Hey, everyone! How are you all doing on this cold day of Tuesday, January 18, 2022? I am well, as my soreness is just about over from my COVID booster shot, and I have completed two shifts out of five for this week. They've been all right, but I dread next week when the rush truly starts for my former university. So, I've been reading On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume 2, and it's quite enlightening on how I can improve my stories. I just hope I can properly implement the advice, as I struggle with many of the subtler and more advanced nuances of storytelling. In other news, I might soon find myself writing an outline for the rest of the saga, just so I can better organize it all and figure out where I want it to go. Well, I think that's enough small talk for today. I'd best get started on the chapter so I can get a good chunk of it done before I'll have to go to bed in a few hours. May the Lord be with us all in these dark times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
(Wednesday, January 26, 2022, Addendum) Hey, everyone! How are you all doing on this cold evening? I'm well, as I took a little break from writing to read the rest of On Writing and Worldbuilding: Volume 2, and I enjoyed it very much. Hopefully I can use what I read to improve myself in countless ways. And I took another couple of days off to construct an outline for the rest of this story, and I am pleased with my final product. Oh, and now I'm reading Star Wars: The Old Republic: Fatal Alliance, and it's a great read. It also makes me yearn for the old ways of Star Wars so much, but you all know about that. Now that I'm back in the writing game, I look forward to finishing this chapter soon, hopefully by the end of this week, but I have work and a blood drive to take care of over the next two days, so it might take a little longer than I anticipated. Well, I think this is enough for now. I'm gonna charge my laptop and rest from a busy day. I hope you all stay safe, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
Mandalore System
In Orbit of the Moon of Concordia
Aboard the Guardian
"You shabla Force-worshippers always have a kriffing knack for mucking up perfectly sound military plans." Venku Skirata derisively mocked Desmond and Parella, before slightly relaxing, "Still, at least your Alliance sent a good force to help keep us in the game a while longer."
"Yes, well, you should know how most Jedi often know things we don't and tend to take matters into their own hands. It's a blessing and a curse." Desmond vaguely agreed, earning a rare chuckle from the clan leader.
"I think we'll get along well enough, Admiral." Ghes Orade cordially admitted, attending this meeting alongside Venku, before the former glared daggers at Parella, "But for all our sakes, Master Hutt, I hope your reputation as an excellent hunter and tactician was not exaggerated at all."
"I will leave that for our future battles for all of you and Mandalore Fett to determine. But I'll make sure to make a good impression upon you all." Parella calmly smirked.
Taking back the initiative, Desmond asked Venku, "Where will you need us to park our fleets for the time being? Many of our troops aboard need to stretch their limbs and have a half-decent meal, and we have our share of wounded that will need tending to. Besides, no disrespect intended, I imagine your people could use some good supplies and a morale boost after having to fight this war on your own for so long."
"Aptly put, Admiral, and your ships could use a few repairs as well, given the scars half your fleet currently holds." Venku agreed. "Get your ships in orbit above Mandalore, and then we'll see just how bad the diagnosis is. You two, on the other hand, can bring your top commanders and the Jedi down with you to Keldabe to meet with Fett himself. From what he told me, he has big plans for you all and wants to assess you personally until your 'Alliance of Light' can help us break through the Sith blockade."
"Thank you for the advance notice." Desmond gratefully thanked the elder Mandalorian. "We'll be there after we take stock of our casualties and wounded. Just don't be surprised if the Jedi fall asleep halfway through the meeting. Opening portals through time and space tend to wear even the strongest of them out."
"A lot of our people would pay plenty of credits to see that hilarious sight." Venku laughed, before turning serious again, "Then just have them get a few hours of rest, and we'll have the meeting after they can recover."
"That is quite gracious of you. Unexpected, but most welcome." Parella thanked the elder Mandalorian.
"Don't thank us yet, you two. There's just no sense in pushing them any further right now. Our civil war will do that to you all soon enough." Ghes forebodingly warned both leaders.
As the Mandalorians ended the transmission, Desmond wondered just how bad the mess was that he had gotten his people involved into this time. As much as he disliked the Jedi's maverick methods, he knew they would be an invaluable counterbalance to the Sith. Hopefully, they and the rest of their fellowship could arrive in force soon to aid the Protectors. But knowing the galactic situation, he knew the necessary help would be short in coming any time soon.
Falleen, Port Nowhere
Within the Main Cargo Facilities
Just Outside Warehouse Two
The second Vestara saw Malleus snap the neck of his own follower, she grasped his entire strategy, and was repulsed by the sheer brutality and inhumanity of his self-empowering efforts. With a continuous breadbasket of victims to choose from, he could continue to sustain his enhanced strength until all his enemies were destroyed, which meant that this battle was unwinnable. They had to retreat before time ran out.
"There is but one option for you to escape, Vestara Khai." A familiar voice, one Vestara never thought she would hear again, called out to her through their old bond. "You will need to travel into the Sith's domain and face your past. Otherwise, you will die here, and your Jedi lover and friends will all follow."
"Ship?!" Vestara screamed through the Force, her utter shock palpable for all to see, even as she parried the blows from the Morgukai that tried to bypass her distracted defenses. "What are you talking about? Why would you even tell me this now, after all I did to leave you behind?"
"Because I still believe you will come to your senses and return to your friend. And a repeat of Upekzar will be just what you need to see the hopelessness of your precious fantasy." Ship answered, almost smug in his tone, as he started to hover off the ground again, his boarding ramp opening for his longtime friend.
Tightening his fist at her helplessness, she hesitated long enough to see a battered Oculus come up from behind her, and the Iktotchi answered, "I heard everything Ship just told you. Are you sure about this?"
"No, but I don't think we have a choice this time." Vestara admitted through gritted teeth. Malleus was too strong to be defeated now, and they did have to uncover what the Sith were hiding in the facility before them. "We have to take this chance, which means that I have to be the one to command Ship. I have a hunch he'll only listen to me."
"Get the others to Ship. I'll help Phasma fend off Malleus." Vestara commanded Oculus and ran to the most devastating battlefield in the vicinity.
Seeing Phasma forced on the defensive, battered and bruised from Malleus's ferocious attacks, only made it easier for Vestara to accept her decision, but it still repulsed her with how easily she could fall back into her Sith training and roots. If she fell prey to temptation again in whatever trap Ship had set up for her, then she would lose all that she was striving to regain, and it would break her heart and soul for good this time, if not take away her life.
Commanding Ship to prepare to load up his incoming guests, she threw herself into the battle and was able to surprise Malleus with a few decisive blows, breaking off a few small bits and pieces of his armor and forcing him on the defensive.
Phasma, taking advantage of the new opportunity, unleashed a pyrokinetic attack through Malleus's exposed spots by drawing on the flames that permeated the area from the battleground.
Quickly utilizing them to sear the Sith Lord's vulnerable flesh, the painful distraction allowing the two Sith deserters to blast him away with a combined telekinetic push, blowing him right through a Ferrocrete wall. And that allowed the battle-hardened warrior to quickly give thanks to the Dathomir Nightsisters allied with Krayt that instructed her in the rare ability. True, her proficiency with it was nowhere near the level of the witches, but she still knew how to make the most out of what she had.
Before Phasma could utter a thanks to Vestara, Ship hovered towards the two and mentally urged, "Leap! Leap now!"
Phasma nearly refused, until Vestara followed her instructions, while Phasma sensed just who was aboard and the vast enemy army that was approaching. Seeing she was out of options, she jumped into the open boarding ramp, they saw the two Jedi, one ex-Sith, three Mandalorians, and five Noghri awaiting aboard, and none of them looked too pleased with Vestara right now.
Leia, breaking the uncomfortable ice as her hand silently drifted towards her lightsaber, tensely asked, "What exactly are you up to here, Vestara Khai?"
"If I had to guess, I'd say she's getting us a one-way ticket into Redhan's secret facility." Phasma beat Vestara to it as the Parnassos native exerted her control over Ship while glancing out one of the sphere's viewports. Addressing Vestara, she advised, "I'll keep your old friend under control. You focus on getting everyone ready for the mission and letting your boyfriend know of the change of plans."
Breathing a sigh of utter relief, Vestara thankfully nodded before glancing at Oculus, "I don't suppose you can give me a hand with the explanation, Oculus?"
"Yeah, I can help." Oculus grunted. "But my name is Ferren Barr, not Oculus. I'm no Sith, and neither is Verla."
"That's all well and good, but we still require answers about our current predicament." Akku pointed out.
"And you'll get them right away." Ferren vowed.
Aboard the Rude Awakening
On the Outskirts of Port Nowhere
Ben knew Vestara would have to undergo many grueling trials on her spirit and character to atone for all her sins, but he truly wished he could have had more time to help prepare her for this battle, especially since the first great challenge would be a trap set up by Ship. She told him all of this through their growing bond, and Ship confirmed it due to the old connection they held from when he briefly commanded the Sith training vessel.
After her betrayals on Upekzar and Coruscant alone, no sane person on the side of good would be willing to take her under their wing without making her work insanely hard for her redemption, if they would ever do so again. Fortunately for Vestara, several Jedi she had met had an insanely great capacity for forgiveness and redemption, and many more saw the merit in Edaan's harebrained scheme, which was why they had not ordered Vestara bound and chained until her trial when she came back to them.
Even knowing all this, deep down, he knew this was a battle she would have to win on her own, and all he could do was hope for the best and have faith in his love. At least if he could not be there for her in person, and she knew through their bond the deep hope and love he held for her.
However, if Vestara, let alone either of the other two Sith defectors that accompanied her tried to turn on them while in the vault, then the rest of the task force would have to eliminate them. Either way, with whatever dark miasma threatened to break out of the underground facility, the impromptu strike force would need to be on top of their guard to survive past the morning.
He also hoped the last four unaccounted members of their team would be making their own way out of this impending battleground of a city, for there was no time to make an emergency drop for them. The Rude Awakening did have a defecting Sith and a Jedi hunter to deliver to the Alliance, and with Aurra Sing and a reformed Verla Kaer, even with them both unconscious and being tended to in the ship's medical wing by Kix, no one wanted to take any chances.
As the Rude Awakening flew away to meet up with the inbound Alliance task force, it found itself being hailed by the Dominance, and Shara quickly answered the call, "Glad to see you four got out in one piece. We were worried about you all."
"I wish we didn't have to leave at all, Shara." Bralo snappishly responded. "Parja's gearing up for going back to help our buir and Aunt Ves, and I'm just about ready to join her. Tell me you and the Jedi have a plan for saving them."
"We do, though I wish we could do more right now." Ben painfully confirmed. "We're going to rendezvous with the main force and get enough people to break through the Sith's defenses. My uncle, cousin, and our strike forces are just about an hour away, and they've got more than enough firepower that we'll need to take down Malleus and Ship for good."
Before either Mandalorian could rebuke him, Ben added, "Your mother is with my Aunt Leia and Ves, along with Master K'Kruhk, Ferren, Phasma, and Akku and Gorim. As much as I'd want to be there to help them, we need to get our wounded prisoners to safety first, and then come up with a new plan. We can't possibly break through the incoming Sith fleet on our own."
"And don't forget," Ben reminded the young Mandalorian, "Your mother and Ves are made of tougher stuff than most people I've met or fought against. I know they can survive this one and come out on top."
Silence followed for a moment before Parja's harsh demands came through, "If we don't make it in time to help our families, Skywalker, then you'd better hope the Sith get to you before I do."
"Trust me. If things go wrong back there, I'll personally take full responsibility." Ben ruefully vowed, ready to do what was necessary if Vestara lapsed one last time, even while that possible scenario would shatter his heart for good.
"We're gonna hold you to that." Bralo warned Ben before adding, "We'll follow you to the RV point."
"Hold on." Shara suddenly objected, curiously inquiring, "Who's flying your mother's ship?"
"Don't act like a di'kut, Shara!" Parja exasperatingly replied. "We've been on this ship for months, and Buir's been a great teacher."
"It helps that I'm keeping an eye on them up in the cockpit." Jarael piped up from the Dominance. "They have much potential, if they still have much to learn."
"Let's just focus on getting out of here in one piece." Ben sighed, shutting off the ship's comlink before giving Shara a stern look. "You just had to get all curious and tick off two Mando kids."
"Hey!" Shara poutingly whined, even as Lona laughed from her station and Ben worked to contact Keyan, Haxim, and Han on the situation. As the Skywalker scion did so, he dreaded whatever horrors awaited his loved ones and teammates in that Sith sanctum, along with the umbrage that would come at him once Han knew what mess Leia had gotten herself into without him this time.
Aboard the Phoenix Whirlwind
Approximately Forty-Five Minutes from Port Nowhere
"You let Grandma go flying off with Vestara and her Sith buddies in Ship?!" Allana shrieked. "Have you gone completely barvy, Ben?! We can't let them go off into the enemy's den on their own! In case it slipped your notice, they're about to walk right into a trap!"
"I know that, but there was nothing I can do to stop them." Ben ruefully admitted. "At least Aunt Leia and Ves aren't alone, and if all goes as planned, then Haxim will get all he needs to trigger a planet wide rebellion against Krayt's pawn of a monarchy. And I sense that this is a trial that Vestara needs to face, here and now while she still has the chance."
"That's a big 'if', Ben." Han growled out. "And you are barvy if you think we can depend on Vestara to come through on her promises."
"I'm not going to sit by while you hold onto this self-destructive vendetta of yours, Uncle Han. You were able to forgive Grandpa Anakin and Jacen for what they did to the galaxy as Vader and Caedus, and our family and the Empire forgave Tahiri for what she did as a Sith apprentice. So I ask you, why is it different for Ves, or so difficult for you to let go of this festering wound?"
"Everyone else can see how she desperately wants to atone for her crimes, and she can help us end this war for good. When we win and destroy the One Sith, then she'll be able to answer for every life she took or ruined, but we can't afford to turn away a helping hand now, not with the array of enemies coming right at us." Ben reminded the old scoundrel.
Han found himself unable to return the rebuke, being forced to remember every atrocity and betrayal carried out by Vader, Caedus, and Tahiri until their deaths or redemptions, before recalling how Vestara nearly got his family killed so many times and helped the One Sith sow many of the seeds of the crises that were devouring the galaxy.
True, there were many similarities between each situation, but he had seen too many friends and loved ones get killed from countless betrayals and did not want to lose anyone else when he had the power to make a difference. Perhaps he had grown too old and set in his suspicious ways to see past his prejudices and hatreds. But if everyone else was able to give Vestara a chance, then perhaps he could at least give them the opportunity to prove him wrong. At the very least, he could be there to help them survive if his fears proved to be true.
Staring at Ben, he gruffly, but not unkindly, warned him, "Then you'd best hope Vestara can finally overcome her demons this time, because we won't be able to give her any more chances."
Surprised at the sudden change in tune, but nodding in sad understanding, Ben wisely shifted topics, "I hope Generals Haxim and Farlander can speed up their journey. The Awakening's long-range scanners indicated that the fleet Phasma called here is less than two hours away, and they're bound to be reinforced with plenty of help now that Phasma's treachery is out in the open."
"They already know. Haxim's people have a good fix on the number of ships, and Malleus is bringing his own fleets into the mix. Keyan will have to fill you in on the finer points." Han answered.
Hyperspace; Away from the Horuset System
Aboard the Nantz
"I'm surprised to see you down here, Sir." Syal bitterly addressed Thern while a medic finished putting bacta patches on the Rogue's stitches. "I thought you had to deliver a report to High Command on the mission outcome and our losses."
Having spent the last four hours in the infirmary while the joint Imperial and Galactic Alliance force eluded any potential Sith hunters, it left Syal plenty of time to reflect on the deaths of three of her squad mates and friends.
It was a karking miracle that they were able to survive inside the Horuset System, even as she felt nothing but pity for the few crews dispatched to monitor the enemy's movements back there.
But that did not mean she could not reexamine her orders and plays to see if she could not have done better. If ripping open freshly open wounds would save lives down the line, it was a small price Syal would be more than willing to pay. Her father carried that burden for decades, and she could do no less to live up to the faith he held in her.
"High Command can wait after this meeting, because I felt it necessary to come and observe the results of my orders, and a good leader ought to do nothing less for the men and women under his command." Thern solemnly answered.
"I read the casualty reports and spoke with each of the surviving ship captains. It was devastating, and all we truly have left to show for this endeavor are a few hundred liberated kids and a few more dozen targets to go after. Intelligence will have its hands full finding their families and tracking down the remaining training facilities."
"At least we know about them and a few of the Sith's other surprises." Syal added, a trace of sympathy entering her voice upon seeing how Thern's sense of responsibility was not misinformation. "Now we just need to turn this to our advantage. I'm sure the Jedi and their countless other friends can make better use of this information than we can."
"Don't count the Galactic Alliance out just yet, Syal. We still have a few people and ships to spare for this search, and whatever the Sith have for those children will be a high priority for all the allied powers. Maybe we can finally get Phennir's people to contribute to our joint cause."
"Good." Syal agreed. In the chaos that had consumed the Galactic Alliance and Jedi over the last few days, few had heard anything of note from the Confederation. Hopefully they would hold up their end of the bargain with Edaan, but with that collection of opportunistic fools, nothing was certain.
Hesitating, Syal concernedly mentioned a longtime friend, "How's Jaina faring?"
Thern slightly winced at the last remark, but quickly recovered enough to answer, "Master Solo Fel will need another two hours in bacta therapy before she can be moved to a bed. Afterwards, she and the Jedi that accompanied her will need at least three days to recover from the terrible mental strain they've all been under."
"Then, I assume we won't be using wormholes anymore." Syal knowingly said, earning a confirming nod from Thern. Breathing a quiet sigh of gratitude, the starfighter leader would be glad knowing that there would be a few less breaches in the fabric of time and space, preferring conventional hyperspace travel over such an exponentially dangerous shortcut. Although, that did not mean the Sith would stop using such nontraditional methods for themselves, unfortunately, but that would be a problem to be solved another day.
Fortunately for Syal, that was enough reflection on time-spatial distortions for the Corellian's liking. Now, Rogue Leader had to put her focus on what the next move would be for the collaborative force. She could do no less for her friends, the people entrusted under her command, and the Antilles name.
"Where is our next destination? I wouldn't recommend heading to Mandalore in our fleet's current condition." Syal advised her commanding officer.
"We're heading to the Botajef Shipyards for emergency repairs. We'll contact High Command after we are docked there and determine our next move."
"Do you need me to assist you with delivering your report to the top brass? I might be confined to the ship for the next two days, but I'm still fit enough to help formulate our retaliation strategy." Syal generously offered.
Smirking, a rare occurrence for Thern, he agreed, "I was hoping you'd say that. I could use your input on a few key points in my plan, and I'm sure our allies will accept your assistance as well."
"You'd better get a little rest while you still can. The meeting will begin in the Nantz's strategic center in exactly three hours, and we won't wait for anyone, even you, Commander Antilles." Thern warned her before departing the medical wing.
Falleen, Port Nowhere
Just Outside the Main Garrison
"Have you gone cross wired, you antiquated and useless relic?" Malleus growled at Ship. "Why did you ferry the traitors and Jedi directly into Redhan's facility?"
"I only did what I was commanded to do, Lord Malleus." Ship calmly answered back. "I am programmed to obey anyone with a powerful will, and the one that commanded me was too strong to disobey."
Malleus did not believe that explanation for a nanosecond. He knew of the old bond the training ship and Vestara held from their years of wayfaring together and knew it would be all but impossible to break, even if the weak-willed girl turned to the Light. Besides, even if the wretched Phasma potentially helped her tame Ship, Vestara was the only the ancient Sith warship would truly consider a friend. Could that meager bond be enough to convince him to forsake the Dark Side itself?
"Your thoughts betray you so easily, Lord Malleus." Ship disappointingly scolded the human. "I am wholly loyal to the Sith, and I will not go back on my programming. Even if Lady Khai and the others discover what lies beneath them, they will be unable to survive; at least, they will not survive as they were before. They will either give themselves to the Dark Side down there, or they will die, like countless others have before them."
"What lies beneath… What do you know of the storehouse, Ship?" Malleus growled out. "Tell me."
"All that is in there is a crucial part of Lord Krayt's Grand Design. Soon enough, Vestara Khai will return to us, and deliver several key prisoners and traitors right to the One Sith." Ship enigmatically said, frustrating the Sith Lord to no end.
Mad gamble, powerful vendetta, or personal curiosity aside, he had more pressing matters to attend to right now. The Jedi and their Alliance would soon be upon the city in full force and try to wrest whatever secrets it held from its true masters, and that was unacceptable. It was fortunate that Malleus had quickly created a plan to counter and defeat these intruders, even with the defection of three additional weak-willed Sith.
Batuu, Surabat River Valley Outskirts
"All right. Tell your mistress we'll move up our timetable accordingly." Din thanked the Kubaz after reviewing his employer's latest datafiles and providing him with the usual payment, a few well-carved gems to be exchanged for unmarked credits.
Having hinted to the clan leader of several pieces of intelligence on the Sith's true purpose here, and of a few more cracks starting to show in the One Sith's ranks, Xasha requested Din or Cara meet one of her most trusted agents to review the information firsthand before reporting back. With the intelligence she was able to procure, the trip was three hours well spent and could give the Alliance a means to distract the Sith from their true plans on this frontier world.
Unfortunately for the Batuu Resistance and Alliance of Light, with Dician and Krayt close to gaining a fresh army from a Rakatan vault, they would have to reconsider their strategy if they were to put an end to their plans. And with Sith Intelligence ready to go to work on excising Phasma's betrayal from their plans and eliminating any agents that might share her sympathies, they had to come up with a great reason for Dician to halt her endless scheming and counterstrategies.
On that lucky note, their preparations for infiltrating and liberating her slave camps and assassinating many of her commanders was further ahead of schedule than all their best estimates put together. Wraith Squadron even figured out an excellent and virtually unstoppable strategy for two of the three baradium warheads still in their arsenal, leaving one to use for the incoming attack on the Sith-backed force above the world.
With all these factors working together, it would be easy for the coalition to begin their mission after the next twelve hours and keep Dician distracted for a while longer, especially with the new reinforcements coming their way. That would truly be a surprise no one would see coming. Din and Cara certainly had no clue before receiving their commander's burst transmission.
Korriban, Darth Krayt's Citadel
Inside the Aphra Family's Quarters
"I cannot believe someone would try to assassinate one of our own in the Sith's greatest sanctum." Korin ranted for the umpteenth time to his family as they returned to their quarters.
"We know, father. You've only told us at least a dozen times." Chelli irritably and bitterly reminded him while examining her custom slugthrower, ignoring her father's continuous ravings like she had always done.
Having personally heard from Lord Nox and his teams of Sith Inquisitors how Ochi had been the victim of an assassination attempt, Chelli considered it a Force-ordained miracle that no one had traced the link back to her or her mother.
They would have to undergo questioning alongside the rest of the Sith's staff, but thanks to their secret allies and Korin's utter cluelessness to his family, the Sith would be unable to see through her droids' security loop or hers' and her mother's mental shields. As long as they remained in the dark and were not merely biding their time for the right moment to strike, then they still had a chance to make their grand escape. It was impossible to tell at this point, so it was all up to the will of the Force now.
Of course, the plan all hinged on if Ochi would remain unconscious long enough for the Malichor to work its way through the Vahl's system and finish him off in no more than four weeks. Until then, hopefully 0-0-0, BT-0, and Prowl would be able to throw any curious eyes off the trail. Sadly, with those three chaotic, bloodthirsty, and trigger-happy friends of Chelli's, operating on their own, just about anything was possible at this point.
And with Nala having just installed a control chip into the Edaan-clone, she would have to hope her reprogramming efforts would be enough to keep him from ruining everything.
But if all went as arranged, and the plan had a lot of luck, then only four weeks remained for them on this accursed world. Those twenty days were all that was left until Lona led her daughter, their three droid friends, and the Edaan-clone to freedom and out of the Sith's wretched clutches. Then they could start dishing out a bit of cold retribution against their captors and see the galaxy's countless wonders, just as she promised Chelli when she was only a toddler, and the Aphras were still free.
Lona prayed to whatever higher powers existed for this plan to work; she fully knew that they would need every blessing they could get to survive whatever came next. But if she died during this cursed war or their escape, she only hoped her daughter would have the strength and moral character to find her way in these dark times. If Chelli lost her way, it would completely crush her mother's weary heart, a scenario the elder Aphra woman would give everything to prevent.
Inside Darth Nox's Chambers
The man who held the honor of commanding Lord Krayt's Sith Inquisitors was supposed to know all that transpired on the Sith's ancient homeworld. After surviving the rise of the Empire and New Republic, and the Yuuzhan Vong Invasion before the Dread Lord's agents took him in, he found greater power with the One Sith than with the old Jedi Order or the countless rogues he encountered after losing everything he once held dear as the weak Jedi Padawan Dray.
Even losing his eyesight at Rychel to help the Jedi destroy a Yuuzhan Vong anti-Jedi bioweapon did nothing to diminish his strength in the Force, or his sharp, lethal, and treacherous mind. That temporary truce may have cost him his prospective apprentice and so much more, he still had great plans for the galaxy, and now he had the means to enact his dreams upon the masses.
But the recent developments brought on by the Jedi's assault in the Horuset System, including Ochi's incapacitation by a group of hidden traitors, was something he never anticipated. And then there was the discovery of three more Sith deserting their order for the weak-willed Jedi and their sycophantic lackeys.
What was happening to the once-clear vision of Krayt's Grand Design? Everything was coming apart at the seams, and something more terrible and horrifying than any recent enemy was stirring in the darkest corners of space. Could this mysterious corruption be responsible for Xasha Xizor's suspicions on Malleus's recent paranoia and countless other setbacks? Or was there something else at work?
Whatever was going on, it was obviously time for Nox to get back to basics and rely on more mundane means if he was to help the Dread Lord achieve his great plans for the Sith and the galaxy. That also meant he would need his eyesight back through cybernetics. The former principle also held true for all his disciples, for no matter how powerful one might be with the Force, it was still no substitute for experience and a well-honed intuition.
Falleen, Port Nowhere
Within the Main Cargo Facilities
Inside Warehouse Two
As the Alliance strike force quickly combed through the facility, they found themselves utterly surprised at the apparent lack of security. With the thousands of shipping crates assembled and stored just as in a transport vessel, each one filled with at least half a ton of emergency supplies and rations, according to each manifest, there had to be enough supplies to feed at least half the planet. And with the recordings the force was creating for Haxim to broadcast to the Falleen's beleaguered population, they would soon have all they needed for a full-scale rebellion.
Everyone investigating this secret facility wondered just how Redhan and his people had managed to keep this embezzling operation hidden from any curious eyes for so long. Or did the Sith expect them to break in and were not wasting precious manpower to try and destroy them, especially with the incoming fleet and strike force meant to liberate the city?
Whatever the case, no one could deny how there was a sinister aura in the air, and it permeated the entire warehouse, right down to its foundations, threatening to break the wills of even the strongest souls, even with the Force Users working to shield themselves and their friends from the worst of its influence.
Clearly, the lower levels were exactly where the team needed to go. But first they had to determine exactly where the secret entrance to the underground base even was. Tyria's pilfered data provided a perfect set of schematics for the current level, but now they needed to rely on the Force and their well-honed instincts to go further.
With Vestara, Ferren, Leia and two of her Noghri searching the eastern corridor, the two ex-Sith could feel a distinct and omnipresent whisper surrounding them, one that somehow felt familiar to Vestara from a damaged corner of her mind. A lost memory from Krayt's attack, perhaps? Has she been here before? If that were the case, Mirta must not have, or she would have told her and the Alliance about it long ago.
"Something wrong?" Leia intuitively asked Vestara and Ferren. "You've both been awfully quiet for the last thirty minutes. I don't suppose you have any insight you might want to share?"
"Nothing for certain." Vestara reluctantly began, before turning to see a distinct wall panel that somehow stuck out to her. Instinctively approaching it, she ignored the faint queries of her companions to observe it. Running a hand over it, she found a small compartment that, upon being pressed on, opened to reveal a biological scanner.
"Well, I'll be an albino Gammorrean." Leia's astonished voice came up from right behind her, nearly making her jump before she continued, "I think you've just discovered an Observatory, or at least the One Sith's version of one."
"Is that code for a Sith hideaway?" Vestara raised a suspicious eyebrow at Leia's jolt of recognition.
"It's a code-name for a network of Emperor Palpatine's secret storehouses across the galaxy. They were used to house prisons for his most dangerous enemies, store artifacts that could be used for his designs, and to create countless unholy experiments to enforce his rule through the Empire. The Jedi and allied governments have been searching for them for decades, but with limited success in only finding about a dozen out of at least thirty." Leia explained.
Ever inquisitive and cautious, Ferren disbelievingly asked Leia, "How do you even know all of this? I only heard rumors of them while serving the Sith, and nothing came up in their archives."
"One of the dubious perks of being a prestigious Master, and none of us wanted to advertise another unaccounted piece of Sidious's legacy to the rest of the galaxy. Too many would take advantage of them and give rise to countless new warlords and would-be Sith Lords. And I doubt the Sith would have kept it lying around in their precious stores of knowledge." Leia knowingly answered, before turning to Vestara, "But I think you've been here or seen its kind before, haven't you, Vestara?"
"I wish I knew for certain." Vestara disappointingly shook her head. "If I had any memory of this kind of place, it was wiped out of my mind by the Sith's psychic attack on me. And I doubt I told Mirta about it, if that's what you're suspecting."
Reassuringly nodding, Leia calmly answered, "Well, however wounded your memory may be, I still think we found our way inside. I'll call the others and have them meet up here. Hopefully by then, we can find a way. I have a bad feeling the main event outside is about to begin."
Twenty Kilometers Outbound from Port Nowhere
Aboard the Mon Adapyne
I believe we have underestimated the speed of our enemy, just as the Sith will soon miscalculate our own strength. Keyan reflected as his fleet finished deploying into formation while he analyzed the reports coming in from Haxim's agents in the planetary capital, along with his advance ships' long-range scans.
Malleus had apparently wasted little time in working to counter Phasma's treachery, having ordered an overwhelming force of monarchial Loyalists and his Unknown Regions raiders to bolster the already-inbound force. At least fifty warships, composed of at least ten different designs, were barreling their way towards the small city.
Obviously, everyone had decided that Port Nowhere would be where the course of this one front in the wider galactic war was about to be determined. Even with the latest Galactic Alliance reinforcements and by diverting most of the strike teams and requesting additional assets from Lajinda to help try and hold off the overall Sith onslaught, the odds did not look promising for the freedom fighters. Though these decisions bode ill for the teams stranded in Port Nowhere, it could not be helped at this time. Han and the others would have to have faith that Leia and the others could hold out until the necessary reinforcements would be able to arrive.
Thankfully, due to the transmission sent to him by an old colleague, decrypted a mere ten minutes ago, Keyan now knew the Alliance of Light stood a better chance of turning the tide of this brushfire conflict and eradicating the Sith's weakening cult, along with delivering aid to the stranded teams. But honestly, only time would be able to determine that for certain.
Thirty Minutes Later
Port Nowhere
Within the Main Cargo Facilities
Inside Warehouse Two
"So, we found our way to the turbolift, but we aren't able to open a single kriffing door?" Gorim bitterly summed up from the impromptu briefing. "Why does all this Force osik have to be so complicated?"
Glancing at Phasma and Leia, the grizzled mercenary asked, "I don't suppose either of you might know some kind of secret Sith password, or at least a backdoor program to force it open?"
"There is a way to unlock it." K'Kruhk gravely answered. "But it could very well lead to the complete mental breakdown of someone here. The biological reader will have to be triggered by a unique cognitive state that would make whoever uses it to relive a certain set of memories. And these memories are ones that often hold the darkest moments of their past. Whoever uses it will need to come to terms with the trauma of their atrocities to unlock the observatory."
"How in the blazes do you know about this system?" Phasma incredulously asked the Whiphid. Having studied under Dician and learnt all about the late Emperor's contingencies to apply them for the One Sith's Grand Design, even she had found the technology a baffling process to comprehend.
"In my wanderings over the many decades, I uncovered many dark secrets of the Sith and other evil cultures, afterwards quietly warning the Jedi of them, along with the three Observatories I was able to locate." K'Kruhk answered. "Besides, I too have had my own share of brushes with the Dark Side in my younger days, so I know a few tricks on how to overcome past demons."
"And at this point, it's our only viable option." The elder Jedi Master sadly replied before turning to look at Vestara. "Unfortunately, as much as we all wish otherwise, there's only one person here that can fulfill the Observatory's twisted requirements."
Vestara instantly noticed the sympathetic gaze, and defeatedly sighed, "I should have guessed."
"Why Vestara?" Akku probed. "With all of her work for Krayt, she does fit those prerequisites, but her memory's still a decimated mess." Looking at Phasma, he deduced, "By that logic, you could easily qualify as a candidate for this mad gambit, correct?"
"But not her spirit, and I think that could be the key to regaining her lost memories." Leia caught on. "Either way, I have our new Noghri friends looking for another way in, but we're running out of time. For this world's sake, we have to try."
Clenching her fists in a deep-seated fear of remembering every evil she committed and returning to her dark roots, Vestara countered the terror by remembering the words her ancestor, Orielle Kitai, had given her when she experienced the memories Edaan embedded in her consciousness.
Rather than feed off the pain as a Sith would, she had to embrace it with hope and compassion, allowing the motivation to push her further into the Light and atone for her sins. And that could be the key to overcoming Krayt's defenses, which meant that in the name of all those she wronged and those that still believed in her, she would meet this challenge head on.
Still, that did not mean Vestara could not try and outmaneuver the Observatory a little and expedite this whole process. Walking up to the retinal scanner, she asked K'Kruhk, "I'll need you to guide me through it as best you can and help Mirta keep an eye on my vitals and help keep me stable. And if I can't break through, then Phasma will have to take a crack at it."
"Of course." K'Kruhk sympathetically complied. "You may begin whenever you're ready."
"No time like the present." Vestara uncomfortably muttered before pressing her eyes right before the scanner, and her penance truly began.
Forty Minutes Later, 0230 Hours
Dathomir, Misty Falls, Jedi Outpost Ross Lai
Aboard the New Dawn
Piloting the old G9 Rigger down to the outpost's landing bay, Taron reflected on the countless trials he had designed to test his disciples' bodies and spirits in accordance with the ancient ways of Dathomir and the Jedi Code. Thanks to the teachings of his late first mentor, Augwynne Djo, he was able to build a solid foundation that steadily developed a strong following among the planet's Witches after the Jedi rebuilt their presence on the Outer Rim world.
Though it remained an arduous process, he had been granted a great deal of leeway in operating the frontier outposts, given the ever-adaptive threat of the Nightsisters and their poor deluded thralls. Not even the Yuuzhan Vong's invasion and indiscriminate ritual murders of hundreds of Witches and Nightsisters was enough to quell the hatred between the planet's religious and cultural divide.
And with the Sith preparing to try and decimate the Jedi's foothold, likely by duping many Nightsisters with their false promises of power, that tragic divide was about to be made evident to all once again. Thankfully, the clans and their offworld allies had been preparing for this day, and the Dark Siders would find that they had their work more than cut out for them.
But before he could help finalize preparations, he had to address a festering matter in the Jedi Order's ranks through its prodigy of a Palpatine scion.
True, Edaan had done much good for the Jedi by playing poster boy for the galaxy and rebuilding much of the Order's image after its terrible errors in judgment. And he had surprised most with his apparent successful efforts to redeem Vestara Khai, and the allies he had gathered for the now-assembled coalition. All of this showed his insight, courage, strength, and resilience in the face of such overwhelming odds. Even Taron could see what Kyle did in him and appreciated his powerful spirit and brilliant mind.
However, while Taron did not judge Edaan based on his bloodline and was proud of his accomplishments, he could tell that the deeply tainted legacy of his great-great-grandfather weighed heavily on the young man, along with the deaths of his family because of Abeloth and the Lost Tribe.
Even without the ceaseless hecklers and doubters that believed Edaan was destined to become the next Sidious, the young man held many personal demons, a restless and constantly doubting soul, a terrible, volatile anger when provoked, and countless burdens he had placed upon himself during his self-appointed quest of redemption. All those smaller factors reminded Taron too much of the records of Anakin Skywalker and Jacen Solo before each of their falls, and no one needed another Sith of either of their caliber running loose across the galaxy.
Honestly, Krayt attacking his spirit and trying to corrupt him might have been a boon by the Force to help give Edaan the ultimate Trial of the Spirit. He may have overcome many obstacles with his keen mind and strong will, but eventually he would hit a barrier that unable to break so easily, and Taron needed to be sure the young Jedi Knight was ready to rise to whatever test awaited him.
Just as the New Dawn completed landing, Artoo came in, blaring a certain sentence in Droidspeak that he did not expect so soon. "Young Adari is already starting to wake up? She should have been dead asleep for at least another six hours." Then again, he had never used a sleeping potion on a Keshiri, so the effects would have been undetermined. Well, at least he gained a bit of good insight on their physiology.
As Taron moved to the captain's quarters to put Adari into a trance for a few additional hours, he quickly realized how this could be an even greater opportunity to test Edaan than he first anticipated.
Pulling out his comlink, he spoke into it, "Merrin, I need you and Cal to unload the cargo from the New Dawn. I'll join you shortly, I just have to address a bit of a rising issue." Artoo blew a raspberry at the poor pun, and Taron ignored it before he opened the captain's cabin.
Seeing Adari slowly regain her bearings while sitting upright on the bed, Taron bowed his head and apologized, "I truly wish I didn't have to resort to such drastic measures, Madame Palpatine. For that, I am deeply sorry. But we need to have an important talk about your husband."
Within Edaan Palpatine's Subconsciousness
Wandering through the devastated cityscape of Coruscant, Edaan briefly wondered if he died from whatever laced potion Taron tricked him into drinking.
With countless trails of smog leaking out from the lower levels and earthquakes wreaking havoc throughout the entire planet, collapsing millions of surface structures, this had to be an illusion. This disaster was exactly what transpired when Abeloth unleashed her dark and virtually limitless powers on the planet's population of one trillion.
No matter how hard he tried, he could never forget the billions of voices crying out in the Force that fateful day when his family died and his heart broke. The illusion even had a fleeting visual of Ship fleeing the world in service to the demoness.
Wait. Edaan halted his sorrowful walk. He knew this district, even the apartment complex right in front of him. It was exactly where his family lived before their terrible demise.
Seeing his first home fall into a sinkhole from the earthquakes, he felt his heart break all over again. What was the point of seeing this loss all over again? What purpose did it serve, other than remind him how he failed his family back then?
"The Jedi Order failed countless people throughout its existence, Knight Palpatine. But it has learned from its mistakes to become something greater. Unfortunately, that is something that you yourself have yet to fully comprehend." A familiar voice echoed throughout the sequence, a voice Edaan never thought he would hear again.
Seeing the apparition of Kam Solusar appear before him, he silently stared for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he broke the awkward silence, and asked, "Master Solusar. How are you here?"
"It's a long story, one that you'll learn soon enough after you awaken." Kam pointed out, "Walk with me, Edaan. There is much for you to understand, and not much time to give you my last lesson."
Well, I think this is a sufficient place to end the chapter! It might be smaller than my others, but it serves its purpose in moving ahead the battlefronts for Falleen and Batuu, while slowly advancing the Mandalore and Korriban storylines, and setting the stage for Edaan's most important trial to soon begin. And I got the idea for the Observatories from the Canon novel Shadow Fall. It was a good book, and I felt it was a good way to allude to some of the travels K'Kruhk went on in his self-imposed exile and allow Vestara to begin her own trial. So, how are you all doing on this warm day of Tuesday, February 1, 2022? I'm all right, if a little worried over some personal stuff. But I have hope that things will work out, and I won't let it keep me from doing my job and writing. Well, I'd best get this chapter ready for publishing in around a week. May the Lord be with us all in these difficult times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
