Star Wars CLOSED Star Wars: Episode X: DUEL OF THE FATES ~ 2021 Best RPG ~

GM Note:

Coruscant Players will need to read the entire Coruscant TAG as it weaves for all of you, my friends.

IC: Lando Calrissian
Aboard the Lady Luck, orbital, Battle of Coruscant

"I did not come across the galaxy to die on a ship, Calrissian. Grab me a helmet and get me close enough to their flagship. I'll take it down from the inside."

Jannah looked at Lando and he looked at her.

"Sure," Lando said cheerfully, turning the Lady Luck towards the largest First Order ship on the battlefield; the Mandator IV-class Knife 9.

It was eight kilometers of durasteel and death, but if that was what Abaddon wanted to target, then so be it.

The personal warship of the Knights of Ren was not to be trifled with, but almost all of them were on the surface at present, save for, of course, The Stranger, if he began a Knight of Ren, of course. Leading a motley array of Ugly starfighters - DIE-wings, X-TIEs, and other kitbashed ships - they blew past a wave of TIE Whispers and there it was.



Jannah had passed Abaddon the spare flight suit and helmet, and Lando shouted out as they approached.

"Making the turn, airlock time!"

He counted down from five as bolts soared by them; the Knife 9 had decent anti-starfighter defenses, and this time, unlike at the Battle of D'Qar a decade ago, they didn't have a hotshot X-wing pilot under the shields blowing apart those turrets.

But shields stopped missiles and lasers - not flotsam.

"-one!"

He release Abaddon and gunned back towards the space battle.

Did the Stranger notice?

Who knows.

---
Atmosphere, Battle of Coruscant

The ball of toxicity and radioactive material exploded across one of the Resurgent-class Star Destroyers in lower orbit, the Ruthless, and it was entirely smothered, it's fighter screen - and a handful of Resistance E-wings assaulting the screen - falling into chaos and disaster. Nihl grudgingly approved as the Chow was suddenly through the blockade line.

The atmosphere was strewn with detonations as a set of First Order bombers exploded dramatically - Rhoen had done it. His third miracle.

But his X-wing needed a fourth to stay in the air now. Not just beeping at him about fuel reserves from the lengthy dogfight, not just explaining his blaster gas reserves were drained, not just complaining about his shot up landing gear, now the chewed up engines -

He was going down.

Slowly, inexorably.

Well, that TIE Whisper on his tail was rather accelerating his descent -

Syal had managed to land her half-an-Aleph at the far end of the Imperial Boulevard. A good mile away, at the base of the Capitol, was the great land battle. She was crying - over her Sullustan friend, watching Rhoen, watching the Resistance Army being smashed.

The entire distance between her and the armies slugging it out was strewn with dead, downed walkers, crashed TIEs and even the wreckage of a yacht she recognised as the Pulsar Skate. A pair of Resistance transports that had once been impromptu hospitals and command posts burned merrily; gaily even.

She had two pistols in her hand, and she knew that Rhoen would need a landing pad. She fired one, lighting a flare. The other was her blaster, and she gulped as she looked at the walkers pouring fire into the Resistance forces.

Syal wanted to go and help there.

Even as she watched, she would see support structures rumble on the underside of the massive dreadnought, the Cradle slowly but surely releasing the immense warship. It’s upper guns continued to pump fire after the gnat Resistance fighters that harassed it; they’d start lobbing pot-shots at Dol soon enough. Nihl, for his part, pointed at the Capitol. “We need to get aboard there to do the most damage. If it escapes, your Resistance loses; all of this will be for nothing.”

But it was worth remembering that Rhoen’s wasn’t the only triumph just then.

With Lorl Ren dead, Vicrul Ren was diverted to face Eleanor. He could have gone after Finn, or Mirta, or even Madelyn, the latter busy with Vestara Khai, but instead she had drawn his eye.

She would undoubtedly notice him; he’d just slaughtered Rafe and Dade; he had the Darksaber; he was bearing down on her.

---
Imperial Boulevard, base of the Cradle of the Capitol

A burning bomber crashes into the Brutetroopers and tanks in the square.

Finn looks up, salutes the X-wing which was falling away, basically aflame, that saved them all.

"That is one helluva a pilot."

There is a TIE Whisper on his tail - on Rhoen's tail -

The Brutetroopers begin to retreat into the Capitol, firing from inside the building -

Chewbacca roars, and Finn shouts, the Resistance surging forward.

BB-8 sneaks though - and plugs into the Terminal.

—-
Capitol, not far from the Jammer

Rose's eyes blinked as she watched Smith and Johnson battle - with Johnson losing. She marshals her courage to rush in, to stall for more time -

The feed of her hacked CPU tower lights up.

The panel is flooded with keycodes.

BB-8 did it.

"Atta boy."

But for Johnson and Smith, the fleshy assimilation by the latter is just not working.

He frowns, deeply, hard.

"What is it?"

He pushes, and the assimilation is complete; even Johnson's face begins to rearrange itself to match that of Smiths; it's painful, of course, but Johnson would feel it, and his new Smith-self would not.

Pleased, Smith produces a pair of sunglasses for him and hands them over.

He's won. Now to kill Rose, and end this insurgency from inside the Capitol.

But he hesitated.

Lucrecia's voice.

I atoned by completing a cure. But I sinned by remaking your fate, cutting it, modelling it, playing God. I had to implant it within a specimen; a strong host that the SMITH virus would target and want. It couldn't be me, I wasn't physically capable to be an Agent; I could not pass the tests.

But you could.

So I had to hope that you would be yourself, and thwart Smith so often he would target you.

Dr Gast didn't realise; she just saw you as a another variation of her brilliant program, this time tailored to humanity, after her long imprisonment for experimenting on nonhumans for Warlord Zsinj.

So I needed to hope Smith would try and incorporate you.

I'm sorry, I know this hurts; will hurt, for a very long time.

The last memory-message ended, and Smith looked at Johnson.

His eyes widened behind his sunglasses.

And he exploded.

The rewriting of his genetic code faded away, and Johnson reasserted himself, or rather, his own self did.

He would know, with some certainty, that Smith was gone.

It was over.

Rose looks up at him.

"If that's you, Johnson, we need to get going."

The entire Capitol rumbles.

---
Capitol, inside, lower levels

With another dark side act on her cachet, Barriss would have no issues sneaking sneaking around the battle into the Capitol itself. Indeed, it was a good thing she chose to do so just then, because the there was a noise behind her; a burning bomber smashing into the Brutetroopers -

Indeed, as she crossed the threshold of the Capitol, there was a change in the air.

Behind Rhoen, that last TIE Whisper exploded at long last.

The Millennium Falcon had ended a long descent into the City, firing it's forward cannons until they jammed dry.

He had dove into the canyon of buildings, levelling out on a trajectory towards the last of the AT-MTs on the Boulevard.

The Falcon buzzed over the heads of Syal, then Beaumont, lain out on a stretcher, then Madelyn, Vestara, Eleanor, Vicrul, then Poe and Chewbacca -

and crashed through the legs of the walkers.

They toppled off the Boulevard, even as the Falcon sparked out, slamming into the base of the Capitol Building - the Cradle the dreadnought sat on; not far behind Barriss as she snuck in.

The accumulated pile of fallen walkers and crashed ships creates a barricade on the front steps.

Silences sounds out.

Well, until the dreadnought rumbling overtook them.

It would shortly head into battle and wipe out the Resistance fleet, smugglers and all. Seventy kilometres of power and destructive potential, it was more vulnerable grounded than airborne. It’s shields would crackle to life - though one could not say if Dol Khan made it aboard before or not, if he took that decision - and the sheer power behind them would create a shock wave in the atmosphere of Coruscant.

Connix, aboard the Eclipse, shouted out. “Target it with the superlaser!”

But that wouldn’t make any impression on Barriss; the great battle outside. Indeed, her delving into the dark side throughout this week would mean one thing; she could sense the dark side treasure trove that Chancellor Hux had gathered.

She could head straight there, there was little between her and it.

They called to her, teased her, demanded her loyalty, her fealty, promised her revenge, gave her images of power and glory and the dead restored at her hand -

Hux, for his part, was watching Coruscant raise up against him; his fleet embattled by the rebel scum.

Within the bridge, alarms blare; command officers frantically prepare for departure. Hux eyes the crashed Millennium Falcon in the square below. Willing it to explode and kill all of them.

Poe Dameron. FN-2187. Chewbacca.

He wanted them all dead.

Even the Knights of Ren.

He'd get them all.

"Bomb the city," he snapped. "Decimate every last being!"

Commander Sellik looks forlorn. "Our forces are outnumbered, sir."

He imagined this was how it would have felt at Exegol, confronted by the galaxy at large. Indeed, he knew that even with the Capitol, the First Order had been shattered.

Again.

The tragic truth slams into him.

He’d lost the Star Wars.

He left the bridge.

TAGs:

@galactic-vagabond422 (single)

@TheSilentInfluence, @Shadowsun (combos)

@The Jedi in the Pumas (singles and combos as you wish)

@Jerjerrod-Lennox (combo)

@CosmoHender (combo)
---
IC: Grey One
Ruusan

The antechamber door crumbled in as if pushed by a feather of wind.

Depths.

The depths beneath the ruined First Order base were dark.

Dank.

Decay spoke up.

Unnatural powers, twisted into one.

There was the broken though bomb, a swirl of liquid to its glass exterior.

To stare at it was to lose ones mind.

It was, it seemed, by the lack of foliage in the area, slowly but surely reconstituting itself.

As if it was draining the Force from the surrounding area.

A battle decades ago had seen it breached, and the energy therein dispersed across the planet.

But it had remained.

Ready; waiting.

For him.

Xundel would feel it.

It was looking at him.

It was, somehow, a Void in the Force that had acquired a sentience.

It did not care for the Light, or the Dark.

Just the End.

It was worse than Chaos, the opposite of Balance.

It was just Empty.

Careful, came the Grey One.

It will tempt you.

TAG: @darthbernael (combo)
---
IC: Ruk
Arkinnea, Expansion Region

The grand tour continued apace, and the mighty Whiphid pondered the words of Tirran Huxley.

"Well, you will have to let me know when you do become concerned and warn me before it comes as well. The crystal did not lie, but how matters little in the face of good business."

Ruk let the comment pass.

"Your way of approaching business is what I do. I can sell and shift it so no one even knows the grain came from your world if you like."

"That would be preferable," he said softly, but the Gallusian was just as much thinking aloud, seemingly.

"Keep the profit margins just below the competition and sell to sectors that might not have the deeper pockets that would appreciate the discount more in exchange for secrecy and looking the other way for where it comes from."

"Desperation and charity often go hand-in-hand," Ruk agreed.

"Most will think we be selling stolen goods or grain drones that went missing from a convey in a nebula pass, but that is fine. Yes?"

"Perfectly," Ruk emphasised. "I can tell that you trade in secrets and half-truths, so I trust you to keep our location secret for as long as it is profitable to you."

The Whipid sniffed; he may have chuckled to himself.

There was movement as they passed the grain fields; workers, seemingly wanting to get out of the way, from the discarded tools on the floor. Ruk appreciated that.

"Which of course requires me to ask what you share will be, my friend. And whether you have any... specific requirements of us."

His comlink would chime at that inconvenient moment; Tirran had news on the First Order network of an urgent request for more reinforcements; the Capital was imperiled and immediate assistance was required.

Ruk arched a massive woolly eyebrow. "A signal? Through the Jamming?"

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto
---
IC: Grand Admiral Yage
Comm loop - Coruscant, Wavett and the Ghost Nebula

"Your ships are gone."

Yage did not mince words.

Not at all.

Arek actually let out a noise of mild panic, still running through the corridors of the Capital.

Lyz hissed, almost like a viper, but she was more upset than angry.

"Oh boy," Sistros said, unsurprised.

The Grand Admiral was furious, though.

"I would accuse you lying about their existence, but there was a beacon left for your attention, Vice Chancellor."

She didn't ask his permission to play it to the others.

The voice was grave, amused, a cutting inflection with each and every word.

I have your ships, Aryan Graul. I do so appreciate you stockpiling them for me. They have made my move much simpler, my boy. I will call you and the other Galactic Warlords, and you will come to me, and you will serve as my Chancellor. You and your Grand Admiral and your family and their connections. Hux is no longer necessary. Accept, and I shall save your son.

Yage spoke up ."That's it all. Care to share who your generous benefactor is?"

Her voice was sarcastic.

"Aryan didn't know anything about this -" Lyz cut back.

"What if we don't accept?" Arek said, concern flooding his voice. "Will something happen to me?"

"Something like Jalynn?" Yage said, dry.

Of course, it was then that the withdrawal symptoms kicked in.

There was a flutter of a memory; a triangular headed woman drawing an unlit lightwhip; it was already made up of leather studded with crystal and metal strands. She lashed out at him.

The negative side effects of Refrain were your very worst memory.

Sistros winced as he sensed the chance in Aryan.

"And here comes Skelm."

TAG: @HanSolo29

TAG: @QueenSabe7 (outstanding TAG)

 

IC: Vice-Chancellor Aryan Graul
Private Shuttle

The Grand Admiral’s report triggered a series of events that plunged Aryan into a dangerous spiral. His fleet—which he had painstakingly assembled from various sources over the past decade—had gone missing. But perhaps more damning was the beacon, and the embedded message, that Yage had recovered from the site within the Ghost Nebula itself:

I have your ships, Aryan Graul. I do so appreciate you stockpiling them for me. They have made my move much simpler, my boy. I will call you and the other Galactic Warlords, and you will come to me, and you will serve as my Chancellor. You and your Grand Admiral and your family and their connections. Hux is no longer necessary. Accept, and I shall save your son.

In that moment, Aryan was grateful for the distance that separated them; he was alone onboard his shuttle—except for Sistros, of course—without the convenience of a video feed. And so, his family could not see him when he literally wilted under the burden of this latest development. It sapped his strength and left him vulnerable. Not only had this mysterious ‘benefactor’ robbed him of his legacy, but he was forcing him to make an impossible decision.

And the Vice-Chancellor was uncertain whether he could endure.

Aryan had led a long, arduous life. After spending his twilight years forging the New Order from scratch, an endeavor that he perceived as his final opus, he had become fatigued. He would’ve been content to retire with the knowledge that his achievements would persist through future generations. As a result, he had no desire to start over in the role of Chancellor, nor did he want to serve as a pawn under another petty despot. He had tolerated enough adversity under Hux and the First Order.

But under these circumstances, what other choice did he have? This elusive man had stolen everything from him; he had no fleet, no hope, and no future. If he ever wanted to see Arek again, he had to comply.

After the fate that had befallen Jalynn, his family was the only thing that mattered. Nevermind that it would doom him to repeat the same endless cycle, driving him back into a life of duty and servitude as the consummate politician; the charismatic and faithful leader.

However, before he could express those opinions, the room began to tilt at an unnatural angle. He felt faint, causing the ongoing conversation to fade into mere background noise. When he instinctively brought a hand to his forehead to steady his sudden vertigo, he discovered that he was also sweating profusely. While he had tried to prevail against his dependency problem up until this point, the rapid onset of his symptoms informed him that he could no longer proceed down that path without consequences. He realized that he was experiencing withdrawal from the Refrain, and that demanded—

That...demanded…

That—what?

Aryan slowly shook his head in an attempt to clear the mental fog that had abruptly descended upon his ailing mind.

Nevertheless, that proved ineffective; it only accelerated the process.

A sharp gasp slipped from the Vice-Chancellor’s lips as the interior of the shuttle rippled and began to dissolve—and then it reformed around a dark figure that had materialized from the ether. With a slender frame accentuated by a form-fitting jumpsuit, she was plainly female. But perhaps more distinctive was her triangular headpiece and the uncoiled whip that swayed in her clenched fist.

"Lumiya," Aryan murmured hoarsely, seemingly unaware that he had uttered the name aloud for the others to hear.

The Dark Lady was a specter from his troubled past—or was she real?

In response to his unspoken question, Lumiya retracted her hand and then lashed out with deadly precision. The whip’s studded leather, implanted with crystal and metal shards, whistled through the air before finding purchase on his back. Pain blossomed from the point of impact, forcing a withered howl to escape from his throat.

She pulled back and hit him again, and again...and again.

Through his agony—through his memories—a single voice echoed in his ear.

Or was it within his mind?

"And here comes Skelm."

Aryan’s chin snapped up, instantly recognizing the distinctive drawl of Sistros. But how did he know that name? It was an identity attached to an alternate version of himself, one that he had perceived through a strange mindscape many years ago—or had it been much more than that?

That notion allowed him to temporarily break through the cognitive dissonance to glare at the Holocron. The pain was still evident on his face, but so was his determination. "W–Where did you hear that...name?" he growled through clenched teeth, looming closer to the tiny hologram.

But then his body writhed once more under the invisible onslaught, and he unleashed another stifled scream.

When his suffering dissipated to a manageable level, he returned his attention back to the comm relay, catching the end of the conversation. "Don’t you…dare belittle my daughter’s sacrifice," Aryan stated firmly, admonishing Yage for her distasteful comment about Jalynn’s death. "I promise you, Grand Admiral, I had nothing to do...with this. We were all—all caught...unexpectedly by this snare. But I can assure you...my son—all of us—will prevail; we won’t suffer the same fate. I’ll—AUGH!"

Again, he faltered, slumping under the tendrils of Lumiya’s imaginary lightwhip. The pain was becoming unbearable, and when he gathered enough strength to speak once more, Aryan closed his eyes to focus. His responses were turning erratic, matching the discord within his mind. He had to carry on quickly before he succumbed to his madness.

Inclining his chin, he then reached out to the strange entity. "I...I—ehh...accept."

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Captain Peavey
Aboard the Knife 9, Battle of Coruscant



Captain Peavey had no words for the disaster he watched today. He had been Hux's captain at the Battle of D'Qar and subsequent pursuit, transferred with him from the Finalizer and to the Supremacy and after being the watch offer for that particular disaster, was shuffled off to some distant post aboard a Maxima... after commanding Star Destroyers.

The old school Imperial had been happy that Allegiant General Pryde had put the bastard Hux in it's place, but he had somehow died at Exegol and the man-child had became Chancellor. Nine long years later, he was assigned one of their few remaining Mandator IV-class dreadnoughts... and was given babysitter duty for the Knights of Ren.

He'd done what he could, destroying rogue settlements, hunting down Jedi outcasts, and finally couriering a million Mandalorians to Coruscant for a proposed mass subjugation of the Expansion Region - alongside the Eclipse Fleet, originally, but instead the Eclipse's was undone, with the only functioning ship of the line in the hands of the Resistance.

And his new army had been enmeshed defending Coruscant from an uprising!

It was one disaster after another this week.

To think it had started so simply, hunting Force users at Akiva...

Of course, he didn't have notification that Abaddon had arrived on his ship.

Why would he? He was one man, a piece of flotsam...

... but he did have notification that a Knight of Ren had deployed from Kuat aboard a TIE Whisper-Interceptor (he secretly wished they'd just give it a better name), and was now en route to his ship.

"Right, let's see who it is."

He hated Hattaska.

Jaedec, he had been the easiest to work with.

Vicrul just seemed to want to kill Hattaska, and while Peavey sympathised, it wasn't a safe starting point.

The twins, Lorl and Ott, well, they were mad.

He'd only briefly met the prior iterations of the Knight of Ren, but they always had erratic destructiveness in common - epitomised by the Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren, who, Peavey reluctantly admitted, had proven a much more effective ruler than he had expected. Notwithstanding the Galactic Rebellion and Battle of Exegol, the youngest child of Han and Leia Solo had given them a decade of dominion of the cosmos.

As such, he trusted his judgment, and so he would greet the Knight as if he was Kylo Ren.

Or, at least try.

There was a battle going on, and his underside weapons had been disabled by a superlaser strike - he'd been lucky to not lose the Knife 9 entirely. Concentrating, he checked his uniform and went to greet the Knight of Ren - the Strange - at the furthest hangar to the nose of the ship. Why the Knight had docked there, he wouldn't know, but he would obey.

Keeping the Knife 9 out of that horrific battle was fine by him - it was continuing, after all, above the Capitol, still settled within it's cradle -

And then the Capitol lifted off.

The dreadnought was airborne, leaving the building beneath to the Resistance.

TAG: @Master Vo'Un'Var, @The Jedi in the Pumas
---
Imperial Boulevard

The two of them charged down the length of the battered, horrific pavilion.

At the very end, at the base of the Capitol building, there was a continuing skirmish with the very last of the troopers - as they advanced, they would see the Millennium Falcon take down the last of the walkers, but the lightsaber fighter continued - but now there were two crimson blades against two Jedi -

Vicrul and Eleanor were continuing their fight, even if the ground battle was ebbing -

Along the way, a good half a mile out from the main fight, Syal took shots at errant Stormtroopers that fired first, because she noticed at least some of the troopers were on their side - her and Rhoen would see a group of five beating on a beskar armoured Brutetrooper -

But it was a long boulevard, and littered with corpses, shattered shuttles, downed fighters, and crippled men and women of many species.

When they slid up to the wreckage of the Pulsar Skate, they were immediately accused of attacking the ship by an astromech -

Whistler!

He had a buzz-saw out, and a flamethrower, and an electro-prod.

"Hey, hey!" Syal said. "It's me, Syal - Wedge's daughter?"

Whistler looked at Rhoen and tweetled.

"And that's Rhoen."

He looked behind them and tweetled again.

They would glance behind and see what looked like a Stormtrooper in a battle suit - a Mechtrooper.

The trooper swung a hand over and a gout of flame emerged -

Whistler screamed, switching to a fire extinguisher of all things and releasing a blast of liquid that caused an explosion of smoke as it was instantly converted to steam -

And then the Capitol lifted off.

The dreadnought was airborne, leaving the building beneath to the Resistance.

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422, and @TheSilentInfluence and @Shadowsun to continue their combo
---
In low orbit

The Silencer inverted and let rip with cannons, which of course bit into the surface of the Capitol as it was under the shields, and were hurled into the hangar -

The shields there hung out for a few moments -

And all of sudden Johnson would be warned of a targeting lock -

A turbolaser turret had already painted him -

Sensors cried at him, he had in-bound - a trio of TIE Whispers, shields up, missiles prepped -

There were other ships inside the shields, including half a dozen X-wings, among them Jess Pava but also the latest iteration of the Chow, commanded by Dol Khan and assisted by Nihl. The Chow's name was evident, and whether Johnson would remember - or care - that is was a Kubaz that piloted a ship known as the Prime Chow that had killed Jalynn Graul a few days ago was another question.

The Nagai was staring intently at the surface of the Capitol, and turned his eyes on the Kubaz.

"What is your plan now?"

As the great orbital battle continued, that was the question on everyone's lips.

And then the Capitol lifted off.

The dreadnought was airborne, leaving the building beneath to the Resistance.

TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @The Jedi in the Pumas
---
Aboard the Capitol itself, going up

While Rose made her way off, and Sellik took over command in the absence of the Chancellor, and while Connix fired the superlaser and watched the magnificent shields of the Capitol take the hit, and while Lando cursed as the First Order fleet rallied now their flagship was joining the fray -

Hux held the lightsaber in his hand.

He ignited it.

It was crimson, of course.

It was Palpatine's old lightsaber, the one he inherited...

He plunged the blade into his chest.



He knew he had lost.

He looked up as the door opened.

It was Barriss Ofee.

"Can't I... die in peace."

He growled at her.

TAG: @CosmoHender (combo)
---
IC: Grand Admiral Yage
First Order HoloNet space, at Wavett and the Ghost Nebula and -

"Lumiya," the Vice Chancellor had said hoarsely, and even through the grainy hologram, Yage was sure she had seen Lyz pale, definitely Arek looked at the feed, wide eyed, running through the corridors of the rumbling Capitol.

"And here comes Skelm."

Yage didn't know who that voice was, even as Aryan clearly reacted to it, his chin snapping up.

The three of them watched their nominal leader going through some kind of manic episode.

Lyz actually had her hand to her mouth, tears in her eyes. "Admiral, my husband takes refrain medicinally, and it turns out that the Chancellor locked up the market for it and, well, cut him off, we've been waiting for him to have a negative reaction but -"

The Grand Admiral looked at woman as if she was mad.

"W–Where did you hear that...name?"

No, that's him, she realised. She made her comment about Jalynn if only to get the mans attention -

"Don’t you…dare belittle my daughter’s sacrifice," Aryan stated firmly, and for a moment his entire demeanor before vanished - he was back, and Yage felt the most perplexing sense of hope. "I promise you, Grand Admiral, I had nothing to do...with this. We were all—all caught...unexpectedly by this snare. But I can assure you...my son—all of us—will prevail; we won’t suffer the same fate. I’ll—AUGH!"

And there he went.

He looked up, and Yage knew that Aryan had really lost it; the comm wasn't open to anyone else.

"I...I—ehh...accept."

Yage was about ready to cut the channel and head for Bastion when a voice replied, one Yage had no data on its connection to their channel.

"Goooood."

It was harsh, and jagged.

Yage didn't recognise it, and she was sure, if it was Palpatine, reborn through yet another impossibility, she would have recognised him.

She looked at the beacon, realised it must have joined their conversation -

"Captain Phasma, you may secure the Graul child. Bring him and Senator Treen to me."

A metallic voice; female, another ghost of the past.

"At once, Supreme Leader."

The line cut, and Yage mustered herself.

"You can do what you want. I'm going to take what I can into hiding and prepare for the worst. I'm not propping up the next maniacal sadist to come along." Without another word, Yage cut the channel, and Arek left it too, as there was a clatter of boots and he announced he would cooperate.

That left Lyz and Aryan.

And Sistros, of course, sitting there, watching, arms folded.

"Talk to me, Aryan," she begged. "It's all fell apart. We can hold onto our gains with the Diplomatic Corps warships, but not for long. We either join this... 'Supreme Leader', or we lose everything - and Arek. I don't want to have to tell our grandchildren we got their father killed too."

Of course, they did have children of their children.

"You know that Lumiya is dead. Skywalker killed her before - for sure this time. It was nearly fifteen years ago, Aryan."

TAG: @HanSolo29 (combo)
---
IC: Ruk
Arkinnea, negotiating away

"Coruscant is embattled, you say," Ruk said, thoughtfully. "You're keyed in, as they say."

The Whiphid stroked his long chin.

Tirran launched into all manner of fact and figure, but Ruk's eyes glossed over. "I am sure you are being both fair and competitive, keeping in mind my prior conditions."

He turned and leaned closer to Tirran, as if trying to read the truth on his eyes. After an awkward moment he continued. "You strike me as a trustworthy sort, Huxley, notwithstanding your understandable avarice." He nodded to himself. "I can work with that; you honour your deals, and your word. Yes, you'll leverage us against something more profitable, but that is my role - to keep it profitable for you. To ensure the Ag workers keep the fields plentiful."

"But would you object to supplying me with memories from the Core? We have been isolated for several decades, essentially hoping one day we can go public, but clearly that is not going to happen anytime soon. It's our fifth war in a century, after all." Most modern historians had lumped the entire Second Civil War era into one galactic chaotic lump, coming to an end a year after the Battle of Exegol, when the First Order switched on the Jammer and basically won. Notwithstanding the wildly varying opponents and combatants, the essential conflict was between Liberty and Autocracy, last represented by the Resistance and the First Order. Rather clearly, the Jamming had simply placed a pause on the conflict, but an eight year pause was still a pause.

"One day the galaxy may be safe enough for my kind," Ruk said mused, and then abruptly held out a hand. "On that basis, and everything we have discussed otherwise, we have an accord."

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto
---
TAG: @darthbernael (combo continues)
---
IC: Kylo Ren
The final battle - Mortis, Temple - night

She had resolved, and Kylo Ren loved her more then than he ever had.

Of course, he never had.

His weaker, pathetic, deceased light half had loved Rey Skywalker, and died for her.

She was no longer light, though - he could see that now.

The former scavenger had embraced both sides of the Force.

Beautiful.

Especially when he struck her down.

Kylo Ren leapt for her clashed with her; she would be able to match and counter his every move. They were evenly matched, two sides of a coin, but not the same one - flame and shadow.

Fighting to the death.

This is the end.

A swing - vicious? merciful? - it would shatter his hilt and remove several fingers on his left hand, cut across the palm -

He looked at it with disbelief, stumbles back towards the empty Well; falls to one knee.

Her anger would peak, he was at her mercy; the dark side would speak to her.

Her merest decision to oppose him, to stand with the galaxy - to glow in the Force, it meant he could not stand against her.

He could only in that moment clench his teeth, a rage emerging that we haven't seen since Anakin Skywalker -

Kylo Ren reaches out the open palm of his good palm...

... and extracts the Living Force from Rey...

... just as Tor Valum taught him.

He lifts her, ensnared, entrapped, entirely in his mercy -

"They were wrong," Kylo Ren says. "All of them. The power of this place can't be taken... it can only be unlocked."

He looks from the Well to her.

"But it's nothing compared to you."

TAG: @QueenSabe7 (combo)

 

OOC: Combo with @Sinrebirth

IC Xundel
Ruusan

Careful, came from the Grey One.

It will tempt you.

Xundel ’When isn’t something trying to tempt me or convince me to join its cause…’ He thought to the Grey One.

He could feel the oppressive Darkness of the reconstituting Thought Bomb. He’d studied it when he’d delved into the deep archives of the Jedi Archives, decades before but to stand before it was something entirely different. He could feel it wanted him, wanted his body, his soul, wanted to incorporate him into it.

He slid from the crevice he’d ensconced himself in, the need for hiding was not a need anymore, all that there was was the sense of the Grey One, the presence that was always with him, and the Thought Bomb itself. It felt almost as though it were sentient but he supposed an eon of containing the souls of thousands of Sith and Jedi would do that.

Stumping forward, he leaned over his cane, not staring at the device directly but letting it be seen in the periphery of his vision, ”Yeah...okay...you want me, for what, why?” He couldn’t help it, it was immensely powerful but his defense mechanism was snark.

We want to be recompleted.

An image swam into existence.



Skere Kaan

He had been one of the Dark Lords of the Sith trapped in the thought bomb.

Well, the last one of the Brotherhood of Darkness standing.

Xundel’s ears twitched at the image, a smile crossing his face. ”Wait...are you the Thought Bomb or the Sith that was apparently so incompetent one of his own killed all but one apprentice to build the Sith in a new way? You seem confused, not a good way to be, whatever you are.” he replied.

We were trapped in the Thought Bomb for a millennium. When it was destroyed, the other hundred Jedi and Sith within fled; mistaking freedom for sanctuary. We held on to the shell, rebuild myself. I led twenty thousand Sith; I forged an Empire that held the galaxy by the throat. I led fifteen Dark Lords; a feat beyond the greatest of the ancient Emperor’s.

Kaan pointed at Xundel.

You would do well to respect me. Those who dug my shell do; they want my power for their Supreme Leader. I too am a descendent of Ruin, after all.

A coughing laugh came from Xundel at the diatribe from Skere Kaan, if that was who the shade truly was. His cane tapped the ground as he began to walk, slowly, back and forth before the reconstituting Thought Bomb. ”Before I get into the distant past,” he began, his internal ‘guest’ stirring at the mention of Ruin, ”what you are telling me is that you are the one coward of all those Sith and Jedi that had been trapped in the Thought Bomb for all those centuries. They recognized that their future was to choose for themselves and you tethered yourself to a decaying weapon in the hope that a group like this would eventually find you. I have met their Supreme Leader and he is no more than a petulant child. If that’s your desire I say you’d be a perfect match.”

He glanced around, finding a rock that looked tall enough and flat enough on its top surface. Stumping over to it he hopped up, swinging his feet forward and back, the tip of his cane tapping the rock’s surface between them. He glanced at the apparition sidelong again, ”You should know that both the Sith and the Jedi, as well as mundane history, do not record your ‘accomplishments’,” the air quotes could be heard, ”as such. You truly are recorded as the Dark Jedi that wasn’t even strong enough to demand superiority as a Sith to lead the Sith. And, because of your actions even a Sith was so disgusted that he forced a battle that allowed him to almost destroy both the Sith and the Jedi.”

“Whoever realized that you are what is here either has a very romanticised version of history in their head or is trying to make their Supreme Leader even more unstable.” Xundel mused. ”I don’t even know why I’m listening to the ravings of such a being...except perhaps because you amuse me. You really haven’t given me any reason to see you as more than history records, let alone aid you. You’re really, really bad at this tempting someone game, you know that?”

Kaan kept his impressions of the Supreme Leader to himself.

“Ah, I tempt you not with the promise of the return of the Sith,” Kaan laughed drily. “I realised something here, at the heart of the battle you say made me a Dark Jedi to the historians.” He lifted his finger, appearing maddened beneath his red-limned hue. “If the Sith became so watered down as to become Dark Jedi, what did the Jedi become so watered down as to become?”

A chortle. “Lord Hoth stained his soul with child soldiers and raising an army against the dark, perpetuating the cycle of conflict rather than seeking to end it. What became of him, a Light Jedi, or, as the Sith texts sarcastically proclaim - a True Jedi?”

Xundel’s feet rocked, the cane tapping, a smile touching the corner of his lips. ”The general histories call him a great Jedi, savior of the Republic. The Jedi texts aren’t quite as glowing. It depends on the text you read but he is both praised and vilified. The Sith texts do tend to call him the next best thing to a dark Jedi as well.” he replied.

He sighed, ”I won’t deny that the Jedi strayed far from what they were, even during the Old Republic. But going completely dark is not the answer. You have been trapped and maddened by your time in the Thought Bomb, understandable. But just one side or the other is not the answer. Hence not giving one whit of care about your attempts to tempt me.”

Chuckling, ”Besides, the Dark is strong in this time, even if they eschew the title of Sith. Possibly they believe that it has negative connotations.”

"As do I," Kaan said, drily. "Of course, I saw the truth, but turned away from it. That after a millennium of continual conflict, the differences between the Jedi and Sith became superficial." His eyes glittered with madness. "We became Force users of the Twilight, an eternal Dusk and Dawn caught in a conflict that had nothing to do with us."

Well I didn't expect that.

The Grey chuckled.

Definitely a female voice.

Xundel’s head tilted to the side, one three fingered hand tapping its nails against his chin. He regarded the shade of Kaan as he pondered the words of the Grey One. ”The conflict has raged for eons. There are ebbs and flows to it but always it peaks as the Dark and Light vie for supremacy, neither side realizing they cannot truly win or survive without the other.” he admitted.

His feet swayed, glancing at the shade once more, ”This belief of yours, I take it those attempting to bring you to their Supreme Leader do not know. If they did, they would understand that while you exist in a state of madness it is not one of pure Darkness as they hoped.”

"Pfeh," Kaan said. "More of that talk of Balance. I was a Jedi Master; I know the hypocrisy of the Order - that they portrayed themselves as the true authority on Balance, and in-fact they were hidebound by the corruption of the Light."

A sneer. "In my time, Jedi Chancellor's had led the Republic as a theocracy for three hundred years! The very thing they overthrew the Pius Dea for, and accused the Sith of seeking to impose! What trite philosophy justified the seizure of power, tell me, tridactyl?"

Xundel chuckled slightly. ”Similar to the philosophy of seizing power for power’s sake. I never said I agreed with either philosophy. And I never claimed to still be a Jedi, old shade.”

He sighed, they were speaking in circles and either the shade was attempting to delay him until something or it truly was of such a fractured mind that only certain parts of it came to the surface at a time. ”According to yourself you took power as a way to remain in the Twilight neither Sith nor Jedi but something between. You must see the irony that you continue to claim to be so dark.”

"Irony is delicious at times, but I know my limits. I was not dark enough. I needed to do more - not just to be a warrior, to be a marauder, a Dark Lord. I needed to do more, dig harder into the Force and wound it."

He turned his eyes to the thought bomb, glinting in the sunlight, inky black glass

"And for that I need you!"

The black seized out, stretched to try and ensnare him -

Xundel listened to the latest rant, slowly drawing his legs up under him on the rock. Kaan truly had lost more of himself as he only partially existed in the Thought Bomb over the last millennia. When the black began to move the little imp pushed off the rock, his cane as a third ‘arm’ to add to his velocity and direct it. He flipped over backward as he flew, facing the shards and the shade when he landed. Starting to skitter across the ground he chuckled, ”Predictable...sad. You truly believe I would fall for that?”

Letting his power gather, he held his cane, that hand readying to shield himself, his eyes turning a curious mix of his natural coloration as well as swirls of grey. His other hand twisted and a wind from nowhere began to blow, circling him, lifting dust and rock from the floor of the cavern, before releasing it at the shards, deflecting them from their course at him.

The shards were shattered and replaced by a surge of inky black limbs, elongated in an attempt to ensnare him -

Kaan lifted a hand and a pressure formed on Xundel's mind; the belief that he was no match for a Dark Lord of the Sith -

Battle meditation, be careful.

His observer apparently continued to watch...

Xundel cackled, ’Naw, really…?’ he teased to his observer, as they seemed loath to involve themselves. His saber hilt leaped into his hand, the blade snapping on, longer than he was, and he spun and danced, cutting through the inky limbs, individually and in bundles, as they came for him. Bouncing away, higher, out of reach for a moment, ”You’ll have to do better than that to make me doubt myself, I too have my own advantages, including a thick skin from being remorselessly teased for many years.” he quipped at the shade.

Teased?

Kaan snorted.

What could a Jedi Knight be teased for?

A malevolence.

Impish? Goblin? Do we trouble ourselves with such words. Are we not Jedi and Sith?

A quirk of a smirk.

I forget, we are beyond such things. Now I am Twilight, now you are Balance.

Xundel chuckled once more as he continued to bounce and twirl, defending against the inky limbs, ”You are quite correct there, our pasts are past and what we are now defines this moment. You cannot win this encounter, even with Battle Meditation.” his voice began to change as did his eyes. The sense of his presence was deeper as well.

”Twilight and Balance can both exist, separate or together, but even if you reach me your Darkness will not overcome. It couldn’t when the board was created, that the great game is played on, it cannot here.” that deeper voice said.

Twilight is the true state of matters… the Force is never in Balance, it merely hangs on the eternal edge of Dusk and Dawn.

The voice was not Kaan’s.

It was something…

Else.

Xundel would have a moment to consider that before the Dark stretched, and the Thought Bomb broke from the strain, shattering -

And causing a white out -

Xundel caught the change in Kaan’s tone as pressure mounted in the air. It wasn’t felt or seen, but sensed. Something was about to come and he needed to set himself for whatever it was. His head whipped around and saw it. With one last bound as he felt the wavefield about to collapse, he wrapped himself in energy, layers and layers, as a blast shield. And then the Thought Bomb exploded.

Everything went white but Xundel could feel that how he’d prepared had worked, he’d positioned himself in that last instant so that when the blast wave hit it would blow his airborne form out of the cavern the relic had occupied, giving him those few, precious, extra moments to recover and prepare before whatever had happened revealed itself.

In the conditions, he felt the impact with a far wall, in the outer corridor, even if he didn’t see it. The energy around him; mostly shattered from the blastwave of the Thought Bomb shattering, absorbed much of it before dissipating. Finally, he slumped to the floor of the corridor, shaking his head, cane planted, as he cleared his vision and prepared.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Commander Sellik
Departing, heading into the Battle of Coruscant in orbit

Well, it was still the Battle of Coruscant, but being as the First Order had just abandoned the planet, it was more the Rout of Coruscant now, Commander Sellik dwelled.

She did not care for the remnants of the ground skirmish, fought by Rhoen and Syal, Poe, Finn, Eleanor, Vestara, Madelyn, Mirta, Vicrul and the others...

... nor was she concerned as to the gnats under the shields, dancing with a greater number of TIEs, being Johnson, Dol Khan (with Nihl), and Jess Pava...

... nor was she intrigued by events aboard the Knife 9 involving Abaddon and the Stranger...

... not even the firefights taking place aboard the ship that was partaken by Phasma and her Shadowtroopers, or indeed caused by Barriss and Rose Tico

No, Sellik was purely, at this point, focused on pushing through the orbital scrum, in bypassing the Eclipse and the other Smuggler's Alliance ships commanded by Connix and Lando respectively.

Once the Capitol was through it, they could flee, regroup, and rebuild.

A Megador-class dreadnought was designed to be a mobile command center and shipyard - indeed, it had been the First Order's primary such vessel when they were confined to the Unknowns, before the rule of Supreme Commander Kylo Ren, but after the fall from grace of Grand Admiral Rae Sloane, one of the architects of the First Order.

Sellik simply stood over the corpse of Chancellor Armitage Hux and dwelled upon everything.

Did that make Aryan Graul the de facto Chancellor?

They didn't have elections, save for sham ones to prop up the notion that the First Order was friendly and amicable.

Did Sellik really have to abide that drug-loving peace-abiding traitor?

She squeezed her hand into a fist.

No, she would not.

Mentions for @TheSilentInfluence, @galactic-vagabond422, @The Jedi in the Pumas, @Master Vo'Un'Var - outstanding TAGs/combos
---
Corridors of the Capitol, Coruscant orbit

The Battle of Coruscant was not relevant to Barriss Ofee.

No, now Hux was dead, and she had her data, she had a handful of objectives left, it could be said.

Survival was one, yes, but her path away from Hux led her through empty corridors - most of the 'troopers aboard had been sent to the surface after all, and had died there. She would, without knowing it, pass Dr Gast's research labs, as well as a smattering of dead enemies, including a civilian woman who had been Johnson's lover.

All irrelevant to her now.

Her mind would be reminded, unbidden, that Nomi had spoken to her, and a world bubbled to mind; Ruusan.

The place where Xundel was.

Xundel, the individual who had let Vicrul go.

But the clattering grew louder as she wandered the ship, there was no sense of direction in First Order grey.

And yet it was obvious the woman standing at the end of the corridor that she had found herself in was dangerous.

A tall, intimidating chrome Stormtrooper.

The infamous Captain Phasma.

Behind her was a civilian, a man, looking dishevelled and panicked.

Besides her were a pair of Stormtroopers in black armour, and from one, a pair of blades appeared from his gauntlets, while the other stood watch.



Phasma nodded and swept off with her civilian in-tow.

The Shadowtrooper leapt forward, bounding like some kind of simian, rage polluting the Force.

TAG: @CosmoHender (combo)
---
In orbit, beneath the shields

A Firespray stood out as a threat, it always did. A pair of TIE Whispers were after her, as much as the Chow, which would make it to the surface even as the Capitol reached atmosphere, it's great shields burning with heat ablation. The warship was immense, but unimpeded by itself raising up, a feat impossible for a ship of this size for the Old Empire.

But from the outer hull lifted up two fighters of a design hitherto unseen for nine years.

They were sleek, angular, and dangerous TIE variants, uniquely seen by precisely one Imperial faction.

They were TIE Daggers.



TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox (combo)
---
IC: The Gray One
Ruusan, Depths

When Xundel came too, the Thought Bomb was shattered, the sense of Kaan was gone, and, well, his face was wet.

He was being rejuvenated by whatever was upon his cheek, roused and the fogginess in his head clearing.

The hand - scaly, in his owns way - was withdrew from him, and a voice, indistinct through the haze, spoke softly.

The Twilight Side of the Force.

A huff, amusement.

Whatever will they come up with?

A knowingness came to the words.

We know it's merely four elements; Light, Dark, Chaos, and of course, Balance.

A snuffle.

You claim to be present, and our Light if as much Dark, and our Dark, well, it's not even whole; merely an Inclination.

A patter of feet; Xundel's condition did not improve; indeed, his mind cleared but his eyes did not open, and his body remained on the floor, unwilling to listen.

Drugged?

So where is our Chaos? Or does Twilight make it's appearance?

A full blown cackle, like a bird's caw.

The Twilight of the Force?

Her face was suddenly in his.

Who writes the Epitaph?



TAG: @darthbernael
---
IC: Ruk
Arkinnea

"Fine," the Whiphid said, almost tiredly, at the merchant-gabble.

The rain began, which added to his feeling.

"Perhaps you could come with me while I tour the facilities? Indeed," Ruk looked back at the Gallusian as he turned and tugged a discarded hat from among the workers tools and placed it upon his oversized head.



"I understand it is also customary to celebrate a business venture with a hearty meal, to toast and so forth."

He gestured towards a hovel on the hill, just visible above the grain.



"Might I entice you, I am sure we can rustle something up for your kind."

Ruk glowered at Tirran. "Unless you have other business to attend to during the fall of Coruscant? The Core will begin quite chaotic and dangerous yet again, after all."

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto

TAG: @QueenSabe7 (outstanding TAG)

TAG: @HanSolo29 (rolling over combo)

 

OOC: Combo with our GM

IC Xundel
Ruusan, Depths

Xundel listened to the Grey One as she whispered in his mind. His face was wet and as he came even more to his senses he realized she, as the voice was certainly feminine, most likely was the cause of his current state. Which meant she had a reason for his disability. So he said nothing, couldn’t say anything, as she continued to speak. Instead he let his mind focus on whatever it was holding him still, as he absorbed what she said.

He’d almost reached a solution when she allowed him to open his eyes and he saw her, directly in his face. His eyes spoke to her, almost mockingly at the fact that he could not speak, could not respond to her ranting that way. His mind, however, ’All are good questions, however, you leave out a vital aspect of it all. In each of the four there is a part of the others. Although...there does feel to be a touch of Chaos in your own mind.’

A sniff.

"The paralytic agent was purely in-case you recognised me. There are many misunderstandings about me," she squat on a rock, more feline than avian in her pose. "I am an agent of change, is all, whether that be Light, Dark, Chaotic, or Balancing... I merely facilitate the flow of the Force."

She scratched her whiskers, but with a forefinger; human again.

"You see, my last student was a Sith Lord, and so it colours the view of me." A shrug; more human. "And I did once apprentice myself to Darth Sidious." She rolled her shoulders as if her arms were wings, tucked behind her back; avian again. "But I did try to kill him."

She peered forward as the agent wore off.

"So, does that colour your view of me?"

Xundel’s mind worked out the agent and his power cleansed it from his body. His cane rose, three fingered hand grasping it. Using the aid to assist him to his knees and then his feet, he hunched over it, to support him. Glancing up at her, ”Vergere, yes I know you. Judge you, I do not. Look at me...A former Jedi Knight that is most certainly not that anymore.”

He glanced around, finding a rock that was about the right height. Shuffling over to it, he pushed himself up onto it to sit. His ears twitched as he looked at Vergere. ”But...you have your four elements slightly wrong. Trust me I’ve had that information in my head for at least a decade. The four elements are Light, Dark, Chaotic as you said, but the fourth is not Balance but is Order. Balance stands outside, tied to each of the four and is constantly shifting each so that it can stay as close to the center as possible.” he told her.

”When the one who created all did so, each time they did so, they had Balance in place before they brought forth the four elements, to do so in the opposite order would have ripped the fledgling universes apart. In this one, and others, Balance has had to take a more...direct approach to keeping the universe from being destroyed.” he said softly, as his eyes began to swirl with greys.

"Oh my, Order?" Vergere clucked. "That's not a great look."

She paced around him and his rock, feline again, on all fours.

"Benevolent or malevolent rule for you, then?"

A slight whispering chuckle.

"Control is a Jedi and Sith trait..."

Xundel returned chuckle for chuckle, ”Oh no, not at all, Balance doesn’t rule. Ruling is such an...absolute. As you said it must be benevolent or malevolent. But Balance, it’s only interest is to keep all from being undone. What do you think the end result is if any of those four elements ever is in complete ascendance?”

He swayed slightly on the rock, his feet kicking against it as he spoke, appearing relaxed. ”Balance’s actions are not overly overt. More along the lines of a nudge here or there, guiding things back toward all four elements being almost equal, or as close as is possible.”

Vergere lay on her back, peering up through the hole in the ceiling of the cavern at the stars.

"Very poetic. But still, it's a few hundred Force users deciding the fate of trillions."

She looked at him slyly.

"You're fine with that?"

”Putting words in my mouth?” Xundel asked with a wry grin. ”You and I both know that the Sith and, especially, the Jedi have spent eons in an anti-Force user breeding program. With Force users all but denied from having children and any previously unknown child with ability being taken out of being allowed to breed it artificially lowers the numbers of those who could do that.”

He chuckled, ”Of course, always killing each other off has not helped that either.” Leaning back against the rock, ”You’re obviously leading to something, so what is it you would suggest?”

“Actually, I was seeing if you had been corrupted by the Balance, because that’s a thing. Especially in older Force users, who tend to take the long view and not see the tragedy they are causing.” She hopped to her feet.

“So, I’d like to join your organisation. You clearly have some plans for the future and they’re not incompatible with my thoughts.” Vergere smiled, sardonic, around her beak; human again. “I have been hiding for decades now, after a rather brief saunter in the spotlight. Faked my death, very dramatic.”

A flicker of her hand, as if dispensing with dust or an idea.

Xundel sat forward, a light to his eyes, a smile upon his face. ”Hmmmm,” He chuckled, ”That is something much better than any other of the Force users I’ve run into since I returned have felt. The darksiders would rather fight me and try to destroy me, the lightsiders aren’t much better but more condescending.” he admitted.

He hopped up off the rock, glancing up at the sky outlined by the rock, ”I came here, was drawn here, to create a home for those who would be as us, to learn to exchange knowledge and experience, and to regain our selves and our purpose when the travels among the remainder of the galaxy drains us. As we speak there should be at least a few that have been encouraged to come here and find that purpose.”

"Ah," Vergere said. "So you need a guide to the Valley of the Jedi."

She stood straight. "I can assist, Xundel. I was once a Jedi Padawan, once a Sith apprentice, but always a teacher and a student." The Fosh was briefly very coy. "For to be one, is to be the other."

A finger lifted as she turned to head into the catacombs. "You'll have to do well to surpass my last student!"

Xundel picked up his pace to match Vergere’s. He had a grin upon his face now, ”You took the words out of my mouth. One must be able to learn to be able to teach and the key to teaching is to be able to adapt and learn.”

He had a very good idea where the Valley was, after all it was very close to where the Thought Bomb had been, ”I don’t mind the guide, but I would hope that you would also be willing to assist when those new students, who could possibly teach us both a thing or two, arrive.” he told her.

"Consider me completely willing to speak the Truth to them."

She glanced back at him with a knowing smile. "You can tell me all about the others as we go."

A deep, rolling laugh came from Xundel’s small form. ”The truth is often more painful than comforting lies or half truths, but that too is why it is so important to the Balance, only in the blinding intensity of Truth will we learn and grow and keep the galaxy from the End.” He had to hop over an exposed root, ”But, yes I will tell you about them as we walk.”

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

OOC: The following is a combo with our illustrious GM – thank you so much!

IC: Vice-Chancellor Aryan Graul, Lyz Graul, and Sistros the Holocron
Hyperspace, en route to Wavett

"It’s all fallen apart."

"You know that Lumiya is dead."

"Talk to me, Aryan."

He could hear the words—the words of his wife—but they remained far away, suppressed by the mental fog that continued to plague his fragile psyche. It clouded his thinking and caused the specter of Lumiya to loom large in his mind’s eye. She sneered at his apparent infirmity, which spurred her cruelty; his suffering brought her untold satisfaction.

As a result, she unfurled her whip and struck him again.

And again.

And…again.

Aryan heard himself scream with each impact, his body writhing in agony as he sought a release. The relentless onslaught distorted his perceptions and made it difficult to differentiate between reality and delusion. He felt genuine, physical pain. That wasn’t something he could merely conjure from a memory…was it?

Nevertheless, hadn’t he only just been engaged in a conversation with Admiral Yage, Lyz, and his son? Hadn’t they discussed the imminent threats to their new sovereignty? Hadn’t he lost everything when a mystery benefactor commandeered his fleet from the Ghost Nebula? Hadn’t that same entity agreed to save Arek from the ravaged Capitol? Hadn’t Yage abandoned their cause due to his manic state?

Inhaling sharply, he canted his head to regard Sistros, almost to reaffirm the truth. The tiny hologram stared back at him, its scrutinizing gaze helping to strengthen Aryan’s resolve—to prove to himself that he wasn’t insane.

"Yo–You’re not...real," he muttered under his breath, bracing against the next barrage as he diverted his gaze to regard the specter’s lithe form. "You’re not real."

The Vice-Chancellor repeated that mantra over and over while he straightened his posture to convey his resilience. With clenched teeth, he then lifted his chin toward Lyz.

"I—I...had no choice," he rasped hoarsely, his speech more lucid. "I had to—to accept."

His shoulders slumped as he wilted under the admission. Of course, he was referring to the elusive man who had offered to extricate their son from Coruscant in exchange for their loyalty.

"We should have gone to Coruscant, as soon as we knew. We should not have relied upon Yage," Lyz said firmly. "It was both of us who decided, it is both of our faults."

"I'm real, Aryan. Maybe we should have waited until your relapse kicked in, but we struck at the best possible point. If this... this man wasn't out there, you would have become the Chancellor, if the Resistance caught Hux." Lyz's logic was unerring. "We didn't do anything wrong - we didn't even do this for power."

Her gaze wavered slightly.

"Did we?"

Sistros snorted.

"You tell yourself that."

Lyz's expression narrowed. "Who is that? Who thinks they know my husband better than me?"

Despite the pain that contorted his features, Aryan angled an intense glare at the Holocron. It was both an admonition for his crude comment and a silent demand that he remain quiet for the duration of the conversation. The words had rattled the Vice-Chancellor more than he cared to admit—and he didn’t know why. He hadn’t forged this new imperium to pursue power, nor was the Chancellorship an attractive prospect under the circumstances.

And yet, he still replied rather harshly to Lyz’s question, his vexation aimed more at Sistros than his wife. "He doesn’t know me," Aryan spat as he narrowed his eyes at the Holocron. "I–I thought I found what I was searching for, but now...I’m not so sure I appreciate the unsolicited advice."

Regardless of his conviction, he remained wary of Sistros’ abilities and motivations, particularly after he had revealed their shared heritage. Deep down, Aryan was fearful that the Holocron knew more about himself than even he was privy to. It was more than a little unsettling, but at least his concern served as a mental distraction that caused Lumiya’s spectral form to waver.

However, before Sistros could perceive his thoughts, he focused his attention back on his wife. "It—It wasn’t a power grab," Aryan tried to reassure her, though his voice was strained. "I only wanted...to—to reform the Empire into something that we bo—both could be proud of; something that wasn’t merely a...personality cult for Palpatine, but reflected democratic ideals."

The older man paused and bowed his head marginally, clearly struggling with this. "Dammit, Lyz...I–I thought we had it all figured out, but then—Jalynn...and—this…man..." He issued a weary sigh and rubbed at his temples. "I can’t abandon Arek, nor can I let some strange entity take this away from us. We worked too damned hard to relinquish control at this juncture. It–It’s my duty to serve...and—"

A sob caught in his throat, and he trailed off momentarily. "I–I promised...Jalynn—a long time ago—that I would do this for her."

Lyz went silent, taking the harsh words as aimed at her. When he trailed off, she responded quite cuttingly. "So why are you listening to him?" Another breath and she pressed on. "Where are you? I'll come to you. The Foreman will keep Wavett in-line for now. I've ordered all of our Diplomatic cruisers here to protect us from Gherlid, who has been poking around."

Her tone softened. "We'll make this work... for Jalynn, Aryan - I promise."

Sistros snorted.

"For the love of the Force can you put whoever it is on the line so I can tear him a new one."

"By all means, Aryan, show her me," Sistros goaded. "Show her just who you abandoned the cause for at this critical moment."

"I—I didn’t abandon anyone," he spat in a harsh whisper, still squirming uncomfortably where he sat at the head of the table. It was clear that he was becoming more and more restless, an unfortunate side effect of his Refrain dependency. He knew that he would only continue to regress unless he found a way to manage his symptoms.

Until then, he remained determined to carry on.

Of course, it would also help if he actually heeded Lyz’s advice; she had made a valid point about not allowing Sistros to persuade his judgment.

As if on cue, Aryan glowered at the Holocron, sending another stern warning before turning to address his wife. "No need," he replied coolly to her request to 'censor' Sistros. "I can do better. I’ll permit you to confront him in person when I arrive. I’m already en route to Wavett, and I’ll be there shortly."

He leered at the hologram, a mischievous glint to his eye. "I’m sure he would love to share in this opportunity."

Lyz decided to accept that for the moment. "I'll see you soon, then. I need to deal with a hundred other crises before you get here, I can build up a good rage at whoever it is." Without further ado, she signed off.

"She's sharp; I like her." Sistros looked at him.

"So Arek and Jalynn are the latest in the brood? Any grandkids I could corrupt early?"

He looked Aryan up and down. "Great-Grandkids?"

The Vice-Chancellor had slouched forward after Lyz disconnected the line, his forehead resting against his arms to ease the steady pounding of an impending migraine. Unfortunately, it was yet another consequence of the Refrain, which Sistros was now helping to exacerbate with his exhaustive commentary.

With a quiet growl, Aryan visibly recoiled when the Holocron mentioned Jalynn, his taunting evoking a slew of unpleasant emotions that pushed him precariously close to the precipice. He found it too much to ignore, prompting him to lift his chin and to glare at the miniature figure standing before him.

"I’ll ensure that you’re not introduced to anyone else except my wife," he hissed in a gravelly tone, his eyes rimmed red and puffy from his ongoing struggle. "This is between you...and me. My son is innocent; he has no stake in this."

He purposely omitted any reference to his grandkids and their families. Revealing further details, no matter how inconsequential, could potentially jeopardize their wellbeing, and he couldn’t afford to endanger them at this juncture.

Sistros sniffed. "Well I'd love to chat more about who has a stake in all this, but I do need to conserve some power before the main event." With a wave, the Holocron shut off.

And that, as they said, was that. Aryan would be unable to cajole the Holocron to activate. Indeed, the headache from the Refrain was becoming said migraine, and soon he'd start to shiver... and sweat. So, the old man himself might want a rest before he made it to Wavett...

... perhaps?

And yet, there was an alternative that he couldn’t expunge from his awareness. It was like a persistent itch that continued to needle at the back of his mind. He suddenly recalled that Lyz had packed a small reserve of his medication to hold him over while they were away on this diplomatic tour. There hadn’t been an opportunity to administer it prior to this moment, and he now craved it.

He also knew that if he succumbed to the effects of his addiction, it would only compound his situation in the long term, but he found himself unable to resist the temptation—if only to ease his discomfort.

That’s what he told himself; it was to relieve his pain. He would only dispense enough of the drug to clear his mind, allowing him to function on a higher level. Hopefully, that would prevent him from suffering adverse side effects. It wouldn’t be like last time when the shuttle pilot had accidentally administered an entire canister.

By repeating those sentiments over and over again, he ultimately convinced himself to seek out his prize.

With an obvious wince, Aryan staggered shakily to his feet, his knees practically knocking together after remaining stationary for so long. Fortunately, his cane kept him stable enough to shuffle over to the storage closet and retrieve the metallic box that contained the Refrain. Popping the lid, he carefully removed the contents, fumbled with the syringe, and hastily injected the stimulant into his arm.

Only then did he permit himself to relax as he collapsed to the deckplates in infinite bliss.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Dol Khan (post drafted by @The Jedi in the Pumas)

The ship shook as Dol Khan watches the Capitol’s shields streak the sky overhead.

“We’re going in there.” There was a series of vent ports located on the surface of the Capitol. The Chow was in stealth but it wouldn’t truly hide them for long. They would enter through the vent and Dol would seek out the nearest console to pull schematics of the ship. Specifically the airway and emergency protocols.

The Chow would function as a dirty bomb at this point. The explosives aboard the ship were primed. If they were detonated at this point it would create a large hole in the Capitol but nothing that would take the ship out of commission. No, he needed the airway and ventilation points because the toxic gases and fumes from the explosion would be the real attack.

Most ships had their own supply of oxygen. If he could find them aboard the Capitol and release the toxins he brought aboard on his person… the ship and its personnel would be eaten from the inside out and cease to function.

“Now is the time to turn back if massive death tolls are against your code.” He warned Nihl as he prepared to disembark the Chow.

Nihl wasn't there.

He had already headed to the escape pods.

With a twist of his will, he left Dol Khan to his revenge and bloody fate.

The Capitol was completely exposed to Dol though, and he could see the primary hangar was exposed - a sleek yacht escorted by two TIE Daggers pushed free of the ship, through the shields, and headed into orbit after a Firespray-class escort. One, then two, vanished into hyperspace at the edge of atmosphere, both the Silencer and the yacht narrowly avoiding the incredible battle above.

Fire rose from the ruined long-range turbolasers, but the immense shields deflected another superlaser blast from the Eclipse as the First Order fleet rallied, forcing the Resistance flagship to move or be rammed by a Resurgent-class Star Destroyer. The Capitol was going to escape.

But first.

But first.

But first.

It began to rain on Coruscant.

Specifically, Imperial Boulevard.

If he intended to release his bio-weapon... now was the time.

TAG: @The Jedi in the Pumas (single)
---
Imperial Boulevard

They had done it - rebelled, and won.

The Capitol Building - the Cradle which the larger Dreadnought had stood, it remained standing, but abandoned, the Millennium Falcon a feature, crashed into the entrance. The Resistance Army had won, with a million Bruetroopers and hundreds of Walkers and dozens of Mechtroopers all undone, dead.

As Rhoen and Syal mopped up the last of the enemy at the middle-end of the Boulevard, the Resistance Army was in a celebratory mode, which reached the two downed pilots. They were all there. Chewbacca, Poe, Finn - Eleanor, Kaz, Amira - Madelyn, Mirta, Asteria. Hundreds of thousands of defected Stormtroopers, hardened freedom fighters, and revolting civilians.

All there for the finish.

All for the victory, where the First Order surrendered Coruscant.

For a brief moment, they had won - Syal held Rhoen close and cried into him; Kaz did kiss Eleanor; Asteria and Madelyn swung each other around, Poe and Finn embraced deeply, before Chewbacca enfolded them in a brilliant hug.

They'd won.

Then the Capitol fired on their position.

It rained.

Turbolaser fire.

The Cradle exploded, raining debris around them, even as the Boulevard began pockmarked with detonations and craters and destruction.

"Get down!" Poe shouted!

"Rhoen!" Syal screamed as a shockwave upended them.

Madelyn drew the Force around to protect Asteria.

Kaz dove to the floor and sought to take Eleanor with them.

Whistler and Ace screamed as only astromechs did; in shrill beeps, as they tried to repair the Skate as it jostled on the ground.

The Capitol reached atmosphere, and the Resistance fleet rallied one last time to ensnare it, once and for all -

TAG: @galactic-vagabond422, @TheSilentInfluence (singles)
---
By the Night Buzzard, Coruscant, the Works

They alit across the surface of Coruscant and when they reached the Night Buzzard, Vestara looked back at the tumult.

"Looks like you did it, Lord Vicrul. Forced them to pile more and more resources into one spot, and Hux took them out in one fell swoop."

Was it a win?

Was it the kind of win that Vicrul Ren wanted?

"Or, you happened to escape and the First Order just tried to kill you," purred a voice; male, young sounding.

From the shadows nearby a pale, tall man appeared, weilding a saberstaff.

It was Nihl.

"Which was it?"

Vestara ignited her lightsaber; Nihl ignited his.

"I come with curiosity but I will kill you if I need to."

Nihl's words were a promise in the Force.

Now, would Vicrul recognise Nihl from the Bonadan fight?

The man standing besides a Kubaz and fighting and killing Ott Ren?

TAG: @Shadowsun (combo)
---
In low orbit

The TIE Whisper carrying Barriss Ofee aboard would be a witness to the bombardment.

If Vicrul and Vestara were still there, they were about to die with the Resistance Army.

The Capitol was immense, unstoppable, incredible.

Her sensors could not distinguish the heat rising from the impact zone, washing out the entire Imperial District.

The Force was chaos, a jangle that could not be deciphered.

She was alone, and isolated, and it seemed as if they were beaten.

An escape pod did however launch from the Capitol, and a pair of TIE Whispers swooped on it, firing away.

Whoever was aboard used altitude thrusters to angle it in a wide turn, around a nearby building that was only half-melted, past Barriss' flghtpath.

But otherwise, the great orbital battle was on-going, and the Capitol was about to reach hyperspace height.

The battle may have seen the First Order lose Coruscant, but if the First Order could not have Coruscant, nobody could.

It was typical vengeance tactics.

What would Barriss do?

TAG: @CosmoHender (combo)
---
Aboard the Knife 9, in orbit

"An issue is at hand. Order your men to sweep the ship. An intruder has boarded. I want to meet this individual personally, so don't hurt them too much."

"My Lord," Captain Peavey said delicately. "I will of course have my men do as you say, of course, but I would appreciate some guidance from the Command Structure which you do represent." His tone remained respectful.

"Commander Sellik has ordered us to retreat and fire upon the planet, specifically at the Imperial Boulevard. Our cannons are designed for ground bombardment, so to so would kill roughly a billion Coruscanti, many of which are merely caught up in the violence. I would humbly request counter orders from you, Lord Ren," he beseeched the Stranger.

Abaddon, at this point, would be impossible for the 'troopers to find.

He would only reappear when he wanted him.

"Also," Peavey put in. "We have tracked the Night Buzzard to the edge of the Imperial District. I anticipate such an attack by ourselves would damage the vessel of the Knights of Ren and I am reluctant to fire unless without your direct orders, sir."

He nodded, and an aide supplied footage of the Night Buzzard holding position. "I believe Lord Lorl Ren brought it to Coruscant, my Lord. I am aware that Lord Vicrul Ren has joined the battle as well, though his whereabouts are unknown."

He might even be dead, Peavey thought, but did not say aloud. "Orders, my Lord?"

TAG: @Master Vo'Un'Var, @The Jedi in the Pumas (mention)
---
IC: Captain Pune Trench
Orbiting Christophsis, Savareen Sector, Outer Rim

It would take Johnson some hours to reach Christophsis in the Outer Rim.

The entire galaxy had collapsed into rebellion, and it was no different in the Andoan Free Colonies, one of the six warlord states that had seized a portion of the Corellian Run.

The Harch species had sided with the Separatists during the Clone Wars, and the father of Pune Trench had been an Admiral that defended this world from the Republic, even crossing wits with Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Wulf Yularen here before ultimately being slain by Skywalker at the Battle of Anaxes, his crowning moment. Admiral Trench had masterminded a thrust at the very heart of the Old Republic, and his son could only lament the death of his father even at the hands of such brilliant foes.

Pune intended to restore his fathers legacy, which was why he commanded an old Providence-class dreadnaught above Chrisophsis, named the Invincible II for his father's flagship.

The Andoan Free Colonies had unified the three species of Ando into a common cause; conquest.

No longer would they fight among themselves and be the pawns of democracy and autocracy.

They had forged their own destiny, and acquired a decent stellar empire.



Captain Pune Trench



Invincible II, and orbiting blockade ships

The arrival of a Firespray-class attack fighter was not unnoticed, notwithstanding the uprising by the locals since they had received Leia's message.

The alarms woke Johnson from his slumber!

"Firespray transport," rasped Harch. "This is Andoan Free Colonial territory. Surrender for boarding!"

The tracking beacon continued to chime from the surface of Christophsis.

TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox (combo)
---
Ruusan, depths

Vergere listened to Xundel's story, intrigued.

She asked the occasional question.

"Do you feel responsible for the carnage that Vicrul Ren will now cause?"

"Was Ravijari really what he seemed?"

"Do you anticipate that Nomi succeeded in encouraging the others to come?"

"What will you say to Barriss Ofee when you next meet her?"

"Why did you give the Darksaber away?"

She was being frustrating, perhaps, but Vergere always angled it with a tone of genuine bafflement and curiosity.

TAG: @darthbernael (single)
---
IC: Ruk
The hovel, Arikinnea



There was a trail of workers and people making their way into the hovel, clearly this was time for a meal.

They did regard the Gallusian with some concern, or curiosity, or indifference.

These were hard farmer-folk, or at very least they appeared to.

There were dozens of them, Tirran would now be able to see, as if they had been given a signal to appear.

A table was set by the open kitchen, an immensely long one, as if it was a staff cafeteria.

In a way, it was, albeit outside.

A woman cast a grin at him as he arrived.



An aged Veknoid seemed to grimace, leaning heavily on his cane, clearly blind.



A young Wookiee folded his arms expectantly.



A woman gave him a curious look.



A woman with a jagged set of scars on her forehead regarded him with some intensity.



Ruk waved Tirran forward.

"Come, sit with us. Not all of the Council is present, but enough. Two of our," the Whiphid approximated a smile. "Master Farmers are on the other side of the planet, dealing with an infestation."

He regarded the others firmly.

Three Scars relented; the Veknoid sighed.

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto
---
Wavett, arriving

The Refrain was not strong enough to truly create his happiest moment, but Aryan would catch snippets of his family meal again, albeit Jalynn and her associated memories were missing, his mind shutting out her negative connotations. Instead it was a later moment, when the great-grandkids came to meet with them not a year ago, on Coruscant.

Peace had reigned for almost a decade by that point, and Arek and Jalynn were out and about spreading the good word of Order and Diplomacy, thus they were absent.

It was as if his mind had picked the safest good memory in the coming bad.

The ship arrived, and Aryan was still in his state of bliss.

The ramp dropped, and it waited, expectantly.

A voice would carry into the ship.

Metallic.

Feminine.

"Chancellor Graul."

His memories would become jagged, as he remembered that voice.

Captain Phasma.

He'd met her once, or perhaps eluded her, during his year long tenure within the Resistance.

His trip went sour, and the unhappy memories of his time around the return of Emperor Palpatine would begin to resurface.

"Aryan?" Lyz called out.

TAG: @HanSolo29 (combo)

TAG: @QueenSabe7 (combo continues)