62 ABY - Tatooine, Jedi Imperial Palace
Tahiri woke up almost before she saw the twin suns shining through her window, and sat up, only slightly groggy and disoriented. It had been a while since Anakin and High Empress Shin Hati had left Tatooine. To where, Tahiri did not know. She could only hope Anakin would come back from the journey in one piece. Getting up out of her bed, Tahiri quickly got dressed, before exiting her quarters and finding half of the Palace was already awake. ''Morning, Tahiri.'' Grand Emperor Ri-Lee Howell said to her.
''Morning, Emperor Howell.'' Tahiri said, shaking Ri-Lee's hand. ''How are those prosthetics treating you?'' She asked. ''Oh, not too bad.'' Ri-Lee replied. After the run-in he and Anakin had with Darth Wredd on Barton IV, Ri-Lee was forced to have a cybernetic stomach outfitted to support his internal organs, some of which had been damaged after the events on Barton IV. ''Wonder when Anakin and High Empress Hati are going to get back...'' Ri-Lee said. ''I dunno.'' Tahiri replied. ''Anakin never told me where he was going. And judging by the fact he and the High Empress left so quickly, he might not have known himself.''
Ri-Lee nodded. ''Well, I just hope he comes back a different man...'' Ri-Lee said. ''Every time I look at those gold pupils, my fear for his sanity grows.'' He added on. ''Anakin has changed now. Or at lest he's beginning to.'' Tahiri replied. ''He apologized to me because of our fight in the training room right before he left, and I could sense the truth in both his movements and his voice.'' A turbolift door hissed open, and Ri-Lee suddenly bowed. ''Supreme Emperor Syndulla.'' He said. Tahiri looked behind her and saw Jacen in his white and gold Jedi robes standing in front of her. She bowed alongside Ri-Lee. ''At ease Grand Emperor Howell. Same with you, Commander Veila.'' Jacen said.
Tahiri and Ri-Lee both stopped bowing. ''Did you tell her?'' Jacen asked. ''Tell her what?'' Ri-Lee asked in reply. Jacen said nothing, giving him a sharp look. ''Oh, yes! That...'' Ri-Lee exclaimed, turning to Tahiri, who couldn't have looked more confused. ''What is it?'' She asked. ''The Galactic Federation Council requests your presence on Coruscant.'' Ri-Lee replied. ''And your are advised to bring Jaden Korr and Rosh Penin with you. They were strictly ambiguous on any further details.'' He continued. ''I'm sure they're still asleep by now.'' Tahiri said. ''Let me go wake them up.'' And with that, she turned around and sprinted farther down the halls of the Palace to where Jaden's quarters were. Pressing a button on the side of the door, Tahiri waited patiently. After a few minutes, the door opened and Jaden stepped forward. ''Oh, Tahiri!'' He said. ''Did you need me for something, or...?''
''The Council of the Federation requests our immediate presence.'' Tahiri replied. ''Let me go get Rosh.'' Jaden said, walking past Tahiri down towards another door. Pressing a button on the side, Jaden waited patiently for Rosh to open the door. After a few minutes, Rosh spoke on the opposite end of the door. ''Who is it?'' He asked, his voice slightly muffled. ''It's me, Jaden.'' Jaden replied. ''The Council requests our presence on Coruscant.'' Suddenly, the door opened and Rosh opened. ''Has the Falcon been primed for launch?'' He asked. ''Chewie's still visiting his family on Kashyyyk, but we can take the Falcon.'' Tahiri replied. ''Alright, well if the Council wants us there, then let's go.''
62 ABY - Coruscant, Galactic Federation Palace
On Coruscant, meanwhile, Senator Elias Pryde of The Galactic Federation of Free Alliances watched as the sun was rising from afar. He loved sunsets and sunrise. Every day when he was younger, during the days when The First Order ruled Coruscant, Elias would often watch the sunsets and sunrises with his father, General Enric Pryde, when he wasn't busy being a General. In some way, Elias missed his father, and wished he could join the Federation, believing he would make a fine General in the Federation's ranks.
The doors to the Council Chambers hissed open, and Elias turned around, seeing Jedi Knights Tahiri Veila, Jaden Korr, and Rosh Penin. ''Morning, Senator Pryde.'' Tahiri said to Elias. ''Where would Chancellor Dameron and the rest of the Council be right about now?'' She asked. ''Poe's addressing the Senate, along with the rest of the Council.'' Elias replied. ''So I will relay your mission to you..'' He added on, motioning for the three of them to take a few seats. The Jedi obliged, sitting down in front of the Council desk. Elias cleared his throat before he spoke. ''Just about two days ago, we lost contact with our outpost on Carlac...'' Elias began. ''The last time I heard anything from that base their comms were bugging out due to harsh weather. But I can't help but feel if that was the case, they would have gotten them back online by now.''
Elias continued. ''Your mission is to go to this outpost and see if it was attacked or not. There could very well be another adversary to the Federation out there that ripped the base apart. I will be sending a squad of Enforcers with you to Carlac. Until then, you are dismissed.'' Elias said. Tahiri, Jaden, and Rosh all nodded, standing up and leaving the room. Elias turned and looked back out at the sunset, before taking a comlink off his belt and speaking through it. ''They took the bait, Gauge...'' He said through the comlink. ''Soon enough, the Federation and Jedi Empire both will see what The Union Order is truly capable of.''
62 ABY - The Millennium Falcon
Hours later, Tahiri, Jaden, and Rosh all found themselves travelling to Carlac in the Millennium Falcon, with Jaden and Rosh all staring off into the vast expanse of Hyperspace. ''Guys..'' Jaden began. ''Is it just me or do I get the feeling something terrible has happened?'' He asked. Rosh turned to face him. ''Like what, Jaden?'' Rosh asked. ''It's like... It's like I'm hearing dozens of voices crying out in fear and rage, before being silenced. Over and over and over again...'' Jaden replied. ''Well, I suppose there's only one way to find out why that's the case.'' Tahiri said, just when the Falcon dropped out of Hyperspace and Carlac's surface came into view.
''Take us down, Tahiri.'' Rosh said. Tahiri obliged, flying through Carlac's atmosphere. Almost as soon as she did, though, not a single one of the Jedi onboard saw anything by snow striking the cockpit window. ''Touch down anywhere, and we'll look for the base on foot.'' Jaden said. Tahiri nodded, landing the ship on Carlac's snow-cold crust. Lowering the Falcon's ramp, Tahiri ran through into the blizzard, with Jaden and Rosh taking up the rear. For several minutes on end, the trio kept running, looking for at least some sign of the outpost. That was, until something caught Jaden's eye. ''Tahiri! Rosh! Over here!!!'' Jaden yelled, rushing towards the object that caught his line of sight. The Galactic Federation Troop Transport carrying the Enforcer squad landed next to the Falcon, and without warning, the Enforcers rushed after the Jedi in the blizzard, attempting to keep up with Jaden.
Jaden approached the object shining in the snow, picking it up and seeing it was a half-frozen Lightsaber hilt. Jaden pressed the ignition button, revealing an orange blade. Turning to his right, Jaden deactivated the weapon and placed it on his belt, digging up the body concealed deep in the snow. When he dug the body up, Jaden couldn't believe who he was seeing lifeless before his eyes; in his arms, there lie the corpse of Jedi Knight Ninvus Oogoar, who had his arm dislocated and his neck snapped. Rosh and Tahiri came over to Jaden, alongside the Enforcers. ''Dank Farrik...!'' One of the Enforcers exclaimed. ''Search for those in the Federation that were stationed here!'' Jaden commanded. ''Ninvus can't be the only one that died on this foresaken planet...''
''On it, Commander Korr!'' One of the Enforcers replied, as the team searched through the blizzard and the outpost that was frozen over. ''Rosh, can you tell me what happened here?'' Jaden asked. Rosh walked over towards Ninvus's body, kneeling next to it and placing his fingers on Ninvus's frozen neck, where his now broken windpipe was located. In an instant, a flash of light overcame Rosh's line of sight, as he could hear the sounds of Ninvus shouting, a tornado of snow blasting through the outpost's command center, and a figure wearing all black confronting Ninvus, wielding a red-bladed Crossguard Lightsaber. The next thing Rosh saw was Ninvus's Lightsaber deactivating upon making contact with the figure's mask, before his arm was dislocated and his neck was snapped.
Returning to reality, Rosh looked at Jaden dead in the eyes. ''This wasn't the work of an orbital bombardment...'' Rosh said, dread consuming his voice. ''A man killed Ninvus, and everyone else that was inside that outpost.'' Rosh added on. ''What kind of man?'' Tahiri asked, albeit shivering from the blizzard. ''A man dressed in all-black.'' Rosh replied. ''He wore a mask weaved from Cortosis, and carried a Crossguard Lightsaber with him.'' Jaden's eyes widened with shock upon hearing that description. ''We need to alert the Federation and the Empire of this. It can't possibly be a coincidence that figure carried a Crossguard Lightsaber on him...''
62 ABY - The Vestara, Kyylo Ren's quarters
Meanwhile, on The Vestara, Kyylo Ren had locked himself up in his quarters after Carlac, taking a moment to reflect on his progress. He was stripped of his mask and the top of his armor, looking at himself in the mirror. A fungus that looked like burn scars had already grown overtop of his hand leading all the way up to his right forearm. The same fungus was growing on his shoulders now too. This was, as Kyylo knew, due to his accelerated aging. With that accelerated aging came the return of the scars his genetic template had received in battle years before. It bothered Kyylo greatly, knowing he had to find a solution to the problem and fast. And yet, no Sith of old he had spoken to had given him the solution out of this situation, much to his disdain.
Turning to his left, Kyylo saw a Sith Holocron on the sink in front of him, one he had not yet opened. Reaching out with the Force, Kyylo closed his eyes, as the small pyramids on the Holocron began to turn. The Holocron finally opened, revealing the fiery image of a man dressed almost entirely in dark robes, except for a helmet. ''Darth Alighieri, Dark Lord of the Sith...'' Kyylo said, bowing his head before the fiery man. ''It is my honor to speak to you in these chambers.'' Alighieri cocked his head to the left. ''What is it you want from me...?'' The Sith Lord asked, his voice crackling with static as it spoke through the helmet.
''I am on the cusp of overthrowing the dictatorship that stands in the way of true galactic peace. And yet, it seems my body is already preparing to fail me...'' Kyylo began. ''Due to accelerated aging upon my body's construction, for which there is no longer an existing serum, the scars of my old genetic template are beginning to grow over me like a fungus.'' Ren continued. ''I have spoken with many of the legendary Sith of old, yet they have done nothing but frown upon my mission. Perhaps you could be of better service, Lord Alighieri...'' Alighieri seemed to ponder Kyylo's words for a moment, before he spoke next. ''I remember my own Master, Darth Gean expressing similar concerns before I surpassed her as a Lord of the Sith. Her body was beginning to crumble with natural age, if I'm not mistaken...''
''How did she solve it?'' Kyylo asked. ''She captured Force-sensitives who weren't taken by the Jedi, and extracted a great many things from them, just to save herself from age..'' Alighieri replied. ''Ultimately, she created a serum that could stop one's internal organs from failing and age the subject back.'' He added on. ''Where would this serum happen to be located?'' Kyylo asked. ''Exegol.'' Alighieri replied. ''The graveyard of The Final Order and Sith Eternal. It is buried deep inside the old Sith Citadel, presumably inside the catacombs. Lord Sidious had planned on using this serum to stop his final vessel from aging once he took control of a body that could house his essence, but died before he could use it.''
Kyylo nodded. ''I understand.'' He said. ''You must go to Exegol and obtain this serum, my boy. Only though it can you ensure a prolonged rule over the galaxy.'' Alighieri said. ''And when I run out of this serum?'' Kyylo asked. Alighieri chuckled in response. ''That will not happen.'' He replied, the Hologram closing back up, as Alighieri's projection was sucked inside the object. The doors to Kyylo's chambers hissed open. ''Where do you want us to head now, my Lord?'' Captain Gauge asked. ''Prime the fleet for the Exegol.'' Kyylo replied. ''There's something I want to find there. And I feel as though it is time for us to set up a proper base of operations until we can accomplish the task at hand.''
62 ABY - Tatooine, abandoned homestead
On Tatooine, it was largely quiet, say for the winds of the dune sea. Tahiri slowly touched down upon Tatooine's surface, next to the abandoned homestead, where the graves of Ben Solo and Rey Palpatine were. ''Rosh, did you get the metal detectors?'' Tahiri asked Rosh from the cockpit. ''Yes!'' Rosh called out, carrying three metal detectors in his arms. ''Alright, let's go.'' She said, lowering the ramp of the Falcon. Taking one of the metal detectors from Rosh, Tahiri went out first, activating the device and scanning Ben's grave for Haysian alloys. ''Why are you using that anyway?'' Rosh asked, walking out with the other two metal detectors.
''You said that figure in your vision held a Crossguard Lightsaber, no?'' Tahiri asked in reply. She walked around the grave for a few minutes, scanning for the Haysian, which was what Ben Solo's yellow-bladed Crossguard Lightsaber hilt was made out of. Finally, after a few minutes of scanning, Tahiri looked at the readings on the metal detector. ''Well!?'' Jaden asked. ''It can't be..'' Tahiri said, deactivating the metal detector. A look of fear had crossed her face in that moment. ''It's not possible....'' She whispered to herself, turning back to Jaden and Rosh. ''The Lightsaber isn't in the casket!'' She called out to them, looking back at the graves and letting out a heavy sigh. ''Where's Anakin when I need him...?''
