Falleen
Port Nowhere
Within the Main Cargo Facilities
Just Outside Warehouse Two
"Last chance, make it easy on yourselves, and surrender." Oculus pointed his unlit lightsaber at Tyria's group.
"Surrender? You mean to a twice-traitor like you, Ferren?" Tyria challenged with as much authority as her trembling voice could muster.
This was it. If all went as planned, she would give her squad a chance to escape, and the traitorous Sith would have to face up to his deceit by his peers and all their hired guns. But if she was wrong and he was genuine in their desire to help, then she might very well doom Oculus to a gruesome end at the hands of Sariss and the Sith's bounty hunters.
Fortunately, Mirta and Akku shared a quiet look of understanding behind their helmets, and the Anzati continued for Tyria, "Why don't you tell your henchmen how you've been feeding us intel and have been preparing to defect back to the Jedi?"
Shooting Akku a murderous glare, Oculus ordered the Morgukai and Noghri, "Seize them."
To his dismay, he found the mercenaries and Sariss staring suspiciously at the repentant Sith, weapons directed between two sets of enemies, and the young woman gruffly asked, "What are they talking about, Oculus?"
"You mean your lover-boy over there didn't tell you?" Mirta pretended to look surprised behind her helmet, before shrugging, "Guess you're more loyal to your order than I was to the Mando'ade for a long time."
"See, Oculus here found out that you two were manipulated by the One Sith's Kam-clone into being kicked out of the Jedi Order, and he wanted payback against Krayt and his stooges. I think you can figure out the rest of this sad story."
"Enough of this!" Oculus exclaimed, ready for a fight from any angle at this point. "The Jedi's lackeys are trying to pit us against each other and escape. Just capture them already!"
"I've got a better idea, you two schuttas." A Morgukai aimed his pommel at her. "We kill the Jedi, capture her minions and the both of you, and let our clients decide if you're telling the truth. I think they'll be quite interested in whatever intel either of you might have thrown their way."
But then, before any moves could be made, the Noghri dropped their weapons, and turned to see a human woman standing above them, and not just any human standing before them. It was the Mal'ary'ush, one that was drilled into their minds to revere and serve, like her father before her.
"Do you want to return home, lost children of Honoghr?" Leia offered them. "Help us free this world from Sith domination, and I will ensure that you are welcomed back by your clans and families."
Well, this might be my salvation. Oculus breathed a sigh of relief at seeing Leia Organa Solo make her offer and sensing the Noghri strongly consider the proposal. Knowing of her decades of having the Noghri serve her and her family, he knew that if she could convince this group to serve her, such a powerful and lethal force could easily tip the balance in their favor and save the fallen Jedi and his love from a gruesome fate at the One Sith's hands.
Suddenly, before anyone could react, a familiar roar could be heard, and everyone turned to see Ship hovering meters above the ground. Moments later, several familiar figures jumped down from the floating eyeball of a Sith meditation sphere, including Varrk, Soonpaa, Kossk, and Meeka before Malleus, Nashtah, and Phasma and two dozen Deshade and Falleen commandos each came right after them.
Phasma, staring directly at Oculus and Sariss, quickly ordered the assembled mercenaries, "Deal with the Jedi's people and their Noghri. The traitor is all mine."
Suspiciously eyeing her beloved, Sariss felt the regret Oculus gave off from their bond, and her heart was devastated at realizing the truth of everyone's claims. Experiencing a torrent of conflicting emotions, she heartbrokenly demanded, "What have you done?!"
"What I had to do to save us both." Oculus solemnly answered before he blasted her with a burst of lightning, rendering her unconscious and allowing the battle to begin in earnest.
Aboard the Rude Awakening
Ben's eyes bolted awake, and he slowly remembered everything leading up to his coma. His father? What had happened to his father that put him at the verge of death? And where did Vestara get off to now?
Feeling the familiar vibrations of a ship in the air and seeing the patient gaze of Atai upon him, he quickly deduced where he was, and as he tried to get up, he found himself being held back by wrist restraints. Not in the mood for games, he curtly asked the Zygerrian, "What's going on?"
"I see you've recovered even faster than Master K'Kruhk's best estimates, Master Skywalker." Atai calmly answered. "But your countless questions will have to wait for now. We have many pursuers after us, and little time left before the battle for Falleen's future truly begins."
Though he wanted to know if his father still lived or not, Ben instinctively knew that now was not the time, not with so much hanging in the balance. Instead, he reared in his impulsiveness and solemnly asked, "Can I get up right now? I have a hunch you need all the help you can get right now."
Atai stared into Ben's eyes, as if trying to see into his very being, before he sighed and deactivated the binds that held him, offering him his lightsaber. "I'm only doing this because I have a hunch that we'll need your help when we land to pick up Tyria and her team. Just don't do anything too reckless."
"Then where do you need me?" Putting the lightsaber back on his belt as he stood back on his own two feet, Ben reached out with the Force and felt Vestara's grateful tug back through their bond.
"Help your droid keep this ship flying while our new Sith friend deals with the last of our hunters." Shara shouted from her console at the sensor station. "Our engines and shields have taken a beating, and he's rerouting power from the main weapons just to keep us in the air! He's just outside the cockpit."
Guessing one of the three Sith doubters was about to become a full-fledged defector, Ben hurried to R9-G6 and prepared for a fight. Just another typical day in the life of a Jedi.
Csilla System
Aboard the Pulsar Skate
"You realize the great risk of what you two just told me." Mirax warned the Alpha Blue general and Wild Space smuggler kingpin. "I could easily sell this to the highest bidder and rake a great fortune off it, never mind risk starting a galactic war in the process. The last thing the galaxy wants to hear, or needs is the resurgence of another Thrawn, even an augmented grandson of the warlord."
Hearing what secret Jan was carrying alongside Kyp and Khedryn with the Chiss Ascendancy's small cabal suddenly made her personal worries look infinitesimally small by comparison, and quickly brought her into line.
Lowbacca, the Wookiee Jedi Master in attendance via an encrypted hologram aboard the Cal Omas, even if he was still recovering from the shockwaves of Luke's injuries, was too dumbstruck to utter any warnings from Mirax's false threat.
"But you won't do that, and neither will Vice Admiral Nevil if you decide to tell him." Jan knowingly smiled. "With Master Durron and half the Jedi knocked into the infirmary for the next few days, Khedryn and I will need people we can trust to help navigate the political and military minefield we're all in. That especially includes you two."
Lowbacca profusely thanked Jan and Khedryn of the trust bestowed upon him, while Mirax merely chuckled, "It seems you know us both far too well."
"Too well for my liking, and after just a few days." Khedryn ruefully agreed. "That is why we all have very specific tasks for you and all our people to carry out in the coming weeks. If what my old Jedi friend told me about the Sith is true, then we're going to need to hit those kriffing sleemos hard and fast before they can try and press their newfound advantage against us."
"Fortunately for you, Mirax, the Chiss and their allied worlds have plenty of opportunities for our scavenger and smuggler allies to do some good and rake in a few decent hauls in the process."
"So, we're going to wage war through utilizing both strength and cunning?" Mirax summed up.
"Exactly." Jan concurred. "Since most of the Sith's raiders are nomadic in nature, we need to use more unconventional means of tracking down their main base of operations. As for the Sorcerers of Rhand, we need to figure out a way to penetrate their supposedly unreachable Nihil Retreat."
Lowbacca rumbled an obvious question, and Jan answered, "We can start all of this by looking for answers on the Vagaari's homeworld of Vagar Praxut and their main data vaults. Since they quickly grew into an economic and information powerhouse while under the Chiss's military occupation for three decades, they're the perfect lead for us to investigate."
"General Ba'kar and the Defense Council have agreed to let us slip a few of our teams and ships onto one of their peacekeeping missions on Vagar Praxut. Officially, the operation's a routine measure meant to keep the Vagaari honest and protect both of their mutual clients' interests from any raiders and rival interests."
Everyone could catch the obvious implications of the unmentioned unofficial reasons for such a maneuver, and they vowed to send their best to help find the truth behind the veil of lies and intrigue that surrounded the Vagaari and their latest war against the Chiss.
"How long until our people set off?" Mirax asked. "The Empire of the Hand and Aquilians will arrive by the week's end, and then things are going to be rather crowded for all of us in the system."
"We have two standard weeks to prepare, and the force will spend at least two months patrolling Vagaari Space. For obvious reasons, our people will need to keep a low profile when out there." Khedryn replied.
Lowbacca growled a few objections, and each was valid points for everyone to acknowledge. If Vurawn and his covert fleet had provided accurate intelligence to the Chiss and Alliance, then the Sith's raiders were just about finished preparing a force to attack at least a dozen of the Chiss's frontier outposts and industrial centers around the same time of the Vagaari peacekeeping mission.
And according to the military leader, the Sith's proxies had recruited many rogue bands and mercenaries from subjugated worlds to bolster their force, all to sow havoc and overextend the Ascendancy's capabilities. This was especially a tragic irony of the expansion of Chiss influence and elimination of many of its enemies across this region of space.
If the Alliance of Light was to stand a chance of winning this front, they had to figure out and counter the enemy's strategy, all the while unmasking the Chiss collaborators that had been ensnared by the Sith's false promises of power and influence. Vurawn and the Sith who called himself Oculus provided the Alliance with several promising leads, which meant that time was crucial before those trails grew cold.
They needed to bring Vice Admiral Nevil into their makeshift club and find a way to quickly go on the offensive out here. It was time for Jan and Lowbacca to reach out to their longtime Quarren friend and tell him the full story on their alliance with the Chiss. And there was the manuscript Grand Master Katarn shared with everyone not two days ago.
This Supernatural Encounters, the last work Arhul Hextrophon worked on before his demise, was full of old myths and long-forgotten tales and theories that most would dismiss as the ravings of madmen. But apparently, there was more going on related behind the scenes of the One Sith's war that Kyle knew about, and he wanted everyone in command to learn the book and be prepared for whatever danger he believed was fast approaching. Hopefully, these warnings were unwarranted, but it was better to be prepared for anything out here, just in case.
At least no one here would be able to complain of boredom while traveling throughout the Unknown Regions. Everyone just hoped they would be able to make it back to tell the tale to their loved ones.
Within the Main Cargo Facilities
Just Outside Warehouse Two
This three-way battle was quickly devolving into a long-winded slog with no end in sight. Even though Leia had given Tyria a chance to finish her data upload with her new alliance between the Noghri, who were helping her friend's team hold back the Morgukai and bounty hunters, she, Mirta, and Oculus were barely able to keep their three Sith adversaries at bay.
Each Sith was proving to be a juggernaut of pure power against their opponents, with Phasma working to capture the traitorous Oculus, Nashtah proving her worth as a Jedi hunter against the less-experienced Mirta, and Malleus living up to his moniker by battering Leia with his quick and relentless blows. At the rate the Alliance of Light's people were being beaten back, they would run out of breathing room in a few minutes.
Oculus struggled to keep up with Phasma's continuous strikes, but he could barely maintain his defenses. He was always more academically minded as both a Jedi and Sith, and his fears for Sariss distracted him from utilizing his full abilities. He already sensed her beginning to stir from her coma, and if she intervened now, well, he wouldn't want to face the fury of his infuriated lover as well.
Still, even as he defended himself from the Sith Lady's two lightsabers and all their strikes, he felt something off in her offense. It was like Phasma was holding back, trying to keep her prey alive and not unleash her full fury on the traitor, and it wasn't like her at all. Then again, she did confide with him her own doubts on the One Sith's path, so her restraint was understandable. But if she maintained her current pattern of attack, Malleus and Nashtah would start to grow suspicious and might act on their own initiative.
Mirta, on the other hand, was seeing why Nashtah had long survived in the criminal underworld after leaving the Jedi Order. For every tactic and gadget that the Mandalorian possessed, the humanoid Sith had a perfect counter for it, whether it was Force-based or a device of her own. It was only through her training with Vestara, her warrior upbringing, and her beskar armor shielding her from lightsaber strikes, that she hadn't been cut apart yet. Unfortunately, at the rate this fight was progressing, it was only a matter of time before she slipped up and left herself vulnerable to a fatal strike.
But Leia was faring the worst of them all. Though she had fought and defeated many followers of the dark side in her life, she had not faced a behemoth as powerful as Malleus. Between his Sith armor, his masterful use of the saberstaff and the speed and power behind each of his attacks, it was all she could do to stay on her feet and keep just beyond the reach of his strikes.
In fact, Malleus knew just how besieged all the One Sith's enemies were, and how now was the perfect time to deliver the finishing blow. Calling on Ship to blast his way through and empower his masters, he momentarily recoiled from the vessel's screams, just before he heard another ship blasting its way through the walls. Seeing the craft as the hated Rude Awakening, he glared as its side doors opened and allowed Vestara and K'Kruhk to emerge.
Suddenly, the odds were beginning to tip away from the Sith, but none of them were relenting. Especially not Phasma, who had an ulterior motive to come here beyond capturing the traitor.
For too long, she had blindly been loyal to Darth Krayt and his followers as they wrought misery and devastation across the galaxy, and she allowed the dark side to twist her kin into aberrations of themselves. And her doubts were only amplified by what she felt and saw while on Falleen, for the suffering this planet faced was not simply due to war or corruption. There was something truly evil at work in this facility, and she needed to find out what it was, and decide if she could remain faithful to the One Sith any longer.
Bastion
Imperial Headquarters
Within the Interrogation Center
Firmus Nantz, a longtime admiral for the New Republic and Galactic Alliance before his near twenty-year incarceration by Darth Caedus and his successor as Chief of State, still could barely wrap his head around all that had transpired in the last eighteen years. Reading from the Imperial archives and learning what was threatening the galaxy this time was almost too much for him to bear, even as recent news from the Holonet corroborated much of what he rapidly scanned:
Two different legions of Sith running amok before the Lost Tribe was utterly destroyed, countless slave worlds liberating themselves with the indirect help of a selfish and power-hungry Moff, the Jedi being vilified before a Palpatine helped to rebuild the trust in them, the Celestials' legacy having a darkened and ancient survivor, and the Galactic Empire about to undergo an emergency democratic election; it was obvious that fate certainly had a twisted sense of balance for the scales between good and evil.
Even after being discharged from the medical center three days ago and offering his services to Head of State Fel for the time being, Firmus felt completely adrift. An understandable reaction for one locked in carbon prison for eighteen years, but it was not a sensation he enjoyed at all, and it was one shared by every single one of his fellow prisoners from Caedus and Natasi Daala's bouts of insanity.
Such emotions were an anathema to him, but he knew how to put his energies into more productive causes. While his fellow high-ranking officers in the Galactic Alliance preferred to focus more on aiding the Empire's consolidation of its fleets and armies to prepare for war, he especially had a darker outlook on the galaxy and its inhabitants, a byproduct of his time as an interrogator before his recruitment by the Rebel Alliance.
His past experiences, coupled with his blunt nature and brutal understanding of warfare, allowed him to serve as an advisor in the interrogation of two high-profile and high-value participants of the Daala's ill-fated coup before her exile. Gideon Hask and Stryker Melusar could very well be the key to finding where the rogue warlord fled to when destroying the Red Twins System and tracking down whatever confederates were stupid or fanatical enough to still serve her.
That was why he was devoting half of all his energies towards breaking them and figuring out Daala's next move. The utter Force-hating and genocidal fanatic needed to be put down quickly before she could unleash any more ruin and desolation on the galaxy.
The other half was dedicated towards ensuring no agents of these One Sith would be able to slip past the strict travel laws he was helping the recovering ranks of Imperial High Command implement, along with tracking down any that might have slipped through the security cracks. If the Sith planned to strike against Jagged Fel and his people, then Firmus would ensure they would have to make sure they got past him first.
On that note, thanks to his peers and Jaina Solo Fel's pet project of a covert operations group in Darkmeld, he and Jag had a plan to resurrect a long-defunct New Republic advisory group that served it well long after the resurrected Darth Sidious tried to take back control of the galaxy.
It was time for the Gray Cadre to return with plenty of new blood and help bring about some stability from this endless cycle of chaos. He just never thought he would be spending his final years helping the Empire become a monarchy or share his skill sets with them.
Falleen
Xoma Plains
Aboard the Mon Adapyne
"Allana's feeling better, then?" Keyan genuinely asked Han as the Corellian piloted the Phoenix Whirlwind.
"Much better. Old Tusk-face knew what he was doing after all. She's almost as good as new, and raring to go help her grandma out, just like I am." Han confirmed.
"Good. If our Sith friends' intel came through, we'll need every ship and pilot we can get by tomorrow. Haxim's spies in the palace reported how the 'good king' sent a large force, including most of the Zygerrians, on a course set for Port Nowhere. This is our chance to break this stalemate and take control of this war."
Han's face betrayed his skepticism and conflict over their intel, but Keyan could not afford to let a friend's resentment and fears blind everyone to the opportunities now in front of the Alliance. This war could not be dragged out forever, not with the Sith on the rise and the ever-present danger of Abeloth, and this inevitable confrontation would have had to come eventually. Oculus was merely thoughtful and decent enough to preempt that battle and tip the scales in the Alliance's favor.
Still, if Oculus was playing them for fools, then Keyan would work to survive long enough to ensure he paid for her deceit. But with the mixed force of fifteen capital ships, including the influx of Galactic Alliance reinforcements, along with four starfighter carriers, and four Dreadnaughts, coupled with hundreds of starfighters, it would not be easy for the Sith to achieve victory above Port Nowhere.
Once the Alliance of Light had incontrovertible proof of Redhan's corruption through withholding vital humanitarian supplies, they could take away whatever public support he held and begin waging war against him in earnest. It would be good to depose the tyrant and Sith puppet and bring another world into the light of liberty and freedom, almost just like the good old days of fighting for the Rebel Alliance and New Republic.
Korriban
Sith Catacombs
Darth Krayt's Citadel
Within the Cloning Labs
Nala Se could not believe the audacity of the Imperials and their Jedi puppet masters. To attack her masters in their most sacred world and abduct over three hundred of their prized acolytes, all to return them to a life of mediocrity and weakness, or worse, a life of serving the insipid Jedi. It was an outrage and demanded immediate retribution.
True, Lord Krayt had dealt a savage blow to the Jedi by eradicating eight of their number and destroying two of their Star Destroyers. And he managed to best and wound Jaina Solo Fel in a starfighter battle, mainly thanks to her distraction by Luke Skywalker's life-threatening wounds of his own.
Unfortunately, the One Sith had lost four times as many Sith throughout this engagement, not including the loss of several ships, Phobos Station having been compromised, and the discovery of their network of remaining spaceborne academies. Never mind how the Mandalore Sector had received an influx of enemy reinforcements from the Imperials, Hutts, and Jedi while control over Falleen shifted away towards the Jedi's alliance. Now they would have to expend more forces in dealing with both fronts, each a costly enterprise to sustain.
These defeats, coupled with the retaliatory strikes that would follow the lives and materials the Jedi and their followers all suffered, filled Nala with dread at her people's prospects. The fate of the Kaminoans depended on her success, so she could not allow her work to fail.
And there was the traitor, maybe even multiple turncoats, that prowled the One Sith's main citadel and threw Ochi into a coma. There was no telling what other acts of treason and sabotage this unseen agent would try to commit. They could even attempt to sabotage her prized Edaan-clone and turn him against his masters, if they hadn't tried already. She had to take decisive action to uncover and eliminate the traitors before they could make their next move.
All these factors only reinforced her decision to recruit a few more lethal soldiers for Krayt's legions. It was long past time to call upon her people for five agents of their own, genetically enhanced soldiers that more than proved their worth in the Clone War and early Imperial expansion. At least, they had done so before their Jedi-induced consciences got the better of them and led them to desert, and they became a severe liability to the Sith-ruled empire.
After learning of Clone Force 99 joining up with Kal Skirata and his clan of renegades and Imperial fugitives, the Empire had thrown almost innumerable resources into capturing or eliminating them all. And after nearly two years of failing, the five most dangerous members of this incomprehensible mismatch were captured in a foolishly heroic act in shielding the rogue Mandalorians and Jedi traitors from pursuit.
As a gesture of goodwill with the Kaminoans, and to ensure any other Clone Stormtroopers wouldn't defy the Empire again, they were taken to Kamino's cloning facilities, where Nala Se was tasked with reconditioning them and erasing all traces of disobedience and independent thought.
But nothing the Kaminoans and their Imperial clients did could return the squad back to their original level of loyalty, leaving them out of options. As a last-ditch effort to preserve their assets until more drastic measures were taken, Lama Su and Taun We had the five deviants put into stasis for experimental reconditioning through bio-modification behavioral chips.
Sadly, this was just before the Kaminoan uprising put an end to her people's prominent influence on the galaxy. In the upheaval that followed for the distant world, execution of the prime minister, and repurposing of the surviving scientists and their people's technology, the squad was left forgotten by all.
At least, they were forgotten until Nala rediscovered them decades later by combing through countless archival records, just before her recruitment by Krayt, and when she later learnt all about them from Taun before having her assassinated for her disloyalty to the Kaminoan people and the Sith.
Of course, since Krayt already had many clones involved in his efforts and believed the Spaarti-Ysalamiri cloning method Grand Admiral Thrawn perfected was more beneficial than Kamino's, he often did not heed Nala's counsel on when he believed the One Sith's resources could be diverted to "more practical efforts." While a rather hypocritical stance for the onetime Jedi General who once commanded legions of Clone Troopers, even she knew better than to overplay her hand by openly dissenting against him and his fanatical legions of followers.
But if what Ochi told Lady Darth Vindicaa and her Sith Inquisitors was true before he slipped into a coma, and a traitor lurked somewhere within the citadel, then it was long past time she took matters into her own hands. If Nala was feeling a little more generous towards her peers, she could even help give the Vahl a brand-new crew in addition to giving the Sith a few more invaluable agents once he broke free from his coma and resumed his service.
Whatever the case, it was long past time for the Bad Batch to be reborn and return into this bold and unprecedented era. When they were rehabilitated and brought up to speed and the current state of the galaxy, the Jedi would have no idea what was about to come their way. And it would be good to put them back in their place while showing the superiority of Kaminoan cloning above virtually all naturally born beings.
Strange. This was certainly an odd time for the amoral scientist to get sentimental, for she had not thought about Kamino's old fame in many years. Unfortunately, regardless of her people's downward spirals, the outcome did not matter, for it was all in the past, and that was for the best. Life went on no matter what surprises were thrown at you, while living in the past did nothing for the infinite possibilities the future had to offer.
Still, that did not mean she could not learn from her previous errors and create a few safeguards in case another clone she created decided to betray the Sith. But she desperately hoped the control chip she had embedded inside the Edaan-Iteration's brain would hold up and conceal itself against any kind of scrutiny, be it ally or enemy.
And speaking of allies, it was almost time for the next stage in Lord Krayt's ultimate pet project for building an unstoppable army of Sith soldiers. Even without the majority of their in-system test subjects, the fifty children still in their captivity demonstrated an aptitude for endurance, vigor, and adaptability, all fine qualities for the Dread Lord's experiments.
One of them in particular, a twelve-year-old Chiss girl who called herself Thalias, was leagues ahead of them all in her mental reserves and command of the Force. She could hide her potential from most, but the Sith Inquisitors and Nala knew a great prodigy when they saw one, and she would be an excellent specimen for the great remaking.
The festering anger and resentment each of them undoubtedly felt towards the Jedi for abandoning them in their hour of need would only provide further means to break down whatever resistance remained in their young and malleable spirits.
Only a few weeks remained, a month, at the very most, and then Nala and her fellow scientists could create the first batch of Sith Troopers. They would be made for Edaan to command once they captured and subjected him to all the necessary procedures. It would be a project worthy of the talents of every scientist and cyberneticist under the One Sith's payroll before they all withdrew from the known galaxy to safer havens.
Even if the Sith would not be able to dominate the galaxy right away, at least she would pave the way for their eventual takeover, and her people would get all the rewards they so richly deserved. That would be enough to keep Nala going for at least a couple more decades.
Shedu Maad
Jedi Temple
Within the Medical Wing
What she was seeing should be completely impossible. In all Cilghal's years of being a Jedi healer, she had never seen a recovery so quickly or miraculous as what was now happening to Luke Skywalker. As if on its own, the gaping wound the Kam-clone had delivered onto him with his final attack was starting to close, and new flesh and blood would soon be flowing beneath the scar tissue that quickly grew over the affected area.
How in the name of the Force could this be happening right now? Very few species had such regenerative capabilities, but none of them were human, and not even a Jedi Master with a nearly immeasurable command of the Force could physically recover so quickly from such a gruesome wound. Luke might still be in a coma, but if he continued his astonishing recovery at this continuous rate, he could be fully healed in a matter of days; physically, at least.
But Cilghal had a feeling that there was something else at work here. Something insidious and dark in nature, but what her suspicions meant eluded her understanding, even while knowing how Luke had endured far worse injuries from his battles against the Yuuzhan Vong, in the supernatural realm of Beyond Shadows, and in a monolith bathed in dark side energy when facing the Qreph Brothers. And if the dark side was involved, then remaining in the middle of a newfound Sith-made nexus was an unwise place for the time being.
Brushing her clinical and empirical knowledge aside, if she was going to help the former Grand Master finish his spectacular healing, it was clear what she needed to do; she needed people who understood the Dark Side and its power to best counter its terrible influence.
That meant she needed to talk to Jaden Korr and Grand Master Katarn soon so they could get to the bottom of this mystery, while quietly reaching out to a few other Force scholars could help as well, for the dozens of various Force organizations allied with them might have some insight into the Force that the Jedi did not on this matter.
One such group, the Blackguard that had been primarily based on Mustafar for centuries and was now an unofficial ally of the Jedi through Luke's quiet diplomacy during his retirement years, could offer some clues with their thorough study of all aspects of the Force.
It certainly could not hurt to make a few quiet inquiries, because whatever was going on with Luke, these developments had best be kept on the down low and in a small circle of trust for the time being. No one needed to start any negative rumors now or give the Sith any new ideas, especially when morale was at an all-time low within the Jedi Order or Alliance of Light forces and allies on Shedu Maad.
Falleen
Port Nowhere
Within the Main Cargo Facilities
Just Outside Warehouse Two
Vestara could feel the pounding of her heart, the rush of adrenaline coursing through her, and the dark fury that tried to overtake her soul. Despite everyone's confidence in her, she deeply dreaded her potential return to the dark side and falling to her Sith roots, and this battle against hardened warriors and Jedi hunters only intensified her fears.
Thankfully, by remembering and applying Ben's lessons of drawing on her own font of hope and serenity, through drawing on the memories and hopes of her friends and loved ones, and by feeling Ben's calming presence through their growing bond, she was able to push back her dark impulses and remain calm and centered in the Light. She did this while cleanly slicing through a Morgukai's defenses and armor, allowing her to leave a deep and fatal scar on the Nikto as he fell over, dead before he hit the ground.
That made two Morgukai she had personally dispatched so far in this fight, and there were still many more adversaries to take out before the night was through. Hopefully, additional Alliance reinforcements could arrive before the Sith's did, as she went to help the Noghri holding back Malleus's onslaught.
K'Kruhk, on the other hand, was currently fighting side-by-side with Akku, Shara, Lona, and Kix, just as Edaan asked of the four fighters when making his assessment of the crew's teamwork capabilities. With both Mandalorians and the last Clone Trooper providing cover fire for the Whiphid, K'Kruhk was able to effortlessly dispatch several of the Morgukai and their fellow mercenaries and commandos.
Having fought and killed hundreds of Morgukai, the Confederacy of Independent System's Shadow Army during the final six months of the Clone War, it almost made the elder Jedi Master nostalgic for his fallen brothers and sisters in the Force. He even missed fighting alongside the Clone Troopers in the dozens of campaigns and battles he personally fought with them, and healing what precious few he could before Order 66 was enacted.
Now knowing how their conditioning forced them to betray their comrades and commanding officers, K'Kruhk felt nothing but pity for the unwitting slaves of the Sith's Grand Plan and their continued service after Sidious's Empire rose. Neither had ever deserved their loyalty, and he planned to continue to expunge the Sith's legacy from the galaxy by helping to free this world from its puppet of a monarch.
Mirta, Tyria, and Leia, less than a few hundred feet away, were dealing with an incensed Nashtah and her retinue of bounty hunters. The pale-skinned near-human Sith was eager for blood, and if she could not get to the One Sith's traitors, then she would have it from the two Jedi and Mandalorian that barred her way. By keeping the bulk of her attacks on the two older and exhausted women through exploiting their weakened states, Mirta was unable to fight against the Sith Lady with all her strength, cunning, and ruthlessness.
But to everyone's astonishment, the assassin was caught off-guard by the blast of lightning that came from the most unexpected source, Phasma. The barrage was enough to disable every one of Aurra's cybernetics and make her scream from the excruciating pain before Mirta decided to put her out of her misery. A few high-powered stun blasts would keep her knocked out for a good while, and then the Alliance of Light and the Falleen Liberators would have a solid source of intel about the One Sith's plans for this planet and the Freedom's Riches cult.
Guess there's another Sith that's full of surprises. Mirta knew she and everyone who doubted Oculus's words would need to apologize to the defector after this battle was over, and it would be a bitter pill to swallow. She just hoped her kids weren't around to see her when she practically groveled before a former Jedi and a remorseful Sith. Neither Parja nor Bralo would ever let her live it down.
Luckily, until that moment came, there were countless more enemies to kill, and she might as well give her friends a little help, after making sure an exhausted Tyria and slowly awakening Sariss were safely secured aboard the Rude Awakening. No one would be able to say that she did not help her friends and take care of her prisoners, and a few Noghri could do well in guarding the two women, Palpatine Jr.'s prized vessel, and all his friends aboard.
But before Mirta could make any moves, Phasma moved quicker, telekinetically throwing her lightsaber towards Malleus and diverted his focus from the Noghri. She then took the initiative to blast all Nashtah's bounty hunters unconscious and knock the Hammer of the Dark Side back a few steps from surprise alone.
Unfortunately, the shock wore off quickly and both enemies launched their attacks on the other, for Phasma and Malleus unleashed all their hate-filled energies against each other with a flurry of attacks, each one stronger and more destructive than the last and released incredible shockwaves. Phasma was barely able to get a handful of attacks through Malleus's defenses or virtually impenetrable armor, and the same for the loyal Sith against the traitor.
The Parnassos-native knew Malleus had decades of combat experience over her, but she would have thought the onetime Jedi and longtime dark acolyte would tire out soon from old age. Instead, he had been able to counter and push back every technique and strategy she could come up with to destroy him, leaving her short on options.
How could this be happening? From all accounts, Malleus had never accepted replacement organs or enhancements to augment his aging body, and she read extensively on how the Dark Side could devour a person's body and leave them an empty vessel after decades of usage. Contrary to that, the man was only growing stronger.
She needed to try a new tactic if she was to put an end to her enemy's assault, and she needed to finish eliminating every enemy combatant here. Then she needed to gather every piece of intelligence from her unwitting pawns and deliver it all to the Jedi before Krayt and the rest of his Sith could finish enacting all their dark designs.
Seeing the Noghri easily slice through the Deshade filled Phasma with anger and self-loathing. If they could take care of their adversaries so easily, then why was it so hard for her to do the same? She had the same training foundation as Malleus from her Sith instructors, and decades of previous experience from her homeworld in protecting her clan from countless manners of threats.
But her contemplations were cut short by Malleus's renewed assault, this one the strongest yet, and then a cold and bitter realization hit her: Like countless dark siders before him, Malleus was feeding off the death and carnage of the battle and using it to strengthen himself, no doubt with help from Ship and its own dark energies further amplifying his reserves and enhancing his abilities, and he was doing the same for the sentient vessel to finish its healing.
While it was a truly evil and morally repugnant tactic, it was also an effective one with no easy solution against a slew of highly lethal and powerful enemies. How could the Jedi be able to knock all of them unconscious long enough for Phasma to deal the finishing blow against her adversary?
Seeing Vestara about to finish off a vulnerable Falleen commando, Phasma virtually screamed in the Force for the younger woman not to kill the beaten enemy. Vestara answered back with confusion, but Malleus kept Phasma from elaborating by flicking his wrist in his subordinate's direction, and snapping his neck clean, ending his life while enraging Phasma for his dishonorable conduct.
That was not the end of the Alliance's troubles, since Phasma could sense Ship almost finished healing from utilizing the dark energies of this battle. At her best estimates, it would only be about five minutes before the meditation sphere could reenter the fight, and that would make things exponentially harder before leading to a massacre on both sides.
Then again, there was one other option, and it was one that, if used correctly, could give the Jedi a chance to elude Malleus for a while longer, expose the full scope of Redhan's schemes, and give the Alliance of Light additional time to make their way here to engage the Sith's forces. It was a lunatic's scheme, but it was the best she could use in such a desperate situation.
Phasma just hoped the Jedi would be able to catch on in time, otherwise the strategy would fail, and everyone here would be in deep poodoo. Noticing Oculus injected Sariss with a sedative, before handing her off to a Noghri, she prayed to whatever gods that would listen to let the lovers survive past this war and work to atone for their sins, just as she planned to do.
Dathomir
Allya Mountains
Jedi Praxeum
Training Grounds
"I didn't expect you two to be up so early." Taron appraisingly noted to Adari and Edaan. "Are you that impatient to get stronger that you'll risk your own health in the process?"
"We couldn't sleep. Too much on our minds." Adari evasively answered on Edaan's behalf.
"I see." Taron neutrally allowed. "Well, since you can't sleep, we might as well start your training now."
Stepping aside, he unveiled two goblets filled with a brimming green liquid, and explained, "You need to drink the contents of this drink. It will unveil the true nature of both of your souls and will allow you to confront all your accumulated pain and fears head on."
Glancing to Edaan, he gravely added, "And let me warn you now, young Palpatine, this will be far more difficult and demanding than any of your missions or the makeshift Trials you had to go through to become a Jedi Knight. Once you start, the training cannot be stopped, but it will be more rewarding than you can ever imagine."
Why was Taron singling out Edaan so easily? Did the Jedi Master have insight on him that the young Human did not? Given the unique traditions and Taron's own experience with loss, it was certainly possible.
Either way, there was only one way to find out, and he could not afford to turn back now. The galaxy needed every strong-hearted fighter it could get if the Alliance of Light was to defeat the One Sith, and Edaan never backed down from a challenge before, and he was not about to start now.
Besides, he needed to face his demons and enjoy what time he could with his wife before they both returned to the war. He just hoped his crew and Vestara would be okay until he made his way back to them. They were a good bunch, but he longed to be by their side and fight beside them.
Reminding himself to keep his focus on the training, Edaan nodded, "If it'll help us be ready for whatever comes next, then we'll do it. Right, Adari?" Seeing her resolutely nod, Edaan shot her a grateful smile before turning back to Taron, "We're ready."
"Then drink the potion, and let's get started." Taron presented them each of their goblets. "You'll need to ignore the taste and drink it all."
"Why? What's in it?" Adari curiously asked while examining the cup's contents.
"You'll find out soon enough. Now drink." Taron ordered them.
Glancing at the other with a bit of nervousness, both Palpatines drank their goblet's entire contents in a few gulps before handing the empty containers back to Taron. But then, they began to lose their footing, and Adari soon fainted onto the grass.
"What… what did you do?!" Edaan groggily sputtered out, barely able to stay up before falling to his knees, quickly losing consciousness after falling flat on his face.
"It seems your training will be the most grueling and rewarding of all my students, Edaan Palpatine. I would expect nothing less from a man carrying around so many burdens and pain while shielding them behind a cloak of impossible standards and false bravado." Taron satisfyingly reflected.
Turning to address a hidden Solona, he asked, "Is the couple's ship ready for travel?"
"Yes, but I hope you know what you and your disciples are doing. With the Sith roaming the planet, the most logical course of action would be to keep them here."
"That would only stunt their training. The groves I have in mind are going to the perfect place to test their body and spirit. And Edaan must overcome the darkness entwined in his past so he can truly become the Jedi and leader everyone believes he will one day become, not to mention a good husband and eventual father." Taron reminded her, before quickly conceding, "But I'll bring Artoo along to keep you consistently appraised of our progress."
"I suppose it's too late to argue against it." Solana lamented. "I'll see if we can recall a few Jedi and Alliance forces to help strengthen our defenses."
"Good." Taron nodded. "My disciples will be able to manage my newest students, and I will stay close by while having our allied clans keep a close eye on any suspicious activity. If the Sith make themselves known, we'll know about it soon after and be able to prepare."
Telona 18th, 59 ABY
Deep Within the Talzin Mountains
Darth Snoke glanced around the ruins of the long-destroyed Nightbrothers' village, seeing the devastation caused by the Clone War when Darths Sidious and Tyranus worked to exterminate a Nightsister clan that tried to take the galaxy out from under both Republic and Confederacy.
Grateful for the dozens of allied Nightsisters giving him refuge here, he basked in the dark energies that saturated this place. Named after the greatest and most powerful and cunning of the Nightsister Matriarchs from the last century, the Talzin Mountains served as the perfect refuge for most of the six hundred Dark Side-adhering Dathomirians that still existed, and their growing army of beasts.
Dozens of ferocious animals, from giant rideable Rancors, smaller but quicker apex predators called Nydaks, and even three Whuffa worms capable of travelling underground, all answered Snoke's domineering command. Put together with the growing makeshift army of beasts and people that encompassed Dathomir, the Sith-allied force would soon be ready to launch their coordinated attack on the Jedi strongholds all over the planet.
All that remained now was for Sorzus to convince the few holdouts of Nightsisters and Nightbrother servants to join their cause later tomorrow. Once they gained their allegiance and were properly broken, they would be that much easier to mold them all into Sith, allowing Lord Krayt to accelerate his plans and continue to build up his armies, all while devastating a key Jedi world, eliminating many of their key enemies and capturing several of their prized targets.
The next few days or weeks would be very invigorating for the Sith Lord, and he had every intention of making the most of this rare occurrence to unleash all his powers on his enemies.