Good evening, everyone! How are you all holding up on this warm and overcast night of Monday, May 6, 2024? I'm okay, if worried for my grandmother and her failing mind. But in better news, today's my brother's 27th birthday, so I gave him a call and wished him a blessed day. And I had a good if exhausting shift at work, with four more days of work on the horizon this week, on my second-to-last full week in North Carolina before I leave for warmer climates. Man, how things change so fast for so many. So, I hope you're all ready for another pivotal chapter in my penultimate Jedi Odyssey story, as the story's rapidly approaching its end, and I can't believe I've written so much in this saga over the last 4 years. But it's been a great labor of love and dedication, with plenty of inspiration and modifications derived from a wide variety of sources. Well, with all that said, I'd best get started on this story. May the Lord be with us all in these Dark Times, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!

Three Hours Later

Helona 7th, 59 ABY

Hyperspace, On Route to the Nihil Retreat Border

Zonama Sekot, Near the Equator

Aboard the Flier Jedi Ronin

Chelli heard everything Tau told Darth Krayt, even as his personal Sekot ship glided over the majestic rivers and forests that dotted the planet's northern hemisphere, and she was amazed and stupefied at what she was privileged to witness, even as insane as the proposal sounded.

Learning of all the facets of the many plans Tau was devising to try and redeem Abeloth and give her final days the peace and closure that evaded her for millennia, and she marveled at how much the Iteration had matured since his freedom from the Sith's programming. Every word her future beau delivered, how he presented his case and the conviction evident in his voice and expression, it showed her the depths of his compassion and resolve, surpassing that of his brother and honoring the example set before him. She knew that, if he survived this war, he would only go on to do even greater deeds and help guide the galaxy into a new age of peace and plenty, hopefully with room to have her by his side.

But most importantly, if Chelli was reading Krayt's posture and micro expressions correctly, all seen through the young Sekot Flier's holocomm, the One Sith leader just might be coming around to acknowledge Tau's perspective. Listening intently to the Jedi agent's ideas and how he believed Luke Skywalker's soul might be influencing Abeloth, weakening her mad zeal and making her amenable to reason, the case he presented might just be possible, at least to the young lady and former Sith captive.

Krayt, to his credit, did not dismiss Tau's ideas as flights of fancy or idealism, but instead allowed, "Perhaps there is a part of Abeloth that wants her fight to end. And Master Skywalker might very well be working to convince her to lay down arms. My own meditations and insight from Eipha indicate as much. However," He paused, to deny total victory to his rival. "That does not mean she will surrender as easily as you hope."

"There are many ways we can get her to atone, Krayt." Tau firmly reminded the Dread Lord, before conceding, "But, if all else fails, we at least can still make our job easier by turning our three enemies against each other."

"A valid point." Krayt agreed, eyeing Tau before coming to a decision. "Very well, Jedi Palpatine. I will work with you on achieving your plan." Seeing the surprise and elation strike the couple through the Force, he warned, "But understand this. I am not doing this out of your misguided idealism or Jedi-laced compassion. Your strategy is simply the best opportunity we'll have to undermine and divide the Infernal Council before we invade the Nihil Retreat."

"As long as I get your full and genuine help, I don't care what your motives are." Tau gratefully acknowledged. Eyeing his timepiece, he realized what the time was, and politely dismissed, "Sorry to abruptly end this meeting, but the hour is late, and I need to wrap up a few final matters before we hear from our expeditionary forces."

"And finish up your date with young Chelli." Krayt amusingly surmised. "We shall continue this talk another time. I'd suggest you two enjoy what time you have left before we face the horrors of war yet again."

"We intend to." Chelli intently answered, before recommending both Jedi and Sith, "You realize, both of you, that we'll need to include more people in this brewing conspiracy of ours than just us three."

"Yes, and I already have a few possible allies in mind for our big plans." Tau agreed.

"Very good. I'll be in touch soon enough with a few trusted people on my end." Kryat bid the couple goodbye, ending the holocall from his own Sekot Flier, thereby allowing the duo to finish their date before Tau had a terrified look in his eyes, something Chelli noticed.

"What's wrong, Tau?" Chelli concernedly asked.

"What are we going to say to your father if he figures out that we were talking with Krayt this whole time?" Tau worriedly answered, not noticing the sour look on Chelli's face as Korin was mentioned. "If he gets even a whiff of-"

"I doubt he'd find out, since we kept this meeting a secret from everyone. But we'll deal with that situation if it comes to it." Chelli gently placed a hand on Tau's, calming him down greatly with that simple gesture while she buried her own conflicted feelings on her father. "But right now, we need to take in a couple more of the sights you promised before you take me back. This date still has an hour or two left before the date ends, and I want to make the most of our remaining time together."

Before Tau could answer, give any cheeky or clever remarks, the Jedi Ronin's interface blared to life, with the message coming through, transferred between his and Krayt's new war vessel. Confused at the interruption, he and Chelli read through the computerized letter, both baffled and astonished by Krayt's bold request and its many implications.

Apparently, Vestara hadn't told the Alliance of Light everything she knew after rejoining the Jedi Order, and that troubled Tau and Chelli more than either would admit. He only imagined how badly Edaan would take the news once he learnt the truth as would the rest of the Last Alliance. But no matter the repercussions, someone would need to have a word with her about her former apprentice and her apparent survival soon before what really happened to Belot was forever hidden.

Helona 8th, 59 ABY

Deep Within the Croke Reach

Crakull System Outskirts

Aboard the Lucky Striker

"All probes and scouts are reporting in as scheduled, solid data feed on both ends." Wedge informed his fellow Last Alliance fleet commanders. Reviewing the data coming in from their forward agents, the old veteran grimly added, "Looks like our intel was spot-on this time."

Reading through the images from the fleets' forward agents, Wedge knew this battle would be a daunting challenge, since, in addition to seeing Abeloth's armada of thirty warships, including two Ssi-Ruuk flotillas, there were several rogue One Sith fleet elements in attendance. Besides several rogue Tof and Nagai commanders, there were a handful of Vagaari and Agbui ships joined at this meeting, and the number of ships, perhaps sixty in total, it filled the old Corellian with an unmistakable sense of dread and misgiving, especially since this force did not account for the True Sith Empire and its untold power.

"Then that means plenty of targets for us to choose from once we launch our attack." Darth Irola eagerly commented, earning a reproaching glare from her Jedi peer. But before Kyp could verbally lambast the Sith Lady, ex-Moff Drikl Lecersen beat him to it.

"Don't be too eager for blood today, Irola." Lecersen admonished his superior. "Our primary objective out here is to stop the Infernal Council from recruiting the Croke for their legions. Anything else would only needlessly endanger our fleets, especially in a pocket of space hostile to virtually all other forms of life and wrought in a civil war of its own."

Glaring at the rogue Imperial who was supposed to be her subordinate, Irola would have disciplined the Moff for his audacity, but restrained herself before her allies. She instead verbally challenged Lecersen, "Then how, pray tell, should we prevent this recruitment drive? If they've already begun making overtures to the Croke-"

"They haven't, not yet at least." Kyp answered. Seeing Wedge give him a scrutinizing gaze, the Jedi Master elaborated, "I've been reviewing the notes Professor Hextrophon left from his studies, and the Croke have precious few ships left from their millennia of infighting, let alone inhabitable worlds of their own after the disaster of employing the Lugburaa. And, if I'm looking at the enemy's emission readings correctly, Abeloth's people haven't been here more than two hours."

"Then we should still have some time." Wedge concluded, releasing a relieved sigh. Glancing at Irola, lamenting the bitter fate that befell his one time friend and disgraced Rogue Elscol Loro, he recognized this joint effort would be difficult to maintain with so many opposing viewpoints. But he recognized what needed to be done and acknowledged Kyp's words with a jest, "I'm glad to see you've, out of all my commanders, been the most studious in preparing for this mission. An unusual turn of events, I must admit, though."

Ignoring the verbal jab, Kyp answered Irola's previous question, "If we hope to stop the Croke entering this war, we show them the folly of allying with Abeloth and her manipulators. And the best way to do that is to show them our superior might and minds."

Now appearing apprehensive, Lecersen warily asked, "Then, we are to challenge the enemy out in the open?"

"Yes, after we announce ourselves to all those in the system." Wedge confirmed, earning a brief series of wary glances from the officers close enough to overhear before the Lucky Striker's sensors' officer alerted him,

"Admiral, we've got multiple bogeys coming right out of hyperspace." Pausing to review and confirm the readings, the officer warned her superiors, just as Kyp clutched his ear as a message came through, "The computers recognize one of the lead vessels as the Fate Breaker."

"There's more danger coming our way." Kyp interrupted. "Phasma senses her brother amidst the new arrivals." Slamming his fist against a bulkhead, he growled, "We've been set up from the start."

"That can't be." Lecersen denied. "Our slicers and analyzers, they detected no trojan programs in the transmissions." Realization, cold, bitter truth, then struck him, "The messages were deliberately left for us for just this purpose."

Wedge, wasting no time, ordered his officers, "Have all ships prepare for battle, and send out a Priority One distress signal to Last Alliance Command immediately." The moment after he gave those commands, a dozen Grysk warships exited hyperspace, followed by the Fate Breaker and another vessel, one resembling a golden diadem in appearance, but not of any configuration any of the four commanders knew or recognized. But the dark power the oddly shaped ship exuded, whoever was aboard, the old commander realized that it belonged to that of the True Sith Empire, and dreaded whoever was aboard it and their terrible power.

Seeing the new arrivals, Wedge barely noticed the holograms of the decoy enemy force change course, turning to instead charge towards the Last Alliance's ranks, and knew the fight to survive would be an ugly one. He only hoped that help would come in time to make a difference. But in the meantime, he had his people to lead and two opposing fleets to keep at bay.

But before Kyp, Irola, or Lecersen could depart to give orders to each of their detachments, Phasma's hologram appeared, and she quickly began, "Master Durron told you that my brother leads the second force, correct? Well, I believe I have a plan to take him out of the equation. It's a long shot, but what Darth Vua and I have devised is the best chance we have to destroy Keldo and throw his command into disarray." She paused, before adding, "We'll have to time this perfectly if our gambit hopes to succeed, but you'll have to trust me on this one without giving you any details."

Appraising Phasma, gazing into her blue eyes to measure her convictions, Wedge asked, "How long and what will you need to begin your plan?"

"That will depend on how we perform in the initial stages of the trap we now find ourselves in." Phasma simply answered, her hologram closing before anyone could further question her, leaving everyone baffled at the unusual brazen behavior she was displaying.

But Wedge and Kyp, sharing a knowing glance, they both had a good idea of what Phasma was about to attempt, and would do all they could to give her desperate mission a fighting chance at success.

Four Hours Later

Helona 9th, 59 ABY

Deep Space, 5 Parsecs from the Nihil Retreat Border

Zonama Sekot, Far Distance Islands

Aboard the Rude Awakening

Apprehension; pure, silent apprehension. That was what Edan was feeling, so close to the outskirts of the True Sith Empire's territory amidst Sekot's bold maneuver. No matter what rationale everyone told the Sword of the Jedi, he dreaded when the Infernal Council responded to this daring probe so close to their borders, even while utilizing multiple breathing exercises to control his body's heartbeat and adrenaline.

But it was for this all-consuming fear that the Last Alliance had relegated Edaan to the tedious task of scouring through the Nihil Retreat's depraved worlds, working to learn all they could of their enemies before launching their invasion. From the hundreds of intercepted transmissions, to using their seers and visionaries to peer through the shroud of darkness protecting the dozen star clusters, and the few scouts and probes able to navigate through the treacherous nebulae, everyone was involved in decoding this domain of evil. The combined mix of data coming in painted an unholy nest of terrors within the True Sith Empire, but no discernable weaknesses in this labyrinth of a dark regime.

And he knew countless others were afraid of what lay beyond these borders, which was why the leadership put him in charge of these efforts, not as a punishment, but to focus his distracted mind and help give everyone a better chance of triumph. The more they knew of the Nihil Retreat and its hundreds of enslaved worlds, the more prepared they would be throughout the next few weeks.

Using the supercomputer attached to the base of his brain, Edaan combed through every bit the information he and his division was collecting and analyzing, nearly lost in his thoughts when he uncovered a piece of information that nearly made him lose himself to his fears. Amidst the preparations the Rhandites and Servants of Chaos were enacting, they were using the Star Forge long tethered to the black hole of the Gunninga Gap simply not to control the environments of worlds, but to manipulate the nebulae surrounding the Rakata facility to lay an inescapable trap for the Last Alliance.

The moment the Last Alliance went deep enough into the Nihil Retreat, the Infernal Council would use the devastating landscape to do in their enemies, whittling away the fleets at their own timetable by moving the nebulae, space storms, and the predators lying to feed within, and whatever followers they deemed necessary to mop up whoever survived that massacre.

But if that was the case, then how in the name of the Maker was the Last Alliance trying to storm the domain right now, when their first and top priority should be annihilating the last fully functional Star Forge? What in the galaxy could Tau and the others be thinking right now?!

Before he could erupt in a terrifying rant or explode with anger, Edaan reminded himself how this war would not depend on him, and how he had pledged himself to Tau's service. Surely, his brother and the High Council must have known about all this with their research on the Nihil Retreat. That belied the obvious question, what was the leadership planning in how to break through this impenetrable and unnatural blockade?

Suddenly, interrupting Edaan's musings, he received a trio of garbled transmission coming from deep within the Croke Reach. More specifically, a distress signal from the Dodonna, Mandator, and Lucky Striker, all three command ships of the Last Alliance armada meant to prevent the Infernal Council recruiting the Croke species.

Using the Rude Awakening's top-notch comm array and decryption gear in conjunction with his enhanced mind, Edaan decoded the message in a matter of moments, and quickly worked to contact his superiors. After a minute of anxious waiting, Kyle, Vurawn, and Krayt accepted the transmission, with the former addressing his former apprentice, "What have you found?"

"Our Croke's Reach mission was a trap for us." Edaan simply started. "I'm sending you the message and all the data they've collected so far, but we'll need to move with a rapid-response force to get to everyone in time to save them."

The quickest to read through the distress message's contents in its entirety, Krayt warned Edaan, "We don't have very many fleets to spare in rescue efforts, not with our storming of the Nihil Retreat set to commence by the month's end." To his credit, the Dread Lord immediately continued before the Jedi Knight could unleash any kind of verbal tirade, elaborating, "But we cannot afford to lose so many of our best fighters and leaders now, so you and several of our elite will have to make do with who we can divert to assist you."

"I can spare Darth Phobar's flotilla, my best assassin, and 11-4D to aid in this endeavor." Krayt offered.

"General Orellios and one of his Lira San fleets can contribute as well, along with Colonel Wren and her brigade." Vurawn agreed. "I believe they, along with a few Olpakans, if they agree, are all eager for battle once again against our mutual adversaries."

"It seems we have a good-sized fleet to give, since General Farlander and Chume'da Allana have resumed command of their forces. I can requisition portions of their fleets for this endeavor." Kyle amusingly concluded before seriously ordering Edaan, "Get your crew ready to set out within the next three hours. You and your ship will be the tip of the spear of this operation, Edaan."

"Exactly who will command this mixed force?" Edaan pointed out. "I doubt Phobar and his people will do well with ours in charge, or vice-versa."

"You'll be in charge." Kyle told Edaan as if the answer was obvious. "The Sith and Jedi both respect and acknowledge you, and you've led plenty of similar operations before to know how to handle this mission."

"I'll ensure Phobar understands the situation and wholly acknowledges your authority for this battle." Krayt acknowledged, with Vurawn simply dipping his head in agreement.

Burying his worries beneath his sense of duty and the knowledge that Master Durron was in mortal danger, Edaan loyally agreed, "I'll recall my friends back here immediately. It shouldn't take very long to get them and the ship ready."

"Good. We'll let you know if we can reestablish contact with General Antilles and the others. May the Force be with you, Jedi Edaan Palpatine." Kyle informed Edaan before the communication ended, letting the responsibilities he now carried wash over him. Before he arrived at the Croke Reach, he resolved to have a talk with Adari on all the fears and burdens that were slowly devouring him. In fact, why not include the rest of the crew, for transparency and building trust, if nothing else?

Five Hours Later

Crakull System

Aboard the CEC Consular-class Cruiser Dark Beauty

"Everything is securely stored aboard?" Phasma questioned Vua while the repentant Sith Lady finished preparing her personal corvette for its vital operation.

"I asked Master Durron and Lord Snoke to take care of the cargo." Vua assured Phasma. "They also asked that I deliver a message to you before we begin our mission."

"A promise to come back alive, to not let myself fall back into hatred, or something along those lines?" Phasma satirically guessed.

"Aside from that, they asked me to let you know that we have reinforcements on their way here." Vua elaborated. "They should be here before tomorrow ends."

"Assuming the rest of us manage to survive this death trap that long." Phasma bitterly muttered, barely loud enough for Vua to overhear. Ignoring his appraising gaze, she quickly alerted him, "We take off in two minutes."

The Dark Beauty's holocomm activating seconds later, Kyp, with Snoke silently attending, immediately informed the duo, "Good hunting out there, friends. Figured you'd need this little gift if you hope to bring down your brother and his flagship on your own." A data transfer underway, Phasma skimmed through its contents before pausing at the vital intelligence bestowed onto her, and the incredible implications.

Beating Phasma to the punch, Vua asked on her behalf, "Figured it all out on your own, or did Snoke tell you?"

Ignoring the probe, Snoke gravely warned Phasma, "We'll draw what flak away from you that we can, but you'll still likely be on a one-way trip. Bringing down the Fate Breaker from the inside… There aren't many crazier ways to seek a death wish."

"Let me worry about that, Bridger." Phasma rebuffed in a gruff manner by using Snoke's original last name.

"Are you prepared to let Vua die alongside you in your quest to kill your brother?" Kyp reminded Phasma. "Be careful that you don't become that which you're fighting against or lose yourself to an obsession."

Unable or unwilling to offer a comeback, Phasma simply nodded in appreciation and promised, "I'll bring him back alive, no matter what happens to me. Unlike me, he's got someone waiting for him back home." Disconnecting the communication, she took a moment to pull out the Taozin skin nodule that she requisitioned from Snoke in preparation for this fateful encounter. Hoping the small item, pulled from one of the few creatures able to fully mask its presence in the Force, would be enough to protect her from Keldo's senses and mask their twin bond, letting her get close enough to kill him quickly and painlessly. He might be a demented killer and servant of evil, he was still her brother, and he deserved a clean end, if nothing else for their childhood and for her convincing him to join the One Sith in the first place.

Vua, recognizing the solemn glean in Phasma's eyes, urged her, "You will get back from this alive. A deserter from the One Sith aside, you are one of the finest warriors and leaders I have ever worked with. You can take your brother down…" Deciding what to say next, he settled on, "And you can do it without losing your honor and soul in the process."

Feeling the ship lift off and exit the Dodonna's aft hangar, Phasma coldly scoffed, "What do you know of my conflict?" Regretting the words as soon as they were spoken, she apologized, "No, forget I said that. You'd know as well as me about the loss of all you hold dear."

Resisting the urge to fire back at the ill-intended jibe, Vua reminded Phasma, "We'll have a while before we sneak onto the Fate Breaker. Once we get into position, let's review the schematics for the Shatter-class WarMaster Master Durron and Lord Snoke gave us. With this information, and the Gods' favor, we might be able to bring down the ship without even facing your brother."

'Unlikely, but you can dream, you naïve fool.' Phasma lamented, flying the Dark Beauty away from the ongoing carnage to engage the ship's built-in cloaking device. As it was concealed by the stygium crystal-generated field, she took in the devastation consuming the system, praying to whatever higher powers existed, whether it was the Supreme Maker many believed or some other omnipotent deity, that the Croke simply stayed observers in this ongoing battle and that Keldo and his patrons stayed blind to her plans a while longer.

Seeing the wreckage littering the battlefield, over three dozen battleships, twice the number belonging to the Infernal Council's proxies, and the damage dotting across another twenty of the Last Alliance still-fighting warships and dozens of fighters, it reminded Phasma of the bitter cost of war and showed everyone a mere taste of the horrors awaiting everyone inside the Nihil Retreat. But the shadow of despair that threatened to consume her was heightened only by her burdensome responsibility to stop her brother and all those that followed him, a pall that whispered countless doubts in her mind and soul.

Still, Phasma had faced her demons before and triumphed, and she would not fail now, not with so many lives hanging in the balance. Utilizing the techniques the Jedi and Sith taught her to calm and focus her tormented mind, she fought with all her resolve to channel her dread into pure adrenaline and an unbreakable resolve. When she and Vua soon infiltrated the Fate Breaker, they would need every ounce of skill, cunning, and luck possible to survive and triumph, especially with the Rhandites aboard their jewel-shaped vessel that was right beside the Grysk WarMaster.

That ship, with whoever was aboard and enacting whatever dark rituals and schemes the Sorcerers thought up, its boundless evil and its potential terrified Phasma far more than her brother ever would, a nerve-wracking revelation in and of itself for the redeemed Sith Lady. She only hoped that their accursed Darksight, their rare and powerful ability to glimpse and manipulate the future did not let them foresee this plan, or all would be lost for this mad plan before it even began.

Two Hours Later

Zonama Sekot Orbit

Aboard the Striker

"You had best be absolutely certain of this development, Cylo." Vurawn counseled the Olpakan Head Scientist after hearing his report. "If your calculations fail by even the slightest margins-"

"We've run the simulations over seven dozen times since the discovery, and every result has ended up positive." Cylo-VI calmly intruded on Vurawn's warnings. "We've fully crossed the species barriers for a full inoculation against Mnggal-Mnggal, and the environmental problems have nearly been completely resolved."

"Then, the nanotech antibodies work." Kyle whispered, barely able to believe the insurmountable surge of hope now given to the Last Alliance, especially since they were still figuring out how to breach the Nihil Retreat's borders and to resolve the recent Croke Reach crisis. Recognizing the absolute vitalness and secrecy of this work, he told Cylo-VI, "How many people know of this breakthrough?"

"Aside from the three of us, Tau, Krayt, both your orders' selected bodyguards and advisors, and Vlad Karamazov?" Cylo-VI gestured to himself and the two lone figures in the command center, "Just over three dozen scientists and medics, pulled from every faction, but kept in strict isolation. All their communications are completely monitored, and they have been warned of the fatal cost of any form of indiscretion in all matters regarding this war and their efforts."

"Good." Vurawn acknowledged, knowing Krayt would have to be informed the minute he was available after preparing Phobar's forces for their excursion. "How long will it take you to mass-produce the vaccine, if you had the sufficient means of manufacturing and storage?"

"If we had six fully functional medical carriers, all with the appropriate equipment…" Cylo-VI quietly calculated the logistics with his cybernetic implants, "No more than three weeks. The technology is surprisingly easy enough to recreate for my people, and the right ships you provide us can house a near-unquantifiable storehouse of the supply."

Glancing at Kyle, who offered a simple nod, Vurawn generously agreed, "Very well. We'll give you twelve of the best medical vessels we can spare, and all the necessary fleet elements you need to protect this secret until we have everything in place for galactic distribution."

Momentarily rendered speechless from the counteroffer, Cylo-VI composed himself enough to acknowledge, "A bold and liberal gesture of good-faith, Supreme Commander. We'll see to it that your efforts are not wasted, and we have enough vaccines and counteragents ready within the next ten days."

"Excellent." Vurawn allowed a grim smile to cross his face. "We'll divert the ships and personnel you need to make this endeavor a complete reality by tomorrow's end. Get this done, and may the Force be with you, Doctor Cylo."

"Funny, I never thought you or Thrawn to be of a religious sort." Cylo-VI jested before ending the communication, leaving Vurawn and Kyle to prepare for their next appointment, this one with all the galaxy's leaders regarding countermeasures for the inevitable reprisals the Infernal Council was planning. Knowing how the Rhandites needed to spread insurmountable amounts of chaos and darkness across the galaxy to empower their plans to break the final few seals on the Father of Shadows' prison, every world and individual needed to be vigilant for anything that even smelt out of place for the war's duration. And that required perfect coordination amongst all the galaxy's major powers, their remaining military forces, and their civilian authorities, if only to prevent a civilian uprising at the stringent protective measures.

But before they could establish a secure connection to each of the galaxy's leaders, the Striker's security chief contacted Vurawn, interrupting, "Apologies for the intrusion, but Jedi Palpatine - Tau Palpatine - is just outside, and wishes to have a brief meeting with you and Grand Master Katarn, in person."

Baffled by the sudden request, Kyle probed, "Did he give any specifics for you to deliver regarding this message?"

"Only that it involves a joint effort regarding postwar issues with the Sith." The commander stoically answered, hiding her confusion and irritation nearly well enough to avoid detection. "He insisted the matter be taken up only with you two, citing crucial issues of security and ensuring stability of the Last Alliance."

Sharing a concerned glance with Vurawn, whose expression was unreadable, aside from a miniscule nod, Kyle reluctantly sighed, "Allow him inside, but tell him he has no more than fifteen minutes to speak with us, on account of our tight schedule."

"As you wish, Grand Master." The Chiss woman acquiesced, ending the call moments before the security doors slid open, allowing Tau to enter the command center.

Getting straight to the point, Tau acknowledged, "I know you're busy, but we need to talk about the post-war galaxy and our plans on how to handle the One Sith after this current disaster is averted."

Repressing a weary sigh, Kyle was prepared to admonish Tau, but recognized an intensity in his gaze that betrayed something else, something unrecognizable to the Grand Master. Remaining silent, he intently listened as the Jedi clone perceptively began, "We know many of the One Sith want to resume our fighting after we destroy the Infernal Council, but… there are those within their ranks that are tired of the fighting and are willing to explore peace with us."

"You've been in contact with these supposed defectors." Vurawn intently guessed. "And you trust them well enough?"

"Some of them, yes." Tau nervously confirmed. "And among those few, two individuals have come forward with an intriguing proposal, one that could change the whole galaxy and the balance of power entirely if we implement it."

Here it was, both leaders realized. The reason Tau came to them in such an unorthodox and private manner. Whatever deal these hypothetical Sith renegades might offer, if he was willing to believe it and convene the message to two of the most powerful men in the galaxy, it had to have terrific or terrible ramifications for all. It was almost mad enough to make Kyle dismiss it outright. But the aged pragmatist in him recognized the merit in at least learning what their potential allies might be planning, and he asked Tau, "What is their proposal?"

"The resurrection of the Je'daii Order." Tau softly answered, stunning both Vurawn and Kyle into complete silence. Taking the momentum he was given, the Jedi-loyal Iteration continued, "The Sith representatives and a select few among us have already begun talks, but we'll need select key backers and leaders in our corner if we hope to lay the foundations and swell the ranks for this reborn order."

Recognizing the deep implications of this plan and what Tau had already divulged, Vurawn diplomatically suggested, "Tell us all you can of this idea of yours in the next fourteen minutes, Jedi Palpatine. And when you're done, perhaps you can bring your proposal to the Chief of State and all the other galactic leaders in our imminent meeting, along with whoever else you deem vital for your cause, if we agree these plans are worth pursuing." Turning to Kyle, the Chiss clone asked, "Would that be acceptable to you, Grand Master Katarn?"

"Yes." Kyle softly agreed, finding more of his voice while he warned, "I believe that would be the best course of action, provided we don't decide your idea is not a flight of sheer lunacy."

"Fair enough." Tau concurred, knowing he would have to work fast in getting both leaders' support in this endeavor, but privately dreaded the outcome of his full confession and what everyone else would say later, if the Grand Master agreed to support his plans.

Well, I have to say, this chapter turned out better than I ever could've hoped. I was worried about organizing my many thoughts, resolving a few plot holes for the rest of this story, and making this work easy enough to read and follow the various plot threads. And I know I introduced a few new ideas and plot points that need to be addressed, but I have every intention of doing so before this story concludes. So, how are you all doing on this warm afternoon of Saturday, May 11, 2024? I'm all right, if a bit depressed from my impending move and saying goodbye to a lot of my friends in North Carolina. I also made it through my second-to-last week of work in the state, with just five more days of part-time work to go, followed by one more Saturday to volunteer and the chaos of finishing moving preparations, so things will obviously be hectic for a while for me. I just hope I can thrive in the state of Florida and make new friends to fill the hole that'll soon be in my heart. Well, with all my melancholy and worry spoken for, I'd best get this chapter published in an hour or so and prepare to write the next one. I hope you all have a blessed weekend amidst the mad chaos devouring the world and stay safe and sane in these dark times. May the Lord be with us all, and Long Live the Expanded Universe!