Before - Legends Republic and Rebellion (KotOR Era) - Chapter 26 Posted December 23rd!

Sebastian is rising in power. I am uncertain whether to be excited or nervous.

Looks like the official land war is over, but we've got another war coming with Visto training Shad and Yveret.

I kind of always thought of Vandar as another Yoda sort of character, with what little development he was given in the game, but you worked him up to be nearly as sharp-tongued as Vrook. Very interesting turn.

 

earlybird - Thanks for reading! A bit more Jedi-y stuff coming up; seems to be a crowd pleaser.

SoA - Not both nervous AND excited for Sebastian's new job? And I decided that making all the Yoda-aliens Yoda-like would be boring, so I felt like giving him some spunk. I mean, short people work extra hard to get noticed and have their voice heard; it's either be respected and soft-voiced, or loud and carry a big stick. Or lightsaber, you know.

Onto the next segment! Sorry it took so long, blame the PS3 and Christmas/New Years. I want to get one more out before class starts on the 10th, but that's going to be difficult. But I'll give it a try! Thank you all for reading, and to any silent readers, please post? It would make me happy.



Chapter 18



?Good morning, general. Please, take a seat,? the one-armed Zabrak general said, pointing to the chair. Mek nodded and sat down in the uncomfortable metal chair and rested his arms on the table before them. It was their third meeting since the city and palace were sacked.

?Thank you, General Kasari,? Mek said politely. He was beginning to learn that being polite tended to pay off in small ways. Not to mention being polite is rather necessary when it comes to running a government. Which will hopefully come soon he thought, frustration rising somewhat. The progress on creating any kind of government was not going quickly at all.

?How are your accommodations suiting you?? Kasari asked, sipping from a metal cup. An aide handed one to Mek, though his was porcelain and he felt a tinge of embarrassment at drinking from it.

?It is awkward, to say the least, though I cannot dispute how well the king lived in this palace. However, as the largest, most advanced building standing now in the city, its use as a headquarters was the most practical move,? Mek admitted.

?Yes, it does look a bit odd to see the new Farsian government set up in such a place, but little else can be done until the other government buildings are repaired or rebuilt,? the general replied. Mek grimaced; after the deposing of Azimro and his family, the city nearly swallowed itself whole with looting. Dozens of buildings were sacked and raided by the poor in the city and they took everything that was not bolted down. Even the few museums such a city held were ransacked, and Mek had heard rumors of Farsian artifacts being smuggled off world. He didn?t care much, but some of the residents weren?t too happy.

?How is security in the city?? Mek asked.

?Well, we don?t have enough troops to set up the amount of checkpoints and outposts as we?d like, and that goes for Bukit, Phooko and Shabti. Juztar has not been fully pacified yet, and my colleagues are concerned about a growing militia movement there. We don?t have enough information yet, though we are looking into that,? Kasari answered. Juztar, the most westerly city on the continent, had always been a bit distinct compared to the rest of the more easterly cities.

?Will more troops be arriving then?? Mek asked. The general coughed on his tea, and the cough eventually devolved into laughter.

?By the Force, no, this is all we have. In fact, we will begin to pull the heaviest troops and materiel out within the next two months. We?ll begin training your troops; I believe Major Skyles is in charge of that,? the general said.

?Pull them out? Why?? Mek asked in disbelief. The general put his cup down and looked Mek straight in the eyes.

?Because we?ll be leaving within a year. We didn?t come here to babysit this planet, you know. There?s larger things to take care of in the galaxy.?

?You can?t be serious,? Mek snapped, putting his cup down as well.

?Quite serious, General Yrias. This was an operation to remove a regime, install a democracy, and leave. That can?t be too difficult for your people. After all, haven?t you been preparing for this for years?? Kasari questioned.

?Preparing for it and putting it in place are completely different,? Mek retorted. The general dismissed it with a wave of his hand.

?I suggest you begin t

 

nice post with Shad and Iveret. I love to see them together.

And that Jedi? Revan?

 

I see how this story is re-launching in a new direction. Good to see Revan and Malak sweep in. I didn't realize you were so close to the Mandalorian Wars by now. I also really enjoyed that bit with Vrook.

We haven't seen Erisi, other than her writing, in a long while now.

 

Author's Note:

I'd like to tell everyone that I have NOT forgotten about Republic and Rebellion. I was busy working on school work and then did two pieces for the Foerost Collaboration.

I lost some of my passion for this work as I began to rethink my ability to coherently and appropriately work on this story. Some of that was my mental state, some of that was worrying that I'd bitten off more than I could handle, but I can and will complete Republic and Rebellion.

I will return to Republic and Rebellion with a chapter by the close of business tomorrow. I hope to also finish another full chapter by the time my spring break ends next weekend. I apologize, sincerely, for the delay and I hope you all will enjoy the upcoming work.

-LFV

 

Chapter 19



?What did the general have to say?? Erisi asked as Titus stepped out of the large meeting room, a few other soldiers coming out with him. He gave her a wink and continued walking down the hallway. The palace of the former monarch was massive, hallways included. Soaring ceilings over five meters high stretched into grand rooms that now seemed to fulfill no purpose beyond storing equipment. Of course, many of the rooms were filled with men and women working on logistical problems, problems Erisi knew were serious. But to house them in the former palace? That seemed a bit? not right, was the best way to put it.

They turned a few corners, Erisi trusting Titus because she was still learning to navigate the maze of halls and doors. Titus was walking at his normal pace, which for his taller frame meant Erisi felt almost like jogging to keep up. He?d been true to his word since that day on the ship and rarely left her side. Meetings like the one he?d just left were the few times they weren?t within a kilometer of the other. There was no doubt in her mind that she was growing fond of his presence, and he of hers.

?Finally, some fresh air!? he said, pushing open a door leading out from the palace. Just then, a burst of cold air swirled some of the ubiquitous dust straight at them, and soon Titus was bent over, coughing loudly. Erisi slapped him on the back a few times.

?Absolutely brilliant timing,? she said, grinning at him. He looked up, his eyes red and bloodshot from the sudden bout of coughing and managed to eke out a smile before hacking a few more times. He straightened up and looked at her.

?That did not happ-?

?The hell it didn?t! I?m just sad I didn?t have my camera with me,? she teased. He sighed dramatically.

?Fine, there may have been a tickle in my throat,? he said, trying to maintain some form of dignity about the situation. Erisi tried to stifle her giggle but was unable to and he merely rolled his eyes and continued walking.

?So what did he say?? she inquired again as they reached his unit?s tent.

?I?ll tell you when we?re not milling around a military environment,? he said with a quiet voice. Ah, it something he shouldn?t be telling me then. Perfect! He moved about the tent, grabbing his armor from his duffel bag. ?Get your stuff, don?t you have a story due tomorrow night??

?How do you know that?? she asked, grabbing her light armor and affixing it to her chest.

?Your columns always appear on the fifth day of the week,? he said. After a pause he looked over at her. ?What? I read them, we all do!?

?Well, thank you,? she said sheepishly. Sometimes I forget I?m one of the few reporters down here. A couple of competitors, and HNN, had sent their own journalists, but, as her editor was all too fond of pointing out, she was the main draw for events on the ground. Short dispatches were sent every night, and the longer columns tended to come out at the end of every week. And tomorrow night was another deadline for a piece.

?Make it something? human focused, you know? Something people can identify with, you see? How beneficial the Republic has been for the Farsians, something like that,? her editor had told her the night before. A human interest story was a style she?d studied, but never put into her own words before. Then again, I never studied how to report on a war and I?m doing pretty well with that.

?Yeah, we all look forward to it. I mean, those of us that read. And we?re looking to see when you?re going to mention those brave, heroic Republic soldiers you?ve been working with. And perhaps one in particular,? he said slyly, flashing his signature Onasi grin at her.

?Do something heroic and maybe you?ll get that mention of yours,? she answered in kind. ?But today, we?re going hunting for someone with a story to tell.?

?What kind of a story?? he asked, clicking his own armor into place.

?I?m not really sure. I?ve got, um, suggestions of what to look for, but who knows if I?ll find it,? she answered.

?Got it. I assume we?re staying in this ci

 

Super post with Erisi, Shad and the old archivist

 

Good to see some of Erisi again. And she is going to get herself in trouble, again. Looks like Shad is well on his way to getting into some trouble too.

The archivist's warnings seem somewhat ominous.

 

Dude you've still got it, thats for sure! Great post, Lafizzy. I really enjoyed Master Shim's story too about Corellia. I hope you keep it up!

 

earlybird - Thanks for reading as usual! The archivist popped up in my head and I just ran with it; I'd read about her on Wookiepedia and wanted to find a way to work her in.

SoA - Thank you; there is trouble brewing... just wait until you see what some people do this next post!

JediDingo - Thanks dude! Not too much action in this one, more set up, but I hope you enjoy it!

I wrote most of this a few months ago and just finished the last viewpoints from two characters. You can thank graduate school and 25 pages worth of essays and an economics test to write. And finally, I'd like to congratulate our soldiers and intelligence officers for their work in finding and hunting down Usama Bin Ladin; much of this story has been inspired and running around my brain since 9/11 and since the Iraq War. Nothing made me happier than that announcement last night. Anyway, onto another chapter of Republic and Rebellion! And this is a long one, folks, I hope you enjoy!



Chapter 20


Sebastian awoke with a start, his breaths coming raggedly. The sheets around his legs and waist were wet from sweat, clinging to his body uncomfortably. He swung his legs to the side and stood up on the soft carpeting of his bedroom, letting the sheets slide off his body. The woman in his bed mumbled something but he ignored her. Can?t even remember her name he thought as he looked back at her.

Her naked form sent a shudder of arousal through his body but he turned away and stepped to the window. The many women he?d met and slept with often provided pleasure and an enjoyable night, but each was missing some spark, some element to truly engage him. He stared at the never-sleeping city of Coruscant, lights and ships twinkling in the night on his side of the planet.

He cycled through the dozens of women in his mind, trying to even recall something memorable about them. He could recall their faces and their bodies, even their voices, but not a shred about their personality, about what they liked or about their hopes and dreams. Only a few women, he counted on one hand, had made him feel more than sexual pleasure or lust when he was with them.

One, Sebastian chuckled, was most definitely off-limits. She?d been married for quite some time to a rather powerful businessman. I may enjoy pushing people?s buttons, but you never, ever frack with a man?s wife. Another, too, was rather out of bounds, but less of her marital status and more of the fact that she wasn?t allowed to marry a man. Perhaps she could love one, but certainly not publicly. Shame, she?s nearly perfect.

And then, there was the one. Keeping up with her was easy, after all these years, given the amount she wrote. Even in the most dry of works, he could still sense and feel her personality shining through the words. That?s what attracted him to her in the first place, he recalled. He?d never met her before reading her work, but found her writing entrancing and enjoyable. Writing about the administration at the University was positively boring stuff, but she?d brought it to life for him.

Sebastian watched a luxury liner slide past his window slowly. The silver lines of the ship brought to mind a trip the two of them had taken during a break between semesters. The Princess Nova, if he remembered, was the ship?s name. A big Corellian luxury liner, she was one of the finest for star-gazing. Sebastian grinned as the memory of how he procured the tickets popped back into his mind. He?d called up the ticket office only to discover that they were sold out.

But he never took no for an answer, not ever. The following day, he overhead the captain of the sphereball team at the University saying that he would be taking his girlfriend on that very same trip. Rather than pay the man off, which his parent?s inheritance could have allowed him to do, he decided to get fake papers made. The hacker, a boy at school named Jirjun, did a perfect job and Sebastian and Erisi had gotten their month-long dream vacation without paying a cent.

He smiled sadly at the me

 

Uh oh! It looks like I wrote the next chapter without getting any replies on Chapter 20! No matter, because I'm really getting into a rhythm here. I missed writing and had all this pent up in my head and just wanted to get it down. I hope you all like it; and the last section is brief because I just had to write it tonight and didn't want to sully it with anything past that. So read on, I hope!



Chapter 21



?Pack your belongings, Padawans. We will be returning to Coruscant within the hour,? Visto said to them. He wiped his face with a towel as they did the same; the heat was blasting full in the training rooms. Of course, that was on purpose, for Visto was adamant that they train in any type of condition the room could simulate. The day before had been exercises and saber training performed in weather as cold as the worst nights on Farso; only the lack of a strong wind kept them from truly freezing.

?Why are we returning?? Yveret asked, running the towel across her neck. Even nearly a dozen years old than Shad, he could still feel a sense of desire pricking in the back of his skull at her figure, but he shoved those thoughts to the side. At any rate, she has Visto?s heart and I have no need for a distraction.

?There are a number of reasons,? Visto said elliptically, combing his hair with his hand.

?How typically helpful of you,? she snapped back.

?I do try and be as good of a Master to you two as possible,? he sighed dramatically. She smacked him in the gut with her towel and strutted out of the room. Shad could sense the huge grin on her face as she left and he even chuckled.

?Oh, so your Master getting whacked is a cause for amusement?? Visto challenged, only mildly joking.

?Only when it?s deserved,? Shad answered, grinning.

?En garde, Padawan. You have insulted my honor!? Visto said, dramatic and mocking all at once. Even through the joking tone, Shad could sense that Visto?s pride was damaged. This isn?t some joke then. His cerulean saber ignited and Shad answered back, the green flaring from his saber handle. Visto lunged and Shad slapped the attack to the side, twirling his handle once and replying with a quick strike. Visto had already moved to the side and Shad felt the boot hit him in the side.

He grunted as he stumbled to the side, able to keep his balance. The hair on the back of his neck pricked and he sensed the blow coming from the left and spun to his right, the heat of the blade singeing his back. The duel continued for a number of minutes, the strikes quickly becoming true ones. It was less about practice and more about trying to actually hit or wound the other. Shad noted that neither had adjusted their blades down to non-lethal settings, as was normally the case.

?And how did I insult your honor?? Shad asked, his lungs burning for air in the cloying, humid atmosphere of the training room. Visto knocked Shad?s swing and feinted to the right and then curled his attack back to the left; Shad only just caught it in time, struggling at an awkward angle. Visto pushed harder and Shad felt his hands, wet from sweat, slipping down the blade. He dropped his left hand from the saber briefly and aimed it at Visto, Pushing the wind at the man. Visto disengaged and Shad felt the saber drop from his own hand. He backflipped away from the cutting blade of Visto and Pulled the saber toward him. Shad caught it and landed on a knee and saw the cerulean blade arcing for his head. He snapped the blade back on and held the attack at bay, Visto?s overhand strike nearly a death blow. That was too close!

?You should know without needing further instruction from me. After all, you don?t want my help anymore,? Visto snarled, pulling his blade away and slashing before Shad could rise from his knee.

?This is about me leaving then?? Shad asked. As he did so, he swept his leg toward Visto?s, forcing the man to either go down and jump back. As Shad expected, Visto leapt backward and Shad charged, feinting to the right.

?Leaving? Hardly! You?re refusing to finish your tra

 

Nice chapters.

And now Shad going back to his homeplanet

 

Gasp, I have been a HORRIBLE reader. For this, I am truly sorry. I'm saving the chapters I have missed and I'm going to read them this week and give you a pretty long review! ANDDDDD....I miss our facebook chats. Okay. Bye

 

The lull in the story has ended and things are happening again! Sebastian looks like he's on his way to poking his nose into places he's probably not wanted, again. Mek is going to take a planet down with him and Shad is determined to stop it. Lots of romance is blooming too. It looks like your six main characters are about to start crossing paths pretty intensely again. I look forward to more!

I'm really beginning to enjoy Titus.

 

earlybird - Thanks! We'll see how he gets back there soon!

JediDingo - And now you're one more chapter behind my friend!

SoA - I hope the lull wasn't my story being boring! Lots of intersections coming up in the next five or so chapters if I've got it planned out right.

Author's Note - Well, I suppose it's about time I admit this. I will be attending an 8-week immersion session in California to continue my studies in Arabic. This means that I will most likely NOT be spending any of my time writing whatsoever, as speaking/reading/writing in English is not only discouraged, but is legislated against with a rather strict language pledge. Now, that doesn't mean I can't think in English or what not, but we get kicked out if we talk a lot in English, and I'm not spending 10k to get my butt kicked out of school.

What this means for R&R is that posting will occur only once per month until August. I will post an update July 1st and an update August 1st, but beyond that, I won't be available. I've written about 50-60 pages in advance of this and these will make up the posting of Chapters 23 and 24 during my time spent away. Hopefully regular posting will resume mid-August, though my second year of grad school and job hunting will more than likely get in the way as it did last year. Thank you all so much for reading and I will certainly miss writing and posting and reading all your works.

Please, do not hesitate to constructively criticize; I know my work is very dialogue heavy and that some readers don't like that generally, so let me know if I need to get things moving faster! Onward with our twenty-second installment!

-LFV


Chapter 22


The transport ship touched down smoothly on a landing pad external to the Jedi Temple. The dawn was breaking on this side of the planet, throwing stark oranges and yellows across the morning sky. Content to look for metaphors in everything, all Visto could do was smile at the new day, and possibly for him, a new beginning.

He could not pinpoint the moment in which his emotions for Yveret morphed from that of caring and compassion into that of love, but he couldn?t care less right now. He could sense, even at this moment, how she felt about him and he about her. Already the bonds between them were growing ever closer like two strings coiling together, at once separate and yet becoming one.

And at the same time in which his bond with Yveret grew closer, his bond with Shad only tore itself open further. In his moment with Yveret in the cockpit, they had both let their emotions pour open so widely that even the least gifted Force-sensitive person could feel what happened. Visto sensed Shad?s state in the moments during the final approach to Coruscant and knew that the young man recognized and understood what happened. Piece by piece, the bond between them was unraveling, this event just one more tug on the unraveling ties.

Had his emotions for Yveret led to this point? Did he neglect his second apprentice in favor of her? Was neglecting Shad purposeful, or accidental? Or did taking on an apprentice to spite the Council and their regulations create an impenetrable and invisible barrier in his heart and mind regarding the young Farsian?

Visto ran a hand through his hair as he waited for the ramp to fully open to the Coruscanti air. Either way, you?ve failed him. You didn?t keep him close, you didn?t teach him the way you meant to, you didn?t accept that he wanted something different. You were stubborn and kept trying to get through to him, but never took the time to talk to him, man-to-man, about anything involving his life. You are a vain, and selfish man, his conscious scolded.

It had been so long since he?d last taken a Padawan; nearly thirty years. Was what happened a consequence of his inability to try and perhaps fail before? Was failure of some sort inevitable anyway, as a rusty and inexperienced teacher? Vrook?s words from long ago filtered back to him: ?Do not let this event, the death of your students by Exar Kun?s wickedness, chan

 

Exciting and revealing update.

Let Shad and Yveret be alright. They are nice characters and should save Farso

 

Well there's a lot of people doing stupid or underhanded things there. Mek was crazy already. The last thing the people of Farso need now is Mek with Sithy powers. I have this frightening feeling that Visto is going to wind up without any padawans at all pretty soon.

 

Author's Note: My deepest apologies for the lack of updates during the past two months my dear readers. The program I attended was extremely intense and thus rewarding beyond my expectations but it completely removed me from the English-speaking world and I have spent the past week and a half slowly reacclimating to things in English. Without exaggeration, I spent 99.5% of my time reading, writing, speaking, and thinking in Arabic for two months and avoided everything to do with English as much as possible; I did not open, read, or write further on Republic and Rebellion as I had intended prior to the program.

Thankfully, I had completed Chapters 23 and most of Chapter 24 prior to the start of the program, thus I am able to post chapter 23 for you now; it's even one of my longer ones. I hope you all have not left me, and I promise that I will reimmerse myself in your stories and works when I return to my home tomorrow (I'm currently at my father's house, not my normal home). And God willing, I will even manage to write some on the flight home tomorrow!

Thank you for your patience and your understanding,

LFV




Chapter 23



?You are determined to leave the Order,? Nomi Sunrider stated, seated across from Shad in his quarters. She was still beautiful, but in a way very different from any other woman. There was just something about her, some aura, some feeling he felt when he saw her movements and heard her voice. Power his consciousness whispered.

?I am,? he replied to her, looking her in the eye. She nodded slowly, a sad smile playing on her lips.

?Many Jedi do, in fact, leave this Order. Contrary to what you may have learned, there are many Force-sensitive persons who choose to leave us. Each departure is felt, and each time it occurs, it chips away at our collective soul. Some more than others? I am saddened by your decision, Shad Alaam, and I wish it were not so, I truly do,? Nomi said sadly. Shad felt the guilt flare in his cheeks and he looked down at the floor.

?Before you leave us, I am bound by duty and honor to caution you in your ways. Whether you believe in the dark side of the Force, whether you think you can avoid it, know this: you cannot. It is just as present in all of us as the good in us. It is what we choose to do with those two sides of our humanity that frames how we use the Force. A descent to the dark path is slow and you may not recognize it when it happens, should it happen.? She let the words hang and Shad felt that he must look up at her. She was leaning forward, all her attention focused on him.

?But if you dabble in the dark arts to the point where you are a threat, I will not hesitate one second to either end your life, or dispatch someone to fulfill that necessity. I participated in the Sith War, I helped strike Exar Kun down on the moon of Yavin. I understand and know, deeper than most, the pain and terrible nature of killing, for it affects the soul forever. You know this, as I can see it written on your soul as plain as day.? Shad swallowed hard, but could not look away from her stern gaze.

?I placed a bind on your soul, many months ago, after what occurred on Farso which you claim you do not remember. I will release that bind now, as you have requested of me. But you are not free of my sight, Shad, for until my death or yours, I will know if or when you act in a way that threatens enough to take action. This is not something with which you can negotiate,? she said with finality.

?I accept that,? he said.

?Very well. Please, try to relax. This will not be painless,? Nomi said, standing and stepping before him. He straightened his back and breathed out slowly as she placed her hands against his temples, her palms cold. He felt a familiar presence enter his mind and he felt his shadow-self try to fight back. Calm yourself he thought, knowing that fighting would only make it worse.

Then, abrupt pain lanced through his bodies as Nomi forced her soul deep into his, entering a place where he alone should belong, without interference. He tremble

 

Yes a long update and lots and lots happening there with Shad, Visto and Erisi.

I hope everything turns alright for Shad and Yveret

 

First off, congratulations on all the awards you've been nominated for. You really deserve to win all of them. I have never read a fanfiction to the caliber of this. Well done , good sir. Secondly, you are back with such a wonderful chapter! Man oh man, I've got a bad feeling about Shad. I just have a feeling its gonna go terribly wrong for him. And I've got a question. Hoe close are we to end?

 

earlybird - Thanks for reading as always! Things will continue to get hairy for our heroes and villains; no one is off limits.

JediDingo - Thank you but whatever happens, happens; awards or no, I'm just enjoying writing this as it goes. Onward we go!



Chapter 24



?Has everyone checked back in?? Mek asked, sitting around a table with Leto, Jon and Reze. The communicator in the corner was on, the volume down, as it continued to rattle off numbers and province names. The first results were coming in as thousands of volunteers in each city were counting and tallying up the paper ballots. Mek was keeping half an ear on that and half on the conversation here.

?Everyone but one squadron from Farso City; the Royal District,? Jon said.

?66,689 for the Party of Farso in first Juztar province??

?Thoughts?? Mek asked.

?29,342 for the Democratic Council of Farso in first Juztar province??

?How much did we trust that group?? Leto asked. ?Jon??

?I didna really know any one in that squad,? Jon answered, looking over the twelve names scrawled on the piece of paper they were passing around. Reze looked over it and shook his head.

?No names jump out at me for any reason. One or two were former royalists that jumped to our side when we hit Farso City in the final advance, but the rest were pretty much ours from a while back,? Reze said.

?And all the Republic troops got the word, right?? Leto asked, looking over to Mek.

?79,332 for the Party of Farso in second Shabti province??

?I talked directly to General Kasari and told him that we wanted our troops to take care of it. From what I?ve heard, the Republic guys weren?t too happy about it, but no one did anything dumb, at least I don?t think,? Mek replied. ?Jon, do you know any Republic soldiers you could talk to? Reze??

?There?s a few, I?ll see what I can find out,? Reze said.

?45,239 for the Democratic Council of Farso in second Shabti province??

?Yeah, I know a coupla guys. One was real professional and smart; he?d know somethin?,? Jon answered.

?Well, let?s get answers sooner than later, yeah? Go on now,? Mek said. Jon and Reze nodded and left the room, each taking the communicator from their belts.

?I?ll keep an ear out on the election results and let you know if something odd happens,? Leto said as Mek rose himself. His chronometer read near 1700 hours, when Sebastian was supposed to speak to him.?

?Thanks Leto. Drink up,? he said, pushing the bottle of rum over to Leto. Leto grinned and popped the top off and took a long swig. Mek left the room and saw Reze standing outside, speaking into his communicator. He nodded to his right-hand man and continued on, moving about the corridors until he returned to his preferred room, one of the rooms Azimro used most often for work, or whatever work a king did.

A large, wooden desk sat near a set of wide windows as multiple portraits of Farsian kings graced the room. The fact that there was no female portrait of a queen did not escape Mek?s notice; but that was for the better. Women couldn?t be trusted to rule over the dominion of men anyway. The carpet was plush and of a dark burgundy, soaking up the lights that were affixed in intervals between the portraits on the wall. A HoloNet screen was rigged up near the desk rather quickly and sort of threw off the vibe in the room.

?Ah, no matter, I can get that reinstalled soon and made much nicer once this is mine officially,? Mek said to himself. He sat down in the luxurious office chair and swiveled it to his right, clicking on the HoloNet screen. The uplink took a moment but it soon connected to the galactic-wide network. A press conference with one of the ministers of the Republic government was on, but he tried not to listen as the small scroll at the bottom of the screen updated information about Farso?s election. It seemed to be a few hours behind in numbers and provinces, but that was okay. There?s no possible way things did not go my way, not with our plan.

?General Yrias, there is a Sebastian Ardin on the line,? the mecha

 

Intrigue, politics and just like real life. Manipulations of elections

Great to see Shad with friends and let him win

 

Unlike obi here, I'm not so sure I do want Shad to win. At least not this way, because it'll cost him something I'm betting, and he will pay a heavy price for it. He seems pretty eager to kill Me, maybe Vista will step in. Excited.

 

The intrigue builds!

Sorry it took me so long to catch up. I've been out of internet for the last month.

Not too many chapters ago, everything was going well for everyone, and now it seems to be going down the tubes equally for those same folks. Everyone looks like they are set up to lose a lot.

 

Dearest readers: My sincerest apologies for being gone for such a lengthy period of time. This past semester challenged me in a multitude of ways, especially in my time management. Each of my three graduate classes demanded significant time for reading and research, and I wrote zero words during the semester on Republic and Rebellion. Over the break I hope to push out a few more chapters, and I cannot promise that more will be forthcoming during the spring semester either. I set no time period for completion of this work, and I hope you all bear with me for as long as it takes, as even I don't know. We're more than 60% of the way through what I have planned, though, so God willing, we'll be done before the end of 2012!

And now, let our adventure continue with Chapter 25.



Chapter 25



Visto stepped into the training hallway, looking down the brightly lit corridor. Groups or pairs of Masters and Padawans stood together, talking, wiping sweat from their faces and arms, enjoying their time. An uncontrollable surge of anger coursed through his body as he saw these groups of people, happy and smiling. His Padawans had been taken from him.

And it was your fault, too. Visto shook his head, trying to ignore the voice of his conscience. Or whatever voice it was. It had been growing louder and louder, and ignoring it was proving more and more difficult each day.

That?s because you?re trying to avoid the truth it whispered cruelly.

?Shut it already,? Visto said aloud. A number of Jedi looked over at him oddly and he realized he was talking, even oddly for him, to himself. He heard a few whispers break out and caught a few words: ?lost?, ?Padawans?, ?crazy?, and more. The words stung this time; he?d been called crazy and insane and stupid and without a hope before, but now the words felt as though they rang truer than ever. He?d failed two sets of his students and half of them were dead. Shad might be gone soon, if he truly planned what Visto had sensed in him.

Ashamed and feeling red color his face, he stepped into the closest training room and locked the door behind him. He punched a number of buttons on the keypad and the glass fogged itself; he could see out and no one could see inside. The landscape shifted, the holograms creating what appeared to be a plain similar to that he might find on Dantooine or Corellia.

He unclipped his belt and removed his tunic and undershirt and finally his boots. One of his toes on his left ?foot? was twitching and it took a moment for the signals from his brain to make the damned machine stop twitching. Blasted mechanical bull****. Breathing out slowly, he fell into the oldest routine he?d learned as a youngling. His body moved in a rhythm of four motions every seven seconds, the movements progressively increasing in difficulty and coordination.

As his body lapsed into the meditation of motion learned long ago, his mind drifted to a far away place, a place where only he could go. Every Jedi, perhaps every person, had a special place in their mind where no one else could enter. His Master, those many years ago, had told him that to escape from consciousness and from life in that secret garden of the soul was to know oneself, to dive deep into the river of blood that sustained one?s body and mind, heart and soul.

Every secret garden was different, a moment, a place, a thing unique to every person that held some deeper meaning. Visto did not know of any other?s but his own; perhaps it was best that way. He was finding, even now at beyond his fifty years of life, that comparing himself to others was a useless, and frustrating task. He would never be a Jedi like Nomi, or Exar. He was Visto Cafran, unique, Corellian yet not a true Corellian, loud and gregarious, yet also quiet and occupied with his own thoughts. He was not a lover of the Code, wedded to it the way Atris was; he was not a competitor, always striving to prove his worth like Kavar.

As his movements grew more complex and physical, his mind detached itself even further from his corporeal body. He s