Before - Legends Silver Swarms of Ships *RELOADED* [Dear Diary 2014] Diary Complete!

Pilot log, entry one twenty-five, 3956.6.19 BBY

And the war takes yet another abrupt high-speed turn to port, with the breaking of two pieces of news, one good and one bad. I'll start with the good news:

It was revealed yesterday that the Sith have been expelled from the water world of Manaan, and cut off from all future kolto shipments by the Selkath. An amphibious species that prefers the water but has nonetheless constructed what is often called a marvel of engineering, in the form of the trading port known as Ahto City, are responsible for the harvesting and distribution of the healing substance. Up until this move, the government of Manaan had made allowances to both the Republic and the Sith to each buy kolto in the same quantities as the other, in a bid to be completely neutral in the overall conflict—and too valuable for one side to risk any overt moves to deny the planet's most vital resource to the other. Well, it seems that the Sith have somehow been caught with their hands in the biscuit tin all the way up to their armpits, because as the news stories say, the normally quite rigid and staid Selkath are hopping mad over whatever event has triggered this embargo.

Reports are sketchy because the Selkath are keeping quiet as to the reasons behind this maneuver, which has to be a huge setback for the Sith war effort, and it was only relayed to the rest of the galaxy by the Republic ambassador to Manaan, an older Human officer named Roland Wann. Though the official story didn't mention it, the accompanying scuttlebutt strongly suggests that there was Jedi involvement in some manner or other. While having lunch today aboard Kashyy Station (the informal name for the home-grown orbital complex given by the Wookiees), I observed as an ensign off of Umbria told anyone who would listen that Bastila had been seen roaming Ahto City with two other Jedi, one a wizened old man with dark skin, and the other a tall, dark-haired Human male who seemed to be the leader of their little gang. While I wondered where the kid was getting his information, if Bastila was indeed alive, it made sense that she would have had a hand in exposing whatever the Sith had done to earn their banishment.

Which leads me to the bad news, which only came over the circuit about an hour ago—we're still digesting the implications: at some point this morning, ship's time, a Sith armada descended upon Dantooine, bombarding the Jedi Enclave there into ruins along with most of the capital city, Garang, and landing large numbers of troops to occupy what population centers remained on the relatively young world. This announcement came courtesy of the Sith themselves, who seemed to take great pleasure in describing how they had inflicted such a massive defeat upon their eternal enemies. They didn't even bother to try and couch their actions in the propaganda of liberation that had followed their attack on Taris, such was their confidence that they had struck a war-winning blow. I guess the Sith really don't care about the individual soldier in the same manner that the Republic does, which to my sensibilities is a surefire way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. This goes double when one factors in the impact of increasingly acute kolto shortages, which means that our enemies will continue to hemorrhage warriors even as they seem to step up their war production.

Oddly, this setback hasn't affected me like it might have even as short a time ago as three months back, around the time of the battle over Taris. It may be possible that I have become so inured, if not accustomed, to death and destruction on a much more massive scale, that the loss of what amounts to a small, sparsely-populated outpost world seems almost trivial by comparison. And though the Jedi have certainly had an impact on this war, most of their efforts didn't involve me or those who I have fought alongside, with a few notable exceptions. It's easy to see an individual Jedi and to quantify their personal contributions to the war effort, but it's another to conceptualize the Order as a whole and how they fit into the grand scheme of things. And it's not like the Jedi don't have other locations to fall back to, including their temple on Coruscant; from what I understand, the Dantooine enclave was more of a praxeum than a central hub.

Sure it's a loss, and I certainly don't wish the Jedi any ill (surely they've suffered enough already), but I just can't get too worked up about what happened. And perhaps that is for the best, seeing as how I have my own people to worry about. The sacking of Dantooine must certainly have given the rest of the Order the proper motivation to take the war to the Sith—if by some act of supreme stubbornness they hadn't done so already. But that's on their lot to figure out, not me or mine. We'll continue to fight for as long as it takes to see the Sith defeated, but us normal folks can't really put our best effort forward while worrying about events over which we had no control. I can no more help the Order to do its job than they can help me to reignite dead stars.

Anyway, Mara is here on Kshyy Station as well, and I'm going to go and see if she's free for dinner. The Sith have left us alone for now, even after a number of our ships gathered here have ventured into their territory to conduct more raids on their supply routes and rear areas—perhaps the fleet that attacked us almost a week ago was redeployed to support their conquest of Dantooine. Damn, that makes me sound like a first-class heel. Is this war finally starting to affect my outlook on life?

Well, all the more reason to see it ended quickly, then. Perhaps Mara will have some advice on the subject.

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Thumper09 windu4 Nyota's Heart earlybird-obi-wan TrakNar Findswoman

 

Chak's perspective on balancing levels and relevancies of loss How to measure the meaning of the extent and painfulness of a defeat. I hope and don't think Chak has lost the compassion needed to make fighting worthwhile. He's right you can't wallow or get sucked in by every situation, but you should never become impervious either.

 

Pilot log, entry one twenty-six, 3956.6.22 BBY

Dinner with Mara was pleasant enough, and she seemed to understand my concerns—she's been at this a lot longer than I have, after all, and has had the benefit of Academy training. Unfortunately, our quiet time in the officers' wardroom aboard Horseshoe was interrupted by the arrival of a priority message recalling all available fleet elements back to the capital with all possible speed. In the hustle and bustle that followed, Mara and I managed to persuade the admiral in charge of the defense of Kashyyyk to reassign the 23rd back to its old host vessel, citing our history of working together. Thankfully this didn't take much effort, as the need for haste in the message was as obvious as a supernova; it had in fact been broadcast to all sectors of the front along the highest-security military hypercomm channels, and it was my immediate presence and the trust we had built up that had led Mara to show it to me.

I can write about it now, in this encrypted log, because all that this really means is that a bunch of Republic forces are withdrawing Coreward.

We were in transit for the next forty hours, interrupted only once by an enemy interdiction force, but they pulled up stakes as soon as they'd realized what kind of force they'd pulled out of hyperspace. Well, they tried to, at any rate, and all that they got for their troubles was three dead Sith cruisers and about two entire wings' worth of vaped interceptors. And when we arrived in orbit of my homeworld, the seat of the Galactic Republic, it was to find that as large an armada as I had ever seen had been assembled. Among the vessels present were old hands Stalwart Defender and Battleaxe, as well as Wrangler and perhaps a dozen more Interdictor-class cruisers that were obviously either among those few that the Republic had not lost to the Mandos and then the Sith, or had been captured and refurbished for use as ships of the line. I was also glad to see that Delta Dagger was present as well, in addition to Admiral Forn Dodonna's flagship, Vibrosword. Of course, if I were her, that particular ship wouldn't be carrying my flag for very long, but I knew from experience that the admiral greatly respected the crew of her host vessel.

Even as I type this, warships are still arriving from across the planes of contention, some damaged but most quite battle-ready. In addition to the masses of capital ships, swarms of Aurek and Chela fighters have joined the growing fleet as any squadrons that could be spared arrived to do their parts. Even the Jedi are sending what Knights they can spare, after exchanging their older fighters for the much more modern mainstay of the Navy and Marines. Naturally enough, the atmosphere is abuzz with anticipation, as there can really only be one reason for this move, and the need for such a massive force—someone, somewhere, had somehow found a target that, should it be hit and destroyed, could bring about a swift end to the war by gutting the enemy's ability to fight. Whatever secrets the Sith may be guarding at wherever it is we're headed, obviously it's going to be very heavily protected.

The feelings of the troopers, crewers, pilots and officers are further stirred by the rumors that are flying about like neutrinos, scarcely slowed by mere physical barriers. I won't give most of them purchase, because people can believe the wildest things, but one thing seems to be generally accepted as truth: Admiral Saul Karath, former officer in the Republic Navy turned Sith war criminal responsible for the deaths of billions, is dead. I have no idea how anyone knows, nor do I care, but if this is true, then knowing that one of the best of the enemy's military leaders is out of the picture has got to be a serious morale boost.

I don't know when we'll be moving out, but all indications are that it will be soon. I just hope that this won't be the last entry I write, for whatever reason. My people are ready, and so am I, and we can't wait to inflict the hammer blow that this armada is well-capable of dishing out. While en route, I worked up yet another version of the "doomsday scenario" that could be tweaked to account for what forces could be involved, and distributed to the various fighter squadrons just before the go order is given. Admiral Dodonna herself came aboard Mara's ship to deliver her thanks upon reviewing the data, along with a "long overdue" Innovative Service Citation for myself and the Chancellery Unit Citation for the 23rd. Apparently we were supposed to be given the latter in a ceremony on Coruscant, along with other units, but the situation on Kashyyyk had put those plans on hold. Now there was scarcely time to do much of anything, so the award was given within our shipboard ready room.

Admiral Dodonna's remarks, kept short and sweet, praised the squadron for its bravery, aggressiveness, and diligence in the face of all hazards. Something tells me that the greatest hazard yet is not long in the off, but knowing that the admiral will be right there alongside us is definitely a plus.

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Thumper09 windu4 Nyota's Heart earlybird-obi-wan TrakNar Findswoman

 

Oooh, quite the build-up to a pivotal and crucial engagement!

 

Pilot log, entry one twenty-seven, 3956.6.28 BBY

After nearly a solid week of waiting, during which large parts of the massed fleet gathered in the Coruscant system made various hyperspace jumps so as to disguise its true purpose, the go order was finally given about six hours ago. And by no less a being than Vandar Tokare himself—the interim leader of the Jedi Order—who was accompanying Admiral Dodonna aboard her flagship. At some point she had been promoted to full admiral, and I consider it a privilege to be able to serve with her once more.

I have absolutely no idea where our destination lies, but we all know that this is it, the last great offensive that can end the war once and for all. It's going to be a few days before we reach our destination, as we are heading fairly deep into the Unknown Regions. But now that we have a solid grasp of the forces that the Republic will bring to the table, the sims have been finalized and distributed to the nearly fifty starfighter squadrons taking part in the attack, including three additional Marine units: the 16th, 27th, and 33rd, all of which had been recalled from other areas to join with the 11th and 23rd for this endeavor. In addition, I've learned that Besh and Cresh Companies of the 26th Marine Battalion have also been brought along, presumably either for some sort of boarding action or to secure a landing zone for the many Army troopers that normally ship out with most Republic warships.

I'm keeping this entry short and sweet, only updating the bare essentials, because I fully intend to survive whatever comes so that I might give an account of events to come. And, of course, to see that my people also survive and contribute whatever their abilities enable them to in destroying the Sith menace. I feel fresh, alive, ready to fight to the utmost for what I know is right. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict, and bring peace and justice to the galaxy.

And then—only then—can I start to contemplate the altogether more pleasant task of plucking up enough courage to ask Mara if she is interested in a relationship.

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Thumper09 windu4 Nyota's Heart earlybird-obi-wan TrakNar Findswoman

 

Wonderful post full of resolve and optimism.

 

Caught up on reading after my long trip. Exciting entries and with him having a new friend

 

I was wondering where you'd gotten off to. Glad you're back and that you got the chance to catch up!

 

WARNING: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic spoilers below!

Pilot log, entry one twenty-eight, 3956.7.1 BBY

By the Force, it's over...the war is over, and I'm alive!

We arrived at the outer reaches of the uncharted star system that was our ultimate destination yesterday, to find that the Sith were there in huge numbers. However, because we had brought almost half of the entire Republic fleet, the numbers weren't too lopsided. Sure they had many more interceptors than we had starfighters, but in terms of capital ships, they only had about a couple dozen more than we did—and not all of their forces were made up of Interdictor-class cruisers. It was after we had arrived and checked in that the admiral addressed the officers and crew of the gathered forces via the various ships' intercoms, telling us what we were up against. A party of Jedi and agents working for and with the Republic had identified the source of the Sith Empire's seemingly limitless source of war matériel: a titanic space station called the Star Forge. Destroying this factory complex was our objective, but first we had to get past the enemy fleet.

Our confidence was running high as we advanced on the enemy force protecting the Star Forge, which was actually positioned above the system's star and seemed to be drawing energy directly from it, but as we began to engage the enemy, something began to sap at our ability to fight. I felt my hands become sluggish on the controls as the distance between my people and the approaching enemy squadrons spiraled downward, my brain beginning to fog up as well. The utter wrongness of this sensation tripped a number of memories, and I could only surmise that the Republic was being subjected to the downside of a Sith using Battle Meditation against us! This realization seemed to bring back some of my sense of self and I was able to regain control of myself for the most part, just in time to engage in the first of many dogfights of this long day of fighting. For hours the Republic and Sith forces slugged it out, neither side able to gain an advantage over the other; to my mind it almost seemed that the enemy Force-user either wasn't fully-trained or else not fully-committed to the task.

Both sides were suffering plenty of losses, but the balance remained fairly even until about four hours after the battle was joined, during which the 23rd had had to return to Horseshoe twice to rearm and refuel, when a fundamental change swept both sides. Without warning, the mushiness I had been experiencing had vanished, replaced by the familiar and seemingly super-sensory sensations and sharpness of skill that came with Battle Meditation when used in support of our own forces. I had known that this Force power could affect both sides during a battle, but prior to then I hadn't felt its negative effects. Before fully comprehending what was happening, we were transformed into razor-sharp implements of war, slashing into our enemies as their battle line fractured and began to fall apart. The squadrons of the Quintet in particular were vaping interceptors left, right and center, leading the charge as Admiral Dodonna ordered her reserves into the largest gap to attack the Star Forge itself. At some point, the cruisers' bombardment destroyed the station's main and secondary orbital stabilizers, and everyone was ordered to withdraw before the truly gargantuan mass inevitably blew itself up.

The explosion was so utterly huge that for a moment it seemed as though a quarter-size sun had blossomed into existence not far from the system's actual star.

As we reformed our fleet over the only habitable world in the system in the wake of the battle, we were able to take stock of the cost of this victory. Nineteen ships had been lost with all hands, a handful more with most of their crews managing to board escape pods, and about fifty damaged to varying degrees from lightly hit to nearly derelict. Just about every squadron involved had lost at least one or two people, either EV or killed outright, with "Slim" Jinn Cavin nearly getting vaped by an enemy corvette before someone was able to rescue him once he'd punched out. Paol and his wingmate also got deep dings in their Aureks, and my own starfighter got a neat furrow down the left wing, which is a pity since it still has that "new speeder" smell in the cockpit. Our losses are as nothing, however, compared to what we have been able to achieve: the near-total destruction of the Sith fleet and its primary source of ships, fighters, war droids and weapons. And the capper: Darth Malak himself was aboard the enemy space station, and had been killed during the battle's climax.

As I write this, many of the warship, squadron and unit commanders and their executive officers have gathered planetside, in a large meadow-like field at the foot of a huge, very ancient-looking temple, in preparation for Admiral Dodonna's victory address. From what we've been told in the time since the last shots were fired, the admiral intends to congratulate those who are most responsible for our triumph; incredibly, one of them seems to be Commander Carth Onasi, former XO of the ill-fated Endar Spire, who had apparently survived the battle for and destruction of Taris. Mara is sitting next to me, tapping at her own datapad and recording her own thoughts, and I can't help but steal a glance every now and then. Arriving back aboard her ship at battle's end, she had met us and almost lifted me in the air, so exuberant was her congratulatory embrace, and I had returned it with interest. Later on, we furtively held hands as reports came over the HoloNet, all stating that the Sith were pulling back everywhere, going Rimward in full retreat.

We've not said much since the battle, but wherever I am, she happens to be somewhere close to hand; I didn't plan it that way, and I suspect that she hasn't either, but it feels good nevertheless. Whether or not there are still mopping-up operations in our future, a sense of closure has come over me, and I feel free at last to pursue whatever dreams I may have for my life. Maybe after the admiral has had her say, I'll get the chance to suss things out with Mara...

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Thumper09 windu4 Nyota's Heart earlybird-obi-wan TrakNar Findswoman

 

Excellent A very decisive victory.

 

Great entry showing the other side of the fight during those final moments of the Star Forge

 

WARNING: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic spoilers below!

Pilot log, entry one twenty-eight, 3956.7.4 BBY

What do you do in the days after the end of a pan-galactic war? Do you celebrate until you drop from exhaustion, do you spend the time remembering the fallen, or do you take this chance to plan for a future that seems a hell of a lot more certain? Most of those in the fleet are quite happy to do the former, but I know for certain that those with any sort of responsibility are keeping the latter two in mind as we celebrate, myself included. While most of the fleet has by now returned to known space and a resumption of patrol duties in case of renewed conflict, a number of vessels remain behind to act as a buffer against any other Sith forces that might try to rally and push Coreward from further out in the Unknown Regions. Among those are Admiral Dodonna's flagship Vibrosword, as well as Battleaxe and Wrangler in addition to Horseshoe and the other host vessels for the Quintet. This was after the admiral had given her address, of course.

Gathered around her at the foot of that huge stone building were a number of Jedi Knights, including the diminutive Master Vandar, and a number of her own staff officers, but the center of attention was fixed upon a cluster of nine men and women, mostly Humans but joined by a very young-looking Rutian Twi'lek and a Cathar, plus two droids, one tall and rust-red and the other squat and silvery. Foremost among them, standing next to Bastila herself and wearing Jedi robes, was none other than that scout I had met aboard the Endar Spire! By some twist of fate, I had met Revan when he wasn't actually Revan...or was he? Admiral Dodonna seemed quite unperturbed as she presented him and the others in his party, except for the droids, with the Cross of Glory. As she finished her brief remarks, Vandar stepped forward and grandly announced that the archives would forever tell of "the redemption of Revan, the prodigal Knight." Almost immediately thereafter, a squadron of Aureks conducted a low flypast, roaring above the throng and eliciting yet more wild cheers.

What a universe, eh?

As it turns out, this world is actually inhabited by small numbers of a sentient species that call themselves the Rakata, who claim to have built the Star Forge over twenty five thousand years ago to do for them precisely what the Sith had used it for: to fuel their efforts to conquer the galaxy. A nearby settlement of natives, who called themselves "the Elder Rakata," sent a pair of representatives later that evening, and the admiral's staff have been liaising with them ever since. This has resulted in the launching of a number of rescue missions to locate scattered knots of long-stranded beings shipwrecked by an ancient defense field, and the 23rd was "volunteered" to help escort the transports and protect them and the evacuees against other, less-restrained tribes of Rakata who, it is said, actually eat their vanquished enemies to "gain their strength." None of us minded, as we expected these to be complete milk runs, and it enabled us to enjoy ourselves a bit while flying. Most of our missions came up empty, but we were able to rescue a small clutch of Duros and the survivors of a number of other freighters and exploration vessels. Only once did we actually have to strafe anyone, and that was on our most recent foray out to one of the nearby islands. The surviving crew of a fallen Republic cruiser, who had been there for almost five years and having to resort to bows and arrows to defend themselves after so long, were immensely grateful to finally be rescued.

Mara and I have had the chance to talk things over as well, and she said that she had been hoping that the end of the war would give us the chance to talk things over. We've tentatively agreed to start a relationship, though by the nature of life in the military it may end up being somewhat long-distance once things settle down. I reminded her that I was seriously considering going Navy and learning how to be a bridge officer, at which she laughed and told me that maybe after I went through the Academy I could be her XO. I told her that this was pretty much exactly what the commandant of the Anaxes War College told me when I got the chance to tour their facilities. She told me point-blank that if this was what was being offered, then I should damn well take it—as it happens, Mara herself went to the same school. If that doesn't motivate me to go that route, then nothing will. In point of fact, even as I sit here in my quarters aboard Horseshoe, I've already begun to fill out the various applications and datawork necessary to get things in motion for a formal transfer and admittance. Mara also warned me that there will be an entrance exam, and in addition to providing study manuals, she's agreed to help me study and even to get some more hands-on experience.

My people couldn't be happier now that the war's over, and all of them walk as though the gravity was dialed back to half-Standard. When not flying rescue recon, I've let them have their run of the ship, provided they don't interfere with its smooth operation, and most of them are spending a lot of time with their datapads. Paol confided in me that he's thinking about writing a few stories about his experiences in the war, partly as an acknowledgement to folks like Elam and others whom he had flown with and who were no longer among us. I told him that if he has any questions about how to go about this, he could always contact Lieutenant Chorizzo and get her advice. At that he offered up a toothy Bothan grin, and said "Yeah, I saw her write-up on you, sir. Good stuff, that was!"

"Well, just be careful yourself," I replied sardonically. "You just might end up leading this bunch of hotshots, and sooner than you think."

It seems that my own exec told Yuri Namane of this remark, because she came by later and said that she didn't think she was ready to make the leap from flight leader to squadron XO if I ended up getting promoted. I told her that it's not really all that complicated, and that the only things beyond leading her flight as always would be helping to take care of administrative concerns (datawork) and supporting the CO in formulating battle plans, unit tactics and other related tasks. "Of course, that's coming from someone who went from flight leader to squadron commander," I admitted. "I've never served as an XO myself. But if you're ever in any doubt, just ask yourself one question: what would Elam Breaustar do?"

Yuri blushed visibly, nodded, and thanked me for the advice as she took her leave.

Well, this log entry has kind of been all over the place, which is kind of fitting seeing as this is my first peacetime write-up. I don't know what the future holds, but as of this moment, it seems a hell of a lot more secure than it did a week ago. I'll do whatever needs to be done to ensure that the Republic is able to preserve in peace what we have won in war, whatever course my career takes in the coming months and years. At twenty-two, I've got more experience under my belt as a result of this conflict than most folks do at twice or three times my present age could have hoped to accumulate in less uncertain times, and though the lows have been deep, the heights more than make up for it, and I have no regrets. The plans I've made with Mara's motivation and assistance will take time to develop, so I will probably have a few entries left to write still.

Maybe someday I will do as Paol has suggested, and write a book; if I do, this log will be incredibly useful as a primary source.

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Thumper09 windu4 Nyota's Heart earlybird-obi-wan TrakNar Findswoman

 

A very superb conclusion, for now? Chak seems to have settled in nicely with accepting whatever comes personally and professionally. He is confident without being too much and is celebrating the victories as they deserve to be.

 

Great ending and fully agreeing with Nyota's Heart. It was a delightful diary to read

 

Pilot log, entry one twenty-nine, 3956.8.13 BBY

"In peace, nothing so becomes a man as to know its true magnitude when it is gone. Wisdom gained in war's harsh maw is wisdom earned over a lifetime beyond its clutches." —The King, Nellus V, Act 3, Scene 7

Though the war has been over for almost a month and a half, there have been a few flare-ups, as I had suspected there might be though I had hoped against it. Three weeks ago a single Sith cruiser was able to destroy three Republic cruisers and a significant number of starfighters before it was eventually run down and disabled before crashing into the surface of the Luire system's fifth planet. Other incidents have happened as well, but none were so costly. At least one was cut short by former Republic officers and soldiers who, after learning of the death of Malak and the redemption of Revan, successfully mutinied against those in command of their vessel and turned themselves over to the Republic warships that had been engaging them in battle. Last I heard, they were being treated much like the surviving crew of Wrangler, a ship which had defected back to our side after having served the Sith since Malachor.

Those elements of the Republic Fleet that remained have long since departed Lehon and its system to leave the Rakata to themselves. Admiral Dodonna held a final "council of war," as she ironically called it, to ascertain what might be done with this world and its inhabitants once our forces returned Coreward. A member of the admiral's staff gave a report on various scans of the planet and had come to the conclusion that unless the Rakata devoted themselves utterly to rebuilding their numbers—and nothing else—they would go extinct within a couple of millennia. Another staff officer suggested that though it had been disabled for now, the ancient generator that produced the disruptor field that had protected the planet from outsiders for so long should probably be destroyed for good. That idea was entertained by a few of us (all warship and squadron commanders were present, as was usual), myself included, but not after a third officer, who had been working with the "Elder" Rakata since the end of hostilities, advised that this was a sure way to make enemies of the only "friendly" tribe on that planet. Apparently the Elders had been trying to rebuild their species by using technology from that temple, and were doomed without it. In the end, Admiral Dodonna decided that no further action would be taken in relation to Lehon, leaving its inhabitants to their own devices and classifying both its location and all the data that had been gathered, not just that about the Star Forge.

Since then, the 23rd and Horseshoe have been redeployed to Onderon, where we were integrated into the Republic fleet stationed there as part of the defense pact the citizens made with the Republic when that world joined in the wake of the Great Sith War. It's a quiet sector to be sure; even during the height of this latest conflict, the Sith never showed up or even sent in any scouting parties. However, it is located athwart a strategic galactic crossroads, however, and would ordinarily be a tempting target for anyone living on the Outer Rim who wanted to penetrate the Mid Rim to attack the Core Worlds and other interior regions of the galaxy. For forty years it's been considered a prime posting among the soldiers and officers of the Corps, and I have to agree; the Onderonians themselves seem to go out of their way to be nice to us, and I hear that their military conducts operational exercises alongside the Marine ground troops billeted in Iziz, the capital and only city. Of course, us Marines have paid heavily for the respect and comfortable quarters we now enjoy, both on this world and its moon, Dxun. I know of those times of course, but don't spend much time contemplating them; I'm no historian and it's enough in my estimation to have a casual understanding.

What has really occupied my attention is preparing myself for the future, and the path that I have chosen to embark upon. My applications to transfer to the Navy and to attend the Anaxes War College were both approved on the fifteenth of last month, and since then I've been spending almost all of my working time with Mara, learning about what it means to be a naval officer and how to conn a warship. The transition was a smooth, if somewhat emotional one, when I departed the 23rd and gave Paol Gril'char his well-deserved promotion and new command, at which he promptly elevated a more confident Yuri Namane to be his new XO. As a sort of quirky substitute for Last Post (the traditional parting address given by unit commanders in the Corps), I ended that particular meeting by reciting from memory the full monologue of the titular character from Nellus V, from which the quote at the top of this entry was drawn. It was a statement from the heart, and I think my comrades understood the sentiment behind it, as well as the implied exhortation to live their lives well in the peace we have worked together to achieve.

The next semester of the Anaxes War College begins on the first day of the following month, and Mara and I have worked things out so that she will be able to take me there herself aboard Horseshoe. Both of us are hoping that, by then, I'll be able to conn the ship myself for the journey, and I have to say that I'm looking forward to it. This new life I will be leading might not be as glamorous or fun as a future spent flying fighters, but it will be a hell of a lot more stable and, hopefully, rewarding as well. There will always be a need for fighter pilots, and perhaps someday I might pass on my knowledge to newer generations of snubby jocks. But that won't be for a long time yet; there's just too much out there in this galaxy to see and do, now that peace has broken out once more, for me to settle down. I said in my last diary that I've experienced more in my short life spent for these last few years in war than most folks living in peace will ever see, but that doesn't mean I myself am satisfied. Were I to live to be a thousand years old, I would only be able to see a fraction of what is out there in our own galaxy.

No longer a Marine, no longer (officially) a fighter pilot, I close this log and submit it to the ages. May history look kindly on my endeavors, and may the Force be with me and those I serve alongside.

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Thumper09 windu4 Nyota's Heart earlybird-obi-wan TrakNar Findswoman

 

I would like to thank everyone who looked in on this diary thread, even if it was to read only one post, but especially those who followed the whole thing from the beginning. This has been a very fun, happy undertaking, made even more rewarding with your continued support and encouragement. Despite the curve balls, you stuck with Chak, Teish'ala, Mara, and all their comrades, friends, and enemies through some of the most hellish times a person can endure. Your presence and perseverance spurred me on to greater heights, to challenge myself in the crafting of this diary, to incorporate more and more interesting elements into its entries and to go that extra mile to round out the universe through which this cast of characters have traveled.

The words were mine, but this diary really belongs to everyone who took the time to read it and be entertained.

 

Fantastic and eloquent quote to start I love the tone of Chak's closing. He is ready to embark on a new path of discovery and enjoying of the moment and challenges and opportunities that come. I am also pleased that he and Mara's career paths will lie together.

Congratulations on finishing - always an accomplishment! And looking forward to any 2015 DDC you put out there.

 

Thanks for sharing this nice diary with us. Loved Chak's diary with all that he has gone through and nice for him to see Mara more.

More of them next year?

 

I've read up to entry 25 and, other than my congratulations for your nomination, I want to say here how fascinating I find this story. The narrator's matter-of-fact, no-nonsense tone, the description of the nitty-gritty details of a military campaign, the budding romance combined with the sense of urgency that there may be no tomorrow and the interaction with the various comrades and commanders all contribute to make Chak an extremely interesting character and his story a deeply human tale. It was about time I started reading your fics, and this was definitely a great place to start. I'll be back in the next few days with more comments as I keep reading

 

Thank you, thank you very much for this, Chyntuck, it really means a lot to me. I hope you continue to enjoy reading about Chak's adventures, and if you have any questions—any at all—I'd be very happy to answer them.