Birds could be heard in the early morning as a K-type star rose on the horizon. Sanctum was a quiet world, untouched by the wars that had plagued the larger galaxy. It sat within the habitable zone of the Aeternia System, several light years off from the Perlimian Trade Route, tucked comfortably behind the Black Nebula, which acted as a natural blockade to those inexperienced in traversing such stellar objects. Because of its solitude, Sanctum had grown to be the capital of an enterprise entirely its own, the Aeternia Kingdom. Once a prominent power thousands of years ago, the kingdom had collapsed inward, leaving it but one system. Ever since, its leaders had endeavored to avoid the greater galaxy, choosing instead to strengthen their might from within.

There were few notable geographic points on the world. It was either desert or grass plains, with a few forests sprinkled throughout the equator, alongside vast, shallow oceans that covered half the planet's surface. Perhaps the only impressive site was the Hysperidian Plateau, which jutted up two miles from the ground. If one were to tip over the edge, it would take nearly a minute to reach the dry, desolate ground below.

It was atop this plateau the city of Aeternum was situated. A great wall sat along the perimeter of the city, a reminder of its ancient past when walls were still useful. The city was shaped like a pyramid, shooting up high into the sky, with its ground levels being dedicated to the largest markets the planet had to offer. They were also home to the poorest of society, who could not afford the higher wages needed to move up in the city. Though the walls and buildings of Aeternum were all dull hues of brown and tan, the people knew how to spice up their home. Banners of blue, red, green, and yellow were common sights to see at markets and outside homes. As one rose up through the levels, it became clear where the wealth lay. Nothing became prettier, but rather things became bigger. Food was more prominent, colors appeared brighter, and life seemed better. It was at the very peak of the city where the Aeternum Throne sat, encased within the Bronze Palace, which was a grossly misnamed. It was more a fortress than anything, with a grand courtyard that connected to the rest of the palace via bronze stairs that were wider than they were long. Anti-air cannons lined the palace's perimeter, and soldiers of bronze marched about in all directions, ensuring no one could threaten the livelihood of their king. It was within this palace the most grotesque of grunts could be heard. Blades crashing against one another echoed through the back hallways, which were in close proximity to the trial fields at the palace's rear.

Expert swordsmen adorned in armor of bronze and durasteel faced off against a much younger man who had just reached adulthood. The young warrior stumbled away from his adversaries, throwing his shaggy black hair out of his eyes while he moved. A black half-circle was tattooed around his right eye, and the man had a hint of stubble on the chin of his unblemished face. He looked up to find three swordsmen lunging for him, and raised his bronze vibrosword in retaliation. He parried the swing of his nearest opponent before ducking under the golden electrostaff of another. He raised his sword to the third, sparks flying as their weapons collided. The young man still had much to gain in the area of strength, and was briefly staggered by his adversary before finding his feet on the sand-covered surface of the trial yard. His breathing was heavy as he looked out on the three swordsmen drawing near to him. A part of him wanted to give up, dash away his hope, when he heard the high-pitched scream of his friend standing a short distance away, one of his protectants to be more exact.

"Come on Taladon!" the woman screamed.

It was enough to stir the man's heart to action. He grabbed the hilt of another weapon as he watched his opponents draw near, and ignited its blade just as they came upon him with their staffs extended. He raised his blades, countering all three of them as his weapons crossed over his chest. Extending his fingertips, he summoned enough strength send the men stumbling backwards, though all were still standing despite Taladon's best efforts with the Force. He extended his vibrosword to the warriors while, in his other hand, he twirled the silver hilt of a lightsaber which spat foaming blue from its focusing ring, a sign the weapon had been around longer than anyone roaming Sanctum's surface. Taladon saw no better opportunity to strike than while his adversaries were staggered, and leaped forward with his weapons raised. He collided with the nearest warrior, swiping close to the man's midsection with his lightsaber before aiming high for his head with the vibrosword. The swordsman retreated, only to stumble over himself and land hard against the ground. Taladon then spun about to clash blades with his next opponent. By the time the last swordsman arrived, he was ready, and countered with his lightsaber. The three of them spiraled around one another, weapons sliding along each other to create puffs of light, a sight that could only be enjoyed by Taladon's protectant. The young man appeared to be gaining the upper hand, his rapid strikes causing the swordsmen to slowly back off, when a lucky blow to his left wrist sent his lightsaber flying free of his grip. He watched it slide along the ground, and knew he would struggle in combat without it. He quickly outstretched his hand to reach it, and called upon the Force with the last of his strength. His face contorted as he tried to pull the weapon toward him, and his efforts appeared to be working. The hilt rattled, and lifted an inch off the ground. It appeared ready to come toward him, when a staff struck his shin a second later. His energy sapped, he turned back to find his opponents standing over him. He sidestepped an electrostaff and deflected another before feeling sparks shoot through his shoulder. He fell to a knee, raising his vibrosword in a final effort to defend himself, when a swordsmen knocked it aside and landed a blow to his chest. Taladon fell backwards onto the ground, sweat dripping down his forehead as he tried to steady his heartbeat.

One of the swordsmen took a knee beside him in order to lend a hand. "A good fight, my prince," the man said. "You're getting better."

"Not fast enough, it seems," Taladon huffed, and took the man's hand. "I wish Force-wielding came easier."

"Don't be too hard on yourself," the man replied. "Remember, you're one of the few people in the galaxy with such abilities. Be proud of that."

"Thanks," Taladon nodded to the man, and slowly, as if not wanting the moment to occur, turned to his protectant. He watched as the woman descended the staircase leading out of the trial yards to meet him. She was a rare breed, a Twi'lek with snow white skin, whose bright, hazel eyes appeared to shower him with sympathy as she approached. He gave a slight grunt as he looked to the woman. "Well, I can already tell what you think."

The woman cocked her head, arms behind her back as she squinted with her eyes, as if she felt pain at the thought of how she would respond. "It was… good, just—"

"Yeah," Taladon rolled his eyes. "Not good enough." He shook his head as he stepped closer to her. "You and I have that in common at least. We both think I'm on the struggle ship today."

The woman cocked her head as Taladon passed her. "You never make sense to me, Taladon. You give yourself impossible standards, and sulk when you fail. What do you expect to happen?"

"I don't know," Taladon shook his head. "I just—"

"What?" the woman said, and came to stand by his side. "You always get like this after a duel, even if you win. What is so wrong that you feel the need to kick yourself in the tail every time? I mean—"

"Because I want to do right by my father!" Taladon snapped. He picked his lightsaber off the ground and twirled it in his hand. "He gave me this, said I could do great things for the world if I worked hard enough, but I'm grown now, and I still feel helpless." He closed his eyes, frowning as the thought of how little he had progressed. He knew of the Jedi, everyone did. He knew they were taken as children to be trained, and wondered how much better younglings must have been than him, an eighteen-year-old who had yet to so much as pull an object to him.

"You're not helpless," the woman said, and got right in his face to make her point. "You don't give your father enough credit. He's never pressed you, has he?"

Taladon shrugged. "Well, no but—"

"He's always been encouraging, telling you how great you'll be one day," the woman stated.

Taladon's shoulders sank. "I just want to make him proud. I want to show him I've gotten better, but it just feels like I've flatlined."

The woman shook her head. "You haven't. You were better today than you were yesterday, and yesterday you were better than the day before."

"How could you know that?"

The woman cocked an eyebrow. "Because every day you try. You work hard, and effort like that always pays off with time."

Taladon tried to find a way of arguing with her; he had a habit of wanting to be right, but found there was nothing to say. "Fine, you win, Lumin." He raised his hands in defeat.

"I always win," the woman grinned, and crossed her arms over her chest as she stood by a moment to gloat. "You just don't always admit it."

Taladon was forced to smile, and gestured for Lumin to follow as he walked up the stairs to the palace. "I don't know how you do it, but you have this way of making people smile. You know that, right?"

Lumin's eyes diverted from him. "Easy to be happy when you've seen the alternative."

"And what's the alternative?" Taladon asked. "A world without you?"

Lumin barely stifled a laugh. "Sure, let's go with that." Though she tried to maintain her demeanor as a protectant, she was only older than Taladon by a year, and could not help but find they shared common ground on many subjects. They had grown to be good friends over the years, along with the other of Taladon's protectants. It was their job to keep the prince safe, but it became clear such an endeavor involved a more personal connection than simply work relations. "Wanna find Arkin and tell him about the duel?"

Taladon nearly shook his head at the idea. "Not like there's anything special I'd tell him."

"Still, our Corellian friend could use a story that's not from the holoscreen," Lumin replied. They were about to enter the palace when blaster fire erupted from inside. Acting on instinct, Lumin shoved Taladon against the wall, pulling her DL-18 from its holster as she prepared her next move. "Stay behind me," she instructed, and palace's door slid open.

Taladon rolled his eyes at her, then ripped his vibrosword from its sheathe and held it out before him. The Aeternia Sword, passed down by his father, was a blade in unraveled craftsmanship on Sanctum, carvings of their history etched into its hilt. Taladon followed closely behind Lumin when, to his surprise, the blaster fire ceased to be heard. He looked to the woman, and her him, before they agreed to proceed further. They rounded the bronze-covered hallway to find a man standing over the corpse of a soldier. "Arkin?" the prince called out. "What happened?" To him, it looked as if his protectant had just shot one of their soldiers.

Arkin raised a finger. "Give it a sec."

Before their eyes, the holographic display of an Aeternia soldier dissipated, revealing the tentacled body of a gray Parwan, blasters still in its hands.

"Just as I thought," Arkin remarked, and kicked the body. "Bounty hunter. Prolly came to kill our dear prince here, or his father for that matter." Arkin was a man of instinct, Corellian-born with a soft spot for starships. Three black triangles were tatted on the back of his right hand, the emblem of Kuat Drive Yards, manufacturers of the Republic's most notorious warships. The man was older than Taladon by two years, and had been serving the kingdom faithfully for many more ever since work ran dry for him in the core worlds. Arkin was what Taladon considered a hitch boy, one who could care less for love, but attracted attention wherever he went because of his favorable looks and strong Corellian accent. The man had wavy blonde hair flowing to the right side of his face, which nearly covered one of his golden green eyes. The most notable of his features was that of an upside down black triangle around his left eye. Yet, despite his appearance and smooth voice, Taladon understood the man like few others. They were friends, but he never mistook the fact Arkin was a killer at heart. Whether it be blaster or starfighter, the man was great with both.

Taladon was about to reply to his friend when he heard footsteps drawing near from a staircase at the end of the hall. Flying around the corner with a long, black cape flowing behind him was Taladon's father, King Valoris of the Aeternia Kingdom. He wore bronze armor, much like the soldiers that accompanied him, though beneath his was an extra layer of durasteel. Valoris was getting up there in years, just under the age of sixty, with a graying beard on his face. His golden eyes looked to his son with worry, only for his posture to relax when he saw the body of their enemy lying dead on the floor. "I see we had an intruder," the king remarked as he came to stand before Taladon and his protectants.

Taladon gave Arkin a gentle nudge. "Our gunslinger here took care of him. The Parwan was wearing a holographic disguise matrix."

Valoris put a hand to his chin in thought, and slowly moved the body with his foot. He rolled the body over, and found a tattoo on the back of the Parwan's neck. His eyes moved to Arkin, an eyebrow raised. "Recognize it?"

"Guild of some sort," Arkin admitted. "Not sure which though. Probably Outer Rim."

Valoris gestured for a soldier to step forward. "Check it," he ordered, and watched the man kneel beside the corpse with a scanner in hand. The scan took only seconds to complete, and the soldier was quick to hand over the device. Valoris had a look at the scanner, his lips twitching enough to reveal surprise, though only Taladon noticed. "Crimson Thorns."

"Nar Shaddaa," Lumin suddenly chimed in.

"Indeed," Valoris admitted. "The Hutt capital."

Taladon raised an eyebrow. "The Hutts want us dead?"

Valoris was quick to raise a hand. "We don't know if it was the Hutts who ordered this."

"But still, someone wants us dead," Taladon pointed out. "Why? Who could possibly care about our affairs?"

"I don't know," his father answered, "but we're going to find out." He then turned to his captain, who was quick to stand by his side. The dark-skinned man wore shades over his eyes, claiming they were used to blot out the son, but Taladon knew they were just to keep his eyes a mystery from the rest of them. "Ready a team for Nar Shaddaa, Captain Konran. I want to know who hired the guild," Valoris began to order, when his son hastily interjected.

"Are you sure sending soldiers is the best option?" Taladon asked.

Valoris cocked his head. "You're not suggesting you'd rather go, are you?"

Taladon groaned, knowing it would be almost impossible to reason with his father. "You've trained me to be a great warrior like you, dad. What better opportunity to prove myself than on a little expedition to the stars?"

Valoris turned to his son, still towering over him at six and a half feet in height. "They wanted to kill us. Why would I let you serve yourself up on a platter for them?"

Taladon was quick to grab Lumin by the arm. "Because I have my protectants."

Lumin appeared hesitant, a frown growing on her face as her eyes veered off toward the floor. Arkin, on the other hand, could not have been more enthused by the prospect of leaving Sanctum.

Valoris sighed, wondering how long his son would persist if he did not lay the matter to rest. He then looked to Lumin. "Do you believe he's ready?"

The woman put a hand to the back of her neck. "Well…"

Taladon glared at her in disbelief. "What happened to all that optimism earlier?"

Lumin opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Arkin was quick to step in, and wrapped his burly arm around Taladon's neck while he flashed a bright smile toward the king. "I've seen him fight. He's ready, your highness. Besides, he has us watching his back. There's no safer person in all the galaxy."

Valoris almost laughed. "That's quite the overstatement." He huffed, then threw up his hands in defeat. "But very well. Perhaps this will be an appropriate trial for my son after all." He gestured for Konran to step forward, and the captain handed a chip to Arkin. "You may take the Valiant. She's waiting on the lower hangar."

Arkin winked at the man. "Won't fail you, your highness."

"No, I don't believe you will," Valoris replied, arms crossed as a silent threat for what would happen if a hair on his son's head was damaged.

Taladon dragged his protectants alongside him as he moved past his father. "I'll make you proud, dad."

Valoris suddenly grabbed his son by the wrist, his eyes moving wearily to the young man as his head lowered. "You already have." He smiled. "Travel safe, my son, and may the winds carry you safely."

Taladon nodded. "Thank you, father." He felt his father loose his grip, and Taladon moved past him with his small entourage toward the hangar on the palace's lower levels.

#

"Wow," Arkin uttered in shock at the sight before them. A large vessel coated in bronze and silver sat before them, its main body shaped like a U, with a cockpit jutting up at its center. "This ship's gotta be several hundred years old."

Lumin crossed her arms. "Well, when you're done gawking at it, wanna start the thing up?"

Arkin laughed. "Sure princess, anything to stop your pouting."

Taladon stepped between them to keep the peace, and the three of them climbed aboard the ship. Bright lights greeted them on entry, and they stepped inside the cockpit to find eight seats within: two for the pilots, another two behind them, and four scooched up along the cockpit's walls.

Arkin was still as awestruck as he had been on the outside. "For an ancient ship, this thing sure has nice digs." He reclined in the pilot's seat, grinning ear to ear as he jacked in the engine chip. The Valiant shuddered, and the group heard monstrous roars come from the engine room. Arkin took control of the steering as Taladon sat down beside him, with Lumin choosing a spot just behind the prince. "Might want to hold on. These launches can be rather bumpy," Arkin advised with a smile, knowing the prince wouldn't adhere to his advice.

"I think I can handle a little—" Taladon tried to say, when he was sent over his seat. If not for Lumin, he would have found his way onto the floorboards.

The Valiant shot out of the palace's hangar and took to the open skies, soaring over the vast Gorvuun Desert that surrounded Aeternum. Taladon looked out on the world, his jaw agape at the sights displayed before him. They passed over the Golden Sea, and began rising through the clouds to breach the atmosphere. Before long, they were gazing out at the stars. They passed silently by the Bronze Fleet, a cluster of two hundred warships that safeguarded their kingdom, and made for the Black Nebula.

Taladon smiled as he watched the warships go past their viewport. "Always felt safe looking up at the sky and seeing so many ships."

Arkin gave a slight nod. "Valoris has some nice battleships in his fleet, even nicer ships out by the asteroid belt, but they're nothing compared to the Republic Navy."

Taladon sat forward in his seat. "How many ships do they have?"

"Thousands," Arkin replied. "Corvettes, cruisers, star destroyers. You name it, they have it. Ships so huge you'd never believe it."

Taladon's eyes widened as he sat back in his seat. "The galaxy's a large place."

"With powerful empires at play," Lumin remarked.

The next minute was filled with silence as they took it the awe of the galaxy they were about to step into. Then, Taladon turned to Arkin, an eyebrow raised as he thought of the man's motives. There was always another angle to the man, some alternative reason for his actions. "You didn't vouch for me because you actually believed in my skills, did you?" Taladon asked. "You just wanted off Sanctum."

Arkin chuckled. "Can't pull one over on you, can I?" He then shook his head. "I'm an adventurer at heart, Taladon. Sooner or later, I need to spread my wings and fly. This is the perfect excuse."

Taladon felt a hint of shame. Arkin and him had spent many evenings chatting away, and spent many more days causing trouble in the palace. Yet, despite their bond, it seemed too often like Arkin was only ever in it for himself. Taladon wondered what would happen the day Arkin decided his pay wasn't enough. His mind was put at ease, however, when he felt Lumin's hand on his shoulder.

"Don't listen to this knucklehead," she told him. "Arkin's just afraid to say how much he cares about you."

Arkin groaned. "Save the emotion for someone who needs it. I feel I'm gonna puke just sitting next to you."

Taladon and Lumin shared a laugh at Arkin's expense, when light began to distort around them. They could feel the ship's hyperdrive activating, and a second later they were sent shooting into the void of space, off to the great expanses beyond.

Author's Note

The upcoming chapters will alternate between characters, with the next returning to the Jedi and their affairs. Hopefully you're willing to give these OCs a chance, as I hope they're not coming across as annoying or unwelcome. The adventures of various characters will intertwine in the grand scheme of the story's plot, and though there will be smaller events happening throughout the galaxy, I will not stray too far from the central theme that is the Yuuzhan Vong War.