Good evening, everyone! I hope you are all doing well on this warm night of Thursday, July 20, 2023. I'm doing okay, if a bit tired from work today, but I have a 9-hour shift tomorrow to do, and then I'll have the weekend off. And I published three chapters over the last few days, with only about eight more to go until I can conclude this story. And afterwards, as I've said before, I'll take a break to reassess my position and revise my outlines. On that note, I'd best get started on this chapter, as I plan to write it in a few days, and then revise the remainder of this story's outline. But I beg of you all, please review my works with constructive means, as I could really use the feedback and advice on how to improve my stories. May God be with us all in these dark and difficult times.

Telona 14th, 59 ABY

Csilla System

Within the Assassin-class Corvette Liberator

Adari felt nothing but complete heartbreak for Edaan, and utter hatred like none she had ever felt before for the One Sith for all the torment and mutilations they inflicted on her husband. Seeing the cybernetic armor and hundreds of components embedded throughout much of his very being, the orange-yellow eyes boring into everyone who kept a wary eye one him, and the sheer waves of darkness that surrounded him, it all but shattered her willingness to work with the Sith for the greater good.

'I would advise you to hurry with your efforts, Lady Palpatine. Abeloth's forces are not stopping for your sad introspection, and we will need your husband at his best for all that is coming our way.' Ship telepathically called out to Adari, reminding her of the battle raging across the system.

"I'm afraid Ship's right on that point." Vestara gravely agreed, her voice laced with sympathy for Adari and her plight. She was especially disgusted by the One Sith and the desecrations they committed on Edaan's body, mind, and soul, and felt another terrible surge of guilt for all her complicity in their many previous acts of power-grabbing. Feeling a kind and firm hand grip her shoulder, she spared Ben a grateful glance before reminding everyone, "We're on the clock, and there'll be time to reconnect with Edaan after we beat back this incursion. But we'll all be there to help you and your husband recover every step of the way."

Glancing at Tau, who nodded his agreement and sympathy for Adari, the expecting mother breathed out her fears, and acknowledged Vestara's words, "Thank you, Vestara." Walking towards Edaan, who eyed her with a curious and analytical eye, rather much like how they first met on Kesh, Adari steeled her resolve to walk right up to the defecting Sith general. Swallowing her fears, she softly whispered, "Hello, my love." Hesitating, she added, "Do you know who I am?"

Eyes, as menacing as they were, softened a modicum to meet Adari's, professionally acknowledged, "I do. I know you were a well-respected anti-Sith rebel that helped the Jedi and their allies drive the Lost Tribe and One Sith off from Kesh, and apparently my wife." Pausing, he added, "I have a few glimpses of my interactions and missions with you, and small vestiges of feelings that I never previously knew I could ever possess. I'm rather eager to regain all of my old self."

Those words helped nourish the flickering spark of hope that resided within Adari's soul, and she calmly agreed, "I'm glad to know your spirit is still as unbreakable and vibrant as I remember. I… it'll be good to have you back."

Acknowledging her fear with a gracious nod, Edaan glanced at Tau, and recognized the face all too well, "So, you are 'Tau Palpatine.' I must admit, I never thought I'd be grateful for that old hag in Nala Se cloning me and using my original likeness to undermine the Grand Design, but here we are. Shall we begin?"

"The passphrase won't be long. But the process of fully reconstructing your true self will be far more arduous and will leave you incapacitated while your memories and personality reestablishes itself against the Sith programming." Tau warned Edaan. "It won't be a pretty or enjoyable process."

"Just do what you must. I'm prepared to do what it takes in undoing all the Sith wrought on me." Edaan resolved.

"Very well." Adari acknowledged, praying to Edaan's gods that this miracle could work, before she and Tau said as one, "'Cast my shadow on the fires of war.'"

Those words, the coded phrase that Tau and Ahsoka placed on Edaan's mind to protect his soul from the One Sith's depraved work, they immediately took effect on the revived Jedi Knight's mind. Washing away all his anger, all his dark fury and hate, all the remnants of the Sith's programming on his mind, it let the light that was deeply buried in his soul rush up to the surface. His eyes flashing for a moment before they returned to their natural sky blue, he nearly fell to his knees before steadying himself, and stared at Adari, gingerly touching her face before lovingly whispering, "Adari…my Love… Thank you for never losing faith and hope in me."

It was him. Adari knew it right away from that grateful gaze, the way he brushed her face, and the gentle smile and eyes, it was enough to make her heart leap with sheer and requited joy. And from the outpour of Light Side energy that now radiated from Edaan, it was clear that everyone in the galaxy would soon know that the original Palpatine heir was back, and he would be ready to enter the field again and take the fight to the Alliance of Light's enemies.

But dashing everyone's blooming joy, Edaan wearily closed his eyes, and his Force presence diminishing as he collapsed directly onto the ground, dimly hearing Adari desperately cry out to him while Ben called for a shuttle from a medical transport could be heard in the background. And as his mind dimmed, he recalled every death he carried for Krayt, and the murders of Robonino and Jaden utterly broke his heart.

Ten Hours Later

Telona 15th, 59 ABY

Three Parsecs Out from the Csilla System

Aboard the Dogma

"Syndic, we've just received word from ours' and the Alliance's analytics from Vault Four on the Sposia Universal Analysis Group." Wynssa Fel softly informed her father and commanding officer. "They've finally cracked the encryption for the captured Rakatan data core, and they're sorting through all the information pouring out. Military installations, identification of key military personnel and civilian leaders, all their capabilities, we'll soon know it all."

Soontir's one good eye shooting upwards over the news, he acknowledged, "This is a significant accomplishment. But we have more immediate concerns to worry about right now, so why inform me now of this development?"

"We've received dozens of distress signals from the Rakatan Archipelago." Wynssa elaborated. "They're reporting how several fleet elements of the One Sith's armada are attacking their own and striking at least thirty installations across the region while eliminating all the Alliance scouts' probes that they encounter."

"I see." Soontir simply acknowledged, his stare at his daughter carrying full comprehension of the situation's gravity, and advised her, "I'll speak with General Ors about this matter right away. In the meantime, tell no one of this discovery, and ensure all who know of the vital importance of this breakthrough's complete secrecy."

"Yes, sir." Wynssa complied, before the hologram of her sister-in-law appeared, surprising both her and Soontir with the unscheduled communication.

Jaina Solo Fel quickly alerted both Ascendancy officers, "Ready your people to make a jump within the next twelve hours. Abeloth's second fleet has arrived, and we're going to need your fleet much sooner than we originally expected if we hope to salvage this battle and save the Chiss."

"Very well." Soontir acknowledged. "We'll be ready to jump to your position in no more than ten hours. But see if you can connect me with General Ors. I have crucial information that needs to reach her as soon as possible."

"Suffice it to say, the Alliance of Light is not the only power under attack by Abeloth's thralls right now, and we will need to create a coalition with the One Sith if we hope to even survive the coming war." Soontir cryptically stated.

Seeing a critical urging in Soontir's request, Jaina nodded, "I'll send a message to General Ors and let you know when she'll be able speak with you. Expect a message from her within the next hour or two."

Once the communication concluded, Wynssa warned Soontir, "We'll be cutting it very close with our deployment, Sir."

"But you'll help us make it work, Commodore." Soontir faithfully assured his direct subordinate. "You've done just as much with your people, every time with far less at your disposal."

Csilla System

Aboard the Annihilation

Tor Valum observed the battle consuming the space surrounding the Chiss capital world and drew upon the influx of expended energies to empower his armed forces. Seeing the Alliance of Light and Sith fleets bearing down on the weakened diversionary force, with portions of their navies diverting to meet these new arrivals head on, it empowered the Grysk sage and all his lesser Servants of Chaos.

Glancing at his two newest lieutenants, one Imperial Special Forces commander and Neo Death Watch leader each, Tor ordered, "It's time to show these lesser creatures just how outclassed they are in this war. Have our converts in the Jedi's fleets prepare to launch their ambush on my command. Then unleash our full power on our enemies and the Chiss's so-called impenetrable capital."

The Mandalorian, his face carrying a demented grin and showcased his crystalizing teeth, eagerly nodded at the orders before departing to carry the commands out. The Imperial, on the other hand, cautiously questioned Tor, "Are you sure you can trust Rhal with this task? His record is a litany of disaster and carnage for those under his command, and with the enhancements you gave him after saving him from death itself, he'll be even harder to control."

"All that matters is that we recover our followers and deliver a lasting and mortal blow to the Chiss, their many servants, and their new patrons before they can finish forming a coalition with the One Sith." Tor reminded the Imperial commander. "For now, ready your commandos for a surgical strike on the Alliance of Light's flagship. It's time to cut the head off this behemoth and attain another worthy vessel for the Beloved Queen of the Stars. Then, and only then, we can focus on obliterating the Chiss's central command."

Saluting Tor at the commands, the altered human departed to prepare for his assassination mission, marveling at how easy it was for individuals ordinarily weak in the Force to fall under the Bringer of Chaos's complete control. Having enthralled Belok Rhal and Gideon Hask, among other enemies of the Jedi Order and One Sith, to now serve Abeloth with all their strength and skill, Tor knew the techniques and rituals he and his followers had crafted and perfected over the eons were finally being put to good use, and soon the galaxy's countless denizens would worship the Beloved Queen of the Stars.

Having learnt from her of the power to save wicked souls from falling into Chaos by latching their essence into an unwilling host, it was easy for Tor to rescue Belok Rhal and many of his soldiers from meeting an unceremonious end above Korriban, saving a remnant of the Neo Death Watch, and allowing Abeloth to retain the service of such lethal fighters. Although such efforts were ordinarily taxing on her, the efforts of her Servants and the darkness blanketing the galaxy made such exertions far easier, and it helped that Abeloth was only recruiting weak souls to bolster her ranks.

As for Gideon Hask, an agent of Admiral Natasi Daala and the Knight of Olpaka before he was imprisoned by the Galactic Empire for his role in the rogue officer coup attempt, he was even easier to recruit, since his patron had abandoned him to rot in jail and left him with an even deeper hatred of both Jedi and Sith. And all it took to rescue him was to use the chaos of the Sith's assassination of Grand Moff Ephin Sarreti and incapacitation of Jagged Fel to extract him via the Servants' teleportation. But to ensure he did not try to return to the Olpakans and deny Abeloth such a valued soldier, and with a little prodding and subtle influencing by the Servants, the Imperial-turned-Olpakan soon became a reliable soldier and leader of Abeloth's commandos.

Already, Tor's agents were spreading word across all the galaxy's worlds of Abeloth's impending return in her many guises, and tens of thousands of her unwitting followers were preparing to marshal a response to protect their goddess, with far more preparing to make the journey to their destiny. From the Trandoshans who worshipped her as their goddess called "The Scorekeeper" and controlled their place in the afterlife, to the Dark-Side dominated Ember of Vahl cult and the Vahla who worshipped the goddess Vahl, among dozens of other religions, the Unknown Regions was about to become an even more crowded region. And the Grysk Force Sage was going to be far busier than he had in millennia, which he would enjoy every second of before his mistress returned to take up the reins of leadership again.

But first, Tor had to fulfill a task of grave importance that Abeloth gave him before he took control of this fleet. It was time for a certain vessel of darkness to return to its rightful owner and serve as her flagship.

Eight Hours Later

Telona 16th, 59 ABY

Rhand, Ro

Deep Within the City's Catacombs

"We're making much better time than I had assumed, Lord Krayt." Shara complimented the One Sith founder and his followers. "At our current rate of progress, we should be free in two days, at max."

"Good. The sooner we leave this infernal dungeon, the better." Krayt pleasingly nodded, grateful for having a plentiful outlet for his rage at the Sorcerers of Rhand for playing him so easily. Being trapped down beneath the capital city with a horde of terrible beasts and guardians, it provided him and his remaining followers with the means to release their anger and learn far more of their new adversaries than Krayt ever expected. Kreel and his commandos were especially proving their worth by finding many creative means of dispatching the creatures thrown at them, making Krayt pleased with the effort the late Nala Se put into reactivating the Imperial-created clones.

While eliminating the many mutated Sithspawn and dozens of other altered beings that protected this sacred church, Krayt and his fellow Sith and commandos were able to discover hundreds of ancient carvings and remnants of the original civilizations that birthed the Rhandites present-day civilization. According to Shara and the historians amongst the Dread Lord's company, the three diverse sects that created the Sorcerers of Rhand, each influenced by the legacies of the Celestials and their fallen brethren and spawn continued to reverberate to this day. Each possessed a multitude of terrible secrets that could easily upset the conventional balance of power between the galaxy's current powers and throw everything into anarchy. And when Tor Valum and his Servants of Chaos manipulated them all into melding their teachings into their death creed, the foundations were laid for the war that now plagued the galaxy.

While most of the runes and carvings were impossible to decipher for all, Krayt was able to read them all thanks to his connection to the Son. And from the knowledge he gleaned from the writings, it troubled him to lengths he dreaded to even consider. From the three Force Sects that comprised the Rhandites, each held teachings that threatened all he sought to build and protect: the Kanzer Exiles of Lord Ravager Korman Lao, who practiced mental enslavement, and who built the Temple of Korman Lao near the Valtaullu Rift; the Knell of Muspilli, an ancient death cult from the Gunninga Gap who used the Taurannik Codex to summon apocalyptic monstrosities from beyond the gap; and lastly, the Warriors of Shadow, a priestly sisterhood of Taung who were defeated by the Battalions of Zhell in Coruscant's prehistory and who fled into the Unknown Regions to win atonement by meditation and insight, only to find subversion and betrayal in their well-intentioned exile.

And from the knowledge the Son gave him, Krayt learned of a deeper story behind these tragic exiles, how the remnants and surviving servants of the fallen Celestials had subtly influenced these three groups, and many others, towards these dark paths in carrying out their evil will long after their ultimate demises. If Abeloth had converted all these groups and races, all while having many more waiting in the wings to await her summons, then it was more crucial than ever that she be destroyed now before her madness could spread to the rest of the galaxy.

But to even keep the hope of survival alive, that meant the Jedi and Sith truly did had to come together in a last-ditch effort to eradicate Abeloth for good, and that was an insurmountable task in and of itself. Between the bad blood gushing out between both orders and their respective allies, even considering the idea could drive countless more souls into the Celestial-spawn's waiting grasp.

And according to the reports Krayt received from his remaining loyal Sith and General Yiv, his coalition was coming undone at an unprecedented rate. From at least five hundred Sith attacking both Chiss and Rakatan holdings all over the Chaos, rumors of a civil war brewing in the Rakatan Archipelago, and the loss of Edaan Palpatine and Ship to defection to the Jedi, it was now clear his faction had lost the advantage in this fight.

'And it's only going to get worse for us all before you return, A'Sharad Hett.' An ethereal voice called out to Krayt, making him turn to find the spectral image of Tau Palpatine appear before him. As he turned his head, he felt his mind drift out of itself, with him isolated from all his disciples. Calmly addressing the Sith Lord, the traitorous Iteration explained, 'I felt this call needed a bit of privacy, and with our connection by our… sibling benefactors, we'll be protected from any prying ears, and the meeting will last under a moment in real time.'

"What do you want, Tau Palpatine?" Krayt warily demanded. "Have you come to gloat at your progenitor's return to the Light, or that you and the Jedi now hold the upper hand over your creators?"

'I'm not here to talk about my brother and the Alliance of Light's inevitable victory over all you Sith, as tempting as that sounds.' Tau freely admitted. 'I came to warn you of both our desperate straits, and to urge you to rally your forces while you are still able to do so. Make sure that they stand with the galaxy and fight for order and hope before all is lost for us all.'

'You're losing many of your people and allies to Abeloth, and I fear that the forces I represent are about to suffer similar betrayals of our own. To put it quite frankly, we are in a precarious situation, and not even the spirits of Eipha and Niphal will be enough to guarantee her demise.'

Narrowing his eyes at the insipid recounting of the obvious, Krayt angrily challenged, "There is more to this meeting than restating to me what I already know. Just tell me what you want."

'Very well. As much as it utterly galls me to admit it, the Alliance of Light and One Sith cannot afford to continue existing if we hope to triumph.' Tau bitterly answered. 'To show our unity against Abeloth, we'll need to form a new coalition. A… Last Alliance, if you would prefer to call it that.'

'Abeloth will soon be revived, and we must be ready to meet her with not just the Force and the Dagger of Mortis, but all our combined skills and experiences.' Tau warned. 'She is about to fully rebuild her potent spirit with the energies from the battle in the Csilla System, and the dark nexus from the Shrine in the Depths on Coruscant. And once she takes a vessel of her own to house her power… well, I'm sure you can imagine the inevitable apocalypse.'

Gripping his sheer fury and utter terror at this news, Krayt knew Tau was speaking the complete truth. There was no way he would lie about any of these claims, and he could sense the Daughter's presence inside the Jedi agent with his own connection to the Son. And if Abeloth was using not only the chaos of war to revive her, but energies as dark and virulent as the ancient Sith shrine within the Coruscant Jedi Temple, then she would be that much more deadly and terrifying to face.

Focusing his rage at the one who undermined his Grand Design, the Dread Lord wholeheartedly agreed, "You are right. It galls me to admit this as much as you, but neither of us have the strength to destroy Abeloth separately. Only together, can we hope to survive."

"Talk with your people. Convince them that I am willing to work with you in building a… Last Alliance to combat this danger." Krayt urged Tau, who gratefully nodded in acknowledgment. "But you ought to consider changing the name of this coalition, if you can."

"I will do so immediately; but I think the title seems fitting, given the scope of danger that we now face and how such a fellowship will not likely ever form again." Tau promised, before ominously warning Krayt, "But let me advise you of one thing, Hett. If you go back on your word or try to destroy my friends during or after this present threat is dealt with, it be the last mistake you ever make. Whether by my hand or another's, you will face justice for any betrayals you or any of your remaining loyal followers might make if you enact treachery on us. For all our sakes, let us try to build something greater than either of our orders can do on their own."

Fading away before Krayt could make any scathing remarks, Tau's presence left the Dread Lord's mind, and just as the Jedi follower told him, the entire conversation took place in a mere instant. Recalling that his people were still fighting for their very survival, he mentally reminded himself to inform them of these new and critical developments the moment they were out of immediate danger.

For now, though, the One Sith had to press onward in their search for liberation from this infernal underground labyrinth and ensure their guide was well protected and did not dare lead them astray. But first, he had to make a priority call to the Retribution and General Yiv for a couple of rapid redeployments. He only hoped they arrived in time to be of use and that the Jedi didn't try to destroy them once they made their presence known just beyond the Chiss Ascendancy's capital world amidst the ongoing pandemonium.

One Hour Later

Aboard the Jade's Legacy

"You doing all right, Ves?" Ben concernedly asked his love while he navigated his ship through the debris of an enemy Star Destroyer, trying to cut down the number of pursuers gunning for the Jedi duo and their unconventional asset.

"Can't really complain that much, luv." Vestara mirthlessly chuckled, straining from the tremendous and straining effort to shield Ship from any outside influences as sweat dripped form her brow and her breaths came in shallow gasps. Having vowed to never use the Dark Side again, not even to protect a friend, she instead decided to protect her compatriot by shielding him from outside influence until his inbred programming could be erased. A taxing endeavor, but better than letting him fall back into Abeloth's slimy tentacles.

But while Ben and Vesara had been tasked to protect the Sith's deserting sentient vessel from any of Wyyrlok's reprisals or from being enslaved by Tor or any of Abeloth's other disciples and given permission to work with Ship in fighting their shared enemies, the two-ship team found themselves the target of ten times as many enemy gunships and fighters. Cut off from their squadron and pursued by their hunters, it was clear that their mistress still vividly recalled the key role the two lovers played in defeating her last time and knew how to carry a grudge well beyond death. And at the rate the enemy ships were closing the net on them, it would not be long before they were either captured or killed, just as the Bringer of Chaos likely wanted.

'We're running out of time.' Ship anxiously warned Ben and Vestara through their bond with the Sith-made entity. 'I can feel Tor Valum and his disciples trying to take me for their own. I don't know how long you can continue shielding me from their influence and survive this fight. You would be best to cut your losses and retreat while-'

"No!" Vestara heartfeltly gritted out. "I promised to keep you safe and free, my friend, and that's exactly what I am going to do, right down to my very last breath."

Ben, wisely staying quiet, instead sent out another distress signal through the Force, and received a response by a multitude of powerful individuals that were Jedi or Sith-affiliated. Help was on the way, that much was certain. But whether they could arrive in time to save the day remained to be determined.

Suddenly interrupting Ben's strategizing, Ship sent several transmissions into the Jade's Legacy's databases, making the Jedi Master wonder just what the self-aware machine was plotting now.

'I am warning you and the Alliance of Light of the deteriorating crisis in the Rakatan Archipelago. The One Sith's hold on the region is precarious from internal and external strife, and you may have allies in some of the natives there.' Ship explained. 'It is all in the intelligence I sent into your ship's data core in the event I am later compromised.'

Sensing several familiar and welcome presence touch Ben's mind and relieve a great deal of Vestara's mental strain, the Jedi Master confidently said, "You'll be able to tell us soon enough, Ship. Help is here."

Just then, not only did Abeloth's ships open fire again on the Jade's Legacy, but three corvettes and a Jedi StealthX squadron launch their payloads on the enemy in a concerted effort, with the Dark Beauty, Rude Awakening, and Millennium Falcon all converging on the custom-made freighter to cover its withdrawal to safety again.

From aboard her freighter, Phasma contacted Ben, "Jade's Shadow, we'd best get you and Ship back behind friendly lines before the enemy tries for another push on Csilla. They're gearing up for another run at our inner lines."

"Right behind you, Dark Beauty." Ben crisply acknowledged, eager to get a small respite from the fighting, as brutal and lethal as it had been for these past nine hours.

After Abeloth's second fleet had debarked from hyperspace and launched their attack, her embattled first force had renewed its attack, unveiling a myriad of weapons that no one against them had ever before seen. It seemed that their missiles were of a Force-based design, spreading fear onto anyone who survived the impact, and inflicted as much damage as their conventional weapons.

Tragically, though, that was not the worst of this escalating disaster, for it seemed that anyone who was affected by these missiles, much like a diamond born missile in design and application, were infected by a red crystal-like mineral that embedded themselves into anyone who even suffered a small grazed by them. Among the few survivors of this heinous attack, they were quickly shuttled off into quarantine and intense medical care to be treated while properly analyzing this new weapon.

Gradually being pushed back from their precious positions, the Alliance of Light and Sith were being forced to adopt a more defensive strategy until their reinforcements could arrive. But even then, it was expected that victory, if such a bloody withdrawal could be considered so, would be exceptionally costly.

At this point, only a Force or Celestial-ordained miracle or another massive influx of friendly reinforcements the Jedi were unaware of would be enough to enact a great victory for this unstable coalition and protect Abeloth's first major target of conquest.

Well, I'd say this is a good place to end the chapter! What did you all think? Did you think it was crazy and full of twists no one saw coming, because I sure didn't see the return of Belok Rhal and Gideon Hask when I outlined the last few chapters of this story. But I felt bringing them back in such a demented and twisted manner would begin to outline the severity of the danger the Jedi and Sith now face in Abeloth and her growing armies. I know it makes no sense, but I got the idea from a myriad of sources, such as the Dread Masters from SWTOR and how they could revive the spirits of their fallen members and minions during their terror campaign, and some other writers I may have unconsciously been inspired by. And the reinforcements both sides were expecting, they'll arrive in the next chapter, so be ready for even more twists and escalations in this story. Oh, and the Jedi-Sith coalition's name in the Last Alliance was inspired by Lord of the Rings and the end of the Second Age. I hope it was a nice touch and reference for all of us fellow Tolkien devotees.

So, how are you all doing on this warm night of Saturday, July 22, 2023? I'm well, if lonely since my family went down south for a week-long vacation earlier today. But I'll have work five days of next week, and it'll keep me busy. And I'll be reading and writing quite a bit as well, as I'm closing in on finishing The History of the Hobbit book and will finish the story after a few more weeks. Well, I suppose that's it for me tonight. I need to publish this chapter in a day or two before I go to work on Monday. May God be with us all in these dark and trying times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!