Good afternoon, everyone! How are you all doing on this cool day of Friday, February 3, 2023? I'm well, as I've outlined this chapter over the last few days, and have been writing, reading, and working a lot over the days. I'm currently rereading Star Wars: Yoda: Dark Rendezvous, and it's magnificent so far. I can't wait to read more after my mother's 60th birthday party tomorrow. It's going to be a great day; I have deep faith in that. Afterwards, hopefully I can publish my Ch. 10 and Robonino interlude chapter, as I'm eager to hear what you all think of them. But I have to say something, something I'm rather disgusted by from Disney and the executives of Lucasfilm. I've learned that at the next Star Wars Celebration, they're going to be introducing the first drag show to their audience, and it's… absolutely shameful and abominable, to be blunt and quick. I fell in love with Star Wars because of its storytelling, its captivating characters, and wholesome message for all about righteous battles and fighting for what is just, finding redemption, and navigating a difficult galaxy, not real-world ideas that divide the Star Wars community and push away loyal and hardcore fans that enjoy its original type of storytelling. I'm afraid that now, I have absolutely no choice but to boycott any future Star Wars material, aside from fanfictions and works like the upcoming expanded and annotated version of Supernatural Encounters, unless the executives choose to reverse course and return to their roots. It may be heartbreaking for me, but it must be done for my conscience and morals, if nothing else. But I've said my piece, and I ought to get to writing. Well, I hope you all have a blessed weekend, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!

2345 Hours, Selona 17th, 59 ABY

Lehon System, Star Forge Debris Field

Aboard the Black Hand

It was good to be a pirate, no matter what the slanderous propaganda spat out, while observing his salvage crews bring in their latest haul for the One Sith's expanding war machine. While the Dug raider Mabulto Crem enjoyed a good fight against unsuspecting prey, he knew there was something quite enjoyable about the many blue milk runs that Lord Krayt had commissioned his flotilla for. Seeing the wreckage of at least two corvettes of designs and insignias that harkened back to the era of the Pius Dea Crusades, the pirate lord knew the next paycheck would include a good bonus.

Having run dozens of salvaging runs for the Sith's naval buildup in some long-forgotten corner of this part of the galaxy, it gave the Zillo Raiders a chance to rebuild from the Galactic Alliance's retaliation strikes on independent fleets while preparing for when they would strike back against those backward-minded fools. Of course, it helped that Lord Krayt promised the Dugs rebels that were allied with him assistance in reclaiming their homeworld of Malastare from Gran dominion once the dark order ruled the galaxy, but that was merely a long-term benefit to this alliance. Aside from the Dugs, there were countless races, societies, and creeds that had long been subjugated by the rotten establishments and all their willingly blind defenders, and this war would soon give them all the vindication they had long sought.

Just as he received word on the latest batch of cargo being secured aboard his flagship, Mabulto was ready to order his fleet of Star Galleon-class Frigatesto begin its pre-hyperspace preparations before the Black Hand's deep space alarms began blaring throughout all levels of the repurposed Imperial frigate. Scurrying up to his command chair as quickly as his legs could carry him, the Dug addressed his officers, "Talk to me. What are we looking at here?"

"We've got about eighteen unregistered signatures exiting hyperspace right in front of the debris field." One Duros officer reported, before anxiously adding, "Wait… It looks like a mix of Imperial and Chiss craft."

Cursing the bad timing, Mabulto ordered his navigations officer, "Bypass all safety protocols and get us a path out of the system in the next five minutes." Turning to his weapons officer, he warned, "Have all gunnery crews ready to hold the enemy back until we're ready to jump."

Right as he finished giving his commands, Mabulto was certain he saw a black specter fly past the bridge, which was the last spectacle he saw before the bridge was consumed in a fiery explosion and exposing any possible survivors to the all-consuming vacuum of space.

0030 Hours, Selona 18th, 59 ABY

Aboard the Lucky Striker

"Progress report." Tycho Celchu, retired Galactic Alliance general and leading colonel in the Rogues' Gallery, ordered his XO after the aged Alderaanian turned away from the tactical display on the bridge of the Imperial II-class Star Destroyer.

"All squadrons are reporting in. We've captured or eliminated every enemy ship in the system and suffered minimal casualties to our ranks. Of course, it helped how the Jedi and Aquilians beheaded the pirate flotillas' leadership or captured the flagships before we engaged their subordinates."

"Excellent. Have the fleet scan the system for any possible stragglers, and then have us return to our forward base."

Having overseen the small rout of the enemy's salvaging force, Tycho hoped that this raid was the start of the master plan the Chiss and Alliance of Light leadership had supposedly banked everything on. While he agreed that the Jedi-sponsored coalition needed to unify its forces under one banner, and by capturing many of the enemy's ships to scour them clean of any leads on the One Sith's concealed strongholds, it was a good step in that direction, he feared it was a stalling measure at best.

With the Chiss Ascendancy teetering precariously close to collapse, according to the reports the Rogues' Gallery and their allies received, it would take more than a few small victories to resolve this disaster. Thanks to the Aristocras and Defense Council having called out their legislative bodies for their vast corruption and stagnation, many civilians and government officials in the Syndicature were terribly disillusioned by such a display, with morale plummeting across virtually every facet of their society.

On the other hand, many more Chiss were protesting the abuses of many of their representatives' self-serving attitudes and pledging their support to reforming their government and culture. But either way, if the situation was not somehow stabilized soon, then the Ascendancy could enter a civil war between the traditionalists and reformers. What the Rogues' Gallery and its cohorts needed now was to show the Ascendancy a better path forward and to give them a symbol to rally behind.

Hopefully, the Sith wouldn't capitalize on their foes' weaknesses until the Alliance was ready to counterattack. But knowing their ruthlessness, Tycho wasn't too keen on that faint hope, and was ready to work with his co-conspirators in reviving the Insiders inside the Chiss Ascendancy, should the worst come to pass.

Remembering those first few brutal months after Coruscant fell to the Yuuzhan Vong, how the New Republic Advisory Council built a mock defense on the reclaimed world of Borleias while planning to save themselves, Tycho shuddered at the plans a select few individuals put into motion to continue the war against the invaders, should the war prove to be unwinnable for the failing government. If the Chiss couldn't learn from the New Republic's example and rein in their sense of entitlement while learning from their defeats fast enough, then others would have to carry on the fight if the oligarchical society fell.

0330 Hours

Deep Within Tenpue's Swamps

Aboard the YT-2400 Light Freighter Junker

"I never thought you Jedi would take the smart approach to taking a few Sith out of this war." Khedyrn marveled to Valin Horn, observing the Alliance of Light task force finish taking up positions while the Junker kept vigil over the forests that protected their targets from a direct assault. Prepared to set fire to the forests below to force Haplif and his acolytes to flee, the Junker and its Jedi escort were ready to intercept and capture them before they could escape.

"Let's just hope this plan doesn't result in another Kashyyyk." Valin anxiously mused, remembering the planetwide fires that scorched the Wookiee homeworld after Darth Caedus bombarded the planet for harboring the Jedi at the height of the Second Galactic Civil War.

"That's what the firefighter crews are for, Valin." Khedryn calmly reminded the Jedi Knight. Sympathetic to the Jedi's plight, he assured him, "This won't take too long, and we won't have to do that much damage to the forests. The real challenge will be afterwards."

Hearing the distinct sound of turbolasers firing nearby, Khedryn knew Phase One of this operation was underway. Soon, the Sith would make their attempt at an escape, only they would find their options severely limited.

0500 Hours

Hyperspace, On Route to Bastion

Aboard the Orinda's Bloom

Flexing her mechanical fingers, struggling to adjust to the two new appendages after losing the flesh-and-bone ones to the Sith, Jaina tried to block out all other sensations while Iden finished placing the synth-flesh coating over the metal attachments.

"There you go. It'll take a little while to get the fingers up to your standards, but it'll do for simple tasks for now." Iden alerted her friend before consoling her, "We'll make it in time to catch the Sith and save your husband, Jaina. That's a promise."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Iden." Jaina sadly denied.

"That doesn't sound like the Jaina I know." Mirta rebuked her friend. Having asked to accompany Jaina and Inferno Squad to Bastion to assist in apprehending the Sith fugitives and be there for her while she suffered from many wounds, the Mandalorian challenged her, "What happened to the determined and fierce Sword of the Jedi I knew back when you trained with us on Mandalore to take down her brother?"

"She became a wife and mother and has that much more to lose." Jaina rose from her seat and started walking to the corvette's comm center.

"And an Empire to rule alone if your husband bites the dust." Mirta flippantly added, not acknowledging the icy glares directed at her from both Jedi Master and Imperial commando.

"Low blow, Mando." Iden gritted out. "If you've got something to say, then out with it."

"Iden-" Jaina tried, only to be interrupted,

"No. She's right. Best we get this done now, before we go into battle again." Mirta allowed, starting over. "Besides, I could've tried that with a bit more tact." Gazing at Jaina, she amended, "You can't put this burden on yourself, Jaina. What happened to everyone on Bastion, don't blame yourself for it. Don't burden yourself for not seeing the Sith's deceptions and depravities. If anyone's to be held responsible, it's me for abetting their dark designs for so long."

Sitting back down, Mirta mourned, "While you and your friends helped reforge the Empire as a true force for good, working with kindred spirits in Imperials and Jedi to heal your part of the galaxy and nurturing a great family, I tore my home sector, my own family, apart because of a long-dead Sith Lord who's suffering for his sins. I threw away countless bonds, so many friendships, all for endless war and my own spite, just like Heta Kol and Tor Vizsla and their fracturing of the Mandalorian clans and culture during their eras. It nearly cost me my family and doomed my kids to following the same cycle of hatred, before your order's hero helped my closest friend see the light and save her from her regrets."

Eyes growing fierce but kind as Mirta gently placed a hand on Jaina's, the Mandalorian concluded, "And that redemption reached me as well, so now it's time for me to repay the favor by helping you in your time of need. If you need anything, or if your family and friends need a little help in protecting your own, I'll be there, and so will the rest of those that still follow me."

Gripping the hand in gratitude, Jaina good-humoredly warned Mirta, "I'll hold you to that, ori'vod."

Letting out a laugh, Mirta jokingly observed, "I didn't think you'd consider me a sister, Master Jedi."

"All right, I think things are getting a little too sappy in here now." Iden cut in, but with a subdued edge in her voice after hearing Mirta's kind gesture. "We'll be arriving at Bastion in exactly ten hours, and I'd prefer productivity and initiative over your idle banter."

"The Commander's right." Del Meeko, Inferno Squad's second-in-command and Iden's husband, anxiously agreed, handing his commanding officer a datapad. "And things are more dire for Bastion than just runaway Sith."

"What do you mean?" Jaina pressed.

"About five dozen unidentified items have been found scattered throughout Bastion Command." Del informed her, gazing at Mirta. "Clan Wren is working to deactivate them for study, but Sabine can't get past their final layer of encryption. Whoever designed these packages obviously knew what they were doing if an explosives savant like Colonel Wren can't decode their workings."

"Do you think I had something to do with this?" Mirta warily guessed.

"Highly doubtful." Iden confidently answered. "I think Del was actually hoping you might have a better idea of what the Imps and Wren are dealing with, given your recently severed ties with the One Sith."

Taking the datapad from the Imperial commander, Mirta skimmed through the file's contents, the color fading from her face at what she was reading. "This is not good at all."

"Then you know what Bastion is contending with here?" Del pushed.

"I'm afraid so, thanks to Vestara's many old underworld connections." Mirta simply confirmed before elaborating. "You need to evacuate your bases of all living beings and get a battalion of decontamination droids ready to cleanse the area. You're dealing with a network of highly advanced and volatile nerve gas dispensers that'll drive anyone insane within a five-mile radius before eventually killing them. And if you disarm even one of the bombs, then the entire network will detonate immediately."

Everything coming into place within Jaina's mind, she ordered Iden and Mirta, "Warn General Jaeger and Colonel Wren to pull their people out but have them do it quietly. If Repawl and his allies catch even a whiff of this, they'll make their move and guarantee their complete victory and make their escape."

0600 Hours

Tenpue Skies

Aboard the Golfead

Blazing past the inferno raging beneath the planet's surface, narrowly making it out of the enemy's first trap, Haplif innately grasped how this escape was only just beginning. While they were pursued by dozens of starfighters, with many more pouring out of the refurbished Trade Federation carrier, the Sith Lord and his retinue knew they couldn't simply jump to hyperspace to evade these assailants. That was especially true after he sensed at least half a dozen Jedi starfighters and several Aquilian warships bearing down on them, which meant the Sith would have to be creative to return to their brethren.

Cursing himself for not preparing for this possibility, all while berating himself for underestimating the enemy's resourcefulness and intelligence in leaving Tenupe seemingly undefended, Haplif keyed in a certain set of codes and commands into his personal yacht. Preparing to unleash several contingencies on the enemy, he knew the only way to escape this snare was to split the enemy's focus and give them more to deal with than one ship full of Sith. And what better way to create a distraction than to play on the Jedi's need to protect the weak and vulnerable?

Arming his yacht's missile launchers with the first of a dozen prototype projectiles, Haplif aimed the vessel towards the Lucrehulk-class capital ship, a relic of the Clone War and the era of Trade Federation economic dominance. Reaching out alongside his acolytes to the commander's mind, he found himself initially amazed at the officer's strong will before grasping the firm Force barrier protecting the fleet's leaders.

Typical Aquilians and their Paladins. They were the masters of redundancy and equipped for all methods of attack. Of course, against the baradium charges harbored away in the two missiles that had just launched, even the revered navy of Zakuul would be ill-prepared for such an offensive on the Alliance of Light's main warship. But first, the Sith needed to thin the herd of pursuers, which was why Haplif's disciples had readied another surprise for their enemies.

Releasing the sentient droid bombs from five of the ship's miniature exhaust vents, the sixty droids, obeying their programming, flew into the swarm of Alliance starfighters, detonating upon contact with many unsuspecting victims.

With the distraction in place, Haplif finished locking onto the capital ship before him, and fired the two missiles. Guided by the Force, the missiles quickly accelerated towards their target and breached the area just below the Trade Federation warship's communications array. Triggering the missiles remotely, Haplif shielded his eyes from the incredible explosions that wracked through the enemy carrier, consuming its sphere core and engulfing its ring of hangars in many blazing fires, leaving whatever survivors remained to fend for themselves.

Now, enhancing the anger and fear of the pilots still pursuing him, Haplif accelerated his ship through the dying warship, pouring power to the Golfead's engines and shields to avoid debris and explosions spitting out in all directions. Caught up in their heightened emotional state, most of the Alliance pilots failed to emerge from the wreckage, putting a smile on the Agbui's face.

Having finished prepping his ship for an emergency jump, Haplif was shocked when a few stray laser bolts pierced his ship's outer hull and saw three Jedi StealthX fighters and a YT-2400 freighter still in hot pursuit. Knowing he could not fight them off in these conditions, he chose to withdraw from the battlefield and jumped to hyperspace, fully unaware of the damage done to his prized yacht or the danger encroaching on him and all who served him.

0800 Hours

Wild Space, On the World of Yanibar

Temple of Sha Kalan

Within the heart of a sacred oasis, one of the precious few pastures of natural verdancy and beauty of the rough and treacherous world of Yanibar, lay a temple for the Zeison Sha, a long-independent order of Force Users that populated this nearly uninhabitable world. But even in this small patch of green life, with the storms battering the surface and howling winds buffering the temple's walls, darkness in all its forms always attempted to find a way to infiltrate, subvert, and destroy anything in its way.

Even though the One Sith were waging their war halfway across the galaxy, its effects were rippling even on this fringe world, and a people that wanted nothing to do with this latest skirmish between the Jedi and their religious opposites, a crucial meeting was underway between the Zeison Sha's leaders and the Jedi ambassador contacting them.

And while most elders of the isolationist order would love nothing more than to disconnect and leave the Jedi messenger to clean up the latest of their countless messes, this Whiphid reaching out was regarded with high regard for his deeds amongst the planet's inhabitants three years ago when he was accompanied by none other than galactic celebrity Edaan Palpatine. Despite the longstanding animosity the Zeison Sha held towards the Jedi Order for establishing this colony over two millennia ago at the start of the New Sith Wars, only to abandon them and force the refugees to fend for themselves, many its younger members regarded Edaan with fascination and grudging admiration for his rejection of his Sith heritage and efforts to knit a broken galaxy together.

Which was why Zhara Opa, the Grand Counselor of the Zeison Sha and her dozens of advisors were entertaining the hologram of K'Kruhk, a Jedi that the Force adepts reluctantly respected for his legendary survival skills, his devotion towards the Younglings once under his charge before Darth Vader and the Inquisitors slaughtered them all, and his work in undoing a lasting stain of Darth Sidious's legacy on Yanibar. But the ill tidings the Whiphid had brought, from Edaan's brainwashing by the One Sith, their massive force Darth Krayt had assembled from all corners of the galaxy, and the Dread Lord's heinous kidnapping of thousands of Force-Sensitive children from their families to empower his own armies, they terrified everyone, no matter their feelings regarding the Jedi.

Once the Jedi Master finished his hour-long effort of bringing the Zeison Sha up to speed, he concluded, "I know your order harbors little love for mine, but if we do not join forces to stop this scourge, then there will soon be no one left to stop the Sith, and they will cover the galaxy like an unstoppable plague."

Of course, no one in attendance was overly fond of the proposal, with most adepts shouting at the hologram, all too eager to remind their guest of their long list of grievances against his order. But Zhara, quickly growing tired of the vitriol, used her great command over the Force to telekinetically slam shut every door leading out of the chambers, silencing everyone with this rare display of outward anger.

"Are we all so childish, so caught up in old struggles, to not behave with honor before a guest? Can we not at least maintain a semblance of dignity while we at least hear what the Jedi has to say? Have we forgotten his efforts to help us in saving our home, and helping us realize that the Jedi are not so very different from us as we would like to believe?" Zhara reprimanded everyone with such force and disappointment, her words sent shudders through everyone's spines.

Remembering how K'Kruhk, having uncovered an Observatory, a Sith temple and storehouse utilized by the Galactic Empire of Darth Sidious, a blight on Yanibar that somehow remained inactive and hidden until three years ago, and threatened to spread its darkness across the planet unless it was dispelled.

Unable to breach its darkness on its own, K'Kruhk and Zhara discretely reached out to the Jedi Order to coordinate a joint attempt between them and the Zeison Sha to cleanse the area of its Dark Side taint. After several weeks of backbreaking efforts, suspecting treachery from one another and settling many longstanding animosities between both orders, the gambit paid off, but not without great sacrifice by Edaan himself, earning the resentful respect of many of the remote world's inhabitants, not merely its guardians.

Turning to K'Kruhk, she gestured, "Continue, please. I have not forgotten the debt we owe you and Edaan from three years ago, and I would strongly consider any way to repay that commitment."

"There is more to it than that, I'm afraid, and it is beyond your darkest imaginings." K'Kruhk cautiously added. "I'm not supposed to tell you this, but in the interest of full transparency, I will level with you. Krayt also has a number of Dark Side biological weapons that he intends to use on the world of Zonama Sekot and its population."

Seeing the confusion and fear plastered over everyone's faces, K'Kruhk elaborated, "The One Sith stole biological weapons from Admiral Daala that were intended to sever a person's connection to the Force, but they used its basest form to instead amplify the Force and leave them susceptible to the Dark Side's corruption. They're planning to use it to turn Zonama Sekot and its Yuuzhan Vong population into an unstoppable army to complete Krayt's plans for galactic conquest."

"How do you know this?" Zhara whispered. Remembering how the Yuuzhan Vong rampaged across the galaxy for five years before finally being beaten and forced into rehabilitative exile by the Jedi and Galactic Alliance, the Grand Counselor knew that, if this information was valid, then the time to drop their policy of self-exile and help repair this fractured galaxy.

"Because we have several high-profile defectors from the One Sith, sharing with us all their intelligence, myself included, all validated by the data one of their deserters stole from the Korriban Citadel's database." A familiar voice came through the holocall, revealing Edaan, garbed in black robes and armed with a lightsaber hilt unfamiliar to any of the Zeison Sha.

"Edaan?! How are you here?!" A High Counselor incredulously asked, suspiciously glaring at K'Kruhk, before accusing the Jedi Master, "You said he was captured and repurposed by the One Sith."

"And he is." The human man answered. "I am a clone of Edaan Palpatine, grown by the Sith from his severed hand to take his place within the Jedi Order. But thanks to a friend of mine and fellow turncoat, I was able to gain my free will and chose to aid the Alliance of Light in any capacity."

"Do you have a name?" Zhara curiously inquired. "I'd rather not call you a clone or some other derogatory title."

"It's 'Tau.' 'Tau Palpatine', ma'am." Tau politely answered. "But we can exchange pleasantries later. Right now, we need your decision on whether or not you will assist us in saving the galaxy from the Sith's latest batch of depravities."

"Why should we help your coalition?" A Counselor scathingly rebutted. "Ever since our order was founded, we've been able to take care of ourselves, with no outside interference or meddling by the rest of the galaxy. We've weathered every storm of war throughout two millennia, and we can endure this one as well. Quite frankly, this is not our fight."

"Wrong, Diva. It is our fight." An acolyte interjected. Xule Powl, a Falleen woman who found refuge with the Zeison Sha after being driven out by the now-defunct Freedom's Riches cult, she found herself disgusted by the cowardice of Diva and his entourage of sycophants. "This evil will not satisfy itself by carving itself a kingdom in the Unknown Regions. With every victory, the One Sith's power and reach will grow until it envelops the entire galaxy and swallows the light for good."

"I lost my family and home to their cult, and only because of the Jedi and their alliance with the planet's resistance was enough to free them. And the Jedi have been risking their lives to save planets and their populations from countless Sith atrocities, at great cost to their own. They have lived up to their principles and done much to atone for their past failings."

"Meanwhile, what have we done, other than cower in our temples in a vain hope that this war will end without great courage and sacrifice. Just like when the First Galactic Empire enslaved the galaxy, and the Yuuzhan Vong invaded all known space and murdered trillions of innocents, we hid away and celebrated the deaths of the galaxy's greatest defenders when countless fools and greedy idiots sold out many Jedi for profit and false security, wishing the wars would simply disappear like a fog of smoke."

"Tell me, all of you. When did we allow evil to become so much stronger than us, or have we just grown so apathetic to the concerns of those beyond our borders?"

Everyone silent at the impassioned plea, sensing their peer's rage and disgust thanks to the Falleen's pheromones penetrating their bodies, Zhara solemnly nodded to Xule before advising Tau and K'Kruhk, "Thank you for the enlightening information. But I believe we'll need a little time to deliberate over this matter."

"We will reach out to you on our decision by midday tomorrow." Zhara promised before signing off and leaving the Grand Counselor with the unfavorable task of convincing her disciples to break their longstanding anti-Jedi traditions and isolationist policies to ally with the Alliance of Light.

1900 Hours

Deep Space, Five Parsecs Out from Tenupe

Aboard the Golfead

"How long until we get the hyperdrive repaired?" Haplif impatiently compelled his acolytes. Having narrowly escaped the Alliance of Light's ambush, but not without taking significant damage to many of the yacht's key systems and bleeding much of its power, the Sith Lord knew it would not be long before they were tracked down. And this time, the Agbui would not be able to escape, doomed to either face a long incarceration and interrogation, or a mercifully quick death.

"We've patched together what we can, and we should be able to make two more jumps, three at the absolute most." One of the technicians reported, before cautiously adding, "But just to be safe, I would advise you to contact Lord Krayt right away and let him know of these developments, along with the information you uncovered on the Rhandites."

Scowling at the doubt of his strategy, Haplif would normally have humiliated the servant for speaking so boldly to him. But he also valued good judgment and instincts, and the Rhandites' treachery needed to be unveiled now, before they could join this 'Tor Valum' in serving a reviving Abeloth. The situation was far too grave to let mere ranks and pride blind the Sith Lord to the dark reality.

Relenting, Haplif agreed, "Then finish your repairs by the end of the next half hour. I will warn Lord Krayt on our recent discoveries and get us out of this mess." Preparing to telepathically call out to the Dread Lord, he stopped upon sensing a dark presence now emerging from hyperspace.

Sensing the nature of the new arrivals, Haplif wondered if Lord Krayt had learnt of the ambush and sent a relief force to recover his prized followers. But he soon felt the hostility from the ship's crew and realized there were far more dangers out there than simply the Sith's age-old adversaries. Before he could attempt an escape, the Golfead lurched, caught in a tractor beam lock, and was dragged backwards towards the mysterious enemies.

Well, Haplif knew whoever these opportunistic fools were, whether they were one of the Jedi's many allies, scavengers, or something else altogether, they were about to get a rude awakening on underestimating their betters. Pulling out his lightsaber, he commanded his followers to arm themselves to greet their unsuspecting victims.

However, as the ship drew closer, Haplif recognized many of the mysterious vessel's characteristics, and wondered if he had run into some Neo-Imperial faction or one of Lecersen's prototype warships. But with the yacht's communications down, he would have to prepare for any scenario and project an air of strength for himself and his followers.

Well, I'd say this is an excellent place to end the third of many interim chapters for Jedi Odyssey IV! What did you think of the interludes? Were they believable and realistic enough for you all? I hope you all have plenty of constructive criticism to give, as I have at least five more to provide before I can start on Part 2 of this story, and I always welcome helpful advice. So, how are you all doing on this warm day of Wednesday, February 8, 2023? I'm well, if a bit bored from losing a couple days of work this week due to time cuts, but that's life. And I'm taking a little break from Star Wars to read some real-world books, as I just feel in the mood. Well, I guess that's it for today. I hope you all have a blessed afternoon, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!