Coruscant
Jedi Temple
It galled Ingo to admit it, but what the Jedi lacked in brutal conviction, they more than made up for in creativity and ingenuity. Working in the Jedi Archives, to oversee the Shrine of the Depths' excavation, it was an exhilarating experience he hadn't felt in many years. And he yearned to uncover all he could of the Sith, not only for his own academic pursuits, but for something purer and more honest than any research he partook in since his idealistic youth.
Although the gates to the Sith shrine underneath their precious temple were proving obstinate to fully open, the small cracks in its defenses were large enough for probe droids to enter and begin cataloging the archeological wonder that was the holy site. Ingo, overseen by several Jedi-allied Blackguard and other Sith scholars, was deciphering and translating the runes and inscriptions embedded throughout the structure. But simply watching from a distance wasn't enough for him. Soon enough, he'd have to convince his overseers to allow him entrance inside, where his talents would best be utilized.
Already, Ingo was proving or disproving many legends or superstitions that were the myths of the Stygian Caldera's original rulers. Discovering how the Sith species originated from Dromund Kaas, back when they were a peaceful race called the Eruthros, it disproved countless so-called scholars and historians on the extinct race and allowed him to fully accept Professor Hextrophon's research. But learning how they, once a majestic and prosperous people before they fell prey to the Father of Shadows' insidious whispers, repulsed him beyond any past atrocity, recent or old.
Having extensively read Arhul's last project, how the Eruthros slowly fell from the Celestials and their Firstborn Council's graces, betraying their own kin, driving their dissidents into exile if not killing them, sacrificing their youth for unholy marriages, invading other worlds for their false gods, it sickened him. After decades of believing the Sith way superior to all other walks of life, hearing how their predecessors became such a depraved race, it resurrected the compassion and empathy he long thought dead in him.
Hearing a set of hard footsteps walking behind his desk, Ingo briefly glanced over to see an elderly man, about as old as the Sith historian, seeing the Galactic Alliance's chief representative for this endeavor observing his work. With his long silver hair, modest apparel and alert eyes, it was hard for Voren Na'al, the Archivist Emeritus for the GA Historical Council, to appear threatening.
But for a convicted felon like Ingo, who's very freedom depended on Voren's key testimony, he recognized the danger of riling this normally kind and gentle soul. Politely acknowledging his superior, he cordially noted, "You're working late tonight, Doctor Na'al."
"So are you." Voren calmly returned the light banter. "But I'm afraid this night will have to go on a bit longer. The Blackguard and Jensaarai have found an anomaly in the shrine's runes, and they want you to examine their findings."
"What kind of anomaly?" Ingo asked, his curiosity piqued.
"The kind that determines whether we need to evacuate and destroy the Jedi Temple." Voren grimly stated. Seeing the aghast stare Ingo was giving him, he elaborated, "Everyone Force-sensitive senses the shrine's energies expanding, and they believe someone is using it as a staging ground for an incursion on Coruscant." Placing a hand on his peer, he urged him, "I would advise you to move quickly and soundly."
Taking the datapads, going through the recordings and translated images from the runes, Ingo spent the next hour evaluating the data, cross-referencing every inscription with countless archeological databanks, and hoping against all odds that Voren's predictions were wrong. But even he could feel a pall of fear building in strength, and a creeping dread course through him, and eventually, he came to the inescapable conclusion that this temple had long contained more than just a repository of Sith artifacts.
No, if his findings and evaluations were accurate, then this temple was sitting atop a profane degradation of the Kwa's Infinity Gates. And this Infernal Gate, it was set to activate and unleash countless horrors on the unprepared populace of Coruscant in a matter of hours.
It broke his heart to admit this, but he knew what had to be done to save this planet. And there would be other chances to learn more of the Sith and their dark religion in the coming months. Ingo would make sure of it by almost any means, not simply for his own interest, but for the galaxy's own good.
Twelve Hours Later
Telona 35th, 59 ABY
Korriban
Valley of the Dark Lords
Sith Catacombs
Carnage. Pure bloodlust and terrible carnage were the only words that could accurately describe the barbaric combat progressing underneath Korriban's surface. Facing the Rakata and their Neo Hidden Chain guides, the countless beasts that protected the planet's tombs and dark riches threw themselves against, ripping and devouring all who interfered with their ancient duty.
Packs of ten-foot Tuk'ata hounds and Hssiss dragons gored and devoured their foes, feasting on the fears of the invaders before many were burnt alive or blown apart. Flocks of shyracks, bat-like avians that lived in Korriban's caves, swarmed over their prey and swiping several to be devoured. Even the dead served in this fight, the corpses and skeletal remains of all who perished on this world were reanimated to ambush the intruders.
But the True Sith Empire's followers, they were proving they were more than a match for their lesser kin. Battalions of Rakata, many having somehow regained their long-severed connection to the Force, using all manner of dark side techniques on the opposing beasts in their march to the One Sith's underground citadel.
Guided by the Neo Hidden Chain, the marauders were able to sidestep most of the catacombs' defenses. Belok Rhal was especially eager to prove his worth to his new masters and deliver retribution on all who humiliated him. And he was demonstrating his lethal competence by gutting dozens of predators and outmaneuvering several One Sith that dared try to kill him. A sonic blast here, the use of his flamethrower every now and then, and several deaths through his superior grappling, the Mandalorian defector was prepared to destroy anyone who delayed his hunt.
Oh, one might think he was with his fleet in orbit, rallying them to continue fighting against the Mandalorian Protectors and its allies. Belok did have a hefty grudge against Fett, and it would give him great satisfaction to personally destroy him. But it was not those of Darth Krayt's Sith order that he was wholeheartedly pursuing today, nor was it seeking vengeance. There was someone of far more importance to destroy on the True Sith's behalf, and that he was who the new convert was hunting.
They are close. Find him. Find Tau Palpatine, capture him, and kill all those who travel with him. Darth Zorra's voice echoed through Belok's mind. Having learnt of the One Sith's work with Edaan Palpatine's DNA, only to muck it up through sabotage by a mother-daughter team and suffer several key desertions, the veteran commander lamented ever serving Krayt's order of sycophants and fools. And he would enjoy slaughtering all those that followed the would-be Jedi and delivering him to his betters, if only he could first find them.
Belok's experience with Korriban's tombs notwithstanding, the Iteration was designed to be the pinnacle of cloning research and a successor to Edaan Palpatine in every regard. Coupled with five of the most dangerous GAR Clone Commandos in all its existence, along with an assassin and her tech-savvy daughter, it would take an army to destroy them once they were finally located.
His helmet's comlink activating, Belok heard the screams and explosions of the dying bombard his ears before one of his lieutenants reported, "Lehon and Cassus Companies have engaged the target! Trajectory has him heading for Ajunta Pall's tomb."
"Stop him. Blockade the tomb, gas them out, bury them alive, I don't care. Just don't let the enemy make it to the surface." Belok commanded his battalion. As brutal and strong as the hundred Rakata and fifty Neo Hidden Chain warriors were, they stood little chance at stopping trained soldiers and creative minds as diverse and lethal as Tau and his friends.
One Hour Later
Within the Tomb of Ajunta Pall
"I suppose the enemy realized it'd be smarter to starve us out than further waste lives in another frontal charge." Hunter grimly alerted Tau and Lona. Opening his eyes, he grunted, "I can't find any air currents or any hidden doors in our vicinity."
After forty minutes of holding out in the Sith burial chambers, littering the antechambers with corpses and body parts of dozens of enemies, the unconventional team was surprised when their foes suddenly withdrew and collapsed every tunnel that led out of the tomb. And with everyone else now trying to find a way out, take stock of their supplies, or maintain a watch if the True Sith attacked, they knew time was not on their side.
"Are there any other ways out of here?" Lona asked Tau, who appeared to be in a trance, aimlessly wandering about and incoherently whispering to himself. "Tau!"
Snapping himself out of his daze, Tau apologized, "I'm sorry. I can't find a way out." Stumbling, only for Lona to help him sit down, he wearily advised his teammates, "You need to set up a distress beacon here. Our only hope now is to hope someone friendly can get to us before we run out of air or are overrun."
His enhanced senses picking up movement, Hunter aimed a pistol at a nearby crevice, "Come out!" He heard a small bark, and was surprised when a small Tuk'ata pup, no larger than eighteen inches, crawled through and hesitantly stared at Tau.
Lona, showcasing a cautious smile, calmly told Hunter, "Lower your weapon, Sergeant. I believe we're meeting Tau's first friend he made in this dank world." Glancing at Tau, she asked, "That is 'Butch', correct?"
"Yes. He is." Tau, his sigh laced with relief, knelt as Butch raced over to him, gently humming as he scratched between the pup's ears. But he sensed another presence approaching, one far stronger and older than any he ever felt from virtually any other being, one firmly entrenched in the light side of the Force. And the individual, she was very close.
Tau, a new tiredness washing over him, slowly warned Hunter and Lona, "I need you to set up the beacon and hold the line for now. I…I'm going to have a talk with Niphal's heiress, and I believe it needs to be a private conversation for now."
"That will not be necessary, Tau Palpatine." A female's ethereal voice cut in, her serenity and warmth washing over and rejuvenating everyone. "I would want you to have a few witnesses to the mighty destiny you are about to be burdened with."
Hunter, recognizing the voice from somewhere during the Clone War, cautiously glanced around, only for Wrecker to shriek before several blaster shots were unleashed and everyone rushed towards his position. And what the lead commando saw nearly made him drop his blaster from shock alone, with everyone else warily keeping their weapons aimed at the sight before them.
Hovering before the eight-man team was a Togruta woman, about thirty years old, garbed in combat gear that complemented her warrior's physique and revealed ties to the old Jedi Order, and she first greeted the Bad Batch, "It's been a long time, my friends. I'm glad that you're still alive and carrying on your righteous fight."
"C…Commander Tano…" Tech marveled, clutching his datapad tightly while recording the unnatural phenomenon he was witnessing.
"You know this Jedi?" Tau inquisitively pressed his teammates.
"You could say that." Jaing neutrally stated, even as his eyes betrayed the shock and a wistfulness he rarely showed outsiders. Gesturing to the guest, he introduced, "This is Ahsoka Tano. Former Jedi Commander of the Grand Army and Padawan to Plo Koon before her self-imposed exile from the Order and Old Republic."
Crosshair, the most alert of the group and aware of their precarious situation, suspiciously asked Ahsoka's apparition, "How are you here, of all places? Why are you appearing before us now of all times, when there's a war raging in the heart of Sith central?"
"I am here because of my connection to Niphal, the Celestial you know best as the Daughter of Mortis." Ahsoka began, jogging Tau's memory and helping him realize just who he was talking to.
Ahsoka Tano, renowned Padawan of Jedi Council member Plo Koon, during the Clone War, was a figure of almost as much controversy and respect as Anakin Skywalker. Under Plo's tutelage, the young Togruta developed her natural combat skills with both a lightsaber and starfighter, while honing her stealth and espionage abilities from Jedi like Aayla Secura and Tholme, allowing her to help the Jedi in many ways.
The Master-Padawan duo were an effective team for over three years, helping win many battles for the Grand Army of the Republic with their diverse skill sets, until the advent of the Outer Rim Sieges, when she was wrongly tried for a terrorist attack on the Coruscant Jedi Temple and expelled from the Jedi Order, dislodging her faith in almost every Jedi and the Republic. Her heartbreak was so great, that she refused a paltry offer by the accusers on the Council to rejoin the Order as a Jedi Knight and struck out on her own before Order Sixty-Six, a decision she later came to regret since she was unable to help any of her friends.
But she refused to give up the fight for the innocent, and her favors and friends from across the galaxy and nascent Empire were able to help many Jedi and political fugitives escape into the Outer Rim and helped form many resistance groups to try and build a rebellion against the Sith-backed government.
Although almost each group was dismantled or dissolved, her efforts caught the attention of anti-Imperial senators Bail Organa and Garm Bel Iblis, along with Jedi Master Rahm Kota, where she was invited to join the newly born Rebel Alliance. She swiftly completed her training and made a Jedi Knight under Kota's tutelage, but the good tidings were ruined when she uncovered the truth of Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader and was sworn to silence to protect the secrets Bail was protecting of Masters Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda, along with Anakin Skywalker's twin children.
To best direct Ahsoka's efforts towards toppling the Empire, Rahm and Garm helped her form a team of mavericks and call themselves the Spectres, allowing the Rebellion to arm itself and make many allies while making small strikes against the Empire to inspire greater acts of defiance. The strategy worked well, until the team's final mission on Korriban where they came face to face with Vader, and dismantled a Shock Drum prototype, but not until it cost them the lives of everyone in this team, all except for Garazeb Orrelios.
Tau, realizing what Ahsoka was inferring, skeptically deduced, "You've been hiding out here, all these years, to wait for me?"
"Someone like you." Ahsoka clarified. "I certainly wasn't expecting a clone of Darth Sidious's last descendant to be the one, but the Maker works in mysterious ways." Her expression hardened before she continued, "We don't have much time before your enemies move against you, and there is much I still need to do."
"Then do what you have to and get us a way out of this death trap!" Wrecker whined, his fear of tight spaces starting to show itself.
"It will not take long, Wrecker." Ahsoka assured the giant hulk of a Clone Commando. "But once I finish transferring Niphal's power and knowledge into Tau, the True Sith will send everything they have to kill you all. The force he is destined to inherit, it's the anathema of all they believe in and are striving to create."
Turning to Tau, she warned, "And you will be required to work alongside the Sith who was given Eipha's vestiges of power, for only together can you two hope to stop the madness of Abeloth and those that will soon control her strings. For the one who discovered the Mortis Dagger and now leads the One Sith, he too is key to saving all life."
Chelli, too stunned to talk until now from the surreal experience, found her voice to exclaim, "You mean Tau's going to have to work together with Krayt?! That's madness!"
"It is, but it is the only way to protect Skyriver and all creation from Bogan's evil." Ahsoka agreed, before she implored Tau. "We're running out of time. We must begin right away if you all hope to escape Korriban alive."
Releasing his disgust at the painful warnings, Tau agreed, "What do I need to do?"
"Tau-" Chelli protested, only for Tau to interject,
"We can argue about the plan later, after we get off this desolate world and escape the True Sith. But the longer we stay down here, the harder it'll be for us to make it to our friends in orbit. Who, might I remind you, are fighting for their lives so we can get us to the Alliance of Light."
Hating the sound logic of Tau's argument, Chelli relented with a painful sigh, and Hunter told Ahsoka, "We'll prepare a defensive perimeter. If luck – or the Force or Maker – is on our side, we'll hold out long enough for the beacon to guide the Jedi's friends to us."
"Won't be easy. We're already at the hallway point for all our supplies and weapons." Tech analytically pointed out.
"Then we'll just have to make every shot count." Echo shot back. Glancing at Tau, he playfully warned, "You'd better come back in one piece. Chelli here'd hate to lose you." Ignoring the red blush of her cheeks, the cyborg ARC Trooper gripped Tau's forearm, "Good luck."
"Enough idle chatter. Let's get to work." Crosshair rudely stated, already pulling out several mines to hand to Wrecker, the Bad Batch's demolitions expert, for arming and strategic placement.
Falleen Surface
2.5 Kilometers from the Capital City's Financial District
Aboard the Mon Adapyne
"General, I've found him." Phasma dutifully alerted Keyan. Across the bridge of the MC80b warship, every crew member and officer carried out their duties with utmost precision and diligence. And the ex-Sith assigned to serve as a liaison to the GA general, she was performing her task of tracking the True Sith's movements and finding Darth Phobar with all her ability and intellect. "They're cloaked, but I'm tracking their ship's magnetic signature and pinpointed their exact location. Transmitting the coordinates to you now."
"Excellent." Keyan complimented Phasma. Reading through the data, he narrowed his eyes at the fugitives' position, realizing how far ahead Phobar and his allies were of their hunters. He'd have to warn Admiral Kre'fey and the orbital fleet if they could spare the ships to capture or eliminate the fugitives, since his force was preoccupied with pacifying the capital city's few remaining defenders.
"Sir, the Agrocite cannons, they're all shutting down." A sensor officer reported. "Looks like our allies pulled it off."
Remembering how the Lira San, Ailon Repentant, several battalions of commandos, and Sith ships were striking the key generators powering the Axlan Family's most lethal defenses, Keyan recognized his force was about to have more options than he originally assumed.
Phasma, seeing an opportunity here, offered, "General, with your permission, I can coordinate any forces you deploy to cut off Phobar's escape. We still have a squadron of Jedi StealthXs available to deploy, and Irola can surely join the hunt for the traitor aboard her Lancer cruiser."
Appraisingly eyeing the younger Human, Keyan acquiesced, "Very well. You'll guide the pursuit from here." Seeing the small disappointment in Phasma's gaze, he elaborated, "You may have earned our trust, but your role in anticipating and countering the True Sith's efforts here is too invaluable to let go just yet."
Banishing her minor frustrations, Phasma respectfully nodded, "As you command. I'll make the calls right away."
Coruscant Orbit
Within the Bantha-class assault shuttle Intrepid
"Sirs, we're trying to reach the Jedi Temple, but all comms are down." The shuttle's pilot warned married ambassadors Wynn and Desha Dorvan. "It's possible that the planetary storms are interfering with the signal."
The married Human and Twi'lek couple glanced at each other, knowing that there was something far more sinister occurring within the Jedi's hallowed grounds. Having been brought up to speed on the Alliance of Light's excavation efforts on a purported Sith shrine underneath the Jedi Temple, they intuitively realized how this was no mere fluke or act of weather. And the gathering of a dozen Galactic Alliance warships around the temple couldn't be mere coincidence.
Whenever it came to the Force, there was always a guiding hand behind it, and Wynn and Desha grasped how this was no random incident. And with many bolts of lightning traveling throughout the blackening skies and minor tremors originating from the Jedi's old headquarters, they knew someone was somehow using the temple for nefarious purposes.
While Wynn pulled out his comlink to reach Kajin, Desha took the initiative and ordered, "Try it again, but use this key code to reach Master Solusar."
Inputting the data card and trying again, the officer quickly responded, "I've got a signal. It's faint, but secure. I'm patching it through now."
"This isn't a good time for long winded explanations, Desha!" Tionne frantically started, her hologram staticky and showing the frantic efforts of her staff to evacuate the facility. "We're cordoning off the Temple and preparing an orbital bombardment on the area, and we don't have any time to waste."
Bewildered at the desperate explanation and Tionne's uncharacteristic terror, Desha kept her cool and professionally asked, "Tell Wynn and I whatever we can do to help. Give us the basic sitrep."
"No need." Wynn interceded. "Chief of State Yimmon is authorizing a mandatory evacuation of the districts surrounding the Temple, and we've been tasked to help coordinate the efforts and calm the populace." Glancing at Tionne, he apologetically stated, "I'm sorry it came to this, Master Solusar."
"Don't apologize, old friend. The Jedi will come back one day and rebuild, after we cleanse the area of its Sith-induced nexus. But right now, the best we can do is minimize the damage this Infernal Gate could unleash." Tionne regretfully smiled before she disconnected the holocall.
Wynn, taking command, ordered the pilot, "Take us to the forward command post at once. My wife and I will want to take a direct hand in guiding the GA's evacuation mandate."
Falleen
Capital City
Royal Palace
Command Center
"There you are." Haxim nastily whispered upon seeing Jedi and One Sith pursuing a fleeing infiltrator into Falleen's skies. Already informed by Redhan's admirals and advisors how the king had fled with his family and half the planet's fortunes alongside Darth Phobar, he was determined to see his efforts through to their completion. All the years of being on the run, bearing his scars from his father's merciless beatings, and seeing his people suffer at the hands of his family, it gave him a twisted vindication at seeing his evil relatives brought so low as to flee their homeworld.
Unfortunately, he could not savor the feeling, for he needed to be sure the failing monarchy couldn't escape and set up a troublesome government-in-exile, never mind throw their impressive coffers and resources into the True Sith Empire's arsenal. That meant he had to go on the hunt and ensure that, one way or another, the Axlan royal line ended today. All that was left was finding a way to let his advisors let him personally finish this war.
"General, we have a problem." Leia bluntly barged her way into his plans, quickly contacting him, "Our technicians have detected a malicious code broadcasting on all frequencies from somewhere in the palace. We believe it's a virus seeding its way into any nearby vessel." Pausing, she admonished him, "I would hope you aren't planning to pursue your relatives and Phobar in your current mindset, and not with your forces counting on you to lead them to finish securing the capital city."
"What would you have me do, Master Jedi?" Haxim implored her. "I need to make sure the king and his followers answer for their crimes. The people of Falleen deserve justice for all the injustices they've suffered. Besides, my staff is more than capable of commanding the army in my brief absence."
"But they don't know the palace like you do, and you won't stand a chance at capturing Phobar aboard his cloaked vessel." Leia pointedly reminded him. "And your people, they need you to be a leader they can rely on, to prove that you aren't like your father."
"I am not like him." Haxim lowly whispered, even as he started panting at the thought of letting his father escape his sins. "But if Redhan and his retinue escape, then they'll rebuild their armies and try to reclaim their monarchy. Then this war will start all over again and my people will be destroyed."
"We can track their ill-gotten money and dismantle whatever legions they try to build. But right now, the war effort needs you here, Haxim." Leia urged Haxim. "I won't stop you; but ask yourself where you can best serve your people at this time."
It was tempting, so tempting, to forego his responsibilities and sense of duty and honor to satisfy his need for vengeance. After everything Redhan had put him and his people through, all they took from the world he loved so deeply, he wanted to be the one to bring his father down and make the Sith, every iteration of that hellish order, pay for their crimes against all sapient life. The thirst for revenge was almost too much.
But he remembered all those that perished to help Haxim get to this point, every effort the Falleen Liberators and Alliance of Light gave to reach this moment. All the Jedi that gave their lives for freedom, the soldiers and civilians that risked so much to free their home, and every friend that sacrificed everything to help save this world, if he gave into his vendetta now, then it would all have been in vain. And if nothing else, he would prove that he was the kind of ruler his father would never be.
Haxim would have another chance to bring his family to justice, but it would not be today. He had a war to end and countless lives to save.
Even as it galled him to say this, he slowly gritted out, "Tell me everything that we know of this virus, and what steps we're taking to contain and eradicate it." He could almost imagine Leia's serene and satisfied smile as he said those words, and it enraged him almost beyond the point of reason.
Shedu Maad
Jedi Temple
Within the Grand Master's Office
Kyle vividly heard the screams of anguish reverberate through the Force, the darkness surging across the galaxy and seeking to devour everything and everyone in its path, and it deeply terrified him. He already knew how Dathomir, Korriban, Falleen, and the Chiss Ascendancy were being devastated by the True Sith and their proxies, but this new disaster site was the most powerful and destructive of them all.
Having earlier received a transmission from Tionne on the evacuation of the Jedi Temple, learning how the Sith shrine held an Infernal Gate that was activating, Kyle knew what had to be done. And with the Chief of State and all the Alliance of Light alerted to the crisis blanketing the capital planet, everyone was prepared to sacrifice the Jedi's old headquarters to stop the inbound disaster. He only hoped it wasn't too late to prevent the emergence of countless unholy creatures from the perversion of science and doom Coruscant.
But it had been six hours since he last heard from anyone on Coruscant, and Kyle was beginning to fear the worst. Keeping his mind busy by checking on every other battlefield and leading the Jedi, he felt a modicum of relief when learning how the Dathomir, Falleen, and Korriban battlefronts were under control or still being pacified, and how the Order was leading efforts to rally the galaxy for the coming war.
Still, Kyle knew he could do more to help the efforts, and he was prepared to be the leader everyone needed him to be. Channeling the energies into constructive efforts, the Grand Master began reaching out to every Jedi outpost and Galactic Alliance and Imperial facility across the Outer Rim, instructing them to send comm buoys and medical convoys to the Dathomir system and work to rebuild its defensive capabilities. If the True Sith were to return, then the planet needed to be ready to fight.
And he gave special emphasis on having all available long-range scout ships be ready for deployment by the week's end. If the Alliance of Light and One Sith were going to wage war against the True Sith Empire, then they would need to understand the terrain and figure out how to navigate the treacherous region that the enemy called home.
Interrupting Kyle's worries, a chime came through his holocomm before the image of Cilghal came through, and the Mon Calamari Jedi Master immediately warned, "We need to begin the procedure on Master Skywalker right away. The Force scream that came from Coruscant, it awoke him from his coma, and the tumors still within him are trying to spread at an unprecedented rate."
"Make the necessary preparations on your end. I'll get the masters ready right away to pool our energies for the effort." Kyle steely reassured his longtime friend. While it wasn't the distraction he might have been hoping for, at least saving Luke's life would keep his mind occupied for a few days.
But before Kyle could contact anyone, Kajin's hologram surged through the holocomm, and he appeared more stressed and wearier than he had in years. The Grand Master, nearly fearing the worst, tried to excuse himself, "I'm sorry, Chief of State Yimmon, but I don't have very long. Master Skywalker's condition-"
"Everyone on Coruscant is okay." Kajin simply interrupted, relief flooding his voice and his posture relaxing before he elaborated, "It was close, but we were able to evacuate your temple and the surrounding districts before we shut down the Infernal Gate. Your Jedi and their friends stopped any monsters from getting out, and we buried the Sith shrine underneath thousands of tons of rubble."
Stunned silent for a moment, Kyle felt his body shake and he took many deep breaths to calm his trouble thought, and he shakily thanked Kajin, "That is very good news that I'm grateful to hear."
A look of regret crossing his face, Kajin said, "There's more I need to say, but it can wait. You tried to tell me of Master Skywalker before you interrupted, so I can guess what it means. Do what you can to help him and lead your people, just as I will do for mine. We'll talk again soon."
Korriban
Sith Catacombs
Aboard the Ark Angel
"I've found them." Triple Zero quickly informed Invidious, the protocol droid's grim tone evident to the Sith-brainwashed historian and his handlers aboard the freighter. "They're hiding out in the Tomb of Ajunta Pall, but the enemy is swarming over the area."
"Then we need to hurry." Korin simply stated as he deployed a set of emergency flares to prematurely detonate the missiles closing the gap for the Ark Angel. As Invidious swerved the vessel around to use the laser cannons to swiftly gun down five Neo Hidden Chain Fang fighters, the Human historian warned his five superiors, "Hold on tight, everyone. We're heading towards the surface, so get ready to hit the Rakata and Rhal's Mandos swinging."
"Long as I get to cut down a few enemies, I'll be happy to get back on the ground." A male cyborg's voice replied, making Invidious let out a soft sigh at Darth Nyax's simple mindset and bloodlust. Sometimes, he wondered if rescuing the comatose Dark Jedi from Yuuzhan Vong-occupied Coruscant after his near-fatal battle with Luke Skywalker's Jedi was worth all the trouble. Lord Krayt's desire to bolster his numbers and acquire as much talent and power he could get, the effort to reconstruct Irek Ismaren's broken mind was costly enough to buy a planet's armies and nearly destroyed the One Sith's citadel five times over.
"There's more, Sir." Triple Zero warned the Arkanian Sith. "Beetee and Prowl warn me that Master Tau is some type of coma induced by who he claimed to be the ghost of Ahsoka Tano. Sparing you all the esoteric details, the power she infused into him knocked him out cold and, consequently, is drawing everyone towards the tomb."
"Then that will be where the battle will be decided." Invidious resolved, ordering Korin, "Inform Lord Wyyrlok and General Calrissian to converge all available forces to Tau's location. Impart onto them the importance of protecting him and his team from the True Sith."
Seeing Korin salute his master before carrying out his orders, typing a response to transmit to the Mandator and Lady Luck, Invidious lamented how he would soon lose the entire Aphra family to the Jedi. After almost twenty years of utilizing the brilliant man's archeological and scholarly gifts for the One Sith's benefit, it would be a shame to sacrifice his many talents, just so the Jedi allied with Darth Krayt.
But a deal was a deal, and Darth Invidious was a man and Sith who always kept his word. If giving up the Aphra's services benefited the Dread Lord and saved the galaxy from annihilation, then that was a loss he would suffer. Besides, with everything the One Sith stood to gain from allying with the Jedi and destroying the True Sith Empire, losing the coerced help of three individuals would be an insignificant sacrifice to make.
All the One Sith and Alliance of Light had to do now was make it to Ajunta Pall's final resting place and the sight of his post-mortem redemption, protect their investment and future champions, and destroy anyone who stood in their way. An easy task for such an elite team's worth of Sith, especially those of Darths Invidious, Nyax, Vindicaa, and See-Chok's caliber, aided by their advance agents in the droids BT-1 and Prowl.
Falleen
Capital City
Just Outside the Royal Palace
Aboard the Phoenix Whirlwind
The True Sith, they are spreading their darkness anywhere they wish across the galaxy. Ship anxiously warned Vestara and Allana. Dathomir, Korriban, Batuu, the Unknown Regions, nowhere and no one is safe from their reach.
Almost finished landing the Shriek-class bomber to enact emergency repairs, the Chume'da nearly lurched the ship upside down in sheer shock before realigning the landing struts with the ground. Correcting the Phoenix Whirlwind's trajectory and ensuring the vessel was safe from any other surprises, she took a moment to control a torrent of curses and emotions straining to break out.
Allana, surprised and horrified to hear the dark side vessel's voice in her head, turned to her copilot and gravely asked. "What is Ship talking about?"
"I think you know." Vestara solemnly responded. "The True Sith, they're gathering all manner of evil towards them, and they're attacking more than just here. Korriban is under siege by the Rakata and rogue Mandalorians, and Dathomir has been ravaged by a fleet of One Sith defectors. And the Unknown Regions, there are more terrors out there than we can scarcely imagine."
"Edaan…" Allana unconsciously whispered, frightened for her old friend if Dathomir was under attack.
"Don't worry, he and Adari are both safe. At least, for now." Vestara calmly assured her teammate. "But we both know that Edaan will soon be back in the thick of the war, and we need to make sure he's ready for the Fourth Cosmic War."
"But how does Ship know all this?" Allana tried to make sense of everything Vestara was telling her. "I thought-"
"He's much older than we ever thought, and he has a dark wisdom most living souls could never hope to attain." Vestara interjected. Sinking into her seat, letting her fatigue envelop her, she exhaustively struggled to give voice to everything else Ship conveyed to her through their old bond. "But we need to wrap up this bushfire conflict and put our focus into our real enemies."
Allana, seeing Vestara's distraught and weary state, was prepared to call for a team of medics and healers to help her start to recover from her grueling efforts. If Grandpa Han and his fellow skeptics didn't believe in the ex-Sith's sincerity and repentance after today, then she'd have to verbally beat some sense into them, consequences be kriffed.
Suddenly, the ship's holocomm crackled to life, only to give way to a cacophony of panicked calls coming through, with no one able to be effectively heard over the discordance before a plain static took over.
Working to break through the discord, Allana tried every Alliance flagship and frequency, but could not get a clear signal. Her frustrated efforts were interrupted by the sound of a muffled explosion, catching her attention as she saw the Galactic Alliance and One Sith fleets open fire on each other and unleash their payloads on the defenseless city.
Suddenly, Allana's comlink blared to life, and her grandmother's agitated voice crackled through, "Phoenix Whirlwind, come in!"
"Whirlwind here. Are you seeing what's going on above the city? Someone wanna fill us in here?!" Allana incredulously answered back.
"We need you and your crew to hightail it into the palace and get to the command center! Haxim and I'll meet you there, but we'll have to explain the situation on the way. Just hurry before we lose everything to Phobar's schemes!" Leia ordered before signing off.
"Never a dull moment, is there?" Vestara wearily groaned before she tried to exit the cockpit, only for Allana to firmly hold her down.
"Hold on, Vestara. You're not coming with me." Allana shook her head. "You can barely stand right now, and you're no help to anyone if you work yourself to death. I'm taking you to a healer before I do anything else."
Hardly able to move from her exhaustion, Vestara tried to protest, but Ship's warm voice echoed through her mind, gently pulling her into a deep sleep. Rest, Vestara Khai. Where you will soon go, you will need every bit of strength, fortitude, and faith you can get.
Allana, after ensuring Vestara was sound asleep, pulled out her comlink and urgently contacted Leia, "I'll be there soon, but Vestara is completely drained from her efforts and needs a safe place to recover."
"All right. Just try to hurry." Leia urged her granddaughter before signing off, leaving Allana to contact any nearby medics.
Korriban
Valley of the Dark Lords
Sith Catacombs
Tomb of Ajunta Pall
The enemy, upon sensing the transference of power from Ahsoka to Tau, was quick to start digging their way through the rubble. With refurbished Rakatan siege tanks and a large influx of Neo Hidden Chain shock troops, the True Sith's followers were able to reopen the tomb for a mass attack in a fraction of the time it would take an army of laborers to do so.
Entering the ancient burial chambers, the first wave of True Sith forces, including three tanks, were careless enough to be caught on the many mines and detonators laid by the Bad Batch and Jaing. The resultant explosions and raging fires were enough to temporarily dissuade the army from attacking with overwhelming numbers, forcing them to use a more strategic strategy.
Using the Force to cloak a squad of Rakata assassins, the assailants nearly ambushed their prey before their seven conscious opponents turned the tables on them. Thanks to the Clone Commandos' genetic mutations and Chelli's studious knowledge of the Force's applications, everyone was prepared for this possibility. Using both blasters and melee weapons to swiftly dispatch the cutthroats, the worst the team received was a couple nicks on their armor from their foes' blades before the eerie calm returned.
Temporary lull in fighting aside, everyone knew they didn't have long before caution was thrown aside and the carnage resumed. Hunter could feel the tanks moving around the tomb, many of them of a configuration and energy output he never felt before, and realized the enemy would soon be prepared to counterattack from several angles. Only this time, with everyone's ammunition running dangerous low, they recognized this might be their last stand.
Suddenly, a tank burst through the tomb's main entrance, its lasers easily cutting through the stone walls and allowing at least fifty Mandalorians and Rakata to surge through. A few nanoseconds later, another hole was blown open, with thirty more Rakata poured into the chamber to wipe out their foes.
Quickly gunning down no more than ten of the enemy, Hunter ordered Jaing, Chelli, and Lona, "Fall back! Fall back to Tau!"
Covering the women's retreat, the five clones were prepared to go down fighting to the bitter end. Using what few bits of ammo they held and their unorthodox training, they held out longer than anyone dared believe. Between using their enemies' weapons to substitute their own, Crosshair's pinpoint accuracy making the most of their narrow corridors to gun down several troops at once, and Tech eventually creating an ion burst to disable everyone's equipment within a fifty-feet radius, minus his datapad and Echo's cybernetic prosthetics, the five soldiers slowly turned the tide of this fight. Wrecker was especially useful in this regard, using two enemies as clubs to bat several marauders into the air at once.
Shrinking the enemy's numerical superiority to a margin of four-to-one, they were prepared to finish off their remaining twenty adversaries before another set of rumbling could be heard by all. But this time, it was a tank the Rakata didn't use before, and there were several more coming behind this attack force.
Ready to face a fresh wave of True Sith, Hunter and his squad were taken aback when their enemies pulled back to face the new intruders, appearing with a low-powered blast from underground that could only belong to an assault walker. Seeing the fifty-meter tank crawl out, a gold-colored multi-appendage weapon of mass destruction appeared, the team was prepared for this fight to end in everyone's deaths.
Instead, everyone was taken aback when the tank started releasing troops to fight the True Sith, five of which wielded lightsabers against their exhausted enemies. Depleted of strength and equipment from their last fight, the dark side loyalists were quickly destroyed by the new arrivals, with Clone Force 99 cautiously watching the entire massacre.
Once the last Mandalorian was cut down, the new arrivals returned to formation and their leader, armored from head to toe and his voice concealed by a vocal modulator, addressed the clones, "Where is Tau Palpatine?"
"Who's asking?" Hunter guardedly countered. The armored addressee, sighing at the caution, took off his helmet to reveal a Human man with cropped brown hair, gray eyes, and several scars dotting his face, one everyone recognized from their brief but thorough education on current events.
The man before them, none other than Soldier Tirall, clone of Jaden Korr and Paladin-Captain of the Aquilian Republic. Before anyone could formally thank their rescuers, bloodcurdling screams could be heard outside the tomb, followed by several lightsabers activating and being used in the dark.
Soldier, calmly listening, told the Bad Batch, "Seems like Invidious and his team made it in time to mop up the stragglers." Observing the surprise in the five-man team's micro expressions, he noted, "The One Sith still has a considerable investment in Tau Palpatine's survival, and we are allies in our common struggle."
"Are you here to get us out of here or not?" Wrecker bluntly asked, eager to escape this fallen world.
"Of course. And to get you your ship back and the Aphra women reunited with their husband and their droid friends." Glancing around, Soldier asked, "Speaking of which, where are they, and Jaing and Tau?"
"They're in the central chambers." Echo stated. "But we can talk more later. Like my teammate tried to say, we're short on time and need to get out of here before the enemy comes back. We need to load everyone up and get going while we have the chance."
"Then let's get the rest of your team and load them up." Soldier stated. "We're not far from where the Ark Angel is berthed, and you'll need that ship and the treasures inside. But Chelli and Lona will need to read my message from Invidious before they can free Doctor Korin Aphra of his brainwashing."
Within the Kharmort's Miasma Nebula
Aboard the Steadfast
Observing the ninety-eight warships that amassed for the True Sith Empire, now including twenty-eight vessels belonging to five notorious Vagaari pirate flotillas that had wrought havoc across half the Chaos, Admiral Chaf Parck knew they were after more than just the Vagar Praxut occupation. With his agents intercepting many low priority comm signals and unscrambling several transmissions from the Ebruchi and Nikardun, Chaf had discerned that the rogue armada was about to strike at the Ascendancy on many fronts while it tried to search for their traitors permeating its ranks.
The timing could not be worse, since the Chiss government was under a growing strain from its internal divisions and enemy collaborators. If the True Sith and their allies made such a well-timed strike, the chaos could either unite the Ruling Families or splinter the Ascendancy and leave its factions to fend for themselves against the dark tide arrayed against them.
Now knowing without a doubt that this enemy navy could not be allowed to leave this nebula intact, Chaf had sent a call earlier to Vurawn, Ba'kar, and every allied fleet element, friendly world, and privateer in the region to converge on this position with all due haste. But with two hours already having gone by and no sign of his reinforcements coming, something needed to be done before this opportunity vanished, even with the odds stacked against him and his fleet of fifteen capital ships and twelve support vessels.
Preparing his force to launch a full-frontal attack on their far more numerous adversaries, even if left him a heavy heart at the certain doom that would follow, Chaf found himself elated when the Steadfast's comm system lit up, and a familiar and welcome voice came through the intercom. "I hope we're not too late to help, Admiral Parck. I brought along a few of our new friends to the party."
"Your aid will be more welcome, old friend." Chaf answered, knowing Fooraki had brought several Alliance of Light warships along to bolster their forces. "How many ships did you bring?"
"Nineteen capital ships and thirty escort craft." The mid admiral answered, weakening the human admiral's hopes of defeating the enemy right here and now, even if he knew Vurawn had a purpose behind the conservative numbers before he continued, "We would have sent more, but our combined force needed to keep just enough ships on standby if any other enemies try and strike Vagar Praxut or any of our other holdings in the region, and the Galactic Alliance sent a force worth an additional ten warships in one of their vessels.
"Besides, your supreme commander wanted to see how Voss Parck's grandson fared in a battle with such contrasting odds, just as he fought against countless other threats to give the Empire of the Hand the strength and honor it now possesses." Fooraki jokingly added.
Fortunately, to his credit and avoiding the ill-timed jest, the elder Chiss continued, "But Ba'kar rediverted four battle groups towards your position, and Vurawn has called upon many of his allies to bolster both our offensive and defensive capabilities. If any of the Rhandites or their servants find a way to slip past us in this battle, none of our worlds or allies will be caught unaware."
"Sir, we've picked up multiple signatures entering the nebula. Our scout ships have a visual, and they've begun attacking." A sensor officer notified Chaf. "I think you had best see for yourself."
Walking over to the sensor officer's station, Chaf quickly examined the feed coming through their manned probes stationed across the nebula, and he suddenly felt the odds of battle turn in the unlikely coalition's favor. Fooraki had sent about two-thirds of the Ascendancy's Vagar Praxut occupation force, with three needle-like Chiss Star Destroyers, two Nightdragons man-of-war, and five Chiss heavy cruisers, along with twenty-four missile boats, patrol cruisers, and scout corvettes as added support.
And among the Alliance of Light's vessels were approximately half of Vice Admiral Kral Nevil's Galactic Alliance task force, with the Guardian-class Super Star Destroyer Cal Omas, a MC90 Star Cruiser, a Galactic-class Battle Cruiser, two Nebula-class Star Destroyers, two Victory III-class Star Destroyers, six Raider-class Corvettes, and a refurbished Lucrehulk-class battleship. And the Jedi and their allies, Hapan, entrepreneurial from Mirax and Khedryn, sent almost all available members with this armada alongside the Ascendancy fleet, throwing the enemy armada into chaos from the swift ambush.
Suddenly, the enemy's chances of victory were not too certain, and Chaf planned to make their odds even bleaker. Quickly returning to his station, the admiral ordered his crew, "Order all ships to attack immediately. It's time to remind everyone out there why no one wins against the Empire of the Hand."