[Late 3 BBY]
[Private Deck of Daron Stormcrow, House Stormcrow Capital-class Warship Stormcrow, Taskforce Thunderclap, Fifth Fleet, Imperial Navy, in orbit Bakura, Bakura System, Bakura Sector, Wild Space, United Federal Empire]

It was good to be home, for my warship was my home, and my family was upon it. Time….time with my children was a joy, often a rare one, and I had indulged it these last few hours with little Soka and Ky, and getting ever older Mace and Lumia. Though they'd only wished to spar with laser swords, because of course they did…and I had indulged them that. Enough that I was tired after travel, planning, multiple spars with multiple people, from them, to my Apprentice, and to the delighted at free time, and spying time, Ahsoka Tano: emissary and babysitter.

There was also the joy of spending quality time with beautiful ladies, Bariss and Asajj in this case, with the fourth wheel of Ahsoka being here because I was revealing state secrets. Under orders of course, but I'd rather be having romantic time than yet another 'war meeting' about the Yuuzhan Vong, even if it was one with pretty ladies over wine in a recreation of the interior of some ancient mansion. Not entirely of earth, but it was recognisable beneath the cultural aspects reflected in paintings and rugs, even to the cut of the false stone and the faux hearth fire. Even the chair was faux old-fashioned, though modern metals and cloth involved in the actual structure underneath the facade.

'Much like the galaxy at times, though old structures over new, or new facades over the old might be a matter of opinion' I mused to myself letting out a tired, though relaxed, sigh. Yes, it was more pleasant 'working meeting' than those of the Imperial Navy upon Eriadu "So, yes, I have been travelling quite a bit lately"

Bariss patted my thigh from where she sat on my right "Yes, very bad of you, my love!"

Then smirked "But, Duty does define Jedi teaching"

"Ehhh…" I groaned, resting back, feeling her, and Asajj's nearness in the Force, the strength of our bond, the warmth I suppose "Duty, hmm, yeah, Duty unfortunately brings with it duties, many of them"

"Oh, here comes the pity party" Asajj said with a chuckle on my left, mock punching my shoulder "Oh, woe is me, mighty warlord and terror of the stars! See, see, what we have to deal with?"

"That was fielded for you, so don't pretend you didn't hear" I said to a mock-confused looking togruta Jedi as she was gazing, now, at the fire within the contained hearth structure "I'm sure you've answered the same from a certain Senator"

"Padmé says many things about Skyguy" Ahsoka replied with a roll of her eyes, turning back, refilling her wine, and actually relaxing and enjoying yourself "So, this your idea of fun….beating me up and then partying afterwards?"

"Well, I'm not hungry enough for feasting, so I figured we could beat each other up and then get drunk afterwards in ancient Jedi tradition that I just remembered…or made up. Either or"

"That sounds more Sith Stormy"

"No, they'd drink first and then start swinging their shiny lightsabers at each other afterwards" Ventress said back to Ahsoka with amusement in her being "Maybe have a solo drinking session after or…wait, was there ever a Sith dispute decided by a drinking match oh Lord Historian Husband mine?"

I took a solid gulp from my drink, then leaning forward to refill "I…want to say no, I really do, because I can't recall. But, well, ancient Sith. They got up to some crazy,stupid, stuff based upon Celeste and the various recovered records. I honestly wouldn't put it beyond some of them to stake the fate of a planet, or star system, on whose got the strongest liver or worst sense of taste"

"Your Trial Apprentice shall be…" Asajj said ominously, before adopting a cheerful, chipper tone, as she motioned at Ahsoka "To get black out drunk with me and engage in mass debauchery….and survive!"

Ahsoka gave a stoic, or rather, perhaps, annoyed glare back as Bariss gave an amused breathe at the togruta's bland tone "Ah, yes, the Jedi Council shall be terrified. Aren't you very cheerful"

"I'm drinking and going to get railed by…"

"Indoor polite society language dear" Bariss said with a shake of her to Asajj, who just shrugged, gestured at me and Bariss, before smirking at Ahsoka as Bariss sighed "Ignore the savage dathomiri witch"

"Savage dathomiri Sith matron" Asajj mock corrected "Oh, I'm just making her jealous"

Ahsoka shook her head, lekku shifting about her as she did, again rolling her eyes "Please, no, you were on about my homeworld earlier during the spar to throw me off…"

"Helping with your emotional control!"

"…so this isn't a problem thinking on" Ahsoka finished over Asajj's 'friendly' interruption, taking a drink and then motioning at me "Plus, Sect Grandmaster Wants to Tell Secret Things to, me, Lady Emissary of Enemy Sect, probably isn't going to be good news since we're all getting drunk first. So, how is the war going?"

"Badly" I answered with a sigh, took a sip, shaking my head, sighing again "For everyone involved. New Republic are war-crime-ing their way up the Namadii Corridor by my last reports read"

Then gave a weak shrug "Though that isn't the reason, more it is where I've been the last few weeks, and several of the vessels are in such a state"

"I was wondering at that" Asajj murmured, free arm on my shoulders "You managed to get your flagship heavily damaged, and I hear you were personally involved in fighting. That's rare"

"Not overly fond of it, and not aboard my own ships" I admitted, recalling the events "Had to bring Tionne and my personal guard in…or the starship would have been lost"

Then let out a breath, patting Bariss's bare knee, Ahsoka didn't seem to believe that, Asajj and Bariss felt a trickle of disbelief or surprise "In truth, this is rather level information, as nobody knows about this, but there's a real concern now that they proved to be real, and nearly ambushed and destroyed a force of three modern Star Destroyers, led by me. And I mean that, I retreated from an ambush, but their ships weren't any larger than a cruiser, but they unclassed us, badly, on a tonnage basis. They are know as the Far Outsiders, and I believe Anakin and Obi-wan encountered them many, many, years ago now"

Ahsoka frowned, looking at Bariss and Asajj "You knew?"

"That they existed?" Bariss hummed, smiling, then a frown at me "Yes, but that they were this advanced? No. They seem to be behind much of the forces assailing the border, driving them here some say"

"We believe their extra-galactical, and we're certain at least elements of the old Jedi Council knew of them, back when I was a yet a padawan" I paused, memories of a time long past flickering before I drove on "Have you ever heard of Project Outbound Flight?"

She frowned, shaking her head "No, should I?"

"Probably not, it was know when I was there, though Bariss didn't know of it. It was an extra-galactic colonisation effort. It was lost, destroyed, in the Unknown Regions" I took a gulp, nodded "I found it. The wreck. My mission was to recover the data-vaults…"

"Dynamic archology?" the togruta asked with a smile "That's what Skyguy says you call all the grave-robbing?"

"It's not truly robbing when the grave rights back and no one claims it" I objected with a smile, before returning to the subject at hand, giving Ahsoka a serious look "But, Obi-wan will certainly understand how important that would be. I didn't, recover the data I mean, because we were ambushed by the Far Outsiders, in force, before I and my forces could. Without warning"

I paused, looked my drink, leaning forward to refill before I spoke, looking directly at her "They are Force Nulls, or Blank to the Force. Immune, or at least resistant. I fought them directly. Close quarters combat with my apprentice and my huscarls. I could not feel them in the Force. Nor could I touch them, directly, with the Force either. This will not be on official correspondence. Hells below, the list of people who know this is miniscule Ahsoka, but I have permission to warn the….Green Jedi as it were"

She paused, studying me, or my face "By Force Null, you mean…like the Ysal…"

"Yes, No. They don't have that feel. They just…" I scratched my bearded chin in thought "Aren't there? A void, but you won't notice it. You'd need to use your other senses to see, hear, or whatever to know they are there, and then compare to the Force where they just…aren't there. Not only that, but they snuck up on me Ahsoka. I am not bragging, but I am good at what I do. Their drives systems are different from ours, and they know how ours work clearly enough. They managed to ambush a prepared and watchful Imperial fleet formation with an experienced Force user. That is very difficult"

"Yeah, I can imagine…but they did" she murmured, drinking away, then looking at me "Why are telling me, just….ugh, to ask?"

"Because I can't give you documents or combat data. I've a written order to do so, but even the combat data is on lockdown. The truth is High Command is concerned, just as much about this as the New Republic. Mostly because we know what's happening with those lunatics, just as you do" gave a snort "The Far Outsiders though…are like ghosts. They vanish after seemingly striking at random. We've concerns over they and the New Republic, but…"

"Not me? Or Obi-wan?"

I gave a smile "Nor Anakin. We are willing to share some secrets, if they know anything…asking Yoda would help, but that is a difficult task let's say. But, hmm, we're starting to worry that these strange folk are a bigger danger than we thought as they are not just confined to the Unknown Regions"

'They certainly aren't' I knew, for everything confirmed the invasion was coming, just as it had in the time that wasn't to be in twenty to thirty years from now. What I'd seen indicated the worst of those concerns from all those years ago. Ensuring some degree of warning, even if it'd be months, or even a year or more, before Ahsoka returned to Corellia, was a start, even if knowledge was limited. We had time after all, one could hope, to plot, and plan, and prepare….