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| - ~~ THE ARKUN, ABOVE KOMM "These rebellions have sprung up everywhere, my Lord. Gateway, Praxedis, even here on Komm," Grand Admiral Delagon informed the Gatekeeper. "Do we have any idea where these rebellions originated?" GK asked, his usual hot-tempered voice now laced with concern. "They're everywhere, Sir. Approximately 40% of our forces are unaccounted for," Delagon stated. "What kind of forces are we missing? And are they hostile?" GK demanded. "Legions of Shadowtroopers, even Ultras. Entire fleets of starships, including Super Star Destroyers. And yes, these rebels are openly hostile. But they are also organized, more organized than they were under our command, Sir." "What does that mean?" "They are defeating forces over twice their size, while leaving no survivors. We've lost many planets to them." The Gatekeeper shook his head out of frustration. "Then we'll have to use the Death Star. Get it out of storage," he said. "Where is Kane?" he suddenly asked. "He is aboard the Death Star, trying to make sense of this whole thing." "And Harrington?" "No idea, Sir." "What about the Ekatra?" "Nowhere to be seen. According to spies, their economy has tanked. They've collapsed. All they have is what fleet they currently possess. They can't build anything else," Delagon reported. "I should be thrilled," GK muttered. "What are your orders?" Delagon asked. "Take us to our storage facilities, with Diablo and Ennomos. We will discuss a plan of action there, and most likely end up having them joining us sooner than expected." "Yes my Lord." In less than an hour, the Arkun had left the system. That move would prove to save the Gatekeeper's life. ~~ ORBITAL COMMAND STATION - DARTH SICOL'S OFFICE - KOMM As Darth Sicol sat in his chair, looking over reports of more rebellions, these down on Komm itself, a shadowy figure moved through the command station... He had just barely recovered after his battle with Deathstrike, but he had a job to do. Every Shadowtrooper he came across made no move to stop him - they all were in on the plot - all those who were still alive, that is. Entering the doorway of Sicol's office, Sicol's senses finally picked him up. "Lord Harrington? Where have you been?" he demanded. Getting no answer, he stood up and turned around, and saw the old man's ragged appearance. "Whoa. What happened to you?" he asked. "Have you been informed of the rebellions breaking out all over the Shadow Empire?" Harrington asked. "Yes. My Master is going to bring out the Death Star. He'll put a stop to it," Sicol answered. "You do realize that Komm is about to fall to a massive insurgency, do you not?" Harrington questioned. "Impossible. No one would be foolish enough to attack here," Sicol stated. "The Gatekeeper's fleet is no longer present, Sicol," Harrington said, his tone growing dark. "We've got this command station. It'll take a super star destroyer to break through it," Sicol boasted. "Then we still have a problem," Harrington toned with a grin, as from out of hyperspace, without any warning, came a gigantic fleet composed of white Star Destroyers - not SE black - including what looked like at a glance - two Executor Star Dreadnaughts, larger versions of the Imperial 4-class, Gladiators, Tector's, Vindicators, Victory II's, and even some Venators and what seemed to be several Nar Shaddaa-based Star Destroyers. White TIE fighters deployed, as even more ships entered the system, a mix of TEC and Ekatra designs, followed by another Super Star Destroyer. The first wave of vessels, the white-clad SD's, accelerated into Komm's gravity well, quickly dispatching a group of Turbolaser defense platforms with a barrage of blue lasers, with the rest taking flanking routes around the platforms. Sicol's eyes went wide at the sight of the fleet, and he knew instantly that they were done for. "Prepare the shuttle for takeoff. We're getting out of here," he said, going for the door, but Harrington cut him off. "What is the meaning of this?!" he snapped. Harrington reached into his pocket, drew his lightsaber, and said, "This is the end for you, Sicol." Several Shadowtroopers walked up behind Harrington. "Kill him!" Sicol ordered. But they pointed their guns at him... Sicol's jaw dropped. In a flash, he drew his lightsaber and rushed at Harrington, who easily countered the desperation attack. The Shadowtroopers opened fire, six rounds striking Sicol, and he went down. Still alive, Sicol tried crawling past them... The Shadowtroopers looked at Harrington, who raised his lightsaber above Sicol's head... ~~ Outside, the white Star Destroyers were proving much more effective in combat than their SE counterparts. They had heavier armor, stronger shields, more powerful weapons, and were faster. And here, they outnumbered the Imperial ships nearly 5-1. With TIE fighters of various designs launching from their hangars, the white fleet looked unstoppable. But the SE starbase - a modified Golan III - was proving too much for them. It was the only one of its kind, and it had already destroyed several ships.Then out of hyperspace came another ship - a giant Executor Star Dreadnaught - 25,000 meters on length, with a long cyllinder bisecting the center of its hull, forming into a thin point at the bow. In an instant, the cyllinder came to life, glowing a dark red, and then a flash, as a red beam struck the station - recognizable as a Shadow Laser. The station was incinerated. Aboard the bridge of the behemoth stood a giant of a man, clad in a black robe with a solid mask, and long black hair. As he watched the starbase fall, Harrington's face materialized in front of him: "My Lord, our takeover of the Shadow Empire is nearly complete. All that remains is some of Komm itself, and the subjugation of the rest of their core worlds," he said. With a single nod, the line was closed, and the man pulled a book from his robe and opened it. Words in a mysterious foreign language formed on the blank pages... ~~ HAPES JEDI ENCLAVE - GRANDMASTER KATARN'S CHAMBERS Having returned to Hapes only hours ago, Jaden Korr is discussing his experiences on Tatooine with his master... "Do you think the Recluse was correct? That our desire for universal peace could lead to that kind of deterioration?" - Jaden asked Kyle, uneasiness in his voice. Katarn was silent for a long time, remembering his many years of battles; first as a Rebel operative, then a freelance mercenary, seeing the galaxy at war. Despite the obvious evil of those years, he had to admit that all the conflict only fueled the Rebellion's determination to establish the New Republic. And, he had also been privy to the historical accounts of the last decades of the Old Republic, and the rampant corruption, decadence and complacency, even among the Jedi Order, that had led to its downfall, providing an ideal gestation environment for Palpatine's subversive schemes, culminating in the Clone Wars, the masterpiece of manipulation on a galactic scale. Finally, he nodded slowly. "His views have their inescapable truth in them, I can't deny that, Jaden... but you have to remember that the Old Republic had endured for a millennium, since the last general war. That's a pretty good track record." - he said. "Or at least what the old propaganda tells us, Master... personally, I have my doubts of that. Who could know for sure, what was happening in the galaxy centuries ago?" - Jaden retorted. "That's a possibility, too... especially if the old political structure had a vested interest in suppressing knowledge of any schisms in the past, for the sake of unity and stability in the present. And since the Jedi Order at that time was working very closely with the Republic leadership, they may have condoned those kinds of... omissions, at least to a degree, believing they are serving the cause of peace that way." - Katarn mused. "But Master, that's a kind of corruption to begin with! Even if they thought they were acting in the Republic's best interests!" - Korr exclaimed at that. Katarn gave him a cynical smile at that: "Why do you think I was so reluctant for so many years to fully embrace the Force and allow myself to become a full, proper Jedi? I was always more comfortable walking that grey line as a merc. And Luke's blind idealism didn't exactly sit too well with me." He paused for a moment. "But, since I'm the Grandmaster now, I have the influence to steer the New Jedi Order in a more pragmatic, and less idealistic direction. And that's what I'm doing, Jaden. Bottom line - the Recluse does have a point. But between the danger of decay and corruption during peacetime, which can be countered by constant vigilance, and the horrors of constant warfare and chaos the Sith are so eager to impose on the galaxy, in the name of 'strength through conflict', I choose the former." - he stated with conviction. Jaden shook his head. "I'm not so sure our view of the Sith is exactly right, Master... since I told you, I did spend a good deal of time on Tatooine with one of them." - he began, reluctantly. "I know, Deathstrike. Look, Jaden... just because she was cooperative in those few days, and it was clearly in her best interest to be, given what you said about the Recluse's agenda for abducting the two of you in the first place, doesn't mean she isn't evil, corrupted by the Dark Side, and the enemy. One thing where I don't agree with the Recluse in the least, with that statement that there are no Light and Dark sides. The differences are obvious, and can't be simply attributed to a different ideology. There is a deeper influence than that, and it's through the Force." Jaden wasn't convinced, however. "You don't understand, Master... it's not just that she was cooperative, either. She was nothing like those Cultists and Reborn I dealt with four years ago, or Tavion. Don't get me wrong, she was vicious, even savage in some respects, but she also showed concern, civility, even a trace of compassion and conscience. And if what the Recluse said is to be believed, her statement that the True Sith are not slaves to the Dark Side also has credence. And at the end, the Force was with me again, and I could sense her through it - and there wasn't that kind of aura of corruption about her that I could sense in Tavion, for instance. So-" - before Katarn cut him off harshly: "Listen to me VERY carefully, Jaden: Let me tell you something about the 'civil, compassionate' Deathstrike... from what Mara told me once. The two of them crossed paths, just under a year ago, when Mara responded to a plea for help from Ansion, the planet's capital city. The planet was petitioning for admission to the New Republic at the time. Deathstrike was sent there, leading a Sith assassination unit, to make an example of the whole ruling council of the planet, along with their families." "When Mara and the New Republic task force arrived, the capital city was under complete martial law, that the police forces implemented to try and contain the dozens of RTSE assassins which had already killed over five hundred members of the planetary ruling structure, complete with every member of their immediate families they could get their hands on. Mara herself went after Deathstrike, who had infiltrated the main council building in the city's center, and was systematically slaughtering all the congressmen, their aides, and anyone else connected to the government in ANY way there." "From what Mara told me, it was a massacre. She came across over fifty corpses just on the main floors, before even getting to the inner sanctum, where the Governor and highest ranking officials have taken cover, along with their aides and personal guard - some hundred people. She fought and killed a pair of Acolytes there, before arriving at the main council chamber just in time to see Deathstrike finishing off the Governor himself, the last one still alive by then. The two of them fought, for almost fifteen minutes, before Deathstrike crippled her... in more ways than one, and left her for dead as she left." - Katarn finished, before adding: "No-one there was left alive, Jaden. No one, in that entire building. Eventually, we helped the Ansions defeat the assassins, but Deathstrike wasn't found. As a result, the planet rejected both us and the RTSE, instead siding with the Shadow Empire. Basically, that murderer accomplished her mission for a time, even in hindsight - Ansion was kept from the New Republic, and we were denied a staging area on the edge of the Unknown Regions. In the past few months, the NR had managed to bring them into the fold, but they still don't trust us, and haven't allowed us to establish any kind of full base there." Jaden was quiet, face set in a scowl, as he considered what his Master had just told him. Finally, he spoke. "That's... I don't know what to say." - while thinking: "Still, I guess she was doing her duty for the Sith. Not that that's any kind of excuse for actions as terrible as that, but it is a reason. We all have a job to do, for whatever cause we fight for, in the end." - face set in an unreadable mask. Katarn's reply snapped him out of it. "Just remember that. No matter what kind of Sith, 'True' or not, our enemy is, they ARE still Sith, Jaden. And as for Deathstrike, no matter what other facets you've seen to her, keep in mind that Lord Darkon had chosen and trained her personally, to do one thing, above all of her other duties for his empire." - he said in a grim tone. "To kill." - Jaden added. "Yes. As effectively, efficiently, and uncompromisingly as possible. Not even the New Republic intelligence can begin to track her total bodycount, but their best guess is well over a thousand kills, over the years. And those only the direct ones. If you ever cross paths with her in the future, keep that in mind, and do what you have to do, as a Jedi. Understood?" - the last word spoken in a hard tone. "While I do whatever it takes to stop that monster Darkon, and his rampage of conquest across the galaxy! And if the direct challenge to us in his speech is anything to go by, I'll have my work cut out for me." - he thought. "Yes, Master." - Jaden nodded, bowing slightly. ~~ Two hours later, in the Grand Convocation Chamber of the Jedi Enclave... Grandmaster Katarn had called a full meeting of all the Jedi Masters, an as many of the other Jedi at the enclave at the moment. Stepping to the raised dais in the center, he began: "We all know what's at stake, my friends... you've all heard Darkon's speech, a direct stab at the integrity of the New Republic and the reputation of us Jedi, as its protectors and guardians. Not only does he try and destroy us through military means, his speech had been quite successful in raising discontent from the rebellious elements on any worlds, and even support at the highests level of the New Republic senate, for the barbaric reforms he intends to implement!" He took a breath, before continuing: "Maybe even more importantly, his words have had an influence of the people's view of us Jedi, as well. We have lost a great deal of trust, for our lack of proactivity against the RTSE. I'm forced to admit, our deliberate and passive strategy had proven a mistake." - a note of self-reproach evident in the voice. "Quite a large one..." - Master Saba Sebatyne thought, but she didn't speak. "But that ends today! If the future of the galaxy, and freedom of the peoples in it depend on us entering open conflict with the evil of the Reborn True Sith Empire, then that's what we have to do. Working together with the Hapan Navy, we will begin attacking the RTSE invasion corridors from the flank, taking the fight to them, and taking pressure off the New Republic as much as possible. At the same time, we'll go a step further... sending infiltration teams to the RTSE industrial worlds deep within their territory, and causing as much damage as possible to their economic power, fueling their war machine." "I don't think for one moment any of this will be easy. I don't doubt we will pay a heavy price in Jedi lives for everything we try. But this is total war. Not a minor disturbance that we were convinced it would be, when the RTSE first made itself known as a major galactic power, three years ago. And we have to treat it as such, and do whatever it takes to prevail!" - he finished impassionately. "Master Katarn, with all due respect, a victory at any cost is not a victory at all. We should remember the Jedi way is peace, not violence!" - another Master, this one a Camaasi, intoned in dismay. Katarn nodded in regret. "It is, Master Qom. But in this case, peace has to be won with blood. There is no negotiations, or bargaining with the Sith. To them, we are the ultimate enemy, to be exterminated. We represent everything they despise the most. Whether we like it or not, their savagery has to be met with force. I wish it weren't so, believe me. But it is." Qom only hung his head, but most of the others voiced approval. As the convocate moved to the details of the Jedi entry into the war, Jaden, also in attendance, thought: ~~ ~~ EPILOGUE Deep in the wastes of Ord Mantell, Recluse's hideout. Sensing the progression of the galactic affairs on a grand scale, deep in meditation, the Recluse relfected to himself, his large eyes gazing beyond the walls of his chamber, into something only he could see...
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