Fiction Gallery

36 ABY- First Order Command Ship

“This is Kadrol Hauen, requesting permission to land.”

“State your business.” The officer replied.

“I come on a diplomatic mission from the clan Scholae Palatinae.”

“Insert your landing codes.” The Officer mumbled, clearly bored by his job. Kadrol did as he was told, and reached up, punching in the code to be transmitted. “You have permission to land.” The voice said over the system. Kadrol drew in closer to the monsterous ship so the tractor beams could pull the ship in.

After the ship had landed, Kadrol lowered the shuttle’s ramp and stepped out. He was immediately greeted by a swarm of stormtroopers: twelve to be exact. Without a word, the beckoned the Pantoran to follow, and they led him down the long cooridor. As they reached their location, the lead trooper opened the door. Kadrol stepped into the interior of the room, and the doors closed behind him. As he looked around, a voice said “Ah, you must be Kadrol. Take a seat.” Kadrol grabbed a chair and sat down. He came to be seated across the long table from Kylo Ren. “I’ve heard much about your training,” Kylo said, “Palatinae stands with everything the First Order believes in, but I’m sure you know that already. I am much more interested in seeing what you have learned.” Kadrol didn’t know how to respond. He had grow up idolizing Kylo, and now he was in the same room with him.

“Come on. Show me what you have learned.” Kylo said. “I will show you the ways of the Force.”

“Ok.” Kadrol replied. He genuinely could not think of anything to say. Even if he had something to say, he wasn’t sure he could physically get the words out. Kylo led Kadrol into a large training room similar to the one he was used to back on Antei.

Kylo Ren pointed him to a dummy, saying “Give it all you’ve got!”

Kadrol drew his lightsaber and demonstrated the few moves he knew. The purple blade hummed as Kadrol struck the dummy very carefully and precisely. He didn’t want to blow his shot of impressing the Supreme Leader.

“Stand back.” Kylo warned. Kadrol took a step back. Watching the Sith, Kadrol became entranced with the fiery red blade with the iconic cross guard. He couldn’t help but just stand there in awe as Kylo Ren sliced the dummy to bits. As he finished, Kylo remarked “In time you will be able to do all this, and more. I look forward to watching your career with great interest.” For the rest of the afternoon, Kadrol sought to learn all he could from Kylo.

As the day came to a close, Kadrol said goodbye and headed back to his ship. “Hey, Kadrol!” Kylo said from behind him, “Tell your clan that the First Order fully supports clan Scholae. Also, I’ve had my Imperial armorers make you a set of armor. It’ll be delivered to you soon.” Kadrol turned around, closed the ramp, and took off. What a day.

The Y-wing dropped out of hyperspace above the jungle planet of Sepros. Calenhad brought the ship downward in a slow descent toward the forest floor. With the practice of an experienced pilot, Calenhad gracefully set the ship down upon the forest floor. Calenhad opened the cockpit of the ship and vaulted over the edge. His feet landed upon the forest floor and he took a deep breath. “It’s good to be back” he stated as he felt the Force flow through the forest. Life flourished among the large wroshyr trees and emotion flowed freely upon Sepros. Calenhad turned toward his astromech S4-Dow. “Stay with the ship S4-Dow. Etah gave me permission to borrow it and I expect to return it in one piece.” The droid whirred disappointedly. “Master, does this mean that there is no meatbags for me to kill? Oh, how dreadfully boring. Certainly there is something better for me to do?” Calenhad let out a sigh at his droids antics. “Just make sure the ship is in one piece S4-Dow.” Without waiting for a response Calenhad walked off into the forest. Confident of the Force’s ability to warn him of any danger Calenhad allowed it to lead him through the forest. He eventually found himself before the long destroyed Temple of Shadow. “I suppose you have something to show me?” Calenhad spoke, hoping the Force would send some sort of response. Only silence awaited him. Calenhad knelt before the ruins and opened himself up to the Force. The vastness of the galaxy swirled around him. Life was created, emotion flared. Happiness, love, hope, anger, jealousy, hatred, all flowed past him. Just as it began, life ended. A mere speck upon the great canvas of time. Calenhad opened his eyes to see a elegant garden with flowing fountains instead of the ruins he expected. “Well this is….different” he stated as he looked quizzically around the room. “Have you sought the tranquility of the Room of a Thousand Fountains?” a voice called from across the room. Calenhad turned toward the voice to see a young Mirialan female entering the room. “Yes, that is correct’ Calenhad answered quickly while attempting to collect his thoughts. ‘Didn’t the academy teach that the Room of a Thousand Fountains was located in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant? Why is the Force showing me this? This can’t merely be a vision if the girl is able to see me.’ The girl’s voice brought Calenhad out of his thoughts. “Excuse me Master?” the girl stated politely. “You may call me Calenhad. What is your name girl?” “Barriss Offee” she replied. Calenhad paused in thought. ‘Why did this girl seem familiar? Barriss Offee...Offee….Offee, Wait a moment, that was the Jedi responsible for the bombing of the Jedi Temple in the months leading up to the end of the Clone Wars.’ “I have been rather troubled as of late Barriss. The Jedi are not what they once were. “Why do you say that master?” she asked. Calenhad gazed into her blue eyes. “I speak of the nature of the Jedi Order in this conflict young Barriss. Do you remember how this conflict started?” She answered immediately. “Of course I do. The Jedi launched a rescue mission to free Masters Kenobi and Skywalker as well as Senator Amidala.” “That is where you are wrong I am afraid. Of course the media will portray it as such. The glorious Republic goes off to war to rescue it’s captured citizens. But did you consider the army the Jedi used to fight? The Clones did not appear overnight after all. No, my dear, the clones take years to properly grow and mature. It takes time for a slave to learn its new routine after all. This is what the Republic and by extension the Jedi Order has become. We are no better the the slavers in service of the Hutt Cartel. But this is not the worst thing to consider. Why don’t you ask Master Kenobi what the purpose of the Clone Army is? The Jedi Order could not have possible known that a war would break out on a galactic scale all those years ago now could they? So why was such a massive army commissioned?” The mirialan looked disturbed by the outpour of information. “I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that question Master.” “The Jedi have lost their way Barriss. They seek political gain and involve themselves in the Senate. It is not enough for Yoda to control the entire Jedi Order. No, he must have the entire Republic with his grasp. We have become the very oppressors that we claim the Separatists are.” Calenhad could feel his form slipping as the Force called him back to his time. “Just think about what I have told you Barriss” Calenhad called, as he faded back to Sepros. His orange eyes gazed upon the Temple of Shadow and a smirk blossomed upon his lips. “The seeds have been planted within her mind. Now it is only a matter of time before they bear fruit.”

With the dawn came snowfall. Tumbling out of the skies thick with clouds, the constant tumble of a billion different flakes reduced the sunrise to a mere bright glow on the horizon. Blanketing out everything, it had reduced visibility to little more than a few meters at a time. Save for the towering shapes of the lost ruins, and the flat blade-like form of the citadel’s outermost walls, the world was one of pure white. The only other light-source came from a dim glow on the fringes of the citadel's outermost tower, from a broad window set against the mountain.

The blue-white of a plasma fire shone brightly against the biting cold, offering some small respite and heating that room there alone. Within it was little more than a small hovel. Strings of animals, skinned and salted hung from the ceiling, while opposite them a simple bed was set against one wall. A desk rough hewn from stone had been placed next to the wall, piled high with dataslates and ancient tablets. The room’s lone occupant - one of the few permanent residents of the winterlocked planet - had spent much of the previous night skimming through details and comparing notes with historical records. He had paused only to watch the rising sun now, sitting with his chair facing the window and running one gauntleted hand through his greying beard. It was a recent edition, one of several changes Tarvitz had made during his twilight years.

The man who sat in that chair, now in his mid sixties, barely resembled his younger self. What little colour that had been in his hair had long since faded away, and his scalp was closely shorn. Furs and winter clothing had taken the place of his armour, and even the lightsaber he had once carried had been replaced with an ancient heavy blade of alchemical origin. He sat there for some time, simply watching and thinking. The semi-blizzard had not ceased since the previous night. In fact, it hadn’t stopped since the first flakes had come earlier that month. Winter was neverending here, but it was a sign that it was moving into its harsher months. There were no howls of wolves, no bellows of the remnant Yuuzhan Vong beasts which had acclimated to the world’s limited ecosystem. They were either in hibernation or had moved on, and that meant hunting was required.

Tarvitz smiled slightly at the thought of the challenge, the thrill of chasing down a pack and outwitting them. Between it and his efforts to more deeply explore the world’s darker secrets it was all that had kept him sane. With the fall of the Collective, the First Order and the Brotherhood’s corrupt leadership, there had been no challenges left to him. Even his self-imposed tasks had rarely borne the true victories he desired after mastering his chosen style of lightsaber combat and excelling at craftsmanship. As others had suggested, he had done his level best to settle down, to live a life of normality. Yet the simple fact was that he couldn’t. For as long as he could remember, Tarvitz had struggled against something, and within a few months the boredom of retirement had nearly driven him insane. Rhen Var had offered a reprieve from that monotony.

The simple life there was a hard one, impossible for most and it offered ever new ways to kill a man. In the first week alone Tarvitz had died almost three times, from hidden chasms and monsters alike. Yet there was a beauty to the crude simplicity of it all which he found satisfying. Uncomplicated was the word, and just as Yoda or Kenobi had done before him, Tarvitz had found the desolation and untamed nature of an Outer Rim world to his liking. There were no Sith to fight, no pirates to combat or prisoners to rescue, but until old age or one mistake too many claimed him, it was enough to keep him sane.

As he waited, Tarvitz heard a distant whistling howl of a pack beast somewhere in the far distance. Perhaps he still had a chance to claim one more meal before waiting to weather out the heavy snowfall that was to come. With a smile, Tarvitz rose from his chair and snatched up the spear resting against his desk, before turning to leave. “Normality” might have been a substantial change from his previous lifestyle, but in a place as unforgiving and harsh as Rhen Var, he found it to his liking.

Capital City Space Port, Capital City, Pantora

Kadrol heard the landing thrusters activated. Finally. He thought. I am home. The shuttle’s door opened, and the young Pantoran stepped out. Hailing from the upper class of Pantora, he had people to do almost everything for him. One of his family’s servants, Jax, walked aboard and brought Kadrol’s luggage out in a hover sleigh. After all his stuff had been put in the trunk of their hover car, the two took off toward the house.

“Master Kadrol, how was your stay on Antei?” Jax asked, trying to make conversation during the twenty minute drive.

“Not bad. I learned a lot while I was there.” Kadrol replied.

“Well, that is good to hear,” The servant said. “Your parents have been very excited for your return.”

“I can’t wait to see them too.” Kadrol said longingly. A few more minutes passed in silence before they arrived. After Jax had parked the vehicle, The two walked toward the doors of the large house. He hadn’t even touched the handle before the door opened.

“Kadrol, you’re home!” His mother said, hugging him. His mom was fairly young, only 34 years old. She was also very sweet and beautiful. Her pink-purple hair was tied up in two buns, as many senators wore their hair. She was wearing a gold headdress that perfectly accentuated her magenta dress.

All of a sudden he felt two more arms wrap around his waist. “Hello, Shane.” Kadrol said instinctively.

“I missed you, Brother.” Shane said.

“I missed you too.” Kadrol replied. “Where are Dad and Tanya?”

“They went out to do something. They’ll be back soon.” His mother answered. The two of them walked towards the family room to catch up. Shane ran ahead.

“Shane is super happy to see you again. It’s been way longer than nine months for him.” Kadrol’s mother explained, laughing. As the two reached the family room and sat down, the door opened again.

“Those two have great timing,” Kadrol said sarcastically.

“Let’s go to the dining room.” This time it was Kadrol who ran. When he reached the dining room, he and his sister locked eyes. Kadrol ran and jumped right into his sister’s arms. She had always been pretty strong, considering she was a year younger than Kadrol was. The two shared a bond so strong that it was indescribable.

“Welcome home, Kadrol.” She said, putting him back on the ground. The two embraced each other.

“What about me?” His father asked.

“Ok, ok. I missed you too, dad.” Kadrol said, giving him a hug as well.

“Let’s take a seat and you can tell us all about your trip over some pie.” His mother said, gently. The family took a seat and his sister, Tanya, served each of them a slice.

“So, what did you do while you were away?”

“Not much. I did a lot of studying and testing, as well as a lot of training while I was on Antei… I’m getting pretty tired. I’m still running on Antei time.” Kadrol said, yawning.

“Get some sleep. We will see you in the morning.” His mom replied.

The Next Morning

Kadrol awoke at his usual time. Of course that time was also 5:00 here on Pantora. He took the liberty of telling the couple cooks they had that they could take some time off and that he would make breakfast. By the time his family made it to the table an hour and a half later, he had made some Pantoran-style hotcakes and squeezed some Pantorange (a delectable fruit comparable to a cross between an apple and orange) juice. He was glad to be able to give the cooks some time off. They deserved it.

After breakfast his siblings had to go to school. His father went to organize his army figurines on his battlefield of a table, or as his mom would say, “He went to go play with his big kid toys.” Kadrol, being a diplomat at heart, went to the Pantoran senate with his mom to work on some of the bills she was trying to pass.

The Pantoran senate was fairly large, but could be compared to a dot on a piece of paper when compared to the galactic senate building, which was now a landmark on Coruscant. The Pantoran senate held 112 senators, two from each sector of Pantora.

“K., I need your help with the wording in this bill.” His mother said, exasperated. K was the nickname people had given him. He didn’t fully understand why, though, because Kadrol wasn’t really a long name that needed to be shortened, nor was it difficult to pronounce. He didn’t mind people calling him that, though.

After a couple minutes of reading and analyzing speeches from opposition of the bill, Kadrol exclaimed “I think I’ve got it! Your problem is that you need to add the Naboo Comma. It should say ‘a thousand credits for physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology,’ not ‘a thousand credits for physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology.” The concerns our opponents are voicing is that the credits for occupational therapy and speech-language pathology, without the comma there, would split the allotted amount between the two sections.”

“Good work, Kadrol! That might save the bill!” His mother exclaimed. Kadrol had become used to helping his mom while he was home, and he had loved it ever since his mom first took him to view a senatorial session when he was ten years old. Though the most he usually did was run and get things, he enjoyed following in his mother’s footsteps. When his mother was younger, granted she had been 18 when she started, she was an aide to a senator. It was usually the only way to become a prominent member in the senate, though there were a few exceptions.

“K., Do you want to watch a session from the viewing platform with me?” His mother asked.

“I would love that.” Kadrol replied quickly. He had seen the senate debate things before, but he had never actually been in the platforms with the senators before.

“We have to be there in half an hour.”

“Ok.”

The two ate their lunch and then walked to the senate chamber. There was a loud buzz as the senators talked amongst each other before the session began.

“Order!” A Voice boomed, aided by a microphone. “Let’s debate the personal health care bill. The committee chair will be the first to speak.”

The debate took about four hours. There were a few good points in the debate, but some senators, particularly the ones who openly opposed the bill, droned on for what seemed like forever. After the debate portion ended, it came to a vote. The bill passed with a vote of 73 to 32. It was getting late now, and Kadrol and his mother retired to the house, where Kadrol fell into bed, almost immediately started falling asleep. Wow. He thought. This all started just like any other day, and I ended up getting to watch the senate in action.

Calenhad nervously tapped his foot against the floor of the Lambda class shuttle. Clan Naga Sadow had begun their assault on the Collective world of Ruuria and he was late! Battlemaster DarkHawk would not be pleased if he found out his apprentice was late. He despised inefficiency, especially within the Sith Empire. ‘I better hurry up and make myself useful then’ Calenhad thought. The Shuttle began its descent toward the planet. Fire burned in pockets throughout numerous buildings, structures that once stood as tall monuments to the power of the Collective were now reduced to rubble by the awesome might of Clan Naga Sadow. The Sadow Legion marched among the destruction, a sea of white armor garnished by dirt and blood. The Lambda shuttle touched down and Calenhad was on his feet in a moment. The ramp lowered and Calenhad bolted out of the shuttle. Calenhad ran past the mass of white until a glint of color caught his eye. He turned toward the source to see a shining captain insignia upon a soldier’s pauldron. The soldier snapped to attention and saluted Calenhad upon his arrival. “Soldier, where was Battlemaster DarkHawk last seen?” The soldier paused for a moment. “The Battlemaster went in pursuit of the enemy special forces known as the Shikari sir.” Calenhad wracked his brain for any mention of these so called Shikari. He remembered something about a group of female soldiers said to be excellent shots and stealthy combatants. Nothing more seemed to come to him so he decided to get moving. “Carry on soldier.” Calenhad walked away in pursuit of his Master. As he walked Calenhad slipped his hand into his robe and pulled out his communicator. “Heard that we get to hunt the hunters today master. Where should I meet you?” Calenhad spoke into the device. There was a moment of silence before the device cranked to life. “You will not be joining me today Calenhad. I have another assignment for you. The seniority of Clan Naga Sadow are split between the pursuit of the retreating forces as well as the search for the Shikari. I need you to work together with our military forces to keep order in what remains of the city. Am I understood?” “Of course master.” Calenhad replied. With a deep sigh Calenhad returned his communicator to his robe. He began to retrace his steps back toward the captain. As he walked he breathed deeply as the force filled him with the pain and suffering of those around him. He face remained blank but there seemed to be a little more pep to his step. “Captain” he called out as he walked toward the Sadow soldiers. “Is there a problem sir?” The captain asked, face indistinguishable under his helmet. “I’ve been reassigned to aid you in the pacification of the city.” Calenhad said. “Is there a specific area that is giving your men trouble?” “Yes sir” the Captain said “We have encountered resistance from remnants of technocratic soldiers near the western side of town. They are holed up in a building across from the bridge and have heavy weapons in the form of an E-web sir.” “I see” Calenhad stated. He remembered learning about the use of E-Webs during the Battle of Hoth. The Imperial Army utilizes the E-Web to suppress rebels in the trenches and allow their men to storm Rebel fortifications. The E-Web possessed an incredible rate of fire and even one shot could be deadly. It was no wonder that the Sadow troops were unable to cross the bridge into the western part of town. “Gather your men Captain, we are going to deal with that E-Web.” Calenhad and the Sadow soldiers walked toward the western edge of town. As they walked Calenhad saw medics tending to wounded Sadow soldiers. Despite his medical training, Calenhad forced himself not to aid these men. His mentor had begun to impart a dislike of wasteful activity, especially in terms of human life. The best way to end the pain of these men would be to stop the cause in the first place-the E-Web turret would have to be removed. Finally the bridge came into view. Smoking craters lined the surface of the bridge, at least the surfaces not covered by bodies in white armor. Calenhad could see the glint of metal from the building at the far end of the bridge. However he was unable to see how many men were operating the E-Web. Calenhad immersed himself in the Force. It ripples and spread all around him. He could feel the Sadow troops behind him and the lifeless bodies on the bridge. He could also feel 3 new presences, likely members of the Collective. Calenhad focused on the feeling of those men and unclipped his lightsaber from his robe. He burned the location of these men into his mind before throwing his saber low to the ground. Calenhad guided the saber with the Force, keeping it parallel to the ground and hard to detect. As it grew closer to the presences he wrenched the blade upward and into the E-Web. The time for subtlety was over. Calenhad pulled the lightsaber back into his hand using the Force. He proceeded to step forward but faltered and grimaced when he felt the exhaustion of exercising such control over the Force. Calenhad knelt down and immersed himself in the Dark Side of the Force. He could feel the lives of soldiers across Ruria being cut short during combat. The screams of wounded soldiers echoed in his ears and resonated as a twisted symphony. Calenhad stood back up, exhaustion forgotten in the suffering that was to come. Calenhad stepped forward onto the bridge. The remaining 2 Collective soldiers opened fire on Calenhad and the men advancing around him. Each shot was intercepted by a swing of Calenhad’s lightsaber and thrown harmlessly to the side. The Sadow soldiers returned fire and quickly overwhelmed the 2 sharpshooters. The Captain and his men formed a line by the door. The Captain raised his white boot and kicked out towards the door. There was a loud noise followed by a flash of light. When the light vanished there was no trace of the Captain of his men. “Ambush” a voice called out from behind Calenhad. A group of tan women with dreadlocks approached from all sides. “Shikari” Calenhad growled as the women continued to close in on the remaining Sadow soldiers. Calenhad gripped his saber tightly with both hands and prepared for the fight of his life.

Upon the desolate world of Iktoch the symbol of the Republic sat engraved into the sandy ground. It had been carved by early Iktochi millennia ago as a beacon to the early Republic. The Iktochi race served the Jedi order well, excellent seers and pilots who could not only predict the future, but work to change it. This rich history of his mighty people surrounded Calenhad as he knelt by the engraved symbol. Truthfully, Calenhad had other things to do right now. The last thing Calenhad desired was to enrage his master. Battlemaster DarkHawk was already a fearsome training partner without excess anger fueling him. Calenhad felt a shiver travel down his spine as he remembered the pain his master could inflict. Calenhad had been younger then, perhaps around age 14, and enamored with the power the Force could grant him. He had attempted a foolish frontal assault against an opponent who could crush him in an instant-which he had no problem doing. As Calenhad charged toward his opponent, saber held high and the Dark Side flowing to his legs, DarkHawk seemed completely at ease. With barely any effort used he raised his right hand and aimed it toward Calenhad. Lightning shot forth and slammed into Calenhad’s advancing form. “Augh” Calenhad screamed out as his nerves burned from the electricity. DarkHawk lowered his hand a moment later, mercifully allowing Calenhad to collapse to the floor. “It is beyond foolish to charge head on against an opponent who is clearly stronger than you. You must test his defenses and find his weakness before he can utterly destroy you. It is a task easier said than done, but you are still young. I am confident that with time you will learn. If not, then you will die for making me waste my time. Am I understood?” DarkHawk watched his apprentice stand on shaking legs with yellow eyes blazing in anger. “Yes, my master” Calenhad said with teeth grinding against each other. DarkHawk then drew his lightsaber and ignited the brilliant blue blade. “Now we shall test your skill with a saber. Rest assured I shall not electrocute you this time.” Calenhad drew his focus back to the present when he heard the whine of a ship’s engine. Perhaps this is why the Force had demanded he come to his home world. It had sent him a vision after all. Two blurry figures wielded blue and red lightsabers which crashed against each other. The carving of the Republic symbol glowed before the vision ended. ‘I must stop getting distracted so easily’ Calenhad thought to himself as he felt a presence in the Force coming closer. The presence reeked of the light side and seemed to almost overpower Calenhad’s senses. “Jedi” Calenhad growled as he stood up and grabbed his lightsaber from his belt. The presence grew closer and closer until Calenhad could see the outline of a feminine figure. The figure walked even closer and revealed light green skin with lidless eyes and tendrils hanging from her head. It was the woman who killed his family and kidnapped his brother! “Rargh” Calenhad yelled in rage as he ignited his saber and charged toward the woman. The Dark Side purred in pleasure as hate fueled his charge. The woman reacted instantly, igniting her lightsaber and catching Calenhad’s blow with one hand. “Have we met before?” She asked curiously. “Where is my brother?!” Calenhad shouted, practically frothing in rage. “You’ll have to be more clear than that. I’ve killed many Sith over the years.” She said condescendingly. Calenhad broke the saber lock and brought his blade up for another strike. “Where is Mordred!” He screamed as he swung with all of his power. Once again the blow was easily deflected by the Jedi. She began to chuckle as she said “Little Mordred had a brother this entire time, how quaint.” Calenhad growled as he threw his lightsaber towards his opponent. The blade spun, forming a disc of red energy which hurtled toward the Jedi. The Jedi raised her hand and enveloped the blade with the Force. The blade’s speed began to slow until it fell harmlessly into the sand. The Jedi glanced back toward Calenhad only to see a cloud of black smoke. “Petty tricks will not help you” She smugly said, as she remained standing in place. The Force warned her of an incoming threat so the Jedi threw herself to the left. A throwing knife flew past where her head was. “Getting better now but you still haven’t put a scratch on me.” The smoke cleared to reveal Calenhad charging toward her position. “My my, you still haven’t learned a thing” She said, while shaking her head in exasperation. Then Calenhad’s form began to blur. ‘He’s an illusion’ she thought in horror. ‘Behind’ the Force screamed as the Jedi spun to confront her foe. Calenhad’s vibroblade was swung downward with a vengeance, but it never met its foe. The Jedi swung her lightsaber faster than the eye could track, it arced upward into Calenhad’s face, narrowly missing his left eye. “Augh” Calenhad screamed in pain as he fell to his knees. The Jedi walked forward and kicked the vibroblade away with contemptuous ease. “I guess there is a reason the Force guided me to your brother after all. You are far too weak to have been chosen as my apprentice.” The Jedi then noticed Calenhad getting back to his feet. The Jedi threw her left leg into a textbook sidekick, which smashed into Calenhad’s right knee. The bone shattered and Calenhad collapsed screaming in pain. “Now now, you shouldn’t be so loud, some unsavory person may hear you and come to finish the job.” The Jedi looked down at her broken foe. “I suppose as an apology for what happened to your family I shall spare you this one time. If we happen to cross paths again that will not be the case.” The Jedi turned on her heel and walked away, leaving the injured Sith to his fate.

Abadeer stepped out of the Eviscerater, the landing pad was fairly clear. He breathed in the clean air of Aliso. It was good to be home.

The announcement of a new Consul had reached even the distant Sith’s ears. Abadeer couldn’t allow Arden to enter the office without consequence. Fortunately Taasii was in a playful mood and he had a few fun ideas planned for the incumbent leader of Plagueis.

He strolled through the Pinnacle, using his senses to avoid any run ins with people he would know. He was going to announce is presence back to the Clan, but now was not yet the time. Time was also of the essence, he didn’t have the time to have lengthy greetings with anyone. The path to the Consul’s office was clear, and still perfectly remembered. Abadeer checked to make sure he was clear before entering.

He stepped forward, the office was currently dark. His fingers grazed the polished desk. This was the first target. Abadeer walked to the left side of the room, pressing his hand to one of the wall panels. The wall opened to a private bathroom facility. Taasii chuckled to himself as he thought of Arden’s face the next time he came here. The desk wouldn’t go all in one piece. It was time to get to work. It took about 10 minutes to get the leg supports detached from the desk itself, another 5 to get all the pieces through to the bathroom, and another 15 to reassemble. The bathroom was big for the total one person who used it, but it just barely fit the imposing desk.

The next target was the circuit board on the wall. It controlled many function in the room, from lights, to temperature, to the pager system. The Togruta never boasted to be much of an electronic expert, but this project didn’t need too much knowledge. It took a little prying, but Abadeer pulled the panel from the wall, a trail of wires following closely behind. Taasii started to pull the wires out, and switched their inputs. The idea was to have one command effect the wrong function, but for all he knew it just might cause everything to stop working all together. Either was fine.

The last target was the miniature fridge that Selika had installed, it had held an impressive array of fine alcohols imported from across the galaxy. The fridge was empty now, but not for long. Abadeer reached into a small bag he’d brought with him. Inside was a jar with a shrunken severed head floating in a preservative fluid. It was a perfect present for the new Dark leader of the Clan. Finally a second jar with two wires was extracted and placed in the fridge. The jar was full of pure white flour, and a tiny explosive. The wires had a magnetic switch attached at each end, which were connected to the door and the from of the fridge. The crude device would send a signal to the explosive when the door was next opened and cover the person in a blanket of white powder.

Everything was now perfect. The traps and pranks were ready. All Abadeer needed to do now was wait in the control center and watch the video feed. It was only a matter of time until Arden found what happened to his new office.

Knight Joe Durham has always relished his time away from battle, for the Twelfth Great Jedi War had taken its toll on himself and Clan Taldryan; both on their numbers and the very tenets the Clan stands upon. He has meditated on ways to keep the true spirit of the clan intact during such times, but his fear for the well being of Taldryan constantly lingers in his mind. He opens his eyes from his meditation sensing the approach of someone outside his quarters.

"You may enter," he says rising to his feet.

"We have passed through the atmosphere of Chyron sir.” Joe is informed by an ensign aboard the Nebulon B Frigate Merach’s Vein.

"Very good, is Augur Rian ready to depart?" Joe questions the young naval officer.

"Yes sir, all we require is your presence in the hanger and we can depart for the surface," the ensign replies, as he and Joe exit the quarters and proceed to the lift. They arrive in the hanger which is a buzz with movement as it always is, and Joe sees Rian standing alongside a transport flanked by troopers.

"Hello Master," Joe says bowing his head.

"Hello Knight Durham, or should I say for the purposes of your mission, Detective Durham." He said with a smile.

"Are you ready to depart for the surface?" Joe asks, and Rian nods his head before they walk up the ramp into the transport.

"Let’s go." Joe says as the shuttle departs the ship under the escort of two troop transports. They fly toward the swamp portion on the surface of the planet, which unlike the vast urban regions, is covered in mist.

"Do you think that this planet may aid us in our goal?" Rian asks Joe.

"Any systems we can persuade to join Taldryan will aid us my master and any one of them could be the stone that causes the flow of history to change," Joe answered.

"All I have read of the people in this swamp point to them being a non violent species who have kept to themselves for as long as planetary records go back," Rian said.

"Well I fear that our enemies will soon be at their doorstep, and they will not be as diplomatic as us," Joe explained. "This planet would be a prime location for a Taldryan base and outpost, but at the very least we must inform these people of the danger that will soon cast a shadow over this planet, and at least…" he says before pausing, unable to ignore a feeling growing in his mind, growing like ripples through the Force.

"What is it?" Rian questioned, feeling Joe’s unease.

"Something is wrong here," Joe said looking to the window and looking out upon the terrain, the feeling growing stronger in his mind.

"You sense the darkness, Joe?" Rian asked with a concerned voice, fear beginning to etch itself upon his face.

"No not darkness master, but I sense that something is out of place here," Joe said as they passed over one last range of hills and glide over an open green field of long grass, patches of wildflowers, and scattered dwarf trees. Behind it is a city of huge buildings resting upon a plateau in the shadow of a set of hills.

"Set down just outside of the city." Joe said as the transport landed.

"Commander, I need to borrow one of the transports, and a pilot," Joe said to the leader of the troops who had accompanied them, before reaching the end of the ramp.

"Do you need me to accompany you sir?" Commander Raylen said saluting.

"No, I do not believe we are in danger, please escort master Rian to the city.’’Obi-Wan said.

“Understood sir.” Raylen said nodding.

"What could be of such importance that you would not accompany me to the city?" Rian questioned.

"The Force master, it draws me to something upon the world, and the will of the Force should not and cannot be ignored," Joe said walking to one of the troop transports, as Commander Raylen motioned for two of his men to accompany him.

"I will return soon, but do not keep their leaders waiting," Joe said as he stepped onto the transport and it lifted slowly from the ground climbing into the air high enough to pass over the hills, and flying back toward the swamps.

"There, land in that clearing," Joe said, pointing out the side of the transport.

"Yes sir." the pilot replied with a nod of his helmet, as he descended slowly and hovered over the swamp, dropping delicately down through the hole in the foliage and settling on patch of solid ground.

"We will accompany you sir." one of the soldiers said stepping off the transport holding a blaster rifle.

"No, I will be fine, stay here." Joe ordered holding out his hand, as he vanished into the mists of the swamp.

Several Hours later

"It can't be!" Joe said to himself as he pressed even deeper into the swamp until he came upon another small clearing hidden underneath a tight ceiling of foliage blocking out all but a few thin strands of sunlight. There was a small structure at the back of the clearing snuggled between two trees, the smoke of a fire still floating upon the air.

"Hello, is anybody…" but before he could complete his sentence he found himself reaching for one of his lightsabers and turned his eyes up to the trees where a cloaked form fell from the boughs, one of the few strands of sunlight gleaming off the red blade of its lightsaber. Joe rolled out of the way and rose to his feet just in time to parry the forms strike, before he extended his hand and reached through the Force to push the form away, at the same time blowing the hood from its head.

"That’s impossible!" Joe said in disbelief, lowering his green lightsaber to his side.

"Master, but it cannot be, I killed you!" he mumbled continuing to stare upon his former master and nemesis.

"But yet here I stand." Said Kromtal.

“How, I felt you die!” Joe said anger rising in his voice.

"That is of no concern of yours Durham; the only question that matters is how did you find me here, why can’t you just leave me alone?!" He demanded as he drew another lightsaber from inside his cloak.

"Wait Kromtal, I do not wish to fight you, I am only here on a diplomatic mission to seize control of this system for Clan Taldryan" Joe explained.

"Finding you here was the will of the Force!" He said dodging a lightsaber swing aimed for his head. He parried another strike with his lightsaber then jumped back.

“LISTEN TO ME!” He exclaimed, desperation in his voice. “Aren’t you tired of this back and forth, of constantly being on the run, homeless, despised by the entire Brotherhood.” Joe said, his voice beginning to strain. “ While you’ve been busy trying to dismantle the Brotherhood, Taldryan’s numbers have been depleted, the Clan on the brink of annihilation, Barely clinging to life!” Joe explained, his voice cold enough to send chills down the spine of a krayt dragon.

“ Enough give up this charade, Rian is willing to accept you back with open arms. Once a brother always a brother.” Joe explained, putting away his lightsaber.

"Then in spite of everything I have done, the things I had hoped to leave behind have found me.” Kromtal said, falling to his knees.

"The Force, the Brotherhood, the Clan, I only seek to be as far away as possible from you all, and still you find me," he said turning his gaze to him; one that was once was full of animus and hate, now somber and fearful, with tears streaming down his cheeks.

"You cannot run from that which your destiny and fate are intertwined," Joe said, offering a hand to his former master.

"What destiny, what fate?!" Kromtal questioned, slapping away Joe’s hand.

"I have betrayed and killed those closest to me, and I have slain too many brothers and sisters to ever even consider the possibility of forgiveness!" He said, his face a deep abyss of darkness and despair.

"You belong in the Brotherhood, Taldryan is your home, Sith Bloodfyre would never have wanted the path of a traitor placed you upon, nor would he want you living in solitude when you could be so much more," Joe explained, trying to mask his sorrow for his former master, as he felt the turmoil going on inside his once enemy.

"Forget it Durham, I am evil, it is all I will ever be," Kromtal said dropping his head.

"It is all I have ever known, even before I set upon this path." He said rubbing his fingers over his temples.

"I bear the marks to prove it," He said looking up into the boughs of the trees, a single strand of golden sunlight falling upon his face.

"I am worshiped as the God of Death among these savages, because that is all that I have known, all I have brought to this galaxy," He says somberly, a tear streaming down his face before he turned away.

"Then become something more, become what your former master would have wanted you to be!" Joe all but begged, but Kromtal only turned to him, his face wearing a wide grin.

"A member of the Brotherhood?," He said shaking his head.

"The Brotherhood would never allow me within a parsec of Antei!" He blurted.

"You would not be the first Dark Jedi who was brought back Kromtal."

"There is nothing to be brought back to Joe, no good deeds, no acts of selflessness, there is nothing but evil in my past,” He said.

"You told me to protect the the clan from the darkness, you said that perhaps I was right about you, and I still believe that I am." Joe said sincerely as he held out his hand to him.

"Your history is only full of dark deeds because you chose to make it that way by to living here in exile," he explains to Kromtal. "Write yourself a new history."

"Why do you care so much, I have tried to take your life on more than one occasion, why would you trust me, why is this so important to you," Kromtal questioned him, his eyes yearning for a something to hold on to, something real.

"Because I know that there is still good in you; I know you can do great things if you can only get past your guilt, your feelings of betrayal, you can be more than you ever were." Joe said as Kromtal dropped his head.

"It would be nice to be something more than a mere assassin or an exiled failure," Kromtal said, and Joe could feel Kromtal’s thoughts and feelings conceding to his words, but not for all the reasons that he would’ve liked.

"I do owe you for relieving me of my hatred and malice," Kromtal said sincerely.

"Then you will leave this place of solitude and return with me to the clan?" Joe questioned.

"If you can convince the Brotherhood to accept and welcome me, then such a miracle would convince me to stay and see what I can become under your guidance."Kromtal answered, as Joe finally approached him.

"But if not, you must agree to let me go, and never seek me out again," He said, as Joe nodded his head.

"Then I will return with you." Kromtal said and they made their way back to the transport.

Manually added by Lieutenant Colonel Alethia Archenksova

Manually added by Lieutenant Colonel Alethia Archenksova

Manually added by Lieutenant Colonel Alethia Archenksova

Manually added by Lieutenant Colonel Alethia Archenksova

Manually added by Lieutenant Colonel Alethia Archenksova

Manually added by Lieutenant Colonel Alethia Archenksova

Manually added by Lieutenant Colonel Alethia Archenksova

https://discourse.darkjedibrotherhood.com/t/arc-cou-coop-fiction-team-acc/1950/3

Grot - #15060

Luna Okami - #13830

ttps://discourse.darkjedibrotherhood.com/t/arc-cou-putting-on-the-ritz/1953

https://discourse.darkjedibrotherhood.com/t/arc-cou-coop-fiction-monkey-suits-are-required/1948

Celevon Edraven Erinos - PIN:12004 Kharoc Garrlan - PIN: 8505

https://discourse.darkjedibrotherhood.com/t/arc-cou-co-op-team-lekku-wheelchair/1952

https://discourse.darkjedibrotherhood.com/t/arc-cou-team-fiction-escort-and-a-thief/1949#

Moon of Ulress City of Ulr Uvi

Dante sipped on his caf as he looked around at the multitude of people who were walking down the main corridor. It felt nice to just be able to sit and just people watch after the events of the past few months. As he took another small sip, a pair of uniformed individuals sat down at his table.

"Gentlemen... nice to see you," said Kell as he looked the two over as he placed his right hand on his thigh holster while keeping his left hand with a firm grip on his mug of caf.

The Duros started off with "Always nice to see you, Kell... How are your step-mother and siblings handling the transition to a new world?"

"Decently, I suppose, Xantros.... the loss of Petitor Umbrarum was probably hardest on the youngest, but they are making do. How do you like being back with the clan?" asked Kell as he glanced over at the other two.

Lucyeth seemed more concerned with the crowds around them, but he was still keeping his focus on the Obelisk before him.

Xantros shrugged and said "I came back, and I am here to stay... that is about it.... so why have you graced us with your presence here on Ulr Uvi?"

With a smile, Kell simply replied with "I'm here on vacation..."

That elicited a snort from Lucyeth who said "C'mon, Dante... No one comes up here for a sight seeing trip."

Kell just continued smiling and said "Honestly.... I wanted to see what this moon had to offer. Would you be interested in having me expand Big Daddy's up here?"

That got Xantros chuckling a bit. "Still trying to spread across the galaxy with your father's gentlemen's clubs? I remember the first one of those he dragged me into many years ago." The Duros looked around again and said "So you are simply here to look around to see if there is a need for more high end strip clubs?"

"Yep.... pretty much.... and to see how the caf is up here," said Dante as he took the final sip from his mug. "It's not too bad, but I definitely think I should open up a restaurant here too."

Xantros shook his head and said "I'm sure that those are not the only reasons why you have come to our moon, but I will tell you that you need to stay out of trouble here. It is a rough place, and we do have some semblance of control here. But.... I would still advise against any open action here."

Dante nodded and responded with "I understand.... Really, I am really only here to do some business and to have a look around at what they have on the moon." He waved to the waiter so that he could get the check delivered.

"Alright... just remember that we have eyes on you at all times," retorted Lucyeth as the waiter brought the bill over.

Kell pulled out some credits and put them with the bill on the table then he said "Well, it is time to head out.... You guys have a great night" as he got up and walked out of the restaurant.

Xantros looke at Lucyeth and said "He's here for something else.... make sure we keep a tail on him the entire time he is on the moon."

Nodding, Lucyeth pulled out his comm and started relaying orders.