Star Wars CLOSED Star Wars: Episode V: Twilight of the Force II: A Father’s Fate

IC: Abeloth
The Room of Galius Rax

There was a lot to say about a zealots room. Upon many of the walls were various images from the theatre on Coruscant, all ancient and High Galactic chords by Grand Admiral Siralt, and then the great tale about how the Hydian Way had been mapped, which had involved the stitching together of various lesser hyperlanes between the Old and Galactic Sith Wars. It was all High HuMan nonsense, and Abeloth only cared for it insofar as much as she could play off humans against nonhumans and elevate herself in the chaos that followed.

Much like Palpatine, she reflected.

But without women? Palpatine was doomed to fail, she said, snickering to herself.

There were some Sith artefacts, but nothing of note, until she found this.



A Sith Chalice from the ancient times, it was designed to burn incense from Upekzar, a natural bi-product of Rhak-shuri - Dream Singers - creatures who generated hallucinations in the Sith that worshipped there. Sith emerged from the terror-filled nightmares stronger mentally - to the point that they could invade and crush other minds - or broken, babbling, and mad.

She liked the sentiment, and was saddened that the Sith had lost touch with the ancient ways.

"Fear is the food of the Gods," Abeloth said, to Bernael. "Once we transform you fully, you will be able to consume fear itself, and with that you will be more powerful than all that stand before us... a fitting father for our child." She indulgently held her hands to her womb, not that much had occurred in the gestation of their child.

She unravelled a hand. "This room is where Rax worked. We may not be able to detect him, now, but we can observe him... with the knowledge of the Aing-Tii that my Mind Walkers gathered, we can simply flow-walk back and see what artefact he fled with. Whatever it was that Palpatine sent to him, it was a curiosity, of that I have no doubt... for even with my Sight, I could not see his plans after Order 66... and there must have been some, for him to have knowledge of the future..."

Her hand became a tentacle, seeking to wrap itself around Bernael's arm and entangle them in the past. She knew a great many of techniques from her time consuming Force users, and indeed she would piece them out to him when it saw fit. Her prowess may have faded, or been reduced, but she was still exceedingly dangerous, as events today had shown.

The Eye opted for silence.

Obviously, it would be useful to gather more knowledge from her, and skills too. He regarded the reanimated corpses wandering the halls of the Supremacy, but there was still much they did not know about this First Order. Bernael's skill-set did not extend to construction, to deployment, to grand military strategy - Thrawn had shown that much.

And they still didn't have much data from outside the Maw and the happenings there.

No, wait, the X-wing at the edge of the Maw had just been destroyed.

---
Maw entrance, forking points

While the team that included Qwi Xux, Hiram Drayson, Jyn Erso, Kyle Katarn, Leia Skirata-Linnett, Beaumont Kin and others - once it crossed the galaxy from Anaxes - would have to rely upon the ancient routes into the Maw from pre-Republic times, Qi'ra Ananke had the Force, and indeed, when her sensors reported that the New Republic X-wing was very much gone - disintegrated by her stealth missile launch - it was no effort to pass through the Maw's competing gravities with the Force as her ally - and the power she had.

As they advanced through the depths, the lanes bi-furcated - to the right, to what could be called Stable Zone One, and to the left, to Stable Zone Two. It then carried on to darker places, but as much as the Force - warped as it was by the gravitic tug around - told her that there was a more ancient wrongness there, the Dagger of Mortis told her that there was a resonance to Stable Zone Two - between it and whatever was present.

The Holocron of Braata, almost perpetually active nowadays, and indeed active anew now the Palpatine data had been expunged, found it intriguing that their target - Abeloth, the Bringer of Chaos, Daughter of Tilotny, Goddess and Beloved Queen of the Stars - as Ananke now knew her, was indeed not within the depths of the Maw, but at a part accessible by simply star-drive.

"She has escaped her prison, but not yet the Maw, I would say..."

Of course, Ananke knew about it all. About how the Ones - the Father, Son and Daughter - had locked away Abeloth, the Step-Mother in the Celestial Family Tree - after she became an agent of chaos; about how she had seethed here and escaped at the start of the Twilight Wars, and again, during it; about how she only ever breached her prison when the Force was turned, and how, in the future that had never happened - in the original timeline - her escape for the final time would have caused an Apocalypse that caused the Twilight Wars to return and the End of Time...

She could see clearly that it was Palpatine's death thirty-three years ago which had seen the Change.

She could also focus to her hearts content and would not see anything of herself in this story... as if Qi'ra had never existed in the original timeline.

Her thoughts were slowly becoming reorganised, recognising and cataloguing everything she was and knew...

And so, when presented with a choice, she Knew three things.

Firstly, that Stable Zone Two - where the Dagger sensed Abeloth - was where, in times that would now never happen, Imperials had hidden from the galaxy and prepared for their return.

Secondly, that Stable Zone One was where the Maw Installation had once been, and once designed the Death Stars and Ultimate Weapons, and that it had been abandoned after a time and its discovery.

Finally, she knew that Abeloth's world, Vitae, was deeper in the depths, and it housed its own ancient sources of power and treachery.

TAG: @darthbernael (combo), @QueenSabe7
---
IC: Lowbacca
Kashyyyk

The Wookiees had Han covered, and the Falcon was led down to the wroshyr tree docks, and the New Republic didn't know anything about his arrival. Lowbacca himself detached from his duties to greet his late uncles life-mate, and he sent word to the rest of the family of the visit. They would soon all be there to greet them - Lumpawaroo, Chewie's son, affectionately called 'Lumpy' and Mallatobuck, his wife, 'Malla'. Unless Han specifically said, the group would be joined by others, but for now, just those three were evident.

When Galen and indeed Mace met Lowbacca, he would recognise a surprising fact about the Wookiee; he was a Force sensitive, and relatively strong in the Force. In a different life, Han would have walked among Jedi and Lowbacca's sensitivity recognised, but now, with Han on the wrong side of the law more often than not, his gift would go unnoticed until now. The New Jedi Order remained small, not even a hundred members, after all, as it had been only re-founded thirteen years ago.

As it was, the group would promptly have their greeting, and their moment together. Once again, Joren had entrusted Han with a secret, in a cosmic do-over of events involving he and the others.

Zorn was not here yet, but they didn't have much time to prepare - everyone knew that.

TAG: @DarkLordoftheFins, @Lawbreaker, @BobaMatt
---
IC: Holocron of Prophecy
Aryan Graul's chambers

The little red pyramid was reticent for a time, clearly mulling over it's options. It eventually twinkled as it activated, revealing a man in a cloak. His features were not too dissimilar from that of Aryan's, but clearly they were different, insofar as much as one human didn't look like the other entirely. "My name... well, you may as well call me Sistros. My original name is long gone, after all... lost to our failures, and lost to time."

"You're Aryan Graul, yes? You possess my echo... the echo of my failure."

It was a statement and a half. But, the Force acquired a watchfulness, and the Holocron turned to look at a specific set of shadows. An'ya Kuro emerged from it, her chiselled features unapologetic. "Quite an eventful day, my old apprentice, no?"

He'd been caught out. Clearly the message had been a test.

"But at least you left me standing for a Holocron, rather than banal politics." She reflected aloud. "I had expected you to invite Treen over for a late-night tryst and push me off for her... so I am impressed you didn't."

The Jedi Master was clearly being antagonistic, but she often was in the past, intending to draw from him a reaction and scold him for it. It was almost impossible to draw a reaction from her, after all, and so it should be with him. A Jedi chose how to feel, and was not led by events around them.

The Holocron was unfazed by the interaction. "You were Master to him, notwithstanding how different he felt in the Force?"

"Do not all Force users feel different if they have returned from the Dark?"

"This one has returned?"

There was an arch sarcasm to Sistros, as much as there was to Kuro, and she smiled appreciatively. "It remains to be seen. He is too easily distracted..." Her gaze took in the Holocron, who snorted.

"Who is to say what is distraction, and what is truly important?" There was a snipe in his tone by now, but Kuro replied smoothly.

"Destiny calls many here and now. The Chancellor, a pair of Mandalorians, a woman with a deranged scheme... a smuggler, a Chosen One, a Dark One, a Dark Man..." Kuro snorted lightly. "Aryan is no special than any of them, surely."

"There are other echoes from the past -"

"Creating a confluence on the future, yes, I know," Kuro said, tightly. "But not many of them create chaos. Destruction, yes..."

Their jibes were fast-paced, designed not to leave Aryan with a chance to reply, but this character assassination would inevitably raise his cackles.

TAG: @HanSolo29 (combo)
---
IC: Admiral Hiram Drayson
Taking notes, Home One, Anaxes

Qwi was engaging well with the project, and indeed it was most redemptive behaviour. The planning was coming together, and she would have everything she requested. Jyn and Kyle made a few supply-related requests, nothing as specific as what the Omwati asked for, and a tendril pushed aside the doorframe - it was Ood Bnar, drawing the attention of the others.

"Grandmaster?" Admiral Drayson said.

"I have an open channel to your mother, Leia. She has some news from Mandalore for you." The Jedi sounded serious, and Kyle nodded to her.

"I'll sort this, Padawan."

Drayson snapped shut his datapad. "I have plenty to do, of course." Jyn stood from her seat, heading out, brushing by Bnar, and Beaumont brushed down some imagined dust on his clothes as Hiram stepped up up to Qwi. He lowered his voice. "You are welcome to finalise matters with Pascale's body, Qwi, before we go. It strikes me as inappropriate to bring him with us."

"Say your final goodbyes..." Drayson beetled his brow. "Even if everything goes well, it still could go very, very wrong, so we should have all our matters in order."

---
Elsewhere aboard the ship, Home One, Anaxes

It was Ood who arranged for Madelyn's call to be diverted to another room for Leia to speak to her directly. A lot had happened, and the news would spread before long. If Leia found out before her mother could speak to her, it would devastate the young girl - but the mission to the Maw, and the Yuuzhan Vong research, it was critical and could not afford to be delayed anymore.

As it was, Ood led Leia to the comms centre and swept out, sending a brief update to Katarn's comlink so he knew to be available to Leia once the conversation was done. For his part, he returned to the Chancellor as her conversation ended, Isolder meeting him. They'd agreed on the plan while the two women spoke, and returned at her cue - the Hapan Prince had stayed to wait for her in-case he was needed, as was his want to do.

They both returned to Feyna at the same time; Bnar was conscious that he hadn't been dismissed - they had simply been interrupted by Winter patching through the call. It was late, Coruscant time, and the Chancellor would need to return sooner rather than later. The Senate needed her attention, after all, but she also needed some rest.

TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @TheSilentInfluence (updated TAG), @JediMasterAnne (combo)
---
IC: General Pryde
Departing the Unknown Regions

It was just what he'd wanted.

The opportunity to show off the Sith Eternal Fleet.

GEMINI-led battlecruisers formed an immense formation, ancient but powerful technology from the Eternal Empire commanded by the Eternal Throne - painstakingly reconstructed by cultists on Exegol, who had created a genetic abomination from the genes of various long-dead Jedi and Sith and Heroes of the galaxy to control the technology - a creation which now served Zorn and by definition Pryde.

With the Derriphan at the head of the armada, he could direct a force of Sovereign Protectors, Sith Troopers and One Sith led by Durron to attack Kashyyyk and capture the enemy. The Millennium Falcon had connections to that world - historic ones belonging to it's former owners - Han Solo and Chewbacca. It was simple enough to connect the galactic dots, and the assault team had a target in mind; the tree-city that housed the extended Chewbacca family.

Pryde enjoyed the connectivity of it all; it made his job easier.

His Emperor may be dead, but he still had a role to complete.

The death of the New Republic.

The armada roared into hyperspace, passing through the hyperspace gauntlet by Exegol and heading into hyperspace. The routes were encrypted to incredible degrees - there was little to no-chance of the enemy finding the coordinates of the Sith Eternal throneworld; it could be erased and the entire Eternal Fleet crippled with the Master Control Code. The droids were completely beholden to the Eternal Throne, and Pryde would rather destroy his own ship than risk the plan being ruined.

It would take a day or so to stage through the hyperspace gauntlet, but they would do it.

Twould be a great victory.
--
Exegol

The vats of Exegol had long been reinvented to serve Darth Zorn.

While the research about puppeting a separate vessel had been inherited by Zorn, its latest creations had only served Zorn and the creation of a biot to sit on the Eternal Throne and be connected to his form. Indeed, the goal was to replace the genetic markers of the Eternal armada to serve only Zorn, but for now the creation - an unholy merging of eight bloodlines - was a mute that was puppeted by Zorn without form as it sat upon the Throne of the Sith.

Indeed, it had an approximation of Luke Skywalker's face, so moulded was it to him, though the rest of its form was a bloated mass of flesh supported by tubes and machines. The Eternal Fleet of battlecruisers gave the Sith Eternal an incredible amount of muscle, doubling the Sith Fleets strength. It would not be too much of an exaggeration to describe the tens of thousands of ships under Zorn's command as the greatest armada ever created... and he didn't care.

The cultists - Zildrog worshippers, Sith radicals, neo-Imperial hierophants - all served Darth Zorn's very wish and whim, and that was all that mattered, clearly. The geneticists, headed by Sigit, the Emperor's physician, and Constable of Homunculi, was ready to do whatever their Master wished, and often intuited his needs - be it modifying his servants to be more long-lived, or to research ways to apply Kaminoan behavioural modifications to the children of the Imperials that had hidden on Exegol - so he rarely needed to ask them to serve.

As such, Sigit was already present when Zorn arrived, on one knee with the other clone-masters



"What do you require of us, your Majesty?"

Of course they addressed Zorn as if he was the Emperor - the heir to the Dark. The successor of Palpatine even though he did not seek such a role; the inheritor of Vitiate, and all his monstrous designs; the master of all their fates. In many ways, that made him perfect to them. Zorn was bereft of ego, merely shadow incarnate, the most powerful darksider in all of history.

That didn't mean they were aware of Tempara's treachery, of course, for she had managed to keep even that secret - the oubliette of Dreypa had been a artefact she herself had kept secret for decades since it's discovery. Initially, she had assumed Zorn would not care... but over time, she had awakened to her new purpose; to birth not an Emperor in name only, but in intention and desire.

Ben, in essence.

TAG: @LordTroepfchen
---
IC: Ike Sera
Hightailing it out of there

The battle so promptly turned against him that Ike knew how best to do what was necessary; run. He knew the ways into and out of the Works, the secret paths, and corridors. He left a blazing trail in the Force however, which Vhardia, Renn and even Arek could quite easily follow. As the last of the Sun Guard died - with Shara putting a bolt through the visor of one that tried to stand back up after being clapped against his comrade - the Fang clearly tried to escape Renn's hold and ended up tipping his fighter into a nearby warehouse, and a plume of smoke rushed up into the sky.

Norin brushed himself down, flashing a grin at Arek in thanks, and looking for Nola and Del now the scrum was over. "Jedi Knights," for they could be nothing else. "I leave you to your pursuit. My aides will ensure my safe return to the Senate tower." He was of course concealing something or other, involving Arek, but he didn't necessarily expect the Jedi to recognise him, and indeed he was a politician - Nola had called him 'Senator' after all.

There was a comlink buzz, a reminder that BB-8 had sent a message, Shara had expected, but in-fact it was an update.

Signal Terminated.

"BB?" Shara said, in disbelief. Whatever had happened - it had been terminal. The Hutts had given them a tip, as a sweetener for dealing with Ike before they handed over to the Jedi where Han Solo was presently hiding. "He's out of contact..."

Norin wasn't entirely sure what it meant, but began to turn back to his shuttle. "Come, come. We may as well head back to the Senate Tower - this rendezvous was clearly not as low-key as I had hoped!"

They had plenty to do, and indeed plenty to unravel.

TAG: @darthbernael, @HanSolo29, @JediMasterAnne, @darthhelinith

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422 (two outstanding TAGs - thank you for letting me know about the potential delay, much appreciated)

 

IC Renn, Avatar of the Light
Pursuing Ike, Again

Renn relaxed, recalling all his energy, now that Ike was on the run, now that the fighter had crashed, and now that the Sun Guard were defeated. He sighed, the power involved was intense but he could feel the Light giving him what he needed to continue using it such, to continue the fight. The most interesting thing to come out of the exchange was the young man with whoever the Senator was.

”My companion is a Jedi, yes, but I do not make that claim, and….I doubt the young man by your side does either. Not a Sith, by any means, but I think my other companion has very specific feelings toward claiming to be something one is not. Get to safety, though, we must apprehend that criminal.”

Just as he turned back toward Vhardia, he felt a welter of emotions from her and had to mentally review recent events to figure out why. And then it hit, the droid and, therefore, the X-Wing he was flying had ceased transmitting. It could be for an innocuous reason but, given the state of affairs in the galaxy he’d awoken to, it most likely was not. Which meant that once they retrieved Ike the remainder of their mission proved to only get more chaotic.

He could feel their prey as he ran and now another blazing presence took off in pursuit. He whipped his head around and glimpsed Vhardia disappearing into the Works. He sighed, she was a delightful companion and he still had yet to work out why she seemed so familiar so he could not let her get herself injured or killed trying to absolve herself of the guilt he felt radiating off of her from the loss of the droid.

”Shara, two options for you, see if the ship can be fixed right here and now or follow Vhardia and me, but I’m not letting her impetuosity get her hurt so I’m following her.” he called over one shoulder as he reached down and scooped the cortosis blade he’d tossed and clipped it to his belt before setting off after Vhardia.

”Little one, I’m coming, don’t do anything foolish until I get there, I’d rather do so together than explain to Ood why I lost his young Knight.”

TAGS: @darthhelinith, @Sinrebirth, @HanSolo29, @JediMasterAnne

 

OOC: Combo with our esteemed GM

IC Bernael and Abeloth
Travelling without moving

Abeloth’s hand became a tentacle, seeking to wrap itself around Bernael's arm and entangle them in the past. She knew a great many techniques from her time consuming Force users, and indeed she would piece them out to him when it saw fit. Her prowess may have faded, or been reduced, but she was still exceedingly dangerous, as events today had shown.

He began to let her and then he sensed the destruction of the X-Wing, another player had entered the game. He could not sense them at the moment but knew that they would soon be something he and Abeloth would have to deal with. ”Yes, let us find out what he knows or has so that he does not continue to surprise us, and delving deeper into what I can do, truly reaching the heights of power that are evolving now inside me, delectable. But I can tell we shall soon have guests so any trip must be as swiftly accomplished as is possible.”

A devious and dark smile touched his face; he reached down and placed one taloned hand on her belly, ”Our offspring will need both parents to guide and show them the paths to power, after all.”

Abeloth grinned. They were still turning their treacheries against each other. But for now, their blades were sheathed, and they were cooperating again. For now, she needed to appear nonchalant - though she was afraid of what was coming for her.

She closed her eyes and refocused, and when she next opened them, they stood in the corner of the room as Rax rushed into it. "We must stay hidden. Though we cannot change things... Rax will remember if he sees us in the present."

"Oh yes, and don't die in the past. Your mind will kill you," she darkly chuckled.

He stepped to his bed, and tugged from beneath it a long and flat box, which he promptly pushed his thumbs to the locks. It popped open, revealing two things. One, a Black Coat... Two, a small, etched, pyramid.





Bernael watched, trying not to move more than he had too, a simple feat for one raised and who had lived so much of his life as an assassin. When the items were brought from under the bed one eyebrow raised, quietly he whispered to her ”Both those items are more familiar than I’d care to admit.”

He made a tiny gesture at the coat, in a continued whisper ”That seems as though it is almost the same as one that an old friend, enemy, has never been without, the fact he has it does not bode well.”

Pointing to the other, the pyramid, ”That seems to be a wayfinder, I have seen several over the eons, many that did not function anymore, but that one does seem functional.”

Abeloth seethed, but kept whispering as Rax rushed on the coat. "I met someone wearing a robe like that once... during the Twilight Wars..." She reflected softly. "On Nouane..."

"But a wayfinder? It looks like a Sith holocron, of sorts..." She gestured vaguely. "Am I to take it that this is a Sith design...? A galactic compass, perhaps?"

Bernael strained to make out features of the wayfinder as it sat in the box. He could tell what some of the features were but not all of them, besides they were designed to not just be able to be read by the naked eye. ”We probably mean the same being and he frustrates me deeply, has a purpose that could destroy the fabric of the galaxy, rather than give it to Chaos and Darkness. But a compass, only of sorts. Most were designed to lead Sith through uncharted areas of great danger, such as the Maw, to a specific location. I cannot quite make out where this one leads but it feels like it is somewhere here in the Maw, and there’s a sense of a familiar darkness around it.”

Abeloth paused., curious. "So that coat is why we could not sense Rax? How curious... and that Wayfinder, too."

"Should we flow-walk back further?" She wondered to herself, absently. "Do you think that... being is behind the First Order, then? What's his tie to Galius Rax?" They were missing a big piece of the puzzle.

Bernael considered, thought about what he knew, more than many, about the being behind that coat. ”If we could find out why or how he retrieved it that would be of value, would give us more insight into why the FO seemed an important endeavor to him. However, there is the possibility we may have to return to the beginning to see when the coat was received. But I have a feeling we may end up travelling no more than forty years back to find that piece of the puzzle.”

He looked around the room, to see if there was anything else that seemed important outside of those two extremely valuable items. ”And if we can get a closer look and a better knowledge of where the Wayfinder points that would be of help as well.”

Abeloth nodded slowly. "I don't care if Rax remembers us... but it will likely cause us problems if he uses it against us." She stroked her chin, tentacle suckers nudging as they went, and then a hand was there again. "But let us see."

They drifted back into the past further, reality phasing in and out again. There was another moment, and Rax stood in this room again, with another person - a taller man in a black coat as well. "This is the room you keep it in... under the bed in a locked box?" He managed to sound both neutral and incredulous.

Rax was cautious, younger, careful. "Yes, it is. These are my chambers within the Supremacy. Or, what you say will one day become the Supremacy... I had thought to make it a shipyard, but reworking the frame-work into a mobile dreadnought is a stroke of -"

"Yes, yes, genius, I know," the Black Coat said. "It's not my idea, don't worry. To be honest," He chortled loudly. "I am quite the thief of ideas, but my eyes wander so widely that I get so many good ones."

"Yes, you mentioned that when you came to the Maw... you haven't explained how you found us, either..." Rax stiffened. "Or how you knew so much about the Contingency..."

The Black Coat shrugged. "That eye of mine... it was, for a time, in the possession of your Master."

"Palpatine?"

He shushed Rax, and handed over a piece of paper. "If you pass these instructions to your fabricators, they'll be able to begin the process of collecting the materials to make your own Black Coat... careful though, there are only enough materials left for two at any one time; it's the air of the world you'll find them on; the ore that you melt down is extremely rare."

"How... Sith."

The Black Coat shrugged. "You'd know better than I. I've never met one. Not yet, anyway." He made a shooing gesture. "Off you go. I'll discuss the rest of it with you once you've got that task force up on it's way. With the Rebels and Separatists squaring off at Mandalore, you won't have much time before the galaxy spreads out its attention again."

So this is fourteen years ago, thought the Eye. Is the Wayfinder in the box under his bed?

The Black Coat was here on his own.

Abeloth paused, and whispered, so quietly the words seemed to appear in Bernael's ears, as if she was subtly using the Force to rustle his ear-drum. "This man... I cannot see him, either. The Coat... would speaking to him here and now make any difference to his knowledge of us?"

Bernael watched the exchange, a curious expression on his face. He was remembering older exchanges between himself and the Black Coat. As Rax left he turned toward the old foe, old friend, wondering what the man thought of how he was these days.

Nodding to Abeloth, ”He knows me very well and I doubt I’ve stayed off his radar, even 14 years ago, when I was in Wild Space.”

He moved away from the shadows, more into view of the man standing there, ”My old frenemy, you knew we were here, of course, shooing Rax out of the room was just an excuse to allow the conversation to take place in private. So what is it you wish to share or learn from us?”

"Ah yes," the Black Coat said. "Frenemy is a bit of a strong term, no? Was I correct in assuming that the Presence died with the Change?" He turned slightly.

"Ah yes, Abeloth. Nice to meet you."

Abeloth's tentacles writhed. "Can I eat him?"

"It won't affect me, as you're flow-walking," the Black Coat wagged a gloved hand.

"But will you remember me killing you?" Abeloth said, leering.

"Probably not." He turned his finger to Bernael. "And he won't know what he wants to know, if I'm 'dead', and Rax will remember how important I was, because he'll remember coming back to the room and me being dead." A grin rolled into the Force. "You think I'm going to face an Old One or two without countermeasures in place?"

A low, harsh laugh came from Bernael’s mouth, ”Well, there have been many times you and I have either been on the same side and some on the opposite side. So the term is apt.” He smiled, eyes narrowing at the smile, ”As to the Presence,” he lifted a hand, waving it in a so so gesture, ”you could say there are two of him now, he split at the Change. And became more a part of me or I of him in the process.”

Resting a hand on Abeloth’s tentacle, ”Dear, you know the rules of flow walking better than I, and we were trying to keep Rax from having any idea we were here.”

Another chuckle eyes never having left the Black Coat, ”You always have countermeasures in place, but it hasn’t stopped your schemes from not always working. However, we did not come, or make sure we spoke, just to trade barbs. Yes, of course there are things I would learn from you, such as why you chose Rax as a potential Black Coat, and what of value I can take from this place, when we move on, that would aid my purpose, among others.”

"Changed by the Change," the Black Coat said. "Of course."

Abeloth grimaced. "He's right. Frustratingly. We can't change anything... just the memory. So unless I can kill him in a way which leaves no evidence... which I would rather not do as I want this mans death to be so bloody it gives me nightmares..." She huffed.

"Rax isn't anything special. It's not one of my apprentices, or even a disciple." The Black Coat shrugged. "He is just a piece on that chess board. Thinks he's an Imperator, but he's still the Pawn... much to his chagrin, as he always wanted to surpass Palpatine... this entire First Order isn't even a part of Palpatine's plan, from what I gather." The Black Coat shrugged.

"I just need him to keep something out of anyone's hands, is all." The Black Coat glowered. "Even if my Eye is missing, I can still put a few things together; the End of Time is still going to happen, after all." A shrug. "It just might happen a bit earlier than I foretold, y'know?"

Bernael grinned, behind his mask, thinking about the current situation. ”You should have found me old man. Yes, Palpatine did not plan for this group to become what it was, or the zealotry that came from it. Rax himself, eventually anoints himself as their savior and leader beyond question when he isn’t even sure why he’s doing what he is.”

He looked at Abeloth, the smile still upon his visage, ”He even poisoned her, under orders, without knowing why he must. Knowing my purpose, those items would have been of more value in my possession. Still would.”

“But we must return to what it was you had to pass to me, before that zealot returns.”

"I have only words for you, today," the past-Black Coat said, with a shrug. "The artifact you seek from Rax is not for anyone save those I desire. Of course, it is a MacGuffin, because every good tale deserves one."

He chuckled slightly, and Abeloth seethed. With a smirk, felt in the Force and not seen, of course, he leered. "You do your part to accelerate events - release her from this prison, burn whole worlds - and you'll reap your reward all the quicker, my frenemy."

Bernael chuckled, letting the leer roll off him as though it had not even happened, ”She is held, only so she does not feed upon me, although I believe she’s seen that is an error to attempt, for now. But the galaxy will continue to go dark, even Zorn will aid in that, no matter how he chooses to do so. He believes he is the Dark Side now but even in that he serves the Dark and it’s purposes.”

“I will,” He paused, looked over at Abeloth, ”we will burn the worlds of this galaxy and see what rewards everyone receives, not only ourselves. Dish out some of those rewards personally, including toward those that would hunt us.”

“Good, good. That is your role, after all.” There was a sound; Rax was approaching. “I guess it’s time for us to end this chitchat, but suffice to say, with the wayfinder out of your hands... the end will come much faster than you think, if the traitor with the red-flame comes through...”

A chuckle. “But I’m sure he will.”

“Him and his White Eyes...”

With that, the connection was severed, and they separated, appearing in Rax’s upended and abandoned chambers. Abeloth was already heading to the door as Bernael’s sensors chimed insistently; a ship had left the Supremacy and exited Deep Zone Two.

Bernael caught up with her, ”Rax was still onboard, it seems, but is now leaving. So then the question is, do we depart again upon my Fury or hone those skills you suggested while we wait for those who seem close or will soon intrude into the Maw. Although, knowing the Black Coat’s plan prefers us out there emptying worlds I’d prefer to take that path at our leisure rather than immediately, as he wishes.”

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @QueenSabe7, all those headed for the Maw, (@LordTroepfchen Mentioned)

 

IC: Arek Graul
The Works, Coruscant

The troopers soon perished under the concentrated fire of their allies, signaling an end to the brief altercation. Even as the smoke cleared from the area, Arek ceased his own attack and stood back to squint into the golden twilight that surrounded them. The Sun Guards’ leader was still unaccounted for, and he would not allow himself to fully relax until they had neutralized all threats. He had to ensure his Grandpa’s safety above all else.

Fortunately, he did not need to exert himself with the effort; the man fled the scene like the coward that he was. The Force lingered in his wake like a silent beacon, underscoring his path of retreat. While it would’ve been a simple endeavor to follow the trail and pursue him through Coruscant’s undercity, he ultimately refrained. The imminent danger had passed.

Besides, the Jedi appeared to have a handle on the situation; it was best not to interfere with their duties. It was an odd inference, especially since he did not truly care whether he hindered their mission or not. Perhaps it was more personal than that. There was this innate desire to limit his interactions with the Order or anyone else outside of his immediate circle. He still had so much to work through, and he wanted to keep his contacts to a minimum until he could figure things out.

That’s why when his Grandpa announced his intentions to return to the Senate Tower, he spun on his heel and frowned with disapproval. It did not help when Nora also expressed her willingness to introduce another unknown variable. He presumed that this Jaka was an aide, though he did not ask.

“With all due respect,” Arek began slowly, his blue eyes shifting between the young woman and his Grandpa. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s too much exposure. I know we've already been compromised, but that doesn't mean that we should let our guard down. We should still proceed with caution. Any attempt to mitigate the risk would be ideal.”

He inclined his chin and met his Grandpa’s gaze with a stern expression. There was a certain intensity shining there, something more intimate and maybe even…selfish. The man had enticed him with visions of his home and the idea that his grandmother was unwell. It almost seemed cruel to dangle that morsel in front of him, only to retract it a short time later. Was it a form of manipulation – like his father was so inclined to do?

Or was he simply pontificating to stave off any suspicion?

At that moment, it would’ve been easy to reach out with his awareness to test this theory and alleviate all doubt, but he quickly realized that such an action would have its own set of ramifications. Delving into his Grandpa’s mind to read his thoughts and emotions was hardly the moral standard he should be striving for. That didn't make him any better than his father. It was just another way of committing the same sins.

That realization shook him more than he cared to admit.

Arek diverted his eyes and simply issued a sigh in resignation. He then canted his head and gestured toward the shuttle looming near the edge of the platform. “We should probably get going.”

TAG: @JediMasterAnne; @Sinrebirth; @darthbernael; @darthhelinith

 

IC: Abeloth
Aboard the ghost of the Supremacy, Deep Zone Two

"Rax was still onboard, it seems, but is now leaving. So then the question is, do we depart again upon my Fury or hone those skills you suggested while we wait for those who seem close or will soon intrude into the Maw. Although, knowing the Black Coat’s plan prefers us out there emptying worlds I’d prefer to take that path at our leisure rather than immediately, as he wishes.”

Abeloth seethed as she unfurled mental tentacles throughout the Maw. There was a confluence of events arriving, and coming together. A set of confrontations were afoot. As much as the Black Coat wished for them to act, and leave the Maw... she railed against her prison. With a growl, she snarled. "I still require a Forceful body, or this form will wear out far before your child is born."

She sensed... her, a powerful and feminine essence, with a kind of monstrous disdain to her - she had bypassed her. The woman - the one who held the Dagger - she was not afraid of her. Abeloth turned, stalking towards the Fury. "Can you feel her? The arrogance?" Abeloth's arms flailed in impotent fury; a thwarted Goddess.

For his part, Bernael would also have more updates; arriving freighters and shuttles - a motley array of ships - the first of the New Republic think tank - the shuttle with the pennant code Rogue One, and the freighter that had once belonged to Pedric Cuf, and was now led by Admiral Drayson. The ship of Kyle Katarn and Leia Skirata Linnett would be leaving Anaxes shortly, and then, just as shortly, would an infamous yacht.

The stealth-equipped probes simply watched... having been unable to detect the Aurora, of course, but detecting these ships just fine.

Rax's ship, the probes confirmed, was holding position in the central tunnel... and then turned and headed to Deep Zone One...

TAG: @darthbernael, @QueenSabe7 (mentioned only), @TheSilentInfluence (mentioned only), @Jerjerrod-Lennox (mentioned only)
---
Outside the Maw, grouping

The navigation data that led to the Maw was ready, and they had arrived in short order. During the gap, Beaumont began poking through the data that Rouser had in respect of the Sages of Dwartii, which was not much - nobody had much data. The most Beaumont had was a scribble in the margin of a book which depicted a statue of a trickster God named Wapoe. Even then, it wasn't much.

Connected to the four Statues that Amedda had?

It was very, very little.

The young archaeologist spent more and more time wondering about Qwi, and carefully examined his worries about her, and the context that Arb had given as to her backstory... and indeed the entire day. It had been a long one, starting off from when Jyn kidnapped Qwi from Nouane, after all, to bait out the Chiss... and caused an attack on Coruscant itself by none other than Grand Admiral Thrawn.

Beaumont wondered what would have happened had she refused, and gone on the run with Pascale instead... would he still be working beside Yomin Carr, unknowing as to the danger? Would Coruscant have even been attacked? Would Pascale be alive? What galactic consequences had flowed from that seemingly simple meeting on Nouane?

Now, some thirty-six hours after that initial simple meeting, here they were - freshly rested, perhaps, depending how well either of them slept on the way to the Maw...

Qwi and Beaumont arrived to the gathering of Jyn and Drayson's ship, their sensors pinging not just them but also the wreckage of a New Republic X-wing. Drayson chimed in. "I've asked Coruscant to confirm if any X-wings have been deployed here, but nothing so far. The HoloNet is still a bit backlogged, frustratingly. Once we know more I'll let you know."

There was a pensive pause. Was the destruction of the X-wing a portent? An indication that their redoubt was already discovered?

Jyn chimed in to the chat. "This is a known smuggler route. They use the Maw to evade pursuit, and so it may be nothing more than a coincidence."

"It's your show, Qwi - as much as the Yuuzhan Vong work is essential, its you who is being targeted by Thrawn."

Beaumont sighed, in the cockpit behind the Omwati. "It's pretty unlikely that someone has accidentally found a way into the Maw. It's a route from twenty-five millennia ago - plus!"

"I think we should go in anyway," said Jyn, defiantly.

"It's Qwi's choice," Drayson said evenly. "This is only place we have that is absolutely secure - as far as we are aware."

TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox
---
Deep Zone Three, because what else would you call it

There was a world in here, surrounded by a debris field that spoke of incredibly high-end technology. The salvage rights alone would raise a small fortune, notwithstanding that the route was relatively treacherous in - between black holes, after all. The world was truly intriguing in the Force.

Thoughts swam around, and Ananke would know it was called Vitae - and it had once been the home of the Ones, those Force Gods that had died years ago now. Of course, she knew the rest of its story too... about a Font of Power, that the Son had drank from and became Dark Incarnate... about a Pool of Knowledge, that the Daughter had swam in and became Light Incarnate... about the ability to see the future in the Pool... about the pocket-reality that existed here Beyond the Shadows...

About the fact that she could see the dead here, if she so wished to leave her body and travel those shadows...

About how, in a dim and distant and alternate future, Abeloth had escaped this world and create chaos, some thirty years from now, until the Skywalkers and Solos and Jedi and Sith had came together to stop him - Luke and a Darth Krayt, replacing the Daughter and Son respectively to enact the fact that the Light and Dark were needed to defeat Chaos.

Ananke had many, many choices, here and there. She could descend to the world, and drink from the Font and become a Celestial... head Beyond the Shadows to speak to people from the past.... or to peer at the Pool of Knowledge and see what the future of this reality had.

The one thing she didn't know.

TAG: @QueenSabe7
---
IC: Norin Graul
The Works, Coruscant

The two Jedi and the pilot left, after a brief exchange of words in which the Neti and pilot went separate ways, and the former chased the younger woman - she herself chasing Ike.

The older Senator peered at his grandson. "Your grandmother is there... I keep her close, in a secluded part of the Nubian complex." Norin said this abruptly - it wasn't even something that Nola knew. Her partner Del didn't manage to suppress his wince... which meant he did know. He kept his eyes away from her as Norin turned back to her.

"Brief Jaka that I am coming back, yes. I will need a debrief on what Aryan has been doing while I've been busy. The Thrawn arrival will undermine Chancellor Organa, and I have no doubt that her naysayers will band around Aryan to take advantage. We need to make sure Feyna has the support she needs..." His expression wavered a little. "Take Del, in-case Jaka gets pushy - make sure we can arrive unseen - it's getting dark, after all."

He looked back to Arek. "You need to see what your father did... and why I have to use every tool in my repertoire to stop him..." Norin grimaced, as Del, chagrined, took Nola to her speeder. "... even if I have to die to stop him."

TAG: @JediMasterAnne, @HanSolo29
---
The Works proper

As dusk settled, the Works settled into twilight.

In that moment, Shara nodded to Renn, casting a single glance back to the Senator of Nubia and the others there - and that strange man, who looked so much like a young Aryan Graul... did he have a second son, nobody knew about? She refocused. "I'll get us up in the air, promise. The Otana is a Corellian YT-2000 - it's hardy as hell." She jogged forward, rushing, even as Vhardia, upset about the loss of BB-8, rushed to catch up with Underlord Ike, who was clearly using the Force - somehow - to speed up his motions.

In her grief -

In her shame -

Ike had opportunity, and he made she would be able to track him -

He dived into a corridor and alleyway and then a shadow of a warehouse - and slapped the controls to seal the door the moment she rushed in after her. In the gloom, he sunk a fist into her gut and lifted his hands into a double blow to slam down on her back - and then a knee to her chest - the only thing she could get sight of was his grin in the gloom -

He'd moved incredibly fast, surprisingly so, and then he turned, looking to draw upon the Force again and flee into more tunnels, and more ways to escape - Ike lifted a hand as he ran - not expecting the door to hold the Neti for long, and he clicked a hand, tweaking the ceiling supports to drop them on Vhardia and Renn if he was both quick enough to catch up, but too slow to get her out in time -

He had found what he wanted, and slipped into the accessway in the floor with a cackle of a laugh -

TAG: @darthhelinith, @darthbernael
---
Under the Senate District, apartments

The dishevelled, slovenly former Inquisitor leered, raising a hand to snatch a bolt out the sky - but the next shots took him down. Both drilled in and he dropped, slamming to the floor like a sack of bones, skin and meat... which their target now was. Boba stirred and disentangled himself, peering at Tor, and then leaning over to place two fingers on the neck of the bloody mess that he had been wrestling with -

"He's dead," Fett said. "Well done."

It was banal, when he knew that killing a man - likely the first person Tor had ever killed - would be a feeling akin to... well, shame, he thought. That he had failed to stop their target without ending it. "Bounty's good either way. It's all yours." He pulled out the fob, pressed a button to confirm the kill, and passed it to Tor to take.

Stay to business; it'll help.

"Did you find the taozin flesh? I'd rather not spent anymore time in this filthy place if possible."

The second sentence was not business.

Fett stopped talking in an effort to put the brakes on this camaraderie he could feel forming.

The bounty hunter slowly realised that he felt alone.

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422
---
IC: Isolder
VIP quarters, Home One, Anaxes orbit

They woke hours later, early Coruscant time, but they managed about six hours, nearly seven. They would wake to a handful of messages; nothing dramatic, but updates nonetheless.

Raddus had heard from Metellos, and confirmed that some of the citizenry seemed to have survived the destruction, albeit in a zombie-like manner. The ground forces had been required to stop them, and stunning hadn't work. Analysis confirmed all encountered had died in the cataclysm. Scouts had spread out and found wreckage that matched that at Metellos at Fresia, as well as a skeletal species that they were tentatively identifying as the Yevetha, from the Koornacht Cluster.

Winter, via Agate, included a briefing about Mandalore, which confirmed that there had been a mechanism at the heart of the Mandalore disaster. It was some kind of technology - very, very advanced - but it had no discernible power-source. It had been posited that the Force had powered it, and Agate remembered history legends about ancient species who used the Force to do such things - pre-Republic technology. No zombies, though - just a handful of incredibly large rancor-like monsters. Winter also confirmed that she did have some requests for the Chancellor to comment on yesterday's events - Thrawn especially. She had the Chancellor's media team ready to meet her on the Home One, or wait for her to return.

Drayson reported that the team had reached the Maw and found a destroyed X-wing before they entered the black holes - it included a BB droid unit but there was no indication what had happened. He requested any data about New Republic patrols in the area. He had left the decision to proceed in Qwi's hands, as it was. Jyn wanted to carry on, of course, and Beaumont Kin - the young archaeologist from Criton's Point - had suggested it was mere coincidence. He had also received a report from New Republic Intelligence that Gaeriel Captison had returned to Bakura, and there was a hint that Aryan and her were not well - romantically - following whatever had occurred while they had lost track of him.

Piett had Yarmond in hand, and had managed to keep the entire scuffle off the radars of Aryan Graul, thanks to his own scuffle with a bounty hunter, Cad Bane, who had been killed by the Senator in self-defence. All in all, they had plenty in hand. Piett had also investigated, and ordered the arrest of a Moff who seemed to have been bankrolling construction in the Unknown Regions - one Moff Eccressys from the Velcar Sector - this had led to a banking connection to the Corporate Sector via Borgo Prime, one which the representative of the sector had refused to respond to. With Thrawn using Imperial ships, there was a concern about a Kuat Drive Yards spin-off, Kuat-Entralla Engineering, but Piett didn't want to authorise any investigation into that political tinderbox without her thoughts - Senator Treen and the other Centrists were not to be trifled with.

Finally, Ood Bnar had dispersed the Jedi to major worlds across the galaxy - all hundred Masters and Knights he had on Yavin 4. He noted that two Jedi, Vhardia and the Neti Renn, remained on-mission on Coruscant, pursuing a lead to Han Solo, via the Black Sun Underlord Ike Sera. That report had came from Shara Dameron, a pilot working for the Jedi, and she had also noted that a BB-8 droid they had sent to follow a Hutt lead to mysterious going-on's by the Maw had vanished with very little to report save for odd Cronau hyperspace readings.

Isolder, sitting in bed, had peered through the data before Feyna woke, and summarised it all for her. "So what's the plan, Madam Chancellor - the prettier Feyna, no doubt." He smiled, clearly wanting to start the new day off on a good footing. Again, it was a lot, but not all of it was for her to do, after all. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, warmly.

This was Isolder. In private, he was a simple, almost small, man, who loved fiercely. Nothing more, or less.

TAG: @JediMasterAnne
---
IC: Owen
Ord Mantell, old Mandalorian base

The speech did just what they expected; it riled Death Watch, a roar of support for Ka'rta echoing out in the cavernous hangar.

While Owen sent out feelers, he managed to supply her with all manner of update about Metellos being destroyed at the same time as Mandalore - but in a different manner - and he included a video from Thrawn live on the HoloNet regaling Chancellor Organa with a lecture about a coming threat, and Aryan Graul replying. He told Ka'rta that Graul was Tor's target, and that Fett had care of the child-teen - but he was not responding to contact and the Guild didn't know where he was at present save for on Coruscant following several bounties at once. He'd managed to work out that Leia was with the Jedi, specifically Kyle Katarn, but they were going on a hush-hush mission that Owen couldn't find out anything about.

In those hours, more Mandalorians came, including other warships and fighter craft. More of the diaspora that didn't live on Mandalore. Linnett had headed to Kashyyyk, and a steady stream of refugees were going to need sorting through... but Mandalorians wanted action, and it was clear as day. Several extended Skirata family clones appeared out of the woodwork, forming a nucleus of support for Ka'rta. Mandalor the Hand was becoming whispered, but Owen knew Ka'rta wouldn't care.

They set up an orbital defence web, and there were reports that the Death Watch loyalists especially were essentially ransacking Ord Mantell, taking whatever they needed to support their wholesale invasion into the Unknown Regions. The Mandalorians in general were surprising Owen with their resourcefulness, and he kept focused on that rather than Jerrod. Corvettes, Fangs, gravity mines from Hapes, of all things.

There was a sudden tumult across the comms, and Owen rushed into the part of the hangar complex that had been given to Ka'rta. "We've an Imperial-class Star Destroyer in-system. Pennant is Chimaera." It jumped out of the Unknown Regions - it hung their, shields down, weapons de-powered - but had arrived at an angle to their preparations so if they turned on it, the warship had plenty of time to power-up or even escape.

Smart, as usual.

"It's Grand Admiral Thrawn, Ka'rta."

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422 (combo?)
---
IC: Huyang
Kashyyyk, edge of Shadowlands

The Wookiees recognised Galen, and discussed the other Marek family members, ones who had survived Order 66 and actually had as they suspected; a forbidden child. It had happened, of course, after Anakin was revealed to have a secret wife and then twins. Other Jedi had formed relationships, publicly, openly - such as Nejaa Halycon, Ranik Solusar, Quinlan Vos - until Yoda reasserted Jedi dogma and moved the Order from Naboo to Ossus.

It was a short aside that Han would understand, nonetheless. The Wookiees wanted to help, at very least, and made comlink calls to both hide the Falcon, sort access to the Shadowlands, and generally resupply them as necessary. Han's comlink chimed, and it was Xaverri. "I caught up. You can't get away from me that easily, Solo."

Meanwhile, Huyang stepped up to Galen and lowered his volume. "Master Marek; I have been parsing the news, and there is a risk that this may be dangerous to the Wookiees; I have a disturbing report on the Jedi channels." The old droid had been useful for hacking the codes of the New Jedi Order, for Grandmaster Ood Bnar still used encryption codes that were not that far removed from the ones the Old had used. "Mandalore was attacked by Darth Zorn, and he seems to have taken advantage of some kind of Sith technique to, um, drain the entire world of life... are we certain he would not do that here?"

In essence, he was asking; had Luke Skywalker lost so much humanity that he would consume his son to destroy the threat?

TAG: @Lawbreaker, @BobaMatt, @DarkLordoftheFins (updated TAG)

@TheSilentInfluence (Leia and Madelyn interaction etc)
---
IC: The Sith Pantheon
Exegol

There were many, many statues of the ancient Sith on this world... the Monolith, an inverted pyramid unique in the design of dark-side temples, enclosed within it the whispers of innumerable Sith. Sadow, Locphet, Mindran, Sissiri, Felkor, Ragnos, Hord... all Sith of millennia ago, all circling the Sith Eternal Fleet, now presently just the Xyston-class Star Destroyers.

There were mundane matters; the Moff in Imperial Space that had financed their armada, and had access to many of the designs and prototype information for the Sith Eternal aspect of the armada - he was under investigation by the Imperial Head of State, who had dug into connections between the Imperial Remnant and Thrawn and found their shadow network in the Empire - and a connection to the Corporate Sector, also a source of support for their forces.

The Sith could keep Zorn informed with ease, and often they were more cloying and irritating than Pryde, who at least recognised his limits and respected Zorn. The spirits however were more needling, and demanding, expecting Zorn, as their heir, and the Dark Lord, to act according to their whims and advice.

Tempara had listened to them, they said.

They applauded his increased power, and offered to tell him how best to contain and manage his Godliness, entreated him to bond with them, to take on-board their strength so they could amplify his abilities further, in exchange for their voices walking with him at all times. Because he needed them, clearly. Imagine if his body had given out at Mandalore - in combat, perhaps?

Spectral, Vergere chuckled to herself. "They are a bit much, aren't they?"

The chittering spirits snarled, so old and weak as to be indistinct whispers in comparison to her, so recently deceased.

"So you're immortal now. Congratulations," she said wryly. "When your body adjusts - which it will, though probably not as swiftly with the assistance of those guys," Vergere said with a smirk, gesturing vaguely at the other spirits. "What are your plans for the child, I wonder?"

A Sith acolyte remained standing there, holding up a hermetica which included knowledge that Zorn had never made use of.

"We made sure that among the Sith heading to Kashyyyk one of them had the ring," he intoned.

Vergere craned her neck. "Oh?"

"You can marionette one Sith at your desire, Lord Zorn."



Amongst the writings on Exegol had included this knowledge; to project your will through a puppet, and overshadow the soul within. It was more useful for say an empty clone, but only a portion of your power could be pushed through to the vessel. It was a useful way to intercede with minimal stakes for you, and the connection was one with the Force, so hyperspace and distance made no difference to truly powerful Force users.

In essence, Zorn could control a One Sith pursuing his son, Galen, Han, Joren, and Mace Windu.

Or, he could of course take the offer of the spirits, to Force Walk, and accept their help to manage his power - to take a short-cut to his body's need to adapt, and go to Kashyyyk now.

"Dwartii glyphs, I see," Vergere crooned. "How interesting."

TAG: @LordTroepfchen (final secret combo up with your decision)

 

OOC: Another fun one with @Sinrebirth

IC Bernael and Abeloth
Considering

”Hmmmm, seems we have plenty of choices, my dear.” Bernael began, as he sifted through all the incoming data on his pad. ”Yes I can feel her and it feels that she’s deliberately trying to draw out any confrontation with you, to make you frustrated, angry, and worried.”

He looked down at the pad again, ”But we also have a large group of guests headed in this direction, some that may be Force users. And it seems our recent friend has entered Zone One. So the question is, invite our new friends here and then consume them, chase Rax when we know the wayfinder isn’t available to take at the moment, or chase her and face her on ground of her choosing?”

He rapped the walls of the Supremacy, and felt the bodies shuffling around, animate enough of the right ones and the chances the newcomers would know they were being duped was minor, to say the least. ”The first is the one that would offer the time for you to show those skills you believe I am lacking, and could give us the time to observe Rax and the female, plus determine if there is a Force user among the newcomers that would serve as a body for you.”

Abeloth writhed a little. "I need a body. The female is an affront to me, cousin. She must die. Perhaps you need to prove to me that you are not lacking. You slaughtered all of my potential choices here, after all." She turned her head to an unnatural angle. "Do you intend to keep me down until I birth, and then do away with me?"

She was at it again. Being difficult. She wanted something. A shadow of freedom wasn't sufficient for her. Abeloth wanted to do whatever she so desired. Not to simply follow a plan or a design. She was not a Black Coat's patsy, nor was she Bernael's piece on the board.

"You can kill the newcomers if you so wish; or chase your frenemies pet even if you are so inclined." Abeloth strode away, into the hangar.

Bernael walked behind her, chuckling. When he reached the hangar he could see several vessels around the open space and Abeloth pouting, yes pouting, as he entered, ”My dear, you do wish to escape the Maw and begin devouring worlds? Well sometimes that requires taking less steps than blindly flailing about. I recommend that we subsume, not entirely eat the newcomers, and then use them to lead us back to fresh hunting grounds, or at least out into the UR, under the guise that the Maw is too dangerous to enter.”

He walked over to the control room for the hangar, finding a panel that had open comms. Sifting through the wide variety of comm channels he found one that would work to attract the attention of those that were approaching. Pitching his voice to imitate that of a scared human, he sent out a message on the distress channel, knowing it would penetrate far enough to reach the newcomers, but not escape into the wider galaxy. ”Help…..please! We’ve been stranded on this enormous derelict ship, Zone Two. The life support is….is holding...for now. Please, we need aid!”

Leaving the channel open, and repeating the message, he sat back and waited. Both for Abeloth to have some attack of sense or for the others to respond.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @QueenSabe7, @TheSilentInfluence, @Jerjerrod-Lennox

 

OOC: Combo with @Sinrebirth and @darthhelinith, double post approved by gm

IC: Vhardia, Jedi, Renn, Avatar
The Works

Vhardia caught most of what Renn called after her, though she was already consumed with a focused determination to bring in Ike, along with the shame that was continuing to shed off her like fish scales. She could almost see each footprint Ike left, see the turn into the warehouse, see-

The shutter slammed down behind her and Vhardia realised her mistake, too late as Ike's fist connected with her stomach and crashed down on her back.

Through coloured cloudy, winded haze, she could make out a set of gleaming white teeth grinning maniacally as his knee connected with her chest.

She fell to all fours, gasping for breath, trying to clear the dizziness.

Renn was catching up to Vhardia when he heard a shutter slam shut. A moment later he winced as he felt searing pain run through her. She’d found Ike, and not in a good way. Speeding up he felt even more pain run through her, which led him directly to her. Seeing the shutter that she must be behind he hardened his bark, leaning into his run, one saber leaping out and slicing into the shutter in the instant before he hit it.

He burst through the door and his eyes caught the flash of a body as it dove under the floor, laughter trailing behind. Before he could fully process that Ike was escaping, yet again, he heard ominous creaking and breaking sounds from above. That could only mean one thing and he dove forward, covering Vhardia with his own form, and throwing up a wedge of energy above them both, diverting the debris that was raining down to either side.

He could feel the pain of the attack upon her in her emotions and as the dust settled he knelt closer. ”Don’t move, Vhardia. I know you’re a tough Jedi Knight but I can feel that Ike hurt you.” Laying one massive hand on her back, his eyes lit up the remains of the warehouse, energy glowing under his palm. The energy seeped into Vhardia, reaching out to the spots where Ike had hit her, trying to knit muscle, relax pained muscles, repair any damage he’d caused.

Ike watched the Neti break through his barricade - as he had expected - and he pressed a button on the console seemingly randomly prodding from the ground. The lift dropped, obviously, and the man vanished into the depths of Coruscant. He took off at a run as he rushed down the tunnels beneath the Works... between here and the Senate Tower.

Vardi had tried to get some of her own healing going but the sheer winded feeling in her gut, combined with a slight fury at herself for making such a mistake, was preventing her from getting anywhere.

She was interrupted in this by a mossy, earthy smell as debris rained down around her and she became aware that Renn was kneeling next to her. She felt a heavy hand on her back, and the flood of healing that followed. It was strange, it was almost as though, for a moment, there was a cool forest breeze, which reminded her of Yavin 4.

Her focus back, she just saw the button press and felt rather than saw Ike disappear below them.

"Damn it!" She muttered then smiled. "Thanks for the heal. Onwards?"

She stirred under his hand and Renn smiled, the brilliant light in his eyes dimming to normal, he’d helped her back to fighting trim and he felt relieved that he had. There was a scent to her, one that teased at his mind, and as he stood, shouldering aside the remaining rubble that encased him he reached into a pouch on his belt, the hand coming out holding something. ”Most assuredly. Candy?” he asked as he held out the hand holding it.

He moved forward, clearing a path toward the semi hidden lift that Ike had taken, reaching out to sense which way the scoundrel had gone. A grin split his face ”Seems our quarry is headed in an easily identifiable path. So the question is, follow him directly and keep running into his boobytraps, or take a secondary route and cut him off?”

"Huh. Fruit twists."

My favourite kind. She thought to herself. Who the hell was this neti?

She sucked on it and considered her options.

"Well head on didn't work, so I like the idea of cutting him off, although I don't know this area well enough to suggest where to begin."

She looked down the elevator shaft.

"But these sort of things have horizontal air tunnels to help relieve air pressure when the lifts are descending, as long as the main shaft descends far enough. Maybe that can be used to our advantage."

Renn giggled, ”Fruit twists, quite enjoyable.” He popped a second in his mouth as he thought about her idea.

Eyes brightening, a huge grin split his face before he shifted into a long, thin, salamander type shape. Big eyes turned up toward her, ”What are we waiting for?” he quipped, before speeding forward and into the shaft, then into the tunnel she described.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @darthhelinth

 

A fun combo with Sinrebirth:

IC: Senator Aryan Graul, Jedi Master An'ya Kuro, and the Holocron (Sistros)
Personal Quarters, Bakuran Embassy, Senate Tower, Coruscant

The Holocron activated, and Aryan marveled at the cloaked figure who instantly appeared near the pyramid’s base – the man who identified himself as Sistros. The heavy folds of his shroud hung loosely around his head and shoulders, though it wasn’t enough to block the natural light from fully obscuring his features. With some dismay, Aryan noted that the man appeared to closely resemble himself, albeit a much younger version. It was more than a little unsettling in this context. Surely, it wasn’t a coincidence. A trick, perhaps?

The Senator was also curious about the man’s proclamation that he possessed an echo. Sistros’ echo. It was vague and elusive, but the Force resonated with a certain intensity at the notion. No doubt it held a more profound meaning, one that continued to elude him. Was it the key to understanding the truth behind his own Force awakening fourteen years ago?

And if there was a correlation between the two, why had Sistros referred to it as a failure? What had occurred to perpetuate such a belief?

Aryan felt compelled to learn the answers to all of these questions. However, before he could press the Holocron further, the shadows that populated the far side of the room appeared to shift and come alive. A woman then emerged from the darkness, her countenance stern and unapologetic.

"Quite an eventful day, my old apprentice, no?" the voice of An’ya Kuro pierced through the silence, bringing a sinking feeling to the pit of Aryan’s stomach. He had been caught. "But at least you left me standing for a Holocron, rather than banal politics. I had expected you to invite Treen over for a late-night tryst and push me off for her... so I am impressed you didn't."

The words cut far deeper than he thought possible. While he was angry at himself for failing to pass her test, that was inconsequential compared to the implications of her physical presence itself. By being here, it conveyed a very strong message – Master Kuro did not trust him. Even after she had vouched for him in the Senate, she now felt the need to interfere and impress her authority over him. That stung.

That vexation only grew when Master Kuro proceeded to engage the Holocron in conversation, the two bantering about his shortcomings as if Aryan wasn’t present in the room. It was a classic example of character assassination, and he wasn’t about to endure it for much longer. Of course, it also occurred to him that this was yet another test, which is why he decided to approach it with careful consideration.

Placing both hands flat against the top of the nearby nightstand, Aryan sent a gentle pulse through the Force to draw their attention. “I understand that my past is less than perfect,” he began dryly, his eyes hardening under the soft light. “But let’s not lose all sense of perspective.”

He paused to draw in a long breath before canting his head to study Kuro. “I must admit, I’m surprised to see you after what you said at the session this afternoon. I thought I had earned your trust.” A grim smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth. “I’ve had every intention of contacting you before I retired for the night, even with the attraction of our little friend here.”

Aryan stood back and narrowed his eyes at the cloaked man. “He called out to me.”

The Jedi Master smiled. "I did trust you, my old Padawan. I left Bane to you, did I not? A distrustful Master would have stepped in and intervened, no?" Her smile was one of those lean, condescending grins she used to do whenever she had proven a point.

There was no arguing with that assertion. Aryan cradled the injury he had sustained in the altercation with the bounty hunter and exhaled softly, his smirk dissolving into a slight grimace as he diverted his eyes. While he didn’t come right out and admit that she was right, his body language was indicative of that fact.

He may have grown beyond her tutelage as a Padawan, but he found that he was still learning a great deal from An’ya Kuro. It was a humbling moment.

"Yes, he did," she said. "A Holocron that appeared from thin air, by all accounts. I've researched Sistros and the Sages of Dwartii in the past, but, well, there isn't much. Some cataclysm thirty-odd millennia ago erased much of the primary sources... not that Nouane was devastated in their history. In-fact, they can claim a hundred millennia of history, with a handful periods of chaos. So whatever erased the Sages... it was oddly specific."

The Holocron regarded her, and then looked back to Aryan. "When the Twilight Wars began, the four Masters - the four Sages - cast off their mortal shells and became mere echoes. Their legacy resonates down generations, affording a kind of Force sensitivity. While it is much more potent in those who naturally access the Force, it can amplify latent Force sensitivity too..." The man regarded Aryan. "I am unsure which it is with you because you are displaced."

The Jedi Master beetled her brow. "You spoke of this before, Aryan - the Black Coat and his comments on Ach-To?"

Settling down on the edge of the bed, Aryan initially frowned at yet another reference to a displaced timeline. It was becoming more and more prevalent, which meant that it was something he could no longer dismiss as pure fantasy. His own bizarre experience with an alternative version of himself – the same experience that had allowed him to procure the Holocron – only lent more credence to the claims. But perhaps more curious was the notion that this mysterious echo traveled down the generational lines. Was it possible that his connection with Sistros went beyond superficial means?

The Senator hung on that thought, silently contemplating its plausibility as he turned to address Kuro’s lingering question. “The man behind the mirror, yes,” he replied evenly, using the moniker he had chosen for the shadow man he had encountered all those years ago. “He confessed to making a significant change to our reality by shuffling people around from different timelines...as if we were pawns on a gameboard. For myself – and my family, he said that we came from 150 years in the future. It sounded ridiculous at the time, but the more I see, I’m not so sure anymore.”

Aryan shrugged and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees as he ran a hand over his face in consternation. He was on the cusp of revealing the truth behind the Holocron’s origins – that he had seized it from himself in another timeline, but he remained hesitant. It was obviously a lot to get off his chest. Instead, he carried on with his original line of thought.

“He, uh...he referred to a key, a gate, and how someone undermined his plans by eliminating Emperor Palpatine before his time.” He paused here, his brow furrowing in thought. “There was also a message. I can’t recall the exact text, but I still might have it on my datapad somewhere…”

Without waiting for their confirmation, he reached over toward the nightstand and opened the drawer to retrieve the handheld device. He then spent a fair amount of time sifting through old correspondences until he ultimately found what he was looking for – a simple text message about a paragraph in length.

“Here,” he murmured as he handed it over for his Master to read:

The Force has been fractured in two by the Sins of Rebirth. Yet, here, there was an attempt to make the Two become One... which has been ruined. I tried to fix the Force... I appreciate that you won't appreciate my having liberally moved you around the timeline, but it was for your own good. But, what should have fixed things, well, someone has broken the Force again. When Palpatine died; it changed everything. I doubt all four of you believe me, I doubt all four of you care about what's happened; I know one of you will brush this off and head back into the galaxy unchanged, a Darkness through and through - but that is what you are, and sometimes we'll need that. But you four know. I cannot come across anymore; this channel is closed to me. My legacy, you will need to unearth it on Nouane; on Tython; on Korriban; on Mustafar; on Malachor; on Kesh or Mortis, if you can find them. I am sorry; so, so, so sorry, but it's up to you to fix this... and stop what has changed from consuming the galaxy.

“I’ve heard those words before,” Sistros said, stiffly. “The problem is they seem directed to you but may resonate across time.”

Kuro snorted. “Cryptic words to confuse you as to his true intentions, and then lead you astray... only for them to become relevant later on. Such a Foreteller...”

“Exactly so.” The Holocron looked to Aryan. “He is not to be trusted. But those places - he is referencing lay-lines... places where the space Between is porous.”

The Jedi Master glanced at her chrono. “I’ll keep that in mind; should I dig into those places, Aryan? You have the preliminaries of your trial tomorrow, no? I have been looking into lawyers to represent you, of course, as you’ve been so busy with... well, politics...”

The pale woman was being critical but she wasn’t preventing him from following his path. She was merely his Master, and he was not a traditional apprentice, anymore than A’Sharad Hett or Aurra Sing had been... one dead, somewhere and somewhen... and another alive, but recaptured. There were many things afoot but they didn’t require Aryan to deal with it all...

“... and you should prepare for your inevitable meeting with Chancellor Organa.” She drew back, into the shadows.

Aryan absently nodded, his chin resting against his hand and his gaze distant. He was well aware that he should probably sit down and focus on his impending trial, but he was too preoccupied with the revelations presented to him this evening. Diverging timelines, alternate realities, and the spaces between; it was a carefully woven tapestry that invited more insight.

It also deeply troubled him. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was an intimate connection between himself, Sistros, and what was occurring in the galaxy. Perhaps it was even directly related to the strange encounter he had witnessed with his alternative self. Had the Holocron called to him across space and time to lead him on this harrowing journey of self-discovery?

Clenching his jaw, Aryan shifted uncomfortably to answer Kuro’s inquiry about whether she should conduct research, unaware that the Jedi Master had already retreated into the shadows. “Yes, go ahead and move forward with that. I feel that it’s appropriate to explore all options,” he stated with conviction, his mind already drifting toward the possibilities that awaited them. “We may not be able to trust this shadow man, but I know for certain that something is amiss. I, uh–I believe...”

Before Aryan realized what he was saying, the words began to tumble freely from his lips. “We may, umm–we may be dealing with diverging timelines. Something out of sync. I saw myself–”

He trailed off with a sigh, suddenly mindful that he was alone once more; Master Kuro had gone.

But that wasn’t all.

The Holocron switched off, and it would not respond. The Force resonated with an intense feeling of self-retrospection...

Of worry.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

By now, it had been about thirty-six hours since the Senate address by the Chancellor.

In this time-frame, worlds have been scoured, and secrets revealed.

The last few of the Neutral States have rushed to the New Republic.

The Dark Lords of the Sith are active anew.

Realities crossed for some, but not all. Destinies entwined, and released.

Black and Gold, draped upon mysteries, eyes of rainbow and skin of blue threatening...

The secret of the Chosen One has been passed to another.

The last secrets of reality have been yielded, and the past's turns revealed...

Now, with a wave of tragedy crushes upon the fragile peace...

... and the Heroes and Villains of the Twilight of the Force will have to stand...

Or fall.

TAG: @LordTroepfchen, @Lawbreaker, @HanSolo29, @QueenSabe7, @DarkLordoftheFins, @BobaMatt, @darthbernael, @darthhelinith, @galactic-vagabond422, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @JediMasterAnne, @TheSilentInfluence

 

IC: Prince Isolder
The Next Day, Coruscant

The morning came, upon a world that had been threatened, but remained untouched for the most part. But the psyche of the galactic capital was fragile, with the devastation wrought fourteen years ago upon it at the order of Qi'ra Ananke. It had embraced the radicalism of the Empire as a sooth against the chaos of the Clone Wars, and as much as the totalitarianism and monstrosity of the regime had pressed upon the border worlds and particularly in the Imperial territories in the Outer Rim, limited as they were, Coruscant had been content for it to happen elsewhere.

It was the hypocrisy of the omission of looking.

So when an Imperial flotilla arrived, and left, the military fact that Thrawn would need a force ten times larger than it to secure a planet of a trillion citizens didn't matter.

People were unhappy.

They were afraid.

Whispers began.
---
Anaxes, Home One, conference room

Those whispers would reach Feyna Organa on Anaxes, indeed.

Winter reported discontent, fuelled by genuine concern, but also fanned by interested parties she couldn't pin down. It was a little addendum to her reports, though Isolder promptly told her to invite the media circus to Anaxes for a presentation. There was a quick exchange of details, and confirmation that the big names would be with her within an hour - some had actually been camping in the Anaxes system... and Isolder confirmed that Shevu was due with Aryan Graul in three hours. In short order, a press room was setup, and it was on Feyna to give that thing she dreaded most.

A speech.

Droids, floating-mikes, all manner of alien, with not a script for them to follow; there hadn't been time.

Commentators were already speculating a kind of war address; thus the flagship of the New Republic being used in the press conference; in-fact a decision made with time in mind, not military prowess.

The offices of Admirals Raddus, Drayson and Piett all rebuffed any attempt for an earlier comment.

The Senate was completely silent, handing all the initiative to the Chancellor before they acted; for, or against.

TAG: @JediMasterAnne
---
Bakuran Quarter, Inner Chambers

Those whispers were published in the morning papers that Aryan Graul read on the HoloNet with sensational titles such as What would Amedda had done? or The Galactic Shadow War begins? He had woken later than he'd planned, and the droid who he'd crossed paths with after facing Cad Bane woke him and announced that Senator Treen was here; none of his flesh-and-blood staff had returned to work, it seemed. When he was up and running, she would be regarding the inner chambers - the outer ones had been taped up and shut up.

"Did you want to know who levelled the bounty against you?"

She fluttered her eyes.

Of course, there wasn't just that to contend with.

His sleep had been so deep because of the twilight dreams, though the Holocron remained silent.

He dreamt of a world swathed in thunder and a horrendous atmosphere - but it was one full of Star Destroyers limned with a blood-red trim. In the middle of it all was a monolith of a temple... the End of Time approaches from the Unknown... as it always does.

The voice was not his.

Nor was it the Holocrons.

Nor even his Masters.

It was that Black Coat, back on Ach-To... at the mirror room.

TAG: @HanSolo29
---
Nubian Quarter, Secret and Private Chambers

There were more, many more whispers that Norin Graul derided privately, drafting a speech of blistering support of the Chancellor. He was active early, ordering his staff to meet up for a briefing an hour earlier than normally. When they had arrived late last night, Arek was diverted by Norin to a room in the additional chambers that were concealed from the rest of the staff.

But now, Arek would be awoke by the clatter of medical droids, drawn to a room that throbbed in the Force.

It was pain.

It was sadness.

It was his grandmother, hooked up to what appeared a web of IVs and sensors, on the edge, her brain-activity at its lowest ebb.

But she wasn't dead.

Not even close.

TAG: @HanSolo29
---
Nubian Quarter, Private Chambers of the Staff, but not the Secret ones

Del had looked down rather than reply, and that silence had prevailed between them. He left Nola at their room before leaving her, unable to admit that he had known all along, but it was clear. The brittle silence prevailed... until the morning.

Her partner was there, and he was waiting for her in the kitchen area. He'd already made cafe, and breakfast. He had needed the night to think, and hadn't slept much at all. They had been requested to meet with the Senator for the daily briefing, and Del knew that everything that had transpired with Arek wouldn't be discussed with Jaka.

But Del had made his decision.

Set-out on the table was a datapad. It included all the correspondence Norin had sent to him two years ago, and thereafter, about the maintenance of his wife's care. It also included private messages describing historic orders for hits on political opponents along the way. Not ones he could prove, but ones that Del was aware of had benefited Norin. Shipment details of missing cargoes from Nubia... a shadow network drew up in opposition to the perceived Centrist Conspiracy - a list drawn up by Norin which in days gone past would have been a collection of newspaper cuttings, articles, photos and symbology on paper, all connected by a hundred thousand pins and strings.

But nothing, apart from the secrets of his wife, he could prove.

There was a second datapad by his plate; he sat at the opposite end of the table to her in the setup. He was a bodyguard, yes, but his first and foremost passion was psychology; picking out a threat from body-language, positioning, and all the hundreds of little things that made up an intention - a twitch in the face, a gaze, a stiffening...

Which meant that Del never ever ever ever sat opposite someone. It was confrontational. He would always sit the right angle of anyone, and indeed any group discussion; it watered down the meeting, and encouraged cooperation. So for him to sit opposite her was quite a statement...

... It was also an indication that he was blaming himself for this.

TAG: @JediMasterAnne
---
Emerging from the tunnel that connected the Works to the Senate, Coruscant

However, not all yesterday's events were not being referenced to.

No reports of Mandalore, Zorn, Metellos, Qwi, or even the membership petition from Nouane reached the HoloNet news services, giving Feyna space to present and interpret as much as she wished. Similarly, the Yuuzhan Vong were not mentioned whatsoever, which would have only created much more panic.

So it was easy, without political effort, for her to pass on the data and connect the dots between Vhardia and Renn and the Maw team led by Drayson and Qwi. A tale was told, verified by Shara Dameron and Jedi Master Ood Bnar.

It was of a Hutt who offered to betray Han Solo, a war criminal he protected, with an arrest - of Black Sun Underlord Ike Sera. Meanwhile, there had been a tip about Hutt convoys going missing by the Maw, and many odd tales - that the droid-piloted X-wing had been investigating, and had been cut-off while doing so.

The update that a New Republic team was investigating the Maw didn't reach Vhardia and Renn immediately; they had spent the night pursuing the trail through tunnels the comlink did not reach. However, their comlinks both chimed as they crossed a threshold... above them was a hustle and bustle... the Senate itself, waking to the business of government.

They now knew that Ike had an ally inside the Senate, who was clearly enabling his progress.

They also had the update that BB-8's wreckage had been founded, and the task force was perched at the edge of the Maw, encrypted messages telling them that they had found a route in.

Renn would feel, as this information fell into his hands, a worrying spot in the Force that grew.

Indeed, it was pretty clear that finding Ike was going to prove long-winded and require a full investigation... and it would be a delicate one - digging into the Senate itself. That was the only conclusion the two Jedi could possibly draw.

There was a brief pulse in the Force through the tens of thousands of Senators, aides and staff in the Senate itself...

It was Ike.

Catch me if you can.

But could they? Should they?

"Orders?" Shara Dameron asked, after she piped through the missed message.

Behind them; in those dark depths.

An oily laugh.

For a terrible moment, they would both realise that these tunnels had been used by a great darkness... by Chancellor Palpatine... all those years ago.

---
Not all that far away from the underground access to the Senate

"Oh," Tor had said at the prompting of the senior hunter. "Yeah they're…" visibly, audibly, Fett watched as she fought down her bile. "Over there, three things in some kind of preservative." Once again, that ripple of her throat, she struggled to keep the contents of her stomach down. "Should work right?"

Fett had broken out the smelling salts, to absorb the stench, and gotten to work. He'd ordered Tor to secure the perimeter - to lock the windows, and doors - while he sorted things out here. By the time they'd met up, the body had vanished into a side-room, and they could move up to the upper floor of the flat, which was considerably neater and cleaner, and appropriate for a Dark Jedi-come-minor-crimelord.

The bounty hunter had retired to his a room with a single use of the word sleep, leaving Tor with the lounge area. The bedroom was full of... things that Fett didn't want Tor to see, or imbibe upon. Funnily enough, he approved of how well Tor had taken her first kill, but didn't want her needlessly corrupted.

Fett was armoured back up, and he had fashioned the grotesque flesh into a medallion of sorts, and even sheathed it in a plastic coating which was not unpleasant to touch. He passed Tor one wordlessly, as well as his spare Mandalorian helmet, and led her to the undercity. They were completely undetectable now, at least by Force users, and when they approached the juncture, the Mandalorian bounty hunter made a single concession to explanation.

"I used to do jobs for Palpatine, when I was your age - he showed me these secret ways into the Senate. He was the Chancellor at the time - but I did jobs for his other persona; the Sith - Darth Sidious. All of galactic history is a play between the Sith and the Jedi. Remember that. Every single conflict comes down to that."

He let those words resonate with Tor - they became rhetorical comments when he raised a hand to his helmet to silence her. An overly attractive young man snuck along the tunnel, from the direction of the Works junction, and Fett had Tor wait back with her. Fett recognised him as Ike, the rumoured Black Sun overlord, and he scowled.

Not far behind him was something you didn't see every day - a Jedi Knight - the lightsaber on her hilt gave it away - accompanied by a Neti of all things. They were positioned at the junction too, and clearly debating what to do. With the Taozin medallions, they could not be detected in the Force by Renn or Vhardia, so they simply had to be quiet.

On the helmet line, he spoke quietly, and carefully. "Well this tunnel is compromised now. Thanks, Ike... this is the first point that you'll be able to reach the HoloNet... and the last point before we'll be traceable inside the Senate building. If you have any final words to record and send to anyone; now is the choice." He paused. "Your true verd'goten is about to begin."

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422, @darthhelinith, @darthbernael
---
Just inside the Maw, near Kessel

Admiral Drayson conveyed the story of the Hutt tip that the area around the Maw be investigated, and that was the reason the droid-piloted X-wing had been present - and presumably lost. Whatever the threat was, it predated their decision to head here - even their visit to Criton's Point, or even Arb's visit to Nouane.

He sent it privately to Beaumont and Qwi, the younger man looking up from it.

"So whatever is going on with the Maw... it's nothing to do with the Yuuzhan Vong..."

Another ship decanted from hyperspace. It had spent the trip from the Home One with Kyle and Leia aboard, the Jedi Master having collected the quiet younger woman. He had encouraged her to sleep - it had been a long enough day. Rest was what he encouraged, and lessons would start tomorrow.

So when they arrived, they were detectable by the task force - the three ships perched just inside the Maw. Drayson updated them as Kyle gently woke Leia and bid her come to the cockpit. "The others didn't go ahead without us - they were worried about some X-wing wreckage."

He paused, but the Maw was confusing the Force now.

Turning to Leia, he spoke softly. "Quiet your mind; it is easier for you than I... what can you sense?"

The Force, beyond the small cluster of life that was Qwi, Beaumont, Drayson, his two-person crew, Jyn and her partner - it was tangled by the Maw, yes, but there was a string of fate tugging at Leia...

Leia, who had much to think of, and much to worry about, having spoken to her mother before she left, her mother, now on Kashyyyk, leading the recovery of their people... Tor, missing, but in the Force, her cousin was alive...

The pressure was on her, yes - yes it was.

But the decision remained with Qwi.

For the moment, Leia, Kyle, Qwi, Drayson and Beaumont were closed off from the galaxy, and a choice...

Sensors buzzed as they detected the small probe droid that Bernael had sent out, and then, just as quickly, the Maw obscured it...

There was little to tell them what to do...

Just their fears, and hopes, and dreams, and doubts.

No wait, there it was.

”Help…..please! We’ve been stranded on this enormous derelict ship, Zone Two. The life support is….is holding...for now. Please, we need aid!”

A distress call - from inside the Maw.

---
Deep Zone Two, Supremacy, hangar

While Bernael's message looped to them, and Abeloth grinned maliciously. "That works... oh yes, it works. They're good guys, no doubt of that. The Hutts picked up on the First Order's activities, you see... and they tipped off the Jedi."

A tentacle reached out from the Maw, but it avoided Kyle Katarn - that was too dangerous - instead the longing, the loneliness, the sadness, it touched Leia, and begged for the young girls help. Abeloth giggled. "My addition. The little girl will feel compelled to help us."

She peered, trying to push through the Force.

"But the woman - the one heading into my former prison... she could use the waters there to see the future... might we kill her, and you can reanimate a few First Order troopers to keep busy the others until then?"

Of course, there was also Rax, in Deep Zone One, it seemed... or at very least, some kind of ship.

He himself opened a channel, too, reaching out to the New Republic team. "This is former Imperial Admiral Galius Rax; might I speak with whatever Imperial representative is present... someone on the Death Star project, perhaps? There's not many who know about the former Maw Installation..."

Abeloth swore. But as she regarded Bernael's sensors, there was now something to track, and there had not been before.

All of these messages played out to Qwi, Leia, Kyle, Drayson and others... and indeed Qi'ra Ananke could detect them messages, as she made her decision where to go on Vitae.

TAG: @darthbernael, @TheSilentInfluence, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @QueenSabe7
---
IC: General Pryde
Battle of Kashyyyk, beginning, aboard the Derriphan, the lead ship of the Sith Eternal

The first indication that there was trouble came not from the Sith that were sneaking in-system, no, of course not - it was in the form of a Star Destroyer; nearly two and a half kilometers long, modelled on the venerable Imperial-class but clearly not of that model - the blood-red trim upon the dagger edges of its hull - the oversized weapon upon its belly.

The dark side swept the system as the Wookiee population detected the target. The system included multiple habitable worlds; Kashyyyk itself, yes, and the colony Alaris Prime, and also Trandosha, a long-time enemy of the Wookiees. The New Republic fleet responded too, placing the system on high-alert.

But then, more and more and more ships arrived. Hundreds, thousands, all an unknown design, all without a single life-sign aboard them. They fell upon Alaris Prime - the outermost inhabited world - and began firing -

The Star Destroyer was high above the battle plane, standing off and simply watching. General Pryde had no need to announce their intentions. He was simply here to observe until he was instructed when to act. He promptly deployed six squadrons of TIE Daggers to hold his position, ready, and willing, but with an armada advancing on Alaris Prime...

Madelyn was awoken by the alarms, and Commander Agate, aboard the flagship - the Unity - called her to the bridge. "Mandalore!" There were a variety of Mandalorians comm'ing her requesting instructions - a sizeable refugee element and her loyal armed forces were here, positioned deeper in-system than Kashyyyk, but not as far as Trandosha.

The Force rippled with danger, and the warships of the Third were active, not yet deploying fighters, but focused on the innumerable enemy battlecruisers that were even now savaging Alaris Prime - unprovoked.



The Eternal Fleet

All of the droids fed back to the modified Sith Throne - combined with the Eternal technology that the Nathema cultists had offered to Darth Zorn. Through the throne, regardless of whether he sought to use the hermetica to puppet one of his loyal Sith, he could see everything.

The armada advanced.

TAG: @TheSilentInfluence
---
On the surface, edge of the Shadowlands

The Wookiee team of Lowbacca and Lumpawaroo had, slowly, but surely, taken the intervening hours to guided Mace, Huyang, Joren and Galen to the edge of the Shadowlands when the Force exploded into fear, chaos, anger, and confusion. This deep down, they could only know that this was the prelude to the coming of the others.

Dark shapes in the Force approached, and they didn't have much time but to make their final decisions, coordinate, and move on - or up, and away, if they reconsidered.

Little baby Ben burst into tears, in either instance, crying loudly in the dark, dark, dark depths.

The Sith were here.

The leader of the team - Jovan - he accepted his Dark Lord; he became empty - a puppet of incredible power; of the power of Darth Zorn. For a terrible moment they would sense that their target was close.

Too close.

And yet, too far.

The ring of black-Mustafar stone and Dwartii glyph's glowed on Jovan's hand, as the hermetica on Exegol was pressed to Zorn's hand. This was the first time that Zorn had used this tool...

It was very effective. Zorn could see everything his follower could, sense everything, do anything, he could, and more, with his incredible power, projected across the galaxy. There was a leaning upon Zorn even now; the ring wanted to have its way with him, in some shape or manner, but it was nothing to his awesome power.

But for this moment and time; Zorn may as well have been present in Kashyyyk - ready to slay and perhaps be slain.

Could they succeed against the power of the True Dark Lord of the Sith?

TAG: @DarkLordoftheFins, @BobaMatt, @Lawbreaker, @LordTroepfchen
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IC: Owen
Ord Mantell, preparing

In the time it had taken for others to cross from Anaxes to the Maw, or from the Unknown to Kashyyyk, or to sleep on Coruscant, the Death Watch had regrouped, strengthened its hold of Ord Mantell, and assembled a force focused around a single Keldabe-class battleship, and of course nearly a hundred smaller armed freighters and shuttles and ships of the same calibre of the Osik, and more than two hundred one and two-man fighters.

It was a sizeable force.

Probably enough to give Entralla a good run for it's money.

They were all dressed up to go and take on the system, when the news hit them from the Mandalorians at Kashyyyyk; a Star Destroyer and armada of droid battlecruisers had arrived in-system and was advancing on the New Republic fleet there.

But of course, this had little to no bearing on the data Thrawn had given Ka'rta... and Owen didn't know if Ka'rta would care what happened to those Mandalorians, when it was hardly the only gathering of their people since Mandalore had fallen; Ordo, Shogun, Concord Dawn, and others besides Ord Mantell had attracted survivors and refugees; it was a real mess, in-fact, and nobody could keep track of much.

So Owen worried that Ka'rta wouldn't care at all, and all he could do was tell her, before they took the final step. The night had been long, but they had built a sizeable task force - and it didn't look as if what was hitting Kashyyyk was something they could make a difference against.

But nonetheless he showed the data to her, and was silent as he did so, as the Skirata family looked at the data with them; her inner circle now.

"Well?"

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422