Star Wars: Vergence II, Chapter Fifteen

 CHAPTER FIFTEEN

If there was one thing General Hux hated, it was having his orders overruled. Even when it was the Supreme Leader himself that overruled them.

What made it especially frustrating was the mixed signals it sent him. For the past year or so, he and the rest of the First Order had been given orders to locate a map that would lead to the first Jedi Temple or something along those lines. While Hux cared not for mystic orders like the Jedi, he nonetheless desired to find this map so that Supreme Leader Snoke would recognize his worth in the First Order. When Ochi of Bestoon had told him the map was here on Lothal, Hux thought for sure it would have been in his possession in little to no time at all.

However, not only had Ochi failed to recover the map, but the Supreme Leader had contacted Hux and ordered him to recall the Fellfire, which had accompanied Ochi, and send it back to the blockade. Ignoring the fact that he had no idea how Snoke had even known about Ochi’s plan involving the Fellfire in the first place, Hux had half the mind to call Snoke back and demand to know the reasoning behind this overruling… but he knew that would have not ended well for him.

In any case, he had taken his shuttle back up to the Finalizer to await the Supreme Leader’s next orders. Despite the incident caused by those Jedi and Resistance agents that had escaped, Lothal was safely under the control of the First Order, with Governor Jalvon having publicly pledged her loyalty to the First Order. The rest of the sector would fall in line in no time at all, and with the Galactic Alliance deprived of its head, so too would the rest of the galaxy.

As he stepped onto the bridge of the Finalizer, Hux found the captain waiting there for him, a curious expression on his face.

“General,” Captain Peavey said. “The Supreme Leader is broadcasting to all First Order channels.”

“Put him on,” Hux ordered.

The captain complied and within moments the giant, holographic image of Snoke’s head was filling the bridge, his disfigured face regarding the entire crew.

“Generals,” the Supreme Leader’s voice boomed, “I must commend you for your successful operations. With your designated sectors now under our full control, the rest of the Outer Rim Territories will fall to us in no time.”

Hux refrained from rolling his eyes. Great minds think alike, he supposed.

“As you may know by now,” Snoke went on, “the Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance has been… removed. The Senate is scrambling to find a replacement. I already have enough loyalists placed within their ranks to ensure that Luewet Wuul’s successor will be… sympathetic to our cause.”

Hux already knew this. This was the plan all along of course: to transform the Galactic Alliance into an extension of the First Order itself before making the full transition. He wasn’t sure why Snoke was repeating this information… unless, of course, he had more to say than just that.

As if reading his mind (which the Supreme Leader most likely was), Snoke then said, “However, there is a new factor at play. One that I had not initially foreseen but should hopefully not delay our plans any further. General Pryde has already been given the full details and will be addressing the situation shortly.”

Hux shifted uncomfortably, frustrated with the vague tone in the Supreme Leader’s voice. Did this have anything to do with why Snoke had overruled his command? Because of some mysterious factor that he refused to explain?

Hux stiffened as he felt Snoke’s eyes fall on him. “As for you, General Hux, I have decided to call off the search for the map. It is no longer of priority.”

Clearing his throat, Hux asked, “May I ask why that is the case, Supreme Leader?”

Snoke did not answer him and Hux wondered if he had even heard the question. “Proceed with the next phase of operations,” the Supreme Leader said instead, “and await further orders.”

With that, the holographic image dissipated, leaving the bridge of the Finalizer in silence. Captain Peavey glanced at Hux, patiently waiting for him to speak.

After a moment, the General took a deep breath before saying, “You heard him. Proceed to Mon Cala.”

*  *  *

“So… what were you two doing on Lothal?”

Toah Jarsan was roused from his trance by Rey’s voice. His body still shivered from the chill that had fallen over it, though it had subsided enough for him to concentrate. He noticed that Rey and Nira did not appear to have sensed the same thing he had, though they had sensed his disturbance second-hand and were regarding him with concern.

Mara Jade and her son sat across from them in the main hold of the Jade Sabre, wearing their own expressions of discomfort. Mara reached under the table to squeeze her son’s hand before directing her attention back to the three Jedi.

“We were looking for something on Lothal that would help us bring back Luke,” she said.

Nira raised her eyebrows at this. “What kind of thing?”

“I don’t know. We were both drawn to the planet, to the spot where the Jedi Temple once stood. We met Kane there, who had been drawn there as well, though he was unable to help us much. We’d been hanging around the capital city since then, hoping to find some answers. We were just getting ready to give up and leave when the First Order showed up.”

“How long had you been on Lothal until that point?” Rey asked.

Mara eyed her carefully. “Less than a year.”

“And where had you been before that?”

Mara chewed on her lower lip. “Why do you want to know?”

“You’re the wife of Luke Skywalker, aren’t you?” Rey looked over to the teenage boy sitting next to Mara. “And you must be his son.”

The boy, who had to be about ten years younger than Rey, ran a hand through his curly red hair. “I try not to make it super obvious….”

“So where have you been in the past… however many years? Master Jarsan and Maren didn’t recognize you right away. That must mean you aren’t active Jedi anymore.”

Mara smirked wryly as she glanced at Toah and Nira. “She’s very perceptive, isn’t she?”

“She does have a point, though,” Toah said, rubbing his face as he tried to focus on the here and now. “I don’t think anyone’s seen you in the sixteen years since Master Skywalker’s death. Where have you been this whole time?”

Mara took a moment to answer him, as if trying to decide what to say. “This might be something that should wait until I get a chance to speak with the rest of the Order. I’m not really one who likes to repeat herself.”

Toah sighed. “Understandable. How long before we get to Mon Cala?”

“Shouldn’t be long now.” Mara rose from her seat. “I suggest you all stay on alert. I don’t think we’re out of the woods yet.”

“No,” Toah murmured, his gaze wandering off towards the distance. “We’re definitely not.”

*  *  *

The Dawn of Tranquility, Mon Cala system

“Captain! An unidentified ship just dropped out of hyperspace. It’s requesting permission to dock.”

Captain Tarpfen strode over to the Mon Calamari officer that had just called for him, peering over shoulder to look at her monitor. Admirals Holdo and Niathal stood nearby, not meeting each other’s gaze. They had put their feud on hold until they heard back from Coruscant in the wake of Chief of State Luewet Wuul’s death, though the tension between them was thick enough to cut with a vibroblade.

“Has it provided any identification?” Tarpfen asked.

“Its registered under the designation ‘Jade Sabre,’” the officer replied. “Its clearance codes are old, but they check out.”

“Three X-wing fighters just dropped out behind it,” said a Duros officer sitting beside her. “They’re trying to hail us.”

“Answer them,” Tarpfen ordered.

The comm officer complied with the command and the voice of a human male spoke over the intercom.

“Dawn of Tranquility, this is Black One. Commander Poe Dameron at your service.”

Tarpfen allowed himself to relax, a small smile touching his thin lips. “Commander Dameron, this is Captain Tarpfen. What brings you out here to Mon Cala?”

“Long story, captain. Requesting permission to dock so we can talk things out further.”

“Permission granted, captain. Proceed to hangar bay A-97. We look forward to meeting you.”

After ending the call, Tarpfen turned around to face the admirals again, cocking his head to the side.

“Shall I greet them personally or would one of you like to do the honors?”

Holdo glanced at Niathal. The Mon Calamari admiral said nothing and continued to stare out the viewport, as she had been for the past hour or so.

“I shall head down to greet them,” Holdo finally said. “I doubt they’re looking for an icy welcome anyway.”

Niathal did not respond to the remark and remained where she stood as her human counterpart departed from the bridge.

*  *  *

After docking in the hangar bay of the Dawn of Tranquility, the landing ramp of the Jade Sabre lowered to disperse its crew. Toah and his teammates took the lead, while Mara Jade and her son Owen followed them close behind. Nearby, Poe and his wingmates were climbing out of their X-wing fighters, moving swiftly to meet up with an older woman with pink hair who had come down from the bridge to greet them.

“Admiral Holdo,” Poe said, giving her a quick salute. “I regret to inform you that the First Order has taken over Lothal.”

Holdo’s face turned grim. “So we’ve heard. We’ve also received word that the Chief of State has been murdered.”

Poe’s eyes went wide at this. “He has? What’s the Senate going to do about this?”

“I don’t know. It sounds like everyone is in disarray. The King of Mon Cala has agreed to allow us to remain here for now and fortify the sector’s defenses. Lothal is not very far from here, after all.”

Poe grimaced. “Yeah. Way too close for my liking. We also found where the map to the first Jedi Temple is located, though we were not able to retrieve it before we had to make out getaway.”

“I’m sure General Organa would understand. We have more important things to worry about at the moment.”

Poe nodded only to stop and say, “Does… does the rest of the fleet here know about your allegiance with the Resistance?”

“Admiral Niathal does now,” Holdo said quietly. “She did not take too kindly to it.”

“Is that going to get in the way of things?”

“Hopefully not. If the First Order attacks Mon Cala, then they’d be attacking the Alliance, not just the Resistance. Niathal will have no choice but to allow me to work with her in defending Mon Cala.”

“Well,” Poe said, “hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, alarms started to blare throughout the hangar, accompanied by the voice of Captain Tarpfen as he barked out orders from the intercom.

“A fleet of Star Destroyers has just dropped out of hyperspace! All pilots to their fighters! This is not a drill! Repeat: This is not a drill!”

As crew members all around them rushed to their stations, Rey shot a glare at Poe.

“You had to say it, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” Poe muttered. “Me and my big mouth.”

*  *  *

D’Qar

“Leia.”

General Leia Organa Solo, Princess of Alderaan, dropped everything she was doing and lurched over the command table. Standing beside her, General Helricks grabbed her by the arm while Admiral Ackbar beckoned Major Kalonia over. Helricks called her name, though Leia could barely hear her, her mind awash with the image of her brother’s face.

“Luke…?”

“Leia,” he spoke into her mind. “Hear me.”

This couldn’t be possible. She must have been hallucinating. Her brother was dead; she had felt him become one with the Force when he had sacrificed himself to bring down Darth Vorath. Yet now, after sixteen years, she was sensing him again, as if he had never died in the first place.

“Leia,” he repeated. “Find me. Lothal. Find me.”

And just like that, as instantly as she had heard him, his voice went silent. As Leia came back to reality, she felt Major Kalonia gently touching her shoulder, eyes filled with concern.

“Princess,” Kalonia said softly. “Is everything all right?”

Leia exhaled loudly, still not sure if what she had heard had been real. Seeing no point in lying, especially if it had been real, she said, “I heard my brother. Luke. He says he’s on Lothal.”

“Luke Skywalker?” said Admiral Ackbar. “But he’s been dead for sixteen years.”

“You were ‘dead’ for longer than that, Admiral,” General Helricks pointed out. “Perhaps Master Skywalker learned the same trick you did.”

Ackbar crossed his arms. “Unlikely,” he harrumphed. “Are you certain it was Skywalker you heard?”

“Yes,” Leia said, feeling more sure of herself as she said it. “I felt him through the Force. I know it was him. I’m sure of it.”

“I won’t pretend to understand how this ‘Force’ of yours works,” Ackbar admitted. “But I’ve known you for long enough to trust your instinct. The only issue is that we’ve just learned that Lothal has been taken over by the First Order. I’m not sure if we have the resources to spare for a rescue mission.”

“A single freighter may be able to slip pass the blockade,” said Helricks. “I suggest not sending the Millennium Falcon, though. They would probably recognize that ship better than their own.”

“We still have the Ghost at standby, as well as the Renegade,” said General Hawk Dorian. “Perhaps one of them can—”

“Generals!” A young human male came rushing up to the gathered commanders from his station, skidding to a halt and speaking without saluting. “We’ve just received an alert from the Dawn of Tranquility! Mon Cala is under attack!”

Admiral Ackbar’s eyes went wide as looks of shock and fear crossed the faces of the other three commanders. A feeling of dread filled Leia’s heart.

“I’m sorry, Luke,” she sent to her brother, hoping he would hear him. “I’m afraid you’ll have to wait a little bit longer….”

Star Wars: Vergence II, Chapter Fourteen

 CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Kane Skywalker had heard Mara through the Force. She would be taking Toah and the others off-world, away from Lothal. It would be for the best, he understood, if only to ensure the safety of the map and its contents. Still, there would be the blockade to worry about. Luckily, he already had something in mind regarding that.

He could already sense that one of the Star Destroyers had broken from the formation and was now heading for his position. No doubt that “Ochi of Bestoon” individual, coward that he was, was making his move to take the map. He had little idea as to who this Ochi was or why he had been so frightened of him, though he could wager a guess that it had something to do with the man he was a clone of. In any case, Ochi’s fear had led him to make the mistake that would give Toah Jarsan and the others the opening they needed to get away from Lothal.

As soon as he spotted the Resurgent-class Star Destroyer emerging from the clouds, Kane Skywalker — still sitting in his cross-legged position — raised a hand towards the oncoming vessel. He could feel the Star Destroyer resist against his grip as he struggled to overwhelm and influence the minds of those commandeering the cruiser. Once their minds were his, he would be able to send the Star Destroyer into a dive, away from him and away from—

“Skywalker.”

Kane’s eyes shot open and his heart thrummed against his chest. The pace of his laborious breathing increased as he lost control of the Star Destroyer, allowing it to resume its set path. Jumping to his feet, he broke out into a run, turning his back on the site he had guarded for so many years.

A massive bolt of green energy shot out from the Star Destroyer’s cannon and the world exploded all around him. 

*  *  *

When the Jedi and their allies finally reached the spaceport containing their ships, Toah had suddenly skidded to a halt and collided into a stack of crates, falling to his knees. Rey immediately turned back and rushed over to him while the others hurried to their respective ships.

“Come on, let’s get a move on!” Poe cried as he climbed into his X-wing. “Those stormtroopers are gonna be on us any minute now!”

Rey ignored him and shook Toah by the shoulder. “Master! Master, come on! You’ve gotta get up!”

Toah’s only response was to clutch his head, his eyes wide with… was that terror? She had never seen him look so frightened before. It was honestly one of the most unsettling things she had seen in her life.

“It can’t be,” he said hoarsely, breathing heavily. “You’re supposed to be dead. I saw you die.”

“Master, what are you talking about?” Rey shook him again. “Come on, we need to get out of—”

“Stop right there!” A full platoon of stormtroopers came rushing into the docking bay, blasters raised. “You are all under arrest!”

“Fierfek!” Snap Wexley poked out of the cockpit of his X-wing and opened fire on the troopers with his blaster. “Come on, you blasted Jedi! What’s the hold up?”

As blaster fire rang out all around them, Rey continued to look at Toah with concern. No amount of prodding or shaking got him to snap out of the trance he had fallen into. Not meeting her eyes, he only spoke a single word, one that he repeated over and over again.

“Vorath.”

*  *  *

Mara Jade cursed to herself as she steered her ship towards the docking bay where Toah Jarsan and the others were being held up at. She could see the stormtroopers firing at them down below; she also saw that Toah was on his knees for some reason, with his apprentice Rey struggling to get him back to his feet. It was because of this that the troopers were starting to overwhelm them, unrelenting in their attack.

“Owen,” she said to her son sitting beside her. “Take the controls.”

The teenage boy looked at her in surprise. “What?”

Without another word, she shifted the control yoke into his hands before getting out of her seat, heading out of the cockpit. She slammed the control panel to lower the ramp and stepped out as the Jade Sabre hovered over the docking bay. Some of the stormtroopers noticed her and redirected their attention to her, firing their blasters as she deflected them with her lightsaber.

“Now!” she cried out to Poe, sitting in the cockpit of his X-wing. “While they’re distracted!”

To her relief, Poe picked up on what she was expecting him to do and fired his fighter’s cannon, sending dozens of stormtroopers flying from the force of the explosion. While Snap and Jessika repeated his actions, Mara reached out with the Force and used it to seize Finn, pulling him up onto the ramp. Nira Maren mimicked this maneuver, using the Force to lift the Abednedo priest Chek onto the ship before jumping up to join Mara on the ramp. Together, the two of them then reached out and used all of their strength to pull up Rey and Toah. 

Once she was sure everyone was aboard, Mara pressed the control panel again to close the ramp before shouting to the cockpit, “Get us out of here!”

As her son expertly piloted the Jade Sabre away from the docking bay, the three X-wings started to lift up and follow the ship, leaving behind the remaining stormtroopers as they continued to fire at them. Within moments, the four ships were well away from the city and heading up through Lothal’s atmosphere. For whatever reason, the First Order Star Destroyer made no attempt to stop the fleeing ships, though Mara chose not to dwell on it too much, at least not until they were safely away.

While the others situated themselves in the main hold, Mara returned to the cockpit and got back into the pilot’s seat. As Owen returned the controls to her, he said, “There’s a blockade orbiting the planet.”

“I know,” she replied.

“How are we going to get past it?”

She flipped a few switches on the dashboard, taking her time in answering him. “Set coordinates for Mon Cala,” she finally said.

Owen huffed impatiently but complied with his mother’s commands. While he did that, Mara hailed Poe Dameron on the intercom.

“How fast are those new T-70s of yours?”

“Er, pretty fast,” Poe replied.

“I need a number, flyboy.”

“Fine. About 1,100 kilometers per hour. Why?”

“Just try and keep up. Everyone, fasten your restraints.”

She could only hope that they had done as she had asked as, as soon as they had cleared Lothal’s atmosphere, she punched the accelerator to maximum speed and like a silver dagger the Jade Sabre shot past the Star Destroyers orbiting the planet, moving too fast for their turbolaser cannons or tractor beams to follow. Poe, Snap, and Jessika were close behind her in their X-wings, pushing their fighters to their limit as they struggled to keep up. Just as TIE fighters began to pour out of the Destroyers’ hangars, Mara pushed the hyperdrive lever and the Jade Sabre jumped to lightspeed. She only allowed herself to sigh in relief once she detected the three X-wings following her through the hyperspace tunnel.

Slumping back in her seat, Mara exhaled deeply before looking over at her son. “Promise me you’ll never repeat what I just did.”

Owen looked back at her, looking distraught. At first she thought he was just frazzled from the maneuver she had just pulled off, only to see the fear that had entered his eyes.

“Mom,” he said quietly. “I feel… cold.”

As soon as he said this, Mara felt herself shiver as if an icy wind had just passed over her. She directed her gaze back to the viewport, the swirling blue tunnel reflecting in her green eyes.

“I feel it, too….”

*  *  *

Kane Skywalker groaned as he came back to reality. The smell of smoke filtered through the vent of his mask as he called upon the Force to give him the strength to get up. As he hobbled onto his feet, he looked over to see where the Star Destroyer had blasted the former site of the Lothal Jedi Temple. The Star Destroyer continued to hover over the spot and a gaping chasm was left in its wake, wisps of smoke continuing to rise from it.

Laughter filled his ears and he readjusted the visuals of his mask to see a familiar figure striding up to him. A dagger in one hand, Ochi of Bestoon spread his arms wide as he approached the clone of Vader.

“I hope you don’t mind the little renovations I’ve made to your home,” the assassin cackled. “I thought it needed a little sprucing up.”

Kane saw his lightsaber laying in the grass and summoned it to his hand, igniting its blue blade.

“I’ll admit,” Ochi went on, “I don’t fully understand what your deal is. I don’t know if you’re a clone or the real deal or just some wannabe impersonator. But whatever the case is with you, you are nowhere near half the man I expected you to be.”

“Elaborate,” Kane said coolly.

Ochi laughed again as he gestured up at the Star Destroyer. “Come on! You have been able to take that ship down like it was nothing! ‘Chosen One,’ my ass. You’re just as pathetic as the man you imitate.”

“You seem to be familiar with Darth Vader.”

“Oh, he and I go way back,” Ochi chuckled, sharpening his knife on his gauntlet. “First encountered him not long after the Clone Wars, as part of a test the Emperor had set up for him involving some weird cult he had found. He actually managed to kill me, though the Emperor found a way to bring me back through some sort of Sith ritual. Guess he saw me as too valuable to let go to waste… unlike some people he knew.”

Kane wasn’t sure if Ochi was trying to goad him with these words. Considering he had absolutely no idea who Ochi was, it was not working.

“You served the Emperor, then,” he said. “And now you serve this First Order?”

“Ah, but see, that’s the thing,” Ochi replied, lowering his voice. “The way I see it, I’m still serving the same people I’ve always been serving. In the span of forty years, not much as changed for me.”

“But the Emperor is dead. You must serve some new master now.”

“Says who?”

The words caught Kane off-guard. This provided Ochi with the opening he sought and the assassin hurled the dagger at him. Still weak from the Star Destroyer’s blast, Kane was unable to move out of the way in time and the blade caught him in the shoulder. He cried out as sparks flew from the open wound and he fell to his knees.

“Interesting,” Ochi murmured, stalking his way over to him. “Did you suffer the same injuries as Vader by sheer coincidence, leaving you in that suit? Or did you make those changes yourself?”

Kane did not answer him and instead threw his lightsaber at the assassin. Ochi ducked, narrowly avoiding the blue blade, before straightening up and resuming his approach.

“Heh. You missed.”

“You are not very smart, are you?” Kane retorted as he brought the saber back with his mind.

Ochi cried out as the blade grazed his right shoulder and he clutched it as he howled in pain. The lightsaber hilt returned to Kane’s awaiting hand and he pulled himself back to his feet, the dagger still jutting from his shoulder.

“It would appear your skills have gotten rusty in the past forty years,” Kane said to the beaten assassin.

Snarling, Ochi staggered back and drew a blaster from his belt. He fired it at Kane but the white-armored knight deflected each and every shot. He then lunged at Ochi and delivered a downward slash which cut straight through the assassin’s wrist, severing his hand from the rest of his arm. As Ochi screamed in agony, Kane swept his blade downward and cut off both of the assassin’s legs at the shin, bringing him to the ground.

“You… you son of a gundark!” Ochi spat out. “I guess you’re not that different from Vader after all!”

“It would appear so,” Kane muttered. After pulling the dagger out of his shoulder, he looked away from the assassin and up at the Star Destroyer hovering over them, which had yet to make a move.

Ochi raised his one good hand to his mask to speak into his comlink. “What are you waiting for, Fellfire? Blast him! Finish him off!”

The Star Destroyer did nothing of the sort, remaining inert as it hung over the two of them like some vast, predatory bird. Kane could sense Ochi’s confusion and was surprised to find himself feeling confused as well. His gaze then drifted over to the chasm that the Star Destroyer had created when it had destroyed the former site of the Lothal Jedi Temple.

From what he understood, the Temple had once held a gateway that led into a realm that transcended both space and time; a world between worlds, as some would call it. That gateway had been destroyed along with the rest of the temple during the Liberation of Lothal… though he had always wondered if all of it had truly perished. After all, it had been this very spot that had drawn him to Lothal in the first place and it had always felt strong in the Force.

A cold chill fell over him, something that should have been impossible given the suit he wore. Behind his mask, his blue eyes went wide as a familiar voice echoed in his ear; the same voice he had heard earlier.

“Skywalker.”

His entire body seized up and his lightsaber fell from his hand. At that same moment, the Star Destroyer Fellfire started to move, angling itself towards the sky.

“What the…? Hey!” Ochi cried out as he waved his hand. “Get back here! What do you think you’re doing?! Are you even listening to me?!”

Clearly the Star Destroyer was not paying the assassin any heed as it continued to rise through the atmosphere and disappeared behind the clouds. Ochi swore out loud as he pounded the ground.

“I guess that does it then.” He glared up at Kane. “Go on, then. Finish me. You know you want to.”

Kane ignored him as he found himself looking once more at the chasm. A figure was rising from it, one that wore the gray and white robes of a Jedi Master. Bearing the appearance of a human male in his fifties, the newcomer grunted as he used both of his hands — one of which was covered with a black glove — to heave himself out of the hole and onto solid ground. As he rose onto his feet, he swiped ash and dust from his bearded face and squinted his eyes as they adjusted to the sunlight. His blue irises finally focused and they landed on Kane Skywalker and Ochi, who were both staring at him in shock and awe.

Long thought dead for sixteen years, Luke Skywalker — Grand Master of the restored Jedi Order — looked at them both and said, “Who the hell are you?”

Star Wars: Vergence II, Chapter Thirteen

 CHAPTER THIRTEEN

When General Hux had stepped out of the Governor’s office after making sure his ‘renovations’ were well underway, the last thing he had expected to see was a panting orange-skinned alien standing in front of him, clutching a mask with one hand while wiping sweat from his hairless brow with the other.

Wrinkling his nose in distaste, Hux said, “Ochi of Bestoon. I was wondering when you were going to finally show up. What took you so long?”

“There’s… there’s something…out on the edges of the city,” Ochi replied, still panting. “Someone… wearing Darth Vader’s armor. Has the map.”

Hux raised an eyebrow. “What map?”

“The one we’ve been looking for. The Jedi are here as well; I don’t if he’s given it to them already or—”

Hux cut him off with a sharp raise of the hand. Turning away from the assassin, he unclipped a comlink from his belt and raised it to his mouth. “Captain Phasma, this is General Hux. I want you to gather a platoon and prepare to head out of the city. Ochi of Bestoon here says he has found our map.”

“I don’t know if it’s still there,” Ochi protested. “They may have already taken it and gotten off-world by now.”

Hux sneered at him. “Unlikely. Any ship leaving Lothal at this point will be greeted by a blockade. The fleet has already been instructed to capture any departing ships rather than destroy them. Regardless of what these Jedi decide to do, the map will be ours.”

Ochi rolled his eyes. “One of these days, Hux, your arrogance will be your downfall. Just like it was your father’s.”

Hux glared at him. “I suggest you join Captain Phasma and her platoon in apprehending these Jedi, Ochi of Bestoon,” he said icily. “Especially since you’re already familiar with them.”

The assassin returned the glare before sliding his mask over his face and turning away from the General, marching back down the way he had came.

*  *  *

The moment Toah and the others arrived in Lothal’s capital city, they were greeted by an army of stormtroopers that immediately opened fire.

One blast took out the thruster of the landspeeder they were riding in, causing the vehicle to swerve and crash into an abandoned market wagon. In an instant, Toah, Rey, and Nira had sprung out of their seats and ignited their lightsabers, deflecting the blaster bolts as they came. Poe, Finn, Snap, and Jessika quickly found cover and returned fire, while Chek Urhed and BB-8 found somewhere safe to hide.

“Not exactly the welcome I was expecting,” Snap quipped as he shot down two stormtroopers with his blaster rifle.

Toah focused on deflecting the incoming blaster bolts with his saber, redirecting some of them to hit the troopers that had fired them. In his peripheral vision he saw Nira and Rey doing the same, although he couldn’t help but notice Rey being more… aggressive in her deflections than he would have normally expected from a Jedi. Something was troubling her, that much was obvious, and fueling her anger against these stormtroopers. However, there was no time to dwell on it and he instead focused on the conflict at hand.

Suddenly, a harsh voice rang out from the platoon of stormtroopers they were facing, screaming the word “TRAITOR!” From the group of white-armored soldiers, a trooper wielding a riot control baton and shield came charging out, spinning the baton as he set his sights on Finn.

The ex-stormtrooper spotted the charging trooper and fired off a few shots from his blaster, though they were blocked by the trooper’s shield. The trooper in question moved to quick for anyone to shoot or cut him down and he swung his baton at Finn, sending the ex-trooper flying with the shock of the force.

As Finn crashed back down onto the ground, the trooper cried out, “We thought you were dead! We all saw you die!”

“Nines,” Finn coughed out, struggling back onto his feet. “Don’t do this. It doesn’t have to be—”

“You should have stayed dead,” the trooper snarled as he moved in for another attack. He was held back as Nira Maren seized him with the Force and started to pull him towards her. However, before she could cut him down, Nines swung out with his baton and struck her in the face, hard enough to knock her down and cause her to drop her lightsaber. After reorienting himself, Nines set his sights back on Finn. Tossing aside his shield, he charged up the baton and broke into a run towards his former comrade, raising the weapon high above his head.

Toah saw a glint of silver flash before his eyes as the lightsaber Nira had dropped suddenly lifted off from the ground and flew straight into Finn’s awaiting hand. An emerald blade sprung from the emitter and ran straight through Nines’ chest. The stormtrooper let out a gasp as a bewildered Finn quickly shut off the lightsaber, watching with mouth agape as his former friend crumpled to the ground.

All of the stormtroopers stopped firing, no doubt caught off guard by what had just befallen their comrade. Before either they or their targets could resume fighting, a gleam of light caught everyone’s eye as a chrome-armored figure stepped out onto the battlefield, black and red cape flowing behind them.

“FN-2187,” a crisp woman’s voice spoke out from the newcomer. “What a pleasant surprise.”

Toah saw Finn tense up as he glowered at the armored woman. “Can’t say the feeling’s mutual, Phasma,” he retorted.

“Don’t you mean ‘Captain Phasma?’” the chrome trooper icily responded. “Or have you already forgotten your discipline?”

Before Finn could fire back, Poe interjected and said, “What exactly brings you all the way out here to Lothal? I wouldn’t think there would be anything here for you wannabe Imperials.”

Phasma inclined her head towards him. “I think you already know the answer to that, scum. It is the same reason why you are here… and why you are at our mercy.”

“We don’t have the map, if that’s what you’re talking about. Your guess is as good as ours as to where it is.”

“That’s not what I’ve been told. I was given the impression that you know exactly where it is.”

Toah glanced over at Nira, who was getting back onto her feet. Her eyes briefly met his as she silently summoned her discarded lightsaber back into her hand, though she did not ignite it.

Turning back to Phasma, Toah said, “I’m afraid you’ve been misinformed. We do not know where the map is. You would be wasting your time in trying to interrogate us.”

“I beg to differ,” Phasma replied. “Even if you do not know the map’s location, you may still have valuable information regarding your little resistance that would be useful to the First Order.”

She made a sharp gesture and the remaining stormtroopers raised their blasters again, preparing to resume the firefight.

“If you do not comply,” Phasma said coolly, “then you will suffer the price.”

Toah and Rey raised their lightsabers as Nira ignited hers. Poe, Finn, and the others readied their blasters, bracing for the inevitable as Phasma gave the order to her troops.

What none of them were prepared for was for a violet blade to come spinning out of nowhere, weaving its way through the crowd of stormtroopers and cutting through their blasters. As the troopers cried out in alarm, Phasma pointed her blaster at the spinning lightsaber and tried to shoot it down to no avail. Seizing on the distraction, Toah called upon the Force and released it in a burst of energy, pushing Phasma off her feet and sending her flying into an alleyway. She crashed against the side of a building before crumpling to the ground, unconscious.

“Fall back!” another trooper cried. “Fall baACKK!” 

He was cut off as the purple blade cut straight through him before coming back around to bring down two more. The surviving troopers, now deprived of their blasters, had no other option but to retreat and they fled down the streets of Lothal, some of them screaming into their communicators for reinforcements. Toah and the others made no move to stop them, instead watching the lightsaber blade as it flew straight into the hands of a red-haired woman as she stepped out of the same alleyway Phasma had fallen in. She shut off the lightsaber and came to stand before the Jedi and their companions, her jade green eyes moving from one to the other.

After a moment of tense silence, the woman said, “So, who speaks first? You speak first or do I speak first?”

“I was just going to say that,” muttered Poe.

Deactivating his lightsaber, Toah took a step forward and regarded the woman curiously. Something about her struck him as familiar, but he could not for the life of him put his finger on it.

“My name is Toah Jarsan,” he said. “Jedi Knight.”

“I know who you are,” the woman said. “I don’t blame you if you don’t remember who I am. It… has been a long time.”

Toah frowned. “Perhaps if you gave us your name….”

“My name is Mara Jade Skywalker. I believe you once knew my husband.”

Toah’s eyes went wide as recognition finally dawned on him. His expression of surprise spread across Rey and the others; even BB-8 was warbling in awe as he and Chek emerged from their hiding spot.

“Wait,” Poe said. “You mean… are you saying that you’re the wife of Luke Skywalker?” 

“I’d like to think I’m a bit more than that,” Mara said wryly. “But yes. I am… we were married in a private ceremony about six years before the Sith revealed themselves. I don’t believe our union was ever made public.”

“That would explain why none of us knew,” said Snap Wexley. He glanced over at Toah. “Did you know about this? You were trained by Skywalker, weren’t you?”

Toah shook his head, still bewildered. “No. I mean, I was trained by him. But he never… he never told me about this.”

Mara smiled sadly at him. “Believe me, it pained him to keep such a secret from you. But it was for the best.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Rey.

Mara shook her head. “There’ll be time to explain later. First, I need to know why you’re here.”

Toah quickly explained to her their mission to find the map to the first Jedi Temple, telling her about how it was in the possession of Kane Skywalker and that they had been about to retrieve it only to come to the city when the First Order arrived. He also told her about Ochi of Bestoon, which had brought a dark cloud over Mara’s emerald eyes.

When he was finished, Mara took a moment to respond, contemplating over his words. When she finally spoke, her words took them all by surprise.

“We need to get off Lothal.”

“What?” Poe exclaimed. “What about the map?”

“It’s already in safe hands, at least for now. But if Ochi of Bestoon is here as you say, then we all have to get the hell of this planet.” Mara’s eyes fell on Rey and narrowed. “Especially you.”

Rey’s eyes widened. “Why me especially?”

“If I told you, you would think I’m crazy. Now let’s go!”

Without waiting for them, Mara Jade turned and ran back down the way she had came. Seeing no better option, Toah and his party went after her, running past a still-unconscious Phasma.

“If you ask me,” Snap muttered under his breath, “I say she’s already crazy.”

*  *  *

Ochi of Bestoon had watched from the shadows as Mara Jade had brought down Captain Phasma and her platoon of stormtroopers. He had no idea what the Emperor’s former Hand was doing here on Lothal, but he knew better than to try and confront her. Now she and those Resistance fools were heading for their respective ships, preparing to depart from Lothal. He thought about trying to stop them, but he knew there would be little point. The blockade that the First Order had formed around the planet would apprehend them in no time.

That only left the map itself. He was familiar enough with Darth Vader to know that he would be no match for someone who appeared to be the Dark Lord’s clone… but would a clone of Vader be a match for an entire squadron of TIE fighters and maybe a couple of Star Destroyers? He found the prospect highly unlikely; laughable, even. It would simply be a matter of getting General Hux to pull through.

Raising a hand to his mask, Ochi spoke into his built-in comlink. “Ochi to Hux. Captain Phasma and her troopers have failed. The Jedi and their friends are going to try and get off Lothal, though I already know that’s not gonna work out for them.”

“What about the map?” Hux said sharply.

“I already know they don’t have it. It’s still at the place I told you about. Listen, I’m gonna need you to commandeer a Star Destroyer or two to help me deal with the person guarding the map.” 

“You can’t do it yourself?”

“If I told you who it was guarding that thing, you would understand. I doubt you would believe me though.”

Ochi heard Hux sigh dramatically on the other end. “And if I refuse to do as you ask?”

“Then the burden of failure will fall on you. If the Supreme Leader learns that we failed to get the map because of your own stubbornness….”

He allowed his words to trail off and waited for Hux to respond. After a moment of silence, the General said, “Fine. I’ll redirect the Fellfire to your position. Your plan had better work, Ochi of Bestoon.”

“Trust me, General,” Ochi chuckled. “It’ll be foolproof.” 

Star Wars: Vergence II, Chapter Twelve

 CHAPTER TWELVE

Damosus

She should have known this day would have come eventually. She just didn’t think it would have been so soon.

She slammed the suitcase shut over the clothes and supplies she had managed to stuff into it, sealing it tight. Her husband was already outside, preparing the ship. There would have been no point in trying to leave through the local spaceport, which would be locked down any minute now if it wasn’t already. They would just have to take their chances trying to evade the Tralon Star Force or whatever Star Destroyers were now blockading the planet.

Kalon was still asking questions, sounding like he was on the verge of tears. She knew she couldn’t blame him. He was only five years old, scared and confused. He couldn’t possibly understand what was happening and why. Even if he could, she couldn’t even begin to explain it. 

Dragging the luggage behind her with one hand and holding her son’s hand with the other, Lysira rushed out of their now-former home and walked quickly towards the transport, already seeing her husband at the controls through the viewport. No sooner had the two of them stepped on board that the ramp closed behind them and they were taking off. After fastening Kalon in his seat, Lysira stepped into the front cabin and seated herself in the co-pilot’s seat, putting on her restraints as the ship lifted off towards the sky.

“I’m going to try to take us as far out from the sector as I can,” Varon told her, his hands gripped around the controls. “If we can get onto the Hydian Way, then maybe—”

“No.” Lysira shook her head. “They’re sure to have that route blocked off. We’ll have to take a different lane. There might be one connecting Pallaxides to Ord Sigatt. If we can take that one, then maybe—”

She was cut off by an alarm going off from the dashboard. Looking out the viewport, she could see a swarm of TIE fighters heading towards them, led by one with more angular, pronged wings.

“Too late,” she breathed, her heartbeat quickening. “He’s found us.”

“It’s not too late,” Varon protested, steering the transport away from the incoming fighters. “We can shake them off and—”

“And what, Varon?” Lysira snapped. “This ship doesn’t have any weapons. We can’t fight back.”

A volley of green plasma bolts shot overhead, shaking the ship. Kalon cried out from the back.

Varon gritted his teeth as he gripped the controls tighter. “I’m not going to let you die,” he growled. “I’m not going to let him take you away from me.”

More lasers shook the ship. Kalon continued to cry. Lysira sighed and she reached out to touch his arm.

“He’s not going to take me away from you,” she said softly. “Because we’ll die together.”

Varon frowned, keeping his eyes fixated on the sky. They hadn’t even come close to clearing the atmosphere. “But Kalon….”

“I refuse to leave him with them. It breaks my heart as much as it does yours, but… it is for the best. For all of us. He is just too young to understand.”

She knew any other mother would have balked at the words that had just come out of her mouth. But she didn’t care. It wasn’t as if anyone was going to know about this.

Varon finally broke his gaze from the viewport and looked at her, his eyes filled with regret and remorse. He let go of the controls and pulled her close to him, kissing her hair.

“I love you,” he murmured.

She didn’t get the chance to reply when an explosion rocked the ship and they started plummeting towards the ground.

*  *  *

Kylo Ren watched as the transport carrying the former Sith Lords Sedriss and Taral spiraled out of control and dived towards a field just on the outskirts of Roth’s Town. A direct hit from his TIE silencer had been all that it took to end the legacy of Darth Vorath once and for all.

A part of him could not help but feel disappointed. It had all been too easy; nowhere near the climatic showdown he had been expecting leading up to this. Surely two individuals who had once claimed the mantle of Dark Lord of the Sith would have put up more of a fight than this.

Just as he had been about to resign to this outcome, the voice of his wingman crackled through his helmet’s comm unit. “Lord Ren, watch out!”

Kylo barely managed to steer his fighter out of the way as one of the TIE fighters flanking him careened out of control and flew straight into another, the collision creating a fireball that consumed them both. Two more fighters went down in a similar fashion and Kylo had to steer his TIE silencer out of the way to avoid sharing their fate.

“What in the blazes is going on?” he growled.

His attention went back to the plummeting transport, which had somehow managed to right itself and was preparing to make a safe if rough landing in the field. Growling to himself, Kylo Ren dived his fighter after the transport, leaving the rest of his squadron to their fates. As he prepared to fire on the transport, an invisible hand suddenly gripped his ship and yanked it out of his control, sending him spiraling towards the ground. Unable to regain control of the fighter, he slammed his fist down on the eject button and launched himself out of the TIE silencer, just moments before it crashed into the field and went up in flames. Undoing his restraints, Kylo jumped out of his ejected seat while it was still in midair and used the Force to glide himself down, unsheathing his lightsaber before he touched down.

As he started to make his way towards the fallen transport, now inert on the ground, he saw its ramp lower and two figures stepped down from it, their hands raised where he could see them.

“Please,” Varon Sendor said, looking shaken. “We surrender. We don’t want—”

“A Dark Lord of the Sith surrendering?” Kylo Ren scoffed. “How unbecoming of someone like you, Darth Taral.”

Varon frowned. “I no longer go by that name. Neither of us are Sith anymore. We’re just people. We no longer pose a threat to you or your master.”

“It doesn’t matter what you think you are now. All that matters is what my master has ordered, and that is for your deaths.”

“Kill us then,” said Lysira Naris, once known as Darth Sedriss. “Obey your master’s will and solidify your status as his pawn.”

Behind his mask, Kylo’s eye twitched. He tightened the grip around his saber. “Taunting me will do you no favors.”

“Who said it would?”

Snarling to himself, Kylo Ren took a step towards them… only to stop, something causing him to freeze up. “There’s another with you,” he said.

Both Varon and Lysira frowned. The latter said, “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re—”

With a single gesture from his hand, Kylo Ren moved both former Sith aside to reveal the small child that had been standing behind them. To his surprise, where he had expected to see fear and confusion on the boy’s face was instead nothing but pure, unbridled rage. Tears stung his cheeks which were red with fury.

“GET AWAY FROM THEM!” the boy bellowed as he outstretched his hands and sent the Knight of Ren flying off his feet.

In the sky above, TIE fighters continued to crash into each other, leaving no survivors. Dark clouds began to gather in the sky, thunder rumbling as lightning flashed over the field. Laying on his back, Kylo Ren struggled to get back to his feet but an unseen force kept him pinned to the ground. He could feel the dark side radiating from all around him, with the boy at its epicenter. It was as if the child was serving as a focal point for the dark side itself. Like a vergence in the Force.

Helpless to move, Kylo Ren, son of darkness, could only watch as the darkness itself tore the sky of Damosus asunder.

*  *  *

General Pryde wasn’t sure if Damosus was known for its storms. In any case, he could clearly see one brewing over the settlement of Roth’s Town, where Kylo Ren and his squadron of TIE fighters had departed to, and it was slowly spreading out to cover the city of Alon as well. As he watched the storm unfold from the bridge of the Steadfast, Pryde heard one of his officers inform him that all twelve fighters in Ren’s squadron had been destroyed. No word from Kylo Ren himself had been heard yet.

While Pryde’s heart would hardly break if Ren had perished, he also wasn’t keen on reporting his death to the Supreme Leader. After ordering for a rescue party to be sent after the Knight of Ren, Pryde turned on his heel and marched down the bridge, heading for his personal quarters. Once inside, he patched through a connection to the Supremacy — the heart of the First Order fleet — and dropped down onto one knee as the Supreme Leader’s hologram materialized in front of him.

“General Pryde.” Snoke spoke his name as if this call was a pleasant surprise for him. “How goes the occupation of the Ojoster sector?”

“We have successfully seized Damosus, Supreme Leader,” Pryde dutifully replied. “I have already sent out the rest of my forces to seize Taris and Pallaxides. The sector will be under our control in no time.”

“Excellent. I have already received similar reports from the Tion Cluster and Dominus sector, as well as Coruscant. Everything is proceeding as planned.” Snoke paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. “And yet… I sense something… powerful. A disturbance in the Force, perhaps?”

Pryde stayed silent, keeping his expression blank. He did not pretend to understand the mysticism displayed by Snoke and Kylo Ren, though he supposed it was no different than Darth Vader and the Inquisitors employed by Emperor Palpatine back in the day. Somethings never changed, it seemed.

After a moment, Snoke then said, “Continue with operations, General Pryde. I have something else I must attend to.”

Pryde bowed his head. “As you wish, Supreme Leader,” he started to say, though the hologram had already dissipated before he could get the words out. Huffing to himself, Pryde rose to his feet and exited from his chamber, wondering how better off the galaxy would be without these blasted Force-users.

*  *  *

Light-years away, Kane Skywalker could sense the brewing storm as if it was happening here on Lothal.

He had felt this raw power only once before, from a man who had been dead for nearly twenty years. A part of him wondered if that man had every truly died and that he was merely waiting for the right moment to return. Perhaps now was that moment. Perhaps today was the day Kane Skywalker had long dreaded.

Standing in the center of the site where the Lothal Jedi Temple had once stood, the clone of the Chosen One looked in the direction of the capital city, where Toah Jarsan and his companions were headed. He knew that none of them — not even Toah — could fully comprehend what his purpose here was or why the Abednedo priest had entrusted him with the map. He could tell them — he would tell them, if they ever returned — but he did not expect them to understand or to fully grasp what was at stake.  

Lowering himself to the ground and getting into a cross-legged position, Kane Skywalker closed his eyes and began to meditate.

A long night awaited them all.  

Star Wars: Vergence II, Chapter Eleven

 CHAPTER ELEVEN

The Dawn of Tranquility

Ensign Lysa Dunter’s leg drummed nervously on the deck of the bridge. If any of her superiors noticed or were annoyed by it, they did not show it, already enraptured in the news they had just received.

Vice Admiral Holdo sat in the command chair, Captain Tarpfen standing beside her with a dour expression. In front of them both pace Admiral Cha Niathal, her arms clasped behind her back as she scowled out the viewport, as if that was going to fix things. The entire crew of the bridge watched on in hushed silence, anxiously awaiting their next orders… if there were going to be any.

The Chief of State was dead. It was all over the HoloNet and doubtlessly being reported on other intergalactic broadcasting channels. While hardly anyone Lysa knew had been a fan of Luewet Wuul — even her superiors had not been afraid to voice their frustration in the Sullustan’s lack of leadership skills — this was nonetheless a horrific event for the Galactic Alliance and perhaps the entire galaxy itself. Not only did they now have to answer the question of who was responsible for Wuul’s death, but they also needed to find a new leader to guide them in these uncertain times… and if the fractured state of the Senate was anything to go by, it did not look like that would be happening anytime soon.

Swallowing hard, she rubbed her thumb over the diamond ring adorning her ring finger. It looked like the wedding would have to wait….

“Does the King know about this yet?” asked Captain Tarpfen, breaking Lysa out of her thoughts.

“Admiral Bwua’tu is informing him as we speak,” Admiral Niathal said bitterly. “This will doubtlessly solidify Mon Cala’s decision in not going through with our proposed updates to their ships. Not to mention all of the other systems already on the verge of seceding….”

“Let us not be pessimistic just yet,” said Admiral Holdo. “Perhaps if the Senate finds a new leader, one that is stronger than Wuul—”

“They won’t,” Niathal snapped. “They’ll just find another Wuul; someone they can manipulate and use as a puppet.”

“How do you propose we respond to this news, then? Or if King Les-Char tells you that Mon Cala is seceding from the Alliance? What will you do then?”

Niathal glared at the vibrant-haired woman. “I swear to the gods, Holdo, if this is you trying to rile me up—”

“I am not trying to rile you up,” Holdo said sternly. “I am asking you to stop and reflect, for once, on what is best for the galaxy and not just the Alliance.”

Niathal ceased pacing and stopped to look at Holdo, her eyes narrowed. “Where is this coming from, Holdo? What are you trying to insinuate?”

Holdo sighed and rose from the command chair. She exchanged a glance with Captain Tarpfen before looking back at Niathal. “I suppose there’s not much point in trying to beat around the bush,” she finally said. “Leia wanted me to approach you directly, and I suppose now is as good a time as any.”

“Did you say Leia? What does the Princess have anything to do with…?” Niathal then stiffened, realization dawning on her face. “You’re with her, aren’t you? You’re part of her little ‘Resistance.’”

Holdo smiled thinly. “Was it that obvious?”

“I had my suspicions,” Niathal admitted. “I’ve read your record, Holdo, and I know how close you are with Princess Organa. Didn’t you work in the Apprentice Legislature together, during the reign of the Empire?”

“I see that you’ve done your research. But my past with Leia has nothing to do with this. It’s about doing what is right, not only for the Alliance but for the galaxy.”

“From what I’ve read, treason has done little good for the galaxy,” Niathal said darkly.

Many on the bridge tensed, including Lysa, the pace of her foot drumming increasing. Holdo, however, maintained a calm composition as she looked back at Niathal evenly.

“It is not treason,” she said coolly. “Those we fought at Mandalore were Sith, Imperials, and allied Mandalorians. None of them were Alliance forces.”

“But your actions at Mandalore were not sanctioned by the Senate and therefore illegal,” Niathal said tersely. “You acted without the approval of the Alliance and therefore acted against their wishes.”

“Is that truly how you see things, Niathal?” Holdo asked, her tone almost sad. “Are you that narrow-minded about how the galaxy operates?”

“It doesn’t matter how I see things,” Niathal retorted. “My duty comes first and take priority before my own wishes and desires. And my duty commands that I deal with those that I perceive to be… problematic in the interests of the Alliance appropriately.”

Holdo smiled again. “And how do you plan to do that?”

Niathal glowered at her but directed her next words to Captain Tarpfen. “Arrest her, Captain.”

Tarpfen shook his head. “I’m afraid I do not have the authority to apprehend a superior officer, Admiral.”

“You do when that ‘superior officer’ is a traitor to the Alliance, and when you are given express permission by her superior officer. Now, arrest her.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to arrest both of us then, Admiral,” Tarpfen said, stepping up to stand side-by-side with Holdo. “Catch two fanladi with one net.”

Niathal’s right eye twitched. “You as well? Is your entire crew with the Resistance?”

“Not all of them.” Lysa could have sworn Holdo’s eyes briefly fell on her as she said this, but it was only for a passing second. “And I do not expect them to stand with us. Arrest us if you must, but please do not punish them for our sake.”

A tense silence fell over the bridge. Niathal kept her eyes locked on Holdo and Tarpfen. The rest of the bridge crew exchanged wary glances. Lysa kept tapping the deck with her foot, the only sound filling the room.

The first to break the silence was not any of the commanders but rather a Duros ensign who swiveled around in his seat, having paid more attention to his monitor than the drama unfolding around him.

“Sirs,” he said carefully. “Our sector border patrol is reporting a strange occurrence in the Dominus sector… specifically in the Lothal system.”

Holdo directed her attention to the ensign, ignoring Niathal’s prolonged glare. “What kind of ‘strange occurrence?’”

“They believe that Imperial ships are entering the system.”

This got Niathal’s attention and she finally broke her gaze with Holdo to walk over to the Duros’ station. Holdo and Tarpfen carefully followed her and all three of them looked over the ensign’s shoulder as they reviewed the data displayed on his screen. Lysa watched them with nervous anticipation, still rubbing the ring on her finger with her thumb.

After a moment, Niathal said, “Get me Admiral Bwua’tu, urgently. He’s going to need to see this….” 

Lothal

The map that they had come to Lothal for was quickly forgotten about when a Star Destroyer suddenly appeared in the sky above the capital city, sending TIE fighters and shuttles out from its hangar bay. Without wasting any time, Poe Dameron and his fellow pilots had rushed back to their landspeeder, with Finn and BB-8 trailing close behind. Rey and her fellow Jedi lingered, exchanging glances with each other and at Kane Skywalker, who displayed no sense of urgency.

“You didn’t know anything about this, did you?” Toah Jarsan asked the white-armored Vader clone warily.

“I did not,” Kane replied. “I do not involve myself with local planetary politics. In fact, I have never set foot in the city in the years I have spent here on Lothal.”

Toah’s expression remained doubtful but he turned away to head towards the speeder. “Let’s get a move on then. Whatever is happening over there, we should see what it is about.”

Rey was about to follow him, Nira, and Chek only to stop and look back at Kane Skywalker, who remained where he stood and made no move to follow them.

“Aren’t you coming with us?” she asked.

Kane tilted his masked head to look at her and Rey felt an inexplicable chill run through her spine. When Kane spoke, his voice sounded colder than any nights she had experienced on Jakku.

“I have never seen a need to involve myself with this planet’s personal issues and I do not see one now,” he replied. “Do as you will. The map will be waiting for you.”

“Can’t you give it to us now?”

“And risk it falling in the wrong hands should you fail? I don’t think so.”

Rey’s brow furrowed in frustration and she opened her mouth to protest further only to hear Toah call her name. She clamped up and, with one last wary glance at Kane, turned to join her master, Nira, and Chek at the landspeeder. Within moments, they were speeding off towards the capital city, entering the shadow of the Star Destroyer looming over it.

*  *  *

“I must commend you for this wise decision, Governor Jalvon. The people of Lothal will forever be in your debt.”

Governor Cara Jalvon said nothing as she watched the red-haired man pace in her office. General Armitage Hux looked to be in his late thirties or early forties and carried himself with the haughtiness that she would have expected from someone in a sharp black uniform like his. She did not recognize the emblem sewed into the shoulder of his vest, though it invoked a similar feeling of dread that she would get as a child from the Galactic Empire’s insignia.

He came to stop in front of a glass cabinet that had been a mainstay of the office since Ryder Azadi was reinstated as governor following the Liberation of Lothal. His green eyes glided over the various pieces of historic memorabilia that inhabited the case, his face twisting into a look of what Jalvon felt was disgusted amusement.

“You seem rather proud of your ties with the Alliance,” he said.

“They played a huge role in liberating us from the Empire’s rule,” she replied carefully.

“And yet, you turn to us for help.”

As if I had much of a choice. Jalvon bit back what she wanted to say and instead said, “The Alliance is no longer the same entity that I or my predecessors once knew.”

“Oh, no,” Hux said. “It is very much the same entity that it’s always been. They’ve simply stopped trying to hide it.”

Jalvon was not sure what to say to that, so she resorted back to silence. As Hux continued to look over the items in the cabinet, another officer entered the room and saluted.

“General, we have just received news from Coruscant. The Chief of State is dead.”

While Jalvon’s eyes went wide at this news (as well as at how calmly the officer had delivered it), Hux continued to study the cabinet. “How unfortunate,” he said quietly. “Is the Senate handling things well?”

“As far as we know, the Chair of the Senate is fulfilling the Chief’s duties in the interim, as per the succession of powers. We are still monitoring events as they unfold, sir.”

“Understandable. Thank you for informing me, lieutenant.”

Taking this as a dismissal, the officer saluted once more before departing. Jalvon watched them leave before shifting her gaze to Hux, who continued to look unfazed.

“You already knew, didn’t you?” she said quietly. “You knew this was going to happen.”

Hux finally turned to face her, a smirk twitching onto his face. “I had to have the news delivered to you somehow so it wouldn’t come to you as too much of a shock later on.”

Jalvon narrowed her eyes, already beginning to question whether she had made the right decision. “What game are you playing at, General? What exactly is the meaning of all of this?” 

“The restoration of order, Governor,” Hux replied simply. “And bringing back peace to the galaxy.”

He made a gesture and a pair of stormtroopers entered the room, moving to flank Jalvon on either side.

“Please take the Governor somewhere safe,” Hux ordered the white-armored soldiers. “We’re going to need to make some… renovations here before we proceed with business.”

Jalvon opened her mouth to object but the words caught in her throat as the troopers roughly grabbed her by the arms and carried her out of the office. They weren’t even halfway down the hall when she heard the sound of shattering glass.

Star Wars: Vergence II, Interlude

 INTERLUDE

Coruscant, moments earlier

Despite being the host of his own party, Luewet Wuul felt like an outcast.

As Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, this was already a strange feeling in and of itself. In fact, he should have been the last person to ever feel like an outcast; he was president of the galaxy, for stars’ sake.And yet, he felt like he was being shunned by the very people he was supposed to represent.

Still, he would have been lying if he said he wasn’t surprised by the turnout of guests at this banquet he had set up. While he had invited members of both major political parties to this event, he had mainly expected members of the Populist party to attend, as they were perhaps some of his only supporters in the Senate. Indeed, the very reason he was hosting this party to begin with was to garner as much support as he could from his party in the face of rumors of a plot to remove him from power. The next election was not for another two years and yet there had been whispers of many in the Senate — primarily those from the Centrist party — moving to remove Wuul from office and replace him with one of their own.

As far as he and his intelligence agents could tell, there was no solid evidence of such a plot existing. Indeed, many of those who had been said to be behind such a plot — such as Senators Treen and Sindian — were here at the banquet, enjoying themselves, among others he had considered to be his enemies. Perhaps it was all just for show, to lure him into a false sense of security… or maybe he was just being paranoid. Still, that did not explain the cold shoulders that everyone appeared to be giving him….

A tap on the shoulder snapped Wuul out of the daydream-like state he had found himself in and he spun around to see a well-dressed Pantoran male standing in front of him.

“Chief Wuul,” the blue-skinned man said with a curt nod. He extended a hand to the Sullustan President. “An honor to finally meet you in person.”

Wuul carefully shook the hand, eying the silver-haired Pantoran in his maroon outfit warily. “I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced…?”

“Ah, my apologies. Chairman Dryphan Lorr of Pantora, at your service. Senator Kivoda brought me here as her guest.”

“I am honored by your presence, Chairman,” Wuul said. “Since the founding of the New Republic, Pantora has been a close ally to both it and the Galactic Alliance.” 

He winced inwardly at how vapid and cliché that sounded. Chairman Lorr seemed to notice as he smiled thinly.

“It certainly has,” he said dryly. “It’s been good meeting you.”

The Pantoran leader walked away and Wuul cursed to himself. Perhaps this was why so many people wanted him gone so soon after being elected; he was so bad at pretending to care that no one had the patience for it.

He continued to wade his way through the sea of guests, wandering over to a window that looked out from the 500 Republica into the streets of Coruscant. The lights of passing airspeeders lit up the night as they passed by.

“Ah, Senator Naberrie! Congratulations on your engagement to Lady Teramo.”

Wuul turned around to see a short, round man shaking hands with a much taller, much younger one. He recognized the short man as Harfang Nevis of Orinda while the younger man was unmistakably Darius Naberrie of Naboo, a rising star in the Senate.

“Thank you, Senator Nevis,” said Naberrie. “The wedding is in a few days. I must admit that I am rather anxious about it.”

“I’m sure plenty of us can relate,” Nevis chuckled, throwing his head back to drain the glass of wine he was carrying. “At least you have the honeymoon to look forward to, eh, eh?”

Darius smiled politely at the shorter senator but did not answer him. His eyes lifted up and briefly met Wuul’s before he walked off to speak with the Nautolan senator Vossa, who was wearing a dress that showed much more of her body than what Wuul considered to be appropriate.

Then again, what did he know? 

Sighing to himself, Wuul continued to make his way through the party, looking for someone willing to give him more than five seconds of their time. Senator Roo Matha of Quermia was deep in conversation with the Caamasi representative Nithal Q’Arts, Senator Kersla was chatting with Senator Sindian… each person he approached, it was as if he did not even exist. Despite being one if not the most important person in the galaxy, he was being treated as if he was nothing more than bantha fodder. Such blatant disrespect was sure to be in violation of some kind of law… though, as Chief of State, he would surely know of such a law and yet none readily came to mind.

The next person to acknowledge his existence after Chairman Lorr was a young female server with vibrant magenta hair, who offered him a glass of wine. He accepted it before turning in time to see a sharply dressed man enter the room, a woman dressed in white attached to his arm.

“By the moons of Iego,” exclaimed Senator Nevis, raising a newly refilled glass. “If it isn’t Tyron Valrisa!”

Several heads turned to look at the Senator of Sedratis, who merely nodded in acknowledgment. As he accepted a drink from a Togruta server, Senator Carise Sindian practically sidled up to him and clung to his other arm.

“We’ve all heard the news about the Dowager,” she said in a voice that bordered the line of faux sympathy. “I am sorry about your loss.”

“So am I,” Senator Valrisa grunted in return. “But I am already past it. Better to focus on the present and look to the future, rather than glancing back at the past.”

Sindian made a swooning sound that made both Wuul’s eyes and sensitive ears twitch. “Such wise words. Words that all of us should live by. I think you would make a fantastic candidate.”

Tyron raised an eyebrow at her. “A candidate for what?”

“For Chief of State, of course.”

Wuul took in a sharp breath, the grip around his glass tightening. No one seemed to notice him as more guests began to crowd around Senator Valrisa, vying for his attention.

“I do believe this leaves you as the sole heir of House Valrisa, does it not?” asked Senator Nevis.

“It does,” Tyron confirmed. “Though my wife and I have been discussing the topic of children.”

“Ah, that must be this beautiful woman here.” Nevis extended a hand to the woman in white accompanying Tyron. “And you would be?”

“Edi,” she said, shaking the proffered hand. “Short for Ederlathh, though I never cared much for that name.”

“Ederlathh,” Nevis repeated, tugging on the edges of his mustache. ”That name sounds familiar. Where have I heard it before?”

“You say that to all of the attractive women you meet, Harfang,” guffawed the Senator of Kedorzha. He raised his glass to the ceiling. “A toast to Senator Tyron Valrisa! And to Senator Darius Naberrie! These strong young men represent the future of the Galactic Alliance!”

The rest of the room joined in on the toast and Wuul found himself reluctantly partaking. He took a small sip from his glass, savoring the bitter taste of the wine.

As he returned his attention to the rest of the room, he noticed that everything had suddenly gotten darker. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, only to be greeted with the same darkness. Everyone’s voice started to become more faint and distant, as if they were coming from another room. Setting down his glass, he tried to speak but the words came out as a garbled mess. He stepped towards the Kedorzhan senator, his feet feeling as if they were being weighed down by cinder blocks, and tapped them on the shoulder.

“WHAT DO YOU WANT?” a dark voice shrieked in his ears.

Wuul yelled out as his vision was soon filled with demonic figures with glowing red eyes. One by one their heads turned to look at him, tendrils of shadow trailing out of their shapeless bodies and reaching out towards him.

“IS SOMETHING WRONG, CHIEF WUUL?” the voices said in unison.

“Get away from me!” Wuul cried, staggering back. He tripped over his feet and fell onto his rear. “I said get away!”

The demons did not heed him, continuing to close in on him. He reached into his coat and drew a holdout blaster. His hands shook as he raised the weapon at the approaching creatures.

“Don’t make… don’t make me….”

“WE ONLY WANT TO HELP. LET US HELP YOU.”

Luewet Wuul, Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance, let out a bellowing cry as he fired his blaster. Green bolts of plasma rang out from the small silver weapon, only to be knocked out of his hand by one of the tendrils. A strong hand then pushed him to the floor, holding him in place.

“IT DOESN’T NEED TO END LIKE THIS.”

“Please,” Wuul whimpered. He felt saliva begin to bubble up in his throat, froth forming around his mouth. “Make it stop… make it all….”

The darkness heard his pleas and heeded them. The shadows closed in on him and Luewet Wuul allowed them to take him.

*  *  *

A sea of senators and security officers had crowded around Luewet Wuul’s body, marveling at the show he had just put on before expiring. Nearby, medics were tending to the wounds of two Senators that had been singed by Wuul’s blaster, though none of their injuries would be fatal.

With the rest of the room distracted, Vixen had managed to slip out and rush back to her quarters. Typically, a server like the one she had dressed as would not have been able to afford a room in a building as prestigious as the 500 Republica. However, one of the senators had taken a fancy to her and bought her a place to stay for the duration of the party. No doubt they had been expecting something in particular from her in return… but with the Chief of State of the Galactic Alliance now dead, they were sure to have more pressing matters at hand.

As soon as she was in her room and the door had closed behind her, Vixen fished out her comlink and raised it to her mouth. “It's done,” she exhaled, releasing the breath she had been holding in. “Luewet Wuul is dead.”

“You’re kidding,” responded Sal Orbego. She could already picture the shocked expression on the Pa’lowick’s face. “Are you sure he’s dead?”

“I’m sure,” she said sharply. “If you don’t believe me, you can check the HoloNet in the next five minutes or so. Anyway, I’m going to need someone to pick me up. They’re surely going to start locking down the building, if not the entire planet.”

“Uh, right.” Orbego went silent for a moment. Vixen figured he was speaking to someone else on the other end. He then came back and said, “We have already arranged for someone to retrieve you. You will be seeing them shortly. Malvis will then give you your next task… though, after this one, I doubt it will be that difficult for you in comparison.”

Vixen smirked to herself. “Good. I look forward to it.”

As soon as she ended the call, the door behind her swooshed open and her heart skipped a beat. She stood there frozen in place as the newcomer stepped in before closing the door again.

“Well done,” a familiar voice graced her ear. “The fate of the galaxy has been sealed.”

Vixen allowed herself to relax before turning to face her senator benefactor. “I don’t suppose there’s time to give me my reward before we leave?”

“Oh.” Darius Naberrie smiled. “I’m sure there’s plenty.”

*  *  *

“Well, she wasn’t wrong. It’s all over the HoloNet.”

“Excellent,” Malvis rumbled from behind Sal Orbego. “The pieces are falling into place. I’ve already gotten word that the forces of the First Order are moving to occupy the Dominus and Ojoster sectors, as well as the Tion Cluster.”

Orbego frowned as he processed this. “Won’t that be basically boxing in the Calamari sector as well?”

“Yes?” Malvis replied.

“Mon Cala is a major world of the Alliance. It’s home to the Mon Calamari Shipyards, for stars’ sake! As soon as they learn what the First Order is doing, they’re gonna mobilize their fleet and—”

“They won’t,” Malvis said sharply. “By that point, they will be helpless to do anything. Because the Alliance will already be dead by that point.” He gestured to the viewscreens displaying the HoloNet’s reports on Luewet Wuul’s death. “As you can see for yourself.”

Orbego folded his skinny arms over his barrel-shaped chest. “You seem pretty confident that this is all it will take to bring the Alliance to its knees.”

“It was already on its knees, my friend,” Malvis chuckled. “All we’ve done is deliver the killing blow.”

Star Wars: Vergence II, Chapter Ten

 CHAPTER TEN

“I am most impressed with the progress you have made, my apprentice.”

Kneeling before the holographic form of Supreme Leader Snoke, Kylo Ren lifted his head up to see what he hoped was a genuine smile on his master’s scarred, twisted face.

“In a matter of days, you have successfully gotten rid of three Sith from the failed order of the one who called herself Darth Sedriss,” Snoke went on. “Most impressive.”

“I eliminated Vizun Naris and Su Koda, but Tyr Valmar still lives,” Kylo Ren replied. “However, I do not believe he will be posing a threat to us any time soon.”

“Yes, yes, I am aware of Valmar’s… condition. I have just heard word that the Houses of Serenno have already removed him from power and replaced him with a new Count. I’m certain they will be able to take care of him for us.”

Kylo waited a moment for his master to continue speaking. When the Supreme Leader said nothing further, the Knight of Ren then said, “I have discovered the possible location of Darth Sedriss herself, as well as the insurgent Taral. They are on a planet called Damosus.”

“Damosus,” Snoke repeated, stroking his chin. “I believe that is in the Tralon system, is it not?”

“Yes, master. It is deep in the Ojoster sector, not far from Taris.”

“Interesting.” The ghost of a smile twitched onto Snoke’s lips. “Do you plan on going there?”

Kylo shifted slightly. “I do,” he answered, choosing his words carefully. “You gave me the task of eliminating whatever remained of the Sith legacy. Once I eliminate Darth Sedriss herself, as well as the man who usurped her, then the last remnants of Darth Vorath’s Sith Order will have been swept away.”

“Not quite,” Snoke said. “There is one last target I will have for you in that regard. But I will save it until after you have taken care of Sedriss and Taral.”

“Why not give it to me now?” Kylo asked, only to immediately regret it.

Snoke’s eyes narrowed into slits. “You will understand once I give it to you. But first, Sedriss and Taral must be eliminated.”

Kylo bowed his head. “Yes, master. And what of the remaining three? Viron, Voldess, and Reaper?”

“They can be dealt with in time. Once Darth Sedriss is no longer in the picture, they will have little to no motivation in putting their failed Sith Order back together.”

“By your will, it shall be done, Supreme Leader.”

“So it shall,” Snoke muttered, before his holographic image faded from view.

As Kylo Ren rose to his feet, an alert came from his chamber’s comm.

“Lord Ren,” came the voice of General Enric Pryde, commander of the Steadfast. “We have arrived in the Tralon system.”

“Prepare my shuttle, General Pryde,” Kylo Ren responded. “We have an appointment with Governor Varonus that cannot be missed.”

*  *  *

“General Hux has already begun the occupation of Lothal. General Engell is moving the Absolution to the Tion Cluster. Generals Quinn and Parnadee are on standby for transfer once our positions in the Dominus, Ojoster, and Tion sectors are secure.”

General Enric Pryde listened to Admiral Griss’ report as he stared out the viewport of the Steadfast, gazing upon the world of Damosus. So far as he knew, the planet itself had not much strategic value, at least in comparison to other planets in the sector such as Taris and Denova. However, the planet was ruled by a governor who had been installed by the Empire nearly sixty years ago and had remained in that position even after the fall of the Empire. Due to its remoteness, it was unlikely that the people of Damosus were even aware that the Empire was no longer in power… and provided the Supreme Leader’s plans came to fruition, they would perhaps not even notice the difference when the First Order took its place. Should the governor of Damosus agree to align himself with the First Order, then subjugating the rest of the sector would be made even easier. And even if he did not, he was old enough to be quietly replaced without stirring too much unrest among the populace.

Still, there was one thing about this whole operation that had thrown Pryde for a loop. Just as the Steadfast had been about to depart for Damosus from Skorrupon, a TIE silencer carrying the Supreme Leader’s assassin, Kylo Ren, had dropped out of hyperspace from along the Hydian Way and requested a pickup, before ordering Pryde to take him with them to Damosus. Unsure if Ren was acting on the Supreme Leader’s orders or not, as he had not been informed beforehand, Pryde had nonetheless complied, knowing better than to get on the Knight of Ren’s bad side. He had heard enough second-hand accounts from officers under his command to know that Kylo Ren was a… less than emotionally stable individual, to put it lightly. He could only hope that Ren’s presence would not jeopardize this operation.

Once Admiral Griss had finished his report on how the operation was proceeding, Pryde thanked him before turning sharply on his heel and striding down the bridge, heading for the turbolift that would take him down to the hangar bay, where his and now Kylo Ren’s command shuttle awaited. He made a silent prayer for the success of the mission as the lift descended through the levels of the Star Destroyer.

*  *  *

Ever since its founding five thousand years ago, the settlement of Roth’s Town had served as a safe haven for those who did not fit in the more prestigious cities of Damosus such as Alon and Raln. Even after the fall of the Great Houses of Tralon, those cities had remained exclusive to the remaining nobles and upper-class individuals who had continued to rule Damosus under the guidance of Governor Paron Varonus for over two generations. Only Roth’s Town had managed to remain free from their control and its residents had practically formed their own civilian government, assembling a council that made its own decisions free of the governor’s influence. It was also one of the only settlements on Damosus where non-humans were allowed to live peacefully rather than suffer oppression or serve as exotic attachments to wealthy socialites.

Indeed, even as a child, Varon Sendor had always felt the most at home in Roth’s Town, an impression he never felt when visiting any of the larger cities. The settlement had served as the Sendors’ home for over two hundred years after they had been forced to relocate from Alon following the shame and humiliation that Count Damus Sendor and his relatives had brought to the Great Houses’ reputation. The Sendors had lived in reclusion ever since, though they had briefly reentered the public eye when his uncle’s cousin Naya overthrew the then-reigning Count of Tralon during the Clone Wars and made way for a Separatist sympathizer to assume the throne. After the Empire came in and took over the planet themselves, the other Sendors were quick to disassociate themselves from Naya and her actions, to the point that even her very name was considered verboten in the Sendor household.

For many years, Varon had never known about Naya or indeed much of any of his family’s history. After killing his uncle and brother and leaving to be trained as a Sith, he had sworn off the very name of ‘Sendor’ and had instead adopted the name of ‘Krul’, derived from the ancient Sith Lord Kaox Krul. After finally turning his back on the Sith following the Battle of Mandalore and returning to Damosus, he had decided to reconnect with his roots and delve into his family’s history. His partner Lysira had also helped him in that regard, seeing as she had been part of the same dark side cult that Naya Sendor had been. While he had made much progress in the past year, uncovering ancestors of his that dated as far back as the Old Sith Wars, there was still much more to be found, gaps to be filled.

Unfortunately, he did not think he would get a chance to fill in those gaps any time soon.

He had been in the market plaza of Roth’s Town, accompanied by his wife and five-year-old son, when he had spotted the Star Destroyer in the sky. Judging by the distance and the angle, it appeared to be headed for the capital city of Alon, which was hundreds of miles away from Roth’s Town. Even so, he could still see it as clear as day and distance alone did nothing to lessen the feeling of dread that was now taking over him.

He glanced at Lysira, who shared his expression of disquiet, and she quietly set down the basket of food she had been carrying before tugging on her son’s arm.

“Come on, Kalon,” she said. “We have to leave.”

“But we just got here,” Kalon whined.

“We can always come back another time,” Varon said, knowing that it was a lie. “Let’s get back to the speeder.”

Without further complaint, Kalon followed his parents as they pushed their way through the busy plaza. 

*  *  *

“I must say,” said Paron Varonus, governor of Damosus, “that this is a most surprising but very welcome visit.”

“I’m sure it is,” General Pryde said stiffly, standing before the governor in his office. Kylo Ren stood beside him, hand hovering over his lightsaber, while a squad of stormtroopers flanked the governor from either side of his desk. Varonus did not appear intimidated however, leaning back in his seat as he clasped his withered hands over his round stomach.

“To be quite frank with you,” the governor went on, “I had come to the impression that the Empire had forgotten about us. I believe the last time I heard from Moff Dradon was… forty-five years ago? Fifty? Something like that.”

“Many things have happened in the past few decades,” said General Pryde. “The Emperor has long since passed and someone else now sits on the throne. However, our capital of Coruscant has been taken by a group of rebel insurgents and we have spent the last forty years fighting to take back control. In recent months, we have begun making progress towards restoring our Empire and it will only be a matter of weeks before the galaxy is ours again.”

“Splendid!” Varonus exclaimed. “So what brings you here to Damosus then?”

“Your planet provides us with a strategic point from which we can take back control of the sector, along with its neighbors, from the rebels. If you would have us, we would like to set up operations here on Damosus so that we may carry out the will of our Supreme Leader.”

The governor spread his hands. “You don’t even need to ask. Damosus has been a loyal ally of the Empire for half a century; regardless of whoever is in charge, that fact will never change so long as I am governor.”

Pryde smiled thinly. “That is good to hear, Governor Varonus. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.”

“Of course, General. It would not be very prudent for me to—”

With a sharp gesture from Pryde’s hand, the stormtroopers raised their blasters at Varonus and opened fire. As the eighty-year old governor slumped lifelessly in his seat, General Pryde turned on his heel to face Kylo Ren.

“I will arrange for a figurehead to be installed in the governor’s place,” he said to the Knight of Ren. “They will keep the populace in check while we proceed with the next stage of operations. Will you be joining us in that?”

“Eventually,” Kylo Ren said vaguely. “I have a more personal matter to take care of here on Damosus. But once that is settled, I will be rejoining for the rest of Damosus’ takeover.”

Pryde nodded curtly. “Very well, then. I shall inform the Supreme Leader that—”

“General!” A young woman in the uniform of a First Order officer barged into the room, snapping off a sharp salute. “We’ve just received word from our agents on Coruscant.”

Pryde raised an eyebrow. “And…?”

“It is done, sir. Operation: Upheaval is a success.”

At this, both of Pryde’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. Even Kylo Ren was tilting his head in a display of interest.

“So it has already begun then,” the Knight of Ren said quietly.

“Yes,” Pryde replied, allowing a genuine smile to appear on his face. “So it has.”