Good evening, everyone! How are you doing on this warm evening of Monday, June 20, 2022? I'm all right, as I published another chapter earlier, and have begun rereading Star Wars: Darksaber. It should be a good read. Oh, and I have work for the next two days and I have some yard work to do sometime over the week, so I'll be a little busy for the next few days. Man, where does the time go? Anyway, before I get started on this chapter, I need to iron out the main outline of this chapter, as we don't have too many left before this story is complete, maybe around half a dozen to ten if I plan accordingly. But to do that, I'll need to figure out the final details of the plots and whatever else needs to be mapped out. Well, with all that out of the way, I'd best get started. May the Lord be with us all in these dark times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
0805 Hours, Kelona 4th, 59 ABY
Dathomir Skies, Just Outside the Jedi Praxeum's Perimeter
Aboard the Ghost
Unleashing two proton torpedoes against a Nightsister and her Rancor that strayed too close to the Praxeum, Sabine returned to patrolling the area. Seeing the ship's armaments and fuel at half capacity, she hoped the battle could turn in their favor quickly, even as she knew such an outcome was all but impossible when it came to the unpredictable battles between Jedi and Sith.
With the Jedi academy's groundside defenses all but disabled since their main generator was destroyed, the Aquilians and Mandalorians deployed gunships and troops down to the surface to supplement their protection. Although, it did not help how dozens of locations were under attack, and the coalition were unable to help every target. For now, they needed to ration their remaining resources and focus on the priority targets while trusting their allies everywhere else to hold the line until the additional reinforcements could arrive and help them drive the Sith out.
Being in this ship and facing off against Sith-led fleets and insurmountable odds, it brought back countless memories of her youth back when she worked with the Spectres in aiding the Rebel Alliance covert armament and diplomatic efforts. They were one of their most effective teams out there, striking small symbolic blows against the Empire and inspiring others to take up arms against the despotic regime. At least, they held that position until a few months before the Galactic Civil War went into full swing when the First Death Star's was destroyed over Yavin IV, back when they underwent their final mission together on the Sith ancient homeworld of Korriban.
Losing half of her second family in the Ghost Crew and her first love, less than a handful of years after Clan Wren was shattered by the Imperial occupation of her sector, both tragedies nearly broke her before she found love again a few years later with a Rebel Alliance Marine captain, Goral Atar, who later became a Mandalorian after the Pellaeon–Gavrisom Treaty formally ended the First Galactic Civil War. Together, they created a large and honorable family and helped restore a great deal of prestige and renown to the Mandalorian name in the years leading up to the Yuuzhan Vong War before Boba Fett became Mand'alor and muddied the waters.
Now, though, she knew that Ezra Bridger was alive, having been trapped on Korriban for decades and slowly falling into the One Sith's iron grip of his own free will, it threatened to tear her soul apart. She never regretting falling in love with Goral and starting a family with him before he was ritually murdered at the Yuuzhan Vong's hands, but a part of her had always wondered what might have been like if she and Ezra were to have married instead. The possibilities ran through her mind at lightspeed, and she could not stop any of them from rushing right through her.
And now, despite all they had been through together, the two lovers were sadly now on opposing sides of this accursed war, and it took every ounce of willpower she had not to use the Ghost and try to track down the elder Sith Lord and knock some sense right back into him. However, if he would not listen to reason, then she would have to use force and beat him into submission before capturing him. He might be a Sith Lord now, but Sabine could never bring herself to kill him, maybe the Jedi could help rehabilitate him into the Light. Besides, she just loved him far too much to coldly dispatch him.
On the other hand, if she found out exactly where Snoke was, then she might not be able to control herself and would fly right after him. Love might breed power in ways most manners of evil could never comprehend, but that emotion also carried countless risks, and Sabine was hanging right at the precipice of all those dangers, just as countless other poor souls had been before their obsessive love brought them to ruin and despair.
0810 Hours
Gargon System
Aboard the Firespray-31-class patrol and attack craft Slave I
It had been far too long since Boba had been on a mission of this caliber or been involved in any kind of action since this conflict began. Going after Belok Rhal and the Neo Death Watch's central base of operations would be a perfect way for the ruler of the Mandalorian Protectors to make his grand return to the galaxy after five years of hiding on the Mandalorians' capital world.
After Mirta and Belok helped the Sith trigger this civil war and torn virtually every clan and family apart, the Mand'alor had been forced to take a more cautious approach to handling this conflict to prevent assassins from getting within striking distance of him. While such a tactic, at the advice of most of his best people, no less, had likely saved his shebs somewhere down this long and arduous road and kept the Protectors from tearing themselves asunder in the resulting power struggle, it left many of their followers disaffected with their leadership. As a result, these impressionable souls were left more susceptible to message of the Sith-backed marauder, letting the enemy gain more ground than the Protectors could afford to lose.
Fortunately, with many of the Neo Death Watch's members, including Boba's wayward granddaughter, now realizing their folly once the Sith's sacrificial use of many of their numbers became public knowledge and quickly returning into the fold, and the Protectors' reluctant but wise partnership with the Jedi and their Alliance of Light, they finally had the strength to go after the still loyal dar'manda and their Imperial and Sith cohorts with their full strength.
All the while, the bolstered Protectors would be liberating their captured worlds and countless slaves in one fell swoop and paving the way towards their sector's liberation and full support in the war against the Sith. As much as he wished his people could stay out of this war and rebuild what had been lost from this schism, Krayt had come after all of them first, and there needed to be retribution against his Sith before they could strike again or go into exile as Darth Bane's Rule of Two did.
Krayt and his people had made a critical mistake in drawing the Mandalorians into this war, and he would soon pay his worth in blood for all the suffering his manipulations had wrought on the sector. First, he would knock out as many of the Sith's gullible and glory-seeking cannon fodder as they could in the known galaxy. The galaxy needed to see the cost of allying with such despotic megalomaniacs, even if he personally could not stand most Jedi and their blind idealistic tendencies.
After a united galaxy drove the Sith into exile, the Mandalorians would then help the Alliance figure out what they were doing in mapping out the Unknown Regions and looking for Zonama Sekot. If the Yuuzhan Vong were at risk of being drawn back into the galaxy, then everyone needed to move fast and strike harder before their enemies could complete whatever designs they had enacted. Too many of his people still wanted to seek revenge against the invaders, and if matters came to a head, then Boba would be powerless to stop them.
But before he could worry about the long-term repercussions of this war, first he had a mission to complete here. As much as he would like to kill Belok here and now for all he did to ruin the Mandalorians' respectable name, all but shattering his self-destructive mission into oblivion, it would be far better to send a message that time was almost up for the marauders to avoid meeting their leader's final and inglorious fate.
And there was another motive for keeping Belok alive for now. One of many that were far more strategic and long-term beneficial for the Mando'ade than simple revenge and destroying one arm of the Sith's army of thralls. If the Sith were up to something in the void of the Unknown Regions, then it would be far more worthwhile to let Belok lead them right to their hideouts and ultimate objective.
Personal retribution could wait a bit longer when faced with survival, a lesson his onetime friend Natasi Daala had regrettably taken to heart when she escaped Alliance pursuit along with destroying the entire Red Twins System.
Momentarily wondering where her anti-Force crusade had led her into such a self-imposed exile, Boba quashed such nostalgia from his mind and refocused his attention to the battle at hand. If the Jedi and their Alliance offered him and his people the right price when the time came, he would genuinely consider helping them track and bring the demented warlord down.
She might have been a former ally and friend for the Mandalorians once, but her genocidal actions, blind and vengeful nature, and her insatiable hunger for power had to be curtailed for good before she could enslave the entire galaxy or burn it to the ground out of pure vindictive spite. To paraphrase his late father, there was not much money to be made in an anarchial or apocalyptic galaxy.
Besides, many of his people were disgusted for having worked under her tyrannical reign as Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance when she had many of them crushing slave uprisings across the Outer Rim in a bid to maintain order and enforce her increasingly draconian term. Given the opportunity, they would love to get a shot at her, a chance he would gladly grant them since most Mandalorians were among the most stubborn and honor-bound beings out in the galaxy.
0815 Hours
Dathomir, Allya Mountains
5 Kilometers Away from the Jedi Praxeum
'You have done well, Sorzus. Far more than I have ever expected of you and Prosset.' Krayt silently commended his order's greatest apprentice to date upon seeing her handiwork. Even from a distance, the damage she and the wounded Luke Sene deserter had been able to inflict on the Praxeum was obvious to any by simply observing the pillars of smoke pouring out from several of its smaller buildings.
Since Sorzus had been unable escape the Praxeum after being discovered, she had enacted a campaign of destroying or weakening what defenses she could and keeping the Jedi's attention split between the approaching army and her presence, all the while allowing Prosset the necessary time to escape and return to the Dread Lord's force to tend to his injuries. And if the echoes of panic and fear were any indication, she was going above and beyond the call of duty in tearing down the enemy's fortifications.
Built to resemble the ancient Jedi Praxeum ship of the Chu'unthor, a mobile academy of the old Jedi Order before its crashing onto Dathomir nearly four centuries ago, it was a work of modern engineering and craftsmanship. And yet, this facility had a far more militaristic and proactive approach with its top-of-the-line defenses and alliance with the various clans across the planet to provide a bastion of stability and power for the galactic region, an aspect of leadership that the Dread Lord could respect, regardless of if it belonged his order's greatest adversaries.
Tragically, that beauty was fading when faced with the specter of war and sabotage quickly approaching its doorstep, and the entire planet would soon feel the true price of crossing the One Sith. But Krayt knew the planet still held secrets countless sentients and societies had yet to grasp, secrets that could perhaps be used against Abeloth and whatever other supernatural threats might still exist beyond the known galaxy and universe, or even this entire plane of reality.
When this war ended with him and his followers ruling the galaxy, there would be ample time to sift through the rubble and claim the bounties remaining here, treasures far greater than even their target in a prodigy of a Jedi Knight. Until then, though, it was long past time to truly invade this great temple and deal many crippling blows to the Jedi throughout this day, just as they had done to his order time after time over the last few years.
But to accomplish such a victory, he first needed to draw away enough of the facility's last line of defense in the Alliance's aerial force to avoid a needless slaughter, which meant getting Darth Zorra to divert some of his efforts back towards the surface. And since he had no interest in losing such a prized pupil of Sorzus's caliber so soon, it was fortunate that Krayt still had over four hundred followers and thralls under his direct command.
Quickly calling out to Sorzus, he telepathically ordered her, 'You may cease your efforts and prepare to withdraw once my army and I begin our attack. Steal whatever transport you require and make your escape once the Jedi deal with my approach.'
'Do not worry about me, my Lord. My life-' Sorzus tried, but Krayt would have none of the typical Sith fanaticism or fatalism among one of his best.
'None of us will not abandon any of our own to suffer or die at the Jedi's hands. That is not the way of the One Sith.' He ordered with an air of finality, before reaching out to the Retribution and giving Zorra his next set of commands. By the day's end, he would have his objective for coming here, and then the One Sith could fully invest their efforts into rebuilding their ranks and enacting the remainder of their plans, even with their devastating losses. But before that could come to pass, it was time to escalate this fight and draw the Jedi and their allies deeper into the doomed vortex of this war.
Speaking of escalating the war, upon seeing the multicolored VCX-100 light freighter fly in the distance, with a shuttle attached to its rear that Krayt immediately recognized, he may have figured out a way to send a troublesome Mandalorian and her forces to their certain doom. And what better and poetic way to do that than by pitting her against her former flame in the One Sith's most experienced beast lord, an outcome sure to lead in her ultimate demise? All he needed to do was get Snoke to send a message to his first flame, and that problem would solve itself in a matter of hours.
0830 Hours
Dathomir Orbit
Aboard the Nantz
"Major Fel, we have a disaster brewing on the surface!" Thern warned Jaina, who was still in her StealthX as she helped keep a swarm of enemy fighters off the fleet's last MC90. "I believe it'll require your people's skillsets to solve before it devolves into a massacre."
To better streamline the chain of command and help the Jedi Master rebuild her order's trust among the many doubters in his flotilla, the lieutenant colonel had seen fit to temporarily restore her the rank of major from much of her time during the Yuuzhan Vong War, a significant gesture of trust and a terrific gamble. Legality issues aside, no one of sufficient rank was willing to discount Jaina's accomplishments or skills from her years piloting a snubfighter, or her leadership abilities honed under many of the best fighter aces and military minds in modern history.
"We're a little preoccupied keeping the Liberator from suffering another barrage. Give me the sitrep quickly. Sir." She responded, adding the final word almost at the last second, an oversight Thern let slide when faced with the battle still raging across the planet. Even with the Aquilians slowly pushing the Sith into a corner, the Dark Siders were not giving up a single bit of ground without putting up a vicious fight. Oftentimes, their shared enemy threw many fighters and every weapon they could aim at the combined fleet just to slow them down, costing each of the three allied fleets dearly.
And the planetside battle was faring little better, with Sith and Nightsisters almost fanatically butchering anyone in their way across the main settlements while pillaging every encampment and slaughtering everyone who was unfortunate enough to be in their way.
If Jaina's senses were to be believed, then whoever was commanding the Sith force was influencing and compelling them to throw everything into this defense, even if it cost them all their lives in the process. Since Krayt was truly down here as her visions led her to believe, and Jaina believed that rare instance of clairvoyance being completely accurate, then this was the best chance they had to throw the One Sith into chaos and undo their progress before they could further their twisted plans. They needed to throw everything they could at him now, before this rare opportunity slipped away.
"We've got word from Wren and her people that Darth Krayt's force been spotted on the warpath. They're heading right towards the Jedi Praxeum, ripping through some of the last ring of defenders and their traps like they're damp flimsi. At this rate, his ETA is no more than twenty minutes, since most of the colonel's people are being diverted to protect your other outposts, and the Aquilians can't cover all the ground on their own."
"What about Wren? Is she going off with them?" Jaina sternly pressed.
"Afraid so, all the way to your Outpost Rell so she can ostensibly rescue one of your Council members and allies trapped there while dealing with a high-value Sith attacking the area."
A brief curse slipped out, before Jaina grunted, "Well, all that does change the situation, doesn't it?" Pausing a moment while gunning down an enemy gunship, she asked, "Can you afford to send me and a few other Jedi and troop transports down there, with everything still crazy up here and the Sith's fleet still out there?"
"We'll just have to risk it since you and the others can be of greater benefit for the Alliance down there than up in space right now anyway. If we're able to capture or kill Krayt right here and now, it'll destroy his people's morale and give us all the momentum needed to win this war, so it's an opportunity we can't afford to let slip away. Besides, you're still the Sword of the Jedi and a veteran Sith hunter, so you're our best and only candidate among the fleet to help the rest of your order go up against the One Sith's leader."
"Did you forget the last time I went up against him?" Jaina cautioned Thern, remembering her disgraceful dogfight loss to the Dread Lord in the Horuset System.
"You'll manage, especially since this battle will be on your home turf and on the ground his time, and now you know a few of his tricks." Thern optimistically reminded her, "Get on it right away, and I'll see who else I can send your way." He ordered before closing the comm channel.
Turning to his comm officer, he ordered, "What's the ETA on our reinforcements?"
"Bastion said their reinforcements will be here in no more than five hours. And the Silentium are right behind them."
"What about the Jedi and Hapans?" After Jaina and her visions were proven valid, Thern reached out to Shedu Maad and Ossus and requested either of them dispatch a fleet, and they had received confirmation they had launched forces from both worlds twelve hours ago. Unfortunately, since the Jedi swore off using their Force wormhole shortcut due to its volatile nature, despite the One Sith having no such reservations, there was no way to know if they would arrive in time to be of any help.
"Last word we received from them was that they were just outside the Myrkr System, but that was over six hours ago." The officer grimly answered. "At their current speed and if they face no interference, they'll be here in at least another six hours."
Biting back a curse, Thern reluctantly nodded, "Then we'll just make do with what we've got for now. Keep me updated on their progress."
0840 Hours
Within the Kharmort's Miasma Nebula, Vagar Praxut
Eskarrh, Inside the Vagaari Enclave
"Your puppet and his equally blind supporters had a singular job to undermine our mutual enemy. One mission that was supposed to bring the Chiss to their knees in a civil war of their own making! And for reasons I cannot begin to comprehend, all of them are about to fail spectacularly at every aspect of it!" The Miskara roared at Kung'urama'nuruodo's shrouded hologram after hearing his dire report on their political machinations.
According to the Chiss ex-Jedi, almost the entirety of the Chiss hierarchy had decided not to even sanction Ba'Kif and his collaborators and decided to throw their entire support behind the war effort against Darth Krayt and all his allies and supporters. Although they would dispatch many political and secret police observers to monitor the Supreme General and Vurawn's alliance to assuage the traditionalists, the Ascendancy's decision to fully reach out to the rest of the galaxy only spelled doom for their enemies, and the Miskara would be the first on the list to be dispatched.
All their efforts to infiltrate and cripple the Ascendancy's inner workings were about to come undone. To make matters worse, by the end of today, the entire Chiss people would be made aware of the rapid militarization program and diplomatic outreaches with many of the galactic powers in Lesser Space to act as a bulwark against their many enemies, even of their secret society's efforts to protect them.
As if Kung'urama'nuruodo read the Miskara's mind, the Grand Sorcerer interrupted his frantic ranting by immobilized him through the Force, and warningly threatened, "Don't dare to presume to know all my plans, Miskara. My order has been at this game far longer than you and most of these Sith running about, and unlike many of you all, I know how to adapt and enact proper contingencies.
"Besides, do you truly believe the divisions between the rival families and power structures has been erased in minutes?" The hooded Chiss sorcerer chuckled. "Don't be a fool- well, an even bigger one, mind you. That animosity is still there, merely simmering beneath the surface of a façade of patriotism and redirected fears. All we need to do now is give them more targets for the darkness hiding within their hearts."
Releasing the Miskara, the Vagaari leader recomposed himself, and, keeping a tight leash on his emotions, imploringly asked, "Then how do you… suggest that we proceed going forward? If we don't do something soon, the Chiss will purge their highest ranks of our agents, direct their full attention towards uncovering my people's duplicity and destroying our alliance and all chances we have at retribution, wealth, and power."
"By giving the Chiss far more to worry about than a few dozen highly placed traitors and buying you and your top followers and allies the time you need to escape this doomed system." The Chiss sorcerer pointed out as if it was the most obvious option available. "I am certain that the Alliance will soon discover proof of your collaboration with us, and then they will make their move to finally crush your people's spirits and uncover all your work for the One Sith's Grand Design. Sadly, though, the only way to save the Vagaari at this point is to leave them behind for now."
"Leave them behind…" The Miskara repeated, fumbling over the torrent of words that threatened to spill out, struggling to avoid being reproached or disciplined once again, and slowly ground out, "But, what of the rest of my people and all our efforts for arming the One Sith and aiding their search for the prize? All our information, all our dealings and scouting efforts, they are encased in our databases, and they will not be easily wiped clean."
"Save what is absolutely vital to the mission into mobile data libraries but work diligently to destroy the rest." Kung'urama'nuruodo firmly answered. "A few dozen terrorist attacks spread across the planet will serve as the perfect diversion for your escape."
"That's all well and good, but what about my people and what little martial power we still retain?" The Miskara strongly emphasized the last two words. "I refuse to leave them and face Chiss and Jedi reprisals alone."
"I am already sending a few of my followers to keep everyone's attention off the bulk of your rabble, and I will convince our Sith allies to send a sufficient force to help remind them of their proud history and blood oath against our shared enemies." Kung'urama'nuruodo sinisterly promised. "We will not leave them to suffer under the Jedi and Ascendancy's unjust rule any longer than necessary."
'Why is it that such a vow doesn't fill me with its intended confidence?' The Miskara worriedly lamented, beginning to dread that this unholy pact would only seal his people's doom at their sworn enemies' hands.
0855 Hours
Dathomir, Allya Mountains
Jedi Praxeum
"Guess the cavalry finally decided to show up!" Edaan shouted over the comm network upon seeing the six StealthX fighters unleash twelve shadow bombs on the enemy-infested forests surrounding the Praxeum before taking the brief lull in fighting to land. Seeing the opportunity, Edaan used his lightsaber and blaster to dispatch each of the five Nightbrothers and their distracted mounts foolish enough to challenge him on their own and regrouped by the nearest X-Wing.
Covering the lead pilot while she departed her fighter and shed her fighter uniform, he felt a surge of relief at seeing Jaina unleash her violet lightsaber, and jested her, "Gotta say, I didn't think you'd personally be leading the charge here, Empress Fel."
"Save the well-meaning banter for after we drive these Sith back off this world and kill their leader." Jaina sternly ordered Edaan, even as her eyes twinkled at amusement at the ill-timed jest.
Before any other actions could be taken, both Jedi heard the familiar hum of one StealthX take off, and both Jedi turned to see a rogue fighter barrel away towards open space. Fleetingly recognizing the fighter's astromech droid, Jaina pulled out her comm unit and shouted, "Poraal, what do you think you're doing?!"
"I don't think she'll answer, Jaina. I think we just lost another Knight and her fighter to our elusive Sith fugitive." Edaan mournfully answered, eliciting a series of soft curses from the Jedi Master.
Hearing a series of explosions go off from one of the nearby dormitories, Jaina ordered Edaan, "Stick close to me at all times. After we check on Poraal, we're going to be very busy fending off the Sith for quite some time."
"Well, it's not like I had anything better to do today." Edaan anxiously quipped, desperate to channel the fear moving just beneath his psychological surface into productive tasks before the two Jedi rushed right right to where the stolen StealthX took off before they would reenter the pandemonium devouring the planet.
But still, a part of him immensely hoped, against all odds, that Krayt would stay far away from this growing battlefield. Whatever great tribulation his vision warned him of, he was certain the Dread Lord was at the center of it all, and he was terrified to the core of his being of whatever dark fate the apparition warned him of.
Shaking himself out of his fearful stupor, he hurried to keep up with Jaina moments before they found themselves coming face to face with a Nautolan woman's corpse, one garbed in a Jedi flight uniform and with a deep lightsaber slash across her stomach. Jaws clenching at the loss of another bright soul, both Jedi silently promised to give Poraal a proper funeral after they made it through this gruesome battle.
0910 Hours
Falleen, Capital City
Within the Main Sewer Network
"Have our illustrious commanders finally given us the go-ahead here?!" Robonino groaned to no one in particular. "All this wading around in these filthy sewers is driving me nuts!"
"I thought you Patrolians liked wet environments." Lona chuckled at the diminutive mercenary's childish rants.
"Lady, this isn't even close to my preferred kind of wet." Robonino snapped. "I'd much rather have a good lake or ocean over this toxic waste!"
"Quiet, you two." Tyria snappishly ordered the bickering teammates before returning to observe Haxim quietly converse with one of his numerous spies in the royal palace via comlink.
Snapping the comlink back in his pouch, the rebel prince turned to his team, and nodded, "We're ready to begin. The Sith and my father have taken the bait."
"What about Ship and the last remnants of Malleus's personal fleet?" Leia observed. "If either of them stayed behind and they happen to sense us, that will be a giant complication."
"They report the sentient vessel's begun to engage the enemy as well, but two of Irola's capital ships are still in reserve. It's still enough for us to carry on with the plan." Haxim impatiently answered. "Unfortunately, whether or not the rest of the diversionary force can keep all of them distracted long enough is up for grabs, so let's get moving."
Seeing the anxious and eager glean in Haxim's eyes, Leia gently warned him, "Be very careful, General. Take it from me and my family with all our firsthand experience at this; vengeance won't get you back your lost years fighting this war or heal whatever wounds your family inflicted on you. Be better than them and set a good example for your people."
"I know. Thank you, Master Organa Solo." Haxim breathed, reminding himself who and what he was truly fighting for in this war, and how he vowed to die before he ever become like the corrupt monarchy he swore to topple.
Remembering every soldier under his command, with dozens of his personal commandos, Galactic Alliance Marines, Mandalorian Protectors, Lira San Honor Guard, half a dozen Jedi, and a few elite mercenaries, the three hundred men and women serving under him were ready to end this accursed proxy war and deliver a finishing blow against this batch of Sith and their cohorts.
Divided into four teams, the first three groups, composed of fifty fighters each, were tasked with causing as much havoc in the city and outside the royal palace, while the final team worked on infiltrating and liberating the enemy's den of the palace itself. Once the Axlan royal family was sufficiently distracted by the first wave, the main attack force would make their move and close the trap, hopefully forcing a surrender from the monarchy and depriving the Sith of another valued set of allies.
But before they set out, Haxim wanted to give the diverse force a final rallying call. Many of them would not make it out of the city this day, and he swore they would be remembered for ages to come, along with all the other fallen souls that gave their lives for the Resistance to reach this momentous day.
"You all know why we're here. The Sith and their pawns have ruined the lives of millions on this world and disgraced the honor of countless more with the corruption of their Freedom's Riches cult that began here." Haxim began, his voice starting to rise and strengthen as he continued.
"They've taken something or something from all of us, and we're here to send a message to their masters. A warning that for every loss we take from this war going forward, we'll be willing to endure anything they throw at us and send it right back at them with tenfold the strength until they break.
"But remember this, while they might want us to become as ruthless and callous as them, they cannot take your honor or your dignity from us. Only you can lose those pieces of yourselves, and it's time to remind them of that and remind the galaxy that the flame of liberty still burns bright across all our worlds!" Haxim eagerly finished while raising his arms in the air as if addressing a religious or political convocation, everyone roaring their support for the leader before he turned back to the opening grates.
'All right. It's finally time to face my family and crush all my past ghosts.' Haxim breathed, ready to lead his teams, end this civil war, and keep all his promises. His father and the rest of their twisted family would not know what was about to hit them.
0930 Hours
Dathomir Orbit
Aboard the Ballista-class Cruisers Bright Reaper
Julius Gaia, High Admiral of the Aquilian Republic's navy, felt the pall of the Dark Side try to envelop him and his soldiers in its vicelike grip. An old tactic of the Sith, but an effective one against the unprepared as his crew winced from the headaches their sorcery triggered. Whoever was commanding the enemy fleet was a true master of the Dark Side, and they were the greatest threat to the allied fleets.
But that was as far as Julius would let the Sith affect his fleet, for they had not come all this way to fall prey to an ancient enemy of life, order, and peace. Thankfully, in preparations for this day, Zakuul had spent two millennia relearning and refining its Force training methods by creating the various Paladin orders and had spent many of those centuries learning from many different Force students and traditions over the last two millennia.
Now, thanks to the final calibrations to their strategies derived from Soldier and his knowledge on the Jedi and Sith, they and all the Paladin-Sorcerers dispatched with this fleet were more than ready to work alongside the Jedi in pushing back and containing the Sith's mental manipulations.
Regrettably, even keeping their Force talents in mind, this fight was not going to be easy. The Sith were inflicting as much damage as they were being dealt, having regrouped quickly from the initial onslaught and were in a near-perfect diamond formation over Dathomir, especially over the Jedi Praxeum. If any ships larger than a shuttle tried to break through the blockade, they risked instant disintegration at the enemy's superior position.
Turning to the bridge's tactical officers, Julius ordered, "I need a status report of all boarding parties right away."
"Every assault force aside from Tythe Battalion have secured their ships' bridge and are wiping the computer systems clean of any failsafe the Sith might have left behind while cleansing their prize of any remaining stragglers. The last team's facing heavier resistance than expected, but they still hope to finish capturing their prize by the hour's end."
"Very good. Keep me in the loop of everyone's progress." Julius stoically nodded, hiding his anxiety of the brutal tactics the assault teams used. Although their strategy might be a giant step up from venting every unsecured section of the captured vessels and exposing the enemy to the void of space, leaving the survivors knocked out and with minimal life support until they could be processed was still a precarious position for his men to be in.
Banishing such pointless fears from his mind, the high admiral refocused his mind back towards the battle at hand and what he could control. There was still a Sith war fleet of eleven still-functional capital ships out there that needed to be captured or obliterated, and an allied world that needed to be liberated from the Dread Lord of the Sith's grip, and Julius needed to get his head in the game before he lost any more people this day.
Perhaps it was time for Zakuul to start employing a few of their advanced strategies against this foe. Hopefully whoever was commanding the Galactic Alliance and Mandalorian forces would be able to catch on quickly before it was too late to capitalize on this incoming opportunity.
0945 Hours
Dathomir Surface, Singing Mountains
Jedi Outpost Rell Perimeter
'The Ghost. It has to be.' Snoke realized before he witnessed the Corellian VCX-100 light freighter fly towards the falling Jedi outpost. Seeing the ship, including its Sheathipede-class transport shuttle in the Phantom II locked onto the ship's rear, and hearing its one-of-a-kind engines roar brought back a rush of memories for the onetime Jedi Padawan and prominent rebel. Reaching out with the Force to sense who was aboard, he was almost taken aback once he recalled the fiery and tightly wound presence of Mandalorian Sabine Wren, his first and only love.
Recalling the countless daring missions and moments aboard the heavily customized freighter, the training under Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus and Clone Captain Rex, learning how to fix starships and gain many leadership qualities under Hera Syndulla, his brotherly bond with both Garazeb Orellios and astromech droid C1-10P, as gruff and cantankerous as they both were, and falling in love with Sabine before losing them all, the sensations nearly overwhelmed the Sith Lord before he forcibly reminded himself what he was doing here.
He needed to finish destroying the Jedi outpost and eliminate its few remaining defenders, especially Jedi Council member and co-founder of this world's original Jedi Praxeum Kirana Ti, before his army was required to move on to the next major target.
And while a large part of him yearned to see Sabine again, to personally find out from her just all she had done since their fateful separation, to see her beautiful brown eyes and her multicolored hair beneath her helmet and hear her melodic voice again, he remorsefully knew that would not be possible, not after all he did to her people and the Jedi over the last few years and working to undo the legacy he helped to build in his naïve youth.
Unlike most Sith, he did not shy away from his past experiences and skills, and instead utilized every facet of his being, both the dark and what little embers of light still embedded in him, towards propelling the Grand Design towards completion. Even as he recollected how he was trapped on Korriban for decades, slowly falling into the Dark Side's grip over the self-loathing and hatred of losing everything thanks to the so-called Chosen One of the Jedi Order, he drew strength from the memories of old, using every bit of resolve and hope that he could one day escape to live another day.
Now, tragically, that liberation had led him to this fateful confrontation between former friends and lovers. If he had to kill Sabine to advance the Grand Design, he would do just that, even if it shattered his heart into countless shards in the process.
How ironic that he, a man who once could have been considered a prototypical version of Jacen Solo, would take the same path as he back when he fully committed himself to the Dark Side and forsook most of his family and all but a shred of humanity as Darth Caedus before his own sister dispatched him.
As self-destructive and vindictive the brief lived Sith Lord and Chief of State was, he was right in how victory and peace could only come by sacrifice on everyone's part, and Snoke knew the One Sith would be the ones to complete his vision for the galaxy. But whether Caedus's Jedi daughter and Hapan Chume'da would be a part of that future or if she was swept aside to irrelevancy and join the rest of the Jedi as corpses once the Sith were fully ascendant, that remained to be seen, as it would be her choice alone, just as whether Sabine would live past this day.
0950 Hours
Allya Mountains, Jedi Praxeum
Within the Main Dormitories
Adari, while she yearned to fight by Edaan's side and constantly worried over her husband and the humungous target painted on his back by his actions against the One Sith, she had faith he was in good hands by Master Solo Fel's side and had better protection than his wife could give him in this situation.
In fact, since the Praxeum and its allies were suffering increasingly high casualties from this multi-pronged assault, now was hardly the time for impulsive decisions, which was why the Keshiri had been aiding Taron and a few of his acolytes lead almost six dozen Nightsisters, their slaves and beasts, and a Douwtin Sith Lady, bizarrely garbed in Dathomiri combat armor, on a wild felinx chase across the facilities. Slowly whittling their numbers down by leading a couple enemies into a trap here and there while hitting the remaining Dark Siders on their rear flanks with the help of two YVH droids and a few Aquilian commandos, the remaining forty-seven foes nearly had them cornered inside the barricaded temple that typically housed the students.
Prepared for a final stand against the Sith, the Jedi and their friends quickly readied themselves, just before their defenses were quickly ripped apart by the Douwtin, quickly followed by her remaining local followers. As they filtered in, the Douwtin eagerly growled out, "I'm so gonna enjoy ripping you all apart."
"What, no professional courtesy? Not even a simple introduction?" Adari quipped.
"Too bad for you, then, since Alora's not the kind of girl who likes that sort of stuff, and she's especially not the kind of Sith who bothers with such respectful concepts." A Nightsister pointed out, earning her a heated glare before Alora blasted her against a nearby wall with a telekinetic burst.
"Enough idle banter! Just kill them all!" Alora roared, her lightsaber blazing to life as she led the charge against the cornered Alliance enemies.
1000 Hours
Coruscant, Jedi Temple
Within the Jedi Archives
Ingo was in awe at the revelations Tionne had finally finished divulging to all the company leaders and the GA historians. A Sith shrine, erected during the Great Hyperspace War's brief invasion of Coruscant, had survived all these millennia and had been undermining the Jedi's efforts to impose their weak-willed version of peace on the galaxy. And he, out of all Sith scholars out there, he had been chosen to help learn what had been left behind by the ancient Sith and uncover the secret behind the locus of Dark Side energy erected here.
Of course, he had to suffer the indignity of working under the Jedi and their countless flunkies, not to mention remaining under constant guard and with an inhibitor collar to prevent any escape or sabotage efforts, but he would not let all this stop him from his work. A chance to learn more of the ancient Sith and one of their last but greatest accomplishments was an opportunity too great to pass up. More importantly, if he had a chance to relay any of this information to any likeminded individuals, or even a Sith Lord if any of his old contacts were still alive and fighting for the rightful rulers of the galaxy, then all the better for Lord Krayt and the Grand Design.
Although, he knew there was a greater purpose behind his participation in this work. If the Jedi managed to figure out how to undo the Sith nexus, dissipate what Dark Side energies might afterwards lingered, and were able to return to the seat of galactic power, then their rule would be all that much harder to dislodge, perhaps impossible. But one matter at a time for the Sith adherent before he thought too far ahead or revealed his plan to the enemy; first he would learn all he could of this project and their progress, and then he could then decide how to best sabotage the Jedi and their Alliance of Light's foolhardy efforts here.
Within the Kharmort's Miasma Nebula, Vagar Praxut
Eskarrh, Inside the Chiss Garrison
Unable to hear Vurawn and Fooraki's conversation behind closed doors with Jan and several of the two Chiss's superiors back on their homeworld, Khedryn nearly found himself going insane from all this sitting around and waiting for the Thrawn clone's so-called 'master plan' for drawing out their enemies. At least his people and most of the Jedi and the Alliance's expeditionary fleet had something more productive to do with their war game exercises.
Looking over his agents' reports for the third time, reviewing how the Vagaari and their clients had been moving countless credits across half the Unknown Regions, with many being funneled into dozens of expeditionary companies for scouting missions, ostensibly for uninhabited and mineral-rich worlds. They were searching for someone out there, and to funnel virtually limitless funds to these proxies revealed how valuable their Sith masters wanted whatever they wanted.
Remembering how Master Durron's last meeting with Grand Master Katarn and how he came to believe the Sith were searching for Zonama Sekot, the entrepreneur and smuggler kingpin yearned for almost anything to interrupt the rut of everyday routines out here and to help stop the rest of the One Sith's plans. They needed to be prevented from drawing the Yuuzhan Vong back into the galaxy and this war before they were fully rehabilitated, or it could very well lead to a war of extermination for all forms of life.
Hearing the comm channel close, Khedryn turned to see Jan and the two Chiss men exit their secure comm room. Before he could ask any questions, Jan beat him to it, "The situation just became a lot more complicated between our coalition and the Ascendancy."
"Don't tell me they're trying to sanction us?" He groaned. "We don't have time for any scheming and political back peddling now."
"No, quite the opposite of sanctions and our typical political ploys, actually." Vurawn corrected the human, almost as if he could not believe whatever orders the two Chiss commanders had been given. "Perhaps it is best if we put the war games on hold so we can inform all our senior commanders of the necessary changes in strategy."
"Why doesn't that fill me with much confidence, Senior Captain?" Khedryn dismally asked.
"Trust us, what we have to say will be, how do most of your people say it, a bunch of adrenaline boosts for our war effort." The Mid Admiral promised, a bit too quickly and eagerly for the smuggler's liking, before he pensively added, "But they will carry their own share of risks as well, so we had best prepare for the worst, just in case."
Ah, now there's the typical pessimism from most Chiss. Khedryn bitterly noted before he noticed Jan working to contact her friend in Mirax, and the underworld kingpin worked to notify his top people of the incoming conference.
1010 Hours
Falleen, Capital City
Aboard the Conquest
Irola, aboard her flagship, reached out through the Force to sense the small tendrils of light directly underneath the Royal Palace that desperately tried to shield the intruders from detection.
Although the Sith Lady was not quite as proficient with combat as most Sith were, she more than compensated for that regrettable handicap with her keen tactical mind, natural leadership abilities, and excellent sensory abilities. It certainly helped that she had mastered her Force sense so that few could detect her extended reach unless she wished it, a feat that earned her significant favor from Lord Wyyrlok.
Contacting Phobar from his yacht at the doomed palace through a private subspace channel the Columi Sith personally devised to ensure maximum secrecy, she rapidly typed a warning:
"The Jedi and their Resistance friends are making their final move after the Royal Family, so you'd all best finish preparing everything for your immediate evacuation."
Knowing the message was received and that Phobar would have everything under control on his end, Irola returned her focus towards the diversionary Alliance fleet leading the first wave. Recognizing the vessels of many high-profile Jedi and their cohorts, Irola wished they would be able to take them all out before their retreat and send a perfect message at the cost of foolhardy defiance.
Reluctantly, they did not have the time or ability to do so here, and even if they did, they could not afford to expend their precious energies on this singular flashpoint. But that did not mean Irola could not make their advance easy for the enemy. Where was the fun in simply handing a temporary victory to them when she could make them all work for it all?
1015 Hours
Korriban, Valley of the Dark Lords
Sith Catacombs, Tomb of Ajunta Pall
Tau hoped his friend would be down here, and he was immensely pleased once he saw the young Tuk'ata pup scamper on towards him. It seemed little Butch had a bit of a knack for history just as he did. Playfully petting the Sith hound, he handed him a few scraps of meat he snuck from the kitchen, enjoying seeing Butch tear into each small piece of protein as if it was a treat from the powers-that-be themselves.
But as much as he enjoyed his few hours of a break, there was a deeper motive for being out here. It was time for the young clone to start uncovering a few of the Force's and this world's mysteries and continue establishing his own identity while working to undermine the One Sith's war effort. However, to best do that, though, he needed a perspective on the Force more than what his implanted memories could provide alone, and how to fight Sith. And to best win against Sith, what better way than to investigate the Jedi presence that was calling out to him?
Sure, there was a risk of discovery by his creators, but he had taken steps to minimize the dangers, and this needed to be done before the Aphra women deserted, for he would not get another opportunity like this again. And with Prowl linked to his commlink and datapad, able to guide him out of the tombs should he lose his way, he was ready to start his work for the next three hours.
Opening himself to the Force, both the Light and the Dark, he followed the bright current that echoed throughout this series of catacombs, drawing it towards him as a pall of regret could be sensed, trying to pull him into the void along with the ghost. The ghost's will- she, he quickly realized- was strong, but Tau was nothing if not persistent.
Slowly, he pulled the spirit out of her resting place, and saw her spectral form for the first time. A Togruta, dressed in light combat armor reminiscent of a swordsmith from primitive worlds, with two curved lightsaber hilts attached to her belt, was kneeling on the ground, silently crying while whispering, "All my fault. It's all my fault."
"Hi there." Tau tenderly said as he slowly approached the weeping ghost, and he then said, "Are you alright? Is there anything that I can do for you?"
"Yes, there is, Sith scum." The Force Ghost venomously said as she slowly rose to her feet, and ignited her white-colored lightsabers, causing Tau to look at her with caution as he pulled out his lightsaber, igniting the red blade in case the specter tried to fight.
"You brought me out of this stupor of mine, so I can thank you by personally dispatching you!" She shouted as she lunged at Edaan, who quickly blocked both of her spectral lightsabers, and was completely dumbfounded as how a Force Ghost's spectral weapons could harm him.
Quickly leaping above the mysterious woman and taking several steps away from her, he protested her unprovoked attack, "Okay, I think that we need to clarify a few things, lady! First off, I don't even know you. And second, I am not a Sith. My name is Tau, thank you very much. Now, why don't you tell me just who you are, since I haven't the faintest…" Tau trailed off, realizing just who he was talking to, and then tried to reason with the deceased Jedi spirit.
Carrying himself with all his confidence and strength, he honestly mustered out, "Ahsoka Tano, I can promise you that I am on your side. I am a descendant of a powerful Force User, yes, but I am also a servant of the Light, just as you were in your lifetime."
"I've heard exactly those kinds of Sith lies before! The Jedi Order was destroyed by Emperor Palpatine and my former friend, Anakin Skywalker, after he became Darth Vader, and the Order never recovered from Order Sixty-Six and the rise of the Sith Empire that followed. Just about every Jedi still out there was either hunted down and murdered or brainwashed by Sidious's armies and Dark Side Acolytes." Ahsoka ardently denied.
"I wasn't there to help my friends, my former master, anyone escape the betrayal that the Sith forced the Clone Troopers to carry out and couldn't do anything to stop the rise of the Empire. After I put myself back together, I tried to build countless rebel groups to reinspire hope across the galaxy, but each was eventually crushed by the endless legions of Stormtroopers and Inquisitors that pursued us, before joining up with the nascent Rebel Alliance." She tearfully streamed out.
"And you joined up with the Spectres and two other Jedi, reuniting with Clone Captain Rex and helped them with many missions before most of you met your end here, at Vader's hands while destroying an Imperial superweapon. It was a Shock Drum prototype if I recall correctly." Tau sadly concluded, remembering the implanted lessons his genetic template had learned from Leia Organa Solo during his time as an Initiate on Shedu Maad.
"Yes. I couldn't stop the suffering that the Sith and their minions wrought, but I can still avenge all the pain and loss that the Empire has inflicted upon the galaxy by killing you and your allies. I sense the putrid taint of the Dark Side etched into your very being, just as it is into this accursed world." Ahsoka mournfully vowed, prepared to renew her assault before seeing Butch leap to his friend's defense, barking while baring his teeth in defiance of the attacker, surprising the Togruta apparition.
"A Tuk'ata… wait. The darkness I sensed from you, it's mostly just an echo of this tomb. And your hound, I feel only fearless loyalty and unconditional love coming from the beast. That should be impossible for a pup like that." Ahsoka astonishingly marveled, before cautiously asking Tau, "Who exactly are you?"
"It's a rather long story." Tau apprehensively began. "And I don't have the time to fully explain it to you before I'm missed, unless we try something that's… very unorthodox and highly dangerous."
Ruefully smiling, Ahsoka glanced down and chuckled, "You sound like a good friend of my old Jedi master." Although she never met Qui-Gon Jinn before his murder, she recognized many of his attributes in him from the stories Master Plo Koon taught her throughout their years as master and student, most notably, his compassion and disregard for traditional methods.
And although she did not know the man before her, her instincts, honed through years of combat and diplomacy, they all told her this man could be trusted, so she would take a chance on him. "Just tell me how I can help you, young Jedi."
Tau sheepishly corrected her, "Well for starters, I'm technically not a Jedi, just a clone of one of the reborn Order's most renowned Knights." Suddenly, Ahsoka felt that this story she would soon hear was going to be far more interesting than she could ever have imagined.
Well, I think this is a good place to end the chapter! What did you all think? The battles for Dathomir and Falleen are in full swing, and I've included or continued a few extra conflicts and subplots as well to properly prepare for the next story. I hope it all works, and you all enjoyed the chapter. Not too much longer before this story reaches its climax, and I intend for it to be glorious. So, how are you all doing on this warm evening of Tuesday, June 28, 2022? I'm well, but a bit nervous, as I drive with my father down to Florida in three days, and then I'll be on vacation and visiting family for a little over a week, which means I won't be able to write much during those days. Oh, and I just finished Star Wars: Darksaber a few hours ago, and it was a great read. I can't wait to start reading another book tomorrow. Well, I'd best get this chapter published now. I hope you all have a blessed evening, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!
