Good evening, everyone! How are you all doing on this warm day of Thursday, December 2, 2021? I'm doing well, as graduation is just over two weeks away, and my class is almost over. I just need to succeed in my final project and the last bit of participation over the next thirteen days, and then I'm finally done with college. Man, life is scary, but one must persevere. Oh, and I finally bought Star Wars: Insider Fiction Collection Volume2 yesterday after a few delays, and I can't wait to read it soon, after I work through a good book that I'm currently engrossed in. It's a book by a legend in the Conservative field named David Horowitz. As a man who has been on both sides of the political spectrum, he knows what he's talking about in his readings. I would highly encourage everyone to read some of his works. Just keep your assessments constructive, as Mr. Horowitz doesn't hold back on his convictions and recollections. In other news, I have a few hours left before I go to bed for work tomorrow, and I'd best get started on this chapter, the first in Act II of this magnificent story. I hope you are all ready for the excitement and beginnings of a pivotal turn in the New Jedi Order's ongoing war. And I'll include the other plot threads in there as well, along with some steamier stuff. Man, I love writing. May the Lord be with us all in these mad but festive times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
Dathomir, Trade Outpost Xesh
On the Outskirts of the Tzarina Wreckage
Sorzus felt the roaring currents of the Force, the vibrant and diverse range of life overtaking this majestic world, threaten to send her into a state of euphoria from the overwhelming sensations bombarding her very being.
This bustling tourist destination on a treacherous planet was the perfect place for the One Sith's agents to hide in plain sight and continue preparations for their attack on the world's Jedi Praxeum and its associates spread out throughout this Outer Rim paradise. But such an endeavor was difficult to coordinate, and not just for keeping this operation a secret from any prying eyes or enemy observers.
Until now, in all her years of service to the One Sith, she had never stepped foot off Korriban, always being trapped beneath the planet's catacombs except for the occasional excursion to the surface to meditate on the Dark Side or greet the Sith's proxies for intelligence reports. While such responsibilities and reflections were enlightening endeavors, she finally saw how both paled in comparison to the countless wonders the galaxy held on countless worlds.
Such an experience was as much a learning one as it was an enjoyment, even as she worked to finalize her strategy for their retrieval operation. Offhandedly, she wondered how many other Sith had experienced the same kind of awkwardness and curiosity that she was feeling, before pushing the distraction aside. Time was of the essence for every Sith working behind enemy lines on one of the Jedi's best strongholds. She knew the Light Siders sensed her and Lord Snoke's arrival and were preparing for their incursion. Fools they might be when it came to galactic affairs, they were not incompetent when it came to protecting their own or choosing their strongholds wisely.
They might have cloaked their presence through the Force, but that did not mean the omnipotent power did not whisper to the Jedi and their allied Witches of Dathomir, who had unconventional means to track their enemies, means that were sure to have been passed onto the Witches' off-world masters. And it certainly did not help that Dician's personal agents in the Jedi's staff had been silent long past the last scheduled transmission. If even one of them cracked under duress when they were captured and questioned, then their mission was about to become a lot more complicated. Nevertheless, like a true Sith, she would take advantage of the options given to her and turn the situation around to her advantage.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts and strategies, she almost did not hear the rustle of familiar light footsteps approach her. Raising her head to address one of her best agents, she played the part of a bossy and abrasive shipping manager while acknowledging, "You're late, Mister Dibs."
"Nice to see you too, Ma'am." The Sith agent, a rogue acolyte of the ancient Miraluka Force sect calling itself the Luka Sene, a man who called himself Prosset Dibs, playfully teased her.
Getting serious, the eyeless near-human quietly informed her, "Everything's been prepared. Our associates are more than willing to meet with you at the Star Temple in two days. If we can deliver on our promise, we'll be getting their help in finishing the hunt."
"And they have no problems working with a bunch of inferior men like you and Bridger?" Sorzus reminded Prosset of the planet's ancient customs and female-dominated society.
"As long as you're the one calling the shots, they'll put up with the rest of us. We're just lucky most of them remember the lessons the Jedi and their allies and rivals instilled in their previous generations. But centuries-old prejudices and traditions are still pretty hard for a lot of them to shake." Prosset clarified.
"Kinda like the bulk of your people with their fears of using their full potential to fix the galaxy's woes?" Darth Alora, a hulking Dowutin Sith Lady and master empath said as she towered over both smaller Sith. "Helps how our senior advisor has a better affinity for animals than all of us put together."
"Stop trying to pick a fight and stay focused on the task at hand, Masana." Sorzus sternly silenced the giant by using her birth name. "We've only got a couple weeks of away time left, and I intend to make the most of it by doing good business, not by insulting everyone who's smaller than you. I am not going back to the boss empty-handed, and neither of you should plan that either."
"Fine, but how do we meet our associates and discuss our acquisition without drawing too much attention?" Alora grudgingly asked. "That temple is an archeological wonder and ancient Kwa stronghold. There's bound to be Jedi and their cronies crawling all over it."
Prosset smiled beneath his mask, glad he could remind the brutish Sith Inquisitor on the benefits of having non-Sith assist them with vital missions, "This particular temple has been long scoured for any artifacts or secret facilities, so the Jedi entrusted its protection to the local witches. But our associates know a few ways around the patrols."
"That's all well and good, but how do we get to the temple without starships? I hope you don't expect us to walk the entire way there." Alora menacingly glared down at the grey-haired near human.
"We'll have to travel right on the ground. Like you said, I'm afraid we can't use any starships of our own this time around, my ladies." Prosset answered, before elaborating,
"Fortunately for our assignment, I procured us reliable and efficient transportation that can get us there just in time, without any risk of being discovered by any of our rivals. Helps to have a few off-world tour guides that don't believe in 'superstitious nonsense' like most of the galaxy's ignorant and gullible denizens."
Nodding at the proxy in gratitude, Sorzus inquired, "Good work, old friend. When do we leave?"
"In exactly two hours." Prosset responded. "I hope you packed plenty of rations and bug spray for this trip. I booked us the longest journey to the temple that I could find so we could avoid as much suspicion as possible."
"I can't believe I have to fly economy with all of you." Alora grumbled to the two smaller humanoids.
"Hey, at least you don't have Taylor's job. Gathering all the animals for the hunt is no picnic. Compared to him, our job's going to be a walk in the park." Prosset enthusiastically pointed out, earning an actual and genuine chuckle from the Chagrian Sith Apprentice, and not for mentioning Snoke's alias and part of the mission. With the Jedi knowing of the senior Sith Lord's identity, and their spies embedded on each of their strongholds, calling a Sith Lord by his title was completely out of the question.
Sorzus knew how Snoke was right in his element hunting down all those animals for his growing army, just as one of the elder Sith Lord's many apprentices tested the theory on the Hapes Cluster world of Luuhar before he was slaughtered by Anji, Allana Solo's first pet nexu during a girls' retreat during the Qreph Crisis.
Tragic and needless loss to the Sith aside, she knew she was going to be feeling the full rush of adrenaline the day she finally used her training to go up against a temple's worth of Jedi and its allies, especially when there were an army of rancors and other alpha predators joining the fray on her side. Soon, she would face off against her first Jedi, maybe even Edaan Palpatine himself if she was fortunate enough, and she looked forward to that moment, if only for a chance to truly test her skills against the Sith's countless enemies.
Falleen, Port Nowhere
Inside the Doom Inn
"We must be completely crazy to walk right into this trap." Ben lightly chuckled to Vestara while she was changing into her night clothes inside the refresher. As part of the Alliance's cover for their insertion party, they would be divided into separate teams until the infiltration was underway aside from the scheduled rendezvous point to compare notes.
Given their shared history together, having them play the part of a newly wedded couple of smugglers trapped on this world while on a gambling spree made perfect sense to everyone. "We don't even know for certain if Ferren and Verla are playing it straight with us."
"After all we've been through, don't you trust me, Ben?" Vestara playfully asked, before seriously asking. "Don't you want to get the intel to jumpstart Haxim's rebellion? I recall you were quite the daredevil back in the day."
"Nice to know Krayt didn't wipe away your personality, or all your memories of my obsessive hunt." Ben ruefully smirked while shaking his head. It was true that the intelligence Oculus provided Vestara would be invaluable in their anti-Sith campaigns.
For starters, it allowed them to track every single one of Phasma's co-opted agents and use them to decimate their contacts and spies when they mapped out the entire network. And the dossiers she provided on many of the higher ranking Sith would prove invaluable in configuring their strategies to defeating them, never mind the small tidbits of knowledge regarding the Unknown Regions that she promised to uncover on the Chiss Ascendancy's enemies.
All this intel, if verified, would save countless lives and guarantee victory for the Alliance. But the timing of this measure, never mind the increasing number of defections threatening to fracture the Sith, raised too many eyebrows for Ben's liking, and he had to get that point across to Vestara, just in case her hopes were dashed through deceit and betrayal.
"I'm just saying, all of this just smells too much like we're being manipulated by Krayt. Whether it's their doing, Phasma's, Malleus's, it's a mystery that needs to be solved. And there's more at stake than just the two of us this time around. The entire galaxy is hinging on the success of these campaigns, and we can't make any mistakes."
"Isn't that why we've got more of your Jedi coming to help us?" Vestara reminded him as the door opened. "If we can pull off the mission tomorrow, we'll be one step closer to stopping the Sith."
"Yeah, but-" Ben's argument caught in his throat as he saw Vestara, clad in sexy black lingerie that showcased much of Vestara's skin, and especially a generous part of her cleavage and most of her lean thighs.
"What's the matter, Ben?" Vestara playfully teased him as she sauntered on towards his place on their shared bed. Almost seductively, she stood right before her love, and leaned down to whisper into his ear, "Strill got your tongue?"
"I-" Ben was so ensnared by her alluring beauty; he could barely utter a single word. Mission be damned, it was all he could do to keep himself from taking her right then and there, she was so radiant.
Vestara was inches away, eyes boring deep into her soul, when Ben saw it; the gleam she carried that betrayed a hidden intent.
Not willing to risk having his emotions toyed with again, Ben, letting his repressed anger take control, stood up in his boxers while growling out, "You think this is funny?! Toying with my feelings and emotions like this like the old days?"
Seeing her teasing backfire, Vestara backed up a bit and tried to explain, "Wait, it's not what you think, Ben! I do want you, but-"
"But what?! You decide to dress up in fancy lingerie and try to seduce me for a one-night stand before we face the Sith? Is that your idea of 'wanting me?' Because if it is, then I guess you still have a lot to learn about being in a genuine relationship, Vestara." He quickly grabbed a civilian's outfit from his duffle bag and prepared to dress, ready to ask Leia to swap teammates before Vestara mournfully confessed,
"It wasn't supposed to be a one-night stand, Ben, because I had no intention of having sex with you tonight. I just wanted to have a little fun and levity before we threw ourselves into the mission."
Letting out a tearful sigh, she continued, "I… I also wanted to see how you would respond because I'm… I'm scared for tomorrow."
The anger immediately dissipated from Ben's mind, and with shame radiating off his mind, he rose to gently rub the tears streaming down her eyes before asking, "Why?" Even though he had a good idea of the reason, he wanted Vestara to be completely honest with him if he ever hoped to completely trust her again.
"Because I'm not sure if I can't resist my heritage and the sins of my past this time." Vestara continued while leaning into his embrace, shivering ever so slightly at the cold temperature of the room and her own fears. "Last time I tried, I got two Jedi killed and endangered your family. I don't want to let you, Edaan, and all of my friends down again."
"Force, I'm so stupid." Vestara tried to leave Ben's embrace, but he gently kept her from getting away.
"No, you're not stupid, Ves." Ben gently whispered. "Like you said, you're afraid. And it's completely natural. We're all scared of what might come tomorrow. But right now, we have a little time, and none of us are going to let you face it alone."
"All of us, Edaan's crew, Aunt Leia, Mirta, Tyria, we're all a team, and every one of us is going to get through this in one piece. Do you know why?" Ben asked, earning a shake of the head from his love.
"Because we have hope and believe in each other and ourselves. And that's what you need to do now. We'll all be there to help you." Ben then let Vestara go, and offered, "If you like, I can teach you a few Jedi exercises to help you before tomorrow."
"What kind of exercises? Do we even have enough time for any of them?" Vestara questioned.
"Ones that will help you find your inner peace and contain your… darker passions." Ben answered. "It'll only take us a couple hours to practice them, and then we can still get seven hours of sleep."
Vestara, startled by the trust and forgiveness Ben was showing her after her moronic stunt, leaned in to give Ben a gentle and loving kiss, one he instantly reciprocated. Hands softly running over open skin, the kiss soon deepened, tongues dueling and moans escaping their mouths as they tumbled into the bed, breaking the kiss before they laughed at the awkwardness of it all.
Breaking the embrace with no small amount of reluctance, Ben goofily stared at his girlfriend for what felt like an eternity before asking. "Would we really have kriffed tonight if you kept a straight face?"
"No." Vestara giggled, before huskily swearing, "When I make love to you, I don't want it to be a quick and forgettable fling. The moment that time comes, I swear to every higher power that exists that we will take our time and do it right. And don't even think of trying to slip away from me, Ben. After all this time, all these years of denying myself, I'm very hungry. When that day arrives, I won't be denied."
Ben, smiling almost ferally at the salacious purr in her voice, kissed her again before promising, "I think we've both been hungry for a long time, so I wouldn't dream of denying either of us."
"Good." Vestara smirked. Innocently asking, "Just to satisfy my curiosity, was there someone else in your life before now?"
"A couple, but I was too stuck on you to truly move on." Ben goofily admitted. "How about you?"
"A few, but they all had the same problem you had with your girls." Vestara then pointed at his chiseled chest as she whispered, "None of them were you."
"Well, now that the pillow talk's out of the way, let's get started on our training; Time's wasting." Vestara quickly sat up before pointing out the obvious, "You sure you want to do this while we're both all but naked, though?"
"No better way to learn than to endure a bunch of distractions. That's how a lot of the Jedi's initiates hone their endurance these days." Ben playfully smirked, earning a teasing Force smack upside the head from his girlfriend.
"Never change, Ben." Vestara sweetly replied, affectionately pecking his cheek before adding, "Never change."
Csilla Orbit
Aboard the Guardian-class Super Star Destroyer Cal Omas
Kral Nevil, Vice Admiral of the Galactic Alliance Navy and commander of the Chiss task force, almost wished he was back in known space right now.
The politics of the Chiss Ascendancy, with their six Ruling Families and Forty Great Families beneath them, and the efforts of the Syndicature to interfere with their military's internal matters, reminded him too much of the Senate and its fifteen-year stint of stupidity and backstabbing between the ever-changing political alliances. And he had more than enough political infighting and interference in military matters to last at least five lifetimes across the wars from the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion to the Lost Tribe of the Sith Resurgence.
Only here, the problems were intensified to unprecedented levels between the unofficial factions dubbed the Interventionists and Isolationists, and everyone caught in the middle that made up the Ascendancy's society.
And with most of the Galactic Alliance's forces completely unaware of the divisions devouring the Ascendancy, they would need the Silentium and Empire of the Hand to guide them through this madness. It was the only way that the Alliance of Light hoped to survive this political minefield and remind the Chiss of their common enemy. With their help, the coalition was quietly sending agents to investigate the worlds suspected of collaborating with the Sith, along with dividing their forces to aid the protection of the Ascendancy's frontier outposts and vital production centers.
But there was another factor that troubled the Quarren, one that could very well unravel the Alliance if left unchecked. It was how secretive Jan, Kyp, and Khedryn were about their meeting with several Chiss leaders after the Syndicature voted to fully coordinate their efforts with the outsiders. Whatever they discussed, they were being very tight-lipped about the entire matter, not speaking to anyone about it, whether their peers were in the system or in the greater galaxy.
When Kral asked Jan, appealing to her through their shared patriotic devotion to the Galactic Alliance and to ensure the security of the mission, all that she had said was that they had more allies than they thought, and more dangers awaited them than they first realized. The rest, she said she was sworn to secrecy to protect their supposed secret allies.
Normally, Kral would respect Jan's judgment on this matter, for she had served the cause of freedom since the Rebel Alliance's first years and would not keep a secret without good cause. She certainly kept many of those from her husband.
But with the Senate crippled by the One Sith and their traitorous agents in the once-august body through their attempted assassination of Chief of State Yimmon, the time for keeping secrets had passed. If the forces of good hoped to triumph in this dangerous terrain, then they needed to trust each other completely and keep no secrets from each other.
After all, keeping secrets from each other was what nearly tore the Galactic Alliance apart in the Second Galactic Civil War nearly two decades ago, and it cost Kral his son before he joined the fight against the tyrannical despot of Darth Caedus. That was why Kral was determined to figure out the truth, and then convince Jan and her conspirators to come clean. It was what was best for everyone.
Still, he would have to be careful about his investigation. If the Chiss found out his quiet inquiry, then it might very well give the isolationists the perfect ammunition to use in banishing the Alliance from their region.
Fortunately, he knew of a few trusted souls that could help him in his research. And two of them had a meeting with him in exactly three hours, so it felt perfect to bring the matter up with Mirax Terrik Horn and Master Lowbacca. Hopefully they could help uncover the truth without tipping off the Chiss and risk dooming this desperately needed united front.
Batuu, Morandi Forests
Aboard the KDY Amphibious Interstellar Assault Transport/infantry Gunship Razor Crest
"Looks like our combined assault have the Sith and their cult on the defensive, for once. Which means it's just about time to hit them again, hard." Din noted to the leaders after examining the data from their contacts in the Freedom's Riches hierarchy.
From the fifteen attacks on Dician's supply depots to the devastation of the Sith's planetary blockade and the influx of Alliance reinforcements four days ago, the Sith Lady's stranglehold of the Outer Rim frontier world was starting to slip out of her hands. And more troubles would soon be on the way for the One Sith since several Galactic Alliance reinforcements from various sectors were on their way to supplement the allied forces already on the ground.
But that did not mean the fight was anywhere close to over. And the allied force had to act quickly to maintain the momentum in this war, which was why Din had prepared their next series of targets with all those factors in mind.
The planet's small population of settlers and traders had long suffered under the Sith's cruel yoke, being forced to abandon their ancestral traditions and farmland for indentured servitude. They were desperate to strike back against their dark overlords but needed proper guidance if they were to effectively drive Dician and her cronies out, which is where Clan Djarin came in once the few wealthy denizens of the world discretely hired them.
Unfortunately, many of those farmers and privileged elite had been captured and enslaved by the One Sith before the Mandalorians could arrive, and they had been unable to enact a proper rescue of their clients. At least, until now when they had the necessary numbers, intelligence, and firepower to supplement their efforts.
With the inbound Galactic Alliance fleet only a mere two days away, the opportunity to dismantle another major piece of Dician's little kingdom and capture or kill a few of her cruelest subordinates was too good to pass up, while possibly even decimating Admiral Reep Tonith II's armada.
A few insertion teams in each of the four major slave camps would pave the way for hundreds of slaves' liberation while eliminating a dozen enemy commanders. It was quite fortuitous that the Alliance had a Hutt and his personal retinue of underworld forces at their disposal now, for they should be able to infiltrate the enemy lines and allow their hit squads easy entrance.
And for this operation, Din and Cara would personally take part in. There was a deeply personal stake for both Mandalorians in eliminating these slavers, and nothing would stop them from acquiring the lead they were desperately seeking.
Returning to his peers, he advised, "We need to select our best infiltration teams and bring them up to speed. They'll each take on a slave camp and pave the way for its fall when the Galactic Alliance arrives, and we launch our coordinated assault."
"If they can even break through the blockade." Shada piped up. "Tonith's force might be a bit bloodied, but it's still just above three-quarters strength, and can easily hold off most conventional forces."
"That may be true, but there are still plenty of ways to sabotage them from the inside." Graf satisfyingly noted. "We've got more than a few spies in the Muun's fleet, and they can help with that little matter."
"And Wraith Squadron still has three Baradium missiles left in their stockpile." Din added. "If we can plan this right, we might be able to eliminate the enemy flagship and its commanding officer, along with a huge portion of their fleet."
"It's not gonna be easy." Tiana reminded everyone. "We're still dealing with overwhelming odds on all fronts, even with the agents you say are feeding you intel. Dician and her followers still control most of the planet, and we're vastly outnumbered."
"What are you saying? Do you think we can't pull it off?" Cara challenged the Antarian Ragner commander. "We've gone up against much worse odds before from the Vong. We can take down a Sith and her armada with what we've currently got."
"We are well aware of your reputation, but I believe Commander Ira is merely stating that we might be overplaying our hand right now." Voort corrected. "Instead of using them in one thrust, they can serve another purpose in keeping Dician guessing our motives and pressure her to act prematurely."
"Indeed. And if we obliterate the enemy fleet without allowing them a chance to surrender, how are we any different than them and the Sith?" Azzim pointed out.
"A conscience from a Hutt crime lord? What will the universe come up with next?" Tiana amusingly marveled.
"Well, then, I'll make you three a deal." Din offered the opposing parties. "If you can create a workable alternative strategy for your baradium missiles before we make our move on the slave camps, then we'll use it."
"That won't be very much time, just over forty hours." Shada reminded the three dissenters. "You'll have to work overtime to hope to come up with a feasible plan."
"We'll just have to make it work." Voort accepted the challenge. "Besides, we've had much worse odds before with our assignments."
"Then you and your advisors had better get to work. Good luck, all of you." Cara dismissed Voort, Azzim, and Tiana out of the Razor Crest.
Shedu Maad, Jedi Temple
Inside the Knight's Dormitory, Within Jaden Korr's Quarters
Bil Valen, Pantoran Jedi Apprentice and brilliant tech savant and Force empath, could feel the tension rising throughout the Jedi Order's headquarters and each of its thousands of inhabitants. In fact, even if he wasn't using the Force right now, the fear and suspicion running rampant through the temple would be obvious to all, deaf to the Force or not.
Across the temple, Jedi were on full alert, and the temple had been put into lockdown over the course of the last four days. Officially, such measures were to prevent any other wounded Alliance of Light combatants from swarming the temple and its limited resources and preventing the One Sith from slipping a spy into their ranks to cause havoc and sabotage.
But the Sith agent did not have to be a prodigy at all he worked towards to know what it meant: the Jedi were preparing to clean house within their own support staff, likely even their own order's supposed infallible ranks. Only a blind fool would be unable to figure these truths out, so that meant he and his fellow Sith had to get out before the trap fully snared shut.
From what little he could gather beforehand, every Jedi outpost embedded with his fellow agents had experienced communications difficulties at the same time before reestablishing them with the temple. It was all but certain that their network was compromised and was systematically being dismantled bit by bit.
Thankfully for him, not even three hours ago, Lady Dician had reached out to him and warned him of the high likelihood of discovery, ordering him to reactivate the Iteration and escape with as many of their agents as they could. If everything went as he had strategized, then at least a quarter of the Sith agents would be able to escape and deal irreparable damage to the Jedi-led coalition. Low numbers, to be sure, but even a handful escaping was better than no one at all.
Unfortunately, though, he could sense Jaden Korr and several Jedi steering the clone towards one of the Sith prisons in a vain effort to contain him for interrogation. That was an outcome the Sith could not afford at all, which was why he was hurrying to tap into the iteration's personal comlink system so he could trigger his long-dormant programming. Once the clone unleashed his full dark fury on the Jedi observers, then the rest of the plan would fall into place.
Just one more karking firewall to break through before he could reach the asset in the nick of time. How did he not get word of the temple's security upgrades before they were implemented? He'd have to deal with whichever incompetent fool failed to warn him of this if they were able to survive the breakout.
"I don't know what you're up to in these private quarters, Valen, or whatever your true name and rank is in the One Sith, but it ends here." An unfamiliar female's voice came from right outside Jaden Korr's quarters.
What?! Someone found me. But whom?! And how'd they do it so fast?! Valen cursed as he grabbed his lightsaber. Two possibilities crossed his mind, either was as unlikely as the other: either some cowardly schutta of an agent gave him up, or the Jedi or one of their numerous allies tracked down his decryption efforts. But they only sent one agent to apprehend him, and a weak one, if he was sensing her right.
In that case, it hardly mattered to him. First, he would kill the idiot who was foolish enough to challenge him without the proper backup, and then he would activate the deep-cover agent to sow havoc in the Jedi's precious cradle of power.
But just in case he was delayed or driven off, he threw his datapad right under Jaden's bed. If he was somehow defeated and killed, at least his prerecorded message would get through to the clone and trigger the breakout. Darth Luzien might have a giant ego and bloodthirsty disposition, but he was nothing if not a meticulous strategist.
Using the Force to unlock the doors, he activated his synthetic red lightsaber and telekinetically blasted them into the adjacent wall. But instead of sensing any pain, he felt only satisfaction and triumph before a woman, one strong with the Force and brandishing her own lightsaber, leapt down from above Luzien's line of sight.
But this human woman was not a Jedi, at least one the Pantoran recognized from her golden mesh armor and several unconventional weapons, such as darts, blaster pistols, and slots he recognized as hidden weapon compartments derived from Mandalorian vambraces. No genuine Jedi would stoop so low as to use darts to deal with their enemies. Also, the armor was of a make that he did not recognize from any of the Jedi or Sith's threat databases.
Strange, and it raised many questions in the inquisitor's mind. But perhaps he could get a few answers from this mystery woman before he killed her and completed his work. If there were any previously unknown players about to enter this war, the Sith needed every edge they could against the vast array of enemies that were rapidly working against them.
"My true name is Darth Luzien. And whoever you are, you must be very brave to go up against a Sith Lord of my caliber. Or very foolish." Luzien amusingly snarked at his prey.
Not that he was too picky of the enemy's suspected stupidity. He just had to keep her busy for five more minutes, then his message would be transmitted throughout the Temple's brig and adjacent sectors. But something about this woman was screaming danger, so he knew he would have to keep his guard up.
"You gonna stand there trying to stall for time like a holonet villain, or are we gonna do this today?" The woman smirked before launching herself directly at her opponent, astonishing Luzien with the speed and ferocity of her attack. The blow nearly knocked him right off his feet from its sheer force when their lightsabers collided.
Suddenly, he had a hunch this enemy could more than back up her bluster, and his already stacked odds of escaping to freedom grew exponentially slimmer. He just hoped that his fellow Sith and their surviving spies were faring better than he was at the moment. But before he could escape, he had one more task to take care of for Lord Krayt. He just hoped his backup could arrive, or the mission was all but doomed.
Within the Temple's Main Strategic Center
"Teams Three through Seven are reporting in. Three infiltrators are dead, but the remaining four are withdrawing deeper into the Meditation Gardens. No casualties on our end." A Mandalorian warned Corran.
"Team Two has captured three spies and are apprehending Apprentice Mallory as we speak." One of Grace's crewmates, a Paladin Inquisitor of the Aquilian Republic, informed the Jedi Council member.
"Teams Twelve and Fourteen have just gone dark. They reported having encountered Bil Valen being pursued by Paladin Lieutenant Grace joining the hunt. All communications in the sector cut out right after. We're working to get them back up as we speak." A Chiss intelligence officer added before a rumble briefly shook the entire chamber, and the officer's eyes narrowed,
"Wait. We're getting reports of multiple fires breaking out in the Initiates' dormitories, but the fire suppressant systems are not responding! And several explosions are tearing apart the blast doors in Hangars Three and Five!" The intelligence officer quickly reported.
"Dispatch reinforcements to the ships immediately. Contain the fires with whatever necessary means, we can't let it spread to the rest of the temple!" Corran ordered the blue-skinned humanoid woman. "What of Knight Korr and his team?"
"They've almost got the clone in the maximum-security wing, and your Mandalorian and Jedi allies are ready to keep him contained until you can interrogate it."
"Him, Ziar'la. That clone's still a living being, even with his Sith programming." Hera Wren heatedly scolded the Chiss secret police agent, with Corran silently grateful for the Mandalorian speaking up on his behalf by defending the unwitting spy's state of existence.
Though the Corellian was not up to full strength from his earlier Sith-inflicted wounds, he was fit enough to coordinate the Alliance of Light's efforts to cleanse the Jedi's ranks of its traitors. And working alongside Mandalorians, Zakuulians, and Chiss was a surreal experience for the Jedi Master, given their difficult history with all factions. Even so, this challenge was one he would gladly bear through if it meant he could help in any way to free the Jedi Order from Sith infiltration and influence.
Still, he wished he could do more for his friends than just be a makeshift yammosk for this coalition's mission. Any frontline task would be better than just watching the battle unfold through the temple's security cameras and sensing the cleansing through the Force.
But he was still too much of a loyal soldier to break the strategy without valid cause. Even Luke had his role to play in this fight, and it was equally vital to the Jedi's survival. Corran just hoped the casualties from this endeavor did not pile too high. He did not want to lose any more friends to oblivion anytime soon.
Although, that could soon change if the Kam clone was thrusted into this fight. Dealing with seven Sith and their twenty-three agents in the temple was bad enough of a crisis, but a clone with the memories of a Jedi of Kam Solusar's skill level would be a bloodbath equal to an apocalypse. Hopefully Jaden had the situation under control by now.
Just Outside the Main Prison
"I order you to move, Knight Korr." The Kam clone heatedly demanded of Jaden as the Jedi Knight barred the way with his unignited lightsaber. "We have a crisis erupting across every section of our sacred temple, and you're keeping me from defending our students with your cryptic assignment! Prisoner be damned, they aren't going anywhere anytime soon!"
"And I told you, that I have my own set of orders that come directly from Grand Master Katarn to guard this new Sith prisoner. Even if that weren't the case, I will not let you endanger the Jedi Order any more than you already have with your Sith programming." Jaden firmly stood his ground.
"'Sith programming?!' What in the Nine Corellian Hells are you talking about, Korr?! Have you lost your mind?!" Kam exclaimed before he saw the younger human's eyes darting all around as Kam felt several flickers propagate through the Force.
Turning to glance around, he witnessed eight of the Order's best fighters, all of them being led by Grand Master Katarn himself.
But the surprises kept on coming when at least twenty Mandalorians and six Yuuzhan Vong Hunter droids jumped out of the ventilation shafts, all being led by Sabine Wren and her elite guard of Mandalorian Protectors.
"You weren't part of the plan, Madame Wren." Jaden surprisingly mused to Sabine, before noting Kyle. "Neither was your inclusion in this task."
"Think, Jaden. Did you really think the Council and the Alliance would take any chances with a traitor of Master Solusar's caliber?" KYle amusingly pointed out.
"Will someone please tell me what the blazes is going on here?! Why are you talking about me in the third person when we are under attack?!" Kam incredulously shouted.
"You can't fool us anymore. We know you're a clone for the One Sith that replaced the real Master Solusar and have been subconsciously weakening the Jedi from within." Kyle sadly shook his head, making the iteration's jaw fall open from sheer shock.
"We found the transmitter you hid within the Jedi Temple, and found your codes embedded within dozens of unauthorized transmissions going outside of the system. And we have confirmation from defectors that tell us that you're not the real Kam Solusar."
The clone was stunned into silence by the admission, but no one seemed to notice his comlink emitting what sounded like a faint whistle, one only its owner could hear. After about ten incoherent words were uttered, Jaden noticed an unusual shadow emitting through the Force.
Activating his lightsaber, Jaden aimed it at the enemy before warning him, "This is your only chance. If any part of the real Kam lies within you, then do the right thing and surrender peacefully for questioning. Otherwise, we'll have no choice but to take you in with force."
The Kam-clone, who could not help but ominously chuckle at the paltry threat, closed his brown eyes for a moment before opening them again to reveal a sickly orange and yellow color, and he terribly growled, "You fools should've killed me when you had the chance! Now you'll all die for your idiotic attempt of mercy!"
He quickly unleashed a telekinetic shockwave with enough force to rip apart most of the hallway while blasting away everyone aside from the eight veteran Light Siders. Not giving the enemy a chance to flee, they swarmed over the Sith agent with inhuman speed, lightsabers nothing but a blur as they tried to bring him down while in one piece.
But through the clone's implanted memories of decades of lightsaber instruction, coupled with his now restored connection to the Dark Side, made him a virtually unstoppable juggernaut of destruction with an unbreakable defense.
Through the original Kam's creation of the three rings of defense for lightsaber instruction, along with Kam's use of the prohibited and highly aggressive lightsaber style of Form VII, otherwise known as Juyo, the Jedi and their allies were the ones kept on the defensive, especially since they were trying to keep the enemy's mind intact. After all, a corpse could provide practically no useful knowledge on the Sith's overall strategy and all their schemes.
Knowing that he could not hope to win a protracted fight against so many proficient enemies, the Kam-Iteration quickly decided to change tactics. Unleashing a storm of Force Lightning powerful enough to power a small corvette, it delayed the Jedi and scrambled the Mandalorians' built in Heads Up Displays in their helmets long enough for him to use the Sith art of mechu-deru to quickly reprogram half of the hallway's YVHs. Now he had his window of escape, and he planned to use it right away.
Putting his three new bodyguards to good use, he leapt away from his enemies while ordering the droids, "Kill them all."
Knowing it would only slow down his numerous enemies, and not likely kill that many of them, he bolted away from the battle scene. But before he forgot, he telekinetically destroyed every security camera around him and cut himself off from the Force.
If he was to escape the temple and its insipid Jedi occupiers, then he'd have to use every trick he knew to elude his pursuers and throw them off his scent. It was fortunate the Sith had programmed him with dozens of forbidden and esoteric Force abilities and techniques to aid him in his mission.
Perhaps, if the Dark Side was strong enough within him, he would be fortunate enough to kill a couple of Council members in the process, along with the dozens of Jedi and their minions that got in his way. He might even be able to kill Grand Master Katarn or Master Skywalker before he got away. Destroying either of them would be the perfect way to cripple the Jedi's war effort and maintain his worth to the Dread Lord's Grand Design. Just as soon as he completed a particular task his handler gave to him.
Falleen, Lajinda Outskirts
Aboard the Mon Adapyne
Keyan felt his stomach continue to tie itself up in knots from the orders he gave out not two hours ago; To reinforce the Port Nowhere mission, ensure its success, and try to capture some of the supposed Sith traitors, he agreed with Han's assessment in sending him, several Jedi, and a company's worth of soldiers, Mandalorians, and Anzati assassins to assist the teams in the rapidly shifting recon mission.
But the aging active general knew Han had a vendetta against Vestara and Mirta and would probably try to end both defectors for good, either if they betrayed the Alliance, or the opportunity presented itself for him to destroy them in a mad effort to settle this grudge. Normally, Keyan would have never agreed to sending Han, but he knew the stubborn Corellian would have figured out a way to come along if officially denied the opportunity to help his wife, no matter what length he would go to.
That was why he secretly instructed two of the now-inbound Jedi and two of the team leaders to keep an eye on Han and try to steer him down a calmer path if matters came to a head. He just hoped that a single Jedi Knight and Master Tesar Sebatyne, and Mandalorian commander Thorton Rhal and Anzati master assassin Rayder Seii, would be enough to protect two of the Alliance's best anti-Sith assets from a legend and scoundrel of General Solo's caliber.
Pushing his fears aside, Keyan began looking over the many other reports that came through his office in the past two hours. Working alongside a local resistance to oust a Sith puppet while rescuing potential defectors was certainly proving to be a throwback to his youth in the Rebel Alliance and nascent New Republic. Whether such a repeating cycle of history would lead to a different outcome for everyone this time around was still up to debate for all.
Unfortunately, with the insidious currents of the Dark Side roaring through half the galaxy and gaining strength, those prospects did not look too promising.
But no matter what, he would still carry on and keep fighting until his life expired. After all, he had been through much worse when the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy, so this should be a piece of cake.
Korriban
Valley of the Dark Lords, Sith Catacombs
Darth Krayt's Citadel
So, the Jedi have uncovered the full scope of my spy network in their ranks. Impressive, but another troublesome setback for me to deal with. Krayt mused. Deep in a meditative trance, he felt his remaining active followers battle on Shedu Maad for their survival against the Alliance of Light's growing legions and knew that he would have to rely on his remaining proxies even more than before once the bulk of his followers retreated from known space.
With his agents in the One Sith's greatest enemies compromised and being systematically rounded up or eradicated, the Jedi would have another advantage against the order of Dark Siders. In fact, at this rate, many of his contingencies would have to be enacted even sooner than he had expected.
Perhaps even the Iteration of young Jedi Palpatine would have to be unleashed ahead of schedule to still serve the Grand Design. At the very least, in the worst-case scenario, the Edaan clone could serve as a useful distraction for the Jedi to contend with while the One Sith and their servants escaped to their secure redoubts.
But before Krayt could further consider the matter, he sensed a jaded but powerful and bright presence in the Force breach the system. It was a presence he could easily identify from his decades of meditations; Jaina Solo Fel, would-be empress to the Galactic Empire. And the Jedi Council member was reinforced by at least twenty weaker, but still powerful Jedi spread throughout half the system's hyperspace routes.
What could they be doing here so quickly? An Alliance of Light reconnaissance team to probe Korriban for any weaknesses before their invasion of the system, perhaps? Or maybe a raid to try and sabotage some of the One Sith's plans with the intelligence Vestara Khai and Mirta Gev had provided their patrons?
Even more unlikely, but just as troubling, could they have discovered a certain facility lurking near the Jedi's position? If that was the case, then there were more traitors for the One Sith to uncover in their ranks while they still had the time.
Either way, the enemy's ultimate objective hardly mattered here, for this intrusion could not be tolerated. If they caught onto Krayt's ultimate strategy before he was ready, especially what he was after through retreating into the Unknown Regions, it could doom all he had fought for throughout all these decades.
That was why he would deal with this intrusion personally, and bloody the intruders before they came sniffing around too close for comfort. And he would also send word to Wyyrlok and Lecerscen to proceed with their ambush ahead of schedule before any unpleasant surprises could sneak up on their forces. If they were fortunate enough, then they would not need long to begin their attack.
Besides, it was long past time for Krayt to personally reenter the fray and reassess his combat prowess, having fully recovered from his long withdrawal from the galaxy in his personal stasis chamber. Spectral attacks were important, but nothing beat the feeling of being on the front lines of combat.
The Dread Lord might be a prodigy duelist, starfighter ace, and a master of both sides of the Force from his many decades of life as both a fallen Jedi Master and Dark Lord of the Sith, but it was never too late to learn a few new tricks from one's allies and enemies, especially with the array of foes rising against him.
History has constantly proven how victory has often been determined by the smallest of actions and margins, and Krayt was not going to let any of his recent string of defeats break his order. His acolytes were made of too strong stuff to crack under incredible pressure so easily.
And, truth be told, a part of him wanted to see how his skills stacked up against a Jedi Master of Jaina's caliber ever since she slew her own twin brother of a Sith Lord. But he would not admit that to anyone since he had to maintain his indestructible and pragmatic image to his followers.
Horuset System Outskirts
Aboard the Turbulent-class Star Destroyer Bloodfin
Jaina knew that she should have waited a few more hours until barreling into the One Sith's main stronghold. If the Sith correctly guessed that the Alliance was on to their ambush attempt on the Phindar System, then they would be searching their own for the traitors lurking in their ranks.
But she could feel the collective screams echo through the Force, screams of the young and vulnerable, and she had a hunch that the Sith's captive children from the Chiss and Noghri, along with however many stolen youths in their clutches were calling out for help. But if this was not the main hub, at least a large portion of their enslaved disciples were being locked away here. Action needed to be taken now before they were indoctrinated any further in the Sith Code. Even if the intelligence came from an unknown source, the pieces fit together well enough to make this plausible, which bore looking into.
If the Imperials and Jedi could manage to rescue them, then they would be able to deprive the Sith of future generations and help reunite the children with their families, so it was mutually decided by Jaina and Desmond that the risk was worth taking.
Also, it certainly did not hurt how much the Chiss would be grateful for the salvation of their potential navigators and citizens, even if they were not likely to show their gratitude publicly. The Noghri, on the other hand, might make a vow of eternal loyalty to Jaina for rescuing their enslaved young, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it.
The future galactic empress did not learn how to play politics in the Empire alongside Jagged for nothing, and now was as good a time as any to apply those hard-won lessons to the rest of the galaxy. That is, if she was able to survive the next few hours on the Sith's home turf.
If Darth Krayt and his armies figured out their plan or responded with overwhelming force, then things would get very tricky, which was why Jaina was prepared to be the main bait for this little operation. Still, she was not the Sword the Jedi and a Solo-born for running away from a challenge, and she would rise to meet them all, whether she was a Jedi or something else altogether.
Well, I think this is a good place to end the chapter. What did you think? With several battles underway or about to kick off, the next chapter or two will be very action-packed and suspenseful. I'll need to read a couple Star Wars novels to better hone my writing for lightsaber and space combat, so that'll be fun. And speaking of Star Wars stories, I offhandedly referenced the short story Good Hunting in the idea of Snoke's apprentice. So, how are you all doing on this cool afternoon of Wednesday, December 8, 2021? I'm all right, as I had a good, if a bit stressful, shift at work, followed by my 2nd-to-last class for college. Just one more class next week, and then I have the rest of my life to look forward to. And I have plenty of good books to read, so I'll be busy with plenty of reading for a while. And I ought to play a bit of Greedfall soon, just to have some fun and unwind. Besides, it could give me insight in combat that I can use for my stories. Well, I guess that's it for now. I'm gonna get this chapter to my friends for their analysis, and I hope to get it out in a few days. I hope you all do well in these trying times for many. God bless us all this Christmas season, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
