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

IC Xundel
Ruusan, depths

As Xundel spoke, Vergere had questions. He wasn’t sure how many were true curiosity about the events or how many were trying to understand him better but he suspected they were a mixture of both. So he took them as they came.

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

He sighed, thinking about the man. That one was filled with chaos, anger, self loathing, and pain. ”I was not the one who separated us, that was Mortis and it was not my fault he was gone when I was let free from the Tho Yor. I am sure you are not the only one that will blame me for actions I have no control over, his actions. But they are his actions, his responsibility for taking those actions, not mine. Yes, I’d prefer that he’d stayed with me and let the seed of Balance in him germinate but he chose otherwise.”

"Was Ravijari really what he seemed?"

A chuckle came from Xundel as he jumped over a rather large root, ”Of course he wasn’t what he seemed, not fully. Some of who he was was there but mostly it was Mortis borrowing what it needed, that I’d recognize and listen to, to both keep me busy while Vicrul was dealt with, and to try to give me better understanding of what needed to be done.”

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

Hopping along, Xundel thought about the answer to that question. He had felt Nomi’s will to help him but that he also knew the others would have their own wills. ”I honestly don’t know. I am sure that those she spoke to trust her deeply and would accept her desire that they do so. But the galaxy is in such chaos that they may not come soon or at all.” he said with a tinge of regret at that.

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

That one was truly a difficult question. He pondered it for quite a time, as they walked. His focus upon the question was so that several times he almost tripped over roots. Finally, he looked back up to Vergere, ”I’m not even sure she’ll listen to me if that happens. She distrusts me intently, thinks I am a charlatan and worse. I’m sure, at some point, she will choose to follow what Nomi told her, and come here, but...when she sees me, she’s just as likely to turn around and depart. If she’s willing to listen, I’d apologize for any pain or misunderstanding that occurred. And try to just talk to her.”

"Why did you give the Darksaber away?"

Xundel smiled at the question, ”That one is simple, those that would have been considered allies or friends would have turned themselves into foes simply because they could not respect that I have taken possession of it to return it to its correct owner. They would have refused to allow me to depart Bonadon because of their misguided belief that simply because they are part of the same creed that they alone should have had it. And I’m not going to create even more foes.”

He walked further with her, memorizing the path and comparing it to the path he’d seen, in his mind. It was slightly different as this was underground, not on the surface, but the general direction was the same. ”Tell me, are you planning on having us wander this meandering path until I answer every question you may ever have or is it simply that twisting a path down here, compared to the surface? If it’s the first, we could be down here for centuries.” he said with a small chuckle.

TAG: @Sinrebirth, @Shadowsun (Mentioned), @CosmoHender (Mentioned)

 

The following is a combo with @Sinrebirth – thank you so much!


IC: Chancellor Aryan Graul, Lyz Graul, Arek Graul, Captain Phasma, Senator Haydnat Treen, and Sistros
Landing Platform, Wavett

Too many images floated across Aryan’s awareness, many evoking feelings of pleasure—his great-grandchildren, Arek’s charitable efforts during the reign of peace, even a quiet family meal on Coruscant. They were all happy reflections conjured by the Refrain’s stimulating effects.

But then the spark within his mind’s eye began to waver, almost as if someone had jolted him with a bolt of electricity. The picturesque landscape physically shuddered, shifting and swaying until it transformed into a much somber place. Dark, cumulonimbus thunderheads rolled overhead to mirror the turbulence he now felt within his mind. And then a voice echoed from the ether, swelling to a crescendo as it reverberated in perfect cadence with the thunder.

"Chancellor Graul."

It was firm with a clear metallic modulation.

And unmistakably female.

Aryan recognized it instantly as belonging to the silver-plated Phasma; the feared warrior who had ambushed him and his team during his brief stint with the Resistance forces. The only reason he had escaped with his life was due to—

The darkened sky wavered once more, the clouds roiling in response to his thoughts, forming a distinct image. It was a man in a hooded cloak, his sanguine eyes burning beneath his cowl with an unnatural light. After a moment, the slit of his mouth parted, and he spoke:

"...at last the work of generations is complete. The great error is corrected. The day of victory is at hand. The day of revenge. The day of the Sith."

Emperor Palpatine.

A gasp escaped from the Vice-Chancellor’s throat as his body shook violently, the convulsion thrusting him back into a conscious state.

Suddenly, he had returned to his ship, the cold deckplates of the conference room pressed up against his cheek. It was a rather compromising position, prompting Aryan to groan as he slowly propped himself up on one elbow to survey his surroundings. The familiar hum of the engines had gone silent, signaling that they had reverted from hyperspace.

But it was almost too quiet.

Had they landed as well?

As if on cue, Lyz yelled for him from the direction of the landing ramp, her voice echoing up the access corridor. "Aryan?"

She sounded concerned, perhaps even desperate, and that’s when he realized that he had lost all concept of time. How long had he been lying there?

Another groan slipped from his lips as he struggled to his feet, his tired body not wanting to cooperate under the strain of his recent trauma. He would’ve cursed his physical infirmities for hindering his progress, but he was too focused on reaching his wife before he caused her more emotional distress.

While more time elapsed through his laboring, Aryan ultimately appeared at the top of the ramp, his weary frame leaning heavily on his cane for support. His customary smirk began to tug at the corner of his mouth, but then he paled when he noted the figure standing next to Lyz.

So, it hadn’t been a memory, after all.

Captain Phasma stood stoically on the tarmac, her pristine armor shining brightly in the garish light of Wavett’s sun. The mere sight of her caused Aryan to lose his balance. He stumbled, nearly tumbling off the side of the landing ramp, but he was able to catch himself on one of the support struts at the last second. He knew that he had just narrowly averted a terrible disaster—embarrassingly so—and that fueled his irritation.

"What is this?" he said gruffly, angling his chin to glare at Lyz. He appeared to pick himself up, his determination sustaining his forward momentum as he planted his cane and hobbled down the rest of the incline to meet them. "Why is she here?"

"I brought your son with me," the woman in metal said, and a black armoured stormtrooper shoved Arek down the ramp of her chrome yacht. "And a piece of the puzzle that you lacked."

An elderly woman stepped after Arek, and Lyz didn’t manage to not pull a face. "Senator Treen.”

"Lyz!" The Kuati said, glowering. "I did not expect to see you here. It would seem we have been brought together to put together a New Order once more!" She looked to Aryan. "It has been a while, my old friend. The Imperial Senate; perhaps?"

Arek stood, carefully. "The Captain said you’d agreed to join her as the Chancellor, Dad. In exchange for my safety."

"He did," Lyz said firmly, frustrated by the situation.

Phasma looked to Aryan. "After all, he can’t become Chancellor without what we’ve gathered." She turned to go, her cape twirling. The black armoured Stormtroopers - two of them, stood to attention, waiting for the Graul’s to board.

There were other troop transports landing on Wavett, more so attired troops appearing. It was a quiet occupation, clearly. Foreman Chrys hung back, looking infuriated but unable to comment for fear of his life.

"I shall keep your facility safe, Chancellor," stated Phasma, her tone darkly mocking. Treen turned back inside the yacht with a cheery grin and the others - Arek, Lyz, and Chrys too - looked to him for guidance on what they were to do next.

Any elation Aryan felt over his son’s safety instantly vanished as soon as Senator Treen appeared at the top of the yacht’s entry ramp. Once more, his complexion paled and he merely stared at the elder stateswoman, the remainder of the conversation drifting in and out of his awareness.

Her presence evoked a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he recalled the time they had served together, nearly fifty years ago, in the Imperial Senate. They had both been young and ambitious, resilient in their quest to enact change in a tired system; they had truly believed that they could take on the entire galaxy.

Unfortunately, time had passed them by, as it tends to do. He quickly realized that the last time he had seen her was on that fateful day when Palpatine had dissolved the Senate. Perhaps that explained why he had begun to shift uncomfortably, angling his cane to the side as if he felt ashamed of his ailments—of admitting that he had fallen victim to the aging process. He was no longer the man that she would undoubtedly remember.

And that was the problem.

It was also a reason for concern.

From his experiences, Aryan knew that she had not decided to journey out to the Expansion Regions simply to reminisce about the past. Someone of Treen’s stature and influence always had a plan, an ulterior motive that she could exploit. Considering her connections to Kuat, along with the elusive puzzle that Phasma had alluded to, he began to form a very grim picture in his mind. He didn’t like where this was going…at all.

"I don’t know how I can do this," Aryan whispered breathlessly after the Senator had retreated back into the ship, leaving him alone with his wife and son. Across the way, he gave the Foreman a regretful look. "It feels…wrong."

He recognized that it was likely the Force speaking to him, but it was also a result of his own conclusions. The connections he was able to draw all led to a very bleak place, and he found that he could no longer ignore the despair that was rising within his throat. "They stole our ships from under us," he hissed in the same hushed tone. "And now they intend to acquire the Eclipse Fleet—if they haven’t already. All of those dreadnoughts will be under their command."

Expelling a heavy breath, Aryan turned to regard his family. "But I don’t see any other option. I have an obligation to lend my support; to carry out my duty." He paused as his gaze shifted between Lyz and Arek, searching for answers. "If we can better understand their motives…"

He trailed off, not wanting to utter the rest so openly, especially in a climate where mere words could easily condemn them. Hopefully, they would catch his meaning.

They did. With Treen as the suddenly revealed move behind things, Lyz saw precisely what her husband had in mind. "Let’s get going," Lyz said. She reached over and squeezed Aryan’s hand.

Phasma had hesitated at the top of the ramp, and the two troops were at ready, clearly.

"The First Order needs us."

Arek nodded, looked to his father.

"It needs you, Chancellor."

His son looked at the silver yacht.

"Let’s do it for Jalynn, shall we?"

Yes. Let’s.

Sistros agreed.

Their pact was made.

The Chancellor inclined his chin and nodded, his blue-gray eyes reflecting his conviction. It was clear that he was more certain of his path; his family had helped to forge the foundation with their encouraging words, and Sistros had only solidified the deal with his quiet approval. That bolstered his confidence more than he cared to admit, and he idly touched the Holocron—which he had tucked into the folds of his jacket—as an expression of gratitude.

Only then did he reciprocate Lyz’s gesture by accepting her hand, squeezing it within his own while he clenched his cane in the other. Aryan then sought her gaze and offered a warm smile. "Thank you," he uttered quietly.

With their hands still interlocked, husband and wife—Chancellor and First Lady—ascended the ramp to fulfill their destiny.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

IC: Commander Sellik
In orbit, Battle of Coruscant

The Capitol was besieged.

Even though the dreadnought was basically invincible, it was being hammered at by an axial superlaser and it’s shields were collapsing. Worse, the long range turbolasers were gone. Sellik had already computed for a hyperspace jump, and though he’d lost touch with much of the ship -

Some kind of toxin?

He had sealed the most important parts of the Capitol and even the loss of more than half of the crew wouldn’t stop him. But it did cut his fighting ability in half, and it wasn’t winnable. Better to live and fight another day - which Hux had clearly decided against, from the body found in his private quarters.

Sellik growled. Fine, he’d lead the First Order. If Kylo Ren never returned, or Graul vanished as he seemed to have done, he’d do it. Save the galaxy.

The Capitol took another superlaser shot but was clear. “Order the fleet to disengage and jump. Now.” There we’re still dozens of Star Destroyers in orbit, he had enough to start over. Another ecumenopolis world, a short conversion of their power grid, and the Galactic Jamming would be restored - it would be for nothing, all the millions who had died today.

Sellik smiled to herself.

It was over.

Ceasing fire on the remnants of the New Resistance Army, the ship readied itself to leave.

—-
Imperial Boulevard

The rain of destruction and death decimated the survivors of the ground battle, but many managed to find cover beneath the hulk of the Millennium Falcon, or the Pulsar Skate, or the fallen walkers.

It did, however, stop shortly after.

Finn had seen something in the pandemonium, and his heart was in his throat as he ran across the now-crater filled Imperial Boulevard. An escape pod, which opened as he reached it.

"Rose!" He touched her face, searching. "Aare you okay?"

She touched his hand, affectionately, smiling. "I'm fine."

Rose looked up at the rising Capitol, backlit against the rising sun. Poe, Chewie, BB-8 and Threepio follow her eyes.

"They're getting away!" Threepio lamented.

Looking back to her, Finn sounded desperate. "Did you disable the hyperdrive?"

"I couldn't figure it out," Rose said.

Their conversation could be heard by those who had survived; Eleanor, Rhoen, Madelyn, Syal, Mirta, Asteria, Kaz, Almira, and hundreds of others, all staring in awe and wonder and growing panic.

Hope fell away.

The war is lost; the galaxy couldn't do this again, not at another world like Contruum or Eriadu or even Metellos or Corulag. Another city world could be adapted, and the Galactic Jammer rebuilt. There were plenty, even if they were not quite as grand and important as Coruscant.

Rose continued to speak, carefully. "So I made some adjustments to their navicomputer. Without precise calculations that thing could... "

The Capitol jumps to lightspeed.

The moment it vanishes.

It collides with a distant planet.

The impact is so massive, so galaxy-shaking, it's visible for light years.

."... fly right into a star."

Aboard the Eclipse, Connix shields her eyes at the enormous EXPLOSION in deep space, pulsating in the starry twilight.

A beacon of hope.

Communications instantly crackle to life.

A cacophony of voices fill the frequency waves, calling on their brethren to fight.

They’d won.

They’d won.

Finn, Poe, Rose, Chewie and the droids all look up. Awe, inspired. But they can't celebrate. Not yet.

Poe looked at Finn, speaking volumes.

Amira and Kaz and Madelyn and Asteria and even Mirta emerged from the wreckage to draw Eleanor into a hug, tears of joy flowing between them.

They’d won.

Syal crushed Rhoen and Whistler in an embrace and kissed her husband with a fervour they’d not had in years.

They’d won.

They’d won.

The cries of jubilation lifted up and consumed Coruscant.

—-
In low orbit

The TIE Whisper of Barriss Sunrider would have the perfect avenue of sight to see the bright star in the sky, and the jubilation of the masses beneath. She’d also have opportunity to see the Star Destroyers in orbit that could jump into hyperspace - but to differing coordinates fo the dreadnought, clearly having headed to the original target and not the replaced ones - and a smattering of First Order ships launching into orbit that had been caught out by the sudden collapse of the battle.

Among them were TIEs and battered shuttles, yes, but so too did the Night Buzzard, with Nihl Ren piloting. Vicrul had not seen the ship since before Bonadan - it was filled with memories, with the personal effects of his fellow Knights over the years - Hattaska, Lorl, Ott, Jaedec, Cardo, Ap’lek, Trudge, Kuruk, Ushar. He was the very last one standing.

Vestara watched him exceptionally carefully.

They had the coordinates of the fleets’ withdrawal - and the news that the Capitol had just been lost. The Knife 9 hung in orbit like a loyal pet, but if it did not depart soon would be the target of the Eclipse that lay beneath it, and the massed Resistance/Smuggler fleets.

Aboard it, was a Force presence that Vicrul would recognise; the Stranger from Taris. The intruder aboard the Knife 9 had not been found, and there was little else to do but connect and depart.

Unless of course Barriss gunned her engines for all their had in them and intervened one final time, unless of course Vicrul had a cunning turnabout in mind? What if he simply left, widening the great divide between them - the entire Imperial Boulevard and wrecked Capitol Building they were on opposite sides of...

But for all involved, after that sudden flash of light, their comms came alive after nearly a decade of silence.

—-
Ruusan

Vergere mused on his answers as if they were riddles, as they each walked, clambered and navigated the rocky ways of Ruusan.

”I was not the one who separated us, that was Mortis and it was not my fault he was gone when I was let free from the Tho Yor. I am sure you are not the only one that will blame me for actions I have no control over, his actions. But they are his actions, his responsibility for taking those actions, not mine. Yes, I’d prefer that he’d stayed with me and let the seed of Balance in him germinate but he chose otherwise.”

“You can lead a Bantha to water but cannot make it drink,” Vergere quoted the old adage. “The Sith added to it, mind you.” Her tone was amused. “But you can still drown the Bantha.” A musical laugh. “Perhaps you need to drown the Ruinous one.”

”Of course he wasn’t what he seemed, not fully. Some of who he was was there but mostly it was Mortis borrowing what it needed, that I’d recognize and listen to, to both keep me busy while Vicrul was dealt with, and to try to give me better understanding of what needed to be done.”

“It wasn’t Mortis though. It was a different monolith.” Vergere itched absently at her beak. “You do recall that some of the monoliths were used to imprison Shadow Beings; those without form. Similar principles were used to defeat the Drengir in the past. So whose to say if a dark entity was not manipulating you?”

”I honestly don’t know. I am sure that those she spoke to trust her deeply and would accept her desire that they do so. But the galaxy is in such chaos that they may not come soon or at all.”

“Until the dark side is returned to its proper place, you won’t be able to balance anything, I fear.”

”I’m not even sure she’ll listen to me if that happens. She distrusts me intently, thinks I am a charlatan and worse. I’m sure, at some point, she will choose to follow what Nomi told her, and come here, but...when she sees me, she’s just as likely to turn around and depart. If she’s willing to listen, I’d apologize for any pain or misunderstanding that occurred. And try to just talk to her.”

“An apology is worthless without acceptance. Words are useless tools, unable to convey their true meaning.” Vergere’s voice was chiding. “It is only through action you can communicate fully.” She peered over her shoulder. “Perhaps you should fight her. Let your bodies do the talking.”

”That one is simple, those that would have been considered allies or friends would have turned themselves into foes simply because they could not respect that I have taken possession of it to return it to its correct owner. They would have refused to allow me to depart Bonadon because of their misguided belief that simply because they are part of the same creed that they alone should have had it. And I’m not going to create even more foes.”

“Do you have a lot of foes, Xundel? Sounds exhausting.”

”Tell me, are you planning on having us wander this meandering path until I answer every question you may ever have or is it simply that twisting a path down here, compared to the surface? If it’s the first, we could be down here for centuries.”

“Who knows?” Vergere clucked as they made it to an open portion of the cave system, showing that the planet had descended into night. “The journey is the important part, after all.”

Even out in the dark depths of Ruusan, the flash in the sky was visible, and of course their comlinks activated abruptly; the galactic jamming was over.

Vergere had hers in hand as it spoke. “All Sith return to Pesegam.” In the shadows and caves - the words resonated loudly.

The Fosh turned her eyes to Xundel.

“Oops.”

—-
Kuat

The shipyards of Kuat.

Where it all began.

The attack by the Resistance here had crippled the final stage of the First Order’s plan for conquest. Six Eclipse-class Super Star Destroyers - all but one of which was crippled, damaged; but not beyond repair.



The moment the Eclipse escaped, a week ago

With the slaughter of the Kuat Moon denizens by the Knights of Ren, the system had been pre-purged of unwelcome elements, and new slaves brought in.

But the damage to the fleet was sufficient to delay a decade-long project for some times - the original project had been crippled by Black Squadron around the same time as the Battle of Exegol - Tiber, Zara, Jess and Dev - an originally seven man team before Poe and Snap had headed back to Ajan Kloss in response to Palpatine's grant speech, and before Aryan Graul had started his journey to Vice Chancellorship of the First Order.

And yet, the Eclipse represented a refinement of Palpatine's Dark Empire concept, a regime which abandoned the bureaucracy of the Old Republic Senate and the Imperial Moffs, for a dark side magnocracy, where Palpatine would rule as God and his lesser Sith acolytes as direct governors. The One Sith project, the prototype of which was once on the Deep Core world of Byss - which itself commanded the original Eclipse design - and later perfected on Exegol, and thankfully defeated in short order.

The First Order considered them the perfect weapons of terror; not nearly as fragile as the Xyston-class Star Destroyer, nor as expensive and unwieldy as a Death Star. An axial superlaser to tax planetary shields and eventually pierce them, rather than deploying an armada to achieve the same goal. The ability to simply crack the surface of a planet was as useful as blowing it up wholesale, and sometimes a dead world was a better abject example than an asteroid field.

Perhaps those thoughts flooded through the minds of Treen, Aryan, Lyz and Arek.

Perhaps not.

Captain Phasma was completely silent as the yacht arrived in the Kuat system.

They spent some time going through layered security systems, the surrounding sector in the process of being heavily mined and gravity projectors placed. Resurgent-class Star Destroyers held each of the outer worlds of the sector, and the Kuat system itself was abuzz with activity as resources were commandeered to the shipyards.



There was basically no way in-system unless you were detected.

The First Order was unchallenged here.

It was thus the perfect spot to consolidate.

Arek had looked out the side viewport as they passed Horthav. "I think those are our Star Destroyers."

At that she did turn from her supervision of the cockpit. "All such ships belong to the Supreme Leader, ultimately. You merely stored them for him."

Treen opined carefully from her seat, sipping a fruity alcoholic beverage. "That brat Solo? He's not a leader, he's a loose cannon. It was you and Hux that kept the First Order in power. Technological prowess and clear vision."

Lyz winced, expecting Phasma to shoot the Senator there and then. Phasma instead said. "Perhaps."

Interesting, said Sistros, silently inside Aryan's mind. So she's not behind all this?"

"So, you're not behind all this?" Arek spoke those same words, clearly deducing the same.

A short bark of a laugh. "Not at all, my dear. I am quite finished with my attempts at galactic reordering. I did lose some very dear friends to me over a decade ago, after all. I had been rather enjoying my retirement... and watching an old colleague of mine reach greater heights of course." She reached over to lightly place a hand on Aryan's forearm, but did not leave it there.

Arek looked at Phasma. "And if you're content for us to disparage Kylo Ren..."

Lyz finished his sentence, and so, too, did Sistros.

"... then who is behind this."

Then there was a flare in the distance, a star explosion that was visible across the galaxy...

... and their comlinks all beeped. There had been no need to confiscate them when the First Order controlled the signal, but now they were reconnecting to the HoloNet...

... a billion nodes were suddenly able to speak.

The Galactic Jammer had been destroyed.

Phasma snorted. "The Chancellor is dead."

Treen chortled. "Long live the Chancellor."

—-
Christophsis

When Johnson awoke, he had been moved to the edge of the crystal caves, and as he came too, there was a flutter of glowing petals that darted away, deeper into the shadows.

What had woken him was a flash of light in the sky, and then, following, his comlink beeping to tell him that the HoloNet was active again. The channels were alive as the galaxy could suddenly speak.

The Galactic Jammer had been destroyed.

Rose must have done it.

But the petals, they were almost bioluminescent in the gloom of the cave, and they eventually, it followed, would lead to a open area in the heart of the crystal cove, the trees within all white and lit up in a beautiful spectral and calming scene.

At the centre of the glen was crystal.



At the centre of the crystal, well.



There she was.

And yet…

He could look right through her.

Lucrecia.

—-
Arkinnea

It was a fair question, rippling across the table as the twilight sky of Arkinnea drew to dusk.

Into the silence, three-scarred woman sighed. “Tirran, the Council did vote on opening up Arkinnea to the outside.”

“But it was a close thing,” the Veknoid said. “And the Grandmaster-“ A look from Ruk caused him to continue perhaps differently. “Farmer ruled on the tie. So some of us are overjoyed, and some of us are concerned.”

The Wookiee yipped and roared in his native language; many of them had fled here sixty years ago to avoid the Rise of the Empire, with a second wave of settlement when the First Order announced itself on the galactic stage.

“And it is on that basis we are careful,” Ruk finished. “And besides the Farmers are a naturally stoic bunch. Emotional entanglements are not to be encouraged, if they imbalance the affairs of the Order.” A rumbling laugh. “I think they take things a bit too seriously.”

He raised a goblet to the gathered farmers. “We should celebrate our new accord with Mr Huxley here. He is bringing us back into the galaxy, and we shall change it for the better with our produce.”

There was a flash in the sky, a star twinkling in the distance, and suddenly their comms all were alive. The Galactic Jammer had been destroyed. “The Resistance won,” Ruk uttered, surprised. His eyes darted to three-scars. “Master Veila, get to comms room. We need to ensure we’re on top of what happens next.”

The Whiphid looked to Tirran. “I imagine you have contacts to get in touch with now we can all talk?” His jaws spread into a massive smile. “But now we have much more to celebrate? No?”

Indeed, there was much cheering from the fields, dozens of voices all celebrating. In a moment the hovel and it’s garden grounds were full of youngsters and elders, all in their brown and tan robes…

Ruk stared at Tirran, waiting for him to state the inevitable.

—-
Questions

Had Dol Khan gone down with the ship?

Had Abaddon decided to lay low and prepare a more devastating blow?

What of Rey and Kylo Ren?

Where were they in all this?

These questions would, it turned out, be left open for some time…

But Finn, he looked at Poe.

"You feel it too."

Pod nods, affirming their connection.

Rey is gone.

TAG: @CosmoHender, @TheSilentInfluence, @Shadowsun, @galactic-vagabond422, @HanSolo29, @darthbernael, @Jerjerrod-Lennox (combo for you), @Mitth_Fisto, @The Jedi in the Pumas, @QueenSabe7

 

Connectivity...

... the Force was the lifeblood of connectivity...

... and now the HoloNet had reconnected the cosmos...

... the Force was bound to life...

... and life was bound to community...

... the HoloNet meant that they could connect to any one of each other...

... would Barriss Ofee call Vicrul Ren? Or Xundel? Or, would she join the celebration?

... what of the Stranger, here and now? Or Dol Khan?

... how soon until Rhoen reached out to his daughter? Or Eleanor to the rest of her scattered family?

... the Graul's were all together, but was there anyone else that Aryan needed to speak to now?

... Tirran would find an Underworld no longer his oyster, but now full to the bring of fixers and movers who could not talk...

... and Johnson, well, did he want to speak to anyone but the person who was in-front of him, and yet not?

... and even with all that connectivity...

... nobody could speak to Rey Skywalker

 

IC: The HoloNet

Messages would be received by them all, caught up in the snarl of communications…

… some, they came from the here and now, when the system came alive…

… others, were messages sent nine years ago that never made it to their recipients…

… as we shall see.

Rhoen, I just wanted to let you know I’m safe. A local cell pulled me out of the First Order encampment, and I’m at home if you ever want to come back. I’m so proud of you; I know that you found you way back to fight in the end. You’re a hero, Rhoen. It’s in your blood.

His father.

Johnson, I don’t care if you’ve been assigned to Lucrecia, she is mine, and you can’t have her. The child she will birth, it will create the ultimate AGENT for the First Order. You are nothing to the brilliance of I, Dr Edda Gast!

A message of hate from the past.

Eleanor, I wanted to send you this before, well, y’know. You’re my daughter, and I’ve always been so proud of you. I know your other father died before you had chance to get to know him, but he would have been literally psyched by you - he used to have these smiles that literally lit up the room. But when he saw you? It could have powered the whole galaxy. I’ll be with him soon, and I’ll be looking out for you too. Look after your Mom, she’s not one to ask for help but she’ll need you and your siblings more than ever. Love, Buir

A goodbye, delivered late, years after the fact.

Tirran, now the comms are up, I’ll be coming for you. Just you watch.

Ominous and anonymous.

Xundel, the chaos of the Battle of Exegol has prevented us from meeting face to face. But if you receive this message, then I would like to meet you on Tython in two days time. I believe I have something that will aid you in your quest. I attach a safe route through the Deep Core.

A secret rendezvous, long missed?

Barriss, in the year since the destruction of Hosnian Prime, I have realised that evil no longer lurks in the shadows, and that those shadows are deeper than I could have ever imagined. I know it’s been years, but I did not know you survived, and I have kept a low profile since Order 66. I’m sure we’ll cross paths soon.

An unknown, but was that hope?

Granddad, I wanted to let you know that I've adopted a new son. Yeah, I know, it wasn't on the cards when we last spoke, but it's war - things tend to happen quickly during times of strife, they say? But Adom agreed and we do have two girls so we thought why not a second boy! But I wanted to let you know that I wanted to redeem a family name. Our family, it's been up and down, and I've been told we're villain's I know we're not, even though you're Vice Chancellor of the First Order. So I wanted to work on the black mark in our family tree. I hope you're not mad, but I've named my son Norin. Love, Bren.

A new addition, at this time? Named after his hateful father?

Vicrul, at Kuat, we will build anew your weapons of rage. You know me, and yet, you do not know yourself. I shall explain, and you will see that you shall be my new Master of the Ren.

A threat? A promise?

Barris, I'm sorry. I hope you made it out alive. It was just too much for me; I'm sorry. Let me know if you want to hook up sometime, when this is all over. I'd love to see you again, under better circumstances.

That was Trace.

The Stranger had no comlink to speak of.

And who would speak to Dol Khan?

Nobody.

Nobody at all.

They were all dead, after all.

And a hundred messages would never find Rey.

She was beyond them all.

@CosmoHender, @TheSilentInfluence, @Shadowsun, @galactic-vagabond422, @HanSolo29, @darthbernael, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @Mitth_Fisto, @The Jedi in the Pumas, @QueenSabe7

 

OOC: An interesting conversation on Ruusan with @Sinrebirth

IC Xundel
Ruusan

Xundel had moved to the side somewhat when the flash occurred, better to be separate if an attack came. When his commlink came on, it was a relief, he didn’t need it but being able to communicate with others again was going to make things less complicated. And then Vergere’s comm spoke.

A chuckle rumbled in Xundel’s chest, ”Surprise surprise…” he said, laughter bubbling in his voice. He hopped up onto a tall root, eyes now almost on level with Vergere’s. ”I, of course, was suspicious when you offered to take me to the Valley of the Jedi and led me on this circuitous route. Because we were already there. So,” his eyes narrowed slightly as they swirled with greys, ”what is the plan now? Steal me away to Pesegem and convince me to have the real Sith return?”

"Actually," Vergere settled on a rock. "No."

She shrugged. "As you've seen on your adventures, the Light and Dark are not purely represented by Rey Skywalker and Kylo Ren and his Knights of Ren. There are ex-Jedi, old Jedi, New Jedi... Lost Sith, fallen Jedi, broken darksiders..."

"It's their fate to be in conflict, eternally so."

Vergere's gaze acquired a knowing edge.

"Do you intend to populate your Council with purely those of the middle path, or the Light?"

She placed a hand on her chest. "I am Sith, yes, but that is not all I am."

He nodded, letting out a sigh, ”There are those, on the Light side, that would hope that is exactly what I do, but then all it would be then is a diluted Jedi Council and that does the Balance no good. I want one such as you on the Council. Especially when one of those encounters you and finds that not all that are Dark are evil.”

Opening his mouth to say something else his pad chimed. Checking the message he noticed the date it was sent, from what people had told him it would have been from just before the Net had gone down. It read, Xundel, the chaos of the Battle of Exegol has prevented us from meeting face to face. But if you receive this message, then I would like to meet you on Tython in two days time. I believe I have something that will aid you in your quest. I attach a safe route through the Deep Core.

He chuckled, holding up the pad so Vergere could see the message, ”Fancy a trip to Tython?”

Vergere’s headcrest flared orange; she was piqued. “A message that’s nine years old? Is that not a long shot.” She clear at her beak. “The Deep Core routes will definitely have shifted.”

She ruffled her feathers. “One Gray and one Dark, that doesn’t make a Council. Shouldn’t it be, if we’re following the old rules - six of each? That’s a lot of well-rounded Force users to hunt, no?”

Xundel chuckled, ”Yes, nine years, but sent just before the Net went down, and only received today, with,” he doublechecked, ”a read receipt. So the sender just found out that I finally was able to read it, as I did, and would have known why I never did.”

Her other comment and question actually tied into the first. ”Well rounded, yes, that’s a good point. Know where any of those are? Because I’ve seemingly run into mostly the burnouts or fanatics. And chances are that those that Nomi took my message to will not or may choose not to come here. Either way the trip to see if that sender is at Tython could have the message spread more. Plus we could leave a Force imbued message here for any that may make the trip here, of those called. So they know we will return.”

Vergere gestured to the cave depths. There was a Door, and her actions illuminated it. “All paths lead to here, so why not leave your Force sign there? Or something as mundane as a beacon, perhaps?”

Her eyes glinted slightly as if she had an opinion. “So we’re not going to Pesegam?”

Xundel chuckled, ”How long do you think it would take to visit Tython, see if the mysterious man is there, then travel to Pesegam? Your message only said the Sith need to return to Pesegam, but didn’t give an immediate deadline.” he responded. ”Yes, a choice must be made. You are here and now and willing to aid, no matter my choice, which makes me wish to see what other darksider would join this Council.”

“A couple of days. Depending on the Deep Core,” Vergere mused. “There’s a couple of ancient Sith routes into the region after all. I could be convinced to supply them.”

She chuckled. “I’m sure whatever self-appointed Dark Lord exists on Pesegam will want us to punctual but they’ll be used to my ways of doing things.” A snigger. “I am Darth Traya, after all.”

“But I digress, your mystery awaits.”

Vergere turned to open the door into the memorial part of the Valley.

Xundel chuckled at Vergere’s response. ”So Tython first, then be your usual self to go to Pesegam. That’s settled. Now let me see what you wished to show me.”

He stepped up beside her at the door. They’d just met and there were many things yet to know about each other and the way she would fit in the Council. So he trusted her but as a beginning of trust. So knowing she could possibly shove him through the door and shut it was certainly a possibility in his mind, or the reverse also being true, he was sure, in hers.

There were statues here, a variety of them. Jedi Lords and a statue of the then-Chancellor, Tarsus Valorum. Vergere shook her head at it all. “The idolatry of the Jedi Order. The ultimate example of their zeal and radicalism, given form. Yet, they profess to be different from the Sith, but this room would not look out of place in the Valley of the Dark Lords. It’s almost exactly the same; the tombs are simply empty, because the High Council did not want to emphasise the actions of the Army of Light…”

Vergere shook her head. “And yet, the Council opted to shackle the Jedi to the Republic. To settle the Force to the whims of mortals. What is worse? To claim to speak for the Force - as its Army - or to allow those with no connection to the Force to dictate the position of the largest Jedi contingent?”

She turned to Xundel. “I just want to emphasise that you will have as much resistance from the Jedi Order as you will the Sith. That the Jedi and Sith both lurk in the shadows of the First Order.”

Xundel snorted as he took in the statuary. It was a ‘hidden’ memorial to the vanity of the Jedi. Vergere was right, both orders were hypocritical. Glancing at the tombs he shook his head. They’d made an epitaph to their glory even as they lost a part of themselves by making their future be the same as the Republic. Jedi were meant to have been outside the rule of polities. At least the Sith were mostly honest about that, creating their own polities rather than serving those who had not touch of the Force.

His ears shook as he twisted his head back and forth. ”The First Order says it is outside the boundaries of both. The Sith and Jedi, from what I have seen so far, are both acting like carrion beasts, waiting for the prey of the FO to weaken enough for them to surge in and feed upon it.”

Feeling weary for a moment, ”There is always going to be resistance, be those who see the Council as a deep threat to the Light or the Dark. As long as we can find those more willing or understanding that the Council is necessary and are willing to be a part of it, that resistance can be mitigated.”

“And yet at the ultimate core of the First Order is the fact that it has been ruled directly and indirectly by Sith - Palpatine, his stand Snoke, and of course Kylo Ren.” Vergere stroked her chin.

“You’re going to need some serious firepower in your corner to enforce a peace treaty against factions that have fought for millennia…” she mused aloud. “And the Resistance is fundamentally tied to the Jedi - Leia Organa Solo, Luke Skywalker, the Rey girl.”

“What’s to stop the war continuing on and on I ask?” Vergere eyed him. “Do we need to debase ourselves with politics and military confederations to bring ultimate peace? Or wage holy war against any Force user that seizes control of a government or apparatus?”

Xundel ran his fingers along one long ear as he thought. ”If we must debase ourselves so then we threaten to become as the Jedi and Sith before us. And that takes away from our purpose.” he mused as well. Looking up at her, ”I have had others ask how we must deal with the, as they put it, extremists.”

Sighing, he swung the cane in a circle, several times, ”We cannot, must not, get caught in the trap of serving any polity, any Order. Those others will continue to exist, that cannot be stopped. But what can be done is us serving as a buffer ground between the extremes, to encourage those polities and those who would seek the Balance to do so.”

“Ah,” Vergere said. “So we accrue Force power and strength to ensure we are listened to? Very apt. If we can keep them apart and they can hopefully weed out their own extremists?”

Her gaze grew intense. “Perhaps we encourage each to their own domain, to prevent periodic efforts to massacre the other side?” She tapped her beak. “I am minded to the millennium of peace between the Two Hundred Years Darkness and the Great Hyperspace War, with the Jedi and Sith in power in various dominions, albeit separated by the Unknowns.”

A dry chuckle. “Who shall we encourage to abscond from the Knowns for a satellite galaxy?”

Xundel’s three fingered hand stroked his chin, before he smiled. ”Pesegam and the Sith that will be gathering there are closer to where they could be encouraged to take a place in a satellite galaxy. But,” he hummed, ”that could cause the Jedi to return to their old ways. Perhaps the reverse would be better, and give the Jedi a chance to return to their roots.” he was thinking aloud but it felt right to him.

He smiled, ”Otherwise, yes, that is what I had in mind for the Council and how we handle things and the various Orders.”

“A curious thought.” Vergere turned around full circle, regarding the statues of Hoth, of Kiel Charny, of Morrit Ch’gally, of Newar Forrth, of Pernicar, of Berethon, of Kerra Holt, of Farfalla, of Gale, of Saleeh…

“Let us move beyond the Light Lords of the Jedi and Dark Lords of the Sith. Return to the ways of the Je’daii Order, to the Protectors.” Vergere smiled a human smile. “To peace in moderation.”

Xundel turned, thinking, as she spoke. A soft smile came to his face. Concentrating, he created both a physical representation and a Force Message in one, <The Council of Balance has departed Ruusan on business. We shall return shortly. Please forgive the absence, your desire to speak to us is important; we would ask for your patience as you wait.>

He turned back to Vergere, ”Very well said. The Prime Jedi smiles upon our endeavor, in the Force.” he replied with a smile."Shall we leave this temple to arrogance and discover if my mysterious messenger is at Tython?"

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, any that are considering the trip to Ruusan

 

IC: Chancellor Aryan Graul
Above Kuat

As Aryan reclined back and followed the course of the conversation, he couldn’t help but note how things had come full circle. His journey toward ascension had begun at Kuat when he had served as an anomalous member of the infamous Black Squadron. And now, a decade later, he had returned to Kuat to complete his quest to the top. He had finally achieved Chancellor—and yet his triumph was bittersweet. Not only did he have his own personal demons to contend with, but he knew that his authority was not absolute; he had to share it with the elusive Supreme Leader.

Even now, he narrowed his eyes and observed the others as they tried to pinpoint the man’s identity. Kylo Ren had disappeared from the galactic scene, so he did not fit the description, nor did Senator Treen step up to lay claim to the coveted title. A single nudge from the Holocron confirmed that even Sistros appeared perplexed by the mystery.

Who was left to lead their New Order into the future?

Aryan continued to ponder that question, a hand perched on his chin, while he focused his attention beyond the large viewport. He noted a flotilla of ships drifting nearby and inwardly bristled; he recognized them as the fleet he had painstakingly gathered over the tenure of his reign. They were so close, but under the current circumstances, he had no way to recover what was rightfully his. It was an insoluble dilemma that only exacerbated his frustration.

And that’s when he felt a light touch on his forearm. It was gentle and soothing, perhaps bordering on intimate.

Glancing up, he found the Senator watching him under a hooded gaze. "I had been rather enjoying my retirement...and watching an old colleague of mine reach greater heights of course," she uttered with obvious delight.

He wasn’t entirely surprised by her behavior, and thankfully, she retracted her hand before he could fully react. He didn’t want to press the issue, though he would certainly rebuke her if the situation warranted such a response.

However, it would ultimately become negligible; in short order, nothing else mattered.

A flare illuminated the void in the distance, a visible explosion that shot across the cosmos with the intensity of a supernova. In the next moment, every comlink in the vicinity beeped instantaneously as the individual nodes reconnected to the larger HoloNet. It was a liberation of sorts, and it didn’t take long for Aryan to recognize what had occurred—the Capitol had detonated, along with Chancellor Hux and the previous leadership of the First Order.

They were all dead.

Treen chortled. "Long live the Chancellor."

Aryan breathed a sigh of relief and canted his head to regard the others with wide eyes, the significance of this moment finally sinking in. But before he could address his family and colleagues—to share in their jubilation, his own comlink vibrated to announce that it had received a message. It was such a startling development that he stopped short to retrieve the device from his pocket:

Granddad, I wanted to let you know that I've adopted a new son. Yeah, I know, it wasn't on the cards when we last spoke, but it's war - things tend to happen quickly during times of strife, they say? But Adom agreed and we do have two girls so we thought why not a second boy! But I wanted to let you know that I wanted to redeem a family name. Our family, it's been up and down, and I've been told we're villain's I know we're not, even though you're Vice-Chancellor of the First Order. So I wanted to work on the black mark in our family tree. I hope you're not mad, but I've named my son Norin. Love, Bren.

Norin.

They wanted to name his great-grandson after his abusive and hateful father?

The Chancellor recoiled from that notion, running a hand over his jaw as he angled the comm to allow his wife and son to peruse the text. In a sense, it felt like someone had punched him in the gut. This was a wound that ran deep, going back to his childhood and the horrors that his father had conjured through his strict and impossible standards. He couldn’t help but feel as if Bren had deliberately betrayed him by honoring such a loathsome man—particularly at a time when they were still reeling from Jalynn's death.

That’s why he decided to push the comm across the table toward Arek. "He’s your son," Aryan stated in a gravelly tone, his expression firm. "I think you should be the one to speak with him first. I—I need more time."

Pursing his lips, he then shook his head slowly. "I don’t want to say anything I’ll later regret."

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

In the hours and days to follow…

IC: Vergere
Across the galaxy

It was a decent length journey to the Deep Core. Not just across the chaotic Expansion Region, but also the aflame Core and Inner Rim, which was mid-Galactic Rebellion.

The third? I do not believe anyone was keeping track anymore. As Vergere made herself comfortable in a shadowed corner, she nuzzled into sleep.

Their ETA was expected to be some two or even three days, and most of that was to be spent traversing the dangerous straits of the Deep Core. There was not much to add but to wonder about it all; to relax, even.

Of course, the Force had other ideas.

There was a tremor.

Then another.

Kylo Ren was dead.

As was Rey Skywalker.

The two great Force users and hopes for balance had passed into death.

Indeed, try as one might, no vestige of their strength and presence was evident within the Force. And yet, the essence of Yoda seemed active after many years of silence, but not with him, not to see Xundel.

What would the former Jedi make of all this?

One had to wonder.

And when they arrived in the Deep Core, the First Order Security Zone was evident, meaning they had to navigate by First Order Star Destroyers. But after nearly a week, they would make it to the Tython system.

There was a calming presence here.

A quiet space in the Force.

A light, and a dark, but in cosmic balance…

Ashla, the moon tidally locked to the day side of Tython, called to the light in him…

… Bogan, the moon caught on the night side of Tython, called to the dark in him…

There was a chasm in the Force too, a deep and crazy madness…

… and an enlightened state, atop a mountain vista…

Which would attract the former Jedi Master?

Where would his mystery messenger meet him?

TAG: @darthbernael
—-
IC: Captain Phasma
Kuat, aboard the Second Eclipse, dock

As Phasma lead the shuttle through the chaos of the reclaimed shipyards, it became apparent that the damage the Resistance had wrought had not even began to be undone.

Five other Eclipse-class warships hung beneath the shipyards, held by the powerful tractor beams of the orbiting stations and even some Star Destroyers specifically assigned to the task. Only one had made itself back to drydock, and even that had a opening at the nose where there should have been an axial superlaser emitter. The Second Eclipse was the pennant code, but for the moment the TIE Dagger escorts were holding position as the drama played out inside the shuttle.

Lyz was furious with Aryan. “Do you forget that the simple fact that you’re the Vice Chancellor of the First Order caused no end of grief for your grandson, with your name?”

A slight chuckle from Treen, but she was silenced by a glare before his wife continued. “We redeemed that name with sane leadership notwithstanding that Hux and the Dark Lord of the Sith were our political bedfellows. A triumvirate made in the Nine Corellian Hells, Denjax Teppler once told me, and he used to work with Thrackan Sal-Solo and Sadras Koyan!”

“But the family dealt with it. We were overjoyed by your recovery and decision to take the position in the First Order. You know we were. So we did what we could to redeem the name of Aryan Graul.” Lyz was firm in her words. “And if your grandson wants to do the same for the name of Norin Graul then good on him.”

It’s a point, slightly interjected Sistros.

Watching the interplay between his father and mother, he suddenly stiffened as he recognised a change in the Force. He eyed his father; a great power had died. Kylo Ren was gone - but then another. Rey Skywalker had perished also.

Captain Phasma muttered to herself.

“The Supreme Leader is dead. Long live the Supreme Leader.”

They had their signal; the TIE Daggers threaded through the system traffic - and errant debris - to head towards the bridge of the Second Eclipse.

The Force was strangely placid; as if something had artificially made it so. Even the more ordinary stresses of a shipyard staff and crew were muted, purposely so.

The signal for their approach had been the arrival of the Knife 9. The Super Star Destroyer had arrived at a high altitude, Captain Peavey having had extreme difficulty navigating the gap between the three Knights of Ren and the fourth, but first one he’d had aboard.

But he took it that the larger group was legitimate and he wasn’t hosting a random amalgamation of Sith, if only because he recognised Vicrul Ren, who has served Kylo Ren for the last decade in one shape or another. Vestara had prowled the door of the personal chambers of Vicrul, even as Nihl perpetually scowled, keeping the crew of the ship on their toes.

While the Stranger had run of the prow as he hunted down their mystery intruder - Abaddon, who may even have absconded from the ship by this point - Vicrul Ren had his worries and concerns.

He also had acquired Force certainty of two facts.

One; that not just Kylo Ren had died, but also Rey Skywalker.

Second, that Xundel was not dead, but that was a lesser understanding, as if he had passed cartographically nearby him, and headed elsewhere.

He too would recognise that the Force was oddly muted, as if there was a presence overlapping upon them.

Vestara tapped the door lightly. “We’ve been summoned to the flagship.”

Indeed, a command shuttle was prepared to take them, and Vicrul, Nihl, Vestara and the Stranger were summoned.

Their ship would arrive at the hangar of the Second Eclipse at the same time as Phasma with Treen, Lyz and Aryan.

It was time for the pieces to meet, and the New Order truly rise. What would they all make of each other? Aryan recast as the Hux, Vicrul, recast as the Kylo Ren.

Had the entire Battle of Coruscant been nothing more than a necessity to rearrange the pieces?

TAG: @HanSolo29, @Shadowsun (combo), @MASTER Vo’Un’Var
—-
IC: Admiral Trench
Christophsis, aboard the Invincible II, in orbit

It had been tempting to fire a turbolaser bolt and strand the Agent on the surface, but Admiral Trench had been curious as to what the First Order was up to in Andoan Space.

He watched the Agent return to his downed Firespray, and Trench was assured that the ship could take off even with one steering vane. Indeed, Johnson would disaster that half his engine banks were out and his cannons too, but he had hyperdrive, his missiles, his seismic mines.

Plenty.

He also had comms, and a plethora of updates from High Command. Orders to withdraw to fortress worlds at Chasin, Kelada, Commenor and other systems; reports of seizures of First Order vessels in joint-commands in the Outer Rim; confirmation that the Capitol was lost, and suspected with it to be Chancellor Hux, Supreme Commander Sellik, and Intelligence Minister Dorja. The whereabouts of Diplomat Minister Graul and his father, the Vice Chancellor, were unknown. Some orders had been given by the self-declared Grand Admiral Airen Yage but nobody seemed to be listening to her.

Trench opened a channel to the Silencer. “I’m sure you know that Coruscant has fallen by now. So I am caught in the delicate position of having to curry favour with the rebels but also balance against it the First Order inevitably recovering and striking back, just like it did after the Battle of Exegol.”

He made a noise that was akin to a mouse patting its teeth together loudly in rapid fashion, but it was a nonhuman that was clearly evolved from an arachnid and thus more unsettling.

“Perhaps you can tell me what I should do, Agent Johnson.”

TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox (combo)
—-
IC: K’Kruhk
Arkinnea

“Masterful Jedi?” The Whiphid said with some joviality. He looked around the table at his fellows, as a set of middling aged Jedi shuffled the youngsters away from the meeting.

He held a hand to his chest. “It depends more upon you. We are as you recognise the seed of the Jedi Order. My name is truly K’Kruhk.”

He introduced his colleague Jedi Masters. Lowbacca, Vao, Chase Piru. He had indicated the Wookiee, the Veknoid, the dark-skinned human woman. “And Tahiri Veila left to check on the comms.”

“This is Jedi Knight Sidirri, otherwise,” he confirmed. That was the woman who had smiled at him as he arrived. The Whiphid’s eyes returned to Tirran. “My two other colleagues on the Council, they are dealing with what I said.”

K’Kruhk leaned forward, towards Tirran. “But this place has not survived Vader and Tsavong Lah and Caedus and Kylo Ren by leaping into the open the moment that the galaxy rises up. Our business arrangement is what we voted for, and what we stated we would commit to, regardless of a miracle defeat of the forces of Empire.”

He nodded. “If the galaxy settles down for more than a decade, we shall return. The light of the Jedi Order will never go out; Force users will always find their way to the light and our teachings.”

The Whiphid regarded the dozens of students cavorting in the distance, celebrating. “But this way we shall not be destroyed because of the mistakes of others.” He grinned at Tirran. “Nor surprised when the Sith inevitably reveal another master plan. The war between Light and Dark will never end; this Council simply acknowledges that. It cannot be won; it cannot end.”

He made a noise of annoyance. “It can only be lost.” And then, a mischievous eye. “Or profited from, no?”

TAG: @Mitth_Fisto
—-
IC: Lando Calrissian
Coruscant

The orbiting smugglers came down to the now renamed Republic Boulevard. In the hours since, the people of Coruscant had brought forward the food and supplies that had stockpiled and hoarded, divided by fear and the beskar heel of the First Order. But their joint suffering in the last week as the enemy abandoned all appearances of civilian rule for military fist, and eroded all the barriers of species, gender, social status and sex.

They were one against the First Order.

It came together in one giant celebration, broadcast across the galaxy and the HoloNet, repeaters and nodes that had lain unused for nearly a decade connecting the galaxy together in light and hope.

The Errant Venture joined the orbiting collection of ships - swelling with reinforcements, with well-wishers, with observers - and shuttled down the children of the Resistance as much as many ships settled on the surface, leaving a crew of defenders aboard the Eclipse should any of the Galactic Warlords try to take advantage.

Which meant that Rhoen’s family’s as reunited; that Eleanor’s brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews joined them on-world; that Barriss would be able to join the celebrations and even recognise some aged clones that she had fought with in the celebrations, all watched by an owl that made her presence both known and unknown. Even Lando was reunited with Tendra and Junior, his near-teen son.

Poe, Finn, Rose, Chewbacca, Connix, Beaumont and other core Resistance members formed the center of the event, coordinating and dolling out supplies to the survivors of the battle and accepting hugs and warmth and praising everyone that came forward with food and drink. The smugglers ships, at Lando and Booster’s and Karrde’s nudging, released their hard earned wares to the masses, and everything was plentiful where, days before there had been basically nothing.

There was also time to mourn those lost.

Rafe, Dade, Nomi, Artoo, those who had fought and died for freedom… and of course Rey.

It was a victory, and they could all imbibe in it and enjoy it and regroup and lament and celebrate.

It was a free-for-all of hopes and dreams.

The future was here.

TAG: @CosmoHender, @TheSilentInfluence, @galactic-vagabond422, @The Jedi in the Pumas (free-form combo and singles week, request away whatever you want of me)

 

IC Xundel
Inbound, Near Tython

Much had occurred, but not to them, as Xundel and Vergere traveled to Tython. He’d sighed and wilted slightly as he felt first Kylo Ren and then Rey Skywalker pass into the Force. Two that could have salvaged all, now gone. He sent a silent thought into the Force, that he hoped they had found peace, at last. As he had done so he’d felt another presence, an old friend. But that one was slippery, as though he was present but not entirely willing to speak to him now.

It took several more days and many slight detours to avoid being held up by First Order forces. When they reached the system it was a relief in a way to the small Force user. And peace there was in the system. The Force was as a comforting blanket covering all. However...it felt as though there were four separate presences in the system and none of them was giving any indication that they were who he sought.

Ashla, the moon tidally locked to the day side of Tython, called to the light in him…

… Bogan, the moon caught on the night side of Tython, called to the dark in him…

There was a chasm in the Force too, a deep and crazy madness…

… and an enlightened state, atop a mountain vista…

Xundel knew he had to close the odds more than one in four, but how? He glanced at Vergere. But he also had a feeling that while this here may be a test she was also seeing how he dealt with this test.

One of his claws on the end of his three fingered hand tapped his pad as he thought. And then a small smile came to his face. He pulled up the message he’d received, tapping out a reply. <I have come. Great lights have disappeared from the Galaxy. And the First Order is shortly behind my arrival.> His hope was, as he sent the message, that even if the being did not respond he’d be able to sense a resonance in the Force as it emotionally reacted to the message.

TAG: @Sinrebirth