“Valkorion is finished?” May flashed Dan a smile from her position in orbit around the blue sun of Yoggoy. She’d become determined to awaken her biofield and catch up to Dan’s physical growth.
“Dead as a doornail,” Dan laughed as he joined his Wife in her relaxed position. With the two hidden Empire’s beheaded, all they needed to worry about was the home system of the Eternal Fleet. “We can relax for a good stretch now, at least until we find the Exile… HK will clean up the remnants and take control of Tenebrae’s old territories, while the Killiks begin an expansion into the unknown regions.”
The lifeless megastructure that spawned the Eternal Fleet wasn’t going anywhere. With the Starforge in hand, it wasn’t even necessary for the establishment of this branch of his Empire. Once he left, Lokath would be of key importance, but HK and Venom would be the ones to truly use the place.
“Is there any word on her… the Exile I mean?” May reached out and pulled herself against Dan’s chest, head rested on his shoulder. “Revan remembers her quite fondly, and from what you’ve said, she’s very talented… if deeply wounded.”
“Nothing yet,” Dan closed his eyes and let the sun soak into his skin. Both of them planned to stay here, except for during missions and to teach their classes. They would fill themselves with the power of the sun, preparation for their eventual return. “Mission and Zaalbar are following a trail that has long gone cold, but HK might get lucky as he hacks his way through the galaxy's databanks.”
“Finding one person in a galaxy this densely populated is certainly a pain,” May sighed as her fingers tapped a rhythm on Dan’s abdominals. “What if we’ve changed things enough that she doesn’t show up when she’s supposed to…”
“She’ll show, but we need to be ready when she does,” Dan tightened his arms around May to silence her fidgets. “Revan’s story has changed, so who knows if Kreia will be able to save her this time around.”
The Exile was supposed to be taken onto the Ebon Hawk, a ship that Mission and Zaalbar had managed to acquire before they departed from Taris. It would never be in a position to complete its fated encounter, though Dan had ordered it to be upgraded out of nostalgia. May had the Gladius, and while he didn’t NEED a ship, it would be handy when he picked up passengers.
“I want to try and find her using magic,” May relaxed in Dan’s grasp and settled in for a nap. “Revan has a strong connection to all her closest followers, so maybe together we can track her down.”
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
“Give it a shot,” Dan smiled, eyes shut tight and pointed toward the core of the sun. “The sooner we find her , the better… though, I might order the Killiks to infiltrate the outer rim, just in case.”
The Exile’s adventures before her return had been confined to that section of the galaxy. The systems were mostly lawless, with a smattering of lesser members of the Republic. Garnib was in the outer rim, as was Tatooine. None of these planets kept detailed records, and many had little beyond corporate outposts and primitive locals.
“Mmmm…” May nodded, half-asleep under the warmth of the star. Dan’s hand idly brushed at his Wife’s hair, while his mind drifted to thoughts of the future.
“Once I’ve finished the system’s quest, I need to pay a visit to Coruscant… five years will be enough for HK and the Killiks to create a force that rivals the Republic.”
----------------------------------------
“He has changed everything…” Sadness clutched her weeping mask between her hands and shook herself. “The path forward had broadened, but the ending…”
“His servants have begun to move,” Anger clicked her tongue, body tensed as they stared into the depths of the Force. “Nothing can stop them, unless we expel him like our sisters from the other reality.”
“But he has saved many lives!” Joy clasped her hands together as she squinted toward the murky visions in their interconnected mind. “Things are different, but the dangers have lessened.”
“Lessened for who?” Confusion shook her head. “Many more will live, but certain groups vanish altogether… what is the cost of his peace?”
“We shall not send him away,” Serenity waved her hands and dispelled their meditation. “He will leave on his own, and while his actions derail many things, they safeguard the galaxy against its greatest enemy…”
----------------------------------------
“Again! This time with feeling!” Canderous bellowed his command over the training ground, loud enough for the thousands of Kryptonians to hear him. “Today marks the fifth year of your training… soon you’ll begin the practical application of your skills on the battlefield.”
“Cut them some slack,” Jolee Bindo slapped a hand onto Canderous’ armoured shoulder. They stood and watched as the vast group began to spar, one-on-one. “They’re still kids… a bunch of superhuman, hyper-intelligent freaks, but still… kids!”
“We can hear you, Master Bindo!” a rose cheeked, blond haired girl, rolled her eyes as she slipped past her partner's guard. A swift twist of her shoulders and a brown haired boy tumbled to the earth. “I’ll tell Mistress May that you’re calling us freaks again!”
“Go ahead, you cheeky little minx!” Jolee snorted and pulled a face in the girl’s direction. “I’m allowed to speak my mind, and in my mind a bunch of ten year olds that can run roughshod over the Republic are a bunch of little freaks!”
The girl stuck her tongue out in response and Canderous burst into laughter. The Mandalorian gave the child a thumbs up and motioned for her to take a new partner, while he tended to the winded boy.
“Bindo isn’t wrong, Kara,” Canderous pulled the sheepish boy to his feet and dusted him off. A wave sent him to the losers circle, where defeated warriors battled each other to settle the lower rankings. “The lot of you are terrifying, though not as scary as your leader…”
“Master Dan-EL isn’t scary… he’s amazing!” Kara ducked under the reach of a black haired girl and bludgeoned her opponent's face. Foot planted on her newest victim, she turned wide eyes to her Mandalorian mentor. “None of our other teachers can touch him in the duelling ring, except for Mistress May!”