On Ossus...

Who knows where this story began?

Who is to say just when this set of events was put in motion? Perhaps it was when Gash Jiren became a Jedi, or before, or perhaps when he first became a Rogue Jedi -- two years before the events that follow -- or when he colonized Ossus, a year and a half before.

Regardless, two years after the Rogue Jedi Order was founded by a frustrated Gash Jiren, it was torn apart.

The story began in earnest with a discovery. A single ship, which set a cataclysmic set of events in motion. One CAPTAIN XENETH TELLIEN, made the discovery of a single Clawcraft -- the infamous fighters of the Chiss. The craft was destroyed, and it's hulk shown to GASH JIREN, President and High Jedi Master of the ROGUE JEDI ORDER, and High Admiral of the NEW REPUBLIC.

In a panic, Jiren consulted the Dark Prophets of his longtime friend, and blood brother, the Sith DIETE SOMIR, with whom Gash had formed a shady alliance. The prophets revealed the coming of a great evil; the forces of Syndic Mitth'raw'nuruodo -- GRAND ADMIRAL THRAWN.

Gash Jiren recalled the fleet of the Rogue Jedi Order into the Ossus system, to the shagrin of the RJO's ruling council, the OSSAN PARLIAMENT. That night, his apprentice, the ROGUE EMPIRE's ruler, CHADD FEARSONS, defected from the Rogue Jedi Order in a heated debate between the two Jedi. In the end, Chadd left to found the new organization, the ORDER OF THE SHADOW JEDI.

Meanwhile, the plans for a full assault on the Rogue Jedi world were being laid by the likes of IMPERIAL INTELLIGENCE operatives, JULIUS JIN and CISCERO. Behind the attack, the mastermind General SIMON KAINE was preparing the Imperial Fleet for battle.

VIRONA TY, the beautiful news agent working for RogueNet, was convinced by Gash Jiren -- with whom she shared a truly odd relationship -- to cease broadcasting of sentiments against him, fearful of the loss of power in the Ossan Parliament it could result in, especially after Gash's hasty recalling of the Rogue Jedi forces. She agreed.

And died for it, at the hands of a Thrawn agent.

In the offices of the Ossan Parliament, a single secretary was murdered in secrecy by the cloned Sith son of Gash, XIREON JIREN. The murder weapon, when the corpse was discovered, was found to be none other than the BLADE OF KLAIN, the ceremonial weapon Gash had used to preform a ressurection ritual upon his former master (when he'd been a Sith), RECON KLAIN. The evil weapon lead him on towards a battle with Xireon, even as the first of Grand Admiral Thrawn's preperatory assaults occured, taking a system near Ossus. Thrawn used Jiren's own tactic -- the "Jiren Split" -- against him.

Xireon and Gash confronted each other at the TEMPLE OF TYR, Gash wounding the younger and less powerful Force-user. In an uncharacteristic villains exposition, Xireon revealed something of his plan; that he was allied with the Rogue Jedi Order's as-yet-unknown enemy.

To the horror of soldier Captain N'IKTAL JIREN, the corrupted official and servant of Thrawn, CHEIF OFFICER DRAYIL, used his OsSec police forces to arrest and detain the vast majority of the Rogue Jedi Order troops, all over the planet. The unexpected assault occured, however, primarily in the most heavily-defended capital district of the Ossus cities, Orilcia. The officer was assissted in his evil deed by his surperior in the chain of Thrawn's command, a man known as Xex. They then set free the criminals being held in the various prisons, increasing the chaos; one of them was the Yevetha YZAN SPRET, imprisoned for xenophobic acitivities typical to his isolated race.

Then, as the first of Thrawn's forces -- vessels of the CHISS IMPERIUM -- arrived in the Ossus system, the oppertunistic and immoral politician and senator of Aargau, JERECK MUSAILE, had the power over the Rogue Jedi Order wrested from Gash Jiren's hands, using Gash's continuing absence during his battle with Xireon as a basis to constitute inability to lead. The Ossan Parliament, moved by Musaile's powerful speachmaking, voted with the man, and Gash was dethroned from his position as President of RJO -- over the quiet opposition of the Sullustan Speaker of the House, Firel Nekkelon.

In the shadows, disturbed by the actions of Musaile, Commodore STERIK DARKEL (an agent of the HAPAN CONSORTIUM, assigned as an undercover guard to Jereck Musaile because of Musaile's own Hapan heritage) contacted his surperiors, alerting them to the dire situation.

As the forces of Thrawn, out of hyperspace, enroached on Ossus, Captain Xeneth Tellien was promoted to General by GENERAL SYNSHORE and the other military contacts of Senator Musaile -- another move to consolidate their base of power, and shake Gash Jiren's. The Imperial agents, Julius Jin and Ciscero, sent the final confirmation signal to the Imperial fleet waiting just beyond the fringes of the Ossus system, and the EMPIRE's attack on Ossus began simultaneously to Thrawn's.

As the Imperial and Chiss forces encountered each other, and combat began between they and the Rogue Jedi Order ships, Thrawn orchestrated the sublimation of Imperial forces to his will. The combined might of the two forces broke the line quickly enough, and began sending transports -- and Katana Dreadnaughts -- to the surface below. The Dreadnaughts used their single warhead launchers, equipped with low-radiation-yield atomic warheads, to devastate Ossus' cityscapes, destroying most buildings and leaving only duracrete hulks in their place, one or two stories tall. Millions died in that initial bombardment.

On Hapes, as news of the attack reached the ruling aristocracy, Hapan Queen Mother VESSANA DIONYSUS forbade the Hapan forces from journeying to Ossus to assist the Rogue Jedi, fearing they were beyond help and sending their ships would only result in the death of more Hapans than those already guarding Senator Musaile. This displeased the Crown Prince, DAKKON DARKSWORD, but he was powerless to change it in the matriarchal Hapan society.

On the Imperial ship, the GALACTUS, news reached General Simon Kaine of the commander of the Chiss Forces; Grand Admiral Thrawn. Confident that, with the help of the brilliant commander, he would be able to defeat Gash Jiren -- whom he still considered his nemesis, though the two had never met, after the Battle of Dantooine, during which forces under Admiral Jiren's command had brutally crippled the Galactus -- he complied with the order to send forces to the surface, and even accompanied them.

Chiss forces, some of which were under the command of VELIL X'CANNOTH -- infamous for his part in the Battle of Wayland, where the Naboo Sith Order Eclipse Star Destroyer, Sugarcult, was destroyed -- held position on the edge of Orilcia city, trapping the Rogue Jedi forces inside and forcing them to fight the troops of the Empire and Chiss Imperium. This, as part of Thrawn's plan to gather information on the Rogue Jedi Order citizen's psyche. Even so, the Rogue Jedi Knight, ARRIX STRYKER, assaulted the OsSec held Triyahel Detention Centre and set free the captured Rogue Jedi troops, greatly helping the survival of the Jedi.

Gash Jiren, fighting for his life against the invading Chiss, discovered a group of Ossan soldiers entrenched in a building, lead by one of his many nephews, N'IKTAL JIREN. N'iktal lead Gash down, to the underground makeshift headquarters cobbled together by the surviving members of the Ossan military, commanding covertly the remaining forces on Ossus. Gash took command, ordering a strike.

Yzan Spret escaped Ossus on a Chiss Clawcraft, returning to the N'zoth system and enlisting the aid of the Yevethan organization, THE DUSKHAN LEAGUE, lead by the Viceroy, JIAN PARET. The Viceroy dispatched an Assault Cruiser to discover if the criminal's claims where true. Meanwhile, two others allies of the Rogue Jedi Order -- CORRAN HORN, and DAREN TREVELAN (the commander of ROGUE SQUADRON) fought on, Corran on the ground with those OsSec officers not corrupted by Drayil, and Daren in orbit.

Gash, accompanying N'iktal's squad of soldiers en route to the communications array which Gash knew he'd need to contact the forces lead by General Tellien in orbit, recieved a communique from headquarters. Arrix Stryker's squad of men had been ambushed in a city street. The squad sped off towards them, as, on N'zoth, Viceroy Jian Spret dispatched a full Yevethan taskforce, fully convinced by scanner readings from the assault cruiser.

SLAVATIO ISOLDER, once a Prince of Hapes, and his guards KIR KANOS and KILE HANNAD -- likely on Ossus to begin with because of his homeworld's special interest in the battle, and Senator Musaile's Hapan origins -- proceeded along with him to the ambush point of Arrix Stryker's squad, where Gash and his men were pinned down along with Arrix by the devastating fire of the Chiss.

The Yevethan craft entered the system, as the Force-sensitive Vessana Dionysus sensed the carnage on Ossus, and rescinded her order to avoid joining the battle, sending Dakkon Darksword with a sizable taskforce. Chadd Fearsons, observing the Battle of Ossus from afar, recieved a communication from Vice Admiral DAK BLACKBLADE -- reporting the destruction of a Victory Star Destroyer by a group of TIE Interceptors.

As Gash Jiren disposed of the Chiss forces attacking Arrix's thousands of men, the first of the Yevethans landed on Ossus, in a daring run of dropships. Once Arrix and his forces had recovered -- and retrieved several thousand other wounded civilians -- they were joined by the Yevethan troops, led by GENERAL AGANT. They proceeded as a mass force to the communications array, with no inkling that they were being led on by the secret intentions of Grand Admiral Thrawn's devious plot.

Finally, four hundred Hapan vessels arrived in the system, though whether it would be too late to save Ossus was yet to be seen. However, it soon became quite apparent that while a fair portion of Yevethan and Rogue Jedi craft remained, they were disorganized and defeated -- and that Admiral Thrawn was quite in control. Bruised and battered, Jian Paret ordered and began the long process of a retreat.

Simon Kaine continued to battle the Ossan troops, who grew more and more disorganized, and began moving his detachment towards the capital of Ossus, Orilcia. On the Tachyon, a Super Star Destroyer, General Tellien's men detected the approach of a shuttle from the planet -- one holding, surprisingly, Senator Musaile and a suspiciously select group of other politicians. Tellien allowed Musaile aboard, and the man quickly ensured that Tellien would hold his position defending Ossus.

At the communications array, Gash, Arrix, and the Yevethan and Ossan forces -- with the Ossan force comprised primarily of civilians toting weapons taken from the Chiss. In those moments, with the true terror of the situation apparent, the savagery of the Ossans became lethal. They struck, and took the communications array, Gash defeating the Exo-Suit leading them, a mechanical menace piloted by Xex Tirion, the man who corrupted Chief Officer Drayil. This, only to be contacted by Thrawn himself, bearing a message of contempt. He revealed his trapping of the Ossans in the city, how the entire battle had only been a ruse to attempt a peer into how Ossans fight.

Gash Jiren ordered the Rogue Jedi Order forces to retreat, and General Tellien -- trusting his former Admiral -- complied, even as Senator Musaile objected obsinantly, for unknown reasons.

This revelation drove Gash Jiren into a state of rage and hatred, on the border of the dark side. As the Hapan ground forces joined them for the final assault on the primary Chiss compound -- the Ossan Parliament Palace -- Thrawn ordered the Imperial forces to hold that position, and to fortify themselves.

The battle began with savage ferocity, as the Ossans through everything they had at the enemy; their hate, their loss. Gash Jiren fell to the Dark Side of the Force, giving in to the hatred in his heart and drawing the Blade of Klain -- used by Xireon to kill the woman in the Ossan Parliament Palace offices -- to slaughter the Imperials mercilessly. Hundreds fell to his hand, as he unleashed the blade's capabilities upon them. As the battle dragged on, Gash nearly killed an Ossan soldier, discovering to his horror how far into his hatred he'd escaped.

Then, as the Ossans began to make for the Katana Dreadnaughts left in the complex by Thrawn, an orbittal bombardment began from the Malcontent, a destructive rain of fire which began levelling Orilcia, spreading destruction. Thrawn had turned upon the Empire, the force he once served, killing them as well as the Ossans. Four of the five Dreadnaughts were destroyed before they could take off; only one, the one on which the five thousands Ossans escaped, survived. The Imperial forces, lead by Simon Kaine, escaped on their own transports, and, in a brilliant move, ran the gambit of the orbittal bombardment alongside the Ossan forces, escaping Ossus and striking the Chimaera II -- Thrawn's flagship -- with a turbolaser blast to the bridge, killing CAPTAIN HEIREL, Thrawn's protege.

The Hapans, Yevethans, and Rogue Jedi Order forces retreated, beaten and battered. Of the seven hundred million on Ossus, only five thousand escaped.

And, as a new day dawned upon Ossus, Senator Musaile crafted his plans on the New Republic capital of Corellia.

In the week since the invasion...

Senator Jereck Musaile, as oppertunistic as ever, has seized control of the Rogue Jedi Order in the absence of Gash Jiren, still exiled by his rejection. The New Republic Supreme Military Chancellor, Xylon Hexyra, though secretly objecting to the Hapan-Aargaun's leadership, is forced to comply with the man's new position as head of the Order his friend and compatriot founded, bound by his dedication to the New Republic. In the shadows, one of Gash Jiren's few remaining prominent supporters, the Sullustan Firel Nekkelon, has dispatched the New Republic Ubiqtorate Agent, Kasien Treseda, to Hapes, for reasons unknown.

Thrawn's invasion has continued, as terrible as the strike on Ossus. The worlds surrounding the Rogue Jedi Capital have been quelled easily, and battles have begun in New Republic, Imperial, and Corporate Sector space. Battle lines have been drawn, as the galaxy panicks and struggles to understand the events which have unfolded thus far. Incredible victories have been scored under mysterious circumstances in some systems, with Chiss fightercraft and small capital craft defeating incredicble odds.

The Hapans have retreated to their own system, while the Yevethans recover and regroup in the Stenness Node asteroid belt, their intentions as yet unknown.

Gash Jiren, Arrix Stryker, along with the civilians, soldiers, and military leaders who escaped on the Dreadnaught, have retreated away to worlds on the Rogue Jedi - Imperial border. Jiren himself left the Dreadnaught -- a temporary base for what is quickly becoming an organization -- soon after the attack, fleeing off to the rifts near the Exocron System. After the slaughter at the Ossan Parliament Palace, Gash realized the evil, semi-sentience of the Blade of Klain, which had swayed him towards the Dark Side of the Force, and placed it in the possession of the Aing-Tii monks, for safe keeping.

And it is here, that the continuation of SHADOWS ON A FIST, the tale of Thrawn's invasion, begins...

Exocross Station, Xecoron System, Exocron Sector

"...As you can see, as this dust cloud over much of the planet continues to expand, the enormity of what has occured here is only beginning to become apparent. A terrifying tragedy has occured here, and it's implications are only beginning to be known..."

Gash scowled, turning his eyes away from the holoprojector, and back towards his drink. Another news agency, babbling on about what they didn't understand... what they couldn't begin to understand...

At one point or another, the Exocross Station had been a frigate of some sort, presumably a cargo transport freighter similar to those used by the rebellion. Sometime during the civil war, it had been disabled by the ion cannons of an Imperial craft, destroying the life support and killing the crew. Apparently, neither side had won the battle conclusively, because it was left to orbit around the planet Xecoron, twenty lightyears from the Exocron system. It had been salvaged and reactivated by a group of smugglers, and, over the years, became an important spot for smugglers and the other scum of the outer rim.

It had been added onto repeatedly, until it barely resembled the large cargo hauler it had once been. Now, it contained numerous shady bars and cafes, where one could avoid excess attention in the conveniently located shadows.

The bar bustled with all manner of beings, most of whom radiated an aura of misdeeds. Gash percieved only the edge of this, as he continued to be largely cut off from the Force after the slaughter of the Ossan Parliament Palace battle. The shadows covered him completely, but as his contact strode in, the man still managed to find him.

N'iktal Jiren strode into the bar boisterously, knowing keeping to himself and acting shady would draw attention. He tossed a few credits to the barkeep, making a wise crack at a particularly ugly alien sipping a Ruby Bliels, and swaggered back to sit in Gash's booth.

'Fancy meeting you out here.' He said, smirking slightly.

"Isn't it, though," Gash replied, hunched over his Corellian brandy. "Terrible drinks, out here... I guess I'm so used to fine Alderaan wine that anything else tastes like bantha meat..."

'Which is a delicacy on Tatooine, these days.'

"Yeah." Gash said, taking another sip. "Did the order from Karrde's people come in?"

'Yep. Three hundred Tenloss Disruptor Rifles, fresh to order... and highly illegal, you realize.' N'iktal said, a note of trepidation in his voice when he spoke the name of the deadly weapon.

"I know."

Silence, for a moment.

N'iktal leaned forward. 'Why are we meeting out here, anyway?' He asked, quietly.

"I had business."

'With who? The Aing-Tii monks?' The soldier asked, jokingly.

"Yes, actually."

N'iktal frowned. 'You're kidding.'

"No."

'...does this have to do with the Blade of Klain?

Gash shifted in his seat. "Maybe."

Super Star Destroyer Tachyon, Corellia System

Tellien secreted the blaster up his sleeve, slipping it in the secret pouch. He did so quietly, the room's lights dark, as if someone was about to walk into his office, and intrude on his preparations. He propped his feet up on the desk, basking in the calming darkness, staring pensively out the viewport and contemplating the implications of what had occured during the Ossan invasion, and after.

One particular thought came up, over and over.

Senator, now President, Musaile.

As if called by some cosmic desire for irony, the President stormed into Tellien's office, clearly having still not resolved his anger from the events of the Battle of Ossus. Tellien had directly disobeyed his orders to remain in the system, instead following Gash Jiren's cryptic command to retreat.

'General Tellien.' Musaile muttered by way of greeting. 'We have much to speak about.'

"Do we?" Tellien responded, continuing to stare out the viewport.

'Don't you dare speak to me that way, Tellien. Not even for a second. You disobeyed a direct order! You committed insubordination, in a public place, in front of every officer onboard that bridge!'

"Your point?" Xeneth retorted, finally glancing at Musaile. "You have no knowledge of tactics. Jiren --"

'Was thrown out of the Order for a reason, need I remind you! He is not fit to lead!'

"More fit than you."

Musaile was furious. He slammed his hands on the desk, Tellien's feet falling off in surpise. 'How dare you!? I made you a General, yet you treat me with not an inkling of respect! Do you know how weak your disobeying me makes me look? Do you know how it shifts my power base, to have the men see their General treating me like Bantha snot?!'

"I'll bet I do." Tellien stood up, turning around, gritting his teeth.

'What is that supposed to mean? You will face me, and speak frankly!'

Tellien turned, shaking his head. "You see this? This... this thing? This, is why good people hate us. This is why, every year, and probably for the next twenty years, we fight a war against an enemy composed not of conscripts or draftees, but of willing citizens, doing what they believe is right!"

'How dare you --'

"No, how dare you, Musaile. Now, you're going have to realize that a war is no place for your political games and oppertunism, and back off of my command, or I will resign my commission and wait for you in the tall grass, my friend, because you are everything that is killing this Republic!"

'THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH, GENERAL! You have stepped over the line for the last time!'

Tellien scowled. "I don't think so, General. The Senate might think you're some kind of paragon of justice, and they might even fear your authority, but I can see right through you." He removed the rank insignia from his uniform, in the sign of resignation.

Musaile fumed. 'Get off my ship.'

"With pleasure." Tellien stepped around the desk, proceeding towards the door. "But mark my words, President." He said, as the port shot open. "Without Jiren, there is no Rogue Jedi Order."

Keeveril Bar, Tocan City, Hapes

Kasien hunched over his cup, as if to fully enjoy the drink in privacy. Bringing his arm up to his mouth as if to rub the stubble above his lip, he brushed the "On" button of his communications transmitter, and placed the arm back by his side. Inconspicuously, he muttered into the thing, "Firel?"

Returning back to his drink, knowing that the Sullustan would need to get to a secret place in order to reply, Kasien downed his Ruby Bliels and motioned the barkeep to bring him another, tossing a card with an unlimited credit line to him. A reply came, in that slightly-off Sullustan approximation of Basic. 'Illmatter?' The voice came, speaking Kasien's callsign.

"Yeah." Treseda responded, being sure to sound casual about it. The words "agent" and "acknowledged" would be sure to turn up in varying degrees of comm scan searches. Regardless, true codespeaking wasn't quite necessary -- nor, was it truly possible, as Firel Nekkelon hadn't had the time to learn any of the NRI codes before sending Kasien on this mission to Hapes. "I got here fine."

'Good, good, son.' Firel said, furthering the image for any would-be interceptors of the conversation that this was just a contact between friends, or relatives. 'I trust all is well?'

"Well enough. Uncle Eliasum is building quite a farm on our ranch... I think he's even got some friends helping out." Kasien said, knowing that a transcript of the conversation would be taken by Firel, enough for him to see that Eliasum was Musaile backwards, and that farm meant he was acquiring a set of allies, with the help of agents.

'Sounds great.' Firel replied. 'I've got to go... grandfather's planning an outing. Eliasum called him yesterday, says he's got some crops near the fence on our property to harvest.' Kasien's agile mind sorted through the message... grandfather was their code-word for Xylon Hexyra. The edge of the fence was the edge of New Republic space; Musaile had found a target for Xylon to hit.

"Alright --" Kasien began, stopping abruptly. A target? Musaile hadn't the authority to send out Xylon, or the military knowledge to select a target. That meant he had friends, supporters in the military -- which meant that he was staging a coup. Treseda swore softly. "Maybe I'll see you."

A click disengaged the conversation, as Kasien stood up from his drink and glanced about, acting bewildered and intoxicated. To the left, just out the window, there was a figure walking past... stepping rigidly, but quickly. Kasien's trained eye easily recognized the man as someone with something to hide... one of Musaile's men. He staggered over to the door, opening it and stumbling outside -- mock-tripping over hismelf, right into the man. Stunned, the other backed away, as Kasien fumbled down the street, towards the alley behind the bar.

Even the most green agent knew that someone pulling the drunk stunt and falling into you was a dead giveaway; that much, Kasien counted on. As he rounded the corner, he sensed the man following him in his peripheral vision, trench coat swaying as he closed the distance fast.

The man came into the dark alleyway as Kasien turned around, grinning stupidly. The man threw a punch -- one Kasien could have dodged, but chose not to. He moved with the blow, staggering to the side. He continued to look at the other, acting drunk.

'Drop the act, buddy,' The man said, quite sternly.

Kasien laughed, doubling over and continuing to act as if intoxicated. He slipped his hand over the blaster pistol he kept in a secure holdster near his waist. 'I said drop it, you --'

Kasien's hand came up, blaster in it, smashing the butt of the weapon into the man's jaw with a resounding crack. The bone broke, and he fumbled back, holding his face in agony, as blood poured out of his mouth. Kasien threw another punch at the man's face, sending him falling to the left, into the duracrete wall. Treseda raised his blaster, and fired one shot into the man's chest.

As he fell dead, Kasien bent over the corpse, feeling inside the man's jacket. From a pocket, he pulled a single recorder-reciever, likely carrying Kasien and Firel's conversation.

Rookie.

Whoever he was, though, he wasn't Musaile's main agent... that much, was certain.

But Kasien hadn't time for that.

With Musaile's little maneuvering of Xylon, the New Republic was in more danger than ever. He headed towards the spaceport, praying he wouldn't be too late.

Exocross Station, Xecoron System, Exocron Sector

"...and now, joining us, is Speaker Firel Nekkelon, Speaker of the House for the Ossan Parliament and a Senator of the New Republic. He comes to us with his analytical insight into the events of the past few days, including the oft-overlooked political element. Welcome, Mr. Nekkelon."

"Thank you."

"Now, a lot has been made of President Jereck Musaile's quick assumption of power in the Rogue Jedi Order -- some say, it was far too quick, Jiren's seat not even getting cold. Almost too quick for us to assume Mr. Musaile was merely performing his responsibility."

"President Musaile was doing just that; his responsibility. As one of the senior Senators in both the New Republic and the Rogue Jedi Order, he was obliged to ensure that Gash Jiren's legacy lived on; thus far, he has done a superb job..."

Gash paused mid-sentence, glancing at the holoprojector. The news agency symbol in the bottom, reading VNN -- the Vinda News Network -- expanded to fill the screen, and the segment ended. Gash looked at N'iktal incredulously. "Did you hear what he just said?" Gash asked.

'Something about what a great job Musaile is doing?' N'iktal said lazily. 'Load of kriff, if you ask me, yeah...'

"Yes, that." Gash said, a slight smile gracing his lips for what may have been in the first time in weeks. "Do you know who that Sullustan was?"

'No.'

Gash's smile grew. "That was Firel Nekkelon. He hates Musaile, with a passion, both publicly and privately. He was a personal friend of mine, the Speaker of the House."

'...so your buddy switched sides?'

"No, no." Gash said, waving his hand dismissively. "That was our codesign... our query, if we were ever separated. He's trying to contact me."

'Sure you're not imagining things?'

"No, not at all... provided we still have allies in the Republic, we still have a chance." Gash said, standing up. "Let's get out of here."

THOLATIN, TTR SPACE

KAMON HAD BEEN TRAINING IN THE TRAINING AREA SINCE HE HAD HEARD OF WHAT HAPPENED AT OSSUS. HE WASN'T ENTIRELY SURE THAT MASTER GASH HAD MADE IT OUT, BUT HE WAS SURE CORRAN HAD. HE HAD CONTACTED CORRAN SOON AFTER THE BATTLE, AND ASKED HIM TO COME TO THOLATIN. HE HAD SOMETHING HE WANTED TO DO WITH THE PADAWANS HELP.

KAMON WAS PREPARING TO GO UP AGAINST THE SITH THAT WERE WORKING FOR THRAWN. THEY WERE POWERFUL AND HE NEADED TO BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING HE COULD IN ORDER FIGHT THEM. HE HAD STRENGTHENED HIS SHIELD, AND PRACTICED SPARK OF THE LIGHTSIDE (WHICH HE HAD GOTTEN GOOD AT). AT THE MOMENT HE WAS PRACTICING WITH HIS LIGHTSABER.

HE TWIRLED AROUND THE FIELD, PARRYING, JABBING, SLICING, JUMPING, PUSHING OBJECTS, AND SETTING OTHERS ON FIRE. NOT LIVING OBJECTS, OF COURSE. ONE OF HIS AIDS APPROACHED HIM.

"Sir, we belive that Master Gash is alive. Corran Horn sent us a transmission that said he had been with Gash on the ship he left in, but got a concussion while onboard and couldn't remember anything else." THE WOMAN SAID.

"I believe he is still alive as well, Dakari. But I can not contact him for fear of the message being intercepted. Tell the kitchens to began preparing a feast. I believe Corran will be here soon." KAMON ORDERED.

"Yes, sir." DAKARI SAID AS SHE LEFT THE FIELD.

KAMON HEADED FOR HIS ROOM TO CLEAN UP. PLUS, HE STILL HAD TO PACK FOR THE MISSION HE WAS GOING TO UNDERTAKE. HE LEFT A MESSAGE WITH HIS SECRETARY TELLING HER TO CONTACT HIM WHEN CORRAN ARRIVED. THEN HE WENT TO HIS ROOM.

Xireon Jiren smiled, gazing upon his army. His armada, the key to victory, the key to everything. In the books of history, it would be this army that achieved immortality, as the fighting force which brought order to chaos, which overcame the darkness. With every warrior, it grew more exponentially...

He turned to Xex Tirion, smiling. "This, Captain Tirion, is true power. To command such a magnificent fighting force, not merely in mind, but in spirit and soul. They are our's."

Tirion nodded, not sharing Xireon's smile, but agreeing. 'True enough. Fyyar's experiments were quite successful.'

"Yes, they were." Xireon said, looking up at the sky. This world was a womb; the birthplace of... a plague.

Of the Achrions. "Of course, it was not merely his foreknowledge of this technology which will make these Achrions more effective than any soldier in history. They are a virus; they spread, infect a world with the technology Fyyar has given us, enslave it's people, and create more soldiers. More, and more, and more."

Xex, one of the first Achrions, raised an eyebrow. 'You sound as if this will consolidate your power.'

"Perhaps it will." Xireon said, smirking defiantly. "Regardless, we have become indispensible to Thrawn's cause. We, alone, will be his victory.

"And here, on Stronghold, it will begin."

"I have the count"

Jian turned around and faced his XO, expecting bad news.

"We have 183 vessels out of 600"

Jian winced.

"What of repairs?"

"All complete, we are ready for battle again"

"Thats the best news I have heard in days" Jian said. "Contact N'zoth and give Mase our position. I don't want the Council knowing where mwe are because they might try to recall us. But at least someone on N'zoth will know where we are"

"Yes sir"

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General Agant stood up from the conduit he was working on modifying when he heard his name.

"Dai neeka Agant" (General Agant)

The Yevethan General turned around and looked at the young officer who was striding up to him.

"Hesa?" (Yes)

(Grop'dal'fe hre shenst das be'la tee N'zoth" (We have received word from N'zoth)

"Yetll'tela 'bretou'chrech?" (What did the messege say)

"Hecres'dei la'nooka freet Mase Paret greh 'rbe'beeya feb nsbutou sija'na" (The Viceroy's son, Mase Paret, has given us word that some of our forces have survived)

Agant smiled.

"Whay'tou her cvvce" (Where are they)

"Dai Stennes Node chresh" (The Stenness Node System)

"Fretou! het'nikk agr dred sijsa Jiren masa gro'neekeo" (Excellent, We must tell Jiren when He gets back)

Agant turned back to the conduit, but with a new sense of hope.

occ:jeez kamon watch it with the caps lock

ic: <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> As Corran's X-Wing shot out of hyperspace in the THolatin system Corran reached out with his senses to feel the fdifferent people in the system and of course. To figure out if there was danger anywhere. As Corran's senses stretched out and brushed through the planet Tholatin Corran sensed the myriad species and people on the planet. He sensed Kamon like a little bright spot obvious due to his force prowress. He also sensed a watchfullness as if somebody was waiting for him. Corran smilled. That would be Kamon with a welcoming comitee all ready for him. But 2 can play at this game he thought.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"Q9 put us in full stealth mode. Change our transponder code and engine signauture to match another ship like maybe a Tholatin Republic X-Wing."

"Yes Corran." came the distinctly mechanical sounds of his astromech's responce

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Most X-wings had a small display screen that showed what a R2 or in this case a Q9 unit said but since Q9 had a basic vocorder and couldn't speak droidspeak as it was known the system couldn't translate properly. So Corran had installed a speaker system into his X-Wing that was hooked up to the vocorder. Stretching out with his senses Corran masked his presence in the force from Kamon. He had a little trick in mind.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

Later on Tholatin...
<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Up ahead Corran could ses Kamon practicing with his lightsaber. his concentration was absolute. Usually that was a good thing but this time it played right into Corran's plans. As he approached Kamon corran slowly drew his service blaster from it's holster. He was got about 10m behind Kamon. Then taking careful aim he blasted a tree off to Kamon's right. Kamon immeaditly turned towards the smouldering tree and it took him a few seconds to realize the shot had come from be hind him. When he turned around Corran let go of his cloak of deception revealing himself to Kamon.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"You wanted to see me?" he asked

<font color=808080>Talus watched the exchange between Xireon and Xex quietly, waiting patiently on the sidelines with no intention of intervening. Slowly, he cast his eyes away from the pair, and threw his gaze over the assembled army of Achrions, all deadly and ready for a war that had already been too long in coming.

The army that would bring the galaxy to it’s knees. The army that he had helped create.

His army.

The conflicting interest with Xireon on this matter didn’t bother Talus, although he perceived that it might in the future.

Still, plenty of time to plan, until then.

He moved off, walking down the lines of the assembled Achrions and running further inspections on them. Silently, his bodyguard Uraak fell into step a few paces behind, keeping close to any shadows he could find.

They are tense... Talus thought, as he walked, surveying the Achrions with his mind but keeping his own thoughts concealed to those around him. But they are ready, and eager. That at least is good.

They have been made well.

And as they all knew, the time for their use was growing near. Talus winced for a second as he thought of those who would die in the coming battles, their lives thrown away on the front lines as blaster fodder whilst the enemy weakened under the onslaught.

He wasn’t overly concerned with the loss of individual life, for Talus didn’t see the Achrions in that way. Moreover, he was just disappointed at losing the work hours that had gone into the warriors.

But it will be a sacrifice worth making.</font>