Ninth Great Jedi War

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Battle of Antei

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Spoils of War (Rite of Supremacy)

Conflict:

Date:

30 ABY

Place:

Brotherhood Territories

Outcome:

Combatants

Yuuzhan Vong

Dark Brotherhood

Commanders

Omancor Crask
Rade
Khaemyn Rua

Strength

Super-class Star Destroyer
Jedi Soldiers
Battle Droids

Casualties

Omancor Crask
Rade
Khaemyn Rua

Aristan Dantes

The Ninth Great Jedi War, or Unification, was a conflict that took place in 30 ABY on the planet Antei between the forces of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood and an unidentified fundamentalist Jedi sect under the Jedi Master Omancor Crask. Initially the invasion was conceived to retake Antei from the Yuuzhan Vong. But the Six Great Clans, united under Grand Master Sarin and the Armed Forces of the Iron Throne, quickly learned that the Vong had been decimated by a biological weapon and Antei had been conquered and fortified by Crask and his army of droids.

However, the new threat to the Brotherhood would emerge to be greater than even that of the Yuuzhan Vong. Not only were Crask's Jedi and droids extremely well-trained and well-armed, but the old master himself was found to be far more powerful than any had imagined. So powerful, in fact, that before he was ultimately betrayed and defeated by his own lieutenant, Crask killed Sarin in a ranging duel that began above Antei on board the warship Exodus and ended on the surface of Antei amid the vessel's smoking ruin.

Though the united Dark Brotherhood achieved victory at Antei and had reclaimed its seat of power, tensions between Clans, the Dark Council, and the Grand Master continued to run high. The war of reclamation was an unpopular one and its aftermath set a challenging course for the rule of Darth Ashen.

Introduction

Two years after the Dark Jedi Brotherhood had been chased from Antei, they returned, led by Aristan Dantes, unified in their thirst for vengeance and desire to regain their lost homeworld. Upon returning to Antei, it was discovered that a plague had struck the Yuuzhan Vong. The sickness had struck the alien invaders suddenly, apparently in a matter of days, and had managed to decimate the tens of thousands of Yuuzhan Vong which had been occupying the planet.

The plan was to have the clans arrive and take over the planet, using a special army which would be provided by the Iron Throne as shock troops. The battle for Antei had been planned specifically for combating an army of Vong. However, when the clans returned, they realized that the place of the invading Vong had been usurped by the Jedi known as Omancor Crask and his droid and Jedi army.

Plot

Rallying well outside the Shroud, the Dark Council's plan was bold. Using the Grand Masters of the Star Chamber to guide the fleet, they would navigate the shroud in hyperspace, so as to take the vong by surprise. The overwhelming superiority in tactics and since the incursion was considerable, but any advantage that could be had was necessary. The Clans would follow at a slower pace, picking through the Shroud at regular speed.

Having been forced to deal with clan infighting during the Insurrection, Sarin had made sure that any ground forces used to retake the throneworld would be loyal only to him. Using the Clan's force sensitives (designated as 'foxtrot uniforms' by the armed forces of the Iron Throne) as generals, they would sweep across their holdings and reclaim them.

All of that changed when they arrived at Antei.

The Vong were dead or dying. Their analogs floated by the Dark Council's war fleet, useless and calm. The message from the surface happened almost immediately, Sarin being hailed directly from his own throne.

Omancor Crask was a wild crusader for his own cause. Having taken up the charge to deal with the Vong any way he saw fit, he had come across the Brotherhood's occupied system through his spies, and saw fit to sit and wait for the Brotherhood's return, crusading against the Dark Side of the Force as easily as he did against those that were not part of the Force.

Having entrenched his droid forces and loyal apprentices on Antei, Crask was prepared to give the Brotherhood the war that they were thirsting for. Brutal fighting erupted as soon as the Brotherhood forces landed, Captured clan members being dragged before Crask and examined, their faith in the Dark Side tested, challenged, and for some, destroyed forcibly. Converting the Clan's forces resulted in Sarin sending his Shadow hand to the surface to investigate personally.

"Old one, try your games on me."

―Muz

He found the man, crushing Raken in order to convert him. Testing the old Jedi, Muz knew that any information he could glean from the enounter would be of great use to them in the coming days. The man seemed to be toying with him as he talked, the seeds of doubt hidden in his words as he moved closer to him, in an almost perversely light Dun Moch. Finally, the realiszation struck him, and Muz had seen enough to know how he had achieved the conversions.

"We are believers in a certain path. As are you. We have followed ours here. Our ways are at odds. That is all. But many of our goals are the same. We could have an understanding."

— Omancor Crask

"There is an understanding, old man. You will take no more of us."

— Muz

Having discovered his mental prowess, Muz tested the flesh, and found himself for the first time in his life outmatched. The old man flowed through all of the forms seamlessly, using them all as if he had done so for several lifetimes. The onslought of Brotherhood tanks distracted the man, however, and his student, a woman with far less experience, replaced her master in the duel. Muz captured her easily, but too slowly to do anything about Crask himself.

Cracking the woman's mind open in his search for information, he found little of actual use before delivering her to Sarin, escaping the destruction of a garrison by Vong Slayers to deliver the prize intact.

Later, Muz would find that Crask surrendered to Kir and was brought to Sarin. Crask's nature was two-fold as Muz had suspected, and the old Sith's machinations ripped a lightsaber from his still living apprentice's body as he attacked Sarin. The duel would send shockwaves not only across Antei as their ship crashed, but across the Brotherhood as both Sarin's and Crask's bodies were found.

With Sarin's body ruined, Muz was quickly named as his successor and became the Grand Master for the season of change that would follow.

Arcona

Naga Sadow

After the rendezvous at the Radama Void near Ord Radama, a joint task force from the Dlarit Navy and the Dlarit Special Operations Group continued on to the Shroud with the other clans. With Lord Paladin on the Dark Star and the Oracle, Trevarus Caerick, having betrayed and fled the Clan two years ago, the Dlarit fleet was forced through the Shroud at sublight like the others.

Ahead of the main force, Kharon Daragon's forward scout Cyrus Raze had already inserted onto Antei. Raze made his way to Kalekka Tower within the Du'san boundary in search of answers to the darkness corrupting the consul and himself. Reaching the tower’s summit, he encountered the treacherous Deceiver who Daragon believed responsible: Shan Long. When Raze entered the traitor’s presence, the darkness inside him consumed what remained of his mind before Shan Long blasted him from the tower's spire, sending Raze tumbling into the boundary’s volcanic depths. After dealing with Raze, Shan Long realized that if he was to win the coming battle he would need others’ help – and they his – so, taking Raze’s shuttle, he left Antei to return to the Clan he had betrayed.

Outside the Shroud the Clan rendezvoused with Raistlin Majerus, who had been launching regular raids on the Vong forces for months – until recently, when the Vong had fallen silent. Making their way inside the Shroud, the Clan came across derelict hulks – cruisers literally breaking apart and crumbling. As the fleet hurried to Antei, Macron Goura took a small team to investigate the drifting hulk of the yorik-stronha spy ship Zhaetor-zhae. During the trip, Raze’s transport returned to the Final Way – carrying Shan Long. Before Lord Sadow could determine the traitor's fate, the fleet arrived at Antei to find it had been taken over by Omancor Crask.

Forces from the Army of the Iron Throne deployed to the surface in two beachheads in the sunside of Narmar and the Shadowlands of Adas. While some of the Clan flew fighter cover against the droid fighters swarming across the planet, the rest deployed in dropships to the two beachheads. The landing zone in Narmar was overrun almost immediately and a rapid evacuation launched by Goura and the returning away team to recover Ashura Isradia and Aleho Ruoxf who had already landed at the aborted LZ. In Adas, the second beachhead was in danger of a similar fate until Malisane de Ath isolated a local droid control relay and led a team to destroy it, opening a long enough window for the rest of the anti-air teams to be safely deployed. Before the Clan could catch their breath, reports came in that 2nd Squadron of the 14th Reconnaissance at Forward Operating Base Spear was being overrun. The Clan split up, a team hastening to FOB Spear while 2nd Battalion of the 8th Mechanized rapidly deployed to the beachhead before moving to reinforce FOB Spear.

Back on the Final Way, Daragon was struggling to retain control of his mind, losing himself to the same darkness that had devoured Raze. Troubled by the consul's behaviour, Tsainetomo Keibatsu hacked the shipboard computers and found evidence the consul had been behind the cover up of the Dystopia bombing at Seng Karash earlier that year. Back on the surface, Raze had not died as Shan Long had believed. Reborn as something far worse, the mindless phantom was now sweeping across the battlefield. After butchering a team from Tarentum, the two Clans went on high alert. At FOB Spear, the droid raiding party was defeated however tank reinforcements were closing in. Reinforcements were requested from Taldryan – and tensions intensified when Goura deliberately sabotaged one of the allied units in revenge for Taldryan's betrayal back during the Fall of Antei four years earlier.

During the battle at FOB Spear, several Clansmen were captured and taken to a nearby Jedi command post where Master Gelusk sought to redeem them back to the light. Zaxen Isradia and Zaroth Rakiroyo’s wills faltered, however de Ath, Agrist, and Jade Atema sabotaged the droid IFF transponder, sending the droid forces into disarray and rescuing the captured journeymen. Just in time, the mechanized division from 8th Infantry arrived to finish up the haywire droids and secure the FOB. The FOB secure, the Clan moved east to rendezvous with forces from Scholae Palatinae where they received new orders to bring in some of the enemy Jedi Generals for interrogation. At the forward camp, Goura set up several of his trademark torture devices to help procure information from the captured Jedi about the defenses guarding the Dark Hall and other sites further in the south.

Back at the main LZ, Tsainetomo Keibatsu arrived on the surface after discovering Raze's tracker was still moving. Risking the Overlord's wrath, Sai headed off after the supposedly dead man's location—though before he could leave, Ashura Isradia assigned Aleho Ruoxf to go with him. Deep in the desert, Keibatsu came across a raging hurricane, confirming that Raze was not dead – however the man he found was no longer Cyrus Raze. Instead, Sai uncovered the horrifying truth that the Betrayer was still alive and had taken over Raze’s body. Keibatsu tried in vain to silence the second traitor once and for all but was bested. Before Sai could be consumed as well, two scouts from Tarentum and four Jedi Masters arrived to investigate the hurricane. As the wraith battled the new arrivals, Ruoxf recovered Keibatsu—and one of the Jedi who had also been knocked unconscious—and fled with them on her swoop while Raze was distracted with the other four remaining warriors.

From FOB Spear the Clan had split off into teams to hunt down the enemy commanders, while at the east camp tensions flared between Sadow and Palatinae; the clans taking the exhaustion from the prolonged fighting out on each other. Jade Atema, Alexander Anderson and Valorian, and Malisane de Ath and Agrist separately secured two Jedi captives who they returned to the eastern camp for interrogation by Goura, who thus far had not managed to procure anything further than the Brotherhood already knew—most of the Jedi choosing death instead; Crask seeming to have kept his followers in the dark about his true motivations.

On the Final Way, Shan Long had convinced Daragon that he wasn't the enemy and that Raze was the true threat. Daragon conceded the Jedi were just part of the puzzle and that they would need the sorcerer’s help in the battle to come. Against Lord Sadow’s orders, Daragon headed to the surface with the prisoner; in the back of his mind, the maddening darkness pounded ever heavier as he touched down on Antei's black sands. Elsewhere, with Crask having abandoned the planet to deal with Lord Sarin personally, the Jedi left behind knew it was their fate to sacrifice themselves. General Faylen issued new orders that the Clan was to march on the Hall of Immortals and secure it before the Jedi could raze it to the ground. It was then that Ruoxf arrived back, Sai and the captive Jedi in tow. Keibatsu had just the energy left to reveal the truth he had discovered in the desert: Darth Vexatus still lived. With the situation escalating out of control, Lord Sadow, Daragon, Shan Long and the others who had remained at the beachhead took to their shuttles to rendezvous with the rest of the Clan at the Hall of Immortals for the final battle.

Battle erupted on the steps of the Hall of Immortals in the Valley of the Lost when the Clan arrived to engage the Jedi and droid forces that were setting charges to bring down the structure. Jedi teams were already bringing down thousand year old statues and monuments throughout the rest of the valley. As the Clan leaders flew across the desert with reinforcements, Daragon began to finally succumb to the darkness steadily eroding his mind. Desperate, he at last accepted Shan Long’s offer to receive the Mark in full knowledge that he was betraying the Overlord's trust; however, as the traitor promised, through the new Force bond between them, the Dragon was able to shield Daragon’s mind from the psychic attacks by what remained of Lord Vexatus. The consul and overlord arrived just as the Clan laid siege to the Hall itself. While Goura took up arms against Jedi Master Lordien, Manji Keibatsu and his apprentice, Dyrra Skye, dealt with Master Qira Vaal and her own apprentice; and, on the Hall's roof, Lord Sadow himself dueled the Jedi Master in command, Nejj Kenten, as Tsainetomo held off Kenten’s MagnaGuard defenders; lastly, back down in the valley, Fremoc Pepoi, Ekeia Iclo, Xander Anderson and Krandon Rowella set charges along the canyon’s entrances to hold off incoming droid reinforcements.

As the Grand Master dueled Omancor Crask in orbit, the Disciples of Sadow defeated the three Jedi Masters and detonated the charges now set along the canyon walls, blocking off the droid reinforcements to secure the Hall. As the Clan worked to mop up the last enemy remnants, a hurricane swept across the valley, blanketing the Hall in an impenetrable fog, but at least the fighting was over. However, the Clan's victory was to be short lived as Raze descended on the valley, having beaten the four warriors Ruoxf had left him fighting out in the desert and now twisted them into mindless berserkers. The four berserkers laid siege to the Hall, engaging Daragon; Goura; Manji and Tsainetomo Keibatsu; Jade Atema, Xander Alexander and Zaxen Isradia. In the battle, Atema was mortally wounded, fearing that part of the berserker’s madness may have leaked over into her. As one by one the berserkers fell, Raze himself moved against the Hall, the firestorm enveloping the structure as the Clan and the Iron Throne forces hurried to shelter in the basement. The entire Clan joined their minds in a Force meld led by Lords Sadow, Paladin and Shan Long to hold back the thunderous waves pounding against the building. As Raze’s anger intensified, he tore open a rift above the Hall, seeking to suck the entire structure into oblivion — but the Clan fought back, their combined strength pushing Raze back, wrapping him in a bubble of their own energies. Overpowered, Raze lost control of the storm, his body ripping apart as he was swallowed by the rift.

Clan Plagueis

After a strong and persuasive encounter with the Grand Master Sarin, Braecen Kaeth led the fleet of Clan Plagueis into the shroud, accompanied by the other clans. Both Braecen Kaeth and his Proconsul, Alaris Jinn showed depth of wisdom and integrity in the presence of powerful officers and influential Dark Jedi. The proposition of such a risky manoeuvre by the Brotherhood was seen by many as a suicide; however, Plagueis’ depth and proficiency enlightened the members of the Brotherhood as a collective to the larger picture. They entered the shroud to retain the Antei system from Yuuzhan Vong control and regain the Iron Throne.

Alaris Jinn’s new position of Lieutenant Supreme Commander accommodated him well as he traversed the majority of the shroud successfully, albeit in an atmosphere of defiance. This was the case until 36 hours prior to reaching the Antei system, The Victory II-Class Star Destroyer Ballista was being fast approached by a Vong frigate, and fighter squadron. However, more worrying to the crew was the ease of the destruction of these fighters by the fleet’s VSD-II cannons. Although to no cost on the fleet’s behalf, this brief encounter only framed what was on the horizon for the Plagueians. Eludajae and Impetus M’Nar were ordered to precede the shroud and take their findings to the Grand Master and Admiral Malin. Taking control of the Silent Scream, they shot off from the fleet. After such an anti-climatic rendezvous with the fighters, suspicions within the Clan were high as to the necessity of this mission inasmuch as the already encountered Vong were essentially deceased.

Upon the beachhead, the Clan gathered slowly, preparing for the imminent forthcoming battle. Denath’s interruption in the command centre had made operation Spider grow and the attack order was launched. Callus’ AT-AT troop squadron mobilised, along with Sanguinius’ TIE fighter Red Sqaudron, and were tasked with providing support to the dropships and inhibiting the droid advance on the Dark Jedi positions. Kaira Rohana, along with an injured Koga Kage also joined the frontline to suppress the droid presence; meanwhile, Vivackus Kavon, Kal Vorrac and Mograine were tasked with eliminating the Jedi Communications array nearby. With a reinforced line, Callus’ remaining troop, accompanied now by Jaysun Adumarii, were able to thin the ranks of the prevalent Droid battalion. A fierce battle raged in the Jedi Communication Array as Kal Vorrac, Vivackus Kavon and Mograine battled a Magnaguard and Aelema Noth, a Jedi Knight, both guarding the Jedi encampment.

The demise of the guards was short-lived as Clan Tarentum had seemingly become hostile toward Clan Plagueis. At this point, things began to look as if they were falling apart for Plagueis, as The Victory II-Class Star Destroyer Instigator had been seriously hit, and the ground forces were being overwhelmed by the Tarantae and Droid battalions. Cethgus Kuga took it upon himself to move the damaged VSD-II Instigator closer to the atmosphere of the planet, enabling for quick retreat or extraction, much like Alaris had ordered. After the suppression of the Tarantae hostiles and the last of the Droids drifting north, the injured group Kaira Rohana, Koga Kage and Denath were joined, and aided, by Callus and Jaysun Adumarii, as the overwhelming droid army was mown down in a shower of sparks and molten metal. Jaysun and Callus had come to the rescue of Kaira, Koga and Denath, all three pockmarked with the wounds of battle. During the time the party of rescuers and injured, along with a handful of the 41st battalion were extracted, Vivackus Kavon, Kal Vorrac and Alaris Jinn were closing down on a strong beacon of force energy. This dense energy signal led them into vicious battle with the still-strong droid army, and knowing full well a Jedi threat lay within one of the control centres. In the intervening time, The Instigator’s position acted more to its detriment as the entire fleet was bombarded with a meteor shower. The already ailed ship took another substantial beating; the ensuing cost to the Plagueian fleet was a reduced force upon the ship and Cethgus’ fatal wounds.

Jaek Aralias, Mograine, Kal Vorrac and Vivackus Kavon were threatened once more with the onslaught of droid waves closing their position, as they manoeuvred their way to the control bunker. The group, although covered by an AT-AT’s suppressive fire, were hit tremendously hard, Kal suffering substantial injuries in the battle. The AT-AT’s support finally paid dividends as the group led by the House Satal Keto Quaestor, Vivackus Kavon entered the control bunker, battle scarred and fatigued. In the Briefing Kal had asserted the significance of the control centre he currently occupied; Denath, rested, somewhat healed but still significantly drained, headed to aid the Quaestor’s group in the droid command centre, along with Eludajae, Impetus, Yzarc, Koga, Ralph, Jaysun and Jaek. As the battled waged heavily in the fortified control bunker, with Impetus and Eludajae fighting off hordes of droids from the doorway to the misfortune of the situation with Attack Group Two, Sanguinius – now a pilot Ace – patrolled the skies with his depleted Red Squadron and the newly emerged Gold Squadron containing Octavia Kuga, reinforcing Operation Gundark.

As situations deteriorated swiftly within the bunker, similar circumstances were emerging in the space above. The Instigator was heavily damaged and recording substantial losses; its protection was in the hands of The Baron. Koga Kage’s captivity in the Jedi was short-lived; however, the consequences were far more serious, his release sparked him to push his way back to the control base on the beachhead, attempting to exact revenge on past traumas. Upon killing two Journeymen, Koga’s rage was fully inflicted onto Kaira Rohana for his mental scars; however, the Proconsul, Alaris Jinn was hot on his heels. For Koga, the battle had changed from a war in which he was participating to one within himself; however, his destructive path was soon ended by a swift move delivered on behalf of the Proconsul. Back in the bunker, Kal incurred yet more injuries as his apprentice, wounded and exhausted, struck down the Jedi opponent. Operation Gundark, and more importantly, Clan Plagueis, had hit a dead end, physically and emotionally. The entire strike team of the Dark Jedi, worn and mutilated, Kal more than most, managed to defeat the droid and Jedi threat, with Mograine and Ralph, carrying Kal, reached extraction. The control bunkers destruction then ensued, with the remaining Dark Jedi boarding an evacuation vessel, watching the droid forces deactive, and Vulture droids pirouetting lifelessly from the sky. The decision to resuscitate Kal Vorrac was a hard one to make for the Summit of the Clan; however, deep down, the choice had already been made.

Operation Bloodfin raged in the skies over the Temple Bellseph as Alaris overlooked. The decision to retreat into the temple was not made lightly. Defending the temple, Yzarc and Alaris acted as a barrier to provide cover for the Journeymen to run in, the two di Plagia working as one to prevent the focused onslaught. The battle ensued outside as the eclectic mix of Dark Jedi, including Sanguinius, injured in a fighter crash, Inarya and Anubis Annedu poured into the temple. The battle continued to thunder above, as Octavia fought as part of the Gold Squadron against the droid threat, empowered by seeing Sanguinius crash. The distress signal from within the temple was picked up by the battered Instigator and Cassandra Elsin responded with a small strike force. Below, after a brief rest and regeneration period for those barricaded inside, the droid forces broke through the defences of the temple unleashing a hail of blaster beams; a prism of colours emanated in the dark temple hall as the Dark Jedi, led by Alaris, formed a deflective barrier against the oncoming droids. A mix of telekinesis and lightsaber proficiency provided the injured and inadequate with enough time to remove themselves from the line of battle as the diverse orders of Krath, Obelisk and Sith united as one against the common enemy. The defensive line began to move back as they used the force to reunite the doors. Outside Callus and his small strike force were too late, as the doors shut for the first time; it was their duty to repel the unrelenting bombardment of the droids front line protect the integrity of Clan Plagueis.

Back at the Clan Plagueis base of operations, the beachhead, Cassandra took her initiative to lead a regiment and three AT-AT walkers to relieve the pressures outside the temple. Within the temple, Mograine and the other Journeymen pushed into the higher levels, only to see the droids attempting to enter from the roof. The Temple on Antei was a sacred place so for such a historical and necessary knowledge bank to come under threat would be a great loss to the Brotherhood as a collective. Mograine, and his new found counterpart, an Acolyte, took up defensive positions within the middle room of the fourth floor hurling strong and repulsive attacks against their attackers. Five hours into the siege Mograine, having lost his counterparts in the valour of battle and having dampened the attack on the roof, sat in the basement with Alaris, both of which fatigued and worn down by the epic scale of the war raging around them. Joining the Proconsul and the Journeyman were Anubis Annedu and Sanguinius Tsucyra. With the morals down in the basement, both the Dark Jedi and the ensign soldiers saw no future. Eludajae, Impetus, Vivackus Kavon, Denath Jaek, Jaysun and Yzarc were also trapped in the underground tomb. The echoing thud became evermore clear as the droids encroached on their position.

Meanwhile, Callus, having lost his strike force, was met by the regiment Cassandra El'sin was heading, and followed suit to change his fate, utilizing gung-ho tactics, as opposed to the guerrilla warfare he had used only hours prior to subdue the enemy. The call to help from Callus to relieve the pressure in the air was met by Octavia’s Gold Squadron who made easy work of the Vulture droids attacking Cassandra’s AT-AT vehicles. The aura of pride was palpable in the basement as the Dark Jedi formations readied themselves for conflict. The following battle became a confused mesh of sabers and blaster bolts flashing and screaming past, inches from their allies and adversaries. The last stand had begun. Back at the base camp Koga had risen from the drug-induced coma, feeling deep remorse for his actions, described to him by the most inanimate of beings – a medical droid. Their connection; however, was not destroyed by the previous circumstances, in truth, they were reinforced. Cassandra, upon arriving at the temple, did not hesitate to start slicing into the rear of the droid flanks, accompanied by her Iron Throne guards and skirmishers, above, Gold Squadron’s Octavia pockmarked the sea of ominous metal with thick plumes of orange tinges and small grey mushroom clouds. Slowly the reinforcements began to carve into the droid defences, weakening them with every slash, every shot and every explosion; Cassandra, now accompanied by Callus pierced into the frontline defences, who focused more on the AT-AT walkers – one of the main factors contributing to their disadvantage.

As the battle for existence raged below Cassandra and Callus’ feet, Alaris Jinn, along with the remainder of his fellow Dark Jedi became more and more aware of how necessary reinforcements were in these closing minutes. Fatigue overwhelmed the eclectic selection of battling Dark Jedi. Just as all hope was being lost, an explosion followed by the emergence of the two Dark Jedi and the Iron Throne troopers who systematically tore through the ranks of the droids, saving the lives of their peers. The Dark Jedi filtered their own ways, Cassandra and Sanguinius beckoned by the Rollmaster Cethgus, Vivackus tending to the needs of his apprentice, Alaris reporting back to Braecen; however, their bond, stronger than ever. Braecen's lips blossomed into a tell-tale Corellian smirk. He was not sure what the future would hold for Clan Plagueis, but he knew he would enjoy watching them succeed as a unified clan under the steady hand of the Iron Throne.

Scholae Palatinae

The Grand Master of the Dark Brotherhood, Sarin, ordered the reclamation of Antei, lost to the Vong during the debacle of the previous year. The six clans were ordered to place their fleets and their dark Jedi, but not their ground forces, at the disposal of the Iron Throne. And the newly enthroned Emperor, Thran Occasus, complied.

But not without misgivings. Orders were to plow through the shroud, a risky maneuver that cost a great many lives and more than a few lost ships before the battle was even joined. And then the biggest surprise of all was sprung. The Vong were weak, sickly, dying. In their place was an enormous droid army, dug in on Antei and primed for battle. Intel from the Iron Throne was deficient, and the dark Jedi were forced to pay the price.

And if that weren’t enough, Admiral of the fleet, Timbal Palpatine, who was resentful over Thran’s accession to the throne, sparked a confrontation. During an attempt to arrest the recently resigned fleet admiral, a rebel from ‘The Cause’ severely wounded Timbal. The Emperor was accused of trying to have Timbal murdered, but after meeting with members of the Palpatine family the truth came out. A nasty clan civil war was avoided.

Thran led the initial incursion on the ground, after taking a turn in a Tie to destroy a wayward Matalok. The Plains of Adas saw the first action for the clan. After securing a landing zone and expanding their control to allow reinforcements to land, the dark Jedi of Scholae Palatinae were assigned to assault Objective Nek, a prominent hill controlled by the enemy.

The dark Jedi of the clan served in many capacities during the reclamation of Antei, the following prominent in their service: Thran, Tra'an Reith, Kalak Ragnose, Koryn Thraagus, Luciferus Scyrone, Korvyn, and Draco Maligo served with the infantry; Arania, Trewbacca, Koskian D’Tana, Voldemort, and Yeldarb Vohuku with the armor; Timbal, after being healed of his wounds in a bacta tank, led a squadron, and Ric Hunter flew a transport; Natth a’Niel Palpatine and Rayne served aboard capital ships; and Robin Hawk served with the medical corps.

After a brutal counter-attack, Thran concocted a plan to finish the war. He dispatched a team of geologists to Mt. Ashfire while the Emperor took Phoenix Palpatine and Koskian D’Tana on a mission to take out the Jedi leaders. Minor skirmishing between the rival clans broke out, with little to report. Orders from the Dark Council were to capture enemy Jedi, and several were taken and turned over to intelligence for interrogation.

As the enemy was driven back, and more of the Dark Brotherhood’s territory was reclaimed, Temple Boyna was the final objective given to the clan. Koryn Thraagus, Luciferus Scyrone, and Draco Maligo were the first of the dark Jedi into the upper reaches of the Temple to kill the last of the Jedi who were directing the droid army. Thran and his strike team infiltrated the droid control ship parked atop Mt. Ashfire, and after defeating a Jedi, blew the ship and deactivated the entire droid army.

And so the war was won. Happy celebrations, despite the crushing losses, eased the toils and travails of the dark Jedi and the troops of the Iron Throne. But during a confrontation between GM Sarin and the enemy Jedi leader, Crask, the Grand Master apparently died after his star destroyer crashed upon the surface of Antei. And Timbal Palpatine, who had gone over to the enemy, was executed by the Emperor, who then was adopted by the Palpatine family and rewarded for his devotion to Clan Scholae Palatinae.

Clan Taldryan

In order to access local space, Taldryan traversed the Shroud of Antei. The clan and naval forces were on high alert, with all elders and high ranking Equites serving via a Mind-Meld as means of communication between ships. At a moment’s notice, a Yuuzhan Vong Cruiser Analog emerged from the gaseous vapors of the Shroud and collided with the CSD Justice. The ship’s shields held as the dying warship broke up, more like a wet sponge than a once solid object.

Arriving in orbit around Antei, the clan established a blockade of part of the Southern Hemisphere’s AOR (Area of Responsibility) and transferred all Jedi to be landed in the initial wave. On the ground, Taldryan Dark Jedi along with the men of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division held the LZ against enemy droids and tanks, taking several casualties but winning praise from the Dark Council. Marching south with the 2/2 Infantry attached, Taldryan assault a heavily defended ridge-top artillery emplacement. Here, several Jedi were encountered and slain along with scores of battle droids and enemy equipment. Operation Carbonite was deemed a success with the capture and sacking of the Artillery which allowed for the opening of local skies to Brotherhood air superiority and the advance of Clan Naga Sadow to their next objective.

Operation Spanner found Taldryan marching to Forward Operating Base Spear to reinforce the Naga Sadow presence there. Arriving just as CNS found itself beset once more by an enemy push, the Taldryan Dark Jedi leapt into the fray without rest from a 30km journey on foot. Together, the two clans and the 2/41st Infantry repulsed the enemy Jedi and attacks several times, but found the enemy to never cease it’s onslaught. It was decided amongst the Consuls that CNS would continue to hold the line while the Taldryan Dark Jedi made for an enemy encampment to deactivate the Droid Control Center. In a show of bravado, the CNS Jedi broke rank and attempted to complete the Taldryan task but found it impossible to keep up with the First Clan. Taldryan made it to the camp and found themselves beset on all sides. Vodo Biask, Bubbles Taldrya, and Sidarace Rathden all found themselves overwhelmed during the attack and captured while attempting to rescue a Clan-mate.

In their final push to defeat the Jedi, Taldryan was ordered to the Du’sann Boundary to retake and hold the Triumvirate Library. At the same time, a rescue party was formed to retrieve the captured Dark Jedi using a Taldryan Assault Shuttle and the 1st Platoon, Bravo Company of the 2/41st Infantry. Enemy resistance at the Library was minimal and the surrounding area was taken quickly. It was decided however by Consul Shadow Taldrya that the risk to his men and that of the soldiers was too great to assault the underground Library and decided to seal the entrance via explosives for a later Dark Council team to take of.

The Taldryan rescue party arrived at the Dark Temple just before the final assault to find Quaestor Vodo Biask and Bubbles Taldrya nearly at each other’s throats over the slaying of AED Sidarace Rathden, whom had been converted by Omancor Crask and asked to kill his former Master as a show of loyalty. The rescue shuttle was shot down in the Adas Plains by a pair of Vulture Droids as it left the Dark Hall’s airspace. As the Dark Hall was taken, Taldryan sent a second rescue party to the crash site and retrieved the injured Dark Jedi there.

Clan Tarentum

Tarentum, having sworn loyalty to Darth Sarin to go to Antei, was immediately deployed to the north of Adas. The clan was tasked with establishing anti-aircraft batteries as well as securing territory to the northeast in order to set up a Central Command center and a landing zone, in order to facilitate reinforcements. However, many of Tarentum's leaders' priorities were set elsewhere, toward the destruction of the Jedi and droid army itself. One Jedi in particular, Jorax Tuar, was known for his excellent work in converting presumably "lost lambs" back to the light side. He also had a history with Tarentum's Consul, Anshar Kahn Tarentae, though how they had met no one really knew.

While Anshar dueled Tuar on the northern outskirts of Adas, clan forces were sent to the Du'sann Boundary in order to wipe up any remaining enemy resistance, with some members nearly succumbing to the light side. As the Jedi were attempting to convert members of the Brotherhood, Tarenti had to be vigilant in their fighting and consistently worked in groups. One of these groups, which included Consul emeritus Sith Bloodfyre, decided to scout out any corpses - whether of Vong or of Jedi - that could used for the clan's necromantic purposes. In the meantime, a spontaneous strike by a clan bomber was able to pin Tuar's cybernetic arm within the rocks of the cave he and Anshar were dueling in. Anshar, claiming his actions to be in return for a "small favor," decided not to kill Tuar and left him there to free himself.

Despite the clan's attempts to avoid conversions, it could not avoid the Jedi. Before moving to the Du'sann Boundary, Gladius and Cestus forces encountered four Jedi, killing one and capturing the other three. Despite interrogating one of the Jedi, who had been subjected to necromantic torture, the Tarenti did not receive much information about the Jedi's plans apart from what they already knew. Later on, one Tarenti in particular, Cestus Aedile Ronovi Tavisaen, was defeated by a Jedi named Ara Feskin and nearly converted to the light side. She was saved by her fellow Dark Jedi, including her master, Doni Tzu, before the Jedi's apprentice Movan was brutally killed before her master's eyes.

After securing their part of the Du'sann Boundary, Tarentum went on to destroy some remote - and in some cases, booby-trapped - watchtowers along the borders of Mt. Ashfire. Anshar silently handed sole leadership of the clan to Maxamillian von Oberst, Tarentum's Proconsul, before going off to check on a disturbance among some DC transports. He arrived to find that Jorax Tuar had escaped from the cave, sacrificing his artificial arm to do so, and Anshar commenced in another duel with the Jedi. As Anshar's spirit's connection with his body was fragile due to necromantic events prior to the war, he responded strangely when Tuar ran him through with his lightsaber. Rather than dying, Anshar's spirit was pulled from his body, and he was forced to wander unseen for the rest of the liberation of Antei. By the time Oberst arrived to assist Anshar - and subsequently kill Tuar with a blaster - it was in the hands of the Keepers to help the Consul.

Tarentum's ultimate task was to secure Codei Prison, and a team was sent in to eliminate any guards who could possibly be protecting the building. However, the team was soon attacked by three "peons" - prisoners altered by genetic experiments to survive harsh circumstances, but still mentally aware of their surroundings. While Raiju Kang, Frosty Romanae Tarentae, and Scion Altera defeated the peons, Ronovi Tavisaen and Gladius's Quaestor Apollo moved to further navigate the prison, which power had gone out in all but one room. They arrived in said room to find a strange sequence of codes on a still functioning computer, before discovering a secret door that led into a dug out tunnel toward the center of Mt. Ashfire.

It was deep within the body of the volcano that Ronovi and Apollo encountered Sun Vail, the lost sister of the notorious Dark Jedi Bane; a former member of the Brotherhood who had attempted to seize control of the Iron Throne and had been executed for it. Sun Vail, able to survive the horrors of the prison and the Vong invasion, was now hideously deformed and out of her mind, having made a "deal" with the Jedi to stay out of their way and they would give her Antei once they were done with it. Sun Vail had been responsible for the peons and their attack on the Tarenti, and in the end, she decided to use a deadly pathogen similar to the Candorian Plague to wipe out both Jedi and Dark Jedi still on Antei by letting the pathogen move through the steam of Mt. Ashfire.

Due to her insanity and her lack of scientific knowledge, Sun Vail forgot one of the most essential parts of creating a pathogen, and therefore her revenge was a failure. Not wishing to succumb to more punishment and torture under the hands of the Brotherhood, she committed suicide by throwing herself into the lava of Mt. Ashfire. The prison, mostly intact, was secured.

Aftermath

Arcona

Arcona returned to Dajorra, victorious upon the steppes of Antei. The ships of the Dajorran Defense Force and the Arconan Expeditionary Force meeting once again in the atmosphere of Selen. Before them stood a symbol of Arconan might and dominance, a newly commissioned Nebula Star Destroyer ordered by the proud Consul, Sashar Erinos Arconae. He dubbed the vessel “Invicta” so all may remember the victory that the Brotherhood had in reclaiming Antei. However, all was not well, trouble stirred in the darkness, predators swarmed around the triumphant and complacent Dark Jedi. As the Clan took advantage of the numerous contracts offered to them by the Hutt Cartels to combat the Vong, a challenger to the Arconans arose. A company by the name of Displace International was stealing contracts, contracts that Arcona relied heavily upon. Consul Sashar Erinos Arconae ordered his subordinate Strategos T. Entar to investigate, the Dark Adept called upon the Clan members to volunteer their services in this escapade. Several prominent members volunteered, most specifically the Summits of the two Houses, who were ordered to take the Interdictor Cruiser, “Creeping Darkness” to Onderon, where they were to pose as pirates looking to go “legit”. However, unknown to the Consul, a representative of Displace International who had contacted him, had also contacted the previous Consul, the Shadow Lord, Mejas Doto. The insane Zabrak who had shaped Arcona in the past and who had suffered an embarrassing coup at the hands of his Shadow Scion, Sashar Arconae. Mejas met the representative with scorn, who had offered to dispose of Sashar. The representative left, but not before making a promise that Mejas would take up his offer. Little did Mejas know of the man’s dark secret, or of the friends that he had. The Consul, having sent his bodyguards, Soulfire team to Onderon, lay open to attack. An attack that was both devastating and shocking. A Dark Jedi, a male Togruta, attacked the Consul in his office. The fight moved from the office, when the Togruta grabbed hold of the Mando and the pair smashed through the window to plummet down towards the ground. The fight ended in Sashar’s loss as the Exarch was hurled off the cliff unto the depths below.

The representative of Displace was right in one thing, he had promised to rid Mejas of the shock collar that Sashar had inflicted upon him, Mejas took advantage of the attack upon Sashar and neutralised several opponents. With no one to oppose him, the Shadow Lord claimed the Consulship of the Clan. A claim that the Proconsul was unable to refute. The first order of the new Consul was the return of the expeditions immediately. Meanwhile, Prophecy Phyle and Soulfire Team were ordered to infiltrate the compound and surrounding area and gather information, by any means necessary. The two Battleteams made their way to Onderon via shuttle, landing upon the surface stealthily. They infiltrated the compound but were met with force, the corporation had expected them. Traitors were amongst them, the Sergeant of Soulfire, Celahir Erinos, ordered his team to escape the trap, Soulfire struggled through the compund and were extracted by the “Drexl”, their personal LAAT/I shuttlecraft.

Prophecy Phyle reconnitered the area and met with little resistance, but were ordered to return to the Valour’s Fall, The two Battleteams fled from Onderon and returned to Selen. Meanwhile the “Pirate trip” was met with similar results, the Creeping Darkness emerged from Hyperspace to find itself opposed by numerous Marauder Cruisers, which opened fire immediately. The Indictor returned fire, as the crew scrambled to escape from this murderous trap. The Quaestor of House Galeres, Timeros Caesus Entar Arconae, ordered the Captain to perform a blind hyperspace jump, relying upon the Force to keep them out of harm’s way.

The Interdictor made a narrow escape from the trap and it limped back to Selen to lick its wounds, where the House summits discovered that Mejas was now Consul, a change that shocked them to the core. Timeros was stripped of his position and his Aedile promoted, to ensure the loyalty of his lackeys, Mejas organised a feast. Where the main dish was named as “Roast Amik”, a name which the former Commodore boasted until his unfortunate demise at the hands of Mejas.

Naga Sadow

In the aftermath, much of the Hall itself stood in ruins, however the Clan had survived — by working together — as one. The Overlord recognized without Shan Long they might not have channelled their strength into the meld to direct against the Betrayer; despite all that had happened back in the Battle of Lehon two years before, they were finally free to move on. The Clan was united. The Yuuzhan Vong had fallen. The Jedi slain. And Muz Keibatsu, a Son of Sadow, now sat on the Iron Throne itself as Grand Master of the Brotherhood. The war had ended; the Dark Age of lies and betrayal along with it.

Clan Plagueis

Immediately following victory at Antei, most of the Dark Jedi of Clan Plagueis returned to the Jusadih System, as per the orders of Consul Braecen Kaeth. Braecen himself did not follow. He was ordered to remain on Antei for the time being where the new Grand Master, Muz Ashen could keep tabs on him. This left Proconsul Alaris Jinn di Plagia in command. This gave Jinn the opportunity he needed to continue his ascension to the Plagueian Throne. He began to make sweeping changes to the military outlook of Clan Plagueis.

Finally, after four months without Braecen, Alaris made the most overt move for power by attacking and capturing Cethgus Kuga with the assistance of Arion Sunrider. Jinn declared himself Consul which immediately caused a rift between the two Houses of Clan Plagueis. House Satal Keto, more specifically Vivackus Kavon and Kal Vorrac, were loyal to Alaris, who had once led the House himself. House Exar Kun was, at the time, under the command of Quaestor Yzarc Rellik Kaeth, a member of the Kaeth dynasty and therefore loyal to Braecen.

Jinn sent the prisoner, Kuga, to Morroth to be handled personally by Kavon. Yzarc knew this would be the case, and expected Jinn to be there with them. House Exar Kun began a full sweeping attack of Satal Keto's holdings, eventually capturing the Quaestor, Kavon. At this point, Vivackus Kavon revealed the Braecen had contacted him months before and demanded his fealty. Kavon had given it to him, and it had been requested of him that he act as if he had aligned himself with Jinn, in an attempt to draw the would-be Consul out of his secrecy and declare open war against the Kaeth dynasty.

All chaos broke out. Houses no longer mattered. Dark Jedi were chosing which Consul to follow, Braecen or Alaris. The fighting moved to Kapsina, where those loyal to Alaris were attempted to defend him, while those loyal to Braecen were trying to kill Alaris. When the fighting finally broke into the Throne Room at the apex of the Dark Tower on Kapsina, Alaris was already defending himself.

Braecen had arrived back from Antei and was overpowering Jinn. This was until Arion once again stepped into the fight. The battle fell behind the elevated throne and into the office of the Consul of Clan Plagueis. Braecen did not return from that fight. Only Alaris and Arion returned. Alaris declared himself Consul, undisputed, and he appointed Arion as his Proconsul.

Scholae Palatinae

Clan Taldryan

Released from their obligations to the Grand Master, Taldryan returned to Kr'Tal swiftly to lick their wounds and recuperate from the non-stop combat.

Shadow Taldrya relinquished command of the Clan, boarding a shuttle to the Unknown Regions. To ensure a stable transition, Halcyon Taldrya briefly took on the Consulship once more. It was only a scant few months later that he too would step away from leadership, leaving the Clan in the hands of his then Proconsul.

Thus, after the 9th Great Jedi War, the rein of Consul Vodo Biask began.

Clan Tarentum

After the war, Tarentum had suffered multiple casualties and returned to their home system significantly smaller in size. Anshar specifically was restored to his body, but not without a warning that any more separation of his spirit from his flesh would be permanent. The death of Sarin, ultimately, would tangle up the clan with a strong distrust toward its clan summit. At the same time, civil unrest was settling in the Yridia system, with assigned government officials even making veiled threats to Tarentum officials when concerning raised taxes and increased loans from cities. However, the main threat to the clan revealed itself when a PCL 27 crashed into Yridia IX, destroying a large part of Eden City.

In response, Tarentum turned to their alliance with the Keepers in order to stop the clan's enemies. Their duties included searching out a necromantic weapon known as the Obsidian Blade, which the Keepers would allegedly use to defend the clan when it faced a familiar enemy - Adamu, a Dark Jedi spirit. It was during such conflict that Anshar stepped down as Consul of Tarentum, in order to direct his full attention to his work to the Master at Arms. Oberst assumed the throne of Tarentum shortly after his superior's resignation, while Ronovi was appointed Proconsul.

Ultimately, the main casualty in this chain of events would be necromancy itself, as the conspiracy of the Keepers was unveiled. After destroying one of their prominent enemies, members of Tarentum saw to the death of their allegiance with their dark necromantic leaders. The Necromantic Order was then abolished, as Tarentum turned to their new granted clan powers as well as the conflicts and vendettas ahead.