The Start

[ADarkJedi44]

Evahe looked around the room and said"It was too easy."

The tough mon calamari,S'olo Aroganis replied"Well you said it wouldn't be too hard"

"I know but the leader of the vong in control of the Katana fleet is rumored to be part Jedi. He would have known about the Katana. Which means we may be falling into a trap. They may be tracking us"

[Trejiuvanat]

The Force, his grandmother once told him, had its own ways. It would lay out the situations, but the Jedi would be the one taking the choice. Iulan smiled grimly at that memory.

After days and weeks of traveling secretly through hyperspace. Sneaking past Imperial outposts, driving fear in the faceless soldiers of the Emperor, all had one purpose to complete the strange command for Iulan to go to the Yavin system.

Now with the red gas planet watching silently the Yuuzhan Vong fleet, Iulan did not know what to do. He had expected a quasi-mythical Jedi miracle to materialize at his first sign in the system, nothing had happened. Day after day the wait had been prolonged. With each second of annoying wait questions popped-up. Why was he here in the first place? Because he had trusted Iulor to help him.

Even his faithful Rjiuvan Shai was growing tired of the wait. The Warmaster's heart longed to lead his forces in battles. The wait was even more painful to him and his warriors.

Iulan would not give up, there must be something in the system that would help him. Otherwise Iulor wouldn't have sent him there.

In the very first days he had visited the ancient temples on the fourth moon. He had even visited the sirens on the eight moon, and had daringly taken his Defender into the Gas planet.

Yavin was a mystery.

"It has been a week, my Lord." Rjiuvan said, as if Iulan neede remainder.

On an impulse, something the young man could not explain, he opened himself to the Force, letting it flow to him. But the Force limited itself not only to flowing, it penetrated deeply into every cell of his body. Iulan could feel the strength, the power, the insight. Then the darkness. And beyond....

He saw the galaxy as few ever saw it. He saw it not as a collection of matter. He saw the luminosity that existed in every individual. He saw light being born and light being shattered. He saw darkness, and he saw the strangling claw of the Yuuzhan Vong.

He saw worlds he could not name, he saw cities, people, friends. Everything was vivid and fast. Then he saw Yavin. He saw everything as it was now. The void of the Yuuzhan Vong. He saw himself seeing everything.

Then he saw the reason for everything. He understood at last why he was here in the first place.

[ADarkJedi44]

OOC: Trej there's a tracking device on the Katana. Feel free to send a small fleet after us.

[Trejiuvanat]

OOC: Don't tempt me Darky... You may find it very unpleasant....

 

IC:

Iulan had discovered the explanation for Yavin. It was simple and unexpected. Yavin was empty. A void.

In his vision he had seen the galaxy, peered through metal and flesh. Peered through the realm of Shimraa, and briefly seen the spires on Coruscant. In Yavin there was only that what Iulan had brought with him.

The Force had brought Iulan here as a remainder, for him to see the galaxy through the Force, not through martial reports, nor through the spoils of war.

He had come to learn, but Iulan was certain that he would come back to Yavin at another point, for something else.

"Take us home" Iulan told Rjiuvan. "I have understood."

Rjiuvan said nothing, he ordered his warriors to begin the voyage to their "home", their secret base in the Alderaan system.

In few minutes, Rjiuvan and Iulan were traveling in dark space.

"What have you understood?" Rjiuvan asked.

"What I need to, my friend."

"The war?"

"The Force. With each step I advance, I will grow, Rjiuvan."

"What is our goal now, my Lord?"

"The same one, to vanuish Palpatine, to end this war once for all."

"What about Shimraa?" Rjiuvan asked.

"His fate is bound to someone else."

Rjiuvan said nothing, Iulan knew that his trusted servant longed to be the nemesis of the Overlord, to kill him for the honor of his caste.

"By the time we return the Kat'na fleet will be ready for war," Rjiuvan proudly announced.

"Good, we have a long road ahead of us, before we reach Alderaan. Let us sit and think, Warmaster. Let us play dejarik."

[ADarkJedi44]

Evahe thought for a moment. What would we do with her if she was being trapped. Finally he announced,"Lets take her to our hideout." Nightshadow angrily replied,"Are you crazy? Bringing a trapped ship to out hideout is ridiculous. Evahe camly answered,"I know but we must be in a place to defend her when we're ambushed." After a few more minutes of arguing, the small crew gave in. Evahe knew they were in trouble and his fears came true a few moments later....

OOC:If anyone would like to jump in....

[Trejiuvanat]

OOC: There aren't many around here, Darky...

 

IC:

Weeks had passed by since their return from Yavin. In those weeks much had happened. Rjiuvan Shai, the imposing Warmaster and the halfdivine Iulan S'Tor had been working hard to organize the Jeedai Vong fleet. Extensive repairs and refits had converted the old Rendili Dreadnaughts into deadly Warvultures, Kat'nas as they were named in the Yuuzhan Vong tongue.

Iulan had been much pleased to see that the warriors were seasoned fighters, no longer seeking death for a distant God, they fought for their ideals, fighting bravely but without stupidity. Rjiuvan, as well, had shown much confidence in his troops. Over 150 Kat'nas were crewed by skeleton detachments, even so they performed better than many other crews, both Rebel and Imperial. Each of the warriors was worth a dozen of soldiers.

The fleet also had been reorganized in small groups, strong enough to fend off an ambush, and powerful enough to harass the few remaining Imperial routes. The new organization even allowed a more healthly rotation of troops.

The only problem Iulan and Rjiuvan faced was that they hadn't a chance of receiving new warriors. Defecting Yuuzhan Vong could not be contacted, and recruits from the captured worlds were not an option. Iulan and Rjiuvan had taken many hours to discuss that issue. Twice Iulan had wanted to offer Rjiuvan to clone the warriors, but Iulan knew perfectly that it would be little practical and that Rjiuvanwould never allow the existence of "created" warriors.

"Warmaster, here are the coordinates of the other vessels of the Kat'na fleet."

Rjiuvan nodded and gave them to Iulan, who with a slight clap activated the galactic bug map.

The world referred in the coordinates lit up.

"Interesting. To Imperial worlds, one captured world and two deep space locations."

"But they aren't in Imperial hands," Rjiuvan ventured.

"No," Iulan said, "Rebel hands definetely, giving aid to Imperial worlds, and attempting to incite uprisings."

"Should we pursue them?"

"No, not yet, while the rest of the fleet would be a welcome addition to our forces, we can do wihtout it for a while, but in the time being this particular ship is serving as a probe for those regions we aren't operating. In time though we'll pay the Rebels a visit."

"In terms of peace?"

Iulan smiled.

"WIth a lightsaber. Able to give them a honest salute, and able to defend ourselve, or strike at them."

"Then," Rjiuvan added. "I will bring my amphistaff as well."

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

OOC: Ok Darky, as requested ol Spam has come to make a post after another absence. Sorry for any if I missed a fight or three from what I have read. Alright well let me wrap up my last post.

 

IC:

 

As he turned off his comm station, Admiral Hawk sat in his chair in deep thought as of what to be done with this new weapon on the side of the Rebellion. Surely they could use it to their advantage, but how? Could it still be operational?

 

The laser cannon put into the ship was only equaled to the Death Star itself, but it did have one thing to make it unique, it had the capability to fire in multiple directions and took less than half the time to recharge. A true masterpiece and nightmare, The Noghri scientist (if you could call them that) where by far, more ruthless in their creation than any human could be. But alas their work was uncompleted do to a variety of reasons, one, the rebellion had cut spending to the R&D of the project fearing its power. Had it been completed the Yuuzhan Vong might not have been so successful in their invasion.

 

But could we complete it? Hawk asked himself. Surely it would be a hard task to attempt without schematics or the original engineers but there is something that could help us, we would just have to find the place…

 

He turned to his comm.

 

“Lieutenant, call up Major Risak and his commando team, I have a mission for them.”

 

“Yes sir, patching you through to the dauntless now.” The officer replied.

 

“Sir, this is Major Risak, what do you need me to do.”

 

“Yes, well Major I need you to send your commando team into Vong controlled territory to pick up some documents. This is highly important but very dangerous. I will only except a volunteer for this assignment, are you up to it?”

 

“Sir yes sir! My team is always ready to move just tell me where and what, and I’ll have it to you, sir.” The Major said.

 

“Good, now the coordinates are in the information packet I am sending you, its in the Agamar system and is very deep in Vong territory.”

 

“Well sir, I will have it to you as soon as possible.”

 

“Good Luck, Major.” Hawk said. And the comm went dead.

 

 

 

OOC: It is not large but it should keep it goin.

[ADarkJedi44]

Evan watched as Shadow Wing came out of hyperspace in the Agamar system. "Ok boys lets cover those commandos!" The small ship with the commandos onboard was in the back of Shadow Wing and they needed to make sure she got to the surface to do whatever the commandos needed to do there. As Evan watched 4 cruisers and numerous vong suppor ships came to engage the Calm Waters. "Ok boys we can't let those skips get through to the Calm Waters or she'll be in trouble. Spread out in three groups. Sapphire squadron protects the shuttle. Ruby squadron will help Calm Waters in the capitol ship battle and protect her from skips. Everyone else follow Shadow and lets engage those skips. But Evan could see there would be trouble. Three full wings of skips were coming to engage and 4 cruisers and numerous vong support ships against Calm Waters and Ruby Squadron weren't exactly great odds either. This is not good...

 

Back to our friends the mercenaries.

 

"Ok boys remember its a hit and run attack just like we've been doing all over vong terriory," Evahe was saying. The mercenary force of three dreadnaughts, full with uglies and other fighters, and a few freighters was about to arrive at Agamar. The men were ready. If the attack went like the others they would show up, blow up a few vong things, and get away. But this would be nothing like the other raids.....

 

"Ok men here we go," Evan said. He hided it but he was very nervous at the coming battle. The battle was about to begin when all of the sudden three dreadnaughts came out of nowhere and began attacking one of the vong cruisers from its flank. Then a few freighters came out of hyperspace and joined in as the cruiser was overwhelmed. As a collection of odd fighters were launched from the dreadnaughts, Evan knew this battle was about to turn into a desperate struggle...

 

OCC: Please someone jump in...

[ADarkJedi44]

OOC: /sigh

 

 

IC:Evahe had been shocked at what he had seen when the mercenary group had arrived but he quickly got over it. He thought they could overwhelm there enemy when suddenly three vong cruisers appeared on his rear. "The tracking device!" someone shouted. Evahe knew he had to act quick. "I need to speak to the rebels immediatly!" he shouted. A few moment later he was talking to a rebel officer. "I'll delay the new vong, you guys destroy their interdictor!" he began desperatly. The rebel officer merely smiled and said,"Not nessacary."

 

Meanwhile..

 

"Shadow wing take out those skips," Evan said having a feeling this battle would be his last. Then the Harmony arrived. Everyone was stunned. Now the Vong were on the defensive. But they stood not a chance and soon the battle had been won. "Ok boys lets return home, we got our commandos down on the planet."

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

Down on the planet, Risak led his squad to what looked like an old spice manufacturing depot. His Intel said it was in there, somewhere in the right tower in a safety box somewhere. He had no idea why the hell it was there, but he was a soldier and a soldier learned when to take orders.

“Alright boys, lets take it to them. We are to seize the power core and leave, understood? No fighting unless ya have to. You know your jobs, Alpha group you are too cover the perimeter, Delta you with me.”

“Sir!” was the only thing that echoed his orders.

As his men made their way forward a Yuuzhan Vong hunting party came up behind the rocks. Suddenly Thud, and Razor bugs where all that could be seen coming from the Yuuzhan Vong.

“Hit the deck!” someone yelled.

Then that ever-distinct sound of blaster fire began to volley in return. Risak raised his heavy blaster rifle at a Yuuzhan Vong nearing a downed commando a shot him three times under the right shoulder where the Vonduum Crab armor was weak, taking him down with a squeal of pain.

“Alright men, Move!” he yelled, as they made their way to the depot.

As they entered the front of the abandoned and rotting spice depot, Coral skippers and X-Wings flew overhead doing barrel rolls and all kinds of fancy maneuvers to escape each others bursts of death.

Down the main corridor leading to the right tower, a few old battle droids, somehow left unscathed by Yuuzhan Vong began firing at the team of five whom had bent sent in with Risak.

“Watch Out!” Risak yelled pulling a comrade out of harms way.

Then a commando behind him threw a thermal detonator and yelled, “Fire in the hole!” before the explosion destroyed the remaining 4 battle droids his commandos had yet to kill with their blasters.

Then it got bad.

 

 

OOC: I was unsure what to do next darky. I thought you might like to send some Mercenaries down to help though. The “bad” part I will leave up to you.

[ADarkJedi44]

Suddenly Vong appeared from both sides of the corridor. For a long moment, no one moved. Then the commandos dropped their weapons on the ground. They knew there was nothing more they could do. The vong closed in on them. Risak began to wonder if they were just going to be sluaghtered right there, but the Vong took them prisoner.

 

Meanwhile the battle in space had been won. Word had been spread that their commando team had been captured. Evan worried if the mission had all been for nothing. Suddenly some said over the com,"The mercenaries are going in!" Evan was unsure how to react. He saw the dreanoughts deploy ships that were probably troop transports. Finally he said,"Follow them in, Shadow Wing."

 

OOC: Antilliles i'll finish this unless you jump in soon.

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

Meanwhile back on the ground, Risak and his troops where being unshered down the corridor and into a Yuuzhan Vong catacomb/base then Risak saw his men being pushed up against the wall and checked for firearms rather brutally. However he was lead to a room with a slender young Yuuzhan Vong priest.

 

"What do you want with me?" He said sternly.

 

"Calm down major, I thought we could talk about this more civilized." He replied in fluent basic.

 

"How, How do you know my rank?"

 

"We have spies all over the Galaxy and in your pitifull military. Of course I know your rank, and your name, Major Risak. What I do not know is why you are here, I mean what are you looking--"

 

And before he could finish tough, ruff-looking humans entered the room, with all kinds of different weapons.

 

OOC; Its all you.

[ADarkJedi44]

Before anyone know what was going on the priest dropped dead due to being shot in the head. A moment later the whole commando team was free. Evan and Shadow Wing arrived and were very relived by the sight. Suddenly he got a call on his comlink. Vong reinforcements had arrived. "Ok Shadow Wing lets move!" he said nervously and they ran for their ships.

 

The mercenaries, however, stayed. Their leader looked at Major Risak and said "What are you looking for?"

 

OOC:....

[Guest Admiral_Antilles]

OOC: I am unsure what should happen, so I am just going to wing it.

 

IC:

 

Before Risak could answer the mercenary, streaming shots of plasma began pounding the depot. One shot connecting with an X-Wing blowing it up. Then coral skippers began turning around for another pass. “Hurry! Get to your fighters!” Evan said while running to his.

 

Risak gave waisted no time in standing there dumbfound. He began running towards the ladder to the right tower of the depot. Then he heard the call on his comlink that an enemy battalion had landed and troops where making they way to the depot. Only hurrying his pace further; he climbed to the top of the ladder and began searching the tower for the item he was to retrieve.

 

OOC: I had no idea what should happen next, so I will leave it up to you darky. Aren’t you lucky.

[ADarkJedi44]

When Shadow Wimg launched Evan could tell the situation was not good. A Huge Vong fleet had arrived. The rebel and mercenary capitol ships were ...they were leaving! "All units retreat," was the call over the comlink. Evan was unsure how to react, but he knew staying would only bring more slaughter. "Ok Shadow Wing retreat, but blow up anything you can on the way " A few Vong ships were destroyed as Shadow Wing moved to retreat. By the time Shadow Wing prepared to jump to hyperspace the whole Rebel/Mercenary fleet was gone. The failed to jump to hyperspace. Evan looked and saw an intredictor. Those few seconds of consideration would likely now cost him his life.

 

OOC:

[Trejiuvanat]

Iulan let out a long and exhausted sigh. The war had engulfed the entire galaxy in complete misery, worlds that once were beautiful and green had fallen in the hands of the life-thirsty Yuuzhan Vong. The impenetrable fortresses of the Empire had been reduced to dust and ruin. The handful of Rebel worlds had been shattered, their fleet only held together by the stubborness of their leaders that refused to die. The monstrous Empire had been humiliated by the small band of Jeedai Vong, but ther Jeedai Vong were too few, too weak to become the ultimate force in the galaxy.

The ultimate Force. The ultimate...

The Force had always been around him, it had become a companion in his most lonesome hours, a support in the most exhausting moment, a beacon of hope in thier darkest hour.

The Force was the power he could tap in to strengthen himself.

Power

Iulan refused the power that came with the Force. The dark power, the cold that would surround him, and whisper lies into his ears. The Jeedai Vong could not end this war, but he could.

He could call the dark side to him and defeat Evaders in an epic battle, he could use the Force to toss the Yuuzhan Vong into the void again, he could...

He could not do it. He may not be a Jedi, but he perfectly understood how abhorrent the dark side was.

The temptation was great, he could end the war that had destroyed all beauty of the galaxy, the war had stretched into weeks, weeks into months, and months into years. Now five years since the defection of Rjiuvan Shai the war had reached a sluggish hour, millions died each day, starved to their death, others were ruthlessly sacrificed, few specimens were genetically modified to become a new breed.

An animal shriek cut through his fear, his Yuuzhan Vong hand twitched lightly.

"News?"

Silence answered him.

"News from Yun-Kar'dah, the world has resisted another attempt of the Empire to retake it." Rjiuvan Shai reported little concerned for the event. Yun-Kard'ah was after Alderaan base their strongest base. Unless the Empire removed several fleet from the Expansion Region and Inner Rim, they should not be in position to retake the world once known as Carida.

"They will keep trying a few more days, a few more weeks. Not until they lose Bilbringi or Fondor will they focus on Carida."

"The Yuuzhan Vong have a strong presence in the Mid Rim, soon enough the Expansion Region will fall."

"Probably, I suggest we devote more resources to fortify our holdings, and we should defend Obroa-Skai if it ever falls under attack."

"The Rebellion has executed a brief campaign in the Outer Rim, they had a modest success."

"Interesting to note, which sector?"

"Near Agamar... Close enough to Yaga Minor. We have intercepted some transmissions, a Yuuzhan Vong Interdictor has been shifted to the area."

"Interesting, we will leave for Agamar. With seven Kat'nas, and the Chariot of God."

"Now?"

"Yes." Iulan said dreamy. The Force will tell you when to act, and where to go.

[ADarkJedi44]

The vong had taken the brunt of the damage, but Shadow Wing was very important to the rebellion. Evan immeditly thought of a way to save Shadow Wing. Skips were advancing on all directions. "Shadow Wing get out of here. I'll distract the skips." He turned off the com channel. He knew they would follow orders, though they would argue against it to the last. Now it was all him. He saw all his friends retreating. He saw their faces...and he kept that image in his mind. He wanted it to be the last thing he saw before he died. There was no hope for him.

 

He targeted the first skip and fired. He began a series of complex manuvers, fireing every second he could. The skips were so surprised, they were delayed for a few moments. That was all he needed. He smiled and saw that he was heavily damaged. It was over. He would die a hero's death.

 

Or so he thought.... The vong had no intention of letting him die. A few corralskippers used their dovin basals as tractor beams and brought him down to the planet.

 

There Evan was united with the commando team and the mercenaries, who had also been captured. All together in the end. Risak went up to him and whispered"I have the papers but it appears it was all for nothing."

 

OOC: Antilliles if you'd please I could use a little help here

[Trejiuvanat]

The Chariot dropped out of darkspace in the middle of a battle. A group of rebel and mercenary ships were withdrawing the battle, a loose screen of fighters were intercepting the coralskippers that intended to harm the bigger capital ships. Intelligence suggested that the Rebels had lost almost every ship bigger than a Mon Cal 80.

A squadron of X-Wings darted into the incoming wave of coralskippers, then halfway there, eleven of them broke away leaving a signle X-Wing to battle the vessel.

"There goes a brave one, he must have told his companions to leave after realizing the hopelessness of the situation," Rjiuvan commented.

"His bravery must not be in vain." Iulan spoke determined.

But as his lips ejected the sounds a dozen skips closed on him, using their dovin basal to tractor him to the ground.

"Capture?" Iulan asked.

"I'm not sure he could be seen too worthy by the Yuuzhan Vong fleet, it is odd, but I assume he knows something." Rjiuvan said calm.

"The location of the Rebel headquarters, most likely." Iulan conjetured, that single set of coordinates was given only to few individuals, and none of Iulan's attempts to gain it had worked.

"The Rebel fleet has entered hyperspace. The other Yuuzhan Vong is regrouping, they will move against us." The icyness in Rjiuvan's voice failed to subdue the desire for battle.

"I'm going to the ground, I need to talk to that X-Wing pilot." Iulan said. "Lead the fleet, if the Yuuzhan Vong start to withdraw let them go."

"They will not flee nor surrender." Rjiuvan finished sternly.

"But they might defect, my friend."

With that Iulan rushed out of the room and into the hangar, in the cockpit of his trusty TIE Defender he found his lightsaber recharging and the cloak that Rjiuvan had given to him. It's unique ooglith fiber made helped it to fit the surrounding thus a very useful device for infiltration.

Like a shadow I will move, but the light is my weapon.

Iulan exited the hangar and engaged the cloaking device. In the sensors he could see the battle unfolding, the Kat'na Dreadnaughts and the Chatiot were quicly defeating the enemy cruisers, as the Jeedai Vong coralskippers quickly annihilated the poorly trained Yuuzhan Vong.

Iulan turned away and into the planet, he quickly detected the small Yuuzhan Vong base, a squadron of coralskippers launched. Probably those that led the X-Wing on the ground.

The facily looked like a small factory, the damuteks around it suggested that the Vong still needed to cleanse it. Perfect!

Iulan landed and silently moved onward to the base, hidden by the cloak he moved to the center of their camp. He could distinguish the rasped voice of a senior Yuuzhan Vong and the youthful and despaired voice of a human.

Without any second thought Iulan jumped in, his lightsaber blazing in his right hand.

"Iulan?" The human called, the voice aroused some memories. A young man he had met too long ago.

"I am Iulan S'Tor, the God That Is, I command you to free these men."

"Yun-Yuzhan is the only God, our religion our only truth, now you will die."

A dozen warrior moved on him, from the corner of his eye he saw Evan's mixed expression of fear and relief.

Iulan smiled and drew on the Force.

[ADarkJedi44]

Evan stood and watched. Iulan began to destroy the Yuuzhan Vong with ease. What has happened to you, Iulan? He thought about running, but he knew they would never get away. He had a bad feeling about what would happen to him once Iulan had him, but he knew there was no other choice. Iulan finished off the Yuuzhan Vong and then..

 

Meanwhile...

 

Admiral Hawk stood on the bridge of the Wonderous. "Sir our forces are returning from the Agmar system"!

He turned to face his comm officer,"Damage reports?"

"They have suffered casulties but nothing we cannnot easily replace."

"How did the mission go?" Hawk demanded.

"Well sir the situation is complicated...

OOC: Let me live please!

[Trejiuvanat]

The last of the Vong perished without the slightest notion. A quick hack with the lightsaber ended with his life. Iulan allowed the Force to subdue his spirit enraged in the battle.

"Ensign Hechtman?" Iulan asked as he faced the young man.

But he wouldn't answer. Fear had paralyzed him, his eyes fixed on Iulan's right hand. The hand that he had lost in his only battle against Rjiuvan Shai, the one that the two had agreed to exchanged. Iulan now possessed the WArmaster's hand, Rjiuvan used a human hand on his right.

"Evan?" Iulan neared him hesitating.

"DON'T KILL ME, PLEASE!" Evan screamed in panic and jumped behind crouching.

Iulan laughed warmly.

"Evan, I'm not here to kill you. I am here to save, to talk to you."

The man could not wash away the expression of fear, but in his eyes Iulan knew that Evan was listening with interest.

"I have changed, Evan. I'm not the pilot you met years ago on Mon Remonda. I'm sure you aren't either Ensign Hechtman."

"It's commodere these days, yes, I have changed. WAr does that, but you. Your changes are..." He left the thought unfinished, but Iulan perfectly understood the meaning.

At times Iulan would not recognize the young man from COruscant in him, he had a hard time telling apart the memories of his youth, from dreams and visions.

"My changes have run deeper, Evan. The full tale is too grand to be told here, and I'm not certain if you would understand it. But the important thing is that since my escape from Krall from the Empire I have achieved much. There is a fraction of the Yuuzhan Vong, we call ourselves the Jeedai Vong, that has rebelled against the Supreme Overlord. For years we have waged war on the EMpire, exclusively, always preventing harm to come to you, to the REbels."

"Esseles!?" Evan cried out.

"Yes, Esseles where I sought to disable your ships rather than destroy them, or Devaron, were two asteroid ships halted the Yuuzhan Vong fleet while you escaped. You have seen us, I do not ask you to trust us, at least not yet. I can only ask you to hear our offer, to listen to us, will you?"

Evan hesitated and looked with suspicion at Iulan.

Then his answer came...

[ADarkJedi44]

Evan peered around nervously at the commandos and mercenaries. They looked as afraid as he was but it didn't look like any of them would object. Besides these Vong had tried to avoid destroying rebel forces. Perhaps they would propose an alliance.

"What is your offer?"

 

Somewhere else....

 

"OUR COMMANDO TEAM AND BEST PILOT WERE CAPTURED?" screamed Admiral Hawk.

"Yes sir," the comm officer replyed, obviously terrified,"the mercenaries have proposed an alliance though."

"WHO CARES ABOUT SOME MERCENARIES! ARE THEY GOING TO WIN THE WAR FOR US?

"Well no sir, but...

"GET A RESCUE OPERATION GOING ASAP!"

"Sir there were other vong in the..."

"I am not going to repeat it again."

"As ordered sir."

[Trejiuvanat]

Evan's answer subdued the fearful expressions of the commandos and mercenaries, but through the Force Iulan could feel their fear.

"What I offer is to end this war, by military means it is impossible for the Rebel Alliance to withstand the Yuuzhan Vong and the Galactic Empire, I am aware of the truce between Imperial and Rebel force, but even if you manage to topple the Yuuzhan Vong, the Empire will turn against you and crush. In the end you will lose."

Evan said nothing, that was alwayd the latent fear. But no Rebel would even dare to imagine annihilating the Yuuzhan Vong.

"Even if you added the firepower of the Jeedai Vong fleet, victory seems distant. I have in my possession most of the Katana Fleet, the Dreadnaught were refitted and converted to Jeedai Vong vessels, they are now part of the Kat'na fleet. As we speak eight of those Kat'na vessels are in orbit destroying the remainder of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet."

"It was you then, who beat us in the hunt, we had developed contingency plans to recapture the rest of the ships." Evan said, regretfully.

"Yes, I guessed most of it. I was also aware of the location of the rest of the Dreadnaughts. But the important thing is that not even the legendary Katana Fleet will defeat the Yuuzhan Vong. The key to their defeat is to understand them."

Iulan stretched out his Vong hand.

"I have understood them. They call me a God. A God That Is. The Force is something they don't possess nor understand, they have seen me use it, they have understood that I can master it, therefore they assume that I am closer to them than the gods that ordered them to conquer this galaxy. They are not evil by nature, they have been nomads for too long, they seek their homeworld. But my point is-

"Excuse me, Evan." Iulan said as he took out a small villip.

"Warmaster?"

The villip took the form of Rjiuvan's head. "My lord, the Yuuzhan Vong are withdrawing, I presume that another fleet is on its way!"

"Thank you, Rjiuvan." Iulan caressed the villip and it turned again into a faceless blob.

"You have heard, Evan. More Yuuzhan Vong oculd be coming, and this is not the place for a conference to discuss an alliance. You and your men have no vehicles, I checked your X-Wing when I landed it's in no shape to make a hyperjump. Allow me to extend an invitation for safe passage on the Chariot of God."

Evan swallowed hard, it was a difficult decision to make. Iulan could or couldn't be saying the truth. The universe turned compliicated for the young man.

His lips moved.

[ADarkJedi44]

He once again looked at the others. They didn't seem to like the prospect but it was obvious they didn't have much of a choice. Being on a Vong ship was the last place they wanted to be. He reluctantly replied.

"Let us go then."

[Trejiuvanat]

The answer lacked any real motivation or desire. It was the answer of a man who willingly walked into a certain death.

"You are afraid." Iulan noted.

"As any human would," Evan snapped lightly.

Iulan laughed.

"So, I'm not human anymore?" WIth his Vong hand he pointed to the exit and the commando team walked out. Without waiting for Evan's answer, Iulan took out the villip.

"Warmaster, I will need a ship for our guests."

"As you command, my Lord." The warmaster's face said.

"Look at you, Iulan. You are too Vong." Evan said evidently shocked.

"And that is so bad? They are not evil, Evan. They are simply different. Their situation is not different all that different from the Empire."

They kept walking to a clear landing. There next to Iulan's TIE a coral vessel waited for them.

"You won't be coming with us?" Evan asked.

"I have to take my ship back, none of the Vong likes to touch it." Iulan shrugged.

Before Evan could answer, Iulan intervened. "But you can fly it to the Chariot and I can fly with the commandos, so you won't need to worry about a betrayal."

Evan nodded. Iulan brought him to the TIE.

"You know how to pilot a TIE?"

"Only a TIe Fighter nothing like this." Evan said.

"For sublight it's not all to different from a TIE. The control are in the same place. For combat flying it has some tricky things, but otherwise it¿s pretty straightforward. The nav-comp has the location of my private hagar on the Chariot. Here take the helmet."

Evan put the helmet on.

Iulan left the cokpit and walked to the coral shuttle, as Evan's lit up the fighter and pointed towards the atmosphere. Iulan followed him with his eyes and then entered the shuttle.

A commando neared him. "You let him go?"

"It's all a matter of trust, my friend. I'm sure he knows that he can take the Defender into hyperspace and never come back. But he will be in the

Chariot, first because of your friendship in you and second because in the core of his being he already trusts me."

The shuttle trip from the ground to the ship was short and calm. Other than the humans discussing the oddities of the coral shuttle the ambience was that of silent admiration of their antagonists, and Iulan did not want to press a closer relation between both groups. The mercenary types in particular looked with disbelief at the Vong.

On the ship the shuttle landed on the ship. Iulan guided them to a quiet slightly inhabited section of the ship. Few Jeedai Vong were seen on the corridors. Rjiuvan Shai must have realized that neither party was ready to see each other yet.

Once the commandos were safe, Iulan went to his hangar were he found Evan checking his Defender out.

"How did you get it?" Evan asked. "Fully cloakable, invisble warheads, invisible lasers. A real ghost ship."

"I stole it from the Empire, I used it to escape them. By chance I went to Endor where I found this ship. I confronted the then-commander and both lost our hands. In the end he found a respect for me and the Force, and I saw in him a great warrior spirit. Over the years, I've matured and he has learnt much of me and of this galaxy. In a sense were both outcasts of our people. You will join me on the bridge, I need you to lead the fleet to your Rebel fleet, but I suggest you see the commandos and the mercs and talk to them. The mercs look like a troublesome group."

After a quick visit to the commandos Evan joined Iulan on the bridge.

"Warmaster Rjiuvan Shai meet Commodore Evan Hechtman." Iulan formally introduced the two warriors.

Shai in a humanstyle fashion offered his human hand to Evan who hesitatingly shook it.

Evan took a few moments to admire the bridge of the vessel.

He is learning Iulan thought, just as I did. Iulan smiled.

"Have we cleared the gravitational effect of the planet?" Iulan asked.

"Yes. Our Kat'nas are in escort formation, a few coralskippers are on their way back after I ordered them to investigate the debis of the Yuuzhan Vong fleet. Where are we going?" Rjiuvan asked.

"That's not for me to answer." Iulan replied. "Evan?"

Evan snapped out of his apreciation of the bridge procedures in such an alien environment.

"Dantooine, we are at DAntooine."

After the Jeedai Vong fleet was ready they entered darkspace.

The trip was short and quick. At the end they found a strong Rebel fleet mounting a defensive position.

"Come with me." Iulan ordered and led them to the secondary bridge where a holocommunication center had been set up.

"This is no longer our territory, Evan. Now it's up to you."

Evan nodded and stepped on the holotransmitter.

"Grand Admiral Hawk, this is Commodore Evan Hechtman transmitting, do not fire on the Jeedai Vong vessels. They are not hostile. Repeating-"

[ADarkJedi44]

Grand Admiral Hawk was in disbelief. This had to be some kind of a trick. It did sound like Evan but he could easily be replicated by some Vong device, or he could be captured and being forced to say whatever the Yuuzhan Vong wanted. He did not reply for a moment.

"Grand Admiral order your vessels in positions in which they would best be able to destroy us if you suspect a trick."

He had been about to launch his force to try to recapture Evan and the commandos, as such he did have a large force at hand. He thought for a moment.

"Get our forces in position around the Vong in case this is a trick", he ordered to his comm officer.

"Ok Evan Admiral Igracen on the Harmony will guide you in."

 

Evan nodded at Iulan.

"Take us in."