#renning

Naturally, Vitiate’s betrayal of the very Empire he had forged and ruled for so long had risked shattering that foundation. Since her ascent, Acina, now in her sixth year on the throne, had gone to great lengths to hold onto her authority. The Sith had always been prone to infighting; it was in their very nature. But with Vitiate’s absence followed by their devastating defeat at the hands of the Eternal Empire, the politics of the Sith had become more cutthroat than ever. Whereas Vitiate had ruled through sheer power – more a distant god than a head of state – necessity forced Acina to rule through cunning and deft political maneuverings.

All of this had led to her recent military operation in the Voss system, as well as the extension of a certain diplomatic invitation. Arcann’s fall from the Eternal Throne had finally opened up a chance for her to strike back at Zakuul if she could gather sufficient allies.

Most importantly, one particular ally.

After years of groveling before the Eternal Throne, metaphorically and literally, Acina was now on  the precipice of going on the offensive.

Of course, at the moment, all of her plans depended upon the successful resolution of her current dilemma.

With the sabotage to her shuttle resulting in their crash, the Empress and her companion had been stranded deep within the Kaasi jungles, their communications entirely cut-off and with no prospect of rescue. Since then, they’d been hounded by both the violent, indigenous beasts of the Kaasi wilderness as well as a small army of bounty hunters intent on their deaths.

The unlikely duo had already determined that these GenoHaradan mercenaries had been employed by former Republic Chancellor Leontyne Saresh to eliminate them both. They’d further learned that this conspiracy included Acina’s own treacherous Minister of Logistics, Gelmid Lorman, who apparently believed he was capable of seizing the throne of the Sith Empire for himself.

Lorman would pay dearly for his audacity. Acina vowed to herself. Minister or not.

But for the moment, it was a simple matter of survival. They had to fight their way through the jungle and past the GenoHaradan. That would be followed by a prompt return to the city. And that in turn would be followed by revenge.

But first, they would have to get past the massive beast that now stood in their way.

This monstrosity, standing nearly ten meters tall, had to duck its head just to exit the cavern it had emerged from.

It was plainly amphibious, having thrived in the wet jungles of the Imperial capital. Its green hide could have been mistaken for that of a reptilian Krayt dragon of Tatooine. Even without the benefit of the Force or lacking knowledge of the beast’s reputation, the size of its claws and teeth would emphatically declare its lethality to any observer.

A Jurgoran. Acina had recognized the predator instantly. It was considered a native predator of Dromund Kaas and was iconic throughout the Sith Empire. So high was its place in their culture that over the centuries, countless Sith Lords had feuded over the right to claim the title ‘Darth Jurgoran’, a practice she’d long considered trite.   

At her side, Corellan Halcyon stepped forward.

Standing above average in height for a human male, Halcyon was broad shouldered and wore an expression of stoic determination on a face that had since graced Republic recruitment posters the galaxy over. The small scar running down his cheek had done nothing to dissuade admirers of nearly every gender and species.

Halcyon had held many titles and sobriquets for a man still in his early thirties. Years ago he had been a talented Jedi Knight in the service of the Republic. Then – after his defeat of Darth Angral during the Desolator Crisis – he had been dubbed the Hero of Tython by Satele Shan. Less than two years later, he had come to Dromund Kaas for the first time, striking down the Emperor’s Voice and becoming one of the youngest Jedi Masters on record. Then after the Revanite Crisis, he had been awarded the title of Battlemaster by the Jedi Council.

All of that, of course, had been years before his more recent appellations. After Valkorion’s death, Zakuul had branded him ‘the Outlander’, a sobriquet meant to invoke fear and hatred but had since become a rallying cry for all those who opposed the Eternal Throne.

Now he had taken on yet another title to go with his new role.

Corellan Halcyon was the Alliance Commander, leading an ever-growing group of like-minded individuals dedicated to freeing the galaxy from the Eternal Empire’s yoke.

His adaptive armor was distinct; white and black with gold trim with modest insignia and embellishments that clearly had their origins in Halcyon’s sworn enemy: The Eternal Empire.

The choice to wear a Zakuulan-inspired uniform was clearly intentional; Halcyon no longer called himself a Jedi, nor did he serve the Republic any longer.

Clearly, that decision had made him no less powerful an ally and no less dangerous an enemy. If anything, his reputation over the past year had grown by leaps and bounds, inspiring a great many to join his Alliance, including more than a few of his former enemies who had previously served the Sith Empire.

Her Sith Empire.

Finally, even Acina had sought a formal accord with his growing faction. The opportunity had been too ripe and the Alliance had grown too powerful to ignore.

The Jurgoran let out a roar at the two Force-users who had intruded on its territory.

The Empress of the Sith ignited her lightsaber.

“Brace yourself, Commander!” she called out.

10 ATC Tython The Forge

Corellan lifted his newly constructed cerulean-blue lightsaber high above his head with both hands, its tip pointed directly skyward.

“This weapon will be a light in the darkness.” He declared.

Corellan truly did not know what had possessed him to make such a vow. Only Teeseven, the loyal astromech droid, was close enough to overhear him. The proclamation frankly didn’t even sound like something he would normally say. But at this moment, it had felt… natural.

Perhaps he was making this vow to himself.

The past few days had been a whirlwind for the young Padawan. Less than a week ago, he had arrived on Tython and had immediately been called into action to help put down a Flesh Raider uprising. The local native humanoids had not previously been regarded as a significant threat by the Jedi Council. Indeed, they had been considered little more than aggressive animals.

That assessment had been shattered during a series of vicious but well-coordinated attacks on the Order and against the villagers of nearby Kalikori Village. The Council had responded by deploying Master Orgus Din to investigate, along with his newly-appointed padawan, one Corellan Halcyon.

What had followed had been a series of fights that had taken Corellan all over the valley and into the mountains, culminating mere minutes ago with his confrontation with Bengel Morr, the Dark Jedi who had been manipulating the Flesh Raiders, for the life of Orgus Din, his Jedi Master.

Back in the present, he now held the newly-constructed lightsaber skyward. It had been built mostly from spare parts around a blue kyber crystal formerly belonging to Jedi Knight Laotah. Still, under the circumstances, it was resplendent, burning cool and true.  

He had failed to save that noble Selkath in the caves near the ruins of Kaleth.

Perhaps by wielding a weapon with such a heritage, he would never forget why he fought.

Corellan knew he had more to do, of course. He had forged this weapon with the approval and instruction of his Master, Orgus Din. He would still need a second such lightsaber to complement his Jar’Kai style. For the moment, he could continue to wield a vibro-blade in his off-hand. His ambidexterity was a quality that few duelists enjoyed. But old Master Sagottoh had approved of him wielding two weapons when he was a youngling back on Uphrades so many years ago, and while some his mentors in the interim had scrutinized this decision, none had ever demanded that he abandon it.  

As he continued to hold the saber aloft, a moment passed. And in that moment, Corellan almost – almost! – could have sworn he’d seen the future. 

They were flashes, really. Images. Glimpses. People and places that felt familiar but that he was certain he had never seen before. Battles on planets he was certain he had never even heard of, much less visited. Other events that seemed to defy all explanation.

Teeseven suddenly began chirping in alarm, startling the Padawan out of his distraction. Just as quickly as it had begun, these visions faded, never to return.

“Jedi! Danger nearby!” the droid’s alert startled him.

Corellan heard the roar echoing through the mountains as he turned to discover what had disturbed his companion so much.

Standing at the bottom of the steps to the Forge stood a massive creature. It was bipedal, but only vaguely humanoid. He noted its green skin along with its massive teeth and claws.  

It reeked of the dark side, a far greater blight against the light of Tython than Bengel Morr or all the Flesh Raiders he had faced combined.

Surely, this beast was not native to Tython. He had no idea how such a monstrosity had made its way to the Jedi homeworld. He could feel the dark side emanating off of it in waves, like a recurring pulse.

But above all else, he felt the creature’s anger.

It has obviously been awakened from a deep slumber. Corellan realized. Possibly from my duel in Bengel?

(For a fleeting instant, a sliver of his mind wondered if the beast had been waiting for him all this time. The very idea felt irrational, even egotistical. He banished it to the recesses of his consciousness, forcing himself back into the present.)

Corellan was jarred from his contemplations when the beast reached down and lifted a nearby boulder off the ground. In a single fluid motion, it flung the large rock towards the young Jedi still watching high upon the steps.

The Padawan didn’t dodge the attack. Nor did he withdraw deeper into the Forge in the hopes that he could find enough cover to avoid serious injury.

Instead, he felt himself reach out his hand and calling upon the Force.

Days ago, he had watched Master Orgus use the Force collapse a cave tunnel, thereby cutting the Flesh Raiders off from the Gnarls. At the time, Corellan had been astonished by the display, hoping that he could perform such a feat someday, perhaps after years of study and contemplation.

As the light side surged through him, he understood that day was today.

Through the Force, he ‘caught’ the boulder in mid-air, then let it fall away harmlessly.

It crashed down the cliff’s edge, shattering itself as it fell.

Up until that moment, Corellan wouldn’t have even considered the possibility that he could have performed such a feat. Yet he had.

He knew that wherever this Dark-sided organism had come from, however it had come here, it would kill him if he allowed it.

This was what he had spent his life preparing to do.

And he felt surprisingly ready.

The darkness had risen. Not just here on Tython, Corellan knew, but across the galaxy.

The light would answer.

Corellan’s body ducked into a crouch, then he launched himself directly at the green-skinned creature in a powerful Force-leap, his own lightsaber ignited in his right hand and his vibro-blade drawn in his left. The Jedi Padawan engaged this spawn of the dark side, determined to win at all costs.

Indeed, the light had answered.

And the galaxy would never be the same again.

10 ATC Taris Lake Brell Settlement Bunker

It is a month later and Corellan Halcyon is now a Jedi Knight, a rising star within the Order.

He is on Taris; a legendary world he read much about in his youth. Three centuries after the surface of the planet had been destroyed in an orbital bombardment by the order of Darth Malak during the Jedi Civil War, the Republic was now attempting to rebuild this world at great expense and even greater risk. Hundreds of civilians had come here in search of a better life, and the handful of Republic soldiers deployed here were proving far too few to protect them all. The reconstruction efforts had been opposed by ravenous rakghouls, dangerous native animals, opportunistic pirates and scavengers… and now once again by the Sith.

The assassin was named Rora Seake. She was a Sith Pureblood with an intense look of hatred in her golden eyes and with the fury of the dark side behind her.

She had come here to slaughter a group of settlers who had attempted to make a home for themselves outside of the so-called ‘green zone’ of Republic Governor Leontyne Saresh’s Taris Resettlement Initiative.

Fighting at her side were two creatures that were clearly kin to the monster he had fought on Tython.

Academically, Corellan knew that Seake was the greater danger of the trio of enemies. But the truth was, he was far more intrigued by her allies.

Jurgorans, he now knew they were called.

Corellan’s confrontation with the one on Tython had been brief, but it had definitely left an impression on him. He’d since read about them via a holo-pad text lent out to him from the Archives of the Jedi Temple.

They were inherently strong with the dark side; an assessment he could have confirmed himself from his battle at the Forge. It was believed by Jedi scholars that they were native to Dromund Kaas, the capital of the resurgent Sith Empire.

Despite this research, Corellan still had no idea how such a creature had ever come to Tython, much less how it had apparently survived on the Jedi homeworld in a state of hibernation for millennia undetected until awoken by his duel against Bengel Morr.

Perhaps the Jurgoran it had always been there.

Perhaps the dark side was stronger on Tython than the Jedi had believed.

Regardless, Corellan well understood how dangerous they were. Even smaller examples like these that had accompanied Rora Seake.

The darkness had fallen across Taris.

As it had centuries ago in the days of Darth Malak and the Revan. As it had again just weeks ago on Tython and Coruscant.

And as before, the light would rise to answer.

This time, however, Corellan would not have to stand alone.

Teeseven was nearby, helping the settlers evacuate from the cavern they had been renovating into a domicile.

In addition to the loyal astromech droid, fighting at Corellan’s side is a Jedi Padawan named Kira Carsen.

Less than two years younger than he was – and far more worldly – Kira is incredibly talented, determined and fierce, wielding her green double-bladed lightsaber with a skill that few her age could match.

Two weeks prior, Kira had joined Corellan and Teeseven on Coruscant, hunting down the Sith Lord Tarnis in the ruins of the old Jedi Temple on the Republic’s capital world.

Their victory over the Sith that day had saved Coruscant and by extension, the Republic.

But by that same extension, these events had unleashed the threat of Darth Angral upon an unsuspecting galaxy. The infamous Sith Lord had been enraged by the death of his son, swearing to destroy the Republic for no other reason than to punish Corellan for slaying Tarnis.

In the aftermath of the events on Coruscant, Grand Master Satele Shan had allowed Kira to continue to serve at Corellan’s side. The two were now on Taris to prevent the abduction of Doctor Nasan Godera, a brilliant Republic scientist who had secretly been living here. Opposing them had been Watcher One, a cunning and dangerous operative of the Sith Empire.

In addition to the commandoes, they now realized the veteran agent also had at least one Sith to call upon. The pretense of the Treaty of Coruscant was crumbling more and more by the moment.

Watcher One’s skillful misdirection had given him the advantage for the moment. Informing the duo about Rora Seake’s assault on these settlers was an effective ploy to distract the two Jedi and their droid from their main task; no Jedi worth the name could sit by while a Sith slaughtered innocent civilians, even with Godera’s fate at stake.

These Jurgorans fighting at Seake’s side are nowhere near as large as the one Corellan had fought on Tython. But they were quicker and – if anything – they were far more vicious. Where the enemy he had faced on Tython had employed its size and strength, the two he was now fighting with Kira employed their speed and quickness to deadly effect. Their razor-sharp claws slashed at them repeatedly, often forcing them on the defensive; a single hit would have crippled either Jedi, dooming the two of them.  

If they were to save the settlers, Doctor Godera, Taris and – indeed – the rest of the galaxy, Kira and Corellan would first have to find a way to fight through Rora Seake and her so-called ‘pets’.

The two young Jedi had only known each other for a few weeks, having met briefly back on Tython. They had been comrades in arms for less than half that time.

But within this moment, they fought with a unity of purpose that might have led an ignorant witness to imagine that they had been doing this for years.

He felt as if they were complimenting each other on a level he’d never experienced before, not even with Ulannium back on Uphrades. It was as if combined, they were greater than the sum of the abilities. Not just in combat, but during every point of their mission.

More than that, Corellan felt as if he himself was more with her by his side.

In another place and time, Corellan might have found this reality peculiar. But here, in this cave at this moment, it truly felt like the most ordinary thing ever.

As they fought, the Jedi duo instinctively alternated their attention between the Jurgorans with their claws and the Sith with her lightsaber, switching opponents seamlessly and keeping them off balance, neither side able to seize a decisive advantage.

They were certainly outnumbered. They were not outclassed.

Time after time, Seake and the Jurgorans would attempt to isolate and converge on Kira, having identified her as the less dangerous combatant. If they could kill or even incapacitate the Padawan even temporarily, they could then turn and perhaps overwhelm Corellan with their numbers.

Time after time, Kira would perfectly execute a maneuver to switch positions with Corellan at the decisive moment, escaping the trap and forcing the Jurgorans and their mistress back on the defensive.

Much to his own surprise, as the seconds ticked by, Corellan felt himself actually starting to enjoy their ‘dance’.

Jedi weren’t supposed to take enjoyment from battle. Indeed, they were generally trained to regard taking pleasure in such things as anathema.

Kira was enjoying it, too, he realized. Even if he hadn’t been able to feel her through the Force, her lips were turned into a smirk as they fought would have been a dead giveaway, as if this were one of their regular sparring sessions aboard their Defender transport.

It felt natural, fighting with Kira by his side. It felt natural, opposing a Sith and their dark-sided followers. As natural as breathing; as if this was his purpose in the universe.

The rest of the galaxy started to fade away.

Teeseven. The nearby settlers. The mission. Watcher One. Nasan Godera. Taris. His preoccupation with the Jurgorans. Everything else fell away.

None of it existed.  

There was only this moment. This dance. Himself. The Jurgorans. Seake… and Kira.

He’d always been taught that remaining grounded during combat was vital. Master Sagottoh had trained him that way back at the enclave on Uphrades from the time he was six.

But this… this felt different.

And Corellan Halcyon found that he didn’t care.

Seake was dangerous. Indeed, every Sith was dangerous, but her training as an assassin while fighting so close to innocent civilians made her doubly so. And in the company of Jurgorans that she herself had trained, most Jedi would have found her nearly unstoppable.

But she had not reckoned with facing a Jedi who had battled Sith and Jurgorans before, much less a duo of Jedi fighting with this level of synchronization.

Time started to slow down.

Almost imperceptibly, the dance started to turn against Seake.

The edge was microscopic at first; a parry here, a deflection there. Fractions of a second where the two Jedi were just a bit faster.

Slowly, that edge started to widen. It became an ever-growing wedge.

And inevitably, it foreshadowed that the dance had to end.

Corellan’s blade caught Seake clean through the chest, impaling the Sith Lord and ending her life.

The young Jedi felt no joy or even satisfaction. Merely inner acknowledgement that the first part of their task was complete. He knew now that they would triumph, but even that meant little. There was neither the exaltation of victory nor the rush of relief.

It was as if he’d known what was coming the whole time. He knew that this battle was already won and that he and Kira would survive.

(He did feel a surge of elation from Kira. He wondered if he should talk to her about that later. He was still learning how to train a Padawan, even one who was as experienced and talented as Kira Carsen.)

Through the Force, Corellan could feel the rage seething from the Jurgorans at the death of their mistress.

Above all, he felt their hatred.

But to the pair of young Jedi working with such a level of teamwork, their unleashed aggression made them easy prey. Almost simultaneously, both of them were struck down, the first by a thrust from Kira’s green double-bladed lightsaber and the second from a deep slash across the thigh from Corellan’s left-handed blue lightsaber as the creature had left itself open.

As the battle ended, he realized he had been sensing some of what the Jurgorans had been feeling towards the end.

In their final seconds, their hatred – so poignant a second earlier – had started to fade.

Instead they had simply felt… free.

Corellan Halcyon had regretted every life he had ever taken. Indeed, he meditated on them regularly in his evenings after days he’s seen combat.

But here, standing over the bodies of two creatures who had never known their own agency and then nothing but the cruel training by the Sith, he knew that these lives would take some time to process.

There had been no sensible reason for a Jurgoran to have been on Tython, certainly not at the Forge where it was likely to encounter a visiting Jedi.

Upon reflection, Corellan considered that there’d been no sensible reason for these two Jurgoran to be on Taris, either.

Returning to the present, he blinked then looked down towards Kira. Standing a few centimeters shorter than Corellan, she was looking up at him quizzingly, her deep blue eyes glittering in amusement with a small smile coming to her lips.

“Ready to go, partner? We still got a scientist to save.”

Corellan’s heart skipped a beat.

He decided that there would be time to meditate and process all of that later.

This was what he was here to do.  

The Jedi Knight simply swallowed, then nodded in response, returning her smile.

“Good.” Kira smirked, giving him a playful slap on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”

22 ATC Odessen The Odessen Wilderness

Corellan had felt the creature’s presence well before it had approached the cliff’s edge.

Dark and yet somehow distinctively familiar.

Since departing from Satele Shan and Darth Marr in the cave where they had forged his new lightsaber together, he had been attacked by more than a dozen young Jurgorans. They had launched themselves at him instinctively as he had made his way here and he had defended himself in kind. The trail to the lake where he now stood was littered with their bodies.

Unlike its fellows he’d seen so far on Odessen, this Jurgoran was massive, with glowing, bioluminescent bone protrusions. Its towering stature was similar to the one he’d fought years before on Tython, but whereas that one stood in stark contrast to the light of its surrounding environment, this example somehow fit neatly into the wilds of Odessen. Clearly, whatever its ancestry, its lineage had been part of this ecosystem for centuries if not millennia.

Of course, since that first encounter on Tython, Corellan had seen many more examples of the species to compare it with.

He had fought them in the jungles of Taral V, serving alongside Kira, Barsen’thor Ulannium Kaarz and the Trandoshan hunter Qyzen Fess. Their mission that day had been to recover a Gree Navigation Computer that would lead them to the Emperor’s Maelstrom Prison.

(That mission would in turn lead to Corellan’s first encounter with Revan.)

Later there had been the attack on Karagga’s Palace on Nal Hutta, where he’d fought alongside Ulannium, Bas’riish and Major Antilles of Havoc Squad. The quartet had battled their way through a number of Jurgorans in the tunnels beneath the Hutt’s fortress. Those had adapted to the toxic environment of that troubled world in ways that he’d found disturbing and unnatural.

There had been others along the path of his life, as well, and Corellan had fought them as required, as he’d always fought.

Reflecting on it all, he’d lived a relatively short life, and yet he’d spent so much of it in conflict.

As a Jedi, he’d only ever wanted peace.

Now as the Alliance Commander, the infamous Outlander, he was starting to accept that peace would never be his lot in life. Even if the galaxy finally achieved some semblance of peace, Corellan Halcyon himself would never live to enjoy it.

He understood that now.

Corellan had faced countless challenges since he’d arrived on Tython so many years ago. The amount of blood he’d spilt…

High above him at the cliff’s edge, the Jurgoran roared.

As it had a thousand times before, the dark had risen.

And Corellan Halcyon… merely stood in place, watching in fascination as it glared down at him in accusation. Not responding.  Indeed, feeling no need to respond.

Instead, he had silently reached out to it through the Force…. and was surprised when all he felt was her suffering.

He did not see an avatar in the service of the dark side of the Force.

He merely saw a mother seeking justice for what had happened to her children. The biological urge to reproduce – to create a new generation to succeed one’s own – had been thwarted. The burning desire to retaliate was natural.

Corellan, for his part, could only feel compassion and regret. He had not come here to deprive the Jurgorans of either their territory nor their prey, much less of their lives.

Their deaths seemed so… pointless.

Strangely, he found himself thinking of Senya Tirall, despairing for the loss of her own children. She had loved Thexan, Vaylin and Arcann to the point of despair.

Thexan was dead. Vaylin was insane. Arcann had become a galactic tyrant.

In response, in helping to found the Alliance, Senya had joined an organization dedicated to overthrowing Arcann and holding both of her surviving offspring responsible for their actions. She was perhaps the most dedicated person he had ever met, and that was saying something.

He couldn’t imagine what her choices had cost her.

And she must expect that sooner or later, Corellan Halcyon – a man for whom she had repeatedly risked her life – would be called upon to strike down one or both of her surviving children, as surely as he had struck down the young Jurgorans along the path here on Odessen.

As with the maternal Jurgoran now confronting him, her suffering at what had befallen her children was great.

Now understanding what he had done to the creature’s offspring – even in self-defense – Corellan felt pangs of guilt shoot through him. Yes, he’d been fighting for his life against the Jurgorans, but they had clearly felt his mere presence in their territory and had understandably mistaken him for a threat.

The hatred he’d felt back on Taris had never been directed at Kira or himself.

As he continued to watch the matriarch, another realization was dawning on him.

Corellan felt himself starting to understand Satele Shan’s choices; those decisions he’d challenged her on just hours  ago.

As a young Jedi, she’d watched the Jedi Order shattered during the First Galactic War against the Sith Empire and had then spent the next decade rebuilding it on Tython as the Order’s Grand Master.

When the Eternal Empire had emerged, the Jedi Order – sans one Battle Master Corellan Halcyon, the fabled Hero of Tython – had answered her call to serve… and they had again fallen against an enemy they couldn’t begin to understand, much less match on the field of battle.

Upon reflection, Corellan couldn’t fathom what that had been like, watching everything she had built and fought for destroyed for a second time.

Satele had not allowed the Order to fall any more than the Jurgoran had allowed its children to be killed. Indeed, she’d have given her life to prevent it, if given the chance to do so.

Wherever the Jedi survivors from Tython had escaped to, whatever flickers of light still remained hidden in the corners of the galaxy, Satele had recognized that rallying these sparks of hope was no longer her role. That time had passed.

He’d been wrong to blame her for abandoning the Order or for withdrawing from the galaxy.

Like Satele – and the spirit of Darth Marr – the Jurgoran and its children had found a measure of peace here on Odessen.

Corellan’s presence here in the wilderness – whether it had been caused by Valkorion or not – had disturbed that peace.

He now realized the same may be true for him. The pained absence he felt in his heart…

Corellan quickly banished the thought from his consciousness. Dwelling on his personal troubles would not serve him. The barriers in his soul were there for a reason. He had a new path to follow, an Alliance to lead and a war to win.

He looked down at his newly-crafted light-saber, now clipped securely to his belt.

Throne-Breaker. Corellan had christened it; then he had bloodied it against the Jurgorans.

It was a dangerous weapon. A weapon that drew on parts of the Force that others, like Revan, had tried and failed to balance within themselves.

To be sure, there was great power in the Force in balance. That had certainly been proven. But it had also been proven to Corellan’s satisfaction that such balance was not sustainable within a single person for any extended period.

If Revan’s experiences hadn’t made that clear long ago, the Knights of Zakuul certainly had during the Eternal Empire’s invasion. According to Senya, the Knights had once served as bringers of justice. Now, they served only the Eternal Throne without consideration for either the righteousness or morality of their acts. As a result, they’d become complicit in countless war crimes.

No. Such balance was only sustainable for brief, fleeting moments. Otherwise, even the wisest and most powerful Force-users would lose their way.

This weapon he had forged – with the aid of Satele and Marr – could help him do just that. Long enough for him to do what needed to be done.

Throne-Breaker was necessary, perhaps. But it was also dangerous.

Even and especially to Corellan himself.

I will not wield it often or for long. He privately vowed to himself. Only long enough to do what I forged it to do. Then I will set it aside someplace safe, until such time when it is needed again.

If it is needed again.

That was the challenge.

To do what Revan and Meetra Surik and the Grey Jedi and the Knights of Zakuul and so many others had failed to do; to embrace the balance long enough to do what the galaxy needed to be done, while afterward having the strength and wisdom to step away from that precipice once the danger had passed.

Arcann. Vaylin. Valkorion.

They needed to be stopped.

Corellan knew now that he would succeed.

He could not see beyond that reality. He could not fathom the price that would be paid by the Alliance or the rest of the galaxy. He could not even be certain of his own survival.

But whatever else came to pass, he would succeed.

And as for the man called Corellan Halcyon?

Strangely, he now felt a sense… solace. Like he was at peace for the first time since Lana had freed him on Zakuul all those months ago. He’d been fighting for so long, it was as if he were rethinking entire chapters of his life with rejuvenated eyes. A fresh perspective.

All those years ago, on Tython after defeating Bengel and the Flesh Raiders, he had met the coming of the Jurgoran.

The light had answered the darkness that day.

… hadn’t it?

Thinking back, looking upon events without the fatigue of those trying days where he had fought countless waves of Flesh Raiders and had nearly been killed a multitude of times, he reconsidered.

No.

The light hadn’t answered the darkness. The darkness had answered the light.

The Jurgoran back on Tython had awoken in response to the Forge being used by a Jedi to create a lightsaber again after so long.

The Jurgoran had answered him.

It was all so clear now.

Corellan Halcyon looked up.

The Jurgoran Matriarch finally turned away and left, her anger having subsided and turned to sadness. She understood that there was no purpose for conflict between them. This lake was no longer her home, not without her offspring. All that was left was for her to mourn and to try to begin again elsewhere.

Still, they were not parting as enemies.

That was something.

In a few minutes, Corellan knew, Satele and Marr would rejoin him. After that, he in turn would rejoin the Alliance and the fight against Zakuul.

Here, in this moment, there was neither dark nor light. For a moment, he allowed himself to enjoy the balance.

This wouldn’t be the end of it, of course.

The darkness would always be there. And sometimes, it must be answered.

But if you acknowledged that reality, made peace with it within yourself, then it need not control your decisions.

It need not consume one’s life.

The future – Corellan Halcyon’s future – was unwritten.

23 ATC Dromund Kaas The Jungles of the Expanse

“Hold, Empress.” Halcyon’s voice cut through the jungle.

Acina held her ground, lightsaber drawn in disbelief as the Alliance Commander approached the massive creature. His own lightsabers remained undrawn, clipped securely to his belt. His posture was confident but at ease. Casual, even.

The Jurgoran, for its part, let out a low rumble as the man approached it. It seemed… puzzled? Unexpectedly, it crouched down and lowered its snout, and for a moment, Acina was certain it intended to eat the infamous Outlander.

In response, Corellan Halcyon reached out his hand, pressing it flat against its skull.

Acina continued to watch on, fascinated by what she was seeing. After a long moment, the Jurgoran made another guttural sound, but this time, it was conciliatory, consenting to the contact.

“There’s no need to be afraid.” The Alliance Commander announced calmly, his voice level.

Acina was incredulous.

“Afraid?” she retorted. “It’s a powerful and violent beast! The Sith have revered it for millennia! Even the harshest Sith Lords caution their apprentices to stay well away from them unless they are properly trained.”

Halcyon smiled back at her, then turned back towards the Jurgoran.

“I wasn’t talking to you.”

Acina’s jaw dropped.

“And as far as its concerned, we are the beings that conquered its world and have ruled for a millennia.” He continued. “It perfectly understands that its species is native to Dromund Kaas and we are not.”

The Empress, recovering from her surprise, nearly snarled.

“You mean the Sith.”

The Commander shook his head, not bothering to look back at her this time.

“I mean people. Not Sith or humans or Sith Purebloods. Not even just Force users. Sentients, if you like. We are not native to this planet. Nor have we improved this world.”

There had been a time when Acina would have struck down a Jedi – or even a former Jedi – who turned their back to her on general principal.

Experience and necessity had taught her prudence.

So instead, she processed Halcyon’s words.

“It’s of the dark side.” She reasoned aloud. Acina knew that Malora and other Sith dabbled in commanding such powerful beasts. But these were carefully bred and trained, often for years.

This time, Corellan Halcyon did look back at her, raising an eyebrow at the assertion.

“Is it? Or has it spent its entire existence living on a world shaped by the dark side and its servants?

Exasperated at this position, Acina placed her hands on her hips.

“Even if that were the case, that… that is hardly a firm distinction.” She protested.

The Commander simply turned back to the mighty Jurgoran. The beast was almost completely still, its shoulders lightly rising up and down with its breaths as if it were waiting for something. 

“This species originated here on Dromund Kaas. As the planet changed, it evolved. Whatever may have been true about this world before Vitiate and his followers settled it, surely none can deny the impact that has been made on the environment. Not just individually, but as a species.”

Halcyon’s voice sounded philosophical. She could tell he wasn’t preaching; he was merely relaying the logic of his mind.

“How many generations of Jurgoran have lived on a world dominated by others? By invaders? And yet, somewhere in their genetic memory, a part of them remember a time when they were the dominant species on this planet.”

The man offered no answer, simply finishing his deliberations with a shrug.

“Given that context, their hostility towards us is understandable. But it is still a living being. Even if it’s driven largely by instinct, it has its own will. Once you get past its fear, it can decide for itself who is friend or foe.”

Acina considered all of this carefully.

Sith are the highest manifestation of the Force’s will. Lord Renning had taught her back at the academy on Korriban nearly two decades ago.

But then… Renning had been a madman. He’d already been widely considered a fanatic during Acina’s time as an acolyte, and according to Malora, he’d become even more deranged in the years leading up to his death just before the Revanite Crisis.

Perhaps the real truth was more complicated than Renning’s dogma?

As if in answer, her companion spoke again.

“There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.” Halcyon quoted her from the Jedi Code, an ethos that Acina had been raised to consider heretical.

“Ironic, isn’t it?” he chuckled. “I had already given up being a Jedi before I truly understood some their most basic tenets.”

Before Acina knew what was happening, the Alliance Commander had jumped up on the Jurgorans’ back, carefully straddling it in a ‘piggy-back’ style. The Sith Lord’s jaw dropped in shock at the display.

For its part, the Jurgoran merely let out a low rumble. But there was no protest behind it. It almost sounded like an expression of assent.

Acina gathered herself, letting out a long breath, finally convinced there was no immediate danger. She finally clipped her lightsaber back to her belt.

“As you said, they are exceptionally strong-willed.” Acina marveled as she regarded Halcyon straddling the beast. “I did not think a Jedi – or even a former Jed – could control a Jurgoran.”

Halcyon just looked down at Acina a wry smile.

“Who said I’m controlling her?”

Acina started at that, unsure of how to respond. Her rational mind, one trained to approach matters as a scientist as well as a Sith and politician, struggled to process his question.

He even knows its gender. She noted to herself. And it clearly accepts him. Even Jurgorans kept as attack predators aren’t used as mounts by their masters. She pinched the bridge of her nose, attempting to make sense of what was happening.

“The Force resides within every living being, Your Highness.” The Alliance Commander continued. “And with that comes strands of both the light and the dark. If you know how to reach out for those strands, you can reach even a mind shrouded like hers.”

“Taken like that, we’re all just… lights in darkness.”

At this, the Empress shook her head.

“But… you’re surrounded by darkness.” Acina pressed insistently. “All around us. Everywhere. This entire world. The Jurgoran. The war we are fighting. Me. All of it.”

Corellan just continued to smile down at her, his smile widening.

“Your Highness, when have I not been surrounded by darkness?” he asked. “I’ve spent almost my entire adult life with my next battle to the death just around the corner. I’ve seen the darkest places in the galaxy. The Dark Heart on Voss. Oricon. Korriban. Zakuul.”

He gestured, spreading his arms wide without losing his balance aboard his impromptu mount.

“The first time I came to this world, I fought your predecessor’s Voice in the Dark Temple. It was the hardest battle of my life… until I faced him again on Ziost. And then later there were Arcann and Vaylin carrying on his legacy. And so on.”

The former Jedi petted the Jurgoran’s horns. The simple gesture seemed to make the huge beast even more docile.

“The darkness will always be a part of my life. And so will the challenges. I will sometimes need to answer them with violence, as in the case of Vaylin and the Eternal Throne. But that responsibility doesn’t have to define me.”

Acina’s eyes narrowed on him.

“I can’t tell if you’re trying to be smug or not.”

Halcyon’s boyish smile – surprisingly charming – widened.

“Which would you respect more? A charismatic revolutionary with humility or a failed Jedi who had embraced his vanity?”

The answer, though flippant again, gave Acina pause. Halcyon idly shrugged again.

“This is still a diplomatic visit, after all. Assassination attempts notwithstanding.”

In spite of herself, the Empress of the Sith felt flustered at this laissez faire attitude.

Damnation. Acina cursed herself. Beniko had briefed her on Corellan Halcyon years ago, back when she had been the Minister of Sith Intelligence under Darth Marr while Acina herself had been the Dark Councilor of the Sphere of Technology. The younger Sith had warned her that the Jedi had grown surprisingly good at ‘the game’ when he put his mind to it. She’d also told her that he was the most driven person she’d ever met.

No small claim for someone who served so closely under Marr. Acina observed.

The earlier reports from the old Imperial Intelligence concerning the former Hero of Tython compiled during the last days of the old Imperial Intelligence service had always suggested he was young, naïve and overly committed to the orthodox dogma of his order.  

Those reports had clearly been long outdated, assuming they had ever been accurate in the first place.

“I grant you, either possibility seems… intriguing.” She begrudgingly admitted, after a moment of consideration.

The Alliance Commander nodded, then looked up toward the horizon over the tree line. In the distance, the storms of Dromund Kaas were still raging and beyond them were the conspirators back in Kaas City.

Still beyond Dromund Kaas was Zakuul.   

“The path I walk is perilous, Your Highness. It is full of traps and false shortcuts. But while it can certainly be dangerous and treacherous, I don’t walk it alone. I’ve found many remarkable people to walk it with me, even if only for short stretches.”

“Case in point…” Halcyon smiled down at her again, reaching his hand down for her to take.

“… care to join me for a ride?”

The Empress of the Sith blinked in surprise.

Acina was not a coward. No one who had achieved her position sitting upon Vitiate’s throne could have done so with cowardice in their heart. But in spite of herself, she couldn’t restrain a slight gulp at the suggestion.

Cautiously, she placed her own hand against the creature’s leg.

The Jurgoran – presumably placated by Halcyon’s presence – showed no reaction to the contact.

“You are certain it is safe?”

The Commander left his open hand outstretched for her.

“Let’s say I am confident that it is no more dangerous than traveling the rest of the way on foot. I can assure you,” Halcyon continued to smile. “She’s more afraid of you than you are of her.”

The Empress of the Sith took a deep breath, then finally reached her hand up to grasp her companion’s own. He effortlessly pulled her up as she gingerly moved behind Halcyon, careful not to catch the skirt of her robes as she straddled the beast behind the Alliance Commander.

As she sat, the position was rather awkward. The Jurgoran was naturally bipedal and there was little room at its neck for a second rider, even for one with her relatively slight build.

Her companion had clearly noticed Acina’s discomfort, turning towards her.

“You can grab hold around my waist, if you like.”

Despite herself, Acina’s cheeks flushed at the suggestion as she bit back a retort, grateful that he wasn’t facing her. After letting out a long exhale, she cautiously wrapped her arms around his torso. Even through his body armor, she could feel his broad shoulders and musculature.

She privately admitted to herself that he was not unattractive.

Acina had not taken a lover since she’d appointed Darth Malora to the Dark Council. She sometimes missed the younger Sith’s company in her bedchambers, but she had long decided to herself that it would not do to have intimate relations with another Sith Lord in such a position now that she was Empress. The politics were complicated enough without inviting such distractions.

A relationship with someone like the Alliance Commander would be even more complicated.

Still… that didn’t mean she didn’t find the prospect entirely unappealing.

“All ready?” Halcyon asked, turning his head towards her again.

The Empress of the Sith instantly banished all such thoughts from her mind.

Through Power I gain Victory. She reminded herself of the Sith code, gathering her resolve.

“Proceed.” Acina declared curtly with as much of a commanding presence as she could muster at this moment.

“Excellent.” The Commander answered. “Here we go.”

With no hesitation whatsoever, the Jurgoran started to move, storming through the Kaasi wilderness, far faster than Acina or Halcyon might have managed on foot. Meanwhile, the absurdity of their situation – the Empress of the Sith Empire and the Commander of the Alliance riding a giant amphibian through the jungles – seemed to be completely lost on Corellan Halcyon.

She knew this was doing nothing for her dignity as Sith Empress. But the pragmatist within her couldn’t deny the practicality of this approach.

If anyone else witnesses me in this ridiculous position, I will kill them out of hand. Acina silently vowed to herself.

“The main GenoHaradan camp is just a few kilometers away.” Corellan offered, calling out over the sounds of the Jurgoran’s progress. “The jungle is thick by foot. This way, we can be there in minutes.”

“I suppose our new friend told you all this.” Acina asked skeptically.

Halcyon simply chuckled again at her assertion.

“Something like that.”  

The Commander, of course, seemed entirely amiable with their situation yet he remained focused on the task at hand.

As she continued to mull the problem of her strange companion, she recalled the holocron that she had ‘inherited’ from the late Lord Alaric, promising herself to examine it much more closely whenever she had the time. Whatever else was true of Corellan Halcyon, he was not weak.

The Empress of the Sith should be an expert in the Force and a quick study in the psychology of her enemies and allies, as well. She had never thought herself lacking on either count.

Regardless, Acina was starting to suspect that this animal she was riding understood her new ally better than she herself ever would.

END

Author’s Notes: I love before-and-after stories where we see how events change how the characters see their world. Don’t you?

In case you hadn’t noticed, I really like Jurgorans. I hadn’t realized that they were exclusive to SWTOR, which given how many planets they are found on, implies that they were deliberately exported from Dromund Kaas for some purpose. (Possibly by the Rakata? More on that another time.)

There was a time when it was trendy for people to ask each other what their “spirit animal” was. Later still they would ask about each other’s “Patronus”. I miss those times. If you asked Corellan about all of that… well, I’m sure you can guess what his would be.

The white and black outfit Corellan is wearing on Dromund Kaas and Odessen is the Ruthless Scion armor set from the game. This was his go-to outfit from the Alliance setting up shop on Odessen up to the conclusion of the Knights of the Eternal Throne story.

For the record, Corellan is not deliberately flirting with Acina. By this point in the story, he’s developed a somewhat charming, even playful, personality that would eventually take hold. His progression as a character does have a few interesting points. And just to be clear, no, I’m not shipping Corellan and Acina. It’s just a little tease. Acina’s got a demanding job. Corellan is dealing with Kira’s absence. Some harmless banter was not uncalled for.

Although we primarily see her as a Sith Lord and later an Empress and politician, I’m very curious about Acina as a scientist given her role when we first meet her in the game.

I can’t find the Tumblr post where someone pointed out the parallels between Senya and the “Mama Jurgoran” on Odessen, but I’m entirely grateful for it. Anyone else remember who posted it?

The segment featuring Corellan and Kira fighting on Taris was inspired in part by a chapter from the most excellent fanfic “Apex” by Wryterguy. If you happen to come upon it, I heartily recommend you give it a read.

I’ve always presumed that the Sith Empire would follow the Metric system, if anyone in the Star Wars universe would. It may seem counter intuitive, but they probably wouldn’t care for the “Imperial system”. (Pun intended.)

Laotah was a Selkath Jedi Knight who appears during the Jedi Knight story on Tython, living just long enough to tell the future Hero of Tython that the Flesh Raiders had taken his lightsaber before succumbing to his injuries. I always found him memorable.

Someday I may write the story about Corellan meeting Satele again on Odessen for the first time in years. It has definitely been in my writing journal for awhile.

I head-canon that Acina and Malora (who appears briefly in a small supporting role in the Sith class stories before being featured years later in Jedi Under Siege) had a friends-with-benefits relationship at some point. This in part leads to Malora’s appointment to the Dark Council. She’s actually a fun character, just not someone you’d want to command a military operation.

We never really see what Dromund Kaas was like before Vitiate corrupted it or before the Sith colonized it. So who knows what it was like back then?

Alaric is a minor “quest giver” on Dromund Kaas. The mission he gives you to go into the Dark Temple was always interesting to me, so I gave him a mention here as well as indicating his eventual fate. Perhaps more on that another time.

Unchecked, the dark side does cause mutation and deformity for many beings. On a planet where the dark side has been artificially enhanced for centuries, you must assume it heavily impacts native organisms.

Finally, it is a travesty to me that Jurgorans are not available as mounts. Yes, it feels ridiculous, but no more than most of the animal mounts in the game.

Thanks for reading and May the Force be with You.

SWTORpadawan