[19 BBY]

[Executive Security Solutions Facility, Greycliffs, Solem, Koradin Sector, Outer Rim Territories]

"I'm glad you came Stass, and that Master Unduli came as well, it certainly makes Barriss happier" I told my former teacher honestly as I sat on the sandy beach, nestled in the secure cove. It was a gorgeous part of Solem, and part of our corporate retreat, so only two dozen people got to enjoy the beach today as I got to enjoy a brief respite from the horrors of war. Barriss was having the awkward time with my family for introductions, though they liked her, and right now I could see she was having the same uncomfortable time with Luminara Unduli; ironically dressed in the same swimsuit as Bariss was.

"I will admit it is a respite from the darkness of the galaxy..." she murmured back looking back out on the waves illuminated by the slowly setting sun of Solem "...and we must all stick together in those times. War-like speeches aside. While I cannot agree with your chosen path Daron, I won't walk away from you. Not when you still walk in the Light, and help what is left of the Order despite...everything"

Stass gave me a smile, chuckling sadly "Not that Barriss's choice seems to have been isolated. Quinlan Vos has joined Kota Rahm, a wife in hand, and younglings they will not unite with those we guard"

I'd heard that as well, and it was somewhat wise in not relying on an unknown [me] for Vos, but also a sign of other issues I'd heard about surviving Jedi clusters. Without a unifying focus, like the Temple and Council, Masters and Knights were responding on their own initiative. All of which meant that dozens of potential mini-chapters were creating themselves in hiding based on the Temple doctrine...but without access to the teaching material and knowledge base of the Temple. Good in my mind for ensuring the survival of the Jedi should we fail yet, but not so much in the eyes of said Jedi, like Stass, I found. So I sighed.

"What can you expect? Can't know who to trust yet, and I associate with known foes of the Order, as well as being a public critic. Even you're concerned Stass, I can tell"

"Oh, no more than usual for you Padawan, though it is more that it took me so long to recognise how far you had come without my guidance...or the Temple's smothering as you would see it"

"Perhaps, but you were right, the others too perhaps, in that I did see things...differently. That is why I took what knowledge I could, when I could, a hedge against the darkness of the future. If not I couldn't have supplied you with that holocron, nor copies of the publically available part of the Temple library to help teach the younglings"

Stass hummed in thought I guessed, looking out over the orange-red illuminated waves as I saw a bonfire being assembled, and a table with refreshments being assembled "And what else have you learned and discovered Daron, that you probably shouldn't? I know you found Knight Morne...but you weren't expecting her now were you?"

I paused, looking out over the waves myself a moment, then giving a sad, bemused, smile "More than I can say, nor want, Stass, and no, I didn't expect Celeste. A treasure beyond any I could have expected, even if she's a monster of a fighter and trains hard. No, I've been ensuring certain...dark possibilities...never come to pass. I know the nature, the danger, of Ventress and the others..." I nodded at the bikini clad Karis jumping about in the waves like a hyperactive child "...but the Force wants what it wants, and I aim only to survive, and, well, stop a Sith Empire running the Galaxy entirely and unopposed. Saving the Republic, or what the Republic should have been, in the process"

Stass laughed, bemused "So certain as always! I worry for you Daron, you've hid so much..."

"Because I had to, I trust you Stass, in many things, but I couldn't trust the Council, and you would have been forced to make choices you would not want to. I..." I sat back on my hands, feeling the sand between my fingers, the warm night air on my skin "...well, all I wanted was to study and learn, settle down, live my life as I wanted in a peaceful galaxy. Sadly I'm good at making war, bad at listening to the council, and attached to various people...so here we are"

"Here we are, yes, here we are indeed" she replied softly, then chuckled "...corrupting our dear Luminara's padawan it seems"

"Barriss still wishes to be a Jedi you know, she's going to be training with Celeste, and she's not alone in herchoices..." I replied firmly, politely, but still firmly "...and with Anakin, Vos...and the way things are"

"I know Daron, I'm not completely hidebound as you seem to think, but in dark times we oft cling to what we are, to what we know. Just...give me some time. It was quite the shock to Luminara, and she harboured some foolishness as well to...solve...it as I recall"

I gave a snort of irritation "Yes, she did. You do realise that..."

Stass just have me a look "Yes, I do Daron, and why you gave a holocron that's very clearly from the Old Code, and in that vein of thought on the data-slates and library-droid you handed over. I am not blind to such thing, and I know you"

"Heh, maybe I was being a bit obvious, but Master Unduli's offer was...well, not the best choice"

"I'd have thought an eager young male would have been flattered"

Now I gave her an irritated look "Don't give me that, I wasn't particularly bothered by it, but its damaged her relationship with Barriss, and that's not a good thing. Mind healers..."

"Jedi do not need mind-healers Daron, we have the Force, and when we do..."

I sighed "Let's not argue this now, let's just leave it at Master Unduli's reaction isn't normal, and Anakin...well, the pressure put on him was not healthy. His Mother's just over there, talking about marriage to one of kinsmen, little Ani's married...not to my ideal choice, but each to their own...and no sign of him since things got bad across the galaxy"

"Honestly, in that I can agree, that Chosen One prophesy should not...well, following in your footsteps, or you're following in his and Knight Vos, I don't know, but the Council was never...fully united on the matter is all I can say. Nor do we hear anything much out here with the Holo-net in its current pitiful state, and everywhere at war...it is the Republic Dark Ages come again"

"I figured as much..." I muttered in response to the Anakin on the Council issue, then nodding, starting to push up to stand "...and yes, the holo-net is...heavily restricted, and comms are down near everywhere outside military or secure channels. It's...frustrating to say the least. Now, I'm going to have a swim before having a beer at the bonfire with my family. Naia's looking grumpily at me after all..."

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[19 BBY]

[Republic Navy Venator-class Star Destroyer Selfless, Combined Fleet, GAR-South, exiting hyperspace on the Hydian Way, Chardaan System, Shipwright's Trace, Inner Rim]

"Successful emergence Moff..." now Captain, formerly Corporal, Vida announced as she operated as his Senior Captain as well while he handled the assembled fleet gathered by the Tarkin family and other Republic loyalists. Her faint Ryloth accent was a little more prounced, lekku moving as she almost danced about the bridge, slightly on edge "...and Alpha Strike reports the Shipyards are secure, but damaged"

Locus Geen nodded calmly, though unhappy they hadn't managed to grab them without a problem, however impossible that would have been according to their planning. His eyes moved over the tactical plot, and out the bridge windows for a visual, and watched as forces came in on the flank of the outnumbered Corellian backed defence fleet "Looks like they weren't expecting us to come in hard, or hostile...continue to press the attack, but send offers of surrender. If they move to withdraw, let them"

It wasn't ideal, but avoiding heavy losses was a large part of their portion of the 'Grand Liberation Offensive' as some idiots on Coruscant were supposedly calling it. Locus wasn't truly happy with the current situation...but his loyalty was to the Republic, and his soldiers, and it was very, very, clear where their loyalty lay in the current madness. He'd done his best, in coordination with the Tarkins and their minion Zsinj, along with the Ailon Nova Guard and his other senior Generals, to launch smaller 'offensives' to distract the enemy..

'Of course who the enemy is right were former friends mere months ago' he thought unhappily as he focused on staying calm and professional as Venator, an enemy one, buckled under the combined firepower of the dreadnoughts of his combined fleet's spearhead. They'd taken damage, but now he could flush the decks of his second wave; star-fighters and droid-fighters screaming out into the void as he watched. Sadly less standardised than the defenders more uniform Z-95s, but he had the numbers, and they were already broken up by his heavies hitting them first.

"Bombers are to focus on the enemy Venators, droid-fighters as support..." he started to stated before noting a problem, a potential one at least "...is that a Jedi Interceptor?"

Vida moved over to the sensor officer, studying the display before looking back at him "Yes Sir, it's a known design, and performance is above average"

'Best to keep that one distracted in case they pull a Skywalker or a Stormcrow' he thought, motioning at the tactical display "I want three droid-fighter squadrons diverted to try eliminating that star-fighter. Flak batteries to kill-zone block-fire, tracking fire is secondary...I want our star-fighters to target these clusters of enemy fighters, here, here, and here, along with the orbital batteries. I want those shipyards protected, and the enemy kept off our heavy cruisers. Alert all ships to be prepared to initiate anti-force user protocols if necessary"

"Aye-aye my Moff, diverting as ordered. Feeding updated sensor feed to your screen"

"Also, signal Plutonia squadron to begin assault on grid-sector A-2-4-TH, have the Unity of Light support them..." he answered falling back into the needed orders as the defenders crumbled under the merciless onslaught. Chardaan had been a Sector...an OverSector...headquadrters and primary supply base, and reasonably well defended, but it had seemingly been subject to heavy desertion when the Clones and Jedi went insane, and the current forces...

'Green pilots against veterans' he thought coldly as he refused to allow the situation to distract him from his duty as he worked at swarming the handful of 'elite' units amongst the defending forces as he watched hyper-capable star-fighters and patrol-boats break for the hyper-limit. With Malastare and Plagen back in loyalist hands holding Chardaan would significantly boost the standing of GAR-South when dealing with loyalist military government on Coruscant. If they could reopen the Hydian Way then supplies might be able to restore both forces, and that might help bring this terrible civil war to an end, and then they could focus on crushing the Separatist threat...

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