Before - Legends The Sith Hunters - 7/22/16 - September 15, 2016....

Hmm. Keep going, guys and gal!

Good stuff.

 

Temporarily stunned, Madex recovered just as Angelleia was going to leave him to retrieve her weapon. He tripped one foot into the other by grabbing it, and then he crawled over her downed body to try and beat her in a leverage game. Angelleia grabbed his wrists and began to roll him around blindly, looking for some time to recover and in the process squish the Bothan. She wished she was heavy like she was half an hour ago, the damage would had been more severe. All she did was bang him up every time she could drive her head into his chest. Finally, Madex had enough. He got his feet between himself and her, shoved her up, and then used the Force to catapult her. Angelleia sailed right into the corridor.

Rising up, Madex called for his weapon. Just before he got it, Angelleia?s lightsaber, off, came by and hit him good right in the back of the head. That was enough to cause him miss his lightsaber, also off, and have it bust his jaw. A rather unusual but effective combination, the Sith Hunter Master?s head went in two uncontrolled directions and he spun himself to the deck momentarily stunned.

For her part, Angelleia relented in calling forth her weapon again; something so simple suddenly was not so simple anymore. She swayed, catching herself against the corridor, shocked finally at herself for being able to keep up with a Jedi Master the way she had done, and feeling so drained her eyes wanted to cross. She was sopping wet, not any part of her dry, so she was not amused when she tried to dab her forehead and found wet, smelly tunic sleeve. That last recovery sequence did not last like the others, and she was still yet to catch her breath.

Madex stumbled up to his feet to Angelleia?s dismay. His footing slowly got better as he shook off the blows he received. He felt around the back of his head, winced, and looked right at her. He then turned and eyeballed the situation beyond them, noting that Novee Cet was down, calling for him to engage Casper before Casper defeated Enfungo Nul and Yars Meek.

With two, Casper was more aggressive, and the duo could see why the late Ramore and Madex had all sorts of trouble with him. Casper exploited every opening available to him for body movement, going in any variable direction option and letting his weapon do something else in contradiction to the movement. Again he was just quicker than the other two, too skilled by Yoda for Nul and Meek to handle, and unlike them Casper?s experience in lightsaber-on-lightsaber combat, from his engagements against the likes of Magus Prophet, Magus Faith, and Darth Rune, showed as he managed to creep and slide while defending and applying a trailing defense, and then snapping a chop to the chest of Meek and still blocking Nul?s edge slicking move that went right to left.

But the Karmarian Meek was clever, and he instituted a leap meant to chop Casper?s legs out from under him. Succeeding, Casper was falling forward just as Nul was majestically spinning. If all went according to plan, Casper?s head was going to come off?.

Instead, Casper hurt his back, stretching as far back as he could and watched the lightsaber almost nick his nose. He went to get up, but Meek grabbed a hold of his left hand?.

Nul tried a downward decapitation?.

Casper rolled under it, pulled his weapon towards him, and just rolled. Nul leapt over the blade and accidentally stomped on Meeks? head as the Karmarian was dragged along by Casper?s roll. He stumbled away, and Meek laid stunned for a moment. Casper was up and already leaping over Meek to get to Nul, who suddenly found himself a bit too alone against a superior fighter.

Madex let out a sigh and ran hell bent towards the battle there. Angelleia just watched him go, feeling very elated by this new development that she didn?t have to fight anymore, for the moment. At the same time she cried out, ?Daddy, look out!?

Casper could see Madex running, telegraphing his intentions from light years away it seemed, and maneuvered about Nul and gave him a little Force shove. He went to move forward, but the forgotten-about Nov

 

CHAPTER 74.1

?Mama??

It was the word.

It was the way it was spoken.

It was where it had come from.

All of that suddenly made Juna Rapier open her brown eyes. There was a feeling of weakness and vulnerability in her body that came and went. In that time, as her face still was pressed against the deck metal, she understood everything that had transpired right up to the moment she heard her Gessa cry out to her!

Juna?s eyes became blazing hot yellow stars.

At the moment, Casper had knocked Nul back and tripped Madex, and all three stopped when they felt Juna awaken. There was no hiding the evil that just consumed the platform, the planet, and the sector. At the same time, both Casper and Madex said, ?No.?

She rolled and flipped up to her feet, ignoring the remains of her restraints, feeling no pain or remorse. All she felt was rage, and her head darted to look right at Jive Kring. She did not move again until his large body was ripped free from Angelleia; the force of the action caused Angelleia to spin up and back down on her face. Juna just threw him down and over and way from Angelleia, picked him up, and threw him again.

Over and over again for a few harsh seconds Juna kept throwing Kring violently, and then raised her right hand. Kring, up in the air, suddenly fell, but was caught by his neck, where he now hanged from the sky, choking under her powerful Force grip.

When Casper noted Madex and Nul went to move to help Kring, he leapt over them both and began fighting again with them. He ignored what was happening, even as all three locked blades together and Nul begged, ?Are you insane! You can?t be serious to side with her!?

?She?s a mother?.? Casper began to push the two back when he got his feet squared up, ?protecting?.her?.child!? He pushed them off, ducked Madex?s swing, swam around him, and caught Nul?s attempt at attacking.

Meanwhile, Juna just wordlessly raised her other hand at Jive and made a grasping motion. No longer quickly choking, just slowly choking, he managed a strangled cry as the fused metal in his body began to come out, being pulled by Juna?s slow, insistent influence. Each piece of fused ore tugged and fought the resistance of melted meat and scaring tissue. Every sealed wound would reopen upon the sound of wet flesh being torn as every piece of metal was pulled free.

Juna just was not thinking, only enjoying how slowly the execution was taking. She was not the compassionate Dark Side being that desired to prove everyone wrong about her intentions, she was the creature that was going to live by them. How dare they touch her Gessa? How dare they try and kill her Daughter! Who were these mortals, these mere shells of waste and want, to her, the Dark Hope of the Sith!! They cursed their days, and she was that curse that would own them! To hell with them: to hell with all of them! TO HELL WITH ALL OF THEM!

Angelleia struggled for a breath and regained consciousness. She shivered, for the darkness all around her was thick and all over. But she began to understand it, knowing who it was. Quickly, she looked and saw her Mother standing there, and she saw how she was pulling Jive Kring apart. Enothchild?s warning came back strong in her heart.

?NO! MAMA, NO!? Angelleia got up and shouted again, ?MAMA, NO!?

Hearing that, the Dark Hope of the Sith?s anger fell.

And then, bleeding and nearly dead, Jive Kring fell to the deck, collapsing in a heap on top of the remains of torn out metal and remains of his own body.

The Sith Maiden looked at her hands for a moment, ignoring the commotion of lightsabers and shouts and moans. The shackles just fell off her wrists and ankles and around her waist; she cleared them away, as if to clear herself. Her yellow eyes turned by themselves before her head, and the rest of her had followed once she saw, in her perceptions, in a realm filled with great Darkness, a Light that shined white and brilliantly in it. It pulsed with the beat of a quickening heart, a rhythm she knew of, a heart she knew very well. The kinds of the Light, of the energy, was a bi

 

How mocking indeed!

I hope she provides gift-wrapping as well.

Finally it happens.

 

Casper knew this too well, measuring Coy Madex and Enfungo Nul, all three circling around an imaginary axis. There was no redeeming Madex, and leaving him alive would only bring more trickery and influence on his behalf. If Qualleggoes were alive, and worse if he was the head of the Jedi Order, every Jedi would have been here to prove his assertions about Juna right. Madex was just doing what Qualeggoes could not even in life, and for the most part he had destroyed Juna. All Casper could do to even the score, and the Force was demanded it out of all of them there, was end it.

?You?re just a little too quiet, Casper,? mused Madex. ?I know what you are thinking.?

Casper had no doubts about that. He at least said, ?You are a far more powerful telepath than anyone gives you credit for if you can breach my shields now. But clearly you are no match for my fighting skills.?

?The fight is not that long,? said a winded Madex; at the very least, both Casper and Nul were fresh.

?But your plans have failed, Master Madex,? said Casper. He glanced over at Nul; the Y?bith had not made a real threatening move recently; he was being too passive, as if thinking.

Indeed Enfungo Nul had been thinking because things in his mind made no sense: part of it Madex?s influence, part of it what he felt from Angelleia and Juna towards one another. Something was deeply wrong here; he was starting to see it. Just beginning to understand it, it was causing his motivation to fight to wane. He was starting to question his very own actions.

Casper said, ?As you can feel, Angelleia and Juna have reconciled. Your fellow Sith Hunters are all but defeated. You cannot hope to maintain this illusion you set forth selfishly for yourself at the expense of others.?

?Illusion?? questioned Nul. His weapon dipped downward, his eyes darting back and forth rapidly, as if reading what Casper said on text doc.

?Open your eyes, the both of you,? demanded Casper, but he said that more in Nul?s direction. The Y?bith looked at Casper with begging eyes, begging for the right answer, begging to know what to do next. ?Nothing makes sense anymore. If so, then why fight??

Daringly, Casper shut off his weapon. Angelleia stiffened up, wondering if he had made a great, terrible mistake. Yet, for such a mistake, of lowering his guard, Madex did not attack. Neither had Enfungo Nul, and to both Casper?s and Angelleia?s slow elation the Y?bith shut his weapon off.

Madex, with his weapon still on, just lifted it up. He looked over at Nul, noted the young Jedi?s change of heart. He looked back at Casper, smiled, and said, ?Clever you.?

And suddenly the Bothan cut the unsuspecting and defenseless Enfungo Nul?s head right off.

Angelleia?s gasp was audible for over a thousand meters. Even Casper let his mouth dip in horror on what Madex had just. And it really scared the Knightshades really out that Madex?s place in the Force had not wavered; he had not fallen into darkness with the move. Such a despicable act of betrayal was not regarded as evil by the Force, or at least not in Madex?s perceptions of it.

Madex said to Nul?s head in regret, ?Truly sorry, old friend. But I had to prove to Casper how unselfish I truly am.?

But then again, Madex?s mind was absolutely blank on what he had done. In that time it took for everyone else to have understood what he had done, an emotionless panic had suddenly set in. He could not quite understand what he had done, but he had to do it, yet he was not too certain what to do next?.

?You son of a boach!? Casper ignited his lightsaber and charged at Madex?.

Madex moved and used the Force to get Nul?s dropped weapon, igniting it. In his numb, emotionless daze filled with unflinching logic, he then threw the weapon towards Novee Cet, who was still on ground, recovering, and had saw what happened, and now was in peril?.

The weapon stopped in mid-flight: a great Darkness had a hold of it.

Casper pushed right at Madex and yelled, ?Stop this madness!?

Madex blocked him and dared, ?With all life on the line, would you!?

As the combatants fou

 

What?!

Madex has gone off the kilter. (but by whose design?)

 

If you thought that was crazy, how about some controversy....



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Meanwhile, Angelleia had pulled a weakened Jive Kring over to the other injured, where Juna just stood to not watch over them, but watch the battle. The girl was hoping she would go to get medical supplies, but she could see the woman was too focused on the fight. She joined in analyzing the situation, and they, everyone, heard the exchange between the combatants.

?Madex had poisoned Casper?s mind as well?? asked Angelleia.

?Yes, and more,? said Juna, having unlocked Madex?s hold on Casper earlier on Dagobah, ?Along with you, the Council put restrictions on your Foster Father that he was made to forget.?

?And the fail safe??

Juna smiled and mused, ?Coy Madex made a terrible mistake: like some knot code in a control program, he placed Branch Lur in Casper?s mind as a subliminal reference for unlocking him; not completely, but enough. In theory, Neimoidians would not bargain again with others not like them. Madex is right: he could not have foreseen this outcome, where Branch sought Casper out for help. Branch Lur is the hero in this tale: without him, all that is happening would not have unfolded.?

Angelleia gave it some thought, just as Casper and Madex attacked one another again. She worried for her Jedi Father, but she asked, ?The Jedi Council had ordered Master Madex to fix Papa?s mind, didn?t they??

Juna inhaled deeply, and then she exhaled, ?Yes, they did.?

?But why??

Nonchalantly, Juna gestured towards the downed Sith Hunters behind her, who were too engrossed by the turn of events and too injured to say anything. ?Even they, so close to the thoughts of the Council, do not know. That is why your Foster Father fights, to earn the right to ask that question of the Council when the time comes.?

Juna turned around, smirked at her, and said confidently, ?That time is very soon.? She winked, and was again engulfed in a shadow and vanishing.

Angelleia could feel her steal away to the Sith Hunter?s vessel again. Just before she could wonder, the thunderous engines of the Millennium Falcon preceded the ship breaking the largest of the night time gas clouds. The large ship hovered over them, but then made a course correction and it prepared to land in an uneven, but vacant area of the mesa.

In the meantime, Casper and Madex made another pass at one another; Casper high and Madex low. Again Madex had to withdraw from his planned low attack due to Casper?s lower legs; with his style, attacks to the midsection, or to the thighs, made him too vulnerable to Casper?s radical infusion of styles between Yoda and Ros Ofcheck. Casper?s overall style was the fusion of two very simple disciplines that only required that they were performed at a high rate of speed consistently over a length of time. Yoda required more body movement; Ros, weapon movement. Together, Casper began to outpace and out-angled Madex, who did not combine his disciplines; he either went with what Qualeggoes had taught him, or what Mace Windu had showed him as far as pointers went.

From the Millennium Falcon?s ramp, an injured but functional Rose Faith, awake and armed, noted the fight and spotted Madex right away. She was sporting a blaster rifle with a scope, and she raised it; she winced as the flesh on her back protested, but she could line up for a descent shot?.

But Muriel appeared and placed her hand on the weapon and made her lower it.

?Stand down, Rose,? said Muriel in command, ?it?s not our fight.?

?But we have him,? groaned Rose. ?Madex deserves death.?

?Then let Casper give him what he deserves. Trust me, Casper needs to do this. And he will do it.? She shook her head when she noted the pile of Jedi Angelleia was watching over. ?Damn what a gamble. Juna actually pulled it off.?

Rose smiled knowingly and said, ?Unlike you, Mistress Muriel, I had no doubts about Mistress Juna?s success.? She gave Muriel the rifle and really smiled, ?And as she told us, treating these fools for their injuries and taking them home?.what an

 

Wheels within wheels and secrets within secrets. So Sithian. That's one worry down (literally), and many more to go for our heroes.

Good writing!

 

Thanks Delight.

In this story, go way back to Prologue One, and realize ironically how history has repeated itself, or as you say 'in a circle'. More on that later....


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And on another note: I salute the veterans everyday, but this is their day. Thank you for your sacrifices in the past, currently, and in the future.

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CHAPTER 74.2

Casper slowly made himself stand up and he turned off his lightsaber, eyeing the dead male at his feet. He repeated what he had said earlier, ?There is never a greater tragedy than a sacrifice that means nothing.? And given the nature of the Force he had learned from Juna, he knew his suicidal foe had heard it again.

The end actually stunned everyone that could see it or feel it. Juna?s return with the Sith Hunter?s ship landing next to the balcony almost occurred simultaneous, and she had watched through the cockpit window Madex?s self-demise. Unlike Casper, she felt nothing. She opened the hatch and prepared the med beds to be delivered.

Outside, Angelleia had been joined by Muriel as Rose busied herself ? too happily ? with treating the injured Sith Hunters; Rose did, however, lingered over Enfungo Nul?s body, betraying some of her own compassion she held inside; she gave her former jailer a hard time, but she had to acknowledge his kindness with a moment?s thought; she went about her duties.

As for Angelleia, she turned to Muriel and asked, ?Why did he do that??

?He was beaten,? said Muriel, shaking her head. They could not hear the last of Casper and Madex?s conversation, but the fight and the body language told enough of the story. ?Even if he got passed Casper, he would have had Juna, and me, and Rose to deal with.? She made a face, and Angelleia felt the poke in the Force as well. The red head said, ?Oh, yeah, and my Son, Diggory, in the cockpit.?

Angelleia turned around tiredly and saw the young boy. Diggory stood up to look at her. She suddenly felt that she did know him, and the feeling was mutual; of course, they shared the same crib from time to time when they were babies. There just seemed to be?.something there that compelled the two youngsters to stare at one another.

Angelleia finally collapsed from exhaustion. It just hit her when she tried to understand why Diggory had intrigued her so. Muriel could not catch her with one hand, so she cried out, ?I need some fluids over here! She?s spent!?

Casper saw Angelleia fall, and suddenly he was running over. Juna gave the med beds one last push towards her destination before leaving them and running also towards her downed Gessa. Both foster father and birth mother got there at the same time, just as Rose came over with a nutrient patch, pulling it from its sticky end and slapping it on Angelleia?s bumpy forehead.

?She?s burned up energy,? cried Juna, grabbing hold of Angelleia and cradling her. Casper kneeled down on the other side and comforted her by petting her head. ?Madex pushed her in that fight. I won?t forgive myself if she-.?

?Shhhhh,? said Casper, putting his free hand on Juna?s shoulder and shushing her. ?She?s going to be alright.? Juna looked at him queerly. ?I have faith she will be. Don?t you??

Juna made a face at him and barked, ?Of course I do!? Her exasperation was as fake as a Bly Coaxial speech. She looked at Angelleia, and smiled when Angelleia opened her eyes. ?Of course I do.?

Angelleia looked over at Casper, and he smiled at her. It had, after all, not just been a day; it has been a few years since they last really saw one another. She said, ?You need a shave.?

Smiling, he joked at her, ?And you need to grow up, young Seedling. It is like you had never left me, you are so small.?

?One day I will be bigger than you.?

Casper found his hand touching her face, his fingers rubbing her cheek. He realized Juna was looking at him rather intuitively. He asked the question through his eyes, and she said, ?I knew?.you would make an excellent father.?

To his surprise, honestly, Juna made Casper take hold of Angelleia to get her medical treatment. When Angelleia w

 

Awww, sweet ..... good resolution.

 

Thanks, Delight.

I just wanted to do something different....again. What I came to, a long time ago when I was writing Prologue One: The Recall, was that premise that the Jedi were samurai-like and based also off of other Far East concepts. You see that a lot in the Jedi characterizations, save for one or two things.

Not long ago I saw a few old indie flicks based in feudal Japan: samurai master goes to take out the evil warlord; to do so he first must get through the warlord's best fighter guarding the main road. Well, in that classic tale tradition, they trade strikes: the warrior admits he cannot defeat the master. He attacks, and dies, anyways. Normally I am not a big fan of just giving up, but I figured I could borrow that: Coy Madex realized he could not best Casper Knightshade, not in the fight, and eventually not in the debate over Juna.

There are those other feudal Japan stories, and in China and such, where the soon-to-be defeated kill themselves to discredit their enemies; take away the honor of the kill; to many, a greater insult for no matter how many nations one has conquered against his enemy if he has not slain him it is a defeat. A bit convoluted in a great big sense, which is why some folks don't think it happened, or they just don't believe it: WWII revealed otherwise in the Pacific Theater.

I also did this as a means to suggest a calm was coming for some people's lives; a calm, of course, before the storm hits. When I get around to writing 'The Black Heart' beyond it's prologues, story chronologically wise it will span quite a few years, where I hope there is enough action in the beginning, because there will be at it's end.

Other things are tripping up, such as other non-SW ideas. I got this silly idea about the end of the world back in the 1800s. I got curious, tried to find fiction that reflects that, and at best 'War of the Worlds' comes close but that teeters closer to the 1900s. I got others, so bare with me: I don't know when 'TBH' will be posted.

For now, I'll give this a day or more before I post the next chapter.


FORWARD!

 

Glad to hear that the muses are speaking to you!

 

Well, I'm kinda working on something NSFW. But the other things I could post elsewhere, or perhaps even see about getting printed...




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CHAPTER 75.0

It was not necessarily what any member of the Jedi Council really liked to do, but as part of the Republic?s democracy there was constant change that must be monitored; elections fell under the Jedi Order?s political purview, and under the especial attentions of Masters Yoda, Mace Windu, Adi Gallia, and Plo Koon. Yoda and Mace had the attention of the Supreme Chancellor as the highest of Jedi leadership; Adi Gallia, herself a daughter of politicians, was the Senate Liason; Plo was the Jedi Order?s Master Strategists and was in constant contact with just about every Republic military power that could be affected by the elections on any level, thus in turn have an affect on certain defensive matters.

The four were in the Jedi Council Chamber; there were other times the other Council Members participated as they did earlier that day, but other duties called, leaving these four to interpret the significance of the various election outcomes. As much as any Jedi would say they cared naught for such trivialities the Council were contrary to such a Jedi principal; it had been that way for over five thousand years, when the leadership back then realized that the mood of the people could be measured by the way they voted when the Force failed to yield an answer. Anyone could say they were fine, but then vote for someone that would say on their behalf they were not. Overall, elections had consequences, even to the Jedi that were not allowed to vote, for politicians had that ability to affect them ways not related in the Force. The late Senator Bly Coaxial had truly proven that point very recently. Of course it was Coy Madex?s influence that had, through Coaxial, an affect on the elections, to which made this election cycle the most important to the Jedi Order to pay very close attention to, given one of their own had an direct affect on it.

Much of the election cycle, because different worlds had them at different times, was a schizophrenic tale. Before Coaxial?s committee had been exposed for as a lie, nearly all the election outcomes reflected his mood and complete points of view; many new politicians were elected, many with a anti-Jedi bent to them, many not happy with anyone of wealth, many that viewed the galaxy as incapable of handling democracy at all. After Coaxial?s committee had ended, the elections were a mix bag of results; fewer politicians like Coaxial won; association to a lie caused many defeats for newcomers and veterans alike. In larger election fields, in systems where more than two candidates were running, the victors there sent unclear messages or had nothing to reveal to observers. As the last of the elections were unfolding, there still was no clear message for the interested Council Members to go by.

They were also weary of Madex?s assertions that Lady Angelleia was rigging elections. The data passed on by the Sith Hunters was sound, and through secret examinations of their own some of Madex?s claims had strong merit. On the other hand there were glaring contradictions in the few elections they had privately reviewed so far; in all, the riggings actually fixed problems in the central programming, and thus allowed the voting to be done accurately; in fact, too accurately, for the voting had none of the expected calculated errors. If Juna and her perhap-alive friend Muriel Thahada Arnes had done any wrong, it was that they did a really good job in repairing voting devices that would have had problems without the illicit program that was defeated by the code lines they had introduced.

As the HoloNet News droid ran off with the story ?Breaking news from Chandiss Prime, and indeed it is official. The courts have ruled the elections valid, and by a vote similar to his margin of victory, the late Senator Bly Coaxial has won reelection. As you are aware, the bombastic senator, who was revealed to be running a fraudulent commit

 

CHAPTER 75.1

Since getting treated for his various wounds care of the Sith over a week ago, Hidu Bog discovered that he had not reached the deep depths of ultimate recluse before then. Under his authority, his floor and the floors above and below were sealed off from any other living life forms. The new battle droid model, still in the testing phase, had replaced all other forms of armed presence and was under Bog?s complete programming control, guarding him, guarding the levels, and even running his various errands. Bog barely communicated with anyone anymore; personal meetings never happened, and hyperspace transmissions were all heavily encrypted and tightly beamed. He found company that was welcoming in booze and the pain killers that in combination eased his disturbed mind more than it had eased the pain in his ruined hands. When not stoned drunk, he barely completed his appointed tasks; not that Viceroy Nute Gunray was going to cry about it, since him doing nothing was better than him doing something. Though brazen with the death of Bly Coaxial, Gunray was almost as shy as Bog when it came to doing and going about his business.

The priority signal changed all that, snapping Bog out of his self-imposed stupor in his living room. Half dressed, he cried out in pain just standing up and throwing his robe on, still feeling the beating Darth Sidious inflicted on him. He never told anyone the truth, concocting a convoluted story that the Droidekas had attacked him, explaining why he needed those prototype battle droids to replace them; he claimed truly he felt safer with them, just not in the context his superiors and underlings thought. It did not matter to him what they thought: it was not their lives that were in jeopardy. Since Senator Coaxial?s committee had ended, Bog?s life just seemed to get a hundred times worse, and there was no telling when Sidious was going to come back to finish the job.

The priority signal was an imperative one that just played on every trained fragile bone in Bog?s body. He did not want to answer it, but he did not want to lose his position in government, and thus lose his perceived place of safety. He answered the signal, to his surprise and dismay Viceroy Gunray appeared.

?Viceroy, this is a surprise,? moaned-slurred Bog. He hid his injured hands, covered in so many painful metal bone-knitting wires. ?I did not expect your call.?

?Call, Arbiter of Inventories?? questioned Gunray. ?On the contrary, I am now just landing at the Consulate.?

?You are!? Bog woke up on that reality. ?Truly, this is a surprise.?

?Indeed. Myself and Senator Dod would like a word with you. Expect us in the next five minutes.? And Gunray shut off the transmission abruptly.

?Damn you,? cursed Bog. He should had been upset with his agents on Neimoidia for not telling him Gunray was coming, let alone that Gunray had left; then again, he was not speaking to them. Seeing he had no time to prepare himself, and since it was Gunray and Dod, Bog instead shut down the battle droids and unlocked the necessary way to his quarters from his prized Rapier desk. He was happy to see full bottles of Nubian bourbon and clean glasses; he poured himself a glass, sat down, and just began the countdown.

A little over five minutes later, the doors opened, and to Bog?s disconcertment a hairy Human man walked in. He sported the clothing of a Jedi Knight; the lightsaber on his belt just confirmed it. A thousand thoughts of fear entered his mind: was this Jedi trickery, or Sith assassin? What was Viceroy Gunray?s play in this?

?Easy, Hidu Bog,? said the man, and in Bog?s mind he did know that voice. ?You and I have done business before. A month ago, when I had you provide me the Unone Hammer.?

Bog spilled his drink nonetheless and tried to point at Casper, but his hand?s ached just as badly as they shook. He asked, ?What in the nine blue hells are you doing here? On my people?s grounds? How??

?I was Branch Lur?s partner, my name is Casper Knightshade, and I am a Jedi Knight.? Casper slowly approached the Rapier desk, and he

 

FYE: Read this. Now remember we can't cover every plot hole in our fics, and we shouldn't stress it. However, if you look at Number 5 on that list you will see I created the Sithian workaround I did.

FORWARD!

 

That resolves the desk issue!

Good posts. Waiting to see the tea session with grandpa as we slowly wind down...

 

Thanks, Delight.

Of course as you can imagine the Rapier Desk is going to be the only thing the Trade Federation will every find of the stolen Rapier Manor.

Reasons already stated, Nute Gunray is never going to admit he was wrong with invading Naboo, and therefore he's not going to add any more fuel to the fire against him.


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The next chapter will be posted in it's entirety only because the different subject matters are all related to one context. Just take your time, folks. For help, this chapter references most of the chapters in the Gessa Saga, and what occurred in this stories Prologue Four. Master Yassa, Yoda's Master, was there a thousand years ago when Dor-Li Nimh, Juna's ancestor, left the Jedi Order, joined the Sith and began the long march towards the Jedi's doom.

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CHAPTER 76.0

Having Hidu Bog arrested more or less brought Casper up to speed on matters that appeared to have little or no consequence to him. Luck would have it that Cessa Fermeia was on Corellia visiting her old friend Deannta Desser, and word had passed to them both that a Jedi needed CorSec assistance on Coruscant. Aware of the actions that occurred on Ord Mantell, Deannta used her influence to get Captain Cisca and her men to come with her to make the arrest. There was not much give and take between the Nubians and Corellians and the Trade Federation, but Casper surmised Nute Gunray needed to get rid of Bog as soon as he could. Branch did tell him how much Gunray and Bog despised one another; at the very least, if he could not get the Trade Federation, Casper just settled on the male who created the weapon. All in all, to the Jedi, a fair trade of justice if there ever was one.

While waiting on Gunray, because the Viceroy had to get the permission of the Directorate to exorcise Bog, Casper exchanged the appropriate amounts of information to those that did arrive early. With Captain Cisca, they kept it in the realm of the case, getting her story on what had happened on Ord Mantell, and the belief that Cus Tadlan was quite dead. The female CorSec officer was clearly bothered by the fact Branch had passed on. With Deannta and Cessa it was a more guarded review; he decided to let Juna tell them in her own way, in time. They sensed it, but were not offended, so in return they gave him a great deal of information, from Senator Coaxial?s sudden and violent death, to the elections and the Thorn Party?s misfortunes from the hearings, and lastly the possibility that Juna would be ask to leave the Thorns.

?Everyone is blaming her for our defeats,? Cessa told Casper. ?And I hate to say it, but I agree with them. It still doesn?t mean we should kick her out. The Queen still believes in her, for crying out loud. If she?s kicked out, I?m leaving.?

?Same here,? affirmed Deannta, who though a Thorn she was far removed from Nubian politics. ?I will have nothing to do with the Thorns if Juna is forced out by the so-called party faithful.?

As much as they stood their ground, they did reveal to Casper that, as with anything in politics, all timing is vitally critical. Though in good political shape, it was going to be even money for the Thorns to win their respected races against anyone who related well to Queen Amidala?s policies and points-of-view. Amidala was one of the Heroes of Naboo, and no one was going to forget that soon unless she did something really bad. That bad was, potentially, supporting Juna. With Coaxial and his committee revealed to be a liar, Amidala was forgiven, but Juna was not. The suspicion of being a Sith, of being behind the Invasion of Naboo, convinced enough Nubians to vote against anyone ? the Throns ? associated with her. Challengers and incumbents of the Thorn Party had lost badly. Once again, Coy Madex?s plan to damage Juna as much as he could had worked.

Dropped off at the Jedi Temple, Casper realized that several hours had passed since he had departed ways with Angelleia; it was very early in the morning when all was done at the Trade Federat

 

Yet sacrifice is the province of the Jedi.

 

Yes, and unlike Coy Madex's suicide this sacrifice has a purpose.

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

And now, full circle time.....

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CHAPTER 77.0

It was a saying, a joke some would say, irony some would say: in the Senate, nothing changes. Some laughed at that. Some were dismayed by the fact it was true. Just another way to put it, in terms of its bloated bureaucracy, its placation to the willing masses, and the illusion that all was in freedom: the more the Senate had change, the more it had remained the same.

The election recess was over.

Quite a few new faces occupied old and owned spaces. Optimism was always on high when such a high turnover occurred; a peaceful revolution one may call it, started by five Senators which four of them were no longer in power, and one had died. Some of those new Idealists saw Bly Coaxial as a martyr to a bigger cause. The rest of the Senate, lead by the unmoved and unchanged and unchallenged Senior Membership, had already quashed any attempts by anyone to even think of eulogizing the late Senator of Chandiss Prime. New business was the old business, reinforced promises made and were going to be kept once the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic made the formal and official announcement that the Senate of the Great Galactic Republic was once again back in business. As it stood, at this moment, the past was the past; the future was something else not considered; now was the time to exploit the new gifts given to the stalwarts of the Senate, and that was why it was called the present.

The more things changed, the more things stayed the same.

On time of arrival, Senator Onidas Grim found his booth, and for once those around him saw a change that matched up with the sameness found throughout the Arena. For days now, regardless of his current medical condition, Onidas just thrust himself ahead because, without work, he was going to go mad with guilt. He knew the differences just as his neighbors had noted the differences. These changes were just the tip of the iceberg, which Onidas really did not care to control.

In the wake of his friend?s death, Onidas was in the dark equally as well as anyone else about the circumstances of Bly?s assassination; worse, he had no chance to even complain about it, which made him to make some complete changes to his political and personal life style. It was not changes in beliefs, just in what people were accustomed to; virtually, he had no choice but to appear submissive to reality. He now traveled with a security detail and a few Prime Minister-appointed aides; his activities monitored for security purposes; he was followed where he went, short of inside his own apartment. Since his home world?s parliament had passed the law that required him of such security, he who obeyed the law complied.

What Onidas could control was considerable, even if little. Young Edendell, the young Narutan who had experienced the galaxy in a whole different way in such a short period of time, was offered citizenship on Godric after she chose not to return home; as Bly pointed out to Onidas before, Edendell was too beautiful to live in peace on her world, and would have been sold again into slavery. She felt safe around him as well, she told him through a protocol droid after Bly?s death. Although he assured her he did not expect, nor did he wanted, her to pay off some debt she believed she owed him, Edendell assured him that was not the case. Since it all was happening so fast, Onidas introduced Edendell to his parents and asked them to care for her as she adapted to society; as always, his parents were more than willing to help the young woman, even if she did have two tongues.

Onidas also changed what made him known throughout the galaxy. He ended his media relationship with the Bothans, and thus the Grim Show was over. He warned the Bothans as well to not let him be aware of their presence; he could no longer trust them, especially after what had happened. Grosse Pyiler?oya, his private security ? an unbeknownst to Onidas a member of Si?ing ? had just vanish

 

Good to see what's happening in the Senate after the elections. Looks like someone has been busy with restacking the Senatorial deck!

I hope Grim doesn't become too grim and jaded about the whole gig. He still has a role to play, methinks.

 

Much of the damage Coaxial had done is going to require something very drastic to fix it like....say.....a unresolved political conflict that leads to war before the next major election cycle in five years (if folks don't realize it yet, I'm talking about Episode Two).

In the meantime what may cause problems for the Sith now have to be corrected.


Anyways the larger context going on here is the extreme opposite of the politician in a legacy seat: the politician or the form of an idea that cannot run or assume an elected office. It's not a convoluted concept: there are various examples of this occurring right now where there is a law that says this particular person (be it color, ethnicity, gender, and yes even who your ancestors were) cannot obtain power.

Now you would think isn't just reputation enough? Sure, that does pan out: Francis Booth thought about a career in politics, but his brother John Wilkes Booth did something very bad to a very important man in 1865: needless to say, Francis' aspirations were 'assassinated' by more than him getting it on with fifteen Ewok prostitutes while on a blue milk high.

As you all will read here, there comes a time to question anything that is supposed to be a good intention, or something in the name of justice for past wrongs.....


And yes: it sets up the future.......



-0-------------



CHAPTER 77.1

The Chancellor?s Office was packed throughout; aides and pundits in the waiting room, relevant individuals on the inside, except Nicconee Coaxial had brought her entourage with her, refusing to give up any superior position she believed she was in. Along with her, the Senior Membership, with the return of Lott Dod in the fold, was in, and so were other relevant representatives such as Senators Bail Organa, Reece Kyle, Pal Lodger, Hein Nannakin, D?ira Nyart, Colo Minari, Whoop Heramadale, Borsk Fey'lya, Gris Howlland and Onidas Grim. Also joining the cabal, at Chancellor Palpatine?s request, was members of the Supreme Justice of the Republic Antanna and Junka Numeral Seven and Galactic Republic Attorney General Guysis Picolalie, from Dantooine himself, who went white when he saw the female from the Vesgevi clan wearing Chandiss Prime Senate clothing and thus understood the situation almost nearly straightaway.

Palpatine entered the office with his entourage and never made it to his chair; Senator Howlland intercepted him like a proton torpedo to a ship?s hold. ?Chancellor, I tried to tell you not to give the oath! I tried, and now this woman-.?

?Senator, this is not the Arnea, this is my office!? said Palpatine in a calm, loud, firm voice. He pulled away, and decided to stand as close to his desk, and a relatively calm Senator Coaxial, and asked her, ?Senator, is what this Senator Howlland claimed on the floor true??

Casually she said, ?I was born a Vesgevi, if that is what you mean. I live my life baring that name, until my marriage to my Husband recently.? She went quiet, appeared sad; it came off a bit convoluted; every Human could read it. ?And as in all proper marriages I submitted my identity, and I am now a Coaxial. I fail to see the problem.?

?You are one of the Disallowed!? cried Howlland before anyone could say anything of merit. He reminded them all the facts. ?The Vesgevis had conspired with the Sith in the past, through the Chair of Dantooine, with scores of others too numerous to recount! No Vesgevi can hold a seat of power, especially not in the Senate! That is the law!?

?Calm, Senator,? demanded Palpatine. ?I am well aware of the law, and the history behind it.? He looked at Senator Coaxial. ?Are you aware of this law, Madam??

?How can I not be?? she said politely with no anger whatsoever. ?All that history behind it, how it came about; I dare say many would have a right to profess the necessity of such a law. The Sith Conspirators of that dark past had existed for nearly all of that horrible war, serving in the Senate, unbeknownst to this gullible institution, eating away at the Republic from within.?

On that last sentence, Nicconee

 

Indeed. The unseen hands are stacking the senate towards fracture and war.

Good stuff.

 

Off topic - Game of the Year in the NFL was Browns versus Lions. Never mind the records: the game could not have been more panic inducing.

OT2: Love it or hate it, I have to give 'Twilight' the financial respect it deserves.

OT3: For once 'Becks' doesn't choke at the end time penalty kick, but his L.A. Galaxy lost to Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup anyways.

-----------

Okay, switch on: Once again, we fan fiction writers are left to create the progression of steps that push the galaxy towards war, and such a thing on such a massive scale, with all involved, by a long, drawn out, little itty-bitty series of unfortunate events. Largely this is just another step for the Trade Federation, another 'official' excuse for them to justify their actions. However what could be missed is the other events: of the rise of Borsk Fey'lya, the eventual collapse of the Senior Membership (the Senate's corrupt yet most stabilizing force), which many of the worlds of the Senior Membership will become part of the Confederacy of Independent Systems (the Separatists) in the future, which in turn leaves many Bly Coaxial-turned worlds behind to run the Republic, which they get caught in the furor and......

Well, I WON'T lay out every geogalacticpolitical reality born from all of this, because A.) I'm willing to bet every other Fan Fic writer would like to tackle the many scopes of this and 2.) if I don't stop, what the hell will I write about in the next Gessa Saga fic?

It is just that one, big difference that also unites it all is the man setting it in motion. Sidious already has the Trade Federation: he needs the other systems to fall in line, his hand picked systems to join the Federation and the others who have sworn their allegiance to the Sith. The other systems will need prodding, and some of those systems will never, ever know they sided with the Sith when the Clone Wars start, or even end.

HOWEVER, this is the Gessa Saga: I don't make it THAT easy for the characters, and the march to the Empire won't be so easy either.


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CHAPTER 78.0

At their usual meeting place on Coruscant, Darth Sidious knew Darth Tyranus would arrive with a impressed look on his face given the spectacle that had been unleashed twelve hours ago upon an unsuspecting Senate. Of course, the Dark Jedi was so easy to please, so easy to amuse, and so easy to fool. He was no different than the Trade Federation, to whom Lord Tyranus had just had meeting with on Neimoidia, discussing a great number of things; all in Sidious? good graces: so much in the know, yet still so woefully lost in the fog.

?Lord Tyranus,? began Sidious as his elder associate left his ship, ?I suspect good news.?

?Great news, my Master,? said Tyranus happily. ?They firmly believe that the Chancellor has betrayed you.? This really made the old man smile. ?They began mustering up their allies the moment Senator Dod reported what had happened in the Senate involving the Senator of Chandis Prime. They are convinced she is not one of our assets, and are certain she will continue what her late husband has started. They called me immediately, and have recommitted themselves to our cause. They suspect, as a Rapier understudy, the Chancellor is dying to hang onto power and he will side with Madam Senator Coaxial.?

?Excellent,? said Sidious, and the two began to walk about the landing bay. He tempered his smile, only because he did not want Tyranus to think everything he wanted to go right with this had been achieved. ?Finally, a Vesgevi as well as a Coaxial proves their worth!?

?I must know, my Master,? begged Tyranus, ?was this the plan all along??

Sidiout checked his grin. Count Dooku was someone that craved answers only because he had never thought of something this elaborate in his long life as a man or in his short life as a Dark Lord of the Sith. Half-truths and complete lies would be sufficient; it was only fitting to demonstrate to Tyranus why he was the Master.

Fifteen years ago Sidious had written off the Vesgevi clan as viable to the Sith cau

 

Agreed. Not that easy indeed as he hurls towards the future.

We wait and watch!

 

For his part, Sidious paid the ship no more attention as he would normally do. His departure matched Tyranus? departure. His journey, on the other hand, was much shorter; Nefarious stood patiently where he had appeared from behind Tyranus. Given the need to maintain secrecy more than security, the lack of guards meant both the living and the dead were all alone.

?I see you have come,? spoke Sidious coldly, remembering his last, cryptic encounter with Mercuria Donnafhlane.

?I see you have come to your senses,? said Nefarious gently in his expected, Jedi style. Why he appeared as a Sith here, and not as a Jedi like he was on Korriban, was a form of placation. ?It is fortunate that you acknowledge the fact that you do have a daughter, and that you have a granddaughter as well.?

Judging the circumstances, Sidious folded his hands in his sleeves and mused, ?You were sending a message to me by sending your granddaughter Mercuria to the Ho'Din Botany Institute.?

Craning his head to one side as a gesture of admitted guilt, Nefarious said otherwise by saying, ?Things do sometimes happen for reasons of their own, Master Sidious. We can blame the Force, but we miss the fact that anything can happen.?

Chuckling, Sidious shook his head and said, ?You are not a good liar, Lord Nefarious.?

?Well, I did lie,? admitted Nefarious shyly. Seeing how Sidious was not threatening to leave, he just said, ?You could say yes: there were more than a dozen messages given to you with Mercuria. She really does like you; apparently, your scowl is attractive.?

Sidious, in response, did scowl; that only made Nefarious smirk. That, in turn, only made Sidious scowl more. He just said, ?This was not about me acknowledging offspring and grandchildren. Who was with you in the graveyard months ago.? It was more like an accusation more than a question. That was because he went to say, ?It was Enothchild Sarch wasn?t it.?

Nefarious raised his head enough to where his whole face and the smile on it could be seen. He said, ?Three in Jedi robes: myself plus Nessie plus x equals nines months to do the math. I would be impressed, but only if you had given Nessie time to explain.? When he noted Sidious was not amused any longer, he just nodded his head and said, ?Yes, the third Jedi in the Holy Resting Grounds was Enothchild.?

Keeping himself in check, Sidious had to ask. ?Why would he help us??

?Because he was not; he was helping the wife and daughter he loved, and he felt we were the only ones that could help him.? Nefarious put his hands together in contemplation similar to how Sidious held his hands. ?Since Nessie was his daughter, Enothchild has a very strong connection to us and not to his Jedi fellows.?

?Why would he help us, Nefarious!? Sidious? demand for an answer made him shout loudly. ?You must be joking if you think you can trust him not to go to Juna, or Yoda somehow with this information! What you say is true, then he knows-.?

?Everything,? said Nefarious calmly. ?The dead do know everything, Sidious; that is the reward for dying. You forget so quickly that so many Jedi have perish before Enothchild, including his first wife Nadja Moranna, and she could have told him everything she had learned, or any Jedi for that matter. But she and others like her never have.? He shook his head. ?And now you worry about such a thing??

Not quite ever thinking that, Sidious just grew mute. Nefarious said, ?You should, instead, be happy with this knowledge, Master Sidious. It demonstrates how no matter the reality, the Dark Side will rule this galaxy in one form or another. The greatest of Jedi heroes long dead have known this, but even they understand that it is not up to them to stop it. You see, the dead can know everything, and can do absolutely nothing about it.?

Sidious frowned and said, ?You?re wrong. Rune did something.?

?A rather?.unique situation,? assured Nefarious cryptically. ?It was a good trick that can rarely be pulled off without some willing and unwilling participants, and dare I say it, the work of the divine. But you see, in my opinio