Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Age, Star Wars, or Alien vs Predator.
Dragon Wars: Odyssey and Revolution
Episode 4: Fading hope
"Treachery is to be expected when part of the Sith, it makes one wonder why we even bother with apprentices," Plagueis heard the voice of the emperor around him.
But everything was dark, he had been taken to a place of complete and utter darkness. There was not a single bit of light and for a moment, even the Sith lord wondered if he was truly there, if it was a trick of his mind or his mind itself had been ripped from his body. He was a scientist, yeah still he knew that the ignorant saw the wondrous power of the force as miraculous, or unnatural.
"Dzworokka yun;
nyâshqûwai, nwiqûwai.
Wotok tsawakmidwanottoi,
yuntok hyarutmidwanottoi."
"The direct translation is 'there should be two, no more, no less. First to embody power, second to crave power.' Yet your master took on a second apprentice isn't that correct?" the emperor asked.
"Venamis, he proved less than a challenge," suddenly Plagueis saw it, the duel between himself and Venamis.
The Bith fancied himself a Sith lord, a Darth, both had practiced their lightsaber techniques, but it was their first time truly testing themselves in a duel that wasn't meant for practice. Both were plotters, spies, scientists and engineers, though not above the savagery of battle. It took a few feints and parries before Plagueis and Venamis locked sabers.
That was when a third blade was ignited in the dark.
Half of his body was burnt, the rest had scars that formed an almost glowing web across his muscular body. The body was no doubt human, shorter than Plagueis, inferior to him in terms of biology and organ numbers. A cloak was wrapped around his neck, obscuring his face from view. Suddenly, he was between the two former apprentices, quickly dodging and blocking both their attacks. Plagueis remembered it well, remembered the feeling of truly being pushed. In that moment, he was a fighter because he had to be and in a sense that cloaked man was instructing him, bringing something out in him as teachers did. He swung his saber down on both Venamis and Plagueis's blades, bringing them to the ground in a show of superior strength and technique. It wasn't just the way he could draw on the dark side, it was pure discipline and absolute control of his muscle movements, allowing him to over power two species traditionally stronger than humans.
"He whom claimed the ship of the ancient ones, the means to combat the empire by himself, and you serve him," the emperor said.
"I AM THE SECOND! I AM THE SECOND WHO CRAVES POWER! It is all for the sake of being the first, the one whom embodies power, it is why I experimented with Midichlorians, why I sought to control the building of life itself and twist these prophecies to my own means. Is that not the way of the Sith, to break the chains that bind us?" Plagueis asked.
The images of the duelling Sith disappeared and the emperor returned, face concealed by his hood, light saber hanging off of his belt.
"What if I was to tell you that the runes had a different meaning, that they referred to a force dyad?" he asked.
"We have sought to create a force dyad for generations, two beings linked through the force, capable of interacting across space light years from one another and transferring their life force to such a degree that they can even bring back the dead," Plagueis explained.
"A fine textbook answer, but now I reveal to you that a force dyad first originates from a force bond, common amongst master and apprentice, or lovers. But to truly become a force dyad one, the bond must originate from those from both the light and the dark side of the force. But it is quite common for Sith to have come from fallen Jedi, or for Sith to one day become Jedi, redeeming themselves to the light, so is it light and darkness that must join, or is it former dark and former light, or is it all just a waste of time," the emperor raised his hand and Plagueis looked up.
Light illuminated them both, a red light that came from humanoid shapes of red light, conjoined beings that created an absolute light.
"There are two dark lords that believe that they are the embodiments of this prophecy, from the light they joined the dark, one returning to the light before finding the dark again, both sharing a strong bond and both deeply and passionately in love with one another," the emperor explained.
"Revan and Bastila, impressive in their own right, but I doubt they have achieved such a state," Plagueis said.
"Indeed they have not, I consider myself to have three possible rivals, the Sith lord whom recruited you, your Bith master and his spawn to his cause, his name I will not share with you. Then there is the head of imperial intelligence, Darth Jadus."
"A coordinator of spies?"
"You are surprised, there are many military minds, Marr, Malgus, but there is physical might and ones connection to the force itself, Jadus borders that line towards total connection to the force and the third..."
"Darth Revan, or perhaps Krayt, I too had an apprentice of considerable power..." Plagueis began but froze as the emperor began to laugh, pulling his head back, throwing his hood off and revealing his grey features.
"Oh please, your little brat won't be able to DEW IT!" the emperor laughed, his voice so much like that Naboo nobleman Plagueis passed his teachings to.
His very appearance was a parody of the potential that Plagueis imagined his apprentice could take on. The emperor rose, features becoming decrepit, a black coat forming over red robes as his eyes glowed yellow, but his body was ultimately supported by a crane device. Light flashed behind him revealing hundreds of Acolytes, all chanting in holy worship. But that image was cast aside by a flash of lightning, the image of the emperor reborn screamed crumbling away to reveal that creature of shadow that Plagueis first saw.
"The force, dark side and light, the dyad, the chosen ones, these are all things that transcend space...and time itself," the emperor said.
"Time, you don't mean," Plagueis gasped.
A line appeared on the shadow, a glowing grin that gave way to a platform suddenly appearing underneath Plagueis. He looked across the distance of the voice and saw these platforms appearing, supporting Tarkin and Thrennhold, providing pathways to what looked like portals. The Muun Sith Lord looked towards his emperor, the shadow that represented his power, the dark clothed old man who represented his dark side and the majestically dressed man in white that represented his charm. In that moment he realised that the dyad didn't have to be two individuals, but they could be two versions of the same person occupying separate points in space and ultimately time as well. A Sith Lord, Vitiate whom could run an empire in one body, and form another with the other. Was this his rival, a consequence of his power, or just all part of his, no, the plan of the Sith.
'No do not doubt yourself...'
"Do not doubt that it will be you, Darth Plagueis the wise who succeeds over all others, by the force he can read my mind, no secret I keep from him can be hidden, will he kill me, what can I do, what can I do in the face of such overwhelming power, succeed, for now, until I have gained such power," the emperor spoke Plagueis's thoughts and floated over him.
"Even those spying on you, waiting to betray you can have their uses, even your enemy can serve a purpose," the emperor said.
'This is not just a trial, but a lesson, very well my master, what is thy bidding?' Plagueis asked through thought alone, bowing down his head.
It was the bustling Eucenopolis of Coruscant where the Republic had made its capital. Within the great dome that was the senate building, representatives of the members states of the republic discussed the running of their republic, the needs of their people, rising prices of rent and trade, the debate of the welfare state vs. healthcare as a business and the dissolution of the defence force for an automated military. Xo Lahru was not a representative of his people's (the reptilian, blade shaped headed Anx) planet Gravlex Med. Like the two behind him he wore formal gold robes with a white hooded coat. He represented the Jedi order on Coruscant and led the council there. To his right was the long necked Quermian Jedi Master Yarael Poof and to his left was the Mon Calamari master Ephru Shinn. The gaze of the Jedi masters was focused on the tall podium set within the centre of the senate arena, to a human man in a navy blue uniform, a cloak chained to his shoulders. He was not an overly tall or particularly well built man, never the less, Gaian Valorum commanded respect in the republic.
"My fellow delegates, nearly twenty years ago we fought a bitter wore with the Jedi, Dark Jedi whom had named themselves Sith. First they followed the hero of the Mandalorian War, Revan, then they followed his friend and apprentice Malak before Revan again returned," Valorum said.
"In a plot the Jedi had orchestrated," a Quarren senator called out from his corner of the building.
The man's snarl was followed by murmurs, many in agreement of the not so veiled blame placed on the Jedi. All those murmurs died out as Valorum raised his hand.
"It was not my intention to place blame on the Jedi Knights, Jedi whom have a long history of protecting our republic and though it has not been perfect, we as citizens must be as grateful to them as we are to the brave men and women whom have protected our republic as part of the fleet and defence force," Valorum explained.
"Here, here, the Jedi have long assisted us on Mon Cala," said the senator Gial Gahan.
"We on Alderaan have always striven for peace, in that we share a common mindset with the Jedi," said Bail Antilles.
"It was a Jedi who contributed to the restoration of Telos, we acknowledge that the order has done wrong, but so too has our republic as a whole," said the Telos senator Dol Grenn, a grey haired man who was formerly part of his home world's defence force.
"The Jedi as we know them have changed, and we must change as well, or else our splintered republic will truly fall," Valorum said.
"What is it you are suggesting Chancellor, the Starlight beacon project failed; warlords have risen, including Dark Jedi seeking to fill the void left by the Sith Triumvirate. Serenno, Onderon and Tibrin, these worlds have left our republic and now support organisations such as the Techno Union and Trade federation, are you suggesting we do the same?" Mon Mothma of Chandrila asked.
"They are no better than the Exchange or the Hutts," snapped the Twi'lek Senator of Ryloth, Cham Syndulla.
"My fellows please, we are not so desperate that we will resort to such a thing, but something must give, reformation to the military must stand in a way that will be effective, both in terms of personal cost and monetary cost, we can subsidise those costs to the clone masters," Valorum stated.
Yarael and Lahru both widened their eyes as the senate chamber erupted into yells and jeers, arguments exchanged between worlds like Corellia that depended upon the ships their factories produced to support their economy and Manaan which primary export was its healing substance Kolto. Valorum remained calm even when these yells were directed at him, alongside a more personal argument.
"Are we to legalise slavery now?" Cham asked.
"The Kaminoans…or whoever you would call upon," Cham's comment was followed by many laughing in obvious agreement of his accusation, "Would create for us biological soldiers, people, not droids, stripped of free will, given no choice, if you do not consider that slavery chancellor then shame on you and SHAME ON ANY WHOM WOULD VOTE YES!" he yelled.
Lahru lowered his head and sighed, the respect Valorum once had was very quickly dying. Cham's comment had been followed by a wave of agreeing cheers and even more murmurs that spoke of the waning respect for the chancellor. It was then that another podium hovered so that all could gaze upon it. Sitting on that podium was a human man, middle aged and standing in a dignified and strong stance. He had a fierce mane of brown hair and pale skin, his clothes consisted of gold armour and gloves, a thick cloak was affixed to his shoulders. Lahru noticed that when the man stood, he revealed another sitting behind him. The young man easily could have been related to the man, with his own similar strong features, though locked into what came off as a permanent scowl. He wore a type of uniform with armour plates including a badge on the collar of his shirt. His coat had black fur across the collar and he wore a pair of armoured gloves.
"Please allow the senate to welcome the regent of the principality of Aquila, viscount of the Nubian city Keren, Imperator of the grey eagle knights, Augustus Daylenius Thrennhold."
"Thank you," the man's voice though gentle held discipline and calm, and people listened. "Though I am only a citizen of Aquila through marriage, I have long worked hard to serve both my adopted home and the republic, an idea that I love and wish to preserve. But there is a sad truth that must be acknowledged, that when one is on the brink, certain codes of conduct and honour must be abandoned in order to secure our future," he gestured to the young man behind him as he spoke. "My son Fausten was barely eighteen when he came to understand what it is to kill another, what it is to sacrifice one's innocence for the sake of freedom, for the safety of his people…AND HE IS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES!" Perrin suddenly yelled, voice spreading through the senate, the eyes looking to him watering with both understanding grief and regretful agreement.
Even Cham lowered his head slightly, though his eyes remained suspicious of the regent. Augustus raised a gloved hand to his forehead, tightening it into a fist as his body shook, appearing to be close to tears. When he lowered his hand his eyes narrowed at Valorum.
"Hope is one of the most beautiful things in the universe; it is also the most bitterly disappointing of pills to swallow, for it will not grant you warmth or light in the darkest of times. Action is needed not belief, we do not know what became of Revan and the Starforge, we must repair our military, if cloning is the path we must take to achieve it then so be it. For when the next great threat to the republic comes, we may have no other choice but conscription of our own citizens," he explained.
The murmurs that passed confirmed what Lahru theorised Augustus's speech was for, to create fear amongst the populace. With the regent's speech delivered, the session came to an end with most in agreement that new policies to empower and rebuild the military needed to be taken. The senators would return soon to the debate, but in the meantime they began to walk to their transports to return to their hotels or estates in Coruscant. Lahru and his fellow Jedi exchange pleasantries with those senators that didn't outwardly scowl at them. The trio were about to reach their speeder when a cloaked figure walked around one of the pillars.
She wore white Jedi robes over a black shirt and a brown coat over that. Lifting the hood off of her face, she revealed a gracefully aged human woman, skin and hair light and lips full, curling into a smile as she embraced Lahru and Yarael.
"Grand Master Surik," Yarael smiled.
"Master Poof, master Shin, master Lahru, it's good to see you again old friends," she said.
"But regrettable under the circumstances," Ephru said.
Meetra Surik nodded in agreement, walking with the council members to the speeder.
"You should have contacted us, we would have tried to hold the senate meeting," Lahru said.
"Unnecessary, I'm not here concerning the senate meeting anyway though Augustus's speech has me concerned," Meetra said.
"Good instincts, is there something that the council can do for you?" Yarael asked.
"There are a group of students I wish to recruit for a mission, one that will take us into the outer rim territories," she said.
"Surely not younglings or padawans," Ephru said in shock.
"Of course not, Survey corps candidates, they have the skills and life experience to be able to carry out undercover work, any more I am afraid I cannot say," Meetra stated.
"You do not trust the council," Ephru accused.
"Search your feelings Ephru, there is a cloud over Coruscant lately, we must be cautious on all fronts, especially in this political arena," Lahru said and Yarael chuckled.
On the other side of the senate building, Augustus and his son walked towards their sky car. They were met halfway towards it by one of their security guards. All of them were dressed in identical grey uniforms, jackets with ends reaching down the back, fur across the shoulders with armoured boots and gloves completing the look. Swords crossed over a sunburst symbol were set over the pads on their shoulders. The one who walked to Augustus's side was a man older than him, silver haired with a patch over his left eye.
"What is it Guard-Captain?" Augustus asked.
"Our contact regarding the delivery, we didn't hear from him at the expected time," the man said.
"Damn, inside quickly, before they hear us," Augustus said, scowling in disdain at the pillars, by proxy the very senate building itself.
They climbed into the sky car, the inertial dampeners kicking in as it began weaving through Coruscant's traffic. Fausten leant his elbow against the window, resting his chin on his hand and watching the cars go by. He was still listening though, requiring no lecture from his father who rubbed his eyebrow in frustration. The Guard-Captain Atreus was sat next to him, the two other guards Morovar and Clem were sat either side of a man in a navy blue uniform. He had near balding hair, a thinly cut beard and captain patches on his shoulders.
"Run this through me again old friend, you assured me that despite the FDF's intervention the Warbler would go through the border and meet our man on Nal Hutta," Augustus said.
"Your man on the warbler was well aware of when the intervention would be happening, everything was supposed to go to plan despite this, remnants of Revan's forces though intercepted them, forcing the Warbler to go to hyper speed, but the Jedi still wish to recover what the Warbler was carrying so..."
"Who they were carrying captain, who," Fausten corrected.
"Fausten do not interrupt Rayner, he has been an ally to our family since we arrived," Augustus said.
"And he has failed us, I told you father, we should have forgone middle men and clandestine operations, I was more than capable of recovering him," Fausten stated.
"You had appearances to keep, including a marriage ceremony," Augustus said.
"A marriage into a race that is slowly abandoning its warrior ways, she's beautiful I won't deny that, intelligent I won't deny that, nor will I deny affection, but affection is not to be confused with love, I understand we need allies but must we all debase ourselves by marrying for purse?" Fausten asked.
"I did love my late wife, in my own way," Augustus said and Fausten snorted.
"But not as you loved Revka Amell," he said.
The guards exchanged uneasy looks as Augustus's hand tightened into a fist. Rayner however cleared his throat, drawing attention.
"There is still a possibility of recovery, the Jedi are having difficulty tracking him as he is what they call a void in the force, but if we were to bring in..."
"Absolutely not, practicing magic is one thing but tracking through the fade by an amateur like him is asking for a disaster to happen," Fausten said.
"Again you interrupt him, Rayner's idea is sound, besides, something's transcend the force, they come down to family," Augustus said.
"Is that really what Daylen is father, is he truly an Amell?" Fausten asked.
"In a sense it doesn't matter if he is or isn't, it only matters if he believes he is an Amell," Rayner said and Augustus nodded in agreement.
No more
Cid whistled, he had to admit, he didn't expect the Sith pure bloods to have anything more than just bows and arrows for their defence. Much of their blasters were antiques, but even antiques could be affective. They may not have utilised technology for their irrigation or medicine, but they still had a pretty advanced understanding of herbology. When the influx of refugees from surrounding villages came in, those deemed healers by the tribal society did their part. There was no praying or calling to the omens for triage or treatment, everything was done with logic and the herbs they used were quite effective at making healing poultices. Kaldur watched them more than Cid, and though he kept his helmet on, Cid could tell from the man's body language he was impressed. In fact the Mandalorian seemed more interested in their techniques of healing than he did their weapons.
"You said you had ships available, tell me, would it at all be possible to secure one of these ships," Infidus of course was attempting to negotiate his way out of a dire situation.
"Don't get in their way, offer them help," Cid told the boy.
"I could, I could secure help from my father, if you have any means of long range communication..." Cid slapped the back of Infidus's head, stopping him from talking to the group.
"These people don't care who your father is, and your father doesn't care about these people, they value land and grain over credits and one another over all of those things, look around you boy, this is the most hardship you've ever encountered isn't it?" Cid asked, gripping the back of Infidus's head and making him look at all the Sith pure bloods.
Children had acid burns, parts of their limbs or even noses burned away, the weak and strong alike were in need of care and trembling as they had bandages wrapped around their wounds. Infidus trembled, Cid could practically smell the fear on the young man as well as flashback to all the times he had seen young men, hotshots that thought they were all that, break down once the devastating battle was over. He let the boy go and looked towards Kissai and Sutta. The two elders were waiting by the entrance, and had been welcoming refugees as they came into the village. But it didn't seem as if anyone was coming. That was until they saw a Reek coming over the hill. It galloped to the camp with two passengers on its back.
"Well I'll be, he does move," Cid said to himself, marvelling at the human behind the Sith.
He seemed so young, so barbaric, yet there was a calm in his expression. Cid had great eyes, he could see that the man was calmly working his way through the shock of a recent battle. There was that slowly restrained anger, the discipline the young man showed impressed him. Shasot and Kusk ran past Cid, calling out the name Taral. The young woman threw herself at the athletic hunter as he came off of his mount, an affectionate hug that was matched by the intimate way that the taller Massassi pushed his forehead against Taral's.
For Daylen, it brought back a memory of old friends. In the place of the Massassi he saw Jowan, whilst the young woman was replaced by a red haired elven girl, with Taral playing his role. He didn't sense or hear Jowan's voice, but for a moment he wished he could hear the voice of Surana, the elf girl. The memory was incomplete though and he wondered if he loved her. But overcoming the need to know the past he was still witness to the great friendship, and perhaps greater relationship that the three Sith purebloods had. It was yet another symbol of his own ignorance regarding the species that shared his enemy's name.
"We feared the worst," Shasot said.
"Perhaps today is the day we die my twin hearts," Taral said.
"Do not tempt fate," Kusk said.
"Damned fate, we spit on fate and fight," Shasot snarled.
"Yes we do, but before that, I sought a stranger in the wild and found him," the hunter turned to Daylen, who uneasily climbed off of the Reek.
The tall, bulking horned creature growled for a moment as Daylen backed away from it. He straightened his posture and bowed his head.
"You are Taral's friends I see, if you have any authority in your group then I humble request a place here," Daylen said.
"No requests, you do not request what has already been earned," Taral said.
"He fought with us my heart?" Kusk asked.
"Fought and risked, yes, he is deserving, Daylen Amell is this stranger's name, thus a stranger no more," Taral explained.
"He saved your life? Then your debt is ours, I thank you Daylen Amell, for saving my heart," Shasot approached Daylen.
Suddenly, the taller man slammed his head into Daylen's. It wasn't a blow that had force behind it, nor did it push Daylen, in fact it was a shocking hit but it didn't hurt. Daylen cleared his throat and again bowed his head, if a bit awkwardly due to his surprise of the usually antagonistic action.
"You are welcome, Taral had helped me before and I couldn't stand by as those creatures attacked your people," he said.
"Noble that is," Kissai said.
"Appreciated it also is," Sutta followed.
The pair of elders came towards Daylen, matching his bow as he already recognised them as senior figures.
"Friends are they or enemies?" Sutta asked, gesturing to the three strangers amongst the Sith.
Strangers who had not so far fought for the community. So when Daylen walked past Sutta and Kissai and went towards Infidus, no one did a thing as he grabbed him by the neck.
"You," Daylen seethed, holding Infidus by his Adam's apple, digging his fingers in.
He listened to Infidus gag for a while, glaring at Cid and Kaldur before he pushed their employer to the floor.
"You were the ones holding me in that chamber, on that ship that crash landed here," he said.
"That was to heal you," Infidus said, yelling out as Daylen kicked him in the chest.
"Don't you dare lie to me or use half truths, were you trying to sell me like a slave?" he demanded.
"No, no, we were just delivery men that's all," Infidus spoke up again, coughing and grimacing from the pain of the blows.
"So you were delivering me to slavers?" Daylen asked.
"Yes, exactly, that's what we were doing, I'm just a businessman, if people have packages I deliver," Infidus said, before he kicked in the gut again by Daylen.
"Then you are a slaver dumbass," Daylen said.
He grit his teeth together, looking at the man, looking up at him, legs shaking, lip trembling as the man whom held his life in his hand contemplated.
"How many people did he sell into slavery, how many people did he just give away to fill his pocket?" there was a voice that wasn't Jowan's echoing in his ear.
He shifted his head just a little bit, seeing another mage of the Ferelden tower. An elf boy, brown haired, a smug look of superiority. Daylen wanted to groan, Eadric always complained to him that he was in his light. He was often reading books on elven history, even when the Sith disproved the 'elf pantheon gods' story, Eadric still clung to to the idea of humans destroying elf culture. Some people said he was in denial, Daylen liked to think that he was so determined to think of himself, and his people as history's victims, that he intentionally forgot their own atrocities.
"He would have sold you into slavery, collected his pay and walked away to do the same thing to anyone else, do you really think a man like that deserves a chance?" Eadric asked.
"And what are Dalish tattoos?" Daylen asked as his retort.
"What?" Infidus looked up at him in fear.
"Great, now they think you're crazy, just like we all did Daylen, I wanted to strike the Sith because of what they had done to me and my heritage, but everyone else, they followed you to a massacre you couldn't even join them in," Eadric explained.
"Do you work for the Sith? When did they take me from my home?" Daylen demanded.
"Your home, I have no idea where that is, I don't know anything about the Sith, we were delivering you to a Hutt," Infidus said.
"He's lying, you can't trust his type, use ice on him, shatter his fingers one by one and that'll give you the truth," Eadric said.
Daylen put his hand to his head, blocking out the sight of Eadric egging him on. He stepped away from Infidus and looked to his bodyguards. Bad ones at that, as both Cid and Kaldur remained still, their body language unapologetic.
"And you two, just professionals doing a job, nothing personal?" Daylen asked, still glaring at them.
"Of course it was personal, we were party to something very personal being taken from you, your freedom," Cid said.
Kaldur simply shrugged.
"What's the priority, punishing us or surviving this, that ship up there is owned by a sadistic monster and yes I say that knowing what we would be to you, you think the creatures you fought were bad, you don't want to meet the one that sent them," he explained.
"Come, gathered who we can, now plan for war," Sutta said.
The pair of elders and the trio of pure blood warriors walked, Taral gestured for Daylen to follow and though hesitant at first the mage did. Infidus crawled onto his knees, raising his hand to take one that Kaldur offered. The Mandalorian however drew it away and turned to follow Cid.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this father," Infidus said, looking up at the remnant ship that had drifted closer to the planet, risking being pulled in by the gravity well just so it could be an even more intimidating sight.
And it worked too, despite their alien features Infidus looked at the people in the tribe and saw people just as afraid as he was. Only there was so much more pain as well, grown men were crying whilst being held by friends, children alone were taken in by groups. There was sorrow and kindness, and those who simply sat quietly and held no emotion, just defeat in their blank eyes. When Daylen got to the tent he could hear the chatter of a radio, a short Sith man was holding one, listening with a severe expression as he heard screams and blaster fire and, voices crying out and then static.
"The other tribes?" Kissai asked.
"Dying or dead, must work now," the man stood up, wiping his eyes.
He had a belt of tools, grease on his body common from oil and goggles hanging around his neck. When he passed them, Kissai and Sutta both hugged him.
"Zuguruk, you do well, everything you can you do," Kissai said, patting his shoulder as he wiped his eyes.
"Thank you, must work," he walked out of the tent and Daylen heard the man splutter as he broke down.
But still he walked to go to work, and the leaders of the tribe did too. Massassi unravelled a map onto the table, pinning it down with the cups of water they had gathered. Nails and toys were taken to represent the ship and highlight the position of the villages and different tribes. Some of these tribes were on different islands, one was in an area with only small islands where it could live. Another was near what on the map appeared to be a great tree and the fourth tribe was near a volcanic region.
"Your enemy is in a modified Interdictor cruiser, judging from what you've said about your other tribes they've already dispatched squadrons of fighters and troops to those areas, all troopers and those Xenomorph things," Kaldur explained.
"What are these monsters?" Shasot asked, begrudgingly as neither Kaldur nor Cid had been invited.
"I've heard rumours mostly, that David Weyland, during his time before joining Revan's Sith, found the remains of a dead species biological weapon, others say he came across the pyramids of another lost species, great hunters that used egg grown creatures as prey," the Mandalorian explained.
"That's the origins, but the creatures themselves are incredibly dangerous, a mate of mine worked in colonial development before joining the defence corps, she and her husband Dwayne nearly got laughed out for stories about acid blooded monsters but I never knew them to be liars. They have tough armour, work best in numbers, are incredibly dangerous and stealthy alone and are acid blooded," Cid explained.
"Necessitating long range combat, close quarters combat will be dangerous, especially considering the reach of their tail blades and those secondary jaws, despite their bestial behaviour they're smart too, almost problem solving smart," Daylen added.
He went to move his arm, again he remembered it was lost. Overcoming he embarrassment, he pointed with his other finger, drawing a circle around the village.
"This is a high ground, it makes us a target but it is also defensible, those 'Xenomorphs' will be able to climb over anything we use to block them, but we can still cut down trees to box their troops in, we can hold the line and wipe out their monsters and their troops but their fighters will overwhelm us and even if we survive their infantry onslaught, that ship alone can decimate us with a few blasts," he explained.
"He's right," Kaldur said, seeing the point Daylen was raising. "This isn't a defensive battle you can win."
"You said you had ships, fighters, carriers? Whatever they are your priority and the point of this battle needs to be retreat rather than defence," Cid said.
"That is what Zuguruk and his fellows are working on, our ancestors ships, including fighters," Kusk said.
"You have pilots?" Cid asked.
"Practice with machine, treat like game," Kissai shook her head.
"What about your bigger ships?" Kaldur asked.
"Will work once fully repaired, know how to pilot them we do, maintained the knowledge in case of the worst," Sutta leant against the table, wiping his eyes.
"We are strangers, and I wouldn't call us good people, but we'll die if we don't fight with you, all I have is my word that I won't run, but I am a pilot and if you give me a starfighter your people's chances of survival goes up," Cid explained, looking at the elders in particular.
Slowly they nodded, gesturing to one of the Massassi warriors to take Cid.
"Where is your ship?" Daylen asked.
"In the cave of the mountain, it was hollowed by ancestors," Sutta said.
"Get anyone who can't fight inside, if anyone can help your engineer speed up the process then get them to work, how many men do you have to defend the village?" Daylen asked.
"We count fifty five," Taral said.
"Twenty five volunteers, to stay and hold the line with me and him," Daylen pointed to Kaldur as he spoke. "You'll need to survive more than just this battle!"
"A one armed man fighting to protect, even if twenty four more people were to join you, the chances of survival are slim," the Mandalorian said.
"We will fight with you, to increase those odds," Taral said.
"We'll do our part, and ensure the people survive to rebuild," Shissot said.
"We'll need equipment then, explosives, anything that could take down vehicles," Kaldur said.
Massassi huffed and looked to Taral, who nodded his head in approval. The larger Sith gestured for Kaldur to follow him, whilst Taral and Kusk remained with Daylen.
"This is not your home, you bear us animosity because of our skin, yet still you fight for us," she said.
"It isn't animosity, I've never hated anyone purely because of who they are, it was that name, Sith, my people had suffered because of them. But you aren't the Sith that took my world, you're not my enemies, you don't deserve to have this happen to you, no one deserves it," Daylen explained.
"Of that we can agree, thank you again for fighting with us," Kusk said.
"Come, we will find you equipment to use, something to at least make up for the lack of an arm," Taral said.
They led him out of the tent, and when he stepped out he saw the Sith people gathering. Each was helping in some small way, carrying supplies, sharing food and water or checking over weapons. None looked up at the ship, none prayed, their hope had already been lost.
And it was time they fought to get it back.
Next Episode 5: The Sith strike back
Thrennholds in the republic, dun, dun, dun!
They're to play an important role in Daylen's side of the story, but as allies or foes?
This chapter's title was intentionally a play on A new Hope, with next chapter being an intentional play.