Good evening, everyone! How are you all doing on this grim day of Tuesday, April 25, 2023? I'm well, if a bit despondent and fearful by recent events gripping the United States and the rest of the world. Why people can't see that we need to come back to God and the values He bestowed onto us, it confounds me to no end. But enough about that, at least for now. I plan to write out this reintroduction for the main story before getting back to the Atai Molec interlude. I'll likely place it midway through the 6-part interlude, and maybe have one more chapter with it, just to mix things up a bit. Or maybe I'll put it before the interlude, but it's hard to say for certain. So, I hope you're all ready for plenty of plot-building and preparations for the coming battles. They will be magnificent and set the stage for many unforgettable events and pivotal turning points. Well, with all that out of the way, I'd best get back to writing. May the Lord be with us all in these dark times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!

Selona 31st, 59 ABY

Csilla Orbit, Aboard the Cal Omas

"Thank you all for meeting us on such short notice." Wedge acknowledged the assembled leadership. "I know you all have crucial duties to attend to, but this conference could not wait any longer."

Lowbacca, the only one forced to stand, on account of no Wookiee-sized chairs being available on such short notice, growled out the obvious question, with Jan answering, "Right on the nail, Master Jedi. We just need our final player to arrive before we can begin."

Seeing the assembled leaders gathered before them, both Wedge and Jan knew this gathering would almost certainly decide if the Alliance of Light would be able to win this war. If its best leaders could not trust its leaders with confidential information, or if its military disobeyed orders from any of its rival parties, then the coalition was unworthy of continuing in any form.

Even if the grand alliance's leaders got along well enough, with Kral Nevil, Mirax Terrik Horn, Kivu'raw'nuru, Wedge Antilles, Jan Ors, Lowbacca, Khedryn Faal, all serving as a potent symbol of this grand confederation, there was still many soldiers under their ranks who did not fully grasp the severity of their enemy's superior strength. And with an incredible influx of reinforcements and additional factions about to enter the mix, cooperation, focus, and a clear chain of command for the Alliance would be essential in attaining victory in the decisive battles that had yet to come.

And the fate of this war all depended on if Vurawn's plans worked out this time. Too much was riding on this next engagement to leave anything to chance, especially with the Sith having taken control of the fighting over the Alliance of Light. Hopefully, the last few hours Vurwan had requested to converse with his people, the Jedi, and the Wraiths would help him iron out any potential flaws in his strategy.

After about twenty minutes of light military conversation, the hologram of Vurawn appeared, with the Chiss clone quickly explaining, "Apologies for the delay. My talks with Master Durron, Wraith Leader, and Supreme Admiral Ja'fosk took a bit longer than I originally assumed."

"Well, you're here now." Khedryn shrugged. "Which means we can learn what this sudden assembly is all about."

"It involves our plans to counterattack against the Sith. And it will involve us taking a page from Cal Omas's New Republic at the height of the Yuuzhan Vong War, just before it reorganized into the Galactic Alliance of today." Vurawn began, catching the full attention of everyone.

"You want to lure the Sith into an Ebaq Nine of their own." Mirax stated. "How do you expect them to fall for an obvious tactic when our enemy is far more cunning and flexible than the Vong?"

"Because the plan's already working." Wedge took the lead this time, a ghost of a smirk creasing his face. "We've been teaching our people how to fight together in the dozens of small engagements across this region of space, and they're learning quickly to look after each other and cover their blind spots."

"They might have more recruits and ships, but we also are getting a better picture of the enemy's territory and capabilities on their home turf. Once we deplete their naval forces enough, we'll be able to go back on the offensive and hurt them where it can truly hurt them and make a difference."

Silence reigned over the command center before Kral asked, "Let's assume, for argument's sake, we can lure a large portion of the Sith war fleet into a trap. What will the bait we use to lure them in?"

Jan, having the decency to look uncomfortable, slowly answered, "Not only a major Chiss stronghold, but much of both theirs's and our command structures."

Khedryn, to everyone's puzzlement, actually chuckled before acknowledging, "Well, that'll be a target too big to ignore. And it's audacious enough so that it just might work, if we can keep this operation an actual secret long enough to be effective."

"Which is why the knowledge of this strategy is confidential to the highest levels." Vurawn warned. "No one outside of us and Ja'fosk can know even a fraction of the details until we the enemy is in our grasp."

"I assume the rest of our assembling will be on offering our input on the rest of your master strategy." Mirax guessed.

"You win the hand, old friend." Wedge confirmed with a smirk, with the rest of the discussion a productive series of suggestions and improvements being offered from all parties. But a key point of the discussion was not something that would leave these chambers, except when it was time to bring Kyp and Ba'Kif into their little but expanding conspiracy.

Should the war in the Ascendancy prove to be unwinnable through conventional warfare, the Alliance and its cohorts were prepared to take another page from the Yuuzhan Vong War and resurrect the Insiders. A clandestine organization established from disgruntled members of the New Republic, Jedi, and trusted privateers, they worked to create resistance cells across many worlds and quietly undermine the Yuuzhan Vong and their collaborators wherever they could, all while operating outside of the official command structure.

Given the political upheaval the Chiss Ascendancy were undergoing, and the strength of the One Sith's military offensives, it was a strong possibility the Ascendancy would not survive this war, or if it would even fully recover from the wounds had already and would continue to suffer. Which was why the coming weeks would determine the course of the war in every conceivable capacity.

Selona 32nd, 59 ABY

Csilla, Csaplar

Disguised as a Chiss, those infernal, blue-skinned fools that held dominion over nearly half the Chaos, Malla could barely contain her rage at seeing their capital city even still standing. A Shi'ido, a shapeshifter who lived amongst the Rhandites for over five decades, it was there she found power and freedom she never held in her previous life. Climbing through the ranks of the Dark Side cult, honing her latent Force Sensitivity, and improving her species' natural capabilities, she had made a name for herself as the Nihil Retreat's most prized infiltrator and assassin.

After fifty-seven years of service to the Dark and its Bringer of Chaos, Malla would have hoped her efforts would earn her more trust and respect from her peers. But with Tor Valum and Kung'urama'nuruodo having relegated her to be a mere observer and instigator of mayhem in the most prized city of the Chiss, it was a humiliating day for the High Sorceress. She couldn't even eliminate Roland, the traitor who she once dared to call a brother, who was on this enemy stronghold, for that task was given to the Grysk sage, provided he ever made it to Csilla at the sluggish pace he was going.

Banishing her resentment aside, Malla quieted her mind and reached out through the Dark, softly heeding the glimpses of the future the omnipotent power provided its followers. Sensing the Jedi and their cohorts hurtling towards hyperspace and into the fires of war the Sith had kindled, the fear and terror that encompassed the few Chiss civilians still roaming about in the ice-cold temperatures, it filled the aged woman with an anticipation for combat she had not felt in many years.

Hopefully, Tor would contact Malla soon and allow her to further fray the bonds of trust and fellowship between the Chiss and their allies. Keeping tabs on the sanctimonious and blind enemies of her people had quickly grown tiresome. She had already mapped out the entire layout of the Chiss capital city and was ready to wreak havoc across its key areas of government, providing a little extra fuel for her mistress to fully return to this plane of existence.

'Malla.' A soft whisper, coming from a voice that sounded like it had not spoken for years, could be heard from behind the Shi'ido, and it was a voice she had waited for long enough. Not breaking her stride while walking into a nearby bistro, Malla felt utter relief from the artificially generated heat, and after ordering a caffeinated beverage and a light meal, she answered Tor's summons.

'I'm glad to hear from you, Lord Tor.' Malla respectfully greeted. 'I was beginning to think you were not going to come.'

'Your people's lack of faith never fails to amuse me.' The Grysk sage telepathically chuckled before growing serious. 'I will be arriving onto Csilla in the next two weeks. Continue your observations until you hear from me again, and report all your findings to the Grand Sorcerer.'

Resisting a groan, Malla was prepared to implore Tor on letting her loose, but Tor beat her to it. 'The Jedi and their confederates will be on the lookout for any sign of enemy infiltration, and we cannot afford to force their hand just yet. Our mistress' armies are not yet ready for war, and we must be patient a while longer.'

'When the Jedi and their reinforcements arrive, that will be when you can strike.' Tor ordered, delighting Malla for the first time since arriving on this icy hellhole. 'Our mistress senses many of her key opposition traveling to this system to prepare for war on the Sith, and we must do all we can to escalate the conflict between two grand coalitions. Which is why you will disguise yourself as a Sith and perform an assassination on the Chiss Defense Council and Parliament once Tau Palpatine and his cohorts arrive.'

Finally, a task worthy of her skills! Malla, always eager to divide and humiliate the fracturing Ascendancy, knew this would be the ultimate test of her abilities and experience. But if there was one thing that she enjoyed more than mayhem, it was a challenge to overcome.

Quietly thanking her server for providing her food, Malla promised Tor, 'I will not disappoint, Lord Tor.' Quickly realizing a key fact overlooked, she amended, 'But what of the Palpatine Iteration and his allies? I could-'

'Absolutely not.' Tor broke in, with a tone that would brook no argument. 'Our mistress has a special plan in mind for Tau, so leave him and his escort to me. Just keep a careful eye on him if you can. He is far more valuable to us, but equally dangerous to our designs, than you realize.'

Well, that was an interesting tidbit to be filed away for later. But at least she had some excitement to prepare for over the next few weeks, so she loyally complied. 'Very well. I will keep you appraised of any developments on both fronts.'

50 Kilometers East of Csaplar

Maximum Penitentiary Facility, Cell Block 134

"What have you got for us?" Ba'Kif instructed of the three commanders overseeing the bombshells of information Roland was divulging over to his captors.

"Too much to give over ten of your hearings." Kyp lamented while handing the Chiss Supreme General the questis, containing in there all the necessary information he and his confederates needed to plan the next phase of war.

Over the last eleven days, the Alliance of Light had carefully picked apart every fact the defecting High Sorcerer had confessed, cross-referencing every morsel of information they were given, and verifying the data five times before moving onto the next piece and repeating the process.

Taken individually, this seemed like a daunting and gigantic time-wasting task. But combined with dozens of trusted analytics, scouts from each faction, and several supercomputers and Jedi to ensure they were not being misled by their vital sources of intelligence, they now had a greater grasp of the danger they were in by the One Sith and their cohorts, and how to best counter them.

Across the Rakatan Archipelago, the last remnant of the warmongering and cannibalistic race was fueling Darth Krayt's foundries of war, with all seven of the region's star systems containing a shipyard and many bases that housed the One Sith's growing armies. But within two of the worlds, the Tulpaa and Makatak tribes of their star systems, there was a growing resistance network moving against the rest of their brethren and their Sith overlords.

Whether this anti-Sith network was a possible ally of the Jedi was yet to be determined, but it was worth investigating to see if they could take advantage of the divisions in Krayt's territory.

But amidst the Nihil Retreat, that dark part of the Unknown Regions would be the true test of the Alliance of Light's power and character. Within the ancient and dangerous star cluster, its inhabitants knew nothing of the ancient and self-evident truths and principles most in the galaxy held sacred: the sanctity of life, the power of liberty, and the freeing pursuit of truth and happiness. Instead, their lives existed only to serve a destructive and all-consuming lie that would devour all it encountered, unless the ideas it held were stamped out of existence for all of time.

But convincing the broken and blind to throw off the shackles of oppression that blighted their existence for millennia, it would be impossible unless they could kindle a spark of freedom long buried and show the Sorcerers of Rhand that their dominion was finally at an end. And to do that, they needed to beat the Rhandite Force Users on their home turf while spreading the good word wherever they could. For that, they would especially need the Jedi's help in tempering the bloodlust of many and transform it into compassion and empathy for the victims while delivering justice on the enslavers.

Concluding his reading, Ba'Kif gravely glanced at the Jedi Master, "I can see why many doubt our chances of success, Master Jedi. The odds are not in our favor."

"If odds were the only reason anyone went to war, then no righteous cause would have ever succeeded." Kyp solemnly reminded Ba'Kif. "But we will need a consecutive series of miracles to survive this war, let alone triumph."

"Which is why Vurawn and your friends' plan is essential if we even hope to attack these enemy strongholds, let alone liberate them." Ariana, the core name of the Chiss Secret Police colonel, sternly reminded Kyp before regaining her composure, adding, "We're preparing scouting forays into both territories to verify Roland's claims and get a better layout of the opposition. Hopefully we will be better prepared to strike once the enemy's defenses have been depleted."

"Which is why we need to be exponentially careful going forward and be ready for anything the enemy might try." Arcus, the Aquilian Paladin-Inquisitor spoke for the first time in this meeting. "Something moves in the shadows unseen, shrouded from virtually all sight and sound."

"What do you mean?" Ba'Kif tensely asked. "What is it that you've sensed?"

"I don't know. I've never sensed anything quite as quiet and ancient as it is, but it can tell when someone is concealing another through the Force."

Facing Kyp, Ariana and Ba'Kif glared at the Jedi Master before he relented, "So can I."

"You knew of this possible threat, and kept it hidden from everyone?" Ariana seethed.

"Of course not." Kyp ardently denied. "Arcus and I informed your supreme admiral and Alliance High Command, and we then questioned our high-profile guest to see if he knew anything. To be honest, we were surprised with how forthcoming he was with this dangerous piece of information."

"One of his old friends and master infiltrators in the Rhandites has arrived, seeking to eliminate him and sow chaos and confusion in your people's ranks." Arcus elaborated. "A Shi'ido woman and High Sorceress by the name of Malla."

"We've been working to track her and prepare to capture her. Mind you, we're hoping to do it quietly without tipping our hand to the enemy, but we'll need more manpower on the ground if we even hope to accomplish this."

"I'll assume you have your candidates in mind for such a daunting task?" Ba'Kif deduced.

"A fair few, but only the best we have." Kyp elusively began. "If we're going to capture this woman, hopefully with minimal collateral damage, we'll need the most elite of our operatives on this case. And it's fortunate that we already have all those I want on their way out here."

"But that doesn't explain the individual or force who is working to conceal Malla's presence." Arcus cautioned. "Whoever they are, I can barely detect them on the peripheral edge of my senses, but they are far stronger than they present themselves to be. We need to be careful with this unknown player."

Selona 33rd, 59 ABY

Hyperspace, On Route to Chiss Space

Aboard the Rude Awakening

Having spent the last week journeying to the Chiss Ascendancy, the crew of the prized Jedi vessel had been hard at work preparing for the inevitable espionage, carnage, and chaos that would soon ensue amidst all parties of this Jedi-Sith war.

Going through every scrap of intelligence the Alliance accumulated from all the battlefields of the Unknown Regions, studying every battle the wide array of factions engaged in, and working to learn from the failings and miscalculations of underestimating the Sith, Tau, Adari, Akku, K'Kruhk, and Tyria were offering their advice to any commander willing to listen. With Krayt's armies bolstered by their influx of recruits, and the political instability of the Ascendancy having reached an all-time high, it was more crucial than ever to promote unity and cooperation amidst the diverse groups making up this coalition.

So far, progress had been steadily coming, with the Alliance's raids on the Sith's outlying holdings and proxies doing much to build trust on all parties, along with rebuilding morale after the last two spectacular defeats. And from what few whispers the crew had managed to pick up, it seemed the leadership was concocting a plan to deliver a knockout blow on their enemy's defenses and leave their two redoubts vulnerable to full-scale liberation.

But there were still several matters left for the elite team to undertake, with three of their members in contact with Aquilian High Command for a desperate gambit.

"You understand the gravity of the request, correct?" Julius warned Tau, Adari, and Akku. "Even if we can locate Edaan and your code phrase restores him to his original self, you are still asking a terrible risk and potential sacrifice from many of our soldiers and Paladins."

"We are aware of the dangers of this proposal, High Admiral." Tau acknowledged. "But this will be a burden shared by all our allies, and it is about more than my brother. Countless innocent souls are still in the One Sith's merciless grasp, and this plan, if we manage to implement it, is the best chance of accomplishing all our goals, once we are able to maneuver all the pieces into position."

"And we are working hard to maximize our chances of success while delivering as much damage as we can to the Sith's strength." Akku added. "Like you, we've been working overtime to shore up our allies' defenses and refine our strategy before we are thrown back into the thick of this war."

"Just like I've heard of your merry band." Julius amusingly noted, eyeing a queasy Adari. "But you've been unusually quiet, Mrs. Palpatine." Gaze softening, the old officer kindly asked, "Are you faring any better since we last spoke?"

"I'm well enough, thank you." Adari gratefully nodded. "It's just another bout of morning sickness."

"Then I suggest you get plenty of rest and stock up on meds while you can. Csilla is no place for an ill and weary maiden such as yourself." Julius kindly advised, before getting serious. "I will talk with my peers, and we will see who we can allocate towards your strike force once the prime opportunity presents itself."

"That's all we can really ask for. Thank you for your time, High Admiral." Tau acknowledged Julius before the Zakuul officer ended the holocall.

Just as the call ended, Tyria and K'Kruhk made their presences known, with the former stoically handing Tau a piece of flimsi, "You have an eyes-only message from Master Durron."

Curiously raising an eyebrow at the odd tidings, Tau read the message, his gaze growing increasingly stern and grave before folding the message back up and handing it to Tyria. "Thank you. I'll start preparations immediately."

"What's going on now?" Adari cautiously inquired. Despite the lingering awkwardness of having to work alongside a clone of her husband, she found Tau a likeable enough fellow, eager to prove himself and make amends for his previous failings. And it certainly helped ease her fears by how he was so much like Edaan in terms of personality and character, but with a lack of certainty Edaan had in himself in most matters. If Tau was in danger or was about to be pulled into a life-threatening situation, Adari would very much like to know, if only for her own conscience's sake and her health.

"It seems I'm being redeployed." Tau enigmatically answered. "The Chiss need me for a rather delicate mission, along with several other Force Users, so I'll be down on Csilla for at least a few days."

Scrutinizing Tau and Tyria with a careful gaze, Akku professionally asked, "Where does that leave the rest of us?"

"They'll be on standby with the rest of the Alliance fleet just outside the system." K'Kruhk answered. "You and your company, however, will be accompanying me to another location on Csilla, to guard a vital asset of ours."

"I assume all this is classified."

"For the time being." K'Kruhk hesitated, before turning back towards Akku, "I'll leave it up to you where you wish for the rest of the team to be stationed, if you feel they can best serve elsewhere."

"Most kind of you, Master K'Kruhk." The Anzati mercenary graciously accepted the offer. "I'll ask around and see where everyone else in the crew might wish to be. But I think the Aphras will be a little more difficult to keep in line unless we give them both an assignment of importance."

"I think I have a good idea on how to keep the two of them occupied for a few days while putting their wide array of talents to good use for us." Tau began with a ghost of a smirk creasing his face, confusing everyone while leaving them equally anxious.

Well, I'd say this is a good place to end the chapter! What did you all think? Was it a sufficient piece to bring everyone back to the main story, but leave you eager and guessing for more? Or were there elements or the execution of my ideas you feel could be done differently? Either way, I hope you all are doing well on this dreary and rainy day of Thursday, April 27, 2023. I'm well, if a bit worn from work today, and I have one more day to work tomorrow before I get the weekend off. After that, it's going to be busy at what might be my final week at the college bookstore before I start my internship at the library. Well, with the pleasantries out of the way, I'd best get this chapter stored away until I can publish it along with several others. I hope you all have a blessed night, and I hope you all enjoy what comes next. May the Lord be with us all in these dark times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!