[Closing weeks of 17 BBY]

[Secure Command Bunker beneath Office of the (Acting) Chancellor {Southern Regions}, formerly Governor's Palace, future Imperial Palace, Eriadu, Eriadu System, Seswenna Sector, Outer Rim Territories]

Rahm Kota strode through the hardened security doors in his Moff's uniform rather than Jedi robes, Quinlan Voss following at his right side in similar Republic, soon to be Imperial, uniform. Strangely his summons was in his role as a Jedi, and it was a change to the Grand Moff's currently booked up schedule, and that was rarely a good sign with all that was occurring. Signing off the peace treaty with the Separatists, and this madness of reforming the Republic's remnant into a min-Empire, was consuming everyone's time, and with the arrival of the Stormcrow he'd have expected relief, not a summons.

He himself was spending almost every moment fighting for what fragments of the Order he could protect, when he wasn't arranging support for Luminara and the others efforts on Naboo…or listening to them bitterly complain of this betrayal as they saw it. He could agree…privately, but he did not have the luxury of displays such fears publicly. Here, now, there was only mitigating the damage, as the Force was in flux, and the future in chaos. The Galactic Republic had failed, been corrupted from within, and now they had made their choices…and they had to work within that destiny, guiding it as best they could in this new, darker, galaxy they lived in.

Waiting within the conference room was the future would-be Emperor and his brother, along with Moff Nils Tenant and one of senior aides in what could be called the replacement for Republic Judiciary Forces. The Stormcrow was there as well, flanked by the Jedi out of time rather than his usual darksider companion in Ventress. From appearances it seemed that Moff Stormcrow was to speak, with a gesture from Grand Moff Tarkin for Rahm and Vos to sit while the Stormcrow and Knight Morne stood at attention. Something that Rahm did without more than a curious glance, the semi-circular table mostly empty with only this small group present, he and Vos to the Grand Moff's right, Moff Tenant and his aid to the two Tarkin's right.

"I am aware that our schedules have been interrupted, Moff Kota, Moff Tenant, but Moff Stormcrow has returned with relevant information, and captured material, that must be discussed with some urgency" the senior Tarkin stated calmly as the Stormcrow stood at attention, waiting, beside a galactic map "Moff Stormcrow, if you could begin"

"As you order Chancellor" Rahm heard the younger man say, Vos giving a curious frown as the solemite former Jedi brought his hand up and focused in the galactic map to the galactic north-east spinward "I apologise for the sudden interruption in these busy times, but matters were brought to my attention during my recent campaign against the Confederacy. Matters that would, in previous times being brought to the attention to Jedi Council, most particularly the Master of Shadows, as well as the Special Division of the Republic Judiciary Forces"

Rahm's skin prickled, concern evident if Daron Stormcrow was willingly bringing such a situation to his attention and detailing in such a matter. But he did not interrupt as the returned raider highlighted a series of flashing lines that were hyperlanes Rahm assumed "To evade detection by the Confederate Navy my fleet made use of several hyperlanes and planetary systems that have, for whatever reasons, fallen off many modern starcharts. Initially Ruusan was my intended system to utilise as a forward operating base, but that had a surprise Confederate listening post in place, so we had to move on…"

The lines moved up to regions that were off the beaten path, worlds of the old Sith Empire as Rahm's eyes narrowed, remembering some details of an expedition to Moraband, formerly Korriban, earlier in the war involving this man, along with various Jedi "…several other systems after extended hyperspace travel, but, eventually, arrived at Dromund Kaas, former capital world of the Sith Empire, and a world that should be dead, or, at the very least, uninhabited"

He watched the man press a button on a device he held in his hand, and a series of images began to show up, all of them concerning to Rahm, Vos, startling "Suffice it to say, it was inhabited, by a Dark Side, supposedly Sith, cult in league with Chancellor Palpatine. One that was engaged in Sith Alchemy, bioengineering on a slave population and plant life, necromancy, and active research into a Dark Side Temple that must have been rebuilt sometime in recent centuries. Essentially, we blundered upon a black site, one for someone's bio-weapons division, along with storage site and training facility for very insane Force Users. In previous centuries this would have involved a major deployment by the Jedi Order, and disposal…."

Stormcrow made an unhappy arm gesture as data was sent to Rahm's displays, just like everyone else's at the table for this secret meeting "As I've taken significant amount of material to allow study of countermeasures, along with a creche full of abused Force Sensitive younglings and tens of thousands for former slaves. The slaves are a non-issue once med-screen, even the younglings we have options to consider, but the artefacts, along with the necessity of developing counters for any of these horrors that were developed with the Force means…"

Rahm looked up, interrupting "How much….no, what have you captured?"

Stormcrow didn't seem bothered, merely nodding, pressing that handheld, bringing up a ship image, along with a manifest "I've a full battleship sized store of the seized laboratories, sample, study notes, holocrons, and various other odds and ends made of horror. Owing to the threat, or potential threat, of several of these artefacts I've avoided having an organic crew, beyond heavily screen shift checks, and ensured constant memory wipes on droid guards"

"That isn't a sure-fire guarantee when dealing with such items" Rahm replied seriously, hands together "Are you performing regular system checks?"

"Yes" the other replied in a straightforward manner "And I'm aware that there are concerns, but there limited other available options. While my instinct was to destroy it all, just as we destroyed the facility, the fact remains that would do nothing in the event of an outbreak of these horrors. Republic transports were present on world, along with indicators of recent travel beyond the system, so there is a very high chance other members of this cult, and their knowledge, were not onsite"

The non-Force Sensitives didn't understand of course, not the true dangers, Moff Tenant frowning, and asking along those lines "What is the issue with such security measures?"

"The Force is an energy that, essentially, is everywhere, and these artefacts and devices are concentrated foci of the Force, and, unshielded, that energy has a potential effect on the cognitive faculties of organics, but, also, though less often, on synthetics" Daron Stormcrow answered in a straightforward manner, even if Rahm didn't entirely agree with such descriptions "That's without the danger of physical effects of exposure, and we lack the effective shielding required to handle it in better manner. My ship, in theory, does, but I can't risk something like Rak'ghoul plague been hidden amongst the cannisters of nightmares we pulled out. The Jedi Order have, had, a specialised facility for such things. Our need to establish a new facility is the reason I approached the Chancellor"

Rahm nodded, slowly, when Moff Tenant glanced to him. Discussing the Prism was the last thing he'd want to do…but such secrets were an issue when he had no means to access it "Yes, Moff Stormcrow is correct, though, unfortunately, the facility is inaccessible for us. While I do not have the knowledge of it beyond a past…prisoner transfer…I am aware the systems were highly specialised and heavily shielded, from the design stage, even the Warden droids"

He looked at the Stormcrow "Safely studying such things even to catalogue them…"

The other officer nodded, the Chancellor remaining silent, hands together and perhaps testing them after already been briefed on the subject "Will be exceedingly dangerous, yes, I'm aware"

He gestured at Knight Morne, who took a step forward, holding a data-slate, and then transmitting data to their terminals on the table "Celeste here has already prepared a draft document, which I, and Master Jedi Secura, have reviewed and added suggested measures on first storage, and then cataloguing. As Grandmaster of the Jedi, and Master Jedi Vos's prior role to my knowledge, we need to detail what to do with ship full of problems firstly, but then on the long-term solution to the issues arising. Moff Tenant, in your role as the successor to the Judiciary Forces…"

The human Moff nodded "Yes, I can see the necessity now that such a situation has arisen. Where is the vessel now Moff Stormcrow?"

"Under heavy escort in an uninhabited system Moff Tenant, I can't risk allowing it in range of a civilized world as you imagine"

Rahm nodded, glancing at the Chancellor who'd given silent agreement it seemed, then returning to scrolling through a list of proposed procedures "Understandable. The younglings?"

"Are aboard my vessel after…" the Stormcrow sighed "Well, a very long and careful medical screen, and personal checks. These are not temple younglings. They're…"

He hesitated, and Rahm nodded "Unstable?"

"Yes. Abused, mistreated, and, perhaps worst, given bad teaching" the other Force-user muttered unhappily "It's the issue of great potential all wrapped up in ticking timebombs needing to be defused. Temple training without a whole lot of groundwork is likely to set them off as not. But, that shouldn't be a priority for now. Finding a temporary storage system needs to be that, followed by what needs to be done to establish a better containment facility to prepare some means to fight these…things…if they should turn up somewhere. Also, what level of information to reveal to the other powers in the galaxy"

Rahm nodded idly "I would suggest some, private, communication of the dangers, but we can't afford to risk untrained…"

"Fools, untrained fools, poking around you mean, yes" the Chancellor interjected as Rahm hesitated, searching for a word, and getting it as Tarkin seemed unbothered by the situation "We will achieve selection of an immediate location by the end of this meeting for temporary secure storage, and, Moff Kota, I expect your briefing on the subject as Moff Stormcrow has already given. I am aware that many matters are urgently in need to dealing with, but we cannot allow a rogue bio-weapons threat to hang over us. Nor are we actively engaged with Kuat and its forces. Revelation of such threats to the Core faction may at least allow them to target such potential dangers while we hunt for such dangers within our territory…"

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