Chapter Two: Worlds Colliding

[Akirapryde]

Amassing an Army (Part Three)
Headquarters of the Trade Federation
Colonies World of Neimoidia
Date: 2919 AOK (Eight Months after Auro’s Birthday)

Graff stood on the balcony gazing up in to the sky. His thick black fur cloak hung over his large form. The canine faced hood laid against his back and about his shoulders. Despite the humid climate, Graff wouldn’t let his cloak go. It was a gift from Gato and her people. Hanging on his back were two large double blades lightsabers. He had created them from stolen parts while he was exiled. A pair of normal lightsabers which had more personal meaning hung from his belt.

But these things were not where his thoughts were. Deep in his heart, he longed to hold her. To smell her hair. Even though the current situation required his utmost attention, he couldn’t get her out of his mind. He raised his fist and slammed it down on the railing. ‘Oh Jenna,’ he thought longingly. He closed his eyes as he remembered their last night together, some four months ago. They had just found out that she was with child, and he had begged her to let someone else led the mission to Olivan.

‘Graff, Olivan is too important to trust to anyone,’ she had said with a smile and a soft touch on his face.

She always had this way of getting her way with him. He smiled at the thought of it. Memories flooded back in to his mind. He remembered the first time he saw her. Captain of the Fencing Team, or what joke it had been before his arrival to Frey. She was mouthy and arrogant. But she could back up her words with skill. Once he took over the Fencing Team, he was humbled as he watched her grow in to one of the finest Djem So stylists he had ever seen. He would even say the entire Jedi Order.

But that wasn’t how their intimate relationship started. They had traveled to Bakid VI for a Fencing Competition. She had lost her match and asked for some company. The two violated curfew and set out on a moonlight stroll. Under Baklid’s two moons, they started to talk. At first it was about just the competition, then it grew in to broader things. Before he knew it, the sun was coming up and his match was less than two hours away. Graff smiled at the memory. What was born from that walk, gave birth to many others.

Graff’s eyes searching the sky as if seeking some unforeseen truth. There was no denying that his heart longed for the woman who was standing on one of one of those stars. They had been separated for too long and now, it was far too long that he be reunited with his love. Once more he closed his eyes and reached out to her through the Force, ‘soon, my love, soon…’ he thought.

Behind him, Gato and her band lined the balcony as they protected their leader. Like their leader, they too wore the thick black fur cloak. All twenty of them were armed with lightsabers and a wide range of other weapons. Their two months on Neimoidia, these creatures had earned the nickname, midnight killers. Because Graff needed Viceroy Mik Regrap in power, he sent Gato and her friends to ensure that no one would oppose the new Viceroy.

Graff drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. In doing so, he reached out with the darkside. “I can sense your anger and hatred,” he said in their native language.

Gato smiled, “As we sense yours, Our King. Though you have mastered masking it well. Hide your emotions and use them to fuel your rise. You will find that this will serve you well, My King.”

She paused as a large Trade Federation Battleship slowly rose for the heavens. She could feel the tens of thousands of her people on the ship. “I can’t believe our dream has finally come. Though I can’t believe I am standing on another world.”

Graff didn’t look back as he answered, “your people have come a long way in a year. When you first found me, you were barely using swords and slug throwers.”

She nodded, “today you have brought us in to a new era of enlightenment and advancement.” She looked down as she added, “your coming has long been foretold. I won’t lie to you, My King. I didn’t believe the prophecies about you.” She looked up, “I didn’t believe that you would take us to new worlds, bring us a new era of darkness. I simply didn’t believe.”

She glanced at the others around her. “We were young and our people faced destruction at the hands of the light. None of us, held to any hope of your arrival. But on that night, when your ship arrived, I became a believer in you.”

He nodded, “the darkside heard your cries for help and brought me to your world.” He smiled as he continued to search the sky, “I didn’t realize it then. All I knew, was that an assassin had been sent by the Chancellor to kill me. He released me from my carbonate slumber.”

That moment in Graff's mind came back like a flood. From the darkest parts of his being he felt the anger swelling up like a monster inside him. In his memory, he heard the assassin, ‘I have a message from Chancellor Syrdash. Your entire family is dead. You are about to die Then your unborn child will soon be dead while still inside the womb of that abomination of a clone. Your family will cease to exist!’

Graffs anger fueled him. After the painful memory, he continued speaking “His plan was to murder me, then put me back in to my carbonite slumber. My death would have never been discovered. Before my murder, my family back on my homeworld were murdered. After my murder, he would have sought out my wife and unborn child. I had to stop him.”

Graff looked down at the Lightsabers at his waist. One belonged to the assassin whole the other belonged to a knight that had joined the assassin. Anger filled his heart once more as he recalled killing both assassins with his bare hands. “All I could think of was survival and escape. I felt the call of the darkside. It empowered me when I needed it the most. Killing them on that ship was my path to freedom. Every one of them had to die, and so they all died by my hands.”

She nodded, “the elders called upon you. They felt your hatred and sacrificed hundreds of innocents to give you strength in your hour of need. So many of the followers of light fed our fires that night.” She paused as she took a breath, “I remembered thinking how foolish this ancient ritual was. My friends and I watched from a hill top as those followers of the light were taken to the edge of the fire pits. Some walked with pride, others cried as they were led. While even others had to be dragged screaming. In the end, all of them were tossed in to the fires.”

“And I felt their suffering. Their deaths,” he said picking up the conversation. “In my hour of need, I felt the darkness. I felt those innocent lives fueling my hatred, my anger.” He brought hand up and glanced at his fist, “I heard the call of the darkside for the first time and embraced its gifts.”

She nodded, “As we answered your time of need. You came to us during ours. The Followers of Light had been driving a campaign at destroy our way of life. Murdering our people, taking our children from us. They were at the verge of destroying our way of life completely. Then you came to us. I remember that first day, the first battle. Watching you charge across the battlefield like a winged beast gone mad. I sensed in you, a darkness that I had never sensed before. So pure, so devoid of light. It was in that moment I knew; the King of Heaven had come to us.”

She boldly stepped forward, towards him, “I watched as you slaughtered so many of them with ease.” Her smile showed off her fierce teeth, “Then you took on one of their most powerful leaders.”

“A corrupt being,” Graff said as he turned and faced her. His one red glowing eye locked on to her form. “Twisted and bent to serve the Jedi. They were behind the murders of your people, the thief of your child. He was their puppet, twisted by the light. One who would spread the lies of the Jedi. They calm to be keepers of the peace yet they brought your people to near destruction.”

She smiled, “Yet destruction wouldn’t come to my people. Instead, the darkness brought salvation. You alone led my people back from destruction. Those of the light, on our world, have been consumed by darkness. Their homes burnt as they had once burnt ours. Nothing is left of who they were. Their children, now are our children. These children will be taught the promise and gifts that darkness brings. From the vanishing light, will our people survive.”

He smiled, “and now your people will have a new world. Upon that new world, you will have a new generation to teach your culture. And the Jedi will not be able to find you.”

“An act that has free many of us,” she said with a grin, “to serve you. To smother the light wherever we find it. Even the brightest star will fade and die as you raise and return to the heavens, My King.”

This brought a smile to his face, “the last light of this galaxy will be that of the ashes of the Republic, slowly burning out. You will be able to tell your new children of how the King from the Heavens came and brought darkness to the entire galaxy.”

In that moment, both turned toward the entry way as they sensed the approach of someone. Graff nodded to her and turned back to the balcony and the sky beyond. His mind drifted back to the woman he loved and the brother he feared he would have to fight. Gato backed up and took her position with the others.

Soon footsteps could be heard. A moment later, Viceroy Mik Regrap stepped on to the balcony. She walked up behind and stopped short of him, “My King, it is done. The last of the transports have gone in to hyperspace.” She smiled with prided, “I never imaged that we could transplant the entire population of a world. But with your guidance we did.”

Graff half turned his head towards her voice. He knew that she harbored feelings for him. But for him, she was just the means to the ends. “Good, with that task done, I can now focus my attention on the Jedi,” he as a more serious appearance crossed his lips. “Tell me Viceroy, how goes the transition of power.”

She nodded slowly, “with the help of your friends here,” she said motioning to Gato and her group, “there is no longer any opposition to the transition of power.”

Graff nodded, “good and the Senate?”

Once more she nodded her head, “they are ignorant of the transition of power. Thanks to your guidance and the help of your friends we could stay ahead of any leaks. When you deem it time, the galaxy will be caught surprised by our shift in alliances.”

He smiled and turned to her, “I sense that you have more for me.”

She smiled broadly, “your senses are correct, My King.” She brought up her communicator, “now captain,” she commanded. “On behalf of all the clones on Neimoidia you liberated, we would like to give you another tool in your arsenal. A tool to help you liberate other worlds, and many other clones.”

High above them a large monster of a warship slowly descended through the clouds. The general appearance was of a massive, cylindrical warship that was easily over two thousand meters long. Its nose came to a point that tapered towards the superstructure. Rising from the stern portion of the vessel, was an elongated main communications and sensor pod.

“It is a version of a Providence-class Cruiser,” she said with pride, “this one has been heavily modified and its general size has been increased. More armor, more shielding, more weapons. Now, its classified as a dreadnought. Three of the designers who I put in charge of the project set on the design board of the Chancellor's own flagship, the Victory. So, we are confident that this ship will be more than a match for the Flagship of the Republic,” she explained.

After a short pause, she continued, “our crews worked day and night to make sure that she was ready for you.” Her arm waved towards the massive ship, “This one has been rechristened, the Liberator. For you My King.” She turned back towards Graff, “a fitting name for the man who would liberate clones from across the galaxy.”

Griff smiled as he was just realizing that his goals were before him. “Indeed, a fitting name,” he said then turned to her, “you have honored me. Thank you.”

She nodded, “you have honored us all. And this flagship will be able to take the fight where ever you wish.”

He nodded, “then I shall inform the Liberator that we depart for Olivan in the morning.”

She nodded, “you will not be going alone, My King. I have arranged nine other warships to escort you. Over a quarter of a million battledroids will fight beside you. And ten thousand clones have volunteered to join you. They have been training for the past two and a half months to fight beside you and liberate more clones.”

Graff nodded as he turned back to the Liberator. “Truly a force that will shock the galaxy. But first I must rescue my queen.”

That statement clearly struck a nerve with her. But she didn't allow it to be heard in her voice. “Has she been captured,” she asked in an hope to learn more about this person who would take him from her.

Graff smiled and shook his head. “No, she is where she wants to be by her own design.”

“Do you fear for her safety,” the Viceroy asked.

“No,” Graff said calmly. “She is in the hands of one of the most honest and honorable men I have ever known.”

“Sounds like quite the ally”

“His not,” Graff said with disappointment in his voice. “No, his loyalties lay with my enemies.”

Now she was confused, “yet you trust your queen in his hands.”

Graff turned to her as he said, “I trust my unborn child in his hands. Auro Syrdash, is an honorable man. Things like honor, loyalty, respect and dignity mean something to him. Unfortunately, those things don’t mean anything to his allies.” He turned back to the Liberator hanging high above him. “It pains me that one day I will face him on the battlefield. One of us might die. But I will always value the man I call brother.” Graff spoke with both pride and truth.