Peace.
Since the Foundation of the Galactic Empire to the Treaty of Fondor, it would remain the ever elusive goal of many a sentient. Though the nature of this peace would differ from state to state, from sentient to sentient, it cannot be claimed that the Galaxy did not envisage a day in which peace would reign from Wild Space to the Core and that the days of constant warfare would be set aside in favour of a prosperous bliss. It was an enticing goal, one made all the more important by the Devastation of Coruscant, by the immense loss of life experienced all across the Galaxy, and thus when events conspired to force both the Galactic Empire and the New Republic were forced to the table at Fondor, it would a goal for which both states would reach. Driven by the threat posed by the Deep Core and widespread outrage over revelations regarding the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium, a lasting consequence of the death of Ysanne Isard whose information on Admiral Theraan and his ilk proved more than enough to incite hatred, both the Empire and the Republic would agree to a truce in order to dispatch those two pressing threats.
The Neo-Clone Wars
Dealing with the more existential threat that was the Deep Core, the Galactic Empire and the New Republic would agree to a joint expedition into the Deep Core with the aim of, in no uncertain terms, obliterating Byss and any other bastions controlled by the Eden Clan and then setting the entire Deep Core on fire just to make sure they were all dead. Aided by the actions of the Empress' Hand, Illyo Dregan, who had managed to terminate millions of clones serving various members of the Eden Clan, the Empire and the Republic would drive into the Deep Core and exact a heavy toll upon the Edenites. Fire would rain down upon Empress Teta, reducing the once proud world to a shadow of it's former self, Prakith would be obliterated by the newly constructed SSD Edderlath and NRS Tamson, and all the Deep Core would burn as the Empire and Republic both worked together to destroy that bastion of madness.
Past Prakith, however, the Neo-Clone Wars would begin in earnest as Zana Eden, now freed of all her siblings, struck back in force, sending wave after wave of clones against those who sought to destroy her and the empire she sought to carve out of the rotting remains of her foes. Giving the conflict it's name, both Zana Eden and the Empire would make heavy use of clones in the conflict, the Empire revealing an extensive cloning program begun nearly a decade ago and throwing millions of clone troopers into the fray while the New Republic contributed as best it was able. Byss, however, would remain an ever distant goal, a seemingly unreachable target, and thus the Neo-Clone Wars would not end with the Empire and Republic both appearing above Byss but with the hyperspace beacons that kept the path open to the Deep Core world being destroyed, severing it from the rest of the Galaxy for good.
Of what happened to Byss itself? None know for once the beacons were destroyed, all contact with Byss was lost forever more. All that is known is that Byss would remain the stuff of legend years after the last veteran perished, a fabled world filled with ancient treasures and powerful weapons, a world that was once a plague upon the Galaxy that had been excised to ensure it's survival.
The Death of a God
The Neo-Clone Wars, a brutal and bloody conflict, would not be the end to the cooperation between the Galactic Empire and the New Republic though it would, by the reckoning of some, be it's high point. With the Deep Core in ruins and the threat posed by Zana Eden removed, the Galaxy would then turn it's attention to the megalomaniacal dictator on Lhwekk who had sought to strong arm the Empire and Republic both into heeding his commands. Seizing upon an uprising in the Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium led by his disaffected subjects, who were none too pleased by his self-aggrandisement, yet again the Galactic Empire and the New Republic would sally forth to dispatch their mutual foes though this time, it would be far less chummy as accusations of sabotage and treachery plagued them each step of the way.
Each battle would come with fresh accusations of withheld reinforcements and of being left to bleed while the other hid, of supplies that had been intentionally delayed, and constant disagreements that delayed and waylaid the offensive towards Lhwekk. Though the dread Theraan Rex would perish upon Xhwee, cut down in battle by a lone woman who would one day be remembered as the Devil by the Theraanians, it would be the rock upon which the Treaty of Fondor would break and would spell an end to the tenuous peace shared between the two states. Destroyed the Sanctuary Pipeline much like they had the Byss Run, the Treaty of Fondor would be cast aside as the Galactic Civil War resumed once more and the Galaxy, bit by aching bit, fell into an unending darkness from which there seemed to be no hope of return...
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Dramatis Personæ
The Supreme Commander, Rae Sloane
Duty.
For the Supreme Commander, it would be the force that would drive her past the Treaty of Fondor and that would give her the strength to push through the ceaseless war that followed. Surviving both the Neo-Clone Wars and the War to Defeat Theraan, Rae Sloane would lead the Galactic Empire for many years, a force for stability in a Galaxy that seemed upon the brink of chaos, desperately keeping the ship afloat in spite of the madness that raged all around her. When death eventually came for the Supreme Commander, at the Fourth Battle of Corellia in a blaze of glory like no other, there would be some who would claim that it would be a welcome thing for the grizzled veteran, a release from the rigors of rule that had aged her well beyond her years and taxed heavily upon her psyche.
Those who knew the Supreme Commander, however, would refute such claims. Knowing full well the pride Rae Sloane had taken in watching her erstwhile daughter, the Empress, grow and blossom into womanhood, in the sight of a babe named in her honour, there would be little doubting in their minds that the Supreme Commander would have fought death every step of the way.
The Director of COMPNOR, Ysanne Isard
Death would not be the end of Ysanne Isard. Prepared for every contingency, the bolt that would take the Director down upon Entralla would merely spark the beginning of what would be a long and bloody cycle as clone after clone stepped to the fore to take the place of the Original and contribute the chaos that would grip the Galactic Empire after the death of Rae Sloane. For years, this seemingly endless sequence of clones would be a plague upon the Galaxy, engaging in plot after nefarious plot, until the source was discovered by the Pirate Queen G'Win and the General, Anakin Skywalker, and put down for good.
The Count of Serenno, Adan Dooku
Loyal to Zsinj and to the Empire, the Count of Serenno and Admiral of the Empire, Adan Dooku, would serve the Empress to his last breath. Fighting in the Deep Core, Adan Dooku would prove himself to be one of the most valuable assets at the Empire's disposal, displaying an innate knack for Battle Meditation, and would prove himself the tactical match of his more infamous cousin throughout the course of the conflict. For decades, the Count would continue to fight the Empire's battles, leading the last failed campaign to seize Mon Calamari after the Treaty of Fondor broke down, until he, unlike so many of his peers, grew old enough to retire and live a peaceful life. Later considered to be an expert on the Force, as relates to Battle Meditation at the least, the Count's twilight years would be balanced between quiet tuition on Serenno, avoiding jilted lovers and bastards, and defending his homeworld from those threats that sought to disturb his retirement.
Eventually passing away at the age of a hundred and twelve, Adan Dooku would go down as one of the lucky few who would pass away in bed and not upon the battlefield that had fought for the Empire at it's height.
The Moff of Corellia, Soontir Fel
Saddled with the task of subduing ever rebellious Corellia, the remainder of Soontir Fel's career would be spent upon Corellia, attempting to steer the path between tyrant and milksop, as one of the Empire's most loyal supporters within the Core Worlds. Earning the begrudging respect of his charges, who, even if they never came to love him, would come to accept that he was better than the alternatives, it is believed that Soontir Fel's time as the Moff of Corellia would mark the highlight of Imperial rule in the Corellia System before it eventually went it's own way. Outliving the Supreme Commander, Soontir Fel would also be among the last of the Old Guard to pass away, dying of natural causes some time after watching his granddaughter, the then-Princess Rae Pallopides-Palpatine-Fel, marry having purportedly decided that his descendants' hold upon the Empire was finally secure.
The Grand Admiral, Afsheen Makati
A hero to the last.
Though the history of Grand Admiral Makati would prove to be a mixed bag, filled with rage and humiliation, there can be little doubting that he would go down as a Hero of the Empire. Leading the Imperial war effort in the Neo-Clone Wars, Grand Admiral Makati would lead the charge against the Edenites from aboard the Super Star Destroyer, Imperatrix, and prove time and time again his worth as a Grand Admiral. His life, however, would be cut short with the Second Battle of Byss ending with his death as the Grand Admiral sacrificing his own life and his ship to secure the escape of the Imperial and Republic forces still in the system before they could be wiped out by Zana Eden. For his heroism, the Grand Admiral would be honoured with the highest honours the Empire could afford and his name would be memorialised in the form of the Zsinj-class Super Star Destroyer, Makati, an honour that would outlast the memory of his sacrifice and the Neo-Clone Wars themselves.
The Stalwart Admiral, Gilad Pellaeon
In another lifetime, Gilad Pellaeon would be a hero, a saviour who brought the Empire back from the brink, and while he would not achieve such lofty heights in this lifetime, he would come come close to it. Leading Death Squadron until his dying breath, Admiral Pellaeon would, time and time again, prove the thin red line that stood between the Empire and the New Republic, placing himself upon the frontlines on a regular basis in the name of the Empire. Though such heroism and steadfast determination would eventually cost him his life at the Eighth Battle of Eriadu, it would cement his place in history as one of the most stalwart Admirals the Empire would ever have, an officer for whom service was it's own reward and to whom dying in it's name was the greatest honour.
The Moff of Anaxes, Wullf Holt
A moderate by trade and an Anaxsi by nature, Moff Holt would not go down in history as a man who won great battles or did great deeds, there would be no great ballads that would be sung in his honour, nor even imposing statues raised in his memory for Moff Holt was not a man whose legacy would be measured with song or stone. Loyal to a fault, an Anaxsi to the end, Moff Holt's legacy would be the Empire itself, a vast edifice that he would spend a lifetime reshaping through his capacity as Moff, adding to it's strengths and chipping away at it's weaknesses like a master craftsman. Though his name would eventually be lost to the mists of time, it would be upon Moff Holt's shoulders that the survival of the Empire would rest with the Moff spending his every waking moment to ensure it's survival from behind the scenes, without want of reward or fame.
Oh and he also got a military academy named after him, Wullf was a popular boy's name for about thirty years, and there were a few documentaries about him but that detracts from the point.
The Empress' Hand, Illyo Dregan
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The Chief-of-State, Mon Mothma
Ending her term as Chief-of-State shortly after the Treaty of Fondor, it is said that Mon Mothma's final years were spent not in quiet retirement but in active and vigorous debate. Deciding that fading quietly into the night was not quite for her, Mon Mothma would spend the years following her tenure as Chief-of-State serving the Republic just as faithfully as she had when in office. A source of wisdom and advice, Mon Mothma would maintain her reputation as a consummate politician and a seasoned diplomat whose death was marked by trillions and whose life was honoured across the Republic upon her passing with a state funeral in the Hall of Heroes upon Eriadu. For generations to come, even as the Galaxy fell into darkness and the Republic changed and morphed with the ages, her example and wisdom would continue to echo across the centuries as befit the Founder of the Republic.
The Queen of New Alderaan, Leia Organa
In the years that followed the Treaty of Fondor and the subsequent breakdown in the ceasefire that prevented the resumption of all out war, Leia Organa would continue to fight to defend the place of her people in the Galaxy and to protect those she considered friends. Extending a helping hand to Ky'enai and her partner, the Queen would shepherd New Alderaan through decades of conflict, remaining stalwart and defiant in the face of despair, and would go down as a woman every bit the match of her adoptive father, an Organa in all but blood. Though her descendants, both adopted and biological, history remains dark upon the identity of the future Prince-Consort though it is known that he was a quiet and dependable sort, and their names would be lost to time, the contributions the Queen would make to New Alderaan would never be forgotten.
The Minister of Intelligence, Borsk Fey'lya
Though the release of the Caamas Documents would dash his hopes of reaching the summit of politics in the New Republic, it would not mean an end to his career. Proving far more resilient than his detractors had expected, Borsk Fey'lya would claw his way back into politics following the Treaty of Fondor, working for successive Chief-of-States in whatever capacity they deemed worthwhile or while dreaming of greatness. After two decades in the wings, after countless years of war and economic collapse, Borsk Fey'lya would finally be named Chief-of-State and would, for two years, prove himself more than worthy of the trust placed in him by his fellow Senators. In those two years, Borsk Fey'lya would reverse the Republic's losses in the seemingly endless conflict with the Galactic Empire and, for a time, place it back on the ascendancy before he perished while visiting wounded soldiers near the front, killed during an Imperial bombing run while shielding others from the blast.
It would be that Borsk, the selfless hero who dreamed of giving his life for the Republic, that would be remembered years after his passing. Called a Martyr of the Republic, the name Borsk would become synonymous with sacrifice and resilience, with those willing to soldier on past the point where all hope had fled and surpassed the odds in spite of it all.
The Seasoned Admiral, Gial Ackbar
Though the years would weigh heavily upon the Mon Calamari, it would never be said that Gial Ackbar did not give his all for the New Republic. Serving it through the Neo-Clone Wars, through the War to Defeat Theraan, through countless years of conflict with the Empire, Gial Ackbar would stand firm throughout it all, a constant and reassuring figure to many a Republican. While he would eventually perish in battle, as so many did, he would go down as the sentient who breathed life into the New Republic and built the Starfleet into the force that fought the Empire to a stand still time and time again, a tactician worthy of emulation and a hero to many a Mon Calamari with dreams of greatness.
He'd also get a planet and at least seven ships named after him but much like with Moff Holt, that detracts from the point.
The Sullustan Hero, Sian Sevv
Hero to many, father to many more, Sian Sevv would rank among some of the finest heroes the New Republic would ever produce. Serving alongside such storied figures as Gial Ackbar and Garm Bel Iblis in the South, Sian Sevv would become a fixture in the New Republic Starfleet for decades to come, outliving his superior officers and eventually becoming Supreme Commander himself in time. Though he would preside over a period of collapse in the Galaxy, as the economy gave way and the constant conflict took it's toll, the burden would never cause the Sullustan's back to bend nor his keen wit to give out even when under pressure. By the time Sian Sevv eventually passed away, surrounded by hundreds of children and grandchildren, or so the legend goes, he would have cemented himself as a hero to the Sullustans and a figure worthy of respect in both the New Republic and the Empire.
The Best Rebel, Garm Bel Iblis
While he would not live to see his homeworld go free, Garm Bel Iblis would never give up the fight. Living long enough to flip Zana Eden and Theraan Rex off, Garm Bel Iblis would go down as one of the most tenacious Rebels ever to hound the Empire, a legend amongst Corellians who shared his dream of freedom and independence from the Empire. Initially interred on Sanrafsix by the Corellian Exiles, it is believed that the day Corellia achieved it's independence from the Empire, many many years in the future, that his remains would be escorted by a fleet of ships to Corellia and laid to rest beside his wife and child, home at last on sovereign soil.
The Geonosians
Though they would claim no great deeds for themselves, the input of the Geonosians could never be underestimated. Rising from the ashes like a phoenix, the Geonosians would claw back lost ground, lost lives, and reestablish themselves as a power, a producer of droids, and a shaker of worlds. World after world once lost to destruction would be reclaimed and after many years, the Geonosians would rise to prominence, a power unto themselves like so many others had before them, a race every bit the equal of the humans that dominate the Galaxy.
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Theraan Rex
All gods dies, Theraan would merely take longer than most to do so. Assailed from within and without, it is said that the final days of Theraan Rex were spent in glorious battle, a smile upon his face, a blaster in both hands, and a score of Hounds by his side as he fell upon his foes with eagerness and glee. Though he would perish at the height of climactic duel with Ky'enai, which was fought on a volcano over which her lover was being dangled while a superweapon capable of destroying planets was preparing to fire upon the planet which was filled with freshly made orphans, his memory would not be forgotten. Remembered by loyal Theraanians, the god that was Theraan Rex would live on, worshiped by countless souls who followed in the footsteps of the Hounds and remembered the days in which Theraan Rex made the Galaxy tremble.
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The Queen Mother, Ta'a Chume
Having witnessed the rise and fall of the Empire, it is believed that the Queen Mother would oversee the withdrawal of the Hapes Consortium not long after it had returned to the Galactic scene. Seeking to shield Hapes from the madness that raged about it, Ta'a Chume would pull away, wed her son to a strong, murderous woman, and secure her borders against all threats, a task in which she would succeed brilliantly as the metal corpses that lie beyond her borders prove. Though it would one day return, it would not be under Ta'a Chume that it would occur and even then, the wisdom in her withdrawal would never be forgotten as her descendants looked out across the Galaxy and witnessed the heavy toll the conflict had borne.
The Devil Herself, Ky'enai
Going willingly with the New Republic into battle against Theraan Rex, it would be Ky'enai who struck the final blow against the so-called God, cutting the tyrant down with her lightsaber before vanishing from the public eye with her lover in tow. Withdrawing to New Alderaan, the remainder of Ky'enai's days would be spent devoted both to her partner, whose fragile state demanded constant care, and to a crop of pupils she had gathered to herself on the pristine and picturesque world and taken to imparting her wisdom upon. Remembered as the Devil and the Mentor, Ky'enai's teachings would long outlast her, passing down across centuries as successive generations of Jedi took to heart her lessons and her failings and used them to make themselves stronger.
The King of Cron, Kyp Durron
Peace.
Though it would not be a political, peace would come to Kyp Durron in time. After securing much of the Tion Hegemony, the King of Cron would wander the stars for several years, seeking out some sort of truth, some hidden secret, that would set to rest the demons and the rage that roiled about within him. Where it would be found, none could say, but by the time the King of Cron returned to Tion, he would prove a changed man, still a Sith at heart but one who had found a balance to the storm that was his heart, and an able king. Still reliant upon his advisers, Kyp Durron would nevertheless rule for many years and shield his subjects from much of the chaos that ravaged the Galaxy and establish a dynasty that would rule the Kingdom of Cron for centuries to come.
The Pirate Queen, G'Win
What can be said of G'Win except that she was larger than life? Fighting rogue Grand Inquisitors, seducing Chosen Ones, collecting ever larger debts, and conquering vast swathes of space, the life of the Pirate Queen G'Win reads more like a tall tale than fact because at the end of the day, it usually is a tall tale. Of course there are some truths to be found in her story, she would indeed fight the Grand Inquisitor and his Dark Empire with the support of the General, the cloned Anakin Skywalker, whom she would later have at least one little Chosen One with that would succeed her as the ruler of Issagra, but much of it is a fabrication, particularly the collecting of debts would totaled in excess of three trillion credits by the time of her death at the age of one hundred and thirty seven, supposedly in bed with a man whom she was more than two times the age of.
The Nymly Nym of Lok, Nym
Ever the rebel, Nym's tale in the Galaxy would be a brief one to outsiders and a lengthy one to those touched by his actions. Keeping the Lok Protectorate out of the Galactic Civil War, Nym would spend his years forging what would prove to be a small but respectable state that would be the bane of slavers everywhere, often braving death itself just to see them strung up by their toes and their prisoners freed. By the time the Nymly Nym of Lok would pass, in battle as he had always expected, the gruff and often unapproachable former pirate had become a hero to countless souls and a saviour to countless more, a sentient who had done his part to make his corner of the Galaxy just a little bit nicer.
Mandalore the Defiant, Ailyn Vel
It is said that Ailyn Vel's final years were one of bliss. Receiving a lone Jedi after the Devastation of Coruscant, Ailyn Vel would, for a time, experience that which had always been denied to her: A family. While the Empire and the New Republic fought, she would indulge in the Mandalorian equivalent of marital bliss, eventually having several children who would go on to found Clan Vel and ruling over the Mandalorians during what would be remembered as a golden age. Nevertheless, such happiness could not last forever and as the Empire and New Republic both fractured, the Mandalorians would go to war once more, not for some far off Sith Lord nor for the Republic but instead for themselves, seizing upon the weakness of their foes to expand to heights that would never again be achieved in the history of Mandalore. It would be during this period of conflict that Mandalore the Defiant would perish, cut down in battle beside her husband, the first Mandalorian Knight, her story ending as so many a Mandalorian's did.
She'd also get several planets named after her, a few dozen ships, and her children would go on to found a Mandalorian Clan known for producing force-sensitive warriors as well but Ackbar, Holt, you get the picture.
The General, Kalani
Much like some others, General Kalani would choose to keep his holdings as far away from the fighting that ravaged the rest of the Galaxy as possible. A constant fixture in the eyes of the sentients that served beneath him, General Kalani would steer the CIS through centuries of warfare and intrigue, a venerable and well-respected droid whose seniority would be matched solely by Drakkus the Hutt. By the time the Galaxy pulled itself together once more, a year ahead of Kalani's prediction, the General would be there in the background, watching, waiting, as he was so used to doing.
The Hsskor Dominion
Though the Trandoshans would be forced into the Galactic Civil War, it would not stay a part of it for long. Doing everything in their power to secure their neutrality, the Trandoshans would eventually establish a reputation for themselves as a neutral power whose mercenaries were sought after across the length and breadth of the Galaxy. It would ultimately prove to be a policy that would pay off with Trandosha and the Hsskor Dominion profiting at the expense of others and with minimal risk to Trandosha itself, a policy considered to more than acceptable to it's leadership.
The Breaker of Chains, Nolaa Tarkona
Her cause broken, her ships scattered, the life of Nolaa Tarkona would prove to be a bitter one. Driven by rage and grief, Nolaa Tarkona's last days would be characterised by constant attacks upon the Empire and all other institutions she believed had shackled the non-humans of the Galaxy and it would be in the course of doing this that she would die. Learning of an Imperial laboratory researching weapons similar to the one used upon Coruscant, Nolaa's last mission would be spent on the offensive, destroying research and smashing vial before being gunned down by Imperial Stormtroopers, a smile upon her face. Though her fire would be inherited by others, the cause that was the Chainbreakers would die with her, lost to the annals of history like so many others.
The Empire of the Hand
Fading into the background, little can be said of the Empire of the Hand except that it was there. As much a part of the Chiss Ascendancy as Csillia itself, the Hand would slowly fade from the mind's eye of the Galaxy, untouched by the war that plagued it, and retreat into an enviably dull routine unmarred by war and conflict. Even the Grand Admiral, Thrawn himself, would fade from history, remembered as a figure worthy of respect, adored by his subjects, but ultimately lacking in the achievements great sentients need for their legacies to outlive them.
The Father of the Revolution, Akar Prost
Drawn into the conflict, as was inevitable, Akar Prost would show the Galaxy what it meant to embrace the revolution. From the day the fighting began and until the day Akar Prost passed from one world into the next, leaving behind but a body to be entombed and viewed by revolutionaries for years to come, Prost would fight for a better future freed from the chains of the past. Battle after battle, debate after debate, war after war, there would be few who could claim to have cleaved so true to their ideals as Akar Prost and to have done so in so stylish a fashion as him.
Especially once he brought back the beard.
Drakkus the Hutt
What can be said of Drakkus if not that he defined an era?
Outlasting all bar General Kalani, with whom the Hutt would maintain regular correspondence and often make a pone of joking about the activities of the young with, Drakkus the Hutt would witness centuries of war that would all blur together so much that it seemed as though the Galaxy had burned down within the blink of an eye. Even activities within Hutt Space, the establishment of a new Hutt Empire by any other name, of the restructuring of Hutt Space into something more lasting, of countless foes that rose and fell before he took a breath, seemed to occur within an instant in the eyes of the ancient Hutt.
Or perhaps this was all but a dream within the mind of a Hutt and when he awakes, all shall be well once more?
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