2,627Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Star Wars.
Here we are, took a long time but here is the last chapter of Legacy of House Ordo. It has been a long ride but all things have to come to an end eventually. I thank everyone that has read the story and again to those that reviewed. Your support has been amazing.
There are a couple of points in this chapter that were suggested to me by Tellemicus Sundance and Callum Runchman which I will reference to at the end of the chapter. Thanks to you both!
I will be posting the first chapter of my new Game of Thrones Story soon, set during the reign of the Mad King and will be Targaryen centric. All goes well I will be posting before the end of the week.
Review Responses from the Last Chapter...
Bob the mammoth – Indeed. Reactor shaft? Afraid not, couldn't find a drop big enough without the Death Star. Disney Star Wars? Not sure. Spaceballs 2? How?! After so many years they do it now? In regards to the jokes about sequels and all that, a lot I should think. I can't comment on the Acolyte because I haven't seen it but from what I have heard given how many years they spent developing it they did really poorly.
61394 – Afraid so. Good choices! Some of the Disney villians would make awesome Star Wars villains especially the ones you mentioned. This is the way.
BlackWatcher1234 – Unfortunately sacrifices must be made. Retirement in Star Wars tends to be temporary as so many characters retire only to be called back into action later.
chao-hellsing – Thank you! Appreciate you saying that as this is quite literally the biggest battle I have ever had to write.
YDdraigGoch94 – Satine? That happened back in the Clone Wars arc. She was murdered by Maul when he and his band of criminals tried to take over Mandalore.
starboy454 – Thanks!
Blaze1992 – Indeed, I think a lot of people in the Star Wars would prefer that.
HowInMadHowie – Your Omakes have been awesome! Loved them! I get what you say but Lusankya is canon or rather it used to be. It is stretching things a bit I agree but given Palpatine's vanity something small just would not be impressive enough. I mean look at the Death Stars, two moon sized planet destroyers!
SEEKER452 – A station will generally have far more crew than a ship even a big one.
sh777 – Cheers!
red demon161 – I know, this story has been a big part of my life for so long but I hope you all enjoy it! I know, it was a hard decision but I think it had to happen. Haron will always take care of his family whatever it takes.
That2-one3-girl4 – Thank You! I appreciate you saying that!
Just a Crazy-Man – Thanks!
Bia1230 – Glad you liked it!
Ptool – Really happy to hear you liked it!
Callum Runchman – I know, some people have criticized me for not killing characters off but in this chapter I felt it was needed. I know, I was going to have him leading the ground battle at first but given his strength at tactics he is best placed co-ordinating the battle and buying Anakin time to complete what they need to do. Unfortunately this is the end and I think it is probably the best place to end it.
Regtech – Indeed but they weren't warriors unlike the rest of the people in that battle so it was just the wrong mindset really.
DarthEmrys – That means a lot! It is probably the most intense chapter I think I have ever wrote but who knows. The confrontation will push Anakin to the limit and victory might not hinge on him. Thanks! This is the Way.
Guest – Cheers!
The Cowardly Christian – I hope not, the next story is pretty much ready to go and I will be using some of the names you suggested so thank you!
frankieu – Indeed, but he won't get far.
tf330129 – Appreciate the support!
MalSer – Thanks!
Jebest4781 – Glad that you enjoyed it! Thank you again for the support!
qwertyuiop123214685 – I know, who says he's gone forever?
- x -
Chapter 47 – Head of the Snake Part 3
Infinity, Coruscant Orbit...
Haron was back on the bridge of the Infinity and directing the battle, Deera was with him. He didn't want her to be alone right now and he was needed on the bridge so she remained at his side. Then the communications and scanner officers reported something urgently to him.
"We have a ship coming up from the surface...its another Super Star Destroyer!" The Scanner officer reported and Haron gritted his teeth with frustration, where the hell had that thing come from? He asked himself and was about to order them to open fire on it but then the communications officer spoke up.
"Mandalore, we have a transmission coming from Duchess Vysa. From onboard the Super Star Destroyer!" He told them with confusion which made Haron and Deera share a look of worry.
"Patch it through." Haron demanded and they did so.
"What the hell are you doing on that ship Vysa?" Deera demanded, still shaken by the lost of her wife and now deeply scared she was going to lose her sister too. Vysa's voice came through the channel with a response.
"We...kinda had too. Palps is on board trying to escape. Don't let the ship leave orbit!"
"Take the engine room if you can. Just be safe." Haron said after giving a sigh of anger at the situation. Seeing it could not be helped and they had to stop Palpatine before he escaped, so he looked around the battle field and gave new orders.
"Padisahah ships, surround the new ship and slow it down, give them time to secure it. Other ships continue to engage the Imperial fleet." Haron ordered and hoped that they had something great in mind because he could only keep that ship in Coruscant's gravity well for so long and if they hadn't gotten control of it by then...he shuddered to think just where they might end up.
- x -
The Padisahah Imperium ships began to form up and surrounded the Lusankya, Paul Atreides on the bridge of his new flagship, Atriedes's Legacy one of their new battleships gave his own orders with gritted teeth.
"Have the Jackels begin strafing runs on the Super Star Destroyer, corvettes hold back the Tie fighters. Heavy Cruisers lay down fire for any larger vessels that try to approach." Paul ordered with his mouth in a firm line, this was going to be hard. Knowing they were short on time he then gave another order. "Send a team of Sardaukar to board the Super Star Destroyer and assist our people there." He said, knowing the skilled Sardaukar would be a real benefit to the rebel forces aboard
Their new battleships were incredibly agile for their size and well armed so they were able to beginning harassing the larger ship but it was hard going he thought with some sweat on his brow and hoped they were able to hold the ship back.
At the same time a shuttle under escort of some Jackel fighters left the main flagship and approached the main hanger, the fighters peeled off to join the battle in space around them while the shuttle docked and the hanger bay personnel were greeted by a squad of highly trained and lethal Sarkaukar warriors who came out with the deadly intention led by Galen Marek who was feeling such fury at his father's death and needed this fight... to let his fury out.
Galen blasted all of the Imperial personnel with his powerful force wave, sending them flying across the landing bay as the Sardaukar came out behind him and starting shooting them while they flew through the air, slaughtering them all without a second thought as Galen blasted the few that they didn't shoot with force lightning that was strong enough to burn them to a crisp, making sure that they were all dead before they left to join the battle raging inside the ship.
- x -
Elsewhere outside the ship the battle was still raging, the enormous Asari dreadnought Crimson Midnight was exchanging fire with a bunch of Imperial ships while smaller Turian ships acted as their escorts.
The Asari weapons despite not being a particularly warlike species were the cutting edge of technology, they had developed mass driver cannons as a primary weapon along with powerful and efficient turbolasers and ion cannons but the shells used by the cannons were smart shells. Each fitted with a mass reduction field to make them travel even faster when fired as they became essentially weightless, able to punch through an enemy's hull and explode inside or achieve whatever other effect they were set for. They also had a system of point defence laser cannons that was very similar to the Mandalorians own system to ensure their protection from fighters, bombs and missiles.
This mass reduction system also made their fighters weigh next to nothing in combat, meaning they could move faster than any other fighter on the field, even the Mandalorian ships. They had yet to make the system large enough to move anything bigger than a shuttle but they were working on it, the Mandalorians had covertly been scanning them from the start of the fight and had been taking careful detailed notes of the system so they could one day create a similar system themselves.
- x -
Back onboard the Lusankya, Anakin and the surviving attack force pressed forward through the ship, Anakin stopped as they reached a key junction feeling the most intense dark side presence that he had felt in years. He was close Anakin realised and felt Palpatine was waiting for him, gritting his teeth he cast his senses out further and sensed the minds of people who were oppressed elsewhere on the vessel and a plan formed in his mind.
"Luke, take half of our people and go to the lower decks. There are prisoners there, I can sense them and they may be willing to join our fight. Meetra, take some others and secure the engine room." Anakin ordered and Luke asked him with concern.
"What about you?" They all knew the dangerous situation they were in and the last thing they needed was him going off on some solo thing.
"Palpatine, he waits nearby. You all need to make sure this ship doesn't escape and I need to ensure he doesn't. I need you all to do your parts...while I do mine." Anakin said, feeling a chill running through him at the idea of facing Palpatine but it had to be done and they had to make sure that this ship was secure.
"Facing him alone will be dangerous. But I sense you must be the one to do it. We will come to assist when the ship is secure." Meetra told them which shocked all of them but she had a knowing look in her eyes, she could tell this was his destiny so she told Luke. "This is his destiny, he has his task to do and we all have ours."
Anakin nodded and told them. "Get to it, take the ship and free those prisoners. Go." He told them and seeing R2 was going to follow him Anakin smiled and said. "Stay with Luke, he will need your help."
R2 gave a distressed whine but did as Anakin asked as he went to face Palpatine and end this for good.
- x -
Anakin made his way now alone towards the centre of the ship and felt the vile presence of Sidious even greater now. He grimaced at how out of balance Sidious/Palpatine was, Anakin thought with disgust. Even the most corrupt individuals that he had met had some light in them somewhere deep down but not him, Palpatine was literally the dark side incarnate...itself in a twisted human form...it was disgusting to see what he had done to himself but at least his outer appearance now matched the inside Anakin thought with disgust as he finally came across him and saw the ravages of the dark side had taken on him.
Even through the heavy cloak he was wearing Anakin could see the wrinkled and extremely pale skin stretched over his bones and he looked as thin as a rake. He was a wasted figure of a human and had virtually no hair on his head beyond a few tiny wisps that fell around his eyes.
"Greetings Anakin, I've been expecting you." Palpatine said with a grin that made his face stretch so much his skin should have split. "Are you ready to die? I would hate it if you were not prepared."
Taunting me? At a time like this? Anakin thought with disbelief as clearly the man had lost his mind and the reason became abundantly clear as the skeletal wreck of a man pulled a large injector from inside his cloak and seeing the glowing orange substance Anakin knew what it was. While they had little in the way of relations with the Padisahah Imperium they were aware of the special spice that they had and the effects it had on not only normal humans but particularly force sensitives. Enhancing their powers but at the cost of not only severe mutations and deformities but also the eventual lost of sanity if it was consumed too much.
Palpatine then proceeded to inject himself with the full dosage, the scale of his addiction showing with the bliss on his face at the substance coursing through his veins. How he had gotten to this point Anakin did not know but the surging of the force within Palpatine made Anakin ignite his lightsaber, gritting his teeth with anxiety as Palpatine laughed with a cackling glee that was inhuman and devoid of sanity as their battle began.
- x -
Meetra as she led a force of Mandalorian warriors, Sardaukar, Rebel soldiers and the new Luxan warriors who were a species that she had never heard of until today wondering if the galaxy had ever been this united before, so many factions at once working together towards one goal.
She knew it wouldn't last, politics and other problems would dig in wedges between them sadly but for now, they were working together which did bring a small smile to her face.
They proved their unity and their great skills though, the Rebel soldiers though had little to do as the Mandalorians, Luxans and Sardaukar burst into the room, moving at a speed that would have seemed impossible for most Non-Force Users but they were experts at fighting and knew what they were doing. Moving without a single wasted effort they made every shot count as they made their way through the engineering decks, being so careful to not damage any equipment that they might need. Sabine Wren, the leader of the Mandalorian ground forces worked the controls and smirked as she reported.
"I've put the Navigation Computer into a diagnostic mode unless I put in the right command code, that will keep them from jumping to hyperspace for at least two hours." Sabine reported and Meetra nodded in approval, sure that Canderous would have been proud to see that the Mandalorians had lost none of their efficiency or effectiveness in all of the centuries that had passed since the Mandalorian Wars if anything they were better now than they had ever been before she thought with some worry at that and what it might mean for the future.
But Sabine proved her intelligence as worked her slicer kit on the main power control console and laughed in triumph as she made another alteration to the system. "And we just shut down power to the weapon systems."
"Excellent work." Meetra said with a smirk, knowing that without hyperdrive or weapons the Lusankya was just an extremely large sitting duck and with no means of escape. Seeing this as the opportunity she called out to the other forces on board. "Can any one take auxiliary control or the bridge? We have control of engineering so we have control of the engines. If we can take either of them then we can jump the ship ourselves to a better location." Meetra said with the idea that if they could take the ship back to friendly space then they would take it over properly. It was risky as they still had far less people on board than the ship had crew but this was their best shot she thought as she gritted her teeth.
"We'll see what we can do." The answer came back from Luke and Mara, not to mention another male voice that she didn't recognise but she could clearly sense an extremely powerful presence in the force unlike any that she had sensed before.
- x -
The lower cargo holds had been converted in holding areas on Lusankya as it would when buried serve as a secret prison for particularly important prisoners, cells were stacked one on top of each other in tiny cubes that were intentionally made uncomfortable for the prisoners.
There were a lot of turrets and Stormtroopers keeping watch over the area and the prisoners but they were outnumbered when Luke and Mara led their forces into the area, deflecting turret fire back at the turrets and Stormtroopers alike as they pushed into the area. Luke and Mara seemed to dance around the enemy, moving in tandem with each other and cutting down enemies as they got close to them, they paved the way for the Rebel Soldiers accompanied by Wookiee warriors who added their own fire to the evolving small battle.
The prisoners heard the sounds of battle and all of them even the most cynical felt a surge of hope as the possibility of rescue or escape reared its head. They pressed their ears to the doors and all had to step back quickly as R2 opened the cells and allowed all of the prisoners out. They were somewhat unsteady on their feet and their eyes had trouble adjusting to the light as they emerged from their cells. All of them dressed in orange jumpsuits with barcode bracelets as they stepped out of their cells, looking around in confusion at the strange situation they found themselves in.
The bodies of Stormtroopers and Imperial wardens made it clear to all of them that this was indeed a liberation and the couple of Wookiees prisoners present roared out in excitement before picking up discarded weapons from the dead Stormtroopers to join in the fight while other prisoners were slower to react but they too soon joined the fight.
They when combined with the rebel soldiers and Wookiees outnumbered the prison staff were surrounded and forced to surrender or killed while a few ran to other areas of the ship to seek safety with out crew.
The Wookiee leading his people's warriors upon seeing the sight of one Wookiee prisoner cried out in a joyful roar. The other Wookiee echoed his roar and they hugged each other, it was lucky they were both Wookiees as the strength of that hug would likely have crushed the ribcage of a more physically frail species.
"Does he know him?" Mara asked as she looked at them and Luke smiled before asking the Wookiee leader.
"Friend of yours Chewie?" Luke asked Chewbacca who made a lot of roars and growls and other noises that were basically just random sounds to many of them but Luke understood their language Shyriiwook and smiled as he told them.
"Old comrade in arms that he thought was dead."
Mara nodded while wondering just how Luke had learnt to understand the language, she could speak many languages herself, her training as a spy and assassin had made it a requirement but she she had never managed to get the hang of that one much to her frustration.
As she was thinking on that one of the prisoners, a human female with dark red hair was spotted by the leader of the Rebel Commandos who cried out in joy at seeing her.
"Kath!" He shouted with both longing and Kath turned to look, her eyes growing full of tears as she looked at the man that she had been scared that she might never see him again. She ran across the room and jumped into his arms which wrapped her in his warm and safe embrace while the tears fell from her eyes.
"Rand." She said to her husband as he held her tightly, they had never even dared hope that they would see each other again after she had been captured, especially as she had been brought here to Coruscant and locked up in a secret prison that no-one outside of the upper Imperial leadership even knew was there. She had been certain that she would live out the rest of her likely very short number of days here and never see the sun or indeed the outside world ever again and yet Rand had found her she thought with joy, starting to believe that maybe the force was merciful and had delivered them together again.
Rand was barely holding his own tears at bay as he held his wife, feeling nothing but the greatest joy that he had finally managed to find Kath again! He had never given up hope that she was alive, everyone had told him that she was dead and to give up but he just couldn't he thought with a smile his nose was tickled by her hair. She was his only reason for living and he would never give up on her! He thought with determination, he had led so many raids on Imperials prisons looking for even the smallest sign of her and yet it was only on the last one that he had found out that she was being held on Coruscant somewhere and now here she was...alive and in his arms like a miracle that he had never thought would happen.
But there was a younger man that was looking out of place, not sure just what to do or say as none of the people around him were familiar and he had no idea just what to say, he unlike them had not been a captured dissenter or rebel but instead an Imperial Officer who had discovered too much and again his mind turned to his older brother who like him had served in the Imperial Military. By the force let him be alright, Dellis thought with fear that he would have been held responsible and ended up either dead or imprisoned himself. Brenn was so good of a man, Dellis thought with worry that something awful might have happened to his brother, he should never have been serving the Empire.
But then, a voice that was somewhat familiar called out.
"Dellis Tantor?" A male voice called out and a man in Rebel Commando combat dress waved him over, Dellis was confused but the voice was definitely familiar. Fortunately seeing the confusion on Dellis's face the man introduced himself. "Gana Lant, I served with your brother in the Empire."
"Is Brenn okay?" Dellis asked desperately wanting to know if he still had a brother and Gana smiled before telling him what he needed to know so badly.
"He's fine, he defected to the Rebellion and took a fair few of us with him after you...well died." Gana said. "He's one of the most decorated generals in the Alliance now, he planned a lot of the ground tactics we used today and I know he will be happy to see you." He knew the death of his brother had haunted the general for years and he would be so happy to see him alive.
Dellis almost cried in relief, Brenn was alive and he had taken the fight to the Empire itself. Dellis knew that his brother was who possibly the best ground forces commander of his generation would have hammered the Empire and made them bleed he thought and done his best to avenge their father and him too. He just hoped that his workaholic brother had managed to make something of a personal life and he would make sure that he would if not Dellis thought with determination.
Luke then got all of their attention with a loud noise and gave a speech to the gathered prisoners.
"I know that all of you suffered a great deal but I have to ask you to help us. We need to take this vessel, if Palpatine manages to take this ship into his hiding places then we will likely all disappear to never be heard from again. We haven't got enough people to take this ship without your help...help us take this ship or everything we have done is for nothing." Luke told them with the hope that they would join them as it would give them a few hundred people extra to help take and run the vessel.
The prisoners were nervous about the thought of such a fight but the idea of freedom not to mention the fear of where they might end up if they failed to take the ship struck at them deeply.
Slowly though they joined in, taking up weapons from the weapon lockers left by the guards along with some spares or captured weapons provided by the Rebel Soldiers in their battle to take over the Lusankya and secure their freedom.
- x -
Anakin would have been proud to see his son leading the fight to take over the Lusankya but at that moment he was in the middle of a far more brutal fight of his own.
Anakin gritted his teeth as Palpatine blasted him with streams of green coloured lightning, this lightning was strange compared to the blue lightning he had used before. It was more like a beam of constant energy that Anakin wasn't even sure his lightsaber would be able to stop, meaning his only choice was to run and keep running and dodging it. Palpatine was laughing like a madman with his cackling voice as he made Anakin run around the room in an effort to stop himself from being electrocuted.
Hoping to break Palpatine's momentum, Anakin took the yellow lightsaber he had used from time to time when pretending to the 'Masked Jedi' even if he had begun to share that duty with Luke on occasion and threw it with the force straight at Palpatine, its yellow blade singing as it moved through the air with him using the force to keep the blade active.
He blessed the force as although it did not hit Palpatine in the chest or head which was what Anakin had been aiming for but instead managed to slice through one of his hands at the wrist before falling to the side.
Palpatine yelled in pain and snarled at Anakin who realised that he was unable to keep up that stream of green lightning without both hands and it seemed he could not blast him with the full fore of his blue lightning either as Palpatine proved when he tried to retaliate with a blast from his remaining hand. It lacked the full might of its usual strength and Anakin was easily able to block it with his lightsaber. Pulling the yellow one back to his hand he put it on his belt in case he needed it and went to attack Palpatine before the wreck of a man pulled a lightsaber out from his sleeve and ignited it, revealing a red blade. But then he seemed to vanish into green smoke before Anakin's eyes.
Anakin was shocked and tense as he could still sense his presence but it was so strange and hard to follow, seeming to be all around him but then a split second warning came just in time to step to side, the red blade of Palpatine singeing the fabric of his armour and breaking his yellow lightsaber in half but as Anakin went to attack Palpatine disappeared again.
Anakin could feel the sweat on his brow as he had never heard of any powers like this, wondering just where Palpatine had learnt them but he then had to duck and roll as Palpatine came at him again and narrowly missed his head this time! He tried to blast Palpatine with a force push but the Sith had already turned back into vapour and disappeared.
Anakin knew he was in trouble and had to keep his wits about him as he tried to find some way to get Palpatine still long enough and solid enough that he could pin him down and kill him. He had to prove his own physical prowess as Palpatine kept attacking him from random directions and Anakin had to do his best to dodge it.
He called on the force forms that Master Tuwan had taught him a long time ago and felt his force connection heightening as he drew on each one, giving him a bit more warning of each attack and and reducing his own physical exhaustion as he moved, drawing more on the force to guide his movements and to stay ahead of Palpatine until he could find a way to attack him.
This went one for some time and the more Anakin drew on the force, there seemed to be a bright aura appearing around him which got brighter and brighter the more he channelled the force. That seemed to scare Palpatine who was struggling to maintain the rapid changes from solid to vapour form and was finding it harder and harder to keep up.
Seeing this glow scared Palpatine who was feeling more and more worried as Anakin was not weakening as he had imagined and was actually thinking and planning ahead which was not his way or at least had not been when they had known each other, clearly things had changed Palpatine realised and he could feel it getting harder and harder to return to physical form so he moved himself to the other side of the room and solidified, knowing he would need to do something else.
He held up his remaining hand and as Anakin watched green energy appeared around it, at first nothing seemed to be happening but then sounds of struggling came from inside the storage units on the sides of the long room hall which confused Anakin as he couldn't feel anything living in there, droids maybe but what emerged was far worse.
The doors on the storage units opened and decomposing bodies burst out, screeching an awful sound that he honestly could never describe. But what unnerved Anakin so much was that he recognised them, Ki-Adi Mundi, Cin Drallig, Serra Keto, Pablo-Jill and then the legendary Jedi Master Kirak Infil'a among others that he recognised from the temple. They were all dead but the force presence around them, it was revolting...the perversion of this made Anakin shiver in disgust and worse they ignited lightsabers.
Anakin pulled Mace Windu's lightsaber from his waist and ignited it, the purple blade joining his blue one as he readied himself.
The Jedi 'Zombies' charged at him, Anakin gritted his teeth and began to parry their strikes. Clearly they retained none of their skill at fighting he realised as they swung their weapons wildly like puppets on a string which he realised catching a glimpse of the smirking Palpatine was exactly what they were and he used Ataru and Soresu to parry and slash at them when the opportunity arose but as he impaled Ki-Adi's corpse with his lightsaber he made a nasty discovery.
You can't kill the dead twice. Mundi's corpse just screeched at him again as the blade remained lodged in his chest and Anakin with a look of horror pulled it out and slashed at his waist but that did nothing as the corpse came back together again and continued to attack.
Twenty of them were now lunging at him from all sides it seemed and he was having to devote all of his energy to eluding them, blocking their attacks as he had no way to physically destroy them!
Sweat covered his brow as he was not able to get at Palpatine from where he was, the dead blocked his path, leaving him with no way to escape!
- x -
Infinity, Allied Flagship...
Haron was struggling to keep the battle contained, the Imperials thankfully were now in complete disarray and no longer working as an organised force but as a chaotic mess. He had reorganised the fleet around Lusankya and they were creating a defensive perimeter. Reports had reached him that they were making progress in fighting the Imperials onboard but the ship was not fully theirs yet which made him hope with some desperation that they were close.
But then he sensed something, something that he had not felt since his first life as Harry back on Earth.
The magic used to create the Inferi as they were known, animated corpses that would be nothing but husks at the will of the caster. Magic that he had made illegal as he knew given the strange title of Master of Death that he had...it was far more of a perversion than that.
The soul even after leaving the body remained tied to it, so when it was animated by the corrupt magic the soul would feel it in the next world and experience the pain and desecration of the body. It revolted him to think that any one had discovered the way to copy that vile practice here and he took a deep breath to do something that he had not had to do in this lifetime...cut the link so the dead could rest.
He began to quietly summon his magic and repeat a set of words over and over again under his breath. Concentrating his mind and magic to a specific purpose.
"Eternal peace, eternal rest, eternal peace, eternal rest."
- x -
Chamber, Lusankya...
Anakin was starting to lose his strength as the corpses of dead Jedi continued to attack him while Palpatine just laughed at him from the side, now utterly confident of victory.
But then they both felt the force surging around the dead bodies. Palpatine lost his smirk and tried to dispel the presence but whoever it was that was doing this was better at magic than he was. He struggled but the pressure of the other caster did not stop and slowly the attacking bodies stopped still and fell to the ground, returning to their deceased state and no longer puppets to Palpatine's will.
Anakin was confused but felt that the other presence responsible for this was familiar now that he wasn't distracted by fighting for his life. Smiling he said quietly.
"Thank you Haron." Anakin had no idea just how Haron had managed to do this but it could not have come at a better time he thought with gratitude for his interference.
Now he turned his attention back to Palpatine who was looking confused and angry that someone had interfered in his fun but then seeing Anakin now free to attack him he had no choice but to turn to vapour and continue their battle that way but Anakin tightened his grip on both lightsabers and prepared himself for the coming fight.
- x -
Bridge, Lusankya...
The bridge of the massive starship was one of the most reinforced points on the ship, the command centre was too valuable to lose especially as they were losing so much of the ship already.
But as the officers went about their duties the blast door to the bridge was suddenly wrenched open! Being forced open by an extremely pissed off Galen Marek while Sardaukar and Mandalorian warriors ran in from behind him, shooting down the Imperials until they had secured the bridge.
The Mandalorians immediately once the bridge was secure took the various stations and Galen reported to both Meetra and Haron.
"This is Marek, the bridge is secure. Repeat, the bridge is secure."
The channel was silent only for the briefest moment before Meetra responded first.
"Good work, we're unlocking the hyperdrive and navigation computer now." Meetra said and Haron then added.
"All ships, prepare to receive jump co-ordinates and go to hyperspace. All fighters return to carriers we are leaving!" He called out and the warrior on the helm station reported to Galen a short while after as the fighters pulled back to the ships that could carry them.
"The hyperdrive and navi-computer are unlocked. Co-ordinates received." The man told him and Galen nodded before they received the order from Haron.
"Jump."
The engines of the great ship along with the remaining ships in the fleet roared to life as they made the leap into hyperspace, leaving Coruscant far behind as they returned the same way that they had come.
- x -
Back in the chamber where Anakin and Palpatine were having their duel, they were locked in a desperate struggle as Anakin just could not pin Palpatine down!
The bastard was there one moment and gone the next Anakin thought with frustration as he disappeared as he was about to get him only to reappear from another direction and continue attacking him.
But it was this exact moment that the Lusankya jumped to hyperspace, a different dimension in space-time which was what allowed ships to cover the vast distances necessary to move about the galaxy. But as a different dimension, it had its own rules and physics that were different to those in normal space.
Palpatine who had just launched a particularly vicious jab at Anakin was about to disappear again when suddenly he found himself unable too! It was as if someone had switched on a damper and jammed that ability, leaving him unable to turn back into vapour again but there was another effect to this. His shock at suddenly losing the ability that was allowing him to get the upper hand against Anakin who on instinct swung his lightsaber around and impaled Palpatine with Windu's lightsaber straight in the heart, burning a hole straight through his chest.
Palpatine's eyes widened as he felt it, looking down in shock while Anakin glared at him and smirked.
"No fancy tricks this time." He taunted Palpatine and pulled the lightsaber from his chest and sensing the coming blast, Anakin force pushed Palpatine to the other side of the room as a blast of dark side energy ripped out of the dying Sith Lord, screaming in pain and fear as his existence came to an end.
Anakin had to wrap the force around himself to protect himself but the instant relief he felt afterwards was stunning as for the first time in his and most other peoples lifetimes, they did not feel the force being tainted by Palpatine. Every force user across the galaxy regardless of what side of the force they followed felt the instant change and wondered what had happened.
Only those with the experience that came with years of learning and channelling the force really guessed it meant the end of the Sith Lord that had slithered his way into power over the galaxy and the change as the force felt more in balance than it had in centuries.
Anakin smiled in relief, glad that for the moment at least...the battle was done. The war would go on but the galaxy was at last free of Palpatine and would he hoped at least have a chance at a return to a more peaceful and just existence.
Naboo Plains, Naboo...The Next Day...
As the fleet came to Naboo to recover and assess everything that had happened the true cost of their assault became apparent, a third of their fleet had been lost and the ground forces had suffered worst of all with nearly half of their people dead. Rex and Wolffe were distraught about Gregor and they were not the only ones, he had seen a lot of people in mourning Anakin thought with sadness at the loss of so many people but they had struck a blow at the heart of the Empire and taken down the Emperor along with much of the upper leadership of the Empire.
Anakin did feel a sense of accomplishment at that.
But before they celebrated their achievement they had a solemn duty to carry out, one that was long overdue.
Over twenty small pyres had been erected, on each one was one of the Jedi bodies that had been retrieved from the storage units on Lusankya and more that had been killed in the attack which had been retrieved. Around the pyres as they were set alight were every Jedi that was at present on Naboo along with some others who had come to pay their respects.
Each pyre was individually set on fire and they bowed their heads in respect, they had all given their lives for what they believed in and that would be honoured.
But at the same time, all across the galaxy...the people were celebrating.
From the Outer Rim to the Inner Core all across the galaxy people were cheering in the streets. There was a genuine feeling of joy and hope for the future as the man that had led the oppressive regime for so many years was finally dead.
- x -
Theed, Naboo...That Night...
Fireworks erupted in the night's sky as the people of the city partied with the members of the taskforce regardless of where they came from. Cheers of 'Wesa Free!" and other such chants filled the night air along with music as they celebrated what they hoped was the beginning of the end for the Empire. There was still a hard struggle ahead of them, the Empire was not going to go quietly into the night but now it lacked real leadership and had lost more ships than they had at Coruscant.
Anakin and Luke stood with Mara as they met with Padme, Leia and Mace. The hug they had gotten from each of them was so joyful as they had all made it home safe and sound. They saw Brenn Tantor hug his brother with so much emotion that they rarely saw in the general which brought more smiles for those that knew him and how rare this was.
Ahsoka and her family arrived with Allara, Kahr, Tash, Zak and Wila, all joining in the hugs and party, while this was happening though, Luke asked Anakin.
"Could we talk?"
"Course." Anakin said, wondering just what his son had on his mind. They walked a short distance away after excusing themselves and Luke showed him the old lightsaber he had found.
"I found this in the Emperor's library, it belonged to Darth Malgus, a Sith Lord from the Old Sith Empire. He did a lot of horrible things but there was something that I felt I needed to bring up...he made light of the Jedi rejecting people who had the force but not strongly. I know they might not be as powerful as others but that doesn't mean they won't have something to contribute. Wasn't there a Jedi in the Clone Wars that was weak in the force but still managed to become a member of the Order? Will the Jedi be doing that again?" Luke asked with intensity.
Anakin was surprised as he had never really thought about it but he remembered the Jedi Luke had been talking about, Tallisbeth Enwandung-Esterhazy otherwise known as Scout. She had been an exceptional Jedi he remembered with a small smile, never having let her lack of force potency stop her. She had mastered what power she did have and made the most of it while using armour and equipment to make up for any shortcomings that she might have and having become an exceptional combatant in both unarmed fighting and lightsaber duelling, even developing some underhanded tricks that had gotten her some notoriety but Anakin admired her for it.
He smiled and told his son.
"The Order will not turn anyone with the force away, however little they might have it if they can use it then they can learn with us and we will help them find ways to adapt for any shortcomings that they might have. Given the Order is still somewhat limited in number despite all of our new recruits we will need anyone we can get." Anakin told Luke who nodded and said with a smile.
"Thank you father, I just feel they deserve a chance." Luke admitted and Anakin agreed with him before Luke rejoined the party.
Then out of the corner of his eye Anakin saw glowing figures; Yoda, Mace Windu, Revan and Qui-Gon all stood there smiling at him and he nodded to them with a smile of his own before going to re-join his family, the sight of them reassuring that things were at last going right and soon to take a turn for the better.
- x -
Haron unfortunately was having to comfort not only Deera and her daughters after Zara's death but also deliver the painful news to Luna about her husband although she already knew, he had long given up asking how she knew things so far in advance but regardless she was still devastated as were her boys. He had done his best to comfort them but he honestly felt that his efforts were incredibly underwhelming and insufficient which made him feel wretched before he mentally hit himself as knew it was not about him, he needed to be there for them so they knew they were not alone!
Ara sat with their children and Vysa along with her daughter as they did their best to comfort Deera and her girls, while the city celebrated. It felt disrespectful especially after so many had died but it was a genuine moment to be hopeful for the future.
But even without Ara reminding him, Haron knew the real issues might be about to begin. A lot of factions that had been allied against the Empire might no longer be so willing to work together, the Rebellion for example was sure to build some kind of replacement Republic and that wouldn't go down so well with not only his own people but the Separatist Alliance among others and that was just for starters he thought with worry that further civil war was inevitable but between their former allies.
For this moment though, Haron thought with some determination not to think the worst of their situation, they were hopeful of the future and ready to do their best to make the new galaxy a better one than the one that had come before. Conflict would occur, it was natural but hopefully he reasoned it did not need to be as harsh or as long lasting as the war they had been fighting.
Epilogue...
And Anakin was right, for a time at least, things did take a turn for the better.
With the victory at Coruscant and the death of the Emperor, Padme formed her new government...one that she had been designing for quite some time to make it better than the one that had come before.
Naming it the Galactic Commonwealth, named so it would be known as the direct successor of the Galactic Empire and the Republic. A Senate would exist but instead of it holding absolute power or that being invested in one person as it had been with the Chancellor or the Emperor, there would be three elected triumvirs so that no one person had total power but there was enough flexibility for it to be effective in governing their territory. Padme was duly elected the first Triumvir and new senators elected for the reformed senate before the second and third triumvirs were chosen. Admiral Ackbar was named Supreme Commander of all Military forces and from there he would establish the Galactic Commonwealth Armed Forces.
Every world that was a part of the Rebel Alliance was automatically admitted and for the moment until Coruscant could be retaken due to its symbolism as the so-called 'centre of the galaxy' they named Lusankya as the temporary moving capital for their new government along with being the flagship of their navy although for obvious reasons the Senate and Triumvirs would never be onboard when the ship went into battle. Mon Calamari, Kashyyyk and with some reluctance Corellia joined not long after.
The first cracks however appeared when many Rift Alliance powers such as the Mandalorians, the Separatist Alliance, the Than Hegemony and others chose not to join it. They preferred to stay independent and would not compromise their stance. Worried rumbles appeared from all sides as it seemed that a new potential war was brewing between the former allies. The Underworld Alliance likewise began negotiations of its own to move its operations into those independent galactic states in anticipation of the inevitable crackdown on their lawless elements.
It seemed that the only thing that was keeping the peace was that the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order and the Mandalore were friends.
But as things seemed bleak for them all, news arrived that seemed to bring some hopeful spark to the situation...Leia was pregnant.
Both Ordo and Skywalker families were excited by the news and many especially the Jedi wondered if this birth was something they should allow. After all the two bloodlines were the strongest in the force that had ever been known and a child of the two combined could be far more powerful than any other force user ever seen. The months went by and eventually Leia gave birth to her son, as they had predicted...the boy was powerful far stronger than his own mother or father and with the training that the Mandalorians would no doubt give him he would be near unstoppable.
But for now he was just child and both families guarded him fiercely as they would the other children that Leia and Markus would have over the years. Naming their eldest Validus Ordo he would not just train with his Mandalorian grandparents but with his Jedi Grandfather too, spending time in both and in other places as he grew so he would know the wider galaxy.
But while raising her son and managing the world that she now ruled with her husband as Haron and Ara stepped back so their son and daughter in law could run Reijar, Leia would create a new class of Akaan, a class that would work within their space to resolve problems and ensure the safety and well-being of their people known as the Baatir, answering only to the Mandalore himself and the head of their order. Something that would finally see Leia accepted as a member of their people and a leader among their kind.
Anakin though had other things to distract him during this time he was rebuilding the Jedi Council, establishing a new governing body for the order as it rose from the ashes and out of hiding. He was somewhat nervous given how his own experience with the previous version but it was a necessity for making sure the Jedi Order ran smoothly as it reformed.
He offered Kagame a seat on the Council but he declined, saying it was not his way and he had more work to do out in the galaxy which Anakin understood and envied, it was for the same reason that he had not offered Luke or Mace a seat on the council as the galaxy needed a couple of maverick Skywalkers out there he thought with amusement.
But he did convince Masters Depa Billaba and Satele Shan to take seats on the new council, they had the wisdom and experience that it sorely needed and to keep them honest with some strong arguing he managed to get Meetra Surik to join them as a maverick voice that would be essential going forward.
Kazdan Paratus came out of hiding and rejoined the main order, while Kerra Holt and Bao-Dur to continue their journeys across the galaxy to bring his own experiences to the table not to mention his technical expertise.
His own former apprentice Kahr would take a seat on the Council too, his natural compassion and good humour would be needed there while Dar Singe a Zabrak male and a former student of Master Marva Zane was a stern face of disciple if they required it.
Joc Sah was human male who had been a padawan during the Clone Wars but survived even when his master hadn't, joining the Rebellion he had become a commander in the organisation and would brought some of that experience with him even if others like Anakin and Meetra were experienced too.
Kira Vantala was a dark skinned female human who had spent much of the years after Order 66 seeking out force sensitives in danger from the Empire around the galaxy and moving them to safety. Her visions were impressive and might be useful to the council in making decisions.
But Anakin knew the Council would need people that would not be afraid to speak up if he was wrong, so he had brought some members on specifically for that. Not that they would always reject what he said but that they would make sure to speak up if it was needed.
Ferus Olin and Tru Veld despite having joined his little group of Jedi during the Clone Wars had been rivals of his when they had all been padawans and would not hesitate to speak out if they were concerned. Ferus in particular was not shy with his opinions and Tru Veld would act as a bridge between them if needed, not to mention being something of a odd personality not least of which due to his habit of always having a pouch of sweets with him to share with his friends.
The final member he knew would certainly argue with him, Olana Chion had been his biggest opponent in the Order during the old days and her stance while having softened a little was still harsh. She had been running a small Jedi Commune in the Outer Rim before they emerged from hiding and Anakin wanted her to question him, to force him to think about his choices and see other potential paths ahead.
But that was not the only thing Anakin formed. Many smaller Jedi sects had formed over the years like the Ryloth Jedi, the Dac Jedi, the Ossus Keepers and the Watchmen as the Separatist Jedi had renamed themselves. All Jedi but not the same as each other and while he respected their independence he wanted to maintain some level of communication between all of the sects, so Anakin managed to convince them to form a separate council made up of the leaders of each group so they could hare concerns and discuss different viewpoints and potential issues.
And they would need that unity in the years to come as unknown to them two threats were growing in the dark, one far greater than the other. A cult arose in secret in worship of one of the most powerful Sith Lords in history, Marka Ragnos and would work to see to his return once they had acquired his mighty sceptre. They were the smaller and less dangerous threat.
The other was something made by Palpatine although he had no concept of the dangerous thing he was creating, when cloning the Pureblooded Sith on Byss he had thought that he could bend them to his will. One of the most force sensitive species in the galaxy and with genetic memories of their ancient past brought forth by the cloning procedure they were no pawns to his whims. They had rebelled and taken control of the planet Byss for themselves along with all of the Imperial forces stationed there. When Grand Admiral Rae Sloane led a force of surviving Imperials there as she had been instructed in case Palpatine had been slain she had been shocked to not find the Emperor there but the Pureblood Sith who had tortured her to death to break her forces and bring them under their command. They did not however immediately launch out into the galaxy as they were solidifying their forces and building up their foothold in the Deep Core.
However while nearly all of the different Jedi Sects did join this new Council, one did not. The Blood Guard of Thisspias led by the planet's Blood Monarch Oppo Rancisis refused all contact with the Jedi of any kind. Anakin worried as the Blood Guard seemed to him to be more thugs of the Monarch and embodied all of the worst traits of the Old Jedi Order, namely the complete apathy for the people and lack of attachments not to mention veering very close to the dark side so they were deeply concerned but decided to not interfere and merely observe for now.
Out in the galaxy meanwhile the shattering of the Imperial Command Structure began to unravel any sense of unity in the Empire. Most of the Grand Moffs and Admirals had been killed and so the infighting began among the survivors for the prize of commanding what remained of the Galactic Empire.
The Galactic Commonwealth and Mandalorians in particular took advantage of this state of affairs and began to press on different Imperial sectors, slowly expanding their territory.
The Bakura Incident not long after did require the Galactic Commonwealth to draw on their allies for help due to the Ssi-ruuvi Invasion but it was beaten off and the planet chose to join the Commonwealth not long after.
Towards the remaining Imperial Sectors and the Core Worlds the remaining ranking Imperials began to carve out their own small empires and became Warlords with particular example as Zsinj forming Zsinj's Empire and the Pentastar Alignment among others.
It did not take long for the Galactic Commonwealth to begin pushing into these small empires as they made their way into the Core Worlds, scoring perhaps their most significant victory in the Liberation of Alderaan which temporarily took over as capital of the Commonwealth until they geared up for the biggest invasion yet...the Liberation of Coruscant.
It took months of planning and preparation before they were finally ready and a taskforce assembled but at last they were ready and with every single advantage that they could bring to bare not least of which was a fully involved Jedi Order they struck at Coruscant again.
The fighting was intense, the Imperial Defenders did not give up without a fight but eventually the Galactic Commonwealth Starbird or the Alliance Starbird as it was known was hoisted above the Imperial Palace as the planet where the Empire had begun all of those years ago was now would be the place where its replacement would taken control.
Anakin was leading the fight as expected but as they pressed into the Imperial Palace again he made a welcome discovery. The remains of HK-47 had been stored in a closet after the attack years ago and forgotten but he was able to recover them and with some time rebuild him, bringing him back to life!
But for the Jedi the liberation of Coruscant brought a difficult choice as they saw the ruins of their temple. It was still in relatively good condition and with some work could be restored but the echoes of what had happened here lingered, the Jedi could feel Operation Knightfall and Order 66 here so strongly it would just be too much for them to ever live here again. They instead asked for the new government to make it a monument to those that had perished over the last three decades and a museum to be a warning to future generations of what could happen if those in power weren't watched.
The Jedi instead built a new small concave near where it stood, only to maintain some level of communication with the government but they would not serve it as they had the Galactic Republic. The corruption in the Senate that the Jedi had allowed to pass and how they had ignored their true responsibility to the wider galaxy as a result. That still lingered in the minds of many Jedi not least of which was Anakin so he made a lot of change in the order now that he was in control.
The Jedi would work with the Galactic Commonwealth but only if they petitioned them and the Council agreed it was a just cause. Instead they would be active in the galaxy, giving each member more freedom to do the things that they felt they must. Some worked with anti-slavery organisations like the Liberation Convoy and others worked to help in disaster zones. Some fought with villains of various descriptions like warlords and thugs. Others took up roles as scientists, explorers, healers in hospitals and more as the Jedi were not tied to the Senate they could explore their own interests.
But the Order did not stop telling its students to keep pushing themselves in any way that they could to keep on growing as Jedi, Anakin's way of using your emotions and learning to control and use them rather than suppress them became the standard of all Jedi across the galaxy, leading to an Order that was active in the galaxy to rebuild its reputation and pushing its boundaries for the first time in centuries. Their numbers expanding in earnest now they no longer had to hide.
Some of those Jedi even joined the Commonwealth Military and aided in the taking of Kuat some time after, bringing the vital planet and its shipyards into the Commonwealth and ever the astute people the Kuat population quickly sided with the new great power as it did not benefit them to remain loyal to an Empire that was rapidly falling apart.
Back in Mandalorian Space things were happening too, like the Padisahah Imperium the Mandalorians were expanding their territory but while the Imperium only managed a hundred systems or so, the Mandalorians kept taking worlds from the Empire and its various Warlords, expanding their space to cover two thousand systems and then promptly digging in.
Haron himself directed a lot of these efforts and was given many new titles, chief among them was a second Mandalore title. Each Mandalore was named for something they had achieved in their lives and the original one that Haron had been given was Mandalore the Unifier as he had brought the Mandalorians truly back together again and made them into a force to be reckoned with in the galaxy. But for his expansion of their territory which was now twice what it had been when he had first come to power and the many victories they had achieved, the people would give him another name...Mandalore the Great.
It was not a name that Haron encouraged as it created all kinds of expectations but it was soon sunk deep into their people that there was nothing he could do about it. Luna herself had managed to recreate many of the potions used on Earth with a greater study of the plants and lifeforms there with some synthetic substitutes, her greatest triumph being the Animagus and Polyjuice potions which would serve the Akaan extremely well not to mention their intelligence service. In the years to come members of their people would begin to show the signs of metamorphagus abilities like Tonks back on Earth, the exposure of magic seeming to cause a 'magical mutation' in some.
But there was trouble brewing in the Senate of the Galactic Commonwealth, some of the planets that the Mandalorians and others had conquered had once been part of the Republic and so there were calls to 'liberate' them so they could be brought into their own territory while reducing the power of their rivals and some thought them enemies. Padme had to work hard to shut down that motion as they were still fighting the remnants of the Empire and the last thing they needed was to start several new wars against their former allies who had made it possible for the Galactic Commonwealth to exist at all. The Mandalorians and others were not blind to this feeling in the Commonwealth and were wary of them as a result, again in truth the only thing that really kept the peace was the fact that the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order and the Mandalore happened to be friends. To be prepared though the independent states reorganised the Rift Alliance for their mutual protection from the Galactic Commonwealth.
Anakin meanwhile was also working on the new 'public' home of the Jedi Order, since they didn't want to build a new temple on Coruscant as that would send all kinds of wrong signals and Ossus was too vital to risk like that, they would build a new temple on the planet where the Jedi had once begun...Tython.
Using the wealth that Anakin had stolen from the Emperor himself they had the temple built where the old one had once stood and it would be the home of both the Order at large and the majority of the Jedi Council when it was completed. It was warm and comfortable with all of the facilities and environments that the Jedi needed to train themselves in and able to handle all kinds of different species. Temple Security was run by HK-47 who was extremely vigilant in his duties. Anakin stayed in the concave on Coruscant and had to attend meetings by holo as his wife was on Coruscant and commuting was too much of a hassle.
The Hidden Temples meanwhile began to emerge, abandoning their hideaways in favour of more public academies and temples on the worlds they inhabited or moving to other planets if needed. The hidden sanctuaries were maintained however in case they were ever needed again but at last they were able to emerge from hiding and show the galaxy that the Jedi were far from gone. The worlds of Auratera, Ossus and Tanalorr kept themselves hidden as they were self-sustaining colonies now although their existence was known to some on the Jedi Council even if only Anakin knew where to find them. Still the sight of his old friend Obi-Wan brought a smile to his face especially with the family he had now.
It was four years after the death of the Emperor though that the delicate balance of peace between the various powers was finally addressed. A Conference was held on The Wheel, a neutral space station to establish firm borders and diplomatic ties that would ensure that war did not break out among the various intergalactic states. The Imperial Warlords who had been desperately hoping for a war to begin between their enemies in the hopes of retaking their lost territory and rising again but this treaty would dash all of those hopes.
So they attacked the Wheel in an effort to halt the conference but it failed and the treaty was signed, marking the boundaries of each state and also opening lines of trade between them all.
But the failed Imperial Attack on the Wheel had another, more curious effect. As the warlords lost more and more territory to their enemies, an Imperial Admiral began to rally the common people and rank and file in the different small militaries they commanded, bringing them together with calls for unity and causing several uprisings against warlords that refused to agree to join them. That Admiral found himself unwillingly being thrust into a position of leadership that he did not want but it was a necessity to keep his movement growing and bring about their salvation from their enemies and so reluctantly accepted the rank of Grand Admiral and leader of the new Imperial Remnant. That man was Gilad Pellaeon who had learned the unity of their enemies gave them strength and that if the Empire and any of its ideals good or bad were to survive then they would need to not only change but also include those that they had slighted. Women and Aliens were able for the first time to advance in the newly formed state as it gathered strength, industry was reinvigorated and their military unified and fortified. More smaller states began to join them swelling their strength as new Moffs were chosen and the political system redefined with a Council of Moffs to aid in the running of the Remnant.
At the same time Luke Skywalker and his newly wedded wife Mara Jade after years of 'adventures' decided to create their own Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 to make their own path in life. It did not take long to flourish and then much to their surprise Mara became pregnant with their son, Talon named for the man that gave Mara a chance when she had left the Empire, beginning their small family. Other smaller temples and enclaves were started as different Jedi chose planets to settle themselves on and take students.
Meanwhile in the Deep Core the True Sith were slowly expanding, taking over more and more worlds in preparation for their future invasion of the galaxy, building their power.
But elsewhere in Hutt Space the most powerful of all of the Hutt Crime Lords surprised the entire galaxy by dying! Jabba the Hutt was in a shock move eliminated by Boba Fett who proceeded to take over Tatooine in the first step of establishing a criminal empire of his own and even taking a wife in Sintas Vel, a Kiffar mercenary to begin a clan of his own. This caused a major upheaval in the galaxy's underworld and started many small wars for control. Fett would ally himself with the Underworld Alliance as he began to expand his operations and both would be silently be backed by the Mandalorians who saw them as a valuable ally.
In the midst of this chaos the Disciples of Ragnos would recover the Sceptre of Ragnos and work to restore his physical body but found itself facing the might of the reorganised Jedi Order, led by Luke and Anakin they were hounded across the galaxy until finally a young Jedi student of Kyle Katarn defeated their leader on Korriban and put an end to the cult for good.
The defeat of the Imperial Warlords supporting the cult in the hopes of retaking the galaxy though did speed up the absorption of the remaining Imperial factions into the new one being assembled by Gilad Pellaeon which he named the Bastion Authority, named for the planet that it was centred on.
With this renewed threat and despite the treaty not wanting to be left in the past many nations including the Mandalorians and Galactic Commonwealth began to take advantage of new technology to modernise their fleet and military with new weapons and vehicles to project their power. The Separatist Alliance, Hapes Consortium, the Padisahah Imperium and others soon followed suit leading to something of a technological arms race between the major powers of the galaxy.
This would be essential in the times ahead as the last remaining resistance against the True Sith in the Deep Core who were still unknown to the rest of the galaxy fell. The Yevethans had fought well but they had been besieged and eventually wiped out by the Sith who had taken much of their commandeered Imperial Fleet and incorporated it into their own. Now they were finally ready to plan their new conquest of the galaxy.
But the state of affairs in the galaxy which they had assumed would remain chaotic was surprisingly stabilised as the major powers of the galaxy including the Galactic Commonwealth and the Mandalorians signed a peace treaty with the Bastion Authority and brought an official end to the Galactic Civil War so beyond small incidents and the ongoing struggles in the Underworld the galaxy was at last at peace again for the first time in decades. Anakin had personally led the talks and rebuilt his friendship with Gilad who he still had a great deal of respect for which was shared by the Grand Admiral.
This new peace was a shock for the generation that had never known anything but war however the Mandalorians could then turn their attention fully to exploring Wild Space with the construction of a new fleet of small exploration ships that would be equipped with the most advanced technology to go out and see what was out there.
With the new peace Padme did something that truly she had wanted to do for quite some time...retire. She stepped down as First Triumvir as her term came to an end and retired to Tython with Anakin to enjoy time with her husband and not have the weight of the galaxy resting on their shoulders and to enjoy time with their grandchildren. Mace by now had even married Tash Arranda and started a family of his own and she was delighted to see her great niece Wila complete her training and establish a Jedi Conclave of Naboo, a group of Jedi that was heavily influenced by the style and strengths of the Naboo people in art and culture bringing much of that into their temples and equipment.
That year did however bring new challenges as the Diversity Alliance crisis appeared before their attempt to use biological weapons on humans was shut down, a resurgent Empire also arose as loyalists to the old regime of Palpatine and his ideals tried to seize power but were put down by Pellaeon and the Galactic Commonwealth, eager not to see a return of war so soon.
But on their voyages into the unknown the Mandalorians also made contact with a race that until recently had only really had one representative in the wider galaxy...the Chiss. The blue skinned race made official contact with the Mandalorians and opened up diplomatic ties...more so they shared their fears of the 'Far Outsiders' as they called the strange race that was preparing to invade the galaxy. Showing the Mandalorian leadership the evidence they had of their existence and capabilities, Haron was not one to ignore a threat. Years of preparation was the only reason he and his people had been able to be as active as they had been the last time so he took this new threat seriously.
The Mandalorians began to use their own prowess with weaponry, technology and tactics to work with the Chiss to build weapons and create tactics to fight the Far Outsiders when the time came.
Just a year after that alliance was first founded, the True Sith emerged from the Deep Core. They emerged with great violence and force from the region they had been hiding in! Striking first at the Core Worlds and catching the entire galaxy by surprise. They spread violently across the area and the Galactic Commonwealth was unable to hold Coruscant along with several other worlds in the first year of the crisis.
But once the initial shock wore off, they reached out to their old allies and the alliances that had once drawn them together against the Empire now brought them back together to fight the Sith now even including the Bastion Authority. The Jedi and Mandalorians in particular were forced to work hard to protect Validus Ordo and his siblings who the Sith feared for their power.
A couple of years of hard fighting followed but eventually the worlds that the Sith had managed to take were liberated and the Sith pushed back into the Deep Core where they were followed all of the way to Byss and in a climatic final battle the planet was destroyed and the Sith shattered once again. Their main worlds were wiped away but some remnants did survive in isolated pockets located in the Deep Core, contained for now and forgotten.
With the war finally over the peace resumed for many years, the Mandalorians even restoring the Mythosaurs to their home world, no longer used as war mounts but as a protected species which saw the more historically inclined among them believing that they were finally blessed and restored to true greatness once again.
For four years there was peace across the galaxy, small skirmishes here and there but for the most part there was genuine peace again, the next generation began to take over the responsibilities of the previous one until the entire galaxy received a rude awakening as the event that the Chiss had feared for so many years came...the Yuuzhan Vong began their invasion of the galaxy!
Aided by their allies the Peace Brigade they swarmed across the galaxy with a tidal wave of violence, entire worlds burned and millions dying or enslaved every day. The Force Sensitive groups across the galaxy were targetted indiscriminately and hunted wherever they were seen as a abomination by the invaders, even the world Coruscant fell, many Jedi retreated to hidden places as had other force sensitives but a year into the brutal conflict, the Mandalorians and Chiss who had spent years preparing for this eventuality joined the war.
New weapons and tactics where brought into play which were shared and swiftly adopted by their allies, halting the progress of the invaders while a hard PR campaign was waged against both them and their Peace Brigade collaborators, making sure to rally the galaxy against them.
Still the Vong did not give up and fought ferociously against their efforts, in a war that would cost over two hundred billion lives across the galaxy and go on for nearly two more years. It wasn't until at last they managed to retake Coruscant in the final battle that it came to an end but at a high cost for the Mandalorians as it was it was here, in this battle where the Supreme Overlord was slain that Haron Ordo finally lost his life. Now an old man he used all of his strength and tricks that remained to him and planted the Darksaber right in the heart of the Supreme Overlord, ending his life forever and breaking the Vong in the process.
Haron Ordo had ruled the Mandalorians longer than any other throughout all of history, living till into his seventies and still being a force to be reckoned with, there were extremely few that did remember a time when he hadn't ruled them. His friends and dearly beloved wife lived on to advise the new Mandalore as their children and now their grandchildren took on ever increasing roles in events in their place. Anakin stepped down as grandmaster, replaced by Luke so he could spend his remaining years with Padme and their many grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.
His grandson, Validus witnessed his grandfather's passing and was enraged especially as an overly ambitious mercenary tried to take the Darksaber to sell. He fought and took it off of him in fair combat and took both the weapon and the Mask of the Mandalore as his own becoming Mandalore the Furious.
The Mandalorians took the death of their great leader hard and under the command of the new Mandalore and allied with the Chiss they chased the Vong survivors along with their Peace Brigade lackeys across the galaxy and did not stop until they had been exterminated as a species or as a group. While few shed any tears for the invaders that had slaughtered countless people across the entire galaxy the actions of the Mandalorians sent a chill down many spines as they wondered just what the Mandalorians would do now. Validus was a strong leader with his grandfathers knack for tactics and strategy not to mention immense power and will. He scared many who feared he might shake the delicate balance that existed in the aftermath of the war.
The galaxy was now heading into an uncertain new age, unsure of what was to come as new leaders took over from the older generation and perhaps peace might prevail but that would be decided by them and those who knew history only hoped those in power remembered it too.
There we are. I hope you all enjoyed the story! Please review to let me know what you thought.
The Epilogue covers the period between 2ABY to 25 ABY or 1002 ARR to 1025 ARRR.
A special thank you to Tellemicus Sundance who suggested that the Mandalorians might give Haron new titles as time goes on. Thank you for that!
And another thank you to Callum Runchman for the suggestion to recreate the potions like Animagus and for metamorphagus abilities to start appearing among the Mandalorians. Also suggested was that the Mandalorians might restore Mythosaurs to their home-world. So Thanks for the great suggestions!
Validus is the Latin word for Powerful.
Baatir is the Mandalorian word for to care or worry about according to the Mandalorian dictionary I found.