Good afternoon, everyone! How are you all doing on this cool day of Thursday, December 9, 2021? I'm well, as I had a good shift at work today and read some more of an okay book before getting to work on the next chapter of my story. I hope to amaze you all with plenty of action and suspense between the various war fronts, along with keeping you all guessing on what might happen next. But I might have to change a few things in this draft, depending on what my friends think of Ch. 10 when they can offer their constructive input when they have the time. Still, doing this right now is a good and creative use of my time, so I won't complain. I'd best start on the draft now. I hope you all have a blessed night, and may God be with us all in these difficult times, especially during the Christmas season.

(Sunday, December 12, 2021, Addendum) Hey, everyone! How are you all doing on this cold afternoon? I'm well, as I've been reading more of the book I previously mentioned and should be done with it by tonight. In other news, I've written over 5.1k words in this chapter so far, and I still have plenty of steam left for this one. But I will soon need to take a break and revise Ch. 10, as I have come up with a few good ideas to improve that chapter. Well, I guess that's it for now. I'll have to work this Monday through Thursday before my graduation this Saturday, so I'd better get this chapter done before that time comes. God be with us all in these mad times.

Falleen, Port Nowhere

Inside the Azure Resort

Even without feeling the tension emanating in the Force, Tyria knew tomorrow's mission could very well determine the fate of Falleen, whether it ended in victory or defeat for either the Alliance of Light or One Sith.

If the civilian populace had incontrovertible proof of the Royal Family's corruption and King Redhan's economic ties to the Sith and their intermediaries in the anarchic Freedom's Riches cult, then it would be immeasurably easier to rally them against their cruel and self-serving oppressors. At the very least, it would encourage many more of the Royal Family's wavering loyalists to look the other way once Haxim's rebellion was fully underway, and either outcome would make the planet's liberation that much easier.

But since most of the Alliance's intelligence on the two storehouses in the sleazy spaceport, was being provided through three traitorous Sith Lords, Tyria had decided to rustle up some help from her team. They would soon do some digging of their own into the king's illicit depots and the loyal Sith defenders, just in case her misgivings were valid, and Phasma's allies were leading them into an ambush.

Unfortunately, the results largely lined up with Oculus and Phasma's intelligence: Besides the four Sith deployed to the ambush, alongside their ancient teaching tool of a sentient Sith Meditation Sphere and the most elite of the Crimson Nova bounty hunters on their payroll, were four dozen Morgukai, Noghri, and Deshade mercenaries. The reinforcements now inbound from Lajinda by tomorrow morning would be crucial for getting back to friendly territory in one piece.

But the greater challenge laid in getting in and out with the evidence needed to expose this extortion racket. Sure, the warehouse holding the goods seemed like a typical struggling shipping company to any prying eyes, however. The interior was another story altogether, a front for the underground facility and the real storehouse it contained.

With dozens of guards protecting all five turbolifts that led down to the lower levels, the mission would have been a perfect opportunity for Wraith Squadron to showcase their skills, and a chance for Tyria to spend some more quality time with her daughter.

Still, even she doubted Voort's team could have gotten the schematics for the underground stockpiles without help, which none of their supposed Sith allies were able or willing to provide. And since the facility was believed to have its own built-in generator powering its faculties, there was no way to deactivate it remotely. But all of this might be the least of the Alliance's concerns.

According to the data Phasma, Oculus, and Sariss provided Vestara, Malleus, his agents, and Ship were watching the three closely for a single hint of betrayal, and even the elder Sith did not know the full layout of the facility. But from what the three traitors could say, the facility was a secret the corrupt king was unwilling to share with his benefactors. Was it a sign of rising tension between the two currently allied parties, or just a spout of paranoia from the Sith puppet?

Either way, she wasn't going to let this stop her from conducting her own investigation on this potential risk. That was why she was prepared to do a little reconnaissance on the warehouse and see what she could find out before the infiltration began. And if she could thin the Sith goons' numbers a little before everything fell into place, then all the better to spread them a little thinner.

And it was not like she was alone; she was smart enough to bring a few professionals on this mission. The former Clone Trooper Medic Kix and Mandalorians Akku Seii II, his second-in-command Gorim Dessal, and Mirta Gev, would be invaluable assets on her task. Plus, a little computer program she had two of the Wraiths, Voort and Thaymes Fodrick, along with a few helpful suggestions from Robonino, would come in handy when working to get the inside scoop on the facility's full layout.

She would have had Ben come with her on this last-minute change of plans, but at least he was doing something constructive with Vestara in helping her combat her inner demons. No one needed the Kesh-born human to have another terrible lapse into the Dark Side in the heat of battle and cost the galaxy any more good lives and compromise the mission. That was why she agreed with the couple's recent request to give them both a reasonable amount of space for the moment.

Besides, with the countless inquiries and trials Vestara would have to undergo when the Alliance won this war and if she survived, the lovely duo would have to cherish every precious second of their time together they could.

And Leia had volunteered to come along, but with the Sith on the prowl for any movement by the Jedi, Tyira did not want to take any additional chances of her team being discovered prematurely. A master diplomat and brilliant fighter Leia might be, her days as an infiltrator in her youth had long gone by. But the ex-Wraith was practical enough to keep her on standby, just in case.

Still, she hoped that Ben and Vestara didn't do anything too impulsive tonight, because no one wanted to be the one to tell Luke and the rest of his family how Ben bunked with his old ex-Sith flame before a mission, never mind how she had yet to fully prove her sincerity to them.

Having to bear a child in the middle of a galactic war would be more of a bane than boon for everyone in the Alliance of Light. Although, knowing the story of Ben's birth and how Mara was near death from a fatal Yuuzhan Vong-engineered disease before Luke and Ben, before the latter was even born, helped cure her, he would argue fiercely against that belief.

Deep Within the Unknown Regions, Inside the Perann Nebula

Within the Nihil Retreat, On the Planet Rhand

The Grand Sorcerer of Rhand knew his former comrades in the Jedi could make the conquest of the Chiss Ascendancy complicated, especially when combined with the shrouded Chiss commander that had defeated countless of the Sorcerers' followers over the last three decades. Even with the tentative alliance between the Nihil Retreat and the One Sith, in all his years as a servant of the Dark, the foresight the omnipotent and chaotic power granted its strongest followers had never been so clouded and uncertain.

Between Abeloth, the Jedi and their insufferable goody-two-shoes champion in Edaan Palpatine, and Darth Krayt's One Sith order, the galaxy was getting too crowded for everyone and their contested visions for the galaxy, and it could use a good cleansing after this latest war raced to its brutal conclusion.

It was fortunate that the onetime Jedi Padawan-turned Sorcerer had his hooks in dozens highly placed figures in the Ascendancy's echelons of power, especially in an already paranoid Aristocra from one of the current Six Ruling Families. Using the weak-willed Saganu and his isolationist cohorts to weaken the Chiss from within before they crumbled from the dark forces' combined might would only be the start of the Dark's return to the galaxy.

That likely meant convincing the Sith and the rest of their raiders to move up their timetable for destroying the Chiss, but that would be a simple task for the Sorcerers unofficially dispatched to aid the neophytes. While most elder Sorcerers cared little for the politics of the greater galaxy, viewing them as a waste of time and effort compared to their nihilistic dictatorship, the Grand Sorcerer knew the value of using the enemy's own tactics and customs against them.

And Kung'urama'nuruodo, the Chiss Grand Sorcerer that once called himself Nuru Kungurama throughout the rise of Sidious's Galactic Empire before he found his way to his new and final home, was determined to see this holy work completed, no matter what the cost or risk to his order.

The Dark demanded complete and utter destruction on all life, not mere chaos, not diverging ideas of order and stability, and especially not a so-called real peace so many sought for the galaxy. And as a loyal servant of the one true faith in this dismal and deafening discordance of a reality, he would not let anything stop him and his legions of followers from following their valid set of tenets.

It would one day culminate in the completion of the noble work Cronal, a dark warlord of many personas, began before his untimely death by one of his own Sith-bred mechanical creations: the eradication of all life in the galaxy.

Shedu Maad Orbit

Aboard the Dragon Queen II

Tenel Ka Djo felt entombed aboard her flagship, which only felt increasingly oppressive as she felt the carnage spreading throughout the Jedi Temple. Aboard her personal Hapan Battle Dragon, she was merely observing the chaotic events unfold through her agents' reports, when she burned to personally lead the fight against those that would threaten her dear friends and subjects.

Since one of her worlds, even one shared by the Jedi as her detractors consistently complained over, was under attack by the Sith's agents, it should be obvious to all her subordinates that the Queen Mother should be the one to lead the Hapan people's response against the Sith. She should not have to just let her two most-trusted cousins and their Jedi protector do all the fighting and defending on her behalf.

But her loyal retinue of advisors were timely enough to remind her of how her political enemies would accuse her of further favoring the Jedi over her own subjects and risking the rise of another Heritage Council. And if she perished in battle, then her daughter would be forced to take the throne, a position Allana had no desire to take over her responsibilities as a Jedi Knight.

Throughout the last ten years, Allana had been slowly rejecting her Hapan heritage so she could figure out her own place in the galaxy, and she had found a great home in the Jedi Order. She had learnt infinitely more about the galaxy and leading individuals from her mentor in Jedi Council member Octa Ramis than whatever superficial teachings she could learn from the Consortium's most prestigious instructors.

But while Tenel was silently proud of her child for choosing a nobler path in life, like she wished she could have done once her mother was poisoned after the fall of Coruscant to the Yuuzhan Vong, it did not bode well for her paternal family's society and stability. One day, Tenel would be forced to abdicate the throne, and if Allana remained a Jedi, then her mother would have no legitimate heir.

That outcome would inevitably lead to a civil war between the many Duchas that would destroy the Hapes Consortium from within. Unless Tenel could take drastic measures to stop the slide into anarchy. Which was why she was silently reaching out to the Chief of State Yimmon and Head of State Fel for aid when the time came to start reorganizing the Hapes Consortium into what she hoped to become the Hapes Republic.

It was long past time for the Hapan people to leave their matriarchal culture behind and allow all its citizens to take full part in the Consortium's positions of power. But before she could start that set of troubles, she would have to ensure the Hapes Republic she hoped to create would be stable enough to withstand the political and societal instability Tenel's dreamed reforms would instigate.

She would have reached out to Corellia's Prime Minister, Denjax Teppler, for additional aid in the reorganizatoin, but her loyalists would never have agreed to accept help from the planet and its parent government in the Confederation, that tried to have their Queen Mother assassinated as the Second Galactic Civil War started.

Although Teppler had played no part in that heinous plan and tried to mitigate the worst excesses of the Corellian government during the war, and even gave his homeworld a much-needed degree of respectability in the galactic community, most Hapans did not differentiate between a world and its countless citizens, so asking them for help was not an option.

Sadly, all of this would hardly matter if the galaxy fell under Sith dominion once again, never mind how both available galactic powers were weakened from the Dark Siders' attempts to behead and bleed both governments dry. All of this meant her reformist plans would have to take a backseat to the grim realities of this war. But that did not mean she could not give her most trusted advisors the means to prepare their people for the political maelstrom that would soon arise. No one could say that she was cold enough to ignore her own so recklessly.

Interrupting her momentary reflections, Taryn Zel's anxious voice came over the Dragon Queen II's command bridge, "This is Commander Zel. Someone had better answer right away! The Jedi have a bit of an escalating situation down in their temple!"

The aging Hapan admiral, Terra Ravi, took the call, quickly answering, "Admiral Ravi here. What's going on down there, Taryn?"

"We're taking heavy casualties on just about every front. The Kam iteration is active and on a rampage! He's blasting his way through anything and anyone that gets in his way! And even worse, most of the Temple's defensive systems have been hacked from the inside out, finishing off any wounded the clone doesn't bother killing himself!"

"The enemy agents' numbers have been cut by a quarter, and we've captured about another fourth of them, but the last half of those rogues are still running loose in the Temple! Bottom line, we need reinforcements soon before we're completely torn apart!"

"Acknowledged, Commander. Stand by." Terra closed the channel before addressing Tenel, "I'll begin deploying another division right away."

"Not alone. I will be going down with them, along with a team of our best slicers." Tenel resolved.

"It would do the soldiers well to see their ruler unafraid of getting her one hand dirty, and since we augmented the Temple's security systems, our slicers should be well-equipped to resolve this set of problems."

Just as soon as I can get out of this frivolous ceremonial dress and into something more my style. She silently swore, starting to depart the bridge for her private quarters. It was time to get out her lightsaber again and help her friends.

"Your Highness!" Terra called out to Tenel, causing her to stop just short of the bridge turbolift.

Prepared to disregard anyone who interfered with her efforts to help her friends by any means, even one of her most trusted officers, if need be, Tenel turned around, only for Terra to nod her approval while respectfully saluting her monarch, "Show those Sith rogues just what we women of the Hapes Consortium are capable of."

Clearly, she remembered how this resigned Jedi was not one to let others fight her battles on her behalf. Nodding and slightly smiling back in gratitude, Tenel promised, "I will be sure to do just that, Admiral."

Shedu Maad, Jedi Temple

Within the Jedi Archives

Just when I thought we figured out all those kriffing Sith's dirty tricks! Grace scathingly berated herself while nimbly avoiding the turret fire from every miniature emplacement in the walls before barring the doors behind her with whatever furniture she could telekinetically hurtle.

Hating the Hapan nobles for blackmailing the Jedi into installing the most advanced defensive systems in their temple, Grace had lost track of Luzien in the carnage after following him to the Jedi's library. Whatever he wanted to do in here, it could not be good for the Alliance, and Grace had to stop him before he could complete his designs.

For a fleeting moment, Grace allowed herself to be amazed at the giant chamber containing the bulk of the Jedi's knowledge, containing dozens of stacks of databooks, and many artifacts from varied Force organizations that were allied with them. The archives were clearly built as a tribute to the Coruscant Jedi Temple before the fall of the Old Republic and could easily rival it in splendor.

Regaining her focus, Grace remembered her teachings from the Aquilians, opened herself up to the current of the Force, not merely in the Light or the Dark Sides, but the grey pivot between the two extremes.

As the Paladins taught her from their ancient traditions, through their iron discipline and commitment towards protecting the innocent and their homeworld, the Force gave its secrets to all those willing, and very few Force abilities were deemed off limits to its highest members. Derived from the Knights of Zakuul but drastically reformed after their fanatical devotion to Tenebrae in his Valkorion personae, his offspring, and their Eternal Empire, nearly destroyed the Galaxy in their conquest, they were ready to return to and atone for their many sins to the masses.

And she would need every advantage she would get in her first battle with the One Sith, especially with the tables turned against them with their defenses corrupted. The darkness seeping into the Temple was stronger than she had ever imagined, all the death and misery pervading the structure was nearly deafening her to the dark whispers of the Sith before she pushed the pain back by focusing on the serenity and hope within her own soul.

But if she was struggling to stay aware of her surroundings, she could only imagine how bad the Jedi were taking this cacophonic ordeal. At least their Initiates were safe in the Ysalamiri bubble below they had created in the Temple's sublevels.

Feeling a terrible sick presence begin to emanate from deeper in the Archives, she had a hunch Luzien had discovered something no Sith should ever have back in their people's custody. Either that, or he had just found a new ally to help his rampage. Regardless, she had to warn the Jedi before he could escape with whatever he was after. If they could spare any reinforcements, it would mean the difference between success and failure for the Alliance this day.

Reaching for her comlink, Grace instead found the crumbled up remains of the device in her pocket and knew that she was on her own for now. Well, there was no point in remaining idle when a battle was raging around her. She had to try and stop Luzien before he could escape, even if it cost her everything. Hand tightly gripping her lightsaber, she slowly walked deeper into the Archives, ready to face just about anything that came her way.

Sensing a shadow creep up behind her, Grace was prepared to sidestep the attack and eliminate the enemy before she saw two familiar faces and sighed in relief. "Oh, it's you two."

"Expecting someone else?" Jaden smirked before he and Kyle grew somber. "We tracked the Kam clone here, and we just received word that he helped Valen unlock the Holocron Vault."

"What about the rest of your team? I thought-" Grace was cut off by Kyle,

"They were diverted to help deal with the corrupted security systems and intercept the fleeing Sith spies. But Valen and the Iteration have another mission that led him here, one that needs to be stopped before he can destroy the Archives and get away with their prize. We need to hurry, because even our last line of defense in the Archives might not be able to stop both Sith on his own."

"Yeah. I don't think he can deal with a hyper-augmented Kam Solusar and his Sith handler, even if he was back up to full strength." Grace reluctantly agreed, with the three friends rushing to the opened vault.

Within the Holocron Vault

Luzien and the Kam clone beheld their ultimate bounty: Every Sith holocron the Jedi Order had uncovered and hidden away in their precious vaults. And since the Jedi had uncovered seven so far in their search of Sith ruins, along with many other precious relics that they defiled with their insipid hands, it was only fair for their rightful owners to reclaim them from their enemies before withdrawing to safe havens.

Since only a Jedi Councilor could access the vault, the Iteration needed the proper distraction so it could fulfill its final objective. Although this was not the particular outcome Luzien desired since he and his fellow infiltrators could no longer sabotage the Jedi from within, he knew better than to look a gift-kybuck in the mouth just because of its undesired timing. Curiosity getting ahold of him, Luzien reached out to activate the nearest holocron to see which Sith Lord's wisdom it contained, he sensed a new enemy reveal themselves, and nearly had his right hand cut off by a green lightsaber that slashed in the air between the holocron and intruding hand.

A robed shadow appeared, and a voice Luzien dreaded made itself known, "I am sorry, but I cannot allow either of you to leave this temple."

The Kam clone, on the other hand, smiled viciously, for now he had a chance to kill the great and powerful savior of the Jedi, just as he had originally planned. Baring his teeth and igniting his progenitor's lightsaber, he berated the hooded Jedi Master, "You were a fool to come here alone, Skywalker, especially when you haven't fully recovered from your last battle. Thanks to your arrogance, you'll only die here, all alone and forgotten, in the heart of your precious and beloved cradle of power while we tear down everything you hold dear."

Pulling off his hood before adopting a defensive stance, Luke taunted the clone, "Then if you think you can win, come at me with everything you've got. But know that I will not make your fight an easy one."

"I think the both of us have waited a long time to do this, Master Skywalker." Luzien confidently drawled out, his earlier reservations gone, before both Sith acolytes charged right at the Jedi Master. Doubts aside, he was going to enjoy destroying the Jedi Order's greatest living symbol. And between the two of them, it would not take long to have the Jedi Master begging for mercy before they eliminated this large obstacle for the One Sith and escaped the enemy's main temple.

Horuset System's Outskirts, Outside the Ashes of Korr Debris Belt

Aboard the Bloodfin

As Jaina finished prepping her StealthX starfighter for deployment alongside her squadron of TIE Interceptors, she steadied herself for the carnage that was about to unfold.

With most of her Jedi focused on the rescue mission within the system's debris belt, it would be up to her and the nine remaining knights and masters under her command to hold off Darth Krayt and his followers until their rescue mission was complete. Even with her four Turbulent-class Destroyers, two Imperial IIs, two Victory IIIs, and their support craft backing her up, the Imperial force could not hope to hold back the Sith onslaught for more than about six hours before it was forced to retreat.

On the other hand, if all went according to plan; if they could hold out for even that long, and their information turned out to be accurate, then the Sith would be a few hundred acolytes shorter, and those poor captives would be free to be reunited with their families. And as a nice strategic bonus, they would be able to pave the way for the Alliance of Light's coming invasion of Korriban. Quite a good way to end an otherwise typical day for a Jedi and commander.

But no matter how this skirmish turned out, the casualties were almost certainly going to be high, and the Empire could not afford to lose this fleet and its fighters with every war front widening across the galaxy.

Shoving her musings aside, Jaina felt the Sith launching their forces, with one Sith stronger in the Force than any other she had felt in many years. Knowing the time for battle had come, and how she was about to go head-to-head with Darth Krary himself, she contacted her ships, and rallied her pilots through the military rank she carried over from the Galactic Alliance, "This is Colonel Solo Fel. All fighters, commence launch! Watch your wing mates' backs, and may the Force be with us!"

Phindar System's Outskirts

Aboard the Raider II-class corvette Orinda's Bloom

"So, it looks like we got our reinforcements sooner than we expected." Parella approvingly noted as the Imperial and Galactic Alliance fleets arrived. With two Turbulent-class Destroyers, four Imperial IIs, four Victory IIIs, and their support craft comprising the Imperial force, and five Nebula-class Destroyers, three Galactic-class Battle Cruisers, two MC90 Capital Ships, and two dozen support ships making up the Galactic Alliance complement, the force was now fully assembled. And it certainly helped that twenty-five Jedi were accompanying the Imperials to supplement the coalition's offensive capabilities. Their unique tactics and abilities will be invaluable in breaking through the Sith-backed blockade of Mandalorian Space.

Unfortunately, the athletic Hutt continued receiving everyone's ire when he kept talking, "Although, I was expecting your fellow Imperials to send twice as many ships to help give us the perfect bladed edge to pierce right through the Sith's blockade and help the Mandalorians."

"We've made do with much worse numbers in many more campaigns, just like you made do with less in your glorified hunts." Iden cleverly retorted. She knew what was keeping Jaina and her half of the fleet from Admiral Yage's coded transmission to Inferno Squad. But as much as she would love to put that arrogant and bloated Hutt in his place, the mission had to come first.

Fortunately, Desmond and Thern quickly joined the transmission, and the Imperial admiral then apologized, "On behalf of Master Solo Fel and her people, I wish to offer you her sincere apologies. She discovered a Sith operation of major significance in the Gordian Reach and took her portion of the fleet to eradicate it, but she advised us to go on ahead without her."

"Well, if that's the case, then I stand corrected with my previous assessment." Parella humbly bowed his head. "At least she is keeping our momentum going and engaging the Sith head on."

Thern then took the initiative to suggest, "If we want to keep fighting the Sith and hitting them hard, it would be wise for all of us to begin our attack on Lecersen's blockade right away. The Mandalorian Protectors are ready to uphold their end of the bargain, and it would not be wise to keep them waiting too long."

Just then, the Orinda's Bloom's long-range sensors began blaring, and Iden started receiving data from the ship's central computer. Quickly scanning the data, she slammed her fist on her console before warning everyone, "We've got at least twenty capital ships, seven carriers, and forty escort craft and support vessels ready to emerge from hyperspace."

"Then, am I correct to assume none of you were expecting any final batch of reinforcements to come and help us?" The Hutt calmly surmised. Before anyone could verbally scold the aberration of a slug, the new fleet reverted from hyperspace approximately one thousand kilometers away from the allied force.

"Sensors recognize the lead ship as the Turbulent-class Destroyer Mandator. Looks like Lecersen and his Sith masters had the same idea we had and decided to preempt us." Thern wearily said, just as the Destroyer leading the enemy flotilla came into full focus on the tactical monitor.

Along with the rogue Moff's task force of five of the latest Star Destroyers and two vintage Interdictor-class Star Destroyers, were a diverse array of fifteen older and refurbished capital ship models, from Secutor-class Star Destroyers to Recusant-class Light Destroyers and Dreadnaught-class Heavy Cruisers, and even older Mon Calamari warships. But now, each vessel was bound to be upgraded with the latest in lethal technology from their new owners, and commanded by the One Sith, they would be even deadlier weapons of war than their designers would ever have imagined, along with the many Neo Death Watch soldiers that would be commanding several of the ships.

And the Alliance was unfortunate enough to be the first in getting a taste of their full might. With their strength about evenly matched conventionally, and since the Sith undoubtedly had many more tricks up their robes, this battle would very much be up for grabs. And this time, every Alliance officer doubted whether the Jedi and their coalition could be enough to pull a victory out of this mess.

Aboard the Mandator

Drikl and Wyyrlok observed their diverse array of warships enter a perfect diamond formation, and the Moff advised his Sith overseer, "The Red Baron and Gilded Fist will have their gravity well generators online momentarily. Shall I give the orders to attack?"

"Yes." The Chagrian simply agreed. How Wyyrlok wished he could be by Lord Krayt's side as he destroyed the Imperial fleet invading their ancestral home and eradicated Jaina Solo Fel and her Jedi minions before they could do any damage to the Grand Design.

Or, Wyrrlok amusingly wondered, would Lord Krayt try to capture the future monarch and create an Iteration of her to infiltrate and destroy the so-called Fel Empire from within its core? It certainly would be a fitting end to the hypocritical Jedi experiment of a Force dynasty-ruled empire before it could even begin.

Dark musings aside, he would have preferred to have Ochi with him here, for he would be well-suited for eliminating a few of the enemy commanders through his assassination methods. But the Vahl assassin still had a few wounds to heal from, and then he would be deployed to Bastion for another mission.

And there was a particular dark whisper of treachery that spoke to Wyyrlok before he headed out, and he needed someone he completely trusted to purge the Sith fortress of any disloyal servants. Since his daughter was busy with her own assignment, Ochi would be a more than adequate substitute.

But such longings would only distract him from the task at hand. There was an Alliance fleet right before him to decimate, and he could not falter this time. Throughout this battle, the former moff would likely need his guidance to counter the Alliance of Light's unorthodox strategies and slight numerical superiority. A master schemer and conventional fighter Drikl Lecersen might be, but even he was not omniscient.

With the mad state the galaxy was in, the Sith Voice was certain countless surprises were in store for this battle, just as it was true for every other engagement still going on across the galaxy. It was fortunate that the Sith had a few surprises of their own to bring to his fight.

Bastion, Spaceport 321

Lenang O'Pali, a Pantoran reporter and political analyst, could hardly believe he was back on the Galactic Empire's capital world, let alone Imperial space.

True, he was once a respected pro-Imperial speaker and commanded a large galactic audience on the Holonet, but fates changed so easily in this fluid galaxy. After his unceremonious exposure as a deep cover One Sith agent codenamed Lanvorak, who was also once allied with rogue warlord Natasi Daala, he had gone to ground, and would have returned to Korriban to join the direct fight against the Jedi.

But Lord Krayt had different ideas, wanting answers on Daala's movements from her two highest-ranking subordinates that survived her brief and bloody Imperial civil war, and Lanvorak's knowledge of the Empire was exactly what was needed to uncover the truth.

Of course, the truth would be notoriously difficult to get to, since Stryker Melusar and Gideon Hask were both being held in the Imperial Penitentiary Center's maximum-security wing and the Empire was interrogating them hard for the same information. For all he knew, Jagged Fel's people and his Jedi puppeteers might have all the knowledge he was seeking, and the two detainees were merely being imprisoned until they could be publicly humiliated through a show trial. After all, going through a coup and reorganizing an entire galactic government can change and corrupt even the noblest of individuals.

Either way, Lanvorak needed to find out the truth about this matter, and he had to do it quickly before all was lost for his mission. And if the Jedi had the answers he wanted, well, once he learned the truth, then he would just have to work from there. Fortunately, his brilliant masters were smart enough to embed a few agents high up in the civilian bureaucracy to aid him in his work. That would be a start, and if the One Sith's seers interpreted their Force visions correctly, it would lead to much more for him and the galaxy by the year's end.

Now, time to meet his fellow collaborators, and then to get to work. Breaking out two high-level prisoners was not going to happen overnight. Even a master assassin like Ochi, or even a true Sith Lord specialized in infiltration would find it hard-pressed to pull off this breakout, and he looked forward to working with the Vahl assassin when the time came.

Korriban, Darth Krayt's Citadel

Inside the Aphra Family's Quarters

"Why would the Jedi invade Korriban now of all times? The galaxy is under siege by Lord Krayt and his followers, so they should be focused on putting out the fires we helped create." Chelli Lona Aphra bitterly complained to her father while he stored away his latest findings in the Aphra family's data crystal.

"I wish I knew, Boop, and no noe seems to have an answer on this." Korin lamented, calling Chelli by her childhood nickname, before enthusiastically continuing, "But I would not worry too much. Lord Krayt and his followers will handle their feeble attack, and we will be safe. They will not get past the Dread Lord's legions, and our work will continue."

That's if we don't get killed by the time your usefulness to the Sith expires, you gullible fool. Chelli silently wept. Like her mother, she longed to escape this desolate hellhole and remind the galaxy's populace how to get along and stop sparking galactic wars every few years. It was only thanks to her mother and her hope of one day escaping back to civilization that the daughter found the strength to endure. Well, the training her mother gave her to prepare to leave the One Sith one day and chart her own path in life certainly helped too.

Sadly, as long as her father continued to stay enraptured by the Sith's dark spell and false promises, he would not hear any criticism of his masters and would toil away for those who fought for tyranny and dominion over all civilizations and every life. Even if he could not see it, both female Aphras did not belong anywhere near these evil beings. They were both too kindhearted, freethinking, and adventurous to work for these malefactors, and neither wanted to let the dark acolytes corrupt them just as the Sith did Korin.

Sure, Chelli might have her father's boundless love of history and her mother's intrepid and indomitable spirit, but thanks to her mother's teachings and her father's negligence, she abhorred the Sith's beliefs and the chains they used to keep her, and countless others imprisoned in these catacombs. Unfortunately, that combination was not one the Sith desired, and it often got the Force-deaf woman into trouble. It was only due to her father's interference and brutal discipline on the woman that kept her alive to this day. And she was sure that Korin knew those bonds would not be enough to keep her down for too much longer.

Chelli just hoped whatever her mother was supposedly investigating would not get her killed, and that she was using all the skills she learnt from her former time as a freelance assassin to stay undetected. If she died now after all they had been through together, Chelli did not think she could last any longer in this ruined and desolate world of a prison. She would probably commit suicide right then and there, just to put an end to this endless misery her life had become. Hopefully, that would never come to pass.

Within the Cloning Laboratory

Lona Aphra could hardly comprehend the lies that had ensnared her husband and dragged him and his family into a plot darker than any she could have ever imagined, even as she stared at the nearly fully-grown Iteration of Edaan Palpatine in his cloning cylinder.

It was sheer luck, or the will of the Force, if the faith of countless Force Users was true, that Nala Se was away from her lab to meet with her fellow so-called scientists to compare notes into their joint research. Now, no one would be able to stop her from completing her long-smoldering vendetta against her captors.

Even as she knew the clone's development was but a few hours from completion, she briefly reflected the tragedies that led her to this pivotal moment in her regret-filled life.

Once, Korin was a vibrant and hopeful soul that saw the best in anyone and would never ally with depraved souls like the Sith. But after the Swarm War and the Second Galactic Civil War that followed, he lost hope in the Jedi and the galaxy, and fell immeasurably farther than anyone could ever have imagined. And in his disillusionment, he was prepared to tear countless families apart for his own vain dreams and deal with a devil.

Perhaps he was under a Sith spell like countless other unfortunate victims before him, or he was a genuine believer after losing faith in the galaxy for its shortsightedness and arrogance.

Either way, he needed to be stopped, and that was why she was prepared to do what she could to undo her husband's madness and end this chaos before all was lost. It was the least she could do for her daughter, her one light on this doomed tomb of a planet.

Grown from the genetic material of Edaan's severed hand and implanted with the memories of the original Palpatine scion, Lona knew the possibilities for this clone would all but guarantee the One Sith's survival once it finished its last few hours of accelerated growth; since Edaan was able to rally the galaxy against them, then a clone with the same kind of spirit could theoretically rally the remaining dark elements together against the Jedi. A rather ironic and hilarious twist of fate, the last man who was of Darth Sidious's bloodline would use his immense power and intelligence for the side of good over his own self-interest.

With Lona, like her daughter who was her pride and joy, also a long-standing enemy of the Sith, this was her best chance to use their own lessons against them and sow a few more seeds for their eventual downfall. Even when she was a professional assassin back in her youth before falling in love with and marrying Korin, she never crossed the countless lines the Sith crossed, and held herself to a high code of ethics.

Honestly, she genuinely felt pity for the clone and his state of being. He didn't ask to be created, and a living being with such potential deserved to make his own choices in life, not be programmed to do anyone's bidding, especially not a pathetic wretch like Nala Se and her demented Sith patrons. Hopefully, when all was said and done, the clone would be able to determine his own place in the galaxy.

But as the ancient saying goes, desperate times called for desperate measures, and she needed a powerful ally if she was to free herself and her daughter from their unspoken captivity.

With Darth Krayt and the bulk of his followers distracted by the Imperial-Jedi incursion in the Horuset System, it was time for Lona to make her ultimate bid for the two women's freedom.

Guess all those lessons in flash training, infiltration, and masking our emotions Chelli and I picked up from you and Doctor Se are about to pay off, Lord Krayt. Lona vindictively smirked behind her mask before, through use of one of her many electro-tattoos, she uploaded her daughter's homemade computer virus into the Kaminoan's main server before quickly showing herself out. Her feedback loop in the citadel's security system's relevant cameras would not last forever, and she could not afford to be discovered yet. Not before the data she implanted would alter the clone's programming to be loyal to the Jedi over the Sith.

In a matter of weeks, she, her daughter, the Edaan-clone, and along with the captive Mandalorian Protector Jaing Skirata, would escape the system and rejoin civilization to correct every one of Korin Aphra's wrongs. Then the Edaan-clone would have his free will bestowed upon him by the Jedi and would inevitably become a powerful new ally that they and their Alliance of Light could very well use in their fight. A shame she could not have done the same for the Kam Solusar clone or would be able to rescue the original Master Solusar.

Well, as long as the clone was able to maintain his cover and procure the two women with a reliable escape method, Jaina Solo Fel and the Bloodfin had gotten her message and left a few men and ships in the Horuset system to safely escort them back to freedom. But no matter how this played out, it would be the most invigorating experience of her life in three decades, but while doing the right thing this time around, and that was worth something to an isolated woman like herself who had been exposed to evil for so long.

Though she deeply hated to admit this to anyone after straightening out her life, sometimes it was fun being bad and breaking the rules. Even knowing this, however, she did not want to make a habit of doing this kind of deceptive behavior, not unless she risked turning into one of those wretched hypocrites that she despised most of all, or risk reverting to her old darker tendencies.

Still, she could not shake the feeling that someone was tailing her to catch her in her treasonous act. Fortunately, with the techniques she learnt from several of the One Sith's intermediaries to all but cloak her presence in the Force from a Force User, and even "borrowed" her husband's Taozin skin module and a stolen Mandalorian Supercommando uniform from the Sith's stores as extra piece of insurance, it would be all but impossible to pinpoint this crime on her. Not even her ignorant husband would be able to put the pieces together until it was far too late.

On the other hand, that did not mean she had to take the direct route back to her family. With the stakes this high, there was no sense in being careless with any facet of this gambit. But if anyone stumbled upon her by chance or design, then she had a contingency to deal with them.

Shedu Maad, Jedi Temple

Within the Jedi Archives, Inside the Holocron Vault

Panting deeply while swerving away from the two enemy lightsabers, Luke could feel his strength quickly waning from the coordinated assault of Luzien and the Kam-clone. Over the course of this brutal duel, the sheer force and speed of their blows were nearly enough to break through the Jedi Master's defenses at least six times. It was even able to force Luke into pulling out his personal red-bladed shoto, the same old but reliable short-bladed lightsaber that helped him take on the Sith Lady Lumiya on multiple occasions over four decades, just to deflect both Sith's assaults and avoid any life-threatening injuries.

Age and his past exertions in the Red Twins System were truly starting to catch back up to the elder Skywalker, as evidenced by the multiple lightsaber cuts and burn marks that permeated his face and legs. In fact, Luke knew that the only reason he had lasted through the last seven minutes was due to him completely opening himself up to the Force's boundless energies, making himself a vessel to be guided by the power. And by rapidly shifting his focus between both Sith Lords in a desperate effort to keep them off-balance, even when he started using unconventional tactics against the two enemies.

If he did not come up with a plan to defeat the two enemies within the next few minutes, then he could very well die right here, and the Sith might be able to escape with their dark treasures. But if the momentary bright and familiar blips he felt in the Force were genuine, he would not be alone in this fight much longer.

"I've been going easy on you for far too long, Skywalker." The Kam-clone sadly shook his head. Glaring at his prey, he gloated, "It's time that Luzien and I kicked this fight up a few dozen notches!"

Did the clone mean he and the Sith Lord were not even trying to win up until now? Just how strong did Krayt's scientists design this lab creation? Either way, Luke just knew the Iteration was not bluffing, and prepared for an even stronger assault.

Hearing a rattling noise behind him, he remembered the Sith Lightsabers discovered from Jedi archeological teams from individual Sith tombs and the present-day Sith they killed and had a bad feeling about what came next. Then hearing seven lightsabers shatter right through their transparisteel glass containers and sparing a momentary glance to see seven ignited Sith lightsabers aimed at him, before he adopted the best Form III lightsaber stance he could muster. He was ready to utilize Soresu in defending himself against this multi-pronged assault, even if he might not be able to withstand the barrage for more than a few moments.

If this was going to be his final battle, he would meet it with his dignity and honor intact by fighting with all he had left. He only regretted not being able to see this war through to the end, and the family he was leaving behind.

But before the two Sith and their nine lightsabers could finish him off, Luke felt a warning surge through the Force, and shielded himself from a blinding light from a miniature flash grenade that detonated in the air. Sensing the Sith's momentary weakness and his three-man team of reinforcements, Luke used the opportunity to fall back to the vault's entrance, where he found his saviors in Jaden, Kyle, and Grace.

Fighting the fatigue that laced every step and breath he took, Luke gratefully thanked them, "You three made it just in time. I don't think I could have lasted much longer against those two on my own."

"Advanced age such as yours does tend to slow most beings down, Luke." Kyle smirked in good humor before ordering Grace, "You take care of Luzien while we deal with the bigger prize. Wait until we engage the Kam-clone to make your move to try and take him alive."

"Don't insult my memory, Katarn, I know the plan." Grace snippily pointed out before Kyle, Jaden, and Luke went in to face the far greater threat, leaving Grace to prepare for Round Two against the Sith infiltrator. And this time, she would not let him escape, and she would emerge victorious in battle.

Whether or not the agent would survive would be up to him entirely, for Grace would be sure to not make any more mistakes against him. This is exactly the kind of battle she had trained for since she and Soldier found Zakuul, made it their first genuine home and joined its military.

Still, she desperately hoped that reinforcements would soon arrive to help capture or eliminate the Kam-clone. That mess would be another set of difficulties altogether, especially with Luke's exhausted state and the clone's enhanced abilities.

If it were up to the Paladin Lieutenant, she would have ordered Luke out right away and demanded immediate and overwhelming backup. There was too much to leave to chance with these Sith to risk anyone's lives so recklessly. But Luke would never have left others to fight the necessary battles when he could still be of service, so she had to give him credit for such dedication and loyalty to all his friends and allies. She just hoped this would not be his final battle.

Within the Temple's Main Strategic Center

"Queen Mother Djo, the Jedi Order will gratefully accept every bit of aid you can offer us." Corran breathed an immense sigh of relief upon hearing Tenel Ka offer her assistance.

With twelve Sith spies and three Sith Lords still on the loose throughout the temple, and half the structure's defensive systems and many security droids wreaking havoc on the beleaguered defenders, the Jedi would need all the help they could get in quelling the chaos. And the former Jedi's small army of commandos and royal guards would be an immeasurably invaluable asset in restoring order to Shedu Maad's Jedi Temple.

Besides, no one present wanted to be the unfortunate soul that had to try and tell the Hapes Consortium's own ruler where she could not go in her own domain.

Unfortunately, to complicate matters, there was another crisis quickly escalating on this world, one that could cost the Alliance of Light even more dearly unless decisive action was quickly taken. Corran, and probably every Jedi in-system, sensed Luke's strength rapidly waning as he aided Kyle and Jaden in working to eliminate the Kam-clone. Even if they could successfully contain the Iteration, a virtually impossible prospect at this point, judging from the struggle the others were enduring, too many risks involved trying to hold and interrogate him. As regrettable as it was, killing him was the only option left.

But even destroying him would not be an easy task, for from sensing the dark energies emanating off the clone alone, a miracle would be needed to take him down before even a single Jedi died. But with the Alliance stretched thin through this hunt, what could possibly be done in time to make a positive difference, especially against an enemy of this magnitude? Whatever could be done, it had to be enacted quickly while there was still a little time.

Still, Corran felt a dark murmur in the Force, slowly but surely growing in strength and volume. Was it a dark portent of events that had not yet come to pass?

Resenting his current position with a fiery vengeance, he desperately wished he could do more to discern the truth and help his friends battle the Sith's agents. But perhaps there was one thing he could still do. It was not what he truly wished, but it would still be the best course of action to stop the Sith agents here.

Korriban, Darth Krayt's Citadel

Ochi knew something was terribly amiss in the One Sith's holy sanctum, for the Force's silken dark whispers guided him, just as they had done his people in their eons-old war against the Jedi. Sadly, these warnings were ones most of the Sith Lords were unable to pick up, or they outright ignored them, since all their focus was bent on destroying Jaina Solo Fel and her Imperial fleet escort intruding in the system.

Even so, that did not stop the Vahl from searching for the anomaly, for he recognized the void in the Force that a Taozin skin nodule could produce for its wearer, one that had not been accounted for in the Sith's stores of artifacts. Some two-faced traitor had stolen it and was about to make a major play to sabotage Lord Krayt's Grand Design, and it was up to Ochi to stop them.

He had to make sure the Sith's vital projects were secured, and then he could truly begin the hunt. Flexing his newly installed prosthetic arm, Ochi regretted not being able to customize it to his liking. Given enough time, he could have done many wonders with the mechanical left forearm, such as installing a few miniature dart launchers and increased strength to help destroy Lord Krayt's enemies, but there was no time for that now.

No, time was a factor the Sith did not have on their side any longer, and Ochi and his masters had to make the most with what little of it remained. If the Jedi were foolish enough to launch a raiding party on Korriban now, when many of the Sith's strongest were away on crucial missions, there was no telling when they would try to launch a full-scale invasion. And they could not do that before Lord Krayt's final plans could begin.

Well, whoever was trying to betray them, they had best have made peace with their fate, for they were doomed however this played out. No one had tried to sabotage the Dread Lord's plans from the inside and lived to talk about it, and Ochi had no intention of letting them be the first.

Well, I think this is a good place to end this chapter. It's a bit shorter than many others, but it'll serve its purpose for setting up a huge game-changer for the story in the 13th chapter. I plan to post another interlude chapter next, one that will give you a big hint for the huge development up next. I just hope the part about Chelli Lona Aphra and her mother starting to reprogram the Edaan Iteration made sense, as it was a bit of a last-minute change. But I think it can work, and it will lead to many interesting small divergences from my original draft that will be enjoyable for all. And I hope you enjoy the start of three major battles that will be the focus for the next chapter. Just as a heads-up, I'm going to take some creative liberties with Chelli Lona Aphra and her character and make her very different from her Canon counterpart. I'm sure many of you won't like that, but this is my story, and I want to do things differently according to my beliefs and convictions.

So, with the story talk out of the way, how are you all doing on this warm afternoon of Thursday, December 16, 2021? I'm doing well, as I graduate from college in two days, and everything's all set. And I got Chapter 10 uploaded yesterday after work, so that was good. I also have been reading a little of Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Ascension, and I plan to read a lot more tonight. I hope you all have a blessed night, and I hope to get this chapter up in a week or so, and I hope you all have a blessed Christmas season and Happy New Year. May the Lord bless us all in these dark times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!

(Saturday, December 25, 2021, Addendum.) Merry Christmas, to all those who do or do not celebrate this sacred holiday! How are you all doing on this warm day? I'm well, as I'm hanging out with my brother, as I don't do that enough and he's only here for a few more days. I'm also almost done with Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi: Ascension, and then I plan to read some religious and historical books for a little while to lighten my little library a bit. Then I'll get started on a new series a friend recommended to me. Oh, and in more exciting news, I graduated from college last Saturday! It was a powerful experience, and now it's time to search for a full-time job. That will be a surreal experience. I hope you all have a blessed Christmas and Happy New Year, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!