Orbital Relay Platform - Feron-4's Upper Atmosphere
Kael stood aboard the command deck of the newly completed Obsidian Watchtower, a station hovering in low orbit. The angular structure crackled with static fields as ion barriers shimmered in place. The relay array beside him pulsed with encoded data surging between planetary command and orbital defenses.
Kael (to Overseer Veyda): "Begin acceleration of Satellite Net Five. I want total blind zones on every vector out of this quadrant."
Veyda: "Already ahead of schedule, my lord. The graviton lens has passed phase three testing. We can scramble hyperlane telemetry across two parsecs."
Kael nodded, gaze fixed on the stars. A single transmission had escaped — a weakness. And now the Jedi were coming in force.
Jedi Task Force – En Route to Feron-4
Aboard the Republic vessel Valiant Hope, Master Thalon Marr stood at the fore of the bridge, flanked by six Jedi — two Masters, three Knights, and a Padawan. Each chosen for their clarity of mind and resistance to the dark side.
Master Liona Raas: "I've meditated for days and still cannot see Feron-4. It's a blank space in the Force. A true void."
Marr: "Then we approach it not with sight, but with caution. We recon, analyze, and return. No assumptions."
Knight Vos Talik: "Or we walk into a trap so deep it rewrites what we know of the Force."
They exited hyperspace — and immediately, the ship's sensors screamed. Nothing. Static. No stars, no planetary body. Feron-4 had vanished.
Padawan Eyla (panicked): "Master, the navicomputer's gone blind!"
The Jedi reached for the Force—and again, nothing. It was as though their connection had been erased. Marr's eyes narrowed.
Marr: "Activate the null-shield dampeners. Prepare drop ships. We're going in manually."
Feron-4, Obsidian Empire Territory – Planetary Defense Grid
Kael stood before a massive hologram, mapping every piece of orbital movement. The Jedi had arrived — and like fools, they descended.
Kael: "Trigger defense posture. Let them land. No engagement until the Ascendants have full encirclement."
The task force's dropships touched down near a falsified ruin, their scanners scrambled by artificial decay readings. Moments later, the jungle came alive.
Black Echo operatives, masked in chameleon fiber and enhanced by neural sync implants, struck first — silent takedowns, no deaths yet. They were observers.
Ascendants of the 3rd Wave encircled the Jedi's landing site, planting Force-suppressant emitters in a circular net.
Ascendant Commander Kryll (via comms): "Perimeter is sealed. Subject containment phase initiated."
Kael (coldly): "Deploy Protocol Raze. Let the Jedi believe this is a planetary anomaly, not a war."
Jedi Encampment – Hours Later
The Jedi constructed a temporary shelter, surrounded by obsidian ruins laced with interference.
Knight Talik: "This is wrong. We've been herded."
Marr: "I know. I've been letting it happen. Whoever they are — they're meticulous. Brilliant."
Padawan Eyla (shaking): "I can't even feel you, Master. The Force is gone."
Suddenly, the Force-suppressant grenades detonated in coordinated waves. The sky shimmered with light-distortion fields. Ascendants dropped into the compound — not to kill, but to capture.
Marr activated his saber, only to have it flicker under interference. He still fought like a storm, driving back three attackers — but was brought down when Kael appeared personally, blinking behind him.
Kael (to Marr): "You were a general once, weren't you? Let's discuss military doctrine... in pieces."
Kael's vibroblade struck fast and surgically, disabling Marr with nonlethal cuts. The others were subdued.
Obsidian Citadel – Interrogation Vault
The captured Jedi were restrained in grav-field crucifixes, subjected to tailored interrogation programs. Kael oversaw the Padawan's neural mapping personally.
Kael (to AI): "Create a dream loop. Simulate betrayal. I want to see how far her loyalty bends before it breaks."
AI: "Emotional resilience detected. Target may be suitable for conversion."
Kael turned to Marr's cell. He watched the once-brilliant general twitch under sensory deprivation and subtle neuromantic suggestion.
Kael: "The Force protects the righteous. But what protects the Force from me?"
He turned away, as systems updated.
System Update
Level: 25
Stats:
Strength: 30
Agility: 33
Midichlorian: 8,100
Available Stat Points: 5
Skills:
Veil of the Forgotten – MAX
Blink Strike – Lv. 6
Tactical Analysis – Lv. 4
Force Suppressant Grenade – Lv. 5 (MAXED)
Covert Operations – Lv. 3
Blade Mastery (Vibro) – Lv. 5
Engineering Command – Lv. 3
Empire Management – Lv. 2
Interrogation Techniques – Lv. 1
Available Skill Points: 1