Good Evening, everyone! How are you all doing on this warm night of Sunday, September 19, 2021? I'm doing all right, if a bit stressed from practicing how to drive a bit today with my mother. That was a bit of a doozy. Oh, and I read a little bit of Kushiel's Scion, and I am over a third of the way done with the book. It is quite a long one, being over 900 pages long. And in other news, I should have Chapter 2 of this story up by tomorrow or Tuesday, and I hope you enjoy. Finally, I need to let you know that I'll be busy tomorrow and Wednesday with work and school, so I won't be able to write as much as I would like. But I'll try to get this chapter done by the end of this Saturday. Well, with all that out of the way, I'd best get started on this chapter, as I only have a couple hours left before I go to bed. God be with us all in these troubling times.
(Tuesday, September 21, 2021 Addendum.) Hey, everyone! How are you doing on this warm if rainy night? I'm doing fine, as I have been watching a lot of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations through a DVD box set I got this morning. And I finished Assassin's Creed: Valhalla as well an hour or so ago, getting over 120 Gamerscore Points in under an hour. Now I plan to sell the game soon so I can gather enough money for another game for my Xbox. But this time, it'll be one that is closer to my childhood, and one that employs more strategy and card games over brute force (hint, hint). Oh, and I've been writing a lot, getting through about 4k words in this chapter in just three days. Hopefully I can get it done before the week is over, as I have a lot going on tomorrow and Friday. Well, I'd best get ready for bed, as I have work and school tomorrow for much of the day. I hope you all are staying safe, and I hope that you continue to pray for the world and all its inhabitants in these dark times.
Coruscant, Senate District
Hearing the reports from his followers in his pilfered Mandalorian armor, the commander knew the time to act was swiftly approaching. Silently swearing on the name of his ancestors that this mission would succeed, he finished observing the Galactic Alliance Security forces set up their equipment in a paltry effort to protect the Maladian's primary target.
It had been so many decades since the Maladians had taken a high-profile mission for the Sith, not since the height of Darth Sidious's reign as Emperor. But because of Lord Krayt's boundless generosity, the order of assassins had a chance to regain their lost prominence, and the commander had no intention of allowing this one opportunity to slip past him.
And with just about twenty-five minutes until Chief of State Yimmon and his peers began his last-ditch attempt to preserve their pitiful government and the Jedi Order, there could be no room for mistakes, especially not with three patrols disappearing throughout the general areas surrounding the Senate District and the insipid pro-Jedi journalists. Whether it was the Noghri, the Galactic Alliance, or their Jedi overlords, he could not say with certainty. Regardless of the cause, the ill omen did not bode well for the start of the mission.
Even with these dark tidings, he would do whatever was necessary to achieve this mission, no matter what the cost. And that included the possibility if his entire army of followers would perish in order to accomplish the assassination. But it should not come to that, not with the pitifully obvious tactics the Alliance's final leader was employing, and their unwilling agent they had coerced deep within the Cerean's retinue of allies.
Senate Building, Chief of State's Office
"Everything's in order, then?" Kajin solemnly asked his Chief of Staff and the Joint Chiefs through his office's built-in holocomm. "If the worst comes to pass, you'll all be able to handle all the umbrage that will come with this blatant and treasonous terrorist attack, yes?"
"With the documents and last testaments you prepared for this possibility, along with the evidence my old war friends uncovered for us, we will be more than prepared to quell the opposition according to your contingency plan, no matter how insane it might be." Garik Loran, Director of the Galactic Alliance Intelligence, emphatically addressed his leader.
"Anyone who still proclaims their support for the anarchists and Sith will be arrested and tried as traitors. But we all still stand by our objections to this suicidal decision." Gavin Darklighter, an admiral in the Galactic Alliance Defense Force and the commander of the military's elite marines, added.
Like his peers and their government's leader, they were sick of dealing with cursed power-hungry opportunists and their all too willing dupes and were prepared to consider just about any solution in order to finally give the galaxy a much-needed respite from war. Ironically, that mindset was rather similar to Jagged Fel and his desire to give the Empire a period of much-needed stability, even at the cost of his and his family's honor.
"That is your right, and I am grateful for your continued concern for my well-being." Kajin bowed his head in tearful gratitude. "But the Galactic Alliance is not simply based around a single individual, and it must not succumb to the same follies that doomed its predecessors."
Allowing a wry smile to cross his face, Kajin reminded his advisors, "Besides, just because it might be me the Maladians are after, it doesn't mean I'm going to make it easy for them to get to me. If everything goes according to the plan, then we'll bleed those damned assassins dry and make them, their masters, and all our enemies think twice about crossing the Galactic Alliance again. And I won't even be in any danger at all."
"Then I wish you all the luck with your broadcast, Sir." Nek emphatically bade Kajin farewell before the Joint Chiefs signed off from their holotransmissions.
Looking at his timepiece, Kajin warned his longtime friend and confidant in the elderly Iktotchi woman who had personally aided him during his rule as his Chief of Staff with an air of finality, "You'd best get going, Sorsa. You'll need to move quickly if you want to make it to the bunker in time for my speech. You've only got twenty-six minutes before I give the performance of a lifetime."
Wiping away her own tears of sorrow and pride for her leader and surrogate brother, Sorsa Tiin bade farewell to the Cerean, "May the Force be with you, old friend."
"And with you as well, for the rest of your long and plentiful life." Kajin returned before Sorsa departed the chamber, allowing him to reflect on the decisions that led him to this pivotal point in his life.
Ever since he was a youngling, he always was an introspective and thoughtful person, always taking time to gaze at the stars and wonder what laid out there in the galaxy. Of course, he loved his homeworld of Cerea dearly, but he grew up with tales of heroism by those brave enough to cross the noble frontier of space, especially the Jedi Knights and Masters of the Old Republic.
Ki-Adi-Mundi, especially, had a special place in the Chief of State's heart for his selfless devotion to his family, the Jedi, and the Republic before his tragic death at the hands of his own men.
He wanted to understand what drove those men and women to commit such acts of bravery and kindness to those that he was taught would only bring destruction and ruin to the Cerean people. That was why, when he had come of age, he left his homeworld behind to travel the galaxy, collecting every piece of lore within his reach while taking many odd jobs to support himself and his large family back home. No matter what his relatives thought of him, he still loved them deeply, and would send them what money he could in order to keep them financially secure.
But what especially drew his interest were the tales of the Jedi, scant as they were thanks to Emperor Palpatine and his Great Jedi Purge, even with Luke Skywalker in the process of resurrecting the Jedi Order through his Yavin IV Praxeum.
Unfortunately, when the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy, he had to put his wandering days on hold to return to Cerea to try and rally his people to aid the New Republic in fighting the intergalactic invaders.
But the isolationist stance of his people would not easily be swayed, not after the devastation of the Clone War many decades ago. Sadly, despite Kajin's best efforts, only a handful of thousands of his people would heed his warnings of the purges and atrocities to come should the galaxy fall into darkness again. And even more tragic, when he appealed to his family, very few of them listened, with the rest denouncing him as a tool of the outsiders, even exiling him from the Yimmon family and cutting him off from all of its connections.
That left him a wanderer without a home, along with his five thousand followers that believed his warnings. It was only after the Yuuzhan Vong were defeated, and only six hundred of his followers survived the apocalyptic war, that Sorsa Tiin reached out to him and offered him a way to help the galaxy recover from its grievous wounds. It was a way that he would not have considered had he any other options: the realm of politics in the fledgling Galactic Federation of Free Alliances.
Hesitant at first, he started out with few friends and many more enemies, especially by those who looked down on the Cereans for their primitive ways. But Sorsa was a firm friend and ally, with connections to many powerful political and military leaders for her sharp mind, loyalty to the Galactic Alliance's principles, and honest and incorruptible nature. It even gained the two friends strong allies with many Jedi during their days of working tightly with the Alliance during the period of Reconstruction that followed the Sekot Accords.
It was thanks to her that one day, after the trauma of the Second Galactic Civil War, he was elected senator of the Semagi sector, which included the world that banished him. And through his loyalty to the Alliance's principles and honest nature, he was able to win every election that followed. And his fidelity to the Jedi helped him expose many would-be Sith infiltrators and their plots, even if he had to keep his affiliation with them a secret after the Lost Tribe of the Sith and Abeloth occupied Coruscant.
Perhaps that is why Edaan Palpatine reached out to him when he was still a Senator and told him of his plan to redeem the Sith Lady Vestara Khai eight years ago.
Of course, like most, he thought the plan mad and said as much to him, though in harsher words than his Jedi masters. But the Jedi Apprentice soon convinced him of the plan's merits when he agreed how Vestara, one way or another, would face justice for her ever growing list of crimes. Even deeper though, there was an innocence to the Jedi that Kajin could empathize with from his own wandering youth and wanted others to understand that same feeling. He could not let that light be extinguished without at least giving it a fighting chance at success.
Either way, it mattered not, for Kajin helped Edaan locate and prepare the majority of his allies for his quest. And as a reciprocal measure, Edaan helped him as well by giving his message of unity and hope in this mad and divisive galaxy, allowing him to become Chief of State when he was called upon by the beleaguered and fractured pro-Jedi faction in the Senate.
That gave him the means and power to set the stage for the repeal of the Galactic Alliance Neutrality Act in the wars between the Jedi and Sith, even if it was a tentative measure. But now twenty-five corrupt senators and their Sith puppeteers were threatening all he and his friends were so close to healing, and that was unacceptable.
Even if siding with the Jedi and the forces of freedom and light made himself a target for the One Sith and their Maladian assassins, he would not back down from doing what was right. It just meant he would have to get a bit creative with his message, especially with this imminent summit and the attack that would follow.
Oh, if only he could see the faces on those masked would-be usurpers when they realized they had been outplayed. And it would be all because of their would-be mole and their despicable blackmail attempt. But one could possibly get everything they ever wanted in life, so he would make do with his vivid imagination.
Just twenty-two minutes to go before he did his part and risked his life to bring this war a giant step closer to its bitter end. In a small corner of his mind, he wished Borsk Fey'lya was still alive, if in prison for life for his duplicitous machinations in his decades of using the New Republic, at least until his suicidal bombing of the Yuuzhan Vong during the fall of Coruscant, all because of his incompetent leadership.
At least then, Borsk could have seen how vastly different the two Chief of States were, and how that cowardly and self-serving Bothan could see how a real leader risked it all for the greater good and the people and institutions he swore to serve and uphold.
Red Twins System, Chimaera
Corran could feel the pandemonium sweeping over the liberated Star Destroyer, even as Luke was taking the fight to four of the Yuuzhan Vong Hunter droids blasting their way towards the ship's reactor. Those droids did not stand a chance against the reviver of the Jedi Order and a destroyer of dozens of those droids.
And with another three pinned down close to the ship's engines, that still left at four YVH droids unaccounted for, never mind the Sith assassin using them still on the loose.
Unfortunately, from vast experience of past ambushes, the Corellian Jedi Master knew when he was being led into a trap, for the mysterious assassin was not even trying to shield his Force presence from him. It was a sure bet that whatever he had planned for his quarry, it would involve those four damned battle droids.
But with Luke close to his position, along with a team of elite Mandalorian Protectors working directly under Sabine Wren and her Vindicator Brigade, at least he knew he would soon be prepared for whatever the Sith's proxy had in store for him. He just had to take advantage of the many hidden secrets aboard Daala's flagship that Vice Admiral Remal let him in on during their journey here, depending on where the assassin sprang his trap of his own on him.
Just Outside the Red Twins System
Aboard the Alchemy
Cylo-IV knew that the time was ready for his people to spread a little fear and confusion through the insipid Force Users' ranks. With both fleets depleting themselves against each other, and Daala's convoys of refugees ready to make their great exodus out of the known galaxy, this would either secure or doom the Knights of Olpaka and their eons old veil of secrecy.
Well, either way, it made no difference to the scientist. Great and terrible odds would not deter the scientist at a time like this. Anxiety was all but purged from the clone's genetic makeup, and in its place was cold, resolute, and fierce determination to see the mission through, no matter the cost.
Through his body's cybernetic comlink, he quickly commanded his followers, "Everything is now in place. It is time to commence with Phase Two and rescue our stranded brothers and sisters. Unleash the Space Grazers at once."
In a mere handful of moments, the Jedi and Sith would get an absurdly miniscule glimpse into the power that the Olpaka Hegemony now possessed. And as the years and decades passed, that might would only skyrocket until they were finally ready to make their ultimate crusade of justice against the rest of the galaxy.
That would be a day the ex-Imperial scientist would relish very much, especially against the mockery of an empire that the so-called Galactic Empire which rose up from the paltry leadership of Gilad Pellaeon, Vitor Reige, and Jagged Fel after he entered his self-imposed exile from the rest of the galaxy when Emperor Palpatine's met his final death on Onderon.
But as Cylo-IV allowed himself a brief moment and grin of satisfaction, the proximity alarms went off on his cybernetic transport.
Someone outside the Knights or its subset organization of his own in the Cylo Directive had discovered his position, and it was quite a significant force, judging by the alarms. That could be a problem towards his strategy.
Immediately pulling up a tactical monitor, he saw a Resurgent-class Destroyer, one Imperial II-class Star Destroyer, two MC-30c Frigates, and three fleet carriers approaching his position off his starboard flank.
So, the One Sith were the ones to first catch onto his machinations. He should have deduced that much, given their similar proclivity towards cunning and taking the necessary measures to achieve victory. Even so, it was a mistake he would soon correct, and he would rectify it before he went after everyone currently killing each other in the adjacent star system.
Mandalore
City of Keldabe, MandalMotors Tower
"Tell your boss that we have none of our people watching yours, though that might have been a good thing if it meant talking some sense into letting a Jedi take over the Empire." Goran Beviin, Mandalorian Supercommando and loyal confidant to Boba Fett, the leader of the Mandalorian Protectors, brusquely told the Galactic Alliance ambassador upon hearing his request. "If anyone's using Beskar armor, they're imposters trying to cut us off from getting your aid."
"Just as we thought, though having your people watch us would have made matters that much easier." Wynn Dorvan emphatically nodded, hesitating a moment before requesting, "I don't suppose you can spare a few or a dozen of your fixers to help track down any Coruscant-based shipments of your armor and weapons. We'll need to see if we can track down who's using your materials and avoid any other incidents like this. It would be quite vital towards disproving the Sith's allegations on your people."
And although Wynn would not say this out loud, he and the Chief of State would very much prefer to have a few additional countermeasures in place if any other bold rogues decided to try a similar approach towards causing chaos.
"Does it even matter at this point if the Maladians are poised to attack Coruscant in exactly twenty minutes?" Goran raised an eyebrow. "There's no time for that. Besides, we've got troubles of our own from that aruetii Lecersen, their dar'manda partners, and all of their darjetti masters. They're quickly tightening the noose around our whole sector with their giant kriffing blockade. We can barely get even half a convoy of supplies through at this point. It's completely humiliating."
Wynn acknowledged that point with a sigh, but warned Goran, "That may be, but things might not be as dire as you believe for your people. If the sources I have in my service are accurate, you'll be getting many reinforcements by the end of the week from much of the galactic underworld and a couple galactic governments."
"Just how valid are these 'rumors' of yours, Dorvan?" Ghes irritably pressed. "Your people and most of your so-called leaders aren't known for their goodwill towards us Mando'ade. And you've got your hands full with your so-called 'good citizens' rioting in the streets and your senators being arrested en masse."
"Very accurate." Wynn emphasized. "Fortunately, 'our people' are adopting a more pragmatic approach towards leading now than Omas or Daala ever did. And there are other leaders out there that are starting to think the same way as us. Rest assured, you won't be alone in this fight for much longer."
"But if you want the unvarnished truth on the Empire and the riots, then have Mandarlore and the rest of his leaders tune into The Perre Needmo Newshour in eighteen minutes. I think that you'll all find it quite enlightening and a bit entertaining."
"Pretty speech, but for us warriors, actions speak much louder than any words. Get us the help we need, and then we'll talk about fair recompense." Goran bluntly reminded the ambassador before ending the communication.
But after he cut off the holocall, he wondered who these underworld reinforcements that were coming here were. Well, as long as they weren't any of those slimy Hutts, too many do-gooder smugglers working for the Jedi, or any major Imperials after their nanovirus attack on Mand'alor, he could at least try to make this alliance work.
Just then, he received a notification of two new contacts requesting to speak with Boba Fett and his command structure immediately. And each contact's holofrequency nearly made Goran laugh at the absurd irony of what he was just thinking.
Oh, Bo'bika was just gonna hate this.
Wild Space, Zakuul
Deep Within the Endless Swamp
Inside the Capital City of Serall
"So, the Jedi and their Alliance of Light have already made their way into the Csilla System." Soldier, a Paladin Captain in the Aquilian Republic of Zakuul, wryly spoke with T'Ra Saa, a Neti Jedi Master of the Old Republic, and currently a military advisor for the Aquilians. "They made excellent time arriving at the Chiss Ascendancy with their little shortcuts. But I'm sure they're about to cause quite a stir with the Great Houses and their Defense Fleet."
"And I'm sure that you'll cause even more trouble for them when you and your personal platoon are deployed to assist the Ascendancy." T'Ra returned the smile, even as she slightly enjoyed the discomfort etched in the clone's eyes after hearing his new deployment orders. Soldier always did feel rather on edge in the Neti's private quarters and her humble, if antiquated, tastes in decorations and accommodations.
"You all are set out to depart for Csilla in exactly twelve hours. The situation is escalating across the entire galaxy at an exponential pace, and we need to further accelerate our people's preparations for war." T'Ra ordered the clone captain, before gently consoling him,
"Let me be clear on this point: I am well aware of your discomfort for the Jedi after your past experiences with them, especially since you were grown from Jaden Korr's tissue samples by Grand Admiral Thrawn's scientists. But this is not the time for old fears, and we need every advantage we can in the wars rising up."
"I'm not a child, Master Saa." Soldier lightly scoffed. "And in actuality, it's the Chiss I'm more worried about. The majority of them aren't as understanding and open-minded as Arazi'ar'alani, Sev'eere'nuruodo, and the rest of their confederates."
"Ah." T'Ra reasonably acknowledged. "Those are both very valid points, but things we can hopefully start to change after we aid them in their fight against the One Sith's raiders."
"Change rarely happens overnight, especially with a five-thousand-year-old oligarchical aristocracy as isolationist and stubborn as the Chiss." Soldier ruefully countered T'Ra's constant idealism. "I'll prepare my company for our departure. But I do have one request."
"And that being?" T'Ra seriously inquired.
"Tell my daughter what you safely can about my new assignment. I don't want her to worry if she hears any rumors, unfounded or otherwise, if she finishes her task before me."
Warmly smiling, T'Ra promised. "I will be sure to do just that for a friend, father, and loyal and noble servant of the Force."
Quickly saluting her subordinate, she professionally dismissed him, "May the Force be with you, Paladin Captain."
"Thank you, Master Jedi." Soldier gratefully excused himself from this meeting to prepare his men for their new mission.
Red Twins System, Chimaera
"I must say, it sure took you long enough to find me, Corran Horn!" Corran heard a booming echo as he silently circled around the consoles controlling the destroyer's turbolaser computer-targeting systems. "I'd have thought that such a vaunted Jedi Master, duelist, and man of action like yourself would be confident in taking down a mere hit man like myself."
You're not going to draw me out that easily. Corran shook his head. Slipping past the YVH droid currently guarding the main console, he wondered why it was watching over it instead of simply destroying it. Perhaps the assassin had reprogrammed the computers to attack friendly ships, and the four present droids were protecting his handiwork.
But if that was the case, then why would the assassin send seven of its droids on a killing spree of mass destruction. No, something far more elaborate and sinister was going on right aboard this aged capital ship. And that meant Corran needed to employ his good old investigator's training in figuring it out quickly, before the Sith agent's plan could be completed.
"You're not really a sparkling conversationalist, are you, Master Horn?" The same voice eagerly called out, hoping to disrupt Corran's focus and cause him to make a fatal mistake. "That's a shame, because I've killed at least a few dozen of your kind in my decades of working for the Sith. And I have to be honest with you, some of your brothers and sisters had plenty of cool and juicy secrets to share with me about your Jedi Order, along with its failed predecessor. Well, at least before I had the pleasure of disposing them on behalf of Lord Sidious and Lord Krayt."
So, this assassin had worked for at least two Sith orders in his lifetime? Exactly how old was this hit man? If he could somehow capture him, Corran could only wildly speculate on the secrets they could learn of their mortal enemies.
"Oh, and one more thing, Master Horn." Corran's finely tuned Force senses allowed him to turn and hear a projectile whistling noise slip past his ear, nearly grazing the skin of his ear before bouncing off an adjacent wall.
Seeing a dart fall onto the ground, Corran knelt to examine the weapon, and recognized it as a Kaminoan saberdart. "Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Ochi, native to the planet Bestoon and of the Vahl race. And let me say that I am going to be quite honored to be the one to dispose of you on behalf of my people and the One Sith." Hearing heavy boots clamping above him, Corran turned to see a sleek figure emerge from a descending ramp, one with armor based off of the ancient Sith assassins around the time of the Great Galactic War.
"Of course, my only regret about this battle is that I cannot kill Luke Skywalker as well. But I'll settle for his wracked and guilt-ridden state as soon as he stumbles upon your still fresh corpse." As soon as Ochi leapt towards his target, two of the YVH droids blasted through nearby walls, each of their railguns primed to try and gun down their Jedi target.
Well, I guess I'm gonna get an earful from Mirax and Valin when they hear about this. Corran shamefully griped as he readied his lightsaber for yet another lethal engagement and have overwhelming odds stacked against him. Only this time, he had a terrible feeling that this particular battle could very well end up being his final fight, no matter who would win this brutal brawl.
Aboard the Ursa
"Talk to me, Hera. What's going on with the Chimaera?" Sabine urgently pressed her daughter. Soon after the clan leader's daughter led the Mandalorian teams in aiding Master Skywalker deal with the Sith assassin, the situation continued to deteriorate even quicker than before with their losses quickly adding up.
"Not much good, Buir! Skywalker did a pretty good job against three of those Vongese hunters near the reactor, but Remal relayed a warning that Horn was being ambushed by two of those karking droids and the Sith's hit man. We've got the reactor secured and guarded from the last rogue droid, but I think you can imagine where Skywalker is going now."
So, the One Sith weren't going after Skywalker this time around, but instead trying to eliminate his best allies? She supposed this batch of Dark Siders had learned a thing or two about diminishing an enemy's strength before going in for the killing blow. If she wasn't so incensed at being so kriffing outplayed like a child, she would be quite impressed at the Sith's simple and efficient strategy.
At this rate, between the heavy losses against the Sith's fleets, several Sith ships breaking off to go Manda-knows-where, and the Maw Irregular Fleet's flagship turning all of its automated turbolasers against several nearby Alliance capital ships, they would never be able to capture Daala and her convoy of flunkies.
And if Master Horn was killed and the Chimaera was forced to be scuttled from the sabotage, this would be a far greater devastating loss for the burgeoning Alliance of Light than anyone could have anticipated. They had already lost Master Saba Sebatyne to the One Sith's forces on Falleen, and the Jedi could hardly afford to lose any more of their best leaders at this critical juncture.
Something daring and decisive had to be done quickly, before all was lost for this battle and so many brave souls died for nothing. She just hoped that Captain Ithano and his privateers could uncover the reason why the rogue Sith vessels withdrew from the system. The last thing they needed at this point were any more surprises.
Within the System's Outskirts
Aboard the CSS-1 Corellian Star Shuttle Meson Martinet
Sidon Ithano could imagine the battle raging across the system and knew that his people needed him to lead them out of this maelstrom of a fight.
Unfortunately for them, it paled in comparison to the threat he had just uncovered: A small pod of Oswaft, sentient creatures of the ThonBoka Nebula that could travel through hyperspace at will, were playing around with several Sith warships while a large herd of Space Grazers reverted to realspace in a precise military formation, almost as if they were linked to a central computer system, just like battle droids of the Trade Federation of old.
At least, he assumed that was what those creatures were, considering that half of their bodies were grafted with extensive cybernetics and command structures embedded deep in their cranial cavities. But what were the Oswaft doing here, so far from the remote Centrality on the other side of the galaxy, and the Space Grazers supposed to be extinct well over four millennia ago? And who could possibly have the time, manpower, and resources to create such cybernetic abominations for Force-knew-what purposes?
Well, whoever they were, he had a strong hunch they weren't friends of the Jedi, even if they weren't fond of the Sith. No ally of the Jedi would commit such a crime against sentient life forms, nor use such dangerous, volatile animals to try and destroy an enemy force, not with the memory of the Sith and Yuuzhan Vong still so fresh in most people's minds.
He had to get a message out to the Alliance commanders right away, before, in the worst-case-scenario, the Alliance of Light found themselves fighting two separate enemy forces at the same time.
On that note, it was a good thing he had spent a small fortune to get his ship equipped with the latest in military-grade communications equipment, engines, and weapons to defend himself. He even gathered enough materials to construct a scant-used Stygium crystal cloaking device to keep his ship hidden from just about all sensors.
But only now, with overwhelming odds stacked against him and his people's clients, this would be the ultimate test of his ship's capabilities.
In Hyperspace
Aboard the New Dawn
27 Hours and 50 Minutes from the Kwenn System
"Of all the idiotic, self-serving, ill-timed and blindly hateful smear pieces I have ever read, this has to be the one that tops them all! And Jaina and Jagged are pretty close in terms of utter stupidity." Edaan slammed his fist on the ship's dinner table, causing his cup to tip over and allow the liquid to spill onto the bare floor as he read the latest headlines from every major holonet news network he could scroll through on his datapad.
And this is why Kyle wanted you to stay off the holonet until the conference. Adari sadly noted, regretting an end to their peaceful morning before she noticed a disturbing sight, gasping softly upon seeing Edaan's eyes. They were a blazing orange, and several dark veins surrounded both of them.
And after hearing Artoo emit a loud and high-pitched shriek, Adari turned to see several pieces of hardware and kitchen utensils levitating around the three of them.
She had to act quickly to calm her troubled husband down. "Edaan, listen to me. Get off the Holonet for now and pray to the Celestials for the galaxy to be delivered from this evil. Or better yet, do some meditation to suppress the Krayt's mind games. You don't need this stress and anger now, not with whatever spiritual poison Krayt put into you. It'll just trick you into do something monumentally stupid."
"I'll be fine." Edaan gruffly rebutted. "I just want to see that gang of sleemos working for BAMR to finally get put in their place. It is fifteen years long overdue. And the Fels have a lot of explaining to do about their taking over the Empire."
"Is that because of BAMR's allegiance to the Sith and the chaos they've triggered, or because of your longstanding grudge against them for all the hack pieces and the lies they spread about you and the Jedi Order? They hurled a lot of insults and tricked countless people into wrongly judging you and your supporters. And I'm sure they did the same with the Fels and their questionable decision." Adari insightfully pointed out, knowing she was right the moment Edaan sighed and glanced away.
"Honey, look at me." Adari willed herself not to flinch at the anger in Edaan's Sith-influenced eyes and placed a tender hand on his cheek before emphatically reminded him, "We're married now, and we swore to help each other persevere and overcome any obstacle that gets in our way. And one day after this war ends, I hope for us to have a few bouncing bundles of joy in our lives. That'll keep things lively and full of light for all of us."
"You want to have children?! But did you forget we can't produce any offspring of our own? We're genetically incompatible." Edaan incredulously reminded her before Adari poignantly countered,
"That was from science over five thousand years ago, so I'm confident that it's come a long way since those dark and superstitious days." She then compassionately added, "Besides, even if we can't have children the old-fashioned way, there's always the option to adopt. I'm sure there are plenty of kids on Kesh that could use a father as loving and supportive as you."
"Aren't you going a little too fast for all this? I mean, we just got married. Don't you want some time for us to figure out our lives now?" Edaan protested.
"But right now, we need to help you deal with your past demons. Which means you need to trust in all of our friends and let them handle things for a while. After all, you told me how Luke let the Jedi Order surpass him, but he still helped the galaxy in quieter ways."
Looking down, Edaan remembered the day he spoke with Luke at his residence on Tatooine with vivid clarity, and how he unleashed a torrent of bitter words against the former Jedi Grand Master, even landing a couple strong and hateful blows in the elder Skywalker's gut in his rage.
Fortunately for the adolescent Palpatine scion, he would quickly be humbled by Luke's understanding, patience, and admission of his own self-reflection on many of his past mistakes. And it certainly helped that he was trusted with the confidential knowledge of Luke's covert network of spies and informants that tracked the Jedi's enemies and helped beleaguered sympathizers in the galaxy full of fearful anti-Jedi fanatics and their self-serving puppeteers.
But now, Krayt and his acolytes knew about Luke's network from their mental assault on Edaan's psyche, and the Jedi Knight could only blame himself for this terrible fiasco. With all the intelligence they had from his memories, the One Sith almost certainly had the means to undo everything the Jedi were working to accomplish.
"Edaan, remember; Have faith in the people you care so much for, and all the beliefs and institutions you adhere to. They're far more powerful than you're giving them credit for right now." Adari implored him, seeing his eyes slowly returning to their bright blue hue, and the dark veins slowly receding.
"You're right, as usual, which is why you've been my anchor since we fell in love." Edaan admitted. He the goofily reminded her, "Remember how we first met, and you tried to kill me for thinking that I was sent out to kill you and your resistance group? Talk about the misunderstanding of the year."
"How could I forget?" Adari earnestly laughed. "I spat so many curses out, I was afraid my mother would return from beyond the grave to give me quite a scolding. And I used every dirty trick in my book to stay on par with you, and it still wasn't enough. At least you managed to hold me down long enough to convince me and my people of your sincerity, all while keeping your own people at bay to prevent a brutal Jedi-led massacre."
"Well, the last thing I wanted was to have a repeat of the Great Hyperspace War." Edaan fiercely shivered at that notion. "No species deserves to be wiped out simply for its religious beliefs, no matter how dark or twisted they might be."
Artoo gently whirred at the two Palpatines, and Adari regretfully asked, "Where'd I put that damned earpiece? I can't understand a single word that Artoo's saying with his whistling."
"He wants us to ignore the broadcast for a few hours, and instead take that time to rest and enjoy each other's company." Edaan explained, actually seeming to strongly consider the suggestion. "Honestly, I think he's got a good point. I just know I could use a little break from shouldering the galaxy's burdens with just a few people. It's really doing a number on my mental state."
"Please. When have you ever taken a break from worrying about others, or fretting about your mental state with your one-track mind?" Adari teased.
"Good point." Edaan humorously acknowledged, before he got serious and suggested, "But after a few hours of relaxing, I think we need to accelerate our journey to Ossus, or even skip it and go straight to Yavin Four right away."
"Are you trying to speed along our honeymoon so we can return to the war?" Adari glared at her husband with a renewed and angry fire in her eyes.
"We can spend a couple more days on the ground when we get there to make up the difference." Edaan quickly assured her. "But if the galaxy's half as chaotic as these headlines are trying to insinuate, I'm willing to bet that the Sith might try and ambush us when we try to open a wormhole outside the Hutt's territory tomorrow. Besides, the three of us know that they have spies in the Alliance's ranks, and there's a good chance one of them might put enough of the pieces together and figure out our plan."
"Can we really afford to take that chance and put all those lives at risk, with all that's going on with the galaxy?" He finished.
Defeatedly sighing, Adari admitted, "No. And I have to admit, a few extra days on our honeymoon would do wonders for your soul and both our well-being."
"Then it's settled. We'd better get a few more hours of rest and relaxation in before we make the jump. After all, ripping open a wormhole through space and reality can leave a person quite drained." Edaan flippantly advised his two crewmates.
"But I have a couple conditions for this concession. Conditions that are not negotiable." Adari sternly pointed out.
"When we go straight to the Yavin moon, we'll stay an extra three days, all of which you'll spend in meditation and examination of your mental faculties. And you'll withdraw from all communications with the rest of the galaxy unless I personally deliver any pertinent information your way. I won't have you stressing yourself out with galactic news or leave your soul unprepared for all the trials coming your way."
Knowing he could not dispute those claims, Edaan ruefully acknowledged, "I guess I don't have much of a choice. All right. I'll do a bit of an Obi-Wan for a bit and withdraw from the rest of the galaxy. I just hope you two and the Jedi on the Yavin Four outpost can handle my incessant prattling."
"I think they can handle it by keeping you busy with other tasks and reassessing all of your skills, mental or physical." Adari smirked.
Five Minutes Later
Red Twins System, Ursa
"I'm getting your readings now, Captain. I see them, but I can barely believe them." Sabine anxiously noted as the images from Sidon's transmission were cleared up. A herd of Space Grazers and cyborg Oswaft were decimating the Sith's detachment and were about to launch themselves at all forces currently duking it out in the Wild Space system.
"All our fleets won't last long against those odds, especially if we're so busy killing each other." The Delphidian privateer reminded the Mandalorian clan leader. "We need to withdraw before we find ourselves blown into oblivion. If Daala shows herself again, we'll just have to deal with her then."
As much as Sabine craved retribution against the rogue admiral for her immoral use of the Mandalorians as her personal army and disregard for the freedom of enslaved worlds, she knew Sidon was right. The Mandalorian was not willing to sacrifice her family and clan for a suicidal skirmish in a larger war. And that was what this battle was quickly becoming with these different players ready to enter the fray.
Daala be damned, she was finally exposed as a madwoman for her crimes and was in exile from the galaxy, but she could not be brought to justice. All because the Alliance was about to lose the trail on her after she finished her journey beyond the known galaxy's fringes.
Well, if they could not get her now, they would just have to track her down after the Sith were destroyed. It would have to take a page from the Old Republic, along with seeking the Chiss's aid in navigating the treacherous Unknown Regions, but it would have a side benefit of helping open up new worlds and opportunities for the rest of the galaxy.
But first, they had to evacuate the system before the trap fully snared. Sabine acknowledged Sidon's warning, "I'll work on convincing the rest of our commanders. You just get your crews back here and in one piece."
Aboard the Chimaera
Skywalker was close. Very close, and that would not do at all for Ochi and his six YVH droids still fighting aboard the Chimaera. He still did not have the appropriate message to deliver to the Jedi, and at the rate his droids were falling, it was only a matter of time before the contested Star Destroyer was reclaimed.
And there was the disturbing priority message Darth See-Chok sent to Lord Wyyrlok, who wisely relayed the essential information to Ochi, urging him to finish his mission with all due haste.
Who, in the name of the goddess Vahl, could have assembled a pod of cybernetic Oswaft and navy's worth of space grazers that were about to attack both fleets? And why would whoever could be in command of this force reveal themselves to the galaxy now?
Surely, they had some connection to Daala and her anti-Force insurrection. But what was their angle in that lunatic warlord's escape?
All excellent questions, but ones that would have to wait, for Corran had just beheaded the first of the two YVH droids aiding the Sith assassin's assault. Clearly, Master Horn lived up to his reputation.
It was time to stop playing games with the Jedi Councilor, and cut to the chase. Switching out his damaged beskar blade with his custom-designed anti-Jedi slugthrower, he prepared to take aim at the Corellian.
A sloppy way to dispose of a Jedi Master of Corran's caliber, he knew. But now was not the time to truly honor his people's eons-old vengeance against the Light Siders. At least his death would impact the rest of his fellow Jedi and send them a message that their time was nearing their end.
Coruscant, Perre Needmo Newshour Studio
"Five minutes until we air, Gentlemen." The cameraman called out to Perre and his three holographic interviewees.
"Are all of you ready for this? It'll be the most challenging series of questions you'll ever get, never mind the imminent assassination attempts on both your life and my staff, Chief of State Yimmon." Perre reminded Kajin, Kyle, and Jagged, emphasizing the former with the last remark.
"Well, if all goes according to plan, the Maladians won't get anywhere near your people. It'll be me that's going to be their main target." The Cerean leader confidently reassured the elder Chevin journalist.
"And my people and the Noghri will take care of any strays that manage to slip past the preliminary defenses. Everyone is ready for them." Kyle added.
"I suppose we'll find out soon enough. But I know we've all been proven wrong before." Perre pessimistically noted, especially remembering how Abeloth outplayed everyone when she took over the Galactic Alliance from the inside out by impersonating a newcomer senator, along with her newfound dupes in the Lost Tribe of the Sith. Well, Force and whatever gods existed were willing, another similar disaster would be averted by the hard-earned and rarely sought-after truth.
"For what it's worth, may the Force be with the three of you." Perre respectfully ended the conversation. Taking advantage of the last few minutes of fleeting safety, he decided to do one last look-over on his questions, and quietly ask Jorm on their security arrangements, both official and covert, before he began the interview that would either save or doom the entire galaxy.
Senate District
Everything was in place for the Maladians. Their clever slicing and their blackmailed traitor in the Chief of State's staff had provided the commander with the clearance codes to slip past the first layer of security and even gave them the means to crack the second- and third-layer defenses with minimal casualties. It was truly remarkable what one so loyal to their friend would do to betray them, once the proper leverage was applied.
However, the last two layers would be a challenging hurdle to overcome, even with the schematics. There were well over five hundred Galactic Alliance Security agents, marines, bodyguards, and security droids guarding the Chief of State and his key advisors, and ten Jedi Knights embedded within the staff to interfere with their contract.
And there was still the matter of that insipid news studio and their pro-Jedi conference. The Dread Lord had made it clear that they could not let the truth reach the audience, so they would meet the same fate as Kajin Bar Yimmon.
That was why he was wondering why everything was proceeding too smoothly for his liking. After the recent loss of several squads, everything else had fallen into place, which smelled too much like a setup to the veteran commander.
But what else was he to do? Failing the One Sith now would mean certain disgrace and death for him and his retinue and risk the exposure of the entire network of his fellow Maladian assassin cells. And that left him with one viable option; he had to take action if he was to rebuild his people's underworld notoriety.
Well, it was too late to turn back now. Only three minutes left until the Galactic Alliance began to enter its final death throes. And then, the One Sith and their Grand Design would be all but unbeatable.
Well, I think this is an excellent place to end the chapter. And boy, I must be really evil, leaving you all with a bunch of such terrible cliffhangers like that. But before I do that, I might decide to mix things up and to a third interlude chapter for Edaan Palpatine and another major piece of his past, based off a past reference I made in this chapter. Or instead, maybe I'll write it to prepare for that revelation later on, as I have a wandering mind like that. And I have quite a few twists and plans to subvert your expectations in the next chapter, so try not to go assuming anything just yet. So, how are you doing on this cool afternoon of Friday, September 24, 2021? I'm doing well, as I had to work a shift at work today in order to cover for someone else, but it worked out well, as I got a couple of good graphic novels after I did my shift. And I plan to do some reading later, so I can get through Kushiel's Scion in a week or so. Man, is that book long. Well, I guess I'd better get this chapter ready for examination in the next few days, but I might do some tweaking on it later on. May God be with us all in these difficult times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
(Friday, October 1, 2021 Addendum.) Hey, everyone. Hope you all are doing well today. I'm fine, as I got this chapter examined and revised, and now it's ready for publishing. However, I need to let you know that the next chapter might take a while to write, like as in a week or two. I have a major project for school coming up, and I need to put a lot of my energies into that for a while. And the interlude chapter I have will be placed a bit further into the story, as it doesn't work for placing it right after this chapter. And I'll write another interlude chapter soon for a very traumatic experience for Edaan and his Imperial allies. So, I'm going to publish this piece now. I hope you all have a blessed night, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
