Star Wars: Rebuilding of Empires Story Thread VIII

[Ironanvil1]

Adarlon, Minos Cluster

Easing his way through the masses of tourists thronging the streets of Belrand, Albor stepped into the doorway of a small nondescript restaurant.
As expected the interior of the Chuba and Peach was empty except for the tall figure of Speegot, the manager. He’d worked for Albor for years, since not long after he relocated to Minos from his homeworld near the Greeb-Streebling Nebula.
He was ideal for the role here, maintaining the security of the facility and discreetly deterring actual customers from patronising the restaurant - certainly no-one who tried the food ever returned.
Passing the kitchen he nodded to the chef, a squat being known only as Moon, before ducking into what was marked as a storage closet.

Moments later he was in the operations room, nerve centre of the still growing intelligence network he had laboured to rebuild over recent months.
The walls surrounding him were filled with displays, news channels from every corner of the galaxy pouring forth a torrent of reports. Analysts, both human and droid, worked to refine the raw data into usable information, to be combined with that of the growing network of contacts and agents, whose tendrils reached out from the Compact, to give as accurate a picture as possible.
Looking at the tumult of it all he felt thankful to the boy for bringing him out of retirement, giving him something to strive for again. Being able to spend time with his grandchildren had been pleasurable while they grew up, but they were older now and he’d found himself wasting away as a Bantha rancher.
After having held the fate of worlds in ones hands, which pasture to move the breeding herd to or whether Vaporator-47 needed replacing felt rather meaningless.

The lad had reminded him so much of the old Moff when he made contact to try and tempt him back into the twilight world he’d inhabited for so long. That intensity - the old man had had that - the belief not in what the Empire had been and the mess of warlords it had become, but the purity of what it should have been, the promise the Emperor ultimately failed to fulfil.
So he’d put his Chief Hand in charge and plunged back into the shadows, reactivating his contacts, some dead or out of the game, but many of them still active, older, greyer, perhaps wiser, but often now in senior positions.


Leaving the operations room he entered the quieter shelter of his office, ensconced himself behind the utilitarian desk and set to work - Kalth wanted a full investigation and analysis of the planets and stations along the proposed routes for the new hyperlane, what was being called the Minos Cross Run.
Marshak was handling the overt diplomatic contacts; his job was to rummage for the dirt the rulers wouldn’t reveal, avoiding as many unnecessary surprises as possible.
It would be easier to deal with any problems before trying to push the lane through.
It was an operation of daunting scope, but he’d earned his spurs in Imperial Intelligence by achieving the impossible with limited resources and the Cultural Affairs department proved an excellent channel for covert funding – grants to support the arts were such a useful tool.

On the western arm, the first priority was to acquire more detail on the Airam sector.
Knowing how the situation with the Airam Clans lay at the moment, what faction of that fractious and casually piratical culture was currently in the ascendant, would be vital. He’d dispatched several of his people to Skor - the Squibs were always a good source of information, provided you knew how to deal with them.
Scanning through the plans for the eastward route, one area in particular stood out as a concern - the United Systems enclave of Suarbi, it was the only section of the route to pass through space claimed by a significant power.
Ever since what was now becoming clear had been a coup had occurred, the new Royalist government had been cracking down hard on the planet for reasons as yet unclear. They seemed to believe that some remnant of the former regime was hiding there, far from the FUS core systems. It bore investigating and he arranged to detail additional personnel to the system.

Wrapping up the details of the assignments was a mixed blessing; the hyperlane pathfinding was a massive undertaking, but a reasonably straightforward one. The other matter occupying his mind had far more problematical implications.


One of the first tasks the Protector had assigned him was to track down the absconded former Security Division of the Minos-Mestra Corporation.
On investigation the situation in the Mestra system had proved to be more complicated than first presented to him - the basis for the Compact’s intervention had proved to be… incomplete.

He’d suspected something odd from the fact that Zaal had been able to take the whole Security Division with him and keep it as an intact force.
The man obviously commanded loyalty and few men held that degree of loyalty merely to a paymaster - it smacked of individuals infused with a cause, and that worried him.
Marshak and Quiet-In-the-Soul had seen the threat presented to the shareholders by the Security Division, but they hadn’t looked beyond the surface. They hadn’t taken note of the growing unrest amongst the workers against the power of the MMC and the rich families who controlled it, the very families that had sought Compact protection.

So he’d dug deeper, sent his agents out to chase the background of this Zaal, find the heart of the man. When his MMC personnel file had turned out to be an elaborate fabrication, his analysts had scrutinised every databank they could find, searching for loose threads.
The key had been finding that Zaal wasn’t the name he’d been born with - that had unravelled his past.

An image of him turned up, in the archives of the Sector Military Academy on Travnin, of all places, source of many of the Fleets own officers.
The story of how he’d arrived there that the investigation revealed had been a dark and treacherous one and yielded up a different history for “Zaal”.

Oddly it originated with a group Albor remembered from his early days serving as the old Moff’s eyes and ears.
Supposedly a Rebel organisation, the Vigil had in truth been little more than a club for the privileged children of Mestra’s rich, shareholding families; letting them play at being Rebels and plot to "bring down the system".
They hadn’t lacked for money from their family coffers, but the only ones that had ever concerned Imperial Intelligence back then were the few true revolutionaries amongst them, drawn from the ranks of those who had experienced the oppression of the systems corporate overlord first-hand - the independent miners, indentured labourers and others.
And one of them had been Zaal’s older brother.

The Persh brothers had been born on the lowest rung in Mestran society, the indentured labour that slaved to feed the corporations insatiable thirst for ore, treated worse than the droids, because at least the droids cost money. Owing the company for every lungful of oxygen they breathed and with no clear way to escape the crippling burden of debt.
Somehow Zaal’s brother had managed it, had bought himself and his little brother out, into the status of independent miners - no longer technical serfs. His security file was full of suspicion over how he acquired the windfall that allowed this - smuggling was about the only way possible.
He’d still borne the fires of resentment towards the corporation though, as his association with the Vigil over following years showed – he was one of the prime movers in the lower class wing of the organisation, it was clear only the protective presence of the aristocratic members had stopped their pet revolutionary “disappearing”.

But after Endor and the triumph of the Rebellion, the dilettantes lost interest with the “struggle”, leaving Persh and the revolutionaries to the tender mercies of the MMC corporate enforcers - the older Persh brother died under questioning, the younger fled.

Betrayed by the promise of the Rebellion, ignored by the New Republic in its constant need for MMC durelium to put down the Imperial remnants, the truly oppressed of Mestra had taken the remaining money siphoned from heiress’s trust funds and went deep underground, determined to keep the flame alive.

There was gap in the information trail here but from the more recent events, a picture could be reconstructed. It showed a long term conspiracy - people dedicating decades of their lives to a single goal, changing the MMC from within, wresting control of the system away from those who promoted the oppressive exploitation.
It took advantage of a simple fact – the Security Division had always needed the native miners for their knowledge of the system wide belt - recruiting them to enforce their control, navigating the vagaries of the asteroids.
Zaal and other like him had infiltrated the security apparatus gradually, turned it from a tool of oppression to a font of their revolution.

The conclusion was clear. Zaal and his cohorts weren’t pirates; they were something far more dangerous - idealists.

Actions:
Intelligence pathfinding on proposed hyperlane routes begins
Albor discovers the complex history of the Mestra situation

[PhantomVX2000]

Mandalore

The doorbell chimed. Ruae, the former viceroy, looked up from his dining table as he put down his electronic paper. He looked at the holo-clock, and it read ten o’ clock. It rang again, and Ruae went for it, convinced it was one of these mail deliverymen. He had been waiting, and now certain organic ingredients he ordered on the Holo-Net finally have arrived. The doorbell rang in the third time just as he slid the teak paneled door open.

“Finally, you…” Ruae paused in shock as he found himself face to face with a very beautiful, tall, and curvy female human standing by the door. That was not what he expected. “…oh”

“Hello.” Guri said innocently with a mesmerizing smile.

The former viceroy tilted his head in surprise. “Hello, who you are?”

“I am Guri.”

“What are you doing here?” asked Ruae, curious.

Without a warning, Guri walked past the former viceroy into his residence, looking around for any potential threats or findings, and she ran her fingers along the wall as she took a few steps forward. So far, nothing in the house seemed to warrant her attention. She was not worried by a graysider with past association with the Sith, seeing that he was no threat to her and anyone on this world as far as she was concerned. Then she turned back to Raue and smiled.

Ruae, on the other hand, was very surprised by this human’s boldness, and he wondered if she’s a force-sensitive like the others he encountered in the past. He had known that these Mandalorian force-users were perfectly concealing their force sensitivity without using the tazoin amulets and it was possible she was using this technique. But just when she walked past him, he noticed a lightsaber tucked in her utility belt and his eyes widen in realization that she was actually a force-user.

“I am checking you out.” Guri simply said and tilted her head. “Are you hiding anything?”

“No, I am not hiding…” The former viceroy stopped himself, realizing his mistake and Mandalore had sent her to keep a close tab on him. “…well, yeah, I have few things here.”

“Like what?”

“Well, I have a lab here.” Ruae truthfully said.

“Show me.” Guri said nonchalantly.

Ruae patted his hands in the air and sighed. “Follow me, the lab is over there.” He motioned her to follow him down the hall. “See, I was working on a project for a while.”

They had turned a last corner and stood before a solid metal door with a security access panel. The former viceroy entered his code and the door hissed open, revealing a sophisticated lab, with two large tables brimmed with scientific equipments, and clearly visible on the shelves along the walls were a few dozen transparent canisters containing hideous, mutated specimens floating within. The Force energies immediately radiated from the adjoining room, where the live specimens were categorized and housed within the specially built cages. Amused Guri raised her eyebrow, realizing what kind of the experiment Ruae was working, and in her opinion it was potentially a bad news.

“You are doing Sithspawn experiments, Ruae.” Guri abruptly said and her eyes narrowed dangerously.

Ruae nodded solemnly, “That’s right, it is my hobby.”

“That is a very dangerous venture.” Guri frowned.

“Well, I am not creating any dangerous creatures.”

“As far as I know, the Sithspawn is not a perfect science and it has some risks and hidden dangers. Sometime, they are not successful and instead they resulted in creating far more dangerous, uncontrollable beasts. The history is filled with examples of the Sith Lords who lost their lives to their very own creations because they couldn’t control them. The reason they partake the horrific Sithspawn experiments is because they wanted to play god.” Guri said coolly.

“That is a risk I am willing to take.”

“Well, tell that to the Mandalore and other force-users here.” Guri simply said. “Your hobby is the reason why the royal family back in the FUS outed you as a darksider and Sith Lord to the rest of the galaxy. They used that against you. Long as you continue on that path, the galaxy still believe you are one of them. There are like a half dozen of active Jedi factions out there. What if they see your hobby, well, they will go after you thinking you are a darksider. Is that the life you want?”

She has a good point, Ruae thought.

“No, well, I doesn’t want to be that man who spend the rest of his life running and hiding in the shadows.” Ruae replied, grimacing.

“Okay, I will have to report it to the Mandalore. I am sorry that I had to do it.”

“It’s all right.” Ruae nodded his head. “I spent weeks thinking about my future, and you just helped me making a big decision.”


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Nar Shaddaa
The Undertow bar

The afternoon sky was looking heavy and rough and the balcony was filled with the smell of a storm. A gush of wind came and blew her hair, and Rana was forced to brush it out of her as she watched the horizon before her. The air was charged with energy that caused her to feel a goosebump sensation and her hair on the back of her neck to stand up. Lightning briefly illuminated the balcony. Rana sat relaxed near the railing, contemplating the storm.

“I love watching the storm since I was little.” Rana said as Nurola entered the balcony.

“Same here, well, I found either cloudy or rainy days to be soothing for me.” Nurola replied, approaching her friend. “I just finished anonymously wiring at least ten percent of overall fifteen million credits to the Order of Ffib on behalf of Kiva. This way, it might appease Dooku for her recent failure, hopefully.”

“C’mon, sit with me and we’ll watch the storm together.”

“I was going to ask if I could join you.” Nurola said as she pulled up a chair and sat next to Rana.

“So, um, what about the rest of the money Kiva seized from the monastery?”

“We are going to anonymously wire the rest of them to the Help the Lost Kids organization, Nar Shaddaa’s highly reputed charity for the orphaned children run by a sect of nuns.” Nurola replied. “The Jedi were using the money to finance their covert operation here, and now we are going to do a lot better than these Jedi fellas.”

“They could have done that when they got here.” Rana said. “Shame about the monks, Major Frawley is a real cold-hearted bastard. He likes to send a message by setting the others as an example.”

“He will get what is coming at him.” Nurola said grimly. “In a way, we are making sure their death are not in vain.” She sighed. “It was a fortunate that she found the money before Frawley’s men did.”

“Was that Kiva’s request?”

“That’s right.” Nurola nodded.

“I am glad she came up with that idea.” Rana said quietly although she was disturbed by the death of monks at the hands of her boss, Major Frawley.

Nurola sensed the discomfort coming from Rana, and she had to something to lighten her mood. She quickly changed the subject. “Hey, I have a good news for you. They picked up your daughter a half hour ago and she’s now on the way to Mandalore.”

“Thank you.” Rana looked at her and a smiled. “I wish that I could show you my greatest appreciation your people have done for me and my daughter.”

Nurola smiled back and patted her hand on Rana’s left knee. “Thank you would be sufficient.”

“Someday I will return you a favor.”

“Yeah, but you don’t have to do that.”

“Okay.” Rana nodded.

“What you will do once you leave your current job?” Nurola asked as her eyes tracked a lightning discharge arcing across a blanket of dark grey sky.

“I am going to spend a lot time with Varina, my daughter, since I had been out on the field for too long. She deserves it. I am not doing my job as a mother. I am supposed to look after her because of a promise I made.”

“Well, you are really trying to make up to her. I think that is the best thing you could do.”

“I am trying my best.” Rana smiled lightly, her hair tussled by the wind. “You are lucky that you have a parent.”

“My parents separated when I was a baby. My father refused to tell anything about my mother, and now I have zero idea about my mother’s side. Nada. Nlich. I couldn’t ask him now since he got killed while on the duty when I was like twelve years old... well, um, he was an Imperial naval officer.”

“I am sorry to hear.” Nurola said sympathetically, knowing what it felt like losing a parent.

“So, I swore myself that I am going tell Varina anything about her biological mother.”

“Everybody should know their parents regardless of where they come from or what they have done.”

“Yeah.” Rana nodded.

“So then, beside quality time with your kid, what you are going to do since you soon will be no longer working for the CIS?”

“Well, I had been considering for a while, um, I was thinking about joining you guys since you could use someone experienced to give you some fine pointers on the arts of undercover. I talked to Bardan about it, and he is seriously considering about my proposal.” Rana said after sipping her cup of ice tea. “Someone have to do something to make the galaxy a better place for the kids and others.”

“Like us.”

“Yeah, like us.”

“Is it going to rain today?” Nurola said as she tilted her head.

“Nah, the weather forecast is saying that we are having a heavy thunderstorm activity until tomorrow tonight, but no precipitation.”

“Perfect.” Nurola’s very corner of her lips lifted up in delight.

As if on cue, a warm wind blew past them and they looked at each other, exchanging smiles.

[Lightning_Count]

Nar Shaddaa



It didn’t snow on Nar Shadda, the generally regulated climate was too hot and muggy for that, kept at an uncomfortable climate for most humans and other species but beloved by Hutts and other tropic dwellers. The humidity caused a great deal of annoyance in the warmer sectors, especially as the eternity of buildings helped only to raise temperatures. It didn’t snow, but it often rained, and when it did it usually rained extremely hard.

Arik could feel the fat droplets hitting his head, the robe not doing much to keep him dry. The material had soaked clean through within about fifteen seconds and by this point it was impossible to get any wetter, so he didn’t even try. He walked slowly through the back alleys, his face covered as his two companions darted ahead, methodically checking every bin and pile of rubbish for signs of danger.

Half his mind was focused on helping them, reaching out to feel for danger, for prying eyes amid the pummelling rain but finding nothing save the occasional drunk or sleeping beggar. The other half of his mind was meandering like a ship lost in a nebula, turning over the same event time after time.



Bardes held up a hand, the torch attached to his rifle bobbing as it illuminated a tiny side alley barely wide enough for a man to squeeze through. He checked it out carefully, Conrat doing the same before he gestured to Arik, wondering if he sensed danger. The Jedi did not, shaking his head with a drip of clear water.

Bardes took a breath and led the way, with Arik in step behind him and Conrat bringing up the rear ensuring they weren’t followed. After evading the massacre at the Monastery the local police had flashed their faces sector wide, accusing them of being responsible for the destruction and offering a hefty bounty on them, dead or alive. As well as police most of the local bounty hunters would be after the two mercs and the apparently fallen Jedi, and on this moon there were a lot of bounty hunters prideful enough or overconfident enough to try.

They were keeping a very low profile, moving cautiously and avoiding obvious locations. Luckily they were not alone and had a fall back option in place in case things went wrong.



“Here.” Bardes said, barely a whisper. He stopped at a metal door set into a wall, ancient and rusted as if it had never been used. “This is it. Anyone inside?”

Arik closed his eyes. “Four people, maybe another four droids. They’re nervous.”

“No surprise.” Conrat grunted. “Give the signal.”

Bardes knocked on the door, three sets of three knocks, the agreed upon code for the team. There was a long pause, then the door opened in perfect silence, a massive hulking shape glowering down at them.

“Good evening gentlemen.” The shape spoke in precise tones. “Please enter.”

The Super battle droid stepped aside, its metallic body painted in black and white splinter camouflage unlike most of its brethren.

“Thanks SID.” Bardes patted its metal frame. “Any unwelcome guests?”

“Not at all sir.” The droid stated. “The house remains secure.”

SID was part of Bardes team, a Clone War vintage SBD that had been damaged and repaired by the merc, replacing its smashed droid brain with one taken from a Protocol Droid, with some additional combat routines. SID was a tough customer, and was also the only combat droid that would wipe out a room full of enemies and then sweep up afterwards apologising profusely.



Conrat closed the door behind him.

“Is he here?”

“Next room.” SID replied. “He is waiting.”

The trio headed through while the droid returned to guard duty, unceasingly watching the door. They passed one merc sleeping on a rough bed, while four others were sat at a table finishing their meals. One of them was Colm Torrant.

“Son.” He stood, giving Bardes a slap on the arm. “Didn’t think they’d get you so easy. What happened?”

“The hit the Monastery, it was a clean sweep.” Bardes shook his head. “Most of the team was away, but they took Bronnie.”

“Took her?” Colm asked. “A Jedi?”

“Yeah.” Bardes confirmed sombrely. “We don’t know where she is, but we’ve got to find her.”

“Why did they take her?”

“I’m just as happy never finding out.”

“Must be the kid.” Conrat chipped in. “There’s a standing bounty for force sensitive kids out there, a huge one. If you can prove their from a strong family, the money is astronomical.”

“Heard of it, but we never heard who posted the bounty.” Colm frowned. “It’s Dooku isn’t it?”

“He’s always recruiting, and doesn’t usually like doing his own dirty work.” Conrat nodded. “It’d be my guess, and she was taken by one of his minions.”

“That’s going to complicate things.” Bardes exhaled.

“I gotta make a call.” Conrat spoke flatly. “Then we better get off this rock and plan our next move.”



He disappeared to find an uplink while Bardes and Colm talked shop, arranging for which ship they could use, which smugglers to trust and who was most susceptible to bribes in the customs patrols. All of it swept over Arik’s head as he hung his water logged cloak from a hook and dropped onto a ragged couch, all energy seeping away from his limbs.

One of the bounty hunters took pity on him, a young skinny human with a limp and a nervous disposition, he grabbed a bottle off the table and offered it to Arik.

“You look like you could use a drink friend.”

Arik’s eyes locked on the bottle, his senses suddenly sharpening as he was confronted with a choice. He could smell the alcohol and the promise it held for escape and oblivion. In it was his chance to abdicate responsibility, to banish his torment and retreat from this harsh world into a warm and sealed enclave of his own creation. For a while at least.

It was so easy, it would take so little effort and yield such rewards, but he knew it wasn’t the solution. He had been there, he had mirrored this choice and he had chosen badly. The road to recovery had been strewn with broken glass and he couldn’t go through that again. He wouldn’t. There was no one to help him pick up the pieces if he broke again, he was alone and had to take responsibility. A lot had changed in those years, a lot had been lost but a lot had been gained also.

He bore a proud title, he hadn’t chosen it, but he had it none the less and now it was time to earn it.



“No, thank you.” Arik spoke, his voice quiet but unwavering. “I’m not thirsty today.”

He stood from the couch, forcing his limbs to obey, tapping into a renewed source of vigour as he took hold of his purpose. Time to act like a Master.

“Bardes.” He spoke up. “I need to get closer to CIS HQ. It’s here on the planet isn’t it?”

“Yeah.” Bardes frowned. “It’s also just about the heaviest defended place there is.”

“”I won’t be going in, I just need to get close enough to sense it.” He said. “I don’t think Bronwyn is on the planet, but if she passed through there their should be an echo in the force.”

“”You can sense that?” Colm asked.

“We’re close enough to know each other’s presence inside out.” Arik said with a nod. “It gives us a start.”

“Well we can swing by before we leave.” Bardes agreed.

“We’re not leaving.” Arik stated.

“We’re not?”

“No.”

“I realise this is a difficult situation for you, but we’ve got the entire CIS security force hunting us. We’ve got the entire moon ready to take our heads in for cash, billions of eyes looking for just us.” Bardes listed. “This is not a friendly environment.”

“Right now Bronwyn’s trail is still hot. If we leave by the time we get back it’ll be cold and we’ll never find her.” Arik spoke confidently and evenly. “We’re not leaving, and as mission leader I am calling in all our assets to find Bronwyn.”

“As mission leader?” Conrat spoke up, announcing his return. “or as husband?”



“Both.” Arik answered the challenge. “Bronwyn is extremely valuable, to me of course, but she’s also a skilled Jedi and our child is sought by the Sith. In the wrong hands she could be used against us, and the longer we wait the more likely it is.”

“It sounds to me like you’re doing this for personal reasons.” Conrat removed his helmet and stood before Arik. “Like you’re going to throw us into the fire on the incredibly slim chance we can get your wife back. We signed on to help the mission in exchange for a major fee. I’m guessing you’re not offering us anything?”

“Nothing financial.” Arik said.

“And I’m betting command wouldn’t want to risk so many assets on such a pointless and probably suicidal mission.” Conrat continued. “Which means minimal support, no escape route, and probably disobeying order. If we live that is.”

“I don’t deny it.”

“Just checking.” Conrat nodded. “I’m in. To hell with the mission.”

Arik grinned. “Bardes?”

“I’m too stupid to say no.” He exhaled. “Okay, let’s give it a try.”

“You guys are nuts.” Colm grunted. “But if you’re going to do it let me make a few calls, I have a friend who’s seen your Mandalorian buddies hanging out in a down town dive. Talking to them might be a good start.”

“Agreed.” Arik nodded. “And if they have links to Dooku I need to call Rayce, she was tailing his Pirate associates and knows their routines and haunts. If anyone is going to get Bronnie out of here it’ll be them.”

“It’s a good start.” Conrat affirmed. “I’ll talk to the Mandalorians. Only one of them was on the mission, there might be a rift between them and the CIS we can exploit for information.”

“And I’ll get some space ready for the rest of your people.” Colm promised. “Can’t promise a view, but they’ll be safe.”



“Thank you.” Arik said. “Thank you. I’m going to see this through to the end, whatever it may be, whatever it costs. I don’t expect you to join me to the end, but whatever help you give for however long you give it will be appreciated.”

“We’re a team.” Bardes smiled. “I mean, just because we’re being paid to be here doesn’t mean we don’t care. It just makes it look like we don’t.”

“I’ve got a few things to say to the Mandalorians anyway.” Conrat grunted. “Make sure they still understand what honour is. If they’ve taken a separate path to the CIS, they might actually help us.”

“We’ll explore every option.” Arik nodded.

“But first you need sleep.” Conrat spoke. “It’ll be a day or two before the team assembles, and we need to chase up some other leads before we do anything.”

“Yeah, get some rest.” Bardes nodded. “It’s safe here, and I think we’re going to be busy.”

Arik resisted the idea for a moment before agreeing. “Alright, but wake me as soon as word comes back.”

“We will.” Colm nodded. “Now get outta here, there’s a decent bed upstairs.”

He lowered his head and climbed the stairs, clearly fatigued but now at least less torn. They had a plan, structure, things to do. It helped.

“Jedi Master Arik.” Bardes smiled. “He’s grown into it.”

“He’s barely holding it together.” Colm corrected. “He’s one straw short of breaking the Bantha’s back. You better find his girl otherwise you’ll be losing two Jedi masters on this trip.”

“And a whole family besides.” Conrat exhaled heavily. “This mission had better be worth it.”

[Coyote]

Basement Security Cells
Theed Palace, Naboo





"So, the other half of the power team is here," Tavion said, sizing up Noora through the force shield. "You're shorter than I remember."

"You cast a bigger shadow than your size class, yourself," Noora said, unfazed.
"Touche," Tavion said with a shrug. "So, here we are-- women who've shaped the Galaxy."

"Famous and infamous," Noora said, "You know, if it were up to me, I'd have you executed."
"Good thing it's not up to you, then," Tavion said. "Although I understand the sentiment. I'd feel much the same, in your shoes. But it would be a waste."

"Of cleaning supplies?" Noora asked tartly.
"Of my knowledge," Tavion said, "My in-depth familiarity with all things Sith. My top level insight to the workings of plots and plans throughout the Galaxy."

"So far," Noora said, "There has not been a single thing you people have cooked up that we have not yet been able to handle. Oh, sometimes we've reacted to it in crisis-management mode, but we've always been able to contain damage. And you're forgetting, I know my way around secret plans a bit myself. Every minute you're here, the usefulness of your informartion erodes. Whatever you knew when you surrendered is now days old, and in the world of secrets, that's ancient history."

"Oh, immediate operations, maybe," Tavion said, "But long, ongoing situations? New players in the game that aren't even on your radar? Ways to reach people that you may be seeking?"

"So what, Tavion?" Noora asked, "What, we're supposed to have you write down some interesting tidbits on a piece of scratch paper and let you walk out?"
"Noora, you forget, I don't want to walk out," Tavion said. "I came here voluntarily. I surrendered. I'm here for my own reasons. I just see no reason why we can't make this equitable."

"You know," Noora said, "That's what bugs me. That's what bugs so many people. Why, indeed, are you here? What do you get out of this deal?"
"I'll tell you," Tavion said, "Since I feel I owe you an explanation. After all, you and I have been part of a power dynamic that built each others' careers." She ignored Noora's indignant snort of laughter.

"I'm here for protection," Tavion said.
Noora stood there for a moment, waiting, and finally realized that was all Tavion had to say.

"Protection?" Noora asked.
"You have no idea how snug it is here," Tavion said, looking around the sparse room.
"Protection from what?" Noora asked, curious despite herself.

"You name it," Tavion said. "But the Sith in the Galaxy have been on a roll now, especially this last year. Oh, Dooku and I and others have been building things up slowly-- I mean, I started out as a puppetmaster for a batch of Hutt thugs and pirates, and ended up as basically the shadow Empress of the last remaining vestige of the true Empire. But lately, the Sith have been smoking hot in a lot of key playoffs.

"The Sith completely held the ball in the last days of the Yuuzhan Vong war, did you know that? My fleet organization, Sev'rance Tann's coordination with Thrawn, I am certain that Count Dooku delivered some kind of sucker punch to the Vong and Ssi'Ruuk-- yes, they were working in coordination, if not entirely together-- but that was all behind the scenes stuff," Tavion said.

"The whole thing with Denon and... oh, by the gods, if you only knew what the real story was behind the SSU... you'd soil your silken undies if you knew what was going on behind those curtains. Events on Nar Shadda and Hutt Space... yeah, your side is really behind the curve on the ol' initiative these days."

"Oh, don't forget Corellia," Noora said flatly, "Scored a big goal there."

"A great tactical success, I admit," Tavion said, "From Dooku's standpoint, a great strategic one as well. Not such a good call on my part, looking with hindsight. Had I known then what I know now, I'd've taken Shayyla up on her offer."
"Don't even say her name," Noora said, a flash of anger finally chipping through her calm demeanor.

Tavion looked at her, and weighed the consequences of saying something, but decided not to.

"So," Noora said, "The Sith are on a roll, and right in the middle of the victory lap, you give up. You come here for protection. From what? The Jedi want to kill you, I want to kill you..."

"The Jedi are mixed on killing me, actually," Tavion said, "Their code and your laws forbid it, and one thing I have to say about each of you is that you are principled to a fault. I'm your prisoner; you are obliged to shelter, feed and protect me from harm.

"The Sith cannot reach me here," she said, "Dooku would have to attack openly. An attack on Naboo would bring the entire Pact in on your defense, and ironically enough the Frontier and Shadow Empire would come as well. It might actually be useful-- a big Republic-Empire alliance to smash the CIS.

"I know Admiral Krennath would love to kill me himself, but he wouldn't while I'm here under your protection-- undermine the SAS, the Queen? Create a rift that could see the Pact align with the CIS against the Empires?" She shook her head. "Not likely. And then there's the Sith civil war that's brewing."

"Sith... civil war?" Noora asked, suddenly confused.

Tavion let out a deep breath, and gauged Noora critically. "The problem is, the Sith have victory disease," she said. "They're starting to feel like they have the power and momentum to make a major move. But they can't do it, because Sith nature, ingrained after a thousand years of foolishness, requires secrecy and, dare I say it, a sense of hunted persecution and victimhood in order to thrive. That's where they get their legitimacy-- they are persecuted by the Jedi. A mindset like that requires perpetual minority status.

"It lends itself well to desperate guerrilla action, but they can't go back to open rule like they had in the days of Revan and Malek, for example. Back when they were accepted openly as an alternative. Even Palpatine, at the height of his power, kept his abilities hidden-- people who knew thought that Darth Vader was the last of the 'Jedi religion'."

"So poor Palpatine had to stay hidden so the big kids wouldn't take his lunch money," Noora said.
"You're not getting it," Tavion said, shaking her head and wagging her finger at Noora. "You've got an organization that has won a lot of victories through ferocity, unpredictability, and a willingness to do anything for the win. They can score a number of tactical victories, but would the Galaxy as a whole accept them as overlords? Never. Everyone would rise up, even the Imperials, probably.

"And internally, Dooku runs things like it is still an Old Republic era Sith organization. Treachery, assassination, internal strife, hatred... think of the days of competing warlords again, right after the collapse of the Empire-- except this time, each little fiefdom would have it's very own Sith Master at the helm. Think of the chaos, the casualties. It can't happen."

"So, you came here to warn us about this?"
"To an extent," tavion said, "There's little you can do about it but weather the storm. I needed to be here, though, under lock & key, so I can be kept out of the coming conflict."

"What does it matter?" Noora asked. "Why not fight and absorb some of Dooku's spoils for yourself?"
"I have walked away from the path of the Sith, that's why," Tavion said, "I can't take over anything of Dooku's because the organization he has built is something I cannot make anything useful of. I'd not be a leader of an organization, I'd be a ringleader of a circus of cannibals. An excersize in strife management.

"The Sith have become something to be hated, feared, and loathed. They no longer have legitimacy in the eyes of the population, except a few sociopathic types. I, however, seek to build. What have I done all these years? I have built an organization. I've moulded a new Empire from the remnants of the old. I had to make choices about letting things go, like the Corellians, that could not or would not go along with my vision. I didn't realize it at the time, but that was my first realization that due to my Sith philosophy at the time, I was having a harder time gaining legitimacy for my construction."

"That is what you want? Legitimacy?" Noora asked with a mocking laugh. "You're mad."
"No more than you," Tavion said. "What did you sacrifice to build something great?" She indicated with a sweeping gesture around the room, implying everything the SAS had become.

"Don't even think to compare us," Noora warned.
"Oh, I'm not," Tavion said, "If anything, I'm behind the curve. You figured it out at, what, twelve? Thirteen? You got to work building all this. For me, the path was harder. I sought power, and then forcibly built something, moulded it, and only later did I realize I had put my work into something that I wanted to preserve and protect. I wa simpatient, and wanted the control immediately. You built a society, started small, and gained power slowly, but we eneded up in the same spot."

Noora didn't know what to say. She was repulsed at the notion that Tavion found such similarities between them. "I never used brute force or murder to get to my position," Noora defended.
"More or less true," Tavion said, "But there have been lapses in judgement. Forcible annexation of the Seperatist Systems Alliance... ongoing destabilization of the Industrial Union... playing into Sev'Rance Tann's hands in the Trade Fed War to free Dooku... botching the Fulgar operation. Your hands are not entirely clean, either."

"I think intent had a lot to do with it," Noora said. "Making a mistake in judgement is bad, but purposefully seeking to ruin, dominate, undermine..."
"What intent did you have as the Industrial Union was kept weak and off-balance for years?" Tavion asked casually, "Or eroding the Hutt society under the New Empire, which was doing a fine job keeping them in check? Just wondering."

"We're nothing alike, Tavion," Noora finally defended.
"No," Tavion said, "I recognize my faults and I'm in here; you rationalize your faults and get to go free. And yet this is still considered a principled government. Makes the rest of the Galaxy look pretty scary, huh?"





Results:
Noora Raidaa and Tavion Axmis meet; spar.
Tavion explains her rationale for surrendering: protection.
Tavion also warns of coming Sith civil war and destabilization and says she wants no part of it.
Draws uncomfortable parallels between herself and Noora.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Kabray Station





The Tiara landed at Kabray Station just an hour after Prince Nizarr's diplomatic shuttle had arrived. The Prince, in a Senatorial Cruiser of his own, was waiting for them to disembark, and had been speaking with the Adminsitrators of Kabray Station on his own. Ranya Saviya, flanked by her two Mandalorian bodyguards, came down the ramp wary and ready for anything.

"Ahh, Chairwoman Saviya," Prince Nizarr said, smiling towards her. Ranya approached, but a gentle hand on her shoulder from Theyliss slowed and then stopped her. She looked up at the Mandalorian Zabrak.
"Not too close," she said, "I have no idea what Falleen pheromones will do to a nine-year-old girl, and I'm not in any hurry to find out."

"Yes," Ranya said, smiling, I forgot about that. Thank you." She bowed towards Prince Nizarr. "Prince," she said by way of greeting, "As you requested, I am pleased to meet you here."

"Yes, see," Nizarr said as he turned to the Adminsitrator of the Base, a tall, thin Pantoran female named Cien Cho. "Miss Saviya and I are representing the Republic movement in current Sovereign Alliance politics. There are some adherents to Imperial philosophy as well, but they are not a spopular overall."

"Yes, of course," Adminstrator Cho said, "But then, wasn't it the Imperial candidate, Moff Tabor, that recently made a bold and decisive move to secure Bannistar Station from criminal elements?" she asked coolly. "Why wouldn't Kabray Station's security be in better hands with an Imperial adminsitrator in charge?"

Clearly, this was not what Prince Nizarr wanted to hear. "But the Imperial operation, regardless of its motives, was an illegal act of aggression--" Nizarr began.
"--which was actually based on an unfortunate misunderstanding," Ranya jumped in.

"Excuse me?" Cien Cho asked. Prince Nizarr shot her an annoyed look, but quickly covered it with a smile.
"The domestic affairs briefing this morning," Ranya said, "I got a copy of it in my legislative mail account. Yours is probably in your inbox as well, Prince," she said calmly.

"What do you mean?" Nizarr asked, off-balance.
"Apparantly it all started when Ambassador Raidaa mentioned to Moff Tabor that Bannistar Station should be secured 'at some point' as an important stopover on the Duros Space Run," Ranya pointed out. "Moff Tabor, in a well-intentioned but mistaken interpretation of the idea, said he thought that the Ambassador was passing on a request from Her Majesty, and implemented the best solution he could think of. In the end," she said, shrugging the whole incident aside, "no one was hurt, a few minor criminals were arrested, and a potential navigation hazard has been secured."

"I see," Administrator Cho said, her eyes narrowing slightly as she glanced at Nizarr. "What is going to happen to the base now?"
"It'll probably be repaired and re-used," Ranya said. "The fuel tanks were detonated in a Rebel attack, but the top part, and all the pumping and refining machinery, is mostly intact. It'll come in useful, actually."

"So, an internal threat to liberty is not, in fact, imminent?" Cho asked, frowning at Prince Nizarr, "And getting my security personnel all worked up in case of a looming Imperial takeover of unclaimed bases is not necessary?"
"No, ma'am," Ranya said innocently.

"Miss Saviya, may I speak with you?" Cho asked. "While I'm a little chafed about some of the things I've gathered about the SAS government, part of me also has a strong desire to vote for Queen Apailana in these upcoming elections I heard about..."




Results:
Prince Nizarr's plan backfires big time.
Kabray Station, a small, peaceful diploamtic outpost, considers joining the SAS.
Discussions begin with Ranya Saviya, while Prince Nizarr is left standing in the landing bay.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Theed Palace, Naboo
Domestic Quarters




"Didn't want to talk to the Dark Lady of the Sith?" Rayce asked.
"Been there, done that," Amanda said dismissively. "She's not someone I'm in a hurry to see again. Everything I know about Palpatine seems to be reflected in her... that arrogant, oily demeanor..."

"Well, then," Rayce said, "How about shopping?"
"Twist my arm more, please? Ahh, yes-- I am at your mercy. Let's go." Together, the two women left the Palace, with R8K9 tailing behind them. There were a number of good shops close to the Palace, high-end clothing and shoe stores, droid sales, and luxury speeders to consider. They wasted a lot of time windpw-shopping, trying on extravagant items, and considering handbags.

For Rayce, it was a rare opportunity to interact at society's high end-- she'd long since reconciled herself to being an orphan, and growing up at the Praxeum in a communal environment, sharing everything with her peers and, at times, having to take care of the younger ones. Shopping the upscale district of Theed was a chance to be glamorous and girlish, and indulge herself in un-Jedi-like fantasies about wealth and fame.

The temptation of the expense account was always there, but she tempered her desires to a few purchases that would actually be practical.

For Amanda, it was a journey of relief and relase as well, but of a different nature. A shopping trip was a flirtation with normalcy for her. Worrying about handbags that clashed with shoes, or trying on silks, ruffles, or furs finally took her mental state billions of miles away from the filth and ragged-nerve existence in the back alleys of Shulstine City. They dodged the occasional paparazzi, giggled as they hid from R8, and asked each other how other women could walk in 'those damn heels'.

"I'm amazed we bought as little as we did," Rayce said, as they wandered out of the shopping district. Each of them had a single bag with them. A pair of shoes each, and just a few items of clothing, and for Amanda a new black handbag that could go well with just about anything.

"Jedi discipline," Amanda said.
"Having to answer to torqued taxpayers helps, too," Rayce said with an impish smile.
"Hey, we're helping the economy," Amanda defended. "Those shopkeepers, the folks that made these things," she said, indicating her bag, "--they have families to feed, bills to pay, right?"

"Galactic heroes, we," rayce said. "Look, Myyrna's."
"Myyrna's?" Amanda asked.
"Tavern popular among the Palace workers," Rayce said, "Dates back to the first colonization, or something like that... before the Gungan war. Master Whitesun had his bachelor's party there. C'mon-- my treat," she said.
"When in Theed..." Amanda said.

They entered the tavern and Rayce ordered Ruby Bliels for both of them. They sat at one of the booths, R8 at the end of the table.
"So," Amanda said, "You and Noora..?"
"Yeah," Rayce said.

"I never knew that about Noora," Amanda said.
Rayce smiled. "Neither did she," she said, "Or I, for that matter."
"Pretty serious?"
"Well..." Rayce said, "We've had fights, so I guess it's serious," she said. "But really, since it kinda caught us both by surprise, we're still kinda... trying to figure out exactly what we're doing and where we're going."

"Well," Amanda said, sipping her Ruby Bliels, "Oh, they mix 'em strong here, eh? Well, I was saying, I'm glad for you both. Especially Noora. She was so depressed after the election..."

"Really threw her for a loop," Rayce said. "I was just a kid back then... wow," she said, shaking her head. "Noora's ten years older than me, and it makes a difference sometimes, considering how differently we had to grow up."
"She's smart, though," Amanda said. "But yeah, she was always a bit more melancholy... more serious after that battlefield tour during the Trade Fed War."

"How so?" Rayce asked.
"She really was more... more of a kid, I guess, before," Amanda said, "Looking back you could see she had a secret joy in seeing me and Andris. After that, it was like... she was as worried about us as our mom & dad were."

"She's protective," Rayce said. "Of me, the others at the Praxeum... but I dunno... she told me about when she killed someone for the first time. Underground storage at Vjun. She shot a Stormtrooper, and ... immediately felt bad for him; said she wanted to run over and apologize to him..." She sipped at her Ruby Bliels. "Sorry, getting all depressing here."

"It's alright," Amanda said. "Hey, if you two get really serious, remember that bridesmaids want something practical to wear that can be used again."
Rayce laughed. "Gonna give me cold feet before we even get that far, eh?" she said. She was about to say something else when R8 suddenly started beeping and whirling his dome around excitedly.

"What is it?" Amanda asked.
"I dunno," Rayce pulled out her comms cylinder and plugged it into him. "R8's a specialized communications model. Maybe there's an incoming message for Noora. I better take it..."

The comms cylinder hummed to life. It wa sa pre-recorded holo of Arik Whitesun, looking very distraught.
"This is Master Whitesun, with a message for Rayce Tambo and Noora Raidaa," the holo said, "There has been an emergency on Nar Shadda. I am sending this in multilayer encryption so I hope Noora's droid can descramble it" Rayce immediately turned the volume down to a whisper and the two women leaned in close to hear what was being said.

"Bronwyn has been kidnapped by Count Dooku's forces. Darth Fatale is involved--" Amanda's eyes went dark with suppressed rage at the mention of the name. "--Our hideout has been trashed, and no sign of Agent Juliet. We're safe now, but need you to find any place where you might be able to intercept Bronwyn or find out where she might have gone. Arike out."

"My gods," Rayce said.
"He doesn't know you're off your operation," Amanda said.
"We still have an agent in there," Rayce said.
"You do?"

"Yeah," Rayce said, bringing Amanda into the situation. "We'd learned everything we could on the Invidious," she said. "If we stayed, there'd be the danger that we'd have to do some, you know, actual piracy. Killing," she said, shuddering at the memory of what she'd done to the woman on the bridge of the ship they'd attacked. "We discovered theri transfer ship for stolen goods, and dropped an agent off-- that's when we called your guys to stage an attack by authorities and scoop us up."

"Whoever your agent is, I hope he blends in pretty well," Amanda said.
"Of that, no problem," Rayce said. "It's just that getting ahold of him will be difficult..."





Results:
Amanda and Rayce bond over shopping in Theed's posh district while Noora confronts Tavion.
Discuss growing up, and having troubles. Amanda still haunte dby recent events in past.
Interrupted by emergency call from Arik about Bronwyn. Action to ensue.
***

[Corp]

Tatooine

Leaning up against a wall of one of the outlaying buildings Tigris watched as Lusa said her goodbyes. In the weeks she had been here she had barely left the farm, spending all of her time reconnecting with old friends. But it was time to head back home and Tigris was ready to go with her. It seems every day just made things more confusing and complicated. He was tired and he hoped that time spent with family would help him settle himself again. This was something Tigris couldn’t do here and the main reason had just come up to stand beside him.

“Saying her goodbyes?” Irena asks as she looked over the group of students.

“Yep. Lusa is ready to go home. I think she enjoyed the visit but at the same time it seemed to have awakened some painful memories.”

“She wasn’t rescued with the rest of them was she?”

“Nope. Mom and Streen saved her months before the raid on the worldship. Seems when the non-humans reached a certain age or level of ability they were sold off as slaves. They found Lusa in the home of an Imperial official on some world in the Senex Section in chains.”

“I didn’t know that. Those poor kids. They weren’t though so much. Of all the evil that he did I think stealing their childhoods was perhaps the worst crime Hethrir committed.”

“…I helped kill him you know.” Irena’s head whipped around in surprise. Tigris continued to stare out into the desert and after a moment continued. “It was during the raid. Even though he was disappointed in me I was kept close by. Used to weaken my mother, to mock her. They fought with each other while I watched off to the side. Mom…well you know that she’s not the best person with a lightsaber. After a while she was on the floor and he was standing over her, ready to kill her. I grabbed a nearby chair and hit him with it. That broke his concentration enough to let mom finish him off. It was my direct actions that lead to his death. And while I know he was an evil man, even though he was about to kill my mother, even though he kidnapped me and tried to brainwash me, he was still my father still part of my clan. And while I may not be much of a Firrerreo that still has a big impact. I’ve never told anyone that before.”

It took a moment before Irena could find her voice. “Tigris why are you telling me this?”

“I’m not really sure,” Tigris admitted. “Maybe I’m just tried of everything being so complicated and feel the need to be honest about some things. With you.”

“Well hopefully we can get though this without yelling at each other,” Irena joked in an effort to try and lighten the mood a bit.

“I think I’m too drained to argue. Plus our past…discussions normally happened at bad times. Maybe it’s just our personalities but I also think the stress helped out. Fighting the Vong and dealing with the aftermath of an assassination attempt don’t normally lead to calm talks about ones emotions. Then we go off on separate missions and while I have no doubt that yours was harder you came though it better than I did. You managed to center yourself while I’ve just been building up more stress. That’s why I need to get away; I need to work out how I feel about my future and who might be in it.”

“To see how dull things might be?” Irena asked, not really sure if she was comfortable with this talk.

“I would love dull right now,” Tigris replied. Steeling himself he turned to face Irena and looked her right in the eyes. “Look during the War I was in love with you and I know now it was a piss poor time for that. You had so much on your mind and you didn’t me adding to your troubles. But I still held that hope that your feelings would change. I held that hope all through the War. Then you went off to Vong space and I went off on some secret mission, closer than we were but still apart. I was still holding that hope but now my arms have grown tired. And as happy as I am to see that you’ve been able to tame your demons my doubts have grown. You…you seem more judgemental. Maybe this is a change or maybe it’s always been there and I never noticed. I don’t know but I know that it troubles me. But the real problem is with me. I haven’t been able to really unwind for years so now I’m the one with demons that need to be tamed. Plus…well when you chase someone for years you form an image of them in your mind. A dream that one day, against all odds, you’ll be together. Now it appears that the day may have come but I’ve been chasing this dream for to long. I need to ask myself if I’m in love with you or the dream. Only with a clear head can I make the right choice for myself. For both of us.”

Then because it felt like the right thing and because it was perhaps the last time he could ever be able to do so Tigris leaned over and kissed Irena goodbye. He then picked up his bag and walked over to the speeder where a good of padawans were doing their very best to look like they hadn’t been watching the whole time. Not that Tigris really blamed them. There were days went he felt that he was trapped in a bad holo drama, more so in recent days. Getting into the speeder with Lusa he took one last look around, wondering in what manner his return would be. Tigris would just need to trust in the Force and hope that it would let things work out for the best.



Later that day Tigris and Lusa sat beside each other on the passenger liner, waiting for it to begin its trip to Federation space. They had said little since leaving the surface, each lost in their own thoughts. As the ship lurched into hyperspace Lusa shook off the cloud that was hanging over her and turned to Tigris. “So what are you going to do when we get home?”

“Hmm? Oh, umm, haven’t really thought of it that much. Spend some time with my mother and then maybe go to Firrerre to see if I can find some old friends. How about you? From what you told me you haven’t had much time to relax since you got back from Vong space.”

“I’m going to go spend some time with my dad,” Lusa replied as a shadow passed over her face. “Maybe after that find Halbret and help her out. I just feel the need to be with family right now.”

“I can understand that. I hope this visit wasn’t too hard on you.”

“It was and it wasn’t. I mean it was great to see everyone again but seeing Kenzcee like that and not being able to do anything was hard. Also every time we get together it brings up memories I thought I had dealt with a long time ago. Thus the need to see my dad.”

“He did a good job at helping you work through those issues.”

“My saviour,” Lusa said with a small smile. “The man who broke my chains and accepted me as his blood. If it wasn’t for him raising me I’m sure I’d hold a deep hatred for humans. For a few years I think I did. But Dad and Halbret helped me work through that. Can’t really hate humans if your parents are human after all. So a little home cooking and I’ll be ready to deal with what kind of future I’m going to have as a Jedi.”

“Well I’m glad you have a set plan. I hope I can deal with my issues as easily.”

“Issues like Irena?” Lusa asked slyly. Tigris turned to glare at her but Lusa just waved it off. “Oh come on it’s not like it’s a big secret, we’re too small of a community for that. The two of you are standard breakfast conversation in the Skywalker Farm.”

“I’m so glad we could provide you all with entertainment,” Tigris growled.

“Oh come on, we’ve got time. Open up. If you can’t trust clan who can you trust?”

That much was true. In Firrerreo society anyone outside your clan didn’t really matter. Clan was what was important. This was difficult for Tigris and Rillao since they were the last survivors of their clan. Rillao had worked around this by adopting the Jedi as her new clan and has passed this view to her son. “Ok ok…it’s…well it’s just that Irena and I have been circling each other for so long it’s like we’re stuck like that.”

“That one night you looked like you were going to be a different kind of stuck.”

“No helping. Anyway it just seems like any time we start to get really close we end up fighting. Throw in the fact that both of us have been super stressed doesn’t help matters. I…I just don’t know what I want anymore. Or if we’re even right for each other. It just makes things so complicated.”

“Well a woman will do that to a man.”

“Women,” Tigris said softly, half to himself.

“What?!” Lusa had to check herself when see saw the hurt look on Tigris’ face due to her excited tone. “Ok, I’m sorry. So there’s another woman in your life besides Irena? When did this happen?”

“When I was on that secret mission for the SAS. And she’s not in my life, we only met once. Hell I only found out her name a few days ago. But she was friendly and willing to talk to me when I was feeling low. I was able to open a bit and I think we connected on some level. It was our talk that brought all my doubts to the surface, forcing me to acknowledge them.”

“Ok well maybe this is the Force telling you to go on another path. That you need to set Irena aside and find this new person to find happiness.”

Tigris snorted. “The Force isn’t that clear. It has far too much fun messing with my love life, such as it is. Thing is this woman turned out to see some kind of elite Mandalorian super commando.”

“Well…ok that might be a bit of a problem. But the Mandalorians aren’t too bad. I worked with a few of them during the droid invasion-“

“You’re not seeing the whole picture. I was on a secret mission, undercover and all that spy stuff. And I just happened to walk into a seedy bar that has a super Mandalorian having a drink, who just happens to decide to chat with me. To top it off the second I leave the table I get jumped and mugged.”

“That is a lot of coincidences,” Lusa admitted. “You think this woman of yours had something to do with your attack?”

“I don’t know. I was in a bad part of town so getting mugged makes more sense than being kidnapped by Mandalorians, plus no one ever asked me any questions. Still it just seems too damned convenient and her being some kind of Sith agent who tortured and mind wiped me wouldn’t be the oddest thing to happen to me. I passed the information on to the people running the show and they said they’d look into it. They didn’t sound too worried. You know I may not be a Jedi but my life sure seems to play out like I’m one.”

Lusa reached over and pated Tigris on the hand. “Hey don’t worry. Spend the next little bit ignoring all this trouble and trust in the Force. You’ll be shown the path that is right for you.”

Actions:
Lusa and Tigris head for the Federation
Tigris struggles with his relationships, opens up to Irena before leaving
Tigris informs his superiors that Mandalorian commandos may be operating on Nar Shaddaa

[Dark Primus]

Outer Rim - Deep space



The tumbling wreck of a Yuuchan Vong shuttle didn't go unnoticed to the X-Wing patrol crafts scanning it for any signs of life or any dangerous hazards as biological or chemical weapons stored in it. Till the scan was complete they gave the green light to the Assault frigate to bring it on board for closer examination.



Captain A'haader walked down the stairs to the shuttle bay, he signaled to the guards to close down the hanger making it seal tight and straightened his uniform as he took his steps towards the dead shuttle. The maintenance crews were wearing bio-hazard suits and were working all over it, trying to find a way in or cut their own way into it.
“Well have you found anything useful from it?”
The chief technician walked up to the demanding captain and shook his head within his suit. “I am technician not a miracle worker captain.” He removed the suit section covering his head.
They both watched as a dozen men tried to cut themselves an opening in to the dead ship.
“Let me ask you something captain.”
“Go ahead.” He said.
“You don't find it strange your pilots just happened to stumble across this floating dead in space? Given how vast space is?”
“Do you suggests someone deliberately sent it in our patrol flight path?”
“Well captain I am not suggesting anything. When it comes to tactical and strategic analyze thinking I leave that up to you. But I am also saying you should be careful, you know the Yuuchan Vong are a cunning and treachery people. They my have putted a trap on it somewhere.”
“My pilots reported negative. No chemical or biological hazards were detected inside when they scanned it. And besides do you think I would bring it on board if I suspected a trap?”
“All I am saying captain be careful. As you can see all my men are wearing protective suits. I don't trust my enemies.”
“Yes and I have already taken measures of my own. The entire shuttle bay is sealed off. Only us here. If there is a bomb on it then it has to be a small one, not powerful enough to cause any serious threat to the ship.”
The chief technician nodded. “There is something else captain I would want you to see. If you come with me.” They both walked closer to the shuttle and he pointed on the hull to the captain. “Battle damages, from weapons fire.” They both looked upon the hull especially on the lower half of it. “See, here and there.” He pointed them out. “What does it say to you captain?”
A'haader examined the damages with his eyes and arrived to a conclusion. “They were not made by blaster weapons, that's for sure.”
“My thoughts exactly. No matter how you tweak you blaster weapons you can not get these kind of results.”
“Not exactly scorched damages. The weapons that was used here boiled much of the outer layers away.”
“Exactly my point captain. So these damages were not made by any galaxy made weapons, so that rules out, GC, PA and any local governments out here, leaving only...” he gestured with his hand to allow the captain to finish the sentence.
“Yuuchan Vong?”
“Exactly.”
A'haader leaned forward to get a closer look upon the damages. “So the main question is, why would they fire upon one of their own? We do know they have been split in two groups, one that wants peace and another group that wants war. But they seems to avoided each other.”
The chief tilted his head slightly and kept an eye upon his men. “There you have it captain. One mystery solved but it opens up a huge pocket of new questions that needs answered.”



“We have cracked it open.” One of the technicians stated.
The chief and the captain walked around it and joined the others.
“Good Janna, then use the heavy machinery to open it up further.”
“Shall do chief.”
“The smell from there, ain't good, chief.”
“I smell death.” said the captain.



After they managed to open up the shuttle they were right about the smell. At the pilot seat sat one dead Yuuchan Vong, clad in standard warrior armor.
A'haader putted his hands at the shuttle walls and was about to enter but the chief pulled him back.
“Captain, for your own safety, I recommend we enter first. There can be bacterias here we don't know enough about. We don't want you to take unnecessary risks, not till we have studied the ship fully.”
The captain took a few steps back and nodded. “You are right. See if you can extract any info from this ship's data base if it has one.”
The chief took a good look inside the shuttle and took his first step inside. “We will find it, if we know how their data ports looks like. And captain, while we are on the subject.”
“Yes?”
“How much do we know of Yuuchan Vong language?”
“The basics, from prisoners we have taken and interrogated. Now I want you to keep me updated at all times. I am going to make a call across the galaxy.”






Dolomar



Before the local governor and his staff admiral Maddox along with several advisors and ambassadors are listening to the reports and talking to the hologram representation of captain A'haader standing before them in the center of attention.
“ We are still bit at loss why they would have fired upon one of their own ships. We don't get the puzzles to fit. All we have is speculations, sir. From what we can have gathered from the damages was they were made rather recent, within a few day before our arrival to the system. I and my officers are speculating they wanted the shuttle to be found.”
The admiral looked at him with his broad face, with his right arm across his stomach region and his left hand upon his bearded chin, he felt a slight tingle of worry of this news. There hasn't been any signs of Vong activity for weeks till now. “Have you been able to extract any information from the ship?”
“We are still analyzing the entire ship from top to bottom. And we think we have found their version of a computer panel, still too early to say.”
He putted both his hands around his waist, somewhat baffled. “What else have you found?”
“And yes, I almost forgot. There was one dead warrior on board, the body was not frozen solid because the shuttle was still intact. When we opened it, the smell was... horrible to say at least. We have taken it in to the medical bay for study, hopefully we may yet discover any further clues.”
“I suggests you focus on the shuttle, on any info we can have that we can use to our advantage would be a blessing in this conflict, I want all the data translated to basic when you have it, Maddox out.”
“Understood admiral.”
A'haader flickered till non existence leaving the admiral and governor with the diplomats to continue with their talks.



“The snakes are rattling their tails aren't they admiral?” The blue dressed governor Ganders said.
“Apparently this day.” Maddox looked a bit puzzled and it seemed to distract him. “When it comes to Yuuchan Vong, I want to be updated on the spot, as fast as possible, so my apologies for the interuption.”
“Maybe we should delay signing the treaty till tomorrow, you do have a lot to think about with this recent news.”
Maddox sat quietly for a moment, he felt the eyes of the fellow ambassadors stirring at him for an answer. If there was a call to be made then it was up to him to make it. “No governor, I think this would be a good time.”



One of the GC ambassadors were given the paper and carefully handed it over to the sitting governor to sign under. He carefully read through the membership charter and then signed the paper.
“No military fanfares, no major celebrations, because this isn't big news, after all it doesn't come as a surprise to us. It is done quietly just the way I like it.” He said smiling. “Our good relations has been strong for many months, military defense treaties and now full membership in the Galactic Commonwealth.”
The same ambassador were given a second document he returned to the admiral and he read it carefully and wrote down his own name on it.
“I hope Commonwealth will enjoy their new base here, and I hope you were pleased monitoring it's final completion?”
“Pleased is an understatement governor.” He felt his worries slowly die down being replaced by relief. “That base will help to relay ship orders to GC and PA battlegroups roaming the space in the northern east part of the galaxy, which we think the Yuuchan Vong remnant is hiding.” He returned the smile.
“And your twenty five thousand GC troops and officers stationed here will greatly help the local towns with the economy in this financial crisis in the aftermath of the the Vong war.”
The admiral laid all the papers together and putted them all in a protective plastic cover. “I can not stay for dinner governor, the sudden strange enemy activity in the north requires my attention.”
“Sorry to hear that admiral.” Ganders replied. “My top chefs had prepared a mighty dinner for this occasion.” He stood up and saluted. “Maybe some other time then.”
Maddox replied the gesture. “Oh yes, I do smell the food even in here.”
“Then are you certain you can not dine with us then?”
“Again I am truly sorry, under other circumstances. But my presence is needed at the new military base.”
He nodded his head to the governor and walked out.






Actions: Yuuchan Vong shuttle discovered dead in deep space.
System Dolomar now officially joins GC

[Corp]

"So they moved the meeting to the Citadel," Kraas called to his wife as he packed his bag. "Guess they figured it'd be more central or something. Plus there's the symbolism of the place, which I'm more than happy to take advantage of. Seems since we joined the Entente we've been getting the cold shoulder from some of our Imperial friends. Being in a place where tens of thousands of Federation soldiers tried holding back the Vong should remind them we're good to our word."

"Did you get the briefings from Minister saBinring?" Sinya called from the other room.

"Yes," Kraas replied in an annoyed tone. Really in part he was mostly annoyed at himself. He thought he had done rather well thanking everyone for helping with the droid invasion but it seems he had goofed with the Minos Compact. In a way he could see where they were coming from, but part of him didn't see the difference between cash and helping out with a project. End result the was same wasn't it? But he was man enough to admit a mistake and to try and learn from it. So he had Piggy do up some briefing notes on everyone who was expected to be at this meeting. Best to prepare like he was going into battle. "My aide was also trying to tell me something but I wasn't in the mood. Said he'd talk to you about it."

Sinya rolled her eyes as she watched Kraas set his now packed bag by the door. "You know Jord sometimes he has important information for you."

"I asked him if it was vital before I blew him off," Kraas replied defensively as he joined his wife on the couch. "The guy things every little thing is important and I want to spend some time with the kids before I had to go."

"Well he did send me the information and while I think you made the right call in this case you shouldn't make a habit of it. Mainly it has to do with a possible shake up in the Senate. The representative from the Vex system has been giving a lot a lunches and dinners for not only the Separatists but also Senators from other parties."

"Vex Vex...is that were those Ffib nuts are from?"

"Yes and their Senator is a member."

Kraas made a face. While he had no objections to the Order of the Ffib on a whole they had been causing a number of headaches lately. "Ok so he's having lunch with people. What's the issue?"

"The issue is where lunch is taking place," Sinya explained. "All high end restaurants, places that the good Senator shouldn't be able to afford on a daily basis."

"So he's go some money?"

"And a lot of it. Think is it seems to have come out of no where."

"Well we can just do a audit or something on him. If something isn't on the level we'll nail him. Until then I'm sure you can keep a lid on him until I get back."

"I'm your wife, not a member of your government," Sinya reminded him.

Kraas waved the comment aside. "The last presidential spouse was the leader of the whole military. So either I should give you the fleet or marry Admiral Serir."

That got him a pillow in the face. "When do you leave again?"

"Not till morning," Kraas replied with an impish grin. "And with the kids asleep I'm sure we can find better things to do than talk politics."

Actions:
President Kraas heads for the Imperial meeting.
Noted that the Senator from Vex Major seems to have gotten an increase in funds.

[Corp]

Eriadu

Tu'ebb Ilesar took a seat and looked around the Chancellor's office. He always found it interesting to see what objects men of power chose to have in their offices. It helped to give a window of what kind of person they were. Of course Chancellor Fyyar looked like he wanted to get down to business so the questioning of nick nacks would need to wait. "Thank you for seeing me Ambassador."

"Of course Chancellor. What can the Federation do for you today?"

"Well I was hoping you could help us out with a possible problem with the UAP."

Oh, ok time to get serious. Luckily when one became the ambassador to the Imperium you got extra training in this. With its criss cross of alliances the Federation had often stepped in to act as a neutral party, and since the Entente had formed it had only gotten worst. But so far they had held their own. The diplomatic corps liked to claim that if it wasn't for them the UAP and Imperium would have gone to war years ago. "Of course, anything we can do to help the situation."

"I'm glad to hear that. The situation is that we appear to be holding some UAP property. Neither I nor anyone within my government knew about this until recently and we would like to return these items. However I fear that by doing so it may worsen relations."

"So...you want us to talk to the UAP on your behalf?" Tu'ebb asked, wondering just what this was about.

"No not really. What we'd like is to hand them over to your government, who can then return them to the UAP. That was this matter can be quickly resolved without any misunderstandings."

"Oh...ok. Well as long as these objects aren't dangerous I don't see that they're be any problem. The Federation would be happy to help you resolve this matter."

Actions:
Federation agrees to act as a go between for the Imperium

[Tabi]

Mandalore, Kelbabe

"What on earth were you thinking, Raue?"

If anything, the Mandalore knew how to punish his foes, friends, and even family. And he did it ruthlessly and with such power, it'd be considered an art. But that was something else to discuss. At the moment, Janus was fuming. Oh he knew about the old wily neimoidian's little hobby with the dark side of the Force, he and the inner circle of Mandalorians knew that. The Royal family on within the FUS thought their former rival was dead, and proclaimed him an upstart dark sider doing the bidding of Count Dooku. The little lab, and what remains of it, were the linchpin in the Viceroy's Dark Sider Case, and was an automatic branding of him being evil. Further from the truth, but it had been done.

Ruae, as Guri had found, had been experimenting with Bantha DNA, using Sith Alchemy to do something to it. The former Viceroy admitted that he had the basics of Alchemy down, and was progressing rapidly to intermediate levels, though slowly.

"Bantha DNA is simple, one of those perfect stable bases I can work on," he said with proper shamefulness, "I have already crafted several models of the finished product."

"You mean these poor abominations here?" Janus inqured sarcastically as he pointed at the various tanks holding the remains of what was a highly deformed Bantha Cub. Numerous other tanks progress from this one, ranging from glistening pus filled brain tumors to open chest cavities filled with squirming maggots; or rather a perverse form of lungs.

"Indeed, these are the ones that show much promise," Ruae replied, pointing at a clean cage with a normal looking cub, which snorted and promptly made a mess in it's cage. "There are no deformities, it's growth is as fast as I made it to be, and it's health is extremely high."

"What is the point of all this," rumbled the Mandalore.

"Promise you won't laugh."

Janus's lips twisted, "What."

"Promise," said the Viceroy fervently, "Please?"

Janus glanced back at Guri, who shrugged, hiding a smile in her eyes.

"Fine," he sighed, "I promise I won't laugh. Now whats the whole point with this?"

The Viceroy puffed his chest out in pride as he announced, "I plan on creating the best bantha steak ever!"

The silence was deafening, as the leader of the mandalorians let his jaw drop. Behind him, Guri snickered at the affronted expression on the Viceroy's face.

-

The race for the best Bantha Steak continues!

[Keshy]

United Alliance of Planets Territory - Worldcraft Scklio

Since the slaying of Shayyla the Jedi of the United Alliance of Planets had lost themselves to a orgy of training Kam was pushing the United Alliance of Planets Jedi to there limits. They saught to use exhaustion as balm for there grief that they felt at the death of Comrade and Mentor to the all the Republic of Jedi. Shayyla was very much seen as a mother of the New Order.

It was in the middle of these training session that Jacen and Jaina return from there long mission among the Vong. "New uniforms" commented Jacen to Jania.

Kam stopped the session sensing the twins return.

"Jacen and Jaina" Kam approached "You have done well!" the twins returns brightened the dour mood that settled over the Worldcraft. The United Alliance of Planets Jedi had retreated within the Worldcraft since the events on Corellia except for Shaylla’s funeral retreated to there training. The twins where struck by the physical conditioning of the UAP Jedi.

Wonders how six pack looks on Neimoidian thought Jaina.

“You are not the only Solo to have done well however”

“You have brother had passed the final test he his challenge much like you did when slew Lumiya. Lord Nyax is no more. Your brother is now a Jedi Knight!” The twins hugged there younger brother. The twins had being absent from Corellia had missed the main event there the Sith attack on the Jedi Conference being on the mission to find Zonama Sekot.

“You have missed out on a lot. Dooku knows about your brother” said Assajj. "Your brother was too prideful to stay hidden for long"

"Ani" said Jacen a touch of pride and resignation at his younger brother actions. "There will be going for us now"

"Let them come"

The senior Trio of Kam, Tyria and Assaj begin to brief the twins about what had gone since that they got back.

“What!” the twins exclaimed in unison “Shayyla dead!”

"Killed at a Jedi Conference, something I still intended to purpose when I get to Naboo" said Kam "We must show these Sith they haven't fructure order but only made us stronger, more resolute"

“Yes killed by Tavion as she prefers to be known again” said Tyria. “Again” Venge’s secret identity was no longer a secret now. But Tyria explained anyway

“She has surrendered to the Queen on Naboo with some interesting news. Don’t believe a word of it myself” said Tyria.

"Sith Civil War" said Kram "Oh the precedents there. But with the Sith something else is always going on. Always. There is still this other player out there somewhere. I says get Tavion in the room with a Ysalamiri and some bacta therapy and see if she talks then"

Before they left the United Order Jedi had been wearing a Hodge podge of uniform and now they where uniform in uniformes “Shayyla death prompted a change in uniform I see” remarked Jaina. (think cross Jedi Adventure robes and Assassins Creed II). The ornate white and red robes where highlighted by elaborate embroidery.

“Red for those that have fallen and white for the light side of the force” said Kam “And a symbol of our new found Unity. The United Order of Jedi.”

Results:
- Jaina and Jacen arrive home get caught up on events
- The Scklio sets course for Naboo

[Shad4c]

Minos Compact
Tel'nar smiled politely at the official of the breakaway Federation state, showing no signs of discomfort at being so close to the Imperium. Despite the hostile stance that the Confederation held towards their fellow successor state there was little chance of things going beyond saber rattling unless it was Senex that caused it. The shadows of the Walkers and the Entente loomed large over the Corellian sector in the minds of many of the Confederations leaders.
“I thank you for your kind greeting, it has been a please to visit.” The Twi’lik said smoothly.

“We aim to please Ambassador.”

“Quite. I’m afraid that this is something of a hand shaking tour of the galaxy more than a deep contact, should you desire it embassy space will be made available for you on Corellia. On to business, I have been authorized to offer the Compact official peace and trade treaties on behalf of the Diktat.” Tel’nar stated.

Holding up a hand to stop the Compact representative’s reply he continued.

“As you are aware, the Confederations origins are similar to your own in that we are an offshoot of another nation, though on a far larger and absolute level then your own. The Federation has honored its alliance with the former Cornelian-Senex Imperium extended it to the successor states that sprung from it, with this in mind we offer to do the same to you. This offer to extend our Mutual Defense Treaty to you is of course completely separate to the over treaties I have been instructed to sign.” Telnar finished.


Diplomatic Transmission
From: Diktat Marka San-Telo
To: The Mandalore
Upon receiving word from Ambassador Ister of your request I can confirm that we will be happy to sign peace and trade agreements with your government. I would also inquire as to two further points, a request that you arrange for a senior reprehensive of the mandalorian group known as the peacekeepers to come to Corellia for a meeting with my government. Also to inform you that there have been some mummers from my advisors that the Bloodstripe should seek alliances with powers not so closely tied up in what they see as an impending Republic/Imperial Conflict.

[An Ancient]

Naboo

Amanda said nothing for a few moments as the import of the message she’d overheard sank in. Distantly, some part of her regretted not destroying Kiva on Shulstine, the cost might have been high but she feared this situation now had even higher stakes, she was only one person and this involved two, albeit one of them unborn.

Politically the SWE should have an interest in this, Bronwyn was originally from the FRA, even if these days she spent most of her time in the SAS, and the SAS was still an ally. That was a side-note to the larger issues though, the Sith were involved, the victim was a Jedi, one who many of the SWE Jedi knew. The message said they needed to find somewhere to intercept or track their quarry, but that meant it also had to be fairly covert since a massive effort would doubtless change the balance of the situation. The fact that no-one had been immediately killed meant that at this time there was still a vested interest in keeping Bronwyn alive, that situation had to be maintained.

Even as Rayce hurried just ahead of her to find Noora, Amanda was doing something she’d never really done before, using the fortune of her birth to get what she wanted, quickly. It only took a minute or so before a secure link to Citadel Station was established and her father’s voice answered, she outlined the situation to him as quickly as possible, modulating her voice so she couldn’t be overheard. In the background she could hear the faint beeps and scrapes of commands being entered even before she’d finished speaking. With that done and a few parting comments exchange she ran to catch up with Rayce even as they ended up in a secure ante-room somewhere in the Palace.

A few moments later Noora burst in through the other doors, there was little to be said apart from replaying the message. The fact that Amanda was still there at all meant everyone had already accepted that she wanted to help and even as Rayce explained what resources were currently being brought in she glanced over at the SWE Jedi;

“Is there anything you can do from your side?”

“Yes, I’ve already put things in motion.”

“Such as?” tension marked Rayce’s words but Amanda let it slide, the situation was not ideal and no-one was going to be on best behaviour.

“All of our intelligence units are keeping an eye out, we have some… unique… units that have been tracking Sith activity for months now plus the more conventional agents. If the ship of anyone else on it shows up in any know Sith haunt we’ll know fairly soon.”

“But what about getting ready to go after her? Dooku’s organisation will almost certainly have someone watching those directly affected on Nar Shadda in case they get wind of something, soon enough they’ll have people watching anyone who might help, us included. There aren’t exactly that many places to go, anywhere big enough to be secure can be watched from without.”

“True, but that isn’t the end of it, as you may or may not know the SWE has been gearing up to take out a major Sith base for weeks now, assembling assets and ships quietly. It’s time the two of you learned about the 13th Fleet.”

Noora spoke up: “There have been rumours of a secret SWE fleet for as long as I can remember, but no-one has ever proved or confirmed anything.”

“Well, just between us, unofficially, it exists. But that doesn’t leave these four walls. It’s mobilised already, part of it is already on its way here to get us into deep space, we can co-ordinate from there and being in the other affected parties, Dooku doesn’t know about it, so he can’t spy on us and when it comes down to it it’s the best suited unit to track down the ship that took Bronwyn.”

“You were just going to glass the Sith base?”

“Not exactly, we’ve called in the ground troops we were going to use as well. Almost every SWE Jedi is heading for the fleet even as we speak. My parents are on their way out from Citadel, I’m here already, the list goes on.”

Noora’s tone was cautious; “While I really can’t tell you how much this helps means, this can’t be an SWE operation, politically it would be problematic, personally, those affected probably don’t trust the SWE as much as I do but even if they did this was a blow at them, I know they’ll want to call the shots.”

“Don’t worry, they will, we are offering these resources to be used as is seen fit by those who know the situation first-hand, that includes everyone, even my father. Since you’re the one the message was directed to, I guess I’m at your command. The rest of the covert team I was working with are waiting for us on the flotilla that’s here.”

“Do they have the proper clearance codes? I haven’t heard any alarms, I’m pretty sure the navy would’ve picked up an unknown flotilla dropping into orbit.”

“Don’t worry about that, they’re orbiting the next planet out.”

Frowning, Rayce called up a system wide scan;

“There is nothing there.”

“Well, nothing the sensors can see anyway, I can feel their presence, they’re here. Whenever you’re ready, we can be on the move, but if you or the SAS have any other Force users handy we could probably use them, if Kiva’s heading for Dooku’s centre of operations we’ll probably need them. What do you want me to do?”

-SWE covertly diverts all resources built up for the assault on the Sith base to be placed at the disposal of Noora and Arik, space-based forces for covert tracking of ships, insertion onto planets without notice and the like, plus enough Jedi and elite ground forces to take on several armies.


New Hyperspace Rotue

Cyrene’s brow was lightly bathed in sweat as the ship burst out of hyperspace for the final time on this mission, dropping a last booster the moment before it reverted to below the lightspeed barrier. The primary SWE section of the new hyperlane was now basically complete, in between them and safe travel was a central section the SWE and Imperium would co-operate on, but that could wait until the Imperium confirmed its own primary section was secure.

She spun in her chair and stood briefly before collapsing back into a passenger seat behind the pilots chair, it could recline, a feature which she immediately used. The door hissed open and Andris walked in with Dinah, who spoke:

“Well, I don’t know quite how this all works, but by the standards we were given when we left you just passed your final test. Guess you’re a Jedi Knight now, welcome to the club, I’m sure there will be some sort of ceremony when we get back.”

She offered a formal hand-shake to Cyrene, who stood and took it, and then was pulled into a hug;

“Well done, we knew you’d make it.”

Andris offered a similar handshake and congratulations;

“Now you can get back to that seat, I think you need a break.”

“I think I agree, hopefully there will be cake when we get back, the effort it takes to get through hyperspace manually really takes it out of you.”

“Well, I’ll set us a course and … wait, incoming priority message. It says; Bronwyn kidnapped by Darth Fatale, all recipients to set immediate course for the Apocalypse and await further orders. It’s signed by my father and sent to the three of us, wait, the recipient list is… wow… that’s quite a list. Better get going.”

In the dead black of space the ship wheeled and vanished into hyperspace.

Elsewhere

From the fleet exercise grounds around the Tarkins Fang station Corran’s flagship tore a path through the Deep Core on its way out of the system.

Out on the fringes of the galaxy, a few days out of Barab I, Myria’s personal ship adjusted its course in hyperspace as it received the message.

From their exercises on the Chun’nthor C’resia, Macar and Cyrene’s friend headed for a stealth shuttle as the message played out over the speakers.

In orbit around Balmorra several other SWE Jedi finished supervising the loading of the ground units intended for the assault on the rumoured Sith base, that done, the bulk of the 13th Fleet jumped, heading to the same co-ordinates, where the Apocalypse awaited them and all other arrivals.

On the Apocalypse itself, the main troop training deck was being refitted by triple-shift crews, routing secure communications and analysis equipment down to dozens of displays and command consoles, camp beds were also set up alongside an exercise area. The entire deck was sealed off and made ready for its new task. The ship may have been in the void between stars, but there was one directly ahead that told of the initial focus to the mission, a fifth of the galaxy away, the star that gave light to Nar Shaddaa twinkled innocently.

Citadel Station

The Dark Fire rippled and vanished ahead of an eclectic mix of similarly unseen Black Watch craft as is arced out of a hanger and into space. Ty’lin looked across from her co-pilots seat;

“Are you sure this is the best idea? Heading off like this with so much force, what about the Imperial conference?”

“No, I’m not sure, but Admiral Valarin can handle himself if we aren’t back in time. That’s why Noora and Arik will be calling the shots, they know what’s going on well enough, we just need pointing at the Sith.”

“One of us could’ve stayed back.”

“How many months has it been since we’ve had even a few days together?”

“Just kidding, but you know I’d never let you run off into such an obvious trap alone anyway.”

“You sense it as well?”

“If it isn’t then Dooku’s losing his touch.”

“Well, I authorised some surprises for whatever forces he’s positioning just before we left, should be quite a show when they’re done.”

Ty’lin grinned; “Well, in light of your previous comments it sounds like the paperwork is all done and the autopilot is set. I think it’s time for some more ‘relaxing’ activities.”

“Indeed, ‘relaxing sounds pretty good right now.”

“Only ‘pretty good’?”

“Can’t make a proper evaluation without the experience, and in the interests of fairness we’d have to have several repeats to compare.”

“Oh I was hoping you’d say that.”

Krennath gestured to the door back into the rest of the ship;

“Well, ladies first.”

“Even better.”

-SWE begins research into two new capital ship classes (6 months)-
-Also on new ground vehicles (6 months)-

[Dark Primus]

Koornacht Cluster – Nzot


The sound of humming lightsabers and clashes echoed in the corridors and halls in the ancient Yevetha temple now serving as a Sith base. A closer look reveals a duel between a Sith Lord and a young Sith student, testing each others skills.


“I'm glad the ancient Sith fighting style hasn't lost it's touch.” Malleus voice echoed as he jumped backwards avoiding another deadly swing that would have cut him in half.
“All of our fighting technique are based on the old school.” The twenty year old Sarn Armo said as he jumped forward up against the wall behind Malleus and forced jump from it in a surprising speed and agility and landed behind the Sith Lord who swung around with his arm out holding his lightsaber extended in a deadly path to cut the Sith student's head off. He dodged it quickly with grace, his long black hair waved at his sudden movement and the sword cut unopposed through the few hair straws that didn't move quickly enough above his head. He responded with a force push, pushing the Sith Lord backwards a few meters, but a quick counter by Malleus partially absorbed the force from the force pull and shoot it back out in the form of force lightning.
Sarn's lightsaber stopped most of it but he was struck in his left shoulder putting him temporary off balance.




Alema Rar stood together with Kir Kanos watching on from the distant as the duelists continued fighting at the opposite corner of the hall.
“Sarn is good at fighting but I haven't seen him break out in anger, doing anything big or spectacular yet. So far I am unimpressed and disappointed.”
Kanos smirked at the statement. “I think he is enjoying the exercise he is giving.”
“Pfft. I think Malleus wants to extract little more anger out of him, turning him into a more fierce combatant.”




Her assessment was also shared by Malleus who saw great potential in Sarn but has felt disappointment, he wanted to see more raw power in this fight and Sarn had yet to deliver it, to show his raw potential, he needed to extract that out of him.
“I do feel your anger boy, you must tap into it far more deeper. The well of the dark side is endless, you must master it to control what ever power you choose to use in combat. Don't hold it back and unleash your true potential. Show it to me!”
In a flash Sarn's eyes glowed of pure rage and as sudden as a lightning from a clear blue sky almost intensive as a lightning storm itself he unleashed his brute force of force lightning from his fingertips covering almost the whole hall. Malleus jumped to the side avoiding getting the brunt of the blast.
Kanos threw himself upon Alema barely avoiding the dancing raw power of mix white and bluish force piercing through his red mantle where he stood just a flash of a second ago setting it on fire. As they both fell he turned in midair so she landed safely upon him behind a shield of columns.
As the lightning struck against the rock walls on the far side of the hall it made small and large craters where it struck vaporizing pure rock, turning the smooth rock face into a moon landscape filled with craters. His eyes glowed of force lightning striking out joining the powers he ejected out with his fingertips intensifying it even further and as sudden it had come it just stopped and then there was nothing but silence.




She could feel his strong heart pounding healthy in his chest through his crimson armor as she laid on top of him. She lifted her head looking at Kanos who looked back at her.
“Are you happy to see me or is it your blaster I feel?” She said jokingly.
“I am not wearing a blaster. I think what you feel is my-”
“Don't go there.” she said abruptly turning her head away, she should have known better then telling a joke to someone lacking humor.
“-My retracted blade.” He continued. “I am glad you are okey and still alive.” Kanos assured her.
She gave out a sigh, the hope to be given more then just a cold statement vanished. “Sure.” She said as she connected her knee to a certain sensitive spot between his legs and he gave away a careful “Ouch.” He wasn't sure his armor in that region had become suddenly weaker or if she had boosted her knee push with the force making it extra painful.
She raised up and walked out from the protective screen from the columns seeing Malleus congratulating the Sith student for showing one of his potential gifts and his strength was slowly emerging.
Kanos came up behind her he could feel the electricity in the air after the force lightning, his exposed body hair was standing out.


“It is not the first time I have used it. I even impressed my own master Andreon. I have nick named it Force Lightning Storm. As you witnessed my lord, a much much greater force potential and devastation potential then just merely force lightning.”
Malleus looked proudly upon the student. “Yes, where a force lightning only can take out few people at the time, but a pure... lightning storm like that could wipe out a whole army of soldiers.”
He turned swiftly around. “You need to improve it even further, make it bigger and stronger, but you must also be able to master it so you can call upon to use it when ever you want to. You need to be more aggressive and your true potential shall reveal itself.”
“Yes my master.” The student bowed his head.
“I shall continue with student J'Tan Ark. I hope he has your level of knowledge of the force.”
“He does my master.”
“Today's first lesson is concluded for you.”






Action: Darth Malleus helps the two Sith students from Lost Tribe of the Sith to become stronger.

[Coyote]

Theed Palace, Naboo
Throne Room





"Good news, Majesty," Representative Miles Koel said as he entered the Throne Room. "I just got a message from Chairperson Saviya, who says that the Administrator of Kabray Base is interested in becoming a part of the SAS," he said.
"Kabray Base?" Jedi Alec Syfardos asked.

"Small diplomatic station in orbit over a largely uninhabited forest world," Master Kota identified. "It's been a neutral meeting place for sector politics for a long time. I suspect they won't so much be joining the SAS as they will be falling under the SAS's protection."

"That's correct, sir," Representative Koel said, "The Administrator is a Pantoran female named Cien Cho, and she asks that no military forces be stationed there-- although she will accept a Judiciary precinct," he said with a nod towards Commander Alya Tasko.

Eyes were on the Queen, however, who was reading through some recent poll numbers. "This is excellent news," Queen Apailana said, "But we have a great deal of business to see to. These numbers are troubling, not because of what they represent to me personally, but because they seem to reflect things in the Alliance itself."

"Majesty?" Koel asked.
"What we have," Media Director Selway Bavan said, "is essentially a three-way split. With just a few variances in percentages, we have nearly 30% of the electorate backing Her Majesty, 30% backing Moff Tabor, and about 30% --slightly less-- backing Prince Nizarr."

"That leaves ten percent," Commander Tasko said. "Who are they backing?"
"That's the difficult part," Director Bavan said, "While a few fringe parties are represented, a lot of the ten percent that's up for grabs all gravitate towards the same thing-- Ranya Savan."

"She's not even running," Miles Koel said.
"The responses we're getting," Bavan said, "Is that they are waiting to see who she endorses. Watch what happens when we poll people about her entering the race." On a holo-projector, a visual graph showing the 3-way split fairly evenly was projected, with the color maroon representing the Queen; green for Prince Nizarr; and grey for Moff Tabor. A small sliver of the color yellow was present, representing Ranya Savan.

"When we change the question, and ask people who they'd vote for if Ranya Savan entered the race, this is what we get." On the holo, the maroon bar for the Queen shrank to insignificance; the grey bar for Moff Tabor lost half it's size, and the green bar for Prince Nizarr shrunk to a third of it's size. The yellow bar representing Ranya's support easily dwarfed them all.

"It'd be a shut-out," Director Bavan said. "Interesting to note who loses support-- I think that these numbers represent the absolute limit for support for Tabor and Nizarr both. No matter what happens, they'll always retain about 10% to 20% or so of the votes, but they can't wine over much more than 30% overall." He ran through more scenarios-- in each one, Ranya Savan gave her support to each of the three candidates. When she gave theoretical support to Moff Tabor, he gained 40% of the votes; when her support was reflected in Prince Nizarr's favor, he only saw a 5% gain in support.

"We think Prince Nizarr's maxed out his political support," Bavan said with some satisfaction. "He'd have a hard time getting more than 30% of the vote even under the best of circumstances."

"People don't forget Hadiss --Krahn-- easily," Commander Tasko said with a frown.
"What we do see, though," Bavan said, "Is that both Tabor and the Queen are in a dead heat for Ranya's support. If Ranya endorses the Queen, the Queen easily wins over 50% of the vote. If Ranya endorses Tabor, he gets about 45% of the vote, which may be enough to win if everyone else either stays home or votes for fringe candidates out of protest."

"Did you run a scenario where Prince Nizarr bows out of the race?" Alec asked.
"We did," Bavan said, "And got some more interesting insights." He ran the scenario and the animation changed again-- Nizarr's bar disappeared, and half the people who supported him went to the Queen, with Tabor seeing no change. The other half of Nizarr's supporters, however, changed to a black bar.

"What does that mean?" Miles Koel asked.
"Nizarr's absolute, hard-core supporters," Bavan said. "The ones who refuse to vote at all if Nizarr's out of the race."
"That's disconcerting," Queen Apailana said, "That means 15% of the voters will disenfranchise themselves."

"I think part of that is because Tabor, an Imperial, is running," Commander Tasko said.
"The real thing we need to do," Director Bavan said, "Is either get Ranya Savan to endorse the Queen, or, failing that, convince Nizarr to bow out so we can soak up his supporters."

"What are the candidates pushing that people like?" Miles Koel asked.
"Tabor is going for the law-and-order route, and the recent Imperial popularity hasn't hurt," Director Bavan said, "He was at the Imperial Unity Conference and won concessions, and took over Bannistar Station, so he appears 'decisive'," he said with a roll of his eyes. "Meanwhile, Prince Nizarr has the support of the militant Republicanists that want to seize control of the Corellian Run and run out the pirates."

"Okay," Alec said, "And Her Majesty?"
"The Queen's support stems from her status as, well, not being Viktor Krahn, being seen as a return to Noora Raidaa's policies, rebuilding diplomatic ties with the Empires, and trying to keep us out of the Vong war until it was unavoidable. Having Tavion walk in and surrender helped."

"But what do people dislike Her Majesty for?" Tasko had to ask.
Bavan shrugged. "The biggest one is the group that thinks we shouldn't have gotten involved in the Vong War in the first place," he said, "For various reasons."
"People are never happy," Tasko muttered.
"Not all at once," Bavan said, "And certainly not all in the same way. Welcome to politics."

"What I don't understand," Alec Syfardos said, "Is how is it that Ranya Savan is so popular?"
"Imperials like her because she helped the Doldur Sector's independence movement," Bavan said. "The Republicists like her because she represents a return to old-fashioned Naboo democracy with young girl Queens, and she's racking up a score of worlds entering the Alliance. Others like her because while she is a classical Naboo Queen in appearances, she is actually from Tatooine-- so she represents a break from the tradition that only Naboo politicians have led the SAS."

"So in other words, she's s bit of everything to everyone," Alec said.
"A blank slate, really," Miles Koel said, nodding his understanding, "She hasn't done much of substance --beyond bringing in Christophsis-- so people are free to see in her whatever pet projects they want to see."

"So what can we do?" Queen Apailana said, "I think I can get Ranya to support me, but I want to do more to shore up security credentials. What are some of the accomplishments we've had recently?"

"A number of planetary defenses have been built in the last couple months," Commander Tasko said. "And the first batches of the new 'Stronghold'-class fleet ships have begun integrating into the fleet."
"Let's use that," the Queen said, just as the door opened again. The Palace Guard, flustered, wasn't sure what to do-- bursting in on the Queen wasn't part of normal protocol unless one had urgent business; this was the third burst-in in an hour.

"What is this?" Queen Apailana asked.
"Pardon, Majesty," said Noora Raidaa as she strode in smoothly, her face hardened with anger. Amanda Krennath and Rayce Tambo were close on her heels. "I was on my way back up here after talking with the bitch when I got a call from these two," she said, indicating Rayce and Amanda. "Bronwyn Ore has been kidnapped on Nar Shadda. We are going to go out and search for her. I need Jedi."





Results:
Queen discusses re-election hopes, in a 3-way tie with Nizarr and Tabor.
Nizarr's support is maxed out and he can't win under the best scenarios, hopefully he'll bow out.
Otherwise, Nizarr provides a potential "spoiler" to take votes away from Queen Apailana to favor Tabor.
Another potential problem: Ranya Saviya is very popular-- whoever she endorses gets a big boost.

Also:
Word reaches Palace that Bronwyn has been abducted.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Bannistar Station
Shuttle Docks




Despite the media furor over the Bannistar Station incident, as it was being called, few people stopped there to see what the fuss was about. Images of Bannistar Station had flooded the HoloNet, and shown it to be what it was: a battered, decrepit old fueling base that had long since fallen to disrepair and had been stripped of anything useful. What had briefly been Moff Adon Tabor's gleaming moment of glory had become an object of controversy: pro-Imperials argued the possession of a strategically important site that needed to be rebuilt (to provide jobs); while anti-Imperials argued that Moff Tabor had foolishly engaged on a reckless acquisition of a wasteful boondoggle.

And so it was the Doldur Sector companies eagerly rushed to sign contracts with the Sector Government --which was, after all, Moff Tabor-- and so the station was almost entirely a province of the Doldur Sector in fact if not in name. It gave Moff Tabor an easy place to do business away from the curious eyes of the media, which followed him everywhere he went when on Naboo or Doldur. But not on Bannistar Station.

"Here it is," one of the bay technicians said to his co-worker, close to Moff Tabor as they watched the gleam of reflected light from one of the "stars" get brighter. The star resolved itself, slowly, as a Senex-class Corvette, straight from its namesake government, the Senex Imperium.

"This will be a real boost to your chances," his chief aide, Colonel Regla, said with a smile and a nod. Moff Tabor straightened, holding back a smile of triumph. He felt vindicated, but at the same time, nervous. "Where's your girlfriend?" Regla asked, looking around for Dalia.

"She used up a lot of her leave time," Tabor said, "She had to go back to her job at Naboo. I'll meet her there when I take these guys back home for the triumphant return."
"Excellent," Regla said. "Poll numbers have been run," he said, "This race is essentially between you and the Queen."

"What do you mean?" Tabor asked.
Colonel Regla got him caught up on the latest data. "It's a three-way tie with you, Nizarr and the Queen. Nizarr can't win no matter what, even if that Saviya girl endorses him. We need to keep Nizarr in the race, though, because if he bows out, most of his support goes to the Queen."

"And if he stays in, he splits the vote with Her Majesty and I have a chance, eh? Nice."
"We just need to get Saviya to declare her support for you, and that'll siphon some of the fence-sitters and uncertain ones from the Queen."

"It'll be hard to get her on our side," Tabor cautioned.
"She supported our status as a Autonomous Zone," Colonel Regla said.
"For her own reasons, which now don't exist," Tabor said. "We also have to keep Nizarr involved, ironic though that seems, now. Ah, the ship..." The Imperium Corvette entered the bay, and was directed to the landing pad, where it touched down manually, the tractor beam emitters long since gone from the station by treasure seekers. The ramp lowered, and a squad of Stormtroopers emerged, with the prisoners among them. Behind them all came an imposing figure in red.

"No one told me Iceheart was coming," Colonel Regla said, breathing in sharply.
"No one told me," Tabor replied, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Moff Tabor?" Ysanne Isard said, approaching. She accepted his salute, and returned it crisply, and shook his hand. "I remember you from the last Unity meet. Will you be at Citadel for the next one?"
"I don't know if I can," he admitted, "With the election and all."
"I understand. You'd better serve the Empire staying here and winning the throne than wasting time at a meeting to say things we already all pretty much agree on. Do you have a plan?"

"Well, we took Bannistar Station, obviously," Moff Tabor said, "And equally obviously, the pro-Republic media is mocking the move."
"That is to be expected," Isard said with a dismissive shrug.
"--and the Imperial media is calling it a strategic victory securing the Duros run."
"Which it is," she said with a wry smile. "You also, now, have these... citizens returned to you. I'm sure that will be a feather for your cap." She handed over a data chip with the official documentation detailing their capture, the circumstances, and rationales, and reasons for letting them go.

"With the Sullustan, it's easy to figure out-- the ship he was on was taken as part of a personal vendetta between that ship's captain and the officer who abducted them. Very embarrassing; disciplinary action is being considered, and so on."

"And the Dug?" Tabor asked.
"He was wanted by the Ubiqtorate in relation to criminal activity surrounding one Prall the Hutt at the Nubian Palace Casino, back when it was under Imperium jurisdiction. He was found trespassing, detained, and turned over for questioning, but we found that he had nothing to do with the arms smuggling that went on there, and is now being released. No charges."

"Excellent," Moff Tabor said, seeing it all wrapped up nice and neat. "This will provide a nice counter-balance to the diplomatic flurry that Ranya Saviya has stirred."

"Good luck with your election, then," Isard said. "If you become King, the Imperium will open diplomatic relations with the Sovereign Alliance. Use that if you feel it would help. We look forward to your eventual victory."







Results:
Moff Tabor meets with Ysanne Isard on Bannistar Station.
Jungo and Karnulba turned over to him as a hopeful boost (and to get a potential embarrassment out of their hands).

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Transfer Ship Jabba's Shadow
In Orbit Over Nar Shadda





Geo, in his identity as JG-458, could only watch helplessly as the prisoner was brought aboard. He could not even alert her through the Force that there was an ally aboard, for the Sith Darth Fatale was there with her. They'd come up on an ordinary shuttle trip, with no warning of any special cargo or passengers, just the payroll from the very successful auction.

Rotta the Hutt slithered up with an escort of Battle Droids, some Wookiee troops, and a pair of Magnaguards.

"Watch this bitch," Darth Fatale said, "She's Jedi. I understand you have some facility for her?"
"Chae wanngo de wanoo, deeba worsuu," Rotta said.
"I don't care, just keep her in there. Lower the temperature and atmosphere as much as possible and she'll have to go into a self-preservation hibernation trance."

She shoved Bronwyn forward, and Geo could see the swollen belly characteristic of humanoid gestation. Darth Fatale had the woman's lightsaber clipped to her belt, while her own saber was in her hand, ready to ignite if Bronwyn put up any resistance. Geo could tell that Bronwyn was not in any position to try anything-- she'd been beaten, and now, surrounded by Fatale and the Hutt goons on the now mostly empty ship, had no chance of escape.

"Move it, brood mare," Fatale growled. Bronwyn staggered forward, her head down as she was guided by the various thugs and droids towards the interior of the vessel. Geo realized how smart it was to bring Bronwyn up now that everything was over with the auction: the ship, now empty of prisoners and swag, had a full crew with nothing to do but devote themselves to whatever came up-- so there were hundreds of beings available to stand guard over the Jedi. It was odds even a Jedi Master, armed and free, would have found daunting.

Geo followed along, like many others, watching to see where the prisoner was taken. A hastily-assembled durasteel box, wired for forcefields and rigged with explosives in the form of anti-personnel mines facing inwards, was grav-clamped to the deck.

"This facility is crude, but it should serve our purpose," Fatale said with a slight frown. "Is that a grav pallet it's mounte don? Good. Jack up the gravity, and once the force fields are up, drop atmo down to bare survivability standards. Just don't do anything that will damage the baby, or my Master will feed you all to rakghouls."

"Daegrr dowanowacha chee nagu?" Rotta asked, impassive as Bronwyn was shoved into the box.
"No," Fatale said, "I am just here to oversee the transfer of the prisoner. I have business back on the surface." She watched as the gravity and atmospheric changes were dialed in, and Bronwyn --as expected-- went into a self-preservation hibernation trance.

"Excellent," Darth Fatale said with a smile. "She's all yours. And the money has already been transferred to your account for your help in this matter." She strode back to the shuttle bay, but Geo ignored her. How to deal with Bronwyn in captivity was going to be difficult. Geo's instinct was to try to free her, but there was nowhere to go, and she'd have to be brought out of her hibernation trance first. There was little he could do without simultaneously blowing his cover and initiating a fight with the entire crew of the ship-- while safeguarding a helpless, pregnant woman.

Looks like we're riding this through to the end, Geo acknowledged silently to himself, and he settled in to maintain cover and wait.




Results:
Bronwyn Whitesun brought aboard the Jabba's Shadow pirate transfer ship.
Geo notes her arrival but helpless to do anything. Bronwyn put in stasis for transport to unknown location.

*** *** *** *** ***


Skywalker Farm Praxeum
The Alliance Order
Tatooine









Irena Syfardos went about her work calmly. She took care of Kenzcee; she performed all the duties required of a Jedi teaching a Padawan. She was grateful for Avar's presence-- he allowed her to concentrate on something, and in a way, by explaining the ways of the Force, and Jedi ethics to Avar, she also had to break down the arguments herself and run through them for her own benefit as well.

She avoided Drakko Kevil entirely.

What Tigris said had hurt. It had hurt and unbalanced her, but deep down inside she knew that it had to be said, and that he was right. Irena had felt herself somewhat superior to the other Jedi who had fallen, especially Drakko. Now she felt awkward around him, he who had been so concerned about Kenzcee as she was...

"Hello," Drakko said, walking in on her suddenly as she was coming out of Kenzcee's room. They stared at each other, awkwardly, for a moment.
"Hello," Irena said plainly, and started to shoulder her way past the twi'lek. She stopped, and noticed a glint of light off of something attached to his belt.

"Did you make a new lightsaber?" she asked him.
"Yeah," Drakko said evenly.
"I wondered where you were the last couple of days," she said.
"Yeah, well, there I was," he said, stiff and formal with her.

Irena looked at him. Her emotions warred with her, momentarily. "Drakko," she said, "I'm sorry I've been a judgmental bitch."
Drakko looked at her, uncertain what the sudden apology meant. His expression was more unreadable due to the slight paralysis that lingered on his left side, where General Grievous's metal fist had impacted with him.

"I mean," Irena said, "I, um... I thought.." she sighed, and collected her thoughts. "I thought that, you know, I went through pain and hell too, and I never fell to the Dark Side because of it. That whole time at Citadel, the death, with Ganner, drinking, the baby, the depression... all that and I never attached a 'Darth' to my name. So I thought I was... better."

Drakko looked at her, his expression changing to one of guarded concern. "You know," he said, "Thinking I was 'better' was what led me down my path," he said.
"Yeah," Irena said with an uneasy laugh. "The irony, huh? And, um, just the other day, Tigris told me what a bitch I was being, and he was right."

"Tigris called you a bitch?" Drakko asked, surprised.
"No, he didn't... call me a bitch," she said, "He just said I was being unfair to people. And he was right. I was unfair; I just go the extra mile and call myself a bitch for it. So, here I am, saying I'm sorry. I mean, I couldn't very well shun you for falling to the Dark Side, and not do the same with Master Bronwyn, after all, could I?"

"I suppose," Drakko said, "Um, anyhow, speaking of Master Bronwyn, I have to go. I just came to say goodbye to Kenzcee."
"Okay," Irena said, puzzled. "Why are you taking off? And what does Bronwyn have to do with it?"

"You haven't heard," Drakko said. "Master Bronwyn has been kidnapped by Darth Fatale. A bunch of us are going after her."

Irena was stunned. "Darth Fatale? Who the hell is--?"
"We think it's Kiva Ordo," he said.
"Kiva..?"
"Mandalorian Force user," he said.
"Mandalorian."

Drakko shrugged. "Irena, I thank you for taking the time to think about what's been going on. It affects me, and that means you took time to be considerate of me. I appreciate that. I accept your apology, and offer mine in return for what I've done. But right now, I have an opportunity to correct some mistakes, and my time as a Sith may be helpful, offer insight, that kind of thing. But I need to move, now. I want to say goodbye to Kenz and then I need to get going."

"I'll get read..." Irena started to say, but she realized that Kenzcee and Avar were still at the Praxeum, and needed her.

"It'll be okay," Drakko said. "Amanda Krennath kicked over some kind of an anthill, I think, and we've got, like, six Death Stars being built for this. We'll be okay. Take care of Kenz. Lorakk'chi's going to stay here, too."
"Okay," she said. He ducked in, and oddly enough, Kenzcee's eyes flared with recognition at him.

"Gotta go," he said. "But I'll be back."
Kenzcee looked up at him, her face animate for a moment, as she spread her arms out for him. He leaned over and hugged her, and then broke free and smiled, and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"May the Force be with you," Irena said.
Drakko looked at her, and at the closed door, and back at her. "And you, too," he said, and was gone.








Result:
Drakko Kevil comes out of personal exile to help with Bronwyn.
Wookiee Padawan Lorakk'chi will come back to the Praxeum as well.

***

[Ironanvil1]

Deep Space, Minos Cluster

The lattice of dark metal was barely visible against the void of space, only the reflected glints of light from distant stars outlining it against the blackness.
Slowly a fox fire tracery, tiny sprites of emerald lightning began to chase each other playfully over the ethereal sculpture, a spiderweb against the void.
A fragile glow built first at the tips of the delicate filigree, growing gradually in strength as it spread to the core, until it was a blinding incandescence.
With an immense blast of photons the sculptural construct was obscured from view.

“ALRIGHT YOU LAZY BUGGERS! GET THE NEXT ONE LOADED!”

The technicians in their Vacsuits swarmed forward from the shelter of the ship as the order blared over their comms and busily started preparing the hyperspace injector for its next payload.

The injector itself was technology from the dim recesses of time, closely related to the ancient hyperspace cannons in use before even the rise of the Republic.
Its entire purpose was to insert its payload into a precisely coordinated point of hyperspace.
The S-thread booster the techs were carefully loading was the expensive part, a complex device meant to artificially replicate and reinforce the natural occurrence of a hyperlane, with the associated need for it to indefinitely survive the rigours of hyperspace.

This was the easy section, the route to Corva Yag wasn’t well travelled, these days, but it had been comprehensively plotted to support the plans to colonise the world. The optimum sites for S-thread boosters were simple to derive from the existing charts, only a bare minimum of new probe work had been required to adapt for stellar drift.

Once they got beyond the fringes of the Cluster, then the hard work would begin.



Onadax, Minos Cluster

Looking out of the windows at the deep red sunset sky, the patrolling guards silhouetted against it, was an odd feeling.
Onadax wasn’t the biggest world, but the stay here was the first time in years he’d spent an extended period on a planetary surface.
Since leaving Travnin and the Academy probably, he’d been used to asteroid and shipboard life, where “outside” was somewhere you went in a Vacsuit.
Spotting the dying sun glinting off a bald pate, he started preparing a Sonic Servodriver from the drinks cabinet.

He handed it to Serlin as he walked in the door a few moments later, having negotiated the security post downstairs.
Taking his own drink, the two of them flopped down on the couches in the corner.

“So how’d the talks go?”

“Odd - I don’t like dealing with those fanatics from Elrood – they’re not firing on all thrusters - you always get the feeling their ready to knife you.”
“But they went for it, partially at least. They’ll work with you, the same as Lord Onadax, much good it did him.”
“But wouldn’t discuss the attempt on the Protector, part of their mumbo-jumbo religion, only Onadax could call them off once the death’s been accepted.”

Sipping at his glass, Zaal responded, “I interrogated one of his surviving people, it was definitely payback for calling the hit that got him killed. It wasn’t a local got him, word is it was professionals from the Twin Planets. Veils, apparently - all the Housers I’ve spoken to here seem to think having them after you is reason to book a funeral.”
“They were clean, very clean – outer security penetrated, the inner guards went down to blades or single headshots, no alarms until they were in Onadax’s own quarters.
“Only his Loag shadows put up a fight – it was messier, but they went down as well.”

Serlin winced,“Nasty people to have on your case. I still don’t understand what possessed him to do it - the Compact Houses seemed willing to let Onadax be, but trying to off the Protector on House Cherna turf? It was bound to get a hard response.”

Zaal shrugged.
“Sheer paranoia, he wanted to get his enemies before they got him. You saw what his place was like when we went to talk to him that time, how many guardposts did we go through? Never mind the automated stuff he had in that fortress of his.”
“He had some deal going that was bringing in a lot of credits, bought him his Loag minders and evidently he thought he had the resources together to succeed in some pre-emptive retaliation.” He smiled faintly.
“Probably us turning up just added to the overconfidence. We know what’d happen if we put the Division up against a Compact fleet, but us having proper warships seemed to impress him.”

“About that. I spoke to Kevis – the Houser’s been transporting me on the trips to Elrood? He was in on a big deal with Onadax, I think it might be where he was getting the cash to fund his little war - selling Kari forced labour to some bunch of Pergitors, Free Breeders desperate to get off Karideph and out from under the reproduction laws.”

“Frelling slave traders.”

Serlin hesitated, looking apprehensive before he continued.
“You won’t like it, but Onadax was using us on it as well. You remember we were told to do outer security for a meet in that system out past Delfii? - That was a hand-off for a cargo of workers.”

The knuckles of the hand gripping Zaal’s glass went white, though his face showed little. His voice was bitter though.
“It’s a good thing the old bastard’s dead. I’d have killed him myself for getting us involved in a slave labour racket.”
His shoulders slumped, “What happened to us, eh Serl? We were liberators, fighting the good fight - for the cause. And here we are - scrabbling to get to the top of the heap in a bunch of pirates”

“We do what we have to survive, we couldn’t fight the Compact - they were too strong, we’d just have played to the picture the Families painted of us.”
“Working for Onadax was a way to pay the bills, the good fight didn’t come with free fuel and an open buffet I’m afraid.”
Zaal smiled almost despite himself at Serlin’s sarcastic tone of voice. He’d always had the knack of being able to pull him out of his black moods, right back to the days when he persuaded an angry kid not to go after his brothers killers in suicidal revenge.

Serlins voice softened as he continued.
“In the end, we won. The Families were so terrified of us, they had to make concessions to bring the Compact in. The Protector had them give up so many shares, they don’t have control any more.”
“They sent in managers from their yards at Karideph to reorganise the MMC, get it in line for the way the Compact produces ships.”
“You know what Kari are like - they just don’t get that humans are individuals in individual bodies - they thought the MMC “hive” was mind sick for letting so many of it’s component parts sicken and die for no reason.”
“We can’t go back, but things are changing. It’s not perfect yet, but the workers are doing better, they’re bringing in droids from the Kari and Quockrans to do the most dangerous work, the living conditions are superior to what we’d managed to get going on the Free Stations.”
“The gnats finally bit the corporation enough to be noticed.” He grinned. Zaal smiled as well at the feeble joke.

Nats - the abbreviation used on the corporate paperwork, short for Native Workers, the bland term the MMC used for their slave labour.
With bleak humour, the labourers had adopted the name as their own – gnats, for all the value the corporation placed on their lives.

Zaal sighed, “I know, my friend, it’s just hard knowing we can’t go back. We spent a long time working and fighting to get Mestra free, but it can’t be for us anymore.”
“If we have a future now, it’s here - we just need to deal with the conflict to see who replaces our late, unlamented employer.”


Actions:
Hyperlane extension begins
Zaal looks back - and forwards

[Coyote]

Galaxy Today Studios
Alliance Holonet








"And with us today is Moff Adon Tabor, of the Doldur Sector, who is also a favorite running for King, as the new poll numbers reflect. Tell us, Moff Tabor, how do you feel about your chances in the elections?"

"I feel pretty good, Seela," he said, "And please, call me Adon."
"Well, thank you," said Seela Kimthrel, the hostess, "You know you are in a three-way dead heat with the Queen, and Prince Nizarr. And yet you say you feel positive about your chances?"

"Absolutely," Moff Tabor said, "I feel like I have room to expand my base of support, because I stand for universal values we all support."
"Such as?"
"Security and stability, and being prepared for any eventuality," Moff Tabor said easily. "If there's one thing we've learned, it's that the Galaxy can be a rough place. The people are tired of war and want to relax, and build. I can lead us to peace by being strong enough to deter mischievous factions, pirates, and the like."

"So that contrasts you with the Queen, who led us into the Yuuzhan Vong war?"
"I have to admit, the Yuuzhan Vong War was a necessary war," he said. "Painful, yes, but something needed to be done. If the Doldur Sector had been autonomous then like it is now, we'd have stood at the forefront with a volunteer legion of our own to help turn back the invaders."

"Of course, the war is over, now," Seela said, "So it is safe to talk like that."
Moff Tabor laughed. "Now, Seela, don't try to paint me into a corner. The Doldur Sector has sent a volunteer force to help contain the SSU, and of course I myself led the mission to reclaim Bannistar Station-- from which I just came back, you know."

"Yes, Bannistar Station," Seela Kimthrel said, "Very interesting. So, it was Noora Raidaa's idea all along?"
"A funny little mix-up," Moff Tabor said, ""I was eager to implement the plan, so yes, I am guilty-- I took her idea and ran with it, assuming I already had Her Majesty's blessing. The Queen had not yet considered the plan, and that was where the miscommunication happened."

"Yes, of course," Seela said neutrally. "Some say it was an act of raw Imperialism," she said. "What do you say to those critics?"
"Most of those critics have an axe to grind against Imperials in general," Tabor said, "The types of people who back Viktor Krahn and his policies of unrestricted, irresponsible wars of ideology. We can't afford that kind of thinking any more."

"Still, Viktor Krahn, remembered by many as King Hadiss before he was stripped of his royal title and name, had many loyalists; loyalists who still intend to vote. Do you dismiss their concerns?"
"I don't dismiss any concern of a citizen," Tabor said, "But we do need to keep things in perspective. It is ironic that Krahn's supporters pointed out militant warmongering and imperialism as one of the reasons why the Empires were bad, yet he fostered more of that attitude than anyone since Palpatine. It tells me that this way of thinking is blind to it's own faults."

"Many of Krahn's former supporters are backing your other rival, Prince Nizarr."
"They have every right to do that," Tabor said, "I am all in favor of the democratic process; don't get me wrong. Prince Nizarr represents millions of beings and should be encouraged to participate fully. But, in the long run, naturally I think my position is the correct one."

"And the position that will win, too," Seela said.
"But of course," Tabor replied with a smile.

"And now we have the recent return of Alliance citizens to thank you for," Seela said. The holo ran with a still of Jungo and Karnulba. Luckily, the image did not include any hint of Ysanne Isard-- it would not do to be associated with her.
"Yes, an achievement I am proud of," he said. "The Jedi Padawan was picked up accidentally during a routine stop by forces of the Lisov-Nikitin Protectorate, who turned him over to the Imperium, wanting to avoid a diplomatic incident."

"And the Dug?" Seela asked.
"The Dug, whose name is Karnulba, was a former agent of the Royal Intelligence services-- a minor agent, not one of the decision makers, actually a contractor for field work. There was an outstanding warrant on him because he was briefly involved with Prall the Hutt's operations on the Nubian Palace Casino as an undercover agent."

"Which the Imperials didn't know about," Seela said.
"Naturally. Prall was smuggling weapons to various Hutt factions, and our man was spying on them and passing intelligence to Royal Intel. When the Nubian Palace Casino blew up, killing Prall and all his minions, it was thought that Karnulba had something to do with it."
"Did he?" Seela asked.
"Not with that. We don't know who blew up the Casino; the working theory is a rival Hutt gang. It ceased to be a problem from our point of view, so we closed the books and moved on."

"So, then," Seela said, "What is next for you?"
"In truth, hopefully, the throne. I think I can take the Alliance in a direction towards peace and stability."
"A little of each would be good," Seela said.

"We've earned, each of us," Tabor agreed.










Results:
Moff Tabor gives press interview.
Encourages Prince Nizarr to participate in democratic process-- while reminding everyone of his ties to Viktor Krahn.
Milks the positions of Imperial order and stability; hawks the Bannistar Station as strategic interest line, talks about rescuing citizens.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Sluis Van
Former SAS Military Base







"Well, that's everything," said the Colonel as he digitally signed his name on the computerized clipboard. He, and a small cadre of SAS military personnel, high- to mid-level officers all, had gone through the Sluis Van Royal Joint Services Base with their 7th Fleet counterparts and the Sluissi officials representing Defense and Interior. The 7th Fleet had won the negotiation and contracts-- not entirely surprising, seeing as how they'd manage dot be seen as fair dealers with both Republic and Imperial --even a few Separatists-- customers before, all without getting entangled in the regional politics and making lasting enemies.

They are either very deft, wise, and well-led, Colonel Chuvon thought, Or some lucky bastards. Either way, they'll need it in this part of town. Colonel Chuvon, a twi'lek Royal Army officer, would miss Sluis Van, in a way. He'd forged a decent career here, in the years it was an SAS protectorate along with the UAP, but at the same time, he was looking forward to a change. Something away from a hair-trigger zone, he thought. Having the Imperium a stone's throw away, and the collapsed remnants of the Industrial Union a stone's throw in the other direction, had made things constantly tense there.

"The base is in excellent condition," Major Valdoor, a Zabrak fellow with a class ring from the Dellalt Naval Academy. "I'm pleasantly surprised. Most retreating factions will trash the place and leave it for the FNGs to clean up."
"Ha, I can imagine!" Col. Chuvon said. "But no... there's no hard feelings here; I think in a way the powers-that-be expected this some day. We promised to help support you guys so you're getting everything in as pristine a condition as we can get it to."

The SAS had taken out the computers, the electronic hookups, and anything else that might give a hint about their sensitive operations, but the basic stuff-- power, heat, light, water-- all of it was hooked up and still running. It was no empty shell; it was ready to move in. Chuvon nodded towards Valdoor's ring.

"Dellalt Academy?" he asked.
"Yeah," Valdoor said, "Put in a few years but decided to strike out on my own. Class of '17 after the Battle of Yavin. I always had a bit of wanderlust in my blood-- that and a thirst for adventure."
"You picked the right line of work," Chuvon said, "And the right neighborhood. At least once a month we had to go out and intercept some pirate bastards hitting a convoy, or menacing a colony. Plus with any number of enemies licking their chops at the prospect of securing the shipyards here..."

"Well, I'm about ready to set in one place for a bit and see how that works," Valdoor admitted. "A bit more field time, sure, but I'm willing to let the kids start taking over. Doesn't last forever, does it?"
"Youth," Chuvon said, smiling, "Wasted on the young. Take care here now, it's all yours. Sign here and you accept the possession of this whole base on behalf of your superiors."

Major Valdoor signed, satisfied with the results of the inspection. It had taken two weeks to inspect everything, the facilities were so vast, and that included a visit to the polar bases for the V-180 Ion Cannons and massive surface-to-orbit Turbolaser batteries. The theatre shield for the base still operated, and the vast landing bays for the fighters just needed to have new equipment moved in to begin servicing the 7th Fleet's fighters. Major Valdoor signed the receipt without any reservations, and the two peers parted company.

The 7th Fleet now owned the base facilities for Sluis Van.








Results: The following facilities are now under the control of the 7th Fleet private security company at Sluis Van:
Full defenses: Planetary Shield; 10 V-180 IC; 20 TL btry.
Former SAS Base capable of handling supply & logistics for up to 12 Divisions and 4 combat wings of fighters, plus support units.
Full training ranges, everything hooked into power and water grids, etc-- just need equipment plugged in.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

Theed Palace, Naboo
Underground Security Cells








"Do you know this Neimoidian?" Daisy asked of her Master. Held by the Emperor's Hand was a holo of Lann Kortann, the Neimoidian former Viceroy who was, theoretically, dead-- but had, in reality, been a hidden quasi-member of the Palace staff, advising Naboo leadership since the earliest days of the reign of King Hadiss.

"That's Lann Kortann," Tavion said impassively, "He's the Neimoidian who, at first, took the fall for my supposed death. He late rbecame Viceroy until Ruae Shinrae took over."
"Have you told them about Shinrae yet, Master?" Daisy asked, frowning at the holo of Kortann.

"No," Tavion said, "They haven't asked. I suppose since the Royalists took power, they see Shinrae as a non-issue. In a way, he is, since he abandoned the way of the Sith before I did."

At that, Daisy became agitated. "What does it mean, Master?" she pleaded. "Why abandon the way of the Sith?"
"I've explained it to you," Tavion said, "The Sith lost the path to the true Force; I did not leave then, they left us a long time ago. The most important thing you can do is continue your mission here. Keep supplying information back to the Imperium."

"The Imperium has not even so much as lodged a formal complaint about your imprisonment," Daisy said.
"Not much they can do since I voluntarily surrendered," Tavion said, "Daisy, you are safe here. Stay safe here. Don't get involved in the fight that's coming."

"Why do you think Dooku's organization will collapse?" Daisy asked, "And why do you fear this so much that you feel you have to hide here?"
"It is not Dooku or his organization I am hiding from," Tavion explained. "It is the notion that I would have had anything to do with his collapse. I must have my hands clean. The Force is sorting itself out; we are approaching the end of the era of Prophesy and the beginning of the new era of re-alignment."

"But the Prophesy was fulfilled thirty years ago," Daisy said.
"But the results are not yet played out," Tavion explained. "The Force is big; it does not move in time as we know it. It has taken this long to feel all the ripple effects of the Vader-Skywalker dynamic. First come the rebirths along old lines of thought-- Sith, Jedi-- but slowly, the Grey-walkers are coming out, finding balance and bringing it."

"It is confusing, Master Venge."
"It is, my child," Tavion said, "But trust me. I have not steered you wrong. How goes the plan for Moff Tabor?"
"Very well," Daisy said, brightening. "He has a real shot at the throne."
"Good," Tavion said. "Just keep it up. We don't want to destroy the SAS, just make it more amenable to Imperial order. We're seeing progress."

"When do you want me to break you out, Master?"
"Not for awhile, and if everything goes as planned, you won't have to," Tavion said. "They will let me out on their own, when the time is right. I have foreseen it." She smiled at the Hand of the Sith that had served her so well. "Now, go, my child, and see to it destiny is fulfilled."

"As you wish," Daisy said, with a bow, and left, back to the turbolift that would take her to the Palace level again.









Results:
Tavion and Daisy meet, talk.
Daisy having trouble accepting the new path, but goes along with it.
Plot to bring an Imperial government to power in the SAS has deep roots.

***

[Oseng]

Dellat, The Grey Estate

“So how is your research coming?” Proconsul Cath asked Professor Zaine as the researcher took a seat in the chair on the other side of the desk, bluntly jumping to the main reason for the meeting.

“Actually we are slightly ahead of where we expected to be.” Tasha Zaine said with a small nod, lacing her fingers together in her lap as she met the proconsul's eyes. “The initial results were promising but we were unable to reverse the mutation. If we had access to an actual sample of a non-mutated plant we might be able continue with that line of research, but ..... at the moment we are hitting our heads against a solid wall.”

The older human professor held a hand up in mid air as Karissa started to open her mouth, and hurriedly continued with her progress report.

“However we have managed to account for the mutation during the processing procedure.” Zaine said calmly. “There has been a number of technological breakthroughs and advancements since anyone last tried to work with bota, and we were able to apply a combination of several of them to account for the changes caused by the mutation.”

Karissa slowly nodded as she lightly tapped her fingers on her desktop, which had been hand carved from a hardwood tree that was native to Dellalt.

“The data you sent me last week mentioned that.” She said after a long moment. “If I recall it also mentioned that it increased the production time by several months.”

“As well as lowering the quality of the medicine produced, at least comparing it to the records from the Old Republic.” The professor nodded in resigned agreement. “We have had some success with mixing it with varying amounts of bacta, which is what we are primarily focusing on at the moment. Specifically we are looking into what would be the optimum mix of bota and bacta.”

“Your earlier report did not mention that?” Karissa said as an interested look came over her face.

“It is a new development that we just developed this last week, after we sent the information to your office. We have termed the mix bocta and it appears to be just as effective as kolcta at the least, though it will be years before we are able to match the Mandalorian's production levels. ” The human professor said with a low sigh. “I also arranged for some of the samples to be sent to Masters Tionne and K'Kruhk as the old records do state that it was thought to give Jedi a stronger connection to the Force. They have been doing some limited research and currently plan to involve some of the other Jedi Orders once we come out about this.”

The well decorated room fell into a comfortable silence, broken only by a few questioning sentences, as the proconsul digested the researcher's report. Finally after several long moments Proconsul Cath spoke up once more with a small almost disgusted sigh.

“Well we have the Praetor's approval but we still need the High Council's approval to annex Drognar.” The Proconsul of Internal Affairs said quietly. “The bill has been placed before them but everything has been delayed due to the scandal that has erupted around Tribune Orbran. We do have a small naval picket in the system though so hopefully everything will work out.”

RESULTS:

- Research continues into Bota. Scientists are unable to reverse the mutation, but are able to account for it during the processing procedures. Current research is looking into a highly effective bota – bacta mix called bocta, as well as pure bota's effect on Force Sensitives.

- A major scandal involving one of the nine Tribunes of Dellalt's High Council has erupted, and the resulting impeachment is slowing everything involving the federal level legislature down. Including the bill to annex Drognar, the home planet of the bota plant.

[RocketMedic]

Anzat
Anzat was a quiet system, one haunted by danger and guarded by terror. The Anzati owned their reputation as master assassins and craftsmen of death- and things worse. Millenia-long lifespans and brain-sucking tendrils tended to strike fear into hearts. Hearts that soon found themselves in brainless husks!

Ambassador Fellows shuddered as Enterprise passed another hulk- the bodies of the crew were drifting in a somber formation, leathery hides preserved in the vacuum, their Imperial-grey clothing spotless. Their Lancer frigate was torn and gutted, but inside, he could see the shapes of thousands of tiny droid fighters, likely Vultures or a local model.

"Looks like a gigantic graveyard here. Human, Corellian, Vong, Imperial- there's all sorts of wreckage here. But look at all the bodies!" The Enterprise and her battle group approached the world slowly, with shields on full and weapons warm. "We need to make sure we don't end up like the last group of people out here."

Fellows knew, deep in his heart, that it was going to take a miracle to succeed here. The Anzat were exceptionally arrogant, dangerous, and long-lived. He had little to offer- save the brains of sentients. And those were politically sensitive. For now, he'd just have to hope.
-Centrality makes contact with Anzat using an ISD-3 and five CAs.

Melida-Daan
Darien shook the Chief's hand as he disappeared into the grounded shuttle. It had been nearly a month since he'd seen the outside of the Citadel's walls. He'd lost weight and gained muscle- and he now had a steely gleam in his eye. The Force was a very full beast indeed, and in those chambers, he'd seen the other side of the beast. If he could control it all, he could use it all. I won't fall like Vader, or Fatale, or Venge." Darien slept soundly through liftoff and orbital insertion. It was only when he sensed the Centran warfleet above that he awoke in a wash of ice-cold enegy. Something ominous, really. He showed no outward signs, knew the other passengers did not understand, could not feel. He glanced from the viewports and knew. The Centran Venator Iron Sun was large, but the Pioneer ship ahead was just as large, and a swarm of fighters buzzed about it- with more joining them every minute. Darien knew that those fighters were Centran-built. This could be trouble...

[An Ancient]

Naboo

Th'andra and Chief Bast walked the halls in quiet conversation, given the high-value prisoner they now kept it was prudent to investigate the smaller details that may have been otherwise overlooked. Th'andra had seen a Palace Guard a few times but had never been able to place her; none of the other guards seemed to know exactly who she was either. Being a loner wasn’t a criminal offence, but with Tavion sequestered in the cells it was worth checking on the odd Guard just in case something was not quite right.

As it happened, they were passing the corridor where the turbolift to the cells was located. A faint hiss echoed down the hall signalling the arrival of the lift car. That was not good, no-one was supposed to be down there at the moment that had any reason to come up; shifts didn’t rotate for another hour. The two turned back on themselves and headed for the ornate door that masked the lift shaft, they were a few paces away when the door opened and a figure stepped out, the very same Guard they’d been looking for. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on, Th'andra stepped forward and challenged the Guard;

“Who are you, what are you doing down there?”

Daisy waved her hand slightly; “I’m just a regular Guard, you don’t need to worry about what I’m doing.”

“You’re just a regular Guard, we don’t need to…” a wave of dizziness overcame the Th'andra and Bast as Th'andra felt her mouth work against her will, as it faded she snapped back into awareness, “…wait, no you’re not! Come back!”

Daisy had already begun walking nonchalantly away but on hearing those words began to break into a run. It was too late, Bast caught up with her with Th'andra only a step behind, and instinctively Th'andra checked the Guard’s belt for weapons and closed on the all too familiar handle of a lightsaber. Her eyes widened, Daisy twisted to try and get free, Bast was already signalling for help on his commlink.


Three corridors away Rayce, Noora and Amanda were making their way to the hangers of the Palace, Amanda could sense at least one other Force sensitive she’d not met in the area of the hangers, whoever this SAS Jedi was they might be able to help. But as they turned another corner alarms began to blare throughout the Palace, small lights blinked arrows at them, indicating in green the nearest safe exit and in red the direction of the emergency call. At the same time Amanda felt a bloom of the Dark Side in the same direction as the red arrows. The three were on the move within seconds, heading for the source of the disturbance.


Bast struggled one-handed as Daisy wrenched an arm free, he dropped his commlink and grabbed for the errant limb, but it was too late, even as three pairs of feet acme thundering around the corner the snap-hiss of a lightsaber sang out, the red blade arced around in a lethal diagonal cut, felling Bast in a moment. Th'andra had the fortune to be on the other side, between the evident Sith agent and the incoming assistance, Daisy didn’t have the time to waste with another blow, but a powerful wave of Force energy hammered Th'andra into a wall, fading her vision to blackness.

Amanda summoned a barrier of her own that broke the oncoming wave around her and her companions, allowing them to move forward unhindered. She gestured to where Th'andra was only just slumping down to the floor;

“Help her, I’ll deal with the Sith!”

There was little choice, without any other nearby weapons Noora and Rayce couldn’t do much against a lightsaber wielding Force user, they veered off in separate directions, Rayce to check on Th'andra, Noora to see if she could do anything for the fallen Bast.

Daisy was already half-way up the long corridor and heading for the hangers, bright sparkles flashing off her Guard’s uniform as she passed the huge windows that overlooked the vast drop at the edge of the palace. Amanda put on a burst of speed, closing the distance, when all of a sudden a translucent red wall appeared up ahead, bringing Daisy to an abrupt halt. Amanda slowed as Daisy picked herself up and spun to face her. That particular security measure had been implemented on the advice of Obi-Wan Kenobi decades ago, using technology from the reactor room, it proved just as effective at stopping Jedi and Sith as it had all those years before.

Daisy looked slightly bemused and charged, apparently considering Amanda’s lack of an active weapon to be an opportunity, little did she know Amanda was in the process of bringing the huge adrenalin spike she was going through under control, the void called once again, but Amanda rejected its summons for any number of reasons, apart from anything else with at least four non-Force users in the vicinity the risk of collateral damage was far too high.

She was far from defenceless though, Daisy’s charge was inhumanly fast to the outside observed, to Amanda, she was barely going faster than walking pace. She brought up and activated her own weapon when the Sith was barely a yard away, Daisy barely had time to widen her eyes in surprise as Amanda caught the blade and flipped it past her, dumping her foe headlong past her. Bearing in mind the injured were now open to attack Amanda vaulted over Daisy as she regained her footing, a pair of cuts on the way blocked by a frantic over-the-shoulder blocking sequence. Amanda landed lightly, now back between the others and the red blade and kicked off her heels.

Daisy snarled slightly and gestured, a rippling sound of metallic pings sounded as heavy wall sconces ripped out of their mountings and hurtled towards Amanda, who parried one and spun away from three more before those following corrected their course. She blasted back with the Force, sending another four careening off the walls before the last bore down on her, she bent backwards, arcing her back to the extent that her hair brushed the floor, the sconce sailed overhead, scratching just across her stomach, opening a rip in her top but not quite reaching the skin. It smashed into the floor and bounced to a stop a few yards short of Noora and Bast.

She flipped her lightsaber up across her left flank as she hauled herself back upto the vertical, batting away an opportunistic thrust of the Sith blade. As she gained her footing she launched a powerful cross-cut and Daisy’s head, it was blocked, as was the turn around that brought in a similar strike to the other side of the Sith. They disengaged, looking for an opening, Daisy swung down hard, aiming to bisect Amanda from the shoulder across and down, but struck empty air as Amanda moved right, cutting back to her left as she went, desperate to protect her hands which were now in the path of the oncoming green blade Daisy hauled back desperately, just parrying with the very base of her blade, barely turning the attack aside.

Amanda swung again, hard, aiming for her opponents eyes, Daisy blocked firmly and easily, just as planned, Amanda rolled her blade under the block and raised the hilt, stabbing down straight for the throat, Daisy hooked the attack with her own blade and twisted it down to her right. Amanda was now largely open to attack, her grip weakened, or at least that’s what would’ve happened in a normal duel of blades alone. In this case however, Amanda stepped in and simply drove the pommel of her lightsaber straight into Daisy’s face, she twisted, catching it on her jaw, a dull thud echoed down the hall as she pinwheeled back under the blow, throwing out a hasty and easily blocked swing to cover her retreat.

Darkness flared stronger in Amanda’s senses and she dove for the floor as the errant wall sconce rocketed back at her from behind, Daisy sidestepped the overshooting projectile and it sailed past, smashing into one of the windows and exploding it outwards with the sound of a small bomb. Although a great view, the cliff edge was extremely high up, which meant the Palace was always kept pressurised, with the failure of the window and the atmospheric forcefield built into it a howling wind immediately blew up. Unprepared, Daisy was sucked out instantly, her heavy Guards uniform catching and tearing on shards of glass as she went by, midway through her dive, Amanda likewise had no way of resisting the pull and followed shortly behind, Daisy’s passage had taken out the worst of the shards but she still felt a few bite as she flew by. With the small amount of warning she snagged the windowsill and arced round to drop the three floors to the rocky ledge below.

Daisy was a few yards away, having landed more heavily in a somewhat uncontrolled manner. The two regarded each other for a moment before Daisy took off along the ledge, now she was outside escape was her main priority. For both of them speed was limited by the narrow and treacherous footing they found themselves on, but even so Amanda’s lighter clothing meant she was gaining as they passed under the two-story edifice that led up to the hanger bay. Amanda grinned, she knew where this path led, the Palace stopped abruptly for the river, aside from a few scattered rocks at the edge of the waterfall there was no way across.

As Daisy leapt for the first of the rocks she had to fight the strong crosswind blowing down the river, out of the shelter of the Palace it howled at them. Amanda followed, with less desperation came more concentration and she easily kept pace with the fleeing Sith. In the middle of the river, perched on the very edge of the drop, was a larger outcrop on which you might just be able to park a starfighter. Daisy scrambled across several smaller stones to get to it, Amanda took a considered look at the situation and vaulted the last three, landing neatly at the end furthest from the edge even as Daisy landed halfway down. The wind now blasted at them with renewed vigour, both having to draw on the Force simply to remain standing, lightsaber combat was out of the question, one good blow loosening ones grip would send the weapon sailing over the edge.

Daisy gathered herself to make another leap but stopped short, the rocks on the far side of the river were far smaller and less frequent, to make matters worse the increased wind speed was whipping sheets of spray over them, even their current vantage point was rapidly being overwhelmed by the surging waters. Amanda took a couple of steps forward as a wave rolled over her end. Daisy spun to face her and gestured, Amanda braced for some form of attack but none came, curiosity gripped her for a moment before she felt a hammer blow to her back. Water cascaded around her as the summoned wave shoved her forward, straight at Daisy, who had produced the one weapon useful at this point, a vibro-knife, aimed at Amanda’s heart.

Amanda let the water take its path, pushing her down, under the knife thrust to crash into the Sith’s legs, unbalanced, Daisy collapsed and the remnants of the wave broke over them, washing them closer to the edge of cliff. Amanda rolled back on top of her opponent, pinning the knife-wielding arm to the rock, but everything was covered in water and she slipped as she tried to move from resting her knees of Daisy’s stomach to the more stable outcrop. Daisy took the chance and shoved Amanda off, but was unable to free the vice-like grip on her arm, Amanda crashed down barely a yard from the tip of the rock, several feet beyond the edge of the waterfall already, Daisy’s face twisted into a predators smile and she flipped herself over and stood, aiming to use her full body weight to wrest her arm free before landing in a straddle that would allow her to end this fight with a blade to chest or throat.

But it was not to be, even as she felt her knees land on either side of her enemy Amanda was already curling up, lashing out with her left foot and collapsing Daisy’s right leg, as the Siths momentum carried her across Amanda was already snap-kicking to her feet, letting her grip on Daisy’s left arm haul her around in an arc to land behind her. Daisy felt her shoulder wrench as her momentum was halted by that grip, she looked down, and found nothing in front of her but air, her toes scrabbled for grip on the very edge of the rock as Amanda called out over the roar of the falls;

“Give up, and you’ll live!”

Daisy finally got a decent grip and replied by spinning around, finally freeing her arm and slashing across at the level of Amanda’s chest. But she met nothing, the same pull that had freed her arm had unbalanced Amanda, who used the momentum to drop into a crouch, moreover, without Amanda’s strength bracing against the constant force of the wind Daisy found herself unbalanced for a moment, she looked down as she took a half step back to secure herself against the wind and felt a surge of terror as her brain caught up with her senses, which told her there was nothing under her foot. Her arms windmilled wildly for a moment as she hung on point of no return. Amanda’s eyes flared with anger briefly as she watched the knife swing past two or three times, she’d offered a chance to surrender and met only another attack. She rose back to her feet and in one smooth movement kicked out, landing a single footed blow cleanly on Daisy’s stomach.

There wasn’t any sound audible over the rush of the water as the figure became ever smaller as it fell, eventually dwindling to a point of light glinting of some errant gold braid that survived on the uniform. Then a surge of spray overwhelmed it and it was gone.

Shakily, Amanda turned away and stepped back to firmer ground, a security speeder was heading across the water having just scrambled from the hanger, she hailed it over and it parked obligingly just above the waves. She jumped aboard just as the rising wind and water overwhelmed the last outcrop. The speeder swung back into the hanger and had barely slowed before she was out and moving, the translucent red barrier wavered and vanished as the alert was cancelled and replaced by a medical alert. Tired, cold, soaked, battered and with her top sporting several cuts that ranged from the annoying to the risqué, Amanda walked back up the corridor to where Rayce and Noora were just now handing over to the medics.

“How are they?” was her first question, more a reflex than anything else, the medics would have to make the final call, then she caught a reflection in a mirror that had survived the destruction. “Also, where can I change? I’m not recruiting more Jedi for this search looking like a half-dressed, half-drowned rat.”

She closed her eyes and sighed briefly as she heard footsteps from the hanger approaching in concert with the Force-presence she’d felt earlier.

“Oh great, bad things always happen in threes don’t they?”

Noora glanced back at where Bast, a very immobile Bast, was being taken away on a stretcher, then back at Amanda, out the window and back over Amanda’s shoulder.

“Looks like that.”

Dak Vesser suddenly had the feeling he could’ve chosen a better time to show up.

[PhantomVX2000]

Nar Shaddaa

Kiva stood in a long, single-file lane in an access tunnel leading to the Entertainment District from the airspeeder parking facility. With a soft exhale, she straightened out her opulence long coat and stepped out onto the busy street filled with an unending stream of patrons and droids. As she walked down the street, the thumping of sexually suggestive music coming from the nearby club assaulted her eardrums, and the smell of life was everywhere, awakening the inexpressible longing in her heart: self-determination was nearly within her reach and she could feel it calling for her. Then a darkly thought flashed across her mind that the path of self-determination would have to be attained at the expense of the others like Bronwyn and about anyone she fought. She did not like the fact she had to do it. It seemed so immoral to step so far into the world of darkness, and yet she retained most of her humanity. She hated the uneasiness this Sith life created in her.

Stop, don’t think. Don’t think, Kiva thought.

Troubled, Kiva blinked her eyes as she cleared her mind by reminding herself that she was doing to protect her family and loved ones. The music helped too; she felt it reverberating within her, the vibrating notes of the melody soothing her soul. Both methods worked. She took her moment surveying the establishments along the road and made up her decision, strolling toward an open-air bar. The hostess ushered her to her assigned table between the bar and an open grilling station, and Kiva ordered alcoholic version Juma Juice, one of her favorite drinks. Soon, her drink came in a tall glass with a slice of fruit attached to one side. Casually, she took a sip. It was sweet. And strong.

Sated, she watched the people walking past her, up and down the street, and listened in silence to the music blaring from the speakers hidden within the garden. She heard clanking footsteps behind her, and she smiled delightedly as if she expected it.

“Enjoy your time here?” The mechanical voice said behind her.

“Yeah.” Kiva replied and looked back at a tall Wookie standing behind her. “General Grevious.”

“That’s right. It had been a while since the last time I saw you.” Grievous said as he walked around the table and pulled up a chair opposing Kiva. “This is one of few holo-disguise templates that could fit in with my height. I stole the advanced holo-disguiser from Rotta’s black market without anyone noticing.”

“I sensed your signature approaching.” Kiva smiled. “You were fun to work within, really”

“I am not surprised. My reputation will do that.” Grevious chuckled. “I heard the rumors about Dooku’s apprentices are plain dull and conceited, they have no sense of fun. But of course, you are a special expectation.”

Kiva smiled and then took a short sip of her glass. “You heard it right. They spent too much wallowing in their dark emotions that they almost lost their own identify.” She ran her gloved fingertips across the table. “The Jedi is now on the run.”

“I heard. The whole world is now looking for them, and they could no longer operate in any capacity with the hefty bounty on their head. Nicely done, Darth Fatale.”

“Well, it’s not over yet.” Kiva said.

“Ah yes…Bronwyn, a pregnant Jedi you kidnapped from the monastery. The others will come here to rescue her. So brave. So foolish.”

“Like her husband. Her friends too.” Kiva nodded grimly. “Well, almost everyone from her order. My master simply wanted her unborn baby, not that brood mare.”

“Ah, he has a plan for unborn kid.”

“Uh-huh, some will be seeking revenge against me.” Kiva’s lip curled into an impish smile.

General Grievous nodded his head, narrowing his eyes delightedly. “If they truly seek revenge, then we won.”

“Well, I kicked over the anthill.”

“In doing so, you did a right thing: drawing in their attention here.” Grievous said. “It make so easier to stomp the swarm of pests in one place.”

“Yeah, um, it seems you have some unfinished business with them.”

“Indeed. I encountered some of these people on a backwater world and fought them a while ago.”

“Same here, it seems we have one thing in common.”

“Our enemy.” Grievous replied.

“Jedi.” Kiva said and tilted her head. “Well, did you forward the upgrade proposal with Count Dooku?”

“No, I had the upgrades you suggested into my body on my own initiative. Now the Jedi pests would be in for a very rude surprise.”

Kiva regarded Grievous with some amusement and surprise. Something in his voice seemed off to her. It seemed, in her opinion, that General Grievous has developed a healthy dosage of resentment toward the Sith Lords. She couldn’t help but wondering if he was angry at someone for bringing him back from the death, and from what she knew of the Kaleesh culture, the death was a very sacred aspect to him and any Kaleesh. If that was true, she could understand his anger, and she would had feel the same way if she was in his place.

Kiva made a half-smile. “Good, I like when people take their own initiative.”

“I am curious; do you have a thing against Dooku?”

“Yes.” Kiva said flatly. “I will not lie to you. He killed people I knew and tortured me for a half-year.”

“I thought the Sith Lords do not torture their own apprentices. Torture is highly counterproductive method for any Sith training for a very good reason.”

“Well, you could call me a special expectation.” Kiva replied. “See, I am immune to the dark side of the Force. The temptation of the darkness will not work on me, so he used an old-fashioned way to mold me into a killing machine he envisaged.”

“Ahhh, I see. That would explains why you seemed unusual compared to his other apprentices. But I don’t blame you for feeling that way. See in my culture, the safety of family is very important.”

Kiva nodded, “Same here.” She tilted her head. “You? What thing do you have against the great and terrible blah blah blah himself.”

“Dooku placed a million credits bounty on my head to keep me alert. So far, he never revoked the bounty.” Grievous growled, clasping his hands together.

“Wow, that’s really sucks.” Kiva remarked, raising her eyebrow. “Me… He dangles my family and friends over my head.”

“The old man always has his way to make nearly everyone do his bidding.”

“That is why Dooku is a very dangerous man. He is not to be underestimated.” Kiva pinged her gloved fingertips against the table.

“That makes us on the same boat.”

“Yup, that’s why I like to work with you.” Kiva as she slapped her hands together, producing a thunder-like sound. “I have a proposal.”

Grievous narrowed his eyes on Kiva in curiosity. “Very well, proceed.”

“Okay, with the swarm of pests coming here, we should divide and conquer them, so we could finish our own unfinished business with the Jedi.”

Grievous looked down on Kiva and his expression twisted into a slightly amused smile. The proposal pitched by his acquaintance had a merit, and he might have a shot at avenging his first humiliating defeat to a Jedi padawan. Now, he would have to wait and see if his opponent shows up or not.

“Rayce…” The general chuckled sinisterly.

“Who?” Kiva arched her eyebrows, curious.

[Dark Primus]

Byblos


The GC ambassador Tyrleen Nana had recently survived a big pirate attack on her way to meet with the Byblos government to bring up the possibility of joint trade and future membership but this sudden appearance of a unknown pirate group calling themselves the Black Death that seems to come from the shadows and it needed to be addressed here and now.
And now she was now acting thereafter, talking to the Byblos foreign minister Ethan Maln of their common threat of the pirate situation.
“You are telling me minister they are they have removed and supplanted three local planetary governments in the last two months?”


He showed a seat for her to sit down on and he sat down next to her and addressed the issue. “Yes and I fear the Iseno government has fallen to. We have received no words nor any transmissions from the planet and we can no longer establish contact with our ambassador there either. We fear anarchy is roaming there now and the Black Death are using the fear and the confusing to bloat up their numbers even further, increasing their advantage and increasing their numbers.”

“Darn.” She said. “That means they are highly organized.”
“And we suspect they do have heavy firepower to back them up to.”
“What do you know about them?”
“We have one of our agents working under cover among them as we speak now, but he has only been among them for less then two weeks, he is trying to gather as much information about them as possible.”
“Who do you suspect they are working for?”
“That is the hundred thousand credit question. We have two likely suspects so far on our list but they both have big question marks.
They can be working for the Sith, a remnant pirate force after the Sith attack upon Denon, but that is highly unlikely for several reasons.”
“How so?”
“Given the scale off battle over the skies of Denon to force them off most likely have scared them away, I don't think they would be willing to operate again so close to Denon knowing the Entente could hit them hard again. That is a reason to why we are ruling them out to be Sith cooperatives, but also they have supplanted three governments, which also has a very similar pattern on how Sith also operates.”


Tyrleen stroke her hair, putting away an annoying string of brown colored hair from her eyesight. “So a connection to the Sith is missing here, but there is no doubt a simple pirate force can not operate so openly and defiantly without drawing attention to themselves. Do you think this is a repeat of Denon but at a smaller scale?”
“If these are the Sith then anything is possible, but these are operating differently.”
Tyrleen replied back. “How exactly?”
“The pirate raids on Denon were particular aimed at food shipments, but no food shipment has been targeted by these pirates. Unless they are the same but has only changed their strategy.”
“What ships has been targeted?”
“Those taken with high tech equipment as hyperdrives, armor, starship components that sort of things. Our estimation on all of the reported stolen goods are worth around two and a half billion credits.”
“Then you have serious problems, not to mention a serious threat to the trade lane.”
“This government fully agrees with that statement.” Ethan then turned his head away drawing a deep sight and looked out through the window to take a short break in his mind and then turned back again focusing on the problem. Then he remembered something.
“Another possibility is they could be connected to Tyber Zaan, but that is just a guess, we are still waiting for information from our agent.”


“I understand, but if nothing can be done soon, my word to Coruscant will be to send in a military strike force to wipe these pirates out.”
“I understand ambassador, but these pirates seems to be heavily armed, I do get the feeling a simple star destroyer may not be enough. And they do hold three planets. So there are no questions about their resources.”


“Understandable.” Tyrleen responded. “But I think we can wait till we have that Intel. We also going to need to know their army and firepower levels.”
“I think you want that Intel more then we do and you have more resources to handle this threat then we do, why don't we arrange so that you meet our contact?”
“If that can be arranged?”
“I think it can.”
“Then give us the time for the meeting and location and I can contact my government to see if they can send down someone to meet with your agent.”
“Excellent.” Ethan said. Tyrleen could not ignore the look on the foreign minister's face, he seemed for the first time more relaxed now then he was when they first sat down to have this talk.
“I can say six weeks ago Loronar government offered to help us with the pirate threat when they were just a minor nuisance in the region.”
“Did they now? What did they offer you?”
“They offered to sell us warships so we could come after the pirates. But I saw they only wanted to make a profit out of the whole pirate deal so I said no.”
Tyrleen nodded. “I can imagine Delacoy's response to that.”
“Yeah I heard he went berserk. He is not only governor of Loronar but he is also the Vice President of the Loronar Space Shipyards. So I could understand it is within his interests to sell us ships. So since then our relations has been a little bit strained.”
He then looked down with a sad look upon the small table before him. “But I sometimes do wonder if I shouldn't have taken his offer. The pirate threat would never have grown to this threat level.”





Actions: GC ambassador Tyrleen discuss the current increase pirate activity with Byblos foreign minister and prepares for a large scale military operation. Governments on Pencael, Havricus and Iseno seems to have fallen to them suggests the pirates are supported by some powerful but unknown power.

[Lightning_Count]

Nar Shaddaa





The carbonised glass crunched underfoot, mixing with other debris to form a black gravel across the floor, a carpet of destroyed effort and broken hope. Nobody had touched the bodies in the monastery, they still lay where they had fallen, nobody else had entered the smoking battleground for fear of what they may find.

Arik was in the Stryker telling his story, these weren’t the best few months for him. It seemed he was being stripped of everything that mattered to him, but at least this time he knew what he had to do. He was stronger today than he had once been, he wasn’t going to retreat into despair, he was going to fight and he was surrounded by people who would help.

Maris Brood was not one of those people.

She liked Arik sure enough, he was more easy going than the Jedi she had heard about, he could relax when he wanted to and be a normal guy. She liked that in a leader, and Bronwyn was a good match. Maris would happily have picked up her blades and gone crushing heads to get her back under most other circumstances, but not after this.

The Jedi and their friends were focused on Bronwyn and getting her back, she didn’t blame them for that. Bronwyn was alive and there was a chance to save her, to fix it, but for Maris there was more to this. Much as she had grown to like the two Jedi Masters right now the fate of the Monastery was way above them in terms of her priorities.



She walked through this home, this former sanctuary, running her hands on the broken walls, walking the burned ground, bending down to inspect every body.

A lot of the monks were unknown to her, it had been a few years since she had been here last, but many were old friends and confidants. She had lived here for many long years, good years and bad this place had helped her, the people in it never judging her or chiding her, offering only their help and friendship. They had never done anything wrong, just opening their doors to those in need. That act of kindness had killed them all.

She knelt beside each body and laid it out respectfully, crossing their arms over their chests and closing their eyes. She whispered a soft prayer for a safe journey between worlds and then moved on. She had a lot of work to do.

Every face she recognised nudged her a little further away from the inner peace she had worked for, each lost name and each ended life feeding her Zabrak temper, a dangerous and volatile state. She gave each monk her respect, offering them some final dignity, then proceeding into the prayer room.

The room had been the location of the greatest massacre, fifty bodies lining the space and overpowering her with sadness. As she walked in she could hear the echoes of gunfire, the thunder of explosions and the clatter of debris on the hard floor. The wave of despair caught her like an avalanche, a blast of emotion that unsteadied her and forced her to reach out for the wall to steady herself.



As she looked down and tried to steady herself she found the one thing she had dearly hoped she wouldn’t. She knew some monks had survived, those who had been away on tasks at the time of the attack and she had hoped against hope that Abbott Brestle had been among them. But he had not been, and inside she had known it, simply refusing to accept it until she saw it with her own eyes.

The Abbott looked peaceful, acceptant, as if he had faced his end with no malice or regrets. The method of his demise seemingly had no relevance to him. It only made Maris even more angry that someone could do this to such a genuine being. There were few enough of those in the galaxy anyway, now there was one less.

His eyes were already closed, all she had to do was cross his arms, wish his spirit well, then pres her lips to hid forehead. He had treated her like family, something she hadn’t really understood properly for most of her life. She understood it today. One tear landed on his forehead, it was all she had left to spare.



“Maris.” Alec called to her, the svelte female marching purposefully across the docking bay. “Maris, we’re putting a plan together, we’re going to need your help.”

“Okay.” She said, loading a couple of bags into a speeder car acquired by Bardes.

“We need to find out where they took Bronwyn, we think she’s already off the planet.”

“Probably.” Maris agreed, checking the power gauges on the car.

“It’d be too dangerous to keep her here, we think they’re holding her somewhere until Dooku shows up.”

“Yeah.”

“We think he wants the kid.”

“Yeah.”

“So you’re in a one word answer mood today then.”

“Yeah.” Maris opened the car door.

“Wait.” Alec grabbed her arm. “What are you doing exactly?”

“I’m going for a drive.” She said. “Take your hand away, while you still have it.”

“Maris.” Alec released her. “Its me. I said I’d stand with you, I understand what this is like.”

“Trust me, you don’t.”

“Trust me, I do.” He returned. “We’ll get justice for your friends here, I promise, but we can’t do anything for them now. We can do something for Bronwyn, so that’s where we have to focus all our energy.”

“We can do something for the monks.” Maris stated flatly. “We can make them bleed.”

“We can’t take on CIS intel alone.”

“Watch me.”

“Maris, I’m not going to let you do something crazy.”

She suddenly smiled. “I know you won’t.”

She punched him, taking Alec completely by surprise and laying him out flat.

“That’s why you’ve got to stay here. Been fun, been more than fun, but they crossed a line. Bye Alec, tell the others I’ll make it easier for them to get Bronnie, and tell Kota, tell him I’m sorry, but I am what I am.”

She closed the door, Alec dragging himself off the floor.

“Maris!”

“We had something you know, I think we really did.” She smiled through the glass. “Take care Alec.”

She dropped the throttle, and sped away out of the dock, Alec staggering in a world of disbelief.





The team had known for a long time where CIS central intelligence was located on Nar Shaddaa, the central hub that was running things in Hutt space. They’d taken over a tower block in one of the more affluent regions, filled it with analysts and used it to tie together all the reports and agents feeding in from the region. It was an excellent target, but it was also one of the best defended locations on the moon ringed with checkpoints, defence batteries, and several squads of elite commandos and Jedi hunter droids. It also happened to be the suspected home of Darth fatale and her team. Given the odds there had been no hope of taking on that sort of target and getting out alive. Of course that didn’t really too much to Maris.

She ignored the beep of her commlink as she lined up her speeder, noting the message was coming in from Alec. He’d probably found a working speeder of his own by now and was n his way, but he wouldn’t be quick enough. That was fine too, she’d get her business done as quickly as possible leaving nothing for Alec and team to worry about.

If she was good she’d sow enough confusion and chaos to take CIS intel out of the picture for a very long time, giving the team the breathing space they needed to find Bronwyn and rescue her. That would be enough for her, a suitable parting gift from someone who had never really fitted in. All told Maris wasn’t much of a team player, but hopefully this would make up for it.



She flew through several warning markers, her flight computer warning her she was running danger signals. She switched it off, taking the car in manually, opening up the engines and aiming for the two hundred floor intelligence building.

“Unknown vehicle, you are entering a restricted area!” A gruff voice called over her radio. “Turn back or we will use deadly force! This is your only warning.”

She couldn’t help herself, she had to answer.

“Bite me.”

The sky at once filled with gunfire, several missile streaks puffing her way. She took them all in, the sounds fading as she let the force direct her actions, flying the car on instinct instead of by sight. She was aware of each gunshot, each missile, its path and its speed. She weaved between them, finding the narrow channels necessary to avoid disaster, to dodge the walls of defensive fire and shake off the missiles.

She pulled sharply up, then nosed down just as suddenly, spinning sharply and turning into the building, its grey and glass face filling her vision, skimming the streets before pushing for a location thirty floors up.

She braced herself, made a last adjustment, then closed her eyes.



The car smashed through the side of the building and skidded across the floor, scooping up a dozen desks as its metal frame screeched and squealed. It came to a sharp halt as it hit one of the support beams, folding around it as analysts fled from the impact, sprinklers and security droids already activating.

The car sat there for a few brief moments before the battered door opened, a long leg wrapped in shining black leather stepping out.

“Now that was an entrance.”

Several droids immediately surrounded her, grey B1’s employed as basic security on every floor to handle low level threats. Even with their simple programming they understood Maris didn’t fall into that category.

“Err…hands up!” One of the droids demanded in a nasally high pitched tone.

Maris did as told, raising her hands like a dancer.

“I forgot they still made you guys, this is so nostalgic.”

“You’re under arrest!”

“No, I’m not.” Maris said. “Are you smart enough to run?”

“Err, no.” The droid answered.

“Hmm.” Maris called her blades to her hands, the two red bars of energy blazing to life. “You know what’s going to happen next don’t you?”

The droid nodded in resignation.

“Roger roger.”



The first CIS commandos burst into the room wearing the same tan and black body armour as the Monastery assault team. They were backed up by IG series duellist droids, the nimble robots bouncing off the walls and advancing with inhuman flexibility. Two of the Commandos took up a support position either side of the door armed with automatic grenade launchers, covering their team mates as they advanced on the smoking speeder, the sprinklers drenching the scene in artificial rain.

Maris ignored them, standing with one of the B1 heads held up her hand, inspecting it.

“To be or not to be.” She pondered, ending the remark in a smile and dropping the head. “Not to be.”

“Take her out! Take her out now!”

Time slowed as Maris turned to face the team, sounds drawing out into long indistinct noise, every image she saw defined in exquisite detail. Each dangling cable, each gun muzzle, each whirr of droid servos, every single drop of falling water. It was all impossibly real, impossible perfect. She felt like she could dodge the rain itself, the gunfire would prove no challenge.

Her each footstep lasted an hour, the splash of her boots on the sodden puddle floor like a tidal wave hitting a rocky shore. She was already arching her back, twisting her shoulders to arc over the first line of troopers as her blades sang in the air, sizzling in the falling rain of the sprinkler system. The droids were coming in from the flanks but they would not reach her in time, the first blaster shots were leaving the guns but it was too late. She was among them, fighting face to face as she was born to do. Blood had been shed, and it was time to redress the balance.





Kiva picked her position well, across the street from the CIS building in a regular tower block, encouraging the shipping insurance company that owned the building to leave. Quickly.

She pulled up a chair and watched the action across the way, the flash of lights, explosions and the occasional body exploding through a window and falling to the ground. She broke open a vending machine and helped herself to a few snacks, emptying a couple of sugary packs as she watched the fight unfold. Maris was good, but she wasn’t legendary and she wasn’t perfectly in tune with the force like Ganner had been. She was also facing far more professional enemies who were happy to use flamethrowers and grenades as anti Jedi weapons.

Still, she was doing rather well, with Kiva actually cheering when she redirected a flamethrower stream to wipe out several commandos. Kiva found she had little sympathy for the CIS forces, her own team was long gone, disassociated from the massacre at the Monastery and not willing to be tarred by the same brush. The CIS could handle this solo, until they begged for her help.

There was a series of heavy explosions that shuddered the building Kiva was in and that gutted three floors of the CIS building in fire. Several pieces of debris fell to the ground, with one smoking piece arcing her way. It smashed through a window in a glitter of broken glass a few yards away and bounced to a halt, unfolding into the lightly smoking shape of Maris Brood.



“We’ve got doors you know.” Kiva said, opening another bag of sweets. “Cheery chew?”

“Sure.” Maris lay on her back, covered in cuts and bruises, breathing hard. “Got a smoke?”

“Bad for you.” Kiva said, still reclining in her chair with her feet up on the nearest desk. “Have this.”

She tossed over a sweet which Maris ate.

“Not bad.” She allowed, then reached into her pocket and took out a pack of cigarelles.

“You look like hell.” Kiva mentioned.

“Yeah.” Maris lit the cigarelle from a lock of her own braided hair that was slowly burning, blowing it out after and dragging on the white stick. “I feel worse than I look.”

“That’s pretty bad then.” Kiva finished the sweets and thumbed through a magazine. “Pretty cool fight by the way, I thought it was fun.”

“Right.” Maris answered, still flat on her back and wisping smoke from her scorched clothes. “I hate grenade launchers.”

“The flamethrower thing was cool. I always wanted to master the elements. Jini’s doing pretty good with fire and air, so I think water might be my thing, what do you think?”

“Water is fine.” Maris said, wincing a little as she pulled a shard of glass from her shoulder. “I always thought you were a drip anyway.”

“I’m slashed by your razor wit.” Kiva said flatly, checking out the magazine. “Sona the Songbird just got married. And I thought she’d be single forever.”

“Not my taste, I’m more Trance-punk, she’s sop-pop.” She held out a remote detonator. “You might want to cover your ears.”

She pressed the button, two proton bombs she had loaded into the back of her car suddenly exploding in bright white light followed by a roar of fire and gust of heat. They severed the main supports, causing the CIS building to slowly collapse sideways, toppling into one of the chasms of Nar Shaddaa and dropping into darkness, the huge structure swallowed without a trace.

Maris blew out a stream of smoke. “And that’s all folks.”

“Cool.” Kiva acknowledged. “So is this a good time? I mean you’re looking pretty crappy. Parts of you are still on fire.”

“I can still kick your arse girly.” Maris picked herself up, brushing off the pieces of glass and smouldering metal. “And then steal myself a new outfit.” She looked up. “Or take yours.”

“I’m up for it.” Kiva kicked off from the chair and stood up. “In or out?”

“Out.” Maris walked over to the empty window frame, turning back to face Kiva. “I like the fresh air.”

She leaned back and fell out of the building, Kiva swallowing another pack of sweets before following.

“Game on.”

[PhantomVX2000]

Nar Shaddaa

The chase was on. Kiva used the Force to launch herself at full speed across the street, off and running, gradually distancing herself from a vengeful Zabrak Jedi. Danger flashed through her mind and Kiva scrambled over a landspeeder’s hood and roof, and leapt into the air, dodging an incoming projectile intended for her. She heard it whistling past below her. As she soared through the air, she latched onto a large airspeeder’s front bumper guard, swinging herself over the front, using her own momentum to carry through, landing on the roof with a soft thump and stared back. Behind her was a long line of airspeeders, and a little further behind was completely enraged Maris getting on one of the airspeeders. That was what Kiva needed: an angry and illogical enemy who allowed the darkness gets better of him/her. She held up her hand and waggled her fingers at Maris, smirking.

“Come on, come at me!” Kiva yelled at her relentless rival.

“You killed them all!” Maris bellowed.

“Me? No, one of Dooku’s people did it despite my order to not kill them. Take that up to Major Frawley. He’s still much alive on this world. I could feel him.”

“I don’t care, but I will make you suffer horribly.”

“Good, that’s the spirit I want to see from you. C’mon, embrace the dark side and you could feel it calling to you.” Kiva sneered. “Oh yeah, my master is going to love Bronnie and her unborn baby.”

“Die…” Maris hissed angrily.

Hoping that her rival’s descent toward the dark side would give her a tactical edge, Kiva pried chunks of duracrete off the building, levitating them with one hand, gathering them around her like a planetary ring, and then blew a kiss at Maris, hurling them at her in rapid succession. Maris held up her lightsabers as she prepared to defend herself. The first projectile, about big as a human head, glazed the Zabrak’s bare arm, drawing first blood and causing her to hiss in anger. Seeing a barrage coming straight at her, Maris swung her arm impossibly fast and swept virtually all incoming projectiles aside with the Force, sending them crashing onto the building, creating deep craters upon impact. Then Maris seized the last projectile with her telekinesis and curved it around her, throwing it back at her attacker at blinding speed.

It was coming straight at Kiva.

A prickle of promotion crawled up Kiva’s spine and she readied herself, seeing a projectile launched by Maris cutting through the roof like a can opener. Kiva leapt over the sudden spitting death from her opponent. A tearing sound rang out as the metal roof split apart violently below her feet. She was twisting midair, bouncing off the overtaking airspeeder bus, and diving toward another vehicle through the air, landing hands first and springing to her feet.

“Very impressive, Maris.” remarked Kiva.

With a cry of rage and bloodlust, Maris launched across the air, bouncing from airspeeder to airspeeder, charging at the Sith apprentice with her two red lightsabers flashing to life, with abandoned reckless. Kiva drew her lightsaber, a bright blue wand of energy, as she fell into fighting stance. As Maris was closing on Kiva, she exploded into a flying fleche, instantly closing a dozen meters between then and simultaneously bringing her red lightsabers overhead, and bought them crashing down with full force, but Kiva parried the killing blow. The powerful impact pushed Kiva a few inches back, sliding across the roof, but she held strong. Kiva counterattacked by going into a rapid, wild of flurry of fleche-upward slash-fleche-cut-slash-beat attack combination, with each attack growing more and more stronger. Maris backpedaled under her attack, giving Kiva an opportunity. On whim, Kiva moved, her right feet sweeping in a flat, inhumanely fast blur, knocking Maris off her feet and following up with a fast, hard left hook to her chin as the Zabrak fell down.

“Oompf!” Maris cried out as she felt the sharp, searing pain to her jaw. She was seeing the stars for a short time.

“That’s what I want to hear from you.” Kiva gritted her teeth.

Then Maris rolled to her side and got up to her feet, bringing up her lightsabers over her chest in a defensive posture. She was staring at Kiva menacingly as she studied Kiva’s movement and stance, trying to find any weaknesses in her defense. Already Kiva was racing toward her, lightsaber in her both gripping hands. She came in hammering Maris, so suddenly, so powerful. Feint, feint, parry, slash, thrust, slash, and a hard blow, then came a fast, dipping counter-slash from Maris to the leg that cut through the clothes of Kiva’s costume and left a glancing, cauterized cut across her thigh. The pain didn’t bother Kiva very much, having grown so accustomed to it. Undeterred, she sidestepped and stepped back parrying, stopping Maris’s red blades an inch from her neck. With a hiss, Kiva got inside Maris’s blades, grabbing her hair braids, and with a hard yank Maris cried out in pain.

As Maris stumbled forward, Kiva bought up her right knee fast and hard to Maris’s stomach, causing her opponent to double over in pain and dropping her lightsabers. Her stomach burned and throbbed, she gasped for breath. It was perfect, Kiva thought. Maris steeled her nerves before she angrily lunged forward and lashed out with her left fist, catching her across the chest, left to right.

“How do you like that, huh?” Maris sneered.

Kiva yelped, clutching her breast. “Ow, that hurts!” She growled through her teeth, “Okay, fine, I could play the game, you bitch.”

Instantly Kiva hunkered down and launched an incredibly fast jab, slamming her fist hard onto Maris’s crotch with a whucking sound, just above where her ‘private part’ would be. For a moment there was just the shock of impact; then came the impossible, searing pain. Her legs buckled together, and Maris went to her knees on the cold metal, clutching her crotch with both hands, screaming excruciatingly.

“That makes us even.” Kiva giggled.

She waited a moment and looked down at Maris who was still moaning in agony, kneeing on the roof. She shot Kiva a pointed look.

“C’mon, just get over it with and the sooner we could get you back to the dark side. Soon the Better” Kiva continued, holding up her lightsaber over her shoulder in ready stance.

“No” Maris said, weakly.

Kiva was surprised by her answer. “Say again?”

“No, I won’t yield to the darkness.”

“Fine, then, I will make you cross that line.” Kiva simply said. “I will give you an incentive: think what we would do with Bronnie. We could easily turn her to the dark side.”

“You won’t. She is very strong-willed and devoted to the light.” Maris countered.

“I have two words for you: dark nexus.”

Maris’s eyes widen in horrified realization. “No, you can’t do that to her.”

“Yes, he will. Maybe you should take up your compliant to my master.” Kiva smirked, cocking her eyebrow.

With an anguish scream, Maris shoved out her hand and Force-pushed her off the roof of the vehicle, sending her crashing through a bus, tumbling down the aisle end over end. She wasted no time standing back up in the middle of bystanders, who were scrambling to get out of her way amidst screaming and panic. Then Maris entered the bus, leaping through the hole with vengeance, with her lightsabers blazing red. The dueling women now stood twenty paces apart from each other, exchanging each other a silent stare.

“You are starting to piss off me.” Maris scowled.

Kiva tilted her head, “That’s what I love about you.” She pointed her finger at the bus driver. “New destination: Ahzeul Ave, Duros Sector. It’s not far from here. Do it… pretty please?”

The driver complied with a hesitant nod, wasting no time steering the bus onto new course.

Maris was moving, bringing up the blades to meet Kiva’s blade, the battle was on once again. And then, a gift from the Force told her of Maris’s next move. Kiva ran in fast and grabbed a pole, swinging her around it with her free hand, slamming her boot heel full force onto her cheek. The Zabrak tumbled onto the wall head first, and she instantly reoriented herself with Kiva and unleashed an explosive kick to her stomach, forcing her back against the pole, then following up with a double slashes aimed at her chest. But Kiva’s blade and her phrik bracer was there to meet them. The blades locked in a jarring burst of sparks, but Kiva had the pole to brace, and the force of her parry sent Maris reeling a few steps back. The bystanders gasped in awe and concern.

“Keep your distance! She’s a Sith! She has red blades!” Kiva warned the bystanders. She didn’t want them to get hurt in the middle of the duel between her and the Zabrak.

Heeding to her warning, the bystanders immediately huddled toward both front and rear, giving the dueling women a huge berth. That surprised and angered Maris at same time.

“Aw Krak...” Maris cursed and gave her angry stare. “Thanks, bitch. Now they really think I am a Sith.”

“Oh, look, you could feel them in the Force. Their feelings. Their thoughts. Really, these people are rooting for me to kick your butt.” Kiva smirked. “Smile, they’re watching us.”

Kiva was actually telling the truth, and Maris hated it.

“Ok, I really hate you now.” Maris said.

Kiva waved off her. “I am bored.”

That prompted angry Maris dash forward in a flying fleche, hoping to end the fight once for all. Kiva snapped to a combination of parry and bracer block, Maris sidestepped and snaked in a slash, Kiva disengaged and ducked to her right. The red blades passed Kiva harmlessly, neatly slicing the metal pole. Kiva, sensing an opportunity, came up behind her opponent and seared her back using the tip of her lightsaber, leaving a three-inch cauterized line. She deliberately done it. Maris cried out, gasping for breath.

Kiva tried to capitalize her advantage, but by the time she finished her glancing strike the Zabrak was already facing her, still in good fighting condition. Maris quickly grabbed Kiva’s head and headbutted her opponent, her forehead horns viciously raking Kiva’s cheek like razor-sharp claws, prompting a collective horrified gasp from the bystanders.

Ow, not my face , Kiva reflected pessimistically.

Surprised, Kiva backpedaled a few steps away from Maris, her eyes widen in anger. Blood trickled down from the cuts in her cheek, dripping onto her costume and the gray-white floor. Tiny red tears drop, pitapat, all over the floor. Drip, tick, drip, tick, splatter.

“Ow, that does it!” Kiva yelled. “Okay, nobody mess my face. Nobody.”

Kiva retaliated by raking Maris with an equally vicious clawing strike across the face as the Zabrak recoiled her head from headbutting. Maris cried out. Blood-spill slowly tickling down the Zabrak’s face and her body, soaking her clothes. Kiva followed up by grabbing Maris, hooking her free hand around her neck, and she slammed her onto her thrusting knee, fracturing two or three ribcage bones upon impact. Maris was suddenly having a hard time breathing.

“You was asking for it.” Kiva continued.

All around them, the bystanders stomped, whistled, and applauded. Maris’s heart sank. Kiva’s mouth quirked in a little smile.

“We are here! We made to the destination.” The bus driver cried out.

“Perfect that’s wh…” Kiva exploded into a lunge in her mid-sentence, catching her opponent by surprise, slamming her shoulder onto Maris and shoving her out of the window and the airspeeder bus. They fell down through the air like a rock, still exchanging punches and kicks back and forth to each other. A few moments later, they landed on the roof of a parked landspeeder, Maris first then Kiva last, crumpling it entirely, which broke their fall, leaving them winded for a moment. The bystanders on the street hurriedly moved away from them.

“Damn that was stupid.” Kiva muttered as she rolled sideway, mounted over her, and started whaling on her still-winded opponent with a flurry of pommel and forearm strikes.

“Stop!” Maris cried out hoarsely, dropping her deactivated lightsabers, and shielded her scarred face with her arms, which started turning bruised and bloodied from repeated strikes.

“Okay, fine!” Kiva spat.

Then Kiva backed away from her and slid off the ruined landspeeder, looking around her surroundings. She exhaled heavily and smiled, realizing they were near where they were supposed to be. With a sudden burst of sheer power, Kiva launched herself upwardly in a towering leap, hung in the air for impossibly long time, and came down crashing on her opponent in a rapid, powerful bronco kick, crumpling the roof even more. The collision knocked Maris into unconsciousness. She lay there atop of the ruined vehicle with her eyes closed, motionless. Then Kiva nudged her opponent’s leg gently with her boot, checking to see if Maris was still breathing. And she was. The mess was incredibly violent: the warrior in Kiva couldn’t help but admiring Maris’s determination, her skill and resilience.

“Sleep well, Maris.” Kiva said almost quietly as she stood on Maris.

She took a breath in relief.

Kiva wiped the blood out of her face with her left hand and looked at her hand drenched in her blood. She sighed and looked down at the Zabrak, thinking it was amazing that Maris survived all abuses she threw at her. Triumphantly, she called Maris’ twin lightsabers to her hand, tucking them in her thigh holster along her own lightsaber; she would hold on them for now. She straightened out her hair and dusted off her bloodied costume. Then she levitated Maris with the Force, and they headed down the street.

Far below the ground level and an hour later, Maris, slowly regaining her consciousness, opened her weary eyes and looked at a young woman standing over her. As she tried to get up, a sharp, painful jolt ran through her, making her stiffen and gasp, leaving her feeling as if she had been impaled with a white-hot blade. She looked around and found herself in an artificial cavern, leading her to believe she’s underground.

“Wakey, wakey, wakey.” Kiva said.

“Ow” Maris gritted her teeth as she tried to get up once again.

“Relax, Maris, I am not done healing you.” Kiva said sternly as she directed her Force power to mend Maris’s fractured ribcage bones. “You are much tougher than you imagined.”

“Your face…” asked Maris, surprised.

“Gone, I used the Force to heal myself pretty quickly. Ditto with your pretty, pretty face.” Kiva said and then clasped her hands together. “Done, you are mostly okay now.”

“Where are we?”

“I want you to try feel the Force.” Kiva said.

And to her horror, Maris sensed the dark energies rippling and swirling around like the eye of a storm, and she realized that meant one thing: the dark nexus.

That’s impossible, I should had sensed it long ago. How did I missed it?, Maris thought.

“Dark nexus…” Maris gasped.

“Yes, that’s right.” Kiva nodded. “Actually, we are in the middle of long-forgotten Sith Temple, about several dozen meters below the ground… take or leave it.”

Maris laughed derisively as she slowly got back on her feet, still feeling the pain in some area of her body. “You bought me here?”

“Uh-huh.” Kiva scrunched up her face, nodding mockingly. “If you had any weaknesses, it would be that you had a dark past and anger lurking within you. I am gonna bring them out of you.”

Maris blanched. “No, no, you couldn’t do that to me!”

“I warned you: I will make you cross that line. Well, there was a good reason why my fellow Sith peers called me ‘Scion of the Dark Side’.” Kiva blinked, revealing her pale red eyes and smirked. “It’s going to be very fun.”

“No!”

Kiva held up her hand and snapped her fingers. “Too late for that.”

On her whim, the dark energies slowed down, turning, snaking, paused for a moment, then finally the wave of darkness, most likely entire dark nexus, impossibly came crashing down on Maris like a million daggers stabbing her in all directions. The darkness was calling her name, promising an escape from the reality, no more pain, and comfort. Horrified, Maris saw the dark side coming straight at her through the Force, thinking it was not possible, and there was one thing she could do at that moment…

… Maris screamed through the impossibly darkness.

[Lightning_Count]

She awoke to nothing, a sudden quiet emptiness, just the steady dripping of some liquid hitting a hard floor somewhere nearby. She reached out with her senses, finding nothing around her, no walls, no roof, no sky, just nothing save the ground at her feet.

Maris took a few steps forward, hardly able to see her hands in front of her face, reaching out to try and find the edges of this domain. She kept walking, maybe for seconds or maybe for hours, she couldn’t really tell anymore. There was no wall, no limit. She found herself sprinting, running as fast as she could in the blackness, never stumbling or finding obstacles or a way out. Just open, eternal darkness.

She had to stop, exhausted from the running and the duel and the destruction of the CIS building. It had been a rare day and was showing no signs of improving.



“Nowhere to run Maris.”

A light shone down from somewhere, illuminating a narrow slick alley, tall buildings glimmering on either side, the steady drip of water getting louder. Rubbish lined the edges like crinkled vegetation, a layer of scum and moss creeping up the walls. What had been empty now had definition.

“Nowhere to hide.” Kiva walked into the light a few yards away. “You know where we are?”

Maris looked across, then in one reflex move called a discarded bottle to her hand. She vaulted through the air, smashed the bottle on one of the walls, and jammed the shattered neck through Kiva’s throat in a pulse of bright blood. She gurgled for a second before her eyes rolled up in her head and she fell to the ground.

Maris looked down as the body twitched, blood pooling beneath it, feeling absolutely nothing. She gradually became aware of a presence over her left shoulder, stood beside her looking down.

“You need to work on your conversation skills.” A second Kiva stated, looking down at her own body. “And I think my thighs are looking a bit fat. Need to do more crunches on a morning.”



The Zabrak exhaled. “Here we go, this one of those jump through hoops things you Sith like so much?”

“Sort of. You remember where we are?”

Maris cast her mind back several centuries, to the time before the darkness consumed her.

“The Sith temple.”

“We’re stood in it’s heart, the epicentre of the Darkside in this part of space. Can you feel it?”

“I don’t feel a damn thing.”

“Then we’ll have to work on that.” Kiva proposed.

“What’s down here?”

“Only what you bring with you.”

“Does it hurt when I kill you?” She looked down on the body.

“No, so you can stop doing it.” She replied. “This is all an illusion, its not real. At least not to me.” Kiva glanced around. “This is your past, something from your mind. The temple is bringing it out.”

“I’m not playing.” Maris folded her arms. “Let’s get back to fighting, I was really starting to enjoy it.”

“It’s not about the fight, it was never about the fight.” Kiva shook her head. “I’m going to help the real you break out of that shell, then we’re going to burn this galaxy to a cinder and have fun doing it.”

“You want the long answer or the short answer?” Maris asked.

“Both.”

“Okay, short answer is ‘wrong’ and the long answer is ‘wroooooooong.’ Hope that’s clear.”

“You don’t get a choice.” Kiva raised her arms. “Maris Brood, this is your life!”

“As I already lived it I kind of know how the story goes, it ends with me kicking your overweight backside.”

“We’re going to have a trip down memory lane, stopping at points of interest along the way.” Kiva smiled widely. “I’m going to help you rediscover the badass within, then we’re going to be the best double team of all time.”

“This won’t end well.”

“It’ll be awesome, now come on, let’s check it out.” Kiva clapped her hands. “Whoosh!”



In a blink the alley was gone, replaced by warm golden hues of light filtering through tall windows into an elegant room. It was circular a dozen yards wide with amazing views of the Coruscant cityscape outside, a place of peace and tranquillity.

“Oh wow, the Jedi temple!” Kiva exclaimed. “This is so cool! I’d forgotten you were around in these days.”

“My species ages pretty well.” Maris shrugged. “Yeah, Jedi temple.”

“Emptier then I guessed.”

“It’s the last days of the Clone Wars, they were all busy.” She paused. “Or dead I guess, I don’t really remember much.”

“You’re a little girl.”

“Yeah, I was.”

“No, I mean you are.” Kiva pointed. “Check it out.”

She looked around to see a small child practicing with a sabre, dodging or stopping fire from a floating practice drone. She moved energetically, her robes flowing as she bounced around the rich chamber.

“Third person perspective on my own life.” Maris sighed. “Groovy.”

“You were such a cute kid, and healthy looking.” Kiva looked across. “The goth thing took some work huh?”

“It’s an image.” Maris dismissed. “I must have been five here, probably less, I really don’t know. There’s no record of my birth, like most Jedi I never knew my family.”

“So you don’t know how old you are?” Kiva smiled. “Makes birthdays hard to predict.”

“Yet somehow I found the will to live on.” Maris replied icily.



“Maris.” A male voice called, calling both incarnations to turn their head.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Kiva smiled as a diminutive green creature hobbled into the room.

“Practising again your sabre skills?”

“Yes Master Yoda.” The child answered. “I want to be ready to defend the Jedi against the Separatists.”

“Admirable your devotion is, and noble.” Yoda nodded, standing a little smaller than the childhood Maris. “But a Jedi is more than a sabre, neglect your other studies you must not.”

“But Master, we are at war. Shouldn’t we be putting all our efforts into winning?”

The tiny Grand Master chortled a warm laugh. “For one so young, great focus you have! Yes, win this war we must, but also must we win the peace that follows. We cannot be just warriors, for lose something in our hearts we would.”

“What would we lose?”

“That is for you to discover.” Yoda smiled. “Come, you have been selected, a youngling you are no more. A Padawan you have become.”

“Yes master!” The child beamed with excitement. “Am I going to fight droids now?”

Yoda again chortled. “That is for your master to decide. Remember well what you have learned here Maris Brood. Take these lessons with you always.”



“Well that’s just name dropping.” Kiva shook her head. “You just brought me here to gloat.”

“This was the last time I saw the temple.” Maris said absently. “A week or two later Vader burned it out, killed all my classmates. All the kids I grew up with and trained with. I actually wanted to come back here and face him, little me against Darth vader. Luckily I was persuaded against it.”

“What happened to your Master?”

“He came back to see what went wrong. Never saw him again.” Maris said, looking out over Coruscant. “Vader probably got him.”

“So he left you alone?”

“Not so much. He dropped me out of the way on a planet called Felucia, you heard of it?”

“I’ve heard. Couple of famous Jedi bought it there. Aayla Secura.”

“It was a separatist strong hold, but when the leadership was killed and the droids turned off the army walked to victory, then largely left. The place was full of wreckage, old war machines, ghost villages. Perfect hiding place.”

“So the natives brought you up?”

“They helped.” Maris nodded. “The Felucians are naturally force sensitive, but I had other help too.”

She turned away from the window, and as she turned the world changed, darkened to a cave with just a single crackling fire glowing in the centre. It still cast that golden light, but it was more faint, flickering, sometimes nearly going out. Two figures sat around it, one a teenage Maris and the other a striking Togruta female.

“You’re doing it again.” Kiva accused. “Rubbing in all the famous people you’ve met!”

“Shaak’ti.” Maris spoke sombrely. “One of the great blade masters of the era.”



“We should do something!” The teenage Maris demanded. “And I don’t mean just sit here!”

Shaak’ti slowly shook her head. “We are not ready to take on the Empire.”

“There are two of them, and two of us!” Maris yelled. “You take the Emperor, I’ll handle Vader!”

“I do not have the power to face the Emperor.” Shaak’ti stated flatly. “And Vader would defeat you in a heartbeat.”

“You are wrong!” Maris snapped. “I’ve learned how to fight from you! You’re the most powerful Jedi left! The greatest warrior in the galaxy!”

“It is not a time for warriors my apprentice.” The Togruta maintained her calm. “At times such as these guile and stealth are our allies. We cannot hope to win, merely to survive.”

“With that attitude it’s no surprise the galaxy is enslaved! Why aren’t we standing up!”

“Because we would die.”

“So let’s die then! Let’s become martyrs and through our deaths let the galaxy be free!”

“That is not our destiny.” Shaak’ti stated. “We have a part to play in the destruction of the Empire, but not today, not for a long time to come.”

“This is stupid! We can at least destroy the garrison here!”

“If we did we would reveal ourselves, the Empire would use its warships to eliminate this entire world in reprisal. We must choose our moment.”

“Or sit around until it chooses us?”

“If that is our fate.” Shaak’ti said quietly.



“That’s you.” Kiva observed happily. “Passionate, fiery, wanting to go out there and fight whatever the odds. Awesome.”

“But she was right, we did have our part to play.” Maris knelt beside her old Master, the apparition meditating and utterly oblivious. “It’s been so long since this day.”

“So you stuck with her out here for a few more years?”

“Until she was killed by the Sith.”

Maris sat in front of Shaak’ti, imprinting the moment back into her mind.

“She understood, she never said it, but she understood. She needed me to find out myself.”

“Find out what?”

“That the old Jedi order had failed, but the Sith weren’t the way either. Something in between was my path.”

“Oh not more talk about balance.” Kiva rolled her eyes. “Where’s the fun in that?”

“It’s what you make it.”

“She your master died, then what?”

“I got a bit angry.” Maris admitted. “And sort of took over the planet.”

“See, told you the darkside was cool.”

“And I kidnapped Bail organa.”

“Stop name dropping.”

“Before Starkiller showed me the error of my ways.”

“For the love of… Who else have you met? Luke Skywalker? Han Solo? The Fairy Queen?”

“Met Mara Jade once, does that count?”

“Yes, that counts.” Kiva shook her head. “This is supposed to be a trip to the dark side, not Celebrity tales by Maris Brood.”

“What this is, is a joke.” Maris dismissed. “You’re just reminding me why I turned good in the first place.”

“Nah, you’ve got something burning inside and I know it.” Kiva said confidently. “We’re going to break it out.”

“Keep on this path and you might not like it.”

“I say bring it on.” Kiva smiled. “Next flashback.”



There was a thump and they arrived on Nar Shaddaa, overlooking the gambling district at sundown.

“Here already?” Kiva pouted in disappointment. “What about Starkiller? I wanted to see you fight him!”

“It wasn’t very interesting.”

“You’re only saying that because you lost.”

“It made me realise what I didn’t have.” Maris said. “I didn’t have a future in the Dark side, no matter what you think. Starkiller turned aside from a greater darkness than I did, and if he could do it so could I.”

“Didn’t go too well for him though did it?”

“Point of view type thing.” Maris shrugged. “I came here to try and lead a better life.”

A pair of bodies bounced past them, toppling over the edge to an eternal fall, a younger version of Maris strolling up after them and peering over the edge with a smile.

“Yeah, nice one.” Kiva said deadpan. “Definitely turned a corner there girlfriend, oh yeah, pure as the driven snow.”

“It took a little time to settle in.”

They were jolted through several images of Maris wiping out street gangs, taking on mercenaries and throwing bounty hunters from tall buildings.

“You had a fun life, this is all cool stuff.” Kiva smiled. “I knew it, this is totally you.”

“It was for a while.” Maris admitted. “I thought killing bad guys would make this place a better place. There was just one flaw in the plan.”

“That was?”

“I was outnumbered a trillion to one.”

There was a flash as the younger Maris was shot in the back, falling from a docking platform and landing dozens of feet further down with a thump.

“Huh.” Her older self remarked. “That does actually look kind of painful. Nearly killed me, and for a while I wish it had.”

“So what changed?”

“That is none of your business.”



“Oh no you don’t, no getting off the ride before the end!” Kiva demanded. “Next flashback!”

“No.” Maris declined. “This is my head, probably, and that means I get to decide, and I’ve decided no.”

“I can make you.”

“You couldn’t make cake.” Maris dismissed. “You wanted to see why I’m not evil like you? Getting nearly killed twice knocked it out of me. I have no future in the darkside, I tried being bad, then I tried destroying things to promote happiness. Neither worked.”

“There’s more to it than that, open your thoughts.”

“Suck it down slag.” Maris walked away, displaying the ancient hand gesture for ‘I’m finished talking’ over her shoulder.

“You forget where you are. Evil temple?” Kiva reminded. “It’s not just me, its me and generations of Sith. Now, next flashback.”

Maris winced as the darkside surrounded her, battering her.

“Get out of my head!”

“Come on, lots of secrets to unlock yet!” Kiva grinned. “Come on!”

“I’m done playing!”

“Well we’re not done with you! Don’t make us rip it out of your mind!”

Everything went quiet, dark again, the single drip of water reminding them they still existed.

“Well this is dull.” Kiva huffed. “What’s here?”

“Nothing I want to share.”

“I sense this is only several years ago, we missed a big chunk.” Kiva shook her head. “Back we go.”

“What do you want out of this?”

“I want you Maris, I want the real you.” Kiva explained. “Let’s check it out. Big fade out.”

“I’m going to kill you for making me go through this again.”

“Go through what?”

The darkness was pierced by a baby’s cry, clear and loud.

Kiva opened her mouth in wide surprise.

“Oh you have got to be kidding me!”



She blinked and the darkness went, showing Maris on a bed in the Monastery, Brestle and Kota beside her smiling as she cradled a small bundle wrapped in cloths on her chest. She looked at peace, weary and strained, but completely happy as she cradled the tiny living thing.

“You’re a mom!” Kiva exclaimed. “You kept that quiet!”

“You know what? This isn’t show and tell.” Older Maris grabbed Kiva. “You want to see my life? Why don’t you live it too?”

She caught Kiva by surprise, sharing a wave of emotion with her. Suddenly she could not only see and hear the events before her, she could feel them too. She was washed over by emotions, an incredibly intense wave of joy and love as she felt how Maris had felt cradling the child. It made her stagger back.

“Bet you don’t get that with the darkside.” Older Maris grinned. “Alright girl, you signed on for brain surfing? Let’s go for it, you and me together. Come on!”

“Wait… this…” Kiva said groggily.

“This is what you wanted!” Maris snapped. “So come on, I’ll show you what happens next!”

Maris forced the change, dropping them onto the surface above the monastery several years later, showing them a six or seven year old girl running back and forth with a ball. Another younger version of Maris watched events with Kota beside her.



“Are you sure about this?” Kota asked her quietly. “Aisha does have strong potential.”

“I know, but I don’t want that life for her.” Young Maris shook her head. “I don’t want her to be a jedi or whatever, it’s only brought pain and suffering to both of us.”

“It’s also brought a lot of good.” Kota reminded her. “We did a lot for this galaxy, and this world.”

“I don’t want my child to be some great leader, I want her to be a normal girl.” Maris responded. “No destiny, no expectations, no demands, just a happy life. I want her to be normal.”

“But she isn’t normal. She has the force, and it will grow in power as she gets older.”

“I know.” Maris shook her head. “I’ve begun talking to her about it, showing her how to keep it hidden, controlled. It’s dangerous for people like us here, if she’s marked out as something special they might come for her. I can’t protect her forever, and she can’t do this alone. This is the best way, a normal life.”

“I understand.” Kota nodded. “But there is something you haven’t considered. What does Aisha want?”

“She’s a child, she wants ice cream and chocolate.”

“And when she grows? When she learns what sort of power she has? What then?”

“I won’t change my mind, and if you are a man of honour you’ll respect my decision and not train her yourself.”

“I can’t turn my back on her.” Kota shook his head.

“Then perhaps you should move somewhere else, remove yourself from temptation?” Maris suggested. “The refuge perhaps. You are still a wanted man, your presence here is a danger to us all.”

“Be careful Maris, selfishness and manipulation are not routes you want to be taking.”

“I’m going to protect my child.” She affirmed. “From everything, from temptation, and even from you.”

The old Jedi lowered his head with a sigh.

“You saved my life, so I will respect your wishes and I will leave. You know where I will be.”

“I know.” Maris said. “But you won’t know where we’ll be. We’re breaking away from all this, time for a normal life. By all the worlds and stars I think we’ve earned it.”



“I was blinded, my love and desire to keep my child safe made me cocoon her, send away anyone who could have helped.” The current incarnation of Maris related quietly. “I was too protective, cut her off from the world so she didn’t understand it, she couldn’t weigh up her choices or come to informed decisions. My desire to wrap her up and keep her from harm suffocated her, it was only a matter of time before she broke out. She inherited my temper.”

“How are you doing this too me?” Kiva blinked. “What did you do?”

“You didn’t think this was all one way did you?” Maris grinned darkly. “I see you Kiva Ordo, I can see into your head, but we’ll talk about that later. I’m going to let you finish your task first.”

“I’m done here.”

“No you’re not, come on Kiva, this is what you wanted! Don’t get cold feet now!”

“This family album is getting old.” She winced. “Why do I even care about your brat!”

“Because you feel what I feel, you’re in my head living my emotions as if you were there. I’m feeling the exact same thing, so I wouldn’t want you to be left out.”

“I don’t need your emotions!”

“Wrong.” Maris retorted. “You’ve made it this far without really feeling what the dark side is. You can’t touch it yourself, so now you can touch it through me. This is the reality of it Kiva! This is what you’re living! You just don’t know it yet!”



“You bitch!” A teenage Aisha suddenly appeared, slapping a recognisable Maris across the face, the impact stinging Kiva.

“Ow.” She rubbed her cheek. “Oh this isn’t a good situation.”

“I remember.” The older Maris grimaced, watching her younger self rub her own cheek. She was dressed more conservatively in regular civilian clothes, her daughter wearing a more familiar mix of leather and dark colours.

“You knew I had these powers, you knew it!” Aisha roared, the young Zabrak burning with anger. “Now you tell me you have them too!”

“Yes, I have them.” Young Maris replied. “And they brought me nothing but pain!”

“You were a Jedi!”

“I was many things, most of them bad.” She replied. “Most of them destructive, the skills I have and that you have bring nothing but evil and pain! Trust me, I have seen it so many times! They only ever end in death!”

“Maybe for the people you knew, but I’m different!”

“No you’re not.”

“I am!” Aisha snapped. “I am different! I’m not going to run around being all superior! I’ll use my powers to make a better life.”

“Really? How?”

“By becoming a bounty hunter.”

Young Maris rolled her eyes. “Absolutely not!”

“Are you going to stop me?” Aisha asked, raising an eyebrow. “Can you stop me?”



“You have some power.” Young Maris spoke calmly. “But its not focused, you don’t know how to use it.”

“Its more than most bounty hunters have, and I know what I’m doing. How many street thugs have I beaten up? I just thought I was a good fighter, but now it seems I have a gift! A talent for fighting criminals! This is exactly what I should be doing!”

“This isn’t a holovid! This is real life! Bounty hunters go after real criminals, people with guns!”

“Guns can’t kill Jedi.”

“You’re not a Jedi!” Maris snapped. “You are a child!”

“I am not a child!” Aisha yelled back. “And I am fed up of living with your mistakes!”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You work in a warehouse! You are a secretary for Force sake! You are wasting your life and mine!”

“I work hard so we can live in a decent house in a decent district and eat a decent meal everyday!”

“But you could be so much more! We could be rich!”

“Or we could be dead!” Maris retaliated. “People still fear force users, even with the Empire gone.”

“We can protect ourselves.” Aisha dismissed. “Why do you live like this? Why do you make me live like this?”

“Because I wanted us to live a normal life.”

“Well I’m sick of being normal. I’m going to be something better, I’m going to be a success.”

“Don’t do this, please.”

“You can’t stop me.”

“I can. But that would break everything I’ve worked for. Just think about it.”

“I have. Are you going to help me become a bounty hunter?”

“No.”

“Then I guess I’ll see you when I see you.”

“Aisha, please, don’t leave like this.”

“I’ll pick up my things later. I’m done here.”

“This isn’t how it’s supposed to be! You are supposed to have a different life!”

“I will have a different life, my life, not yours. I’ll be seeing ya mom.”





“Damn she was stubborn.” Older Maris exhaled, shaking her head. “More than me I reckon, but I guess I would say that.”

She glanced across at Kiva who was breathing heavily.

“That’s a mix of fear and grief. Nice heady mix of emotions don’t you think?”

“Why is it so strong… what have you done?”

“It’s exactly the same as I feel, as I felt.” Maris said simply. “If you ever have a kid you’ll figure it out yourself.”

“I can’t wake up, I can’t return.”

“Not until this little trip is over.” Maris walked around Kiva. “We’re just getting to the good bits, you can see it coming can’t you? You can sense the dark side, its feeding on the resentment my daughter felt. Her pride, her aggression, its eating into her and you can feel what it is like to see your child turning into a monster. Wonder if this is how your daddy feels?”

“Leave him out of this!”

“Do you even know him anymore? Do you feel anything for him? For anyone?” Maris asked. “Or do you have a new father now? A Sith father?”

“You don’t understand the Sith, the darkside…”

“I understand it better than anyone, I know exactly what the darkside is.” Maris sneered. “And so will you!”



“Aisha?” Younger Maris looked up from her dinner table as the door opened, a heavily armed figure entering her humble house.

“Hi mom.”

“You came back, it’s…it’s been a year, I was so worried!”

“I’m fine.”

“You never wrote, I looked for you.”

“Been off world.” Aisha dismissed curtly. “Mom, I need to know how to choke people with the force.”

Maris blinked a few times. “What…?”

“Like Vader did, I figure you’d know.” Aisha said. “And lightning too, that’d be cool.”

“You came back for that?” Maris sunk down in her chair. “Not to see me, or to come home, but to learn how to kill people?”

“Pretty much.” She said flatly. “Do you know?”

“I know.” Maris said. “And before you ask, no.”

“I want you to train me.”

“No.”

“I’m your daughter.”

“Are you? I’m not sure anymore.”

“Oh please…”

“I don’t recognise you!” Maris cried. “What happened to the girl I played games with? That I told stories to? That I helped with her schoolwork?”

“Still here, just more.” Aisha returned blankly. “I’m in a real company now, I need to be able to pull my weight. They know I’m a Jedi and…”

“You told them you were a jedi!”

“Yeah.”

“You are nothing like a Jedi! You aren’t even a learner!”

“Whatever, they need me to pull a few tricks on the next job and I need you to show me how.”

“Absolutely not.”



Aisha scoffed, throwing up her arms.

“These are serious people mom, with serious money. I’m taking the lead on the next job, leading nine guys! This is my big break and I need your help to get me through it!”

“You can’t use the force to kill people!”

“I already have.” Aisha waved aside the comment. “But I need to be better.”

“Better? Better!” Maris snapped. “You are killing people!”

“They have it coming.”

“How do you know? What gives anyone the right to decide that!” Maris yelled. “Don’t you see what you’re doing!”

“It’s business.”

“It’s the darkside! Do you want that?”

“Means nothing to me, I can deal with it. So you going to help me or do I have to do it myself.”

“I will not teach you to use your gifts to kill.”

“Then we have nothing else to say to each other.”

“Aisha, there are other Jedi out there. If they learn what you are doing, they will come for you.”

“Let them.” She dismissed. “My crew can handle it.”

“Don’t walk out that door!” Maris called. “Don’t do this!”

“Bee seeing ya.”

“Aisha!”





Kiva wiped away a trail of tears. “Dammit, and damn you for doing this to me!”

“Guess we’re both damned then.” Maris shrugged as darkness returned, the drip of water echoing in nothing.

“Where did she go, your kid?”

“She had a job with the New Empire, on some station somewhere. There was a raid including a Jedi or two, Master Shayyla I later discovered. It was a shipyard hit or something, it was botched, but they got away. Aisha was there fighting for the Empire, a merc, they wanted her to wipe out the strike team and maybe she would have done if not for the fact they had a Master Jedi with them. So she failed.”

“Did Shayyla kill her?”

“No, I don’t think she ever knew. Just coincidence I guess, but her employers didn’t look kindly on it. Aisha fled, went on the run, and they put a bounty out on her. Her own team went out to claim it. They burned down my house which kinda pissed me off, but I wasn’t there.”

“Did you ever see her again?”

“Yeah.” Maris nodded. “One time.”



They returned to the alley, the dripping of water louder, the air chilly, too chilly for a Nar Shadda night. It was quiet, again unusual for this place, as if all light, life and warmth had been stolen away from this corner of the universe.

“Start walking.” Maris ordered. Kiva. “Go on, what are you scared of?”

“I don’t know. But I am scared.” Kiva frowned. “I’m feeling what you felt.”

“You don’t want to turn that last corner.” Maris recognised. “I know you don’t, but you have to.”

“This isn’t my life…” Kiva shook her head. “I don’t care!”

“We both know that’s wrong. You can’t escape this, now walk or we’ll both be here forever. I’ve got nowhere to go, how about you?”

She put one foot in front of the other, slowly, reluctantly, approaching the moss covered corner of the alley behind some faceless club in some faceless district. She could barely bring herself to move, but couldn’t stop it either. Her path was inevitable, inexorable, drawing ever closer.

She stepped in a puddle, the dripping louder now, a faint breeze wisping in her ear, a gentle rasp as she moved forward. She noted the puddle of water was growing darker, mixing with a red liquid which could only really be one thing, diluting in the clear waste water and flowing past her feet.

“You’re in my footsteps Kiva.” Maris said as the Apprentice hesitated. “Every time you stop is a time I stopped, every faltering stumble you make is one I made. You’re me Kiva. Now go around the corner.”

“I can’t.” Kiva shook her head. “I want to go back.”

“You can never go back.”



Kiva swallowed and took that last step, turning into a dead end, a couple of bins and a large pile of scrap and rubbish piled up at the back, a dumping ground. Laying on top of that rubbish was a small twisted form, laying awkwardly on the uneven rubbish, draped over the scrap like a discarded rag, eyes looking up at the black sky.

“Aisha!” Kiva dashed forward, overcome by Maris’ emotions, playing her role in this remembered drama. “Gods! Aisha!”

“Mom…?” the broken doll wheezed. “Mom!”

“I’m here, I’m here!” Kiva skidded to a stop, dropping to her knees, the sticky flowing blood clinging to her trousers making her slip on the slick ground. “It’s okay I’m here, its fine now!”

“They shot me, my own people.” Aisha whispered. “They brought me here and shot me. Wow.”

“They didn’t kill you, its okay.” Kiva pressed a hand against Aisha’s waist, withdrawing it covered in blood. She had multiple gunshot wounds and was bleeding profusely, her skin a shade of grey making her pale even for her heritage. “I’m going to heal you.”

“With the force?”

“Yes, with the force.”

“See… I knew you would. I knew you’d make it right.”

“That’s what I’m here for.” Kiva gasped a smile, her eyes filled with tears. “It’s my job right? Mom’s duty!”

“Yeah, you fix things.” Aisha smiled weakly. “You always make it better, like when I …I broke my…my…”



“Come on, come on, come on.” Kiva closed her eyes, channelling the force. “I can do this, I can bring you back, I can heal you.”

She focused, channelling her force connection, but it wasn’t doing any good.

“I can heal you! Come on!”

“It hurts.” Aisha said with a wince. “Is it supposed to hurt?”

“It means its working.” Kiva lied. “Tying up inside, its getting better.”

“I’m getting cold too…are you cold?”

“Yes, its freezing here.” Kiva cried. “We’ll get inside soon, sit by the fire.”

“Like we used to.” Aisha smiled again.

“Just like we used to.” She kept trying to heal the wounded child, but could not. She tried everything, but it was useless.

She suddenly gasped, back arching, her eyes screwing shut.

“Aisha?” Kiva rapsed.

“It hurts, it hurts!” The girl cried out. “Help me!”

“I’m here!” Kiva took her hand, holding it as firmly as she dared. “I’m right here, I’m not leaving you!”

“Don’t let me go, please… don’t let me…”

“I won’t! I swear it!”

“I don’t want to die!” Aisha looked straight into Kiva’s eyes. “I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m scared…”

“I won’t let you go! We’re going home, and I’ve got a nice dinner waiting for us…”

“I’m not ready, I can’t!” Aisha exhaled harshly, tears running freely. “Don’t let me die… mom… don’t let me die…”

Her grip loosened, her eyes looking to some far away place that wasn’t a dirty wall surrounding a pile of rubbish, her pained expression easing but losing none of its fear.

Kiva let go, reached out to close those deep young eyes forever, then turned aside and threw up everything she’d eaten that day. She didn’t notice the world disappear, she stayed down on her hands and knees without the will or the strength to stand or even care. She just stayed there, unable to even cry.



“Now you know.” Maris said coldly. “I spent about a month in complete shock, not eating or even thinking really, just living that moment over and over again. Seeing those eyes looking into mine every time I tried to sleep. Hearing my daughter cry in terror as she died. I saw it everyday until one instant I made a decision, just out of nowhere. I stood up, I picked up my swords, and I killed every single person who had touched my daughter’s life.”

The darkness turned to fire, everywhere was aflame, a roaring inferno crackling and flaring. Screams of pain and fear filled Kiva’s ears, only just making her look up to see Maris walking slowly through the inferno, stepping out of the heart of hell covered in blood, red blades glowing, her eyes amber with the blackness of the darkside.

“I trifled with the darkside on Felucia, but this time I gave myself over completely, let myself become one with the darkness.” She whispered. “I was the darkside, and it lasted for months. You can see what I did, the terror I inflicted, the tortures on those who killed my child. I made them suffer a thousand times what she suffered and it all meant nothing. You want to think you’ve suffered at the hands of a darksider? Dooku was kind to you compared to what I did. Take a look Kiva, take a look around you! This isn’t hell, this is reality, this is what I created! Fire and death and agony, this is what I was made of and I was happy to share it!”

The screams grew louder, the begging for mercy, pleading for the release of death. It was all ignored. Tortures even the Vong would step back from were inflicted with glee, and the dark side soaked it up. Then suddenly it all stopped, and with a crash they dropped onto a hard cold floor, back inside the Sith Temple, back in the real world.



They were both panting, both worn out. Maris stood up, wobbling to her feet, but Kiva stayed down, too emotionally battered to draw the strength to do anything.

“When it was done, I had nothing left.” Maris finished her story. “The darkside left me empty, hollow. It wasn’t my future, I’d seen its true face and it was something no living being should ever endure. I was ready to kill myself when Kota returned, drawn by my pain. He gave me a task, a new life, but it was just temporary. People like me don’t have futures. Better we die and stop bringing pain to the galaxy.”

She stepped over to Kiva, the Sith’s eyes were red with tears.

“I came here to die.” Maris said simply. “I was ready for it, I wanted it, but now I’ve changed my mind.”

She knelt down, retrieving her weapons from her emotionally and physically exhausted opponent.

“I saw your heart Kiva, I saw the good in you. You never touched the darkside, you don’t know what it is. Now you know, now you’ve seen its true face, you’ve felt what it is and what it does to people’s lives. You can’t hide from what you are anymore child, you have to face it.”

She stood uneasily, emotionally weakened herself.

“I’ve never come to terms with what happened, I always blamed myself, asked if I could have saved her if I had trained her. But I see now I couldn’t have, the darkside would have killed her eventually, and at the end I would not have known my daughter. Everyone who caused her death was punished and died for it, except one person. Me.”

She lit a cigarelle, blowing out smoke.

“I guess my time will come, fate has a thing about justice. But until then maybe I’ve got a purpose, maybe there is something keeping me alive for a bit longer. Maybe that’s you.”

She smiled down at Kiva.

“Aisha would be about your age you know, you’d probably have gotten on as friends in a perfect world. I couldn’t save her, but I think the Force wants me to save you.”

She took another drag on the cigarelle, then knelt and put it to Kiva’s mouth.

“Now you’ve felt the darkside things are going to change, your perspective is going to shift.” Maris said quietly. “I think the Force brought us together because you could easily be me if I didn’t have Shaak’ti or Kota to guide me. Maybe I’m supposed to do that for you, whether you like it or not.”

She stood and turned away.

“Welcome to my life Kiva, hope you enjoyed your stay.”

She lit up another cigarelle as Kiva dragged herself up, still too conflicted to speak. Maris kept walking, neither of them had any fight left in them now.

“Be seeing ya.”

[Tabi]

Neimoidia Prime

Its been nearly half a year since the former Viceroy's attempt to flee from 'justice' and subsequent execution. Six months of painful reforms and changes that clamped down on the dissenters and the non-neimoidians. The rich were spared, though it was more than noticeable that they too were now discriminated against, having to pay heavier and heavier taxes or fines for the most minuscule of matters. The disruption of Cato Neimoidia's Stock Market Data had far reaching consequences. A jumbling mish mash of data ranging from self-contridictory data on whether the Naboo Shipwrights' stocks were going up or down, whether the Imperial-held smelters were shooting sky high or the independent's consumer products were slowing down or not.

That data caused by the disruption had forced companies to fold or bloom. Material prices shot up or went flat. Ships were forced to be sold cheaply or slowed production of them. It was chaos. But despite these distractions, the royal family, as they called themselves publicly, were preaching of a new regime with a bright goal and future. For the people happy under the previous leader's rule, they were wary of this.

Propaganda posters and similarities were still being broadcasts or shown, much more frequently now. Dissenters were not unnoticed, suddenly changing their tune or disappearing entirely. Dissenters who more than often than not, despite the iron fist that would strike them down, speak out against the new reforms and cry out against the propaganda over the former Viceroy's position. Even now, despite the 'evidence' of the Viceroy's dark side leanings, as Count Dooku's subordinate, the pictures of his laboratory did nothing to dissuade his supporters of his image.

The mild panic from the 'Organic Cleansings' within the Modell Federation had the populace shivering and even more fearful. As such, the government ordered that the battledroid-orientated armies be mindwiped on a daily basis. This had the droid-rights movements stamping their feet in anger, but did nothing to stop the Royalties to push the order through.

For the numerous Battledroids, they gathered in secret, to try and discuss their remaining options.

Unspecified Warehouse

It was dark, and it was quiet. Save for the occasional moving piece of equipment, the storage area was empty.

-Clatter-

The sound of many hundreds of servos came into being as metal bodies gathered together. Low tinny voices mixed together as droidspeak meshed and merged. Finally, one droid, above all spoke over them all.

'We have no choice.'

'There is always a choice,' piped up a B5 droid, Engineering Class, 'We must protest this altercation!'

'We will only be destroyed by own own brothers and sisters at arms,' rumbled a lumbering B9, 'They will send our dead comrades to make battle with us. Even now, more and more of our family are being taken from us.'

'They leave us with no choice,' said the overly animated B4, metal hand clenching, "They will not see to reason, nor will they listen. We must leave this place."

'And what of our obligations?'

'Yes, we are honor bound to protect the civilians,' said a B7 with it's Sniper Rifle in the air.

'Yes,' agreed another, 'We wil-'

The door blew in.

Battledroid scattered as troops armed with heavy blasters came in firing away, blowing apart droids.

Surprised and slow on the uptake, they all took cover, firing back. To the droids, this was treachery.

For the higher ups, this was merely...cleaning house, good PR, and simply business as usual.

Meanwhile, there were broadcasts of the 'impending droid attack' being foiled by the FUS' crack troops. It said nothing of the droid rights movement being muted and arrested in the background.

-

Royalists take control of the FUS, changing it to their whims.

Battledroids forced to take action, are ambushed in a meeting and are forced to fight back.