บท 2: Chapter II: The Malevolence
(The Resolute)
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Watching Skywalker and the clones from behind a Gunship with Kal and Kom'rk, Kellian had a small frown on his face.
".... Minimal casualties may be enough to prevent you from breaking Grevious defenses." Koon said as Kellian, Kal, and Kom'rk approached.
"Master Plo is right, with Grevious on that Ship's bridge its bound to be well protected.'' Ahsoka said in agreement.
''Don't worry Ahsoka, We'll destroy that bridge and Grevious along with it." Skywalker says confidentally.
"See you haven't changed much, this is a bad idea." Says Kellian entering the conversation.
"Kellian? I wasn't made aware you were aboard." Skywalker says in response.
"I asked Admiral Yularen not to, I wanted to see what you had planned first, and I can confidentally say this is hardly the best plan. This is a superweapon carrying ship, helmed by the Separatist Supreme Commander, from an intel point of view, that's a gold mine. The amount of intel we could salvage is a far greater reward." Says Kellian, ignoring the suprise of Ahsoka.
"Your not wrong, but the logistics and ability to even board a ship of that size is not worth the risk of infiltration." Says Anakin.
''You know, I do outrank you, so I can order you not to proceed with this attack." Kellian says with mild amusement.
''But you won't, because you know I'm right.'' Says Anakin, just as amused as Kellian.
''You're half-right, but I am going to adjust your attack plan, call your men back, I want to show you something." Kellian instructs.
''Ahem!'' A voice interupts them.
''Ah, right,'' Anakin says looking sheepish at the admonishing look Koon is sending him. ''Kellian this is my Padawan, Ahsoka -''
''Tano, Ahsoka Tano. Yes, I know who she is, we've had the pleasure.'' Kellian says.
''You have?'' Anakin asks in mild suprise.
''It's good to see you again, Master Ordo.'' Ahsoka says.
''Ahsoka, I've known you far longer than your master, no need for formality with me. Least of in present company.'' Kellian says looing slyly at Master Koon.
''How long have you known each other?'' Anakin asks.
''About a year before I first met you.'' Kellian admits. ''You forget Anakin, you joined us when you were ten, I joined when I was five. It's only logical I know some of the padawans from that generation better than you.'' Says Kellian.
''Master Ordo is quite correct Anakin, but that doesn't mean he knows everybody.'' Koon chimes in.
''Ahsoka, Anakin, Master Plo? Allow me to introduce you all properly to Field Marshal Kal Skirata and Clone Lieutenant Kom'rk. Kal was one of the Clone Armies original instructors having been recruited by Jango personally, and he is Kom'rk's adoptive father. Both serve together with me in the Special Operations Brigade.'' Kellian says in Introduction.
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"Listen up, I am General Ordo, head of the Special Operations Brigade, I trust my companions need no introudction?" Kellian replies as Kal and Kom'rk remove their helmets.
"Field Marshal on Deck!" Yularen shouts as the Clones stand at attention, out of respect to Kal, after all he was one of Jango's top instructors on Kamino.
''At ease, listen to the General, you'll want to hear this." Says Kal evenly.
"You all know your target, but as always Anakin hasn't properly thunk it through. Look at the sheer size of this ship, and it's Ion Pulse Cannons. The Power demands must be enourmous. Second, this ship - as you all well know - is commanded by General Grevious, the Separatist Supreme Commander, so it's very very likely the Bridge is Shielded. Then there's these enourmous Engines. Consider this your secondary objective if the Bridge is Shielded. Drop your bombs on the emitters, engines, and hyperdrive. Grevious is easily enraged, so if we damage the engines he's dead in the water, and if we hit his hyperdrive, he can't escape. Moreover the more damage we apply to these Ion Pulse emitters, the more likely the ship is to blow up. We do all this and irritate Grevious enough, he'll force his gunners to fire the superweapons and potentially blow himself up from forcing power through a damaged weapon.'' Kellian instructs, taking the pilots through a step by step holo of the enemy ship.
"What if we are unable to drop our bombs in time sir?" A trooper asks. "If they fire that Ion weapon before we can drop our payload, we won't be able to hit any objective." The trooper clarifies.
"The 442nd will be backing you up. My Pilots and I will focus on the enemy starfighters and the Ship's Cannons, giving you the time you need to sufficiently wound Grveious pride and reputation. If all else fails, well let's hope it doesn't come to that, but I've got a Cruiser ready for just such an event, it's a waste, but we may not have a choice.'' Says Kellian.
''What do you mean a waste of a Cruiser?'' Asks Yularen.
''Let's just say it will take Skywalker a little while to top this.'' Says Kellian.
''Forgive me General Ordo, but that's deeply unsettling.'' Says Yularen.
''It is,'' Kellian Agrees. ''But let's just say that if Grevious is on board, there will be scavengers picking up pieces of him for decades if we're forced to resort to my last resort'' Says Kellian.
''Regardless, it will be good to have you join us. It's been a while since you and I shared a space battle.'' Says Skywalker.
''That's just because your greedy.'' Says Kellian.
''No, it's because your too slow.'' Says Skywalker as he and Kellian devolve to bickering.
''If you two don't mind we've got a Superweapon to destory.'' Says Koon.
''Fair enough, I'll take a transport to my Flagship, and meet you in the abyss.'' Says Kellian turning to Skirata and Kom'rk.
''Kom'rk your my co-pilot, Kal you have command of the fleet in my absence.'' Kellian orders.
''Understood.'' Kal says gruffly as they each board a shuttle and return to the Redeemer.
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It was a little Nostalgic flying with Anakin again, the last time they'd had any real action together was at Geonosis. Kellian lead a team of Shadows in stealth fighters to hit priority targets, eventually though his ship was too damaged and he ejectected in order to join the ground fight. He actually ended up beign saved by Anakin who used the Force to pull him onto his gunship.
Kellian hadn't joined Skywalker against Dooku, because he needed to join the troops on the ground at his former Master's order. While on the ground he had been reunited with two fo his former Padawans, together with the 111th, 396th, and 223rd Clone Legions they'd helped turn the tide in the clones favor on the ground.
''General? We've prepared your ship for you.'' Ordo tells him.
''My thanks Ordo, You have command of the Clones until my return.'' Says Kellian as he and Kom'rk board the nearby and heavily Modified Naboo N-1 Starfighter.
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''So General? What exactly is different about this particular Starfighter, I mean I know you had it built custom and then even more customized. But what exactly is different about it?'' Asks Kom'rk.
''It's a two person fighter, your sitting where the Astromech normally would be, but I had that converted to a Gunners cockpit, R5 is still aboard of course, but he's within my part of the ship. Our Ship is pushed by a heavily modified J-Type Pulse Engine. This ship has been equipped to include Ion Cannons, Proton Torpedoes, and Concussion Missiles in addition to the Standard equipment. Additionally, thanks in large part to R5, the Power Reactor and all the Power-conversion Systems have been modified enough that we have a significant excess in that regard, enough that I'm able to max two separate systems if I desire or need to.'' Says Kellian.
''This N-1 is bigger than the standard N-1's, is that because of these modifications?'' Kom'rk asks.
''Partly. As you know, all my ships are heavily modified, but this Fighter also has a Solar Sail. A gift from an old friend now gone. The Solar sail is useful for providing an auxiliary source of power if I so need one, and I do quite enjoy the drift.'' Says Kellian with a hint of sadness. He was sad because the friend now gone served the Confederacy.
''You know Skywalker isn't going to take this lying down.'' Kom'rk notes, as he and indeed all of Kellian's troops know how competitive Kellian and Anakin can get with each other, with Kellian being in the lead more than not, if only for a short while.
''I know, but we can one-up each other some other time, this Superweapon is no joke, and I'll not indulge our competition today. Now cut the unnecessary Chatter Kom'rk, we have to focus on the job.'' Says Kellian.
''Yes, general.'' Kom'rk replied, as he settled into the cockpit of his gunner's position.
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(POV Shift: Seveerin Jade)
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Seveerin Jade was watching her daughter play with the other children, Mara hadn't been planned by any means, but Seveerin was grateful to have had her. It gave her a reason to not work all the time, and it was amusing to her that her job would actually bring her in closer proximity to Mara's father.
Mara's father was a Jedi, and a famous one at that. Seveerin didn't really remember how they first met, because the whole month of when they met was a bit of a haze to her. She'd just graduated from the Chandrilan University and was selected by Senator Mothma as her aide and fellow diplomat. So she went out with a few friends to celebrate.
Mara's father was on world for a pilgramage to a Jedi Tomb on Chandrila with his Padawan. The Man, well he was quite young for a Jedi Knight, but she couldn't really judge him for that when she had a child with the Jedi Knight. But more to the point, she had met him and they began a relationship for a time. He was genuine in his regret that he couldn't stay with her, Seveerin new that. Being a young beauty on Chandrila at University, your learned to know when people were being honest and when they were not. But she understood his postion, he had initially come to her seeking knowledge of the area, and even he couldn't remember how they ended up in bed together.
But their last night together was when Mara was conceived. He didn't know yet, but that was only a matter of time. Mara, like her father was strong in the Force, and Mara also desperately wanted to meet him. Mothma to her credit was helping her find a way for the two to meet. A Jedi forming a attachment put that Jedi in a difficult position, but siring a child put them in a worse one. Still, when Mara's father found out, Seveerin knew or rather she hoped that he would be willing to meet her at least.
This war had already killed so many Jedi, and Seveerin didn't want Mara to lose her father before she met him.
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(POV Shift: Kellian Ordo)
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Kellian and Kom'rk flew side-by-side with Anakin and Ahsoka and Master Plo Koon as they began to enter the Kalidia Nebula. Kellian hated flying into Nebula's, one of his first missions under Mace Windu had led them into a nebula and they just barely escaped with their lives. However, having said that, Kellian had located a number of secret hyperspace routes in the last few years. He'd rediscovered lost worlds, but he shared only a precious few of them. He'd Rediscovered Ossus, Tython, and Odessen to name a few.
Kellian was keeping them secret so as to have a safehaven to travel to after Order 66, which reminded him...he needed to search for Tanalorr. That world would be the perfect place to rebuild on, a paradisacal world were the Order could rebuild and prepare. Kellian would try and keep as much of the Jedi Council and senior leadership intact. If he had his way, then at least half the Jedi Council would remain intact.
Kellian glanced at Ahsoka sitting in the Gunner's spot in Anakin's Y-Wing, that sudden tightness in his chest as his pace quickened. Kellian was deeply conflicted when it came to Ahsoka Tano. As a boy in his past life, he'd had the hots for her, he grew out of that of course, but Kellian had felt that come back. He felt it growing now that Ahsoka was real. Kellian - since being reborn - had taken advantage of being freed from his curse. Last time, he was autistic, with ADHD and Asperges and Hypersensitivity. He no longer had that, and had been taking advantage of it.
Last time, he had emboied two sins, Lust and Wrath, with Wrath gradually being replaced by Sloth before he kicked the bucket. Kellian hadn't gotten rid of lust just yet, as the short number of women he'd slept with could attest to. Much as he'd have liked to, Kellian hadn't gone nuts. He limited himself to a small number so as to not get found out in short order, but as always...Kellian fell back towards Ahsoka.
She must have felt his eyes on, for she glanced at him through the Viewport on her position. He sent her a small smile and tried to keep his longing out of his face.
''Okay if we can just manage to navigate through my shortcut, we'll be alright.'' Anakins ays over comms, tearing Ahsoka's look from him.
''A Nebula can be very unpredictable, I advise caution.'' Plo Koon adds, having decided to join them, though he flew his Jedi Starfighter as opposed to the Y-Wings everyone else barring Kellian and Kom'rk had selected.
''Don't worry about us Master Jedi, we can hold our own. Right Shadow Squadron?'' The Clone Squadron lead says and quickly a number of clones reply an affirmative.
''Does anyone care what the Padawan?'' Ahsoka asks.
''Of course we care snips. But we're still going through that Nebula.'' Says Anakin a little to smugly for Kellian's taste.
''You know you don't have to be so smug about it Skywalker. I for one would appreciate a voice of reason, nebula runs are never fun.'' Says Kellian over comms, with R2-D2 providing his own support.
''Thanks Master Ordo, you too R2.'' Ahsoka says.
Kellian withholds his sigh at the formality, he'd be lying if he said he didn't find the formality and respect his accomplishments made his colleagues and friends give him didn't grate on his nerves. It was frustrating being so accomplished and not being able to openly speak freely with the people he grew up with without the formality. But such was his lot in life.
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(POV Shift: Sarissa Hyori)
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Sarissa was busy watching the flow of goods move through her shadow ports. Her smugglers and couriers ensured the secure and quick transport of goods to thousands of clients and tens of thousands of refugees. Sarissa followed at the command of her saviour, a man she called father by choice after her own father subjected her to great cruelty.
He was investigating her father's cult for the Republic and joined undercover, when he saw what they were doing to her, he broke cover and rescued her immediately. The republic and Jedi Council weren't happy, but she got to have a new and normal life because of him. Through her new father, she had been able to attend a prestigious University, before enrolling in the Prefsbelt Fleet Academy and becoming a highly skilled Pilot, she'd ended up completing her training at the Anaxes War College.
Since then, her father had instructed her to build a large network of contacts in the underworld and certain circles. She didn't know why, but he was afraid and sought to have an infrastructure to support them when the war ended.
''My lady, there's a problem. One of our shipments arrived light.'' Says Hk-51, her personal bodyguard and assassin droid, built for her by her father using the old schematics of the ancient Sith Empire.
''The cargo?'' She asks.
''Military-grade antibiotics and stims, along with a small shipment of ion weaponry.'' Says HK.
''Who was the pilot?'' She asks, and when HK hands her a datapad, she's hardly suprised to see it is none other than Ranzar Malk. ''Bring him to me.'' Says Sarissa with cold resolve. Father taught her that a good business leader was as feared as they were loved, which made this next course of action easier. Ranzar Malk had already hit two strikes within her organization, with this theft, he was no longer one of them. Turning to her nearby computer, she activates the protocol for disloyal members and places the third Red Strike onto Malk's record within their organization's data.
Within minutes the organizations slicers would penetrate Malk's personal files and accounts, getting her the evidence she needs to go through with the coming example. As an afterthought, Sarissa also applied two yellow and green marks to his record. The Slicers would target all of his recent payments not from their jobs and take the paying accounts for everything their worth, and it would all track back to Malk.
''...easy! I'm sure we can work this out?'' She hears from behind her doors.
''It's a little late for that Ranzar, you have hit your third strike.'' Says Sarissa as she doesn't turn to face him, instead going to the Wall of weapons behind her, weapons she'd collected and some her father had given her.
''Boss, it's just a misunderstanding. I'm sure we can come to an arrangement.'' Ranzar says.
''If only that were possible, your good at what you do it is true, but...three times we've entrusted a critical shipment to you and three times upon delivery it has shown up late and shown up light. The first time, we took your ship and reduced you to a co-pilot. The second time, we took your arm. It seem's you've not learned your lesson, leaving you with only one way out. Kill or be killed.'' Says Sarissa.
''Boss, I can give you a cut of the profits, just say the word.'' Ranzar says.
''You already have, in fact so have your buyers. Right now, they're bank accounts are in the red. When the thefts are traced, they'll eventually come back to you. However that does not absolve you, your only way out...is through the arena. Last three rounds, and beat the final challenge and you can live. Or you can die now.'' Says Sarissa.
''And what would your father think? I know he's a Jedi, or least a former member. Wasn't hard to piece together based on your interactions with Separatist and Republic and your actions overall. Who is he really? I know he must be pulling your strings somehow, just not sure why.'' Says Ranzar dropping all pretense of getting out of the hole he's dug himself into.
''My father, is a Mandalorian, my Uncle...is a Jedi.'' Sarissa admits, even though that in truth is not the truth, rather her father was a Jedi Investigator and her Uncles were Mandalorian.
''Still comes out the same way....I'll go to the arena, but I won't be facing anybody...anybody but you. You want to kill me? Fine....but do it yourself or not at all.'' Ranzar says.
''So be it.'' Sarissa agrees going to her wall of Weapons and picking up a Mandalorian Beskad and a Light Whip. ''Take him to the arena, and broadcast the match live. Let everyone know of his crimes and the punishment that awaits him..'' Sarissa instructs to HK, who turns to the guards and nods towards them, and the guards drag Ranzar away.
''Contact my sisters, inform them to seek out a new pilot and crew, we will try to recover what was lost. With any luck the crew they select will be able to get it back. If they can't however, contract Houses Renliss and Salaktori, we need examples to be made.'' Says Sarissa.
''Yes, mistress.'' HK responds dutifully.
''And inform my father of the problem and that it's being handled.'' Sarissa adds on, better he knows why this is happening ahead of the actual broadcast.
''I shall attempt to do so mistress.'' HK responds.
''I shall get ready.'' Says Sarissa pressing a button under her desk and entering the armory behind her wall of weapons. She would honor her family, by wearing Beskar this day.
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(POV Shift: Kellian Ordo)
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Kellian and company had been inside the Nebula for a little while, every so often Kellian would steal glances at Ahsoka. Mostly whenever she spoke up, but there was the odd time he ocassionaly glanced at her without a prompt. He wasn't sure what it was, but the Force was prickling at the back his mind and every time he focused on it, it drew his focus to Ahsoka. He'd never encountered this before, things like it of course. It felt like a Force Bond, but he didn't have the depth in his relationship with Ahsoka to quantify a Force Bond.
Yes he'd trained her as a youngling simply because he'd been so advanced in his youth and his trial of character at the Gathering on Illum had been to slow down and take it slow. Which had led to him helping his fellow younglings - including Ahsoka - in their studies, but again this didn't feel like a Force Bond.
Kellian had had them in the past, and he maintained some of them to this day. Two of his former Padawan's still maintained their Force Bonds with him. He still received flak from his old Master for it, but luckily Master Yoda agreed with him that it was for the Student to decide when they were ready to sever the Bond and forge their own path. If he were to cut it off, yeah it would be keeping with tradition. But Kellian felt it was better for the Apprentice to sever the bond in order to prove themselves ready emtionally.
In the end though he didn't really know what the Force was trying to tell him, so he let it be.
''This soup is thick, can you see anything?'' Shadow 2 says over comms, catching Kellian's attention.
''Just keep your eyes on my thruster, Shadow 2.'' Says Anakin.
''He'll have too, the scanner's are useless.'' Ahsoka complains.
''This is old fashioned flying, you have to feel your way through to stay on course.'' Anakin says.
''Skywalker is right, Ahsoka. Clear your mind young one, and you will see the path.'' Says Koon.
''Right now, I can't see anything at all.'' Ahsoka snarks.
''That's not a bad thing, after all, old fashioned flying indirectly brought this war to our business. Any of you pilots ever hear how the Great Hyperspace War got started?'' Kellian asks.
''What's to know? War came to the republic, we won.'' A Clone Pilot says.
''Millenia ago, during the age of exploration two young siblings took a job mapping the stars. Maybe you've heard a hyperlane named after them? The Daragon Trail? I'll spare you all the finer details, but the gist of it is that Jori and Gav Daragon were unlucky enough to discover Korriban, birthplace of the Sith Species.'' Says Kellian.
''I've never heard of this, have you Master Koon?'' Anakin asks, speaking up.
''Only partly, never the full story.'' Koon admits.
''Well it's not often told and thus mostly myth. When the Ancient Je'daii Order went through the Hundred Year Darkness some seven thousand years past, a group of Dark Jedi were banished from the Order for falling to the Dark Side, led by Ajunta Pall they found their way to Korriban, home to the Sith Race and natural born Dark Side users. They were revered as gods, however when Ajunta Pall died, he was conflicted and regretful for his crimes, causing the Force to allow him to remain as a Ghost so that one day a Jedi would put him to rest. However the sith who followed would eventually encounter the Daragon Siblings. These were street children in the Empress Teta system. As children they had been saved by the legendary Jedi Master Odan-Urr, and both were strong in the Force. However they did not train as one of us. Eventually a cunning Sith Lord freed them from imprisonment in the hopes of starting a war with the Republic and Jedi Order that banished their ancestors. Jori escaped, unknowingly taking a tracking beacon with her. Her brother remained and was trained as a sith apprentice to the Lord who freed her. Eventually, the great Hyperspace War got started but Gav Daragon renounced the Dark Side and caused a Supernova that saved the Republic. Jori would outlive her brother and as such, her story would too.'' Says Kellian.
''By the force, Kellian....you found her tomb didn't you?'' Plo breathes. ''You actually found her gravesite.'' Says Koon.
''A shrine actually. As you know I like to map old hyperlanes, I mapped the Daragon Trail following clues and the Force. I arrived to Korriban, wasn't easy resisting the Dark Side, and didn't get to spend much time in the system. But I found records that pointed me towards a Shrine to Daragon. Beneath said shrine was an antique data file, took me two years to transfer it to something more modern, but it told her story. Basically what I'm saying is that old fashioned flying especially with the Force can be as good as it can be bad. The Daragon's followed feelings that the Dark Side Whispered to them, unknowingly and indrectly causing the Great Hyperspace War, and as a result giving the Sith the means to haunt the Galaxy ever since. However, I don't lay blame at their feet. If any blame should be given to anyone, it should be given to us. It was our teachings that compelled Odan-Urr to protect the siblings as children and thus indirectly the Great Hyperspace War. Having said that however, I don't blame anyone, the Sith would've found a way out anyway no matter what.'' Says Kellian.
''A mature way of seeing it.'' Koon says in agreement.
''Kellian, would you be willing to show the Council this file? It's historical significance alone bears inclusion into the Jedi Archives.'' Koon asks.
''I've found a lot of lost things Master Koon, I wish for the knowledge of most of them to die with me. Better they stay lost, some though...I'd be willing to give up to the Jedi Council.'' Kellian concedes.
''What sorts of things have you found?'' Asks Ahsoka.
''Lost planets, bastions of our Order and the Sith. A number of Artifacts and relics, a vast number of shrines and tombs to fallen Jedi and Sith. My greatest find however, will die with me. I won't trust anybody with it..well, anybody except perhaps Master's Ranscis and Yoda.'' Kellian admits.
''We'll have to discuss this at length later, for now ready yourselves mentally, it won't be long before we arrive.'' Anakin speaks up.
''Agreed, we'll table this for later Master Plo, my Fleet should already be there, which means we should be ready for the Confederacy.'' Kellian agrees.
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''So Skyguy? How'd you know about this shortcut?'' Ahsoka asks.
''It's an old smugglers route, growing up I'd used to hear pilots talk about it on Tatooine.'' Says Anakin.
''Smugglers Route?! Huh, that makes me feel better.'' Ahsoka says unimpressed.
''They call it the Balmorra Run.'' Says Skywalker.
''Balmorra Run?!'' Both Koon and Kellian exclaim, even though Kellian knew what was coming having run this particular nebula before it was still suprising Skywalker hadn't done his research. Kellian has run this nebula at least a dozen times when trying to get some of his wounded to the Medical center before their time ran out. Since he was typically running a deep-infiltration and capture mission he often was flying either a strike shuttle or freighter and with the Force he was able to often make it easily enough. Of course of the dozen odd times he's done this nebula run, he'd only ever encountered the nebray's four times...this would make five.
''I think I'm picking up a contact.'' Ahsoka says as the sound of her scanners beeping start to be picked up by the comms.
''Skywalker, listen to me! We need to turn around!'' Says Koon urgently.
''We can't! Not if we're gonna catch Grievous.'' Anakin refutes.
''Another contact! this one's much larger.'' Ahsoka interrupts with some urgency
''Anakin you idiot! This nebula is a nesting ground for the giant Nebray Mantis! You led us into this nebula without the right configurations and setup for this nebula, because of that the Nebray's will think us predators after their eggs!'' Kellian shouts over comms, having had the experience of learning what fuel and engine types anger the Nebrays.
''Another?! Huh, another?!'' Says Ahsoka as one Nebray appears.
''Take evasive action!'' Anakin yells.
''Those gass-gulpers are huge.'' Ahsoka says.
''Don't shoot or they'll panic!'' Says Koon.
''THEY'LL panic?! I'm about to panic!'' Ahsoka says increduously.
''No! Whatever you do don't react! These Nebrays are Force-Sensitive! They're highly sensitive to heightened states of emotion felt through the Force. Right now the scent of the fuel the Y-Wings are burning has irritated them and disturbed their nesting behaviours, so they're trying to clean the vaccuum a little. If we fire on them they'll go from irritated to out right predatory!'' Kellian bellows over comms, before reaching out with the Force searching for the broodmother.
''What are you doing Kellian? You've killed your engines?'' Koon asks flying up next to him, which Kellian can feel through the Force.
''Reach out Master Plo, you feel it too don't you?'' Kellian asks as he finally locks onto the Broodmother.
''What is this? I feel a great presence in the Force?'' Koon says.
''It's the broodmother. All pilots kill your engines now.'' Says Kellan.
''Are you crazy we need to evade them!'' Anakin says.
''I'm giving you a direct order Anakin, Clones this goes for you as well. KILL YOUR ENGINES! NOW!'' Kellian says and Kellian can sense them all kill their engines, albeit reluctantly. ''Good, now Anakin listen closely, there's a broodmother with this group, if you reach out through the Force, you'll feel her presence. Can you feel her?'' Kellian says.
''I sense...something protective, warm, but blocked.'' Anakin says.
''That's her! Listen closely all of you, the fuel has irritated her group, but because they're attuned to the Force, we should be able to beseech her through it to allow us passage. However, this will be dificult, and because we've irritated them the broodmother will likely be...stingy.'' Kellian says
''So how do we get her to let us pass?'' Ahsoka asks.
''I'm so glad you ask Princess, because we're so lucky your here.'' Says Kellian.
''Me?'' Ahsoka asks confused.
''Your young, your a girl. And your sensitive to the Force. With any luck, I will be able to project you as a young broodmother. It's a slim chance, but it will with any luck it will work. My N-1 runs on fuel with a unique chemical compound added in, that compound is specifically designed not to aggravate things like Nebrays. If I use my auxilliary thrusters, I can maneuver close to your ship. Which will make what comes after really suck.'' Says Kellian.
''Kellian, what are you planning?'' asks Koon.
''If I die, there's a data file in my helmet. Recover my body and review it, the cipher to decrypt it is in my armor's chaincode.'' Says Kellian as he puts his Helmet on, and nods to R5, who maneuvers the fighter directly above Skywalker's Y-wing and opens the cockpit.
''Kellian, your suit won't fully protect you against the gasses and vaccuum! Get back inside!'' Koon orders.
''My armour is Beskar! It's environmentally sealed and has stims and antiobiotic injectors equipped regardless. Now everyone shut up, I need to focus for this. Ahsoka place your hand directly beneath mine, and focus the Force into me, I'll do the rest.'' Kellian says as Ahsoka hesitantly places her hand on the viewport beneath Kellian's.
Reaching his other hand out, Kellian feels his mind slip into the Force, and then reaches out. Using his feelings towards Ahsoka and her own power in the Force, Kellian projects a desire for home and protection towards the broodmother. When he doesn't feel the Broodmother push back, Kellian pushes forward Ahsoka's determination and her fear, and the sound of a nebray calling can be heard as the other Nebray's move out of the way and line a path for them.
''It's done, but safe to say I'm out of this fight. Master Plo was right in a way. While my Armor held, my seals didn't, and my filters couldn't remove the toxins in the gas perfectly. Soon as we arrive I'm going to have to dock with the Med Center and enter a detox and Bacta tank.'' Says Kellian after climbing back into the N-1 fighter.
''Are you alright?'' Ahsoka asks.
''Probably, but you never know with Nebulas, I'll be able to help you from the tank though.''' Says Kellian.
''That technique is dangerous Kellian, it requires a lot of concentration and stamina to maintain, with the toxins and chemicals within the gas, you'll be placing your future health at great risk.'' Koon warns.
''We have no choice. My Battle Meditation could aid us in this fight immensely, so I'll do whatever it takes to send this Superweapon straight to Malachor. You all can reactivate your engines now, so long as we don't tarry too long we should be okay.'' Kellian says.
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Kellian had broken off from the rest of the Group in order to Lightspeed skip to the station, where he was now being placed into a Bacta Tank.
''Listen closely, I cannot be awakened until the battle is over. I'll be slipping into a trance to use my Battle Meditation to help the battle, I won't be able to affect the droids, or even Grievous. However I may be able to help the evacuation personel. This all depends on skywalker.'' Says Kellian to a nearby technician who nods solemnly before Kellian dons the breathing mask and drops into the tank as he lets his body relax, and centers himself before he enters the trance.
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Observing the battlefield like he was using VR goggles, Kellian spreads his battle awareness to every Pilot, gifting their gunners with greater perception and coordination, the Pilots themselves are given greater awareness and unity. The medical personel are invigorated with fervor and strength, allowing them to evacuate more quickly.
Kellian quickly locates Ahsoka and Anakin and touches both their minds with greater gifts. This would be the last he does, for he would now need to focus on the battle itself....this would be quite the long affair...
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(POV Shift: Ahsoka Tano
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Ahsoka was pacing nervously in front of the bacta tank that held Master Ordo. She hadn't seen Kellian in years, but she still felt connected to him somehow. When he touched her mind with the force, she felt something new. When he connected them through the Force to pacify the broodmother Nebray, she didn't know what to feel about the raw emotions he'd poured through that connection.
It was true she'd had a small crush on him as a youngling, but then so too did a number of the Younglings, more importantly it flew in the face of the Jedi Code. But that didn't add up to what she had felt and what the Force was pushing towards her. She didn't love him, because in the first place she didn't know him well, for very long, nor could she even say if she was in love. She might be at the age where she starts to mature, but she was hoping that was all that there was to it, she was the Padawan of Anakin Skywalker, the last thing she needed was to be developing an attachment because of her biological instincts and going through puberty.
On a side note now that the battle was over, she'd expected Kellian to have been released from the bacta tank, but the medics wanted to give him an extra day to flush the gasses and chemicals from his system before removing him from the tank. She didn't know why she felt so nervous, he was a Jedi Master and she wasn't even his Padawan. True, he had helped her as a youngling and they'd been friends because of that, but when Master Windu took him as a Padawan, Kellian had been forced to sever those relationships by Windu.
So why did it feel like the Force wanted the exact opposite, why was she feeling like she was within a powerful malestrom and Kellian was a key to getting her out of it? This couldn't just be because of her biology and puberty...could it?
Ahsoka had so many questions right now and not nearly enough answers for them.
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(POV Shift: Kellian Ordo)
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Kellian hada woken and laid in a bed with Master's Yoda, Windu, Koon, Kenobi, and madame Nu beside him.
''I can't believe I'm actually holding a record of the Great Hyperspace War from one of the people who were there.'' Madame Nu said with no small amount of awe.
''Just a copy of a copy, the original is pretty damaged.'' Kellian says.
''Even so, it begs the question why you never brought all your discoveries to us.'' Says Windu, with an admonishing look.
''I don't trust the Chancellor a lick, truth be told, his presence when I look at him through the Force rubs me the wrong way. Besides the senate has no business in my discoveries. They didn't care a bit when Jori brough forth her warnings, why would I gift them knowledge I rediscovered that falls under Jedi jurisdiction?'' Kellian asks.
''Kellian, I know you better than anyone else here, and I can say with absolute certainty you would trust Count Dooku before you'd trust a politician.'' Says Windu.
''You say that because I did and in fact still would, don't forget, Dooku was an instructor of mine before you. He taught me Form II, and the fact he left on account of the senate as much as our order continues to bug me.'' Kellian admits with a mirthless laugh.
''Let's start from the beginning. How many of our lost relics and Worlds have you discovered?'' Koon asks as Madame Nu takes a datapad after passing the copy of the Daragon slate to a nearby assistant droid.
''Well...to start, I guess I should start with where our Order first began...'' Kellian says as he sighs, this wasn't going to be a short conversation.
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(Author's Note:)
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So a lot happened here, which means I have to explain a couple of things. For starters, I wanted to have the Nebrays be similar to the Purgill we see in Ahsoka and Star Wars Rebels. I figured it would help me develop Kellian's character a little and explain some of his abilities down the line. Plus it will tie in significantly at Mortis, as will his story about Jori and Gave Daragon. Course I ain't telling ya'll shit about what that could mean, as I gotta leave some mystery in it no?
Next is probably the only two things I'm going to openly admit to in this chapter.
Yes Mara Jade and Sarissa are Kellian's kids, Sarissa is actually Sariss, who was raped and molested by her own father and his cronies since they were Dark Side Cultists and the very idea of conceiving a child was so anathema to that belief they raped her as punishment for her ''Sin''. Ironically, Sariss actually is in A New Hope despite only getting named in the games. As for Mara Jade, well, There are too things I want Kellian to have...lust and compassion. He's adopted at least three people by this point in the Story, Sariss and Mara are the only Legends ones, but Kellian will eventually adopt a young boy, and he's also adopted a young Corellian Girl. That's all I'll say, even if I'm sure most of you will coment who that girl is.
As for why Kellian maps lost or forgotten Hyperspace Lanes or Routes, well Order 66 is enough of a reason for me. Which brings me to Ossus, Korriban, and Tython. This Galaxy Kellian is in is more legends than Canon, but there are elements of Canon in here. For instance the young boy that he'll adopt is Canon exclusively as is the Corellian girl he's already adopted. I'm doing this because I myself more often than not have an intense loathing for the fuckup that disney gave us by de-canonizing Legends, this will make it interesting for Kellian's future in this story as being reborn from a diehard Legends fan who barely read/played/watched anything Canon will bite him in his ass, forcing him to adapt to it and thus helping him develop as a character in an environment that by all accounts he should be ruling through his meta-knowledge.
One other thing is that Kellian as powerful as he is, is not perfect. He has and will have his own faults, personality and otherwise. His dificulty with attachments are prime examples of that, but they are not going to be the end of his issues. Another of his issues will be being able to differentiate his boyhood hots for Ahsoka and what becomes all the more real down the line, meaning it will be an interesting point of Character Development and will make his interactions interesting to write, well the romantic ones.
As for Ahsoka's scene near the end, well remember she died on Mortis at 16, and that would make her fourteen presently. Additionally there's her Togruta biology and puberty to deal with, so that will not really do much right now, but down the line it will become something significant. I didn't want anything major to happen, but I did want Ahsoka's natural biological inclinations and her puberty changes to play a part so as to help develop her character within this story and develop a relationship to Kellian beyond childhood teaching moments. Also I'm not exactly one hundred on when I want them to hook up, but I know I want the turning point to be Mortis since a lot of Kellian's character development will have hopefully come full circle by then, and here's a little treat, Kellian's very first mission will play an important part in one of Ahsoka's episodes in season 1...I think it was Season 1 at least, can't really rely on disney since they've got the episode where Senator Farr is assassinated in one season, and have him alive in the next. Serious Disney, fix your shit and give us Legends back too while your at it!
Before I leave you all to finish my second Witcher Chapter, I want to add why I didn't have Kellian fly against Melevolence or why I didn't expand his Battle Meditation parts. I didn't do any of those because I - and spoiler alert here - want to have Kellian have a small mini arc where he tries to combine Battle Meditation with the Moving Meditation technique, but I need Kellian to be further into the story for that to work out. More importantly I don't see how I could make a scene work where Battle Meditation plays a significant part unless it wasn't specifically from Kellian's POV, and even then was spread out amongst multiple POV's. Hope that satisfies you all in that aspect of this chapter.
In any case, I still have one more chapter to write at the time of this writing and the clock is ticking, so with that I bid you farewell and am off to write one more chapter before Christmas!
Sincerely yours in writing, chaos, family, and Christmas,
TheRagFromTheCrag
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Next Chapter is currently available on my relaunched and rebuilt P-atreon, to acces simply search the following link, but without the dash betwen the P and A, Two tiers with the same benefits but different context. The chapters on patreon will be published when the chapters after it are done and dusted and ready to publish over here on this site.
p-atreon.com/TheRagFromTheCragCorner22
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TheRagFromTheCrag2 Decided to post early what can I say?
Working on Chapter IV currently, the Interlude after this Chapter is available on my P-atreon and Chapter IV isn't far from being finished as I already have 1800 words on it.
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