All That Remains: Ashes and Temples

[Marlon Kori]

Continued from here...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What'd happened in the years that had passed?

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

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

"Go back to your stations."

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

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

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

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

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

"Dan... "

No answer.

"General?"

Still nothing.

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

"Dan," he gave a gentle shake.

"Gods, man, wake yourself up.."

[Darth Decepis]

Dan turned, but he was no longer Dan.

At last, Dan Thrule could be allowed to die.

Long live Darth Decepis, Dark Lord of the Sith.

May he rule forever.

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

"Has the fleet arrived?"

[Marlon Kori]

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

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

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

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

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

[Darth Decepis]

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Marlon Kori]

Kori only nodded as he followed the General.

"Yes Sir."

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

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

Yes Sir."

[Cirrsseeto Quez]

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

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

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

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

"Sir?"

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

"Captain Quez?"

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

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

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

[Q. Samus Dage]

* * *

in orbit over ossus

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

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

"Sir?"

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

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

"Yes Sir."

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

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

Nothing surprising, really.

"And?"

A moment of pause before the officer went on.

"It's the Dauntless, Sir."

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

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

Dage frowned at that.

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

"Yes Sir."

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

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

He blinked at that.

"Excuse me?"

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

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

"Get the Knight, Hicchoru."

[Anbira Hicchoru]

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

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

"Commander?"

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

[Q. Samus Dage]

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

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

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

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

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

[Anbira Hicchoru]

"That can't be true."

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

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

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

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

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

[Q. Samus Dage]

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

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

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

"Sir, I- "

"Play it back on the speakers."

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

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

"Lieutenant."

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

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

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

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

"Well?"

[Anbira Hicchoru]

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

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

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

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

He shook his head.

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

[Q. Samus Dage]

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

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

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

The comm officer gave a nod.

"Yes Sir."

"Keep it short."

"Will do."

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

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

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

[Anbira Hicchoru]

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

"I hope so too."

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

[Marlon Kori]

Aboard Dauntless

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

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

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

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

[Darth Decepis]

"So it is."

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

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

"Put Samus on screen."

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

[Q. Samus Dage]

Aboard Levantine

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

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

"Alright. Send it through."

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

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

"Anything we can help you with?"

[General Dan]

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

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

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

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

[Q. Samus Dage]

"An incident... ?"

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

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

[General Dan]

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

"Are there Jedi aboard your ship?"