Manually added by Adept Morgan B. Sorenn

Taldryan has long been a top
Arcona as usual is a bottom
Love not lost between the two
Lineage is important to both
Younglings pay the price in war
Where all fight to the death
Hell has no place above our conflicts
As they rage on the ground, air, and space
Condemned warriors thrown onto the pyre
Key to victory in many a vendetta
Each member brings their best
Remember their great victories
Still vivid in my soul.

Criminals abound
Fear is what their voices sound
Greed is their main goal

Lies are what they tell
Many enemies did fell
Beneath the un-truths

Stand in line with us
Go against the venomous
Rise above the fray.

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.

Dante yawned as he sat in the command chair of his newly purchased Decimator. Although he wanted something a bit less conspicuous, Kell figured that his next ship would be something Corellian so that he could move to and fro within the galaxy proper a bit more easily than in an Imperial ship. Sadly, the destruction of the Cocytus System had left the Dante family more in need of a battle worthy ship. Especially now that the clan was embarking on a new mission of taking over a new system to serve as their home base of operations.

With his 3 person crew, Kell had decided to go on a long range scouting mission instead of lurking around the new system that Scholae was working on taking over through infiltration and subterfuge. He didn't really like the idea of all of this sneaking around to accomplish their goals, and he had advocated for more of a diplomatic or even military solution to the problem of a new home for the clan.

Scouting around the edges of the system was a great way for the senior officer to relieve some stress and get to know his new aide and bodyguard better. Lounging in the captain’s chair that he had installed, Kell looked over at Ferraro and said “So… anything new on Pravus coming through the rumor mill?”

Sitting at one of the gunner positions, the older man responded with “Not really. There was a bit of chatter saying that he had gone off on another search for some artifact.”

Major Guili, his new pilot who just transferred over from a special Intelligence unit, looked over her shoulder and piped in with “So, the leader of the Brotherhood who just wiped the Cocytus System out of existence is missing, and you’re upset about it?”

Dante chuckled slightly and looked over at his new bodyguard, Buk Rojers, who just glowered a bit and turned his head back towards the sensor console. “C’mon, Buk… what are your feelings on the subject?”

The Kiffar just shrugged his shoulders and said “If the Grand Master wishes to be left alone then that is why he established the Dark Council to rule in his absence.”

Dante nodded and said “That is kind of how I feel. I also am planning on personally taking of Blade when I see her next time. Her involvement in all of this led to the destruction of our system… Damn Excidium… Leftovers from Caliburnus…”

Ferraro smiled and said “Your dad and you both hated the Cali’s…. I never understood it since we weren’t around them that much on Judecca, but Angelo really took it to heart all those years ago.”

“Well, it was personal. At least I get along with Ras these days. I just think we are about to end up in another large scale effort. This Lotus thing is starting to get out of hand, and I’m not sure where we’ll end up since the Iron Throne has gone after just about every clan now. It could be a free for all or at least three sides going after the Throne,” said Kell as he stood up from the command chair and looked out at the view of deep space. “Let’s go take a look at Ulress… we might find something to do there.”

“That isn’t in our flight plan, Field Marshal,” responded Guili as she pulled up the flight charts.

A laugh erupted from Ferraro, but he kept quiet as Dante gave him a look.

“Fine…. Plot a looping course that will bring us just past Balaerion and then back through the system. We can stop off at Ulress on the way home,” said an annoyed Kell as he went back over to his chair and plopped down.

A great and wondrous land
From tree to earth to sand
Many come together as one band
For those who call it an old or new land

This land of ours, what a wondrous place
Full of grandeur and free, open space
Unseen by almost nary a sentient face
Arise like a Phoenix should be the case

A place that we now can make our bed
Our people as one will need to be fed
New animals and plants we will have bred
A gentle reminder of all of our war dead

From the ashes will no longer be hollow
Scholae will now be the one to follow

Clarity

Sparks from destroyed electrical panels briefly lit the interior of the shuttle as Dante slowly regained consciousness. "Ugh... What the..." the trooper moaned to himself as he looked around.

The attack on the ship had been an ambush once they had come out of hyperspace and descended into the atmosphere. "Guess the natives aren't as friendly as Xen made them out to be," he muttered as he unstrapped himself from the crash seat.

Looking around, he realized that there wasn't much left of the Lambda shuttle that was now crumpled up around him. Luckily, Dante had decided to ride out the cash from the rear compartment instead of the cockpit as that was now a massed up piece of scrap. Unluckily, the rest of the crew had been in there along with most of the survival supplies.

As he looked around for the closest hatch, it soon became clear that he was underwater as the effects of the crash began to wear off. Water was beginning to seep into the shuttle, and it wouldn't be too long until it was full.

Reaching out with the Force, Kell could discern that the craft wasn't sinking so it was probably on the sea floor, and the faxt that the pressure hadn't crushed both the shuttle and the Obelisk yet was a good sign that he wasn't that deep Bellow the surface.

After taking stock of what he had with him, it wasn't much than than his weapons. Dante clicked his comm on just to see if it would work, but no response came to his alarm mode. "Guess I will just have to get out of here first. Time to go for a swim."

The Obelisk strapped his gear on and swam over to the remains of the airlock. As the ship filled with water the pressure began to equalize, and, once it filled the airlock, Kell gave the door a helping hand with the Force. Exiting the shuttle, Dante looked up and saw the sun a less than 30 meters above. Slowly making his way up, Dante also controlled his body to avoid decompression sickness.

Finally he reached the surface to find debris scattered on the water. Spotting a large piece of a wing like, Dante swam over to it and climbed aboard. Looking up at the sky, the sun was just starting to set as the soldier hit the rescue beacon. The waves were gentle as he waited, and Kell pulled out his father's ID tags that he always wore around his neck. Looking at the worn objects that had seen thousands of days of combat wear, Dante smiled at thought of his father and all that he had accomplished. A career. A family. A group of loyal friends. Kell had achieved all of these but one. New thoughts sprung up as he waited patiently for his ride to arrive.

Later that evening, lights appeared in the distance and began moving towards Kell's position. Soon, one of the LAAT's of the Imperial Scholae Guard hovered above his makeshift raft.

"Field Marshal! Grab the line!" shouted the crew chief of the assault transport as he threw the rescue harness. The waves began to get choppy as Kell grabbed the harness and put it around him. After less than a minute of hauling, the commander of the Imperial Scholae Guard was aboard and then on his way to the new base that they were building.

As he sat there drinking the caf that the crew chief had provided him, Kell pondered the fact that he had been retrieved plenty of times over the years, but this was a bit different. It made him think of his father, and it made him think of... Someone else. Clarity. Such a simple thing, but it appears at the strangest times.