The Dreaded Shillatol bar and diner was named after a Twi'Lek drink, one which was so strong it could kill beings with weaker anatomies instantly. There were horror stories of Bith drinking it and dropping dead in a second abounding throughout the galaxy. Gash strode in secretly, making his way to the last booth in the dark restaurant. He sat down just as silently, smiling at the other side of the table, a place engulphed in shadow.

"Good evening, Miss Ty. As lovely as on the holonet."

'You're such a charmer, Gash. I'm going to vomit, soon, though, so cut it out.'

"Of course. I'll try to keep this short... your program has speculated as to why I have recalled the fleet in response to the discovery of one Chiss Clawcraft."

'Yes, well, what can you expect. If you do crazy things, Jiren, people will call you crazy.'

"True enough. I am, however, as you well know, quite sane."

Virona's face darted out of the shadows as she leaned forward. 'I wonder, sometimes... your actions, in the past, have been... questionable. Many military men go insane, you know. The hardships of battle, and such.'

Gash grimaced. "Yes, yes. I have my reasons, though; and now, you will know of them. What I am about to tell you is Z-X1 classified. That means only the two of us know it, and if you divulge it to anyone, you can be charged with high treason against the Rogue Jedi Order. You've heard the rumors, that this Diete Somir is my brother?"

'Of course. Who hasn't?'

"Their wrong- he's not. We're what we call Blood Brothers- two friends bonded so strongly in the Force, our combined powers are greater than the sum of our parts."

'That's not much of a difference, Gash. Being close with a Sith is bad business.'

"It gets worse. We met, two months ago. And at the bidding of the Force, I have struck an alliance with him... one forged in secret, one which will stay that way."

Virona was taken aback. She drew further into the darkness of her side of the booth. 'Gash, you're a Jedi Master! You can't just go around consorting with the Dark Lord of the Sith!'

"I can," Gash said, his tone icy, "And I do. Because I must. I have preached to my students of the evil of the Dark Side, and I believe what I say. But there are things... goals... goals only I can accomplish, temptations only I can endure. And my risk has paid off."

'Gash,' Virona said, beginning to stand, 'You're a good man, and a strong leader, but you can't involve me in this. I'm a-'

Gash grabbed her hand, his unintentionally firm grip easing as he noted the woman's grimace. "Virona, please. You don't understand the will of the Force! There was a reason! There have been mutterings among the Sith, among the Ancient Sith Order and the Sith Order of Darkness, over which my son has dominion, of a resurgance of the Dark Side!"

Virona sat. 'I don't understand, Gash.'

"The Dark Prophets of those two orders have felt it. On the horizon of foreseeable events, a power coming to destroy all for which I have fought and suffered."

'And how might the Chiss be involved in this? You're crazy... you're crazy. How can you expect to-'

"The Force drove me to ally with Diete Somir. It was leading me down this path, the path to salvation. The Rogue Jedi Order will fall if we are not prepared to fight for it. It has already begun! That Chiss vessel... it had markings on it. Strange markings, not of the Chiss empire itself."

'What?'

"It had the markings of the Syndic Mitth'raw'nuruodo Phalanx. Those who helped us turn back the tide of the Yuuzhan Vong are returning."

'No... that's impossible. They returned to the Unknown Regions.'

"And now they are back. The forces of General Soontir Fel are returning to this galaxy. So says the Force."

'And what does this have to do with me?'

"If you continue to sew the seeds of discourse among the Rogue Order Parliament, control of the navy will be taken from me. I created this empire, but in doing so, I created a beaurocracy with the power to betray me."

'I... you wanted objectivity... I didn't mean to-'

"No, you didn't. And I praise you for your objectivity, Virona. But now, I need your help."

'...alright.'

But as Virona Ty left that clandestined meeting place on that cold Ossus eve, what Gash Jiren had said paled in comparison to what she had left unsaid. If she had told him, it would have meant death for her...

What she did not know, was that now, in the wake of her silence, it would mean death for others.

Many others.

The antechamber of the Blue Bell Temple shook. A tremor ripped through the foundations sending snaking chasms into the stonework, weaving off into the distance. Shards of rock kicked up into the air in sprays of dust, fading into the shadows that surrounded the lone chantry whilst bright crimson light pierced through the slatted roof top sending a dancing laser show across the midnight sky.

Beyond the towering double doorway a long corridor of unmarked doorways trailed off down into the shadows to the source of the commotion. A person walking down in the unlit hallway would have felt the floor beneath them shifting as the movement continued on up ahead. The sounds that came from behind the durasteel doors that protected the chaos were catastrophic – wails, the sound of careening blaster shots, metal and stone being crunched and pounded into nothing. If one had listened very carefully, they’d have been able to here a voice too.

To get into the Armageddon room, one would have had to have known the entry codes, or bypassed them with some sort of security hack. Either way, upon entry the sight was one to behold. It seemed the fairly modest temple-like dwelling had a secret to it, and this secret was the gaping monstrosity that was the training room. It must have been at least five times the height of the ceiling elsewhere and looked very much like a city –a city in ruins.

The demon that rampaged through this false city was not natural. The general frame work made it the shape of a human, but it was far from that. Mynocks wings crafted from the toughest of metals donned the back of the 15 foot creation. The whole structure was a gleaming white, albeit the central panel of the chest which was a bright sphere of emerald. Mounted upon each wrist was a high intensity blaster whilst behind the jade orb was hidden a central artillery cannon. The wings were nothing but ornament as boosters, much like those found on a jetpack, were attached the base of the feet.

The head of the suit had a rigid plume of red metal, with a crimson visor covering the main portion of the helmet. This transparent section gave a good view inside and apparently also an excellent view from the inside for the pilot.

“East 40 degrees, North 15!”

A sharp voice cut through the air in the silence and the mechanical giant swung round at light speed. The chest plate had begun to glow, and within seconds was pumping round after round of thick laser beams into one of the reconstructed buildings in the room.

The pilot, held within an array of wires and net structures, lifted both arms into the air then jerked both fists out forward at the same time. Rapid fire burst from the knuckles of the suit as she clenched her hands into tight balls.

She – yes the pilot was female. Clad in a skin tight red jumpsuit, the firey haired girl piloting the suit was one Arriana Rezner. Not a particularly well known name, to say the least, however she did have her purpose.

Again, the mech moved. This time, however, it threw a punch into a skyscraper as Arriana took out her aggression on the setting around her. The level of pent up rage within her was minimal, yet still she managed to destroy a city a day in here with the help of the mech-suit.

However, for today, there would be no more. The noises stopped, and the suit slummed downwards. There were a few shifts of metal then a light click as the back portion of the right leg of the construction slid open. The ex-Sith stepped out into the light and looked around at her handiwork with a smile and satisfied smile.

“Nice work, Strata,” she murmured, patting the side of the metal giant as she walked out of the room, and left the chaos behind.

... A stream of melted stars slowly began to pull together and, once more, a scattered collection of small specks of light littered the canvas of deep space. The Dark Lord's Personal Fleet had just dropped from hyperspace near Lianna, where it would remain in rest until called for.

Diete felt the jolt, if slightly, from the meditative position he often assumed. It had been some time since he had visited Ossus, but the Force beckoned him here. He felt the presence of an old acquaintance. Someone whom he had not seen, or even heard about, since the fall of his beloved Galactic Empire.

It had been years since the Dark Lord had been addressed as Prince Regent. The position had made, the already extremely wealthy, Diete Somir one of the richest men in the Galaxy. After the Dark Lord left the Shadow Empire, far beyond the outer rim, which his father led, he had stumbled upon this Galaxy and quickly raised himself to lofty positions within it.

A mastery of the Force was a useful tool.

The Dark Lord's stride finally halted within the dura-steel docking bay, reserved for his personal craft. His new flagship, the 'Fist of Yinchorr', had thus far functioned well. Now he would finish this particularly journey within his Skipray Blastboat. He could easily get clearance for this small craft, and would then investigate this strange vision.

Soon all would be told to him.

*All around her the noises of reconstruction rang. The buzz hustle and bustle of the construction droids caused little noise themselves within their own bodies, yet their actions made all the more disturbance. Her shoulders hunched up quickly then back down as if only that part of her body jumped. She looked over her shoulder towards the noise that had startled her, one of the droids dropping a rather large piece of sheet metal not too far behind her. She released the breath that she had held, shaking her head with the faintest smile and chuckle. Was there really any reason to be startled?*

*She turned and continued through the reconstruction area, keeping to her smooth pace up in order to reach the already completed rebuilt areas. Within these areas that were not yet finished, she could almost imagine how the ruins had come to pass. As she shut her eyes, she imagined the walls crumpling all around her, feeling the devastation through goosebumps to the thought, along with a nibble at her bottom lip. She opened her eyes, almost seeing those same walls that had once fell to the ground coming back up, as if someone had set an imaginary holo of the event on rewind.*

*She stopped on the border between the construction area and the completed city, turning so that her right side was on the finished side of the city, and her left on the side of the city yet to be completed. She tilted her head back, looking up at all of the details, trying to block out each of the sounds around her. Amazing... Simply amazing. If one were to look hard enough, and think hard enough, it almost felt as though the city had never been destroyed, as though the moment had been frozen in Time. She almost could believe she had been in that time from how great the city looked.*

*She slowly looked to her right, turning her body as her gaze remained glued onto her path. With her steps, slow and echoing within her mind, she looked over her shoulder at the droids working busily. She closed her eyes and returned her gaze forward, reaching her hand out to the side. She smiled as she touched the fine new walls gently with her finger tips, continuing to walk and run her fingers along the wall. She came to a stop and placed her entire palm again the wall, looking up at the building. Was she the only one who was striken speechless by such splendor?*

"Our situation has not improved."

'No, I would say not.'

Gash sighed, running his hands over his crimson eyes. A man who had sworn to himself he would not show weakness, a man who killed thousands. A man who had powers rivaling that of a God. Reduced to this, a pawn of a council who had no idea of the threats the faced!

"God damnit, Tellien! How can we..."

A single tear ran down from Gash's eye. Tellien's eyes naturally avoided his commander's weak state, but his tone kept the same military certainty- the military certainty he'd lost that day, aboard the Novallion.

'The Parliament has not yet decided, sir. It is possible, however unlikely, that-'

"My tear was not for myself. It was for my people."

Tellien's eyes snapped up from the floor, meeting Gash's gaze directly.

'Yes, of course, sir.'

The situation of the Rogue Order Naval Forces had grown very rapidly worse. The change of pace by the RogueNet broadcasts had merely aggrivated the situation- and holo of Virona and Gash leaving the pub where they had met shortly after one another had made it onto a competiting broadcast to Virona's. Her changed appraisal had lost all credibility.

Captain Tellien sat with his commanding officer in the Head of State's office. Outside, it had begun to snow. Ossus had quietly entered the winter season, the storms of weather outclassed by those of the political climate. The white flakes were a calm blanket of protection, but the screech of the siren on an OsSec speeder, as the vehicle chased an unknown target, served as a painful crescendo. A wail which mournfully reminded Gash of his situation.

'The military is still loyal to you, sir. Even if the Parliament revokes your control of the Rogue Order Forces, they will not stand down until you give the order.'

"You don't understand, Captain. I made this planet- I founded it. I built the society from nothing. I cannot simply cheapen the beaurocracy I created because I disagree with their dicision!"

'Permission to speak freely, sir.' Tellien's words suddenly garnered more attention, with a fierce tone.

"Of course."

'Do you believe the Syndic Mitth'raw'nuruodo forces are scouting Ossus for assault?'

"Yes."

'Do you believe they are lead by the Baron Soontir Fel?'

"I do."

'Do you believe their forces can devastate our world with surperior numbers and tactics?'

While not intended to, the comment stung Gash. But it rang true- he could not match Chiss tactical ability. "Yes."

'Then you can defy the Parliament, sir. You must.'

"I see," Gash replied, smiling slightly at the Captain. "I will think on your words, Captain Tellien. Thank you.

"Dismissed."

Tellien saluted, leaving swiftly from the room. Then, the communications console flashed brightly, a message contained within. A message which would change the fate of the galaxy.

The doors slammed shut behind her and all was silent. Inside the chaos room the city faded from view and the gigantic mech suit was removed from view, transported back into storage until it would be needed next. When that would be, Arriana did not know.

The suit, which she had affectionately termed as Strata, was her only mode of transport and only real weapon, aside from her twin saber of course. Though in the case of a galatic disturbance such things as lightsabers would do little to stop the enemy. The large artillery bound mech suit, however, would.

Galatic disturbance. A disturbance in the Force. Both were present now. There was much turmoil amongst the supposed Jedi of the galaxies, and the politicians of the planets were deep conversation, and digression, on the matters of the state. All trival matters no doubt, aside from the primarily important attacks that were taking place which they would, as always, neglect.

Arriana sighed; she destested politics.

"Cat, set the refresher up for me,"

She spoke to no one in particular as she slipped away the body suit that she wore upon entering a smal cubicle that came straight off of the main hallway. She stood beneath the hydroshower and looked upwards.

"Have the weeks news report in my study by the time I'm ready, Cat."

There was a short hum as the cleaning process took place, sending sound waves washing over her skin to rid it of the taint that the days training had created. The wall to her right slid away to reveal a set of dressing gowns, from which she selected a long crimson one and draped it around her frame before stepping back out into the hallway.

As she had requested, by the time she reached her 'study' the news reports from all of the available channels were set before her on her computer screen.

And they were certainly not good.

<font color=red>His robes swayed slightly as he emerged over the podium of Yavin IV's Massassi Temple, looking down at the score of Jedi down before him, watching and waiting with intent eyes, sparkling in all various colors, all focused on the emperor.

His ebony PeFauna marched on all sides of him, their stiffened staved plastered to their shoulders menacingly. Resting his palms on the podium, Fearsons cast his glowing crimson eyes amongst the Jedi awaiting his speech.</font>

"Fellow Jedi...of old and of new. Padawan learners...and masters of extreme training. Today I come before you...under the gravest of circumstances. I have watched my master learn, over the century and two years of my life I've seen Master Jiren progress as a great man, I've seen wonders such as the Empire both rise and fall.

"I've seen great Jedi Masters incarnate themselves to great formalities unseen. I have been trained both as a Sith by Lord Darth Vader himself, and as a Jedi by Master Organa herself. I was then trained by Master Jiren, and I was trained to hold a neverending feud with the Dark Lords of the Sith, and to slay them under any circumstances possible," <font color=red> Fearsons took a moment to inhale, dashing his scarlet orbs around to focus on not just one person, but all in the room.</font>

"Within recent times a new Dark Lord of the Sith has surfaced, a new terror and minion of the Dark Side of the Force. Diete Somir, the Dark Lord of the Sith. I'm sure you all have heard of him, but there is something I have unraveled that offers a new...disturbance in the Force.

"I bring to you now, the Rogue Jedi Order, a new revelation of Master Jiren. I bring to you,"<font color=red> the man's tanned hands lift to show a small remote control device. With thus he activates a holograph, showing the dealings of Diete Somir, and Master Jiren.</font>

"Behold the 'righteous' Master Jiren. Now you see how your incredible Master Jiren works, with his 'blood brother', the Dark Lord of the Sith, easily the most dangerous and evil man in existence at this point. Do we really want this blasphemere as a leader? This...liar? What Master is this?

Rather, my brothers, my kin, I offer you a new order. An order of new Jedi that offer not hatred, but desire and passion. The Shadow Jedi...aboard the Executor-Class Star Destroyer Celestial Corrupter, come with me...my brethren."

The council member of the Rogue Jedi Order, and son of the mentioned Dark Lord, sat silent listening to the rantings of a deranged man.

"Chadd, your theatrics may impress the general public, but they do little for my resolve. Gash Jiren is as solid as a stone. His heart is a pure one, his goals are honorable. His means are justified by his ends. Take your smoke and mirror show elsewhere, this council is not falling for it."

OOC: Corran, I'm going to jump ahead a little- in my next post, I'll jump back to when you entered Gash's office and address that. Thanks for your patience.

IC:
"NO!"

With a violent scream, Gash awoke in a cold sweat in his quarters on Ossus. In a dream, on bathed in the hatred cast by a man on the verge of his own destiny, Gash had witnessed the speach of Chadd Fearsons.

The evidence against the "Rogue Emperor" was laid, damning, before the Jedi Master.

Yet, through the guise of pain, Gash felt no anger toward Chadd. His scream had not been for the portion of his dream which had comprised the present, or the past.

His scream had been for the portion of his dream which had comprised the future.

A future in which Chadd Fearsons, like his original master, Darth Vader, before him, became all that Gash had feared. All that he despised; all that he taught against.

All that he consorted with.

That thought was fleeting. Nathaniel Somir's vision was clear on this matter, not guiled by hate and disgust, as Chadd's was. And yet, the uncertainty remained. An uncertainty buried beneath an ocean of grief...

Those who do not learn from the errors of the past, will repeat them in the future.

Hadn't Gash?

The Jedi Council had forbade the training of Anakin Skywalker, a young man who showed much promise. He was full of fear, his past was one which jepordized the Jedi.

The Jedi Council had outcasted and ended the training of Chadd Fearsons, a young man who showed much promise. He was full of uncertainty, his past was one which jepordized the Jedi.

Obi Wan Kenobi had trained Anakin Skywalker, disobeying the orders of the Council.

Gash Jiren had trained Chadd Fearsons, disobeying the orders of the Council.

Anakin Skywalker became the Dark Lord of the Sith.

Chadd Fearsons was falling to the Dark Side.

The evidence against Chadd Fearsons was laid, damning, before the Jedi Master.

* * * * *

The click-click of the sharp toed, Asthentian boots echoed through the halls of the Great Massassi Temple once more, though Gash Jiren still lay, in great and painful concentration, in his bed on Ossus. Each passing second threatened to steal Gash's mind away from him, the astral projection of himself draining away his power like no other technique.

Gash Jiren appeared, large as life and calm as ever, before the Jedi of the Rogue Jedi Order. How had Chadd gathered them all so quickly? Telekenesis? Persuasion? It didn't matter. Gash now found himself in the argument against the kind of heresy he himself had proposed to the Jedi Council, but on the opposite side.

The students and Knights, Masters and non-Force personel, all knew Gash was on Ossus. That he would arrive without a ship, in such due timing, was a mystery to them- all but to Nathaniel Somir, who had already stood by Gash in this time of tribulation.

The projection spoke to the congregated Jedi.

"I find myself in a position awkward for one such as myself; one labeled a heretic by the Jedi. I now find myself labeled as a heretic by my own student, Chadd Fearsons."

Gash's projection glanced meaningfully at Chadd, who stood by him, in front of the Rogues.

"No doubt, you do not believe Chadd Fearsons; he blasphemes someone whom some of you have built up as some kind of hero, in your minds.

"I am not a hero."

The projection looked down.

"I do not dispute his words. My former apprentice is not a liar. I am the blood brother of the Dark Lord of the Sith. I did meet with him clandestinedly, two months ago.

"I have formed a shadowed alliance with him.

"This is not something I seek to hide from you; it is a tool, a means to an end. Chadd speaks the truth; I have preached against the Sith. But I preached more strongly to the use of questionable means to achieve outcomes which are necessary."

The projection turned to Chadd again, Gash's red eyes determined and cold, but not bitter.

"Chadd is not a liar. But here, my students, my allies, my friends, is what Emperor Fearsons is: a hypocrite, a deciever, and an agent of the Dark Side. Perhaps not an agent of evil; not yet. But Chadd Fearsons stands before you today to bring you under his control; under the control of the Dark Side.

"My alliance with Diete Somir alliance which has benefitted the common good in ways you do not know! Even now, the Rogue Order Naval Forces gather over Ossus, because I heeded warning gathered by my alliance with Diete Somir.

"He speaks against me, because I have allied with a Sith. Yet here he stands, attempting to convince you to join him, and delve into the Dark Side. That is not logic. You believe an alliance with a Sith too dangerous, and yet seek to journey down a path fraught with darkness, one which will lead you into becoming what you fear?

"He speaks against me, because he says I decieve you. Has he mentioned his true intentions? Nay. He speaks only of my folly, and attempts to convince you to join him because of this.

"He speaks against me, because in his eyes, I am not "righteous". And yet, he stands before you, attempting to persuade you to give in, and use a forbidden tool; the Dark Side, the one mean I will not use.

"Follow him, if you wish. I do not control you, and I will not keep you here. But know, if you follow him, he will lead you into darkness; darkness you will never escape."

Gash Jiren's apparition dissolved, leaving only Chadd Fearsons and a group of bewildered Jedi.

<font color=purple>The emperor's eyes went wide suddenly at the sight of his master. In a fashion, he had hoped to conduct this meeting in total secrecy from the Jedi Master, but then again...maybe he had not. Hearing the taunts and the points brought up to him, Fearsons narrowed his now wide, scarlet orbs.</font>

"Listen, listen to me, I do not come before you asking to succumb to the Dark Side!"<font color=red> the persons in the room slowly died down their conversations to listen to Fearsons.</font> "What appears to be an over simplification is indeed just that...an over simplification. I have induced severe measures to make sure the Shadow Jedi do not grow to be another spawn of Sith hatred.

"Yes I must agree with my master, the Dark Side may be used as a result from such, but I am not consumed with evil. Look at me, do you feel it? Do you sense it in my heart? In my soul?

"I tell you now, I offer you my soul, my friends. I am not evil, nor are the Shadow Jedi. I do not even think Master Jiren is evil, merely...confused. I am not a hypocrite as he accuses, for I have never once said not to deal with the Sith, or meddle with the affairs of fear, anger, and hate.

"Anger, hate, they can be used as a tool. On the battlefield with evil, how better to prevent their advance, than to force them back...with force! The Force!"