All That Remains: Ashes and Temples

[Marlon Kori]

Continued from here (http://71.19.154.126/forum/showthread.php?55506-All-That-Remains-The-Shroud-of-the-Dark-Side)...




The early drop from hyperspace had placed them on the edge of the Adega System.

They were close, but certainly not close enough. And as things went, they were honestly incredibly lucky that Dauntless had not torn herself apart. She'd come close though. Far too close. A hull breach while in hyperspace was something that had such terrible potential that Marlon Kori was himself in a fair amount of shock still, at the fact that they'd somehow managed to weather such a storm. He tried not to think too hard on the matter though, attributing their continued existence to the swift drop back into realspace and the cruiser's own fail-safes operating with particular swiftness. And past that? He had no desire to ponder the particulars. They were still alive, and that was all that mattered.

And so, while they did not exactly have the luxury of dropping out at Ossus, they were at least now passing into the system itself.

They would still make things right. They would still save the Alliance from the Jedi.

Picking his way through the scattered debris in the General's office, Kori scowled. The expression hadn't left his face ever since this whole thing began. A few lieutenants were clearing away the scattered remnants of Dan's destroyed furniture; splintered wood from the chairs that'd once been before his desk, shards of glass that had once been whole table tops. It was a mess. Crystal glassware that was now nothing but clear dust. It was all a grand display of destruction.

Jane Starborn's body had been removed, but the stink of death was still very much apparent.

Stooping down, Kori reached out to pick up an old holo. It showed the four of them; Dan, Lok, Dage, and himself after a particular long and drawn out engagement with the Empire on Vandelheim. Each of them looked tired, but there was triumph in their weary smiles. Things had been so simple back then.

What'd happened in the years that had passed?

Finally, he looked up at his commanding officer. Then his eyes went to the two other officers doing their best to clear away the mess.

"Balik, Chessen, leave it." He gestured to the doorway.

"Go back to your stations."

Both men looked at each other, then gave silent nods before removing themselves from the General's office.

Dan didn't even seem phased, other than the level look of simmering anger in his eyes as he seemed so lost in thought, detached from the rest of everyone aboard the ship.

Marlon Kori knew that look; or at least he had seen it many times before. Or perhaps he'd not seen this particular flavor of it? He'd heard once from Lok, that Dan had been previously married, but his first wife had been killed by the Empire. She'd not gone into detail about how he'd reacted. Now though?

He looked back to the holo, sighed, then made his way to where the General stood. What could he say? Dan seemed so utterly occupied with whatever occupied his mind.

The holo was held in a loose grip as he stood before the General.

"Dan... "

No answer.

"General?"

Still nothing.

Finally, and perhaps out of frustrated impatience, he took hold of the older man's arm.

"Dan," he gave a gentle shake.

"Gods, man, wake yourself up.."

[Darth Decepis]

Dan turned, but he was no longer Dan.

At last, Dan Thrule could be allowed to die.

Long live Darth Decepis, Dark Lord of the Sith.

May he rule forever.

The shadow turned to face Kori. He used his true face, but Kori chose not to see. The choice was not his to make. The Lord of the Sith held one of the three Urns of Korriban close to him, an aged finger running across the sith runes embossed on it's ancient surface.

"Has the fleet arrived?"

[Marlon Kori]

"They're forming up," finally glad for a response, Kori released the General.

He placed the holo on Dan's desk, letting the memory it gave him fall away.

"We've just passed into the Adega system. We'll be over Ossus in two hours."

Whether it was what his commanding officer wanted to hear, it was the truth of the matter.

"We're making best time, but even Dauntless' subs can only get us there so fast."

[Darth Decepis]

At rest, the Lord of the Sith's visage was a frown, but yet an inscrutable one.

"I've waited this long. What's two hours longer to me?"

Again, his fingers drew across the runes of the urn like a bow on a violin.

"Continue to serve me, and you will be rewarded."

Decepis turned from his office, heading through doors that would lead him to the bridge.

"Inform our ships of our location, and have them join us. Today, the Jedi Order finally falls, and a New Order begins."

[Marlon Kori]

Kori only nodded as he followed the General.

"Yes Sir."

He paid little attention to what Dan spoke of at the end; only the request to have the rest of the General's ships meet them was processed. He turned to a junior officer.

"Send word to the rest. Inform them of our situation, and order them to converge on our location."

Yes Sir."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"We're getting incoming from Dauntless, sir. There's been a Jedi attack, and they've been forced out of light speed at the edge of the Adega system."

What in the Goddess's name was happening? The Jedi were now making a move to take control over the Alliance? Nothing made sense anymore. Cirrsseeto had spent years helping to spirit Jedi to safety. He'd watched over them when they were on the run from the Empire. He'd rescued them for Coruscant, losing Layla in the process. Losing Sanis too. This betrayal cut deep.

"We're getting word from Captain Terrius. The rest of the task force is to rendezvous with Dauntless at their position, and move on to Ossus directly at sublight."

Cirrsseeto sat low in his seat, wordless. He had friends among the Jedi. How could this even happen? Zem? Lok? Abarai?

"Sir?"

And now, he was about to head to the new-found Jedi sanctuary world and put a stop to these people that he thought he knew so well.

"Captain Quez?"

Cirr finally looked up from his reverie at his comms officer. From there, he looked around to the other staff on the bridge. Every pair of eyes were on him.

"Set courrse forr Dauntless's last known coorrdjinates. Sound generral quarrterrs, and prreparre forr battle."

Novgorod suddenly righted her trajectory about, correcting for the jump to light speed. In a blink, she was gone.

[Q. Samus Dage]

* * *

in orbit over ossus





Life aboard the MC30c frigate Levantine had been an interesting life to become used to. Going from the familiarity of the Dauntless to a wholly new world was taking some getting used to, and Samus Dage wasn't so sure he liked this new life. Oh, it'd been his decision to finally take promotion, but the lanky blonde was grumpily adamant about how he wished he hadn't. Of course, such grumblings were soon followed by admitting that the time had finally come, and he at least had made efforts to keep in touch with his old friends aboard Dauntless.

"Mister Gellin," he spoke with a certain amount of breezy carelessness as he stepped onto the bridge.

"Sir?"

The young officer swiveled in his seat, sending his eyes to his superior.

"Inform Commander Khyber Star. Inquire as to whether their shipments have been offloaded yet, and also find out about those transports."

"Yes Sir."

Dage moved to his seat. His seat. It was a strange notion, to have command of a ship after so long. But, it was bound to happen, he supposed, and slowly lowering himself to sit, the blonde leaned back. His peace was disturbed however, by a voice speaking out from the sensor station.

"Sir, long range sensors are showing a ship at the edge of the Adega System."

Nothing surprising, really.

"And?"

A moment of pause before the officer went on.

"It's the Dauntless, Sir."

That got his attentions, and Dage leaned forward in his chair to look to the right, toward the sensor station and the woman who stared right back at him, her own eyes level as she held two fingers up to the small comm receiver fitted into her ear. She stared at him yet didn't acknowledge his questioning look as she listened to something that only she could hear.

"They're quiet, Sir. They sent out a transmission just a few minutes ago, but since then I get nothing. Don't know what the message was though; they kept it on their own coded channel."

Dage frowned at that.

"Switch to Passive eight dash keth dash two-two-three."

"Yes Sir."

She turned back to her terminal, fingers deftly passing over keys for a few moments before she paused, then gave a confused expression. She turned her questioning eyes to Dage.

"Sir, they're claiming a Jedi attack, and calling for the rest of the task force to form up."

He blinked at that.

"Excuse me?"

"That's about it, Sir. They say that they came under Jedi attack, and now they're calling the rest of Task Force 42 to rally."

Scowling, Dage slowly rose to his feet, his arms folding over his chest. He turned to one of his lieutenants.

"Get the Knight, Hicchoru."

[Anbira Hicchoru]

It took a few minutes for Anbira to be summoned from his task of helping to oversee the delivery runs to the fledgling Jedi camp at Sanctuary, but it took just one look at the Lieutenant who'd retrieved him for the Knight to sense something amiss in the force. Anbira moved with calm urgency to the bridge, sensing something in motion yet indistinct.

The doors to the bridge parted, revealing the nexus of the Mon Calamari frigate bathed in the typical uniform white tones that were readily associated with ships of the pescatoid master shipwrights. Anbira made his way around the observation ring to where Commander Dage was standing. The man seemed troubled, and that feeling seemed somehow connected to whatever Anbira had felt previously.

"Commander?"

Anbira stood calmly in his white armor, his hair drawn back into a ponytail.

[Q. Samus Dage]

Dage stood another moment longer, trying to parse the information that he had been given. It was confounding, to put it lightly. He knew Dan. Had served with the man for so long now that the old General's command habits had become entirely predictable to the blonde. He knew - for the most part - that there were no half-measures in his old friend's actions. Which was what made things so damnably confusing now. A Jedi attack? The notion was absurd; Loklorien was a Jedi herself, and Dage knew that there was nothing that would turn her against her husband. The two had been completely devoted to each other ever since he'd known them. There had to be some sort of mistake. Some mistranslated bit of a message.

Finally though, he turned to look down at the Jedi Knight who'd been assigned to help with the supply runs. A Jedi to provide oversight of a miasma of tasks that directly involved the Jedi themselves had been the best option, and Dage had welcomed the Knight onto his ship with a firm handshake and a good-natured clap on the man's shoulder.

Now, his mood was a sharp reversal, and his brow was knit in a scowl.

"Knight Hicchoru, we've got a contact on the edge of the Adega system. One of our own. They're saying they're the victims of a Jedi attack."

The obvious question didn't need to be voiced aloud.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"That can't be true."

It wasn't in a questioning tone. Anbira spoke with surety. However, the Commander's expression was nothing so resolute. The Jedi picked up on that, and frowned.

"It makes no sense at all. The Alliance are our steadfast allies."

And yet, Anbira's senses were rebuffed by that feeling of formless foreboding. Something distant and hidden.

"I sense no ill intention among anyone. If anything, I only feel relief that the Alliance has come to our aid."

Nothing made sense in what Dage was saying, and Anbira drew a hand up into his beard, tugging at a grasp of chin whiskers in thought.

[Q. Samus Dage]

A frustrated sigh, and Dage turned his eyes to the sensor officer. She turned to him in tandem, as if expecting his attentions.

"Still mostly the same thing, Sir. Talk about a hull breach, and... "

She trailed off, and he turned to face her. Again the far-off stare. Whatever she was hearing held her complete attention. Her features seemed to crease in disbelief, then shock.

"Sir, I- "

"Play it back on the speakers."

His order was firm and insistent. Whatever she'd heard he wanted to hear himself.

"Sir," her eyes went to the Jedi. "... I don't know if- "

"Lieutenant."

There was no mistaking the warning in his tone, and she nodded. Turning back to her station, she reached forward to toggle a small switch. The bridge speakers squawked for only a fraction of a second before the playback started. It was tinny and slightly distorted, but the words were unmistakable.

"All ships form ----- Dauntless has had to drop earl ---- under attack from the Jedi ---- Casualties ---- General ordering convergence on ---- "

The words were haunting, sounding like a ghost as they cut in and out. From this distance, their tap into Dauntless' comm lines was tenuous at best, but it was enough. Or at least, it was enough to generate a healthy sense of caution on his part.

Dage frowned. His first instinct was to make contact directly, but something told him to hold back. Instead, he again looked to Knight Hicchoru. His experiences with Lok had cemented a certain necessity in looking to those with a deeper grasp of the inner workings of things. And though the Jedi who now stood on his bridge was most certainly not his old friend, he knew well enough that the man had the same divining talents.

"Well?"

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira's hand slowed it's stroking through his beard as he listened. His eyes were fixed on the viewport and deep space beyond the curvature of Ossus.

"Commander, I have no cause to doubt the truth in that message."

Something still troubled Anbira greatly, and he wore his troubles in his expression as his eyes returned to Dage.

"But truth is a personal matter, and dependent on one's point of view. A ship of that size, so close to us, I should be able to feel conflicted emotions."

He shook his head.

"I don't sense anything. Nothing at all."

[Q. Samus Dage]

Dage made a face, and he turned a scowling expression from the Knight back out to the forward viewscreen. The options in front of him were of a limited nature, and he weighed each one with equal amount. This notion of a Jedi attack was worrying, and he had every reason to trust his old commanding officer's judgement, but there were also the words spoken by Anbira Hicchoru. The Jedi's own quiet response was laced with enough undertones of concern that Dage stayed any kneejerk reactions.

Any call to battlestations now would be foolhardy, and he finally returned to his seat. His lanky frame slowly lowered to sit.

"Send a tight-beam burst transmission to Command Dauntless. Ask if they need assistance."

The comm officer gave a nod.

"Yes Sir."

"Keep it short."

"Will do."

"And leave the channel open. If they want to send a holo through, let them."

The comm officer gave another nod, and Dage turned to level a serious look to his Jedi liaison.

"If they return transmission, I hope your divining skills are up to par."

[Anbira Hicchoru]

The look of concern on Anbira's face hadn't relented. He looked ahead, giving a tentative nod.

"I hope so too."

The lack of vision he held at the incoming ship was vexing. It was as if something was preventing him from having a closer look.

[Marlon Kori]

Aboard Dauntless


The comms officer turned in his seat, looking to the General and Commander Kori.

"We're receiving a transmission from the Levantine, Sir. She's asking if we need assistance."

Kori blinked at that, giving a questioning look to Dan.

"Levantine is Samus' new ship," he offered, though it was information he knew the General was already well aware of.

[Darth Decepis]

"So it is."

The Dark Lord of the Sith sat with assured calm in the command chair of the Dauntless. His mastery of the Dark Side, focused through the powers of the Korriban Urn held every member of his crew under his thrall. They belonged to him, as did Commander Dage.

Decepis smiled, an expression of supreme confidence in his own power and dominion.

"Put Samus on screen."

A subtle motion of a hand that went unseen by all eyes was the only sign of the veil slipping back on once again. Soon, the time for deceptions would be ended. Soon, there would no longer be a need.

[Q. Samus Dage]

Aboard Levantine


"They've requested a holo channel, Captain."

Pursing his lips, Dage only gave a nod as his arms came up to cross across his chest. He sent a glance to Knight Hicchoru, then refocused his attentions on the comm officer.

"Alright. Send it through."

A brief moment later, and a 1:1 scale hologram of Dan materialized from thin air to occupy the space in front of him. For his part, Dage rose from his own seat, finding his feet.

"You're a bit far from your normal lanes, General... " Again a look to Anbira, as if prodding the man to do whatever it was that Jedi do.

"Anything we can help you with?"

[General Dan]

The General's expression underlined the seriousness of the matter at hand. This wasn't the time to mince words, or to waste them on pleasantries.

"There's a reason, Commander. There always is."

A pause, and Dan clasped his hands together in his lap as he studied the hologram of his protege. He could only see Dage, and the surroundings beyond were obfuscated from his vision.

"There's been an incident, and I'm taking action to prevent a threat to the Alliance. What's the status on Ossus?"

[Q. Samus Dage]

"An incident... ?"

Blinking, Dage let a small silence hang in the air for only a moment before his eyes traveled from the translucent blue of his former commanding officer, and to the Jedi Knight standing a short step to his left. There was a strange, nagging pull that seemed to begin in the back of his mind, but the blonde did his best to ignore it. It was stubborn though, and his features darkened for a fraction of a second.

"Everything on Ossus is... " he grimaced, "... everything is going smoothly."

[General Dan]

The hologram was only of the Commander, though the Dark Lord was not limited by such meager sight. He already knew the answer to the question he was to ask.

"Are there Jedi aboard your ship?"

[Q. Samus Dage]

The nagging pull grew sharp, and Dage blinked in discomfort, his eyes narrowing to slits. A hand moved up to rub fingers against his temple as he looked to Knight Hicchoru once more. There was slight confusion building in the Commander's gaze, and a worry that accompanied it.

He turned back to Dan, and the finger at his temple moved away to hold up to the General.

"A moment?"

A quick knife motion with his opposite hand, and the holo froze. Dage turned to the Jedi. The concern in his eyes was evident, and he gave a slight wince as the pull grew in strength.

"What... is going on."

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"Commander, nothing is right about this." Anbira's words were terse and grave as he stared ahead at the frozen holo before them.

"I only sense one single purpose at work on that ship. There's no discord or dissonance. It's unnatural."

It could only draw Anbira to one conclusion.

"We are in danger."

[Q. Samus Dage]

He fought through the rising discomfort. The pull had transformed into a spike that was now driving further into his thoughts.

"Danger?"

He gave a scowl.

"Seems a bit much, don't you think?"

He ground his teeth in the beginning stages of frustration.

"You say there's a single purpose on that ship. What purpose are you sensing."

[Anbira Hicchoru]

The hermit Jedi frowned beneath his beard as his eyes traveled back to Dage.

"They're preparing for battle, as if every mind on the ship is in lock-step."

[Q. Samus Dage]

"Battle?!"

The notion seemed idiotic, and the rangy blonde was not shy of making it known.

"Now that can't be right. Maybe you're reading it wrong? Or maybe you've got a vac-tube going out in your head or whatever it is that could make Jedi powers go haywire?"

He frowned in confused frustration, his eyes locked with Anbira's in the vain attempt to suss out what exactly was happening.

"Battle?"

Swiftly he returned to the still-frozen holo, and a hand-motion later the connection was reestablished. Dage gave a sniff, staring at the General with a suddenly very critical eye.

"You expecting trouble to magic itself into existence, Dan?"

[General Dan]

The General had no patience for desultory conversations. His question had gone unanswered, even with a long pause.

"Are there Jedi aboard your ship, Samus?"

[Q. Samus Dage]

Impatience won out, as in the face of his now splitting headache, Dage was in no mood for cryptic dealings.

"Of course there is," he snapped, "We're finalizing the last shipments of cargo and supplies so it only stands to reason I'd have a Jedi on board."

[General Dan]

There was a subtle change in Dan's features. A hardening.

"Arrest them at once. If they resist, put them down."

[Q. Samus Dage]

An incredulous look descended over his features, and Samus Dage openly scoffed.

"Arrest them? Have you gone mad?"

The hard expression that met him gave no quarter.

A quick look to Hicchoru, and Dage shook his head as he addressed the General once more.

"Where's Lok? What does she have to say about your new-found insanity?"

[General Dan]

"She's dead. The Jedi killed her."

The General's demeanor was becoming more and more severe.

"I know the situation is extreme, and I'll allow you to question my order for that one time. Don't do it again, Commander. Time is of the essence."

[Q. Samus Dage]

It was as the word 'dead' met his ears that the spike in his mind jammed into his thoughts with so much force that Dage hunched forward, eyes screwing shut.

He very nearly snarled at the pain assailing him.

He turned wide, confused eyes to Anbira in a partial plea to sift through whatever mental fog was obscuring his magical inner Force vision and find some solution to the immediate problem of this gods-damned headache!

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira felt the intrusion a moment before the Commander went down, a presence through the force with power he'd never felt the likes of. Whatever it was, it was definitely coming from Dauntless and it was definitely putting the Commander down. The Jedi Knight knelt to where Dage stumbled, only to catch the sight of a half dozen blaster pistols trained on him.

"Wait!"

Wide-eyed, Anbira held up a hand to stay their intent.

"This isn't right! Give me the chance to make it so."

With both hands open to show he was unarmed, Anbira was reluctantly allowed to proceed. He placed each hand carefully at Dage's head.

"Commander Dage, hear me. Find my words."

Something terrible had a hold of him. They would have to work together to turn it loose.

[Q. Samus Dage]

"I hear you," came the growled answer, as Dage kept his eye on the Knight.

There was no real fear in his voice, only a discomfort and a fairly large amount of confusion. This driving dagger that thrust itself into his thoughts... it couldn't be natural.

"What... what's going on... "

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"I don't know."

Anbira's focus on Dage was total. He kept his head close to the Commander's, intense brown eyes meeting Dage's through a few errant strands of the hermit knight's long hair.

"But I will find out."

He could feel the smothering presence weighing down on Dage's mind with incredible power. It wasn't just a presence, it was a will. With a message.

Obey.

Through the overwhelming crush, Anbira could begin to feel more than this. There was anger and hatred both fueling this assault. With all of his power, Anbira pressed himself between, hoping to throw back the confusion and give Dage some breathing room. This was not his strength, however. He would need help.

"I need you...to stay on my voice. Talk to me. Tell me about a memory. A good one. Go there in your mind."

A sheen of perspiration began to form on Anbira's face. His defense of Commander Dage was taking a toll.

[Q. Samus Dage]

Dage focused on the Jedi with a new-found desperation. His breathing came in short bursts. Everything in his immediate world was magnified in that moment. He could feel the machined metal that formed the edge of the armrests being clenched by his white-knuckled hands. The recycled air seemed more biting to his lungs. His heart felt as though it was determined to pound its' way out of his chest.

Tell me about a memory...

A good one...

A good memory... a memory of happiness...

So far out of his element now, Dage couldn't keep the feeling of helplessness from flaring to life. It was something that scared him, and the rangy blonde felt as though he'd been jettisoned out into space and then told to dance.

The spike in his mind had changed into a pressure, pushing against his own will with such intensity.

A thin rivulet of blood snaked its' way down from one nostril then.

"I... "

His brow creased in the effort of remembrance.

"Samus! Samus where are you?!"

The voice cut past the pressure like a shining beacon. It was a pure voice, reaching out from his past.

"I'm not going to keep looking for you forever!"

And in the here and now, so far away from that voice, Samus Dage blinked in shock.

"Coraline... ?"

The voice in his thoughts had sounded so real, as if striking his ears. In that moment a weak smile found purchase on his lips.

"Samus Dage, Mother is going to tan your hide if you don't come in for dinner!"

[Anbira Hicchoru]

In the process of defending Commander Dage's mind, Anbira fell into the vivid recollection.

The colors were wrong, attributable to the fallacies of memory. Greyscale in parts, other colors impossibly vivid. It felt strange, Anbira realized, being here at all. These were the memories of a person. Even a glimpse felt like a violation, but it was a violation that Anbira hoped the besieged Dage would permit, given the circumstances.

Thunder peeled against a cloudless sky, and Anbira knew it was the dark presence trying to foist itself upon the bastion. The Jedi pushed against the incursion, diminishing the sound overhead. For now, there was hope. Anbira turned to see Dage reliving his moments. He needed to keep both eyes open, and to know who he was. If Dage had any doubt, the dark side would provide it's own narrative.

[Q. Samus Dage]

The boy was no more than fourteen years old. His blonde hair was disheveled and wild, and his smile was wide as he ran through tall blades of wiregrass. He'd heard his name being called, the voice of his younger sister, Coraline, carrying easily over one of the rolling pastures of their family's farmland. There was no real need to answer back, since it was enjoyable enough to listen to the sound of Coraline's voice becoming more and more angry.

A flash as the world around ebbed away like the sands of an hourglass.

And in the next instant a door was flung open. The boy - again - stood in the threshold. His chest heaved, and his smile remained...

Both of his eyes were wide as he stared at Knight Hicchoru. It was a strange reliving that was playing out in his mind; not unwelcome, but still surprising.

Again the name found life on his tongue.

"Coraline... "

Her face filled his vision, delicate features looking at him in that old smirk.

"There you are!"

The old excitement was growing. He could feel it blossoming once more. One hand reached out to grasp the side of the Jedi's neck in a firm grip.

"Coraline," his whispered voice was trembling with fresh anticipation brought back into being from so many years past, "I found the smuggler's treasure!"

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Anbira moved in willing steps in his mind's eye. Here, he was a part of the memory. An artifact moved on the wind. The stronger Dage found what he was looking for inside, the better he would resist the maelstrom beyond.

Here, he was seeing the world through Dage's imaginings, through a memory with a woman in his past. The feelings Anbira could sense were as true as he could have asked. Something happened here that left an indelible mark upon the Commander.

[Q. Samus Dage]

"I found it!"

Coraline's face blinked out of existence. Colors filtered into view then, swirling about in a wild, twisting manner before melting away like heated color-sticks. There was a strange moment of peace before the whispering of a phantom wind could be heard. The whispering grew, and ahead shone a small light. It flickered, throwing dancing white light against the darkness of a cave.

Dage gripped the Knight tightly as another thread of blood dripped down from the other nostril.

"I found it," he gasped.

He watched in giddiness, eyes focused on nothing of the world in which he now existed.

"Samus it's the treasure!"

Coraline was on her knees, kneeling beside her older brother as the both of them dug with their bare hands. The soft earth gave way easily. Their fingers scraped against old wood, and each dug knifed hands into the side, grasping metal handles before heaving upward. The chest was pulled out of the hole they'd made, and dragged free. Both gave a quick look to the other, before the boy pulled out the hammer he'd brought with him. A few hits to the lock, and it broke into two pieces. Coraline reached forward then, pulling them free.

Together, they pried open the lid, and with a creaking of old hinges, it lifted...

Samus Dage gave a choked laugh, his eyes still wide.

"We found it, Coraline," he grinned to Knight Hicchoru.

[Anbira Hicchoru]

That was it. That sense of confidence, triumph, and self-worth. The ember that could become a flame. Anbira drew upon that vivid moment, filling Dage with the resolute determination to know himself, and not allow another to define him.

Anbira felt the presence beyond stir, retreating. He could feel himself screaming, his last amount of focus poured into keeping the intrusion away until it was at last cast aside...

...he fell to the deck of the ship, unconscious.

But at least Samus Dage could see for himself.

[Q. Samus Dage]

His body threw itself back, only halting at the back of his chair.

Eyes blinking, Dage stared ahead as if in a daze. The ring of security officers seemed to close in, but a raised hand weakly waved them back.

And then he leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees as his head bowed. Lidded eyes slowly slid from the decking below to the unconscious form of the Jedi Knight. Dage pulled in a long breath, no longer fettered by the angry pressure that had pushes against him. Now, it was gone. Banished to wherever it had originated. Long, deep breaths were taken, and a few minutes later he finally looked up while rising gingerly to his feet.

"You," he gestured to a pair of officers, "Take Knight Hicchoru to the infirmary."

They hesitated, looking at one another.

"Now, Soldiers."

And in the next moment they obeyed, pulling Anbira up and supporting him carefully between them.

Samus Dage turned his attentions to the two ensigns occupying the weapons station. His tongue ran over his bottom teeth, behind his lower lip. Another inhaled breath, and he let it out.

"Jennaro, Hawks. Start calculations for a firing solution on Dauntless."

Dan and his ship were still a fair distance away, but it wouldn't be long before they were closing in on Ossus."

"Sir?"

"The General has taken leave of his sensibilities."

The two shifted their shocked expressions from each other to their captain. They were wasting time.

"Firing solutions. Now."

[Darth Decepis]

He'd resisted.

No doubt due to the Jedi's meddling, certainly. Only those of the most certain convictions could do otherwise.

The Dark Lord's scowl wore severe on his face, no longer requiring the subterfuge to appear any differently. An alert sounded at the comm's station, but Decepis had little use of the meaningless words of the officer manning his post.

His fleet had arrived.

His fleet, who would require his fullest attention, but in a way Dage did not. Battle Meditation was an ancient art from the long-ago times of the Sith wars. Only through him would their resolve be strengthened, and their will become one. Only through him would victory be complete.

"Prepare Task Force 42 to attack. Every single Jedi, and every crewman aboard the Levantine are now an enemy of the Alliance. Show them no mercy."

[Marlon Kori]

That caught him by a healthy measure of surprise, and from his perched position behind Dan's command chair, Kori sent a worried, and very concerned look to his commanding officer.

"The Levantine, Sir? Surely you're mistaken... ?"

Engaging the Jedi he could understand, but Dage???

[Darth Decepis]

Darth Decepis would no longer be questioned by those lesser than he. Yellow eyes tracked back to meet Commander Kori's surprised expression. The Sith Lord's grasp upon the Urn of Korriban tightened.

"I am certain, Commander. Our friend has betrayed us."

[Marlon Kori]

It was like a bolt of lightening, the sureness that filled him to the brim. His expression hardened, his eyes narrowing.

And with a durasteel-laced tone, his next words spoke volumes to the command the General held over him.

"Yes Sir."

At that, his attentions went from the General to the helm.

"I want points on all of our ships," he barked.

"And begin preparations for orbital bombardment."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Novgorod split the ether with a crack into realspace, slotting into a forward attack position as Task Force 42 began to form a screen formation around the stricken Dauntless.

Captain Quez had uttered barely a word, nor had anyone else on the bridge. The enormity of what they were about to do hung over every single head like a terrible stormcloud.

"Get ourr shjields up." Cirrsseeto's command came quietly from dry lips. "Launch fjighterrs and load mjissjile tubes."

His newly-minted Executive Officer sat perched on the edge of his seat to the right. Cirr's blue eyes tracked just enough to bring him into focus, then turned back at the sight ahead.

They were still well out of weapons range, but that wouldn't last for long. Soon, they'd be close enough to fire.

And fire they would.

There was no pride or honor or anything good in Cirrsseeto. He felt cold, empty, and alone. How many of the people he considered friends were involved in this plot? And even if they all were, it didn't make this easier.

Just barely discernible in the distance, the Alliance frigate Levantine hung against the backdrop of Ossus, clearly the largest ship in a motley array of what were mostly unarmed transport craft. The Jedi were finally finding a home...


...and he had brought the sword to raze and pillage it.

It had to be done. Cirrsseeto hunched over in his seat, eyes fixed to a spot on the floor as he brought his clasped hands up to his mouth.

"Saanjarra forrgjive me..." he whispered.

Abarai, forgive me.

In a louder voice, the order came.

"Lock weapons on the Levantjine."

[Q. Samus Dage]

"We've got multiple weapons locks, Sir!"

Dismaying, angering, yet above all not surprising in the least. Samus Dage glared daggers at the forward viewscreen and the advancing line of pinprick ships.

"What do we have at our disposal, other than ourselves?"

The answer was not exactly heartening.

"Some barely working ground support, a few transports with a single turbolaser, and us."

It wasn't unexpected, but in the grand scheme of things, he'd been armed with worse. Dage scowled, his eyes closing tightly as he felt his world flipped about and set on its' ear. He wanted it to be a dream. Nothing but a bad dream.

"Send to Command Dauntless."

The comms officer was quick, and a moment later looked back in a silent show of readiness.

"Text only."

"Yes Sir."

"Dauntless ordered to stand down. If hostilities persist, then lethal force will be used."

And as an afterthought, he went on.

"I've been in tougher situations than this, General. You know that."

His eyes tracked to the comm officer, and his gaze was met with a nod as the message was sent.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

* * * * * *
in hyperspace...



She sat in the chair. Her chair. The chair of the captain.

Gaze set forward, the Lupine leaned back as she pulled in a long breath, letting it back out slowly. Behind her, KHER stood, flanked by Morgan on the right. Kes had taken up residence in the pilot's nest. An old habit that he couldn't help but indulge in. Their first short stint together had been when he was piloting Novgorod. And it was more than likely that this endeavor now would be their last. It seemed only fitting. Her eyes closed as her head dipped low. She felt the wholeness that now flooded her senses, and the disgust and horror that her untouched half now projected. The part of her that had committed so many atrocities in the name of a man too selfish to see the devotion of one... the desperation that she'd had to cling to him, to come so many times to the point of begging him for his acceptance, pleading for his affections...

The pureness of her renewed self recoiled, yet reached out all the same. It knitted itself back together, taking hold as a single entity once more. She was a whole being again, though it had come at such a terrible cost. She had much to answer for, but in the here and now there far more pressing matters than the crippled psyche of one woman.

She let her good eye crack open, tracing up to look at the back of the pilot's nest.

"What's our time to arrival."

[Kes Akiena]

His time in the piloting simulations for the Lupine ship had been few and far between, but Kes was a quick enough learner. The controls were intuitive enough, and almost geared to an actual fighter pilot's setup. Except that, rather than flying a snubfighter, he was flying a capital ship. A strange type of control, but in a way it made sense all the same. With one hand propped up on the left control stick, his other reached forward to deftly run across the illuminated console that was practically in his lap.

"Looks like about seven minutes."

In any other situation seven minutes would've been a short amount of time, but now? Now was a whole different matter entirely, and the redhead frowned as a warning light came to life on the panel at his side.

"We're getting a general distress call passed through the Ossus relay... "

His frown turned into a scowl as he read the message and who it'd come from.

"... from the Levantine."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Levantine was Dage's new ship, and the news of a distress call being sent was sign enough that they were cutting it too close. Or, worse yet, too late. There were still Alliance ships in orbit over Ossus, but the amount had significantly been rreduced over the course of the last few months.

And if Dage had seen fit to send out a general distress call, then that meant her husband had barreled onward like a crazed rancor.

"I want every battery primes and ready to fire the moment we drop," she barked at KHER.

"Kes," the Lupine leaned forward then, one shoulder angling forward as her eye remained on the swirling starlines ahead of them.

"I want you to overshoot our entry point. We need to fall out practically in Ossus' atmosphere."

[Q. Samus Dage]

* * * *

over ossus...




"I need a medic in here NOW!!

The bridge of the Levantine was in shambles. Panels had been blasted apart, conduit and wiring littering the deck all about. Sparks showered from destroyed terminals as crewmen scrambled to diffuse the wreck all around them. And in the midst of it all, Dage was crouched in a tangle of wires, kneeling beside Lt. Gantar who'd had the unfortunate luck to be pinned beneath an inner bulkhead beam.

"Where's my medic?!!"

For the moment, the onslaught that Dan had unleashed upon them was ignored.

But, this travesty was not forgotten, and Samus Dage growled as he braced against the I-beam. Whatever madness had come upon his former superior officer had been made manifest in a terrible way.

A man in a scuffed uniform, wearing a red armband slid down beside him, and quick hands went to work to try and pull Gantar free.

"Took you long enough," the blonde grunted as he put all of his muscle into lifting the beam another fraction of an inch.

"Sorry Sir," the medic grunted, "... seems we've got a bit of a situation going on about us."

"No shit, Sherlin... "

Another few moments of straining, and Gantar was dragged out.

Dage let go just before his body did so involuntarily, and stumbling up in the midst of another violent barrage, looked to the closest officer.

"You send the distress signal?"

"Sent, Sir."

"Good- " The deck beneath his feet bucked, and he reached out to grab the closest stationary object to arrest any fall.

"Where are Myor and Crenshaw?"

"Coming around for another pass, Sir, but Crenshaw is reported heavy damage. They're chewed up."

Gritting his teeth, Dage gave an angry look to the forward viewscreen before half-stumbling back to his chair.

"Get me Dauntless on the holo," came his snapped command.

It wasn't long before the crackling image of Dan materialized in a translucent blue image, and Dage fell into his seat. He stared at Dan with dogged determination.

"Give up, yet?"

[General Dan]

Aboard Dauntless, General Dan's hand rose from his lap, a silent sign to his crew to stay their attack momentarily. Skirmishing frigates backed off. Fighter squadrons pulled back. Within a minute, what had been a frenzied fight in the space above Ossus turned eerily still, save for the traces of debris between the opposing forces.

"I spent a long time teaching you, Samus. A long time. You've done...well. As good as expected, considering how badly the odds are against you."

Dan reclined in his seat, gesturing for effect.

"Look at the field. You are fully committed and barely holding your position. I haven't even fielded half my fleet. It's over. I know you see that. I don't know if it's pride or dogged loyalty that's blinded you to the Jedi, but you still have one lesson left to learn - how to make the truly difficult decision."

The General drew a long breath, and paused.

"One last chance. I wouldn't offer it to anyone else."

[Q. Samus Dage]

"I may be barely holding," came the retort, "... but I'm still holding."

The look on Dage's face was one that was seemingly foreign. Gone was any trace of the carefree demeanor and laugh-lines that'd begun to form at the edges of his eyes. Replacing his almost constant smirk was now a look of fierce stubbornness. It was a trait that he'd displayed many times before, but never outwardly displayed as it was now. His eyes were sharp, glittering with resolve.

"This is madness, Dan. You've got to know that."

The General's words from before, about Lok, resonated through his mind. It was a tough pill to swallow, the news of his old friend's death. And even though Dan now accused the Jedi of murdering her, he couldn't find any reason to turn his guns on the planet below.

He went on.

"This isn't what Lok would want. Gods, Dan. She was your wife... ! You must know that she'd never want anything like this..."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Aboard Novgorod

Captain Quez knew this part. Any Cizerack would. This was the part where the prey was caught in all but the most immediate sense of the word. You relented. You gave slack. They clung onto a false hope, but the end was always the same. Playing, before the finale.

But this wasn't playing. This was so very real.

No one said a word on the bridge. Everyone's face had the same nearly-blank expression. They all wore the look of people barely hanging on to the moment, and sacrificing their comprehension to do so.

People had died, that much Cirr knew. At the very least they'd died in the initial fighter skirmish. With the amount of body blows landed on Levantine, the chances were high that crew had already died on the frigate.

"Majintajin posjitjion."

Hunched over in his chair, Cirr watched the deathly-quiet battlespace ahead with a grave expression.

[General Dan]

Aboard Dauntless


Dan gave his friend a moment to pour out his guts. One more moment for a change of heart he knew wouldn't come. Instead, Dage used it as a pulpit to harangue and berate his decision. A weighty frown dominated Dan's expression as his long-time comrade made clear exactly where he stood.

"Loklorien," he answered softly, "would have wanted the Jedi to stand with the Alliance, not stand above them. There's no way to soften the choices, my friend. The Jedi have made it a matter of Us and Them."

The General paused, as if expecting another measure might bring Dage over from the divide.

"I guess it's clear where we both stand. Guess there's nothing left I can say to talk you down."

[Q. Samus Dage]

Samus Dage sat in silence, half-listening to Dan's words as his own eyes flitted past the holographic image of the General and to the projected battle map of the space over Ossus. He could see the truth of his old friend's bitter summary of where things stood. It stung, but like a starving Anooba he refused to let go of the fight despite the known outcome. At this point in time, even he was beyond false hopes. The end result for him and his crew was most certainly death.

It was not exactly how he figured he'd shuck off his mortal existence, that was for sure.

The only two other ships under his command that might've been able to hold for any short amount of time were damn near dead in space, and Levantine was barely fairing any better. A steady marker, holding back, caught his eye as the computer's IFF marked it as the Novgorod. It was enough to cause a frown.

"Bringing your old girl into this fight," He couldn't help but mutter half-way to himself. He remembered when s'Il had had it recommissioned. It'd been a hell of a feat to drag the old corvette back into service.

[Marlon Kori]

Marlon knew that look on his old friend's face, and stepped forward to try and return Samus' attentions fully to the comm.

"Listen to reason," even now he tried to press upon the lanky blonde the need for action. The need to make things right. It was obvious that Dan was unable to sway him, and so Kori offered a last plea.

"We grew up together, Quentin- "

That brought Dage back front and center.

"Don't you dare call me that," came the returned bark.

Kori ignored it.

"We grew up, chased the same girls, hell we both went off to war for the same reasons. We were two shit-for-brains Myomarians who didn't know anything until the General came along. We've all been together now for too long to abandon the right thing. Whatever you're hoping for now just won't happen. Lok is dead, and we have to set things right."

A crewman off to the side leaned back in her seat, casting a look to him, and Kori stared a moment longer at the translucent blue of his comrade.

"We fought all those years ago against oppression, Quentin. And here... now... we're doing just the same."

"Commander," the waifish lieutenant sidled up beside him. "We're getting initial readings from the main hyperlane into this system. Something's coming in. Something big, Sir."

[Q. Samus Dage]

As Kori was distracted, Dage let out a cough, trying to fill his lungs with something other than the acrid smoke that was now ever present on the bridge. He didn't care at this point; didn't care if he was going to die. Didn't care if he would fail. What mattered now was making sure to put up the most hellacious fight he could.He'd go kicking and screaming into oblivion if he had to.

"Sir," the hurried whisper from his last remaining helmsman caught his attention then, and the blonde snapped his head to look at the Farghul.

"Yes, Raghus?"

"Sir, there's something coming through the hyperlane on a course for Ossus."

For a brief moment, he dared to hope.

"Any idea what ship?"

"Not a clue, sir. It's big though. Not so big as Dauntless, but it's close."

A puzzled look was sent to the felinoid.

"No transponder codes?"

"No Sir."

Dage blinked, made a face, and turned back to the holo for a moment. By the look on Kori's face, his own people were giving him the same news. A thought, and he turned once more to Ensign Raghus.

"Any idea when they drop?"

The Farghul could only shake his head. "Their signature is coming up on the waypoint now, Sir... " Green eyes narrowed, then widened as he shot an almost panicked look to his superior.

"They're overshooting it!"

[Marlon Kori]

"Sir, they're overshooting the waypoint!"

"What?!"

Samus was almost instantly forgotten as he reared back, shoulders hitching up and shooting a look to his comms officer.

"No dropped transponders or exit pings!"

Kori glanced at Dan only for a moment before a blinding light filled the Dauntless' viewport...

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The drop into realspace was sudden, and just a hair past the waypoint marker for Ossus.

Khera'va'ss'io dove from hyperspace practically into the atmosphere, his angle allowing just enough room to use the uppermost stratosphere as a cushion. His wings tilted, sending his rakish main hull on a sideways trajectory that gathered speed and momentum towards the battleground that Kes was now calling out to her.

"Looks like Levantine has taken a hell of a beating, Captain. Myor and Crenshaw are in worse shape. Picking up debris signatures... "

The lay of the 'land' was clear to her, and s'Il sat in her seat in silence. One elbow propped on an armrest, her gaze was fixed to the scene ahead.

The graceful hulk of her ship dipped low once it had passed the planet, coming up to face the to combating capital ships in eerie silence.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Captain, we have a realspace insertion danger close...nearly at locus!"

The call for evasives would be too late. If it hadn't hit them yet, they'd been spared the capricious cruelty of blind astronavigation. The tactical viewer was already highlighting the area over Ossus in which the large ship had fallen from hyperlight.

"Ship appears to be cruiser configuration sir, but I have no idea what I'm looking at."

Telemetry was flooding into Cirrsseeto's holographic interface, and a shape emerged in midair. His crew may not recognize what they were seeing...

...but Cirrsseeto certainly did. His eyes widened, turning back to the view of space and the planet ahead.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Keep us on intercept, Kes."

Words spoken quietly as she surveyed the damage and the players of this game. Levantine looked as though she was about to check out, and the hull damage was plain to see. The others were worse off.

A frown, and the Lupine brought up a small holo of the other ships, recognizing immediately that familiar outline of Novgorod. Her eyes closed as her head bowed ever so slightly, shaking left and right in a slow motion. Of all the innocents, she would've never wanted to see Cirr brought into this horrid endeavor. To see her dear friend being used in such a way; used by the same man that had once used her.

"We're coming up on equidistant position from Levantine and Dauntless."

"All stop. Wait for my signal before raising shields."

"You want a line in?"

She leaned back in her seat for a bare moment before going forward, using the momentum to bring her up to her feet. Moving away from her chair and past the pilot's nest, the Lupine slowly moved up the shallow stairway that would set her on the wrap-around walkway in front of the forward viewscreen. A small bead of sweat was her only outward indication of the mental strain she had placed herself under; the act of masking the occupants of her ship from the Sith a great task indeed.

"Not just yet."

[Darth Decepis]

The Dark Lord's eyes fixed upon the strange ship as soon as it could be seen in silhouette against Ossus. It was unknown to him, and yet...something in the lines, the contours. It evoked an ancient aesthetic. Darth Decepis's greed and curiosity found power through the force, reaching out into space to give him knowledge. To his baleful chagrin, he was rebuffed. Something within this ship resisted him. A Jedi? Almost certainly.

So be it. Better to have all of his enemies gather in the open and be destroyed in one final strike.

"Gunner," the Sith Lord called, giving a slight turn in his chair. "Fire on the Levantine. Eliminate it."

[Q. Samus Dage]

He could see the readouts even as Raghus called out.

"Dauntless is firing, Captain!"

There was no way to retaliate. No time to evade. Their shields had become nothing but shreds.

"Hell of a way to go out," the lanky blonde growled to no one in particular.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Looks like Dauntless is going in for the kill," Kes instinctively pushed forward the throttles, and as s'Il half-turned from her perch, she knew that her old friend - though no Jedi - knew her well enough to act accordingly.

Khera'va'ss'io lurched forward, his engines thrumming with power as he slid threw space, seemingly cutting the velvety blackness like some razor sharp knife. His graceful hulk swooped in to the path of the lancing green turbolaser fire.

"KHER, shields up!"

The spindly form of her ship's AI reacted instantly with a curt nod, his shields blossoming out to catch the volley. His larger half bucked, and those on the bridge weathered the buffeting without so much as batted eyes. They knew what they'd come to. But more importantly, the Levantine had been spared.

Now it was her turn to return fire. Yet, rather than the arsenal she'd brought with her, the lupine squared her shoulders.

She steeled herself, her crisp, black uniform spotless. Both hands going to clasp together at the small of her back, she looked back to KHER.

"I would like a line in now, please."

Though small in stature, Loklorien s'Ilancy stood tall, her eyes shifting to the spot that she knew would spring to life with the form of her husband.

[Darth Decepis]

His sallow eyes widened slightly at the sight of the incoming hologram, even as his hand rose to stay the gunner's next volley. What he was seeing was a ghost. And yet the veil had lifted. Decepis found the life force of his failed apprentice, clear and bright as a star.

The Dark Lord rose from his seat.

"Impossible..."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She let him stare, watching as he rose to his feet. The surprise in his voice was enough to satisfy her momentarily, and s'Il returned his shock with a level look of reproach. Like a mother casting disappointing eyes to a disobedient child, she allowed her gaze to linger.

Finally.

"Hello, Husband."

[Darth Decepis]

Hate-fired yellow eyes glared back at the visage of the Lupine.

"I left you to die." he growled, as if chiding fate, causality, and the galaxy itself for disobeying him.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"You did, didn't you." Her tone had very nearly a sing-song lilt as she spoke.

Her features betrayed nothing. No emotion. Simply a level expression that defied him as much as her inability to become one with the Force.

"And yet, here I am."

Her head angled slightly down then, as she looked at him from over the tops of her eyes as her voice became a low thrum.

"Do not act so surprised, Dan Thrule. You said so yourself (http://theholo.net/forum/showthread.php?19197-The-Scribe-s-Apprentice-Tools-of-the-Devil&p=297597&viewfull=1#post297597), that we are both hard to kill."

[Marlon Kori]

His breath had caught in his throat the moment her body materialized from thin air, her voice cutting through the air on the bridge like a razorblade. His pulse quickened then, his eyes wide. She was alive?!

But it was what Dan said that snapped him from the shock, and Marlon Kori blinked furiously as he turned suddenly incredulous eyes to his superior.

"You what!?"

[Darth Decepis]

The Sith Lord's eyes turned to his underling in sudden annoyance. A hand that rested upon the ancient urn in Decepis' grasp raked fingers along the runic etchings along it's face.

"It is of no concern to you. You will obey me."

The terrible power of the dark side overrode any sense of surprise and betrayal. Marlon Kori belonged to the Dark Lord.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

As he turned on Kori, s'Il used the momentary lapse to half-turn to KHER.

"Boost transmission," she hissed, "... I want every ship over Ossus to receive."

The avatar nodded in silence, his internal processors firing the holo of his Captain to each ship.

Satisfied, the elder Lupine once more turned back to the shimmering blue form of Darth Decepis.

"Thrule."

Her order was barked, arresting his attentions once more to her.

"I'll give you this one chance only," her entire demeanor became like a knife-edge, knowing that all over Ossus was now seeing and hearing her. She was a weapon drawn in protection, ready to be used.

"Stand down."

[Anbira Hicchoru]

Aboard Levantine

Roused from his unconsciousness, Anbira came to on a bridge thick with chaos. The fear and despair hung as thick in the air as the smoke and the ozone stink of burned circuits. All around him, Anbira saw the stony, weary faces of the bridge crew still in fighting shape. Every officer at their post, and determined not to quit it until the fight was won or they were thrown into the maelstrom.

The next thing Anbira noticed was the quiet. The sounds of battle did not accompany the visual signs. There was an unnatural stillness here, like the center of a Kamino cyclone. The only thing to break that silence was the hologram at the fore of the bridge. It was the face of a woman he knew well, and one he did not expect to see again. The force of her words and her will soon drew eyes from their duty stations. Commander Dage was no exception.

Anbira slowly rose to stand, moving alongside the Levantine's skipper as everyone listened to the exchange.

The calm at the center of the storm was fleeting.

[Q. Samus Dage]

He knew it. That incredulous shock of those words uttered by Dan had been untrue. Or at least, he dearly hoped that was the case.

And as Knight Hicchoru moved to stand beside him, the lanky blonde couldn't help but slap a hand to the other man's shoulder.

"Ha!"

Samus Dage felt the first flutterings of hope, and as badly as he wanted to be patched back in, he knew that this conversation could only be between two people.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

Aboard Novgorod

Captain Quez's staying hand was raised at his tactical officer to quell any possibility of misunderstanding. His face held staid composure, hiding the turmoil roiling his heart. Duty set against friendship. General Thrule had said that the Jedi had killed Lok, but here she was on the other side of the divide. If not that, then what?

He still had his orders. The Jedi were overreaching and threatening to usurp the Alliance. And even in that seemingly-airtight knowledge, his heart screamed against the notion.

This isn't right.

And even as he thought it, a fire stoked in his middle. He'd been placed in this chair because few people could make the difficult decisions. Well, they didn't get more difficult than this.

"Lok, how could you..." Cirr whispered almost inaudibly.

[Darth Decepis]

Darth Decepis stared across the chasm at his failed apprentice. She had failed him with her incompetence and lack of vision before, and now she foolishly sought to gamble everything in an insurrection doomed to failure. And yet...

The frown worn by the Sith Lord in it's natural state deepened severely as he felt the shift. The stirring of simple minds away from their intended purpose. Decepis sneered, grasping the urn in his hands tightly as he called upon the dark side to cement his hold over his minions. He'd come too far to be undone by his failed disciple.

"You won't stop me..." he goaded with a smile, "You feared me for years until you found the only thing you feared the most - being apart from me. Now, it's too late to make a difference. I will burn the feeble remains of the Jedi off the surface of Ossus, and scatter you across the stars as an afterthought."

The goading smile became a broad and wicked grin full of blackened teeth.

"I set this moment in motion a thousand years ago. I will rule this galaxy for a thousand years more after you and the Jedi have fallen to dust."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She let him speak, her mind and will working furiously as each word left his mouth. She began slowly at first, her thoughts reaching out beyond into the aether like searching tendrils. While there was no way that she could know everything of his power and strength, the Lupine had an intimate enough knowledge of the Sith Lord to work around many of his defenses.

He spoke of fear; her fear. Unsurprising. It was as a cycle. A well that was often revisited. In the past it had kept her tethered to him and under his heel. She'd been so terrified of being cast off that his lies and manipulations bound her tightly at his side, beholden to his every whim and desire. She had done such terrible things to remain with him, and each time he pulled at the delicate threads of her fears it brought her ever closer, entangling her in a web of lies that so very nearly destroyed her. But now...

Now it was tiresome.

Before, she had been half of a mind, unable to fully keep herself afloat. As a whole creature, the Lupine was ready to face her lifelong tormentor with grim determination.

There was no way that she would be able to salvage those aboard Dauntless, but she at least would have a better chance at those on the other ships of Task Force 42. The power she could feel from the Sith Lord was a familiar one; she had touched it herself, been almost swallowed by the evil it held. The binding strength of the Urn was great indeed, but even it had weaknesses. Weaknesses that only those who had touched it could know.

Like a wraith she slipped past each black, roiling arm that held firmly to so many souls.

Even as she watched the Sith Lord's frown deepen further, she drove onward. Her gaze never left his however, locked on his diseased, yellow eyes.

Invisible fingers wedged themselves into the cracks, prying away the layers of deceit that had wrapped themselves so tightly around the crew of Novgorod.

"A lot of things change in the span of a thousand years, Dearest."

A hand motion to KHER, and a split-second later the holo of the General was also projected to every ship in his fleet to allow all a view of the two who now stood facing each other.

Except, it was not General Thrule that their eyes fell upon. It was the Sith Lord, Darth Decepis.

A far cry from the man that they had all once known, the Sith was laid bare for all of those that she could pry from his grasp.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

A trick of the eyes.

Captain Quez blinked in the moment of disbelief. Maybe what he was seeing was image degradation. The stirring around the bridge soon confirmed that it wasn't the case. The two holograms remained floating ahead locked in fierce debate. Commodore s'Ilancy, and...

...Cirrsseeto was at a loss for words. The hologram looked passingly like Dan, but as if he wore more time on his face than was possible. He looked beyond decrepit. Old, but also something unnaturally disturbing to his visage.

"Captain, what's going on?"

The voice of Yeoman Tashka broke Cirr's attention momentarily. He looked to the young officer, seeing the same concern reflected in her eyes. The same doubt. Everyone knew how tortuous this order was before. Now?

"What happened to the General?"

He turned back to the hologram, expecting to once again see the man he knew. The hero of the Alliance. He wasn't there. Or maybe?

Maybe he was.

A cold dread ran down Cirrsseeto's spine, and he licked suddenly dry lips.

"Somethjing terrrjible."

He'd lied to them about s'Ilancy, that much was true. And with a lie like that, he could be lying about so much more. How quick had he believed that the Jedi had betrayed them all? How had he let himself be deceived?

Cirrsseeto paced around the holographic visage of the man known as General Dan Thrule. Soon, every pair of eyes on the bridge were resting on the Captain once more. There were too many doubts. Whatever they did, they had to be right the first time. They wouldn't get a second chance.

"Open a shjip-wjide channel."

The comms officer complied, a trilling note sounding overhead indicating an all points announcement.

"Thjis jis the Captajin. As you know, we have been orrderred jinto battle agajinst the Jedji settlement on Ossus. Generral Thrrule says the Jedji have betrrayed the Alljiance and that the only way to save ourr cause jis to destrroy them."

His eyes tracked to the hologram of Commodore s'Ilancy.

"We arre an Alljiance of Rrebels. Most of us experrjienced the terrrorr of takjing that fjirrst step. Rrjiskjing jit all forr a futurre that prromjised us nothjing, but offerred us a chance jif we werre wjilljing to fjight. jIf our Alljiance jis gojing to surrvjive, then that spjirrjit has to carrry the day."

The crew on the bridge remained silent, and Cirrsseeto saw a hopeful glimmer in their eyes. The light within that compelled him onward.

"jI am about to djisobey a djirrect orrder. jI am about to commjit mutjiny agajinst a superrjiorr offjicerr jin open combat. Each of you now has a chojice. You may be compelled to rremove me frrom command and arrrest me. You may object conscjientjiously and qujit yourr post. Orr...jI hope that you rremajin at yourr statjions and fjight at my sjide. The Jedji arre not ourr enemy. They've come to ourr ajid everry tjime they'rre called. jI won't have thejirr ljight go out of the unjiverrse on my watch."

Captain Quez paused. If anyone on the bridge was going to act against this open mutiny, now was their chance. Lieutenant Col-Den drew his pistol from his holster slowly, his features full of conflict. Cirrsseeto tensed, his jaw tightening as he watched the man...as he placed the weapon in his Captain's hand and quit his post.

No one else moved. An eternity seemed to pass.

"Alrrjight..." Cirr breathed out, looking down at Col-Den's blaster.

"Then let's get on wjith thjis mutjiny. May the Forrce be wjith us."

Easing down into his chair once again, Captain Quez gave the hologram of s'Ilancy one more look.

"Be wjith us all..."

Moments later, Novgorod's engines lit in full sublight acceleration, breaking formation on Task Force 42's right flank as it set course to cross the divide.

[Marlon Kori]

Kori found himself gritting his teeth, unable to take his eyes from the holo. There was a small part of him, buried deep, that felt wrong, but it was overridden by something far more solid and unrelenting. His features twisted in a scowl, his brow furrowed as a lieutenant quietly addressed him.

"Sir, I think you need to see this," came the urgent whisper.

Tearing his gaze away, Marlon took the few short steps to the lieutenant's station.

"Yes?"

The officer didn't speak, only gestured to his terminal and the battleground it projected. It wasn't what he expected to see, and an instant later a hateful fury boiled to the surface, and he gave a snarl while turning to the General.

"Novgorod is breaking ranks, Sir! Keppler, as well!"

[Darth Decepis]

The Dark Lord could feel his hold breaking on the crews of the two rogue ships. A hateful frown crossed his features as he reclined in his seat.

"They are traitors to the Alliance. Kill them all."

With the order given, the remainder of Task Force 42 began to lock onto targets of opportunity. Turbolaser batteries began tracking the fleeing Novgorod and Keppler, raking them with quickly-intensifying fire as the two ships sped away.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Fire from the hip, Kes!"

Her barked command rang out in a clear voice. She could feel the hate even before Dauntless opened fire. She could feel the malevolent intention of Decepis' will projected by so many minds. It was like a siren's wail that sang through her own bones. She had once been so intimate with his dark thoughts and desires. So close to the poison of his words and will. It was unmistakable, and she knew when he would strike.

There was nothing now but instinct and survival.

[Kes Akiena]

It was less than a second that passed between her order and his jump to action.

"Main turbolaser banks coming around... "

The ships' weapons responded seamlessly as the redhead opened fire without waiting for the targeting computer to catch up. And honestly, it wouldn't have really mattered. Task Force 42 took up enough space that he could track along his previous shots.

And that was exactly what he did, finding the soft spot on one of the smaller frigates in the General's fleet, turbolaser blasts splashing angrily through shielding to tear into the soft hull beneath.

[Q. Samus Dage]

Aboard Levantine

* * *



Samus Dage wasted little time as he turned to the gunnery station. With a hand still firmly planted on Knight Hicchoru's shoulder, he barked an order that he never though he'd give. It was surreal, but everything that this day had offered had been so far beyond normal that he was beginning to wonder if he was simply dreaming. The holo of the General... he'd recognized Dan beneath the surprising appearance of age-lines; far deeper than what he had always known. It was as if Dan Thrule had aged hundreds of years.

Dage's voice cracked through the stunned silence on the bridge.

"Gunny, I want you to find the closest target and open fire!"

"Working on it now, sir!"

His crew were capable, and Gunnery Sergeant Jakes had been a personal pick, brought over from Dauntless when he'd finally accepted promotion. It wasn't surprising that the man was calculating a firing solution the moment the Commodore's ship opened fire.

"Line to the Mynock, Sir!"

It was a bit of luck, to pull up a solution to one of Dan's recon cruisers. They held a hell of an arsenal, all wrapped up in a slim, matte black hull to avoid detection. Dage knew more than a few of the Mynock's crewers. He'd shared drinks with them, and even shared the bunk of the exotic communications officer aboard; more than a few times.

Such a damn shame. The brief onslaught of memories caused him to grip the Jedi's shoulder just a bit tighter as he gave the order.

"Send them our regards, Gunny."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

The General's anger was made manifest into violence. Novgorod shook like she was in the jaws of a giant beast, and more than a few crew at the fringes of bridge stations fell to the deck.

"Double aft scrrens, now!" Captain Quez fell back into his seat, a keen eye fixed on the battle readiness readings of his frigate. There was committing to the fight, and then there was dealing with the consequences. The moment he'd broken formation, he'd turned from an ally of General Thrule to his most opportune target. At this range, survival meant withdrawal

"Helm to thrree fjive..."

Cirr grit his teeth. He needed the sharp instincts of his crew.

"...helm, get us the hell away frrom those guns, howeverr you decjide to do jit!"

Novgorod's engines flared as she picked up speed. Another raking volley of turbolaser fire attempted to track her movement, only landing a couple of hits before the agile frigate barrel-rolled away from the line of fire. Keppler made a direct advance towards Commodore s'Ilancy's line of battle, and was not so lucky. Numerous direct hits broke her deflector screen, and the next few splashed into exposed hull.

"Torrpedoes on the Mynock! Full sprread!"

"Tubes three and four hot!" came the acknowledgement from the gunny, as a pair of diamond boron missiles dumb fired. At their range, and with the missiles blast radius, even a near miss counted as a hit. The high yield weapons clapped violently against the frigate's shielding, momentarily interrupting it's unimpeded attack on Keppler. The stricken defector took the opportunity, speeding out of close bombardment. Keppler's own guns opened up in suppressive action, striking the bow of the Mynock at the same time that the stricken frigate Levantine gave her broadsides. Concentrated fire pierced the frigate's bow, buckling heavy hull plating as a secondary explosion blew apart her forward turbolaser blister.

This wasn't the end of the fight. It was only the beginning.

"Sound the rrally. Valkyrrjie squadrron forrm on vector." Cirrsseeto commanded as the din of stricken shielding began to wane.

"Get me a channel to..."

He'd seen the ship before, back when it was a secret to the galaxy. He didn't even know her name.

"...the Commodorre."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A wave of her hand, and the translucent blue of Dan's holo vanished like ashes spread to the winds.

"Keep our shields set forward for now! Cycle our turbolaser banks but be sure to allow Levantine time to recharge her defenses. We have to be her shields until then."

"Consider it done!"

The winged body of the ancient Lupine ship angled to afford a larger target, absorbing the incoming fire. His shields flared with each volley, but held. The bridge shook, but like a sentinal Khera'Va'ss'io remained stalwart and unmoving. Kes opened fire on the line of ships targeting Keppler as the smaller frigate joined in the assault against Mynock, providing cover to the stricken ship.

The Commodore remained standing on the forward observation catwalk, one hand on a rail as her ship rocked after another volley of fire. KHER's mechanical voice sounded over the din.

Incoming comm from Novgorod, Ma'am.

"Tubes 1 and 2 loaded and primed!"

The Lupine half-turned, lifting a hand to point at the distant point ahead of them that was Dauntless.

"I want that ship crippled."

"Yes Ma'am."

Turning back to stare out at the unfolding battle in its' infancy, s'Il watched as the pair of torpedoes surged out like angry claws, cutting through the black of space towards Dauntless.

"Open the channel."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

A hologram appeared before s'Ilancy of a man she knew well. In the time she'd known him, Cirrsseeto Quez had aged more than the years afforded him. The youthful first mate of the freighter Layla had become the reluctant veteran, the vanguard of the Alliance's toughest fights. He carried every bit of the grim weight with him. Cirrsseeto wore an even expression, one that spoke to all of the emotions it was holding back like a dam, unbreaking.

"Thjis jis Captajin Cirrsseeto Quez of the Novgorrod.


Rrequestjing perrmjissjion to jojin the ljine."

There were no illusions here. No promise of tomorrow. This very well could be his last day, but Cirrsseeto saw the line being drawn in history. He knew which side of it he wanted to end up on. Whether that meant on his feet, or carried to rest.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

There was no time for heartfelt welcomes. No time for warm greetings and missives and reminiscing. There was time for nothing but the necessary. Staring at Cirr's features, s'Il only allowed herself an unseen moment to take in the age he had taken on. It was a thing that she had half-suspected the day she'd signed the initial paperwork that would begin the process of his promotion. No longer was he that young man she'd first met on Cathar so very long ago.

So too was she, no longer the same woman that he had met that same day.

Like him, the years had given rise to a harder look. Or perhaps it was the circumstances now, that made each of them appear so much more severe.

The Lupine blinked, and gave a deliberate nod.

"Permission granted, Captain."

[Kes Akiena]

He cut in immediately after, watching the numbers tick down as the torpedoes closed their distance to Dauntless.

"Seven seconds to impact!"

Kes knew that they'd crash into the deflectors, but he also knew that there was more to this little act that she'd ordered. On instinct he kept an eye on tubes 3 and 4, and as they both flashed green, sent two more torpedoes to follow the first ones.

"Three and four away, Commodore! Same line, same angle!"

She half turned from the holo of Captain Quez, and lifting two fingers, gave the air a quick swirl of her hand.

The silent command was understood, and the redhead sent his eyes to the holoscreen nearly in his lap. His fingers danced over it, pulling up a very familiar screen.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Captain Quez, I want firing solutions on Dauntless, and only Dauntless, do you understand? Levantine will provide what cover they can."

There was no time for explanations, and s'Il pivoted on her heel to cast a look to Kes, just as he fed the information to her position on the catwalk. A holo terminal popped to life to her left, opposite Cirr's hazy blue form.

"Concentrate all of your fire on General Thrule," she reiterated to Cirr, "Don't worry about their shields... "

She navigated through the spiderweb of documents that Kes had pulled up and sent over. A series of back doors and hidden digital corridors. All so very well known.

"I will take care of that."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"You'll have those solutjions." Cirrsseeto nodded resolutely, giving a quarter turn behind him, and raising a hand with fingers splayed to the gunnery station. It was an unspoken sign for a full spread.

Returning his attention to the Commodore, Captain Quez raised his ears slightly.

"See you on the otherr sjide." He didn't smile. Stopped short of it. Maybe there would be time for that later. Cutting the holo feed, Cirr fell back into his seat, drumming up his holographic readouts as the helmsman began to feed the fire again.

"Brrjing us about. Evasjion patterrn Dorrn. Deflectjion to 150/50 bjias."

Buffing his shielding to gird against the expected bombardment strikes from the heavy cruiser, Cirrsseeto was nonetheless concerned about attacks from the rear. Dauntless, after all, carried nearly a dozen squadrons of fighters. If they were allowed an open shot to their aft quarter, they could take the engines. If Novgorod lost her engines, she lost her greatest asset to staying alive.

Like a school of skipperfish, the marauder corvette and her A-Wing escorts blazed the ether, engines flaring mightily behind them as they picked up the pace to mark the return through no-man's space. The stars between lit with angry bursts of red fire as turbolaser batteries tracked to align on the charging enemy.

"Get me a lock!" Cirrsseeto shouted, leaned forward in his seat. The ship lurched as the first shots with enough luck struck their target.

"Solution set!" came the tense reply from gunnery. "Spread away!"

Novgorod peeled off her vector, taking a shot to the belly, but not before she stitched a six torpedo burst in a line toward the Mon Calamari ship. The contrails of the warheads streaked in like arrows, slipping past the counter-battery fire from the bow gun stations.

They didn't have time to stop and look. They had to run. Novgorod raced across the enemy bow, picking up speed even as enemy fighters began to harry their retreat for a second pass. A pair of X-Wings lined up on their vector, taking shots at an escorting A-wing, tearing it apart. The rest of the escorts drew back in a frenzied attempt to shake the fighters loose.

Only time would tell.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She was like a woman possessed, fingers dancing unnaturally over the readout in front of her. The initial volley from Novgorod had splashed against Dauntless' shields, but she was determined to allow the old girl's second attempt a shot at the beast.

"Kes-"

"Already patching you through... "

She didn't need to say anything beyond that, as the translucent blue image of Dan in his own command chair appeared at her side.

"Strange," her voice held the tone of a person split between two points of interest.

A finger came down on the ethereal mark, ending much of her husband's bravado.

Dauntless found herself suddenly without shields.

"... that a man with such confidence can find himself undone by the most trivial of matters."

[Darth Decepis]

Darth Decepis remained unmoved by his failed apprentice's boasts, an arrogant smirk on his features as he leaned back in his chair.

"Your words are as feeble as they are..."

A sudden flash at the tactical station terminal appeared in time with a warning klaxon, cutting off the Dark Lord's reply as his crew rushed to attend to something new.

"What is it?"

[Marlon Kori]

Kori stood over the terminal, perching himself over the officer sitting in the chair while watching the unthinkable. His features screwed into a look of disbelief; an expression that remained as he whirled around on one heel to look at the General. His mouth opened, and for only a moment nothing came out. His voice was quick to return, however.

"General, our shields are dropping!"

Another voice cut in, from the terminal beside him. There was no mistaking the suddenly panicked tone of the officer's raised voice.

"Enemy torpedoes at 30 klicks!"

[Darth Decepis]

The Dark Lord's prideful smirk turned to a pointedly displeased expression as he fixed Kori with an irritated turn of his head.

"Raise them, you fool!"

[Marlon Kori]

Turning back to the terminal, Marlon reached past the young ensign to carry out the order himself.

And yet each command he gave, each order he punched in, nothing could stop the downward spiral of Dauntless' shields into nothing.

"I can't!"

"Fifteen Klicks!"

[Darth Decepis]

Through his pride and power and self assuredness, the Dark Lord of the Sith could not deny the truth in the force. He'd drawn his apprentice close to corrupt her and make her his own, but had the distance between her and him been reciprocated. Had she found an exposed truth that arrogance concealed.

Decepis rose in his seat, an unguarded look of doubt crossing his features. Behind him, crewers frantically worked their stations.

"Where's the override? Give the override code!"

He closed his eyes.

All too late.

[Marlon Kori]

"Brace for impact!"

No sooner had the words left his lips than Dauntless bucked beneath their feet, the deck pitching and even tossing a few crewers from their seats. Kori held on doggedly to the back of the chair belonging to a technician, gritting his teeth and doing his best to ride the shuddering wave of destruction that rocked the General's ship. Another volley slammed into the unprotected hull, sending a fresh jolt through his bones as he continued to fight against gravity. Klaxons and sirens sounded as the bridge lights flickered before returning to their usual brightness.

"Multiple hull breaches, Sir!"

"I've got casualty calls coming in, Commander!"

"Decks 17 through 19 open to vacuum! Blast doors have them shut off!"

There were more frantic cries echoing across the bridge, each vying for supremacy over the other, and Marlon turned an angry look to Dan as Dauntless once more regained her feet, dawning realization fueling a growing rage inside his gut.

"She dropped our shields!"

[Darth Decepis]

"Get them back up!" Decepis hissed, struggling back to his seat.

"Have the task force close up flanks, focus your fire on Commodore s'Ilancy's ship!"

Wounded but not out of the fight, Dauntless slowed her charge, allowing the smaller ships at her wings to surge ahead and intensify their fire. Numerous direct hits splashed across the shields of the strange new ship, as the defenders of Ossus entered into a full shooting engagement.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Reading numerous direct hits. Commscan showing hull breaches and energy fluctuations in Dauntless's power grid.

Cirrsseeto nodded to the news as everyone on the bridge pitched slightly - the inertial dampeners doing their best to keep up with the hard maneuvers keeping them out of enemy firing arcs.

"Prreparre to come about forr anotherr torrpedo rrun."

"Captain, the General's lines are drawing up and ahead, screening the flagship. Looks like they're focusing fire on Commodore s'Ilancy while Dauntless falls back."

Cirrsseeto watched the lines of battle as they began to shift.

"We don't have the tjime to take one on the chjin."

From where he could see it, they had two options. One was to trade blows back and forth along the line of engagement. The numbers didn't favor them, even without Dauntless in play. The second option would be to divide the line and send a fast attack around the flank. Enough hits on Dauntless when here shields were down...might do enough good to turn the tide.

"Anjy worrd frrom the Commodorre?"

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

She knew the move he would make; it had been one he often favored. The Lupine had watched him for so long, that she felt prescient even if she did not have the Force to rely on. As it was now, her own abilities simply helped. Her knowledge was what she fell upon in this moment. This moment of truth.

"Sensors show the line reforming," Kes spoke a few seconds after she already knew.

"We're going through them," she growled angrily. "Cripple the Dauntless, and we cripple the rest."

She knew what was happening; could feel those familiar dark eddies and currents pulsating out, radiating from Dan's flagship like a writhing, unrelenting nightmare bent on holding all in its' grasp.

"Prime the plasma cutters, and shore up our forward shields."

"Yes Ma'am."

Both hands went to the railing then, and she partially leaned on it, gaze on the battlefield before them. Even as the first volleys of fire splashed across the shields, s'Il maintained an air of quiet calm. One would've thought that she was simply staring out at an empty starfield, admiring its' beauty with a thin-lipped, narrow-eyed expression.

"Get me Cirr."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"jI'm rreadjing you, Commodorre."

Sparks flashed on Novgorod's bridge, raining from a conduit above too overwhelmed to resist a surge. A few faint embers dripped down on the Cizerack's shoulder, and he brushed them off with distant irritation.

"You'rre showjing all ahead forrwarrd." He stated the obvious, doing his best to keep the concern out of his voice. "That's a lot of fjirrepowerr to engage frrontal djirrect."

It wasn't so much questioning orders. He'd been given none recently. He was now stating the fact, and one that he didn't like.

An X-Wing cut hard across Novgorod's vector, followed by an A-wing practically sitting in it's engine wash. Flashes of weapons fire flared as the ships blurred out of view. How they hadn't collided was a miracle.

Cirr leaned forward, elbows-to knees as he licked his dry lips.

"What do we do?"

If this was her call, he was all in. Dancing on the razor blade like this, hesitation was a killer.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"We're going to cut off the snake's head, Captain."

It was a simple phrase, but spoken with resolute determination.

A volley of fire raked across the front shields, and the graceful Lupine ship rocked, though remained undaunted.

"Cirr, form up behind, and maintain your locks- "

[Meiers Brecklin]

The Marianas fell from hyperspace with a silent clap of thunder that none could hear. The massive hulk of the Hornet-class fighter carrier was like a monolith, shadowing over so many ships.

On the bridge, Meiers Brecklin stood over the comings and goings of his subordinates like some ever-watchful guardian. He hated the circumstances that now brought him here; the circumstances and most importantly, the revelations that had thrust a knife into his chest and cut out a part of himself that was so vital and sacred. It was a part of him that was as family. And here he was, reacting in the capacity of his position, but also in the capacity of a man wounded so grievously. His friendship had been torn to shreds. Now, in its' place, was anger. A smoldering anger that manifested in the presence of his ship and swarm of fighters now. A presence that was brought about by a simple received message that contained so much deceit and treachery.

"Mr. Vantac, open a ship-to-ship with Dauntless. I want to talk to Thrule."

[Marlon Kori]

In the chaos of Dauntless' bridge, Kori managed to bring about a semblance of order. Those injured had been taken out, replaced with men and women able to take over. The thrum of activity had been quieted from frantic action to more measured pacing. Helped along with words of encouragement, each of the bridge crew threw themselves into their duties. To his credit, Kori held the rope of command in a firm grip, unwilling to allow it to fray anymore than it had. He doggedly clutched on, willing everything and everyone to become as calm as possible. It wasn't his first battle, though it was certainly his first battle against friends. Never in his life had he thought to find himself on opposite sides as Samus.

And when the Marianas dropped from hyperspace, a fresh wave of uncertainty washed over all on the bridge.

"Sir, we're getting a line from Marianas Actual... "

Wiping the blood from a gash over his left eye, he gave a stern, thin-lipped grimace at the sight before them. There was only one of two ways this could now go. He turned to the General.

"General Brecklin for you, Sir."

[Darth Decepis]

The Dark Lord sat back in his command chair, pale fingers lacing together in his lap in protective embrace of the Korriban Urn. Had the dark side betrayed him now, so close to it's ultimate fruition? Surely not. No, even this setback would not stop him. He watched the war wage beyond Korri at the viewscreen before turning slightly to regard his executive.

"Let him speak."

Strange that he could not sense the intentions of his old compatriot when he should have. Had Loklorien somehow confounded his vision?

[Meiers Brecklin]

The translucent blue of established holo-communications blinked into life, and Meiers Brecklin found himself staring at a man that he could barely recognize, His silence spoke volumes of what his eyes told him. What he had read. What he had hoped was untrue.

"Dan... "

Was that truly Dan that now stared back at him? The Alliance General, so entrenched in his own role and so set in his ways, Brecklin very nearly could not accept the reality of what stared back at him.

"Unknown cruiser approaching at intercept on Dauntless, General!"

He ignored the words of his deck officer for the moment.

"Dan... " he faltered for only a moment longer before finding steel snapping into place, strengthening his resolve.

"Dan, I'm ordering you to stand down."

[Darth Decepis]

"No."

A whisper of a word in reply. To Brecklin, he was still General Dan Thrule, but the time for the facade was nearly ended.

"No."

He could see clearly that the arrival of Brecklin's ship presented a grave threat. With the added volume of fighter support thrown in support of Loklorien's petty resistance, it changed the balance of the engagement. It was no longer clear that he could accomplish his goals conventionally. But the Dark Side was anything but conventional.

He smiled.

"No, no, no, my old friend, you will not stop me."

The wellspring opened, and Decepis no longer had a need for his ruses. While estranged friends may have betrayed him, he still had his fleet. His ship.

"I will take my revenge against the Jedi, and there is nothing you can do to stop it!"

Yellow eyes turned ahead, ignoring Brecklin's presence.

"Full speed ahead. Towards the planet."

He would no longer waste his time on petty betrayals and one insignificant failure of an apprentice. Darth Decepis would complete the Grand Plan set forth a thousand years before. He would destroy the Jedi Order.

[Meiers Brecklin]

"Unknown ship coming abreast of us, General! She's going to pass us!"

Dan's outburst had been enough mentally wound him, but Brecklin only showed the pain with a grimace. He'd known Dan for so long, and had fought beside the man for so many years... to see the mask of such deep-rooted deceit. If cut through bone, but the hurt would have to wait. The betrayal was biting, and would be met with force.

"Give me a line to that ship!"

"No time, Sir! Looks like Dauntless is pushing forward. She's going to come through the ranks!"

There were times that dwelling on what to do next was acceptable and necessary. When you had to think through your movements and do your best to second guess your opponent.

Now was not one of those times.

"I want all forward batteries on Dauntless, Ms. Kaieetarree," One last look out to the cruiser that belonged to a man he'd thought he knew.

Then.

"Open fire."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

* * *



"Marianas is opening fire!"

"Stay the line, Kes."

From her perch on the forward viewscreen walkway, s'Il kept a hand on the rail as her other wiped away the holo-terminal. Her eye was ahead, staring out at Dauntless with grim determination, and she found herself tensing. There was a point of light, still within those angry, roiling tendrils of the Force, held tightly aboard Dan's ship. A scowl, and the Lupine let her thoughts shoot out ahead, bridging the divide between the two ships as they closed the distance between. It was unmistakable and heartbreaking all at once, but if nothing was done, then she would have failed everything and everyone.

They overtook Brecklin's ship, easing past as the enormous carrier erupted in a shower of lancing turbolaser fire.

"Are the cutters ready?"

"Waiting on the word, Ma'am."

A grim face as her eyes narrowed.

"Activate them."

[Marlon Kori]

* * *

For a brief moment Marlon felt a sliver of panic to form in the pit of his stomach. He stood just behind and to the side of Dan, watching the myriad points of light emanate from General Brecklin's ship. Silent, angry streaks of turbolaser fire from the carrier's forward batteries was a sight to behold. To see it from the receiving end was...

The brilliance of it all obfuscated s'Il's bizarre ship, but he knew that she was coming. For now though all concentration was placed on the incoming fire that would be merciless when it struck.

He licked suddenly dry lips as his own shoulders squared. Whatever course Dan had set them upon had to be the right one. He'd known the man for far too long to lose faith now. Bolstered, he gave a snarl as one hand went out to give a rough shove to a frozen crewer.

"Stations, now! Everyone prepare for impact! Helm, raise what you can of our shields, I don't care it's just a shred of them... I want as much as I can have!"

"Defensive power plants are coming back, but not fast enough Sir!"

"I don't care! Get what you can out of them and direct everything we have to front deflectors!"

One hand gripped the back of Dan's chair as his lips twisted into a deep grimace.

"I hope your ship can take a beating Sir," he growled low as his body tensed in anticipation.

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"Direct hit on dorsal hull section two!"

The triage report came in a rush, and Cirrsseeto waved at the air in a wordless dispelling. Shooting the gap was dangerous, and they weren't making it out of this run unscathed. Lashes of defensive batteries between the support ships created a deadly crossfire that Novogorod danced through, keeping her acceleration as hot as possible.

"Maybe the batterrjies wjill keep those fjighterrs off us forr a mjinute. Just hold herr togetherr forr a ljittle longerr!"

Cirrsseeto could see from the corona of ionized energy at Dauntless's hind quarter that they were accelerating forward in a hurry. It put Commodore s'Ilancy in a dangerous position, but it also meant that Dan was choosing to expose himself for a focused attack. Captain Quez quickly assessed the situation on his holo readout. The continuous screen of deflector energy of Dauntless was pooling to the forward hull.

"Thjis jis jit! Gunnerr, load a full sprread of prroton torrpedoes jin the rrearr tubes!"

Another hit shook the ship hard, blacking out the lights for a second before auxiliary circuits engaged.

"Captain, that's it for our shields, they're done."

Grim-faced, Cirr looked at the trailing edge of Dauntless peel away. They were clear.

"So arre thejirrs."

At any moment, this could be over. But not before he was finished.

"Fjirre."

[Marlon Kori]

"Novgorod firing, Sir!"

The words were barely out before Dauntless shook with violent force. With the order to concentrate their defensive effort to the front, the small corvette had slipped past to leave them with a parting salvo that raked across once-pristine hull plates. It was a surprisingly staggering blow, and one the seemed to stutter the cruiser's movement.

"Signal the Far Eyes! I want them on that corvette!"

The shouted words were acknowledged in a hail of other barked calls, and Kori stared ahead, grim-faced. He did not like the view before him, and as his grip on the General's chair tightened in the face of those ever-lancing turbolaser lines, his entire body seemed to cave in.

The first barrage hit, splashing angrily upon the flagging front deflectors before caving them in completely to dig angry furrows through Dauntless' tender skin.

The lights above flashed, explosions sending those still trying to hold themselves on their feet to the deck. Seconds later - amid a raining shower of sparks - the blood red lights of their auxiliary power banks spooled to life.

On his back, Kori managed to roll to his side. He swiped at a newly-opened gash on his forehead with the back of his hand as he levered himself up. The din of chaos reigned supreme all around.

"Far Eyes are silent! They've cut comms!"

"Someone find a medic!"

He blinked in mild disorientation, trying to sift through the cacophony of sounds and words.

"The Commodore's ship is closing!"

"Praetor Squad falling into formation!"

"We've got multiple hull breaches! Rear left thruster banks shutting down!"

"Medic! I need a medic!"

It all became one great auditory sea of desperation as he struggled to his knees, and clamping his eyes shut to try and make sense of the madness, there was a hand. It reached out to him. It called him. It begged him. His breath caught in his throat, and Marlon Kori felt hands grabbing his arms, trying to wrestle him the rest of the way to his feet.

Even as his eyes flashed open, the hand was still there. He shook away those that'd helped him up, but they remained dogged in their steady grip.

"Easy Sir."

Unseeing eyes became panicked as he blinked furiously, trying to clear away the blackness.

Everything fell away in that moment.

"I can't see... "

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

The point of light that she had seen quivered in doubt and panic, and the Lupine doubled her resolve. Her will grew taut, hardening like some unbreakable lance of the strongest cast beskar. She steadied herself, thoughts streaking out to assail the Sith's defenses in a barrage of unrelenting strikes. A thousand cuts; none meant to kill, but all meant to cut away the dark and roiling tentacles of evil. It had become a dance, and s'Il let her mind dance with unseen grace as it relentlessly attacked.

And just as she, the ship she captained surged forward. The wingtips burst forth with a brilliant red light, energy barriers containing the fiery plasma that hungered for matter to destroy. Like angry blades they pulsated with anticipation as Khera'Va'ss'io closed the distance.

"Banking to port!"

Kes' voice cut through the air on the bridge as he pulled the control throttles to the side, and in response the old Lupine ship dove low, one wing coming up on a trajectory that would allow the plasma blades to rake along Dauntless' underbelly...

[Darth Decepis]

The entire ship shuddered with terrible force, too terrible to be a turbolaser or even a missile strike. It felt like a collision. The entire main power bank faltered and died, uneven surges blowing out consoles left and right as Dauntless gasped in her mortal wound.

The Dark Lord sank into his chair, witnessing the carnage. The air stank of chemical smoke and ozone mingling with the sweetness of blood and the acridity of burned flesh. Hateful eyes moved to viewscreen, and the cresting view of Ossus, so close to his reach.

"Auxillary power is restored, but we have engines only. Sir, we can't even shoot back!"

He had moved into the sense of the Dark Side, so fully that he neither knew nor cared who'd spoken. There was still a path, so long as his passion and hatred could light it.

"Marlon."

His executive had been stricken blind. No matter. He could still fulfill his purpose here.

"Prepare to set for self destruct."

[Marlon Kori]

They had dragged him from the bridge, and he had let them. He felt lost and helpless, like a child suddenly cast into a terrifying, imaginary world. Unable to see, Kori threw his head back even as one of the medics and a junior officer supported him.

"Easy now Sir," the medic's voice was gruff and strained, "We're going to the infirmary."

It felt as though all he could do was breath, and hope that his vision would return.

"I... I still can't see."

"Not surprising, Sir. Hopefully we can fix that."

Hopefully. Not a welcome thought.

"I have to go back to the bridge, I have- "

"Sorry Sir, not gonna happen. You ain't good to anyone if you can't see."

The three rounded a corner as Dauntless shuddered again in the throes of inevitable death.

And then he saw the hand again. It reached for him, calling to him and beckoning him.



* * *

"Sorry General, the Commander's been taken from the bridge by one of the medics."

The crewer that'd spoken moved haltingly, her expression pinched in pain as she cradled a broken arm. She ducked beneath an I-beam that had come crashing down from above and buried one end of itself into the decking. Dauntless shook again, and she moved to stand to the side of the General as he sat. Where once assured conviction had filled her thoughts, now doubt had begun to show in her eyes as she witnessed the destruction around her. And the General... his hunched form didn't look quite right.

"S-Sir?"

[Darth Decepis]

He was losing his hold on his subjects. Too many distractions. Too many setbacks. And now Marlon, intentional or not, had betrayed him in leaving his post.

The Dark Lord simmered, gnarled grip drawing upon the urn once again. The deception would hold for now.

"Set course for the planet and the Jedi landing. Prepare to force descent."

It was the last weapon he held, but a potent one still. If he could not destroy the Jedi through force of arms, then he would use the mass of his ship to do that deed. It would cost him his crew - these useful things he'd spent so long cultivating. But he could survive and find others to do his bidding.

Yes...he could survive. And the Jedi would still fall.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

It had been like the greatest of thunderclaps, with a shuddering to follow that reverberated through bone. It rumbled through the entirety of the ship, as though each deckplate and girder had become a conduit for the death rattle that Dauntless had expelled in the wake of such a crippling blow. The initial resistance had been minimal, as the focused plasma had cut easily into and through the durasteel skin of General Dan Thrule's ship, furrowing a mortal trench deep into what had once been the whole flesh of a powerful starship.

The ancient Lupine ship leveled out as he broke free, leaving a stricken enemy behind to hemorrhage debris and bodies.

Bodies of men and women that she had once known. Once talked with. Lived among. Shared meals. For so long she had been a part of the farce, and let herself burrow deeper into the folds of her old Master's lies. But their lives were not the only ones lost; the assault on Ossus had yielded terrible results, with a loss of life that one could call a true tragedy. Brother against brother. Even the Levantine, with her systems barely functioning, the support cruisers pocked and scarred, some in nothing but pieces.

All for one man's hate.

"Looks like Dauntless is angling on her Z... " KHER stood like a sentinel, his systems racing as he analyzed the data his systems were feeding him.

"It may be that he intends to crash the ship."

Grimly she stared ahead, her thoughts sharpening once more. With a gesture of her hand s'Il re-established a line to the Dauntless.

"We tried it once your way, Husband. Are you game for a rematch?"

She allowed only a small bit of silence before finishing.

"Dan, I'm laughing at your 'Unlimited Power'."

[Darth Decepis]

The Dark Lord was unmoved by his former apprentice's baiting. Her words from a lie of a past life meant as little to him as the insignificant creatures fighting and dying in the gulf between them.

"I need not defeat you, my wayward apprentice. Not when I can still hurt you."

Murmurs from the helm station met Decepis's ears.

"Course set, General.". He responded with a weary yet resolute nod.

"I have shown you, again and again, that I will take from you everything you hold dear. Now watch me take away your belonging. Watch me take away him. There is nothing you can do to stop me. This temple that was, never will be. It will serve only an order of ashes."

The Dark Lord nodded off screen to his helm. Dauntless began to yaw into low orbit, drawn inexorably into the gravitational slip that would send it hurtling towards Sanctuary.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

"Pull us around, Kes," she snapped, both hands moving to grip the forward railing as her broken gaze remained ahead. Thrule had ignored her lure, instead focusing on the planet itself. Unfortunate, but not impossible to work around.

The graceful Lupine ship tipped on a wing as he came about in a swooping arc, and the massive engines roared, flaring at the middle of the turn to push against the emptiness of space with ferocious power. He was like a voracious predator, closing the distance between himself and the limping prey that he had injured. Only, that prey still held a danger within its' hull that intended to grasp the fledgling Jedi in its' hand and crush them. It was something that could not be allowed to happen, and s'Il felt the muscles in her shoulder tense, her entire posture hunching over slightly as her eyes continued to watch the crippled Dauntless begin her descent. It would be a barely controlled descent, but one that would be the most devastating.

"Get me a ship to ship; Novgorod."

Barely two seconds passed before Cirr's hologram blinked into existence at her side, and KHER's voice answered in clipped fashion.

"Line up."

"Captain Quez, target those engines and put them out."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

"We'rre comjing about now. Stand by."

Cirrsseeto snapped his fingers, but the helmsman was already setting course.

"Adjusting hyperbolic vector, stand b-"

The entire ship rocked. Captain Quez pitched out of his seat to the deck as the lights flickered out. The only illumination on the bridge came from running lamps and computer screens, joined briefly by a violent sparking of electronic circuits or a quick flare of a fire from an overload.

"Captain, we just took a direct turbolaser hit to compartment 2B! Power plant energizer is out! We're down to maneuvering thrusters only!"

Engineering's prognosis was bad. Tactical's was worse.

"Sir, we've got a bulkhead breach into 2D, it's the -"

"Magazjine! jI know!"

Cirr was up on his feet, snatching the commset from it's overhead carriage. He shrieked into the handset with urgency

"Starrboarrd torrpedo rroom! Get the hell out of therre! Blow the hatch and djitch yourr payload, now!!"

There was a serene fatalism in expecting to die at any second from a cascading secondary explosion. If it happened now, he might not even feel it. If he didn't get a satisfactory response to his call in the next few seconds, the best option he had would be to order an all hands evacuation. Fortunately, the response was quick.

"Torpredo room to bridge. The compartment's been sealed and vented."

With his eyes fixed to a carbon-scored burn in the ceiling, Cirr clicked to reply.

"Djid we get everryone out of therre?"

It took too long for any good answer to come.

"Negative sir. We had two people still in the magazine when it sealed. They're gone."

Cirr's hands tightened around the commset. He squeezed his eyes shut tight for a moment.

"jI underrstand. Quez out."

The Captain's knees gave, and he dropped back into his seat.

"Send to the Commodorre. We'rre out of the fjight."

[Marlon Kori]

* * *


Another violent bucking sent him crashing into a bulkhead. He could hear the medic swearing, and another burst of exploding and twisting durasteel in the far distance followed by cries of agony and despair. A woman's voice called out, screaming in pain as she pleaded for salvation. A chorus of voices rose in volume to join her wails until there was a sea of auditory despair. It was all so deafening, all so violent.

"Stay here Sir."

He felt a hand on his chest, pushing him against the solid sanctuary offered by the bulkhead he had leaned against.

"I'll be back."

And then the hand was gone, pulling away to disappear into the netherworld of darkness and chaos that surrounded him.

Marlon let his head fall back, feeling as the wall came to meet his motion in an inaudible thunk. Lids closed over now-useless eyes.

But the aetherial hand... it returned. It reached for him. It took him in a comforting hold and passed wispy fingers over his drawn features. And then it pulled away, beckoning him to come.

Come with me. Save a life.

Save a life.

He swallowed, then pushed away from the bulkhead to take two unsure steps forward. The hand was his guide, and led him through the death and destruction that he could not see.

[Marlon Kori]

He stumbled over a fallen strut, the chorus of destruction loud around him. He could hear the warning klaxon pounding its' fury through the corridors of the ship, and he knew that it was most likely a fatal injury that Dauntless had sustained. Whatever was happening on the bridge... whatever Dan was doing... was it...

An explosion of stars burst through the inky black of his blindness, and Marlon felt himself shoved roughly against the bulkhead as panicking crewmembers abandoned their resolve. Had he abandoned his? He was following a Hand, a Hand! Away from the bridge, and to wherever it called him. Or... had his resolve shifted to something else? Was there clarity in the loss of his sight?

"Run!! Find the escape pods!!"

"Take the children, get them out of here!"

"Daddy? Daddy! Where's Momma?!?! I want Momma!!"

"We don't have much time before- "

A stuttering rumble approached like some sort of wave before the sound of the entire ship shuddering jogged him back into action. The Hand was insistent, filling his inner awareness once more and leading him onward.

How long had he staggered, how many corridors and hallways had he passed through? The lifts were inoperable, but the maintenance hatches were still serviceable, and most certainly being used. He blindly fought the deluge of bodies streaming through tight confines, hissing in pain and anger as he struggled to follow the Hand.


Save a life...


Again the voiceless utterance echoed those three words into his mind, and with renewed resolve, Marlon Kori heaved himself upward with determined strength.




He could recognize the scents that permeated the detention block; sterile, almost bleach-like. It was a smell that no other part of the ship seemed to have, and despite the air-scrubbers always on double duty, it never seemed to change that smell. He put the weight of his shoulder into the grated panel above his head, and was rewarded with a pchonk. The panel popped up and slightly out of its' setting. One hand gripping the top rung of the utility ladder he occupied, his other shoved the grating to the side, and Marlon pulled himself up and out.

The Hand was becoming almost frantic, and he strained to do as it wished.


Save a life...

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

* * *

The news from Novgorod was not good, and s'Il couldn't help the scowl that turned her features. Out of the fight, but thankfully not gone. It was a consolation that she gladly accepted.

"Send to Novgorod - understood."

KHER didn't need to acknowledge, as his processors were already delivering the message to the stricken ship and their captain.

Kes was pushing the control throttles as far forward as he could, dumping as much power as he could into the sublights as they slowly gained on Dauntless.

The spindly ship's avatar seemed to tick his head a moment, as though interrupted in his tasks.

Commodore, we're receiving transmission from Marianas. A General Brecklin for you, Ma'am.

She only had time to angle her head to the left, as the brilliant, blue image of Meiers Brecklin materialized from thin air to stand beside her.

"General."

[Meiers Brecklin]

She looked the same as ever; she always did. Where he and those around her had seemed to add the lines of age, it was as though the Jedi was frozen in time. But, it was a thought that he let occupy his thoughts for the barest second upon seeing her.

"Commodore."

His nod was minimal.

"Whatever senses that Dan has taken leave of, I am not of the mind to allow him to continue this folly. Marianas is on an intercept course now. Our tractors are online and we'll be in range of Dauntless in twenty seconds."

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

A grim nod of her own, and s'Il tightened her grip on the walkway's railing.

"General Thrule will destroy the Jedi encampment if he is allowed to continue. My ship has no tractor beams, but I can provide cover for you until you're in range."

As if to punctuate her statement, Kes banked right, bringing into sight the form of one of the two recon pocket cruisers in Dan's fleet. An overlay blinked to life, following over the ship in the viewscreen, the IFF identifying it as the Castor. Her already-present scowl only seemed to deepen as memories of Castor's skipper flashed in her mind's eye; Antori Yvalianos was a stocky, severe man that had been with Dan's cell from almost the beginning. He'd been one of the commandos from her very first mission with Dan, speaking only briefly to her as they'd fled the destruction of a Kamino cloning facility. He was a true believer and a survivor, a man who faught against the Empire with every fibre of his being and stood for truth and honesty.

Now he was blinded, following a lie that was unraveling everything he had spent his life fighting for.

KHER held no such memories, and his larger self opened fire, turbolaser batteries erupting to send brilliant red spears of energy along the length of Castor's hull.

[Serena Laran]

Serena Laran's guards had run away, leaving her to her meditation as she sat cross-legged in the center of her cell. She had reached out with her mind, finding one on the bridge of the ship, one that had broken free from the Dark one's influence.

As the ship shuddered underneath her, she breathed softly and steadily, the Force welling up from inside her as she gave up her fears and focused on pulling the one mind toward her. The ship rocked and lights flickered as more impacts were felt. Death was near, and perhaps it was her time to go...

The double-thick doors of the brig opened, and a man in a battered commander's uniform staggered in. Serena opened her eyes, and stood up, her cream robes stained with the blood of others.

[Marlon Kori]

Half-stumbling through the doorway of the cell, Marlon's face fell as the mysterious hand he'd seen in his ind vanished. He sucked in an almost panicked breath as he felt returned to the darkness that his unseeing eyes gave to him. Unknown to him, blood had collected in his tear ducts to send thin rivulets of red down craggy cheeks. Eyes that had once been a deep brown were now blackened and sightless.

"The Hand," he gasped, one hand going out to grip the door frame before he could fall completely, "... where's the Hand?!"

[Serena Laran]

His eyes were beyond repair. Serena pressed her hand to her head, drawing on the Force to project a sense of the room to the man's mind, illuminating his surroundings. As long as he remained near her their connection should hold, although it was extremely taxing.

"Please, get me out of here."

[Marlon Kori]

Her voice filled his thoughts in the void that the hand had left, and Marlon let out a cough that seemed to sting his throat. The darkness was pervasive, but stepping past the threshold seemed to cast a strange sort of light around him, as he perceived edges and walls. Everything was close, and he sucked in an alarmed breath.

The disorientation slammed into him as though he'd been broadsided with a durracrete sledge, and he cast unseeing eyes to either side before settling on the ghostly breath of an image. Outlined in dancing lines and frantic slivers of light was a woman.

Another stumble as Dauntless rocked, but he managed to catch himself before pitching forward completely.

Leaned against a wall, Marlon Kori reached out a hand to the spectre.

"I... "

Had the hand brought him to this woman? To this voice?

"He's mad, " the weight of the course that Dan had set them upon suddenly crushed down upon him, and as he felt her hand join his, there was a strange sort of despair that engulfed his thoughts as he pulled her closer.

"He'll kill us all... "

[Serena Laran]

As she took his hand their connection deepened, and his despair immediately pressed upon her. Serena pushed back, exuding peace and calm, even though she could sense Dan's terrible dark presence in the ship. His sharpened purpose that was directed to the settlement on the planet below.

"We must leave the ship, and get as many people as we can to do the same. Can you take me to the escape pods?"

She pulled him gently through the cell door into the hallway. "Is it possible to signal an evacuation from somewhere that isn't the bridge?"

[Marlon Kori]

She had helped him, guided him even as he guided her. She was his eyes, and he was the navigator. He stumbled a few times, but the woman with the soft voice and the steady hands always kept him from falling completely, and his previous disorientation had been smoothed over, to be replaced with a resolve that finally felt his own. He knew who she was - the Jedi woman - Dan's prized prisoner...

Her firm but gentle mannerisms and the way that she spoke washed over him, and he held her hand tightly at first, then as Dauntless shuddered again in throes of inevitable death, he draped an arm over her shoulder for further support.

"To the left," he coughed as the smell of smoke invaded his lungs.

"There should be a main console in the detention receiving area... "

They exited the maze of catwalks that was lined on either side with detention cells, and down into a much more open processing area. Another rumbling shake, and Marlon shot a hand out to brace against the nearest thing he could blindly grab, and ended up grasping at a dangling bit of shredded conduit.

"It's," another cough and a wheeze, "... it's in the middle," he let go of the conduit as the Jedi woman started forward once more, taking him with her. She must've seen it, and he spoke up once more.

"You'll need a command code to access the shipwide vox system," his leg crashed into a fallen stool, and Kori hissed out in pain, his features screwing into a deep grimace.

"Use mine. Four-two-four-Besh-eight-three-two."