Falleen Orbit
Aboard Ship
Malleus took aim at the bottom of the Ailon's most damaged Thranta, finally scoring a direct hit on the ship's shield generator and leaving it exposed to a combined assault by two of his fleet's warships. At least now they knew the most effective way to incapacitate the enemy's improved shields, useful information for when the time came to deal with the rest of the hardy race.
Unfortunately, this discovery, coupled with the four destroyed out of forty enemy transports heading down to the planet below, was a mere spark of good news when compared to the losses of Lady Irola's fleet. Almost forty percent of her armada had been obliterated against the Alliance of Light, even with communications back online and using every trick and hidden skill their force possessed to inflict the small number of casualties they had done so far.
Out of the entire Ailon Repentant force, the One Sith had merely destroyed a few dozen starfighters and now two escort craft.
But those main capital ships were easily tearing through their fleet, and no one seemed to have a way to stop them, not even Admiral Gage and his plan to hit the enemy's flanks. Its point-defense capabilities made it all but impervious to the guerilla tactics Gage envisioned.
And the losses down near Port Nowhere were arguably just as bad, with the Zygerrians all but taken out of the fight, the Royal Navy suffering from the multi-pronged assault, the city's defenses shutting down, one grid portion after another from sabotage, and the Observatory was infiltrated by at least a dozen enemy teams. As clever, resilient, and arrogant as Lord Phobar was, even the brilliant fool was no match for the entire naval flotilla bearing down upon him.
There is one way to turn this defeat into a stalemate, Lord Malleus. Ship mentally called out to him. Think like a true Sith and not one of their neophytes. Draw upon the energies from the Observatory to help Lady Irola and command her people. Work together with Lord Phobar, and we can drive back the interlopers and allow your followers a chance to regroup.
A stalemate. That mere concept was anathema to Malleus and the Sith's entire philosophy, for they were supposed to achieve nothing but pure victory. But his options and resources were all but exhausted, and unless he wished to personally explain to Lord Krayt how Falleen was lost ahead of schedule, then a prolonged siege was the only option left to delay the world's "liberation" by the Jedi. At least this way, they could wound the Ailons and Admiral Gage could get their desired scans of the new foes' navy.
Within Chiss Space
On Cioral
Inside the House Miurani Estate
Saganu finished reviewed the numerous reports his agents provided him on the state of the Chiss people and the Ruling and Great Families, and to his disappointment, nothing of note stood out to him. With the outsiders set to interfere in the Chiss's most time-honored traditions and institutions, and dozens of the Ascendancy's most prominent leaders acting out of character, it fell to him and his inner circle to protect the Chiss from subversion and destruction.
Speaking of subversion, Saganu remembered how he had to check up on a personal project of his. Hearing the intercom buzz, he opened the feed, and his most valued agent quickly began, "I may have uncovered a breakthrough on your investigation, honored Aristocra."
"Good. I will send my page to you in five minutes. Be sure to have all your notes ready this time."
Normally, he would not recruit humans to his staff, but Rensalm Caster, a great grandchild of survivors from the Old Republic-era Outbound Flight fiasco, held a great respect among the Chiss for their shared commitment to order and impeccable loyalty and intellect. However, for the last decade, he was kept at arm's length by most of the Chiss for his honest nature, boundless curiosity, and lack of respect for every family's set of secrets and their unspoken code of conduct.
Having learnt a great deal about the Chiss while serving the Empire of the Hand, he eventually decided to work for the Ascendancy, proving himself to be a valued asset of any family that pitied him enough to employ his services. Unfortunately for the past three lesser families, his nauseatingly Jedi-like morality often had him leaving their employ when learning of many scandals and intrigue before anonymously reporting such corruption to the proper authorities. The only reason he still lived was how he earned the silent but lethal protection of the Defense Council for his testimony on their behalf.
His moralistic acts disgusted Saganu for the human's lack of regard for the careful balance of power that sustained the Chiss in a hostile galaxy, but even he could see the value in an honest and brilliant soul, if he were guided in the proper direction. That was why he was honest with Rensalm in his reasons for hiring him, and it captivated the fool enough to invest him in his supposed cause.
For the past three decades, dozens of various warships in both the Expansionary Fleet and each family's defense force had been reported as decommissioned or destroyed, and many officers and soldiers were assassinated, both allegedly done by rogues from beyond the Ascendancy's borders. Each of these actions had led to near-clean victories against rogue powers, and a massive expansion of their reach, but many of their new wards often disappeared under mysterious and shoddily explained circumstances. Too much remained in the dark for the loyal Aristocra to let these oddities stay uncovered any longer.
All these circumstances reminded Saganu too much of the cautionary tale of Mitth'raw'nuruodo that remained for many of the Ascendancy's traditionalists, and the aristocra deplored the needless wars the renegade had dragged his people into. If someone decided to pick up where the rogue warlord left off in his disgraceful legacy, then it was his duty to stop it.
To give him further ammunition, if his investigation discredited the Alliance of Light and convinced his people that they did not need outside assistance to fight their battles, then all the better. With the Chiss allied with the greater galaxy and at war with the remnants of their enemies and their new masters in the Sith, it was crucial for them to remain united now more than ever.
If someone was pilfering resources and personnel from them for their own private army, then it was his duty to learn the truth and expose this treasonous scheme by the roots. He would make this a top priority among his houses' assets, both known and withheld from the rest of the Ascendancy.
And once his dupe of a researcher uncovered all he wanted to know, then he would take proper care of him and take all the credit in stopping this grand conspiracy. If the Defense Council had a problem with his actions or methods, then they would have to either see the truth, or fall like the rest of his adversaries.
Dathomir
North of the Frenzied River
Within the Great Canyon Village
"The meeting's been canceled. The Jedi and their allied clans increased security for the Star Temple, and nearly captured my mistresses." Amara, an unanticipated Dathomir messenger and secret Nightsister, quietly warned Sorzus, news the Chargrian woman did not want to hear.
"Did we have a traitor in your clans?" She growled out. With the two Sith and their agents less than a day away from their intended rendezvous point, she did not want to hear about any setbacks or diversions. Without the miniature ion-scramblers blocking any curious eavesdroppers, and the Dark Siders cloaking their Force Signature from any of their legions of enemies on Dathomir, they would not even consider the risk of talking freely in this primitive inn.
To lodge the many settlers and pro-Jedi farmers that were often being ostracized and pushed out of their later homes, the earlier clans had established several safe zones across the planet for modest development and trade posts for resource importation and exportation. With the Sith group in the middle of their enemy territory, they had elected to stay in a stone-cased and low-tech motel reminiscent of the Star Temples to avoid too much scrutiny, to the consternation of Alora for the room's ramshackle accommodations.
"No, the clans handpicked their agents for their unparalleled loyalty and abilities. I think their enemies figured it out on their own this time, with some help from the Jedi. They may be slow most of the time, but these old-school fools have a few lucid moments in their lives."
"What about Snoke? Did he meet up with his targets?" Prosset patiently inquired.
"Yes, and they've agreed to help all of you. They and the others will spread the word to the rest of the clans and gather up your new army. But your main quarry is not at the Praxeum right now, and he will not be for quite a while." Amara explained.
"Good. That makes our job easier. Where is the brat of a Palpatine?" Alora rudely grunted.
"Our scouts have tracked your young quarry to the heart of the Misty Falls, where a Jedi training outpost resides." Amara humbly answered.
Strange. Why would Edaan be at a lone training facility when the Jedi Praxeum was a far more defensible position? Turning to the Nightsister, she asked, "What do we know of this proving ground?"
"It is where many Jedi and their disciples push themselves beyond their limits and face their inner darkness under the watchful eye of Jedi Master Taron Malicos." Handing Sorzus a datapad, Amara warned everyone, "Tread carefully, for Master Malicos and his handpicked retinue of Jedi are not to be underestimated."
"You fear and respect him as a worthy enemy." Sorzus pointed out, her tone not scolding or derisive, but curious and observant.
"He is a proven leader and has dealt many crippling blows to my sisters. He is the primary reason why my people are so eager to work with you, if it means destroying him and giving us a chance to reclaim our world and full potential."
Primarily addressing Alora now, Amara warned the Douwtin, "You, and anyone else your leaders seek to bring to our aid, would do well to wait until your elder male and our clans can fully prepare our army. Even with all of us working together, it will not be easy to shatter all the Jedi's strongholds."
Then it is good we have reinforcements aiding us when the time comes. Sorzus silently gave thanks to Lord Krayt and his wisdom in preparing the necessary force to capture his prized quarry.
Keeping quiet on her secret knowledge, she instead nodded, she probed, "How long will all these preparations take?"
"No more than seven days, ten days, at the most." Amara answered, quickly offering, "I will take you to my elders, and they will provide all of you with accommodations more to your taste than this village."
"How do we get there without attracting any scrutiny? We are in the middle of a tour." Sorzus pointed out.
"One that was prematurely shut down due to the Star Temple raid, and your off-world masters have a new itinerary for you that takes you right above our haven and outside the Jedi's reach."
"And if the enemy discovers us and tries to wipe us out in one fell swoop?" Prosset reminded Amara.
"They will not attack the Talzin Mountains. It is a stronghold few can safely traverse, and its natural darkness will shield you from scrutiny, just as Master Yoda used the planet Dagobah to hide from Jedi hunters of his time."
"You've done your homework." Sorzus approvingly nodded.
Nonchalantly shrugging, the human Nightsister simply elaborated, "One cannot truly defeat their enemies without understanding how they think. A lesson we might have learned from the accursed Jedi, but a valid one, nonetheless."
"Then let's get moving." Alora impatiently ordered their native guide, barging her way out of their ramshackle motel room. After she left, the following Sozrus wondered what misfortunes the hulking and impatient Sith Lady would get herself into, and hoped her bumbling would not compromise their joint mission.
Falleen
Port Nowhere
Within the Sith Observatory
Inside the Command Center
Phobar relished witnessing the battle unfolding before him, even as his mind calculated the hundreds of potential outcomes that would ultimately leave his apprentices victorious. Having trained his prized two pupils to work in conjunction with his mental abilities, they had destroyed many enemies of the Sith and pushed many more victims into the Dark Side's waiting embrace.
And yet, something was dreadfully out of place in this battle. Even with the two brothers, continuously invigorated from bathing in the dark energies of this place, anticipating and flawlessly parrying every move the Jedi and their few secular allies tried on them, the enemies grew stronger. It was as if someone, or several people, were giving them the strength to resist his leeching abilities.
But how could that be? True, that oaf in Malleus had been forced to draw on a significant portion of the temple's energies to bolster his floundering fleet in orbit. But even that was not nearly enough to weaken Phobar's hold over the enemy.
Could this surge of strength be from the other teams intruding on this sacred facility? Or was there something else at work here, something unaccounted for by either side?
Wait. There was a sense of creeping doom coming up behind him, as if the cold darkness of this place was being replaced by a warm and all-encompassing light. What in the name of the Sith was happening to his sanctum?! How could a handful of Jedi summon the strength to dispel decades worth of dark energy in mere hours?!
He was so caught up in his strategic contemplations, that he nearly missed the blaster bolt Mirta fired at him, and the lightning blast Vestara aimed as well, just before he raised a shriveled hand to effortlessly block both pathetic attacks.
Phobar was beyond baffled. How could Vestara, even as strong with the Force as she was, still have that kind of energy left after twenty minutes near him while shielding Mirta from the worst of the effects? More to the point, how did they slip past his learners' impenetrable defense?
Glancing at the battle occurring about twenty meters away, Phobar saw one of his apprentice's bodies fall face first on the ground, gallons of blood pooling around the corpse before he saw the Barabel Jedi- Tesar Sebatyne, he reminded himself- spitting out Baor's larynx ripped out throat and larynx before falling onto a knee from sheer exhaustion and the two lightsaber slashes on his abdomen.
Suddenly, Phobar's odds of victory down here, perhaps even an escape, were looking exponentially slim.
"I'll give you one chance to surrender. Decide now." Vestara warned, pulling out a second lightsaber and adopting a Jar'Kai combat stance.
"You will find me in a class of my own, far above my lost pupils, Vestara." Phobar amusingly laughed before his hover chair opened three ports to allow a red-colored lightsaber to emerge from each socket, the weapons lit the moment each one was free and hovering around the Columi Sith.
"Your move." He challenged as both opposing women held themselves mere feet out of reach from the three opposing blades, ready to show Phobar an unforgettable lesson on teamwork.
Within the Falleen Throne Capital City
Inside the Royal Palace
Within the palace's war room, Redhan Axlan, ruler of Falleen and ally of the One Sith, was growing increasingly anxious over the deteriorating situation around Port Nowhere.
From the tactical reports by Port Nowhere's garrison and his surviving command vessels, the Alliance had nearly advanced to within striking distance of the city. Even the combined might and superior numbers of the Royal Family's navy and their many allies proved to be little match against their enemies' diverse tactics and fleets. They had even managed to hold Malleus and his elite fleet back with reinforcements no one could have anticipated.
Already, they were deploying multiple strike teams to undermine Malleus's hold and sabotage the city's defenses. To make matters worse, the Jedi even discovered and penetrated the city's illegal storehouse and their secret facilities beneath it.
And little wonder for those terrible losses when remembering how the majority of Redhan's top officers had rarely seen combat outside of their home system but were propped up as ceremonial admirals to help keep the lesser noble families in line. Many of the more qualified leaders had been ceremonially sacrificed to the Yuuzhan Vong's false pantheon of gods during their three-year occupation, and the king had elected to consolidate his hold rather than take bold measures. Now, the monarch and his Sith masters were paying the price for appointing due to political maneuvering over skill and merit.
Well, if the Jedi would send many of their best to uncover the truth of his and Lord Krayt's lucrative operations, then it would do the king well to cover their tracks and eliminate many of their enemies at once. Losing the Observatory would be a significant loss to his master's Grand Design, but it would be even worse to let the enemy uncover the truth and ensure his kingdom's end. And Lord Phobar would rather meet death than suffer humiliation as a Jedi captive.
If the worst came to pass, then it was time for Redhan to enact their contingency and take his family and their loyal retainers to establish a kingdom-in-exile until they could one day return. Then they would address their disloyal subjects and remind them where the true power lies.
Hearing a door slide open, Redhan turned his head to see his wife, Xaile Axlan, in her traditional, red-streaked afternoon gown with extravagant jewelry across her arms and above her bosom, walking briskly towards her king.
Seeing the palpable fear and misery streaking across her eyes, Redhan knew more bad news was about to follow. Before he could ask an answer, Xaile despairingly whimpered, "Haxim knows."
"What? What does he know?!" Redhan heatedly demanded, his wife ignoring him as she pulled out a holocomm and keyed it into the planet's holonet channel reserved for royal decrees, with a hologram of the king conversing before a Columi.
To Redhan's horror, he remembered this moment with perfect clarity, for it was when he first made his unholy bargain with Phobar and the One Sith.
"Port Nowhere will be exactly what I need for our master's base of operations, Your Highness." Phobar's hologram humbly told the king's hologram. "Its Sidious-era underground facility will perfectly serve Lord Krayt to train the next generation of Sith."
"And you'll have your pick of candidates to choose from my subjects. What are a few hundred or thousand children when compared to the prosperity our alliance will bring under my rule?" Redhan arrogantly promised.
Right afterwards, recordings of the chosen children's brutal training regimen were made the focus of the broadcast, with most of the acolytes being Falleen children and adolescents. This was followed by a list of the Observatory's captives, narrated by his cur of a disowned son, Haxim, telling his audience of the horrors that lie within the temple and that other, similar Sith-controlled facilities existed across the galaxy.
The flesh-and-blood king grew pale from his darkest secrets being broadcasted, and keyed in his Minister of Propaganda to fearfully demand, "Reda, how widespread is this broadcast?"
"It's being broadcasted across every region, and across every official channel, Your Highness." The woman brokenly answered. "The entire planet is about to erupt into open rebellion, and your son is set to complete his insurrection."
Everything was about to come apart, Redhan bitterly realized as he unconsciously embraced his wife. Most of the allied families would disavow the disgraced ruler to avoid the worst reprisals for cooperating with a Sith supporter and the commoners were going to take to the streets and tie up all the military's already-strained resources keeping what little semblance of order they could, if the bulk of the soldiers did not decide to join the beleaguered population in their imminent revolt.
The Sith-backed occupation of the planet, and their stronghold for their cult and this region's operations, was all but broken now that they completely lost the people's support. It was time to prepare for a long and heartbreaking exile, but not before reminding Haxim and his misbegotten rabble of the great and terrible cost in defying their rightful king.
Shutting off the holocomm, Redhan slowly commanded his nearest tactical officer, "Get me Prince Idenn and the Reprisal. I have a crucial assignment for his task force."
Gently letting go of his weeping wife, he firmly, but not unkindly, warned her, "Have our children prepare the Contingency. We need to be out of here by the end of next week, and with all we need to keep ourselves useful for Lord Krayt."
Or ensure our survival as fugitives from all sides. He quietly corrected himself.
Someday, Redhan and his family would return, and they would reap their full vengeance against their whelp of a son and his traitorous rabble before raising a power base greater than any ruler before him.
Korriban
Darth Krayt's Citadel
Within the Aphras' Quarters
Even as Chelli observed the hacked holocam feed above the Dread Lord's throne, she felt a twinge of apprehension at how everything about their daring escape lay within the hands of an unproven asset. Seeing the Edaan-Iteration kneel before Krayt alongside his six most loyal acolytes, along with hearing the elite dark siders warn the finished experiment how he would be an integral part of their master's so-called "Grand Design'' after he was properly proven through his trials, unsettled the maverick woman.
While she did not believe in a higher power like her mother did, she truly believed her programming would ensure he was loyal to her and her mother over the Sith and lead them and their droid friends to freedom from their captors. Her faith in her loved ones was stronger than in any make-believe god, and she deeply knew they would soon escape Korriban and make their destinies their own.
"I have a request, Dread Lord." The Iteration humbly spoke, raising his head to stare at the Sith leader.
Not being able to see Krayt's face with her pilfered camera's angle, let alone underneath his vonduum crab mask, Chelli could not gauge the Sith's reactions. But she could imagine the surprise in Haxar's voice when she amusingly answered, "Barely three hours awake, and already you seek favors from us."
Witnessing Krayt raise a hand to stem any further insults, he calmly addressed the clone, "Speak your piece."
"I humbly beseech permission to work alongside any of your historians and servants you might allow." Growing uncomfortable, the clone quickly elaborated, "I have all the memories and experiences you acquired of Edaan Palpatine, but I have no practical means of utilizing and honing them until we capture my progenitor. Until that time comes, I wish to be of the best use I can to the Sith, and ready myself for service to the Grand Design."
"You seek to understand what the One Sith is truly about." Krayt knowingly surmised. "You mask your emotions well, but cannot hide your true feelings from me, young Palpatine. The dark side reveals all to its worthy followers. And it helps to have better control of your micro expressions."
"Thank you for your wisdom, my Lord." The Edaan-clone reverently bowed his head again. "But until I can take Jedi Palpatine's place in his order to further the Grand Design, I wish to truly comprehend what drives the Sith beyond what I have witnessed from you all and your servants. For what little time I have as my own, I wish to experience a sense of… self, and of kinship with those that call this place home.
"And I believe there is a prime candidate who can answer my many questions. A middle-aged and bald human, one with the look and bearing of a scholar and teacher about him. I sense his great enthusiasm for the Sith and wonder when he saw me."
He wants to learn from my father?! Chelli horrifically deduced. 'Did my rewriting make him a few cards short of a playing deck?' Although, to be fair, if her indoctrination was truly malfunctioning, then the Edaan-Iteration would have revealed her treachery to Krayt and his advisors right then and there.
Immediately clamping down on her growing fear, she instinctively believed there was more to this than learning from a Sith sycophant. Whether it was from a genuine desire to learn about the Sith, or a way to get closer to the female Aphras so he could determine their course of action before making a move, she knew how she, her mother, and their mechanical allies would have to move even more carefully from here on out.
"Would that be to your satisfaction, Dread Lord?" The clone gently asked, interrupting the woman's worried reflections.
A long silence followed, before Krayt surprised everyone, "Very well. I will grant your request and have Doctor Aphra and his family host and instruct you on the culture of the Sith. But you will have many other responsibilities to keep you busy and productive until your deployment."
"Thank you, Lord Krayt." The Edaan-replica obediently stated. "I will not let your faith in me be displaced. This, I promise you all."
"See that you do not." Krayt said with an air of finality. "You may go now. I have other matters to tend to soon that will lead me offworld for a time. It is time for me to fully rejoin the galaxy and give the Jedi the first lesson about their fateful place in history."
Oh, that can't be good. Chelli ruminated, wishing Krayt would give any kind of clue on his plans before the seven Sith and the Iteration were dismissed. If he was getting involved in this war ahead of schedule, then it had to be serious.
Perhaps her makeshift team could carefully uncover the truth before Krayt made his move. After all, if they hoped to join the Alliance of Light and earn their full trust and protection, they would need substantial incentive, and giving the Sith's opposing armies a chance to eliminate their enemy's leader would certainly fit that gigantic credit bill.