, but what happens next depends on the validity and contents of the data you provide me."
"I'll contact our ship for the files. Just promise to avoid firing on or trying to board it." Sidon warned. "You will regret any double-crosses if you try them."
Seventy-Four Years Ago
Relona 11th, 19.15 ABY
Within Orbit of Cato Neimoidia
Aboard the Obrexta III
Kraken, with the super tactical droid's mind running virtually every conceivable scenario through his intricate digital mind, was able to calculate only one possible route that allowed his ship to escape the Republic's counterattack and protect their cargo. When Count Dooku ordered him to capture a single Clone Trooper within the reviled 501st Legion, he was confounded by the bizarre command. Why was Dooku fixating on a single Clone Trooper, a medic, no less, when two entire legions of his brethren were invading one of the final Separatist strongholds in the Colonies.
All he received as a briefing was how the clone was preparing to deliver findings to his Jedi superiors that would prove disastrous to the Confederate cause, and the Head of State ordered him to bring him to Mustafar, a hidden redoubt so the Sith Lord could determine just what the trooper discovered.
While he sought more answers, his loyalty programming prohibited him from asking any further questions or attempts to countermand the orders, not even when considering how the Trade Federation purse world, the prized world of Viceroy Nute Gunray, was under siege and falling to a Jedi occupation. As a loyal patriot of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and capable commander, he would see the task through, even when his ship was under heavy fire by the Republic's fighter squadrons.
Unfortunately, what he did not expect were two of the Jedi Order's best fighters, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Anakin Skywalker, to personally interrupt Kraken's assignment. Calculating the odds of "The Negotiator" and "Hero With No Fear" intervening to rescue one of their own soldiers, he found the probability of them attacking a outlying frigate when dealing with a large army of droids and their organic collaborators 75,954 to 1.
"Commander, our shields and engines are failing!" An Aqualish officer frighteningly warned his superior.
"What is the timeframe until we are able to jump to hyperspace?" Kraken ignored the wailing.
"We're ready, but we're too far out of alignment for a jump towards Mustafar." A Quarren informed. "I can try and get us to Yag'Dhul, but it'll be close. Our hyperdrive is leaking fuel."
"Get us as close to our destination as possible to territory under our control within one jump." Kraken ordered. "Then be prepared to send out a distress signal to both the Invisible Hand and the Head of State aboard his personal vessel the moment we revert to realspace."
"Yes, sir. Preparing to jump." The Gossam navigations officer reported, satisfying Kraken before he noticed a troubling sight. One of the Republic's V-Wings had one of its wings knocked off by a Tri-Fighter, and the pilot decided to make his death mean something by aiming his damaged ship right at the Obrexta III's center.
Before he could enact any countermeasures, the fighter collided with the ship a moment before it began its jump to hyperspace. From there, pure chaos erupted as alarms blared, the crew went into a frenzy from the unsustainable energy levels of the reactor, and Kraken immediately worked to reroute all available power to the signal beacon and stasis pod. If the ship could not get to friendly territory, then all he could hope for was someone among the Confederacy of Independent Systems to stumble onto the wreck and recover the cargo and whatever else could be salvaged.
2020 Hours, Kelona 31st, 55 ABY
Ponemah Terminal
Deep Within the Sea of Sand
Aboard the Obrexta III
Inside the Main Cargo Hold
"Thank you, Kraken." Edaan graciously told his team's new ally as the ex-Confederacy droid commander administered a stimulant to the unconscious Clone Trooper. "We owe you big time for this."
Having confirmed the status of the galaxy, how his entire cause was manipulated by two Sith and their lust to dominate the galaxy for a "new order" far more twisted and corrupt than the Old Republic, knowing that the Sith of today's age were seeking to destabilize the galaxy to recreate a similar tyrannical system, it was enough for the Super Tactical Droid to order his ship's complement of defenders to prepare for the Sith incursion and prepare what countermeasures he could.
"Do not thank me yet, Jedi Palpatine." Kraken calmly corrected the young human. "The adrenals I gave him will speed along his recovery, but he will still be disoriented for at least seven hours and will require intense medical attention to ensure his survival. And if these Sith, whichever order you believe is after you, will soon arrive in force, then you will need to make our escape quickly."
Squeaky squealed out a protest, the meaning clear to everyone with his worry for the group's new and unlikely ally.
"Negative, Lieutenant Gorr." Kraken denied. "My primary directive is gone, but my soldiers, they will need my leadership if we hope to buy you enough time to escape with both your prizes. If these Sith fight like the Jedi of my era, you will need as much time as I can provide you."
"Both prizes?" Robonino repeated while checking his supply of grenades and other long-range weaponry.
Pulling out a data card from his right chest plate, Kraken handed it to Edaan, "This contains the exact location of every Confederate supply cache and weapons depot across the galaxy. If any of them have not been raided, they are yours to arm your order and allies for this new war."
"Then we'd better come up with a new plan, and fast." Sidon warned the unlikely group. "Reveth just contacted me and said a CSA troop transport and Scorza's fleet are nearing our position. I think our mutual foes are about to make their grand entrance."
"I'm ordering her to bug out unless the opportunity for a secure extraction presents itself." Looking at Edaan, he grilled, "How long until your strike force is here?"
"Less than an hour, maybe half, before they arrive in the system." Edaan sighed. "We'll have to slow the Sith down until our new ride gets here."
"Fine by me. Gives me a chance to try out some of my new toys." Robonino nonchalantly shrugged.
2050 Hours
Just Outside Ponemah Terminal's Orbit
Aboard the Jade's Legacy
Even from this great distance, Ben felt her somewhere deep within the maelstrom blanketing half the planet below, and it enraged and terrified him beyond measure. Vestara Khai, the woman he would have once willingly given his heart to out of love, was hunting Edaan and his friends while trying to acquire the long-dead Darth Tyranus's treasure.
Fighting to keep his turmoil and boiling rage in check, the veteran Jedi Knight remembered his purpose in coming here, to assist Edaan and ensure he made it back to Shedu Maad in one piece. If he went after Vestara to seek retribution now, it would be a betrayal of everything he espoused and adhered to while endangering the squadron of Jedi under his direct command.
"You all right, there, Ben?" Seha Dorvald, worriedly asked her one time boyfriend and fellow Jedi Knight. Having had a year-long relationship with Ben in the months after Vestara betrayed him, the two friends had formed a strong empathic bond where one could easily feel when the other suffered, which lasted even after they separated. But Seha, even after moving on and forming a long-term relationship with GAS officer Javon Thewles, still cared deeply about Ben, and fretted over his well-being and occasionally visited him to ensure he was hanging in there.
Letting out a weary sigh, Ben rhetorically asked, "Would you be 'alright' in my place? I just hope I don't have to face Vestara today, slim as that possibility is. Otherwise, I don't know what I might do."
"You need to let it go, Ben." Seha implored. "Don't focus on vengeance and remember just who and what it is you're fighting for. Your father was able to overcome his hatred and anger for Vestara, so you should be able to do the same. You might want to bring her in, but you can't do it out of bitterness, or it'll poison you from within."
"Maybe, but it's harder than you might think." Ben argued as he took the Jade's Legacy down into the planet's atmosphere and activated the ship's particle shields to better withstand the raging storms below.
Knowingly glaring at Ben, Seha flippantly used the Force to flick his forehead, and pointedly reminded him, "You forgave yourself for serving Jacen during his fall from grace, so you should be able to do the same here. It might be hard, but nothing worth doing is ever easy."
"Point taken." Ben resignedly grunted. Refocusing each of their efforts into locating the Meson Martinet within the miasma of sand, the two Jedi quickly pinpointed the distress signal of the old Confederate warship and homed in on their ally's vessel.
Opening a comm signal with the privateer's flagship, Ben spoke, "Meson Martinet, this is Jedi Knight Ben Skywalker. Please respond."
After a minute of tense waiting, with the ship starting to rattle from the increasingly strong winds, a woman's voice came through, and it was one Ben dreaded hearing again.
"Sorry, Ben, but your friends are rather indisposed, as of now." Vestara's playful voice told him. "Captain Ithano's mechanic took the ship and flew off without getting her crew, so I'm afraid they're on their own. That is, unless you and your Jedi are willing to come down and play."
"I'm in no mood for your games, Vestara." Ben growled out.
"Too bad, because you're already in the middle of quite a dangerous one." Vestara teasingly countered. "I look forward to seeing you again."
Closing the ship's comlink, Ben released a frustrated sigh before he found another signal trying to reach him from his holoprojector. Not recognizing the signature, he cautiously activated it, and found a holographic projection of a map for the planet's lower hemisphere, with a diagram of a guide towards a specific destination near the middle of the planet's southeastern portion. Seeing several distinct markings at the end, the two Jedi aboard found the unmistakable signatures of Edaan and Robonino, a code that Vestara could not have known about so easily.
"Looks like Edaan and his friends came through for us after all." Seha gratefully commented. Contacting all four Jedi transports, she advised, "All ships, better buckle up and prime your engines and shields. We're going to be flying hard and fast through insane storms, and then we're topping it all off with a war party of Sith. Stay alert, and may the Force be with us all."
2145 Hours
Aboard the Obrexta III
Within the Main Bridge
Kitai was growing ever increasingly frustrated by the unforeseen opposition. Having lost five Sith and about half her army of pirates to the ship's complement of reactivated Separatist Battle Droids so far, and another six of her followers from several innovative explosives of brutal design, she yearned to be done with this assignment and return to more hospitable worlds. But unable to sense Edaan or his friends aboard the entire ship since her transport neared their target, she could only postulate they were cloaking their presences in the Force.
Which was why she, three of her Sith bodyguards, and Scorza's few remaining slicers and technicians were working overtime to hack the ship's security systems. After what felt like an eternity, Scorza slapped a console's outer shell back into place, and typed a series of commands into the system.
"All right, Kitai. We- I mean you've, now got complete control over the ship's cameras, built-in defenses, and proximity alarms." Scorza alerted his patron, scanning through the data as Kitai approached to oversee his search for the fugitives.
Spotting something, she instantly ordered, "Wait. Go back three cameras, towards where the aft hold is located. And get our scans over the area." Complying, the Weequay analyzed the image before comprehending what the Sith Lady had first realized.
"Looks like we found our old friends." Scorza noted, "And it looks like they found a new friend. Wait… is that a man in Phase Two Clone Trooper armor?"
Spotting the unconscious figure flung over the Gamorrean's shoulder, with the group and their new droid friends, guarding the path to escape pods Kitai nodded, "It is. I think that's an actual Clone Trooper. And in the company of a young Jedi, veteran smuggler, and a Confederate Super Tactical Droid and its Magnaguard bodyguards."
Pulling out her comlink, she ordered her followers, "Everyone, we found our quarry. Converge on the escape pods right now."
"While you're at it, I can trigger a lockdown in the escape pods and corridors to box our enemies in until your people converge." Scorza helpfully proposed. "No need to take any chances until we get what we all want down here."
Nodding, impressed at the Weequay raider's initiative and deference, Kitai reconsidered her initial assessment of him. He might make a good proxy for the One Sith after all, provided he survived the final stages of this mission and the hasty escape that would follow. Since Ben was on her trail again, there would not be much time left before all Chaos broke loose between her people and his.
Back in the Present
2310 Hours, Kelona 31st, 55 ABY
Inside the Obrexta III's Hangar Bay
"I see you're finally running into a greater force than you can handle, Jedi Palpatine." Kitai tersely mocked Edaan and his friends as twenty-nine of her Sith subordinates and forty-five pirates surrounded the Jedi-allied group. With the hangar doors locked down and her targets cornered like desperate prey, she readied herself to finish this irritating task, but was prepared for all contingencies of the next few minutes.
Warily looking at the final twenty Battle Droids standing between her and victory, she knew better than to underestimate combat droids as lethal as the ensemble before her horde. With the ten BX-series Commando Droids, five Droidekas with their deflector shield generators, four Magnaguards bearing their Phrik electrostaffs, and the Super Tactical Droid, a model Kitai only saw in old Clone War-era holorecords or museums, this CIS holdout leader obviously saved their best troops for protecting their new and unlikely allies.
And that still left Edaan Palpatine's group, and the approaching Jedi unaccounted for in her calculations. While Kitai was sure she could take the Apprentice and his mercenary friends if it was just them and the droids, she knew time was not favorable for her now. They had twenty minutes left at most, and anything could go wrong in that shrinking batch of minutes, which meant her best chance of success was to be unconventional and keep her enemies guessing.
Deciding to trust her instincts, she unleashed a storm of lightning against the closest enemy droids, overloading the circuits of three commando Droids right away. Right after the electrical burst began, the remaining droids and their organic friends opened fire on the Sith, with two of her acolytes shielding her from any reprisals as the remainder went on the offensive.
With the pirates getting the brunt of the punishment from the concealed grenades and Sidon's crew and their precise aim, the Sith were free to move forward on their prized quarries. Five of Kitai's disciples quickly took on the command droids, while the Scorza's remaining pirates and four Sith hid behind scattered crates to draw three of the Destroyer Droids' fire.
Seeing how the enemy's numbers were diminishing and their ranks were stretched near the breaking point, Kitai knew now was the prime opportunity to catch her prizes. Charging right at Edaan and the unconscious Clone Trooper's last line of defense, she found her way blocked by the Super Tactical Droid and two of his Magnaguards.
"If you seek to capture Jedi Palpatine and CT-6116, you will have to get past us first." The lead droid coldly warned, earning a dark chuckle from the Sith Lady.
"So be it." Kitai mirthlessly smiled before pulling out a second lightsaber, this one made to resemble yorik coral, she ignited the red blade and adopted a Jar'Kai stance. A moment later, she pounced upon the three droids, battering the two bodyguards back with a frenzies flurry of attacks, many too quick for the droids to anticipate or effectively counter, leaving the first enemy sliced apart in several pieces before the minute was up, and the second droid closely followed moments later with a precise stab in the droid's chest photoreceptor.
Not even breaking a sweat, Kitai turned to the advanced droid commander, and inquired, "Care to surrender, droid? I'm sure my people can find a good use for a droid as capable and intelligent as you."
"Negative. I served one false cause led by Sith already, and I would rather be shut down forever before serving another of your mad orders. And my name is 'Kraken.'" Kraken emotionlessly denied, but Kitai could tell from the droid's inflections its true sentiments.
Prepared to behead the droid to decrypt whatever intelligence it held, she was caught off-guard when Kraken was flung right towards her, and he used the momentum to land on top of the surprised Kitai. Preparing to push him off with a Force-enhanced shove, she heard a faint beep emanating from her adversary, one she recognized all too well from her time in the Lost Tribe and under Mirta Gev's tutelage.
Quickly wrapping herself in a cocoon of Force energy, she also used some of the energy to blast the droid into the air, less than two seconds before the suicidal droid blew apart from a sonic grenade about twenty meters above her. Feeling her insides contort and bleed, coughing up mouthfuls of blood, and covering her damaged ears, she silently called out to her acolytes, ordering them to save her and capture their quarry before all sensations vanished from her mind.
Moments before she fully lost consciousness, she could have sworn she felt dismay come from Edaan and it enraged her to know how he could mourn over the loss of a droid while humiliating her. Somehow, she would survive this disaster, and then she would wreak vengeance on him for this grave insult, even if he was captured by her people.
Edaan, silently shedding tears at seeing Vestara so broken and close to dying, yearned to storm through the Sith's barricade and bring her with him to Shedu Maad and save her in body and soul. But her condition was critical, and he could not afford to break from the plan when his friends were still in jeopardy. And something deep within Edaan's spirit, whether it was his incorporeal masters, the Force or Celestials, or his well-developed instincts, told him that the time to lay the foundations for Vestara's redemption had not yet arrived.
Besides, her people, already loyally working to gently remove her from the battleground, would more than likely have the care she needed to recover from her terrible injuries, and he would undoubtably have many other chances to save her in the months, and likely years, that lay ahead. All that remained for the team was to escape this downed vessel before the remaining Sith overwhelmed the defenders.
Sensing the Jedi were less than five minutes away, and detecting the lurking predators outside the ship's hull, creatures that were desperately hungry, Edaan quickly devised a last-ditch gambit to save his friends. He just hoped his demented plan didn't end up getting everyone blown away or ripped apart.
But before he could call out to the Sand Worms through the Force, Gorr uttered a squeal of praise in his native tongue, glancing to Sidon to tell him before, in a moment of vulnerability, his body was bisected in three by two vengeful Sith.
"SQUEAKY!" Quiggold shrieked, appalled at the barbarity he just witnessed and the horrific loss of a dear friend. Immediately going into a hysterical frenzy, the elder Gabdorin fired away at every Sith and pirate he could aim at in a blur.
"You'll pay, you Sith schuttas! All of you, if it's the last thing I do, you will all pay!" Quiggold bellowed, stealing the detonator from Robonino and triggered their last line of defense. Dozens of explosives, of several variations, from plasma, poison, and those of Robonino's personal design, detonated and created a barrier to shield the motley crew from further reprisals, but catching all the Separatist droids in the crossfire that were still fighting.
"Quiggold, stand down!" Sidon barked to his first mate who still gunned at any Sith wounded or disoriented. "We have to go, now!"
"How?! Our ride is-" Quiggold fought back before hearing a familiar engine hum and saw the Meson Martinet fly through the sandstorm, bitterly biting out, "Oh, now she shows up!"
"Let's go!" Sidon called out as his ship hovered a few feet in midair, loading ramp open to allow the group to board one after another. Reeg got inside first, followed by Sidon who carried the comatose Clone Trooper, and Edaan while carrying a still-firing Robonino.
"Quiggold, COME ON!" Sidon bellowed, laying down cover fire for his friend as the Sith quickly regrouped and redoubled their assault.
Grunting at leaving at least twenty Sith still alive, Quiggold relented by leaping aboard, but not before a stray lightsaber narrowly missed bisecting him but sliced his left arm off. The boarding ramp closing, Sidon called up to Reveth, "Get us out of here!"
Feeling the ship accelerate away, Edaan offered, "I'll do what I can for Quiggold and our comatose friend."
Nodding in gratitude, Sidon helped his first comrade to his feet, and Edaan hoisted their new friend onto his shoulders while the ship barreled out of the Obrexta III.
Just after Edaan managed to safely lay the clone onto a medical bed, he fell onto the floor from the volume of the screams coming from the Obrexta III.
"Edaan! What happened?" Sidon hurried to help Edaan sit up after wrapping Quiggold's stump of a limb up with a bacta salve.
"Death. I felt nearly every Sith die below, and an immense hunger slowly being satiated." Edaan worriedly answered. "I think one of the approaching Jedi led the worms to the ship to kill all the Sith."
"I need… to inform Grand Master Katarn about this, before whoever orchestrated this is allowed to make their own report."
"And you think he'll care?" Quiggold painfully scoffed. "Whoever got all those lunatics killed deserves a medal, not a reprimand."
"You'd be surprised." Edaan grimly shot back.
2345 Hours
Deep Within the Unknown Regions
Inside the Remnicore System
On the Planet Exegol, Within the Dark Citadel
Inside the Ancient Sanctum
Tor Valum could hardly believe Darth Kitai's luck at surviving the attack he orchestrated against the Clone Wars-era warship. Though he managed to kill fifteen of the twenty remaining Sith aboard the vessel through influencing the enormous predators of the desolate world, somehow the last five managed to get away after the Jedi fled the scene. And worst of all, the Sith wretch survived the encounter and would seek a full recovery before resuming her work.
Under normal conditions, Tor would not intervene in the Jedi-Sith wars and the chaos they generated in fueling his mistress's rebirth, but the woman who would eventually return to being Vestara Khai was a loose end that needed to be eradicated before she switched sides again. Though she professed to be a Sith, the primeval Force Sage could feel the spark of light within that would not go out, that single flicker of hope and love for the Jedi man-child of a Skywalker, and that spark would one day bring them back together as lovers, and eventually as husband and wife. And a Skywalker dynasty, having proven to be a substantial threat to Abeloth in her last crusade, was an outcome neither servant nor leader sought. This weed had to be rooted out before it could sprout into a full-fledged tree.
And equally troubling was Edaan Palpatine and his incessant and idealistic meddling in this war. Across the galaxy, that meddling whelp and his growing network of contacts were undoing all the strife the Sith and other neophytes of chaos were creating, slowly stitching the galaxy back together after decades of war. Yet, Tor also sensed a great darkness inside the Jedi Apprentice, born of childhood anger and trauma that would, given the right conditions, bloom into a great and terrible wrath that could destroy anyone that dared stand against him.
Either way, Tor would have to watch the growth of Edaan very carefully, to see if he was a problem to be solved, or an opportunity to exploit.
Two Days Later
2350 Hours, Kelona 33rd, 55 ABY
Deep Space, On Route to the Arkanis Sector
Aboard the Meson Martinet
"You are very lucky, Edaan. Not many can go up against a group of Sith led by Vestara Khai and her followers and get away free to tell the tale, never mind escape a horde of sand creatures as giant as those worms." Kyle ruefully shook his head. "And you came away with two great prizes out from under their noses. Maybe you should consider a career as a treasure hunter if this Jedi gig fails."
"Maybe so, but I wish we didn't have to lose Kraken and Squeaky." Edaan despondently reminded, remembering the last command Kraken gave him before he threw him to his destruction. If the brilliant droid was in danger of being captured, then he would trigger his built-in sonic grenade and push Vestara to the edge of death, a prospect he could not completely wrap his mind around, even if he knew it had to be done. "I know it was all part of the risk, but I don't like people I rope into my mad quest dying on my behalf."
Knowing Edaan's fixation on saving his secret inspiration and one time friend and how he was critical on himself, his master carefully asked, "Do you believe she made it out before the warship was destroyed?"
"We both know how tenacious and resilient Vestara Khai truly is, even when her body was pushed to its limits from proximity to a sonic pulse. If I were a betting man, I'd wager her people got her back to their ship in time, or they held out long enough for reinforcements to dig them all out." Edaan wearily answered, before asking, "Do you know which of your reinforcements led the Sand Worms to the Obrexta III?"
"I spoke with Seha to have her investigate, but she didn't sense anyone directing the worms. For all we know, it was the sounds of battle that led them to the ship." Kyle cautioned his pupil.
"Do you really believe that?"
"It's the only explanation that makes sense unless there's another Force User at work that wants Vestara dead. Ben notwithstanding, of course, but I doubt even he would be so foolish as to endanger your life like that."
"I hope so, but either way, I guess we'll just have to wait and hope for the best." Edaan relented before apologizing, "Sorry I didn't wait until help arrived to set out, but time was short on our side."
"Which is why we'll discuss the appropriate disciplinary measures when you return to Shedu Maad." Kyle simply decided, before positively adding, "But you took the initiative while contacting the right people for assistance and helping prevent a grand heist by a notorious Sith Lady while costing her dearly, so we'll go easy on you this time. For now, though, we need to decide what to do with your new friend and the data you all came across from Commander Kraken."
"I spoke with Master Skywalker and Captain Ithano, and we believe we've already come up with a solution for both problems." Edaan began. "Luke's willing to help Kix regain his health and get his bearings in his personal facility, and we can use the intelligence gathered from Kraken's memory banks to help arm many of our friends."
Eyes showing a curiosity at the suggestion, Kyle motioned for Edaan to continue, "If the Jedi or an official government were to claim the CIS outposts and all their armaments and resources, well, I'm sure you can imagine the backlash from BAMR and the rest of our political and criminal enemies. They'd accuse us of grabbing power or trying to officially start a galactic war."
"But," Edaan conspiratorially pointed out, "if a reputed privateer and a few of our roguish friends can claim the weapons, they might be in a better position to help us battle the Sith and their minions while helping to liberate plenty of worlds from a variety of threats."
Nodding, Kyle approvingly commented, "And you thought of this plan all by yourself, or did you get some help from your friends and associates?"
"Come on, Kyle. I may have a sharp mind, but even the brightest of individuals need others to bounce their ideas between each other to help refine them." Edaan jested before growing serious again. "There's something else. Kix, our new friend, he's being tended to, but he told us something about his brothers I think the entire Jedi Order and galaxy need to hear. It's the truth about Order 66 and how most Clone Troopers blindly followed it."
Kyle, growing confused, warily asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Remember the GAR's 150 Contingency orders? Well, his brothers, virtually all of them, anyway, were indoctrinated with hidden programming to follow any of the commands if given by the then-Chancellor Palpatine. It was programming that goes beyond simply genetic manipulation or military training to make them more loyal."
"According to Kix, the Kaminoans, with support from the Sith and a few of their lesser Dark Sider allies and by using some of the Sith's old conditioning tools, created an inbred set of commands that all bur brainwashed them to obey any Contingency when implemented, but it was so subtle, it couldn't be sensed by the Jedi until it was too late."
"But that doesn't explain why a few of the soldiers defied the order." Kyle remembered but listened intently, carefully processing the information he was provided. "What about Ion Squad, the clones of Clan Skirata, and a few other isolated cases?"
"Well, from what Kix said, only the strongest minds or wills could break through the directives, or if it wore off over time in some rare instances. And regarding the Clone Commandos, every clone was given the procedure, but it had limited success on their more independent members. The ARC Troopers, however, were left alone as per Jango Fett's instructions."
"But one lone trooper discovered the entire conspiracy and was gunned down by his own brothers before he could warn anyone, either Jedi or Republic authorities, of his findings. The ARC Trooper who was implicated in trying to assassinate my reviled ancestor."
"Fives." Kyle remembered. "Yes, I read the reports many years ago. But the reason was listed as dementia due to a parasite during a regular op. Are you saying it was a cover-up?"
"Exactly." Edaan nodded. "Kix kept on the investigation after Fives was murdered, and he uncovered the truth. But Dooku caught wind of it and had him captured on Cato Neimoidia, but that was ruined and led up to now. We can have Luke corroborate the information when we make it to his facility."
"Very well. Report to me with your full findings the moment you return to the Temple." Kyle ordered before disconnecting, leaving Edaan with the uncomfortable task of trying to break the bombshell to Kix, if his gunslinger of a friend didn't break the news in a slip-up. Unfortunately, with Robonino's loose lips and cavalier attitude, that was a distinct probability.
Five Months Later
0900 Hours, Yelona 21st, 55 ABY
Tatooine, Mos Eisley
Deep Underneath Shiin's Library
"How is your latest guest holding up since my last visit?" Edaan worriedly asked a solemn Luke Skywalker. Having brought the delirious Clone Trooper to his care, where the semi-retired Jedi Master based his informant network to assist the Jedi Order in rebuilding its trust with the galactic public behind the scenes, Luke's team spent the last several months tending to the man who named himself "Kix" and bringing him up to speed on the seventy-four years he was imprisoned in stasis. "Is he doing better since I dropped him off?"
"Would you be okay if you found all you cherished and sought to save was destroyed or erased by time, war, or treachery?" Luke solemnly reminded Edaan. "He's barely eating or sleeping, and he's busying himself away in the library when he isn't learning about modern medical technologies."
"Has he been talking to anyone, trying to figure something out?"
"I'm the only one Kix is willing to speak to for a long period, and most of our conversations haven't been rather positive or productive." Luke sighed. "But we need to give him more time. It may have been a few decades for us, but it's only been just over half a year for him. And losing his friends and family can break almost any soul."
"I can understand that." Edaan nodded, remembering how broken he was after losing his family from Abeloth's ground quakes. Nevertheless, or perhaps because of his pain, something compelled him to utter, "Do you think I could try and talk with him? Maybe all he needs is a new voice to help him find a new purpose in life."
Eyeing the young Jedi Apprentice, Luke had an instinctive hunch about what he really wanted to say. But trusting Edaan to choose his moments carefully, he conceded. "Very well. I'll tell his overseers that you're coming to talk with Kix. Just try not to expect too much of him right now."
"I'll try and temper my expectations accordingly." Edaan thanked the elder Jedi Master before he walked towards the data archives and handed the guards his lightsaber before being admitted inside. Best not to take any chances with a patient with barely any will to live.
Seeing the shaved and tattooed head of CT-6116 in one of the booths, Edaan struggled to figure out just what to say before hearing a sigh. "If I'll have to tell you people one last time, I'll literally shoot the next interloper. Leave me-" Seeing the irate soldier turn to face him, his threat vanished at seeing Edaan. "Of. It's you… Edaan. Edaan… Palpatine, right?"
"Yes." Edaan awkwardly sighed. "Believe me, it's just as uncomfortable for me as it is for you to be in the presence of a blood relative of my long-dead Sith ancestor." Seeing the datapad in Kix's hands, he asked, "Great reading?"
"Ah, it's not important." Kix gingerly put the file down. "Just trying to make sense of this new era I'm in now. Have to say, most of your wars were darker and bloodier than the one I was a part of."
"I hear that." Edaan concurred. Pausing, he awkwardly said, "You know, you shouldn't blame yourself for what happened to your brothers. You did everything you could to save them, the Jedi, and the Republic of your time from Sidious's power grabs, and that's more than most people did."
"Maybe, but it doesn't mean I can't have regrets." Kix sighed, wearily rubbing his eyes and the heavy bags that were underneath his eyelids. "My brothers, the Jedi, the civilians, we were all used by a Sith Lord and his willing accomplices, and I was one of the few to come close to disclosing the truth and was silenced. And my vode, they were brainwashed by the Kaminoans and Sith's mental conditioning to betray their commanders, their friends, all to put a tyrant and megalomaniac into power."
"True." Edaan nodded. "But here's a major difference between the rest." He paused, unfazed by Kix's withering glare. "You're still alive, and you know the truth about the Grand Army. Which means you can clear your brothers' name by telling it to the galaxy. And then, you can figure out where to go from there."
"It's that easy, huh?" Kix bitterly muttered. "What do you know about figuring things out after a terrible tragedy?"
"More than you know." Edaan ruefully muttered, but just loud enough for Kix to overhear. Seeing the cloned man's intense stare, he mournfully admitted, "My entire family was killed after the Lost Tribe took control of Coruscant, when Abeloth triggered a planetary cataclysm to cover her capture of Ben Skywalker and Vestara Khai and subsequent retreat."
Sitting down in the booth opposite of Kix, he continued, "When I felt them die, I passed out from the pain, the echoes of all their deaths, and when I awoke, I learnt that Vestara, the woman who inspired me to continue as a Jedi, had deserted everyone to join another faction of Sith, including the man she loved."
"It was not long afterwards, when Grand Master Katarn took me on as his Apprentice, that I made a choice. I could either wallow in my pity and hate the galaxy, or I could take matters into my own hands and try to make a difference while fixing all the wrongs I could find and saving the Skywalker family and Vestara from their own darkness." Edaan paused to catch his breath from the mouthful he just uttered.
"And how do I do either of those?" Kix skeptically pressed Edaan. "Noble sentiments and honorable goals aside, in case you forgot, Clone Troopers aren't exactly well-loved by the galaxy from what I understand. And there aren't a lot of good options for an ex-soldier of my caliber. Besides, I doubt anyone would be willing to upend decades of conventional history to face a few inconvenient truths."
Rubbing his chin in reflection, Edaan acknowledged, "True, but I might have a few avenues for you. But first, you'll need to get a few days' rest and have a few good meals before we set out. We can't have you speaking to a Galactic Alliance senator, a renowned historian, and fugitive doctor, all good friends of mine, as a haggard wreck."
Twenty-Five Days Later
1400 Hours, Relona 16th, 55 ABY
Coruscant, Level 1313
Just Outside the Chantique Med-Clinic
"I never expected to be back in this world. Not after…" Kix stopped himself, shaking his head and stopping that dangerous train of thought. Observing the yorik coral and other foreign substances struggling to overtake the landscape, shivering at recalling how treacherous the higher levels were with how wilder and dangerous the landscape was, he admitted, "A great deal has changed since my last visit here. Too much for my liking, I have to admit."
"I understand, but hopefully you'll be able to get a bit of familiarity down at this level." Edaan suggested as they entered the building. Observing the clean and sterile environment, it was a stark contrast to the wild and debris-filled right outside.
Approaching the receptionist, the Mirialan man greeted them, "Good day, gentlemen. Do either of you have an appointment with one of our doctors or nurses?"
"Doctor Chantique is expecting us. Tell her Cosigna Halcyon is here, with the new protégé he promised her." Edaan answered, utilizing the alias he had crafted for when he dealt with the Sith-funded Iskalloni raiding parties.
Perplexed at the odd statement, but professional enough to respond accordingly, the older gentleman nodded, "I'll leave her a message. Just take a seat while she tends to-"
"That won't be necessary, Bora." A digital voice warmly interrupted, surprising everyone as they turned to see an Iskalloni woman, garbed in her professional business attire and accompanied by a Cerean and Human, both men Edaan recognized right away from his many dealings with Club Bwua'tu and its growing number of allies.
"Senator Yimmon, Professor Na'al, Doctor Chantique." Edaan cordially greeted each of his friends, shaking the hands of one after the other, "Glad to see you both again." Turning to Kix, he introduced, "This is Kajin Bar Yimmon of the Galactic Senate, and Voren Na'al of the Galactic Alliance's Historical Council. They'll both hear your testimony regarding Fives and the rest of your brothers and work to make your voice heard and vode's legacy corrected."
"Thank you, both of you." Kix bowed his head before everyone heard a rough cough.
"Don't mind me. I'm just taking up valuable time to greet my newest staff member." Doctor Chantique friendlily interjected. "My name, at least, the one I agreed to use while in exile, is Jarael Chantique. I run this clinic, and I'm sure Edaan has told you plenty of my accomplishments and our history together."
"A little, Ma'am." Kix shrugged. "He mostly spoke of how you're one of the best medics and scientists he ever met, all while convincing him to take down your people and eventually help him in his personal mission, and that you had a good incentive for me to come work for you."
"Ah. So, I take it he asked you as well to help save Vestara Khai and play matchmaker for her and Ben Skywalker?" Jarael concluded.
"He made the offer." Kix confirmed. "Right now, though, I'm going to get my bearings first and figure out how I can help people after decades of forced confinement. I figured it'd be best to learn new medicinal techniques and keep all my skills sharp before I commit to anything grand."
"So, do I apply for an interview, or is there something else I need to do if I hope to work here?"
"First, we have to give you the cure. Then we can see if your skills are still sharp as expected for a soldier of your caliber." Jarael responded, earning confusion from her potential employee.
"Cure? Cure for what?" Kix asked. "I was examined thoroughly for any illnesses or malnourishment while in the Jedi's care."
"No, this cure is for your accelerated aging, of course." Edaan jovially answered, making Kix freeze in his tracks before the Jedi explained, "I have a few friends in the Mandalorian Protectors, and they were able to get me the genetic sample of one of your living brothers that got the cure shortly after the Empire arose, and Jarael here, she was able to devise a new version from the DNA."
Silent for what seemed like an eternity, Kix hoarsely whispered to Jarael, "You're serious? You figured out how to negate the Kaminoan's genetic acceleration and give me a normal lifespan?"
"Well, I admit it was quite a hard puzzle to solve, but I do enjoy a challenging task." The rogue medic confirmed. "It helped that I had a bountiful supply of your blood to work with in perfecting the cure."
Observing the frightened look on Kix's face, Kajin kindly asked, "Are you okay, trooper? If you want to take some time to think it over-"
"No, it's not that." Kix interjected. "Well, it sort of is. It's just, all my brothers, they deserved the cure as much as I do. If I take it, does it feel like I'm dishonoring them somehow?"
"No." Voren resolutely answered. "If anything, you're going to work to add to their legacy and honor their commitment to the Old Republic and Jedi. I understand better than you realize what you're going through."
"How so?" Kix curiously inquired.
"My wife is Rivoche Tarkin, the last living relative of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, and she risked her life countless times to redeem her family's name by working as a spy for the Rebellion and member of the New Republic." Voreen confessed, earning a bewildered stare from the Clone Trooper. "I know you know of him from his vilifying work as the prosecutor of Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano, but just know that he did far worse after your incarceration. War crimes that have certainly earned him a special place in whatever hell he now resides in."
"Why tell me this? What does any of this information have to do with my current predicament?" Kix warily inquired.
"Because you feel you should have died with the rest of your brothers, don't you?" Voren sympathetically deduced. "To join them in oblivion and avoid dealing with the terrifying new galaxy you've entered. Well, Rivoche felt the same for a long time, but she hid her emotions far better than you."
"But eventually, she knew she couldn't let her despair control her. The only way to fight her loneliness was to form new bonds and work to prove she wasn't like her uncle. And to do that, she had to face her fears head-on, every day just as she still must do so today. And that's what you will need to do as well. But along the way, you'll find a group of people that will be like a new squad to you, and they'll watch your back, just like you'll keep them alive in whatever you do next."
"Don't let the past weigh you down and blind you to what the present offers you, and what the future can hold for you and those close to you." Voren finished.
Looking down, Kix admitted, "Maybe you're right. I'll give it plenty of thought."
"Just take your time with this. It'll all become clear as you keep on living, and you'll find another purpose for yourself." Kajin knowingly commented. "We've all been there at one point, no matter how much we regret the losses we've all taken."
"Thank you, Senator." Kix nodded, before addressing Jarael, "Well, I suppose we should begin the real interview. Where do you want to have it, since I think this is too public for everyone's liking?"
"A formal interview will not be needed. Since I know your credentials, I think I have a good way to test your skills." Jarael led her new employee to a nearby patient room, voices growing distant as she continued, "We're going to start with a minor evaluation on a patient, and we'll work from there with your exact position in our clinic."
Somehow, Edaan had a hunch his new friend and potential teammate would do well enough in this mad galaxy. Now, it was time for him to finish his affairs here and return to Shedu Maad. He needed to return to the field and take the fight to the Sith and all their servants, because they wouldn't destroy themselves, no matter how greatly most people and worlds wished would happen.
One Year Later
0300 Hours, Welona 34th, 57 ABY
Shedu Maad, Jedi Temple
Within Edaan Palpatine's Quarters
"I see you've been busy since we last spoke, Edaan." Kix good-naturedly chuckled at hearing the Jedi Apprentice tell him of his latest missions. "Preventing an assassination and escalation of a Mandalorian civil war, finding and recruiting a Jedi Master long thought to be dead, and stopping a galactic spice war between the Hutts and Yaka, I can see why the galaxy is so fixated on you."
"Hopefully, you aren't one of those people." Edaan anxiously chuckled.
"He is, but in a good way." Jarael humorously butted in, a rare smile from the typically stoic doctor, before going on, "Kix here, aside from becoming one of my best employees, has been quite productive in his time on Coruscant. Learning a few martial arts forms, making good informants with Jedi sympathizers across the system, and met Vua Gorsat. The two will be close as brothers soon enough."
Quickly growing serious, Jarael changed topics, quietly asking, "We got your coded message. Do you think the time is near?"
Adopting a solemn expression, Edaan nodded, "Yes, but not for a couple more years at least. Soon enough, my real work will begin. And I'll need your help to save Vestara and the others. We're closing in on Kesh, and once the Lost Tribe's eradicated, we can finally focus on the greater Sith threat to the galaxy."
"You think she'll escape when you liberate the world?" Kix guessed.
"No, Kix. I'm counting on it." Edaan enigmatically answered. "We'll need her alive to draw out her new masters, and the only way to do that is to let her go when all seems lost."
"A terrible gamble, Edaan.' Jarael noted. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"Which is why I'm asking you to join me when the time comes." Edaan agreed after nodding. "I'll need a good, loyal, and steadfast team if I hope to stay alive and sane long enough to save Vestara. So, will you help me? I've already reached out to everyone else, and they've all agreed."
Ruefully sighing, Kix noted, "You're just as reckless as General Skywalker was. But thankfully, you have a better head on your shoulders and a stouter heart than he did. And you'll need a good medic to bandage you up after you get battered from every engagement."
"So, I'll assume you'll help me." Edaan eagerly guessed.
"Only if Jarael agrees." Kix pointed out. "She's a good mentor and has connections in the underground medical community that'll prove crucial in keeping us all in one piece."
Anxiously gazing at his friend, Jarael irritably admitted, "Of course, I'm going to assist you in this endeavor. I'd never hear the end of it from anyone if I let you or Kix die when I could do something."
"Well, that's certainly one way to agree to help." Edaan amusingly muttered, just relieved he had the help of two of the best medics and friends he ever encountered.
Well, I think this is a good place to end the chapter! And what a chapter it was! My biggest one in months, and one that will hopefully set the stage for other surprises in store for the main story. Originally, I was going to have this chapter posted later after writing many more chapters, but I'm reconsidering that. I think I can tie this into the main story now, but I need to be sure first. After all, I don't want to risk messing up my plot by bouncing from year to year, but not in a coherent manner. Give me a couple days to think this through, and I'll either post this or get started on Robonino's interlude. So, how are you all doing on this cool night of Monday, November 28, 2022? I'm okay, if a bit worn out from the weekend, as I had to prepare for a big doctor's appointment early that was this morning, and it was an agonizing process. But it's over now, and I have work tomorrow, so it's back to the grind. Oh, and I had a decent Thanksgiving, aside from half my family being sick. Well, I'd best get this chapter squared away. I hope you all have a blessed evening. May the Lord be with us all in these dark times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
(Tuesday, November 29, 2022, Addendum.) Hey, everyone. Just figured I'd let you know I'm going to publish this chapter right away, as I have plans for the Robonino interlude a bit later. Trust me when I say that it'll impact the story far greater than if I did it now. Hope you all stay safe.
