Earth: A Rendezvous with Destiny Chapter 6: Before the Hurricane Begins Part Two, a star wars fanfic

Nathrrya Therin-Palatine - Darth Avarice/The Empire's Wrath

United Nations General Assembly - Headquarters of the United Nations, 760 United Nations Plaza, Turtle Bay, Midtown Manhattan, Manhattan, New York City, New York County, New York, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy

07:18:15 ATC/July 18th, 1968 - 16:38/4:38 PM

Nathrrya looked out over the hall of the United Nations General Assembly and let out a sigh. Why did Darth Marr think she was a good choice for this? Because she was the least likely to start a bloodbath. Case in point, the misunderstanding when they had landed, and while she might be well accomplished in the field of 'aggressive negations' she considered it to be a last resort.

"Are you alright, Nat?" Casavir asked telepathetically from where he stood off to the side observing along with Kira, the appointed Cathar ambassador, and only a pair of Republic guards.

"No. It doesn't matter what I say or the questions I answer, Cas the outcome will be the same. Earth will not come into the Empire's fold. You know it, I know it and that damned smug Cather knows it." Nathrrya replied. "You realize the Republic has painted a sign on Earth that says 'Conquer Me' to the Empire right?"

"Unfortunately." Casavir concurred especially with the unique ambivalence that would pose a threat. "They're getting restless."

"Right, enough stalling, let's get this political farce over with. Force, I wish my mother was doing this instead of me. She's the politician of the family."

"Wouldn't it be kind of awkward to be introducing her?" Kira asked.

"Oh hell no, she'd have this lot eating out of her hand in under a minute."

Nathrrya took a breath, stepped forward, and began to speak "Citizens of Earth, my name is Darth Avarice, and with me is Captain Quinn of the Imperial Military, my apprentice Jaesa, and Vette who is of the Twi'lek species. Together we represent the Sith Empire. Now it's my understanding that you will ask me questions and I'll do my best to answer them."

"What are the Empire's intentions towards Earth?" George Ignatieff of Canada questioned curiously.

"Curiosity mainly. It's rare for the Republic to make contact with a new undiscovered planet and even stranger given the current state of the galaxy." Nathrrya said. "I have to question the Republic's wisdom in such a move for your planet is clearly not ready to deal with the wider universe and given the state of war that exists between the Empire and Republic it seems irresponsible of the Republic to draw unwanted attention to your world."

"Why are the Republic and the Empire at war?"Armand Berard of France interrogated, internally hoping that France would not be dragged into the conflict, especially since the recent debacles from the initial beginnings of World War II, to Indochina, then Suez, the nasty insurgency in Algeria as well as the concurrent '9th February' incident in which three Vautour fighter jets of the French Air Force shot down an Il-18 plane that was carrying Leonid Brezhnev, who at the time was the ceremonial head of state of the Soviet Union and was on his way to the Republic of Guinea for a state visit when it strayed over French Algeria, lastly there was even the recent disastrous war against Brazil over lobsters. Berard still couldn't believe that his nation lost French Guiana to the Brazilians because the French yearned for the exclusive right to haul crustaceans from the continental shelf while the Brazilians believed the French fishermen violated their territorial waters. As a proud Frenchman, losing a literal war over gastronomy and watching footage of white flags being waved across French Guinea, learning that troops including elite Foreign Legionnaires and Paratroopers had surrendered en masse without firing their weapons and unfortunately bringing the stereotype to life, the loss of face on the world stage, still bemoaned him.

"A good question as I ask myself that often enough and I still haven't come up with a suitable answer." Nathrrya replied clearly, startling many of the representatives. "I know some of it has to do with very old grievances committed by the Republic many centuries ago." She looked sharply towards the Cathar ambassador and her stare made the man squirm. "Driving the Sith species to near extinction." Her gaze returned to the General Assembly "And reclaiming lost territory such as Korriban, the Sith species ancestral homeworld." She paused "As to why the war continues? That's anyone's guess. Perhaps we've been fighting each other for so long we've forgotten just why we were fighting to begin with." Nathrrya said knowing it was closer to the truth than she wanted to admit.

"What exactly is the Force?" The Representative of the Soviet Union, Nikolai Fedorenko, questioned. The Force to him still sounded like some sort of religion instead of having scientific validity and while he had heard about it from the Jedi, Fedorenko decided to see what this other sect's perspective was.

Nathrrya frowned as she thought of what to say, feeling that it was a snare but she didn't permit herself to play the game. "The Force is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together and allows people like me to do things like this." She said placing both hands on the sides of the podium she used the Force alone to lift the cylinder of water she brought to her mouth while taking a drink before setting it back down.

"How long have you been a Sith?"Arthur Goldberg, Representative for the United States pressed, wondering what a Sith exactly was.

Nathrrya genuinely looked surprised by this. "I started training in the ways of the Sith Order when I was fifteen and that was twenty-five years ago. However, I was born into a Sith family so it could also be said I've been Sith since my birth. Pick whichever answer you prefer as neither is wrong."

"Is it true that the Empire is indeed responsible for the slavery of several other races?" The Representative for India, Gopalaswami Parthasarathy, inquired in a slightly accusatory voice.

Nathrrya grimaced as she knew this would come up; her expression would have been answering enough. "Yes. But it was not so long ago that slavery was a common practice on your world and is it still, in fact, practiced in, say, Oman?" she asked rhetorically. "In case you were wondering, yes Vette in the eyes of Imperial Law is my slave, however, I have never treated her as such for she is a sentient being in her own right. I personally utterly detest the practice and despite my position within the Empire there is only so much I can do to effect change."

On cue, Vette stepped forward. "Lord Avarice has been good to me in the years we've traveled together." She unholstered her blasters with a flourish "Not every slave gets a matched pair of heavy blasters that were custom made for her nor a custom set of armour. Ask yourself this. If I were truly Avarice's slave would she really give me things like these?" The girl then holstered her weapons and stepped back her piece said.

Nathrrya smiled gratefully at her Twi'lek friend. "Thanks, Vette."

"No problem, boss." The girl replied with her trademark cheeky grin.

"Any other questions?" Nathrrya asked, looking around, there didn't seem to be any.

"I have something to add if I may, my lord." Quinn spoke up.

"Certainly, Captain." Nathrrya said as she stepped away from the podium to make way for Quinn.

Surprising everyone Quinn quickly knelt on one knee and as he did so withdrew the small velvet box from his trouser pocket, turning and opening it to display its contents to the woman standing over him.

"Would you do me the honour of being my wife, Nathrrya?"

All Nathrrya could do was simply stare in shocked silence at what was clearly an engagement ring sitting in the velvet-lined box that Quinn held aloft. Behind her Jaesa and Vette looked equally stunned but soon they both had what earthlings would call shit-eating grins on their faces as the two girls high-fived each other.

Off to the side, Kira couldn't help herself, she fist pumped "Yes! About kriffing time too." She saw the glare the Cather was giving her. "Oh don't be such a stick in the mud ambassador!" She said sticking out her tongue at the man. Casavir simply chuckled in amusement at his wife's antics.

Nathrrya finally snapped out of her shock reaching out and taking the ring from its box and inspecting it before putting it on. The ring itself was silver and there was a round silver mount but it was the gem that sat snugly on the mount as if had always been there that took her breath away. It was a perfectly round highly polished cabochon cut piece of violet lightsabre crystal. The same colour as her own lightsabre.

The smile she gave him must have been answering enough for Quinn to stand and pocked the now empty box before he put his arms around her and said. "I love you Nathrrya."

"I love you too, Malavai." Nathrrya replied before she kissed him as passionately as she could.

Walter Leland Cronkite, Junior - CBS New

07:18:15 ATC/July 18th, 1968 - 17:00/5:00 PM

"As you just witnessed moments ago, Darth Avarice, who we now know also has the name 'Nathrrya' is now engaged to an officer of the imperial military. Now we are going to ask Miss Avarice a few questions."

Nathrrya looked amused being called 'Miss Avarice'; it certainly wasn't a bad guess as Earth knew almost nothing about the Sith. Quinn looked mildly horrified which Nathrrya found endearing, sometimes the man was just too damned cute.

"Darth Avarice is my Sith title my actual name is Nathrrya Palatine." She corrected the journalist

"Sorry Lord Palatine, but is it okay if I ask you a few questions."

"Certainly."

"Is the Force a form of magic?" Cronkite asked.

Nathrrya wasn't put off as it had been called that more than once. "If it makes the concept easier to comprehend then yes the Force is a form of magic and it's been called such by many different cultures in the past."

"What is your personal belief of Earth on the intergalactic stage?"

"You're not ready but by no means are you 'backward'." She smiled a little seeing the perturbed expression on the journalist's face. "Yes, that's how Earth was described to me. I actually think you could teach the rest of the galaxy a thing or two." Nathrrya explained "Take those fighters that escorted my ship in. They are clearly designed for atmospheric flight whereas my Fury is primarily designed for space flight. Now imagine a starship hull that performs just as well in the atmosphere as it does in the deep black." The excitement was clear in the woman's voice.

"You're talking about the F-110 Spectres?" Cronkite asked, surprised.

"Is that what they're called? I have to admit on the flight in my inner engineer was drooling at the prospect of getting my hands on one, pulling it apart to see how it worked." Nathrrya said, with no shame whatsoever.

"You're an engineer?"

Nathrrya grinned. "Yes, a fully certified starship engineer and designer. My idea of a stress-free day is tinkering with my Fury. Something I don't get to do as often as I might like."

"I see." Cronkite said, wondering just how truthful the Republic ambassador had been as he'd been 'corrected' by the two Jedi accompanying him on several occasions which was telling enough. "Do you think that Earth should open relations with the Empire and if yes, why?"

Nathrrya frowned as she had to pick her words carefully. "It would have been better for Earth to have remained unnoticed but as that is not an option all I can say is that the Republic and the Empire are not bad but they are not good either. They are what they are and Earth will have to choose who it will follow." She said. "Naturally I would favour the Empire but would that be the right choice for Earth? That is something only your people can answer."

"What did you mean by Sith species?"

"Exactly that. Pureblood Sith as we call them were native to the planet Korriban." Nathrrya replied as she pulled her holocom from her belt and brought up an image of herself and Darth Vowrawn. "This man here is a Sith Pureblood. They are a dying race and nothing can stop their eventual extinction." The other notable thing about the holo image was that it showed Nathrrya in her usual green outfit that showed off her midriff and quite a bit of cleavage and the fact she was carrying a blaster as well as her lightsaber.

"What happened one thousand years ago on Korriban?"

Nathrrya's expression darkened considerably. "You're talking about the Sith genocide." Her tone was grim. "At the end of the Great Hyperspace War, Republic Supreme Chancellor Pultimo ordered the seemingly unthinkable. The invasion of all Sith-controlled worlds. Pultimo had the misguided belief that if he could destroy Sith culture then the galaxy would be a safer place." Everyone watched in fascination and horror as the woman's eyes slowly went from blue to sickly yellow. The passion and anger in her voice were also noticeable.

"To destroy a culture you have to destroy the people. One man's order almost saw the total annihilation of the Sith species for every man, woman, and child the Republic forces found, regardless if they had been active in the war or not were slaughtered."

Nathrrya closed her eyes and took several deep breaths trying to calm herself when she opened them again they were their normal blue. "The survivors fled deep into uncharted space, my ancestors among them but the damage had been done. The Sith race would never recover and has been a dying species ever since. Is it any wonder that the Empire is more than a little upset about that even after so long?"

Cronkite was stunned. "...Thank you for your time Lord Avarice...As you just heard it seems that the Republic may not be as 'clean' as it seems..."

Gail Thayer

07:18:15 ATC/July 18th, 1968 - 17:55/5:55 PM

While it was a struggle to maintain her thought shield upon hearing the cold truth of the aftermath of the Great Hyperspace War, the 'Empire's Wrath' did not indicate that she suspected the presence of a firsthand witness to that inexcusable time over Korriban and the other Sith Worlds, but the Rhinnelian did held regrets, feeling that she could have done more as two wrongs don't make a right, if only she was more persuasive or assertive. The fact that the Sith of old returned was still confounding and maybe it was a second chance but then again this galaxy was unlike her native one as the Force was lacking.

'Still, if that Darth was aware of my background there could've been an incident.'

Sergeant Sara Kelrein - Imperial Army Commando Unit 421 "Reaper Squad"- Undercover as a Corporal in Republic Army SpecForce Squad 149 "Chaos Squad"

07:18:15 ATC/July 18th, 1968 - 17:55/5:55 PM

Sergeant Kelrein stared at the totally unexpected scene directly in front of her. Sara could not believe that a Captain in the Imperial military would propose to a Dark Lord of the Sith in the current surroundings.

'I do think that is a little bold, sir, but I can see the reason why you did it.' The copper-haired woman thought. It made sense for the sake of showing the Empire off in a more positive fashion to Earth.

Sara's boyfriend, Jake, was right beside her, his blue-gray eyes widened in surprise and it amused Kelrein at how easily he could be dumbstruck at times.

"Are you alright, larel?" Sara asked him in her best impersonation of a Corellian accent.

"I'm fine babe." He answered. "It's just that I didn't expect a proposal during a diplomatic conference at the United Nations with the whole world watching."

As much as the Sergeant would like to kiss him, Sara knew that professionalism must be maintained and she did not desire to risk blowing her cover either.

The Commando continued watching the podium where the Dark Lord was waiting for her team while the United Nations representatives began to leave the assembly for a break, leaving just the guards, a cluster of reporters, and Lord Avarice.

One of the reporters, Walter Cronkite, headed to the stage with his cameraman to conduct what Kelrein assumed was an interview.

"Darth Avarice is my Sith title my actual name is Nathrrya Palatine."

'Palatine?' Sara questioned to herself.

House Palatine was one of the oldest and most respected Houses in the Empire with the family seat currently located on the planet of Axxila and it was revered in the eyes of not only Imperial high society, but all of Sith Space and to learn that the current Wrath was from the family was surprising to Sara, not that it couldn't happen but more out of every Sith in the Empire, 'Nathrrya' managed to gain such stature but the commando knew her actions were merited.

'And I'm the last in my bloodline.' She mourned as ever since her parents were killed in a bombing at her father's corporation office on Ziost by a band of terrorists known as the 'Ziost Liberation Front', not to mention the death of her grandparents in an airspeeder accident on Dromund Kaas, Sara felt diffident in spite of her gracious upbringing and while the Beniko's were close family friends, the void was forever poignant.

"Sara? Are you okay?" Meyer whispered, seeing the distraught look on her face.

"I'm fine Jake...It's just memories."

The Marine nodded his head in understanding and resumed his post, keeping an eye on the now empty seats.

The redhead, however, had to meet Darth Avarice and pass along some intel Sara had acquired that would prove useful to the Imperial war effort.

"Jake?"

"Yes, babe?"

Sara hated to lie to him because every time she did so, her gut felt like it had been punched by a Rancor. However, in the world of espionage, lying is how you stay alive. "Do you know where the 'fresher is?"

"You mean the restroom?... It should be outside, just to your left. I saw it on the way in."

'Perfect.' Sara thought since that where the exit from the podium is at. "Thank you larel." She smiled before turning on her heels and about-faced, but not before Jake spoke to her again as Kelrein opened the door.

"Just make sure you don't run into the Sith. I don't think Uncle Sam is paying me enough to prevent a diplomatic incident."

"I'll be careful Jake." She winked. "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at ones side."

"Understood Sergeant." Nathrrya said as she casually leaned against a wall in a quiet hallway of the U.N. Building. She felt meeting with Kelrein in person was an unnecessary risk but against her better judgment, Nathrrya was doing just that.

Suddenly the Sith's attention was taken by a commotion down the far end of the hallway and she silently cursed when she saw her cousin and Ambassador Krasul. Casavir wasn't the problem, Krasul was.

"I believe your cover has just been blown Sergeant Kelrein." Nathrrya informed the other woman.

"Well... kriff." Sara muttered.

"This is an outrage!" Krasul hissed.

"Ambassador, I'll deal with this... situation." Casavir said firmly "Return to Kira and the others I'll be along shortly." He used the Force to nudge the man to do what he wished.

"Very well master Jedi..." Krasul grumbled as he turned to leave.

Casavir waited a few moments to make sure the ambassador was gone before he started to walk towards the two imperial women.

"I had wondered why you had been sent. An information leak of some sort seemed the most likely." Casavir said as he reached the two women. "You know I'll have to take Miss Kelrein into custody."

Sara Kelrein stood stiffly at attention for she didn't know how else to react but she noticed that Lord Avarice wasn't the least bit concerned about the presence of the Jedi Master for she was still casually lent against the wall.

"And you know I can't let you do that, cousin dearest. Lana would be most... upset if I let that happen." Nathrrya replied affectionately. "There's also the fact that this is neutral ground and you may be out of your jurisdiction."

Casavir massaged his temples. "Why I am not surprised to learn she'd been involved in this mess?"

Sara could not have heard correctly... could she? The soldier looked between the Sith Lord and Jedi Master but realized she hadn't misheard. All Sara could do was make a perfect 'O' shape with her mouth her eyes wide with surprise.

Nathrrya chuckled, seeing Kelrein's reaction. "I trust Sergeant that this piece of information goes no further." a clear warning in her voice. Sara simply nodded. "Good girl." The Sith turned her attention back to the Jedi. "Now how do we get ourselves out of this mess?"

Casavir stroked his beard thoughtfully for a few moments before he smirked. "I have an idea and you'll like its dramatic flair..."

The first inkling that anyone had that something was wrong was when the snap-hiss of lightsabers being drawn was heard.

"I can't let you do that Lord Avarice." Casavir said with determination his blue blade at the ready.

"Try and stop me Jedi." Nathrrya sneered as she twirled her trademark violet blade. She really could do the 'I'm an evil Sith' routine when she wanted to.

"So be it." With that the two force users were striking at each other, their respective blades hitting again and again as the two blocked, parried, and thrust.

Behind them, Jake spotted the Imperial officer who had Sara at blaster point and was forcing her out of the room. He was about to give chase when he felt a strong grip on his arm.

Kira shook her head. "Don't even think about getting involved in a lightsaber duel. The Sith will cut you in half if given the chance. You're no use to Sara dead. Let the tough guy handle this." What Kira didn't say was she knew the 'duel' was just for show, a distraction as the Violet Rose was already on its way.

"Say, Kira, can I borrow your laser sword? I'm pretty good at fencing." Jake asked hopefully as he did get compelled into using a rapier a few times with his previous girlfriend while wearing a mask, the white uniform, gloves, and the chestguard of course.

Kira looked horrified at the surreal plea. "Absolutely not, Jake! Lightsabers have no weight apart from the hilt and mine is a dual-bladed saber staff, which is a much harder weapon to master than a single blade. Jake, you're just as likely to chop your own limbs off. Then what use would you be?"

Jake nodded numbly as he watched his girlfriend being kidnapped. The two force users seemed to almost dance as their blades whirled around them. Slowly it seemed as if the Jedi was driving the Sith back.

Suddenly the Devil Dog had an idea, as crazy as it was, it just might work. Jake turned to another exit and ran off a very concerned Kira following after him.

"Jake, what are you doing?" She asked while easily keeping up with the running Marine.

"I know the layout of this building." Jake deadpanned without mentioning how or even why given his particular side of the political spectrum. " If I can get behind that officer I can knock him out with this." The Hoosier added while concurrently drawing his wooden truncheon.

Kira just nodded though she had a bad feeling about this.

Five minutes later saw Jake and Kira in position and as Quinn passed with Sara and the sounds of the sabre duel getting closer Jake made to strike Quinn on the back of the head when suddenly there was a violet blur and Jake's baton was cut in half before it even made it halfway to its target.

Out of reflex, the Marine dropped the other half of the now useless baton and he briefly got a look at the Sith's face. It was something he never encountered before. The woman was irritated but it was her eyes, they were now a bright fiery yellow and emphasized if looks could kill...

While not fearful of the unexpected metamorphosis, Jake could not believe the glow of the irises as she turned her attention back to the male Jedi.

The Marine regained his composure, drew his forty-five caliber handgun, and aimed in an attempt to shoot the blaster out of Quinn's hands despite the risks but he noticed Sara frantically shaking her head in the universal 'no' gesture.

Then everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

Quinn turned bringing his blaster to bear and fired directly at Jake's chest, the Marine felt himself being pushed violently to the ground as the stun blast passed overhead and slammed into the wall.

Soon Sara, Quinn, and the two dueling force users were out of sight.

"What was that!?" Jake asked as Kira helped him to his feet.

"A stun shot, if that had connected you'd have been out for the next several hours and woke up with the mother of all headaches." Kira said looking slightly annoyed she had to babysit the impulsive earthling "And what did I say about staying out of this? You're lucky to still be alive." She admonished. "Come on we better follow then and be more careful!"

Nathrrya and Quinn as well as Sara almost reached her personal starfighter when Nat sensed that they were about to be confronted by yet another Force adept and it was not Kira which became clear as an archaic-sounding voice called to her.

"Halt!" The unknown teenage brunette instructed before unexpectedly attempting sun djem only for the Sith to dodge it but the use of sun djem could only mean one thing.

'A Makashi practitioner?' Nat was not sure if she should be sympathetic or amused at the inadaptability as Form II was exclusively for lightsaber-to-lightsaber combat and it became clear to the battle-hardened Sith that this Padawan specialized on this one sole form yet Nat was also packing a blaster and been utilizing it. "You have much to learn, young one." Avarice sighed as she fired a stun bolt and then shook her head after recognizing that for some reason the young padawan not only lacked a master, but by her age she should have known better than to attempt to deflect a stun bolt. However there was no time to mull as withdrawing to her craft took precedence.

Five minutes later Jake and Kira were nearing the main entrance to the U.N. Building when they came across bodies lying on the floor, civilian workers and United Nations Police alike who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Are they dead?" Jake asked. The Marine wasn't familiar with the weaponry of the extraterrestrials and wanted to be sure.

Kira shook her head. "No, just stunned." She then spotted something that didn't belong. The Jedi bent down and picked the object up handing it to Jake. "Looks like Sara dropped her holocom. Look at it later."

The unlikely duo exited the building just in time to see Nathrrya, Sara, and Quinn sprint up the ramp of the Fury which was hovering above the ground. It would have made for quite an impressive spectacle if it hadn't been so terrifying. They both came across Casavir lying seemingly out cold and in another room was Gail just as unconscious.

Without thinking, Jake pulled out his pistol and fired a single round hitting the Imperial officer in the shoulder, spinning him around slightly from the impact. As Sara steadied him she looked on in absolute horror as the Sith drew her own blaster and leveled it at Jake, the woman seemed to pause a moment before she fired.

Jake had enough time to think 'Fuck' before his world turned black after being hit dead center in the chest by a stun bolt.

Two Hours after the incident...

Private First Class Jake Gregory Meyer - MOS 5811 Military Policeman, Military Police Detachment, Marine Barracks Brooklyn, United States Marine Corps

Goldwater Memorial Hospital - New York City, New York, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy

07:18:15 ATC/July 18th, 1968 - 20:00/8:00 PM

"Ughh, why do I feel like I had a massive hangover..." Meyer groaned as he woke up from his dream and he was also hungry but in his mind, the Marine and intransigent opponent of a One World Government curiously had the most interesting experience inside the United Nat- "Wait a minute. Where am I?" The Hoosier questioned out loud. "And why am I in a hospital?"

Shortly after he awoke from his nap, a nurse walked in, with hospital food on a tray of course. "Mister Meyer, my name is Adriana Watson and you're currently at Goldwater Memorial Hospital. Do you remember what happened earlier today?"

Jake stared at the woman for a moment as she set the tray with meatloaf and mashed potatoes as well as creamed corn and a styrofoam cup of coffee on a table adjacent to the bed, wondering how in the hell he got into a hospital. "No. I do not ma'am. Can you please tell me?"

"You were shot by some sort of ray gun at the United Nations building and knocked out for a few hours. We brought you here as a precaution."

'The dream was real!' Was what Jake wanted to say, but instead, he was concerned about the Jedi and the innocent people who got in the way. "Are the others..."

"They're fine Mister Meyer. In fact the two..." The nurse checked her clipboard to make sure. "Jedi Ambassadors would like to see you."

"Uh, sure, send them in." Jake replied.

A few minutes later Casavir and Kira entered Jake's room.

"So now you know what a stun bolt feels like?" Kira chuckled but her smile soon faded. "Jake, there's a message for you on Sara's holocom you need to see..." she said placing the small device on the bed and activating it. "And you may lose your appetite."

A small holo image of Sara appeared but Jake realized something was off... Sara was wearing Imperial Trooper armor, the helmet tucked under her arm.

"Jake... I do not know how well you are going to take this, but I'm sorry... I'm not the woman that you know and I'm so sorry." Sara sighed and when she spoke again she had an accent that to Jake's ears sounded like a British upper-class accent. "I'm Sergeant Sara Kelrein of the Imperial Army and I was chosen for an undercover assignment to infiltrate the Republic Military..."At this point, Sara broke down in tears as her helmet clattered to the ground with her hands covering her face. "I still have feelings for you Jake, but I hope you understand... I love you."

The holo image faded out.

Jake looked uncomprehendingly at the two Jedi.

"I'm sorry Jake... but it appears that Sara was an Imperial soldier." Kira told the distraught American as gently as she could "I know you two were... close."

"What would the Jedi know about love?" Jake snapped.

The two Jedi winced at that. After all, Jake didn't know about them.

"We know more than you'd believe, Jake." Casavir said. "Kira and I are married. For Jedi we broke the most important rule there is, we fell in love with each other. We don't regret a thing."

"What?" Jake asked.

"You heard the tough guy, we're married and we share the same bed if you get my meaning." Kira replied her cheeks turning slightly pink.

"It's clear to me that despite Sara's loyalties to the Empire she's deeply in love with you, Jake Meyer. What you do with that knowledge is completely up to you." Casavir told him.

"You're right." Jake laid back, his head firmly implanted into the pillow, heartbroken as this became yet another hapless relationship with a woman. "I lost my appetite."

The Violet Rose had just made the jump to hyperspace and after several random jumps to ensure they weren't being followed would head back to Dromund Kaas. Now Nathrrya needed to take care of her crew.

"Vette, you can look after the Rose." The Sith said

"Sure thing, boss." The Twi'lek replied as she headed for the bridge.

"Quinn, go with Jaesa and get that shoulder seen to, now." Nathrrya ordered.

The captain winced trying not to move his wounded arm as he wasn't used to having an actual metal slug buried in his flesh. "Understood, my lord."

"Yes, master." Jaesa confirmed as she led the captain away to the small med bay.

That left Nathrrya with Sara who was almost in tears. The Sith allowed herself to fall into a seat near the other woman. "As escapes go that went remarkably well."

"I guess." Sara agreed numbly as she was trying to process what had happened and the strange crew dynamics she found on this ship. They acted more like family than a ship's crew under the command of a Sith Lord from what she'd seen.

"Were you going to kill Jake for shooting the captain?" Sara asked at last.

"I thought about it." Nathrrya admitted. "But I know what that would have done to you so I settled for stunning him."

Sara smiled a little "That's why you hesitated; you changed the setting on your blaster."

"Yes."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Sara."

"Why do I feel so terrible?" the sergeant wondered.

"Betraying someone you love is never an easy thing to do willingly or not." Nathrrya replied. "If you didn't feel bad then you can't really have loved Jake. It's of little comfort perhaps but knowing your feelings for him are real is something to treasure."

Sara stared at the older woman shocked for she had never expected a Lord of the Sith to say something so profound.

Nathrrya smiled at the expression on the younger woman's face the question in her eyes easy to read. "Captain Quinn almost never got the chance to propose to me, Sara. I know just how much the betrayal of a loved one hurts."

"The captain betrayed you and he's still alive?" Sara asked trying to reconcile those two things. Darth Avarice was not what the army sergeant had expected she was being quite the opposite.

Nathrrya nodded. "Yes he did, however, it was not his choice. You see my former master Darth Baras had already tried twice to assassinate me and failed so he persuaded Quinn to do the deed." She explained "Imagine how I felt when Quinn revealed his trap to me, flanked by several war droids. The bottom of my world disappeared from under me, and what I thought I knew and felt for the man was destroyed in an instant." She sighed "That fight was the hardest I've ever had. Not because it was difficult, those droids were an annoyance but because the man I was fighting was the man I loved with all my heart."

Nathrrya smiled sadly "After it was over we were both battered and bruised but seeing the defeat in Quinn's eyes broke my heart. He knew he'd failed Baras, failed me and his life was forfeit." She looked at Sara who was hanging on her every word "I couldn't kill him because I still loved him. Quinn had always treated me like a woman, not a Sith. Love can hurt like nothing else can but it can ignite the stars themselves."

The Sith looked the sergeant in the eyes. "If the Force wills it and you have the chance to be with Jake take it, never look back. Love is worth fighting for when you find the one like I did with Quinn."

Private First Class Jake Gregory Meyer - MOS 5811 Military Policeman, Military Police Detachment, Marine Barracks Brooklyn, United States Marine Corps

FBI Field Office - Jacob K. Javits Federal Office Building, 26 Federal Plaza 23rd Floor, Foley Square, Civic Center, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy

07:20:15 ATC/ July 20th, 1968 - 10:40/5:40 PM

For over an hour already, Jake was being hounded by these two goons of the Bureau, questioning him about the event that occurred at the United Nations as the damn FBI decided since the incident took place in American airspace, not to mention the evidence of espionage by the Empire, the followers of Hoover took charge of the investigation of what transpired on the 18th of July and there was also going to be a closed-door congressional deposition into this affair.

At least it wasn't a public spectacle as his name remained anonymous and off the record which suited him but still…

"I will say it once more!" Meyer screamed in anger from his handcuffed position in the chair. "I. Did. Not. Know. That she was a spy!"

One of the agents, William Pulaski pressed the rabid Marine once more.

"Are you saying Private that in no way did you compromise the secrets of the United States government to the Sith Empire?"

"Yes!" He spat in annoyance. "Why would I of all people support a tyrannical bunch of Space Nazis who only believe in conquest, genocide, and slavery!?"

The other interrogator, Agent Robert Shaw, paced behind the restrained Devil Dog, questioning the Leatherneck's loyalty.

"There are many reasons why you would betray this nation of ours, traitor." Shaw sneered. "Wealth. Power... No that's not it." He hummed in thought before slamming his fist onto the table. "No, I think you fell for the classic honeypot trap." He smiled wickedly. "I believe she offered you temptations you couldn't resist and you were ensnared you lovestruck farmboy."

"BULLSHIT!"

"I don't think so, Mister Meyer." Pulaski declared before placing what Jake recognized as Sara's holo-communicator onto the table and the agent replayed the message.

"Jake... I do not know how well you are going to take this, but I'm sorry... I'm not the woman that you know and I'm so sorry... I'm Sergeant Sara Kelrein of the Imperial Army and I was chosen for an undercover assignment to infiltrate the Republic Military... I still have feelings for you Jake, but I hope you understand... I love you."

"I think you were aware of Kelrein's exact allegiance, she probably reminded you of this Emma Northcott."

'And yet her father is American and she prefers southern sweet tea!' Jake thought as he did remember the towheaded blonde daughter of an archeologist, a gallimaufry best described as a Southern Belle with a Yankee grandfather and an upper-class English mother of matrilineal German and Swiss descent but it seemed no matter the personality or background, no matter how courteous he was, one way or another, his relationships somehow inevitably imploded and this was only the latest.

Jake was on the verge of a mental breakdown and he hoped that the G-Men undid the restraints because one way or another, he was going to kill them.

"How many fucking times do I have to tell you that I did not know that she was a Space Brit and how many times do I have to tell you that I did not compromise national security!"

Oh, how Jake wished that he was falsely accused by one of his childhood heroes, Senator McCarthy of Wisconsin, not to mention the John Birch Society, of being some card-carrying communist agent instead.

Walter Leland Cronkite, Junior - CBS New

CBS Broadcast Center - 524 West 57th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy

07:20:15 ATC/ July 20th, 1968 - 20:00/8:00 PM

"Good evening America. As you are already aware, the incident that occurred two days ago still rings in the minds of all across the globe. What originally transpired as a historic moment in the history of Earth has become one of the most infamous of diplomatic incidents in recent memory."

Footage was shown of the Imperials 'kidnapping' a Republic soldier and Jedi attempting to rescue the soldier with a United States Marine assisting.

"Though the exact reason why an American Leatherneck was present is still unknown and Mister Welch, the President of the John Birch Society, speculated that this was some elaborate ploy in coordination with Mayor Lindsey, the Governor of New York, and other members of the Rockefeller Family to bring forth the foretold 'New World Order', we've recently learned that Republic soldier was, in reality, a spy for the Sith Empire. From what Ambassador Krasul told us earlier, he never thought that one of his own bodyguards was an undercover agent. With us tonight is Major Jessie Lane, the commanding officer of Republic SpecForce squad 149, currently assigned to protect the Republic Ambassador."

The cameras point to a five foot eleven inch tall female Human-Echani hybrid with long scarlet hair and silver eyes. The Major is wearing a set of multicolored armor designated as the 'Ruthless Commander' under the Republic SpecForce classification system.

Many people around the world watched their television screens with deep interest, shocked that a woman could lead a military unit, and to think that they were surprised to hear that the Republic military recruited women, seeing it was a different matter entirely.

"Thank you for coming, Major. Now if you don't mind, is it okay if I ask you a few questions?"

"Go ahead and blast away, Mister Cronkite."

"Err right…" Walter stuttered, not quite expecting such a blunt statement, and the newsman wasn't exactly used to the Galactic slang yet. "How well did you know your former subordinate?"

"Corporal Kelrein?" She spat in disgust. "Obviously not well because I thought that I could trust her to protect our backs and she had for two years and now she decided to return home to her imperial comrades."

"Were there any indicators that she was a spy for the Empire?"

"None." Lane responded instantly. "Kelrein was a good soldier. There was this one time on Balmorra when I was clearing a building with Specialist Kovo. We entered the building and came across a turret and an imperial demolitions squad. The turret opened up and I thought that I was going to be a goner, but Kelrein was keeping watch three hundred meters away in a financial complex and covered us. I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for her."

"What was Kelrein's specialty if you don't mind me asking?"

"Corporal Kelrein was our marksman expert and she was, in fact, the top of her class at the academy. She scored ninety-eight percent on long-distance marksmanship, a record."

"I see." Cronkite hummed. "She was a sniper?"

"Indeed and I'm willing to bet she still is. If she was never an imperial agent, I would recommend to command to transfer her to the Deadeyes. In fact, she was originally going to be placed into the Deadeyes, but Kelrein volunteered for my squad instead."

"And what are the Deadeyes exactly?"

"Most of the information about the unit remains classified, but what I can tell you Mister Cronkite is that the Deadeyes are the top sniper squad in the Republic."

"And what is your opinion of the incident that happened on the 18th of July?"

Jessie pondered on the question for a minute before answering. "Shock as Master Therin mildly put it. I honestly didn't think that the Imps would be so bold to risk an exfiltration... Of course, I thought one of my men was being held against her will and I commend the Marine who joined the Jedi in the pursuit. Now I also find it odd how the Sith didn't leave corpses."

"Corpses?"

"You don't want to know." The Major's tone indicated that it was a subject not fit for the cameras.

"Final question." The famed correspondent declared suddenly. "How are you dealing with the fact that one of your comrades is, in fact, a spy."

"Not well I'll admit." Jessie sighed. "Kelrein was one of the best in Chaos and I thought she had a future in the Republic Armed Forces, but now I have to deal with the fact that a teammate I counted on for years is out there somewhere. Preferably, I would take her in alive, but if she forces me to, I will execute her myself."

"Thank you for your time Major Lane and until next time…Good night America."