Telona 13th, 59 ABY
Shedu Maad, Jedi Temple
Within the Grand Master's Office
The typically stoic and composed Jaden was not at his best today, his trademark goatee and cropped hair typically showing greater signs of gray, and his eyes bloodshot from the many sleepless nights over the last few months.
But the intelligence Grace and her two Aquilian escorts provided to Grand Master Katarn and his most trusted fellow Jedi, called to attendance considering the halted summit, would both dishearten and elevate each of their weary bodies. Grace's people had just managed to complete their work on identifying all the Sith spies within the Jedi's support staff, and they had found forty-three members that fit the treasonous criteria.
Sadly, what threatened to break each of their hearts was how the comms frequency and tactics the enemy agents used were also being used by seven Jedi Apprentices to communicate with their supposed relatives. The One Sith's dark and cancerous rot had wormed its way deeper into the Jedi Order than anyone could ever have imagined.
When the war was over, the Jedi Order would have to do a great deal of soul searching and reevaluating its recruitment criteria to prevent such a catastrophe from ever occurring again.
But until that time came, Kyle, wearily rubbing his eyes and sighing, gratefully thanked Grace, "I don't think we would have uncovered the depths of this spy network without your help, Paladin Lieutenant Grace. When all is said and done, you and your people will have the entire Jedi Order's eternal gratitude."
Respectfully bowing at the compliment, Grace humbly replied, "We were just doing our job, Sir. The question now is how we are to best apprehend the traitors before they realize they've been discovered. The Order is critically short on trusted manpower right now with all the crises demanding your attention."
"Maybe Master Skywalker and the rest of his people could divert here after catching Daala and help us take down all of the Sith's collaborators." Senya, the taller of the two Aquilian soldiers who were protecting Grace, bluntly suggested. "He's got enough Sith-fighting professionals backing him up that can sweep up any loose ends you might end up having."
"Tactlessly put, but that's an excellent idea." Cilghal agreed. "Their presence alone might actually encourage any other possible traitors to divulge themselves."
"A brilliant plan, but there's just one glaring problem with executing it." Jaden reluctantly admitted. "Not long ago, the Kam Iteration brought to my attention that Master Skywalker's force was under attack by both the One Sith and an unknown third party, the latter composed of two pods of cybernetically enhanced Oswaft and Kindred of Ooradryl. When we tried to reach the task force, all their fleet's comm frequencies were unresponsive."
That was not news anyone wanted to hear. If the fleet sent to bring Daala to justice was under attack by a different player, then this was the worst time for such a scenario to occur. And if the True Sith Empire and its servants were emerging sooner than anyone expected, since the Kindred were long allies of them, since their progenitor sided with the Father of Shadows over Tilotny, this was the worst possible news they could hear.
Still, there was too much out of play for Kyle's liking, since Daala would never work with a Force-worshiping society, especially one that sought the destruction of all life. And the cybernetics embedded throughout the Oswaft and Kindred was not a maneuver he expected from the Rhandites. For all he knew, there could be a fourth player entering this war, and that was nothing anyone wanted, let alone needed.
But that was all for another day. With the Jedi-Sith proxy wars escalating throughout every corner of the galaxy and spreading their forces increasingly thinner, there was no way the Alliance of Light could spare anyone to help them. For all intents and purposes, Luke and his friends were on their own.
Everyone just hoped that this battle would not be their last, especially with this latest terrifying development.
Batuu
Within the Black Spire Ruins
Inside Dician's Command Center
Xasha Xizor, leader of the Freedom's Riches cult and double agent for the True Sith Empire, did not know how much more she could possibly stand of Dician and her retinue's increasingly perfectionist control over every facet of this failing operation. Even as they conversed with their Sith overlord in their meditation chambers, she knew they had to be feeling the stress of so many of her plans falling apart and the Alliance of Light harrying her every move.
Just sensing the untold anger and terror coursing through so many of Sith Intelligence's agents made Xasha giddy, even as she knew how she'd soon send them and the Jedi on a collision course of mutual destruction. Still, she wondered if Dician, a brilliant woman if cursed with an overinflated ego, would be as gullible to lead along for much longer, given the few gleanings she was sensing from the high-ranking human among the One Sith.
Dician did always have an unfortunate tendency to discern the truth and unravel conspiracies from her rivals and enemies. Even the barriers Xasha had erected to shield her mind from the One Sith's mind probes would not long withstand the kind of brutal interrogation Dician often used on her prisoners. And if the True Sith agent was discovered before her work was complete, then her homeworld would never get the deliverance they promised her.
But if this Jedi-led alliance could get off their karking laurels and find a way to break through the blockade with the intelligence she gave Mandalorian clan leader Din Djarin and his native allies, then it would give Dician much more to worry about than her supposed servant's loyalties.
Fortunately, Dician interrupted her thoughts by arriving with her top-ranked acolytes, and each of them appeared quite unsettled from whatever Darth Krayt had conferred onto them.
Playing the part of the loyal servant, Xasha carefully approached the Sith master, and fearfully asked, "Lady Dician? Is everything alright?"
Before Dician could offer any remark, the facility's communication systems activated, and the holographic image of the fleet commander appeared.
Glaring at the interruption, Dician let out a deep breath of frustration before calmly asking, "Yes, Tonith?"
"Begging your pardon, my Lady, we have a critical situation rapidly approaching our blockade." The Muun admiral professionally cautioned his Sith superior. "The Alliance of Light has played their hand and are launching a full-frontal assault on our forward position."
"I'm assuming there is more to this attack than simple brute force, for defending the system from any incursions is precisely what I recruited you for." Dician exhaustively concluded.
Normally, the Sith Lady would demand every detail on any potential problem as part of her lifelong strategy to best counter her enemies and turn each of them to her advantage. To simply assume anything from one of her subordinates, even one as reputable and knowledgeable on warfare as Reep Tonith II, it betrayed her anxiety and increasingly burdensome responsibilities.
What could Lord Krayt have told her that unsettled her so deeply to disregard her typical plans? She would have to discover whatever it was, at least so it did not risk her own plans for her greater patrons.
Batuu Orbit
Aboard the Providence-class Carrier/Destroyer Haazen
"I remember my task quite well, Lady Dician, but there are several factors I believe might require your attention." Reep hid his astonishment for his patron's atypical attitude by advising her, "We've scanned the fleet's configurations and identified several high-profile targets from your intelligence reports. One of which was a Vigilance-class yacht recently outbound from Falleen and carries quite an explosive cargo."
Judging by the glint of recognition crossing Dician's eyes, she began to recognize the severity of what was coming her way. Taking a moment to steady herself, the Sith stoically ordered Reep, "Transmit every scrap of data you can gather on the Jedi fleet to me. I will have my acolytes aid you in the coordination of your force, while I prepare our groundside defenses for whatever stray enemy ships that manage to slip past your blockade."
"As you command, my Lady." Reep deferentially bowed as the transmission concluded. Truth be told, he held a distaste for those Sith Sorcerers and their reliance on an arcane energy field over good old-fashioned cunning and force. Regardless, though, he could not pass up the advantages such abilities would grant his fleet when the enemy force was ripped apart from the inside.
Those kinds of abilities would certainly be of great benefit against the mixed force of smugglers, Antarian Rangers, GA commandos, and Hutt crime lords arrayed against him. He long relished the chance to relive Pors Tonith's greatest exploits in the Clone War before his capture on the communications hub world of Praesitlyn.
Fortunately, he knew better than to grow overconfident in battle, nor play around with any prisoners he might capture. That was what ruined his great-uncle's reputation when the reckless then-Jedi Padawan Anakin Skywalker captured him at the prelude to the Outer Rim Sieges, and he would not repeat those mistakes.
Glancing towards the bridge's lead sensor-officer, Reep ordered, "Status on the invading force?"
"They're starting to launch fighters, and sensors have picked up at least ten baradium missiles spread throughout their lead attack squadrons and corvettes. We're working to isolate the prime targets as we speak, and we should have the first batch identified within two minutes."
"Excellent. Give theirs' and Wraith Squadron's destruction the utmost importance." Reep ordered, strongly emphasizing his next words, "They will be the true test of our cunning and force."
Glancing at the enemy fleet, the naval man in Reep could not help but admire the strength and variety of ships and people that were arrayed against him. Even as his blockade outnumbered the mixed coalition at least six-to-one, they charged in without fear and hesitation, and when his forces were at their most vulnerable from their shift rotations.
Such courage and determination were crucial traits he hoped to instill on all beings, even if he believed the Alliance of Light's cause was a doomed one.
Philosophical debates aside, the galaxy needed a firm and strong hand guiding it towards a genuine and lasting peace, and the One Sith were the best hand to do it. They had the resolve to make the decisive choices needed to protect the innocent, without constant bickering and weaknesses that undermined every democratic government in existence because of the Jedi and their moralistic principles.
In fact, even the Jedi-sympathetic Imperial Remnant under Gilad Pellaeon and his reviled Moff Council were unable to protect its citizens when the Yuuzhan Vong bombarded Reep's homeworld of Muunilinst when they invaded the paltry territory. And no one, not even the vaunted Luke Skywalker and his handpicked team to locate the Vong seedling world of Zonama Sekot could save the billions of lives obliterated in the first incursion.
He could not, and would not, let such an atrocity happen again for his people and would do whatever it took to protect them from all their enemies. It was the least he could do to pay tribute to his dead family when they sacrificed his life to ensure his own when the Vong commenced their rebuffed onslaught on the then-shadow of a galactic power.
Red Twins System
Aboard the Omen
"Has the Bestoon Legacy arrived?" Wyyrlok asked the docking officer.
"Affirmative, my Lord. We have a surgical team bringing Ochi to the medical wing to be treated for his wounds."
"Good." Despite Ochi's failure in dispatching Corran Horn, he still sent a message to Luke Skywalker that his friends' days were numbered and would almost certainly have eliminated the Jedi Council member, were it not for a dead Togorian of a Jedi Knight.
And the One Sith would not dispatch one of their most experienced and dedicated agents so freely. Such acolytes would be needed more than ever once the dark order went underground.
"My Lord, there's a wormhole opening up around Sector Six!" The warship's sensor officer suddenly reported to Wyyrlok, interrupting his musings.
"Excellent." The Chagrian calmly responded. "Our reinforcements have arrived."
Before anyone could seek clarification, the wormhole opened and about a refurbished Hoersch-Kessel Drive, Inc. LH-3010 capital freighter and five times as many corvettes and frigates emerged. As the predecessors to the Lucrehulk-class LH-3210 cargo freighters used in the Trade Federation's final years, they operated as unorthodox fleet carriers for the One Sith. And the single 3000-meter flagship held plenty of surprises in store for the cybernetic pods.
Turning to the ship's commanding officer, he ordered, "Open a line to all known frequencies the Alliance of Light use."
"Sir?" The commander confusingly questioned.
"If any of us hope to escape this system in time, then you will do as I say. Lord Krayt and I have devised a plan for us to survive, but we need to act fast and do what we must to survive this massacre." And that meant swallowing his disgust at having to work with the arrogant Jedi and their stooges for this one fight.
How the One Sith's leader managed to work with Skywalker when they defeated Abeloth in Beyond Shadows eluded his understanding. But he would follow his master's lead, put aside his feelings for the greater good, and do what he must to save the Grand Design and the Dread Lord's great vision for the galaxy.
After a minute of waiting, the comm officer reported, "I'm connecting you and the Dark Heart through all Alliance frequencies."
"Very good." Wyyrlok nodded. Now, the true gambit began.
Aboard the Chimaera
"Just when we already had more than enough Sith, cyborg giants, and an apocalyptic explosion to deal with." Tors gritted his teeth through his barely controlled anger.
"It's worse than you think, Vice Admiral Remal." Luke severely stated. "If what I'm sensing is correct, then we're about to go head-to-head against Darth Krayt himself."
"So, he's here aboard the old Trade Federation hulk." Tors deduced. Obviously, the One Sith's founder and leader was taking matters into his own hands to save the remainder of his followers. But the Alliance had no chance to take him out, and unless he had a master trump card or superweapon to destroy the enslaved cyborgs, then the Dread Lord had just doomed himself and his so-called Grand Design to oblivion.
"Sir, we're getting an open transmission from the two Sith flagships, designated Omen and Dark Heart." Billibango informed both leaders. "They're, well, proposing an alliance with us and our combined force to escape this doomed system. And they requested to speak with you, Master Skywalker."
Both Luke and Tors could hardly believe what the Xexto Jedi Knight reported. After all the times they were double-crossed by the Sith and their servants, such an offer was simply too ludicrous to behold. Still, every force was in dire straits, and every option had to be considered if they were to escape.
"Are Sidon and Kopri getting all of this?" Tors sought out.
"Yes. And they're being quite vocal about the absurdity of it all to both ship's COs." Billibango politely answered.
"Open a line to the Omen and Dark Heart, on the double." Luke ordered. If this was a trap, the Jedi Master and his friends would discover the truth and shut down any deceptions. But, on the off chance this offer was genuine, then they had to take this gamble. It was their only hope to escape this doomed system.
But even so, Luke could not help but offer his unspoken sorrow for the doomed souls in the system's sole world of Acherin. A longtime victim of Imperial oppression, its few surviving inhabitants had lost every piece of their once-illustrious spacefaring capabilities and remained trapped on their ruin of a world.
If there was more time, the Alliance could evacuate some of the planet's impoverished population. But without any knowledge of where to start looking for civilians, no one would ever be able to escape the doomed system in time.
Connecting the comm signals to the two Sith capital ships, the Chimaera's bridge was barraged by a string of curses in both Mando'a and Huttese by Kopri and Sidon, and neither were even close to finishing their rants.
But then, a powerful and commanding voice eclipsed their own, one Luke could never forget for his help in Beyond Shadows, "Enough. I asked to speak with the Jedi. Call them up, or I will need to take more drastic measures to get your attention."
"I'm here, Krayt." Luke quickly answered. "What do you want?"
"Ah, Skywalker. You're here. Good. Matters are dire, and we have much to do to save both our fleets before time runs out." Another voice came through, one just as strong, but more guttural.
"And who do we have the pleasure of addressing?" Tors gruffly interjected. Though he had no pleasure in attending this meeting, he would wring every scrap of information he could out of these Sith. At the very least, he could use it to minimize his casualties going forward.
"My follower's name is inconsequential right now, Vice Admiral Remal. What matters is we destroy the enemy force and escape this doomed system." Krayt pressed Tors.
"And I assume you know of the full situation and have come up with a plan to stop these marauders." Luke deduced.
"Correct." Krayt confirmed. "We need to take control of or destroy enough of the cyborg Oswaft and turn them against the rest. Then we each can open a wormhole to escape and fight another day."
"Skywalker and his Jedi already tried that, you di'kut. They're immune to any mind tricks." Kopri scathingly remarked.
"Not if we target their cybernetic components through the Force, ion-based attacks, and a few computer viruses. They are grafted with enough machinery to leave them vulnerable to such methods." The deeper voiced Sith knowingly countered.
That remark rendered everyone speechless, having been too rattled by the series of misfortunes to consider that possibility. Sidon broke the awkward silence by asking, "I don't suppose either of you happen to have an arsenal of ion weapons that can help, or can hack their communications?"
"This is no time for jokes, Captain." Krayt bluntly scolded the privateer. "Time is crucial, so we had best get started immediately."
"Agreed." Luke concurred, before killing the connection and warning Tors, Kopri, and Sidon, "Stay on your guard, and observe the Sith fleet very closely. Any hint of treachery, and we work to take Krayt down with us."
"Good. I can die with that final notch on my belt." Kopri vindictively agreed.
"In that case, perhaps we should prepare a few contingencies of our own for the Sith." Sidon proposed.
"What do you have in mind?" Tors inquired.
"Perhaps it's time we take a page from the wise naval man and abandon our attachments to our prized ships." Sidon enigmatically suggested. "It's more important to save our crews at this point than our pride."
Coruscant
Senate District
Aboard the Ronto-class Assault Pinnace Infiltrator Power Balance
Kajin could hardly believe the atrocity that nearly consumed his life, along with almost every soul that once resided in the inferno of the Galactic Senate's headquarters. In their fanatical desire to complete their final contract, the Maladians detonated several zinethium-laced bombs as a last-ditch effort to destroy the Galactic alliance's leader.
However, what the assassins failed to account for were the YVH droids, whose scanners detected the build-up from the explosive mineral, and the Jedi and Galactic Alliance forces that had several vessels ready to evacuate the chief of state and his primary defenders from the building if the battle turned against them.
Even the Cerean's worst fears did not expect the Sith-funded mercenaries and their Senate pawns to go to such lengths in trying to dispose of him. The guilt at sending all the soldiers and the five Jedi deployed to defend him threatened to send him spiraling into depression, for he hated risking other people's lives just to protect his own. He would especially long mourn the death of his chief of staff for his inability to save her from the attack. But he would ensure that Sorsa's family would be well-cared for in return for her selfless loyalty and devotion to him and the people she loved so deeply.
And while Kajin would love to resign and walk away from this terrible war, he knew that there was still much work to do before the galaxy could rebuild what was lost, and the leader could finally rest. He still lived, and the politician remembered the oaths he swore to uphold when he took office, along with protecting the rest of his citizens that could still be saved while the Galactic Alliance and its fellow galactic powers waged total war on all their enemies. It was the least he could do to honor those who gave their lives to save his.
But first, he had to reassure the galaxy's populace that he was alive and well, before the Sith could seize the momentum and regain their advantages over the Alliance of Light, or complete anarchy ensued over Coruscant and its population of over one trillion. That meant that the interrupted summit with Head of State Fel and Grand Master Katarn had to resume within the next couple of hours, before all hope of peaceful reconciliation faded away.
Fortunately, he had just what he needed aboard this vessel to do so. He just needed to work quickly on setting up the connections with Shedu Maad and Bastion's holonet relays, and have General Loran commandeer every news network on Coruscant for what he would soon say. After all, he would only have one chance to avoid using deadly force on any rioters still at work across the capital world, a possibility he did not want to entertain.
Falleen
Aboard the Dominance
En Route to Port Nowhere
"You sense the dark forces moving against us. Don't you, Vestara?" K'Kruhk noticed from the fidgeting Sith defector who was studying the intelligence reports on the slimy spaceport of their destination.
"A blink Uvak could sense them." Vestara retorted. "I'm certain we're walking into a trap on this one, and Nashtah, Phasma, and Malleus all have their best people waiting to ambush us."
"But you know we are more than capable of surviving them. So, what is it that is truly troubling you?" The Whiphid Jedi Master calmly replied.
"What are you, the Rude Awakening's psych counselor?" Parja snorted while she and her brother studied the reports from their monitor.
Ignoring the barb, K'Kruhk counseled Vestara, "You are also worried about Ben and Edaan, correct?"
"Not just them, even though I know they can take care of themselves." Vestara nervously admitted. "There's something powerful on the move in the galaxy. It's not Abeloth, but it's almost as malicious as she was in her prime. I can sense Master Luke and his forces in grave danger, and it's not from Krayt and the Sith. Anything that can go up against both the forces of light and dark cannot afford to be underestimated."
"I see. But there's a deeper concern that's eating away at you. If I may, allow me to offer you some wisdom I learned the hard way in my long and arduous life." K'Kruhk kindly offered.
"What kind of advice? I'm not in the mood for Jedi proverbs right now."
"Nothing of the sort." K'Kruhk sagely smiled. "I merely wanted to tell you that you don't have to carry every burden on your own shoulders. Trust in your friends and loved ones to help you with your struggles, and they will give you the strength to carry on when all seems lost. And I find it helpful to remember all those that came before me, and the example they set and the impact they had in my life."
"And if I don't have too many of those left from all my wrongdoings? Or that most of my loved ones were twisted by the dark side or those I betrayed?"
"Then find a goal or point to strive for and turn your pain and suffering into determination and hope if you want to change your fate. It is precisely what kept me going after Order Sixty-Six and the deaths of most of those I cherished."
"But do not forget to keep your mind focused on the here and now. Losing focus during a mission will prove fatal to everyone around you."
"I'm not one of your Younglings to train, Master K'Kruhk. I know how to stay focused." Vestara irritably reminded him.
"I know. But everyone could occasionally use a little help. And you need to know this, I promised to help Edaan save you, which means I intend to make sure all his work was not done in vain."
"At least you're being honest." Vestara appreciatively noted. "And I have no intention of letting him and Ben down."
"Then have a little more faith in yourself, Vestara, and share that hope with others. The journey from darkness into light does not happen overnight, or in giant leaps, but through the smallest acts of kindness and selflessness one gives throughout their lives. Those tiny gestures are enough to push back the darkness and light a candle of hope for others to seek out and better themselves."
"You sound like one of those old religious scholars we hear on the holonet." Bralo noted, almost approvingly, but guarded for fear of ruining the moment.
"I like to think my travels and the countless beings and cultures I have interacted with have impacted me for the better, young Mandalorian." K'Kruhk gently smiled at the young boy's inquisitive nature and friendly nature. Even as he still held up his guard around most members of the Mandalorian culture from his traumatic decades in exile, he could not help but not like Bralo's pleasant and humble nature.
"Edaan understood that very well, even as he continues to struggle with his deepest anger and fears. I still remember the first day we met quite vividly, and how he convinced me to cease my wanderings and take up my lightsaber again for the galaxy and the Jedi."
"How did you two even meet in the first place?" Vestara asked, deciding to assuage her curiosity and kill some time. "I'd have thought a survivor of Sidious's Jedi purge would rush to rebuild the order that raised you from near infancy. What made you wander the galaxy for so many decades?"
Eyes growing guarded ever so slightly, K'Kruhk cautiously admitted, "You're not the only one with past failures weighing you down, young Khai. My scars run deep, but I will not give them up to all of you so easily."
"I'll tell you another time, after I get to know you better and we have more time to talk and work through our mutual pain. For now, I think we had best follow the kids' leads and study more on our mission. We still have about ninety minutes before we arrive at the RV point."
That was rather disappointing for Vestara, but she could understand what K'Kruhk meant and could not blame him at all for his guarded mindset: he did not fully trust her yet, and he would not want to admit any shameful deeds or past traumas to just anyone.
Quashing her curiosity to focus on the mission, Vestara quietly gestured to her surrogate nephew and niece to keep preparing, and everyone kept to their stations in an uncomfortable silence.