Star Wars: The Old Republic

The Fall

3961 BBY

Taris:

"It's been months sir," Yusanis said, "are you sure it was wise to come straight to Taris? The Mandalorians have shown no sign of surrender, and the people starve. We must do something soon." "The Mandalorians we have under siege are lead by Canderous Ordo according to Alek," Revan said calmly, "neither Mandalore nor Cassus Fett are here, and they will not come. We all but obliterated both their fleets above Alderaan. They will rebuild in preparation of an inevitable Republic incursion into Mandalorian space." Revan stared out at Taris below him, he could see the destruction the Mandalorian invasion had brought the planet. "The Mandalorian people view failure harshly," Revan continued, "Ordo will not surrender, he would be disgraced and shunned by his people. The Mandalorians want conflict and we shall give them conflict."

"We've been stationed here for over a cycle General," a trooper said, "just waiting. It's been months since the last attack." "I know Colonel Corwes," Alek said, "Taris is important, at least according to Supreme Commander Revan." "That's new," Colonel Corwes said, "didn't know the General was promoted." "Supreme Chancellor Tol Cressa promoted him after a nearly unanimous decision after Alderaan," Alek said, "we once began with just a leader and a purpose, now it is so much more." Alek gazed out, looking down at the suffering people of Taris. A necessary sacrifice for the greater good. "General," Corwes asked, "do you think the war will be over soon?" "I am not sure," Alek admitted, "we are yet to even attempt to venture into Mandalorian space, we do not know what resistance awaits for us there. They already had turned Mandalore into a fortress during the Great Sith Wars, Concordia is the same. They are likely doing the same to planets like Gargon, Concord Dawn, Krownest and Ordo. We expect to find extremely heavy resistance, but that is irrelevant right now. We have a duty to the people of Taris, and they are our focus."

Meetra closed her eyes as she felt everyone. She could feel Revan, louder than everyone, as usual. She felt Alek, she felt Admiral Dodonna and Admiral Saul Carath. She felt the people below her, on Taris. She felt them suffering, starving, dying. They had to do something soon, but Revan had forbidden them from attacking first. The slaughter they had inflicted on Alderaan had crippled the Mandalorian fleet, Revan had claimed that they would not come for Taris. So, they waited above the planet. Waited for the Mandalorians to strike first, after all the Republic could sustain as long as they needed to. Yes, Onderon and Taris suffered. But everyone suffered in war, Revan had claimed. The queen had made it off Onderon, that's what mattered Revan had said. Even after he had gotten captured. She swore to herself that she would make Cassus Fett pay, she would meet him in battle and he would die.

Jedi Temple, Coruscant:

As usual, Anaka's research had distracted her. Although, her research was not nearly as controversial in the eyes of much of the council compared to what she researched as a padawan. Compared to studying the old Sith, Sith Pureblood culture, Sith beliefs and prominent Sith lords. Her research had taken her from King Adas when the Sith were just a species, to Naga Sadow and the death of the old Sith Empire. And in between she had studied the fallen Jedi Exar Kun, Freedon Nadd and the original 12 Sith Lords and studied how and what made them turn and swore she would never end up like them. But she could also learn much from them. As could knowledge be taken from the True Sith Lords. She learned how the ancient Sith thought from Marka Ragnos, believing them to be superior in every way to the Jedi, believing that they controlled the force and not the other way around, a foolish notion in Anaka's eyes. She learned the nature of the ancient Sith from Ludo Kressh, and how when push came to shove, the Sith only had themselves and that was all they would ever have, the Sith would destroy themselves before the Jedi ever could, after all, it was Ludo Kressh who had crippled the Sith fleet of Naga Sadow when they returned to Korriban, ultimately leading to the destruction of the old Sith Empire. From studying and learning from Tulak Hord, she gained a much greater proficiency in lightsaber combat and it helped that, like her, Tulak Hord was a master in form II, Makashi. But she also studied much of the other forms of lightsaber combat from him. She suspected Revan had as well, as shown by his unmatched proficiency with a lightsaber in the order. After all they were all but condemned by most on the council. According to most on the council, namely Atris and Vrook, why should they let a child onto the council. She couldn't care less. If Grandmaster Sunrider asked her to be on the council, she would accept but she would not ask to be placed on the council or ask to be made a Master. Even when the were Padawans still at the Temple, most of the masters seemed to hate Anaka, Revan, Alek and Meetra for what they represented and for it, they socially outcasted all of them. It was not their fault that they happened to all be some of the best duellists the order had ever seen, with Revan with his mastery of form IV, Ataru, form V, Djem So and form II, Makashi. Alek with his mastery of form VII, Juyo, form II, Makashi and form V, Djem So. Meetra with her mastery of form III, Soresu, form I, Shii-Cho, and form II, Makashi. And Anaka, with her mastery in form VII, Juyo, form V, Djem So and form II, Makashi. They were all the best at what they did. Which is why when Anaka, Alek and Revan all took to more aggressive styles of lightsaber combat, they feared them. But because of her master, Anaka had all but free reign of the temple. Which lead her here, where she now studied the first force users. Beings called the ones. Different ruins across the galaxy depicted three beings. A father, a son and a daughter. Balance, the dark side and the light side. There were legends that spoke about the planet Mortis, where these beings were said to reside. There was also talks about a doorway that lead to a World between Worlds. 'Legends,' Anaka reminded herself.