Star Wars OPEN Star Wars: Episode XI: THE HIDDEN TEMPLE - follow up to the 2021 RPF Award winning game!

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


IC: Admiral Natasi Daala and Aryan Graul
Shuttle, Descending to Wavett

Admiral Natasi Daala stood on the boarding ramp of her shuttle scowling at Aryan Graul. She had a thing for intelligent men, but those men also tended to be stubborn and very set in their ways, Graul was no exception. "I believe we decided that you would remain on the Chimaera while I locate Lyz and Arek," Daala said firmly, "you should take advantage of the time to rest."

Inclining his chin, Aryan did not allow Daala’s admonishment to deter him from his goal. He remained adamant, shifting his weight upon his cane in such a way to appear taller than he truly was. It was an intimidation tactic, evoking both confidence strength.

"I don’t recall ever agreeing to that, no," he grumbled under his breath, his eyes narrowing perceptibly. With a slight wince, he then brought his free hand around to gesture at her accusingly. "Allow me to reiterate my statement… Admiral, I informed you that I did not want to hear any more excuses about my health or safety. I’m well aware of my limitations. That doesn’t change the fact that I’ll be far more effective at your side. You need my assistance… and you know it."

Damned stubborn man had obviously been put through hell as Snoke’s prisoner, and she was still more than a touch irritated that he refused the care of her medical team.

"We don’t have time to debate this," Natasi was standing her ground, but she was aware that he wouldn’t be swayed, "board the damned shuttle, or not, but we are launching in three minutes." Daala turned on her heel and disappeared inside her ship and shouted orders to her pilot.

Aryan did not bother to suppress his satisfaction. The smug grin that spread over his features was a testament to that. However, he was careful not to appear too complacent, particularly under the circumstances. His wife and son were still in grave danger, and Natasi was sacrificing a lot to ensure their safety. He would be forever grateful for her efforts.

Closing his eyes briefly to reflect on that notion, Aryan then planted his cane and began the slow climb up the landing ramp toward the shuttle’s interior. Once he reached the access corridor, he turned to follow the sound of Daala’s voice, which ultimately led him to the cockpit. From there, he did not hesitate to lower himself onto one of the passenger couches to alleviate the strain on his legs.

"Our residence wasn’t too far from the shipyards," he stated after a moment, reaching into his jacket for his datapad. "We also maintained a small collection of transports and other various spacecraft on the property. It’s a bit of a hobby, but uh…" He cleared his throat and shook his head with a hint of embarrassment. "Anyway, I personally programmed each vessel with the same signal in case of an emergency. That’s the beacon there…"

He leaned forward and offered her the datapad. "The fact that they activated it gives me hope that they’re alive. You should be able to follow it right down to their location."

And indeed they could, but that didn’t change that on their way down to the surface, both warring factions put out a call for reinforcements, and then a blanket jamming signal kicked in.

Daala had remained silent when she took the datapad that she then handed off to the pilot. They had a small 10 man security team with them, but from what Daala could see outside the viewport, that might not be enough. A fierce space battle was playing out and their pilot was doing his best to avoid getting caught up in the crossfire.

"Get us to the ground," she grimly told the pilot after she was informed of the jamming. Now they were cut off from the Chimaera and her fleet, Daala cursed softly under her breath. "I had hoped Fel would come to join forces," she said to Aryan, "I should have known better, he’s only out for his own interests, or kissing some Jedi’s ass."

Clenching his jaw, Aryan quickly diverted his gaze to stare at the space around his feet. He wasn’t entirely convinced that Daala’s assessment of Jagged Fel was accurate, though he knew better than to try to persuade her. It was clearly very personal, and if it provided enough of an incentive for her to push through the jamming signal, he wasn’t going to oppose her—especially if it helped his family. Despite the elevated risk, they would always come first.

But while he was generally receptive toward Daala’s ideas—and willing to turn a blind eye toward her obvious animosity against Fel—there was still a small matter that he needed to confess. It hadn’t become relevant until this moment.

Fingering the end of his cane, Aryan slowly lifted his chin to regard Natasi. "I wonder if he’s merely biding his time," he offered carefully, his expression sobering; it would not benefit him to incite her wrath at this juncture. "He has more to consider than that public proclamation we made over the HoloNet."

A wistful smile touched his countenance as he recalled the recent past. "I reached out to him personally… passed him a note like an awkward teenager. You have to understand that there was no other choice. I had exhausted all of my options. I was desperate, and I required assistance." He exhaled softly and allowed his shoulders to slump in his shame. "We can only hope that he will still heed my plea… and if he does, it will probably be under his own terms."

Daala gave Aryan an exasperated look, "you passed him a note asking for help, and he did nothing?" She scoffed and shook her head, "he won’t come help. If he didn’t react immediately to assist you?" She all but growled, "we’re on our own…I should have known better to hope he would do the right thing."

They were interrupted when the pilot called back to Daala, "Admiral, it’s going to get even bumpier. They’re blowing fighters to pieces all around us, but we’re almost to the ground."

Natasi looked back to Aryan and shrugged, "fighters blowing up all around us, that’s an average day in the office, eh?" She smiled and then was serious again, "I guess you’re happy you’ll be seeing your family soon?"

Canting his head, Aryan regarded her with a rueful smile. "I’d rather not get ahead of myself," he murmured hoarsely. "We haven’t secured them yet."

Ground turned out to be a massive bulk freighter fishing fallen ships and escaped pods out of the immense oceans.



The pilot’s tone was hard. "What would they be doing on there?"

One of their escorts exploded, but it wasn't targeted; it was random fire hurled down at the surface by Gherlid's forces. But the beacon was there - and with wide range comms down, they couldn't quite signal. It was a testament to how powerful the beacon was - top-end New Order tech - that they could track it at all.

And at this point, it was the only thing that mattered.

Aryan idly brushed off the pilot’s question with a wave of his hand; it was uncertain whether he had even heard him at all. He was too transfixed by the beacon and the ship that bobbed mere inches above the ocean waves. Lyz and Arek were presumably on board, and while it did raise some serious concerns about the course of events that had led to such a development, he couldn’t bring himself to consider those implications… not yet, anyway. He was too eager to reach his family.

Instead, he gripped the armrest to steady himself against the ongoing turbulence. He then leaned forward to address the pilot, his expression grim. In his haste, he failed to adhere to the chain of command. This was a ship under Daala’s authority, and it should’ve been her responsibility to issue the orders... but Aryan simply couldn’t help himself.

"That’s our target," he stated firmly, extending his arm to point over the pilot’s shoulder. "Cut the speed and bring us in low. We need to get on board that freighter."

Daala lowered her head and pinched the bridge of her nose thinking she was entirely too old for this. Aryan should probably be reminded that it was her ship, under her command, or maybe she could remind him of something else entirely.

She looked out the viewport to Aryan’s left saying, "this has shifted from a possible suicide mission to a definite suicide mission," ending with a sigh.

Natasi nodded to the pilot that she would stand with Aryan’s orders to board the freighter. She loosened her restraint belts and leaned to get a better view, but that didn’t help quite enough. Daala unbuckled and leaned over Aryan to look outside, "this is much better than trying to gauge distance on a screen," she said under her breath just before a piece of debris, with excellent timing, bounced off the hull and tossed her into Aryan. She grabbed his thighs to get balance, and to keep herself from tumbling to the floor. Natasi then turned and leaned up, her face centimeters from his…

Aryan stared back, his lips parted in both shock and disbelief. Any misgivings he had about her recent comments were immediately forgotten in light of his current predicament. Her close proximity had placed him in a compromising position, and he found that he could no longer focus—not when he could plainly feel the weight of her hands pressed against his inner thigh.

"I—uh, you… umm…" he began to stammer, but quickly trailed off and closed his eyes before he could embarrass himself further. He knew that his admiration for Natasi Daala had only exacerbated an already awkward situation. In some respects, he idolized her. His wife had even gone as far as to suggest that he may have developed a slight crush on the venerable Admiral. While he had neither confirmed nor denied her suspicions, he could not ignore the way his heart now beat rapidly within his chest; or how the palms of his hands had turned clammy. He was also aware of the sweat beading up on his forehead…

Inhaling deeply, Aryan attempted to dismiss the notion as he reluctantly reached down and grasped both of her hands to lead them away from his groin. "Uh, easy… take it easy," he replied firmly, his voice exhibiting more control. "Let me… help you up."

He reclined back to put some distance between them and then elevated his arms in an attempt to hoist her back to her feet. "I know… we’re almost there," he said with obvious strain, "but you should really… remain in your restraints. There’s too much turbulence with the battle."

"Isn't there just," their pilot said even more drily, buffeted by the elements. Here he was fighting to keep them alive, and they were flirting.

From what little the two of them could tell, he was an expert flier, but with the chaos in orbit, it was what it was. The massive bulk freighter was before them, and it began to flash running lights at them.

"That's code for Come aboard," he quipped. "We're going in, yes?"

"Unless they can think of a way to prove your loved ones are alive I'd be inclined to scream trap, trap, trap…"

He stiffened.

"They're asking for Sistros to come aboard?"

Looking back from the seat he arched an eyebrow at them both.

"Anyone we know?"

Aryan clenched his jaw and recoiled slightly at the news. It was apparent that he was still struggling to compose himself after the awkward incident with Daala, and he simply hadn't been prepared for yet another unforeseen development.

Fortunately, this one proved beneficial.

"It's a familiar moniker, yes," Aryan ultimately confirmed, his posture straightening with renewed confidence. "In a sense, you can consider it a 'code' in its own right… between myself and my wife."

In truth, Sistros was the name of the Holocron that had eluded him for decades. He had finally secured it five years ago through an illicit trade on the black market… before the fall of the Capitol and the rise of the New Order. Other than himself, only Lyz had been present to hear the ancient artifact speak and bear witness to its name. It made perfect sense that she would refer to it now to convey a message to him that she was alive and well.

A faint smile touched his lips as he idly reached into his jacket and brushed his fingertips across his prize—the Holocron known as Sistros. Ever since he had reclaimed it from the ether, he had never allowed it to leave his possession. His gentle caress now served as a silent expression of gratitude for leading him back to his wife.

"You may proceed," he added after a moment to reassure both the pilot and Natasi. "We’re safe."

Admiral Daala gave Aryan a side-eye glance before speaking to her pilot, "yes, proceed. It seems Mrs. Graul is indeed on that freighter."

She fastened her restraints and sat back thinking how she’d have to order some training protocols as a reminder of what orders should always be cleared through her before executing them.

Her thoughts were already on how they might slip out of this ordeal with as little loss as necessary. She’d love nothing more than to hunt down Gherlid and put a blaster bolt through his brain, but he wasn't worth the risk of losing a ship over.

They needed to figure out what to do about Snoke.

TAG: @Lady Belligerent; @Sinrebirth

 

CORUSCANT

IC: Poe Dameron
Wreckage of Steel and Soul

Blaster fire dappled the ground, and Abaddon would find his advancing army cut apart. A missed shot from the turrets of the infamous YT-1300 would send him tumbling even though it impacted the ground, fetching up against some wreckage for the moment.

The AT-AT and stormtroopers taken down by Eeth and William, Poe gave out a victory cry and set about landing the Millennium Falcon. Even if the Liberator no longer sported fighters and shuttles - which it did, as we know - the trusty Corellian freighter could carry forty plus people, as it had in the retreat from the Battle of Crait.

Poe tried not to think about that, these times were roughly as dark as then…

He waved at those who were running off. The situation had markedly changed. “Guys, we’re all gonna leave together, for maximum coverage. There are Imp fighters about, so we need to convoy up.” Not that he was going to stop them fleeing, not whatsoever.

Chewbacca headed into the gathered, medpac in hand. Finn waved the Jedi from the gun-wells to help out with the survivors. They would start by moving the ships closer together, so they could all leave together. How that worked for Julee and her partner, Tiberius, let alone Tirran, it could yet be seen.

“Where’s Admiral Feral?” Poe called out as crew members shuffled aboard the Falcon.

Chewbacca roared that they were here, in the shuttle, as he applied his battlefield medical training to Zara, ignoring Tiber has he undoubtedly hung around. He rumbled that they needed to get her to Ajan Kloss. A lekku injury was essentially a brain one on a human…

Tahiri kept herself silent in the Force but kept looking for what she could sense. Compared to Finn, William and Eeth, she was essentially a Master, and with the techniques she had learned, she could essentially merge with the Force so would stay 100% hidden. But she could detect Talon, ever so faintly, but Tahiri could not discern it against the background noise of the nearby Jedi. But clearly the longer Talon lingered the more danger she would be in…

… but also the more she would learn.

Finn looked around. “Where’s Rey?”

One of the survivors explained. “She said she had sensed something in the Jedi Temple - something dark that she recognised. She left.”

BB-8 tootled worriedly.

Poe looked over. “Happy beeps, BB.”

“Yes, happy beeps, BB,” D-O repeated, rolling back and forward.

There was a screech of wheels and the entire group looked up. A wheeled vehicle had just crashed across the debris field and heavily landed besides the survivors filing into the Falcon. From windows in the tank blaster fire dappled the ground, scattering the group back towards the Liberator.

“Scavs!”

Moments later two doors to the tank opened. The one facing the Destroyer released a group of mechanised hounds and a rough and ready group of men and women that would not have looked out of place in the Nihil or Reavers - while the other allowed a group of techs to disembark and head towards the Falcon -





Poe shouted out. “Hey! That’s my ship!”

Ignoring the blaster fire and bounding droid-dogs, he charged. “All hands to the fight!”

Of course, now Abaddon has a chance.

TAG: @CosmoHender, @JediMasterAnne, @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @Shadowsun, @Adalia-Durron, @darthbernael, @The Jedi in the Pumas (singles this week please)

 

AJAN KLOSS

IC: Kaz
Among the Mandalorians

As the Resistance military turned to face them, Kaz panicked and slapped the comms, displaying a complete lack of Chiss calm, before anyone else could. He spoke to them all - to the Emancipator, Sabaton, Errant Venture, Scythe - to Ackbar, Rhoen, Wedge, Connix, Lando, Rose, Johnson.

“We’re refugees! Not attackers!”

He began to broadcast everything that had happened.



Comm displays across the Resistance fleet, their fighters, their screens, their holopads, they showed it all - a group of immense dipyramids arriving at Concord Dawn and ripping into the gathered Mandalorian clans, and then through, into the surface, drawing up the freed raw materials to birth another dipyramid - and a swarm of TIE Daggers.



These were New Order forces.

Rose piped it through to Johnson’s display aboard her ship; Lando made sure that Dancer Squadron had access to it; Connix grimaced as a gaggle of advisors and aides gasped.

These weapons were unlike any they’d ever seen. But Lando knew. He’d seen one of these before. In the Chiloon Rift.

“Monoliths,” he muttered, his voice carrying across all the comms. “These are Celestial weapons.”

Ackbar keyed the comms. “All forces stand-down. Fighters, return to your berths - command staff, regroup aboard the Scythe. All ships, stay on high alert if those monoliths track us here.”

He grimaced.

The command staff knew who they were - Connix, Lando, Wedge, Rose (and by extension, Johnson), Ackbar. “Eleanor, I’d appreciate you choosing a group to attend the meeting too.”

“We have a new threat to prepare for.”

TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @TheSilentInfluence, @galactic-vagabond422 mention for @Kalio_Dynkos (singles all)

 

KUAT

IC: The Emperor
Aboard the Eclipse III, meeting room

The Vice Admiral gave a gruff acknowledgement to the aide, and lead the procession forward. He wanted to be in the room before the Supreme Leader, if only so he could salute appropriately.

Protocol required the aide to attach herself to the group, respectfully, as no Lord of the First Order could be without the option to turn around and ask for a refreshment or a datapad or analysis. Which meant all nine of them - Veed, the Knights, the Supreme Leader, and the ostensibly lowly aide - were attached now.

When they made it to appointed ready room, it was apparent that it had been remodelled as an audience chamber. An immense black throne took up the heart of the room, which was both spherical and shadowed in nature.

Standing at the base of the statue was a man that saw even Veed complete a sharp intake of air. A blue-skinned Chiss in a First Order Grand Admiral’s uniform.



Thrawn.

“Greetings,” he said smoothly, hands tucked behind his back. “Lieutenant Najla Romeyn, to me, please.” He indicated a spot besides him. “The Emperor wishes to speak to the Supreme Leader.”

“The Emperor?” Veed spluttered. “Palpatine?”

“No,” came a grave voice, and the immense hologram appeared. “Snoke.”



Some of the Knights stiffened, and Vestara beetled her brow. Nihl waa more interested in Remus and detecting the tie with Kuruk…

“Supreme Leader,” he addressed Kylo. “Master of the Knights of Ren and the Knife 9. I have retired to my Citadel atop Mortis; we shall meet in the Coruscant system.”

A gesture showed a set of dipyramid warships, every angle some three kilometres long. “I require Knights to escort Vice Admiral Veed and the Celestial Armada to our target; to the world which will lure the Resistance and destroy them; to face the New Jedi when they intervene.”

His hand turned. “And I require Knights to escort the new Supreme Commander to me. I shall introduce…” A snicker. “Her, soon enough.”

Thrawn eyed the aide. “I am seeking a new protege, Your Majesty. Might I take this one with me?”

Snoke waved his agreement. He didn’t enjoy being interrupted, not when he was crowing victory. “Yes, yes.”

His beady eyes took them all in. “Our forces are small, but supreme. I shall bring the Galactic Warlords to heel, but if I have a need for you each to… force the matter…”

He chuckled. “Three Knights to Coruscant; three to the Target. Debate. Decide.” His eye glanced to Kylo Ren. “Or command.”

TAG: @Vehn, @greyjedi125, @darthbernael, @Silvertough, @Shadowsun

 

WAVETT

IC: Foreman Chrys
Aboard the Baleen-class heavy freighter

The seas jostled them, but not sufficiently to warrant a conflict, or a concern.

Not with seven Star Destroyers in orbit, three of which were firing at each other.

But Chrys wasn't just managing a recovery effort while on the move, no, he had suggested moving the Wavett Command Center here to keep the guests safe - Lyz and Arek Graul - the First Lady and Minister of Commerce for the New Order, strictly speaking. Though with the chaos out there in the wider galaxy, he was half expecting to be ordered by Captain Phasma that they were hostages or worse.

So the jamming - his decision - was fairly useful in preventing him hearing any inconvenient guidance from the Supreme Leader or Emperor or whoever.

But he hadn't quite expected to fish a Neti, a human with an oversized arm locker, a Black-Coat, and a 'Yoda', for want of a better word, from the ocean. The damaged ship was anchored aboard when another shuttle came aboard, and Chrys had visions of his weirdness and his problems merging.

The weird were the Protectors, of course, assembling here to hunt a representative of Chaos.

Aden huffed and looked around, even as medics and droids helped him out.

T'ra Saa's eyes took in the nearby ships -

The Master simply folded his arms and looked at the other arriving shuttle in the oversized shuttle - the one a woman and man were heading towards - the one that Lyz and Aryan were heading to greet -

Lyz waved to Aryan as the pilot helped him up, and narrowed her eyes when she saw Natasi.

Arek went to his father, and Chrys looked at Xundel. "Um, you're welcome to settle in while we get you sorted out, but I'm needed -"

"FOREMAN!"

A young man ran across the hangar, waving a datapad. "New arrivals!"

He projected it in the middle of the bay before Chrys could tell the panicked Seb not to.

Another Resurgent-class Star Destroyer had arrived to support the other, and an ancient but immense Trade Federation battleship had come to the aid of Gherlid's forces. Gherlid had access to old bulk freighters thanks to the Serenno Lords, who had once commanded the largest private fleet in the galaxy - before the Battle of Celanon, that is. Both sides were digging in; no surprises, the Wavett Shipyards were located on the Hydian Way. He grimaced.



"Admiral," he said, briefly ignoring the others. "If I drop the jamming, do you have a plan in-mind?"

Unfortunately the Maw Fleet was only sufficient to beat one of the two attackers, traditionally.

"I assume you're here to assist the Chancellor's family, not the New Order," he said drily. "But I'd like not to be left out to dry if at all possible." He eyed the crew of the freighter, most of them workers who lived here. A good fifty souls, humans, nonhumans, droid, and they all turned to the little gathering.

A Foreman, an Admiral, a Chancellor, his First Lady, a Minister... and four Protectors, out of place but definitely sensing that Abeloth was near...

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

 

VENJAGGA

IC: 2-1B
Not quite on fire, Jagga



Mirta Gev swore aboard their falling ship, ignoring that Asteria and her friend probably didn’t know half of the words she was using -

She turned to the younger woman.

“Can’t you use the Force or something!”

The Mandalorian was sure that her old friend, Jaina, could have done something; but she was a Skywalker by blood, and Jaina hadn’t done anything to stop the horrors that had happened in the last fifteen years…

2-1B, in the hospital, tugged on the nurse with its pincers. “Ma’am, we really must go!”

The fiery front of the exploding missile factory began to head their way -

TAG: @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha,
@TheSilentInfluence (slightly updated TAGs)

 

ATRISIA

IC: A'Sharad Hett
Mysteries in the Depths of an Emperor's Tomb

The Jedi Master narrowed his eyes to understand the newly arrived trio.

Two had designs from an earlier era, and they spoke like they were from the distant past, with that accent... a Nautolan and a Taung was a minor surprise arrival.

The third was a young and seemingly arrogant man; Azathoth. Absently, A'Sharad liked the boy, though he needed some fine-tuning.

The Holocron began to grumble. "Kill them! They have invaded my Bogan Collection! My sanctum!"

Hett ignited a green blade and chopped it in half.

"I've had enough of that."

He didn't think to wonder what using a weapon would do to the tensions here; but he was irritated, and the Tusken Jedi wasn't inclined to be not so. He'd been making minimal progress here, after all. This wasn't the magical collection that he had expected, which would enable him to do more.

But whatever comment the four of them had was interrupted by the fourth stasis chamber opening.

The two ancient Jedi, Atin-Kot and Zeseem, would have expected their Twi'lek compatriot to be evident, but she had been swapped out years ago. Instead the former Jedi had lived out her life in comparable peace and quiet, and had died of old age in Wild Space, beyond the depredations of the Empire...

The new person therein?



Ahsoka Tano emerged, looking disturbed and concerned; the Togruta was present... again?

"Who are you?"

Hett ignited his second blade.

What was going on?

TAG: @CosmoHender, @Mitth_Fisto, @darthbernael, @Shadowsun (combo with the GM), outstanding TAG for @Corellian_Outrider

 

MORTIS

IC: Darkness
The glen

The three statues fell away, yes, revealing their contents, giving rise to relief, concern, anger, frustration...

Sistros, Yanjon, Faya.

And a chuckle.

Finally.

From Vydra there was a surge of black energy, bursting from his chest - from his heart, it seemed. It did not explode his rib-cage and spread blood and bone, no, but it definitely hurt, drifting up above them.

I would have preferred to have had four of my Brothers here, or even all six... but three will do.

The shadow gathered, purple and black, amorphous and terrible, a cloud above them.

I waited thirty-thousand years and more than two timelines... I've done enough.

A shadowy hand tucked under Vydra's chin.

Did you truly think that you were so pure as to seal a Darkness within you without issue? After you sought to sabotage the Holocron of Heresies; after you hated on your 'leader'; after you fought and loss time and time again as an Echo.

A chuckle; the 'face' seemed to look at Dunkeel.

Now that one, he was pure, yes. He did seal my Brother away, maddeningly so.

A turn to Joren.

And eventually you came to secure yours; your Skelm.

But you, Vydra, Janus, Pascale, Jerod, Johnson...

NAME ME!



I simply waited until the right time... and it is now. Now I can traverse your little soul and bloodline as if it is nothing. I shall follow you and your kin and DESTROY.

A clawed hand turned and there was a yank - something inside Joren and Dunkeel painfully stirred.

Come, Skelm, come, my Rotten Brother...

... you had a name once, and lost that body, becoming one of the Six Darknesses...

... but come, Mnngal-Mnngal, speak. Become.

Rise.

Take your name!

They were in trouble.

Vydra hadn't sealed a Darkness within him, no, it had simply waited.

A detonation of evil, seeded into the very future.

TAG: @Jerjerrod-Lennox, @Mitth_Fisto, @HanSolo29 (singles)

 

NIRAUAN

IC: Ohali Soroc
Above the Hijarna fortress

The Jedi had gathered; the Quest Knights.

Their messages were tentative, exploring. But the Force was with them, and they’d slowly recognise each other, or at least some of each other. Jaina was at the direct rendezvous point, already on the ground.

Some of them would know that the fortress that stood on Nirauan beneath them had been formerly known as the Hand of Thrawn, the capital of the mostly defunct Empire of the Hand. None of them would know what had happened to the second inhabited world in-system; Korilev had been blown apart, clearly.

The Quest Knights rendezvous had, so far, drew in six of the original ten Knights that had left. Of the remaining four, one was about to be replaced by their successor - the elderly former Jedi Knight Thi had passed into the Force peaceably on Batuu and her beacon had triggered to lead her final project to this system - to this planet. For the first in some years, Midosh Jel would sense other Force users - and they would sense him, a young light that they didn’t know but would reflect Thi’s presence in the way he felt in the Force as well.

But before they could reply to each other, their astromechs, sensors and Force sensors would erupt in a chatter and warning. From the cavernous hangars of the abandoned fortress below - engine signals had been detected; life signs.

Screaming from low orbit came a squadron of twelve TIE fighters. That is how it would appear to the Quest Jedi - but Jaina would recognise them instead as TIE Whispers - the latest variant of the original TIE design.



Shields, torpedoes, hyperdrives - they were dangerous foes, especially if not taken seriously. They screamed forward and split into wing-pairs, each picking a Jedi fighter or vessel to target -

Ohali, the Duros Jedi, swore, opening up all channels. “Incoming!”

They roared past Jaina, perched as she was by the fortress. Somehow they’d been hidden from her in the Force - in a bubble?

But the returning Quest Knights would have new and unknown Imperial foes to face… would they survive their first encounter with the new galaxy?

TAG: @TheAdmiral, @Sarge, @clone commander bossk, @SiouxFan, @Lady Belligerent, @ConservativeJedi321, @Ihsan997 - welcome to the game, 997, please put up your sheet here and also reply!
—-
System edge

With the Korilev debris field mostly between them and the Jedi, the roving flotilla of Skirrin Cloudstrife would have more data about events outside the system - more targets.

Along the eastern border of known space - Venjagga had been hit and abandoned; Bilbringi seized by Warlord Gherlid; Wavett was in the middle of a three way engagement; Ord Mantell was being fought over by the Remnant and Gherlid too. Nearby Adumar was rallying forces, and communications flowed between it and Halmad and Bastion. Ajan Kloss, not far from Phaeda, was also becoming the gathering point of the Resistance - the entire north-east was a eddy of a half a dozen factions and groups.

There was so much opportunity - an ever increasing amount of it.

The organisation would become more restless; wanting to know what to do, whether they were going to wait it out, or stroke at the New Order - or Gherlid - or the Remnant - or even Daala’s Maw Fleet.

TAG: @The Jedi in the Pumas

 

ROON

IC: Darth Vua
The One Sith flagship

Where?

Where to start?

Vua was more interested in putting forward a loyal candidate to be Hand than truly finding the Master, but he would have to appear to be helping the woman.

“Tajana,” he said smoothly. “Coruscant seems to be the fulcrum of many events. Talon has been sent there to find the source of the enemies strength, but you I require to be more of a shadow than her a blunt instrument - if the final battle comes to bear there, then the Master will be there.”

“You may not know this, but the Master personally headed to Coruscant during the Apocalypse some fifteen years ago, and returned deeply injured from his contribution with Abeloth.” Vua sniffed. “We cannot afford for that to happen again. Now that Palpatine is no longer leading the One Sith, we have an opportunity to truly break away from the failures of the past.”

His eyes blazed. “Are we understood?”

He’d already notified her datapad of her personal ship; another Fury-class prototype, stealthily equipped but not StealthX. Thankfully most of the hated Jedi fighters had been destroyed, and the TIE equivalent was not all that prevalent - but if she wanted it, a TIE Blur was available. She was going into New Order space so she may think an Imperial-esque design more appropriate.



Fury-class



TIE Blur - the missile chute is replaced with major stealth dampeners

TAG: @darthhelinith

 

DATHOMIR

IC: Ana
The Hills between Clans



She liked the neutral places, where the children of many clans could play, where the rancors could frolic, where the desert people could gather. She had been away for so long.

There were others here, but not many off-worlders. The Force was, at very least alive. Easy. At rest.

She relaxed, insofar as much as she could with rancors nearby, and Nightsisters always a potential threat.

But she was here, and so were… others. A new group was approaching, one she didn’t know. Two Singing Mountain guards stirred, completely unsubtle on the hill above the play area. Ana turned her head and glared at them, and they settled.

New didn’t mean dangerous.

In-fact, she’d been hurt more by family than anybody else in the galaxy.

But new was interesting, at least.

TAG: @Anedon (updated TAG), @Force of Light (your CS can go up now), and you can coordinate with Anedon your replies! Welcome to the game!

 

ADUMAR

IC: Teren Rogriss
Adumar

They had to ask about the Remnant.

You couldn’t avoid the eight sectors of unified territory nearby after all.

The Moffs and local Senators had seceded to join the First Order in the year before the Hosnian Cataclysm, taking a wedge of territory with it, and essentially scuppering the Galactic Alliance between New Republic and the Imperial Remnant, especially as Hapes had not rejoined too.

Bastion however didn’t fall for the ploy. The moment the secession was announced, several loyal Imperials consolidated the world, making it into a fortress planet. Jagged Fel had brought in the Empire of the Hand, adding Chiss Star Destroyers to the defences of the world, as well as those forces of Grand Admiral Reige.

But after the Battle of Exegol, the Moffs took the opportunity to rejoin, now eight in number again. In the fourteen years since, the Remnant had maintained a careful alliance with the First Order on Coruscant, and the subsequent New Order in the Expansion Region - but nobody had expected the New Order to reveal the Eclipse Fleet and hand it out to warlords such as Daala and Gherlid.

“Apparently Fel and Reige are in the field. But we can ask for Ashik though, we’ve no notice of a New Order attack. Presumably they want to stay on the Remnant’s good side…” an analyst spoke up.

“So he’s possibly near Ord Mantell, but we’re not sure. He had a meeting with New Order Chancellor Aryan Graul a few days ago,” Rogriss groused.

The Perator spoke up. “Ord Mantell and Wavett are battlegrounds; the Venjagga system too. With friendly bases at Bastion, Halmad and Taris - we’ve a network of systems we can liaise with. We can expect the Resistance will have withdrawn to Ajan Kloss, so it may be that we can take down Gherlid now before the New Order consolidates.”

“Our priority should be to locate his Eclipse…” Rogriss said slowly. “That’ll be the key to his power now. It’s why nobody can afford to stamp him down. Why Graul let him have one I’ll never know…”

There was a new report from Concord Dawn, suddenly.

It showed an array of dipyramid warships; scales said on each angle they were three kilometres long. They were ripping at the planet and drawing it into them with immense tractor beams, ignoring Mandalorian fighter craft and vessels - and using those resources to create another dipyramid and to birth a swarm of TIE Daggers.





“What am I looking at?” Rogriss looked to Adam and even other members of the ‘think tank’.

It was dated yesterday now - an attack on the de facto Mandalorian capital since Mandalore itself had suffered a nano attack against Fett DNA. The recording ship fled into hyperspace, and the Intel ended.

TAG: @adaml83

 

HALMAD

IC: Roijo
Roijo’s

With a snort, the bartender replied.

“Knowing Lyons, he always has something,” Roijo quipped. “Antilles took down the Lusankya with one Star Destroyer and two dozen fighters and freighters and six months to plan. You guys have had fifteen years since the Hosnian system went boom to prepare.”

He was fairly amused by it. “You’re welcome to check on it, it’ll give you a good vantage point when Gherlid and his new toys comes knocking. You and I both know he’s hated that we operate inside his territory for so long.”

Gherlid was a Karkarodon who hailed from the Nilgaard Sector, but had, with other aquatic warriors such as the Quarren or those from distant Iskalon, seized several First Order assets in the chaos after Exegol. With most allied fleets at the battle itself, he’d had free reign for many months before the Alliance could get organised.

And so he’d managed to carve out the powerful Northern Dependencies territory - Mygeeto, Ord Trasi, Phaeda, Cuitric, Tangrene, even Orinda. Ajan Kloss had been abandoned shortly after, and the Resistance had seemingly set up on Korilev, in the Nirauan system until the Battle of Coruscant five years ago. Gherlid had been on-world and had barely escaped - but struck back.

Bruised by the Resistance in recent years when trying to take over the Hydian Way, he’d still been bequeathed an Eclipse Super Star Destroyer by the New Order anyway.

So where Halmad now stood was a precarious question. Gherlid had not seemed to want to deal with the elites here, but now the whole ladle was up for grabs and he was skirmishing outright with the Remnant and New Order…

Chaos, in essence.

Opportunity?

Perhaps.

There was a ping; it was their comlinks, all hooked up to the local sensors and the obligatory spy network.

It was here.

His Eclipse was here.



TAG: @adaml83

 

ARKINNEA

IC: Grandmaster K’Kruhk
The Hidden Temple

It had taken some time, but it had been done.

Before the Battle of Naboo, there had been ten thousand active Jedi Knights.

By the time of the Battle of Geonosis a decade later, a thousand of those had died in the violence building up to the Clone Wars.

Two thousand died in those terrible three years.

Six thousand Jedi remained at Order 66.

Two hundred remained by the end of that dreadful day.

Reassembling the rolls of the Jedi Order had been difficult. Palpatine had destroyed much, hoarded much, corrupted much. But in time the names of most if not all of those Jedi were confirmed. From the safety of the Hidden Temple on Arkinnea, the survivors of the Old Jedi Order, joined much later by those who remained from Luke Skywalker’s thousand strong New Jedi Order, they’d done what they could from the survivors of the Purges led by Palpatine, Vader, Caedus and Kylo Ren and his Knighrs of Ren.

And even then, they had to account for the Jedi who had renounced the Order, who had gone on missions into the Unknowns, who had been misplaced rather than killed.

Some still remained that they did not know with certainty the fate of.

A’Sharad Hett; T’ra Saa

Others had surfaced recently, in opposition to the First Order.

Barriss; Xundel

Some aged Jedi of the Old Order had died only recently.

Madelyn Linnett among them.

And another was being welcomed to them now, displaced after the final (or latest) death of Palpatine and caught up in the chaos of the First Order and its collapse.

K’Kruhk stood in the elements of the worlds winter season and waited to greet the ship as it landed. A subspace message or seven, a trail of breadcrumbs to prove their validity but also to test the Jedi and see if they attracted attention on their long trip. But no, the Knights of Ren had gathered at Kuat to greet their new shadowy leader, and they were all safe.

For now.

Always for now.

As the ramp lowered and the stasis chamber was defrosted, recovered from a forgotten vault of the late Emperor Palpatine, the Whiphid Jedi Master smiled, conscious that hibernation sickness for the decades of being frozen would be...

Disorienting.

“Welcome to the Hidden Temple. It is Master K'Kruhk speaking, can you hear me?"



TAG: @Mistress_Renata

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Chapter Two begins!