The Alpha Legacy - "Rise" Prelude to KotFE

[GuardianElite]

It wasn’t Marstel’s ideal situation, but living with Mai had given him the opportunity to relax a bit, stretch out his legs. Apartment living was not his ‘thing’, more the outdoor type, it was with some reluctance that he agreed to move in with Mai. As she sensed his hesitation, she very aptly reminded him of the ‘vacation’ they just went on and the need for them both to stay close to one another, all for security reasons of course. Marstel would smile at that every time he thought of it. Mai was a sweetheart, but she was still a Sith and as he had already seen she had traits consistent with that order. Mai didn’t like to lose, she hated to hear the word ‘no’ and she was very, very passionate about things she cared about. It was just his luck that he was one of those passionate things. So, settling in, Marstel let his hair down, in a way, trying to get use to not only living in an apartment once again, but also living with a woman. As he thought about that last fact he comes to realize that he never really lived with a woman at all. Kat, his last girlfriend, had her own place and even when he was a child his twin sisters had their own space.

Grimacing as he thought of Karolin and Mrysti, realizing what a mess Mai must think he and his family was. No sooner than they returned from the vacation that things once again erupted and it was over the same issues, all over again. This time Mrysti had tried to kill their sister Karolin and it was for so many reasons she claimed, that Marstel discounted all but one, Mrysti murdering RT’s wife and consequently trying to kill his Son. Though now the truth was, RT himself had killed his own son. It was guilt, hatred, jealousy…every emotion you could have all rolled into one and both Karolin and Mrysti were fighting each other on so many levels over so much of it that Marstel cut it down to one simple fact. Karolin was in charge and Mrysti didn’t like it. Though Mrysti had convinced Karolin initially of the plan to kill RT’s wife, the change of heart in Karolin caused their sister to do it on their own. Mrysti took matters into her own hands and THAT was the bottom line of everything. All the hate and evil that came after was each one of the twins doing things to one another in response for that single act. And now as Marstel unlocked the door to the apartment, he knew this would be a meeting that would most likely go down in the family record books. He called out once he opened the door wondering where Mai could have run off to.

“Mai? Where ya at…hey, gotta ta talk ta ya ‘bout sum stuff…”

The servant that Marstel was still trying to get used to shuffled into the room almost causing him to draw one of his blasters on her. She was quiet and Marstel knew it was her nature, still it caused him no end of discomfort as he often forgot even when Mai and he were alone, they were never really alone. The servant smiled at Marstel handing him a Datapad and walking off as quickly as she came. He raised an eyebrow, activating it quickly.

Marstel.

I apologize for not giving you a holo-call, I knew you were in conference with one of more of your sisters and did not want to disturb you.

I have been summoned before Darth Marr in relation to the situation on Ziost, I assume it’s because of my knowledge of Sith Lore and Arcane knowledge, I really won’t know until I get there. He gave no reason for my summons, merely that I needed to go as soon as possible. With everything that’s going on with the galaxy and with our own lives I think it’s prudent I go at once, not that I have any choice really.

I know that you will be dealing with these issues within your own family and I don’t want to detract from that, but if I should be gone longer than a day, please feel free to bring your sisters to OUR apartment and take care of your business there. Just please do not allow your sibling to wreck our place, we do have to live there you know. *smiley face*

Know that I love you. I am going because I love you and if anything I can do for the Empire and for this sense of dread I feel with some approaching darkness, I will do it, if only to protect those I love.

I will comm you as soon as I can

<3….Mai

Smiling, Marstel shut the Datapad down and started typing a message to both Karolin and Mrysti to meet him at his and Mai’s apartment. He was smiling at the fact that Mai made a point to say ‘OUR’ in referring to the apartment. He could still feel a little insecurity in her about the both of them, but it was getting better. Sometimes she tried too hard, other times he felt guilty for not trying hard enough. But, it was working and that was what was important for the both of them. He sent the messages getting the acknowledgement beep that they had been received; it would only be a matter of time now before they arrived. Now he wouldn’t have to expose Mai to both of his sisters at once and he could deal with the both of them without distraction. Not that Mai was that distraction, but there were things about the Alphas that Mai just didn’t understand. There was also keen insight she gave him concerning his own family that he never considered.

It was a foregone conclusion that Marstel would have to deal with his brother over killing his own son. In his mind, Marstel was already mentally preparing himself for the moment when he would have to draw his weapon and perhaps end his brother’s life. That’s how things were, if an Alpha dumped their programming or went ‘off’ the reservation; they took care of their own. They were after all genetically enhanced super beings; no one else could be expected to handle them. But Mai, in her anger, made Marstel realize something. This all started because they felt they HAD to do something, as Alphas, now they had a chance to break the cycle. He wasn’t exactly sure how he was going to do it, but as Mai stated in her anger, “The killing has to stop!” She was right and in his heart he knew it would ultimately be his responsibility, none of his other siblings could be trusted to do it. Furthest from the mantle of responsibility of being the ‘senior’ Alpha, Marstel was the youngest of them all they would all have to die in order for Martsel to take charge, but then there would be no one to be in charge of. Not that he desired that responsibility. Marstel was a supporter, it wasn’t his massive size that made him the family’s anchor, it was his ability to anchor them all to something, each other.

Walking down the hall, Marstel stopped to inform Mai’s handmaiden that she may want to take the night off or at least stay scarce, that he would take care of things. The last thing he needed was something happening to Mai’s servant. He then went to go arrange the room and instantly though of padding it and bringing in plas-steel furniture or unbreakable items to replace the breakable ones. It was going to get ugly, he knew it. But, he also knew that only he could control the both of them, Karolin and Mrysti always listened to him; each in their own way of course, one with the lightest of touches the other with the hammer of a fist.


Mrysti pulled the cloak around her tightly exiting the Nexus Room Cantina in Kaas City. Only there usually for business, this was a visit of a different sort though she told herself otherwise. She did need to visit the Ministry of Defense and turn in some reports of her recent victory over the Exchange on Tatooine. The other reason of course was meeting with Marstel and her sister, Karolin. As she walked, several people stopped and bowed in reverence and even addressed her by name. At first, being lost in her thoughts, she returned the bows and the nods with several of her own. On the third or fourth acknowledgement, she raised an eyebrow turning to watch the man who addressed her walk away. She was recognizable now, people knew who she was. The whole affair on Tatooine had given her notoriety within the Empire. They now knew ‘who’ the Hammer of the Empire actually was and it just wasn’t a name, it wasn’t just Darth Retuvisa her moniker from Ascension and it was more than Mrysti Alpha. She was the Empire’s Hammer. It dawned on her as she stood there in the rain, she was becoming a hero to the Empire. Someone people would tell stories about and look to. It was an exciting and dangerous place to be in, but as she smirked turning to look at the lift she realized she never doubted for a moment this is where she would end up. Mrysti was a hero; she knew it was always her destiny to be one, even if it was within the Empire. Moving to the lift, she took the beeping Holo-comm off her belt looking at it and sending the acknowledgement back to Marstel, it was almost time.


Karolin was already around the corner when the beeping started on her beltline. She smiled at the man standing next to her, who apparently had been chatting her up the entire time she was standing at the outdoor counter to have a drink. She heard none of it, lost in her thoughts. Hitting the acknowledgement, she realized her sister was here, in the city close-by. It unnerved her to some extent, but then she shrugged it off. Mrysti had already tried to kill her and in her aggressiveness, her over-confidence had been her downfall. For years, Karolin had tried to explain to her sister exactly what had taken place that caused her fall to the Dark Side. Mrysti always seemed uninterested or would shrug it off as, ‘Oh, Karolin…you were a Jedi, you could not possibly understand the Dark Side as I do’. Karolin smirked at that thought. Mrysti, damn well understood now. And better, Mrysti also knew that Karolin was no weak Jedi or a slight pushover. Karolin could at any moment explode with such force and energy to light up a small star…and consume everything around her. The fact that she had gained some modicum of control of her darkness and was learning to balance it was a testament to her power. The man next to her continued to talk as she smiled and nodded until, the talking stopped. Instinctively, Karolin looked over, the man having an eyebrow raised at some unanswered question.

“So…what are the chances of my getting your frequency?”

Karolin smiled again, patting him on the shoulder before she walked away headed in Marstel’s direction.

“Honey…we ain’t EVEN ON the same frequency…thanks fer tha drank….”


HOTH

Stepping off the shuttle, RT slung the pack over his shoulder. It was cold, but seemed colder than he remembered. That was another life and another time. It was warmer then because in a way he carried the warmth of love with him, the heat of passion and the fire of resolve. Now he had none of that. Hoth was just a place, somewhere the Republic would keep him literally, ‘On Ice' till they decided what to do with him. Moving to the station commander’s office, he said nothing, made eye contact with no one and stayed quiet. The servos in his arms and legs stiffened slightly in the chill of the air, he would definitely have to insulate and grease his cybernetic parts in order to function in this climate. Not that he planned on doing very much, or being around long for that matter. Passing a glance at the blaster on his hip he wondered why he didn’t just pull it and blow his own brains out right there. Then he remembered, he had to give the commander his orders and…he hadn’t eaten anything yet. And you certainly can’t kill yourself on an empty stomach.

[GuardianElite]

It seemed louder than usual, the door chime rang and echoed through the apartment. Marstel sat the Holo-pad down and carefully walked to the door having already keyed the access. Mrysti was late, but Marstel knew she was trying to wait out her sister and not arrive first. Karolin no doubt doing the same thing. Walking in and lowering her hood, Mrysti shook out her white hair, which now showed some hints of red in it. A result of the change from her accident. Mrysti had regained her original color and was now bleaching her hair for public appearances. But just like the white she gained after killing Caleb in the Hutt Arena, the red would now not be denied. It kept coming back making Mrysti bleach her hair every couple of days. It was a ‘gift’ from the Force, she killed love and lost her color. Now she gained it back and the color was returning. She looked up at Marstel shyly moving slowly and awkwardly to reach up and hug the bigger sibling. At 7’ tall Marstel was the only Alpha bigger than Mrysti, she always felt small in his presence, even more so under the present circumstances.

“Thank you for seeing me, Marstel…I know this couldn’t have been easy after we tal—“, Marstel broke the embrace already walking out of the foyer without looking back.

“Ain’t like I had a whole lotta choice is there??”, He turned back around waving his hand at his sister, “Wha??? An I let you an Karolin kill each otha an tear tha rest ‘a us apart??? HUH?!?!”, He took a step toward her angrily, finally for the first time letting some of his pent up anger out, Mrysti took a step back saying nothing, “Yea?!?! Oh now yer shocked?? Now ya got nuthin’ ta say??? Ya said plenty at tha bar though didn ya?? Naw…I wouldn’ gone make a public spectacle ‘a everythin weh goh goin on in our lives, Mrysti!!! You an Karolin are sum ‘a tha mos ungrateful bitches I ever met. AN YES!!! I said BITCHES!!!” He stopped, just looking at her angrily a strange silence passing between them like he awaiting a response.

“You have never spoken like that to me before Marst—“

“Well I am now!!! Cause tha wha tha two ‘a ya are, BITCHES!!! Ungrateful, uncarin’ bitches…ya thank I enjoy this, do ya???” He took another angry step toward his sister, his shadow almost engulfing a woman who was equal in size, Mrysti seeming to shrink under him, “Ya don care ‘bout wha I thank, wha Hamner thanks…especially wha RT thanks…both ‘a ya jus go off an do wha ever tha two ‘a ya want?!?! An we jus sit back an watch…” He took the final step forward this time raising a finger to her, “An weh ain’t weak…yer tha weak wun, it’s always wun ‘a us whos gotta clean up you and Karolin’s messes.” His words reflecting back to the moment Mrysti convinced Karolin to go along with her plan to kill RT’s wife, “Didn think I heard tha did ya??? I got tha same genes you do, girly…an I tell ya wha, this…all ‘a this is ova…righ here and righ now. When she gits here, ya’ll gone make peace…”

Mrysti seemed to straighten up in defiance, but the look on her face was meek, “Or what? You’ll do what…”

Marstel grit his teeth, his fist clenching to his side, voice low and grave, “Or…I'm gonna put tha both ‘a through the damn wall…try meh…”

Mrysti shrank again, not sure in memory of if she ever heard her brother talk to her like that. She stood up as Marstel retreated out of the hallway, clearing her throat.

“So…this is your girlfriends place?” Mrysti was looking around as Marstel stopped looking back at her.

“Yea…an she ain’t here. Ya think I wanna leh ‘er see meh like this??! She ain’t never seen this side ‘a meh 'fore an it’s the damn side tha the two ‘a ya bring out…c’mon…” He gestured to the room at the far end of the hall, a large room that he sat up with a round table and some chairs. In fact that was the only thing in the room. Mrysti followed him inside, looking around in shock.

“She’s not much for furniture is she?”, Marstel turned at that looking wickedly at his sister.

“Yea…she is. I did this in case I gotta put tha two ‘a through a wall. I ain’t lettin’ ya mess up our place, Mrysti…” His voice dripped with venom and without another word she merely sat down having taken enough admonishment from him. Marstel had set the tone, exactly how he planned. One, with the hammer…the other yet to arrive. As the chime rang a second time, Marstel moved from the room to the door and raised an eyebrow slightly. He just said ‘our place’. It was strange, but perhaps that was the first time he actually said that. Entering the foyer the lift deposited Karolin in the entryway, she walked past Marstel headed for the room he just came from as she tossed her cloak to him.

“Well ‘ello ta you too, Karolin…”

She turned around to glare at her brother, “I kno she’s already ‘ere I saw ‘er walk in…lehs jus git this ova with…I got thangs ta do…” Marstel dropped the cloak on the ground much to Karolin’s chagrin, he glared back at his more diminutive sister, grabbing her arm.

“I’m gone tell you jus like I told ‘er….this is ova understand? You gone go in there an ya’ll kin yell, scream, throw thangs…do whaeva ya wan, but when yer done…this es ova. An like I told her, I WILL put tha both ‘a through a damn wall if I gotta…”

Karolin smiled up at the big man, touching his face with a smile, “I kno ya will Marstel…I kno, an I promise…I’m gone finish it…” Marstel smiled shyly under the touch, letting go of the arm as the two of them walked to the end of the hall. The door opened and Mrysti looked away, not wanting to look at Karolin. Marstel frowned as the chair groaned under his weight, placing himself between the two sisters. Opening his hands he gestured, someone had to begin. He was keeping to his promise, only if he had to would he intervene. Karolin leaned over glaring at Mrysti, waiting for her to at least look in her direction.

“Well, I guess I’ll beh tha bigger sista…wha ya did wuz wrong Mrysti. When I said, ‘No’ by backin out, ya shoulda listen ta meh…instead ya jus went off like ya usually due an did yer own thang….”

Mrysti turned her head slowly to look at her sister an incredulous look on her face, “What you said?? You didn’t ‘say’ anything, Karolin!!! You ran off to go do who knows what with one of our enemies.” She laid her hands flat on the table, “Let me remind the both of you, RT’s wife was an enemy of the Alpha family the moment she left him, the moment RT threw himself off that building because he couldn’t live without her and the moment she opened her legs to another man!!!”

Leaning forward, Karolin sat up slightly, pointing, “A pregnancy ya wouldn’t even ‘ave known ‘bout if ya hadn stalked ‘er and killed ‘er!!!”

“I did what had to be done!!!”

“NO!!! Ya did wha ya wanted an all ‘a us hav suffered!!!”

“YOU WERE INFATUATED WITH HER, THAT’S WHY YOURE SAYING THIS!!!”

“KRIFF YOU, MRYSTI!!!! YA KRIFFIN” WHORE!!!”

Mrysti launched herself across the table only to be caught by a huge hand from Marstel who carefully placed her back in her seat. She jerked away from the hand as she sat back down, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

“Yes well, you took full advantage of my ‘being’ a whore…didn’t you, Karolin…setting me up, trying to get me pregnant. Then stealing my boyfriend…”

Karolin sighed humorously scoffing at her sister, “Oh git off it!!! Ya didn wan ‘em…ya cast ‘em aside so ya could lay wif tha assassin ya hired ta kill Uniform…so noh only ‘r ya a whore, buh a conivin’ murderess too…”

Getting up Mrysti started for the door, “I don’t have to listen to this!!! And I’m not going to…” It was Marstel that stood along with her, clearing his throat and cracking his knuckles.

“Sit yer ass down…”, Karolin was grinning until Marstel looked her direction, “An you…lay off tha name callin…” He sighed, both sisters turning their back on one another, “Look ain’t nare one ‘a ya angels…ya both hurt wun anotha…” He looked at Mrysti, “Ya need ta understand…Karolin es in charge, it’s ‘er call as is tha rest ‘a us wha goes on en this family. Noh you, noh tha Empire, noh tha Republic…US all ‘a US…” He turned his attention to Karolin, “Ya wanna kno why Mrysti took matters inta ‘er own hands? Cause you ain’t capable ‘a stopping ‘er…cause ya got noh confidence frum tha rest ‘a us…ya need ta git off tha drugs, Karolin, ya need ta lay off tha liquor…ya wanna beh tha leader, then ya need ta start actin like it.”

Karolin spoke up, her back still turned away, “I didn ask fer this Marstel…”

Slapping the table hard, Marstel had enough, he stood laying both hands flat on it surface it groaned under his weight, “Yea…none ‘a us did…WHAT DO YA WAN KAROLIN?!?! YA WAN MRYSTI IN CHARGE?!?!” He sat down softly, straightening his shirt, “Cause she es next in line…” That brought a look from Mrysti who turned her head back slowly, she glanced at Karolin who shook her head.

“No…an I kno I needta clean up mah act…”

Marstel swallowed hard as he began again, “Ya needta admit tha ya both dun wrong…admit wha ya did ta wun anotha an jus git on wif it…”

Turning her head fully, Mrysti looked at Karolin sadly. “I admit…I could have handled it better. Though I still maintain that…SHE needed to die. I should have done my convincing in the boardroom instead of going behind your back Marstel…and doing it on my own, Karolin…”

Karolin looked at Mrysti skeptically, “Yea? And?”

“And what, Karolin? I got you out of confinement, I brought you to the Empire…I didn’t make you do any of those other things…”

Karolin started to speak, as Marstel raised a hand slightly. She sat down a little further in the seat swallowing.

“Yes…tha’s true. Noh wun asked ya ta support meh once I goh ‘ere…an I did all tha otha stuff…”

Mrysti raised her eyebrow, hoping for more.

“OK!!! So I kriffed Goldy ta git ta ya…an I kept tha fact tha ya could hav kids frum ya…” She looked at Marstel, “…buh tha’s it…tha’s all I did an it wuz in retaliation fer all ‘a wha she dun….”

Standing up, Mrysti extended her hand still watching her sister curiously, “Though I don’t fully believe that you only kriffed one of my boyfriends just to get back at me, I accept your honesty….and I’m sorry. You are our leader, Karolin and I shall….respect that.”

Karolin was indeed hiding the fact that feelings were starting to emerge concerning Mrysti’s former lover, she stood extending her hand as well. Marstel shook his head getting up and rounding the table. He shoved Karolin close to Mrysti before they could shake hands.

“Strangers shake ‘ands…we’re family. Ya’ll gone hug an call et a day….”

[GuardianElite]

The sun was coming up, Karolin, Mrysti and Marstel continued to talk around the real issue only touching on it briefly. The three of them getting distracted by stories from one another as to what was going on in their lives. When RT would come up all of them would stop, each falling silent and none of them saying what needed to be said. Mrysti and Marstel would both look at Karolin who would look away or look down, not ready to bare that responsibility. Finally, frustrated Mrysti stood and walked to the bay window looking out with her hands on her hips.

“We have to kill him…its protocol. An Alpha goes off the reservation, that’s what happens we are all too dangerous to be loose variables in any equation.” She turned looking at Karolin then Marstel in turn, “I would say I would do it, but we all see how that turned out last time…” She raised her hands laughing sarcastically, “…and I will not be accused of taking matters into my own hands again.” Karolin shook her head sadly looking down again.

“Noh wun is goin ta accuse ya of tha, Mrysti…I wouldn’ Marstel certainly won’t….” Marstel stood throwing his hands out.

“Wha ‘r weh talkin bout here?!?! No wun es closer ta RT than I am…if es gotta beh dun I’m doin et…” He sat back on the bar counter, it ached under his bulk groaning loudly. “….buh weh ain’t doin tha…Mai said, NO and she’s right!! Weh gotta break tha cycle, tha killin has gotta stop…weh can reach him, I kno weh can. I will goh to em on Hoth and talk ta em.”

Karolin stood picking up her wine glass and joining her sister by the window, she didn’t look at her but rather the rainy night and the sun coming up on Kaas. She turned looking at Marstel, then at Mrysti.

“I will goh…es my job, I’ll do et….”

Mrysti sighed frustratingly, moving away from the window, her anger palpable as she regarded her two siblings. She picked up her own glass, gesturing toward Marstel, but talking to Karolin.

“Since when do we take advice from…Marstel’s ‘girlfriend’ of all people…this is family business. Termination is protocol, it’s what had to be done.” As they looked at her, she raised a hand defensively, “But hey, we went over this…” She looked at hersister, bowing her head slightly, “Karolin…it’s your call.”

There was a long silence, both Mrysti and Marstel watching her. She closed her eyes blocking out the rising light just over the horizon. It was a tough decision, but no tougher than the night Mrysti convinced her to go after RT’s wife and then his Son. Only this time she was alone, there would be no pressure from Marstel or from Mrysti. Hamner was not in the equation, to be honest they didn’t want him in it. If Karolin were to decide to go with Mrysti and terminate their brother, she would have to tell Hamner. But as she turned, she realized there would be no need.

“We are not killing, RT. I will go to Hoth. I will see him and speak to him, this discussion is tabled until I return. That…is my final decision.”

Turning her eyebrow up, Mrysti noticed the speech change in her sister, more rich and very formal. The Force was seeping back into Karolin and she wasn’t fighting it, in fact she was drinking it in. Mrysti smiled and set the glass down, Marstel stood coming along side of Mrysti. Together they both nodded in unison.

“We await your return…now about that other bottle?” Mrysti walked over to the counter finding a new one.


Laughing echoes from the from room as Mrysti gets down off the arm of the couch flopping next to her sister, Karolin gesturing with her hands as she continues to tell the story.

“…and then ‘e jus walks out frum behind tha tree, I mean who knew…I’m there in tha grass an Marcus is on top ‘a meh, kissing meh…standin’ ova you, yer old’a brotha. I mean tha look…on his face.”

They all stopped laughing as Mai walked in all the eyes turning to her, her face a blank slate; clearly not what she was expecting. Marstel looked down slightly and slowly jumped down from his seat on the bar top, Karolin standing and moving toward Mai.

Well…Marstel…the ‘liitle woman’ es home. I think weh perty much beat this bantha ta death don ya think?” She winks at Marstel as she turns back smiling at Mai and taking her hand, “Thank ya so much fer letting us come ‘ere…it wuz just righ an weh promise weh didn’t break anythin’. Ya maybe outta couple ‘a bottles ‘a rum, buh othawise ya’ll ‘r en good shape…” Marstel continued to look at the floor shyly smiling to himself. Mrysti collected her things standing as Karolin passed on her way to the foyer. She regarded Mai with a keen eye, stopping to look down at the smaller woman, finally extending her hand.

“I don’t believe we’ve met…I am Marstel’s other sister, Mrysti Alpha…you are also of the Sith Empire, are you not?” It seemed like an imposing question and stated in her crisp Imperial accent made Marstel clear his throat slightly. Mrysti softened, looking back to Mai after turning to look at her brother, “Of course…where are my manners? This is your home, who am I to stand on formality. Thank you so much for the use of your ‘apartment’…I do hope we can see each other again. I am…so fond of meeting ‘friends’ of my brother…” She cast a look back to Marstel smirking slightly as she passed on her way to the lift.

After they were gone, Marstel stood opening his arms up and shrugging, “Sorry baby, ya missed all tha fun parts….”

[GuardianElite]

Looking up, RT shook his head. Sitting on the edge of his bunk, RT was placed in an area away from everyone else, alone and isolated. Karolin looked at him sadly wondering if this was his doing or that of the Command. Face ragged and tired, RT looked terrible, Karolin had never quite seen him this way. It reminded her of the day so long ago when RT lay in that infirmary bed near death. She reached out to him then too, laid her hands on him and gave her a part of herself so that he would live. As she watched her brother all she wanted to do was run to him and hold him close, to give herself to him again so that she could save him. He looked like he needed that kind of saving right now. He moved his foot and a bottle rolled out from under the bunk, an empty bottle of Corellian ’46; RT’s preferred brand of drink. It couldn’t be good for someone in his ‘condition’. More than 80% of his body was cybernetic. As she watched the bottle roll, she saw the others hidden under the bed, RT didn’t have that much of his human parts left to actually intoxicate. It was a wonder he hadn’t killed himself drinking. Karolin frowned; maybe that’s what he was trying to do.

Shifting around, RT was getting his bearings looking up at his sister annoyingly and following her eyes as she watched his bottle roll. The servos whined loudly as he stood, moving off of the bed and turning his back to her.

“It’s for the cold…alcohol warms the system.”, He turned looking at her annoyingly, “What are you doing here, Karolin…”

As she moved slowly getting close to him, she could see the little bits of paper he’d torn up, fragments of his Holo-comm shattered on the ground and general tragedy scattered about the small area. Slowly she lowered herself to the bed, crossing her legs and looking down. For a long moment she didn’t say anything, she couldn’t think her mind going blank. Without warning she started to cry, placing her hand on her face to hide it from him. But, she couldn’t hide the sobs, making him turn around to look at her. His face was impassive and he made no move to comfort her, moving away and opening his locker to begin removing his armor. Karolin looked up slightly, wiping her face; RT was still moving his things about trying to be oblivious to her. With her anger rising and the tears still falling she stood clenching her fists.

“I had to see for myself…I had to see if you were as big a son-of-a-bitch they said you were!”

“Bigger…”, RT replied, softly and still moving. Karolin kept her stance, her fist still clenching. It didn’t take long for her to surmise that RT knew why she had come and it wasn’t the Force that told her, it was his movements. She shook her head slowly at how far had he fallen. The leader of them all, the hero they all looked to. RT was nothing now, a shell of his former self. In his heart he knew it wouldn’t remain secret forever that eventually the others would find out that he killed his Son. And there would be a reckoning. Mentally, RT had been preparing himself for that day for a long time. Never in a million years did he think Karolin would be the one they send, “….I was expecting it to be Marstel or even Mrysti. I didn’t think they would send you.” Turning he looked at her defiantly, “Do what you came here to do and lets get this over with. I know the protocols and I know what happens next. An Alpha doesn’t just leave the project or go off ‘programming’ without a consequence. I should know, I wrote that rule….”

It wasn’t a shocking revelation; Karolin knew that him asking why she come was just a formality. It was understandable that he would think she was there to terminate him. Looking up she continued to wipe her face, he didn’t look like he wanted to continue talking his eyes getting heavier as he stood looking at her, half expecting that at any second she was going to launch herself off the bed and end his life. It was with some shock that RT didn’t get what he expected an annoying shock that made him slam the locker door hard causing Karolin to jump slightly.

‘I am not here to kill you RT. They wanted that…especially Mrysti. But, I wouldn’t have it.” Finally standing she moved about the room and suddenly felt the need to put some space between her brother and herself. He was not well and this time she did feel it in the Force, his mind was chaotic with only mere moments of lucidity or rational thought. RT was indeed in a world of terror, his mind not able to hold decision or lines of thinking with any regularity. She saw his mind on a canvas in the Force and it looked like water bugs skipping around a pond. The thoughts would start straight and logical and at the last second jump another direction or in some cases disappear all together. His complete attention was focused on her however, that much she was sure of, but he shifted from moment to moment. Thoughts of love, hate, rage and avarice all jumbled up inside. How could she reach him? They tried to reset his programming at reconstruction, but it didn’t take. How could she possibly ever get through to him when so much of him was already gone? She moved away toward the door, but did not leave touching it as she looked away, “I came…because I want to save you, Brother. I’m here because I need you, WE need you. The violence has to end, the killing has to stop. And as the leader now, it’s my job to see if that’s possible.”

Folding his arms, RT softened a bit. It was hard to think, his mind jumping from survival mode to complete and utter despair. It was only his love for Karolin that stayed his hand in launching at her and trying to end her in accordance with his own self-preservation protocols. Concentrating, RT closed his eyes tightly and spoke through clenched teeth, his body shook slightly as he held his arms tightly about himself, almost like a drug user going though a withdrawal. Karolin felt that, she could feel it all too well as she used so much of her power to suppress her own withdrawal from the actual substances she had been polluting herself with. It had been 96 hours now and not a drop, not a hit, Karolin was hurting, but not like he was. Her mind shook with fear as she watched him, seeing herself clenching her own arms and shaking, but she really wanted to be shaking with him. There was a need in her to share this pain to feel it with him. It was in her power to do so, she need only touch his mind; she could already see it in the Force.

“A-and i-if you can’t…if I cannot be saved or if I don’t w-want to be saved….what then?”

Turning back to him, Karolin stood straighter more regal, her more formal voice having none of their Southern Corellian twang to it. Her mind cleared of the need to go to her brother and hold him as he spoke. The Leader of the Alpha's looked at this flawed member of their project and regarded him for the first time, not as a brother, not as someone she loved or cared for, but as a defective unit.

“Then…if you have to go. I will do it, Brother. We will do it together.”


Hutta


Looking around the room, Mrysti smiled at the few faces occupying the table that sat in the farthest room she could find underneath the Arena floor. It was isolated and archaic, but well hidden. The room had been swept 18 times for electronic devices and Mrysti had her guards search each member of the ‘Coalition’ before they entered and took their seats. It wasn’t paranoia as much as limiting the possibility of someone being tracked or inadvertently activating a device that could record or transmit the discussion they were about to have.

There were so few there, four people to be exact, their faces hidden in the low light cast down from the single unit placed in the ceiling around the ‘U’ shaped table. It was a motley crew to be sure; one Jedi, three sith, but people she trusted. As the noise of their arrival died down, Mrysti placed her hands on the table leaning into them all.

“Thank you for this…thank you for believing. Some of you are here for your own ends and that’s ok, because we all share a common goal; survival of our lineage and survival from this darkness that is coming.” She took her hands up and paced back and forth in front of them slowly, “You each bring something to the table here, all of you have some level of foresight or some knowledge in the Force as to what is coming…in the coming weeks we will share that with one another to try and ascertain what exactly it is we are dealing with and how best to either stop it or at the very least survive it…” Mrysti looked behind her at the door quickly before turning back to them all, “I apologize that some of the other members could not be here, I founded this group with two other members, both had reservations about meeting tonight and having so many of us in one location. So in keeping with their wishes we will meet like this rarely. Only under certain circumstances will we ever all be in the same place at one time. If we do speak, we will speak in code or in person.” She stopped pacing to look in the darkness at the figures seated before her.

“They are going to call you crazy. If they find out about you, they will call you traitor….you will be ridiculed, ostracized by your peers; a laughing stock among the others of your orders. In the end….they may even seek your death.” She placed her palms on the table again leaning in to them, “Know this…what we do here, what we build now is for the good of the galaxy. You know…as I do, in three months time everything we hold dear, everything we know, love, cherish…hold as value either in assets or to our hearts will be gone…”

Mrysti pointed to the door, “Out there…is a land of sleepers. Pick and choose your friends wisely from here on out, once you walk out of this door there is no turning back. For myself, I can say my path is set; yours needs to be set as well. We do work now to preserve our way of life. So, be careful whom you confide in or bring into our circle, once this all happens…once the Darkness comes, they are all going to need us." Mrysti swallowed hard looking grave under the low light as she brought herself to her full Six foot Nine inch height looking down at them all.

"For we will be the only thing between them…and utter annihilation.”


Dromund Kaas


Marstel hit the save button on the Comm system picking up the bag and taking a look around the apartment before he walked out. The button on the system flashed that a message was waiting for Mai when she came back in from her walk.

<<<Mai,

Headed to Hoth…there has been an ‘incident’ with Karolin and RT shouldn’t be gone too long and it’s nothing to worry about. IN fact it may even be a good thing…

-M>>>

It was as ominous as he could possibly be and it was not on purpose. As Marstel hopped in the speeder looking up at the building, he had a feeling that something was leading him to Hoth. That something was guiding Mai in her latest assignment for the Empire and that whatever it was concerned the exact same thing, this Darkness that was coming. Right at that moment, Marstel just wanted to get to Hoth and ensure his sister was ok. Her message was just as ominous.

<<<-Marstel

I need you and only YOU to come to Hoth. This is going to take both of us…

-K>>>

[GuardianElite]

i]Bilringhi, During the events of ‘Revolution’ and shortly after Erryn’s Death….[/i]

He knew how the boy felt, it was the same way he felt. Trea’vor felt that way after he chased Hamner and Mrysti into an asteroid as they fled the Temple so long ago. To him it was like a never ending death, a pain that simply would not go away. The biggest loss being that of his sister, Mrysti whom he loved above all others and she did not simply die in that crash, she died a second time after she survived. It was like someone turned a light back on for him after he learned she was alive, but the light was quickly turned off again. What came back from Korriban and Imperial space, was not his sister. So, for the third and final time, Mrysti died again, in his heart. It had to be that way, it was the only way his system would allow him to process the monster she had become. As Trea’vor sat down next to Erric and put his hand on his shoulder, he smiled at the boy not sure of what to say.

Not only was Erryn a tragic loss, but it strangely hit Trea’vor in a way that he was not expecting. It was like a part of him died. A girl, he only met a month or so prior and he was attached to her. Maybe it was because Erryn was the same age as his own daughter, Porchia. Maybe it was because she had some adolescent crush on him and they had gotten close. Not that he would ever have acted on her feelings for him, Trea’vor was happily married. The infatuation did bring them closer, as Trea’vor coached her, tried to teach her that the feelings she was having were normal for a girl her age and that they would pass like everything else. Maybe it was how good of a soldier she was when he met her and how great a soldier she became after Trea’vor arrived and took charge of the children. Finally, Trea’vor knew why it was so heartbreaking, it was all of those factors and the fact that Erryn sacrificed her life to save his. It was something a brother would do for a sibling, it was something you do for family.

“Erric…you and your sister…” He stopped speaking because he couldn’t go on, even mentioning Erryn was heart ravaging for him. Not even his genetic programming could help keep his feelings at bay. This was far too powerful of a loss for not only Trea’vor but everyone involved in their small unit. He cleared his throat, to try and hide the fact that he nearly broke down, “…Erric, you’ve done enough, Son. You all have…but, the others…they want to stay. You can come with me. I will take you out of here…” Trea’vor thought about Erryn again, “…there is…nothing here for you now.”

Erric kept his head low, he had grown up so much in a few months. When Trea’vor met him, the boy could barely keep his pants pulled up. Now, watching him sit there and wonder what would happen after Trea’vor and the other Alphas left Bilringhi; Trea’vor saw a young man emerge. One who had character and bravery. It was like watching a plant grow, you add some water, give it the sunlight and all of a sudden something wonderful happens. Trea’vor was that water and that sunlight, now he was going home. Standing up, Erric dusted himself off and stuck out his hand. Taking it Trea’vor shook it firmly a look of disbelief crossing his features, but what the boy said would stay with him the rest of his life.

“Thank you, Major….but, no. This is my home…these are my people and they are my family now. For the Empire, this is just some back water planet in the middle of nowhere, another conquest for them in a long line of planets they have to take over….

But for me, it’s home. And I’m going to fight…I’m going to fight until I can’t fight anymore. Because, it’s my home. It’s what I owe these people and it’s what you do for family. And family means everything. Most of all, I owe it to you and Erryn…it’s what she would do.”

Grabbing the boy up, Trea’vor hugged him tightly, patting his back hard. It was threatening to take him again, the emotion of it all. But, he was leaving them in good hands. Porchia saw that the other resistance groups were going to take them in, they would fight on and most of all, they would survive. More than anything, Trea’vor wanted to stay at that moment, until he looked across the quad. Leaning on her ramp, Porchia was smiling at her father. It was one of those smiles you rarely get as a parent. Most children are loathe to give them out freely. It’s a look that says, ‘I’m proud of you…and I want to be like you…’ Only those privileged enough to have children are gifted with those moments. It made it easier for Trea’vor to walk away. Looking back as he boarded the ramp of Porchia’s ship, Trea’vor left it down enough to watch Erric as it took off, waving to him as the ship slowly rose out of the quad.

‘Whatever happened to Erric?’, RT wondered. His mind still jumping from thought to thought as Karolin worked her power over his mind….’Family is everything.’ Well, at least it used to be….

HOTH

Practically falling down, Karolin took her palms off her brother’s head. This was an intense session of looking into his mind, trying in a way to re-start those centers of his mind that would somehow bring order to his chaos. But, there were things about her brother which even Karolin didn’t know. For starters, how desperately he clung to the rest of them. All of his siblings, love and family were his ordering stone. It was the file that kept his mind neat and it brought him balance in times of turmoil. Even without a war to fight or during the brief time that Trea’vor had left the Army, family is what kept him going. People look all their lives for something to keep them motivated toward a goal, Trea’vor created that in his love for everyone else.

Karolin placed her hand to her face massaging her temples slightly just trying to process. ‘And we took that away from him’, Karolin thought. It was their actions that destroyed their brother, even after he tried to end his own existence. ‘Well….mostly’, she thought again. Trea’vor tried unsuccessfully to destroy himself because all of the motivation to continue the fight were gone after his wife left. He had nothing and Karolin was just beginning to scratch the surface. She looked over at her brother who rested unconscious on the bunk. A knock at the door brought her red irises toward it as Marstel pushed his way past the small opening. Jumping up Karolin reached up to hug the big man. Giving Karolin a worried look he cast that same expression at Trea’vor, the unanswered question hanging between them as Karolin sighed shaking her head.

“No…it’s tough, Marstel. I’m learnin’ lots…but, he is resisting me. It’s like some unseen force in there is just keeping me from finding the key to bring his thoughts in order….”, Karolin moved back toward the bed, still a look of worry on her face, “…he has goh some stuff in tha mind ‘a his. Stuff you wouldn’t believe.” Not hearing anything, Karolin looked back at Marstel who shifted uneasily, looking between Trea’vor and Karolin, “What’s wrong?”

After a moment, Marstel pulled a chair from the table and drug it close to both Karolin and Trea’vor before sitting down and testing its ability to hold him. The chair, like all chairs, groaned in protest as he sat. Waiting patiently, it was normal for Marstel to take his time formulating words or to get the right thing down in his head that he wanted to say, she was used to it. Marstel rarely spoke unless it was important, this was one of those moments.

“Nuthin…jus gave up waitin on Mai ta come ‘ere. Ya kno…I would due anythin’ fer any ‘a ya. And I have. Buh, she’s has goh sumthin’ goin on and I jus wanted ta see ‘er off…”, Marstel stopped speaking looking at his sister who smiled slightly as she turned a shade greener from embarrassment.

“Oh…soh ya wanna kno why I called ya out here?”, Karolin continued to smile as her brother nodded at her, “Fine…I need ya to help meh git his memories on track. I used a similar technique with Mrysti when she came home….the first time. I need ya ta let me share yer memories and his memories of one another, together.” Marstel looked at her funny as she waved him off, “It’s complicated…jus understan’ it has ta due with the same memory, different, perspectives of the same event…plus he will kno you ‘r close…honestly Marstel, I am scared. I don’t know if any of this is working and if it doesn’t….”

At last, Marstel knew the real reason why he had been summoned. He rose slowly from the seat walking past Karolin to look down at their brother, who still slept and was unaffected by their presence. Nodding to himself, he spoke, his voice low.

“Yea…I know. An if et don werk…then we gotta due it. You an meh…we gotta end him right here.”


Dromund Kaas

“Cruelty…used for its own purposes…that’s NOT what we do…” The Lord Inquisitor handed Hamner the Datapad, “You have been summoned Darth Hamner.”

Hamner activated the Holo-tablet looking at the writing on it before handing it back to the Inquisitor that stood at his door. Smirking he stepped back to allow the tiny Sith female entrance into his apartment, his eyebrow cocking up slightly at the woman. She was a pureblood Sith and it made him wonder, ‘Were all the Inquisitors in the Sphere of Justice purebloods?’ As he watched her, it appeared that way, he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen a non-pureblood in their ranks. The Inquisitor waved him off, not wanting to come inside.

“No, I won’t be entering your dwelling. You will appear as the summons dictates to answer crimes related to ‘unauthorized’ cruelty in discharge of your office.”

Again, Hamner smirked, ‘Could she be serious?’ he thought finally placing his full half-naked body in the doorway. An idea came to mind, one he thought about on occasion, but more after having his office and rank taken from him the last time. A time when he jumped through hoops just to get back in the Dark Council’s good graces. He was not about to let that happen again. Looking down he seemed to relax and slump a little as he shook his head.

“Lord Inquisitor, if you will give a moment, I need a shirt and we can discuss this a bi—“ She was already turning away to leave as she once again waved at him dismissively.

“Not necessary, Darth Hamner…you will follow the directions on the summons and—“

Hamner grabbed her with the speed of both the Force and the genetic enhancement provided by his namesake, Project Alpha. Getting the small woman in a chokehold he drug her across the threshold. Before the door slid shut, the sound of a neck breaking snapped loudly in the outer hallway.

[GuardianElite]

Events happen after the ambush on Makeb, in ‘Shadow Fall’

Water cascaded down the large Mesa, to get directly under the deluge would be certain death as the falls themselves were several hundred feet high. They rushed to get there, as fast their tired bodies would allow the attack had left them exhausted, him more than her. But, with the return of her memories of their lives, came the return of his feelings. Deep passionate red feelings, the fire started again and it burned as bright as it did every second he was around her. Air seemed to leave him, perhaps it was the exhaustion, but turning to look at her as they approached the falls he realized it was her presence taking away his oxygen. It happened when she walked in a room, it happened when she did something as simple as take a seat across from. It happened. There was a moment as he left her go that he simply stood there to bask in her presence. She was home, she had returned to him and now his life was once again whole.

She looked on him with desperation, unlike him she was not quite as reserved or basking in him. She had changed; there were dark feelings in her now, a dark desire that she translated now onto him. It was the residual affect of the fall, the desire to ravage him. Licking her lips hungrily, she lowered her head, but could not sense anything in him but raw desire, the desire she personified for the both of them. In unison, they grabbed one another; it looked like a desperate struggle. His gloved hands ruffled and squeezed her hair as he forced her and she forced him, one trying to murderously kiss one another. They fell to the ground, they weren’t even going to make it into the lake at the base of the falls as she straddled him pulling her robe over the top of her knees.

“Now!!!…now…forget th—“

He pulled her back on top of him as she struggled to speak, wanting to give direction. There was no time for direction, neither of them needed it. Both of them knowing every inch of one another. Reaching down he ripped the panties from her form as she ripped open the undersuit of his armor, it was destroyed mostly from the attack a moment prior. An attack that nearly killed them both. An event neither of them cared about, an event that if had succeeded would have been fine by either of them. They were together, it was what mattered. And by either death or speed, if one would have died then the other would have died, but they would have entered death together.

Panting heavily, she pushed him into herself as he pushed upward, both of them feeling the release of months of separation. Of potentially never having one another ever again, of their lives being irrevocably changed due to her fall to the dark side and the lost of her mind. Trea’vor felt like it was his mind that was being lost, she was everything to him, she was his life and without her there was nothing. It seemed to be one sided, as she consumed herself in him at the moment, clutching herself tightly as she rode him. One sided, he looked up at her, an eyebrow raising. But, it was too good, it felt too good to question. She was changed due to the Dark Side, it seemed to be all about her now. It was something he had to live with, but at least in that moment, Trea’vor had her back. He was complete.

Falling on him exhausted from having spent herself she crawled up on him to lay her mouth by his ear, whispering softly, but it had a wicked edge to it.

“Delicious as always, baby. I would cross a river of memories to relive this with you…again and again…”


HOTH


Breaking her sweaty hands off his head, Karolin slumped back on her legs having sit with them under her as she probed her brother’s mind. Marstel watched from the corner, pushing off as he saw his sister get a little more lucid and break contact. It troubled him to no end that he could not see what she was seeing in RT or help her with it in anyway. Squatting he laid a hand on her shoulder as she slumped further, nodding slightly.

“Wake him…he has to eat…”

Getting up off the floor, Karolin moved to the table and leaned down on it heavily lowering her head between her arms. Marstel’s words causing her to close her eyes as she rested her mind, trying to stop it from spinning the images in her head.

“Anythin’?”

“This isn’t somethin’ tha can be rushed Marstel…because he’s so chaotic I can’t control what comes up when I'm looking into his thoughts….” Karolin’s voice jumped between being saturated by the Force or formal and her southern Corellian twang. With concern, Marstel placed his hand on her shoulder again. This whole process was starting to get to her and he needed more information to help.

“Noh tryin’ ta rush ya, Karolin. Jus need ta kno wha I kin do…”

Shaking her head softly, she touched the hand reaching behind herself, but not looking at her brother. Karolin didn’t want to tell him, she was beginning to have doubts that perhaps RT was too far gone to bring his thoughts back in line with reality. Instead she opted to try and explain the circumstances and hope Marstel would make his own conclusion. Finally she turned leaning her butt on the table top, folding her arms across her chest with a heavy sigh. Karolin’s voice took on an air of formality as if she was instructing a class at the Jedi Temple.

“RT is caught…between two worlds. The world he wants to be a part of, which no longer exists and the real world, the reality that he doesn’t wish to face. His thoughts are random because he is reliving his past in his mind all of the times he lived, motivated himself, his servitude to others…everything. In his attempt to blend the two worlds he has warped his reality. Given himself a false veneer of what is really happening and justifying his actions as trying to reshape his world to suit himself….” She stopped speaking seeing her brother give her a questioning look, “…in short, Marstel…he has no sense of reality. Most likely he doesn’t even realize that we are even here, to him we could be a part of his imagination and he wouldn’t even know the difference.”

Sounds at RT’s bedside made both Karolin and Marstel sit up slightly and look over. Laying his hands on his face, RT rolled over and sat on the bed his head in his hands. Karolin tapped Marstel gesturing him as she went to kneel down and look up at her still waking brother.

“RT…are you ok? Do you know where you are? Who we….are?”

Looking straight at Karolin and averting his eyes to the mass of a mountain that was Marstel Alpha, he frowned and looked slightly annoyed at his sister.

“Of course I do!!! Karolin….Marstel….why does my head feel like it got hit by a block of plas-crete.” Karolin looked down sliming, slowly turning her head afterward to look at Marstel.

“Maybe…just maybe I was wrong….but we have a long way to go. Let’s get him something to eat…”

[GuardianElite]

Hoth

Laying back down, Trea’vor closed his eyes. His last image was that of his sister, who ‘shushed’ him and rubbed his head.

“We are making progress, RT. Just a little while longer….just need to probe a bit deeper and find the root . We are close….so very, very close….”

Touching lightly with her fingertips, Karolin closed her eyes and started her ritual. The Force caused her to glow slightly as she made contact with her brother’s mind and began her search. It was chaotic as always, a swirl of light and images. It coalesced once again landing in a place unfamiliar to her. A planet she had visited only once, but a planet her brother witnessed more tragic moments as a Republic Soldier. His mind was filled with recurring images of the War, his personal struggles with it and dealing with the memories of it. Sometimes, that tragedy was lost on Karolin as it was lost on most Jedi. Things like struggle, strife and sacrifice on that scale never seemed to touch Force-users, almost as if Jedi and Sith were immune to such things.

Looking into her mind, Karolin was being forced to face it. For the first time Karolin was doubting the reasons for her own fall to the Dark Side and began to ask the question, ‘Did I fall because I was too weak minded to deal with some of the things my own brother has dealt with in War?’. It was a logical line of thinking, one that could possibly be examined at a later time, for now she needed her brother back to discuss this with him. For after looking in his mind, he was possibly the only one who would understand.

Being a Soldier was a brotherhood, it bonded these men and women in a way that was indescribable unless you had experienced it yourself. Karolin was starting to get that lesson and in her mind grasped on to that thread again. Trea’vor’s need to serve, his genetic coding to be unfathomably loyal to the Republic. But, War can test even the strongest resolve.


Day 411 of Deployment #3972: Operation Thunderbolt, 3 years prior, Cato Neimodia


Vacant expressions and far away looks made Trea’vor thankful he was in Special Operations and not in a regular ‘Line’ unit. The Infantry looked haggard, this latest operation took a lot out the Republic Army stationed in this battle zone. War did that, it took and continued to take. With so many objectives, so many agendas at different levels, it was the typical common combat soldier that usually ended up suffering the most. Captain RT-946 Alpha, also known as Trea’vor had seen his fair share of death. Though it rarely affected him as it did others, due to his genetic programming, he did feel the strain of the administrations agenda on the troopers.

“Transports ready, Captain…we can head to the objective marker whenever your ready.”

Giving the marching Soldiers another look and keeping his eyes fixed on them, sadly RT waved his own team aboard the transport. Grabbing the rail attached to the side of the transport RT placed his feet on the skids and his eyes glued on the haggard troops until he could no longer see them; the transport lifting off and entering a cloud bank. It hit him hard to know that so much was being lost for so little gain. For the first time going against his programming, he felt himself question the Republic. What were we here for? And was the cost worth all the blood we already sacrificed.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he glanced at the Chrono, he had a ‘drop-dead’ time to meet and an objective to secure. Their target, ‘An Imperial Moff’; slip in, eliminate target and get back out. The life of special operations, they did not guard walls or hold ground. That was the Infantry’s job. The shuttle dropped out of the clouds to reveal a scene developing down below and Trea’vor opened his eyes in disbelief. A small unit of Infantry and armor was holding off an oncoming attack on their position. Explosions and blasts lit up the landscape below him, but that was not what grabbed his attention. From his height he could see the whole scene, what those men on the ground could not possibly see or know. The Imperials were being re-enforced.

It was an impossible battle against incredible odds. However, Trea’vor knew the Republic Troopers on the ground were fighting a losing battle. Checking his HUD for outgoing and Incoming messages, he could see that the small unit had already called for support. With dismay he watched the green icon indicator continue to blink green for the call out, finally the message winked out with the response.

<<Support unavailable –Hold your position >>

Turning to look at his own troopers, he could tell they were seeing the same thing in their HUDs. Never in a million years would they ask it, no one would question Trea’vor if he decided to go against what he was feeling at the moment. However, he knew at the same time, these men would follow him to hell. Clicking his own Comm unit to the pilot, Trea’vor, for the first time went ‘off-mission’.

<”Pilot!...bring the shuttle down on that position below us…Hover at 10mils, we will drop out…”>

<”What?!?!...Sir, there is a battle commencing in the—“>

<”I don’t care….bring this shuttle down now! That is a direct order!”>

There were no more words as the pilot started the turn, the battle coming back into view after shuttle had slightly passed it, heading to Trea’vor’s team objective. Squelch broke in his internal Comm as one of his men asked, “What’s the game plan, Sir?” It wasn’t a sarcastic question, but one said with conviction. They knew now all of them were about to go off mission. No one questioned it. Still Trea’vor had to do the right thing by his own men.

<”Men….listen up. I am about to deviate from mission. Anyone who doesn’t want a part of it can stay on board and go back to base.”> Trea’vor waited a second to see if anyone would request to stay on board or have a disagreement. All of the team already knew what he was about to say, but said nothing, <”We are going down there to help those Troopers, either their Holo-system is busted or they just don’t care…no support is coming and they will be over-run shortly. We could make the difference for them.”> Still he paused again to wait for dissention and hearing none continued, <”Alright then…mount up. It’s time to rock…”>



As the shuttle dropped them, the last remaining Troopers on the ground looked up at the Commandos dropping out of the shuttle, which quickly took off after hovering to let Trea’vor and his team out. It was a slaughterhouse. The Imperials corralled the last remaining Troopers into the last of one of the larger fighting positions, dug from the ground and re-enforced with plas-crete and sandbags. Blaster fire was withering, one of Trea’vor’s Commandos taking a shot even before getting fully out of the shuttle. The Commando waved off Trea’vor, “I’m fine….go. I’ll manage.”. The Troopers who owned the position didn’t expect any support and seeing Trea’vor their faces lit up slightly. One of the beleaguered Soldiers crawled toward Trea’vor as he knelt, popping open the Holo-map; saluting from the ground.

“Corporal Rheeds, Sir! You picked a helluva time to drop in! But, thank you…”

Looking out past the barricade, Trea’vor could see the third and final wave of enemy ground troops cresting the hill with armor in support. It wouldn’t be long now. He looked down at the Trooper who crawled to him.

“Where is your Commanding Officer?”

“Dead, Sir. So is my Sergeant…I’m the last in command of these eight!”

Nodding, Trea’vor grabbed the Corporal by the shoulder lifting him slightly as he nodded to his team, who was already re-enforcing the barricade of sand and Plas-crete.

“Right…listen up, I am taking Command. If you have anti-tank put it on the far ends of the barricade, ignore those ground troops. Your only mission in life is to immobilize or destroy those tanks! Everyone else on the line!!! Auto-cannons in the center, break off two men to keep feeding them power cells. They don’t need to worry about the fight…keep those assault cannons powered non-stop. We have to keep those enemy soldiers at bay as long as possible. We are not going to get them all, but we need to take as many out as we can before they get to us.”

A sound erupted to the front as Trea’vor turned his head.

“Here they come, Sir!!!”, Trea’vor tapped the Corporal on the shoulder.

“Go, trooper!!! Move! Get those weapons in position…”

Trea’vor threw himself on the line next to his team’s sniper, pulling up his binos to take a look. He could see Sith re-enforcements in the lead. That would be a problem. Elbowing his sniper he gestured for the man’s rifle.

“Give me the rifle a moment….let’s show them we mean business….”

As the line got closer, Trea’vor placed the occulous of the sniper rifle to his eye. With the Sith in the cross-hairs he slowly and methodically squeezed the trigger, calming himself as he let out a slow easy breath on the down stroke of the cross-hairs. Lazily the blaster bolt sailed until it struck the Sith dead center between both of his eyes, dropping him where he walked. That shot started a chain reaction as the enemy assault line suddenly sped up, his team’s sniper laughing in the Comm to Trea’vor.

“Think you pissed ‘em off. Sir…”

Flames erupted from both sides of the small position as the enemy tanks got within range, the anti-armor rockets striking the enemy’s armor, immobilizing it. One of the tanks on the enemy line completely exploding and taking that side of the Infantry force with it. Intensity of the incoming fire increased exponentially. For a moment Trea’vor felt like they had kicked over a nest of bees. Only the buzzing of blaster bolts could be heard over the din and sounds of War.

Trea’vor fired until his rifle smoked from over use, quickly changing out his power cells one right after the other. It was like being in a bubble, but he need to regain his bearing and direct the battle. Looking down he could see they lost three more Soldiers, their bodies falling in the middle next to the pile of Troopers there before he even arrived. Trea’vor grit his teeth, moving to the center, the rapid fire sounds of the auto-cannons echoing over the valley. Positioning himself in the center between both cannons, Trea’vor looked out over the assault line, they were thinning it out, but now the enemy was only a few yards away. Tapping the gunners on the shoulders, he smiled.

“Keep it going right up until they get to us….” With out saying so to the men, Trea’vor took out his vibroknife. When they did get that close, it was going to be close contact and hand to hand. One of his Commando’s looked back off the line at him to yell something.

“Sir, they got th—“, And was quickly silenced by the auto cannon from the enemy side, Trea’vor’s commando being hit in the face, it took off his head at the shoulders, the body dropping lifelessly into the pit of death below them. As he watched his man fall another explosion consumed the auto-gunner to his left, the one he had just spoken with. The cannon dropped lifelessly as did the troopers body, a smoking hole in his helmet. Acting quickly, Trea’vor stuck up his hand yelling over the Comm.

“Fall to the rear of the position, form a new line….they are coming in!!!”

Only Trea’vor and the five remaining Soldiers moved on his order, he had no idea he had taken that much loss so quickly as the first of the Imperials jumped in the pit after them. There needed to be no order, Trea’vor launched himself into the first of the crowd of enemy soldiers, his vibroknife held high.

It went on for over an hour, hand weapons…knives…tools, even their own helmets against one another. The sounds of grimacing and grunting as the two sides tried to kill one another. Exhausted, Trea’vor looked up from the body he lay on. It was an Imperial body, his own vibro knife sticking out of the helmet of the enemy Soldier. An eerie silence and caim came over the position, only the sounds of an occasional dying Trooper or the shift or Armor could be heard. As he started to move, the mud caked on his shins, a hand reached up from the gore and grasped his ankle. His first instinct was to crush the hand with a boot, but it was a Republic Trooper gauntlet.

Falling down on his butt, Trea’vor grasped the hand of Corporal Rheeds. In his HUD he could see the faint life signs of several others, but Corporal Rheeds was critical. Trea’vor squeezed the hand taking off the Corporal's helmet and giving him a weak smile.

“Y-you did i-i-it, Sir…y-you saved us….”

It seemed silly to hear that coming from a dying man, Trea’vor squeezing the hand tighter as he lied to him.

“You’re going to be fine, Son. Medevac is coming…we are going to get you out of here.”

The Corporal seemed to look off in the distance at something as he murmured.

“N-no….it’s ok. W-we did our best….”

Trea’vor clenched his teeth as the last of Corporal Rheeds life ran out. The Corporal’s hand falling slack in his own.

Still talking to him and holding that hand, Trea’vor kept his eyes focused on the now lifeless Corporal.

“You did…we all did….you did good. Rest now…rest easy….”

As Trea’vor touched the Corporal’s hair, his last thought was, ‘We did good…but why? Why did we do good?’ The cost was too much to bear and for a second time that day, Trea'vor questioned the reasons, Why? What were they fighting for if for no more than the man to their left and their right. Trea'vor squeezed that hand again and thought of home, of his own family. He needed a new reason to fight, the Republic's reasoning's were beginning to fail him. An image of his siblings came to mind. The War ended that day for him and new objectives would emerge. Trea'vor got up from the smoking pit, stepping over the dead and the muck of the battle that had been fought to crawl out of the hole he was in. When he emerged, he knew what he was going to fight for. It may be as a Republic Officer, but the objective now became crystal clear. Images of his brothers and sister burning itself into his mind. They were worth fighting for and he would never, ever question that.

Hoth

Karolin lurched backwards, her hands breaking contact abruptly as she tried to catch herself and falling into her brother Marstel’s arms. Tears streamed down both sides of her face as Marstel pulled her to him. She began repeating herself over and over as Marstel held her close.

“I-I found it….I-I found it….”

It was bits and pieces of the battle on Cato Neimodia, but it was enough for Karolin to isolate. In her reliving that memory for her brother, she found the first time he began to question, the first time he went against his genetic programming. It was the first time, Trea’vor experienced emotion. She crawled up Marstel to look at him in the face.

“I found it, Marstel…we can save him!” She moved away still shaking violently, “Y-you need to get ready…I will need you for this next part….he will need family in there with him and it can’t be me…”

[GuardianElite]

i]Dromund Kaas[/i]

It had him now, the bloodlust. Killing that inquisitor awakened something inside of him. The feeling was euphoric, like having taken a drug of some kind. Perhaps for the first time, Hamner was experiencing what it felt like to truly be in need of killing. Normally someone would be ashamed or even scared by the need to kill another being, but for Hamner it made him feel warm after so many years of being isolated from everyone. All of the isolation due to his own treacherous behavior. As he got dressed quickly, putting on a heavy black robe with his light armor underneath, he thought about his own estrangement from the rest of the family, from his former fiancé; whom he also had killed. This behavior would explain a great many things about him. Moving toward the door, he realized he would have to explore the reasoning behind his homicidal action. Killing the Inquisitor was an offense punishable by death as far as the Dark Council was concerned. Though he may be a Darth, no one is above the law.

Entering the hallway of his complex, he looked past his door to the next and saw the woman whom lived next to him just starting to enter the pass code to get into her place. Hamner stopped and watched her with a keen eye. It was with a wonderment, for the first time he saw the world in different colors, the shades of grey were gone and it was more vibrant shades of red and crimson. For Hamner, it was like waking up from a long slumber. Slowly, he started down the hall and though his direction would take him past his neighbor, he had no intention of stopping. Looking up at him the woman smiled and as she did so, she dropped the bag she was holding. The groceries spilling out over the floor between them. Bending down Hamner began to quickly gather them up for her, until their eyes met; both of them squatting in front of one another to gather their things. Their eyes met, hers were kind and a little embarrassed.

“I’m sorry Mi’lord….how clumsy of me…” Her voice trailed off as she looked in his red-yellow irises and Hamner returned the look with a sinister smile.

Yes, those feelings were definitely homicidal. And as Hamner gazed in the woman’s eyes, eyes that spoke kind words to him, eyes that told him she meant him no harm and was legitimately sorry for having spilt her things in front of him; Hamner realized he was not going to just simply allow this opportunity to pass by. Standing up he gently handed the bag back over to the woman with his own kind smile behind his eyes, a definite lie. But, Hamner was just starting to discover his new dark secret. As she took the bag hesitating before punching the code, but still half-meeting his gaze as she did so, the woman seemed to be waiting for something. At least in his mind, Hamner knew what she was waiting for. This woman needed release, she need to hear something from him. In that instant Hamner knew he was following her inside her apartment, he knew where it would lead. Most likely not the resolution this woman had in mind. Hamner knew in that moment he was following her inside to kill her, if only just to see. Hamner had to know if one more death, one more killing would satiate his desires. As he stuck out his hand, he continued the subterfuge, his smile had become warm behind the predators gaze.

“It was no trouble…I am Darth Hamner. It’s strange, we have been neighbors for so long and we’ve never met….”


Hoth


The time had come, Karolin did much to prepare Marstel for what was coming. It was hard to make him understand, not because Marstel didn’t have the capacity, but because explaining the inner workings of how a Jedi entered a person’s mind or shared their thoughts was beyond the capacity for someone without the Force to comprehend. Marstel did his best to listen, nodding in all the right places, asking the right questions. The whole time Karolin spoke, his eye was on his brother Trea’vor who spent the better part of the afternoon eating and milling around his small area. Marstel swore he caught his brother talking to himself several times. Karolin may have been seeing improvement, but not Marstel. This was as far gone as he had ever seen Trea’vor and his thoughts still drifted to the possibility that both he and Karolin might have to actually terminate their brother. She cleared her throat getting his attention back.

“Marstel….are you listening? I said I will be in the memory with you, but I cannot interfere. You will hear me speak to you in your mind, to guide you, but that’s it. This is a shared memory between you and RT…”

Nodding, Marstel brought his attention back to his sister. Karolin looked haggard, her usual youthful appearance for a woman in her early forties was now gone. Hair that was unkempt, her lack of make-up; Marstel was seeing the true visage of his sister. Veins were starting to show in her usual emerald complexion as it took on a more milky green color. All of her power was being used to try and bring their brother back from the edge, so her usual vanity was gone. Power that Karolin would have ordinarily used to create a visage of beauty, to hide the darkness within her was being used to power her abilities of the mind. She stood up, moving over to Trea’vor as they began discussing something and Marstel took out the Holo-comm that had been beeping with a saved message. A message he had been putting off from looking at for some time.

As Marstel read Mai’s message to him, he frowned. The tone was not encouraging, for some reason Mai sounded as if she was leaving him or that he was going to leave her in some way. Glancing over at Karolin and RT before he began typing a response, he considered his words carefully.

Mai,

We are close to the end here. I hope everything is going well with you and your own affairs.

I have to say, I did not like the tone of this last message and your ‘housekeeper’…or ‘servant’, whatever you want to call her, have been giving me endless amounts of grief as to why I left without so much as a ‘good-bye’ or ‘see you later’.

It seems that both you and your servant share one thing in common, the both of you think I left and am not coming back. It was not my intention to start over with you, but it seems like that is what we are doing.

Relationships are like plants. Forgive me if I continue to use my farming vocabulary to try and frame my words, but farming and life in general have much in common. You have to tend them in order to have them grow. Crops and livestock do not grow on their own, they need attention and attention from someone who knows what they are doing. And while I never claim to be an expert in farming or relationships for that matter, I do know this…in order to thrive, there has to be a commitment on the part of the farmer.

I made a commitment to you, I do not plan on going back on that.

If at all possible, I would like to hear from you in a different tone. Let us speak as two people that actually love one another. Let us talk as old friends and lovers. As people who have known of each other like it was a story they heard or read their entire lives. I wish us to be familiar, as people who share a common goal, that goal being one another.

Not that I have to, but I will let you know that what is going on here is most likely one of the hardest things I will ever have to do. My sister and I have a tough decision, one that will affect our entire lives if the right one is to be made. I don’t want to be the ‘heavy’ by telling you this, but you should know that my leaving was not because of my lack of love or caring for you. My leaving was because I love you too much and in order to consider having a life with you, things like this must be done.

They all think the end is coming. You would know better than I, as you share that common gift in the Force with my sisters that I do not possess. But, should the end be approaching, I want you to know that in those last moments you and I should be spending them together. There is no place I would rather be.

I miss you terribly.

V/R

-M

Hitting the <transmit> button, Marstel quickly put the Comm unit away as his sister walked back over to him. There was curious look about her as she smiled wryly, seeing her brother fumble to quickly put away his Holo-comm as if he was hiding something.

“Mai?”, Karolin asked with that wry smile.

Nodding shyly, Marstel slapped his knees to change the subject rising to his full seven foot tall height and looking at Karolin expectantly. She quickly lost the smile taking one of his huge hands in her own. Karolin’s voice still had that formality to it, no hint of their southern Corellian twang remained. There seemed to be a glow about her. Karolin was already deep in her connection to the Force, being saturated in it tended to make her appear more regal and not only in her words. It was part of her gift, part of all of their gifts from the Project that parented them all. Karolin had a deep connection to the Force, it was what made her original fall to the dark side so hard.

“I don’t need to tell you….if this doesn’t work....”

Pulling her to him, Marstel held Karolin a moment and for the first time all day, Marstel spoke.

“Ya needta quit doubtin’ yerself…ya got this, Karolin…We been through worse situations.”

They broke the embrace and started toward RT, who was already laying down, his eyes closed. Marstel sat next to Karolin as she placed one hand on RT’s head, spreading her fingers. She held up the other hand and looked at Marstel. Though he told her she ‘had this’ there was still doubt in his mind.

‘Impossible women.’, Marstel thought, as his mind drifted to Mai and her own mission at the moment. Karolin and Mai shared a similarity, their insecurities at their own ability. And even though Marstel had no doubt that Karolin could see this through, like Mai, Karolin had a habit of defeating herself before the battle was even fought. It was that insecurity that worried him. Mai had written in a way that told him she had pretty much given up. As Karolin placed her hand on Marstel’s head, he had to wonder, had Karolin already given up as well?


Hutta


Distraction was what she craved, Mrysti had purposely not contacted anyone else, keeping herself purposely busy with the ‘Coalition’ and her ruse of training the new Gladiator team for the games. The untimely arrival of her fiancé complicated things, but he seemed to be fitting in. Better, he wasn’t asking too many questions, which meant Mrysti had to give very few answers. Rey was busying himself running his business, albeit from afar and completely mobile. Setting up a makeshift office in her private quarters, Mrysti’s bedroom was now looking like a command center, monitors and Holo-stations surrounded the bed and threatened to take over her small living space. Not that she would complain, not in the slightest. Just having him back around was uplifting to her. And if having to give up a little space was the compromise, then so be it.

Still, she needed more distraction. Not having slept in the past two days, Mrysti was purposely making herself stay awake. The Force was calling to her subtlety. She knew if she fell asleep, it would happen. The dreams would come and it would reveal something else to her. This time the feeling in the Force was foreboding and though she needed that dream to get more pieces to a puzzle she had not yet constructed the frame to, she didn’t want to sleep. It was exhausting seeing the future change so many times. All of it had a common thread, the darkness was coming. It was the particulars that kept changing. In one instance, she would die and everyone else would live. In another, everyone in her family met their deaths and she would survive. Then there were variations, the one that kept reoccurring were the dreams of Korriban. Karolin and RT would die, she would watch it happen and get taken from that place to sleep for years until she would awaken to a new and terribly lost beginning. Starting over was not what she wanted, but it seemed inevitable.

Making the mistake of sitting down for a moment, she leaned back in the chair watching Rey work. Without looking behind him, he extended a hand to her, squeezing it as he continued to move holo-images with his other hand. Slowly, as Mrysti squeezed the hand smiling to herself, she let her eyes close.


Explosions rocked the bridge of the Battleship as personnel flew out of their seats from the shockwaves of the incoming enemy turbolasers. Rockets exploded on the port side of the Harrower causing the massive ship to list aimlessly. Getting up from his Command Chair, Hamner approached the forward viewport looking out.

It was over. Most of the Imperial Battle Group was either destroyed or in the process of being decimated. Lowering his head he tapped the edge of the large bay window frame with his fist, finally looking back at the Admiral that stood behind him.

“Hyperdrive?”

The Admiral shook his head sadly as Hamner returned his gaze to the forward viewport. There were so many of these strange enemy ships, where did they come from and why were they here? Not that it mattered, they were not going to live to fight another day in this new conflict. Placing his hands in the small of his back, Hamner clutched his right wrist tightly.

“That’s it then.”

As the large battle ship continued to list, the klaxons blaring in the background Hamner turned to look at the Admiral as well as the few remaining members of the bridge crew remaining alive.

“It’s been an honor….”

Hamner’s gaze went back to the planet below, it was the first of many this New Empire would conquer and Hamner as well as his Battle Group were but a ‘speed bump’ on a speeder path destined for conquest. His eyes focused on the first of many newly conquered worlds. The planet of—


Jerking awake suddenly, Mrysti drew her lightsaber activating it much to Rey’s shock. He jumped up from his makeshift console dodging the blade and grabbing his soon to be bride by her shoulders, shaking her slightly.

“Mrysti!!! You were dreaming!!! It’s alright…I’m here. What’s wrong….”

Moving quickly, the blade still lit in her hand Mrysti began to curse herself for waking too quickly. As she got to the door, she turned looking at Rey with a wild gaze.

“I was about to see it!!! In the dream…..the first planets this new Darkness was attacking!!! I was about to see it, but I woke too quickly…”

Mrysti moved out of the room without another word, it was time for her to contact her siblings. Things were coming together too quickly now. Rey watched her leave with a look of disbelief on his face. Perhaps he should have asked more questions. In that moment, he had no clue what his bride was on about. Closing down the lightsaber in her hand, she had forgotten she activated it after waking suddenly, clipping it to her beltline. It was then that it hit her, Hamner just died a second time in her dreams. Different than the first. Again the future was shifting, which meant something she or someone else was doing was changing things.

Leaning against the wall, Mrysti was exhausted mentally and physically. There had to be some way of bringing all of these various pieces of the future in line, but at the moment she had no clear answers. Though the ‘Coalition’ was formed with the intent of doing just that, it was a rocky start. So much discourse between the various members, but with no clear agenda and old animosity between the various members, it was getting nowhere. Still leaning on the wall, she placed her hand to her temple flexing the sides of her scarred face. This was going to be a long road and she was already spent. Without some clear path soon, there was not much hope for any of them.

[GuardianElite]

Colors, so many colors transitioned Marstel into the mind of his Brother, Trea’vor. It was a strange feeling, Marstel could see himself in his brother’s mind moving from one to the other memory and it was like watching a holo-vid that kept changing channels. One minute, Trea’vor was on a battlefield on some far off planet, the next he was in his living room on Coruscant. Pressure hit Marstel as he realized Trea’vor’s mind had identified him and focused on Marstel’s consciousness inside his own mind. There was a soft touch of a voice echoing to Marstel, he could hear it in the wind. Karolin spoke ethereally to him, to calm his senses.

“It’s ok Marstel…RT has identified your presence, let him settle into a memory. Hopefully it will be one you both share…just be patient…”

The memories increased at a rapid pace as Trea’vor realized his brother was in there with him and he started to see snippets of himself in Trea’vor’s memories. Bits of conversation started to poke out here and there.

“Well…I luv ya…es why I came back….”

“Es jus a simple cargo run….nuthin’ tag it en a twist ova….”

“He’s evil RT….an weh gotta due sumthin’ bout him….”

“Happy? Ain’t neva been happier….how’s thangs wif yer wife and kids….”

Their minds synced up as the image coalesced into a solid form. Marstel found himself on Coruscant. It was the whole Elan Harbeck affair, he knew that because it was shortly before RT and the others went up to the ship to try and stop the villain. This was the moment Marstel broke his cover to speak to his brother, RT was at the amphitheater next to the parade grounds of the Republic Army. It was a place he came when he needed a moment alone, standing at the foot of a massive statue of a Republic Trooper. The statue being erected in memory of all the sacrifices of the Republic Army.

Kneeling down, RT seemed to be meditating with his head down. In his right arm he cradled his helmet for his black and yellow signature armor. Coming in, Marstel hid behind one of the columns of the circular structure. It was enclosed from the elements, made entirely of Corellian Marble and constructed as a circular monument in itself containing the massive statue. Trea’vor was alone and in meditation by himself, but Marstel had to be sure. Weeks of being ‘dark’ could potentially be spoiled if he should choose to reveal himself.

As he watched his brother, Marstel knew RT only did stuff like this when he was about to do something that could potentially be galaxy shattering, something he may not return from. It was like a last homage to those who came before him, paving the way for himself should he soon become a monument to be erected in honor of the sacrifice he was about to make.

Moving out from behind the column, Marstel purposely made a sound causing RT to turn with a start and look at him. RT turned his head back to the massive statue looking up at it as he spoke.

“You risked a lot doing what you did, Marstel. But, I know we wouldn’t have gotten this far without your help. Thanks for that.”

That statement sounded distant coming from his own brother and Marstel grimaced slightly finally moving up toward the kneeling RT. For a long moment, Marstel stood looking up at the statue in sync with his brother, they both said nothing. Finally breaking the silence Marstel spoke, his words very clear and distinct as he was still under the influence of his activated Alpha protocols.

“It’s what we do right? Support family. It’s what we always do….you would have done the same for me.”

Getting up from his kneeling posture, RT turned away frustrated. There was something going on and it was more than just the mission he was about to undertake. Marstel’s words had an effect and it wasn’t the one either of them expected.

“No….Marstel, don’t say that. Things have changed…’I’ have changed. And it all started the day I met her and gained control over my Alpha protocols. Neither of us can be sure I would have done the same thing if I was in your shoes. You were the only one who was ever supposed to allowed to control your programming. You’re the only one who was designed for deep operations. I am a soldier….I was supposed to fight and continue fighting until I was….”, RT stopped speaking looking down sadly, Marstel finishing the statement for him.

“…Terminated? Yes, that may be true. But we are organic machines, RT. Not some type of droid. We evolve, its what we were designed to do. How do you know this isn’t what the project planned, that you or any or us would someday grow beyond our genetic programming….?” RT scoffed at Marstel’s remark leaning on one of the marble walls as she shook his head laughing.

“Yea…turned out pretty good so far. Karolin is Mynock shit crazy, Mrysti and Hamner are both psychopaths…” Marstel stepped forward giving RT a stern look.

“Environment. That has to do with your surroundings…we cannot dictate how the environment will shape us. Our genetic protocols react to the environment and the world around us…had they been in perfect conditions none of this would hav---“ RT interrupted him again, pushing off the wall.

“Neither one of us were in perfect conditions and we are not crazy….at least you’re not…”

Marstel realized where all this was coming from. RT was feeling compromised and was not one hundred percent sure he was capable of completing the mission. This mission to take out Elan Harbeck and save the Republic from certain annihilation would be difficult as Elan was also a product of the same Alpha project that fathered them all. Continuing to search RT’s features, Marstel watched him for some further reaction finally resolving in his own mind to get RT back on track.

“You are not compromised Brother….if anything, you are better than you were before. You now have more of a cause to fight for than just the Republic. You have a family and a wife...you have all of us. We aren’t just a bunch of lab experiments who grew up together anymore….”

As Marstel laid a hand on RT’s shoulder, his brother slapped it off turning to look at him angrily. There was a flash inside of Marstel’s mind. Something was wrong, this was not how it originally happened. The memory was changing for some reason. In the original memory, they talked and RT convinced Marstel to stay behind and coordinate actions on the ground as the rest of them went up to Elan's ship to stop him. There was a low buzzing that started in the back of his mind as he looked around consciously, RT looking at him strangely. Karolin’s voice intoned in ethereally again, this time there was a little nervousness behind it.

“Marstel, he’s trying to change the memory to suit himself. You have to get him back on track and relive it the way it happened. Don’t let him deviate….”

“What are you looking at Marstel, there is no one else here.”, RT was looking at Marstel’s reaction to hearing Karolin’s voice in his head. Looking at RT, Marstel smiled. He was in dangerous waters now. This was RT’s memory, but not the way Marstel remembered it, “I am flawed, Marstel. And I can’t be counted on to do this…not with so much at stake.”
Clearing his throat and looking around, Marstel tried to keep his mind on what he had to do, but the whole situation was throwing him off balance. As he looked around again trying to place exactly what he should say next, he knew anything could be the wrong thing. They both were already deviating from the memory.

“So…you have a family, so what? It doesn’t mean tha—“

RT interrupted even before Marstel could finish, apparently already knowing what Marstel was going to say. Again Karolin intoned in to Marstel, this time her voice frantic.

“He’s reading your thoughts too Marstel…I have to break the link! This is going outside of where we want to go---“ RT finished speaking over Karolin’s voice, now Marstel was lost in a universe of confusion.

“---yes it does!!! I am afraid to lose what I have, Marstel! I have never experienced fear before. And I’m scared alright!!! I’m scared of losing her!! I can’t go on without her!!!”, Now, the memory was completely shifted as RT threw his helmet against a far wall looking at Marstel angrily, “I can’t function like this!!! I won’t!! And I’m not doing it….Elan can destroy the whole universe for all I care. Why is it my and yours….or any of our responsibility to stop him?!?! I’m getting my wife and we are leaving…he can have the Republic…the Sith…everything. I am done!!! You hear me!!! Done!”

Stepping back, Marstel watched as the marble walls of the monument started to turn red and bleed, the memory taking on a wax like pallor. It was falling apart, all of it melting away. The image started to crumble as Marstel ran to follow RT out into the parade ground after watching him stalk away. The parade ground and everything turned to a slimy muck, stopping Marstel in his tracks. RT disappeared, vanished from his own memory leaving Marstel with his own part of it. Now it was dramatically changed, trapping him in some kind of alternate fantasy. Looking up at the sky as it melted away, Marstel screamed in his mind.

“Karolin!!! What’s happening?!?!”

Falling down on the floor, Karolin’s fingers broke away from each of her brother’s minds with a jolt. She looked up as tears streamed down her face. What had she done? Quickly she got back up trying to concentrate and place her hands back on each of their heads to try and reestablish contact with the both of their thoughts, but it was no use. With her power spent, she closed her eyes to try and harness the Force for strength. It didn’t come. Karolin stepped away pacing back and forth, the tears continuing to flow.

“Void….what am I going to do…what have I done…”

She had to contact someone, talk to someone. Moving to the table she grabbed up the Holo-comm and started punching in a frequency. Mrysti’s image rezzed to life on her transmission plate almost immediately, Mrysti’s smile quickly fading as she looked at Karolin.

<”Karolin….you look terrible what’s wron—“>

There was no time for idle banter as Karolin glanced over at Marstel and RT’s unconscious forms raising a hand to stop her sister from speaking.

“I have failed Mrysti….I need you. Both of them are trapped!!! I can’t believe I was so stupid to think I could do this?!!? We were trying to get RT’s mind in sync, but something went wrong…without assistance or someone else to help resolve this, we are going to lose both of them…”

The Comm started to fizz out, no doubt Hoth's atmosphere playing havoc with the Holo-comm relay. Karolin angrily hit the device against the table looking at the blue image of her sister, who was now fading, “Mrysti…I am losing you!! Say that again…I need you to come here now!”

<”…..oth---me?!?! ---oming, get me clear---my way in the Republic Stat---“>

Cutting off suddenly, Karolin caught the last snippets of the transmission from her sister but couldn’t make sense of it. Was she on her way or not? Karolin tried to play it back, more to distract herself from the mess she made, but her eyes drifted back up to Marstel and RT. Laying her head in her hands she started to sob.

“Oh…what have I done…”

[GuardianElite]

Inside the mind of a madman….

Stretching out before them, the field seemed to go on forever. Green grass as far as the eye could see and Marstel instantly thought about the one and only time he and his former girlfriend Kat got high on something. Drugs was not Marstel’s thing, it never had been, but the fact that Kat was so adamant made him do it just to please her. Looking over, Marstel was shocked to see RT standing there looking at him. There was a strange smile on his face.

“Welcome to my nightmare, Marstel. This is the place I have been the whole time, ever since the rest of you decided to put me here.”

Armor gleamed in the sunlight as Marstel looked at his arms and then the rest of his body. It had been more than a decade since Marstel wore Republic orange and blue, he looked strangely out of place in the outfit. RT began pacing around him slowly as Marstel looked at himself. After a moment Marstel looked up at his brother, meeting the gaze.

“We put you here? What do you mean ‘we’? I didn’t do anything…it wasn’t my call, not in the slightest. It as was much of a shock to me as it was to yo—“ RT stopped him, smiling the strange way, a vibrosword appearing in his hand as if by some miracle of magic. Pointing it at Marstel, he laughed slightly.

“Yes, I know…my little brother, the defender of all that is good and wholesome among the lot of us. I know it wasn’t you, but you were right there with them…you were right there when they made the decision to go after her and kill her. You stood by and you did nothing.”

Now it was irritating, but Marstel realized he wasn’t really mad. They were trapped, the both of them in some kind of fragment of RT’s tortured mind. The question was how to get out. Karolin had to be working on something and the fact that Marstel still had his awareness and RT didn’t meant that he could still come back. As for RT, Marstel wasn’t so sure. The way his older brother was acting, he had no idea that any of this wasn’t real. Opening his hands, Marstel shrugged in an offhanded way toward RT.

“So what do you wanna do? You wanna fight me?!?! For what? Because I was just there? Karolin and Mrysti made that decision, not me!!!”

Twirling the sword, RT continued to pace his eyes never leaving Marstel as the smile continued.

“Oh I will get to them…in due course. You think I wouldn’t get to them? You think I was willing to kill my own Son and NOT kill any of you?!?! You all mean nothing to me, none of you do…”

This was the root of the problem and Marstel knew that RT had flipped his thoughts 180 degrees from his natural tendency. Everything he said, everything he did was exactly opposite of what the RT Marstel knew would say or do. Following that line of thought, Marstel started hatching a plan. If only to get RT to jump to another thought and out of the current rut he was in.

“Ok…fine. You wanna fight then go to it. But know this….I am going to beat your ass, big brother. And after I do…you are going to listen to me.”

That stopped RT, the sword falling to his side. Apparently not expecting his usual gentle brother, Marstel to say something like that. As Marstel cracked his knuckles to begin walking slowly toward RT, he watched as RT placed a hand to his forehead shaking it back and forth slightly.

“N-no….that’s not what I meant to say…what I meant to say was….”

Launching in the air, RT held the vibrosword in both hands swinging it down in a maneuver that would have cleaved Marstel vertically in two, had it struck. Instinctively, Marstel raised his hands up to block the blade. The world around them swirled, both of them frozen for a moment as the image faded into light. Then the colors, the myriad of colors moving and coalescing around them. Marstel's armor disappeared as RT disappeared entirely. And as the image reformed bringing something back to solid form, Marstel began to shrink his size decreasing. Looking at his hand, he saw the age come off, the youthfulness return of a boy barely over the age of 10. Still large for even that age, Marstel found himself on the playground of their pod. The Alpha Pod on Corellia. The world reformed around him and Marstel realized RT had taken them both back home.


Unknown Regions, 87 Parsecs past Ilum….


Following the Hyperspace ‘vapor’ trail as they called it, the scientific term too much for most of the crew to handle; V’ictoria Alpha and the small band of explorers all collected on the bridge of the tiny research vessel. Most were skeptical, nothing concrete had presented itself since encountering an asteroid field shortly past Ilum, it was dark, the blackness of just plain Space looming out before them.

Science and exploration was V’ictoria’s life. Content to keep going, most of the crew had already expressed their disagreement with the Captain’s choice in following what he thought was a recently used hyperspace lane. Very well used in fact. The data was dura-crete, more than 70 ships had passed through this lane, their spacial hyperspace trails leaving a wake several parsecs wide. That made some of the crew uneasy, especially examining the larger spacial trails. Larger than their vessel, only a Capital ship such as an Imperial Harrower or a Republic Battleship could have left them. And there was more than one, two dozen in fact. No one could figure out why the Republic or the Empire would be out this far. For some it didn’t matter, following it was sure to lead to disaster, but curiosity was killing the Captain and V’ictoria for that matter.

“Station keeping, Dr. Alpha….let’s get a couple of readings in this sector…the trail is starting to get a little stronger.” The Captain spoke as he stepped off the Command Chair and down to the research level, the glaring eyes of the crew watching him. It was the Chief Engineer who spoke up first.

“If they aren’t going to say it…I am. This is ludicrous…” Walking to V’ictoria’s monitor he jabbed a finger down at the screen, “….what do you think those are?!?! You think some shipping freighters or some travel yachts left those?!?! Those are Capital ship vector trails!!!” Placing his hands on his hips he glared at the Captain who seemed unaffected by the outburst, though his eyes did gaze around at the rest of the crew members finally landing back on V’ictoria as she placed the ship in Station Keeping as she was instructed.

“Just calm down…all of you. The readings are at least a day old. We are more than 24 hours behind whatever—“ The Chief engineer interrupted rather hastily taking a step forward for emphasis, his eyes glued on the Captain.

“It’s a Hyperlane Ron!! Do you need a lesson on Hyperspace theory and gravimetrical dynamics?!?! Time and space are NOT relative in a Hyperlane. Whoever left these vector trails is obviously using this lane frequently…”, Turning toward V’ictoria, he smiled weakly as his voice took on a scarchastic tone, “Dr. Alpha…could you please bring up the spacial overlay and show the good captain exactly HOW MANY of the SAME vector trails are in this hyperlane?”

Moving her fingers deftly over the controls, V’ictoria knew exactly what point the Engineer was trying to drive home. By bringing up the overlay she isolated the anomalous readings in the various hypertrails left by the different ships hyperdrive engines. Without being asked, she also color coordinated the trails to show which ship left which vector trial.
The screen went dark a second before it exploded in a kaleidoscope of different colors. There may have been 70 different ships, but as the screen began rendering the vectors in the hyperlane, the count was close to 4000 hyperspace vectors. Satisfied the Chief Engineer folded his arms again and looked back at the Captain with contempt.

“I’m not an explorer Ron, I’m an Engineer…I keep the ship running, I advise you on matters that affect the well-being and maintenance of this vessel.” He took another step forward pointing his finger this time, “…and I am telling you, if you keep following this hyperlane, the ‘well-being’ of this ship and its entire crew is in serious jeopardy. And before you say anything, it doesn’t matter if this ‘Task Force’…because that’s exactly what it is….A TASK FORCE, is Imperial or Republic in origin. WE are NOT supposed to be out here following it. This has nothing to do with science…unless you are on the Republic’s payroll now and doing a little snooping for them…” He left that last part open ended looking around at the other members of the crew. Eyebrows went up as eyes starting casting doubt again at the Captain. The Engineer made a good case, one that made logical sense.

As the Captain began to speak, the ship rocked from an explosion. Those standing fell or flew against the bridge bulkhead, the Engineer grabbing on to V’ictoria’s chair to stay upright. The blast killing or rendering unconscious half of the crew of the ship. Looking up from the floor, blood coursing down his face, the Captain looked toward the forward viewport.

“What the kriff was that?!?!”

A second blast more damaging than the first hit the ship, this time the klaxons were accompanied by the computerized voice warning the vessels occupants of impending doom.

<<<WARNING: DECOMPRESSION IN 60 SECONDS….LEVELS A, B….C. SUBSECTION GAMMA…3 THRU 42>>>

“Whoever it is, they aren’t wasting anytime!” The Engineer grabbed V’ictoria jerking her out of the seat and moving from the bridge, “C’mon Doctor…” He glanced at the Captain, “Sound abandon ship and get to the life boats…with all three levels compromised…this ship is going down…”

As V’ictoria was pulled toward the bridge doorway, it’s frame sparking as the lights fickered in and out, she glanced back toward the forward viewport. The shadow that started to ensconce their tiny vessel darkened the bridge as the large ship outside the port began cutting out the light from the window. It filled the entire view of the bridge viewport. It was large and bristled with cannons as well large turbolaser batteries. It’s configuration unlike anything V’ictoria had ever seen. Being drug down the hall, the colors of the large ship blazoned itself in her mind. They weren’t the slate gray, black and red of the Empire, nor were they the white or off white and orange of the Galactic Republic. This was an entirely new color scheme. Not that color meant anything, but V’ictoria knew, this was something no one had ever seen before. The white blue and gold of a new and deadly enemy. More explosions rocked the ship as the Captain’s voice echoed through the klaxon alarms.

<”All hands….all hands….this is the Captain. Abandon ship…I say again, abandon s—AHHHGGHHHH!!!!”>

They looked at each other as the vacuum from the bridge being destroyed threatened to suck them back the direction they came. It stopped almost as soon as it started, an emergency bulkhead slamming shut behind them as both V’ictoria and the Engineer dropped to the floor. She crawled forward only to be stood up on her feet by the Engineer.

“C’mon! Stop laying around…!!”

“W-who was that?!?! Why are they doing thi—“

The Engineer answered her as they both continued to run toward something. He stopped abruptly, the corridor now filling with light blue fire and cutting off their escape. Dropping down the round hole adjacent to them, the Engineer held his arms up to V’ictoria to help her down.

“I don’t know Doctor…they weren’t the Sith and they dang sure ain’t the Republic. The Sith like to see if there is anything useful they can get before they destroy someone and the Republic…well they don’t attack with warni—“

Passing over the top of the Engineer, the bulkhead below the both of them gave way. The Chief Engineer fell back past V’ictoria as she reached out to get him, his fingers slipping through hers. He fell disappearing into the fiery ball of plasma growing below them both. It all happened too quick for her to react and as the ship began to shake apart, she had little time to grieve his passing. Hand over hand she climbed down the ladder and jumped across the missing floor to the adjacent hatch opening it up into the escape pod bay. All of them sat in their launch tubes, completely untouched. It struck her as strange, no one else made it this far, none of the other crew had managed to escape the ship yet.

V’ictoria looked at the ladder, her first thought was to jump back across to it and climb back up. Perhaps there were survivors, someone she could rescue. As the blue green flames cascaded down the port and into the path from which she came all thought of going back up disappeared. The ship shook again, this time violently to the point of knocking her to the ground.

<<<HULL INTERGRITY COMPROMISED….SYSTEM SHUT-DOWN IN 30 SECONDS…CATASTROPIC HULL FAILURE IMMINENT….>>>

Crawling to the Pod, V’ictoria climbed in and slapped the closure mechanism sealing her in. Looking back out into the bay through the tiny viewport it began filling with blue and green flames. Sadly, she slapped the <Launch> mechanism as the pod jettisoned into space, the explosion of the ship a second later sending her spinning off into a wild direction. The ship’s destruction hiding her exit as the only survivor of her expedition.


Hutta Hyperlane…Mrysti’s Alpha’s personal starship


Setting the starship in the hyperlane, Mrysti set the nav computer to auto, removing herself from the pilot’s seat to go aft. It struck her hard, the image and she fell to the deck grabbing her head in both hands.

“UGH….wha—V’ictoria?!!?”

Strobes, like that of a Holo-cam began to go off inside Mrysti’s mind. Pictures of V’ictoria’s research vessel. Still shots of a larger vessel firing on them. More still frames of the research vessel being destroyed and finally V’ictoria’s escape.

Getting up off the floor, Mrysti shook her head. The first and only thought before looking back down at the hyperdrive, ‘Could anything else go wrong today?’ Mrysti had just experienced her first waking dream, a dream that gave her another huge piece of the puzzle. Though she would need other pieces to truly understand.

Hoth had to come first, but Mrysti’s instincts were to call back to the ‘Coalition’ members and let them know. The first signs of the Darkness had finally come and in the form of the destruction of their cousin’s research vessel. Now there was a ship and some colors to put with this Darkness. Suddenly, it didn’t seem quite as ominous as it did a moment prior.

The ‘Fury’ class starfighter entered the hyperlane and jumped to the next coordinates. Mrysti settled back down in the seat watching the swirling space outside the window whispering to herself.

“I’m coming…”