Rising Hope, Rising Darkness (Updated 3/25)

Okay, here's the sequel to Out of the Past. All the usual disclaimers (I'm not making any money off this, and everything Star Wars belongs to GL) apply.

And awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay we go!



Dramatis Personae

Jedi
Master Luke Skywalker - Jedi Council member - human male from Tatooine
Master Mara Jade Skywalker - Jedi Council member - human female from Coruscant
Master Leia Organa Solo - Jedi Council member - human female from Alderaan
Master Jaina Solo Fel - human female from Coruscant
Master Corran Horn - Jedi Council member - human male from Corellia
Master Sebrona - Dug male from Malastare
Knight Tahiri Veila - human female from Tatooine
Knight Maaizeh Windu - human male from Tatooine

Royal House of Hapes
Tenel Ka Chume Ta'a Djo - Hapan Queen Mother - human female from Hapes
Jacen Solo - Consort of the Queen Mother - human male from Coruscant
Isolder - Hapan delegate to the Republic Senate - human male from Hapes

Republic Senate
Triebakk - Chancellor - Wookiee male from Kashyyyk
Ephin Saretti - Minster of State - human male from Bastion
Ackbar - Minister of Defense - Mon Calamari male from Mon Calamari

Republic Military
General Garm Bel Iblis - C-in-C, Republic Defense Force - human male from Corellia
Admiral Traest Kre'fey - C-in-C Fleet, Core - Bothan male from Bothawui
General Han Solo - C-in-C Starfighter, Core - human male from Corellia
Colonel Jagged Fel - Leader, Twin Suns Squadron - human male from Niraun
Captain Shalla Nelprin - XO, Twin Suns Squadron - human female from Ingo

Renegade Forces
Leonia Tavira - Former Imperial Admiral - human female from Eiattu VI
Tobac Odnalro - Captain, Raptor's Claw - Barabel female from Barab I
Jaegre Honfret - Commander, Cetus - human male from Lorrd

Sith
Eclepsa, Dark Lady of the Sith - human female from Ison



Prologue: Families Rejoined

"You said that there was something you wanted to tell me," Jacen said as he and Tenel Ka headed back towards Song of War, which had arrived in orbit hours after Tenel Ka herself had arrived. Needless to say, this had not pleased the queen.

"Yes. First, I want you to know that my father will be taking over the senatorial position."

"What?" Jacen asked. "If I may ask, what did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong at all. In fact, you may have done a few things a little too right," she said, her eyes twinkling, as though she knew something that Jacen didn't, and was just itching for him to ask.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" Jacen asked, equally determined not to ask the question that Tenel Ka was looking for."

"I would have thought you'd have figured it out already," his wife replied. "After all, you're the one who's always talking about reaching out with your feelings."

"Hey, don't make it sound like it's a bad thing," Jacen said.

"And yet you fail to follow your own advice," Tenel Ka said, and Jacen could see that she could barely keep herself from laughing. Instead, Jacen turned his attention outward, focusing the Force on his wife. What he felt shocked him so much that he stopped dead in his tracks.

"No, no it's not possible," Jacen said. And yet, the feelings he was gaining through the Force were not to be denied. He looked into Tenel Ka's face. "You're..." He didn't get a chance to finish the statement, as she blocked his mouth with her own. When their lips parted, she answered the question that Jacen had begun to pose.

"Yes, my love. I'm pregnant. Which means," and at this point the gleam in her eyes took on a slightly menacing air, "that you're going to have to come back to Hapes and help take care of our child. After all, the Queen Mother can't be seen changing diapers, can she?"

Rising Hope, Rising Darkness - Part I
Birth of Hope


"This is insane," Jedi Master Jacen Solo said as he paced restlessly outside the room in which his wife, Hapan Queen Mother Tenel Ka was about to give birth to their first child.

 

great start


I think its time for the stubborn queen to get an artificial replacement for that other arm......

 

Always with the twins. Isn't it suppossed to skip a generation?
Very nice post. So what about my two favorite sentators?

 

Liz: She probably should. Maybe I should have Jacen try to convince her?

yoda: Nope, we've had a twin pair every generation since Luke and Leia. Think. Luke & Leia. Then we have Jacen & Jaina. and now we have Jacen and Tenel Ka's twins.


Thanks for checking in. Now, who's ready for more????


The datapad soared across the room, struck the opposite wall, fell, and slid halfway back towards the desk from which it had been launched. Her frustration evident in each movement, Admiral Leonia Tavira stood, and walked over to pick up the thrown device. "Two," she said to the empty air. "Two squadrons of fighters are all I have left. Once again, my plans have been hampered by the Jedi." But had the Jedi really been responsible for what had happened? Surely they had been responsible for the death of Lumiya on Ison, but had they been involved in the battle that she herself had lost in orbit above the planet?

She supposed that they hadn't been, though there was evidence that Corran Horn had been present in the naval engagement. Her violet eyes blazed as she recalled the fact that she had once considered Horn, then posing as a pirate named Jenos Idanian, worthy of becoming her companion. Then, it had been Horn and Skywalker who had frustrated her plans by taking her tame Force-users captive.

It would take time to rebuild her forces to the point where she could once again make a stab at the Republic that had risen to take the place of the Empire. Lumiya had proven that the Republic could be divided against itself, only to have her plans ruined when Luke and Mara Skywalker. The comm on the desk whistled, demanding her attention and jerking her from her reverie.

"This is Tavira."

"Admiral," the voice of Invidious' captain said. "We've just detected a Kaloth-class battlecruiser in the system."

"Have they made any aggressive moves, Captain?"

"No, ma'am. They dropped out of hyperspace, moved to our port side, and have just been sitting there."

Tavira cut the channel, and left the office, and took the closest lift to the bridge. Moments later, she strode onto the bridge, and made straight for the communications console.

"This is Admiral Tavira of the Invidious. State your intentions," she said, though she suspected that the ship was here in response to her request for pirates to join her forces.

"Admiral, a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Captain Tobac Odnalro, of the battlecruiser Raptor's Claw. My crew and I wish to join your forces in your quest to bring down the Republic."

++++++++++++


That's it for now, I'll try and get more up tomorrow night.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Great post. Medicaly twins skip a generation. The authors made a mistake. Leia should not have been able to have twins but jacen and jaina could

 

Okay, now I understand, yoda.

And here's some more, as I promised.


"Why didn't you tell me that you were going to be having twins?" Jacen asked Tenel Ka once the rest of the Solo/Skywalker clan had left the room. Han insisted that they should stay, until Leia, and then Mara, finally convinced him that Tenel Ka needed a chance to get some rest. Jacen himself had been about to get up when he felt a sudden pressure to stay. And seeing that he was going to be on Hapes for a while, it didn't seem like a good idea to go and irritate the Queen Mother.

"I wanted there to be some surprise to you," she said, a glint appearing in the eyes that had, at least to Jacen, seemed just a little bit tired following the birth of the twins, who now lay sleeping in the room next door under the watchful supervision of five bodyguards usually attached to the queen.

"Still, makes telling my parents their names a bit difficult. I mean, we had already decided on naming one of them after your mother..."

"That isn't going to change. And I've been wondering about a name for the other one. After all, before we knew, we had been considering naming our child after your brother."

"Except that somehow, I think it might be a burden to name our younger daughter after Anakin," Jacen said.

"So we don't name her after Anakin..." Tenel Ka said.

"Excuse me," Jacen asked, now thoroughly confused. "I thought you just said..."

"...directly," Tenel Ka finished.

"I still don't think I understand," Jacen said. Then he felt Tenel Ka' mind brush his own, and the name Anaka floated into his mind. He looked at his wife in surprise, and found her grinning at him. "Have I told you lately how much I love you?" he asked, reaching out to give her a light squeeze.

"I think you have. But that doesn't mean you can stop telling me."

"As you command, Majesty," Jacen said, injecting just enough sarcasm into the last word to let her know that he was teasing. "And now I think that a certain mother needs to get some sleep," he said, rising.

"You mean their father needs some sleep," she said. "Enjoy it now, because I have a feeling they'll be keeping you up for a while now."

++++++++++++


That's it for tonight. I'll get some more up tomorrow.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Poor Jacen-He has his hands full.
Great post. Nice names.

 

yoda: Yes, Jacen does have his hands full. Can you imagine what things will be like, however, when they get a little older???


And now, on to the next part.

"I've never seen Jacen so happy," Mara said to Luke as she emerged from Ben's bedroom, after checking on their sleeping son. It had been nearly midnight by the time the Hapans had been able to usher the Solos and Skywalkers from the hospital wing, and Mara wanted to make sure that Ben had gone to bed when he was supposed to.

"It seemed as though, for once, Jacen wasn't questioning anything," Luke said, as Mara sat down and leaned against him. "He seemed, I don't know..."

"At peace," Mara finished. "You know, Luke, I wonder if Ben may actually be able to grow up without the sort of strife that Leia's children went through."

"You mean, grow up without Imperials trying to kidnap them, or Dark Jedi trying to reshape them in their own twisted image?" Luke asked, voicing the question that had been on his mind since the defeat of Lumiya almost eight months ago.

"That's it exactly. Ben's growing stronger in the Force every day. I shudder to think what might happen if he were to turn to the Dark Side."

"I'll admit," Luke said, "I've wondered the same thing on more than one occasion. But I think that such worries are the nightmares of every parent."

*If that's really your thought, then why is there something else lurking in the back of your mind, Skywalker?* she asked through the Force.

"Stay out of my head, Jade," Luke said with a grin, though it was one that didn't quite hide the thoughts that were troubling him.

"You're still thinking about that apprentice, aren't you?" Mara asked.

"I suppose I am. I've been trying to find out just what the purpose would be for the Sith to continue to remain. Is it to maintain a balance between the light and dark? Or were we just unfortunate to let the last Sith slip through before we could end their presence forever?"

"Luke, now is probably not the time for you to be thinking about this sort of thing. Wait until the morning, when you can attack this thing with a clear head."

"Even so, it's going to be hard for me to forget about this," Luke said.

"Then I guess I'll just have to give you something else to think about, love," she said, rising and heading down the hall towards their bedroom, a mental pressure from the Force telling Luke to go with her.

++++++++++++


That's all for now. I'll try and get something up tomorrow before I go to work.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Wow, where is everybody?


The darkness closed in, enveloping her like a shroud. The minimal lighting of the cabin glinted off her red hair, giving it an almost golden cast. The ship floated in the space between the stars, floating in interstellar space where few were likely to stumble upon it. But this loneliness, this isolation, was exactly what the solitary figure wanted.

Through the Force, she had felt the death of the Dark Lady, and had fled Corellia before the forces of the Republic could close in. She had failed in her mission, but more importantly, she had failed her master, leaving her at the precise moment when her presence was most needed. Blast the Jedi, and to the Sith with Skywalker, she thought. She had gone to Corellia to assassinate the Governor-General after his betrayal, but had not had time to complete the attempt before the death of Lumiya overwhelmed her. She had fled Corellia, thinking that Solo might be able to point in that direction.

Now, Eclepsa, the only remaining Lady of the Sith, stretched out in the Force, reaching for the power offered by the Dark Side. She needed to immerse herself in the dark energy, and bring the training that she had gained from Lumiya to bear against the Jedi, especially Luke Skywalker. She floated within the Dark Side of the Force, seeking to find a place where the Dark Side held overwhelming power.

Without thinking, or even realizing that she was doing it, she set a course, and her ship, Oscuro, jumped into hyperspace. Eclepsa fell into a Force trance for the journey, in her mind replaying the lessons, sometimes painful ones. In this trance she heard Lumiya's voice.

"Only a fully trained Sith, depending on the power of the Dark Side, will be able to defeat Skywalker and bring the Empire back in its former glory."

She wondered what this meant, as the ship reverted to realspace, the green jewel of a moon beneath it. Eclepsa could feel the Dark Side calling, whispering to her. She knew that somewhere, on the moon below, lay the answers that she sought. Stretching out, she found the strongest focal point, and brought the ship down through the atmosphere, landing beside one of the temples raised by Exar Kun, the greatest Dark Lord of the Sith.

++++++++++++



That's it for now, more to come tomorrow, before work.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

I am so sorry that I fell behind. Its been really hectic.......and I should have used today to catch up on all the fics I read.


All good posts. Did Jacen and Tenel Ka have twin girls or one of each? THat was a bit confusing.

 

Liz: Sorry about the confusion. They di have twin girls, though not identical twins. Glad you were able to catch up on this.


And now, here's some more!


Queen Mother Tenel Ka, finally released from the confinement of the healers, headed straight from the medical wing of the palace to that part from which the justice of the Consortium was handed down. She approached the ornate doors, and pushed one of the large wooden doors open, its hinges creaking slightly as she did so. A wonder, she thought, that this room hasn't been used since my grandmother assumed the throne.

"Looks like it's going to take some refurbishing," Jacen said from behind her, slightly startling his wife, who apparently hadn't heard his approach.

"This is a fact," she said, surveying the room as she entered. Almost every surface was covered in at least an inch of dust, and the statues that had once reflected the golden light of Hapes' sun had grown dull. Cushions on some of the seats would definitely need to be replaced. "How she could have let this place get into this kind of shape, I will never understand."

"You mean your grandmother? She probably felt that, with the Empire bearing down on Hapes, a stronger ruling hand needed to be shown."

"In other words, she needed to bring all the power unto herself," Tenel Ka snorted. "That sort of idea stops here, today. I will see this place restored, and returned to its proper use in time that Fyor Rodan will be able to face true justice. Not the justice of a single being, but the justice of the Consortium."

"So you are going to try him here?"

"Hapan law all but demands it. If the Republic is willing to turn him over, Hapes will see that justice is done," she said, heading up towards the single seat positioned in the front and center of the hall, on a level just above a row of three seats, all of which faced outward.

"And you'll oversee the proceedings yourself, I presume," Jacen said.

"It is my duty to do so. My people expect no less of me."

"You realize that you place yourself in a precarious position. Rodan may be in prison, but there are still those who feel that his stance on certain issues was the right one. They will try to undermine these proceedings."

"Then we," Tenel Ka said, her voice taking on the royal quality that it did whenever she spoke publicly as the Queen Mother, "will see that there are no loopholes that they might use to stop justice from being done."

++++++++++++



That's it for now. More to come tomorrow evening, probably.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Sincere apologises I had read but my computer logged me off and i finally got back on and well sry.

Great posts. Very nice. Eclepsa is quite evil where is she off to?

And what room was tenel ka in?

Yes Fyor is gonna be tried.
DEATH DEATH DEATH!

 

maybe Tenel Ka was in a court room like place?


good post

 

yoda: Glad that you were able to get back on and catch up. As for Eclepsa, she's heading to a location where Exar Kun raised temples devoted to enhancing his Dark Side abilities. (hint: Luke once used one of the temples as an academy)

Liz: That's exactly the feeling that I was going for with that post.


"This is not what I expected to find," Jedi Master Corran Horn said, stepping off the ramp of the shuttle that had brought him to Corellia.

He was stopped once by a low-ranking officer while going through customs, but when a superior pointed out the name "Horn," he saw the young officer's eyebrows go up, and heard him ask "as in Rostek Horn?"

"Though apparently your grandfather's name still carries some weight," the shorter of his two companions, and the only Dug in the Jedi Order said.

"Either that, or they know better than to get in the way of a Jedi Master. After all, you are a member of the Jedi Council," said the other, a tall, dark-skinned, powerfully built human.

"It was my grandfather's name that swayed them," Corran said, once the trio was out of earshot. "He must still be involving himself in the local politics."

"Probably a thorn in the side of Thrackan Sal-Solo," Sebrona said, a confused look crossing his face as Corran chuckled.

"I think I missed something," said Sebrona.

"My grandfather is quite a gardener," Corran explained. "When he wanted to send a message to one of the local politicians, he did it through flowers, or other plants."

"Of course," Sebrona replied. "So what exactly did Master Skywalker hope to accomplish here? Any trace of Lumiya's apprentice would have gone colder than the ice fields of Hoth."

"Lumiya had connections with pirates. Even with the attempts of the Empire, the New Republic, and the current government, Corellia has always been a hotbed for smugglers. I think that if Eclepsa is trying to build a fleet, she'll start here. So we're going to set a little surprise for her."

++++++++++++


That's it for now. I'll try and get something up tomorrow before work. Hope you all enjoy this!

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Nice post

 

yoda: Glad you liked it.


And now, to mix things up even further...


"You opted to conduct a rogue operation to snatch a Republic Senator," Releqy A'Kla stated, opening the day's round of questioning. "What led you to suspect Pwoe?"

"Senator, I think it's pretty obvious," Wedge Antilles said, then cursed himself inwardly. That probably wasn't the best way to start this. "When someone close to the Jedi vanishes, it becomes easy to suspect those who are extremely anti-Jedi. Pwoe, as well as Fyor Rodan, have always been as anti-Jedi as possible without risking their position."

"Once you made these deductions, you asked General Pellaeon to take you to Corellia. What led you to suspect that this would be the target?"

"My wife, Iella, had been dispatched by General Cracken. It seemed logical that if he deemed it important enough to send one of his most valuable agents there, somehting must be up. Plus, I used a little bit of what has been referred to as "Booster logic"."

"Excuse me?" Senator Ta'laam Ranth said, curiosity in his eyes. "Booster logic?"

"It dates back to Ysanne Isard's attempt to reassert herself during the months following the defeat of Grand Admiral Thrawn. Booster Terrik plotted out what Isard would need to become a force to be reckoned with. If the Dark Lady of the Sith..."

"My apologies for interrupting, General, but would you explain that, for those of us who weren't present to hear about this...individual?" Releqy asked.

"Of course. I had heard from Master Skywalker that the attacks framing Booster had probably been launched by an old adversary of Luke's. Lumiya, once known as Shira Brie, had been a mole within the old Rebel Alliance, trained by Imperial Intelligence Director Ysanne Isard. She had been ordered to discredit Luke, but things turned out differently than had been planned. When her starfighter was shot down by Luke, then commander of Rogue Squadron, her remains were recovered by Darth Vader. Her shattered limbs were replaced with prosthetics, and she was presented to Palpatine, as an Emperor's Hand."

"Like Mara Jade," said Director Jak Bremen, present as head of Republic Security. Wedge recalled that Bremen had never really trusted Mara, even after she had married Luke and there no longer any question about her loyalties.

"Precisely," Wedge continued. "Anyhow, Lumiya trained under both Vader and Palpatine. She was not aboard the Death Star when it was destroyed over Endor. When she returned, she proved to be an enemy of the New Republic, no matter what it might mean regarding the Empire."

"Thank you, General," Ranth said. "If we can return to your previous response?"

"Of course, Senator. I decided that if Lumiya wanted to become a force to be reckoned with, she would need both military and political power."

"And what led you to choose to involve yourself in the political side. Wouldn't it be better to have moved against the military resources she might have been drawing upon?" Ranth asked.

"At this point, I wasn't sure who might have been trying to ride on her cloaktrails, Senator. At that point, I felt that to keep her from being able to alert her agents, it was best to play my cards close to the vest, if you'll pardon the expression."

"Of course, General. If it's not a problem, I'd like to resume your testimony after this committee has had a chance to interview General Solo."

"I'll remain in touch, Senator."

++++++++++++


That's it for now, more to come either tomorrow or Monday.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Two days without any replies? Where did everybody go? Something tells me that I don't want to know how far this thing has sunk.

Kell Tainer raised the hood of the cloak he wore, and tried to vanish further into the shadows, which wasn't exactly easy, given his size. He had once been described as being the perfect image for a military recruiting poster, and even now could still hold his own in hand to hand combat with just about anyone in the Republic's military. But skulking around in the shadows, that was more the sort of thing his wife would have found easy. Not that Tyria had ever taken the easy route in any situation.

"Looks like a dead end," Kell said to his partner in this little operation, Bhindi Drayson. Tall, and somewhat severe looking, Bhindi was definitely the better suited of the two for their mission.

"Just give it a little more time, Explosion Boy," she said, the last part a reference to Kell's usual activities as part of the Intelligence squadron code-named the Wraiths. "We're here to keep an eye out for pirates."

The door to the establishment opened, and more of the somewhat foul-smelling air of the planet Eriadu spilled into the tapcafe. Two people, one male, one female, entered, and Kell squinted, trying to get a better view of the man. "Oh, sithspit!"

"What?" Bhindi asked, taking a closer look as well, and then she too, seemed to recognize the face of the man. "Kell, tell me that's not Kyp Durron."

"Sorry, can't oblige this time. Only thing we can hope for now is that he doesn't try and do something stupid."

"Like what? Blow a hole in the wall?"

"Bhindi, I wouldn't put anything past him. And Jedi Master or not, if he blows out cover, I'm going to strangle him."

"Why not have your wife do it? Might be cleaner."

"Probably would be," Kell answered. "But then I wouldn't get the pleasure of throttling him first."

"Who's the woman?" Bhindi asked, as the woman lowered the cowl of her cloak, revealing a pair of lekku, the brain tails identifying herself as a Twi-lek. She seemed to pause for a moment, her eyes passing over the tapcaf's layout. Then, she reached out and brushed Durron's arm with a hand. Kyp headed in the direction of the bar, while she made for the shadows to Kell's right.

"Good," he said. "No sign that they saw us."

"Wrong about that, Explosion Boy," came a female voice from behind and to Kell's right. Kell jumped up, his hand reaching for the blaster that hang at his waist as he turned to face the interloper. The blaster only made it halfway up before Kell's face lit up in recognition.

"Dia? What in space are you doing here? And more importantly, what are you doing hanging around with someone like Kyp Durron?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, consider your mission here over."

"Over?"

"Do I need to explain the meaning of the word?"

++++++++++++


More aboard the Invidious coming tomorrow!

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

good posts


sorry I fell behind again

 

sorry. I read and didn't reply. Great posts.

 

Liz: Thanks. I can understand falling behind, seeing as you posted another chapter of your fic, which was excellent, in case my response somehow got lost.

yoda: Glad you were able to catch up. Just as a bit of a teaser, the act of deciding the fate of one of your favorite senators will begin soon.


And now, onto the next post.

Captain Nessnaj Niquip flicked his thumb against one leg as he paused outside the secondary command room aboard the Invidious. Admiral Tavira had been spending a great deal of time in there, almost as though she were studying something. The only people, in fact, that had been permitted had been the Barabel captain that had brought her pirate group to join with Tavira, and the Hapan woman who claimed to have been exiled from the cluster by the Queen Mother.

He cleared his throat. "Admiral Tavira, I have..." The door slid open, revealing Tavira's face. Fury burned in her purple irises, and Niquip wondered momentarily if he had made a mistake. "If this is a bad time, Admiral..."

To his surprise, Tavira chuckled. "It is not a bad time, Captain. After all, Invidious is, by definition, your ship. I should not have kept you from these meetings." She stepped to one side, as if to allow him to enter. Deciding that showing fear in front of the admiral was probably not the wisest course of action, he entered. Laid out in front of him were a series of starcharts. Each of the vidscreens showed groups of ships in combat, starfighters in some cases, capital ships in others. And on the main monitor was a map of the Hapes Consortium, the group of sixty-three worlds ruled by Queen Mother Tenel Ka.

"Your report, Captain?"

"You asked to be appraised of all contacts with pirate groups. We just recently received a message through one of the old networks from a General Kargin, representing a pirate band calling themselves the Hawk-bats, and requesting a meeting with you."

Tavira moved towards the command chair behind the main status readout, and gracefully sat down. She leaned forward, and rested her chin on her hand, as if lost in thought. Her mouth opened slightly, and she began to tap one fingernail against her teeth. Then, she leaned back in the chair. "Kargin operated for Warlord Zsinj at one point, did he not?"

"Yes, Admiral. He was part of the force that Zsinj used in his attempt to steal the Super Star Destroyer Razor's Kiss from the shipyards at Fondor."

"Tell him to be just outside the Sluis Van system in two standard days," Tavira said, her voice becoming just a bit more throaty than usual. "He may be of some use to us," she breathed, her eyes twinkling like amethysts.

++++++++++++


That's it for now. I might get some more up tonight, if you're lucky.

Also, I've finally added a bit to "Emergence of a Legend", as a tease of what's to come. (Sorry, shameless plug there)

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

great post. Ill go read emergence. Forgot about that one..

 

yoda: Glad you liked it. As for Emergence, I had put that one on hold for a while, but it's active now.


And here's a bit more, before I head to work.

"They want us to do what?" Kell asked, almost shocked by the plan that Dia had outlined for him once they had returned the ship that she and Durron had used to get from Coruscant to Eriadu.

"Apparently, Tavira is once again trying to use pirates to achieve her ends. Certain elements of Talon Karrde's information network revealed that she is up to something, though what it was, nobody could be sure of."

"So they choose to reform the Hawk-bats? There's just one problem, Dia. The original members of the Hawk-bats are scattered across the galaxy. Do the pundits on Coruscant really think it'll be that easy to just pull all of us out?"

"Yes, with regards to some of us. Others, they simply plan to replace. It'll be up to Face to come up with a credible explanation for why they are no longer with us. But it was felt that as many of the original members should be present as possible."

"So who is coming back?"

"I've decided to return, but only for this mission. I'm not rejoining the Republic military, or the intelligence corps. Face will be catching up with us later, after laying a few trails on Corellia to keep Tavira's people busy. We hope that the general staff can see fit to allow Wedge to return, since he's the only one who's ever had the chance to fly with an Ewok toy strapped to his chest. You'd give us six, seven if Lieutenant Drayson decides to come aboard as well."

"Ah, Dia, I only count four, with Bhindi making it five."

"I'll be joining you," Kyp said, speaking for the first time since the group had boarded the ship. The fifth member of the squad is in the cockpit now," he said. "And he's good. Very good."

"High praise, coming from a Jedi," Kell said. The question is, can he act?"

"Few of his people are seen in the Republic's core worlds, much less out here on the Rim. His name is Bra'shei'nuruodo. He's the son of Chiss Council member Kis'shor'nuruodo. Normally, though, he goes by the name Ashein," Kyp said, grinning at the look on Kell's face. That was all he needed to know that at least this Wraith would certainly be joining them.

++++++++++++


That's it for now. By the time they get to Invidious, two more will have joined them, but I won't tell you who...yet.

I'll try and get a bit more up later tonight, but if not, check back for something tomorrow.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

great post. but what about leia and padme?

 

**pokes head in**

Meep!

I'm here

Great sequel

 

Ah, yes. I haven't done anything with that thread yet, have I? Guess I'll have to correct that soon.

Saber: Good to see that you're still following this. I had begun to wonder what happened to you.

And now, seeing as I've gotten a couple of replies, I think I'll add a little more.

A chill ran through Eclepsa, a chill so cold and permeating that it felt as though she were submerged in icy water. It was a feeling that sent a shiver up her, but not only because of the inner chill that she felt. This place was filled with the Dark Side of the Force, untouched by Skywalker and his Jedi. It was pristine, unsullied by the presence of even a single Jedi student.

The temple was small, and would have been easily dwarfed by the Great Temple, had it not been destroyed during the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of Yavin Four years earlier. Eclepsa wondered just what it was about this temple that drew her to it first. She entered, and thought that she could see the wall on the opposite side. The engravings belonged to a language long forgotten, and Eclepsa opened herself to the Dark Side, seeking to break the code through her own sheer power. As she did so, however, her perceptions changed, the temple seeming to elongate, the wall seeming to become further and further away. She stepped forward, seeking to re-establish control of her surroundings, but found that she was still no closer than she had been before.

You have great strength, a voice whispered in her mind. Partially trained, you are. But to achieve your objectives, you must first put yourself to the test.

"Where are you?" Eclepsa asked, looking to either side. "Who are you?"

I am one, and many. I have seen the fall of the Jedi, and their return. I have empowered some, and struck others down. I am here, and everywhere.

"Stop speaking in riddles, and answer me!" Eclepsa shouted, feeling the heat of her anger beginning to burn.

Your hate drives you, motivates you. This is good, because only by opening yourself to your hatred can you hope to understand what I have to teach you. As for who I am, in time, you will earn the right to know. Until then, you must answer my challenges with action. This temple is your home; the outside world, for the moment, no longer exists. Do you accept my terms?

"When I leave here, will I be able to destroy Luke Skywalker?"

You will, and more. But before you can defeat Skywalker, you will need two things. First, you need to complete your training to my satisfaction. And then, you will need to find your apprentice.

"My apprentice?"

Surely your master told you of the history of the Sith. Since the end of the Great Sith War, there have always been two. And at times of peril, the great Sith Masters had plans for training a new apprentice, should theirs fail. Your master did this. When you leave here, you will be ready to take the potential replacement as your own apprentice.

Eclepsa wasn't sure what was going on here, but she knew, beyond even the faintest doubt, that this was part of her destiny. She would do what was necessary to defeat Skywalker, and then she would see that the Jedi were exterminated from the galaxy like the pestilence that they were. A cruel smile formed on her lips. "I am ready. Teach me what I still need to know. Teach me to become the worst, and last, nightmare of the Jedi."

++++++++++++


That's it for now. Any guesses as to who's speaking to our Dark Lady?

Force be with you,

Tych_sel