Today's delays are blamed on World of Warcraft, for having an expansion drop... I regret nothing, its rather well done... regardless, the chapter is here. enjoy... ~F
Chapter Six
Expansion
Hermione sat in council alongside the other leaders of the rebellion, happy that all parties that had ventured away had returned at last safe and sound. Lord Berethon, Commander Flitwick, Severus, Admiral Weasley, Master Yoda and Lord Teepo all had come together to debate what they had all found in their various exploits.
Commander Flitwick started with notifying them that they had received many supplies from their loose allies throughout the southern Outer Rim. Unfortunately for them, the Inquisitorial Fleet under the unknown figure of Gor-lak was growing more and more clever in tracking their movements.
"I fear that we need to take some steps in creating better stealth technology just to be able to gather the supplies that we need to sustain Sanctuary Base. Either that, or else we might need to loosen out policy of allowing others to know where we're located, so that they can bring supplies to us, rather than select drop offs for us to collect."
"No," Hermione countered, refusing to even think about letting too many more people close to them. She knew that the Empire was struggling to locate their base, and despite the charms and spells that shrouded them, adding too many people into the secret could prove dangerous if their secret keeper passed away, making all those who knew the secret the new keepers. And as strong as Lord Berethon was, he was very old for a human male, and they might have to replace the magic onto another, especially if the Jedi wanted to start being more active in the Galaxy once again.
"I will look into making out ships lighter and more difficult to track, but we cannot risk too many unknowns having the location of our base." She said quickly, to cover her abrupt denial of the idea. Flitwick nodded, understanding her intense desire to protect the last of them as much as possible.
Severus leaned forward at that time, "I was unable to find the formula for the Philosopher's Stone; the Emperor had destroyed every trace of that particular work in the tomes that we recovered."
There was a collected exhale across the table as many of their hopes were dashed at the loss of the miracle elixir that could have saved countless lives. "So that venture was all for naught then…" Admiral Weasley said, disappointed.
"I would go as far as to say that…" Severus countered, smirking, "I have an idea for a project that still may hold merit, but it is extremely dangerous, and must remain the utmost of secrets."
Hermione raised her eyebrows. It wasn't often that Severus withheld information from them, and if he was going so far as to do that he must have been direly serious.
"And what of you, Master Yoda, and you Lord Teepo?" Lord Berethon asked, turning to his two fellow Jedi, "What news came from your investigation of Ilum?"
"Unfortunately," Lord Teepo spoke in responce, "there has been an emergence of a new faction of Force users, unrelated to the Jedi or the Sith Empire."
The others grew still at the news, knowing that the combination of the disturbance that the Jedi had reported alongside the loss of the entire group of Teepo's Paladins on the planet Ilum meant that this was serious.
"They are powerful in the Dark Side, and were taking crystals from the caves on Ilum, only to corrupt them and drain the Living Force from them for their own use in fashioning lightsabers with black blades." He went on to explain.
"This is not good for the Galaxy as a whole…" Berethon replied, deep in thought.
"But it would also be a major blind spot for the Empire, as they will be trying to crush this group just as much, if not more so, than us." Hermione added, interjecting some trace amounts of hope into the meeting that was growing too subdued for her taste.
"It could prove to be excellent cover to go out and act in the Galaxy without too much notice. Recruitment might increase if people feel that the Empire is not protecting them as it should." Commander Flitwick added.
"Not to mention the logistics of moving our ships through Imperial space without detection due to them looking for other factors…" Admiral Weasley stated, smirking to himself. "I propose that we signal to our allies to gather in a larger meeting, to further act against the Empire directly, cause a little bit of chaos in the midst of this potential threat of theirs, and make sure that their attention is thoroughly split."
"That could prove disastrous if the innocent are the ones to suffer for it…" Hermione objected, but the redhead was already holding up his hands.
"We won't attack civilian targets, but military ones, which would also allow others to go out and get the word around to the other groups and get them gathering what supplies they can. If we cannot allow them to come to Hoth for safety, we should think about creating a second base that has looser restrictions for who can come."
"That… actually is brilliant Ron…" Hermione said, amazed that she had not thought of it sooner. If they replicated what they had constructed here on the icy planet somewhere else, they might be able to gather more resistance against Harry and his Empire without having to risk themselves directly.
"It would make a good launching point where we can send teams out into the Galaxy to strategically make life hard for the imperials…" Lord Berethon added, smiling himself, and Hermione knew that those teams would have to include Jedi as well.
"I'm not terribly for sending your members to court acts of terrorism and attack, when they ought to be guardians of the peace, but I see we have little choice left in that regard," she admitted at last. Turning back to Weasley, she added, "find us a suitable planet, and we will make the arrangements."
The red head nodded, satisfied, and immediately opened a star chart on his datapad, typing his way through the Outer Rim for a suitable candidate. "Until we discover a suitable world, we should focus on identifying prime military targets to weaken the Empire in light of these events, while still making sure that the innocent are protected from this unknown threat," he added, typing away at a high speed. "And hopefully we can find somewhere out of the way enough and without a large native populace that would perhaps be irritated by our using their planet… like… this…" he trailed off, stopped on a planet on his datapad.
"Bakura…" he said slowly, looking up at them all, "on the edges of the Unknown Regions, limited native populace, no colonies from Republic or Imperial sources. It's absolutely perfect for a base."
Hermione thought hard, not trying to shoot down the idea but explore every possibility. It was feasibly perfect as a choice, and there was no overwhelming reasoning to throw it out of hand. "We can send a survey team to investigate further and set down some fundamental charms to prepare for a full fledge construction."
The Admiral seemed pleased with the decision, and set aside his datapad and folding his hand before him, content to listen for the rest of the meeting.
"I believe we have enough on our collective plate now to proceed," Hermione said, smiling at them all. With that, they called an end to their meeting; each party departing for their own personal projects, until such a time as the survey team was called and sent out.
That was a process that might take a bit of time, with each leader handpicking members from their subgroups to join the survey team.
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The battle of Ord Mantell had proceeded on quite slowly, the Republic Remnant starting to adapt and counter most of the resources that were allocated to the remaining armies of the Empire. Kelrek knew that this lack of support from the Emperor greatly harmed their ability to fully destroy the last of their enemies, and secure the rest of the Galaxy under the rule of Veneficus.
Still, even as their soldiers continued the battle across the surface, Kelrek eventually withdrew once more to the orbiting fleet, along with Jenah and Srilis. The Marauder was occupied orchestrating their troop movements across the planet, which left the Sorcerer and the Stalker walking the length of the ship with little to do.
Although honestly, Kelrek had plenty he could be working on, secrets of the ancient Sith that he could research from what was open for the Dark Adepts to study, or even those things that he alone had access to and shouldn't, but they needed to be on call just in case they were required to go back down to the planet once again.
"What do you think the purpose for our armies once the war finally ends…?" Srilis asked out of the blue, which cause Kelrek off guard. The normally quiet and reserved Assassin rarely spoke her mind, and when she did it was usually pointed things that made even the knowledgeable Sorcerer pause to think.
"I do not know," he was forced to admit, "perhaps we will be turned into the police of the Galaxy, hunting down all opposition against our Emperor and eliminating them until everything is subject to his rules. Or perhaps we will simply be disposed of…"
Admitting that was perhaps the most painful part of Kelrek's thought process. But it was truth, and that contained a portion of power that they could still act, and not simply react to the circumstances of their position.
"Would it therefore be better then, if the war was never concluded…?" Srilis added, turning to look at him directly, her eyes clouded in uncertainty.
"That is a dangerous line of thought, my friend," Kelrek said, knowing in his heart that it was true. Their actions were likely not going unnoticed, and as soon as they were no longer of use to the Empire as a whole, someone, the Emperor or another high ranking member of the Council, would have them eliminated out of hand.
"Glad to see you've finally come to the same conclusion," Jenah said, appearing behind them as a door to one of the many tactical rooms opened. "Now would probably be the time that we discuss the matter with someone else that wants us around for a while longer…" she added, beckoning them both inside.
The first thing Kelrek noticed was that the room was empty aside from Jenah, which meant that she had been communicating with someone off world only, and not the generals and admirals that were on the ship with them.
Pressing a button on the console, which resumed broadcasting the figure on the other end, Jenah bowed her head. "Lord Diábolis, the others have finally reached the conclusion you said that they would…"
The Sith apprentice, second only to the Emperor himself, smirked at the pair's surprise. "Yes, there is a great shift soon to be had in the Empire, if something is not done to prevent it… Veneficus has grown quite distant from the running of the Galaxy, seeking lost secrets that the Jedi had hidden from us or whatever else, and I sense that he seeks to eliminate the old order once he discovers it… that must not be allowed to happen."
Kelrek wasn't sure exactly what the Devaronian was alluding to, but it still sounded utterly terrible for them either way. "What would you have us do, my Lord?" Kelrek asked.
"For the present, nothing out of the ordinary…" Diásbolis replied, turning to look at something off of the holoscreen. "There is something that will alter things occurring around the Empire currently, outside the influence of the Emperor. Just make sure that the war with the Republic goes on long enough that you survive until I can recall you to me direct service, and then we can prepare more earnestly."
"As you command, Lord Diábolis," Srilis stated, even as the Devaronian Sith Lord nodded, reaching forward to cut the communication.
"So the next generation of Sith are already planning to destroy those that came before…" Kelrek said, turning to the other two.
"So it seems. And let's be honest, with Diábolis we stand a far better chance of survival in the coming conflict." Jenah replied.
"I wonder what he meant by some other event that will change things…" Srilis added, once again stabbing concern into their conversation.
"We won't know until it's pertinent to our cause," Jenah replied, shrugging. "Until then we have a battle here on Ord Mantell to win. We should throw all our effort to eliminating the Republic from this world to show our loyalty to the Emperor, even if we are beneath his notice."
Kelrek nodded, subtly agreeing that the need for them to continue as though nothing had changed was paramount to their secrecy. Even with all his power of foresight, Veneficus surely could not see all things, and so long as they remained of a significant lack of threat to him, there was little reason to presume that he would detect them before they had the chance to even begin acting against him.
"I think we've had enough of a break from the front lines," Jenah said, pulling up a tactical map of the various fronts on the planet below. She launched into her newest plans, which divided them among the various warfronts, but easily played into their individual skills so well that Kelrek knew exactly why the Sith Apprentice had sought them out specifically.
He would not be disappointed when the time came for htem to strike against the loyalists in the Empire, or whatever other scheme the Sith Lord would come up with to secure their power and safety within Diábolis' reign over the Empire.
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Fury was not overwhelmingly certain why Lord Diábolis took so much extra time on his own as they traveled down from orbit to the surface of the fourth moon of Yavin, but by the time they landed, the Sith had rejoined him and Calamity, along with their forward guards.
Whatever the matter had been that required his presence, the Sith Lord did not say, rather taking point as they disembarked, stretching out with the Dark Side and sweeping the planet slowly, searching for the tomb, or at least Fury guessed that. He too stretched out with his senses, looking for the largest pockets of Dark Side energy on the planet, aside from the encampments of those Adepts that trained on the planet, and for themselves.
It was difficult, and Fury felt himself kneel in the grassy dirt to better focus his energy and gaze across the entire planet. There were simple too many tombs and other small temples that glittered with the lure of the Force, Dark and even neutral toned auras.
"There is a possible one near to us…" Diábolis said, his voice lowered as the pair returned to their senses. "It's faint on the outset, but there is much that is hidden regarding it, and there is something else that I cannot say."
"Perhaps the same power that hides the tomb is throwing off our prey as well?" Fury suggested, and the Sith Lord nodded, "that is likely, but if that is the case we shall hunt ruin by ruin and eliminate them all in our own search for the tomb."
Turning and boarding a light speeder that had been brought for their use, Diábolis urged the driver onward, even as Fury and Calamity took a larger hovercart, one stronger in order to support the Troll's mass, and followed closely as the Sith Lord led them into the thick jungles of the moon.
Animals scattered on all sides as they plunged into the foliage, frightened by the power of the Dark Side that the three beings exuded around them, even as they neared some sort of temple in the thick of the jungle, overtaken by vines and greenery that seemed to grow withered as it drew too near to the entrances of the ruin.
"Look there," Diábolis said as they pulled to a halt, pointing. Fury looked toward the main entrance, and saw the signs immediately with the cut foliage littering the stone. Somebeing was here, or had been and departed.
"We'll go in together, while your beast will guard the entrance and kill any who attempt to flee from us," Diábolis commanded, and Fury nodded, feeling more comfortable with the Sith at his side and his apprentice out of the direct line of danger for the time being. Calamity's strength lay in being able to surprise his opponents with what speed and grace the troll actually possessed, but any drawn out saber fight would likely be too much this early on.
Weapons ignited, the pair of Darksiders advanced into the ruined temple, eyes sharp for any sign of movement from the shadows. The troopers were ordered to support Calamity if anything tried to escape the ruin before Fury and Diábolis returned; so for the moment they were on their own as the dove headlong into the unknown.
Passing through several large chambers, with crumbling walls and withered plant-life that had attempted to devour the Dark Side edifice, Fury was quick to fall into a pattern of checking and rechecking their possible avenues of attack alongside the Sith Lord.
That was proved effective when, beyond the initial chambers, the flare of black sabers signaled the ambush that both Imperials noted and had reacted to within moments, leaping back from the sudden strikes of their half dozen opponents.
"We should have known that the false Emperor would have riddled out our master's design, and sent his underlings to track us down…" said one of the lead figures, removing their mask and tossing the item aside, revealing the red skin and facial appendages of a Sith hybrid. Fury had done some study regarding the ancient sith orders, especially in his pursuit of various techniques to improve his handling of the weapons of their order, and had learned the base necessities of what constituted a Sith of the race versus a sith by the belief.
"I, Yihdâ, will soon gain great acknowledgement from our master in eliminating such powerful warriors of the false Empire, and will ascend to become the heir of our true leader." The male Sith said, raising a double bladed black saber, and pointing one end of it at the pair of them. "Slay them!"
The other five masked figured rushed forward, and Fury allowed himself to give in, once more, to the boiling rage of the Dark Side, leaping backward to draw the fools in to him, before springing back forward, each weapon in his hands transforming into a whirling disk of death, focused purely on the offense and eliminating the threat of their counterattacks with his overwhelming onslaught.
At the other side of the chamber, Diábolis took on two more of the attackers as well, in addition to the unmasked leader, his double ended weapon spinning quickly to parry and counter their blows, even as the Sith Lord used his powerful command over the Dark Side to throw them about telekinetically, or unleash blasts of Sith Lightning to create chaos among those tring to defeat him.
Fury would have leapt to the devaronian's aid, but he was occupied with his three, who despite their lack of skill compared to him individually, made up for the deficiency with their teamwork and numbers, constantly blocking his attacks and allowing their fellows time to recover from his staggering strikes.
Time slowed around Fury as he tapped fully into the rage that lay beneath the surface, his blades blurring as he struck, ducked around a pathetic counterstrike, and jumped up, planting a foot in the masked face of the third opponent, shoving himself further into the air and throwing the fool backward. His spun in midair, slashing wide to separate the other two as he landed between them, alternating his attacks from one target to the next, turning about as he circled defections to their retaliations around him, and lashing out with the Force, blasting one back and seizing the other by the throat, hoping to strangle the figure into unconsciousness or death before their allies could recover.
Fending off the attacks of the one he had kicked, Fury focused all his hatred on the foe struggling for air, until he heard the satisfying crunch of broken bones and tissue, and the figure went lifeless, dropping in a heap when Fury released them and turned all his attention to the remaining two.
His pair of sabers whirled once around him, before he darted forward, intent to eliminate the pair as efficiently as possible.
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Grand Inquisitor Gor-lak acknowledged the holocall that came for him on his personal communication station, kneeling as he realized that the Emperor himself had summoned his attention, "What is thy bidding, you're Majesty?"
The form of the Emperor seemed weighed down with strain of his office, but the ancient ork spirit could sense that despite the weakened frame, a frailty of the race to which the great man was born, the spirit of the Emperor was stronger than ever before, with great power that even he could sense from half the Galaxy away.
"There has been a great disturbance in the Force, Gor-lak," Veneficus said, eyes glowing yellow under the dark hood he wore, "The Jedi are not dead, nor are their rebel friends."
"I know this to be true, your majesty," Gor-lak replied enthusiastically, preening at the validation of his work in tracking down the last remnants of the old orders and terrorists to their Empire.
"In light of recent events, they may seek to start striking at our military installations, with both their warriors and even Jedi in their ranks. I want you to take command of a larger detachment, and see that there is an elite strike force prepared to counter their attempts to destabilize my Empire. It is too soon for us to fail; now before I've had all the time I need to make my rule truly Eternal…"
"As you command, your Majesty…" Gor-lak replied.
"In order to ensure that these orders are carried out, I demand that you come to Coruscant, and take a number of my Royal Guard to protect yourself, and signify to the Empire that you have my personal seal of approval for your actions, Grand Inquisitor…" the Emperor stated.
"We shall depart for the palace immediately, thank you for your confidence, my Lord." Gor-lak said, the grin now removing from his face even after the Emperor closed communications with him. He would have all the resources he could dream of, with the personal guard of the Emperor validating his actions throughout the Empire. He could rightly go into any military installation and demand their full cooperation now, as his title and position were official as of this moment.
Ringing through to the bridge, Gor-lak addressed the admiral of his fleet, "Set course for Coruscant, the Emperor himself has granted us authority to act in the name of his Imperial Majesty. We shall form a coalition that will hunt down and destroy ever detractor of our glorious Empire, as well as uncover the last of the Jedi, and eliminate them for all time, once and for all.
All ships turned, like a lumbering giant, toward the Core, and Gor-lak felt pride welling up inside of him even as the stars blurred around them and they were sent hurtling toward his destiny, and the Emperor.
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Veneficus could sense Gor-lak's excitement, all the way from the bowels of his palace. The ancient spirit was more than pleased with the pronouncement and the presumed favor that it brought. Little did the fool know that he was just another pawn in a long set of strife that surrounded the Empire.
In the ork's continued attempts to harass the rebels and their Jedi allies, it would prevent these detractors from gaining too much easy ground on the fringe worlds that would be the ideal targets of the rebels, and even slow the consolidation of power that his apprentice was slowly pulling to himself.
"Fools…" he said gently to himself, even as he walked through the halls of the Palace, back toward the heart of the Holocron Chamber. "None of them understand what I am attempting to find here, they all seek for power in the most limited sense of the word."
The doors opened, revealing the glorious sight of the Great Holocron, many various Jedi and Sith holocrons floating around it in a grand meshing of knowledge and lore. "Here, at the heart of the Galaxy I possess the greatest collection of knowledge regarding the Force than has ever been known," he said, throwing his arms wide and pulling himself off the ground to float toward the repository of amassed knowledge.
Even as he settled within the embrace of the disassembled and rotating pieces of the various Holocrons, he felt their power shoot through him once more, as he had done many times, seeking the methods of power and immortality that the long generations had sought for. With this many Holocrons, the catalogue of knowledge and collective wisdom of the ancients, as well as his own massive presence within the Force should have been sufficient to locate the secret, and unlock its mysteries in little time, and while a great many abilities within the Force were discovered and collected by the Dark Lord of the Sith, the one he sought above all else still eluded him.
Before his mind's eye, Sith Lords and Jedi Masters alike appeared, reasoning with each other in a grand council not seen before the very origin of the twin orders, debating the possibility and where such secrets could be found in all the Galaxy.
"You're straining yourself thin, my old apprentice," the shade of Darth Millennial said, stepping from the shadows of the chamber and regarding the Emperor with the remorse of the dead.
"Like I am in any further need of the sustenance of life, my old Master," Veneficus shot back, knowing that the old mutant had already touched upon the secrets to disregard rest and most of the vital nutrients of the physical realm. Veneficus had taken it a step further, completely voiding the need of food, hydration and sleep, living purely off the power of the Dark Side.
"But you are killing yourself with your dependence on the Force…" Millennial countered.
"I have what is needed to survive," the Emperor retorted, angered that his old master was succeeding in distracting him from his search.
"This is not the way things ought to have played out," said the voice of Darth Bane, the Sith'ari that created the Rule of Two. The specter emerged to stand beside Millennial, as though the two Sith were in agreement, "You are foregoing the Rule I set in place with your search for Eternal Life."
"Is that not what you did when you felt that Zannah was unworthy?" Veneficus countered, "I have defeated the Jedi, realized the grand design that you supported, ought I not live forever and rule this Galaxy with my will alone?"
"There are other ways, easier ways that you know to achieve this…" Bane countered, even as Naga Sadow and his rival Ludo Kreesh appeared in spirit alongside them.
"Not to achieve what I desire. This body, this face will become the immortal symbol of my Empire, and nothing else." Veneficus shouted, his face contorting with rage at the spirits that haunted him, yet gave him so much power in the Dark Side.
"And what becomes of your Empire in the meantime?" Sadow asked, "you have done little to advance it as a whole, so consumed upon your own lusts as you have been…"
"And what would you do with unlimited time in the end?" Kreesh added, "When all is said and done, you will become the Galaxy, and there will be no conflict, no growth… you will become as stagnant as the Jedi, secure in your power until someone else finally topples you forever."
"Then I will create conflicts, I will cause the Galaxy to continue to grow and prosper, and find more, untamed worlds in the Unknown Regions and beyond to conquer, I will wage war upon the entire universe if I must, for I will never die!" Veneficus roared, losing his concentration and falling from his position, only managing to stop himself from colliding heavily with the ground at the last moment.
The Sith Spirits were silent, either in judgment of the current leader of the Order or else in amazement at his ambition, Veneficus did not know.
The silence was broken as Veneficus' comlink crackled to life, "Your Majesty, the fleet of the Inquisitor has arrived, as well as the various detachments that you commanded. What are your orders?" one of the Royal Arcanamach asked, and Veneficus straightened his robes, focusing on the door past his mentors.
"I will be there shortly, have them arrayed in full battle precession before the doors of my palace. We will make a small spectacle of it for Gor-lak's sake…" Veneficus commanded, walking through Millennial and toward the door.
He would show the ancient spirits of his forebears that he was not derelict in his duties toward the Empire, and once he had achieved permanent eternal life, then the Galaxy would shudder at the merest mention of Emperor Veneficus, their one and only Ruler.
Exchanging his black robes for something a bit gaudier, and more fulfilling of his position as Emperor of the known Galaxy, Veneficus exited the front of the former Jedi Temple, rows of his royal guards preceding him in a grand appearance before row of Sith warriors, proudly holding their helmets under their arms and watching their Emperor's every move.
Raising his arms over his head once he was within view of every soldier, Veneficus allowed them to cheer for their glorious Emperor. Wanting to waste little time with speeches or other theatrics for the sake of cannon fodder soldiers, Veneficus tapped into a rare power of the Dark Side, allowing his voice to transmit his will to the hearts of every soldier, binding them to his command.
"You will go forth, warriors of the Empire, and seek out those rebels that wish to destroy our peace and security. Obey my will as Emperor, destroy my enemies!" he commanded, allowing the power of the Dark Side to flow over them all and warp their minds to his command.
"Yes, your Majesty!" they cried as one, their eyes burning with the brand of the Dark Side's power washing over them.
"All Hail the Emperor!" they chanted, even as Veneficus sensed Gor-lak's ship enter orbit.
"Take ten of your fellows and join Lord Gor-lak in his hunt," Veneficus commanded the nearest Arcanamach, "Destroy the last of the Jedi that are hiding out in the Galaxy, as well as their rebel friends…"
"Yes, my Lord…" the masked clone replied, turning away and marshalling his charges, as well as preparing the soldiers before them to board the fleet.
"When Gor-lak arrived, send him to me…" Veneficus said, already tired of being away from the font of power within the temple. Turning away in disgust at the cheering crowd of soldiers, who had already started replacing their helmets on their heads, perfectly disguising the fact that they were under his control, Veneficus started for his palace.
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Ist was not terribly surprised to find that she and her Master had been selected by Lord Berethon to accompany some of the various groups. The fact however that she specifically was summon to meet with Lord Berethon regarding the assignment, without her Master however was strange.
Nevertheless, she complied, heading straight for the room that would have, if there were more Jedi Council Members alive, have been their meeting chamber.
She was surprised to find the room dark as she entered, only for the brilliance of Lightsabers to illuminate the room. Two green, three of blue, brilliant silver and violet blades erupted to life in a weak circle in the center, with room for her to approach.
"Padawan Ist," Lord Berethon said from where he sat at the head of the circle of sabers, "Come forward."
Fully aware of what this was, and humbled by the recognition, Ist approached until she stood before the Jedi Lord and current head of the Order. Yoda was there at the side of his fellow master, smiling proudly at her achievement in the eyes of the current leaders of their order.
"By the Right of the Council," Lord Berethon intoned, "by the will of the Force, I Knight you a defender of the Republic, and a champion of Light."
With a swift stroke, Lord Berethon executed a swift uppercut with his blue saber, severing the Padawan braid from her head, the long strand of braided fur falling to the ground.
"Welcome, Jedi Knight Ist, to the ranks of the Order!" Lord Berethon declared, even as Ist beamed. The lights returned and the remaining Masters shut off their sabers.
"Because you fended off the lure of the Dark Side, and the attempts of the Sith Lord to make you fall, casual and fleeting though they might have been, in that situation many others might have fallen," Master Restelly Quist said, answering the Bothan's unasked questions before she had the chance to voice them.
"I see," she said, only partially understanding. The confrontation, if one could call it that, seemed less than what she would have considered intense enough to confirm her strength in the Light. "As a Jedi Knight, we can now place you in charge of a division that will scour the upper range of the Outer Rim," Lord Berethon stated, coming forward, "you will attend Commander Flitwick as he searches for the remnant of the Republic military that hid among the remaining loyalist planets."
"Highly likely it is, that the Empire, already fight them are…" Yoda added.
"And where are you going to be sent?" Ist asked, genuinely curious.
"With Admiral Weasley, to the southern Rim we shall go, for more supplies we will need for a new base planet…" the goblin Jedi Master said, smirking.
"I understand Masters," Ist said, nodding her head in respect, "I accept this assignment with all the humility I can muster."
"We expect great things to occur around you, Ist," Lord Berethon stated, putting a hand on her arm, as he couldn't reach her shoulder from his chair, "You will do the Jedi Order a dear credit in your service. May the Force be with you…"
"And you as well Masters," Ist said, turning to see Master Xic Freirty gestured at the door, opening it and beckoning Ist outside of the room, directing her in the hard to understand Sullustan tongue that her team were waiting for her already in the main hangar bay.
Obeying without question, Ist made her way to the specified place, finding Commander Flitwick conversing with a handful of Knights, Padawans, and specifically the last living Jedi Shadow that the Order was aware of, Kell Guesto.
"Ah, here is the last member of our group," the Jedi Shadow said, indicating Ist, "newly Knighted Jedi Ist Nanraah."
"Ah, my dear, a pleasure to work with you on this assignment," Commander Flitwick said, smiling as he withdrew his wooden implement for the mage-born's powerful magic, "I suggest we depart soon, as the others will need this space to prepare for many more groups in due time."
"I agree," Ist said, stepping forward toward the shuttle that the other Jedi were already boarding. Along with Ist and Shadow Guesto, Jedi Knights Nrin Dyz and Bagrax Doususo were in attendance, as well as PadawanTols Paa and Mok Januun, each of the young Jedi looking eager to be on their first assignments off world.
The shuttle took off swiftly after they were securely aboard, darting out of the hangar and into orbit, heading toward one of the larger ships in Sanctuary's Fleet. "While Director Granger was somewhat unwilling to part with so many of our ships at once, I think she will be pleased by all that we can accomplish by splitting up as we are," the diminutive wizard said with a smile.
"Even as much as the Force wills it…" Shadow Guesto said, turning to look at the newly knighted Jedi in their midst. Ist nodded back, still unsure about some things, but feeling confident about the future of what was planned for them.
If they could find even a smattering of those loyal to the Republic, boosting their numbers might be the least of their problems. The major issue would be that, as far as they knew regarding that section of the Galaxy, the Empire had never stopped their war in that quadrant, and so fully fledge war ships would be lurking about, and with only one cruiser for them to use, it would be precarious for them to be drawn into a battle with the Imperials.
"I saw we start at the southernmost systems, and acquire as much information as we can before moving on, directing any that we find and recruit to Bakura, where the new base will be built." Flitwick said, consulting a portable star chart on his datapad, "by the time they arrive, hopefully someone from the base will be there directing things and setting down foundations for a defensible location for our allies to assemble."
It was as sound a plan as Ist could think of, nor did any of the other Jedi disagree with the mission. They knew where they were needed most, seeking out those who were Force Sensitive and offering them a place at the Temple on Hoth, as well as protecting their friends if the Empire sent Dark Adepts after them. Otherwise they were the symbol of hope for the failing Republic, which was that the light of the Jedi Order had not been snuffed out as the Emperor had declared.