Star Wars CLOSED Star Wars: Episode VI: Twilight of the Force III: A Son’s Destiny

OOC: The following is a combo with @Lady Belligerent and @Sinrebirth – thank you so much!!


IC: Sybelle and the Graul Family
The Battlefield, Coruscant

Waking from what she could only guess was her eternal rest, Sybelle was suddenly standing in Hell. It was obviously Coruscant, but a Coruscant that was being decimated by fighting. Her heart ached for the lives lost and the destruction of historic structures, everything else could be replaced over time.

She shook her head and took a closer look at the other beings around her, some of them appeared as confused as she felt. "Pardon my ignorance," she asked one of the women, "I’ve been away for a while, can you tell me what’s happened?"

Gaeriel looked over. "We all died, and now we're all back. It's utter pandemonium," she pointed. "But I guess that's the bad guy." She indicated the black-armoured man, and then the burly Yuuzhan Vong and refined-looking Sith Lord. "And I'd guess those are his lieutenants." She winced. "Not sure why we're back."

"So we can atone," Jalynn said, and she lifted her hands and sent a tumbling piece of masonry into a man clothed in black and plasteel and blood. Little Arek, a teenager, looked at the woman.

"We're the Graul family, the Eternal Family," he said, not with the teenage bluster one would expect.

Sybelle nodded slowly that she had indeed heard their replies, the woman who answered her first confirmed her suspicion. She had been returned to the living, but why? How was one even selected for reincarnation? Reanimating? Was there a lottery for this sort of thing?

Gah! She was overthinking the situation. The young man seemed her best bet for answers, and he had touched her heart with his serious countenance. She moved over to stand closer to him, "Mr. Graul, I’m Sybelle, I feel like I’m at a terrible disadvantage here, do you know why your companion is attacking the man in black?" It seemed best not to interrupt the young woman who was of the opinion that there was something to atone for.

"Because he's trying to kill us," she said drily. A second man dove up, firing at them. Gaeriel tugged at Arek and the Chiss woman. Jalynn wove debris as a shield. "Do you have a weapon, or do you intend to keep chatting?"

There were Jedi, Sith, droids, monsters, troopers, maniacs... the entire cosmos seemed to have gone mad.

Sybelle rolled her eyes and sighed, "that’s a perfectly helpful explanation," she mumbled under her breath. It had certainly not helped her to understand why someone, or something, had raised women and children from the grave to be attacked.

"Do you see a weapon?" Sybelle asked, "I’m afraid my rock-throwing skills aren’t up to par with yours." She shook her head over the madness. This was a lot to take in for a woman who chose a life far away from conflict. She was one of the people who came in years later to sift through the debris for valuable clues as to why these beings destroyed each other.

"I need a valid reason, besides 'he hit me first,' before I’m going to harm or kill another being," Sybelle insisted.

"Because he’s going to try and kill you if you don’t?" Jalynn hissed. One of the Nihil threw a grenade, and Arek reached for it, but it exploded and covered the Graul’s with some kind of goop. Gaeriel struggled against it, as a Nihil with a wicked-looking blade stalked towards them.

"Help us, please!"

Sybelle had no weapon, but this fellow's blade looked interesting. It wasn’t terribly valuable, or wouldn’t have been in her time, but it looked filthy enough to at least give someone a nasty infection.

She held her hand out and accessed the Force, it was something she had ignored for most of her life, but she didn’t want the young man to be killed. In her mind’s eye, she saw the blade pulling from the Nihil and sailing through the air and into her hand. Did she imagine it? Did it move?

She focused and poured all her strength into pulling the weapon away and into her hands.

It yanked into her hand, and the Nihil looked perplexed. It followed the blade's journey and hissed. He went got a blaster -

A moment later, the dust revealed one more man; a human who had died to leave this realm and take a Darkness away from it… and so was brought back.

Aryan Graul.

Except this Aryan was not born of this timeline. He came from another, the Force tapping into his psyche to summon him through the nocturnal realm of sleep. During the time when the physical body rested, the mind continued to wander, which was the closest an entity could ever come to becoming transient. This allowed for a natural transition. The brain would simply process the experience as another dream or vision; as if passing through another place and time.

This technique worked exceptionally well when the brain itself had been traumatized, shattering the mental abilities of an individual and rendering them delirious... or broken.

That was the case for Aryan Graul when he finally awoke from his slumber and gasped with a long, anguished cry. He heaved pitifully in an effort to control his erratic breathing, but it proved futile as long as his heart continued to beat rapidly, pumping adrenaline throughout his enfeebled body. He began to rise to compensate for the rush, staggering under his own weight—but then he hesitated.

Despite the fear that was evident in his wide eyes, his expression remained relatively vacant. It was as if he was lost, or perhaps distracted by some distant thought. And yet, as he surveyed his surroundings for the first time, he gaped at the sheer complexity of the scene. It made no sense to him. There were far too many variables to fully comprehend the extent of the ongoing conflict—it was a conflict, right? It was difficult to tell with so many beings gathered together in a chaotic mix of alien and human. They were all strangers to him; he had no recollection of ever seeing them before, and so they meant nothing—

Wait.

No… not quite.

"Jay," he stammered in a slurred whisper, recognition briefly flitting across his features.

Jalynn. He knew her. She was his daughter, and she often came to visit him at the Cottage. They had long talks, arranged for walks outside the facility in the warm sunshine, and shared meals together. She had also brought him gifts.

A hint of a smile came to his lips, but it quickly faded when he canted his head to regard her companion… a Chiss?

Suddenly, a memory emerged from within the darkest recesses of his mind, breaking through the mental fog to reach the surface of his awareness. It was a rare occurrence for Aryan to recall something from his past, so he eagerly latched onto it and savored the moment.

What he saw was a Chiss woman, so similar to the one currently standing beside his daughter. Was she the same Chiss woman who had visited him in the past? Within his dreams?

Or… had it been real?

Before he could process his feelings and convert them into coherent thoughts, the images began to fade back into the ether…

No.

Come back.

And then they were gone, lost to the whims of his addled mind.

With a weary sigh, Aryan slumped back on his haunches and continued to stare at the woman, oblivious to the danger that surrounded him.



Sybelle tossed the blade aside when she saw the Nihil grab a blaster. "Ugh! Why am I in the middle of this?" She grumbled to herself and then a man appeared right in front of her, and he looked as out of place as she felt.

Her first impulse was to soothe him, and offer information. Hell, she was still disoriented and had no idea what the kriff "eternal family" even meant.

"We need to move," she said calmly to the man. She didn’t want to upset him, but this was a very precarious position, "can you stand? We really must get somewhere safe," she put her arm around the newcomer's waist to assist him to his feet, "my name is Sybelle, and I’ll help you."

Aryan’s lips moved wordlessly as he struggled to process the scene unfolding around him. His concentration was so great that he did not immediately protest when the woman laid her hands upon his waist to assist him. In truth, he had grown accustomed to the White-Coats attending to him at various points throughout the day, so he merely submitted himself to more of the same.

Naturally, he regained his balance and rose to his feet, but when he turned to thank his newest benefactor, Aryan found that he was uncomfortably close to the stranger’s face. The close proximity stirred his awareness and conjured another hazy memory from the distant past. It depicted a Chiss woman conversing with him in a domestic setting, her voice muted while she shared intimate secrets with him. While he could not pinpoint the exact moment, he felt an intense sense of longing that ultimately compelled him to reach up and touch Sybelle’s face.

As his fingers brushed against her pale skin, a name materialized within his mind. Aryan spoke it aloud before it could become another casualty of his declining mental state.

"Bell."

There was a continuing tide of violence, and it didn't seem to have an ending.

It couldn't.

Each side was approximately as powerful as the other.

But one side had Vader.

Aryan would see the man in the distance, wrestling with Mandalorians; Yuuzhan Vong, Nihil, Sith - they were all here. Aryan would be especially damaged by it all, unable to remember precisely when he was.

For Sybelle's purposes, there was a purr from inside the man; in her head.

Oh, there you are.

The voice echoed inside his head, merging with his thoughts and emotions as if they were his own. It further contributed to the chaos by creating a maze of perceptions that made it nearly impossible to sort through the confusion. As a result, Aryan struggled to maintain his touch on reality. This was evident by the way his eyes frantically searched his surroundings in a vain effort to find clarity…

… but he found none.

Vader.

Vong.

They were both dead…

And yet…?

No.

Alive.

They were… here?!

NO!

STOP!

With a feral growl, Aryan lunged forward and grasped desperately for Sybelle’s arms, his fingers curling into fists as he found purchase on her shirt. He held onto her and refused to let go, pulling her toward him with a strength that seemed unnatural for someone in his condition.

As he drew her close, the mysterious voice continued to echo within his mind. It was the same utterance repeated incessantly, accompanied by an inner warmth that captivated him with its seductive power. Ultimately, he succumbed to its irresistible allure and parted his lips to speak.

"There… you arrrreee," Aryan recited in a guttural snarl, his voice adopting an inhuman quality as he stared into her eyes.

Sybelle was taken aback momentarily by the familiarity in the man’s tone, but then she recalled a select few had called her "Belle", but they had been her lovers. It was plausible that the stranger shortened her name, but there was no mistaking the way he looked at her. It was as if she was familiar and intimate, Sybelle felt sensations from his touch that ran to areas she didn’t care to think about on a battlefield.

Oh, there you are.

That voice stopped her in her tracks.

It was in her mind…someone spoke it inside her head in a strange voice.

"Kriffing hell, access the damned Force once in a century and now there are voices in my head," Sybelle grumbled as she tried to get the man to move with her, but his demeanor was shifting and she was worried he was perhaps having some sort of psychosis event. That realization struck as he pulled her close causing Sybelle to gasp, "uh… I want to help you, but this isn’t the time or place. But, yes… I’m right here."

The stranger had a firm grip on her, and he was stronger by far. She tried to pry his fingers loose, all while keeping an eye on how close the Nihil were.

He didn’t smell of alcohol at least, but she trembled when he snarled and repeated the same words that she’d heard in her mind. "I’ve already died, so you won't frighten me by snarling," she said firmly, "now, come on."

The authoritative tone of the woman’s voice caused Aryan to hesitate. It infiltrated the mental fog that had hindered him and made its way deep into the recesses of his mind, eliciting a spark of clarity. The elusive voice had also gone silent—if only momentarily, allowing him to recompose himself.

"Already… died," Aryan repeated warily, his voice dissolving into a garbled slur. His grip then slackened, one hand falling freely from Sybelle’s arm as he canted his head to search the horizon. Again, he noted Vader's commanding presence as a Yuuzhan Vong contingent accompanied him across the battlefield. Their existence was an impossibility. "All of them… they’re… gone. Already died."

As he shuffled along at the Chiss woman's side, his hand wavered toward the offending figures. "Do you… know them?" he asked in a more lucid tone, his blue eyes reflecting his keen curiosity. "What about… me?"

The question triggered a familiar routine, one he had taught himself to recite whenever he felt himself faltering. It was a simple mantra that served as both his anchor and his "gateway" into the wider world. It kept him grounded in reality. Without it, he feared that he would become lost.

"My name is Aryan Graul. I have dementia. I live in the Cottage Nursing Home—"

TAG: @Lady Belligerent; @Sinrebirth; those on Coruscant

 

IC: The Master of Masters
Mortis

Half the black spheres were distracted from Mother, and the Master grinned as the Father seized one orb of memory; it was Force Lightning!

The bolts fed into the spheres and they absorbed the energy to spit out reciprocal daggers of blue, as if attached to stakes - piercing the Father and taking him down for the moment.

Son was a whirling dervish, one shadow-clone down even as the other four fell upon him, opening a half dozen gashes in his body in return. The cuts were circumspect, designed to wound and pain and disable, not yet to kill.

The Mother made her speech and the Master snorted, before realisation crept in. Daughter had arrived. Which meant -

When Mother exerted herself, there were four, not one. The Force blast of power slammed his clones and him back, and he tumbled. He hadn’t been quick enough to kill them - but he was sure at least one of the Ones would quip at the former Barriss Offee that she should have been quicker!

The holy healing factor would have the Son and Father up and running again soon enough. The Master flexed a gloved hand and a fountain of flame appeared before him and rushed at Daughter -

Another circular gesture and a semi-circle of ice daggers appeared above him and then dove for Mother -

The six black spheres hovered above them, ready to draw any energy based attacks into them and to respond with piercing light. Electricity, pyro-kinesis, cyro magicks - they’d all be reciprocated in the same manner that has speared Father; whose technical knowledge continued to rebound around the arena in sparkling golden balls.

The Master glowered at the Father and Son, and vanished. He was invisible. Another wind based attack rushed at the Son, intending to divest him of his knowledge of Force techniques, and then a half dozen invisible shadow-clones rushed the Father - only illuminated by the twin-blue blades he held behind him -

Kill the Chaos; unbalance the Family.

His intent was murderously clear.

TAG: @TheSilentInfluence, @CosmoHender, @darthbernael, @Shadowsun (finale combo)
—-
IC: Darth Vader
Desperate; Battle of Coruscant

The Mandalorian’s seemed to be growing in number. Other members of the extended family of Tor were joining them, including Mirdala, adding to the fire that Owen, Jerod, Ka’rta and others were hurling at him.

Vader released his hold of the Beacon to focus. Tor had the Darksaber, but his weaving of the lightsaber, the hands he raised to catch or deflect bolts, they were becoming too numerous to account for. His suit was compromised, and he could feel bolts impact not just plasteel but flesh too.

He was all powerful!

They had tricks and guns!

He was a God!

Vader roared, a metallic noise that hammered upon them all -

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422 (finale combo)
—-
A flank

Tsalok began to be crushed upon by the Vongspawn monstrosity, and there was a sound of a blaster bolt as Anor concentrated. The shot took Anor in the side of the throat, emerging from behind. It was, in theory, a death wound, though his assailant doubted it would stop the man.

“Doesn’t feel nice, does it, dying?”

Ike sneered at her, and gestured with his own hand, a clawed one. His Vongsense divided the creatures, and Tsalok stood, bloodied, and roared. The Yuuzhan Vong roared back, and began to follow him in charging at the Jedi and GEMINI line again.

“Let’s finish this, girl.“

He eyed Soliloquy, a roiling mass of flesh and sorcery, and he pointed his blaster. It was a simple enough weapon, and he appreciated its simplicity. The other Black-Coat, his hood having dropped back to reveal Arb, simply backed off, grinning.

Ike fired for the Croke’s heart, and with a gestured hand, the selfsame horde of Vongspawn descended on Soliloquy.

Ike wasn’t playing.

“Dance, monsters, dance!”

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto x 2 (finale combo)
—-
the other flank

The Beacon slammed to the floor by Leia’s feet. There was a colossal crack running through the Kyber Crystal, violently so. It wasn’t good at all.

The Sith cut at the line, a good two dozen Tribe and a High Lord starting an encirclement of Leia, Almira, Renn and Vhardia. Beaumont pointed his blaster and fired at one, diving from the deflected bolt.

Leia would have a vision.

A technique she would one day read about in the Jedi holy texts, as their Grandmaster. How to heal a Kyber Crystal; it required an inordinate amount of Force power. A life-threatening amount, from a single Force user.

The vision leaked across her bond with Almira, Renn and Vhardia - but even Vader saw it, with his prodigious powers. But Vader wouldn’t risk is life with his strength to do what could - would, might a kill Leia, Renn, Vhardia or Almira -

The Nightsister threw her hand out and blew rocky-metal filled rubble at the Sith to delay them. “Don’t.”

TAG: @darthhelinith, @TheSilentInfluence, @darthbernael (finale combo).
—-
Centre

Isolder sat up, looking weak but well enough. “Don’t worry about the Graul’s.” He coughed. “We need to concentrate here.”

Zara had fallen in with them, besides herself in tears as she shot at the Yuuzhan Vong stragglers that made it around the formation of Jedi and GEMINI droids and New Republic heroes. Tycho, Del, Winter and more besides held that line, but Isolder could see where Feyna’s attention was flittering.

Yuuzhan Vong on both sides. One had just been shot, but -

“You can do it. In five years… we’ve never tried to reason with them. We’ve not been able to do. If you speak to them, you could do it. If anyone could, it’s you.”

He winced and pulled out his comlink. “Set it took loudspeaker. Say the words.”

Nola had a more dramatic moment when a Yuuzhan Vong broke between Winter and Tycho and swung for Del -

In the middle of this little moment did too sit Jori Atreus. Her perspective gave her the ability to see a group of four Nihil raiders in black garb sneaking among the wreckage with the intent to pounce on the Queen Mother’s retinue.

TAG: @JediMasterAnne (finale combo), @TheAdmiral (finale single)
—-
Aside

Arb slinked around the battle, as he was want to do. It wasn’t that he wanted the Twilight Timeline to collapse, he simply had his own plans.

Hadn’t been easy sneaking out of the Netherworld through one of Anakin’s portals. No sir. The Ones had sealed the entrances to the World Between Worlds, you see. Once upon a time the Protectors - the predecessors to the Jedi Order - could have forged a Key in a simple Kyber Crystal. But now you’d need a One, or a trio of Keys, and those Keys had been scattered among Holocrons, Forcesabers, Tho Yor spheres, and Staffs; thirteen in total in actuality, but who was counting.

So he may as well cash in while the allies were keeping this timeline alive. Which meant… “Marana, was it?”

He waved to get her attention. “Yeah, your Son wasn’t gonna be brought back. Bad juju, poppet. Your husband? Also dead. Sad, I know. But I know a version of him… how’s that sound?”

A gesture and a Force tug yanked Tarkin over. “And your son? Very dead. Eriadu? Vong chowder five years ago. But what about a Tarkinate?”

He smiled wanly.

“Wanna come?”

TAG: @darthbernael (finale combo)
—-
The main force

In the centre of the fray was an unholy mess of all sides. New Republic soldiers, Yuuzhan Vong strays, Mandalorian’s, Sith, GEMINI droids, Nihil… and three Protectors.

It hadn’t been their doing.

Kyp, Xundel, Adalia, they’d not done anything - they simply were jostled by the conflict and it parted to leave them.

In the middle.

On one side; the ostensible enemy.

Yuuzhan Vong, Sith, Nihil, Death Watch.

On the other; the ostensible friends.

Jedi, New Republic soldiers, GEMINI droids, Mandalorian’s.

Far behind the enemy lines? A group of Mandalorian elites swarmed Darth Vader.

Far behind their lines? Yuuzhan Vong and Sith attempted to slaughter the Hero’s of the Galaxy.

What would the Protectors do?

What could they?

TAG: @darthbernael, @Adalia-Durron (finale combo)
—-
Behind friendly lines

‘Behind’ was fairly relative.

Even the front line was full of holes, thus Nihil raiders managing to reach the heart of matters.

The Graul’s; a Chiss who appeared where perhaps she should not; the Solo family. Darth Vader was even further away as the battle expanded between them, and he was driven back by a Mandalorian horde. But they were being driven together by the rush, and a crossover that may have not happened…

Did.

Xaverri fired through the forehead of a Nihil. Lumpawaroo took another shot at a Sith who misjudged the Wookiee and exploded. Jalynn took the hand to Arek and they both flipped a girder atop a Yuuzhan Vong, to protect their mother and this strange man who appeared to be both their father and not.

The confusion was spreading to the battle itself, with the entire violence coming apart into pockets. But in this moment, three families had a crossover that would Change their worlds.

Especially when Aryan caught the coattails of a memory that wasn’t his; that said Han was dead, killed by his son…

…

Yes, yes.

The voice was inside Han’s head, speaking to Sybelle.

Call me Caedus.

A chuckle.

It’ll make things simpler for us all.

TAG: @HanSolo29, @Lady Belligerent (finale combo)

 

The Great and Final Battle of Coruscant raged without pause.

Two armies, both closely matched following an extended and violent engagement.

What had been a space battle had fallen to the surface and continued to be fought in the wreckage of the Jedi Temple.

The Beacon was damaged; Vader still lived, for now.

The End of Time stood on the edge of a blade.

On Mortis, the Master of Many Names faced off with the new Ones, who would dare to even exist.

The Twilight Timeline was close to Dawn, and to Dusk.

It stood on the terminator between the two.

For Twilight could be either.

The Road to Dawn...

... or the Road to Destruction.

Thus the last words were spoken, acted upon, chosen.

When the dust settled, who would have won?

TAG: @TheAdmiral, @JediMasterAnne, @darthhelinith, @darthbernael, @galactic-vagabond422, @HanSolo29, @Lady Belligerent, @CosmoHender, @TheSilentInfluence, @Mitth_Fisto, @Adalia-Durron (finale combos continue)

 

IC: Infinity
War

The Force began to crack.

The violence, it continued on.

It wasn't coming to an end.

Not yet.

Not quite yet.

But if it didn't?

In the next moment, or two?

The Force would cease to be.

It would merely be a Wound of Wounds...

... and it would End.

This.

Was.

It.

TAG: @TheAdmiral, @JediMasterAnne, @darthhelinith, @darthbernael, @galactic-vagabond422, @HanSolo29, @Lady Belligerent, @CosmoHender, @TheSilentInfluence, @Mitth_Fisto, @Adalia-Durron (finale combos end THIS WEEK OR THE FORCE DIES ON TUESDAY!!!)

 

OOC: Fun combo with @darthhelinith, @TheSilentInfluence, and @Sinrebirth

IC Renn Turon, Vhardia, Leia
Battle of Coruscant

Renn had ridden out the rising rubble, well aware that the SIth Lord had been trying to use it to impale him. He danced and moved, a huge yet agile being, as he escaped the fate that Vader was trying to impose on him. The Beacon escaped him as he moved, causing some worry but he could see that Leia was after the device.

A sigh of frustration came from his broad mouth as he saw that the device was cracked. It would need to be repaired to be able to function once more. Glancing at Vhardia, ”We need to help Leia, that Beacon needs to be lit to be able to rouse the galaxy.”

Vhardia nodded, acknowledging Renn. It was odd to be back in a living body again, there was more resistance when you moved and everything felt slightly slower, more real.
She looked towards her adopted daughter while blocking stray fire.

"Leia, do you want me to help you or cover you?"

Leia looked up at Renn and Vhardia. "I want you to cover me. This is something I have to do on my own." She gave them an apologetic look, full of sorrow. Like she knew this could very well be the end for her.

"If I don't make it. Take care of my family." She looked at Almira and then back at her other parents. "Don't let anything happen to Almira...or Tor."

The Beacon had a single rivulet of crack through it.

Almira went to go after Leia, disregarding her final wish -

There was a surge of the battle, and half a dozen rushed towards Leia and Renn - a pair each of Sith, Nihil and Yuuzhan Vong -

Renn smiled as Vhardia asked Leia what she wished of them. He nodded at the response, preparing himself. He could feel Leia, feel she felt this could be their last moments. Which, of course, was when their foes decided to charge. He sighed, their ‘daughter’ was more important than them in this moment. As more limbs grew from his torso one gently touched Leia’s shoulder.

”Do what you must, we will protect you to the end.” he murmured as he stepped past her to face all six of the new foes on his own, for now. Suddenly all six hands he now sported lit up, a riot of blue, green, yellow, and red coming from the now lit sabers. He grew in height as he roared, ”Come get some!” as the sabers spun and he lashed out at the outer warriors on either side of the group charging toward them.

Vhardia nodded softly to Leia, quickly bending down and kissing her former apprentice's forehead before jumping up towards Renn.

"Hey, leave some for me, big guy."

She leapt up his frame, standing astride one of the neti's shoulders, using the height gained to gain a quick overview of the immediate situation before leaping towards the two sith, intending to use the momentum of her jump to force them backwards, maybe even knock one over with a few missing limbs, if she was lucky.

"Stay back!" Leia yelled, although she was mostly talking to Almira. She smiled at Vhardia and Renn, a sad sort of smile.

"I love you all. But I have to do this to save everyone." Leia focused her energy into the beacon, everything she had left. They had to get help. And Leia was ready to give her life to do so.

She looked at Almira. "Take care of yourself. You're not alone. I love you."

Leia's energy poured into the Kyber Crystal.

Into healing the Beacon.

It went, and went, and went.

Almira dropped to her knees, and as the Sith struggled to handle Vhardia and Renn.

It was going to be over soon.

"I love you," Almira said to Leia.

But she said it such a way as to say goodbye.

Her robes grew red, as her rage burned through her, like the Nightsister Mother's of old.

She held her hands in her face.

Two Sith tumbled, bowled over by Vhardia's weight, and they tripped up the two behind -

Another two dove around, lightning clawed, and tried to shoot Vhardia out of the air, while the four Sith sought desperately to disentangle themselves and get behind Renn to Vhardia -

Malice poured into the Force, and a single man, looking coifed and proud, stood behind them.

It was the Grand Lord of the Sith himself.

A man who, in another time and place, would stand up to Luke Skywalker.

High Lord Workan sneered, and pointed a hand, intending to shove Vhardia down into the ground -

Vhardia slashed down at the sith she'd landed on, intending to end their lives quickly and not give them the chance to get up again.

She leapt forward to deal with the next pair, with another couple of wide slashes, determined to cut through the sth forces as quickly as possible, leaving the ones shooting lightning for Renn to deal with.

She slipped and tumbled as a force push shoved her down and came seconds away from impaling herself on her own lightsaber.

Rookie error. She thought to herself as she retaliated with a hard force push of her own in the direction of the seething malice.

Renn’s lightsabers wove through air, a kaleidoscope of light. As they moved, he advanced on the Sith and the lightning. The blades before him, they drew in much of the energy, the remainder making his bark, near his hands, smoke slightly. His eyes began to glow a bright yellow color as he stepped closer. The middle pair of sabers pointed at the Sith, releasing their own lightning back at the two that had released it first.

He noted Vhardia and how she’d been pushed, eyes narrowing at the dark presence of the High Lord. And then…a wave of loss reached him from behind, he could feel Almira’s grief, her pain. A deep sigh escaped his lips but he had to give Leia as much time as possible, even if it cost them dearly. He towered over the Sith and his sabers lashed out, the upper two of the six slashing at their necks.

Leia focused on the beacon, trying to ignore how Almira was grieving already. She turned to look at her for a moment, heart aching.

"I love you too."

She looked back at the beacon, trying to focus. She let a few tears run down her face her face as she willed things to work out. They needed help.

Please let this reach someone.

The Force burst free of Leia, and she knew that she was dead. The Crystal blazed with light, clearly healed, clearly powerful, clearly ready -

Almira fainted. Into unconsciousness she fell, and thus into the gap between life and death.

Where Leia was, for a handful more seconds.

As for High Lord Workan? He flexed a hand and deflected Vhardia’s Force push aside, crashing it into and through a host of lesser enemies. He didn’t even notice.

Renn’s height saw his foes lose their heads, almost comically, as the High Lord of the Sith bore down on Vhardia -

A powerful Force exertion turned her wrist, bending it to the point of breaking, and he flicked his saber forward with the intent of impaling her -

It was mere coincidence that his blade was aimed where Abeloth had stabbed her.

Renn moved, flowed, as fast as he possibly could. In the same moment he reached out with the Force, attempting to slow the saber. He sighed and grunted as he popped up before Vhardia, the blade of the saber impaling him on his left thigh. He dropped to a knee as he concentrated, pushing the blade out of himself. Green sap oozed from the wound, sizzling as it moved around the heated area that the blade of the saber had caused as he pushed it from his flesh.

He reached out, grasping the lightsaber with his will, throwing it with all the power he could, far from the current battle. His eyes, a brilliant yellow now, focused on the High Lord, ”No, not this time…” he said, his tone low.

A sorrowful keening followed as he felt the death of Leia, even more pain in his eyes. Breathing deeply, he set himself, a bolt of Emerald Lightning flowing from one hand at the Sith lord. He sought to interrupt the pain the man was causing his wife and, hopefully, at least injure him.

The skies of Coruscant seemed to be acquiring hair-line fractures...

"Leia..." Vhardia whispered to herself as she sensed rather than saw the woman's passing.

She felt the grip on her lessen slightly with Renn's intervention and she used the moment to set up a force shield, to force the dark energies under the Dark Lord of the Sith's control to let go. Her teeth gritted with pain. Removing the tightly clamped energies was like trying to peel off a vice, her skin close to tearing with the force of it, though with the joint for the wrist already broken, the discomfort was negligible by comparison.

She pulled her wrist close to her body, trying to support it in the fold of her robes as she took up her lightsaber hilt again with her non-dominant hand.

The blade sank into Renn and the Sith sneered, a backhanded motion slamming into the Neti and sending him tumbling - but then the lightning hit Workan and he winced, staggering, smoking, realising he’d lost his blade -

His eyes widened as he saw Vhardia had simply swapped hands -

The High Lord of the Sith lifted his hands to summon a concentrated bolt -

Intending to take advantage of the opening Renn had provided, Vhardia leapt forward, swinging with her left hand to decapitate the Dark Lord of the Sith once and for all.

Renn’s pain flared in the air as he went over backward. A body as big as his took a long time to roll, to be thrown. He curled into a ball, grunting as he hit odd protrusions, until he settled his feet and came upright, just in time to see Vhardia launch herself at the Sith Lord.

His eyes flared again and he Pushed, hard, a partial hemisphere of crushed ground forming under his feet as he launched himself. Five of the limbs he had out still held sabers, now held wide, tips pointed inward like a spearpoint as the other flared with emerald lightning, hoping he could deflect whatever energy the Sith was about to fire.

He flew through the air, on the heels of Vhardia’s attack, focused on stopping this powerful Sith, roiling with emotion, knowing he too could go the way that Leia had but knowing there was little other choice.

TAG: @Sinrebirth, @darthhelinith, @TheSilentInfluence, All others at Coruscant

 

Xundel, Adalia, and Kyp
Battle of Coruscant = amazing thanks to our GM and @darthbernael - and to the latter for gathering it and colour coding it all. THANK YOU!!! I did nothing



The battle was raging on all sides. The heroes and villains of the piece were contending for what seemed like the soul of the galaxy. Xundel sighed, this felt as though a major moment, one where it was all balanced on a razor’s edge. That one wrong decision would doom all of reality. He glanced over at the two he’d found as allies so many years ago.

”So…help the good guys, stop the bad guys, or…go find something to drink as they all wipe each other out?”

Adalia looked over to the being. "The last one sounds good."

"Ads, we can't." Kyp said quietly, "its my duty to help."

"Where's that written? Did I miss something?"

"I am a Jedi, I have to do what's right." He explained.

"And I'm not, and there's not written law anymore is there?" She turned to Xundel, "right? Nothing written in stone that says we have to help?"

Xundel snorted but looked at Kyp, ”I was only half joking with the last. But she is right, there is no rule against it and I can feel something trying very hard to end this reality, but it’s not here.”

He sighed, ”That battle, however, is beyond us. So…stop the bad guys then? Let the good guys know that those who may be gray understand the need to protect reality.”

"Reality? How can we talk about reality when fifteen minutes ago I was dying somewhere completely not here!" Adalia was exasperated as she glanced at Xundel and looked back to Kyp, "and you said you were dead? How is this reality? What is reality?" She gave her head a shake, "confusion is what this is." She rolled her eyes, "and I told you so, not in stone anywhere."

He couldn't argue with her illogical logic. "I wish I knew what happened, but honestly part of me doesn't want to know. I am here, you are here and that's way better than the alternative." He turned to Xundel, "how do we protect this reality? That's what I want."

The two respective armies were getting their breath; the Jedi, GEMINI droids, New Republic soldiers, and the Sith, Yuuzhan Vong and Nihil.

Strictly speaking, they were still in the middle of it all.

Strictly speaking, the way the various rubbles and debris had fallen upon the broken and burning battlefield, the corridor of wreckage would lead most of them to their location, unless they decamped.

But they would also notice that this was a chokepoint.

Neither side could get to the other without it.

Both factions would have to send precisely three attackers at time into the narrowest point; there they stood.

Behind both forces, the personal battles continued to rage with their forces assaulting the heroes or Vader, but they were cut off and too far away. In many ways... the three Protectors could decide much, for all sides. Side with the light, and lead the charge; side with the dark, and lead the charge.

Or?

Xundel sighed as he looked over the battlefield. He was able to swiftly discern that there was one way in which they could be of use but it meant that they would be the lynchpin to the battle. Lifting the tip of his cane he pointed. ”Just there, the three of us could make a stand there.”

He sighed, knowing this could be their last, their last moments, ”If we block that then it means that only those right here and now can decide the battle, none of the other forces can reach them, Dark or Light.”

He began to stump in that direction. Calling over his shoulder, ”But it will take all three of us, your choice.”

Kyp gave a positive nod and still holding her hand began to follow, but was pulled back by her resistance, he looked back. "Ads, the Force brought us both back together for a purpose, this is that purpose. There is a chance we will get to grow old."

Adalia scowled, her arm extended as she continued to hold his hand. Looking past him at Xundel, "I hate him." She muttered with a pout, "and keep telling me lies and I could learn the same for you." She stomped forward and past him, proceeding to drag him, "well? What're you waiting for?"

Kyp allowed a soft smile but said nothing as he followed.

The horde of Sith, Yuuzhan Vong and Nihil charged first.

Xundel had just managed to reach the chokepoint when three Sith stepped forward, seasoned by five years of surviving in the galactic hellhole. They had ignited blades, and two had lightning gathering in hand, while the third fired a blaster at them -

Xundel’s lightsaber leapt into his hand as his other hand opened, palm out toward the three Sith. A snapped up shield deflected the blaster bolt, off into the sky. There’d not been enough time to focus it so it reflected back at them but he was now ready. His eyes met those of the Sith. ”I don’t think so.” he stated quietly.

The blade of his saber flared to life, ”You shall not pass.” He could feel Adalia and Kyp just behind him and he flicked an ear to block the pass as he grabbed a large chunk of rubble with the Force and threw it at the trio of Sith.

Kyp reacted quickly to the situation, he'd been trained to do so and he knew if they could stop it here, things would be very different. In seconds his hilt was in his hand and the vivid deep purple blade extended. "Watch our back Ads."

Adalia snorted as she noted the Sith. "Great.......just great." She muttered pulling her hilt out, "watching backs." Her lighter purple blade extended. "What am I watching for?"

"No one can get past this point, we're ending this right here." Kyp explained. "Do this right and we have the rest of our lives."

"Supposed to be encouraging me Jediboy, not discouraging me."

The hint of a smile touched his lips, she was in fine form.

Behind them, a group of three GEMINI droids rushed forward, clanking, blasters in hands and immense spears appearing -

The three Sith rushed Xundel, two lashing low at opposing angles -

Xundel leapt high into the air in that instant, spinning, using the momentum of the spin to pull the large piece of debris he’d grabbed with the Force to hurl it in a bounding path toward the droids. As it left his power he was beginning to descend from the leap, saber in his free hand, the cane held in a hammer grip in the other.

It might have been said he was smiling or possibly grimacing, the saber slashing as he fell, lancing out at the third Sith, the one that hadn’t tried to kneecap him.

Adalia heard them as she turned. "Oh this is fun." She said with a sigh as looked at the approaching Gemini droids.

"Your definition of fun is distorted." Kyp muttered, he then glanced over his shoulder. "I stand corrected."

Adalia didn't have much time to think, but she did know this was beyond her ability to fight, lightsaber interaction had never been her strong point. As the debris Xundel had tossed in the path, essentially slowing the droids down, Adalia found herself looking around and side to side she saw what she needed and quickly extinguished her blade and put it back on its clip. She then reached her hands toward the large tightly woven ornate fence piece she'd spotted buried in the rubble, it shook a little as she gritted her teeth and doubled her efforts in the Force, lifting it. Glancing at the droids she then swept her arms left to right, the fence piece moving with the movement directly toward the droids, then connecting. It knocked them and one almost fell, but it wasn't enough. Before the fence fell to the ground, Adalia shoved her hands forward, pushing the wrought iron fence back into the droids and successfully pushing all three of them backwards. They fought her push but as they were slammed into a hard wall of ferrocrete, she kept pushing till sparks began to show and the sound of crushing parasteel could be heard. One of them raised its freed arm, as it was at the edge and the spear in its arm detached and was thrown toward the red haired woman. Adalia reacted by letting out a fierce growl as she pushed the fence hard enough to crush the droids, just as the spear reached her. Letting out a howl of pain as the solid metal spear tore through her thigh, not piercing entirely but certainly causing damage.

He felt it before she cried out, she'd been hurt but Kyp could not stop to help her, nor check on her. Xundel had taken one Sith on, he was to defend against the other on his left, blocking the attack with his blade he used his free hand to shove the Force toward his opponent. "Ads!?! Tell me you're ok?"

Her hand on the wound, and her top teeth into her bottom lip she knew her response had to be positive. "Yeah, good, dandy, stay focused! I won't die if you don't!"

Three Sith were reduced to bloodied, speared, messes.

Three GEMINI droids were mangled into debris.

Behind the Sith came three Yuuzhan Vong warriors, hulking, and beyond Force touch - as were their hurled razor bugs!

Behind the GEMINI droids came three New Republic soldiers, possibly members of Judder Page's Katarn Commando's, lifting oversized blasters and pointing them at the Jedi!

Xundel grunted as he finally landed on the ground again. ”Getting too old for this…” he muttered. Glancing over, he saw the wound Adalia had suffered but she was still on her feet and he suspected this battle was going to get worse before it got better.

At the noise of more bodies approaching, he spun, to face those coming at them. Grunting again, in annoyance, he saw all nine beings headed their way, and this time it wasnt really just the ‘bad guys’ coming at them. Shaking his head, knowing this had to be the fate of those who were gray, who tried to balance things, that they were sought and not in a good way, by both sides he set himself.

And then yelped as a razor bug sliced open one of his long ears. His cane swatted at the one that caught on his cloak, ripping the fabric and drawing lines of pain down his chest. A growl came from his throat, knowing what the creatures were and what that meant about the ones that he couldn’t really feel, in the Force.

Another growl and he reached out, grabbing the blasters of the commandos, to hurl at the Yuuhzan Vong, as he poured energy into them, overloading their circuits.

Pain, but she could bear it, at least if no one made her walk, or worse, run. Adalia watched as Xundel took over for a moment and his move on the attacking Von was impressive, but she knew it wouldn't stop them. "And we're back to fighting the Vong love." She muttered.

"New time, same enemy." Kyp responded as he spun and stepped in front of her, "back me up, you take down what gets through."

Adalia saw it and ducked, "you mean like that!?" she cried as a razor bug whipped past her.

He didn't have time to look or respond as two of the bleeding and badly wounded Vong warriors charged him, he let his breath out slowly as he focused on teh Force to guide him. Stepping forward his blade blocked the attack of them both as they'd both come in high, predictably. Then one drew back to go high again, but the other used his amphistaff to strike at Kyp's legs, he was ready. Leaping off the ground he blocked in coming staff from above, this was getting messy as the warriors blood flicked across him.

Adalia gritted her teeth, the third warrior was coming at her, one arm hung at his side, bleeding and broken bones exposed, the hand missing. She noted the wound but knew from past experience that would not stop the warrior from attacking, if anything it would drive him forward, for the glory of it all. She waited, for a couple reasons, one to lull the enemy into thinking she was weakened by her wound and two, to save her own energy. He let out a battle cry of sorts, lifting his amphistaff high but Adalia didn't move, her eyes flicking from the warrior to his feet. She saw what she needed, and concentrating she was able to flick the lump of ferrocrete up on it's side. The warrior didn't see it as he charged and duly tripped over it, flying forward to land face first on the ground and sliding to her boots. In a move that took a split second, Adalia flipped her saber over and jammed it down into the warrior's head and ripped it sideways. "Got mine!" She called out.

Ducking Kyp threw his hand out, pushing one of the Vong backwards to fall to the ground on his back. "Little help?" He called to her.

She watched his move as he continued to battle the single Yuuzhan Vong and instantly turned her blade off, and reaching out she pulled the remains of a wall down on top of the fallen warrior. "That do?"

The guards watched their blasters clatter to the ground and blow up, wincing. They dove out of the way; nobody was going hand-to-hand with Force users! The Yuuzhan Vong were similarly undone by the sheer resistance they had faced, and the next line marched up -

On one side, Nihil opened fire with blasters set to kill, scattering shots at the three Protectors -

On the other, a trio of Jedi, including Tahiri Veila, Alema Rar, and Zekk, rushed forward, blades of blue, silver and green blazing as they rushed the Protectors, looking confused, worried, and well, ragged, their auras not much lighter than the Sith -

Xundel sighed, he didn’t want to destroy Jedi, they would need them, even some Sith, should any of them survive this battle. He took inspiration from Adalia and pulled down even more rubble, with the Force, creating a temporary barricade before them. He’d heard the blaster shots from behind so tried to move to avoid them, hoping one of the others could deflect or block the bolts.

His will leaped out, pressing against the three Jedi’s minds. His voice was laced with soothing tones, ”Do you truly wish to face Kyp or Adalia, former Jedi Council members? Or someone they call an ally? I can feel you all, we can show you how to survive, to grow, with how you feel now. Aid us and we will help you.” He kept his defenses up, ready to move in a moment, as he waited to see if any of them responded positively.

Adalia spun, she 'felt' them before she saw them, she knew them, or at least she used to. "Stop!" She held her hand up, "you know me, you know us," a glance at Kyp. "Don't make us face you!" She was pleading knowing the 'good and bad' or 'light and dark' were being blurred now and all she wanted was an end. She was not good at mental influences but knew he was, and hoped he was stronger than them.

Having dispatched the last of the Vong attackers, Kyp felt the approach and frowned, 'Jedi'? Turning he saw them and gave his head a shake. They were no match for him; he knew that. He heard Adalia speak to them and knew she couldn't influence them, but once he'd heard Xundel, he knew he had to add to that. Concentrating he focused and his tone was even and calming. "You don't want to do this, join us, you know me, you know her, trust us."

The three Jedi, looking haggard, damaged, and drained, by, well, everything, didn't immediately wise up. Their blades sang for closure, for certainty, for understanding, in a galaxy gone mad several times over. They wanted an end, too.

Tahiri, Alema, Zekk - they looked at each other one more time, tainted by the dark, by their fall in their original selves - Tahiri to the Sith, Alema to the Dark Nest, Zekk to the Shadow Academy - and shrugged.

They wanted it to end.

With a joint roar, they charged, straight at Jedi Master Kyp Durron.

The Nihil behind them parted as a creature appeared in the hands of what appeared to be the leader of the marshalling Reavers. Nihilist by name and nature, they pursued the end as doggedly as the three broken down Jedi.



He was Burnium Ro, styling himself after the famous Marchion Ro of the High Republic Era.

It was a Leveler.

A Nameless.



Adalia couldn't believe they were charging. "That didn't work!! Why didn't that work?" She ignited her blade again, having closed it to drop the debris.

"How the kriff do I know?" Kyp snapped, "but I need you by my side for this."

"Right here.................but what is that?" Adalia asked as the Jedi neared, "back there?"

"Focus Ads, one thing at a time."

The Jedi charged Kyp and Adalia, leaving Xundel facing the Nihilists and the beast. He sighed, they could not, would not, let these beings, or any other, add to the chaos that the heroes were facing, while facing their foes. Once glance at the two that had done so much, assisted him, trusted him, and he sighed.

A sharp nod, ”Be well…” he whispered to them before he turned back. A fatalistic smile crossed his face as he twisted the hilt of his cane. The shaft dropped off and the second, shoto, blade erupted. His ears twitched and he bounded forward, low to the ground. The creature was large, powerful, and he needed every advantage he could, to face it.

Inside the sweep of it’s arms, he leapt, sabers lashing out, at the wrists of the beast. His small, three toed feet landed lightly on one arm as he recovered from the slashes before he bounded again, avoiding the sweep of it’s teeth as it sought to swallow him. This bound took him high in the air, over it’s head, his sabers lashing out again, to impale and dig furrows in the beast’s skull. He hoped his momentum, as he flew over it, would carve it open.

As he leapt, the Force was robbed of Xundel.

The creature had taken it; cut him from it, exuding an aura that separated him from it.

As it did, he began to petrify, turning to stone as he was engulfed by the mist by leaping at it -

Which is how the Nihil managed to shoot him, mid-air

The beast dropped, dead, yes.

But the bolt took him in the chest, above his heart.

The petrification saw one of his limbs shatter as if fully stone -

The Force did not immediately rush back into him, when the beast died. He would drop to the floor and hurt.

The Nihil leader glowered, dropped the chain he had on his creature, and stepped over, igniting a golden lightsaber blade. "Always good to kill a Jedi with their own hypocrisy."

As for the Jedi - the fallen Jedi - they reached Kyp and Adalia as Xundel's pain would have hit them.

Zekk went high with a slash for Kyp's ear - how could he not go high being that tall.

Tahiri dove, aiming for his feet -

Alema Rar smiled silkily and moved forward with the swiftness of a dancer, her silver blade seeking Adalia's neck with a lightning quick thrust -

The skies of Coruscant seemed to be acquiring hair-line fractures...

Xundel spoke, 'be well?' What did he mean? No time to think as she didn't want to hurt their attackers, she knew them and that made this confusing. It only took an instant for her to realize that Alema was targeting her, she had to react fast and pulled her blade to the side and upright to block the attack. "ALEMA!?!?! YOU KNOW ME!!!" She yelled with no Force ability behind it as the words were what needed to be heard, "I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU!!" Pushing the silver blade backward hard with the Force, Adalia steadied herself hoping her words would be heard. She'd learned a lot from Kyp before..........well before she'd died, and the way she saw it now she had more than anyone else to fight for, a second chance at life. This steeled her resolve just as a wave of pain washed over her, she stumbled backward but so did her opponent.

Zekk and Tahiri were kids, at least to him they were kids, and did not deserve what would be coming to them unless they backed off. Kyp knew he could beat them, even with the Darkness on their side. How they'd fallen so far was a question for another time and as he sensed the two pronged attack, and dived sideways into a tumble roll away from the pair, hoping they'd swing at each other. As he came to his feet in a crouch and he felt the wave of pain, gritting his teeth to steel himself against it. He'd heard Xundrel say something but had not heard what and momentarily wondered if it had been a farewell. The pain wave would indicate that. There was no time to consider that as he stood, his blade aloft ready for the next assault.

Xundel lay on the broken ground, wracked with pain, as the man stepped over him. He couldn’t help as waves of pain flowed from him. Even as the golden lightsaber blade pointed at his head he could see his small shoto saber laying on the ground not too far from him, the remnants of his hand still cradling it.

Blood dripped from his mouth as he grinned up at the man. ”Who said I was a Jedi?” His remaining arm moved swiftly, the blade of his saber connecting with the man’s, driving it out of line from his form.

Even as he groaned, he bounded upright, Pushing against the ground to move his aching body. He slammed his head forward, toward the man’s gut, a headbutt, as his one hand fought against the strength of the man’s arm and the saber in his grasp.

Who said I was a Jedi.

Ro gasped.

The headbutt caused the man to keel over, and open himself on his own lightsaber.

There was a gasp from the Nihil, as if they could not believe their leader had died -

His weight, though, it threatened to crush Xundel upon the blade also, as his legs gave out -

Adalia wasn't great at blocking out others, so with gritted teeth she tried to ignore it, knowing she couldn't help her companion, she had to focus on the task at hand. "Alema, look at me, really look at me, you know me! I am not a follower, I don't do things I don't believe in. You have to feel I mean you no harm, I just want this nightmare over.........and so do you, I can feel it. We can end this war, help us do that!" She had to try and reason with her, chances were should might not be able to beat her.

Alema hesitated, as if the words Adalia had shouted at her had shocked her awake. She burst into tears, her lightsaber clattering to the ground, as she cried. "I'm sorry. Numa - she died." She referenced her sister. Her closest connection. She dropped to her haunches - her despair was a dark pit in the Force.

Adalia would have a choice whether to render judgement - for better or for worse...

Tahiri and Zekk, for their dark inclinations, they rushed. They had succumbed to their aggression, and Kyp not facing it, but avoiding it, meant they did as he expected - they cut each other. Zekk's blade shaved a chunk off Tahiri's forehead, and her blade opened a gash in the taller man's side.

They both toppled, dropping their weapons.

They weren't dead, but they were hurt.

Lying on the ground, they breathed into their pain, holding their wounds.

And cried.

They were in such a terrible state.

Again.

Judgement.

Forgiveness, and rehabilitation... or death?

Kyp let out his breath, having blocked the pain he was feeling from Xundel, he sighed as he looked down at the two wounded former Jedi. Their fall was not as bad as others he'd seen, others he'd known, his own included. "You have two choices, and they are clear. Join us and end this war or be one with the Force right now." It was an ultimatum but he dearly hoped they made the right choice.

Xundel’s legs went out from under him, ‘helped’ by the falling body of the Nihil’s leader. That golden blade was inching closer and closer to him. He touched his pain, feeling the energy of the Balance touching him again, before he Pushed, hard, at the body and the blade. It gave him just enough wiggle room to claw himself free.

He called out in pain once more as he yanked his foot back, a searing line of pain as the edge of the blade sliced along it before he was free. Cradling the remains of his arm to his chest, he crawled nearer to Kyp and Adalia. Stopping partway, he reattached the hilt of his saber to his belt, calling the hilt of his shoto and cane to his hand, attaching it to the shaft of the cane.

Sighing, groaning, he got to his feet, limping over to the others. His will, augmented by the Balance, reached out to the struggling Jedi, the ones still facing Adalia and Kyp. ”Join us, end this war. The Balance will and does accept you.” he said, wearily.

TAG @Sinrebirth

 

OOC: Combos galore, with @Sinrebirth and @TheAdmiral

IC Marana, Tarkin, and Arb
Battle of Coruscant

Darth Vader seemed to have left Marana be for the moment, she’d settled at a small distance from the battle, not entirely feeling that she belonged here, that she needed to assist on either side. So, when Arb approached she snorted. But, before she responded, he’d drawn an octogenarian over to the discussion.

Tarkin had managed to give an apology and a possible goodbye to his granddaughter when he growled, feeling himself being drawn, against his will, from her and over to another group. He knew one of them, her face was one that had been on the Net years before, had been the wife of one of the Eternal Emperors. The other, that one truly made him growl, his hand tighten on the hilt of the sword cane he was using.

Marana nodded to Tarkin, then glanced at Arb, ”My son died as a result of the chaos of the galaxy, however you are very wrong about my husband’s death. And, I do seem to recall that you were one of those present when the galaxy decided to attack Bakura when the Vong were the true threat. So…why should I trust you?”

Tarkin’s eyebrows arched at her words, ”That’s interesting. I know this one from memories left behind by an old guest. And know who he’s served, in the past.” He turned his gaze from her to Arb, ”I agree, why should we trust you, I know you serve the Master or did.”

Arb shrugged. "The Professor and I split ways some time ago. Like, thirty five millennia ago. I'm my own man, doing my own thing." A grin. "What can I say? I saw the error of his ways, and how he intends to sacrifice again, and again, until he had what he needed. Not a good retirement plan, let me tell you."

"So, wanna ruin his day with me? Or stay here and, y'know, die."

Marana glanced at the elderly man, whose name she still didn’t know, although his face was familiar. ”So, you say you know him better, if he truly wishes to stop this Master, should we help?”

Tarkin’s piercing eyes never left Arb’s face, his mind processing the tone as well as content. Finally he nodded, ”I still don’t trust him fully but the Master must be stopped.” His eyes narrowed slightly, ”Lead on then, but I will be watching you.”

"Well," he cracked a grin. "That's the thing. If you want out, I imagine I'll be taking you way out."

He gestured vaguely. "Like, let's get the hell out of dodge."

His eyes took in them each. "Neither of you will have anything you wanted to find here. Never, ever. I can't ever guarantee you'll make it back. All I can say is that we need to build, and get ready. A... I dunno. Destructors of the Omni-Verse or some-such. Burning down whatever the Master puts together." He fluttered a hand, rolled his wrist. "Him and his End of Time desires and all that."

A grin. "I'm putting together a team, and Force Power and Political Power are gonna make a big ole difference."

Marana smiled at the ‘Destructors of the Omni-verse’ quip. It fit well with how she felt about things. ”It’s going to take a bit more than just us to make that happen but I’m in.”

Tarkin glanced back at Jori, knowing this was probably the last time he’d see his granddaughter. A sigh and he rubbed his face, ”I suppose, since you mentioned a Tarkinate, I’ll be the political side of things. I am a bit too old to be haring off to fight so that sounds appropriate.” Another shake of his head, ”Time we are off then, I’d say, to begin all of this.”

"We shall simply seize control of a small political bloc, that's all, and look for like-minded Destructors."

Arb - Zas'tel - grinned.

In the background, there was all manner of violence on-going.

But he nonetheless he followed Tarkin's gaze. "If you want to ask your granddaughter along, sir, why not?"

Jori was still in a kind of stupor after having to deal with the cosmic horror on-board the Super Star Destroyer added to it the sudden appearance of that mystical lady and the magical lightsaber. She needed to process all that, along with her family's past...

She had no memory of how she had gotten here and what was actually going on. There was nothing wrong with her, just the recent events had exerted their toll on her.

Jori needed time. She was way out of her depth and now she was thrown from one battlefield to another...

Wake up Jori, wake up and smell the ashes…

That tiny voice brought her out of it. She blinked and looked at her grandfather, whom she had thought gone. "How?" was the only thing she managed to say.

Marana eyed the grin that crossed Arb’s face with a slight trepidation as Tarkin heard his granddaughter respond.

He turned toward Jori, a small smile, ”The Force, through the Father, wanted us here, for a reason. Perhaps the reason was to do as this one,” he gestured toward Arb, ”suggested. Do you want to join me and this lady, leave these battles and prepare to ensure the Master does not destroy reality?” he asked her.

Jori considered the question for a second "The Master?" she tilted her head "I think my grandmother mentioned such a person, or was it the Professor?"

Tarkin chuckled, ”Yes, that was one of his faces, over the years. I wasn’t fully sure when your grandmother and I were in the Program but after, I was. And he’s trying to end our reality.”

The other two stepped along, ignoring the chaos.

One, Marana, the former Jensaarai lover of the Eternal Emperor Bernael -

The other, the eye-patched Arb, grinning as ever. "Yup. The Professor, the Master, whatever he calls himself - he's trying to conspire to destroy this reality. So I thought," he shrugged. "Why don't we leave, and set up our own little faction in another reality? Take over a Tarkinate, a Kuat, a Jensaarai..."

"The Destructors of the Omni-Verse, we're calling ourselves."

The grin broadened. "The Professor set you up as the Destructors that would enable Palpatine... why don't we take down the Prof?"

Jori was not sure she was not hallucinating all of this. First the beautiful woman who turned out to be a monster, then the mystical one handing her a lightsaber and now this?

Was this just a regular day for a Force user?

"Given the insanity that has been my life recently, I guess I will join you..." she was sincere enough, all her past scheming had taken a step back, though that won't last too long.

Marana looked amused as she waited for the older human to reply. She too didn’t fully trust Arb but this was a useful opportunity.

Tarkin himself smiled at Jori’s reply. She was, so much, like her grandmother. Stepping closer, ”I’m glad to hear that.” He leaned even closer, whispering, ”Besides, I know I don’t have much time left and they will need a political mind to help.”

Straightening, he glanced at the other two, nodding to Marana.

She turned toward Arb, ”So, where’s this ship of yours? We probably ought to get out of here, asap.”

"Well, it's close, sure," he said, ruefully.

"But did you think we should recruit anyone else from this mess? Before, y'know, Force-cracks?"

He grinned.

"Because they're all gonna die soon."

He regarded his wrist as if he had a chrono-clock on it.

"Yup. Very soon."

Marana glanced around, considering. The only ones who seemed useful were the three that were currently plugging a gap, leaving everyone in this pocket away from the main battle and dealing with what seemed to be the main threat. ”Maybe those fools?” It was her only thought, the rest seemed too goody two shoes.

Tarkin chuckled, ”My old classmate? Although I doubt she’ll want to have much to do with you, Arb, my intuition tells me.”

"I am not sure about that..." she replied at the comment about the political mind. Jori was still suffering the aftereffects of her earlier encounter. "But I am going to help." she added resolutely "Tell me what you need me to do."

Arb smiled. "Don't need much, just need you to agree, to, well, come with me." He turned aside from the battle, ignoring it all. "You alright with that?"

Behind them, the Nihil, Sith, and Yuuzhan Vong clashed with more desperation against the GEMINI droids, Jedi and New Republic fighters.

It was coming to an end.

The skies of Coruscant seemed to be acquiring hair-line fractures...

Marana chuckled, glancing at Tarkin, who had stepped closer to his granddaughter. She looked Arb up and down, ”Don’t think you noticed but we had already said so. So let's get this done.”

Tarkin snorted, glancing at Jori, ”Stick close to me for the moment, Jori. Not sure what Arb has up his sleeve, but I have a feeling we’re about to disappear from here and be elsewhere.”

"Believe me, that would be the least strange thing that have happened to me recently." Jori gave a snort and sighed "So, I am ready."

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @TheAdmiral, All others at Coruscant

 

OOC: The following is an emotionally-charged combo with @Lady Belligerent and @Sinrebirth – thank you so much!!

===========

IC: Sybelle, Aryan Graul (One Timeline), Caedus, Han Solo
The Battle, Coruscant

Sybelle urged the man to keep moving, and she continued to soothe him as they made any progress. She wouldn’t let go of him,

"Do you… know them?" Aryan had asked her.

"I recognize a couple, but I don’t know any of them personally." Again, she put her arm around his waist and pulled him to her side.

"What about… me?"

She’d been reeling since he’d touched her face, and called her Bell. Her fingers tingled as she gripped his waist… it wasn’t enough, she wanted to hold him closer.

"My name is Aryan Graul. I have dementia. I live in the Cottage Nursing Home—"

Sybelle stumbled, Aryan?

She did know him.

Once she felt like she could speak, Sybelle touched his face with her free hand and looked into his eyes. "Yes, Aryan Graul, we know each other."

There was so much more to say, but would they have the time to say it all? Then someone interrupted…

Call me Caedus.

A chuckle.

It’ll make things simpler for us all.

"Damnit!" Sybelle cursed, "are you hearing that voice too?" She asked Aryan, "I generally don’t hear voices in my head, except my own. Gah!" She didn’t know who Caedus was, but he could leave her the hell alone.

When the voice returned, Aryan shook and recoiled from her touch. The modulated tone permeated his senses and drowned out his thoughts, eroding his ability to reason. Any reaction he would've had to Sybelle's revelation about their past associations instantly disappeared. Instead, he staggered forward and clutched his head in agony… almost as if he could physically suppress the voice’s influence.

"Caedus-s-s—" he growled through clenched teeth, his eyes growing wide as a hint of memory flitted across his awareness. It did not belong to him; it was someone else’s—or was it? It was hard to differentiate between the two under the circumstances. There was so much chaos. Nevertheless, he felt keen to interpret.

"I see… augh—S-Solo… dead Solo… killed by his son—Caedus?" Aryan trailed off into a muted gasp as he released the grip on his head. Collapsing to his knees, he then extended his left hand to point toward the horizon… where Han Solo loomed.

The Corellian’s expression was tight as the wind whipped gently at his tousled hair. One hand gripped his modified DL-44 blaster while his hazel eyes stared intently ahead at the strange scene. He had heard the voice, of course. While he wouldn’t openly admit to such an occurrence—in his line of work, he couldn't come across as crazy... at least not more than what his clients would consider reasonable—it had shaken him to the core. He had no context for who Caedus was, but he knew it was trouble.

The crazy old man and his Chiss companion only confirmed his suspicions.

Wagging the business end of the blaster in their direction, Han scowled. "What did he say?" he rumbled as he took a cautious step forward. "My… what? My son?"

A soft scoff issued from his lips. He wasn’t inclined to believe an obviously disturbed version of Aryan Graul… and yet, he felt compelled to explore all possibilities. It was an innate feeling that he could not ignore.

'Alright, you got my attention,' he conveyed to the mysterious entity, feeling incredibly stupid for even humoring this idea. He was talking to a voice in his head! 'Is it true?'

The shadow seemed to acquire shape and it loomed over them each.

Jacen Solo killed his aunt. Ben Solo killed his father.

It tilted.

Ben Skywalker, here, may very well kill you all.

And turned back.

I wonder if I can travel a bloodline and take an adopted son?

A chuckle.

His 'face' drifted from Han to Aryan.

Skelm... you feel... small.

And Sybelle.

Braata... you were near, I sensed you. It's why I came. To bring you to the forefront…

Sybelle straightened her posture and glared, "go away," she snapped, "go bother those with weapons. We are both unarmed and have no interest in this war." She was keeping her cool and speaking matter of fact, it was important to not upset Aryan any more than he already was.

"We don’t know who you’re talking about, so we’ll be off while you look for them," she said firmly.

"Come along, Aryan," Sybelle urged him, "we need to get you to safety." She touched his face, with her free hand, and tried to turn his face to look at her. "Think, darling, I know you started to remember me." She just needed to trigger his memory, "remember how we held each other under the stars?" Her voice was soft and soothing, "we dreamed of flying away through them together," she hoped her message would get through the chaos inside Aryan’s mind.

Han narrowed his eyes, a slight sneer evident on his lips as he studied the Chiss woman and her stead. He never imagined that this would happen, but he had just met someone who knew less about the situation than he did. Not that he blamed her; he wasn’t too keen on all of this mumbo-jumbo Force nonsense either.

A voice speaking inside his head?

A shapeless entity threatening him and his family?

It was all ridiculous… and yet, here he was in the thick of it. Despite his reluctance to believe, Han felt that it was his duty to foil its plans. That also included defending this hapless woman and the handicapped Aryan Graul—even if the man was a menace; they were all in this together at this point. Maybe he could cause a distraction. That would allow them to seek shelter while he got close enough to confront Ben.

Shuffling back a few paces, Han lifted his hand and waved the blaster at the Darkness to draw its attention. "Hey!" he shouted over the cacophonous sounds of the battle. "You heard the lady; she said to leave them alone! You want to sample my bloodline and challenge Vader? Let’s go take care of business! I have nothing better to do..."

Aryan remained oblivious to Han’s heroic deed, even as the Corellian scampered off to cover their escape. All he could see was the looming Darkness within his mind’s eye, taunting him about something… or someone, known as Skelm. It was like an after-image from a holocam flashbulb; he couldn’t shake it from his awareness. In his distress, he fell forward into a fetal position and began to shudder…

And then the Chiss woman intervened.

He was soothed by the touch of a gentle hand on his cheek, guiding his chin upward so he could gaze into her eyes. They were so familiar, so caring… who was she again?

Sy…

Bell…

Sybelle?

Yes, that was it; he remembered her.

He could see a vast landscape of trees and rolling hills stretched out beneath the stars; a warm, summer breeze caressed his bare flesh as he held her tight; he glimpsed the silvery moonlight through an assortment of exotic plants, adding to the intimacy of the private garden.

A hoarse laugh, bordering on hysterical, elicited from his throat as he reached up to touch her face. "Sybelle… you haven’t aged a day."

Breathing heavily, Aryan then gripped her shoulders and used them as leverage to stagger to his feet, his blue-gray eyes never wavering from her face. "It was… forbidden," he finally conveyed in a lucid tone. "They would’ve never allowed us to stay together." A rueful smile touched his haggard features. "We should’ve defied them… and remained behind."

The Darkness known only as Caedus sniggered at Han.

Oh, you amuse me so.

His 'eyes' swiveled to Vader.

Sybelle and Aryan? Well, they had even less to wonder about.

But there was something... a penumbra that Sybelle and Aryan were crossing. They weren't Twilight Variants of each other, no, they were connected in other ways. A flash between them, and most of what they had experienced - as Tera, as Sev'rance, as Sybelle, as Bellorum, and as Joren, Aryan's, Arek's - it filled them up.

Sybelle, perhaps, she would absorb it a bit more fully than Aryan, who would feel his psyche break.

Again.

The Darkness spoke out of one side of its shadowy mouth.

It seems as if I can't reach across. How... bothersome.

Adopted bonds don't count.

I suppose I should simply follow your bloodline to another Ben.

An inclined head, as a tangle of tentacles ensnared Lumpawaroo and Xaverri.

I found purchase in Jacen; my new name.

Would you trade their lives for your body?

When Twilight is over; what next?

A glower.

I'd like to know.

Sybelle fought to keep her hold on Aryan, she had a gut feeling that she had to be willing to sacrifice her own life if it meant saving him.

It was almost as if a spark had ignited into a fiery flash that was gone as fast as it had occurred. The brilliance left Sybelle temporarily blinded, which meant she had to, grudgingly, use the Force to sharpen her awareness of who and what was near them.

The flood of memories was even more unexpected, some ancestors she knew…others were strangers. Tera, Sev'rance…before they meant nothing, but now they had faces and histories. The threads all connected, but she didn’t fully understand why this was happening.

Sybelle realized that these changes would possibly be far more stressful for Aryan than it was for her; it was important to act quickly if there was any chance of saving his already battered mind.

"Aryan," she kept her voice calm in spite of her own rising panic, "look at me. I need you to listen and cooperate… to trust me."

She smiled, even though tears were welling up in her eyes, "you’re right. We should have defied them, I’ve never stopped loving you, and I never will." Without words, she was offering solace through a bond she found. It felt old but oddly solid.

"I’m going to try and help you, please let me do that," she leaned her forehead against him as she held him close. Let me in, I want to make this better for you.

In her mind she could see scarring from years of dementia, some wounds were traumatic and buried too deep. She cursed her lack of the talent and experience for healing this type of intricate damage. Her heart ached for the proud and kind young man who had captured her heart and kept it in another time and place. There were some superficial areas that she tentatively sought to soothe and repair.

Because her skills weren’t honed, she found herself stumbling over memories that she would have otherwise avoided. Sybelle respected Aryan Graul far too much to invade his most private thoughts and experiences.

Her actions could be futile, but it was better to try instead of giving up. It occurred to her that Bellorum didn’t give up. She played a long game for the future and was determined to live her life fully, unlike her mother, Sybelle’s daughter.

Sev’rance was just as stubborn and lived with a relentless passion for power. She could have healed Aryan’s injuries… Bellorum would have tried too.

Focus, old girl, she told herself and silently called on her own mothers and daughters of the past to lend her their strength and knowledge. Help me give this man some peace, we need to ease his torment.

The information inundated his mind, probing deep into all facets of his awareness until every memory, thought, and image coalesced into a blur of confusion. It manifested as a white expanse that stretched across his vision… and then it blossomed into a brilliant explosion, like a supernova reaching critical mass.

That’s when his anguish began. It unleashed a wave of intense pain, crippling him… breaking him…

Aryan collapsed in a feverish stupor, his voice carrying his agony as he clutched his head in a vain attempt to alleviate his suffering. If only oblivion would overtake him; if only he could find a release…

And then a single spark ignited within his mind’s eye. It started small, percolating in the endless void, then grew and spread warmth throughout his entire body. Aryan shuddered in response, noting the profound effect the phenomenon had on his system. The mental haze began to clear as things became more distinct… more lucid. He felt himself regaining control, and that’s when he heard the voice.

It was a woman’s voice; a familiar voice.

Suddenly, a face emerged from somewhere in his memory. She had dark hair and delicate features, but her scarlet eyes most clearly defined her. They glowed softly in the pale light, contrasting with the blue hue of her skin. From this perspective, it was difficult to tell whether she was merely an illusion or if she was truly peering down at him from above. Either way, Aryan extended his hand to reach for her.

"Sybelle," he whispered faintly, a small smile parting his lips. He then gently caressed her cheek when his fingers found purchase on her flesh. "I see you."

Even as Aryan regained some modicum of control, Han continued his ongoing struggle against the Darkness.

While the Corellian had managed to lead the entity away from the more vulnerable members of their group, he had inadvertently called attention to Lumpy and Xav. They were arguably the only family he had left, and as that revelation settled in the pit of his stomach, he couldn’t help but utter a colorful string of curses.

You damned fool; this is what happens when you stick out your neck!

Nonetheless, Han did not waver, even as he skidded to a halt and witnessed his companions’ unfortunate dilemma. Caedus had encased them both in a writhing mass of tentacles, and it wasn’t long before the creature came forth to bargain for their release. It desired Han’s body… his soul, in exchange for Lumpy and Xav’s safety.

Of course, his natural instinct was to raise his blaster and take a stand; he wasn’t about to go down without a fight, no matter how presumptuous his actions were. "Let ‘em go!"

But he also knew the odds weren’t on his side. Negotiating with a blaster typically worked on those who lacked the brain cells to properly counter the offer, but that wasn’t the case in this situation. His opponent was some kind of celestial being, and he knew that he didn’t stand a chance against such a foe. He had to get creative, perhaps find a way to outsmart it. It was possible, and yet…

Exhaling heavily, he shifted his gaze to regard his friends. Could he make the sacrifice to ensure they lived? It was a difficult decision, but he recognized that he had no other choice. He had a connection to Caedus, and that afforded him some leverage. No one else was capable of carrying out the deed. He had to do this for the greater good… for Xav, Lumpy, and all the others who still had a stake in this fight.

"Alright, I’ll do it," Han said firmly, his eyes reflecting his conviction. He then diverted the aim of his blaster and lifted both hands in the air to show that he meant no harm. "Under one condition," he raised his brow and flashed a lopsided grin, "you need to remove Darth Vader from the equation. Take him down. He's not part of my bloodline, anyway, so he's no use to you... right?"

Fiiiiiine, Caedus said, drily.

A shadowed hand held for Han.

You can use my power against the Pretender of the Sith.

He tilted his head slightly.

But you won't have long. The Force here; it cracks upon the weight of all this Death.

He sounded like, had he lips, he would have exalted and licked them.

Aryan’s touch strengthened and sealed their bond that had been dormant for so, so long. Sybelle ached over how dementia had affected such a strong man, and his words of recognition only spurred her to fight harder to help him make sense of things. She wanted to help heal his mind, his memories… he could find comfort in those. Just as she had found comfort in them, of the nights they lay together sharing their hopes and dreams.

Memories…

Aryan’s children were there, but one was missing. "No… she promised me." Sybelle couldn’t hold back a sob or the tears that followed.

Her own memory of that time was strong. There was Sybelle standing in the doorway, where she’d finally tracked Aryan down to, their infant daughter was swaddled in her arms. The woman who answered wasn’t happy to see Sybelle there, and she demanded to know what she wanted. Once Sybelle explained that she and Aryan had been separated, but they were to be married, the woman insisted she leave and never return. She said she was to be Mrs. Graul and that Sybelle, and her bastard, would only ruin his career, his life…

They had made a deal. The woman was to tell Aryan that Sybelle had been there with his child, and in return, Sybelle would stay away until he came to her. Airabella had woken and was distressed by Sybelle’s emotions and began to cry, the woman shouted at her to never return.

"I stayed away because I would never ruin your life. Oh, Aryan, we both missed out on so much."

Sybelle was hurt and angry. She needed the truth. The woman had promised, and Sybelle trusted her and kept her end of the bargain. She never tried to reach him again, instead, Sybelle never gave up hoping that Aryan would contact her.

She cradled his face in her hands, "we had a daughter, she was so lovely." It was important not to overwhelm Aryan any more than he already was. Still, he had to know.

"She had a daughter, our granddaughter. You would have been such a wonderful father and grandfather, my love."

Sybelle never stopped holding out hope, she ached for Aryan to come to her when Airabella died so young.

"She’s still with me," Sybelle pulled in a chain that was secured around her neck and caught the pendant that had been hidden beneath her blouse. "I have her ashes here," she held the tiny glass pendant so he could see it.



Aryan squirmed in her arms as he grappled with the revelation she had impressed upon him. A child; a daughter. An innocent life lost to the ravages of a cruel and unfair galaxy. A heavy sadness settled within his chest, and despite his best efforts, a mournful wail escaped his lips. There was no self-control. His mind roiled with the details of such a tragic tale.

Sybelle had died.

Wasn’t that the narrative? It wasn’t his fault. He hadn’t known; he couldn’t have known!

But there was more; there was always more. She had mentioned a granddaughter. Another life he had missed… or had he? Bellorum, not Sybelle. The former had visited him on occasion, long ago on the estate. Wasn’t she the granddaughter? Wasn’t she the one who had brought him solace?

Thoughts and memories began to blur together. It was far too much for him to assimilate under the circumstances.

As a result, Aryan quickly regressed and exhibited a more childlike simplicity, openly weeping as he glanced up and sought Sybelle’s face. His trembling fingers traced along her jawline before sliding down to grasp the pendant around her neck. He clenched it tight in his fist and refused to let go. It was imperative that he hold her… and feel her.

"S-Sorry… I’m so… sorry," he finally stammered between sobs.

Caedus watched the little aside with some amusement as he swirled up to Han.

The skies of Coruscant seemed to be acquiring hairline fractures...

Our deal is thus; Vader dies; you leave with me.

He tilted his head to Sybelle and Aryan.

I'll come find you one day.

His malevolence pressed upon them, hard, and he chuckled. It would be particularly damaging to the jagged mind of Aryan; purposely so.

The shard pierced deep into Aryan’s consciousness, and he unleashed a blood-curdling scream that rose above the din of the battlefield. Once more, he clutched his head in misery as his body became a writhing mass upon the ground.

Lumpawaroo, the son of the late Chewbacca? Xaverri? The woman Han had loved? They were enmeshed with violence, and they would not know the sacrifice Han would make.

A short distance away, the Corellian sneered through clenched teeth, bracing himself as Caedus willfully extended his influence to cripple them. It was as if someone had trapped his chest in a vice; it became increasingly more difficult to breathe as it continued to tighten its hold. He knew it was an intimidating tactic, but he would not be so easily swayed. Too much was at stake.

To emphasize this point, Han squinted and glanced up at the splintering sky. That wasn’t good… that wasn’t good at all. If he intended to stop Ben—no, he was no longer Ben; there was only Vader—he had to act now. The galaxy could thank him later.

And what about Xav and Lumpy?

Well, they would have to understand. This was his duty. If all went well, maybe he would see them again…

Han’s gaze lingered on Xaverri as the wind continued to swirl about him. When they ultimately made eye contact, he managed a small lopsided grin for encouragement. One little gesture seemed to convey so much; he would be back, everything would be alright, and she wasn’t to worry. That was enough for him.

Only then did he return his attention to the looming Darkness. "It looks like you have yourself a deal," he drawled in a low baritone, extending his hand to accept Caedus’ spectral limb. "Let’s get this over with before I change my mind."

Sybelle felt the impressions of darkness, and while she wasn’t prepared to cope, it was the sound of Aryan’s screams that empowered her to push back.

"Leave us be!" She insisted along with her mental push to try and repel the attack. "Torment me if you must, but leave this man alone," she cradled Aryan to her as much as he would allow through his terror, "only a coward would torture someone already mentally broken!" Her shouts at Caedus were likely in vain, but it made her feel better to shout.

"My love," she smoothed Aryan’s hair back and kissed the top of his head, "I wish we could go back and do things differently." Sybelle wasn’t sure if Aryan recognized what she was saying now, and it broke her heart… again.

"I can be at peace with the knowledge that the bitter woman didn’t tell you. She was afraid your love for me would be stronger." Sybelle had a lifetime of thoughts to share with Aryan, but she had noticed the sky about them. She thought it looked like an egg covered in hairline fractures, one that, at any moment, would shatter into pieces.

"Listen," she desperately wanted Aryan to hear her, "please let my words get through to you." Through tears, the words poured out, details about Airabella, about their granddaughter, and how she’d never really given up hope of seeing him again.

There wouldn’t be enough time. Even if she wasn’t staring at the ominous skies above them, their life together had been cruelly taken away from them.

"Airabella knew all about you," Sybelle kept talking. If they were going to die, then her voice would be the last he heard, and she would be holding him as closely as he would allow. "Bellorum was different from her mother, I couldn’t tell her the truth because she would have pounded on your door demanding to meet you." Sybelle laughed remembering how stubborn their granddaughter could be.

"I always waited for you, and then one night I… I just couldn’t keep breathing. Bell was a young woman, and she was damned clever." Sybelle had raised her to be resourceful, she smiled as she relived the memories for herself as much as Aryan. "She didn’t need me any longer," Sybelle continued, "so I just laid down and stopped breathing. My heart ached for us, Aryan, and I thought that I’d find peace in the afterlife… that I’d find you."

TAG: @Lady Belligerent; @Sinrebirth; others on Coruscant

 

IC: The Ones fun combo with @Shadowsun, @TheSilentInfluence, @CosmoHender, and @Sinrebirth
Mortis

One second, the Daughter was with her wife on Coruscant. The next, she suddenly found herself on Mortis with the rest of the Ones. It was a very overwhelming experience, but it didn't take her long to figure out that the man shooting flames at her was the bad guy.

The Daughter raised her hand and shielded herself with the Force, the fountain of flame parting before her.

The Father rose to his feet, his garments still smoking, his white eyes blazing. He sensed the beings coming for him, slightly. He growled, the clones were in the way. He needed the remainder of his being and would accept the ‘punishment’ of the glowing orbs beams to regain it.

Dancing out of the way slightly, his sharp teeth showed as the flames around the Daughter diverted, flowing very closely by where he’d just been. He knew that it wouldn’t have the greatest effect on the clones but he needed the extra moments that that diversion would give.

He pulled out the two kukri that he kept for such occasions from their sheathes behind his back, their hunger a palpable presence in the air. The blades began to crisscross in a weaving motions before him as he backed away, angling toward the remaining bouncing orbs of his essence.

The Son grunted as he felt the healing factor restored him. Well, that was convenient. He barely had time to register the arrival of the Daughter or even have enough time to think of a new counterattack with the Father.

The wind of the Master rushed to him promising to engulf him as he then did something on instinct. He blipped, erasing himself in shadow as he then appeared behind the Father.

I can teleport was the singular thought the Son was able to think, astounded that even with the power of all the Killik nests he had not been able to achieve such a thing. He wondered what else he could do... if only he had time to get familiar with his range of capabilities. But this... this was a game-changer for him.



He felt the edges of what had been but a gut instinct and applied it at this moment, feel the dark swell within him. He shifted once more as he appeared on the opposite side of the clones coming for the Father, the Son taking a stab towards where the nearest one's head ought to be based on their glowing blades.

Shift, and stab, shift, and stab. His movements were deliberately chaotic as he held his blade in a reverse grip. He would zip like a blade of darkness from one point to the next fully intent on bringing down each of the clones.

Madelyn watched as the daughter and the father took arms along with the son. She kept a bit of distance, ready to strike when needed, ready to defend them as she felt the force build within her.

"We can't beat them if we don't work together!" Madelyn shouted. She watched as the son moved from place to place, attacking the clones and at his quickness, she reached out with the force to lend him a little more strength, her guard up.

Gave him a bit of her energy to move quicker-

"That should help!"

The flame parted around the Daughter -

The attacks were blocked by the Fathers' -

The Son's weapon went into an invisible head -

The Mother was shoring up the Son -

The Son however would find himself frozen-in-place, and then reversed -

The Master, visible, reunited as one form, sagged a bit, but had avoided a damaging strike -

He flicked a spear of energy at the Daughter, more of a whip than a dagger -

He dove forward, ignoring the Father closing in on the remainder baubles of his powers and knowledge -

He had to act the moment the Son was free, which would be any moment now -

He lunged for the Mother, a blaze of energy before him, sufficient to crash into her and send her flying -

He spun behind him to face which of the others struck at him -

A barrier was already rising around him as his orbs returned to him -

The Daughter still didn't completely understand what was going on. Like always, she felt out of her depth.

But when she saw the spear/whip of energy coming toward her, the Daughter leapt off the ground and out of the spear's path, landing safely some distance away.

The attack was dodged by the Daughter again, yes, and she had context fill her mind.

The Son was part Omniversal, as was the Father. It was much akin to when she had met herself from the One Timeline - itself an amalgamation of the Timeline of Legend and another Changed Timeline.

Rather than going on a direction of its own like the Twilight Timeline, the One Timeline was seeking to create a contradictory but positive outcome; the Master himself being responsible for countering the machinations of Palpatine. Palpatine had became aware of the potential of the Change and created the Twilight Timeline, as well as another, but the Master sought to reunify the timelines into one - without damaging surrounding realities

Which meant killing every person in the Twilight Timeline.

Which meant killing Zara.

The Battle continued -

It would take the son about a full two seconds to process precisely what had just happened. He could not say he was entirely surprised that the Master could reverse time, but that made it no less of a marvel. Surely it could not be something he could do frequently or even with ease. If that were the case they would all be very dead. Perhaps a few times more, at most the Son would guess three more times, though the reality was much lower.

The Master was just one form now, the clones were gone. The Son spat aloud seeing what he perceived to be the meekness of his fellow Ones, though he was fairing only a hair better. The Father needed more time to gather his spilled knowledge and the Mother and Daughter. Well they needed to attack.

We have to keep the pressure on him, there can be no half measures, full and utter power is needed he thought to his comrades rather spoke. Speaking and breathing would take too long. He moved swiftly to follow up after the Master's attack on the Mother and see if he could get in a strike on the Master.

He would dart around the Master feinting and dodging any potential counterattacks as best he could either physically or with his newfound teleportation capabilities. It would only be sufficient for a few moments at best but at least one of the others needed to attack before the Son would move in to commit to a true attack.

The Master was an energy-wreathed object rushing at the Mother, but he planted his feet and leapt up, ceasing the attack on her, as Azathoth appeared where he had been and struck.

The Black-Coat threw out a hand and the self-same wind-attack that had knocked ability from the Father sought the Son, and he turned an energy whip out at the Mother, seeking to ensnare her neck instead -

As the Father sped up, almost a blur as he moved, he saw several of his rune daggers embedded in the wall. Beyond them were a pair of the orbs that held his power. Spinning as he drew close, he wrenched the daggers from the wall, throwing them at the energy whip, to divert it from attacking the Mother.

He growled as he scooped up the orbs, lightning crackling in his fingers. He held firm to them, now more prepared for the violence they would enact when he cracked them open. He turned, as he did so, feeling the beams sear through him once again, more of his knowledge and abilities returning to him. The intense energy and power of the beams flashed and seared toward the energy wrapped Master. He’d turned to use them as a weapon against their common foe.

He knew the Son needed someone else to attack as well, and this was how he felt he could accomplish both goals at the same time. The pain was excruciating, his hand mangled once more, as the orbs exploded, but this time he was even more sure that he’d heal, and he’d retrieved more of himself.

His white eyes glowed even more brightly as he looked back, at the others, ”As one…” he growled out, seeing even more of the orbs that he could potentially use as weapons again.

The whip was diverted, and the Master growled, realising that the Son had distracted him enough that the Father was a factor now.

The lightning shot out, and before it even reached the Master, the spheres floated to intercept them, absorb the energy, and spear him.

A grin.

"Oops."

The orbs did explode, but he had already turned aside for the moment -

He turned back to the Mother and split back into six, a pair of blue blades, and he leapt at the Mother -

Madelyn jumped back and activated her lightsaber as the Master came at her with six blades. She tilted her lightsaber to the side, hoping to block all of them at once, although she knew it might not work.

"Is that all you've got?" Madelyn taunted.

They were not quite able to get across themselves to reach her and separated out, hoping to outflank her. Three turned around and faced the Son, Daughter and Father -

The Daughter faced off against her shadow clone. She believed herself to be unarmed, but as soon as she thought this she found a Force saber on the side of her hip. She took it off and ignited it defiantly in the face of the Master.

Feeling his mangled hand slowly healing once more, the Father turned toward the tableau. A smile crossed his face, memories and knowledge having returned to him. He still wasn’t whole but he was closer and now he had more of his skills back. Shaking his head at the three that faced them, the black orbs having wasted themselves on his attack on the Master, a rope of black lightning shot from his healing hand. It seemed to suck the heat from the air as it blasted through the air at the central of the three facing he, the Son, and the Daughter before it split in two, lancing now toward the outer two of the shadows.

The Master leapt at the Daughter, blades cutting high and low; he clearly wasn't accustomed to being a swordsman -

The Father's bolt surprised the ones before the Son and Daughter -

The one before the Father crossed its blades and sent a fiery X into the Father, burning deep into this skin and sending him tumbling back -

The three other shadows rushed the Mother -

The Master being unaccustomed to swordplay did not go unnoticed by the Daughter. While she was by no means the greatest lightsaber combatant in the galaxy, it still gave her an advantage over the Master.

The Daughter blocked the Master's attacks, watching him carefully as she waited for him to make a critical error. When she saw her opening, the Daughter struck and cut the shadow down before the mistake could be corrected. She was precise in her counterattack, since she had to be if she was going to be of any use to anyone.

Including Zara.

The Son, seeing that the Daughter had the advantage with her opponent, flashed through the darkness as he came behind the Master that had burnt a fiery red-X into the Father and brought round a swift strike to slice through the clone's head. His eyes then shifted to the Mother who had three other clones to contend with... but that all depended on...

Madelyn brought up her blade to defend herself against her attackers, eyeing them carefully and watching their movements with the force as she carefully stepped back. She had to calculate her timing perfectly to be able to fight back against them.

Madelyn pushed back with the force to catch them off balance

The Father went over backwards, agony searing through his chest. He turned the fall into a roll, coming back to his feet, the X of the attack seared into his skin and clothes, the fiery redness of it slowly fading. A growling chuckle escaped his lips. ”That…stung…” he said wryly.

And then disappeared from sight, before a blur sped along the line of shadows that faced the Mother, behind them. The speeding Father had whipped out his talons, intent on slicing through the necks and vertebrae of the three that faced her.

He came back to a halt, at an angle from the Son, facing the Master. His swift movement had aggravated the X on his chest, the redness visible again but beginning to fade as he came to a halt. Pulling one of the semi sentient kukri from its sheath at his back, he held it out to hand it to the Son, as the sense of overwhelming hunger filled the space. ”I’ve always wondered how these would fare with him. Give it a try…”

This was growing maddening.

But when the shadows fell aside, it was the one which the Daughter had stabbed which limped, turning aside. He flicked out his free hand, a torrent of wind seeking to cause her to forget the techniques she had used to defeat his blades -

He stumbled, and wove his hands, freezing them for a moment as he reversed time around his wound -

Sitting on the floor, he pointed his hands as quickly as he could, releasing a horde of six orbs to attack the Son -

A fountain of flame emerged beneath the Father -

He couldn’t move quickly enough to counter the Mother too -

And if any of his attacks had missed or failed, he was exposed.

His trepidation tumbled into the Force.

The Master of Masters was about to lose.

Unless -

In response to the torrent of wind, the Daughter transformed into a large griffin whose powerful wings pushed back against the wind just like how her predecessor would have. The current Daughter had never done anything like this before, but it was all starting to come to her now and she was getting a better idea of what she was capable of in this form...

Shrieking, the Daughter flew toward the Master in her griffin form. She took advantage of the fact that he was exposed at the moment, slashing at him with her talons.

Madelyn watched the daughter move to attack and focused on her own. The more angles they came at the better there chances were-

She needed to focus, to put more of the energy she had with the force to fight so she could throw at the Master.

He needed to fall. Right here. Right now.

The Son gave a lifeless breath. It was funny really, he only knew one of these other 'Ones' and his whole life he had struggled to achieve a scrap of further power. And now... here when the very fabric of their reality hung in the balance...

He had never felt happier in his entire life. Not that he wanted this reality to end, quite the opposite... but he was... free. Truly free.

The teleportation was beginning to wear at him, he had only just learned how to use it after all. He teleported once more as the six orbs came towards him. As he did so he warped and transformed into his bestial bat form, in a mirror opposite to the daughter, as he came in from the mirrored edged to the daughter, his fangs opening wide to bite and rip out the mid-section of the Master.

The flames kissed the Father’s feet, began to erupt around him and he laughed. Just because his favorite form of lightning was a frozen rope of it didn’t mean he’d not spent centuries adapting to both heat and cold. He saw the others advancing and he smiled deeply. His white within white eyes shone again as he disappeared from sight.

The griffin and the bat attacked from on high as the Mother attacked the Master head on. The Father reappeared behind the Master, his short teleportation bringing the heat of the fire that had touched him to the man. ”You hoped chaos would side with you. Chaos too wishes to live, not die as you want this reality to suffer. Now die…” he spoke, a tone that would echo around Mortis.

Gravity and space, the physical layout of Mortis was his to command, he remembered that now, with the latest of the knowledge that he’d recovered and he put that to use. The Master may be able to wrestle with time but when the world itself was against him, as were the Ones…

The Father reached to Mortis, exerting his control, to reinforce the ‘reality’ around them, locking them into the flow of time and space as he advanced, reaching out, this time emerald lightning flowing from both hands. The Black Coat may protect the Master from the use of the dark side against him but it did not protect against the use of the light side and that was one thing the Father planned to use against him.

The end came with shocking suddenness.

How could it not, with all of these attackers, all of this power, being hurled at him.

The blasts of the Mother kept him off balance, but it was the raking talons of the Daughter that opened a rent in his body -

He managed to angle his body so that the Son's snapping jaws merely took his shoulder, rather than his head -

And then the emerald lightning of the Father lanced him through, and through, and he tumbled to the ground.

Slam.

Hard.

He gasped.

And did not move.

With all the damage to his attire, the rips, the black-shadow-blood pooling beneath him, and the smoke rising from his robes, he was essentially only his hood, that was all that remained intact.

He was done.

They had won.

"You idiots."

He coughed.

"Don't you realise what you have done?"

The Son looked down at the Master, having transformed back into his human form. His red eyes glinting as he watched the being speak some final words as the grip of death took over him.

"Yes... but I am a survivor. I will bend reality in order to live..." he spoke as stamped down hard hooded remnants of the Master. The rage and fury built up within his body as foot landed over and over again until at last he stopped. The sweaty, thin branches of his hair flopped back into place as he turned to look to the others.

"We have not won.... we have merely survived. I am not sure of the lives you two have lived in this time," he gestured to the Mother and the Daughter. "And we are in need of a catch-up..." he gestured to the Father.

"But if we want to continue to survive the road ahead of us is long and arduous, and will require us to work together as we have done so here. For our sakes... for the people of this time's sake..."

Madelyn nodded, although she seemed to be thinking hard about what had happened, the outcome, all the destruction. "I agree. We need to work together." She looked at the son and the daughter. The father.

"It's our job to protect everyone now isn't it?" Madelyn asked quietly. "There's too much at stake."

The Father glanced dispassionately at the Son as that one took out his anger and frustration on the prone form of the Master. They had, the Ones, defeated the one who sought to destroy their reality. And…he understood the Son’s emotions involved in that.

As the Mother spoke, he looked over at her, nodding. She was right, after all. ”Yes, that is our work, our role in reality.”

He stepped forward as the Son moved back from the Master. Kneeling, he bent over the torn and broken form of the Black Coated man. Leaning closely, in a whisper that only that man could hear, ”Do I realize? This is exactly the outcome I want, what comes next.”

His eyes flared a brilliant white as he smiled, standing once more. Reaching out, he called the few remaining golden orbs, guiding them into an untorn pocket of his cloak, to return them to himself when alone.

Another smile and he joined the others, as a silent final witness to the end of the Master.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @TheSilentInfluence, @CosmoHender, @Shadowsun

 

GM POST ONE

IC: Darth Vader
A Son’s Destiny

The end came with shocking suddenness.

But it was…

Blessed release.

The battlefield had become a strewn out array of dead, of mourning, of defeated, of those unwilling to fight.

Tor and Ka'rta had done it.

Had killed Darth Vader.

His head rolled away.

Better, the deaths of Ivaar Workan, Tsalok and Ro essentially meant that the various aggressive factions were now rudderless. Anor, Soliloquy, Vhardia, Renn, Adalia, Xundel and Kyp had done that.

The stars alit.

Not with a shattering of glass, but with light, as the threat passed, and the war ended.

Had to end.

The Yuuzhan Vong, Lost Tribe of the Sith, and the Nihil, they still existed; but they no longer had the will to fight. Indeed, the Nihil would later unmask and reveal themselves to be Imperials, ones who had been forged into madmen.

Caedus looked across the battlefield, having just made his deal with Han to grant him power in exchange for the death of Vader. Looks like someone already did the job. He grinned with Han's face, and they vanished.

So, too, did Sybelle and another Aryan. What became of the Chiss woman one could not say. But it was notable, had one noticed, they disappeared together. Had their bond taken one with the other?

But that light resolved into a piercing bolt, reaching into the sky, and comlinks activated, and Feyna’s words touched the stars, held by the GEMINI droids and projected into the galaxy.

The words of an ending.

The Beacon touched world upon world upon world upon world and they came.

Yuuzhan Vong refugees, Imperial holdouts, Sith survivors, New Republic and Hapan and Chiss and GEMINI who had made it through the long night, ships upon ships upon ships, communities that had hoarded supplies pouring forth, offering respite to billions.

Trillions.

There wasn’t a precise point that any of the surviving leaders - Feyna, Tor, Anor, others - that they could give orders or guidance.

The collected masses had decided.

The war was over.

Now it was time to rebuild.

To mourn.

TAG: @JediMasterAnne, @HanSolo29, @TheSilentInfluence, @Mitth_Fisto, @darthbernael, @TheAdmiral, @CosmoHender, @Lady Belligerent, @Adalia-Durron, @darthhelinith

 

GM POST TWO
The Funeral; later; Coruscant

It was a moment of galactic mourning that seemed to stretch back as far as the Change itself.

Madelyn Linnett, and her daughter Leia, both of Mandalore, both Jedi. Both having given their all.

Barriss Ofee of Nadiem, an old Jedi who repented for her sins of the past and gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Han Solo of Corellia, lost during the battle. Father of Ben, who was lamented, not as Vader, but as the awkward but earnest teen he had been.

Aryan Graul of Nubia and Bakura, controversial to the last but his words about the Beacon had proven true. His sins were not erased, but that he was manipulated had been acknowledged.

Jori Atreus of Kuat, who had somehow stopped a Super Star Destroyer from crashing into Coruscant and killing everyone on-world, raised to the status of sainthood by the Kuati she had defended from the fractured GEMINI hive mind.

Rey Palpatine of Jakku, a woman who had all-but managed to escape her destiny but was still killed it anyway.

Qwi Xux of Omwat, who had designed the Death Star, and yet dedicated her life to the saving of the galaxy, until her age took her.

Xundel, who had succumbed to his wounds after everything was over.

Those were just the ones who didn't survive the battle.

There were others, unaccounted for, or dead and not mourned.

Ike, Arb, Bernael, Azathoth, Tarkin, Marana, Qi'ra...

It rose up as a memorial of memorials.

Anakin, Padme, Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Ahsoka Tano, Arek Graul, Bail and Breha Organa, Mon Mothma, Gial Ackbar, Garm Bel Iblis, Ood Bnar, Kyle Katarn, Nomi...

So many lost since Darth Sidious faked his death in his office, and journeyed to Exegol...

... and used that to seize control of the Eternal Fleet and then the Yuuzhan Vong.

The so-called Black Coat had not been seen since he goaded Feyna onto the Eternal Throne.

But this wasn't about them.

This was merely an opportunity for those who had survived to speak about those who had lost.

Zara spoke first, remembering how she had met Barriss on Nadiem many, many years ago.

Then Beaumont Kin, who cried his way through the eulogy for his wife.

Meanwhile, Almira spoke long about how Leia Linnett had given her life to restore the Beacon, and how she would always love her.

Xaverri spoke of Han, of Ben, of how she remembered them, not as what he became. Lumpawaroo was too upset to speak.

After that was Gaeriel Graul, speaking of how her husband often lost his way, and that he would never earn forgiveness for what he had done. She had been released from prison to speak today, as had Jalynn. Her son, Arek, had been placed in the protective custody of the Jedi Order. Execution had been mooted, and remained on the table, for the elder of the two, but the sentencing was likely to be considerably lighter when it could be evidenced that Vader had slaughtered them. They had suffered enough.

But, they would all have chance to say something.

All the Heroes, no matter their alignment.

Nola, standing with Del; Feyna, besides Isolder; Tor and Ka'rta, if they chose to attend; Renn and Vhardia; Kyp and Adalia; Anor, if she wished, had been given clemency to eulogize the many Yuuzhan Vong who had been forced to fight by Palpatine and Onimi.

May their words seek to bring peace to the galaxy.

TAG: @JediMasterAnne, @HanSolo29, @TheSilentInfluence, @Mitth_Fisto, @darthbernael, @TheAdmiral, @CosmoHender, @Lady Belligerent, @Adalia-Durron, @darthhelinith (finale singles)

 

GM POST THREE

In the aftermath of the funerals, the galaxy changed.

There were discussions to be had, yes.

Moments to be drawn out.

Tor and Ka'rta would be recalled to Mandalore; Feyna and Isolder to Hapes; the Nubians were resettling their homeworld, those that had survived, and there were calls for Nola and Del to lead them.

The galaxy wanted to settle down; and settle them down too.

Winter and Tycho bid them farewell and headed to Hosnian Prime, which was selected to be the capital of the new Galactic Alliance.

A Jedi Temple was opened and offered to Kyp and Adalia as a home; the Council was essentially them and Corran Horn and Renn and Vhardia, and the Jedi Order had oversight of the Sith, who had settled down on Roon, and been reinforced by the Keshiri, who were determined to contribute.

Soliloquy would undoubtedly have his own thoughts on the future; Anor was acknowledged as the representative of Rodia and the Yuuzhan Vong - the natives had taken to the Yuuzhan Vong culture, and the Yuuzhan Vong approved of the Rodian hunters. They had acquired mutual respect, and the Alliance had ceded them worlds to recover and regroup upon.

They all had... places to be. People to see. Connections to re-forge.

Those who had lost, they returned to their homes.

Beaumont to Kesh; Zara and Luminara to Nadiem; Xaverri and Lumpawaroo headed to Kashyyyk to aid with the rebuilding. More, Almira was invited to Mandalore by Arthur; he considered her family.

TAG: @JediMasterAnne, @TheSilentInfluence, @Mitth_Fisto, @darthbernael, @Adalia-Durron, @darthhelinith, @galactic-vagabond422 (a set of post-game, optional combos for happy/sad ending resolutions)

 

GM POST FOUR

MORTIS
Resolution; Tragedy; Paradox; Hope

The Son’s infinite rage; the Daughters quiet despair; the Mother’s infinite compassion; the Father’s almost glee.

The Master deflated, becoming a stain of a cloak on the floor, more remnant than corpse.

In life, I could turn things back slightly. In death…

There was a flash of blinding white light, and the Father of Balance ceased to be present.

As did the Master.

The Son, the Daughter, the Mother - they remained.

Darkness, Light, Balance.

… I can complete his Epitaph.

The three of them would have to come to terms, now.

But time was an eschewed thing for them each.

One day, and yet now, Leia would arrive.

One day, and yet now, Zara would arrive.

One day, and yet now… well, who would come for the Son, the paradox of the Patriarch?

The three of them would know that to leave Mortis was to court another Change, one that could be manipulated by the Darknesses, only one of which remained in this reality…

… but there were more threats to come, and the security of the Twilight Timeline would depend upon their separation from it…

… oh, and they’d know where Chaos was, and that only two of them could agree to allow them to leave.

Two were the Key.

It was unlikely that two of them would ever agree on that.

TAG: @CosmoHender, @Shadowsun, @TheSilentInfluence (combo finales)
—-
The Akkadese Maelstrom

The Maw

Vitae

The Father of Chaos ended up where he was supposed to have.

On Vitae.

The world which had formerly been named for Abeloth. Where she had been imprisoned, so that she might not reap destruction upon the cosmos.

The Father of Chaos would be unable to escape the black hole cluster unless a Change was inflicted. Which could happen tomorrow, or in thirty thousand years. But if it did, he’d be able to escape…

He’d understand that this was the fate that had been nearly passed to others. Aryan Graul, perhaps, even Ka’rta had been considered by the Great Maker.

But events involving the Quiet Light and Quiet Darkness, and their eventual hosts, and return to Bernael in their jagged and broken and dangerous pieces meant that there was merely one option. Ka’rta had died, too, and Aryan embraced his relationship to his descendant Joren Graal.

That left him.

The isolated, lonely, Anzati.

His wife; he could not sense her in the Force, nor his son, actually. Whatever had become of them, only Marana had resurfaced, and only briefly, in his greater senses.

Of course, he might lend himself to the Font of Power and the Pool of Knowledge, but they had been drained.

By me.

Anakin Skywalker swam into existence.

He gestured to the cave.

“Shall we?”

TAG: @darthbernael (finale combo)

 

IC The Father - combo with Sinrebirth
The Akkadese Maelstrom
The Maw
Vitae

One moment the Father was considering how things should or would be with the others of the Ones, the next he was in the prison of the Maw. A dry chuckle escaped his throat at the abrupt change of scenery. To be honest, he wasn’t entirely surprised that he’d been so placed, or that Anakin, as that man appeared, was the one who had brought him here.

He glanced at the empty Font of Power and Pool of Memory, chuckling again. ”You know…whether you fill replacements of these on Mortis or not, these are the true ones and whatever the others receive will only be poor copies of what they’d receive from here.” he said, gesturing at them.

”But sure, let us chat.” he said, with a grin, as he began to walk toward the cave.

"I'm sure," Anakin said, dryly, a blue limn to him. "But you won't be using either. The Twilight Timeline is now settled, the Change has happened, and it cannot be reversed, but it will not worsen."

A shrug. "You'll simply escape as and when it's needed. The Force will dictate the flow of events again. No Eyes will be sent into the future, not now the Master is dead, and his Gazing Eye is no longer relevant."

"And the Avatar’s of whoever is behind the Son, and yourself are here, of course."

One of the Father’s eyebrows arched, ”Here as in here in the timeline or here as in stuck in here with me?” he asked, a slightly teasing tone to his voice.

He shrugged, as he walked with Anakin, ”I don’t particularly need either the Pool or the Font, there is plenty in the Maw to entertain me. Besides…this Twilight Timeline isn’t quite as secure as you believe, I sense.” Holding up a hand, ”Yes, the Master will no longer trouble it, but he was not the only one seeking to rip it asunder, and no, I’m not referring to myself in that statement.” he finished with another smile.

Glancing at the blue spirit, ”Chosen One you may have been but you’re using some of your last energy to speak to me, and others I’m sure. You should have gone to your reward. So what else is so vital that requires our discussion?”

Anakin shook his head. "This timeline is sealed from the others now. It's in balance. With new Ones, it can't be manipulated, and this generation will look out for the signs which killed their predecessors." His eyes narrowed. "You will look out. The ones called Arb and Ike are gone or dead, and they will not be able to return."

"I couldn't trust you to rule, but I could trust you to keep the peace. Which is what you want, no?" He sidestepped the question, pursuing his own line of enquiry.

The Father chuckled, ”That was a nice maneuver, ignoring my own question.”

He smiled, teeth showing, as his all white eyes shined, ”Who did say I wished to keep the peace? The Master wasn’t entirely wrong but he was going about what was needed, in the wrong way.”

Arms sweeping outward, as though to encompass the entirety of creation. ”As much as you believe this timeline is secure there are too many crossovers between realities to make that last for long, too many that have slipped between the borders of worlds, even just their spirits.”

His eyes now blazed, lighting the world, ”Energy, power, will bleed over, it is inevitable. Nothing is secure forever and there are realities that truly need the Ones, including myself, as much or more than this one does.”

Anakin hardened. "I don't need to play Omni-Versal intrigue. The Twilight Timeline will be secure for as long as you keep it so. The Ones kept the balance for a hundred millennia, even with the Sith causing grief for thirty-five of them. The Master was wrong; genocide is never the answer."

"You will only be freed when a Change threatens all. If you wish to perform your... cleansing of this reality then, you can do so then."

The Father chuckled at the hard tone, ”I can’t do much from in here, obviously, but even I can feel a CHANGE, not in one reality alone, is coming.”

He sat down, ”And, even here, Change will come, often does sooner than planned, but I can have such fun in the Maw, until then.”

"Of course," Anakin said. "So. Did you want to go to the Lake of Apparitions now?"

The Father snorted, his white eyes gazing at Anakin. ”This is your game. You told us you chose us to rise above being pawns yet we are still your pawns.”

He chuckled, ”I’d say that arrogance runs in the family and I’d be right but that’s neither here nor there. So…lead on.” he stated with a wave of his hand.

"I am merely what is left... your peers will manage the rest." Anakin shrugged. "I just thought you'd like to meet your dead."

A moment later, they were there.

At the edge of the Lake.

The Father watched as the spirits began to appear from the Mists of Forgetfulness. His gaze roved back and forth, taking in each form as they appeared. Turning his white eyes back toward Anakin, ”Am I to feel remorse at any of these dead?” he asked, with a wry tone.

"I guess it depends."

Xundel was evident.

”Who is this imp? Wait…” the Father began. His eyes narrowed, staring at Xundel, ”you’re the one who took up the idea of Balance when all went to chaos, aren’t you?” He chuckled, ”A waste, especially when the Balance ceased existing as such…”

Xundel drifted closer, his long ears twitching, the corners of his lips turned up in a smile. Letting his gaze drift up and down the Father’s form, ”So…chaos is it? Pretty lame, letting him zap you here.” He said, gesturing at Anakin.

Anakin shrugged. "I was low on options."

There were others here; including Bernael's son.

Xundel chuckled, ”There are always choices. Even ones beyond leaving him,” he gestured at Bernael/the Father, ”here.”

Kigrael drifted closer, a slight separation between him and Xundel as he approached, ”Silly little imp.” he chortled. His gaze turned to his father, bowing his head, ”Sire…you have risen far. I blame you not for my death. Him…however,” he stated as his gaze turned on Anakin with a sneer, ”he chose to let us die to convince you to become what you are now.”

The Father allowed a smile to cross his face, a nod to his son from another life, before he too turned to Anakin, ”Are these my ‘honored’ dead, or yours?”

Anakin shrugged. "Both, no doubt. As the Chosen One, I have a hand in every death that happens, or happened."

"You are the Father of Chaos, and you can speak to your son whenever you wish. Is that so awful a moment?"

He gestured deeper into the lake.

"These deaths are more recent than not. Come."

The Father shrugged, ”He was as much a portion of my will as not. His death, as any other remotely mortal sentient, was bound to happen. That it was violent and vicious was truly not a surprise.”

At the gesture, he let a small smile cross his face. A short nod and he began to follow Anakin, ”There are trillions who have died from my actions, what are a few more?”

"The Lake shows those who have died in order," he pointed out, glancing back as another mirror - a more recent one, became clear. "We can press on to what I wish to show you, or double back and see those who died last."

His tone was tight, of course.

The Father sighed, ”I suppose your time is short so perhaps we should press on, I do have all eternity, save the times I am free to impose chaos on this reality, to speak to my dead.” he admitted.

The tone that Anakin’s voice held made him wonder more what or who was of such importance as to need the Force Spirit to expend such energy here.

Anakin smiled. "There is no such thing as time, Beyond the Shadows. But back there..." He indicated where they had left; those recently dead. "Is my son, and the Master would be, no?" He pointed into the Mists. "Beyond would be all those you killed, or lost."

A slight smile. "Including yourself."

An eyebrow arched again, ”Including myself? That should prove interesting.”

The Father glanced backward, ”So both our children are there, perhaps I will see if yours found peace, when or if I choose.” His head turned, like a tracking turret, facing the Mists again, ”Those Mists must stretch for eternity, many have fallen or been lost due to all I have done, both before and after the Change.”

Anakin nodded.

"So back, to the present, or onwards, to the past?"

”The path you have led us on takes us deeper, into the past.” The Father replied. ”The present is stronger and can be met sometime else. Let us follow your path so you can rest.”

He nodded, and they shortly met it. What Anakin wanted to show him.

They'd walked past so many others.

From more than five years ago there was the Knights of Ren; Onimi; Palpatine, his eyes burning white.

Before that, Zorn, who stared at Anakin, and he ignored his fallen son. Besides them were many others that had died at Exegol; Blessed, for example, and other One Sith - Lomi Plo, Tavion, Mara Jade.

Beyond that, those who had died before even then, during the first war. Wyyrlok, Maul, Lumiya, Jerec, Cronal.

All darksiders.

More years.

And then.

There they were.

It was Bernael.

Or, rather, the version of him that had existed before the Change.

Further, he would even see Darth Tyranus; Asajj Ventress; other Dark Jedi who had served the Separatists in long gone Clone Wars.

"You'll need to speak your name to summon him to the surface," Anakin said quietly.

Looking into the Mists, the Father sighed, ”Come, Bernael, come and we shall speak.”

Long moments passed and nothing emerged from the Mists. Turning to glance at Anakin, ”Ahhh, you’re about to hear something very few beings in the galaxy know.”

Turning back to the Mists, ”Come forth, Irto Sikrar. Face me.”

It was then that the Mists roiled and a form, very similar to that of the Father’s slowly emerged from them, a disappointed look on his face.

Anakin kept his face neutral; balanced.

He regarded Irto Sikrar.

"The entity from another reality."

The Father could feel the bond between himself and this other, other version of himself. He could see the look on the other’s face, drawing a chuckle. ”And what could I have possibly done that causes such a look?”

Bernael glanced at Anakin, nodding in respect before his silver eyes turned to the Father, ”You can feel me, know me, and yet you ask that…” he shook his head, ”The Balance itself was ruptured in the Change. You could have reunited it before it became what it is now. You could have been the Father as he should be but your own failure has led you here.”

The Father chuckled, ”You expected me, us, to reunite a being beyond what many can realize? You have more faith in our abilities than exists. Or am I wrong, Anakin?”

"The Change did indeed cut at many entities that existed in this reality. Moreso than any borne of this one, by virtue of how travel between dimensions does expose one more than not." He twitched; some of the verbosity of the Father had crept in. Seeking to be Anakin for a moment, he folded his arms. "But there's a point. The Quiet Balance broke apart, and by the time you came back together, what, fifty years had passed? You weren't a candidate for any balance, not with mass-genocide on your hands."

The Father snorted, his white eyes glowing as they turned toward Anakin, ”And you…do you think that when a being even beyond your capacity has ruptured and you are left with all the darkness of it, when you yourself are caught in its insanity as it split, you would be able to not be immersed in that darkness?” He snorted, ”I doubt even you could do so so do not judge me for what I had done in that time.”

Bernael snorted at this version of himself, no matter how powerful he was now. ”Even in madness there is always a choice. You just decided to let yourself fall all the further.” He shook his head, ”And that too is why the halves inside you now can’t quite join seamlessly.”

Anakin shrugged, arms still folded. "I'm not interested in what happens beyond my remit. Half the reason you're here, and the Son is there, is so that you can't cause anymore grief. This timeline - it's free of the Epitaph, it's isolated from all other times and places and will be for some time - long enough for your origins to play your games, and decide who wins, and who loses. You're the Ones, but Madelyn and Barriss will keep you keen."

He looked into the distance. "That's why I pushed the ending; so our Master is dead, and our Arb with it."

"Did you realise why the Master could be everywhere and nowhere, or not?"

His words hung in the air between them.

The Father snorted, ”He always played his cards close to his chest but he did manage to pop between realities so that says something of his abilities.” He sighed, ”But, besides that and his access to almost every artifact of power, due to his Eye being able to see everything…you tell me.”

"It's quite simple," Anakin said, sounding most annoyed.

"As long as his Eye exists, and someone exists from his time who remembers him, he'll always be able to swell up, like a rash."

Anakin gestured, and an illusion came to the forefront.

Of Arb.

Of the Forcesaber; the one which had ended up in Palpatine's hands.

"He won't be able to last very long, but in essence he can be killed and return again and again, travelling forward from the point he shed his mortal form... but if he places himself in a vessel, or attaches himself to you, he'll be able to hang around in the present for as long as need be."

A small smile.

"And now the Twilight Arb is dead, and the Eye destroyed - its physical and spiritual components - the one which travelled with you, and the physical Forcesaber that Aryan destroyed..."

A shrug.

"... and with the Twilight Timeline now cut off from the wider realities..."

The Father nodded, ”So I was on the right track, I just didn’t have the full truth of it.”

His head cocked to the side, ”But, if this timeline is cut off, how is this one, both my younger self and not, able to be present?” he asked with a gesture at Bernael.

Bernael snorted, ”A good question, another being that I and you both remember the Master, as do the other Ones. I am beyond life but you four are not so how does that affect his ability to return?”

"This is death," Anakin pointed out. "Many ways lead to death."

"But there is no way back from death here," he said, another shrug. "But of course, in your split, the origin died, here, and could not be reconciled after fifty years."

"I can only tell you of what happens here. There, or elsewhere, who knows," Anakin spoke firmly. "But this place will not be caught up in endless war, in Epitaphs, nor the plans and ploys of others on the outside. It's free, and all I can tell you is that."

He gestured, and the lake began to recede, as they left Beyond Shadows.

He placed his thumb on his forefingers.

"Are you ready? From now until the next Change... nobody will be here for you."

The Father chuckled dryly, ”It’s not as though you have left me any choice about it. Whether I’m ready or not, I have to wait for the others to allow me to return from this place.” He shook his head, ”Of course I can entertain myself but still, I will wait, probably not entirely patiently.”

"Good luck, Father of Chaos."

Anakin faded away.

It was, as he said, what it was.

When Anakin faded, the Father glanced over the Lake, a smile on his face, there was plenty of time to talk to the dead, after all, he had eons. He walked away from it, toward a depression in the rock of the shore. Seating himself, he reached out, his senses questing across the entire area, testing the bonds of his ‘prison’, to discover the length and breadth of it, as well as what else was still in this place. When he had, he sat back, his white eyes narrowed, as he smiled.

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @TheSilentInfluence, @CosmoHender, @Shadowsun (As the other Ones)