Kira and Wraith Squadron arrived back on Dromund Kaas to the sound of cheering in the streets. They flew over Kaas City in formation and headed towards their hangar in the Citadel.
"Nice flying back there hotshot, you're fitting in quite well with the Wraiths." her Squad leader commented as they both climbed down from their fighters.
Elia was really cool. A raven-haired human with an acidic sense of humor, she had taken the Empire's best rejects as she liked to call them and turned them into a unified fighting force with more confirmed kills than any bomber squad in the Imperial fleet. Her ingenuity had caught Sahesri's attention so he had placed Kira with Elia's squad to improve her flying skills.
"Thanks Boss." Kira said with a grin, clapping Elia on the back playfully.
In the Squad there was no distinction between human or non-human, Imperial or Sith. You were given the respect that you earned and Kira loved that. She liked that she could talk to them on the same level. In the Republic, people had always bowed down to her like some sort of venerable god for being a Jedi and in the Empire there was a good amount of the same. At first she had to admit it was kind of cool but now her thoughts had changed. She liked getting able to spend time with people on a personal level without her connection to the force being constantly brought up.
"Hey Kira," a Twi'lek named Rai, callsign Wraith Five, yelled from his side of the hangar. "You got a visitor."
She looked up from shedding her flight suit to see a pair of familiar red eyes watching her.
"You look sexy in that thing." Kex growled into her ear as she ran over and hugged him.
"Yes yes the shapeless flightsuit accentuates my body in all the right places." she said with a giggle as he picked her up into his arms.
"It's what it represents beautiful. Talented women are the sexiest. And I hear pilots are very very good with their hands." His eyebrows wiggled suggestively.
She smiled. "I think after this battle we may have a small respite. The Republic's going to need time to regroup and so will we."
"Yes" he said with a grin at the thought. "I don't ship out for another three weeks. Will the Emperor allow my girl a little vacation time?"
"Your girl?" she asked with happily widened eyes.
"My girl." he confirmed and brought their lips together.
"Force sensitive? Interesting."
"Yes Master" Arrryyn confirmed. "The boy is no older than five and force choked a trooper."
"Hmmm" Sahesri considered for a moment. "What of the boy's parents?"
"According to the boy, his father was a soldier and he has been confirmed as one of the casualties of our assault on the garrison here. His mother is a scientist who we have not been able to find."
"So he is an orphan. Bring him with you when you return to Dromund Kaas Arrryyn. I wish to meet the boy myself."
"Yes Master." Arrryyn said with a bow. "My people have also prepared a delegation to come back to Dromund Kaas with me and discuss my homeworld's inclusion into the Empire personally with you."
Sahesri nodded "Tell your people I look forward to your arrival."
"Yes Master. We shall return to Dromund Kaas within the week."
Satele stood on the bridge of The Valiant staring out at the stars. The stars were beautiful and uncomplicated. Unlike life which has gotten terribly terribly complicated.
When she felt her son and former lover's deaths in the Force, part of her had died too. And since she faced away from the crew, no one could see the silent tears streaming down her face.
There is no emotion, there is peace.
She had been such an idiot! She should have never allowed Jace to go to Dromund Kaas. The Sith had anticipated the Republic making a stance to try and rescue the Republic prisoners. And now because of Jace's impulsiveness, he was dead. Along with Theron and ten of the Order's brightest Jedi.
And for all her supposed powers she had no clue what they were going to do now.
"Master Satele?" A young ensign called to her. "The Chancellor is on holo for you."
She nodded and wiped her teary eyes on the sleeve of her robes.
There is no emotion, there is peace.
Jaesa finished her debriefing with her Master and swore she levitated to Casia's quarters. She was so excited for them to be alone. They hadn't had the chance to be alone in a long time.
She walked into see her lover laying on her bed reading a datapad.
"You are beautiful."
The blonde Darth grinned and placed the datapad on the table next to her. "Come here little ember."
Their lips met in the kind of kiss you dream about. The kind where you can't help but shiver and moan into it. The kind of kiss the Jedi would never understand.
"Force I missed having you in my arms." Casia breathed, pulling the younger Sith Lord close.
"I missed you too."
Casia kissed the top of her head "So what did Sahe have to say?"
"Arrryyn holo'ed saying that the Republic's attempted invasion of Kashyyyk has been thwarted. And he found a little boy that may be force-sensitive. He's bringing the boy to Dromund Kaas with him."
"That's good to hear. How old is this little boy?"
"He's five. Killed one of the troops Master sent to help Arrryyn. Could have alot of potential, plus he's an orphan now so there's nowhere else for him to go."
"I see" she continued to stroke Jaesa's hair absentmindedly, lulling the younger woman into a deep calm while she thought.
"Jae, have you ever thought about having children?"
Jaesa looked up at her curiously. "Why do you ask?"
Casia shrugged. "Indulge my curiousity."
"Well I know my parents would love grandchildren since I was their only child. And I guess I want kids some day too. But I always thought I'd be married first. Now really, why are you asking?"
The Dark Lord just grinned impishly and slid out from under her getting down on the floor next to the bed. She grabbed the raven haired young woman's hand in hers and pulled a small box out of her robe pocket.
Jaesa's eyes widened.
"Jaesa even before I met you I knew you were out there in the galaxy waiting for me. And now that I've found you, I could not be any happier or feel more fulfilled. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"
She opened the box to reveal a gorgeous ring with a sapphire stone.
"I spoke to your mother and this was your great-grandmother's ring. I still have some old contacts on Alderaan so I was able to find it and buy it back. Your parents had to sell it when you were little."
Jaesa felt tears coming to her eyes which was a rare occurence. She's never really been much of a crier.
"Yes, yes, yes I love you and I will marry you!"
After putting Augustus to sleep Vette sat outside with Lalyn to admire the night's sky.
"Sometimes I wish that Sahe hadn't been predestined to be Emperor by some stupid force prophecy." she said as the friend she considered to be like a sister meditated beside her.
"Sometimes I just wish we could leave the stupid war between the Jedi and Sith behind and come live here on Dathomir forever."
Lalyn smiled with her eyes still closed. "Brother isn't like that though. He needs to be busy."
"Yeah I know. But it's nice to dream."
"Agreed" Lalyn conceded. "But destiny is a funny thing. The force has a sense of humor."
"It sure does."
Lalyn opened her eyes and looked at the young twi'lek regardingly.
"Gah stop that! You're just like him!" Vette yelped, hiding behind her hands as though they would protect her.
Lalyn smirked. "If you could though, would you change anything?"
Vette only needed a split-second of thought.
"Nope. Not a chance."
After a thorough dressing-down by the Supreme Chancellor, Satele decided to visit her young ward.
They moved him regularly, afraid that if they kept him settled in one place for too long, he would be found. Currently, he was on Carrick Station under the care of an astromech droid and a Republic doctor.
She was brought past the guards and smiled when she saw the young baby boy amused by the astromech's beeping and whirring.
"Hello Master Satele." Doctor Kimble greeted as she entered the room.
"Hello Doctor Kimble, Hello Teeseven. How is our young friend today?"
"You know, now I know why I never became a pediatrician. Especially not for force-sensitive kids."
Teeseven whirred over to where she sat next to Kimble. "Master Satele=upset. Why?"
"I have some very bad news for you guys. Master Karresh was killed by the Sith yesterday."
"No, no, no, not Kwon. It couldn't have been Kwon. I mean he killed the Emperor. They couldn't have killed him."
"I'm afraid it's true Doctor. A fleet was assembled to try and rescue those who were prisoners of the Sith. They were too late. The small strike force that had been assembled was destroyed. Commander Malcom was killed in the battle as well."
Kimble put his head in his hands. "No no it can't be." But then he remembered.
"Kira, what about Kira? Please don't tell me she's gone too."
Satele's eyes closed sadly. "I'm afraid it's far worse. Kira has turned to the dark side."
"No!" the doctor yelled getting up from the couch. "Not Kira! Kira would never betray the Republic! Kira's a hero!"
"I'm afraid it's true. I wish it weren't."
The twi'lek infant on the ground began to cry and Teeseven rolled over to him in an attempt to soothe him.
"All this over a baby." Doc murmured as he stood and stared out the window.
Satele stood next to him. "He may not look like alot now. But he's the only hope we have."