Star Wars STAR WARS: The Road to the Final Episode

IC Marana and Tarkin
Eriaduan orbit - The Time of the Second Great War

"Capital, surely, to announce the return of the Tarkin's and our new and shiny alliance with the Kuat, no? Or are you intending to go all Force-wise on us and head off to join the Jedi, Jori?"

Tarkin glanced at his granddaughter, ”I’ll support you either way but, perhaps, demonstrating that the Tarkins have returned and are tied by bonds of blood to the leader of Kuat will allow us to give you a proper escort to return to Kuat.”

His head turned, focusing on Arb, as he listened to the man continue to speak. One eyebrow arched, he and Marana sharing a knowing look. He coughed, ”Already trying to split us into different directions to accomplish this, before we’ve even made our first start?” he asked with a wry grin.

Marana snorted, ”I tend to agree with the old man, it would present a more united front to begin with, here, for us all to be present when we enter the capital. After all, with this being another reality I suspect he is considered long dead and there would be some push back by elements that would see themselves losing power because of his and Jori’s appearance.”

Tarkin’s lips twitched in a fractional smile, tapping his cane on the deck. ”Eriaduans are rather conservative and stubborn. Given the difference of when we are I would have to agree with the Saarai-Kaar, that together we present a more powerful argument against those who would oppose us.”

Glancing out of the viewscreen, ”So…shall we go surprise them?”

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Aryan Graul
Asteroid Habitat

As Aryan stumbled along his path, the encounter with Sybelle remained at the forefront of his mind. It disturbed him to see her here, especially since he had presumed that she was dead. Of course, he had never found any proof to confirm his beliefs; perhaps it was merely a coping technique he had devised to explain why she had never returned.

Whatever the reason, he was still glad to see her alive and well. It pained him to leave her behind in Lumiya’s clutches, and that guilt continued to consume him, but he tried to remind himself that it wasn’t a complete loss. He had an opportunity to rescue his son, and then he would keep his promise and return for his former love.

That thought bolstered his resolve and convinced him to carry on. Eventually, the corridor widened to reveal the prison cell, though it wasn’t what Aryan had expected. There was no lock or defense mechanism to retain the occupant; it also lacked a proper doorway that could open and close. It was simply a small room with no distinguishing features except for the large, black box that stood at its center.

A familiar black box.

Aryan suddenly staggered to a halt and swallowed hard, the gesture producing a clicking sound in his ears. He had once been encased in a similar box; a long time ago, before the fall of the Empire.

Inside that tomb of perpetual suffering, it had been like a waking nightmare. The torture and horror he had endured at the hands of Tavion and her ilk were beyond his comprehension. He had only just begun to recover from the traumatizing experience in recent years, but now memories flooded his awareness and ripped open the old wounds. He suddenly felt light-headed, and he instinctively pressed his shoulder against the wall for support. However, it did very little to ease his discomfort. Although he had nothing left in his stomach to expel, his body reacted violently to the stress, causing him to double over and wretch.

It was only after the embarrassing moment had passed that he noticed the viewport on the side of the box. The clear window displayed the face of the prisoner within, pale and haggard from his ordeal. Nevertheless, there was no denying that it was Arek. His features were unmistakable, but in case there was any doubt, the Force rippled to serve as further confirmation.

With a sharp intake of breath, Aryan lurched forward and practically fell into the box, both hands slapping against the smooth surface to stop his forward progress. "A—Arek," he stammered in a feeble attempt to reach his son.

Unfortunately, his actions triggered another adverse effect. As his palms touched the vault, a vision flashed before his mind’s eye, jolting him like an electrical shock. An audible whimper slipped from his lips as a distinctive visage began to take shape. A stranger with a crown of horns atop his head, yellow eyes, and a black and red tattooed face peered at him through the shadows. A name then came to him through the Force, along with the revelation that this man had previously occupied the box that now held Arek.

Darth Maul.

A Sith.

Aryan blanched as a sense of foreboding swept over his being. His past experiences with Tavion, White Eyes, and more recently with Lumiya, had taught him everything he needed to know about those who practiced the dark arts. If Maul had somehow infused a part of himself into the vault, it was crucial that he retrieve Arek before those influences could corrupt him. He would not condemn his son to such a fate.

Moving at a frantic pace, Aryan instinctively slammed his fist against the window to gain Arek’s attention. "I—I’m here... I, uh—I’ll get you free," he shouted hoarsely, his brow creased with determination. He then turned to regard the control panel on the side of the box, his fingers fumbling over the various dials and switches in an attempt to release his son.

"I’m here," he repeated once more, almost as if he needed to convince himself.

TAG: @Lady Belligerent; @Sinrebirth ​

 

PARADIS

IC: Eren
The Founder

There was an immense lightning bolt from the heavens, as if God pronounced upon this land, and the jangling of energy provided a backdrop as the Titans around Ike, Alecto, Cocytus, Kardis and Matthaeus dropped to the floor, their napes severed.

That jangling gave birth to an immense spine, flailing into the air, and Ike watched as it emerged from a decapitated head, in the hands of a desperate looking man.



Whatever moment had passed, it was truly terrifying.

"What in the hell of hells," Ike spluttered.

All around them, the immense walls began to collapse, and emerging from them came an immense horde of Titans, but much, much larger.



And above that formed a true immensity, a walking carapace of bones -



They foot of a Colossal Titan could crush them with ease, thought the army - the Rumbling - appeared to be walking to leave the island, not to crush them all.

It was a complete calamity, and then, they were -

Elsewhere.

Just the four of them.

The local, Matthaeus, he wasn't.





Hear me, Subjects of Ymir. My name is Eren Yeager. I'm addressing my fellow Subjects of Ymir, speaking to you directly through the power of the Founder. All the walls on the island of Paradis have crumbled to the ground, and the legions of Titans buried with in have begun their march. My only goal is to protect the lives of the people of Paradis the island where I was born. Right now, the nations of the world are united in the desire to exterminate my people. It won't end with our island. They won't be satisfied until every last Subject of Ymir is dead. I won't let them have their way. The Titans of the walls, will continue their march until every trace of life beyond our shores is trampled flat, and the people of Paradis are all that remains of humanity.

Ike was holding his head, standing with the others.

"Genocide?"

TAG: @greyjedi125, @Darth Cocytus (singles)

 

JAKKU

IC: Maz Kanata
The sands of Jakku

There were many Star Destroyers dotted across the world, some that had been hear for some four decades, others, less than two.

The largest remained the corpse of the Executor-class Super Star Destroyer, Ravager, face down in the sand.



Even decades of scavengers picking at that 19km body would never take away everything.

There were even New Republic Star Cruisers among the graveyard, and a Starhawk battleship hull, a rare ship that the New Republic built four of before the Battle of Jakku - only one of which survived the then-war.

But mostly, it was dozens if not hundreds of Imperial Star Destroyers...

... and one Resurgent-class battlecruiser, downed when the First Order was rose up against after the Battle of Exegol.

Maz pointed out the various hulks to Abeloth and Vydra, and what each meant and was; it's import, or not, as it was.

"After this, the Galactic Empire sued for peace. The Deep Core Warlords disagreed, as did the surviving Moffs and Admiralty. Admiral Natasi Daala gassed the warlords, taking control of their ships, and Pellaeon unified the latter into his Imperial Remnant. Palpatine worked through both factions for a time, via the Second Imperium, before he coalesced the surviving Imperials as the public face of the First Order."

A sigh.

"I saw the Jedi-Sith War, you may not realise... a long time ago."

"A millennium," Abeloth said, carefully.

"Yes," she said simply.

Beaumont found that interesting, of course. "So now what?"

Abeloth pointed a tentacle. "There."

A larger sand dune... beneath it, Force signatures scurrying; living survivors, not Sith.

"Beneath there."

"Ah yes," Maz said carefully. "Part of the so-called Contingency. There's an abandoned Imperial base down there -"

The Force barely warned them before turbolasers popped out of the ground and fired -

TAG: @AgentViper007

 

ERIADU

IC: Zel Johans
Landing zone, Eriadu

It perhaps surprised Tarkin and Jori that the landing zone was patrolled by Imperial Stormtroopers in old Galactic Empire style armour.

There was also a man in an unmistakable High Colonel outfit, aged, but still lean and imperious.

Arb sighted him down a scope.



"High Colonel Zel Johans, of Imperial Hammers Elite Armor Unit." Arb whistled. "He's supposed to be on Brintooin... an old Imperial Fortress World, one of those systems that never surrendered." A slight scoff. "I am sure the Galactic Civil War ended... but it's almost as if the Yuuzhan Vong merely interrupted the nature state of the galaxy."

He would have winked if he had two eyes.

"Empire against Republic, Sith against Jedi, until the End of Time."

A snort.

He handed the scope to Tarkin, and Jori.



"S-1 FireHawke Heavy Repulsortank. Essentially as well armed as an AT-AT. Let's not take that for granted. Four Stormtroopers is one thing, a tank is another."

He grinned. "So, are we dazzling them with a Tarkin, killing them, Jensaarai-Sith murder style, or deploying the beguiling Kuati?"

TAG: @darthbernael, @TheAdmiral

 

NUBIA

IC: Norin Graul
Office

The presence of a Sith Trooper belied Norin's allegiances in this grand affair; to the One Sith.

Arek was himself temporally misplaced, undoubtedly he would work it out.

Norin hissed.

This wasn't good.

He'd allowed his obsession with the Epitaph to get the better of him.

Turning away, he knew he'd need to update Darth Nihl... and to potentially expect other guests.

The Sith Trooper however, simply leapt through the window after Arek.

The cyborgs were relentless. Only the most powerful had the mental acuity to step down when they saw an enemy Force user.

And this one was simply not that.

It followed, howling, the Force scream reverberating at Arek as he scrambled away.

TAG: @HanSolo29 (combo)

 

BIMMIEL SYSTEM

IC: Lumiya
Amused

"Palpatine's Dark Hope was a way to survive the sabotage of his clones." A grin, which even reached her eyes behind the mask. "The ones I sabotaged."

Lumiya touched her chest. "Yes, I caused the downfall of Emperor Palpatine, of Darth Sidious, the Dark Lord of the Sith."

"Does that change how you view me?" Lumiya said drily. "I don't care for hero worship from temporary apprentices, Chiss."

"What about fawning?"

The voice was dry, and Lumiya pivoted.

A man stood there, arms folded, booted feet, gloved hands, Black-Coated.

His voice was lilting.

"Sybelle, you're rather not supposed to be here."

TAG: @Lady Belligerent
---
IC: Arek Graul
Resisting

The beskar box was horror incarnate; he'd been trapped all but in suspended animation, his processes slowed to a crawl.

It wasn't like carbonite, no, it was more like torture.

Mandalorian justice, no doubt.

Arek saw his father, eyes fluttering open, slowly, as if a dream - a paralysed one.

Sleep paralysis was one of Arek's pet fears, and that had been nurtured into full-blown terror.

Aryan's weak fingers found the necessary latch, and the box opened, Arek tumbling into his old man -

TAG: @HanSolo29

 

Sybelle
MZX32905, near Bimmiel

Sybelle’s forehead was creased while she listened to Lumiya, and she continued to stroke the orb in her hands.

“I need to ask the obvious question, why ask me what I saw if you already knew what the stone would reveal?” Sybelle turned the stone in her hands wishing for an explanation on how and why she was here.

“My opinion of you remains the same,” Sybelle answered and looked at the woman who she didn’t trust, “I am grateful that you agreed to allow Aryan, and his son, to leave. But, temporary apprentice? Surely I’m far too old for that.”

"What about fawning?" A male voice spoke up, starting Sybelle such that she almost dropped the stone she held.

"Sybelle, you're rather not supposed to be here." He spoke directly to her, and his words frightened the petite woman. She had to keep Lumiya’s attention away from Aryan, why was this person interfering with things?

“I beg your pardon?” Sybelle asked the new arrival. “I don’t recall having any control over where I’ve recently been, in fact I feel like I’ve been someone’s marionette. Do you know who has been pulling the strings, sir?”

”Please hurry, Aryan,” Sybelle thought to herself, she could only hope that he was safe and fleeing.

“Maybe you could tell me where I am currently?” She smiled softly at the man in black as she engaged him in conversation.

Tag: @Sinrebirth @HanSolo29

 

IC Xundel - Combo with Sinrebirth
Kamino

Xundel sighed, his breathing slowing, his heart beating slower, as Vergere’s wet touch was on his skin. His eyes began to blink, opening wide for a moment as he heard and saw the snap of the clone’s neck. He sighed deeper, ’That…wasn’t…needed…” he almost whispered out as he went limp in Vergere’s grasp.

He needed her to take him wherever she planned. Whether it was how she planned it to be or not, he knew that was where he needed to be. He could feel his ‘guest’ was busy so he let the sensation of him slipping away, as Vergere expected, to be what was felt. Soon he was a limp form, held by her hand on his arm.

Vergere watched him go under. "Excellent. Fool you once, shame on me, fool you twice, shame on you." A slight chuckle. A holoprojector slipped from her cloak. "Lord Snoke, it is done."

GooooOOOOood. You have done well, my Apprentice.

"You're still Palpatine; you don't have an exclusive bone in your body." She toed Dark Rey's corpse. "This was killed by Xundel, unfortunately."

A young fool. I have the real one, after all.

"Another apprentice?"

A genetic back-up, Lord Traya. Nothing more or less.

"I'm sure. So, where am I bringing the grey imp?"

i][Not Kamino. I am heading there myself; do not be there by the time I arrive.[/i]

Vergere waited for the Emperor to tell her where best to go with her prisoner.

Regulating his body rhythms, Xundel let himself be held limpy by Vergere. Being where he was let him listen in on the conversation without revealing that he was awake and aware. He had to keep himself from snorting when she told Snoke that she’d captured him, which was hard when he couldn’t tense slightly to do so, any evidence he wasn’t limp in her grasp and she’d realize he wasn’t unconscious.

He listened to the conversation, internally sad at both the death of the Dark Rey and the mention by Snoke that he had the real Rey. When he was brought up again he focused, to be sure he understood where Vergere was taking him, what was to come next.

"So, where?"

It was a long pause, and then Snoke continued on.

I was peering... Darksight isn't... constructive, unsurprisingly. Dump him on Tython, as we did the others he released. It is useful to use the world as an impromptu prison for Force users. A shame he released most of them.

Vergere bobbed her head.

"Not Bogan, or Ashla?"

Let us not disrespect Xundel, Lord Traya.

"Of course not."

She genuflected, and the comm line cut.

Xundel couldn’t help it, couldn’t stop it. He wasn’t sure if it was the air or being so close to Vergere’s feathers or just not being able to hold back the humor of how the situation had turned. He snorted, shifting slightly but otherwise giving no indication that he was not unconscious.

Vergere paused, but didn't take the bait.

The Force levitated him, and an Imperial shuttle sat on the concourse, ready to go.

Shielding him from the rain, she placed him inside, gestured to dismiss the pilot, and looked back at him as the ramp rose up.

"You can stop pretending now, if you want."

Reaching out as he rolled upright, Xundel called his cane from where it had fallen when he feigned unconsciousness. It zipped through the closing gap of the shuttle’s ramp and into his hand. He grinned as he looked over to Vergere, ”You were right, in a way about the quote, but…did you honestly think I wouldn’t prepare for such a contingency happening again?” he asked as he came to his feet.

He stumped from where she’d left him to the cockpit, heaving himself into the other seat of the shuttle. ”Too bad you threw in with him. There are other ways we could influence things. Those few minutes of stillness for me, besides getting to listen in, let me think.”

Gesturing in roughly the direction of the Tho Yor, ”For example, with no one else fighting me, I and we, could assist Ravijari there to get where he wants to go. And that thinking,” he played with the galactic map on the console, scrolling through system names, ”I’m pretty sure where that is.”

Vergere shrugged. "I mean, you're an aged former Jedi Master with experience in the Unknowns. If you hadn't a contingency, I would have danced on your grave."

She purred slightly. "I just wanted that Rey clone dead. You were my in, nothing more, nor less." The Fosh scratched at the underside of her beak. "There are things I can do for the Resistance working the inside track, after all." Her eyes looked glazed slightly. "So you'd be rather incorrect to say that I've thrown in with him, I'm afraid."

Those eyes lidded. "I would rather say that we have our own side..." Then she brightened. "So show me your plan, Xundel. You're essentially free to do whatever you want, rather than watched and pursued by Snoke at every step of the way."

A human style grin. "You're welcome."

A hearty laugh escaped the little grey-green imp as he continued to scroll. He passed by one name on the list before scrolling back. ”Oh that is so you. Why am I not surprised?”

He looked at the system name, something there felt as though it were drawing him. Pointing the rough talon of one finger at it, ”This is where Ravijari felt he needed to go to be free. So…let’s help him get there. It just feels right, where he and we should be.” The talon tapped the display, pulling up the system, ”I’ll ask him, but I believe it’s Jakku.”

"J for Jakku," Vergere said, carefully. "Not the most auspicious of place. No, wait, I forget; in this tale, Jakku is where the Empire lost its war..." She eyed Xundel. "You do know about the Change, yes?"

Xundel’s head cocked to the side, at the curious little speech Vergere had given. ”And what is different in this reality than in others that have sprung into existence?”

Her eyes lidded. "Here we go."

She pressed a few buttons on the holoprojector in the middle of the lounge area.

And she explained it all.

That the galaxy had either defeated the Empire, Palpatine Reborn, the Yuuzhan Vong, Darth Caedus and then Abeloth... or had faced Palpatine's First and Final Orders... the Change had been in his response to his first death at the Battle of Endor...

... but now, for whatever reason, both had come to be...

"Two Changes, basically. One by Palpatine, and one by... who? Snoke?"

Xundel watched the projection, thinking. When she mentioned the Changes and the fact that both seemed to be occurring at once. ”Hmmm, that sounds more like two realities, at least, are merging. Which means that more various oddities will be cropping up.”

He sat back, ”But that will benefit either Palpatine or…Snoke. I would imagine that you know Snoke is not exactly as any other being, he is…something else.”

Vergere smirked. "I am Darth Traya, Xundel. I know who I am named for. The Black-Coat that allied with the Darknesses during the Cosmic Wars; that had the Malachor system constructed; that left legacies for Darth's Revan, Tanis and even Maul to inherit. Daritha Trayus, later Darth, later Traya."

A sigh. "There must always be a Darth Traya, one who betrays, and has been betrayed."

"So yes, I'm aware of the First Darkness; the Father of Shadow... the Celestial cast from Paradise by the Maker."

”Of course. And so you know who my guest is. Something the First Darkness overlooked.” he said with a thoughtful look. ’Of course my guest chose to keep himself hidden when we encountered that one. Not that the First would acknowledge that any would oppose him at anywhere near his own level. Which my guest chooses not to do.”

He sighed, ”Which means I must rely on those who I can gather and augment them, assist them to face that ancient foe.”

"So... are we heading to Tython? Malleus is waiting for you, after all." She sounded shrewd, analytical. "Shall we go for Dark Protectors, for now? Seems more darksiders than lights abound... which is one reason I made Jacen up into Darth Caedus. Better that than Caedus himself, the Darkness, taking me..."

Xundel nodded, then grinned. ”I did just offer another alternative. And, wouldn’t it be better to show up to Tython with a freed Celestial Tho Yor?” he asked, slyly.

He gestured again, ”After all, if we free Rajivari then we will have just that. Potentially, at least.”

"I wonder if we can pull that off," she said shrewdly. "But nonetheless... we can only try, no?"

A grin, and their ship set off, towards said Tho Yor.

"May the Force be with us," Vergere almost lamented.

Xundel shook his head with a wry grin, ’The Force is choked with Darkness, so that is almost more a curse than a blessing, at the moment. But, in this time both dark and light must stand against Darkness or all is lost.”

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

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


IC: Han Solo and Caedus/Jacen
Adrift, Mortis

The scene on Coruscant had faded away, and everything became a blur.

One, big meaningless blur.

And Han Solo was in the thick of it.

The hapless Corellian remembered accepting the worst deal of his life—to allow some formless blob to 'borrow' his body—before everything had ended. He had only wanted to protect Xav and Lumpy. They were the only family he had left, and it had felt like the right thing to do at the time… the noble thing, as the younger generation would say.

But now?

A soft scoff escaped his lips as he stepped forward, his boots echoing on the cracked earth beneath his feet. He wasn’t even sure where he was. There were lush fields, green mountains, and stunning vistas, but they didn’t seem real. They had an ethereal quality to them, almost dreamlike in nature, and for a moment, Han wondered if it was all an illusion.

Until the blob appeared.

Caedus.

He felt its presence as it sidled up beside him, its nebulous form becoming more defined and anthropomorphic. As it adopted more human characteristics, the darkness then peeled away from the bulge that represented its head to reveal a face. It was one that he didn’t immediately recognize, but it felt familiar all the same.

Perhaps he knew it in another place and time.

"Hi, Dad," Caedus uttered as he ignited a green lightsaber.

And with those two simple words, everything clicked.

Han inclined his head to regard the young man, his lips pressed into a thin line. A snapshot suddenly formed within his mind’s eye, a distant memory that depicted the life he could’ve led under different circumstances. He had witnessed these events long ago through a vision of sorts, and despite the seeming absurdity of it at the time, the imagery was too real to ignore outright. He had met an alternative version of himself, one who had settled down with a beautiful princess.

And there were three—no, four children.

Jacen.

Jaina.

Anakin.

Ben.

Now it made sense why Caedus’ face had appeared so familiar. This was his eldest son; this monster was Jacen Solo.

"I’ve heard about you," Han muttered simply when he finally found his voice, his face an impassive mask. "Secondhand accounts, mostly… maybe with the help of some very strange dreams." He offered a small shrug to dismiss the notion. "If you believe in that sort of thing."

His gaze shifted to the lightsaber for a brief moment, his brow creasing. "I only wish we could’ve met under different terms."

Caedus regarded the blade.

"I'm not sure I have the strength to do it, though."

He looked back to Han. "I'm sure you understand."

"You do carry my name-sake, after all."

"I know," Han uttered quietly, one corner of his mouth turning up into a small smirk to conceal his unease. "That was one of the conditions when we agreed to—uh, well… whatever this is." He gestured with both hands to indicate the mutual arrangement that had landed them in this strange place.

His expression then turned somber as he pondered Caedus' statement more closely, his smile fading. He didn’t trust the cryptic nature of his words; there was something about his tone, and it prompted Han to reach toward his blaster, which he typically had strapped to his right thigh. The cold metal felt reassuring against the palm of his hand as he glanced up to meet the young man’s gaze.

"You don’t have to do anything," Han urged carefully, his voice dropping several octaves to emphasize his point. "It’s my understanding that we’re in this together, right? Let’s start there." He unclipped the strap on his holster and slowly removed the blaster, turning it around in his grip before setting it down at his feet.

"See? No harm." Narrowing his eyes, he nodded toward the saber. "Now put the lightsaber away, so we can talk."

Caedus shook his head.

"The Darkness that is presently being silent, it's dangerous. I escaped it by dying, and separating my Dark Inclination..." A snort. "But it's going to go after Kylo Ren - or Jaina. Or worse, her descendants."

His lips pursed. "My daughter - your granddaughter."

The lightsaber was lowered to his side, but not gone.

Han’s gaze remained on the blade, wary of Caedus’ intentions. The man spoke of his children and grandchildren, no doubt a ploy to ease him into a false sense of security. While he did feel a slight stirring at the prospect of having a real family—an innate connection that he could not explain, he quickly dispelled those emotions. He reminded himself that this was not his reality, and he had to remain focused on the task at hand.

"You expect me to believe that you somehow separated yourself from this Darkness?" Han asked with a raised brow, a derisive smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "After all the trouble you went through to lure me here? Why would it go silent now?"

With a sigh, he reached up and ran a hand across his stumbled jaw to ponder his options, the gesture producing a rasping sound. "There gotta be another angle. It couldn’t be that simple… could it?" He suddenly pivoted on his heel and pointed his index finger at the younger man. "You have something else up your sleeve, kid, and I want to know what it is. You make it sound like we gotta stop this thing, but I suspect that’s a clever sleight of hand. What do you hope to gain? You’re helping it in some way, aren’t you?"

"It wants your son, of course," Caedus said. "I'm dead, here, but he? Ben Solo - the Dark Lord of the Sith known as Kylo Ren? You accepting the hand of a Darkness merely handed him over."

A shrug.

"Chewbacca is dedicated to saving him, but he can't do it alone."

Of course, Chewbacca had died for both of them, originally... Caedus was laying a slight nugget of information then.

"All I want is my daughter to live in peace. I Changed the future to keep her from being enslaved to a Dark Man... and well, this all happened."

Han inwardly winced, though his expression remained impassive to conceal his emotions. He didn’t want this man to know that he had managed to strike a nerve. Not only had he revealed that Chewie was still alive, but he had essentially placed the blame for this mess squarely on his shoulders.

It was his fault that the Ben Solo who existed in this reality would become corrupt and fall to the Dark Side?

A derisive scoff escaped Han’s lips as he adopted a more casual stance, inclining his chin with his thumbs hooked through his belt. "I did what I did back there to stop a monster. My son," he rumbled darkly, his hazel eyes flashing with conviction. While he wouldn't admit it, he noted that it almost sounded like he was trying to justify his actions. "I owed it to those people to do the right thing. They’ve been through a lot. And now you’re saying I unintentionally caused another version… an alternate version, of my son to fall? The one related to your timeline?"

He exhaled softly and diverted his gaze, shaking his head slowly. "Look, I understand as a parent you have a responsibility to your kid, but what about me? This isn’t my time. Kylo Ben… or whatever his name is, he’s not my son. Not my true son. As far as I’m concerned, I paid my debts to the galaxy. What more do you want me to do? I doubt I can just snap my fingers and will this Darkness to go bother someone else."

"Yes," Caedus said, simply. "Perhaps even myself."

"But who knew that the Darknesses attached themselves to your timeline, omniversal or otherwise?" He sounded a little sad. "But the longer the Darkness fixates on Kylo... the less he does on my daughter." He grimaced. "I performed a whole Change to save Allana." A fist squeezed tight.

"You should protect my daughter - I died for her, not for you to accept a Darkness."

Once more, Han dissolved into silence as he considered Caedus’ proposal. While he was still suspicious of the man’s intentions, it was becoming more difficult to resist, especially now that he had introduced a child into the mix. He recognized that this Allana wasn’t truly his granddaughter—perhaps she was in another reality—but that was no reason to condemn her. She didn't deserve to suffer.

It was a cruel twist of fate that weighed heavily on his conscience, and he mentally cursed himself for allowing such an acute vulnerability to germinate. He knew that it would ultimately force him to do something extremely stupid, but what other choice did he have? It was never his plan to hurt anyone through his actions, much less an innocent girl.

"So, let me get this straight," Han finally uttered after clearing his throat, inclining his chin marginally. "You’re looking to make a trade? You’ll shoulder the burden of the Darkness and work to keep Kylo busy—despite any serious consequences—in exchange for your daughter’s safety. I just have to watch over her."

Han narrowed his eyes, incredulous. "Are you sure you can honor your end of the deal? If what you said is true, I've already been burned once."

Caedus snorted. "Kill me, and Jacen Solo will return. That is how Inclinations work."

"That is how Kylo Ren survived..." He sounded sad, almost. "I'd do anything for Allana."

"Please, go to Hapes, protect her."

He held out his arms, spread. "Shoot me, and you'll see."

A flash of memory; not his - of Han Solo killing Emperor Palpatine's last clone with a single shot.

Han snorted, his expression twisting into a cynical smile. "You want me to… shoot you?" he repeated slowly, no longer masking his disbelief. It was a ridiculous notion, and he made that very clear through his body language. He stared at the man as if he had sprouted two heads. "You should’ve just said so before. You could’ve saved us both a lot of trouble by cutting out the useless—"

The rest of his words dissolved into an audible gasp as a latent memory materialized within his mind’s eye. He saw himself firing a single blaster bolt to exterminate a clone of Emperor Palpatine. The action released his son, Anakin, from the Dark Lord’s clutches. He recognized that the memory was not his own, but he could not deny the similarities between this scenario and the one purported by Caedus.

Was this a… sign?

Was the Force trying to tell him that this was the correct path? To protect Allana and save his son?

The bizarre events he had witnessed over the past several years had certainly changed his outlook on such things, and he found himself hesitating, even as he bent down and retrieved the blaster from the ground. His muscles moved seemingly of their own volition, and before he realized what he was doing, he had the weapon aimed at the younger man’s chest.

"Godsdammit," Han murmured under his breath, his jaw taut with tension. "I hope you’re right about this."

With a sharp intake of breath, he pulled the trigger.

TAG: @Sinrebirth

 

IC Tarkin and Marana
Landing zone, Eriadu

Tarkin snorted at Arb’s question while Marana laughed. Lightning crackled in her fingertips for a moment before she shook her head in a negative, turning and nodding to the older man.

He heard Jori’s response; noticed her standing closer. The corner of his lips turned up in a slight smile and he turned back to Arb. ”There are ways and then there are ways.” he told the eye patched man.

Turning to the comm console he brought up a frequency, encrypted of course, and inputted a code known only to the heads of the family. Looping in several houses that had been allies of the Tarkins in days gone by, he began to speak, overriding any comments made by those who would be wondering why any Tarkin was using this frequency at this time.

”I am Tarkin, sire of Wilhulf Tarkin. I recognize that many assume I am deceased but that is far from the truth. I have returned, with my granddaughter, verified by genetic tests and my own certainty that she is so.” He turned the holo pickup to bring Jori into view.

”I am also accompanied by the Saarai Kaar, of the Jensaarai.” The pickup shifted again to allow Marana’s neutral expression fill it. ”I have returned to rebuild Eriadu and return it to a place of glory in the galaxy.”

Marana snorted slightly, ”Tell them that I recall the honor and duty of Eriaduans and if they don’t assist, at least out of curiosities sake, to know if you are truly you, I’ll believe that those concepts have become foreign to this world.”

Shaking his head slightly, a wry smile now creeping onto his face, ”Our landing zone is covered by troops in the livery of the Empire. Whoever is guiding them, have them stand down If none are guiding them then this is the moment to end their control here. And if they open fire, warned by one of you, I will let the Saarai Kaar enjoy herself and then repeat the same in every family keep across the planet until all recognize that we will bring back Eriaduan pride and dominance.”

Stepping back, he left the comm open should any now wish to speak. His expression was slightly humorous as he turned back to Arb. ”That should tell us more how our people are and will be. But you should, perhaps, prepare any shields or weapons this craft has, if needed.”

TAGS: @Sinrebirth, @TheAdmiral

 

THE ISLAND OF PARADIS

IC: Eren Yaeger
The World Tree

Matthaeus froze as Eren drew him to a Between place, and spoke.

Of genocide.

Global genocide.

The man dropped to his knees and looked at the others. “You - you weren’t there. You’re not Eldians. You’re not Chosen.” His eyes were streaming with tears. Joy? Fear? Disgust?

“Eren has decided to kill everyone outside of this isle. Our species will survive, and triumph, by destroying everyone else in the world.” He was shaking. “We’ve won; the war is over.”

The immense string of Colossal Titans were walking at a sedentary pace, but due to their size we’re taking immense strides; hundreds of thousands - millions.

Clearly enough to trample the entire world.

Matthaeus looked at the intruders. Ike snorted. “Well there’s no point pretending, is there?”

Alecto raised her hand, groggy from the battle to date, and squeezed. Matthaeus began to choke. “Look.”

In the distance, Pure Titans continued to ravage the city, neglected by the immense Founder Titan and his army of genocidal monsters. “Why are they still attacking the Eldians if their God is here?”

“Maybe it depends how they were made - or by who?” Ike shrugged. “Not our problem. Our problem is -“

There was a sudden flash, and they stood on a sandy, shadowed beach, illuminated by the glowing tree behind them. A man stood there.

Who are you.

It was the one who had only a moment ago lost his head, and then grew a new spine, reattached to his body, and exploded in size.

Eren Yaeger.

TAG: @greyjedi125, @Darth Cocytus

 

THE MATRIX AND JAKKU

The Architect
The Room

The Agents were down, severed in many parts and places and ways by Manticore.

A gesture from the old man and the Exit sealed.

“Enough.”

The Agents stepped through the other door one more time.

The Architect regarded Manticore for a time. “A Sith Lord, styled upon Darth Maul, yes?”

TAG: @greyjedi125 (combo opportunity), but please read on too
—-
Jakku, depths of the Observatory

Beaumont proved more helpful with balance, speaking to Vydra, Maz and Aboleth. “This is, as Maz says, an Imperial Contingency. The Alliance has found a few of these, on Wayland, Cerberon, Byss, Adumar, Utapau, Pillio -“ he gestured to the architecture. “It’s definitely pre-Great War vintage.” He was referencing the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the Twilight Timeline. “Probably pre-Civil War One?”

The Rouser from the Timeline of Legend would know of Wayland, the storehouse there having handed Thrawn a clone army and other problems. And of course Byss had been destroyed with its box of issues.

Maz for her part knew that Master Skywalker had found a Jedi Wayfinder on Pillio, and the Cerberon storehouse had been destroyed during the vicious battle in-system between the Empire and New Republic before the Battle of Jakku.

They would both have the opportunity to regale as much to Vydra. Maz spoke on, too. “I always wondered why the Galactic Empire made its last stand here.”

“A weapon?” Beaumont looked to Qwi, should she know about any projects the Maw division had here.

“Whatever it is, it’s being protected by something that shouldn’t be here,” Abeloth said carefully, as they turned a corner in the dark. It was a Gate.

Clearly.

Circular, in the middle of the hallway, a variety of glyphs to it.



It activated; depositing two.

The Pascale’s would immediately feel it; it was themselves; another? A third? Now? A body?

And then, a scarred Zabrak, and Abeloth hissed. He stood, regarding his surroundings. “My, my, the stench is even worse when you have a nose.” He sniffed, wincing hard. “How do you function with all this… water inside you?”

Agent Smith had escaped the Matrix and taken a body.

A Sith body.

TAG: @AgentViper007 (combo opportunity)

 

ERIADU

IC: Zel Johans
Landing zone, Eriadu

”I am Tarkin, sire of Wilhulf Tarkin. I recognize that many assume I am deceased but that is far from the truth. I have returned, with my granddaughter, verified by genetic tests and my own certainty that she is so.”

”I am also accompanied by the Saarai Kaar, of the Jensaarai.”

I have returned to rebuild Eriadu and return it to a place of glory in the galaxy.”

”Our landing zone is covered by troops in the livery of the Empire. Whoever is guiding them, have them stand down If none are guiding them then this is the moment to end their control here. And if they open fire, warned by one of you, I will let the Saarai Kaar enjoy herself and then repeat the same in every family keep across the planet until all recognize that we will bring back Eriaduan pride and dominance.”

The man regarded the ship, and held out his hand to his troops.

"Stand down."

There was an audible break of tension in the Force, and Arb grinned.

"You're up, Jori."

The aged Tarkin was one thing, but it was Jori who needed to cement their position; she was their future.

Tarkin was their past.

The Saarai-Kaar was their muscle.

A slight snort.

"I, Zel Johans," said the man, not much younger than Tarkin himself, spoke up. "Guarantee your safety until such time as you do not act in the interests of Eriaduan pride."

He was silently enthused by the possibilities.

Between the revitalisation of the Tarkin family tree, and the Saarai-Kaar of the Jensaarai, Johan's saw a way to knit together the disparate elements of the Eriadu Authority. Since the Quintad had been killed by a mysterious Twi'lek assassin years before, they'd be growing weaker, and the death of their current leader, Admiral Hublin in the in-fighting at Coruscant, well, the Authority was on a knife's edge, where the Sluissi, Sullustans and other species would rise up.

"Speak you peace, and we shall see what we can agree to... with me as commander of your armies."

The troops began to withdraw, and the man, still regaled in military armour, stepped down.

"Let us discuss this over refreshments."

At the mention of food, all of their stomachs would growl; when had they last eaten?

TAG: @TheAdmiral, @darthbernael

 

MORTIS

IC: Jacen Solo
Recompleted

The bolt scoured his son, and Darth Caedus toppled.

There had only been a handful of Force Users powerful enough to separate their inclinations in history; Jacen, yes, but also Revan, and Kylo Ren.

It required the internalization and thus externalization of ones struggle.

It could be said that it had been inflicted upon others; Vale Sera, Zas'tel, Bernael, Aden Kya -

But those were unnatural, rather than a decision made by the other.

For Han, he would have a distinct memory of him killing Palpatine, not him, perhaps, but another Han Solo.



The next memory would possibly chill his bones.

Palpatine leaping for his son; Anakin Solo.



But this did not happen.



He was simply attired, and sat on the floor.

With a sigh, he drew upon the Force.

"Come to me, Caedus."

The Shadow Form appeared, and looked from Jacen to Han.

"What did you do...?"

A spear of midnight black lurched towards each of them from his form -

TAG: @HanSolo29
---
Elsewhere

The two of them, at the Master's will, appeared in a grove.

There were four statues; Sistros, Yanjon, Braata, and Faya, opened up to the elements.

"So, I guided the Protectors into the present era, containing, for the most part, various Darknesses." He nodded. "This lured out the First."

"Not all of the Darknesses I secured, of course, thus four statues, but I only took in three, and they needed work, trust me of that." A chuckle. "A Fourth is secured in Bellorum, a Fifth in a Solo, hopefully, and not ruining the entire timeline..." A shudder. "The Sixth, etc, etc."

"The Sith duplicated my idea, but misinterpreted it, creating tomes to trap a darkness."

Illusions created...





"So, shall we head to where they were made, and see?"

A quirk of a smile, felt not seen.

"Snoke took control of the place, and in his business conquering the galaxy, I imagine he left it exposed."



TAG: @Shadowsun

 

THE THO YOR ABOVE KAMINO

IC: Vergere
Hidden

"The Force is choked with Darkness, so that is almost more a curse than a blessing, at the moment. But, in this time both dark and light must stand against Darkness or all is lost.”

"Force be with us," Vergere muttered as Xundel made his declaration.

Drawing an illusion upon them, Vergere cloaked them from arrivals, and the system, by all accounts, became more busy than not.

Snoke, Rey, Kylo Ren.

They were all here.

Vergere managed to keep her emotions in check, but Xundel was inside her network, to keep him hidden, so it did flow between them...

"Hurry," she said, simply, the strain in her voice.

The ship settled upon the Tho Yor's hull.

Ravijari whimpered in their mind.

Go. You must leave, before I am ordered to kill you.

TAG: @darthbernael

 

The Future, for grabs...

@Mitth_Fisto, @Lady Belligerent, @HanSolo29 (combo finalizes)

The Past, revealed

@HanSolo29 (combo continues)

The Present?

@Mitth_Fisto (combo continues)