HP: Dance of the Veela

Esh'kha, Outer Rim Territories...993 ARR…

The planet given to the Esh'kha after they had been freed from their imprisonment on Belsavis at the hands of the Rakata was a fairly peaceful world as many were scared of their impressive reputation as warriors and they had managed to fight off every aggressor that they had fought since, giving their numbers a chance to grow.

The Empire was growing concerned that the Esh'kha might join their enemies and so had violated their space despite the Esh'kha being isolationist until now, so the Empire had thought they would be fairly easy to conquer due to fighting alone.

But instead of an easy victory like they had hoped for, the Esh'kha had proven their reputation as warriors was just as strong now as it had during the Galactic War thousands of years ago. Even with their somewhat old equipment they had proven a devastating opponent and even the Ogami and the Sun Guard units deployed here were struggling to overcome the determined local resistance.

Liber8 had learned of the situation and had decided to join the battle, some of their combat units were assisting the locals in fighting the Empire and supplying them with more modern weapons and equipment. Anakin had come to lead the campaign on their behalf and now was kneeling the dirt above a ravine with some Esh'kha and Liber8 soldiers, below them an Imperial Patrol was moving along it looking for hidden Esh'kha hideouts. Anakin waited patiently until the time was right to make their move.

"When they are middle of the ravine, blow the explosives." Anakin told Travis, one of Liber8's commandos, a tall and powerfully built human male with dark skin who nodded with some eagerness, really wanting to see this.

Below them they watched as the patrol with a single AT-ST and a TX-130 Sabre Tank surrounded by a thirty or so Stormtroopers marched in standard formation down the ravine, not knowing the great danger that they were now in. Travis with the detonator in hand waited till just the right moment before pressing the button.

The explosives went off just as they should do, along the cliffs overlooking the narrow passage, weakening the rock and bringing it down on the Imperials below who cried out in shock before being crushed or worse buried alive as the rocks crashed into them.

Anakin nodded with satisfaction as they took out another patrol, each one making it harder for the Empire to keep their presence on this world.

While Travis checked to make sure they hadn't missed any of the enemy Anakin turned to the leader of the Esh'kha he had been working with since the start of this campaign which was still ongoing.

"There you are Vigilant Watcher. I hope our help aids your people in their fight." Anakin said as he turned to the tall warrior who nodded and told him in their own language, thankfully though he had brought C-3PO to translate.

"Oh, he is most pleased Master Anakin, he remembers that a Jedi once saved their people from eternal enslavement at the hands of the Rakata, and is glad to see the Order has remained that force for the betterment of others that it was back then." C-3PO said which made Anakin smile, knowing they were referring to the Bar'senthor of the Cold War and Galactic War. One of the Order's most capable masters and greatest heroes, it was an honour to be held in the same regard.

Anakin gave a grateful nod to Vigilant Watcher who returned it before they returned to camp, on the way though…Anakin felt a disturbance in the force from close by. Someone in danger was close by, frowning he said to the others.

"I'll just have a look around for any more Imperials before heading back, see you at the base." Anakin told them others who accepted it even if they found it a bit strange that he wanted to do it alone. C-3PO followed Travis back to base annoying the commando with his incessant chatter while Anakin went to look for the source of what he had sensed.

It was harder to find than he had imagined to find the person in trouble, the terrain was fairly rough which was partly why it made such a good place to hide in, but eventually he managed to find them.

A number of Sun Guard surrounded a single one who was firing a heavy blaster at the ones pursuing him, beside the lone Sun Guard warrior was a young boy with similar features who was hiding nearby.

The situation looked confusing to Anakin as why would they be attacking their own kind? It might be a set up to get someone inside the rebellion Anakin considered and if they had had the right training, they could hide their intentions from force users even him Anakin thought with concern but at the same time if it was genuine then it might be a real important opportunity.

Making his decision he ignited his lightsaber and leapt into action, the Sun Guard were quick to react if seemingly surprised by his appearance. They turned to engage him but Anakin moved like an unstoppable lightning bolt, cutting through the Sun Guard like wheat before turning his attention the remaining one they had been pursuing who turned his weapon on him but did not fire.

"Jedi, I have no quarrel with you. I just want to take my son and leave this place." The Sun Guard rogue said, now much closer Anakin saw he was a human male in his mid to late thirties with a shaved head and a small beard. He had a stern but powerful face and his eyes were blazing with a strong will.

Anakin was taken aback a bit but deactivated his lightsaber as a show of good faith and the Sun Guard man in turn lowered his weapon but both kept them in hand.

"I'm Anakin, and you are?" Anakin asked hoping to learn just what was going on. The Sun Guard man with distrust at the apparent friendship nevertheless answered.

"Devan, this my son Jal." He introduced and the small boy maybe only Luke or Leia's age came over and hugged his father's side. It was a touching scene and Anakin smiled at the boy who clung to his father in fear of the unknown.

"Why were they chasing you?" Anakin asked and Devan frowned before admitting the truth.

"My wife had begun to challenge the blind obedience to Palpatine, she made the mistake of being open about it…so they killed her." Devan said with obvious pain in his voice at the death of his wife, his grief coming off him in waves. Anakin immediately felt sympathy for him as he knew something of that pain given his terror at nearly losing Padme at the beginning of all this. "I will not allow our son to be killed merely as a lesson to the others."

"Then I might be able to help you." Anakin said seeing an opportunity here. "I can help you get transport to wherever you need to go…if you help us with some information on your former associates and the Imperial forces here." Anakin offered and Devan looked down at his son as he considered it, having to leave in a hurry he was stuck on this world until he could secure transportation for himself and his son. The Jedi…Anakin might be helpful with that he thought with caution as they could easily be compromised but he needed to get away from here he knew with worry as the longer this went on the harder it would be to escape.

"Help me off this world…and you have a deal." Devan said with a reluctant nod and Anakin nodded, glad to have secured what might be a vital coup of information but also, he was hoping Devan's help in some other things as well.

In the wider galaxy the war carried on, Imperials and other forces clashing over different worlds and in the void of space. The Kaldarans continued to prowl the space lanes and attack any target that they could find, this only made all those who had been attacked or might be a target for an attack invest massively in fortifying their worlds against further raids. Even the distant Pasdisahah Imperium was not immune as Kaldaran ships tried to probe its borders, fortunately suffering from the same technological and navigation issues that had been plaguing the area and retreated or were lost when the Imperium military responded to their incursion.

Since the Imperium did not react well to the Kaldarans violating their space and desperately needed reassurance from their leaders and Empress Irulan was fast to release a statement to that effect it was noted though that the Emperor of the Imperium himself had remained silent. Something that dampened what Irulan was trying to do and finally inside the royal fortress and seat of power, frustration and anger at him mounted, finally boiling over but not from the public.

Kaitain, Pasdisahah Imperium…

The Emperor's chambers were the largest and most elaborate in the palace, until a couple of years ago they had also been also been the chambers of Chani and Irulan but now only Paul lived in them. The lights were off and his bed unmade, the servants that should have done it were scared off by him.

He was half dressed and unwashed, his face covered in rough and greasy looking hair that was overgrown from not being cut. He took another swig from his bottle of booze which he then discovered was empty, he threw it towards a pile over on the other side of the room, hearing it smash as he did so before looking around blindly for another one only to see there were no more. He growled in anger before struggling to his feet, he had not gotten up much and so his legs were stiff and he swayed a little as he stood upright.

His eyes were raw and unfocused as he went to call for more alcohol but then he was nearly blinded by the doors bursting open and in strode his mother and a group of attendants. Paul was confused as to what they wanted and was about to tell them to leave when his mother of all people grabbed him with the force, lifting him clear off his feet.

Paul was shocked by this and tried to free himself but he had neglected to use the force in all the time since Chani died and his ability to concentrate was weakened by the alcohol in his system. Even if he hadn't been in this sorry state however that would mean nothing as while he was probably more powerful than his mother in terms of raw strength although it was debatable, she was a master of the force. She had spent much longer perfecting her control of it and had never once stopped practicing, she didn't even need to use her hands to grab and hold him…doing it all with pure concentration.

She pushed him towards the bath nearby which began to fill with hot soapy water, seemingly on its own. The clothes he was wearing were pulled off his body and he was forced into the water. He glared at his mother for doing all this but she was unmoved and held him in the bath as the attendants did their work, scrubbing him to an inch of his life and cutting the excess hair from his face and head.

This went on for some time until he was cleaner than he had been in months, only then did his mother lift him out of the tub and allow the attendants to dry him with warm towels that felt scratchy against his skin before finally dressing him in fresh and clean clothes.

Only then did Jessica release him, he glared at her with his head still pounding but she was unmoved by his attempts at intimidation and a cup of caff was put in front of him. He was about to push it away but his mother's intense eyes made his will buckle and reluctantly he drank it, more cups kept appearing till he was finally fully sober and his head was still aching. So, he asked his mother with annoyance.

"Well, happy now?!" He said sharply at her but he felt her presence in the force flare up and he was ready to just make her leave but Lady Jessica was not taking his attitude so lightly this time.

"Not even close, you have been hiding for long enough!" Jessica said fiercely and his mother's blazing eyes combined with her power in the force scared Paul a bit as she continued on. "You have duties to perform! An Imperium to run and instead of that, you have been moping around in a constant state of drunkenness." She told him sternly, not able to take his current attitude any longer, not when it was causing so many problems.

"Chani is dead!" He yelled out as his anger at being called out rose up but Jessica said calmly back without any hint of pity.

"You have a wife that you have completely ignored, billions if not trillions of people that live their lives on the decisions you make and four children that you have never seen!" Jessica told him, shaming him with his lack of attention. "Irulan has been forced to be both mother and father to those four and she only gave birth to two of them! She is the one running the Imperium and the upgrade program while raising them with whatever help I can provide."

"Do you think I didn't grieve when your father died?" Jessica told him sharply, now in full flow and not letting him speak till she had finished. "Of course, I did! He was the love of my life and he was gone and I was left with a house at war and to make sure you were safe. I had to pull myself together and make sure things turned out the way we needed them too. Now its past time for you to do the same!" She told him with angry eyes.

Paul was humbled by her words as he remembered just how strong his mother had been when his father had died, he had been a mess but she had been so strong! He marvelled to himself. Hardly seeming to give it a thought in the face of all the troubles they were facing at the time. She had been hurting deeply and yet still kept it together for their sake, helping them find the ally they needed to win the war and claim the Imperium. She had been such a pillar of strength despite her pain and made him feel not only incredibly shameful at being so selfish but also foolish for forgetting the pressure he had put on his wife.

Irulan…she and him had been getting along, working on their marriage and even found a way for him to still be with Chani. But when Chani had died, he had abandoned her to face all the struggles and pressure of running the Imperium alone while raising his children all alone. He had retreated into an alcoholic stupor and ignored everything that mattered.

He was deeply ashamed of his own neglect of his family, especially his children. Oh, by the force he hadn't even bothered to see them, he thought with his own regret growing. He would not know his first son from his second or his daughters from each other he realised with distress, he had never seen any of their key moments. He had never even held them he thought with disgust aimed solely at himself. They were nearly two years old now and he had not spent even a single day with them!

His mother was right he thought with resolve born of those feelings, he had much to put right he decided and knew the first step was to go and see his children! Paul thought walking straight past his mother looked after him with worry but inside a great sense of relief that she had managed to shake Paul out of his apathy. To get him to start living his life again and to take his responsibilities seriously at last.

Still, he had a lot of arse-kissing to do Jessica thought with a raised eyebrow, wondering if he had ever the remotest idea of how much work was ahead of him.

- x -

Paul was scared as he approached the main office, technically it was his as head of state…not that he had been much of one lately he thought with derision aimed solely at himself. It had been Irulan's for some time as she ran the Imperium in his place, ran it well from what he knew. She was a special woman he thought with a deeply unsettling sensation running through him as he had treated her so poorly. His heart was still broken after losing Chani but that didn't mean he was not able to love her too…if she would have him, he thought with worry that she might decide differently.

The guards of course allowed him entry and what he saw was deeply shocking to him, but the same time such a touching scene.

Irulan sat the main desk with datapads piled around her and the massive computer display working away but she had one of the children on her lap while she did, the little boy looking at the displays in front of him with fascination while the other three were playing together at the foot of the desk while a nurse and some guards looked on to make sure they all stayed safe.

Was that her son? Or Chani's? He pondered briefly before shaking his head. What did that matter? She was being mother to all four of them now, he thought seeing she had kept her promise to Chani on her deathbed which humbled him. She had such kindness and love that she could take two children that weren't hers and raise them as if they were. She was so strong he thought and now he was starting to open himself up to the force again he could feel the strength of the bond they all shared. That it had happened when he had not been there to see it, it hurt deeply. How could he have turned his back on them when they needed him most? He should have been a part of that bond but he why hadn't he been? He asked himself and didn't like the answers he came too.

Irulan looked up from her desk when she sensed his presence, he was surprised as she had not been that skilled with the force but seemed to have developed what she did know in the time since they had last spoken. She frowned when she saw him and he felt her hostility towards him. He grimaced knowing he was going to have to do a lot of grovelling before she was willing to have anything to do with him again.

"So, you crawled out of your hole? Took you long enough." Irulan said with bitterness as she got up from her desk and put the boy that she was holding in her lap down so he could join his siblings.

"They've grown." Paul said nervously as he looked at the children, all of whom looked at him with confusion, not knowing who he was but subconsciously feeling the force in him as he sensed it in them. The fact that his own children didn't know who he was tore at him but he was powerless to say anything about it as Irulan fixed him with a glare that burned, her emotions making things in the room shake slightly before she forced herself to calm down so as to not scare the children.

"Children tend to do that, but how would you know…when you have never seen them?" Irulan said dragging out the last parts with her anger on her face as plain as day. "They needed a father and the Imperium a leader. They needed you and you weren't here." She scolded him and he nodded in agreement.

"I know…I know." Paul said quickly hoping to start rebuilding the bridges he had burned. "I let all of you down, you and the children especially. I have a lot to make up for."

"You are damn right you do!" Irulan said with anger that he seemed to think words would be enough. "To them at least. You may it very clear you don't love me; I have accepted that. But I will not accept you treating the children so badly. You have to prove that you can be a good father before you get to be one." She told him with a cold and hard edge to her voice.

The idea that Irulan had given up on any kind of relationship between them was a harsh blow, he thought with dismay. He knew he should have expected it as after all he would not have mourned for her like he had for Chani and even before that preferred to spend time with her than Irulan. Something that had not gone unnoticed he realised sadly before reaching up to take her hand but she pulled back with her nostrils flaring.

"I don't think so." Irulan said coldly to him with her eyes blazing. Paul was taken aback but nodded in agreement, knowing he would have to prove that he wanted to be more to her than a distant husband who was with her for political reasons who just happened to have children with her. He had not considered the scale to which her bitterness had reached and hoped there was still time to create something more between them, especially when she had been so strong and loving to the children even if two of them were not hers.

Turning to the children he saw them looking at him with confusion and one of them looked on the verge of tears as she stared at him. That deeply pained Paul who could feel the fear coming off of his children and Irulan told him as she went over and hugged the little girl to give her comfort.

"Zera does not like strangers. None of them do." She said and her statement carried a double meaning, he would have to overcome that barrier first before anything else could be achieved.

The moment was broken however by the door parting as Warmaster Gurney Halleck entered the room with a pair of pads in his hands. He saw the situation in the room and was about to make a retreat when Irulan took advantage of his unexpected interruption to change the subject and talk about something else.

"Warmaster, did you get the new designs for the navy?" Irulan asked him and Gurney as a testament to how much things had changed around here since Paul had retreated into himself, the Warmaster did not hesitate to answer her without given Paul anything more than a nod.

"Yes Empress, we have the interceptor specifications and those for the new heavy cruiser. The Heavy Cruiser is about 640 metres long and carried a good number of fighters for support while carrying a laser point defence system like our Mandalorian allies, four medium turbolasers and six missile launchers. Energy shields of course and two large sublight engines with a crew of 1200." Gurney as a hologram of the ship in question appeared. It was a much more compact and utilitarian design that the ships they had used before but it was functional and looked far more advanced and efficient than the warships they had created in the past.

But the interceptor design was what they were most proud of. The heavier starfighter with a single hull arrow angular shaped design with engines that allowed it vertical and regular take off without compromising speed in normal flight. It had adjustable flaps on the wings and tail fins to aid movement in an atmosphere and aid cooling of the engines, giving it not only high speed but also great agility. It required only a single pilot and for now had no hyperspace capability although the designers were working on that. A light energy shield too had now been added to the design to increase longevity in a fight.

The most impressive thing about it though was the weapon system, while it carried eight missiles or torpedoes per ship the primary armament was a modular articulating system. A set of three cannons on each wing; one a light rapid firing laser, the second a slower and heavier laser cannon for use against heavier targets and finally an ion cannon for use in disabling targets.

Quite a formidable arrangement Paul remarked, he had ordered the project but completely ignored it after Chani's death. He might have had some input into it but it had passed him by. The X-Wing was a strong craft and they would still find uses for it but it was a matter of pride to have something unique of their own.

Paul would enjoy seeing it in action and was so caught up in looking at the design that he nearly missed just what Irulan said to Gurney.

"Excellent work, pass my compliments to the design teams. I want to work on the prototypes to begin immediately." Irulan told the Warmaster with a smile before turning to Paul, her gaze growing cold again. "I will allow the children to get to know you, they should know their father I suppose. I will also be taking some more lessons from Lady Jessica in the force, I have neglected my own training for too long." Irulan stated bluntly.

The idea of getting to know the children delighted him but the idea that Irulan was finally continuing her force training did shock him given how long she had waited to so but she had grown much more powerful than the last time he had seen her Paul felt, not only that though but her heightened bond with the children which given she had been raising them shouldn't surprise him but did.

She had such compassion and loyalty inside he thought with sadness that he had not recognised it earlier.

Paul was about to speak again when Irulan picked up two of the children while the nurse picked up the other two and carried them off for their lunch and mid-day nap. Watching them go he was struck again with how much he had to make up for and only increased his determination to do so.

Yarm Dal, Imperial Colony…Mid Rim…

One planet that had benefitted from Imperial presence was Yarm Dal, an insignificant world that had no important features or attractions of its own. The Empire had built a community here though, one that was efficient and ran smoothly, colonists from Core Worlds which supported the Empire had made this planet their home and it was also the site of one of their most important monitoring stations and a vital supply base for the Imperial Fleet.

Still, rebellion was like everywhere hidden among them.

There was no formal cell here, spies for different factions but many of the disaffected youth wondered about what life would be like without the Empire?

Sitting in her classroom, bored to tears by the incessant droning on by the teacher was a human girl that was one of the loudest voices in the rebellious youth. She had heard these words that the Empire was the greatest civilisation the galaxy had ever seen so many times that it honestly had turned into a jumbled blur with how dull she found it. She knew despite her young age of six years of age that much of the galaxy thought differently and was fighting against it. She wasn't supposed too but her father…Admiral Vist she thought with mocking humour often spoke of such things to his wife at night when they thought she was asleep. That the galaxy dared to fight back and rebel against their rightful Imperial rulers she thought with revulsion at the clear bias.

They were her parents only in the biological sense of the word, she thought with anger towards them. Her father was a follower of Grand Moff Tarkin had risen high on his blessings but like his wife she was merely an object to them. A means of improving their status and image, given Admiral Vist was a high-ranking Imperial with a taste of the finer things in life and her mother came from a very rich family that had wanted for nothing her entire life and only had to enjoy the luxury her station awarded her a child was the only thing they needed to promote themselves as this power couple in the Empire.

Nila Vist, as she was named had never been given any affection in her entire life from her parents. She was a bright and intelligent girl far beyond her years that had been raised by often distant nannies and tutors who occasionally had shown her what actual caring was but her parents only cared if she was a threat to their reputation. That was the reason that she called her father Admiral Vist as he was an officer first and a father never.

Nila liked to rebel, she thought with a smirk on her face. It was the only way to get a reaction out of her parents which amused her. Seeing them deal with someone who would just not be a mindless little doll for them was honestly one of the funniest things she had in life. She never hurt people with the things she did, Nila would never do that she thought with disgust at the mere idea but she was not going to be another mindless follower of the Empire.

As the school day came to an end she left school, walking home as neither of her parents could be bothered to pick her up and her nanny was sick with an illness so she was forced to take the train home.

The train was busy and she was thankfully ignored by the people around her as she got on, riding the train route which thankfully she knew well. Sighing to herself and wondering just when she might get a chance to change her life.

- x -

Vist Residence…

Some distance away Admiral Vist and his wife were enjoying some wine before they were forced to deal with their meddlesome daughter, the girl was the most stubborn child they had ever imagined and they couldn't wait to ship her off to military school the moment she was old enough to be rid of her.

As they sipped on the expensive wine again the system gave an urgent alert, Admiral Vist ran over and saw to his dismay that a Mandalorian raid was happening. The sentry ships were fighting them in orbit but they were quickly being overwhelmed, the taskforce was sizable and communications outside the system were being jammed.

Admiral Vist had made a career out of knowing when to get out when things were getting tough and this was one of those times. He was no idiot and if he stayed chances of death or capture would be a certainty, there was still a window of escape and he intended to take it. There was no time to grab any of their belongings which annoyed him that they would need to leave some of their nicest things behind but they could be replaced.

"We must leave immediately; the shuttle can only flee the system if we go within the next few moments." Vist told his wife who looked towards her large and extensive wardrobe and jewellery collection before sighing in a pained way to leave it all behind.

"What about the child?" Karmelia Vist said referring to their daughter who had still not returned home. The Admiral didn't even hesitate before taking her hand and pulling her towards the landing platform where their private shuttle was waiting.

Who cares about the child? He thought with a complete lack of care for her wellbeing which was echoed in his wife. They were both selfish people, total narcissists and if they had the choice to risk their lives to try and save someone else even their own daughter or make sure they were safe then the decision to them was obvious…abandon the child and save themselves.

- x -

The Mandalorians did not take long to blast their way through the Imperial defences, ignoring the civilian quarter by large although some stray ordinance did hit there from both sides.

Instead, the Mandalorians directed their focus on the ship docks, monitoring station and other key Imperial facilities razing them to the ground along with killing any Imperials they could find.

Vysa was leading the assault, looking at the destruction with a great deal of satisfaction. This planet had the potential to be a thorn in their side and this would put them back significantly.

But then she felt something in the force nearby, she looked over to find the source and saw that a passenger train had been derailed and crashed hard into a jumbled mess on the ground. There was someone still alive in there she realised and as her warriors protected her, she called on the force to move the debris away.

She thanked Luna for her training as the chunks were large and heavy, without all she had learned she would never have been able to do it but thankfully she managed to pull the parts she needed away.

The inside of the carriage was a torn and jumbled mess of torn metal and body parts but an interior section seemed to have curled in slightly and inside as Vysa moved closer she noticed someone was inside it. Using the force, she pulled the twisted cocoon open and saw to her horror a badly injured little girl inside. Vysa knelt down and checked the girl over, feeling her life was hanging by a thread so she concentrated her own limited repertoire of healing spells to keep the girl stable while calling out to the other warriors.

"Get a medical capsule! NOW!" She called out and they jumped to obey her order while she looked after the badly injured youngling. She had what looked like a very torn school uniform but that didn't matter much Vysa thought with some desperation to save the girl. She was an innocent and needed to be protected till she could be returned to her family…if they still lived Vysa thought sadly as she looked around the violent mess around her.

When the medical capsule arrived, they were pulling out to avoid a retaliation strike from the now alerted local Imperial Fleet. Seeing the girl needed the capsule and without urgent medical treatment she would die Vysa made a difficult decision.

"Bring her with us, we will make sure she is reunited with her family once she is recovered and we can determine her identity." Vysa ordered, the warriors while wondering if this was good idea nevertheless followed her orders and moved the pod to their ship before taking off, leaving the planet far behind and heading back to the safety of Mandalorian territory.

Reijar, Ordo System…

In the med bay of the Ordo Compound Luna was giving birth to her second child, her husband was present this time but was waiting outside with their first son Lorcan until Luna had managed to give birth.

After a painful day spent in labour, she finally managed to bring her second son into the world.

"Lysander." Luna said with a smile as she gently kissed her son on the forehead and held him close. Her second son was as perfect to her mind as her first, they had really similar features she noticed straight away and contented herself with holding him for a ceremony was taking place tomorrow that would reduce the amount of time she had to devote to her students and give her more time to be a mother Luna thought although she would still have a great deal to do.

- x -

Next Day…

"Times are changing for us all." Luna said as she sat in the hall surrounded by her Akaan and the still training Hibir. "For years now we have been training and fighting and I have been the sole Kar'taylir. Until today." Luna said with a smile as she would finally promote her first four students to master rank.

"This position is as much an acknowledgement of your skill as it is the acceptance of new responsibilities, something that as we grow in number is only expanding." She said looking at all the Hibir or students they had including the Longbottom, Ordo and Marek children who sat with them smiling brightly.

"So, from today." Luna said with a smile as she used a paint brush to put the special marks of their new rank onto their armour. "Roon, Caz, Reli and Makla…I name you all to the rank of Kar'taylir. To not only lead our order into battle but to train the next generation to take up the mantle and to be the best that they can be…that is our duty and our pleasure. Stand and be recognised." She called out and the hibir and the gathered dukes, duchesses, parents and others all clapped as the four of them rose to their feet and faced the crowd with their new markings plain to see.

Luna proudly looked at her students, they had proven their worthiness to carry this rank and with so many students now, over thirty they would need more teachers. The Mareks had been a great help to her but now with four new instructors it would be far easier to manage.

- x -

A little later another ceremony was being held before the Mandalorian Council, this one a little more sombre as an old friend was leaving them.

"It is with a heavy heart that I stand down from my position as leader of House Yusagi." Ijaa said with the usual calm serenity he was known for. "My eldest son, Liiy will hence forth be assuming my title and position, as is his birthright. I must therefore also name my successor as Lord Justice…after careful debate I have decided that Din Djarin will assume my place on the council. His dedication to our way of life and loyalty to our people is beyond reproach." Ijaa said, getting up from his chair and gesturing for the nervous looking Din to take his place. Din was a grown man now with a list of battle awards and a reputation as a steadfast leader but this was his own promotion to high office.

Haron watched with pride as the boy he had raised as his own earnt this position on his own merits.

Din slowly took his seat with an encouraging nod from Haron, the smile he gave him was proof of how proud he was and how proud he was sure that his parents would have been proud too.

"My intention is to spend my remaining years as a teacher and to contemplate and write. I have had a life that is long and full, now is the time to reflect on it." Ijaa said and the council would hope that if needed he might return and share his wisdom as he had been a vital part of it for so long.

"You will be missed, thank you for your long service." Haron said as he shook the older duke's hand, he had been a much-respected figure and would be missed as they went forward.

Ijaa nodded in return before taking his leave and allowing them to get on with their meeting. Apart from reports of clashes with Imperials and the Sun Guard there was little beyond normal to speak of but an official request had been relayed from the Incom designers who joined us earlier in the war.

"Apparently, their counterparts in the Rebel Alliance had expressed an idea to upgrade the very useful T-65 X-Wing with a newer and more capable model or to create specialised variants. They wish to use the facilities that we have to develop this new version and as such we would have access to the design along with any other improvements made." Duke N'Val said with a look of veiled excitement at the idea of making improvements to the already highly successful fighter.

"I am not comfortable with sharing our secrets with outsiders. Even if we are currently allied." Duke Ge'Hark said with concern and Duchess Kane smirked before replying to his statement.

"But we wouldn't be, would we? No instead we get to take theirs and emerge from it with hopefully a better design than we had before." She said, pointing out that they were using the Rebels as much as they themselves were being used. They would both be coming out with a better starfighter and gained nothing from turning this down.

"Both good points. We will allow this as a better fighter would be useful to both parties, an improved X-Wing would be a major asset to our forces and to those against the Empire. The T-65 currently in service is a highly efficient model that is now in service to many Rift Alliance worlds, so improving it would serve us all well." Haron said sagely and the council nodded, even Ge'hark as he knew the importance of making sure they had better equipment than their enemy.

"Now, we have to plan a number of territorial expansions. So far, we have added two hundred or so worlds to our control since the beginning of the war, but I have plans for a further expansion that will raise that number." Haron said as he called up their next series of liberations/conquests.