Epilogue

"The Ember of Vahla are dangerous and not to be trusted!" Thrawn warned Arden when he heard her idea. "I know where their homeworld is as Xendor and I were the ones who inspired the original Vahla to form their society with our actions. My husband even went to meet the original leaders themselves and entrusted them with a very special weapon: his hammer, which he created personally. What makes it so special is this: it was forged through a combination of regular metals and the Talisman's powers, making it indestructible to normal weapons of that and any time," she replied.

"I understand your desire to regain your husband's weapon and use it against the Yuuzhan Vong but the Vahla are dangerous. There's no telling whether they'll believe what you have to say or reject you and forcibly turn you around," he stated. "You speak of danger as though you don't think keeping a fallen Jedi and her apprentice around isn't," she snapped. Thrawn shrugged, admitting that was a good point on her part and even smirked at her comeback.

"I will give you a cruiser with a captain and crew to pilot and operate it. It should be large enough to store the entire Vahla with some room to spare," he said. "Why so big a ship as that?" she asked. "The entire Vahla population will want to join you if you know where their original homeworld is and can guide them to it in exchange for fighting for you," he answered.

And they will most certainly have increased in numbers rather dramatically since my husband and I sheltered the first dozen or so to ever exist from the Jedi. The prophecy their leader made of my return should come to my advantage when gaining entrance as well she thought but didn't say. "You make an excellent and rather valid point as to the population of the Vahla increasing since last I saw them," she said aloud. "And you understand that there are those tribes that might resist you and believe your return to be a sign of their own doom?" he asked.

"Yes I am and those tribes will be the ones so fanatical that they are hypocritical to their own gospel. It's in the nature of almost any religious organization to have followers who eventually become corrupt and turn on the principles they once fought for. The Jedi have done it on too many occasions to count, even before my time," she answered with a nod. "You say that like you believe you know the nature of all sentients down to the need for bodily functions," he said.

"Hardly, I only know what happened to me to be true for many other societies-past and present-that have incorporated religion into their existence. I believe you put it in the best words: when you understand one's culture, you understand how to defeat them. But while that's true, there are some aspects that exist in all cultures that are to be recognized and exploited where necessary to do so," she said. "When will you be needing the cruiser to go and track down the Vahla?" he asked, deciding to draw the subject away from culture for a little bit.

"Soon as you give me a world to go to and you tell me when you think you'll have that cruiser ready," she answered. He smiled, liking her tread of thought and knowing he was probably going to miss having her around. "Are you and your apprentice going to return here after you do what you need to do?" he inquired. He genuinely did hope that she would return with her apprentice, the Battle Meditation doing great things being one of many reasons why.

He also wanted to see the properties of Battle Meld at work since Arden explained it as being hardly any different from Meditation except that you can actually stand and fight with Meld. With the combined strength of both rituals being enacted, Thrawn could repel the Yuuzhan Vong for good. Then he could return to his people as a hero and immediately begin turning his eye toward the known galaxy. It would most certainly be interesting to face an enemy with two faces such as Lord Sidious was in the eyes of the Chiss Admiral.

"That depends on the success of our mission and whether or not we live to tell the tale," she replied. The reply was a bittersweet piece of news but perhaps Thrawn should have expected as much. "If you must know where to find the Ember of Vahl, they have annual gatherings on Glee Anselm to discuss how the search for their homeworld is coming. The time of the Gathering is almost a day or so away so it should be beginning by the time you arrive," he said with a nod of understanding.

"And I suspect your troops will know how to reach Glee Anselm as I most certainly will not?" she asked. "Yes they will, all you need to is be present to learn how we travel to planets for future reference. Plus, when you're finished there, reports indicate that the Yuuzhan Vong are trying something new. They're going to try and go around our defenses by attacking from Malastare, a planet deep within the Mid Rim's Hydian Way," he answered.

"If your troops also have the coordinates for reaching Malastare from Glee Anselm, going there right after recruiting the Vahla should not be difficult," she said. "You can't be serious about that," he stated, more as a statement than a question though that was indicated. "I am: we will pick up as many of the Vahla as will join us and then head for Malastare where we'll wait for that force to come along. Besides, if the Ember of Vahla train warriors in the same manner now as they did when I met them, dealing with this force should be no problem," she replied.

Thrawn shrugged, yielding yet another point in her favor and also remembered that Arden had Battle Meditation and her apprentice had Battle Meld. A good strategy combined with both of those things should see them overcoming the taskforce and much more. But that still left one question in his mind, one that had been gnawing at him practically since he met her. "Do you do this to avenge Xendor or even to honor his memory?" he asked. That stopped Arden in her tracks long enough for her to give the question thought as to how it would be answered.

Just the fact that Thrawn had asked it was enough to make her clench her sword's scabbard hard enough to slightly bend it. It was something she could fix with ease later but she underestimated her own physical strength at this point. Nonetheless, it was the best she could do to keep from drawing it out and using it to kill Thrawn instead of answering the question. "Yes, I do it to avenge him and honor his memory but I also do it to show that the Jedi are not the only group of Force users that can protect people against evil," she answered.

"A message that Maul and Savage are trying to send with their actions combined with the participation of rogue organizations that bear hatred for the Republic and the CIS. Sending out the same message might present you as a fourth side to the war if you're not careful. Or another candidate for a third force if Maul and Savage's Collective falls under and they die," he said. "Which would then make you a fourth or fifth force and the Yuuzhan Vong a fifth or sixth upon both your revelations, depending on what happens; unless you ally yourself with me, that is," she replied with a smile.

"Indeed we do make for a great alliance together, perhaps when you return, we can renew that tie and conquer the galaxy together. It would certainly help you with avenging your husband and paying the Jedi back," he suggested. "Galactic domination was never in my sights and it still isn't. Vengeance against the Jedi, on the other hand, is," she retorted.

He had to admit, she was humble and direct with her sights, far more than any Jedi he had encountered during the Outbound Flight expedition. Perhaps someday, she'll make for a great wife for me. Assuming she ever moves on from the death of Xendor and lets go of her ring he thought. "Your ship will be ready for you in five hours, should be enough time to pack up what you have and prepare to leave, wouldn't you say?" he asked aloud.

"I have not much beyond my sword, my robes, my apprentice, and the Talisman. It won't be even an hour of packing and I can perhaps pass the rest of the time with some meditation. Maybe even a sparring session with those training droids you gave me for practice," she answered. "The greatest warrior is indeed one who always keeps their skills sharpened for battle," he agreed.

"The Jedi preached that one should not go looking for a battle but should be ready for one in any instance. As you can see, they have hardly been practicing that nearly as much as I have been," she said. "Then this is goodbye at least until you return from your adventures?" he asked. She nodded and said that if she wanted to renew her alliance with him, she would make sure to find him back here.

"Be careful about avoiding the Jedi and Dooku's agents wherever possible during your travels. Once you're in the void the Yuuzhan Vong seem to like staying in, that shouldn't be a problem for you. Anonymity may work in your favor and the favor of your allies at least until you make the jump from Malastare into the Void," he stated. Giggling, she turned to leave but not before saying something that made him understand she knew that: "Trust me Admiral, I am very good at hiding behind shadows."

Author's Note

Firstly, I would like to extend a thanks to everyone who has read and/or reviewed this first part of a two-part tale that needs telling. Your compliments and remarks have not gone unnoticed, of that make no mistake. Having said that however, I would also like to take the time to briefly thank and commend Revanachist for his reviews and his suggestions for ideas to use in the future. My collaborator and I have been doing much discussion based on those, including such aspects as whether or not we can use your ideas and if so, how.

At this point, I will keep private which ones have been approved or had aspects approved and which ones were not though there was much discussion for both. In the meantime ladies and gentleman, this is it until the week following the release of the Clone Wars Episode "The Lawless" due to come out after this week's episode "Shades of Reason". But when both are released, the release of our own sequel shall be announced but until then, look for announcements for the release of Star Wars: Vengeance From The Unknown: Day of The Red Sun. Thank you so much for your time and participation, especially to Revanachist; your voices have not been ignored.