[19 BBY]

[Executive Security Solutions retrofitted Providence-class Carrier-Destroyer Sword of Ryloth, Republic Third Fleet, In Orbit Bomis Koori IV, Bomis Koori System, Wornal Sector, Mid Rim]

It'd certainly been an experience Jurdan Ironhill, now General of the Galactic Republic, found as he sat in command chair, watching as the fleet salvaged what they could from the battlefield. Victory, with strange magic space wizard powers helping, had still been hard earned as it seemed the Separatists, the Trade Federation in particular, had invested in trying to kill them all. Perhaps understandable and expected, after all they'd feared a trap, but they'd certainly gotten something far larger than expected in the end.

Two Sector Fleets...Jurdan sighed, well, Shesagora was gone a raiding in the wake of their victory to increase the damage to enemy forward staging posts. All intelligence pointed to the Separatists having gone in heavy on this fight, and hopefully that meant there wouldn't be major follow-up operation against us as they went about securing Bomis Koori. Battlefield salvage was vitally important, and it was hard enough with all the explosions due to self-destructs, or just simple munitions/reactors cooking off, without having to fight another major engagement.

"Tactical, any update on the situation groundside from General Chorn?"

"Negative General, the General has linked up with allied forces and relieved the sieges of the factories, but has not yet begun assaults on the remaining enemy redoubts"

Jurdan nodded "Understood, update me if any change"

Eliminating the groundside Separatist forces hadn't been overly troublesome for the main-body of the enemy as they'd be setup for space-support, which meant being exposed, badly, when that situation changed. Only a few pockets had managed to get large-scale shields up and running, largely because few of them actually had them, and only a few pockets built around landed transports were still active. Braika assured them the assaults would eliminate them by dawn tomorrow, but Jurdan would be happier if he could re-divert the squadrons assigned to ground support to battlefield clearance.

Mostly because the more he could deploy, the more they could safely secure he'd found, watching as another of the damaged Munificents was reduced to debris by two of his dreadnaught heavy cruisers as the internal defence systems refused to be deactivated. They'd brought up the big salvage vessels, so at the very least the wreck could be broken down into scrap and sold off, or used for repairs, at a later date. He clicked at the buttons on his arm rest; bringing up the running tallies on the damaged ships of the Fleet. Just over a dozen were having hyper-drive issues, and likely needing to stay here for extended repairs before rejoining the Fleet.

'Now, how much can we afford to deploy here' he wondered starting to work through the various permutations to discuss with Daron and Shesagora. Forward raiding might be an idea, though they'd have us withdraw most of the Fleet back to Greater Javin to start making use of their victory here to rally more worlds to their cause. Much would depend on what Shesagora, and their forward scouting patrols, came across of course, but he'd personally like to hold on to the system...even if just for the salvage that'd take ages to process, and factories on the planet below...

--

[19 BBY]

[Executive Security Solutions City-ship/Capital-class Warship Stormcrow {II}, Republic Third Fleet, In Hyperspace, Corellian Trade Spine, Travelling towards Greater Javin Region]

I disliked leaving the battlefield mid-looting, but other business called, and I'd already wasted much of the day after the battle sleeping...so time was a concern right now. With that in mind, after a long discussion with Jurdan, I'd departed the system with an escort of one of the carrier-converted Acclamators and three Solem produced frigates to deal with Ventress's problems. Not only had I blasted out like a beacon in the Force, but it seemed she'd been ambushed by, and forced to kill, Jedi. At least that's what she claimed, but regardless that was the story I had to work with.

'On the bright side Daron it's going to be Force disturbance, and it should, maybe, hopefully, take time to figure out I did it' I mused unhappily striding out unto the bridge, Karis at my side. It seemed someone was now in awe of me, along with an uncomfortable number of others, since the battle and I actively ignored the glances as I came forward towards where Yulen and Gardan waited. There was work to be done and as much as I'd like to sleep more, or study, there weren't any excuses to offer to avoid it; not to myself at least.

"So, lads, where do we stand on battle analysis?"

Both gave a quick salute, Yulen speaking first "Completed Captain-General, its ready for transmit. Strange that, not having a Black Omega on it"

I smiled sadly as I came over to the tactical display table "The time for that passed I'm afraid, and this one...well, it's a little hard to try to hide such a thing from Force sensitives. No, it's solid data and performance analysis is useful now, at least for showing the benefits and dangers of Force Users with Battle Meditation in their arsenal"

"You've recovered Boss?"

I shrugged as I came over and placed both hands on the brightly flickering and glowing holo-table "As much as can be for the moment, but let's avoid another bout of that for the time being shall we?"

"We can hope so Sir" Gardan answered as I studied the larger galactic-scale map that he brought up "We've had some success since departure at breaking certain Seppie naval codes in the past few hours. It seems this wasn't intended by their High Command, at least from the brief snippets"

"They've changed codes again?" I asked, and then frowned a little at the affirmative nod "That's gonna hurt our penetration of their networks"

"It's not all bad Captain-General, we've still got enough tracking to handle matters, and their still using low encrypt droid C on the data-packets looks like. Vandelhelm Sector Command seem a bit sloppy as well, so there's that. But, from what we've seen they came after us because they aimed to take out you Sir, and the major of the ESS fleet"

I paused, then snorted in amusement "Trade Federation Corporate Security?"

Yulen nodded, a faint grin on his face "Senior ranks facing us, along with several backers of the various Sector commands. We...haven't made many friends in those circles Boss"

"No, I don't think we have" I muttered shaking my head, then letting out a sigh "Bright side though, despite the damage to our forces, this data seems to indicate they had to draw from Reserves and patrols to get the force to hit us in numbers. With losses they took..."

Both of my subordinates nodded as Karis looked on, Yulen taking the lead again "We should have some breathing space, for major engagements, for a short time"

"Yes, maybe, so for the moment transmit our findings, no mention of long-range intercepts, just the captured vessels, to Eriadu along with our battle analysis. I'm going to have to have a talk with Grand Moff Tarkin about that soon I expect"

--

[19 BBY]

[Executive Security Solutions Armoured Shuttle Firebird, Landing Site Delta, The Hanging Valley, Hoth, Hoth System, Anoat Sector, Greater Javin Region, Outer Rim Territories]

"Asajj, Naa'leth..." I greeted the two lightly armoured and robed Dathomiri women as I stepped out of the shuttle, watching as the blizzard rolled in over the mountains towards the Base. Neither female should know where exactly they were as the nav-data had been hard-locked into tactical droid aboard the Revenant-class that brought them here. One could hope so at least "...I understand there were complications to the mission, but you have secured the package safely?"

"Yes, Yes, of course, coming down the lander as we speak" she half shouted over snow filled wind, gesturing at her own shuttle where a number of B-1R's were leading a large white box towards the entrance to the largely empty, till now, secondary holding facility. Well mining facility sub-station, but it'd always been envisioned as a support base as well; just like the three others on the planet, even if only one of them held my two Dark Acolyte prisoners who were on the agenda after this.

Putting them, even held in stasis, in the same building as a Sith artefact was just asking for trouble after all, and I nodded back to Asajj and motioned for us all to enter in through the blast doors into the underground bunker. It was very original, or pretty, looking place, but the winds and snows vanished as the blast doors slide closed after the last of my bodyguard droids entered. Lighting was already on, generators running smoothly as the external monitoring from the Base across the world handled maintenance as the potential Sith artefact's hoverbed hovered its way deeper into the base as I spoke to Asajj.

"Look, we'll discuss the deaths later. I'm not happy, but I understand your reasoning, though it is concerning some have taken that stance towards us..." I told her now we were inside and not competing with howling winds and frigid cold "...what did you do with the bodies?"

"Burned then, bribed the Hutts guards"

I sighed behind my helmet, nodding "All that be done I suppose. Effectively done by the way, just, please, prisoners next time if can avoid harm to yourself. They bring useful things like information, and not having me giving explanations to the Jedi I'm trying keep alive"

"Hmph, yes, yes, next time...and what is...Karis what are you motion about?"

"Something we'll discuss later, when we've gotten this job done. I imagine you'll have questions about it that will require quite some time for me to answer properly so, please, just hold off till this matter is resolved..." I replied earning an odd glance from Asajj and a look at the ground from Karis as I continue on "...so let's get this thing into the Clean Room and see what's inside"

Asajj nodded slowly "Oh..kay then, now, why do I see only droids?"

I shrugged as we walked, more doors sealing behind us as we came into the facility proper, following the glowing arrow-like signs on the floor "Because Force artefacts, Sith artefacts basically, can have negative impacts on peoples mentality. Droids too of course, but less so, and we've got external links to deal with that problem. We, as Force Users, in ritual circles, can deal with it...and if everything goes kriffing wrong we stand the best chance of evac before we blow the place sky high. Yes, I sound paranoid, I know. I've also read the history books, and we had our merry little Korriban adventure. I'd rather not have a base turn into zombie-land basically. Or have bio-mass or brains for it to access; hence us all being in armour, sealed armour, and the nerve gas in the ceiling here to deploy if needed"

She paused, then nodded as the final set of doors into a large, empty, laboratory looking room opened in front of us "Yes, that is acceptable"

Naa'leth's voice indicated confusion "That sounds somewhat...overkill does it not?"

Asajj's shook her head "No, no, it is not. Perfectly acceptable"

I nodded sagely as we entered, my bodyguard droids taking position in each corner of the room while six B-1R's brought the 'white box' into the centre of the room where a ritual circle was etched into the dura-steel sheath over the hardened floor "Yes, indeed. Now, images show...here..."

Carefully I reached out with the Force once the defence systems were active, along with two 'constructor' droids to open the 'lid' on the box, watching it slide open after a few moments. Not exactly Force locked, but I see why it had been difficult to open so far...something was holding, faint, and Dark, that no longer struggled against me at the briefest touch of the Force to the item. Carefully the droids lifted the 'lid' the heavy metal shielding and...

"Is this...is this happening now, or in the future?"

I moved, lightsaber flying to my hand and igniting as a...woman, robed in purple and her eyes covered in bandages just...

...was suddenly standing there just across from me, sounding confused if a bit archaic in terms of phrase as I snarled unhappily "Who the kriff are you?"

The three dathomiri were moving, their own weapons igniting and burning into life as Asajj's confused voice came to me as I slid into a guard stance as the slab was lifted and the veiled woman stood before me "Ugh...who are talking too?"

The veiled woman staggered back, confusion, fear, written in her movements "Where...when? What is..."

I frowned inside my helmet, power lashing out...understand following after a second "A Spirit it seems..."

"You can see me...Force, they can see me! THEY CAN SEE ME!" the veiled woman bawled at...us?...maybe as I raised my free hand and summoned power of another life to try bind it, and get answers "NO! NOOOO! NOOOO!"

...then she was gone...

'Da fuq?' flashed through my mind as the entity just...vanished, and I blinked as sensors blinked a warning at my distraction...

"Zayne?" came the confused whisper, mumble, from the box as a hand appeared upon edge of the now opened box along with the hiss or air, or something to that effect...moments before a black-haired woman's head appeared, blinking, shaking, coming to rise up out of the artefact "...have you...have they...come? Zayne?"

--