Star Wars Star Wars: Episode IV: Twilight of the Force: A Father’s Legacy - Game is now OVER!

Mace Windu
Ach-To...

It was overwhelming. The island was swarmed in darkness. First a shadow of Ahsoka, shaking him to his core, but perhaps not too much for him if not for the arrival of Sith - real Sith, the likes of which he had not faced since that day on Coruscant - and the presence of...presences from the past. Ancient Jed'aii. The Force was too strong, here, too present...his senses were blocked, not by a lack of the Force, but too much of it. An excess. He could not find his focus. And the dark side, so near, calling to him from the mirror cave, making his fingers twitch. And now a blow to his gut, a loss, a death, a transformation. Then new commotion, the fancy man firing a blaster. Stupid of him.

But brave.

But now the island itself was in revolt. Was he to die here? Was their arrival tearing the world to shreds?

And then a voice. Ahsoka's: "Focus." He knew in that moment that she was one with the Force. A silence settled on him. Ahsoka's dismissal from the Order - her quitting - had been one of the failures of the order. But here she'd achieved a perfect Oneness. All was not lost. The Jedi Order would survive. He turned to the shade: "Leave him." He ignited his own weapon. Reaching out into the Force, he interrupted the shadow's grasp on Rouser, then fixed his attention to the blade of Mortis, which he sought to pull to his own grasp.

TAG: @Sinrebirth @Jerjerrod-Lennox

 

Darth Zorn
The Sith Star (fka Ultimate Weapon)

Darth Zorn smiled as he saw the hangar. They were prepared for a force user to attack in the same inefficient way droids usually were. Fuel cells were nice, but droids were just as good to throw them around. Anyway, nobody raised his hand against him.

He took the datapad and had a fleeting look. An army, basically. He had inherited an army and a big battle station without a super weapon and minimalized defense weapons. Ships had been send away. Wyyrlock had been an indecisive fool right to the very end. Yet he had left him some of his stuff to play with. Useful, but not what he was truly after.

The Droid reported.

Politics. An Empire had become a New Republic and planets were mentioned were the disgraced Graul and a lot of people he had never heard of seemed to be. He could hardly be any less interested in them. Whoever opposed him would in the end suffer the same fate as all who had opposed him had before. But not yet. He had taken an unholy vow to restore the Sith Order. That was what he would do.

Another cold shiver went through him. He slowly learned to anticipate and control them. Yet they weakened him considerably. He had not yet mastered the darkness he had let into his soul. Only when it obeyed his commands he would be ready to face his father.

"Prepare to jump to the Mytus-System as soon as the Millennium Falcon is on board. Jump to Mytus II, the planet is uninhabited." Zorn hissed out and waved. "My quarters. I want to meditate."

He would not stretch his strength any further. He had to regain it. He had to master the power he had gained.

Father, I can feel your despair.

His fall would weaken Anakin Skywalker. Every act of cruelty he would commit would make him feel more responsible. Zorn knew Anakin had lost almost anything, but he would take even more from him. He would break his soul, spirit and soul. Only then he would face him and take the last remaining essence from him ... his destiny. Destiny for him was no longer anything given to him, but taken.

Darth Zorn saw his X-Wing gently glide into the hangar. He smiled. Artoo. A perfect messenger.

"Follow me R2." He said simply and turned around to leave before the children would see him in his weakened state.

-------

"I feel the Embrace, but I also feel it trying to consume me. You have cheated me." His words were a single long hiss. The floating hologram of XoXaan smiled.

"Have I? Have you not overcome all your rivals? Have you not overcome all your enemies?" She asked.

Zorn sat down in the throne atop the metal stairs and buried his face in his hand.

"Not yet. Not all of them." Zorn felt the next shiver run through him.

"You have been trained in the ways of the Sith for weeks. Not even you can expect to master the powers the Dark Lords of old have tamed in centuries in such a short amount of time. Yet, the power has not consumed you, not overwhelmed you. You have defeated a Dark Lord without suffering a scratch. You my apprentice will be the most powerful Sith of all time, but not yet. Patience and control. The next lesson you have to learn is patience ... and control."

Zorn looked at her. Finally he nodded. Yes, these weeks had been a nightmarish series of confrontation, through which he had grown. Mara Jade and Brandl, the guardians, Kenobi, Krayt, Maul and finally Lord Wyyrlock. They all had fallen to his power. Yet, finally he had reached a barriere he could not force himself through. Steadily he had to peel away layer after layer until it crumbled and gave him access to the power it withheld from him.

"On this station my new Order of the Sith shall be born." He whispered the words.

"And their darkness shall reflect yours, strengthening you. One will, many bodies. One Sith." XoXaan smiled and retreated to the dimly glomming holocron.

Be careful my vile Master, or have you forgotten what a Sith does with his Master in the end?

He smiled and closed his eyes. The message had been recorded and Artoo was on his way to deliver it. He would announce himself.

When he finally returned he would do so stronger than ever before. Stronger than his weak father, who had denied himself the unlimited power the Dark Side offered.

The thought of finally fulfilling his destiny gave him strength and it already felt much easier to fight down the next wave of darkness running through him.

Tag: @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Pascale Rouser
Location: An island, Ach To

It felt like the island was trying to chuck them off.

Whether it had something to do with what he could feel in the Force regarding the unknown Force user and Ananake remained to be seen. Perhaps it had something to do with Mace Windu and him being here as well. Or maybe it had something to do with Ahsoka/notAhsoka being here.

Whatever it was he hoped the planet would not break apart and kill them all with it. It seemed such a pretty planet, one you could easily retire too if you fancied getting away from it all.

However he had a bigger problem in front of him. Ahsoka/not Ahsoka was not done yet. And with all that was going on it seemed she/it was distracted by all that was going on. And it worked to his advantage with his middle shot hitting her in the stomach and nearly toppling her over and away from Windu who so far seemed just to be watching what was going on.

Rouser was trying to keep himself steady despite the face the island in essence was fighting back. He had to try and balance himself and make sure that whatever move Ahsoka/not Ahsoka made he had to be ready for it. He couldn't really use the Force to center himself otherwise he would not be able to use it against whatever dark entity was inside Ahsoka at the moment.

And it seemed Pascale was now a target because Ahsoka/ not Ahsoka decided she had had enough of Windu standing around and went straight for him. The Dagger of Mortis was held out in front of her as if she wanted nothing better than to either slice him in half or skewer him. And Pascale saw no point in going for the hilts again, he had tried twice and been unsuccessful there was no point going for it a third time when he was about to be very up close and personal with a dark entity.

Again.

What is it about dark entities and me?

He managed to withdraw his vibroblade again but unfortunately could not holster his blaster in time before she grabbed both of his weapon’s and tried to rip them away using the Force. Pascale though had had enough and he wanted to end this because hopefully with her/it gone the island may calm down a bit. He was trying hard to keep his balance in order to provide a better position to possibly make a strike.

Then there was a familiar snap hiss of a lightsaber and Windu spoke up.

"Leave him."

It was a relief for Pascale as it seemed Windu now wanted to join the party. And inside he smirked, Ahsoka/notAhsoka was going to be surprised if she thought this Jedi would be a walkover, and she was matching wits with an archeologist of all people.

An archeologist ho was a novice in the Force and had an Echo that he was not sure where it had come from. But this entity had picked the wrong men to pick a fight with.

He felt through the Force the grip that Ahsoka/not Ahsoka had on him was slipping thanks to Windu. He added his own shove to the mix, focusing his eyes on Ahsoka/not Ahsoka’s eyes staring deep into them as if he could stare straight into the dark entity’s soul.

I have been consumed by the beast before, and I will not be consumed by YOU.

Waiting until she had gotten close enough using the Force he tried to shove her away as hard as he could, he lifted one of his legs and focused on her stomach wound, aiming the kick straight and hopefully true using all of his weight behind it and hopefully pushing her back towards Windu and his waiting blade. He was ready with his weapons just in case.

Perhaps he could ask nicely for the Dagger of Mortis at the end.

TAG: @Sinrebirth , @BobaMatt

 

OOC: Another combo w/ @Sinrebirth @galactic-vagabond422 and @TheSilentInfluence

IC: Chancellor Feyna Organa, Ka'rta, and Madelyn Linnett
Briefing room, Aboard the Ghost, Mandalore orbit

Feyna pursed her lips, frowning at the now-empty space previously occupied by Amedda’s hologram. Once again, she didn’t fully trust everything he was saying—though unfortunately, much of his last monologue, before the battle, had evidently proven true. She wanted to believe that he was really gone this time, but he’d been supposedly dead before, and Feyna had no desire to fall into another of his traps.

The idea that Luke would take the weapon for himself, after its Imperial equivalent had killed his mother and sister, was beyond detestable to Feyna—but without the crystal, the weapon’s superlaser couldn’t function anyway. Or at least it wouldn’t be destroying any planets, even if it had other weaponry.

Assuming that Amedda was telling the truth about the crystal, of course. Why it mattered that Solo’s Box matched one in Amedda’s possession, Feyna didn’t know, nor did she particularly care. She was more concerned with its contents. “I want to actually see this crystal, before anything is decided as to how owe proceed from here.”

She wouldn’t be making that mistake again.

Ka'rta remained against the wall arching her brow. Really, really the puppet master behind everything, pulling all the strings pushing the galaxy towards darkness suddenly decides to 'make the galaxy better' by forcing the Empire and Republic to work together, to make stronger institutions. It sounded like a man scrambling to spite a partner that turned on him. Wasn't the whole goal to turn the scion of the Skywalker name to the 'dark side' whatever that meant. This was all confusing and made no sense to her. She most certainly didn't take him at his word. Then the 'Chancellor' spoke.

"For once, I'm in agreement, let's see the crystal first. I don't fancy breaking another box when I find it empty."


"Let's see, shall we..." said Hera, and in short order they were taking aboard the box from the docked ship. A single skinny and useless B-1 pilot droid was present, with blue colouring to indicate its role, with no weapons aboard, unless the droids stupidity could be considered to be so apparent to be painful. Owen shot it anyway, and clucked over the shuttle, confirming it had jumped straight from the Horuset system, and that its sensors showed that it had been launched from the Weapon; it had even recorded the ships stripping it of weapons, but, of course, recordings could be falsified and only the Crystal itself was evidence of anything.

There it was.

A box of the same design as the one Maz Kanata had handed over, sealed up but twelve faces present as ever.



This one however included a short inscription.

Treachery, Dread and Pain will come to the Protectors, and fracture they will.

But otherwise, it was merely the box as before.

Jyn frowned. "This is the box that everyone was chasing across the galaxy? Containing a perfect kyber crystal, or some-such?" There wasn't much else to add to that.

"I just thought it was a random box that Han was given..." Jerod wondered aloud. "Why would Amedda have a copy in his collection?"

"I am conscious that this is distracting us from the Ultimate Weapon... but we can't risk going after it if it has that superweapon," Hera said, hands on her hips.

Feyna eyed the box with disdain. The inscription was new, and a bit unnerving, oddly reminding her of Amedda's cryptic references to a prophecy in his speech before the battle. She wanted to ask Master Bnar about it, but the crystal and the Ultimate Weapon were higher priority at the moment.

She wondered whether it was a good idea to be discussing this in front of Piett, and she was aware that she'd left him hanging, but depending on whether the crystal was actually in the box or not, she might have another question or two for him, so she let him wait.

She turned to Ka'rta. "Do you want to do the honors, or shall I?"

Madelyn had stayed quiet so far but turned to look at Ka'rta as Freya spoke. She nodded her permission, and reached out with the force.

"If you want to go ahead, but just remember what happened on Mimban." Madelyn warned, and she felt more calm and collected. More confident. Maybe I'm finally learning to trust in the force and grow. Madelyn thought, and she eyed everyone else in the room. "And then once we've made our decisions, I need to discuss Mandalore with Ka'rta before we make any more decisions about how we move ahead." She leaned against a crate and shrugged, fingers tapping against the darksaber.

The merc, well soon to be ex-merc if things were going to go the way they looked like they were, stepped up to the box. It looked the same, and she didn't care about the inscription all she cared about was the crystal. She walked forward open it like the last one, keeping her anger in check. Though she was still walking with a limp the bacta infused bandages doing their work, but slower than she needed them to. Looking to the Manda'lor she nodded her head. They would have to have a long talk about the future, of their home, and their clan.

It opened without resistance; it revealed the Crystal of Pomojema in all its glory. Everything was as Amedda had said.

Her eyes fell on the crystal that started this whole nightmare. She never thought she would actually be happy...well maybe happy was too strong a word...not angry to see it. She closed it turning back to the group.

"It's the real deal all right...now what do we do with it?"

"Unfortunately, these crystals are nearly impossible to destroy," Feyna began, remembering what Dr. Erso had told her. "So the best we can do is hide it away somewhere safe."

Her gaze shifted to Piett. "Admiral, do you know, or do you have any information as to where Amedda hid the other crystals that the Empire stripped from the kyber worlds?" Possibly he didn't know, but if he did, they would need to ensure that those, too, didn't fall into the wrong hands.

Piett shook his head. "They all went into the Death Star, but I may have a suggestion - we could drop it into a black hole. The Maw, perhaps?" He paused. "Did you want my fleet to advance on Korriban, to pursue the Weapon?"

Mirdala, arms folded, hinted. "You could take the fleet here after Skywalker, leave Mandalore to recover from you bringing your war into our neutral territory..."

That was dangerous speaking, because Linnett was Manda'lor, not him, but he may as well throw it out there. Jyn and the Coway gave him a look, separately scowling. Piett kept his face neutral - he was not here to dictate the Chancellor's policy.

Ka'rta moved next to Mirdala looking to the others in the room. "He has a point." She grumbled, "Our job is done here, the Separatist Military is broken, the Imperial and Republic Fleets are coalescing into one. It is not Mandalore's problem that the chosen one's brat turned evil. We've given all we have...You are looking at the sum total of the Mando'a Military." She gestured to herself and Mirdala, "We've got nothing to contribute on this little mission of yours. We just got a Manda'lor the clans could follow...I don't fancy putting her in danger again...for nothing."

Jerod seemed to be unhappy with that, but also, content. After all, Ka'rta had found herself a place, and she had returned to Mandalore. She had a home, and it wasn't Owen and her. So, Jerod simply kept her comments to herself and glared at Owen to stay silent.

He did, with a shrug.

Ka'rta looked to her former family, her Aunt and Uncle, maybe her mouth was getting a head of her. Was she really part of Mandalore now? Was this her home, not the stars above? Looking to Madelyn she recalled her promise, the one she made when she brought her into their clan. Her home was with her, where ever that was. It was a promise she couldn't leave behind to wander the stars with them.

He look was a little mournful, and almost begging forgiveness.

Feyna said nothing to Piett's suggestion about the crystal; it wasn't a bad idea, but she still didn't quite trust Piett enough to actually settle on the crystal's fate with him listening.

As to the Weapon...Linnett hadn't yet decided whether or not Mandalore would join the New Republic, and while Feyna wouldn't press her for an answer now, it was clear that the Empire--and perhaps the Republic, as well--had worn out its welcome at Mandalore.

"One way or another, I don't believe there is any further need for the fleet's presence at Mandalore, unless they intend to assist in the cleanup and recovery--and even then, only if the Mandalore requests it.

"In regards to pursuing the Weapon, however...what is your current location, Admiral? The fleet here might be closer to Korriban, and the sooner we can locate the Weapon, the better."

Piett clicked his feet together, coming to attention. "Chancellor, the fleet is above the inner Vandor planets; the closest inhabitable worlds I could rush refugees from Coruscant. You are most likely closest to Korriban, as say, though I can set out at your order." He saluted.

Feyna was now commanding the surviving military of the galaxy. Ood Bnar nodded to himself, and Jyn pressed her lips together. The sooner the Weapon was destroyed, the sooner her fathers legacy would be redeemed in full. Owen squeezed Jerod's hand, smiling to each other in the kind of tired way that only two people hoping to have retired by now could.

Madelyn sighed and rubbed a hand across her eyes. Should we help? We don't have that kind of mitary strength right now. She looked at Ka'tra when she spoke and nodded at her when she was done.

"I'm sorry Chancellor; but I need to start rebuilding my planet." She looked at Admiral Piett and added, "I will be expecting you to help pay for our rebuilding efforts." Madelyn pointed out and spoke again before anyone had a chance to reply. "I wish you all the best of luck." She looked and Ka'tra and added in a whisper; "I want to declare Mandalore's independence from the Republic. What do you think?"

Ka'rta gave Madelyn a look arching her brow a little. Taken a little by surprise by her suggestion. She had expected the Manda'lor to be all for staying in the Republic, of working with them. Going Independent would be a hard road and it would take a while for them to fully rebuild. But, it would be their rebuild, something to keep the clans occupied and working together rather than scheming to overthrow one another.

"It could work." She whispered back, "It will be a hard road, and will take a long time, but we can do it...so long as we can control any meddling that occurs." She tightened her fist, not trusting the Chancellor or the Admiral to not try and 'intervene' in Mandalorian affairs.

Madelyn smiled. "I know. But we can go down that road together; with our family." She took a deep breath and look around the room. "Mandalore and its systems will become independent from the Republic." Madelyn declared with confidence. "I will have a council made up and any matters which the Republic wishes to address with us will have to go through them."

Feyna only nodded to Linnett; it was not an unexpected decision, considering the trouble they'd brought to Mandalore.

She turned to Piett. "The fleet here will proceed to Korriban, but you are to take your fleet to Elom, and hold there on standby."

Without the crystal, the Weapon wasn't as intimidating a target as it could have been, but it couldn't hurt to have Piett nearby for backup, and Elom wasn't far from Korriban.

"I'll be in touch with you again soon."

TAG: @Sinrebirth @galactic-vagabond422 @TheSilentInfluence

 

(A finale for Mandalore written by @Sinrebirth @TheSilentInfluence and myself)

IC: Madelyn Linnett, Ka'rta
Mandalore

Madelyn realised she should have been scared. But she wasn't. She felt the force go through her, keeping her calm as she looked at the remaining members of Death Watch.

"You want be to surrender? I thought you came to be to discuss yours." Madelyn put a hand behind her back, crossed her fingers to let Ka'rta know to shoot the one with the trigger. She placed her other hand on the Darksaber, smiling sweetly.

"I know all about Death Watch. You had the right idea, Mandalorian's should never be pacifists. We don't need to be. And now that we are on our own again; the Republic or the Sith can't force us to do their bidding. Everything we do is for Mandalore." Madelyn shrugged at them and unhooked the Darksaber. Held it out in front of her. "Everything that needs to be done is for Mandalore. You were never treated the way you deserve were you?"

As they were getting returned to the ground, Ka'rta got back into her armor, with some help from Mirdala. She still walked with a bit of a limp, but her reactions shouldn't be slowed by painkillers, since she never took any. Walking down the ramp and through the rubble she found other clans other Mandalorians pawing through it, looking for loved ones, or starting the rebuild that would take many years to complete.

In the rubble she saw a familiar shape...the Oisk. It took everything she had not to rush up to it like finding an old friend again. Her joy was somewhat tempered by the approaching red and black figures, Death Watch. A sneer formed under her facemask as Skynxnex threatened her, and her ship. They had to know they were outnumbered, one call from the true Manda'lor and they would be turned into atoms. Under her helmet she set her com to a hardened frequency, not a mandalorian one, the one used between her Jerrod and Owen. She had also added Mirdala though if he was listening on it was another matter.

"Owen take out the back left, Jerrod back right, me and Mirdala will handle the front two...let's hope the Manada'lor is quick enough...on my signal." Her hands drifted down to her blaster pistols. These people once fought by their side, now they turned against them. They would need to be eliminated. Either by the Manda'lor or by her right hand...Ka'rta.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Madelyn give the a signal of her own. Crossed fingers, she was lying she was not discussing surrender, she was distracting them.

"Change of plans...go with the flow." She sent out before quickly drawing her pistols and spraying shots, the first few aimed at Skynxnex's head.

Madelyn turned the Darksaber on just below the wrist that was holding the trigger hoping to cut it of, her other hand ready to catch the device and move out of the way of the shots. Using the darksaber again to chop down another Death Watch member. She turned again and took at defensive stance as more of her people pulled out their weapons.

"Ka'rta on your left!"

The former merc turned just in time as the short blade cut across the back of her armor. Bringing her arm over she locked the other Death Watch member's hands against her and pressed her blaster under their chin and fired. The shot didn't exit the armor too strong to let the blast travel past their head. Throwing their body to the ground she turned to see on of the other black and red clad soldiers go for a grenade on their belt.

"Grenade." she called out pointing towards the being reaching for the ordinance.

Madelyn turned and used the force to throw her darksaber at the Death Watch member before they could grab the grenade, slicing through the gap in their armor between their neck and head. Madelyn brought the Darksaber back to her and held it once again, nodding at Ka'rta before looking around for more enemies.

In short order the initial group was dealt with drawing the attention of the other mandalorians around. They began to move closer, what weapons they had out. Ka'rta turned to them scanning for any Death Watch hiding among them. Spotting one she fired off a quick shot catching them in the throat. That was one, but there could be more.

In very short order, Synxnex found the entire situation had gone wrong, and he barely managed to jerk his head back from the blaster shots thrown his way. One creased his face and another caught his eye, to which he screamed, firing his jet-pack and launching away from the fray, leaving the remote behind and narrowly missing losing a hand. He precariously landed on the corner of the half-building, looking down some dozen stories as the other four died, one hand clutching his face.

His other hand had drifted to his stomach, and he looked down at them.

"So... the future belongs to you, does it?"

He toppled, falling out of sight but with a satisfying crunch at the end of the fall.

Jerod and Mirdala and Owen had launched into action in a dramatic moment, and the surviving Death Watch were down; dead. Not that Ka'rta and Linnett had left much to do.

Mandalorians were milling around the edges of the city, watching the fray. They began to trot over, milling for a moment - for their Mandalore telling them what they were to do next. If they were to be independent, as word suggested, how would they stand?

As Protectors? As Crusaders? Or would they merely serve a new Death Watch under Linnett?

There were three pathways open to the Mandalorians - there always had been, and always would be. The Jedi and Sith could lean on any one of them at any one time, what few remained. But the New Republic existed, and the Empire had yet to entirely fade.

For a moment, they were something, and nothing. Mirdala sized up the gathering two or three dozen in the interim.

Madelyn watched the Mandalorian's start to mill about. She looked at Ka'rta and reached over to pull her by her side as she started to speak. "In the Old Republic Mandalorians followed each other into battle. We didn't squabble amongst ourselves, we weren't divided. As Mandalorians we need to protect ourselves and our people. So now we need to rebuild ourselves. I don't want to rely on the Republic or the Sith for their protection. Have we not protected our own for generations?" Madelyn took a deep breath. "This is a new era for us. As long as we work together I know we can stand on our own."

Ka'rta stood next to Madelyn, the new manda'lor that has seen this planet through the most latest battle, unified them, and destroyed the last remaining pieces of those that stood against their coming together. They were now a united Mandalore, how long they stayed like that was a up for discussion. Though if Madelyn could rally them, they could hold together at least for the rest of her life.

"The future, finally after so many years is in our hands, we get the chance to rebuild, we guide it not dictated by wars, or by our neighbors. It is ours, let's make something of it."

There was a commotion between them all, but then the cheers began. It was infectious, and very swiftly took over the group, and indeed spread to the rest of the remaining City. At the end of it all, these two had led them through a Separatist and Imperial invasion and everyone now knew to steer well clear of Mandalore. The New Republic could have had their go at conquest, and instead they left, and Mandalore was again its own.

It was a cheer of hope.

All the loose ends were done.

TAG: @Sinrebirth @TheSilentInfluence

 

IC: Pascale Rouser
Location: An island, then a cave Ach To

Whatever Mace had done it seemed to have worked as the Dagger of Mortis tumbled free of Ahsoka/not Ahsoka’s grasp. The shove he had also commenced also worked because she immediately moved away from him and back towards Windu.

However as he raised his leg , a pain shot into his skull that felt like someone had been hammering on his head, or perhaps one of the worst hangovers ever. It seemed the Echo of what was going on downstairs as it were was reverberating around in his brain. Whomever was down there with Qi’ra was not helping the Force in any way, indeed it seemed as if the Force, the place or whatever it was was being ripped apart.

COULD YOU PLEASE KNOCK THAT OFF! He managed to think to those below although he didn't know himself how he could even think that thought.

Meanwhile the entity that had consumed Ahsoka was eventually defeated thanks to Windu’s blade. She vanished and Pascale felt her say something to Windu as she departed. And Ahsoka Tano, Jedi warrior and Clone Wars hero was gone. Pascale did feel a little sad for her but unfortunately the entity had consumed her and there was only one outcome: kill or be killed.

Thankfully as she disappeared the pain in his head subsided and Pascale could think again which he was glad about. Because if there was one thing he treasured, it was his intelligence. He managed to sheath his vibroblade and holstered his blaster, hopefully he would not need those anymore. Before he could thank Windu for the save however the Force seemed to split, as if something had happened and it had decided to split itself. Could it have been something that had happened in the battle down below?.

He didn't even get a chance to think about it as the island split in time with the Force and the island decided to finally chuck him into the gap that was widening. And all he could think of was….

I hope Firenze is undamaged still. Because if Qi’ra has decided to destroy my yacht, then she owes me another one. With interest.

He tried to slow himself down with the Force as he approached a pool of water that was within the cave but unfortunately it wasn't good enough. He ended up entering the pool with a mighty splash and not looking as elegant as he would have liked. And now that was his suit properly ruined, he already had blood on his shirt from where the beast had been extracted, now he had a sopping wet suit to go with it.

And there goes my wardrobe.

He managed to drag himself out with a fit of coughing and then took off his jacket no doubt revealing his blaster and the sheathed vibroblade. His hat had fallen off as well and he had managed to retrieve it and tucked it under his arm after he had removed his jacket. Hopefully Windu had come down more gracefully.

Pascale realised he now felt exhausted both in body and mind. All he wanted to do was find somewhere he could have a quick power nap. But he would have to find a way out of this cave which at the moment seemed unlikely.

The famed dagger was now resting at the feet of none other than the Emperor himself Aryan Graul who didn't look very Imperial at the moment. Pascale gave him a bow "Your Highness" he said simply. Qi'ra was there too a d she looked like she had gone through hell and to Pascale's surprise there were two dead bodies as well, one of them a child.

All this bloody murder and violence hsd to stop. It was getting too barbaric now. A mirror in the cave then shattered revealing a person in a black hood to poke his head through.

Not another one….

However the Echo within him reacted as if it knew him from somewhere. Hopefully all would be revealed as to whether this hooded person's actions were friendly or hostile.

"Yes, hi, Master Windu, I know you couldn't see through the mirror earlier but I didn't want to spoil you for the end, you see!" Behind the cloaked-man they could see a backdrop of green, with some kind of structure in the distance. A circular walled city?


"I did it!" He held up his gloved hands, as if to confess. "I changed one or two things, alright?" He cried out. "I did it."

What the hell was going on?.

"Pascale turned to Ananke and gave her a hard stare "Did you kill that woman and child?. Because if you did then I hope you stay in a deep dark hole for the rest of your miserable little life you barbaric piece of scum. You will answer for your crimes one day, because you'd probably just enjoy death, you need to be in a cold dark cell to think it all over"

He turned back to the hooded man "I have seen a black hooded man before and I hope you are not another Sith Lord. You changed things? Does it mean you are responsible for all this mess? Because if you are then you deserve to be in a cell with her. And I hope you have some answers for us"

He folded his arms "And they had better be good ones"

TAG: @Sinrebirth, @BobaMatt, @QueenSabe7, @HanSolo29

 

IC: Ananke
Temple Cave, Ach-To

The mirror did indeed shatter as she had hoped and Ananke found herself tipping her head back in amazement at the resulting break in the earth above, and in the very fabric of the Force. The ground quaked beneath her feet as debris and dirt rained down upon where she stood – still about the length of her lightsaber blade’s distance from Aryan Graul’s left – and she raised a small umbrella of protection until it dissipated a short time later. A massive tangle of roots jutted out of the far end of the cave ceiling and the knotted branches of a tree could be made out in the briefly blinding brightness that now streamed into the darkness.

In the ensuing seconds after everything had been changed by her choice, in that newly created stream of light from high above a few major additions were immediately apparent.

First she saw an intricate dagger at Aryan’s feet that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. It was instantly clear it was of great importance. Second, she felt then also saw the figures of Pascale Rouser and the assumed source of an unknown presence she had sensed when first arriving, both having joined them from outside. And third, the shadowy outline from behind the mirror was suddenly not skewed by it anymore and appeared to be very real, but also at the same time, not.

Ananke’s eyes merely shifted repeatedly among all the new players and the dear Emperor at her side, letting things continue on without intrusion before deciding her best course of action. As if inexplicably drawn there, she had a rather difficult time straying from the man behind the mirror for longer than a second or so, and once he began speaking she gave into his allure and focused solely on him – gaze only - and the scenery he brought with.

Arek’s corpse was strewn out behind him and beyond that, a stretch of green encircling a vast metropolis that was an even further stretch of space away. Like another planet viewed through a holoscreen and yet, right in front of her in real time. Eyes narrowing, she gnashed her teeth. Impossible.

Her entire body tightened as her mind tried to grasp any logic in what she was seeing. And in doing so, she bore into this Man in Black with her senses, attempting to rummage through him for answers. Like smacking head first into a wall, she was blocked from getting anywhere close to his most protected consciousness, but she did…. feel something. A prickling familiarity not yet placed lit up her memories, but it was not enough to stir anything concrete. Which nagged at her.

Who was this man? She could not see his face.

"I did it," he cried out and Ananke simmered in her indecisiveness. In her confusion. It grew and grew and she mentally rifled through images, thoughts, emotions… there. On the tip of her tongue it was there.

Braata.

That was it – her holocron. What she located in this stranger was what she had already found in Braata’s wavelengths. They were the same frequency. The exact same.

“But how?” she questioned aloud though not loud enough to be heard, her free hand resting over the pocket the device was stowed away within. Brow furrowing, she shook her head slowly, consumed with puzzlement and wonder. The Force was shifting and cresting in ways that she had never experienced before, how should she proceed?

Her momentary awe was interrupted, however, much to her increasing annoyance.

"Did you kill that woman and child?. Because if you did then I hope you stay in a deep dark hole for the rest of your miserable little life you barbaric piece of scum. You will answer for your crimes one day, because you'd probably just enjoy death, you need to be in a cold dark cell to think it all over"

Rouser, trying his best to be intimidating. Much like Graul, these men thought themselves so much more important than the world did – like their words actually mattered. It was a plague upon their sex, though their gender never did much to eradicate the disease. They always enjoyed their delusions of grandeur. Leveling a sidelong glance in the vicinity of where he stood, it was a blessing for him that they were not close to one another, or she’d have throttled him to death without the use of dark tactics. It was no delusion that her strength was greater than his.

Near enough to see the charred outline of her fatal wound in Arek’s chest behind the billowing folds of the black cloak, Ananke returned her stare to the shadowed visage of the unknown being. She raised her chin and didn’t bothering indulging Rouser with a response, instead speaking up over the last few words to tumble out of his ever-moving mouth.

“Am I supposed to know who you are?” Her tone leaned into sarcasm and she paused for measure, right hand clenching down on the hilt of her still-activated crimson saber, which she kept in between herself and Aryan. “You talk like you do, but I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

Another pause, then her free hand left the outline of her holocron and crossed in front of her to swiftly call that mysterious dagger into her open palm. It had a purpose she was unsure of so naturally, it was safest in her possession.

TAGS: @HanSolo29 @Jerjerrod-Lennox @BobaMatt @Sinrebirth

 

OOC: Combo w/ @LordTroepfchen , and approved by @Sinrebirth

IC: Chancellor Feyna Organa and Darth Zorn
Korriban

The massive Ultimate Weapon loomed before the fleet as Feyna arrived on the bridge of the Profundity, having cleaned up and changed during the journey through hyperspace. There hadn’t been enough time for sleep, but she’d had a chance to eat, finally, and had spent some time hiding in the medbay, sitting with Winter. There was a crowd of prospective aides asking to meet with her, but thankfully General Syndulla had been keeping them at bay, allowing Feyna to have some time to herself.

She did not like the position that fate had seen fit to put her in.

To ensure the safety of the rest of the galaxy, she had to go up against Luke—a corrupted, twisted version of Luke, but he still used to be Luke. She’d grown up with him; he and Leia had spent nearly as much time at the Palace on Alderaan as they had on Naboo. She’d known him her whole life. And while Feyna had noticed in the past that Luke occasionally seemed edgy, broody…well, what teenager wasn’t, at some point? But she’d never imagined that he could have become her enemy.

Yet here they were.

Both she and Luke had been propelled down their current paths by the same devastating event, but while Luke had been consumed by his anger and rage at the deaths of his mother and sister to the point of becoming something they would never have wanted, Feyna translated her loss into determination, a resolve to prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again.

She had to assume he had probably taken command of the Weapon by now, and that he’d taken the Jedi children on board with him.

The children…she wouldn’t even bother to beg the gods’ forgiveness. At least her parents weren’t here to see. She felt sick at the mere idea of having to…she couldn’t even finish the thought. But she could see no way around it. Even if there’d been time to put together a rescue mission, Luke—Zorn, now, she had to keep reminding herself—probably wasn’t going to give up the children easily, she had no leverage for a trade (she obviously wasn’t going to give him the crystal, the one thing he might want), and any attempts to save them would likely only end in the rescuers’ deaths, and wasted time.

“Deploy fighter squadrons,” she stated to her commanders.

She did not want to kill Luke, but the Ultimate Weapon, or any other superweapon of its class, had no place in a civilzed galaxy, and if Zorn chose to try to fight for it...then so be it.

Darth Zorn eyes snapped open as the fleet arrived in the system. A hundred ships. He slowly stood up and folded his arms. He could flee. He did not need this battle station, not if he controlled the power of the Dark Side.

But there was something attracting his curiosity. A Jedi? And ... the crystal. He felt the crystal nearby, hidden deep inside the fleet. Protected and shielded. He lay his head aside. Had these fools truly brought it here? This was all so bluntly set up. Wyyrlock took the crystal from the station and sabotaged the hyperdrive and then he manipulated ... whoever this was ... into getting it back here? It felt like a madman's attempt to create a feeling of control by randomly manipulate people's decision processes to regain the feeling of ... power.

Zorn closed his eyes again. The Embrace still was feeding on his soul. He had it under control now, but the anger rising inside his soul gave it fuel to break out again. He shivered and a wave of darkness went through him.

He was weakened, but still far from powerless.

"Let them get closer and prepare the droid fighters. No return fire until I give the command." He ordered the command unit. "Also prepare my Sith Intruder." Mentally he ordered Jovan to take the Falcon and flee.

He opened a channel to the attack fleet and smirked. "Never enough wars to fight, right? Have you come to do Wyyrlock's dirty work? He is dead, he won't be able to thank you for it." His voice was almost a whisper as he spoke. "I made sure of that." He stepped closer to his window. "Or are you here to take revenge?"

Feyna closed her eyes for a moment, wishing that his voice hadn't sounded so much like Luke's. It would have made it easier.

Part of her didn't want to talk to him; probably it wouldn't do any good, he was probably too far gone, beyond reasoning with, and he might be trying to stall for time while he restored the station's lesser weapons.

On the other hand, it didn't seem as if he knew who he was speaking to--did he even know she was alive?

If he did, he didn't care, but if he didn't...would it make any difference?

Feyna mentally scoffed; if she actually thought that she could turn him away from his destructive path, where others had failed, then she really was kidding herself.

But as dangerous as he was...officially, the fleet was here to destroy the Weapon, not to kill Luke.

"Luke, it's Feyna," she began, her voice gentle, sympathetic. She, more than anyone else here, understood what he'd lost. "I know about Amedda...and I know what you've become.

"The Separatists are defeated, and the Empire is finished; the fleet here is under my command, as acting-Chancellor of the New Republic. They will destroy this station, this last symbol of Amedda's oppression and terrorism.

"I don't want to kill you. I definitely don't want to kill those children that you've taken.

"Out of respect for who you used to be..." She paused, swallowed, continued, "and out of respect for Padme, and Leia, I am giving you one chance. Leave the Ultimate Weapon. Release the children to us. You can surrender yourself into my custody, or flee into exile, whichever you choose."

She glanced to her advancing fighters, still not quite in range. "I will not extend this offer again, and if you choose to defend this station...then you will go down with it."

She left it there. She had a sinking feeling that he would not agree, that she was only wasting her breath...but she'd had to try.

Darth Zorn knew this all was a distraction. It lured him away from his true path, from his true destiny. From the destiny he had to take. Anakin Skywalker had not come. His father was not leading the charge. Instead a fleet was here. Ships. Souls. Ordinary men trying to bring down a Dark Lord of the Sith before he grew so far beyond them they could never stop him again.

Feyna, it was her. Like a distant memory she sounded to him. A memory of a young man he had killed on this planet.

He laughed at her offer and this laugh was not Luke Skywalker's laugh, but the one of Darth Zorn.

"You do not have any idea what I have become, or you would not have been so foolish to make that threat." Zorn whispered the words into the comm.

"Do your worst." He simply replied. cut the line and opened the communication to the commanding Droid again. "Fire at will, launch the fighters."

If they wanted Wyyrlock's oversized toy they would have to take it.

Zorn turned and left the throne room, which had never felt like his. The holocron leaped off it's podium and into his hand. Mentally he ordered Yovan to bring his siblings to the second Sith Intruder and with quick steps he made his way to the private hangar. Another wave of darkness was taking hold of him he fought down. He gained some measure of control now. XoXaan had not lied. Eventually he would harvest this power. Ultimate Power.

The Dark Lord would not fight the battles others had meant him to fight. He was the Dark Lord of the Sith. He obeyed nobodies will, certainly not that of his slain enemies or child-Chancellors.

Boarding Lord Wyyrlock's advanced Sith Intruder he took control himself and activated the cloaking device. He waited for Maul's ship with the Younglings on board to do the same and leave the hangar, before he fired his engines and followed it. Around him Droid Fighters launched and alarms were ringing. The Ultimate Weapon was preparing for it's possibly final battle. The final reminder of Darth Wyyrlock's short rule would vanish in one last battle.

Darth Zorn would not defend it. It was a poisoned gift. Speeding out of the hangar he made his way towards the jump coordinates, feeling the children in the other ship, also he could not see it with it's cloaking device activated.

If anyone nearby bothered to look closely enough, they might have seen Feyna's eyes glass over for the briefest moment, her shoulders sag almost imperceptibly.

Luke Skywalker was dead. There was only Zorn now.

She straightened, despite the heavy pit of guilt in her stomach. "Very well, then," she muttered under her breath, then turned to Raddus.

"Begin the attack."

This ends here.

Darth Zorn watched the ships of Feyna's fleet go into formation for a long moment, as the crippled space station began spitting green energy and droid fighters out. Wyyrlock had relied on technology too much. A lesson to be learned.

He needed no confirmation of the battles outcome. As the Soth Intruder of Lord Maul went into hyperspace he smiled. A feeling of satisfaction took hold of him. He would learn to control his power. The Sith would rise again through him. Finally, he would return.

Pulling the lever back he watched the stars become white lines and left Korriban behind him.

Feyna watched as droid fighters emerged from the station to engage the Republic's forces; she didn't want to be over-confident that her fleet could handle them, but she wasn't too worried...yet.

She'd seen more death in the past few days than anyone should have to face in a lifetime, and she loathed to add these children to that toll, but she couldn't put the lives of trillions at risk for the sake of a few.

After the darkness and chaos that the recent days had brought, she was eager to finish this, to see the end of the Ultimate Weapon, this offensive machine that represented everything she opposed.

TAG: @Sinrebirth @LordTroepfchen

 

Mace Windu
Ach-To

The Jedi master swung his lightsaber mightily, bracing himself for the parry, thinking ahead through the next moves, but was surprised to find that his lightsaber passed through the shade of Ahsoka like smoke. She was gone, and Ahsoka's voice brushed its fingers across the surface of his mind as it left. "Thank you."

The fancy-dressed man, now disheveled, caught his breath in the eerie silence of the aftermath. He began to ask what was going on, why were all these enemies here, did he have an explanation for...? But then a shot of danger in the Force made Mace leap as time slowed and the island itself seemed to rend in the middle, pulling apart and cracking, first with one great upward motion and then heaving in twain with extraordinary power. The Jedi master felt himself falling past debris, colliding with rocks and soil, a porg nest careening through the air into the dark, damp cold beneath. And in the Force...a power. Like the mirror cave.

Mace quickly softened his fall with the Force but the impact with the rocks below was still enough to injure his arm as he instinctually attempted to brace himself. Mace felt his lightsaber smack into the rocks and heard the clatter of the dagger. There were other beings here. Mace sucked air into his lungs after a moment - after the wind had been knocked from him - and coughed before finally looking up. Who were all these people? What was going on in the galaxy?

"All right enough!" Came a voice, accompanied by a shattering sound. Mace watched as a mirror dissolved, scattering shards across the stone floor.

A man in black stepped through the space, hooded cloaked like a Sith Lord from a children's book. "Yes, hi, Master Windu, I know you couldn't see through the mirror earlier but I didn't want to spoil you for the end, you see!" Master Windu, still on the floor, attempted to catch his breath, but called his lightsaber to his palm all the same. He hoped it hadn't been damaged. He hoped that he himself had not been damaged - looking at the man, Mace felt a sharp burning pain in his right wrist, and a tingling numbness in his right hand, as if it weren't there.

"I did it!" The man in black held up a pair of gloved hands as if asking for mercy. "I changed one or two things, alright?" He cried out. "I did it."

The fancy clothes man spoke, now. "Did you kill that woman and child?. Because if you did then I hope you stay in a deep dark hole for the rest of your miserable little life you barbaric piece of scum. You will answer for your crimes one day, because you'd probably just enjoy death, you need to be in a cold dark cell to think it all over."

"Am I supposed to know who you are? You talk like you do, but I’ve never seen you before in my life.” This was the woman, now. Mace choked his agreement, but such darkness came from her. He struggled to his feet, the world swimming. He activated his lightsaber - which protested and sputtered, but came to life - and pointed it at the mysterious figure, only now noticing the corpse at the man's feet.

"I don't know what's going on here, but I need to know who you are. Identify yourself now, or I can just use the dental records later."

TAG: @Sinrebirth, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @HanSolo29, @QueenSabe7

 

IC: Chancellor Feyna Organa
Battle of Korriban

When someone told her, later, that the fight had only lasted an hour, Feyna wasn’t sure she believed them; it felt so much longer, and the wait was agonizing.

Bnar had informed her, not long into the battle, that Zorn and the children had escaped, and even though she knew that letting a budding Sith loose on the galaxy was…problematic, at the least, there was a part of her that couldn’t help feeling relieved.

As the station gradually began to collapse under the barrage, she could feel her chest tightening, tensing, her heart pounding in anticipation. Piett’s fleet was called in, and though the droid fighters did manage to take out some of the Republic ships, there were enough here that it wasn’t enough to shift the tide.

Feyna was slightly alarmed when Winter emerged from the medbay to join her, and any other time, she would have sent her right back to bed, worried as she was for her, but she wouldn’t deny her this. The Ultimate Weapon was not the Death Star, this was not the abomination that had destroyed their home, but watching its destruction was just as fullfilling.

She reached for Winter’s hand as Raddus ordered the fleet to focus all fire on a single weakened spot on the Weapon’s hull, and watched as explosions bloomed over the area, spread, and finally engulfed the Weapon.

It was done.

Cheers erupted across the bridge, becoming increasingly louder as the celebratory mood swept through the ship. Feyna hugged Winter, tears streaming down her face, overwhelmed with so many emotions: relief, joy, satisfaction, mixed with the lingering grief for what they’d lost, for those who could not be there who should have been.

Bail and Breha; Padme and Leia; Obi-Wan and the Jedi; Mon Mothma, Ackbar, Garm, and so many others who’d fought Amedda and the Empire for so long, who had died before they could see the payoff.

But they had won.

The Galactic Civil War, and the grinding Cold War before it, was over.

TAG: None (First tag response. @Sinrebirth , combo PM is incoming )

 

IC: Madelyn Linnett
War Room, Mandalore

Madelyn knew she was enjoying her position. She didn't mind being left alone, and knew she could seek out her people or Ka'rta if she was lonely. But she didn't feel that way right now. She felt at peace.

Madter Yoda appearing was startling, but Madelyn threw him a smile and knelt on the ground when he greeted her, realizing that it had been too long since she had been in Master Yoda's presence. "I'll always make time for you Master Yoda." She paused and thought for a moment. "Did you ever know I would be in this position?" Madelyn asked with curiousity.

Tag: @Sinrebirth

 

Combo with Sinre

IC: Ananke, w/the Holocron
The Aurora, Ach-To

Ananke moaned. A distinct bubbling noise rose from her lungs as she wheezed for air, seizing as much oxygen as she could though the vital organs wouldn't expand enough to allow it. Uncomfortably uneven pressure poked at her back, lying as such was making it hard to breathe.

The rest of her senses followed. Her body registered in full first and felt as though it had been tossed down a deep, ragged hole, every muscle and bone screaming in varying degrees of fatigue and pain. The ringing in her ears was slowly replaced with gusty wails of wind and the liquid crashes of a tumultuous sea. Light poured through her eyelids, causing them both to flutter open, squinting as her vision acclimated to the brightness of the cloudy skies that floated high above. They surrounded the enormous black spike of a ship that loomed above her, piercing the grey like a knife had sliced it open to reveal the dead of night beyond.

Realization dawned then that this was her yacht, the Aurora, impossibly whole even as she had watched it collapse into the rock-ridden shore below. Digging her fingers into the dirt beneath her, she also came to see that she was perched on the jutting ledge of stone where Ahsoka Tano had received her when she had landed on this hellhole what seemed like days ago now. Her mind was a fog, a heavy veil that wouldn't show her more recent memories even as she wracked her brain in a panic. What had happened to bring her back here from the cave? And the others... she could no longer feel them...

Immense confusion was what forced Ananke to move. She steeled herself and turned to her side, then up to an elbow, then knees and lastly feet, staggering the rest of the way to the bottom entrance of the ship with her breath held. She was startled to find all power restored, riding the lift to the very top and making her way to the penthouse office as quickly as her unsteady legs would carry her. Collapsing so hard into her desk chair it nearly toppled over backwards, she seethed through the pain and accessed her personal controls to better assess the damage - aside from cosmetic issues and a few minor systems that were not fully functional, the Aurora was completely flyable and her hyperdrive was operational. She could leave.

Only stalled from progressing to launch prep, a message awaited her within the ships files and she read it in an unnaturally calm manner. Once through, Ananke shook her head in disbelief, pounding a closed fist down upon the armrest of her chair. None of this, nothing was making sense!

A jolt stung her side and she jumped, her hand locking down over the spot and finding her holocron instead. The cube was literally vibrating.

Whisking the device out into view she set it down before her, the hooded shape of Braata materializing the second she let go. Ananke sat back an for the first time since the device came into her possession, she did not know what to say. Though, she would find some words after the image did the unexpected and pulled down its hood, revealing the visage of a woman.

"It's been a while, Darth Ananke."

"It's time to tell me who you are," she replied, not asking. Placing an elbow upon the desk, she leaned in to study her better. Did she know this face?

“I’ve two names, but neither of them you’d recognise. I used to be one person before I was split.” A shrug. “Now I’m just Braata; a Sage of Dwartii, a Protector of Nouane. This Holocron of Heresies; it was one of five, and there were five Holocron’s of Prophecy to correspond with them; the black-hooded man, if that was who I think it was, he’s the one who made me.”

Yes, five of each. She had not mis-spoke.

“My origin, she had a cube-shaped Holocron of Prophecy, but it didn’t show this - what’s happening now... and now we know why. Which means the entire future is up for grabs. If you could find a Holocron of Prophecy... you’d know everything that was supposed to happen... and be able to anticipate it happening here.”

Braata suspected that Ananke sometimes saw her red pyramidal shape as a blue cube for that reason; the mental overlap between.

“I think I know where one is; and that’s why I was given to you.”

"Where," Ananke asked, pieces of what had happened on the island appearing suddenly in her mind as the holocron spoke. Most specifically, the strange hooded-being that lingered behind the mirror wall and how he had talked to her, a familiarity she didn't share but managed to make her feel troubled.

She initiated the take-off sequence then, if only to escape the feelings she was having and to put space between herself and Graul, Rouser too. Both of those men deserved death, more so the former, but she would only be wasting even more of her time in pursuing them further. Graul would have to go on living without his only child and perhaps that was a torment far worse than death.

She wouldn't know.

Braata smiled, softly, terribly.

“Where else, Lady Ananke, but where your story truly began. Where the past met you, and swallowed you whole.”

The air chilled noticeably.

“Malachor, of course.”

Ananke stilled, dropping her stare to Braata. There was a twitch of her lips that would say she wanted to snarl at the mere mention of that place, Malachor, but the Dark Lord of the Sith remained passive and calm.

"Setting course for Malachor," she acknowledged in a rough tone, and did just that as the Aurora reached the fringes of Ach-To's atmosphere. The island and all its mystery left behind.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Pascale Rouser
Location: The cave, then Firenze, Ach To

It seemed as though they had somewhat of a stalemate.

Ananke had simply demanded that the cloaked man reveal himself while Mace had gotten straight down to business and had activated his lightsaber and had used some of his usual personality to try and get answers. Emperor Graul or former Emperor as Pscale guessed now since he had made no remark after Pascale had called him “Your Highness” was focusing on the fact that his son was dead.

The cloaked man spoke up, "Look, it's not my fault." he started pointing at each of them "I needed the five of them, you see, but after what the Traitor and the Heretic did, they ended up scattered up and down time. Two were four thousand years away from the others, one I couldn't tell you where he is, and one was a hundred and fifty years from here, and I needed to try and get three of them together. Three of them makes up a Key, and then I can open up a gate, you see."

What the hell is he spouting about? Sounds like utter nonsense to me.

Pascale through his life had heard many stories, tales and legends and even prophecies but this sounded like someone was talking about something that made no sense whatsoever. If anybody understood it then Rouser would have been impressed.

"So I wiped his memory and took him and his family back a little bit..." He pointed to Aryan. "I found him here, so he could stay, but elsewhere, he's much harder to work with." The man indicated Rouser. "She, well, she was in the other timeline, the one that I've been trying to figure out." He indicated Qi'ra. "So I moved her over here, and decided to see what would happen. Han changed, sure, but not that much."

Definitely still nonsense. Pascale wondered if this may be all to do with the Echo he had inside of him and it seemed that he was not alone, Ananke and Graul it seemed had possible Echoes and it seemed like his they had been unleashed. Well his and Graul’s anyway as he wondered whether the former Emperor like he had not been Force sensitive.

It did resonate however with what the beast had told him before. But it seemed there may have been another timeline, and it did stretch his imagination to see what that would be like. Whether he existed in that timeline and what he would be like there.

"But that's all I changed. Two things! I didn't kill Palpatine early, whoever did that is the real villain, would you believe." The man sighed, dropping his shoulders. "Master Windu, you're supposed to be dead, but for some reason the Father left you the Dagger in-case you didn't, when it should stay in Mortis until the Sith head there in a century and a half. It won't make sense until I show you, but I need -"

He could feel through the Force that Ananke and Graul were both going for the dagger. Rouser was not interested in it at the moment, let them two slug it out and he could pick up the spoils later. But as the cloaked man tried to stop them both the Mortis dagger glowed and the ball of light expanded and before Pascale could even think of trying to erect a shield the light enveloped him and he fell into darkness…

And when he awoke he found a welcome sight as he looked up. His new yacht Firenze was sitting on the island he had landed on, still thankfully intact. He was getting fed up of lying on the floor now, he preferred he was lying on a comfy bed. His jacket and hat were still with him thankfully however it seemed the droid who was fixing his ship had done a runner. He didn't know what the droid had managed to fix before it had abandoned it’s post but judging by the scuffs that were still on the paintwork, it hadn't done a lot.

He did a quick circle of the yacht inspecting it. The blast damage from the turbolaser shot was still there as well as the scrapes from rubbing against the other ship when he arrived at this island retreat, which now looked like a bit of a mess thanks to the antics of the Force and the fight down below.

Time to get off this planet and head back to a more civilized world. And get away from Ananke and Graul.

Well if there was any civilized worlds left after this war.

Rouser made his way up the ramp, jacket and hat in hand. It felt good to be back on his yacht, well his new one anyway. It wasn't his beloved Fortuna but he could make it into his new pad pretty easily. His datapad was still where he had left it in the common area. Perhaps he could add Ach To to his archive as well as all the data he had collected on the Sith artifacts he had gathered.

He could make quite a few credits by selling this stuff off. Maybe he could keep one or two bits for his collection…

As he made his way into the cockpit he noticed the comm was flashing for his attention, he took a seat and pulled the message up.

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.

More nonsense but one thing stood out, someone possibly the cloaked man was messing about with lives and the galaxy. To be honest he could let the others just get on with it, after all he never asked to get involved in a war, he never took sides. All he cared about was finding artifacts and delivering them and he didn't care who paid him so long as they delivered on arrival.

He would have to find someplace to get Firenze fixed, maybe get some optional extras installed, get a new wardrobe and hopefully restock his weapons, supplies and get some new tools. And perhaps do some research into some possible new targets. Black Sun was a possibility, he probably would not be Underlord again but it was nice to be leader of a crime syndicate for all of ten minutes. Perhaps he could be contracted again.

But which of these planets would do?

Mustafar: lava, black rocks and dirty air. No thanks.

Mortis: The dagger comes from there although I haven't heard of anything else there. And I don’t fancy being corrupted by an entity again. Pass.

Malachor: Sith academy and Temple there, known for a battle between the Jedi and the Sith, a tainted world, also famous for an atrocity during the Mandalorian Wars. Possible but inhospitable.

Korriban: Homeworld of the Sith. Very dangerous, a few colleagues have tried to explore their tombs and never returned. An archaeologists dream but not for me for now. Pass.

Kesh: Relatively unknown. Not sure what's there. Don’t fancy a trip into Wild Space though.

Tython: Rumored homeworld of the Jed'aii and Jedi Orders. Now home to Flesh Raiders. Final battle of the Despot War and an Infinite Empire vessel crashed there. Interesting but I don't fancy being chased around by zombies.

That left one option left: Nouane.

The Dark Man had mentioned that Sages came from near there or from there, and that there was a temple there too. But Pascale was more interested in it’s libraries, the amount of information they held possibly regarding artifacts, treasures, legends and perhaps even tomes on the Force itself. After all, he had a connection to the Force, might as well see what he could find out. It was a staunch ally of the Empire the last he had heard but once he rejoined the galaxy hopefully he would find out what had happened after he had disappeared. And perhaps he could find what he was looking for supplies and repairs wise.

Time to get everything sorted, then hopefully it'll should be back to what I should be doing….

Which is some good old fashioned tomb raiding.

All this nonsense about legacies and trying to fix the Force and so on. Someone of course had played around with his life and now he had to clean up the mess left behind. He snorted. His life had changed now and there was probably no way to change it back again. Something was going to consume the galaxy by the sounds of it, he would cross that bridge when it came to it. But for now it was time to get back to what he should be doing, his usual day job. He wasn't going to go around chasing something that could end up being a useless mission.

The Echo would probably disagree but he was in control. His life, his rules. It had remained quiet all through Ach To until the cloaked man came along, but right now it was just along for the ride.

What that Echo is could be a legacy, but it has given me nothing so far. Perhaps one day it may decide to reveal all. But until then it can stay quiet if it wants. I have to get back to what I do best and perhaps find some new treasures and memories to collect.

Rouser started the yachts systems up, everything was in the green including the hyperdrive now. So the droid did fix something at least he thought with a chuckle.

He lifted Firenze smoothly off the island and moved her up into the atmosphere. Hopefully the hyperdrive wouldn't malfunction this time and drop him on some uninhabited planet. He set the coordinates for Nouane and pulled the hyperdrive lever forward.

Pascale Rouser was heading back into civilization.

And he was ready.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

(A lovely combo post between myself and @Sinrebirth )
IC Ka'rta
Mandalore

She knew this time was coming, the time that Owen and Jerrod were going to finally take that retirement. Though she doubted that they would really retire. She stood there trying to be nonchalant, pretending that this wasn't anything special. She'd left their care before, before this mission, the mission that sent her across the galaxy and now had her staring down the barrel of something she never really wanted or expected. She was the right hand of the Manda'lor, an advisor, and Vode. Though right now, she wanted to drop everything and head right back out, to find the fights, and earn credits for it. She had no need for it, she was loaded after the mission on Mimban. And being part of the government she might not have to worry about her basic needs. The more important thing, she had a home, a place that wasn't always moving around a place to come back to, to fall back on when things got rough.

It hurt more than she wanted to let on, hurt leaving her family and home behind. Even for another one. They were, after her parents disappeared, her family a surrogate mother and father that she needed at that time. They looked after her and now they wouldn't be there anymore. She stood there for far too long, still weighing her options still going over everything that they had done for her. Eventually even her scared and angry heart couldn't take it any more and she stepped up taking them both in a hug.

"You don't have to go...I'm sure I can find a place for you here...I can visit often." She said voice cracking and holding back tears.

They joined her in the hug, a hard, tough one, from Owen, and an enveloping one, from Jerrod. Both of them had tears in their eyes, though. Owen drew back, gruff but acting it. "No, you were right. We shouldn't be watching your back anymore. You need to be able to focus on the future; not worrying about us."

Jerrod nodded but it was a stiff one; she clearly had a large part of her which wanted to stay. "You have a world to rebuild; a nation to support. Linnett is young; she'll need your advice - someone outside the clans, someone who knows how the galaxy really works. We'll just get in the way of that," a slight smile, and then, gesturing with her chin behind Ka'rta to Mirdala. "And of that, too."

Owen snorted, softly. "Last time we overheard you doing it, I thought someone was beating down the bulkhead. I need to be in a different star system."

She smiled looking away she wasn't one to be shy, but that one got her, or maybe it was because it was coming from Owen and Jerrod. Their words make her think about the future, one she never thought she'd have. Being Linnett's adviser, helping to rebuild this wreck of a city and a planet. It was not something she expected or something she wanted, but was stuck with.

The merc was about to interject, but Owen's words stuck in her mind. Not the 'doing it' comment. More the he needed to be in another star system. She still wasn't sure if she wanted them so far away, so distant from her when they had been so close through all of this.

"I mean, we can try to keep it down next time...and what if I need you, and you're so far way?"

Jerrod looked to Owen, and they exchanged a couple-discussion that was indecipherable to anyone outside the relationship. “We’ll come straight away, Ka’rta.”

“We promise to stay in-touch, maybe even a weekly call,” Jerrod said.

“Bi-weekly,” Owen growled. “You don’t need to check in with ‘Mom and Dad’ if you don’t want to.”

“But no more than a month of no contact,” Jerrod finished. Owen nodded, smirking. He looked back at Mirdala.

“I’ll break your legs if you hurt her.”

Jerrod snorted. “If she left you with any.”

The humour was becoming forced but it was at a good tempo. They drew her into one more hug. Owen held back a slither; they needed to get going.

Ka'rta rubbed her face into Jerrod's chest wiping her eyes as tears threatened to fall. It wouldn't do to go crying in front of Mirdala her...whatever he was. She didn't think it would hurt this much, or be this hard to let go. They were mercs, they move around, they break apart, but this, this had become more than that. This was her family. Sure they fought, and argued sometimes, but that's what made it stronger. Now, Ka'rta had made something of her own, had found an extension of the family.

Though part of her wanted to hold on forever, to keep them here she could hear the transport starting to spool up its engines. With one last squeeze she let them go, waiting for them to take a step back.

"I'll be sure to answer...though I might be busy sometimes." She gave a broad smirk looking over to Mirdala over her shoulder. "I..." her heart got caught in her throat. "I hope you both are happy...That you can finally take the time you wanted to be...something else."

“Oh Ka’rta,” Jerrod said sweetly, before Owen cut in.

“We’re already who we wanted to be; because of you,” Owen said, making sure their eyes met. “We’ve been lucky to be able to be part of your life so don’t you dare think we’ve put our life on hold for you. We didn’t, Ka’rta.”

Jerrod smiles at him, at his passion about their daughter. And that is what she was, at the end of the day. “But now its time for you to stand on your own, so you can completely own the life you have created - we’ve been tagging along for a while now, and we’re so proud of you for that,” Owen continued. “But you don’t need us slowing you down and making you worry. That’s all.” He mock-punched her in the shoulder. “Promise.”

“What he said,” Jerrod managed to add, tears freely streaming. “Now go and, um, ride the wave and all that.” It was a very lame attempt at slang from this decade.

“Oh lord,” Owen said, cringing. “Please can we go before she tries that again?”

Seeing Jerrod cry brought more tears to Ka'rta's eyes. Her breaths coming in short sniffles. She couldn't hold back, just one more hug before they left, before they put that little bit of painful distance between them.

"I love you both, I will always worry about you." It hurt more than all her scars put together for her to finally let go, to take those steps away though her heart was aching to do so. "Now go..." She rubbed her eyes with her gloved hand. "Go before I put binders on both of you and make you stay."

Jerrod kissed her on the cheek. “We’re going, we’re going.”

Owen smiled. “Be good, Ka’rta.”

With that, they broke the goodbye, and headed to the ship. They waved as it took off, and that, as they say, was that.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

OOC: Combo w/ the GM

IC: Chancellor Feyna Organa, Winter, and Jyn Erso
Before the Senate address

After the days of fighting battles and hopping all over the galaxy, returning to something as mundane as getting ready for a Senate meeting should have been comforting in its familiarity. But instead, Feyna found it rather surreal, almost foreign. And she was nervous, on top of that.

She was about to make her first formal address as acting Chancellor of the New Republic, and considering that it was only her second Senate appearance ever—not to mention the disastrous consequences of her first meeting, however much it had not been her fault—nervous was a bit of an understatement.

Feyna was currently revising her speech notes on her datapad, Jyn waiting nearby while Winter was putting the last pins in Feyna’s hair; though Winter was recovering from the wounds sustained at Mandalore, she had lost a noticeable amount of weight in the process and Feyna still worried. The young Chancellor’s own injuries were mostly healed, though the scar across her forehead was still visible. Otherwise, Feyna was starting to look more like her old self.

She had donned a simple dark blue dress with long, loose sleeves, with a matched cape of embroidered velvet that reminded her of an overcoat her father used to wear. She had considered wearing the clothes she’d been wearing the day of the summit, but the bright white dress felt inappropriate; the galaxy was celebrating the fall of the Empire, but there were billions dead across several planets, and a more somber wardrobe felt more suited to the occasion.

She was wearing one small piece of jewelry from that day, however; a chalcedony brooch, in the shape of the Alderaanian Royal Crest, pinned over her heart, the pale stone standing out against the dark fabric.

It felt a bit silly, maybe even shallow, to be having Winter and Jyn helping her dress, but she was glad of the company, though there was still a sort of strained uneasiness between Feyna and Jyn. Not hostility, just a quiet awkwardness. Feyna suspected that Jyn was feeling a little out of place, and she had seemed a bit of a fifth wheel over the past couple of days, another reason Feyna let her help out wherever she wanted to. She had the feeling that Jyn wanted to talk to her, but in the flurry of activity in the wake of the Ultimate Weapon’s destruction, there hadn’t been a good time, until now.

That Jyn had said goodbye to Winter suggested that she had figured out a plan for herself, that she was leaving. Feyna wondered if they’d ever see her again.

She took a seat, setting aside her datapad and gesturing to another empty chair.

“What will you do now?”

Jyn felt the simplicity of Feyna's question.

It was enormous, and yet, the way she had presented it, in an almost terrifyingly normal manner, well, it stuck in her throat with the heaviness of it all - that they could even have a normal. After so many, many years on the run. She took the seat the Chancellor had offered, and Jyn again felt that awkwardness. Feyna was a Princess and a Chancellor. Jyn was just Jyn.

In essence, she needed to convey that.

"I want to go out into the galaxy and look after the little person again. It's how I started... and it's how I ended up wanting to be. This," she gestured to the entire room, "It is good and it is important, but its far away from everyone and there will always be people hiding petty evils in the light that you cast." Jyn realised she specifically meant 'you' as in Feyna herself.

"I'm a rogue, sorry," Jyn said, sheepishly, but also, unabashedly. It was who she was.

Feyna nodded in understanding, even managing a wry smile.

Part of her was actually slightly envious, odd as it probably would seem to anyone else. She wouldn’t go so far as to say that Jyn’s life was, or would be simple, but Feyna had quite a mess to clean up, with so many worlds affected by the recent attacks from the Separatists and the Empire: Naboo, Chandrila, Kashyyyk, Mandalore, to say nothing of her own people’s predicament. Feyna felt like she’d been neglecting the displaced Alderaanians, and she had to wonder if they thought she’d forgotten about them. Her parents had spent years drilling it into her, that her responsibility was to her own people first, and Feyna couldn’t help feeling disappointed in herself.

That wasn’t a problem for Jyn to fix though.

“What you’re doing is still important,” Feyna told her. “And sometimes we forget about those little evils when we get too focused on the bigger ones, so it’s good to have someone out there keeping watch.” Zorn was still on the loose, with a handful of future students, and there’d been no further word on Qi’ra. Feyna had yet to get rid of the crystal, and she wanted to speak with Master Bnar before she made a final decision on how to dispose of it.

There were no new reports on Aryan or Lyz Graul since their respective departures from Coruscant, and Feyna had not received any more telepathic messages from Arek, so she was privately mourning him, as well, but she kept that to herself. She still would have liked some confirmation, some kind of closure, but she didn’t know if she was ever going to get it.

Maybe if Qi’ra was captured one day, or if one of the Grauls showed themselves, maybe she’d get answers then. But they might all be dead already, too.

She had hoped that the Empire’s fall, and the destruction of the Ultimate Weapon, might have lured Anakin out, but his whereabouts remained unknown, as well.

“Where were you, all those years, if Krennic couldn’t find you?” She asked, curious.

Jyn could tell that Feyna was surrounded by thoughts and regrets, but she simply smiled through the question. "Oh, out and about. Saw Gerrera took me under his wing for a bit, until he abandoned me. For my own good, no doubt." Jyn rolled her eyes somewhat, self-deprecatingly. "Extremists can justify just about anything they do."

"I was in Hutt Space when I heard about Alderaan. It was pretty difficult to track down the action, because of the chase for that," Jyn indicated the box, "but it sounds like everyone was on the run for a bit."

Jyn paused, bit her lip in a nervous gesture that she promptly banished. "You're welcome to join me, when you're done here. It's a lean life, but a good one. I was wrapped up by what I thought was my responsibility when I was younger - when I hated the Empire. But now... now, I just want some peace and quiet, and to do more good than I did bad, if possible."

Feyna let out a mirthless chuckle. “Tempting offer,” she replied. “But not a realistic possibility for me, I think.”

There was still the gundark in the room, and Feyna suddenly had to wonder if Jyn even knew the extent of her father’s work with the Empire.

“How old were you, when Krennic took your father?”

"Oh, Force," Jyn said, eyes clouding as she thought back. "Seven?" She came back to herself, nodding. "I was born during the Clone Wars; two years before it ended. Apparently my parents only narrowly escaped the battle droids sent to take Lokori. The droids withdrew when Palpatine died, in all that confusion surrounding Order 66."

"Why do you ask?"

"I just wondered how long it had been."

Feyna tapped her fingers on the tabletop, that awkwardness creeping back in. She didn't know how much Jyn knew, so she wasn't sure how to go about this particular topic.

Jyn, typically, launched in. "I really came in to ask what you thought of my father, now. You were with him when he died, according to everyone. I know about the sabotage of the Death Star, about how it didn't make a difference between Amedda was furnishing the Separatists with his research without his knowledge."

That wasn't a tremendous deduction, for it was obvious now that Amedda was head of both the Empire and Separatists, much like Palpatine had been.

"I realised, after he died, that I wanted to speak to him one last time. To know if he thought of me; if I had mattered in the end. Winter said that she only briefly met my father - that you and Arek Graul traveled with him from Delaya."

This was as much the reason she had came here as the reason she had wanted to meet Feyna Organa at all.

To speak to the last person he had seen before he died.

Feyna was careful with her answer; her feelings regarding the late Dr. Erso were still somewhat complicated, but she didn't blame Jyn for her father's actions, and she didn't want Jyn to blame herself, either.

"With his last words, he asked me to find you. I think he thought of you, and feared for you, every day.

"I don't condone some of the things your father did, but I don't think he was a horrible person. Just a frightened man who made the wrong choices for the right reasons, who found the courage to do the right thing in the end. He rescued me and Arek from the debris field at Alderaan, sabotaged the Death Star and stole its technical data. He swore to me that he hadn't known they would use the Death Star on Alderaan, and I choose to believe him."

Jyn seemed to shudder into the silence. She was clearly trying not to cry; a woman who had been hard her entire life, and had no desire to let it all out right here and now. Jyn wanted to stand, and run out of the room, never seeing the Chancellor ever again - never wanting to feel ever again.

But Jyn was not that kind of woman.

"Thank you, Feyna," she wanted to draw the woman into a hug, but she didn't know if she could, or should, or even how to, not now. In the end, she just was silent, her eyes glistening.

She had needed to know that her father wasn't a monster.

She now knew he wasn't.

He was just a human; like all fathers really are, at the heart of it all.

Feyna reached over to grasp Jyn's hand. "There were others involved in the Death Star who were far worse than your father; I'll save my grudges for them." Though with Krennic, Tarkin and Amedda all dead, hating them felt like a waste of energy.

"Wherever you end up, if you ever need anything, even if it's just to talk, you know where to find me."

Jyn squeezed back, smiling. “I’ll make sure that you know where I am, too.” Jyn went for the hug; she respected this woman, and it wasn’t weak to show it.

“Thank you, Feyna.”

"You're welcome, Jyn." Feyna returned the embrace, and when Jyn released her, she added, "And thank you." For her services to the Rebellion and the Republic, and even just the little things over the past few days.

"Take care of yourself out there."

Jyn stood up. "May the Force with you, Chancellor."

She grinned, and went to leave, trying not to look at the box. The Senate was waiting, and Winter waved Jyn off as she went. "Ready?"

Feyna rose, also waving goodbye to Jyn, then turned to Winter. She let out a small sigh. “As ready as I’ll ever be, I suppose.”

She stopped in the doorway, glancing back to the Box, as if to make sure it was still there, before closing the door and locking it behind her. Feyna still didn’t like having it around, but at the same time, she was paranoid about someone taking it. The sooner she could talk to Master Bnar about it, the sooner she could be rid of it, but there were still other things to tend to first.

She briefly closed her hand around the pin on her chest, thinking again of her parents, of Padme and Garm and Mon and Leia, everyone she wished could be here now. Then she held her chin up, squared her shoulders, and took a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

Darth Zorn
Ancient Ruins, Unknown Planet



Darth Zorn had chosen the planet with care. Probably forgotten by the galaxy his father had once told him about this place. The ancient ruins of unknown purpose and origin, predating the Jedi and Sith ... young Luke had always wanted to see them. Now he made them his new home. The two Sith Intruder were safely stowed away. Eventually he would use them to sneak back into the galaxy. But for now he had all he needed and wanted right here.

The ten children fought in the courtyard over the privilege of their own lightsaber. Four lightsaber he had. Two from Wyyrlock, one each from Krayt and Maul. The lightsaber of Kenobi was not for any of his students. It had resisted his attempts to change it yet and had remained it's blue blade. It was as if the stubbornness of the old owner had possessed the weapon. Zorn kept it in his simple private quarters with the holocron of XoXaan. No student was allowed to go near them. The consequence of disobeying that rule was death.

So the first rule had been created. The students had been obedient. More rules would follow. This was now an academy. A place of learning. The cold stone of these ruins was the birthplace of a new Order of the Sith. It would also be a perfect breeding ground for his own power.

Zorn closed his eyes and reached into the force. Since he had left Korriban his senses seemed to be more acute, trained under the brutal pressure of the Dark Side world he felt they were now sharpened. He felt his father. An echo around an absence. He had feared he was dead, but somehow he was certain he was not. There wasn't much else left to feel. Some spots of darkness. Somewhere he felt Mara Jade. She reached out to him as he had reached out to his father. Hunting.


Darth Zorn felt the cold hold of the Embrace, but he also felt the inability of the destructive power to overpower him. Inside the soul the growing powers of Zorn and the raging cold darkness of the Dark Side had come to a stalemate. A constant battle that weakened him considerably. Therefore he knew his final test had to wait. His father ... he would be unable to defeat him in this weakened state. Yet, knowing he was too strong to loose this battle it was a matter of time until Darth Zorn mastered the forces trying to consume him. Once he had control over them, he would be more powerful than any leaving creature. Even more powerful than his father, whose powers were great, but eternally crippled by his inability to embrace his destiny.

He would destroy him and take this destiny like he took the destiny of all the others. Finally he would be the Chosen One. Nothing would stand in his way. His vision would be the fate of the galaxy.

But first he had to rest ... and send his farewell to the galaxy for now. R2 would do that.

------------

Many months later ...

A silent call, a secret whisper and finally a cold embrace of the invitation. His presence spread. Unheard by any except those for who it was meant. Those uninitiated. Those in need of purpose. The numbers were growing. The children were joined by others.

Darth Zorn looked down at the courtyard, where a sole minor inquisitor who had joined his call trained the children in the basic techniques of the force. Zorn himself had meditated and then had felt the presence. He felt it now even closer.

"Ignite this lightsaber and I assure you I will do things to your spine no medical droid can repair." Zorn said with a calm voice. He felt Mara Jade's hesitation. The call had reached her of course and naturally she had followed it to what she had assumed her prey. But on the way she had heard ... rumors. Darth Wyyrlock slain? Darth Maul, too? Even the great Obi-Wan Kenobi? Bit by bit she must have understood this was not a young boy she faced anymore. Not a man with a lack of training and great potential. But how shocking had it had to be now. Finally she found the boy and felt this power ... this power she was probably very familiar with.

A Sith.

"You are no Sith, just a boy with Daddy issues ..." Mara spit out in an attempt to once again regain conversational dominance.

Zorn smiled and turned. A smile that seemed to say ... because that worked so well last time .

"Those like you actually don't have a say in that." He said honestly. Then he stepped closer as she came from the shadows. Her hands were around a lightsaber she had got somewhere. Zorn looked at it. A Jedi weapon, he could tell.

"Those like me ..." Mara smiled, but the smile did not show the confidence it should. She had fantasized of teaching the boy a lesson and now faced an avalanche of power. Zorn lay his head aside. He reached deep into her soul and let some of his darkness fill her. Conditioned by Palpatine she could not resist.

"A simple choice." Darth Zorn said and folded his hands behind his back. "Try or kneel." He looked at her and waited patiently.

Mara stared at him. She had prepared smart ways to provoke him and a million insults. Now that she stood before him she was not so sure it was even something she desired, provoking him. In her mind she had defeated him in combat again and again and yet standing before the dark yellow-eyed figure in front of her made it so painfully clear that those were childish fantasies.

"I owe you, you know?" Darth Zorn then said to her surprise. Mara stared at him. "They say every journey begins with a first step. You were my first step. Through you I learned ... how little you all are ... how much I have been forced to live among lesser beings. Weaklings. Through you I found strength." He opened his mouth and then smiled. "This gratitude is used up."

She felt his forceful entry into her presence and her throat tightened. Her defenses were wiped away as if they were nothing to him. He had maybe not even recognized they were there. His hands came forth from behind her back and her lightsaber was ripped from her hand with a wave of two fingers. Mara's eyes widened in horror.

"Kneel." She gasped. Simply because there was nothing else to say.

Zorn nodded and turned around again, as she went to her knees.

"Smart girl." He replied, his lip curling up in amused disgust.

---------

There were minor elements left of the former Inquisitors. Tremayne, Vialco, Jaalib Brandl ... there were Jedi wandering lost and desperate about their losses ... there were also the youngest ones. Those who had never been trained. Jade was incredibly helpful finding them all. Zorn lured them all to his new temple and tested them. Many did not pass. Some joined the ranks. Their numbers grew. So did his control over the powers of the dark embrace. Soon he would fully control it.

Plans began to form. Plans to set the galaxy on fire ... a fire so absolute Anakin Skywalker would never be able to ignore it.

It was six months after he had vanished when he signaled his lone X-Wing floating near Naboo to use the royal code of the Amidala family to connect with the holo-network and deliver his message.

Finally he announced himself.


Tag: @Sinrebirth

 

Darth Zorn
Ancient Ruins, Unknown Planet



Darth Zorn had chosen the planet with care. Probably forgotten by the galaxy his father had once told him about this place. The ancient ruins of unknown purpose and origin, predating the Jedi and Sith ... young Luke had always wanted to see them. Now he made them his new home. The two Sith Intruder were safely stowed away. Eventually he would use them to sneak back into the galaxy. But for now he had all he needed and wanted right here.

The ten children fought in the courtyard over the privilege of their own lightsaber. Four lightsaber he had. Two from Wyyrlock, one each from Krayt and Maul. The lightsaber of Kenobi was not for any of his students. It had resisted his attempts to change it yet and had remained it's blue blade. It was as if the stubbornness of the old owner had possessed the weapon. Zorn kept it in his simple private quarters with the holocron of XoXaan. No student was allowed to go near them. The consequence of disobeying that rule was death.

So the first rule had been created. The students had been obedient. More rules would follow. This was now an academy. A place of learning. The cold stone of these ruins was the birthplace of a new Order of the Sith. It would also be a perfect breeding ground for his own power.

Zorn closed his eyes and reached into the force. Since he had left Korriban his senses seemed to be more acute, trained under the brutal pressure of the Dark Side world he felt they were now sharpened. He felt his father. An echo around an absence. He had feared he was dead, but somehow he was certain he was not. There wasn't much else left to feel. Some spots of darkness. Somewhere he felt Mara Jade. She reached out to him as he had reached out to his father. Hunting.


Darth Zorn felt the cold hold of the Embrace, but he also felt the inability of the destructive power to overpower him. Inside the soul the growing powers of Zorn and the raging cold darkness of the Dark Side had come to a stalemate. A constant battle that weakened him considerably. Therefore he knew his final test had to wait. His father ... he would be unable to defeat him in this weakened state. Yet, knowing he was too strong to loose this battle it was a matter of time until Darth Zorn mastered the forces trying to consume him. Once he had control over them, he would be more powerful than any leaving creature. Even more powerful than his father, whose powers were great, but eternally crippled by his inability to embrace his destiny.

He would destroy him and take this destiny like he took the destiny of all the others. Finally he would be the Chosen One. Nothing would stand in his way. His vision would be the fate of the galaxy.

But first he had to rest ... and send his farewell to the galaxy for now. R2 would do that.

------------

Many months later ...

A silent call, a secret whisper and finally a cold embrace of the invitation. His presence spread. Unheard by any except those for who it was meant. Those uninitiated. Those in need of purpose. The numbers were growing. The children were joined by others.

Darth Zorn looked down at the courtyard, where a sole minor inquisitor who had joined his call trained the children in the basic techniques of the force. Zorn himself had meditated and then had felt the presence. He felt it now even closer.

"Ignite this lightsaber and I assure you I will do things to your spine no medical droid can repair." Zorn said with a calm voice. He felt Mara Jade's hesitation. The call had reached her of course and naturally she had followed it to what she had assumed her prey. But on the way she had heard ... rumors. Darth Wyyrlock slain? Darth Maul, too? Even the great Obi-Wan Kenobi? Bit by bit she must have understood this was not a young boy she faced anymore. Not a man with a lack of training and great potential. But how shocking had it had to be now. Finally she found the boy and felt this power ... this power she was probably very familiar with.

A Sith.

"You are no Sith, just a boy with Daddy issues ..." Mara spit out in an attempt to once again regain conversational dominance.

Zorn smiled and turned. A smile that seemed to say ... because that worked so well last time .

"Those like you actually don't have a say in that." He said honestly. Then he stepped closer as she came from the shadows. Her hands were around a lightsaber she had got somewhere. Zorn looked at it. A Jedi weapon, he could tell.

"Those like me ..." Mara smiled, but the smile did not show the confidence it should. She had fantasized of teaching the boy a lesson and now faced an avalanche of power. Zorn lay his head aside. He reached deep into her soul and let some of his darkness fill her. Conditioned by Palpatine she could not resist.

"A simple choice." Darth Zorn said and folded his hands behind his back. "Try or kneel." He looked at her and waited patiently.

Mara stared at him. She had prepared smart ways to provoke him and a million insults. Now that she stood before him she was not so sure it was even something she desired, provoking him. In her mind she had defeated him in combat again and again and yet standing before the dark yellow-eyed figure in front of her made it so painfully clear that those were childish fantasies.

"I owe you, you know?" Darth Zorn then said to her surprise. Mara stared at him. "They say every journey begins with a first step. You were my first step. Through you I learned ... how little you all are ... how much I have been forced to live among lesser beings. Weaklings. Through you I found strength." He opened his mouth and then smiled. "This gratitude is used up."

She felt his forceful entry into her presence and her throat tightened. Her defenses were wiped away as if they were nothing to him. He had maybe not even recognized they were there. His hands came forth from behind her back and her lightsaber was ripped from her hand with a wave of two fingers. Mara's eyes widened in horror.

"Kneel." She gasped. Simply because there was nothing else to say.

Zorn nodded and turned around again, as she went to her knees.

"Smart girl." He replied, his lip curling up in amused disgust.

---------

There were minor elements left of the former Inquisitors. Tremayne, Vialco, Jaalib Brandl ... there were Jedi wandering lost and desperate about their losses ... there were also the youngest ones. Those who had never been trained. Jade was incredibly helpful finding them all. Zorn lured them all to his new temple and tested them. Many did not pass. Some joined the ranks. Their numbers grew. So did his control over the powers of the dark embrace. Soon he would fully control it.

Plans began to form. Plans to set the galaxy on fire ... a fire so absolute Anakin Skywalker would never be able to ignore it.

It was six months after he had vanished when he signaled his lone X-Wing floating near Naboo to use the royal code of the Amidala family to connect with the holo-network and deliver his message.

Finally he announced himself.


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Mace Windu...
Hyperspace...

As the blue swirl of hyperspace spun outside the front viewport, Mace Windu allowed his eyes to come in and out of focus, reading and rereading the message. It was so much gibberish, and yet...

Mace Windu had heard of the World Between Worlds, read about the Aiing-Ti monks and their flow walking. Was it possible to change the flow of time? He knew in his feelings this was true. That Ahsoka had been right.

Ahsoka. How the Order had wronged her. Perhaps she could have helped rebuild. But then, she didn't owe the Order anything. Master Windu sighed and sank further into his chair. He would have liked to have made amends. Perhaps she knows that. He remembered the feeling of her voice skipping across his brain, like fingertips on a bannister: "Thank you." She knew.

Windu had spent the rest of this trip catching up on the news, as odd as that felt. He'd spent so many years on Ossus obsessively compiling information about the universe at large, keeping abreast of the galaxy's condition as the Jedi sat in hiding, and now in the course of so little time, so much had been overturned. He set his jaw. It's possible - probably - that very little of what he read was reliable, but it was a place to start.

Windu smiled as he remembered Master Kenobi's penchant for investigation. Perhaps he was watching over him, here. Of the destinations mentioned in the message, only one was possible for him. The Father had chosen him. The Father had given him the dagger. And so now Mace Windu would have to find his way to the Father's home.

An alarm bell sounded and the old Jedi watched as the brilliant blue-white of hyperspace resolved itself into realspace. Before him, in the distance, an enormous geometric shape, spinning in the void, like the Tho-Yor of old. This was Mortis. It called to him.

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