《Star Wars VRMMO: Galactic Expedition》 Chapter 1 - A New Hope -June 10th, 2086, 2PM- *Ding Ding Ding* All around, the sounds of students packing up their belongings and shuffling out of the classroom could be heard. For some, this would be the last bell ever as today was the last day of school. Many would be attending college that coming Fall but some would take some time to take their shot at becoming a professional gamer. The esports industry had been booming for the last 40 some odd years. Many multinational corporations are now deeply invested in the industry. There is a plethora of money to be made in popular games. One of the graduates was Tyler Sandberg. He is a 17 year old boy from New York. He stands at 5 feet 10 inches, weighs 140 pounds, has medium length, flowy blond hair, and blue eyes. He lives alone with his mom, Julia. His father died in a tragic space accident several years back. Since then, the two of them have been struggling financially. Julia works overtime as an ?ssistant to support the two of them. Today is a special day for Tyler. A new game, Star Wars: Galactic Expedition, is set to launch at 6PM. He has been waiting months for this game. The day had finally arrived. For as long as he could remember, Tyler was a huge fan of Star Wars. It probably had something to do with his dad being an astronaut. Fortunately, he was not alone in his obsession. His best friend, John DiMonte, is also a big fan of Star Wars. It was actually Tyler who got him into it. John was your classic stud. He was tall, attractive, smart, and athletic. The two of them have known each other since elementary school. Tyler hurried out of the classroom and weaved through the maze of people in the hallway. He had to find John quickly so they could go and get some food before the game launches. He quickly made his way towards the student parking lot since John said that he''d pull his car up to that exit. Once he got outside, he was able to quickly locate John''s car through the crowd of people. He ran over and opened the passenger door. "Yo." He then sat down into the car and closed the door. John nodded and said, "What''s up?" Tyler grinned and said, "You know what''s up. We got shit to do my friend." They both laughed. John then switched into drive and pulled out of the parking lot. About 10 minutes later, they arrived at Guapo Taco. The two of them went up to the counter. They ordered three tacos each and sat down in the dining area. The two started eating. After finishing his first taco, John turned to Tyler. "So, three hours until pre-launch huh?" Tyler nodded and with a mouth full of taco he said, "Yep. We gotta make sure we create our characters before 6PM so we can get in right away. You never know what kinds of fortuitous encounters may exist in the starting zone. Anyways, what class do you think you''re gonna run?" John thought for a moment and said, "I''m not too sure. Currently, brawler seems like my first choice but then again, it is supposedly really hard. What about you?" Without any hesitation, Tyler said, "I am probably going to go for brawler as well. But I am definitely going to try and figure out how to get the force s?ns?t?v? class. Apparently there is no information on how to acquire that class. It is all a mystery for now." John nodded, "Mmmhm. I''ve heard that the force s?ns?t?v? class is the hardest class in the game. That kinda makes sense though. If it was easy, the force would be extremely overpowered. I suspect that they will limit the amount of people that can be force s?ns?t?v?. It will probably be based on encounters or reputation." Tyler sighed, "I am afraid that you might be right. I''ll just have to hope I can get lucky!" -4:55PM- ''I have been waiting for this moment. I worked hard to make this happen. For the last 6 months, I have been doing some light exercise to keep my body healthy. I also worked a lot to save up the money for the VR Full Dive Headset. This is my big chance. Mom said I have 1 year to try and go pro in gaming. Otherwise, I''m gonna have to go to college. Here goes nothing!'' He then reached up and pressed the power bu??on. A blinking yellow light flashed in his face. The startup sequence has commenced. About 30 seconds later, the headset established the connection with his brain and everything went dark. Suddenly, a Disney and LucasFilm logo faded into his vision. After a few seconds, they faded away. Then, out of nowhere, the Star Wars intro exploded into view. The fanfare was glorious as the theme song played. The wall of moving text slowly crept up as the Star Wars logo drifted farther away. "Welcome Tyler. Please say the name you would like to use." Tyler grinned and said, "Draco." "That is a splendid name. Now, if you will, please customize your character. First, you may choose your race. For races, you may choose Human, Togruta, Neimoidian, Rodian, Chiss, or Zabrak. In the case that you select Human, your in game appearance will reflect the way you look in the real world. You will, however, be allowed to make minor adjustments to your appearance." There are countless species in Star Wars. The ones that are available are just a limited selection. Fortunately, they are all humanoid species so it won''t be too difficult to control the bodies. For the races available, Humans are, well, human. Togrutas were a sentient species from the planet Shili. They were characterized by their colorful skin tones, large montrals and head tails, and white facial pigments, which served to hide them from predators. Rodians were a species of reptilian humanoids. They possessed large pupil-less eyes that could see in the infrared spectrum, slender snouts, pointed ears, twin saucer-like antennae that detected vibrations atop their heads, and a ridge of spines cresting their skulls. Green (sometimes yellow or turquoise) scales covered their bodies, and their skin had a rough, pebbly texture, except on the snout and hands. The Chiss were a blue-skinned, near-human sentient species that possessed red eyes and dark blue hair. They hailed from the planet Csilla. Zabraks were a near-human carnivorous species native to the planet Iridonia. The species had distinctive horns atop their heads and two hearts. Without hesitation, Tyler responded, "I will be a Mandalorian human and you can go ahead and keep my appearance." Tyler and John had decided that they would be humans and keep their appearance. Their ridiculous reasoning was that they were already handsome enough and they didn''t need to change their looks. The AI took a few moments to process the information. "Congratulations! You have completed your character customization. There is 51 minutes until the game launches. It is recommended that you read through the game manual. It can be accessed in the menu." Tyler opened the menu and selected the game manual. He spent the next 50 minutes skimming through it to get a general idea about the game. As advertised, the game is a super large scale VR MMORPG. The map is the entire galaxy. There are various professions/secondary classes but only 5 main classes. They included Force Sensitive, Gunner, Assassin, Protector, and Brawler. Force Sensitive is the hardest class in the game. It takes a lot of training and high levels to be strong. The only information about this class is that these individuals are force enhanced. There is no restriction on weapon usage in addition to being the only class that can use a lightsaber. The only thing that is revealed about how to get this class is that you need to find an item that triggers the class change quest. Next is the Assassin class. This class is a speed based class that uses ranged and melee weapons. They are faster and can do more damage than Gunners. However, they are much squishier. Following that is the Protector. This class is the standard tank. They have high HP and high defense but deal significantly less damage than the gunner. They can use heavy weapons, shields, and melee weapons. Lastly, is the Brawler. This is a hybrid class. They are tankier than a gunner, but are faster and do more damage than a Protector. They can use any type of weaponry. In addition to the main classes, there are a bunch of secondary classes. They are Pilot (hard), Engineer (hard), Merchant (easy), Medic (moderate), Demolitionist (moderate), Bounty Hunter (variable), Tailor (easy), Blacksmith (moderate), Chemist (moderate), Miner (easy), Gatherer (easy), Hunter (easy), Farmer (easy), Jeweler (easy), and Marksman (hard). Next, it went through the status breakdown. It showed the template for the status screen and also defined each metric. The view is displayed below: Stat Breakdown: * = only visible to individual ** = Hidden stat (Name, Age, Class) (Level) - cap raises after each expansion pack (Exp %)* (Health/HP) - Based off base (Mana/MP) - Based off intelligence (Strength/STR)* - Amount of force one can exert (Defense/DEF)* - Damage reduction (Dexterity/DEX)* - Movement speed, attack speed, agility (Stamina/STA)* - Expendable energy (Vitality/VIT)* - Health, health regen, stamina regen (Intelligence/INT)* - Mana, mana regen (Charisma/CHA)* - NPC interaction stuff (Resolve/RES)** - Willpower, resistance to force abilities and manipulation Some other important details were also displayed. Firstly, this game would implement time dilation. This is the first time that this technology is on display. The time in game would flow 4 times faster than the real world. This meant that one day in the real world equates to 4 days in game! Essentially, you can live 4 times as much life in the game compared to real life. Another topic was the Galactic exchange service. This was a place where you could sell in-game currency and items for real life currency. That means that people could make a fortune in the real world by being successful in the game. One other topic was death. Players are able to respawn but NPCs can not. Once they die, that is it. For players, they only receive a slight penalty upon death. Upon death, players lose one level and one random unbound equipment. However, if the player can make it back to their point of death instead of resurrecting in a graveyard, they can regain 50% of the lost EXP and recover their items as long as no other players looted them. After Tyler finished skimming through the manual, there were 30 seconds before the official launch. He started to get restless. ''What should I do first? Do I rush to level up? Do I explore and see if I can find anything? UGHHHHHH! So many choicesˇ­'' 3ˇ­ 2ˇ­ 1ˇ­ *Star Wars Main Theme* Chapter 2 - Launch Day 3ˇ­ 2ˇ­ 1ˇ­ *Star Wars Main Theme* (I recommend listening to Star Wars Main Title and the Arrival at Naboo. And also for reference, the Battle of Yavin was when the first Death Star was destroyed) *Moving wall of text* STAR WARS 30 BBY (Before Battle of Yavin) The galaxy has had an extended period of peace. The Republic is in an era of prosperity. Unfortunately, there are powers that are quite unsatisfied with the internal strife occurring within the Galactic Senate. The Confederation of Independent Systems has just started to form and there are mysterious backers to their cause. Many on the side of the republic are looking to investigate the sources of these conflicts and are interested in thwarting these Separatists. Align yourself with a side and leave your mark on this dynamic story that will decide the fate of the universe. May the force be with you. *End wall of text* Tyler''s vision slowly opened up. A bright star could be seen through a window. It was apparent that he was on a transport that was dropping him off somewhere. Suddenly, the ship changed course and a planet came into view through the window. The view was glorious. A lush green planet with patches of blue was visible. Swirling clouds and a glowing halo that was the atmosphere made the sight breathtaking. A voice chimed over the intercom. "Welcome to Naboo. We will be landing in 5 minutes." ''Holy shit. I have never seen a more beautiful view in my life. So this is Naboo, eh?'' Tyler was stunned. The sight in front of him was the very definition of picturesque. It was a very special sight because it was most likely very similar to his father''s view from space. As the transport entered the atmosphere, it started shaking a bit due to the reentry. As they passed through the clouds, the window revealed a sprawling cover of white. When they exited the clouds, the sun shined in all its glory. On the ground below, a huge city expanded over a cliff face. Green roof tops dotted the ground, many of them circular. As they inched closer, more details could be seen. Classical architecture that was pleasing to the eyes and very elegant characterized the constructions. The city was nothing like those in the real world. It was obvious that technology was quite advanced but the tech blended perfectly with the classical style. The transport flew down and landed in a spaceport that sat in the outer regions of the city. Once they landed, the same voice sounded over the intercom. "We have arrived at the destination. We hope you enjoy your stay in Theed. Thank you for choosing Transit Galactica." ''Ah, this is Theed. The capital of Naboo. No wonder it is so glorious.'' Tyler was thoroughly impressed. Theed was always displayed in grandeur in the movies but those visuals did not do it justice. Between the size, the beauty, and the atmosphere, it was truly breathtaking. The door clicked and then slid open to reveal a ramp being dispensed from the side of the craft. As the door opened, it revealed the expansive spaceport. It was completely outdoors. Guards could be seen patrolling the area and maintaining order. Tyler disembarked the ship and was amazed with how real everything felt. Even down to the clarity he gained with each breath of the pure and clean air that entered his body. Nothing could compare to this experience. *New Location Discovered: Naboo +100 exp* ''Whoa, 100 experience right off the bat. Wait, let me check my status.'' As Tyler thought this, the status page popped up. It appeared as if he only needed to think of the command for it to activate. Level 1 EXP - 0% Mandalorian Human HP - 120 MP - 100 STR - 1 DEF - 1 DEX - 1 STA - 1 INT - 1 CHA - 1 Free Attribute Points - 10 ''Wait, why am I 7 years old? Whatever, I guess I''ll grow as I progress.'' Unbeknownst to him, everyone was wondering the same thing. Everyone starts at the same age of 7. They will gradually grow and m?tur? as they approach level 10 since that is when they choose a class. In addition, the 10 free points were also interesting but he decided to save them for later. He deemed that it would be better to get a solid understanding of what he should do with them before possibly wasting them. This would turn out to be a sound decision. Being the Star Wars fan he is, Tyler ran through the spaceport. He wanted nothing more than to explore the city of Theed. As he ran, he called up the social panel. He then sent John a friend request. His in-game name is Napoli. How very Italian of him. Almost instantly, John accepted the friend request and called him. "Dude, where did you go? I''m waiting for you!" Tyler kept running and said, "I''m going somewhere quick. You know I have to get to the location of the coolest scene on this planet from the movies." John rolled his eyes and said, "Well, once you''re done, call me and we''ll meet up. Later." He then hung up. As Tyler made his way through the streets, he was constantly left stunned by the beauty of the city. Many walls and plazas were covered with lush greenery. Trees provided ample shade and flower gardens were plentiful. He navigated through the city using his mini map for about 15 minutes. Then, he finally arrived. The hangar for the Royal Naboo Security Service. Tyler thought it a bit odd that he was just allowed to walk in but he wasn''t complaining. Rows of N-1 starfighters lined the walls. These were otherwise known as Naboo starfighters. They were yellow and silver. Appearing exactly as they did in the movies. He slowly wandered through the hangar and approached the spot where little Anakin took a fighter and took down the Trade Federation''s control ship. He stopped in front of the fighter and basked in its glory. As he viewed it, there was a twinkling object floating below the right wing. Tyler''s eyes widened as he gazed at it. The object was an ornate cube. The cube glowed with a soft blue and was decorated with a shiny white metal. Tyler walked up to it and grabbed it. *Item Obtained: Legendary Jedi Holocron* ''Heh. Excuse me? Let me inspect this.'' *Item: Legendary Jedi Holocron* *Description: The Jedi Holocron is one of the many forms of loot boxes that can be found throughout the galaxy. The various tiers of these loot boxes include Common, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Epic, and Legendary. The colors that denote them are Gray, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Purple, and White respectively.* *Would you like to open the holocron?* "Yes, open that bitch up." The soft blue glow grew in strength and became brighter. Then, the cube floated out of Tyler''s hand and into the air. The corners of the cube spun and split apart from the cube. As they floated outwards, a bright, white light emanated from the object. After a few seconds, it dissolved into particles and then recondensed into a small golden coin with a lightsaber on it. *Item Obtained: Force Sensitive Class Change Quest Item* *Description: This is a coin that is bestowed to someone that has the potential to become a user of the force. Present this coin to a force s?ns?t?v? individual to begin the class change quest.* *Quest Triggered: Yin or Yang* *Description: You have a choice to make. First, present this coin to the overseer of the spaceport. Then you may travel free of charge to either Coruscant or Mustafar. Choose wisely as this is a one way ticket.* ''Oh fu?k. I feel like I should be excited about this but I am confused.'' Tyler didn''t know what to make of this. Based on the quest name, it appeared as if he was going to be able to class change into either a Jedi or a Sith due to the light and dark theme. In addition, his knowledge of the Star Wars universe led him to believe that traveling to Coruscant would bring him to the Jedi Temple and traveling to Mustafar would bring him to a Sith Temple. Tyler is a good boy so there is only one obvious choice. He must travel to Coruscant. As he walked out of the hangar, he deposited the coin in his inventory and then called John. "Yo, it might be a bit difficult to meet up with you." John coughed and said in an annoyed tone, "And why would that be?" Tyler grinned and said, "Well, I need to go to Coruscant. I''m gonna become a Jedi!" John froze. "WHAT? HOW?" Tyler then said, "I don''t know to be honest. I was exploring the hangar and I found a Jedi Holocron. I opened it because it is a loot box and I got a class change quest." John shook his head. "Oh you lucky dog. I guess we will be meeting up once you are done with that then. It is probably for the best that we split up so we can cover more ground. We did say we wanted to make a name for ourselves in the game, right?" Tyler nodded. "Mmmmhmm. I''ll keep you updated on any cool stuff I discover. Later!" He then hung up. Little did he know, John was bragging to the group he formed for questing about his friend''s boon. It was a huge flex for him. Tyler quickly made his way back to the spaceport and approached a guard. "Excuse me, where is the overseer?" The guard gave him a quick look over and determined that nothing was amiss. "He is at his desk in the office over there." He pointed to a small building next to the entrance of the spaceport. "Thanks!" Tyler quickly dashed off towards the building. He entered the front door without any trouble and walked up to the attendant sitting at the front desk. There was a name plate sitting on the counter that said, "Carmya Lora." The interior of the building looked like a small office space. The walls were lined with doors that presumably led to private offices used by officials. "Hello Miss Carmya. I am here to see the overseer of the spaceport. Would you be able to point me in the right direction?" Carmya looked up from her data pad and glanced at Tyler before looking back down. Her expression told of a field in her possession that was totally barren of fu?ks to be given. She lifted her arm and pointed to a corner office. "Thank you very much." Tyler then walked over to the corner office and knocked on the door. "Come in." He then opened the door to reveal a plain looking office. The walls were mostly bland and the only nice part was the gorgeous view through the window. There was a man sitting at the desk. "Hello young lad. My name is Gil Cyone and I am the overseer of this spaceport. What can I do for you?" Tyler pulled up his inventory and withdrew the coin. He displayed it to the overseer and his eyes widened. "My friend, it is a p???sur? to welcome you to this humble spaceport. By decree of the Galactic Senate, this token is good for a one way express ticket that is free of charge to any system in the galaxy. Do you know where you''d like to head?" The express ticket was quite a surprise. In the manual, it was stated that traveling between systems had 3 methods. The first was to buy a ticket to ride on a transport. This was the cheapest option but was not the fastest. The second method was to travel on a private spacecraft. The method was the most expensive but was significantly faster. The third method was the express ticket. This was a very rare item that allowed the player to travel to the system designated by the ticket in an extremely small amount of time. This item could not be purchased and was only available as a quest reward or as a part of a quest. The best part about the item is that it applied to a ship. Any ship that this ticket was used on would be able to travel across the galaxy almost instantaneously. Without hesitation, Tyler said, "I would like to travel to Coruscant." Gil smiled and said, "Well then. Let''s get you on your way!" He got up from the desk and let Tyler out of the building. They walked to a small hangar that was cordoned off from the public. The guard that was blocking the entrance made way as the two of them approached. Gil entered a code into the console next to the door. The door clicked and then he opened it up. Inside the hangar were lots of small crates and some shelving that was filed with hardware. In the middle of the room was a J-type 327 Nubian Royal Starship. This ship is also known as the Naboo Royal Starship. It was a sharp design clad in silver plating. Gil turned to Tyler and said, "This ship will take you to Coruscant. Here is the express ticket. Use it once the ship has left the atmosphere and you will be instantly relocated to Coruscant high orbit. It was a p???sur? meeting you today and I hope you will remember the help I gave you today. Safe travels!" Before Tyler could say anything, Gil quickly exited the hangar and returned to his desk. He was clearly a busy man. Tyler slowly approached the starship and walked up the ramp. The inside of the ship was quite spacious. He walked through the ship and entered the ???kpit. Sitting there were two pilots and an astromech droid. One of the pilots turned his set around. "Hello Draco. I was informed that we will be taking you to Coruscant. My name is Val and I''ll be your pilot today. Next to me is my copilot Cran. Go ahead and strap in because we''ll be taking off now." Tyler nodded and sat down in one of the seats that lined the back side of the room. He then strapped into the seat. As soon as he clicked in the restraints, the starship vibrated as the ramp folded into the craft. Then the ship lifted off the ground and sped through the air. Since it was one of the fastest ships around, it attracted a lot of attention from NPCs and players alike. They all wondered what the reason was for that ship to take off. The ship took a few minutes to exit the atmosphere. Once it did, Tyler took the express ticket out of his inventory. *Would you like to activate the Express Ticket?* "Yes." As he responded, one of the pilots reached over to a lever. He slid the lever upwards all the way. Once it reached the top of its track, the ship hummed. As it hummed, space around the ship seemed to blur. Suddenly, everything turned bright as the ship entered hyperspace. It was just like the movies. All of the stars became streaks in the window and there was a spiraling blue tunnel that they traveled through. They traveled for 5 minutes. Once they dropped out of hyperspace, Val said, "Those express tickets are amazing. This journey would usually take 32 hours. I wish I could get my hands on some of those." "Wait, this would have taken 32 hours without the express ticket? Damn." Tyler was shocked. It finally sunk in how valuable the express ticket is. The item was the definition of priceless. Shaking himself out of his stupor, he redirected his gaze to the window. The sight was absolutely insane. Chapter 3 - The Galactic Capital Through the window of the starship, Coruscant was on full display. The planet was covered in buildings. Even after seeing it in the movies, it is still unbelievable that the entire planet is one large city. The starship quickly flew down through the atmosphere and docked in a landing bay. Conveniently, the bay was pretty close to the Jedi Temple. Tyler unstrapped the restraints. "Thanks for the ride." Val turned around and said, "No problem kid. Be careful out there. Coruscant isn''t the greatest place." "I appreciate the advice. Safe travels." Tyler then turned and exited the starship. *New Location Discovered: Coruscant +100 EXP* *Congratulations. You are the first player to enter Coruscant. You have been granted 6,000 reputation with Coruscant.* *Congratulations. You have reached 6000 reputation with Coruscant and have gained the status of Friendly.* *Quest Completed: Yin or Yang* *Reward: 100 EXP* *Chain Quest Triggered: Locate the Jedi Temple* *Description: You have traveled to Coruscant. The Jedi temple is seeking you out to become a jedi. Locate the temple and present this coin to one of the guards.* ''Thank the lord. I was correct. I don''t know what I would have done if this somehow didn''t follow the logic I expected.'' Tyler approached one of the Republic guards that was monitoring the landing bay. "Excuse me, would you be able to tell me how to get to the Jedi Temple?" The guard looked down at Tyler and said, "Of course. On the far side of this landing bay, there is a taxi stand. You should be able to get someone to give you a ride there." "Thanks!" Tyler ran off to the far corner of the landing bay. Low and behold, there was a sign that said "Taxi Stand." He was slightly embarrassed to say the least. He approached one of the airspeeders that had someone leaning against it. The man was a Rodian. He had a muscular build and looked like he did not have a care in the world. "How much for a ride to the Jedi Temple?" The man looked Tyler up and down before saying, "10 credits normally. With your status, 9 credits." Tyler''s eyes lit up. Apparently different levels of reputation provide discounts at vendors that are ?ssociated with said faction. He quickly opened his inventory and removed 9 credits. "How much is the discount?" The man laughed and said, "You get a 5% discount for your status. Normally, I would just ignore the discount since it would only lower the price half a credit, but I like that you were straight and to the point so I lowered it a full credit." Tyler smiled as he hopped into the passenger side of the speeder and said, "Wow, thanks!" The man got in and they headed off to the temple. The journey only took a few minutes. Once they arrived, Tyler hopped out after thanking the man. The Jedi Temple was huge. It was a large, pyramid shaped building with a flat top. Towering over it were 5 towers. One at each corner and then a larger one in the center. Tyler walked down the path that led to the entrance. There were jedi all over the place. He didn''t recognize any of them. As he approached the entrance to the temple, a Temple Guard approached him. "Halt. State your business." Tyler froze. The guard was in a fighting stance and had his lightsaber staff pointed straight at him. Tyler then took the coin out of his inventory and presented it to the guard. Upon seeing it, the guard raised his staff and stood at ease. He reached over to his wrist and activated a comm. "This is Landing Pad to HQ. Please send someone down here to escort a guest to the Jedi Council." A voice sounded from the other side. "HQ to Landing Pad. I''ll send someone down immediately. They''ll be there shortly." *Reward: None* *Chain Quest Triggered: Speak to the Jedi Council* *Rank: Epic* *Description: You have arrived at the Jedi Temple and are about to meet with the Jedi Council. Enter the council chambers and speak with them.* *Reward: Jedi Padawan Class Change, 100 EXP* After a short wait, another temple guard approached Tyler. "Follow me young one. The council is expecting you." Tyler followed the guard through the temple. They went to the center of the building and entered an elevator. It took them all the way to the top of the middle tower. The elevator opened and revealed a hall. There was a red carpet that led to the council chambers. On either side of the door were statues of ancient jedi and guards. "You may get off here. Enter the council chambers and speak with them." Tyler stepped out of the elevator and it closed behind him. He walked up to the doors to the council chambers and they slid open automatically. Yoda opened his eyes. "Welcome you, this council does. Speak to you, we must. Come sit. The center of the room you must be." Tyler nodded and walked over to the center of the room. He knelt down and sat on his legs before resting his hands on his th??hs. Yoda nodded and said, "Hmmmm, conflict within you there is. Great control over it you have. I commend you for this." He then looked over to Master Windu and nodded. Windu looked at Tyler. "We have had visions of many jedi approaching the temple. Each one is predicted to hold great potential that may help bring balance to the force. Thus, we are inviting you to become a padawan learner. What is your response?" Tyler nodded and said, "That is why I am here Master Windu. It would be an honor to join the order." *Chain Quest Component Completed: Speak to the Jedi Temple* *Reward: None* *Chain Quest Completed: Becoming a Jedi* *Reward: Jedi Padawan Class Change, 100 EXP* Windu smiled and said, "That is good to hear. Welcome to the order padawan. For your first task, we will help you get accustomed to using the force and teach you how to wield a lightsaber." *Chain Quest Triggered: Jedi Training* *Rank: Epic* *Description: The Jedi Order is going to put you through basic training to help you learn the ways of the force.* *Reward: Lightsaber(s), Jedi Starfighter w/ Hyperspace Transport Ring, Astromech Droid, 6000 Jedi Reputation, 1000 EXP, 5000 credits* ''Whoah, this is cool. Let''s check my stats before doing this.'' Draco, 8 years, Jedi Padawan Level 2 EXP - 0% HP - 170 MP - 120 STR - 1 DEF - 1 DEX - 1 STA - 1 VIT - 1 INT - 1 CHA - 1 Free Attribute Points - 15 ''Okay, 15 points? Let''s put 5 in dexterity for speed, 4 in intelligence for more mana to use the force, 2 points in strength, 2 points in vitality for more health, and 2 points in stamina.'' Tyler decided on this allocation because aside from speed being important to a jedi, they are well rounded warriors. In addition, Tyler''s character has become 8 years old now. Each player''s character will age from 7 to their real age as they reach level 10 and get their class. Now his stats look like this: Draco, 8 years, Jedi Padawan Level 2 EXP - 0% Mandalorian Human HP - 210 MP - 300 STR - 3 DEF - 1 DEX - 6 STA - 3 VIT - 3 INT - 5 CHA - 1 Free Attribute Points - 0 ''Alright. I think I am ready to start my training.'' "I am ready Master Windu." Windu nodded. "The first thing I will have you do is learn to feel the force. It will most definitely feel nothing like anything you have ever done before. First, you will close your eyes and calm your breathing. Once you are relaxed physically, let the thoughts clouding your mind wash away with each exhale. Lastly, you are to search for a feeling of connection with everything around you." ''This is kinda funny. My mom was always trying to get me to do meditation with her. White people, am I right? Anyways, deeeeep breaths. Experience tranquility. All of that calming and relaxing bullshit.'' Tyler was deep in meditation. As he cleared his head, he started feeling a warm and fuzzy feeling. It was almost as if there was a deep warmth emanating from within his body. ''Whoa, this feels weird. Maybe this is what they want me to find and grasp.'' Tyler continued clearing his mind of all distractions. Finally, as if it were a light in the dark, the warmth was on full display. Using his will, he tugged on the feeling and suddenly, he felt a wave of clarity and energy flood into his mind and body. Yoda nodded and tapped his cane on the floor a few times. "Young ones, very smart indeed. Now, a question for you I have. The forceˇ­ what is it?" Tyler opened his eyes and thought for a moment. There was one answer. "The force is a link between all things in the universe. It can be used in many ways to manipulate the world around us." Yoda nodded again. "Very wise you are. Great potential. Let us try something young one." Yoda took out a training lightsaber and used the force to float it over to Tyler. Tyler reached out and grabbed it. *Item Obtained: Training Lightsaber* *Rank: Common* *Description: This is a low level and low energy lightsaber. It is small and used for training younglings. This weapon deals little to no damage but will cause slight burns on contact.* ''Aww, this is kinda lame. I wanted to slice some shit up.'' Windu picked up a helmet that had a black visor on it. He then floated the helmet over to Tyler and said, "Put this on. We are going to train you in the usage of a lightsaber. Before we move on to attacking, you must learn the art of defense." ''Ohhhh. I see what we are gonna do.'' Windu then used the force to lift a training droid into the air and activated it. As he did this, Tyler pulled the helmet over his head and lost his sense of sight. Windu then said, "Use your connection to the force to sense where the blaster shots are coming from. Use your saber to block or deflect. You may begin." Tyler waited for a moment expecting to get a new skill or something. But nothing happened. It was then that he came to a realization. He understood why the Jedi and Sith classes were the hardest in the game. THERE ARE NO SKILLS! Everything the force wielder does is something that they spent time learning. There wasn''t a skills store where you can just buy stuff. It was all hard work and determination. The plus to this is that there are no restrictions on what a player can do with the class as long as they work hard enough and are working within the limitations of the physical laws of this universe. It now made sense how they balanced the force s?ns?t?v? classes. There is no luck in terms of base abilities. There is only skill. Tyler realized he was in for a long road. Suddenly he felt a sting on his arm. The training droid had started its ?ssault. "Young one, keep your mind clear and sense around you." Tyler took a deep breath and cleared his head the same way as before. Then, he used his will to grab hold of the connections he now felt with the surrounding world. It felt almost as if a web of strings was connected to every single object and being in the universe. The strings attached to living beings were stronger but varied on their individual force potential. The strongs attached to objects were weaker. He was mainly only able to feel the objects in his immediate surroundings. Suddenly, it felt as if one of the strings was being tugged on. Almost as if it was warning him of something to come. Tyler quickly stepped to the side and a blaster shot whizzed by him and hit the floor. "Great. You pick up the sensory portion pretty quickly. Now try using your lightsaber." Tyler nodded and got into an athletic stance. He let his right elbow fall back and held his lightsaber in two hands at his side. It just so happens that this is called the Jedi Ready stance. Similar to last time, he felt the warning of an incoming shot. He focused on the warning and was able to isolate a direction. Just as the droid shot, Tyler felt the string vibrate. He swung his lightsaber in a small arc in front of his body and deflected the shot into the floor. "Good job padawan. Do tell when you are ready to ramp up the training." "Yes master. I''ll let you know." Tyler fell back into his ready stance. He focused on the force string that was tethered to the droid. Again, he felt the warning and deflected another bolt into the floor. This time, he felt the location where the bolt landed. ''Hmmm, maybe I can try that.'' Even more determined now since he was going to attempt to do something new, Tyler fell back into his stance. This time when the droid fired, he stopped his saber in the trajectory of the shot and held it there. He felt a light force as the shot deflected off of his saber. He then felt that the shot b?r?ly missed the droid and hit the wall behind it. "Well done. You were almost able to perfectly deflect a blaster shot." Tyler was ecstatic. This would be such a cool ability to have. He continued to practice deflecting blaster shots for 30 minutes. He was able to hit the droid only 6 times. However, this is pretty good for his first try. It seemed as if he was a natural swordsman. After the 30 minutes, he started to feel a bit tired. Before moving up to the next stage, he decided that he would meditate for a few minutes and give John a call. "Master Windu, would you mind if I meditated for a few minutes? I would like to catch my breath and clear my head before the next stage." Windu nodded and said, "That is perfectly fine. Meditating is a great way to strengthen your connection with the force." "Thank you master." Tyler sat back down on his knees and closed his eyes. He could still not get over the feeling that the force gave him. It granted him great clarity in his mind. Not one to waste time, Tyler called John. "Ey, Ty! What''s up?" John looked stressed. Tyler sighed. "Are you good bro?" John chuckled and said, "Nothing to worry about. Just a quest giving my group a hard time. What''d you call me for?" "Well, I just wanted to give you an update. This class change quest is going to take a while. I probably won''t be able to meet up with you until level 10. This class really does live up to its title as the hardest class in the game." John was intrigued. "Why is that?" Tyler laughed crazily and said, "There are no skills in this class. I need to learn everything as if it were real life." John''s jaw dropped. "That is ridiculous. I mean, it balances the class but won''t that give you a severe disadvantage?" Tyler smiled. "Well, you are both right and wrong. It is a disadvantage that I need to actually learn how to use my abilities, but that also means that I have almost no restrictions with how strong I can get." John''s face lit up. "That''s great news! Oh! There is something I want to have you think about. I was thinking that maybe we can start a guild together. The people that I have been questing with might be interested too. Let me know! Anyways, I gotta go. Someone just pulled some unnecessary trash. Later!" He hung up. ''Well, that is a lot to process.'' Tyler was now a bit jealous. His friend was out meeting new people and he was stuck here learning. He now understood the meaning of the phrase, "There is no such thing as free lunch." He would have to work for it if he wanted to succeed. Tyler continued his meditation for another minute. He then stood up and opened his eyes. "Master Windu, I am ready to ramp it up." Windu nodded. "Very well." He used the force and lifted another training droid into the air before activating it. ''Oh no. The next step is two droids.'' Chapter 4 - Life of a Padawan (Bonus chapter bc I felt like writing more) Tyler only blocked 8 shots in the 30 minutes he was training with the two droids. This was statistically worse than his previous go with one droid. In addition, he was hit by 4 shots. He was starting to feel out of breath again so he sat down to meditate. Suddenly, the doors to the council chambers slid open. Behind it revealed a Chiss player. Xander, 8 years, Civilian Level 2 Csilla Chiss ''I was not expecting any other players to reach here so quickly. This should be interesting. On the bright side, hopefully we can learn together.'' Xander gave Tyler a good look. A fire ignited in his eyes and it looked as if he found a rival. Tyler remained seated and watched as Xander went through the same dialogue and initial training that he did. Then he reached the training droid. It was at this moment that he decided to conclude his meditation and resume training. The two players stepped up to the plate at the same time. The first bolt that came out startles Xander. He swung his saber and missed it. He got a shock for his failure. On the other hand, Tyler perfectly deflected the shot back into the droid. Windu turned to Yoda and communicated with a facial expression. Yoda nodded and smiled. After they sat down, Windu spoke up. "I would like for the two of you to have a spar. This will be a friendly match that will be of great benefit to the both of you." *Hidden Quest Triggered: Padawan Sparring* *Rank: Gold* *Description: The Jedi Council has determined that you and another player make for great rivals. Spar with your lightsabers and impress the council.* *Reward: Winner gets 900 EXP and Loser gets 500 EXP* When this popped up, the two players looked at each other and the flames of competition lit up in their eyes. This quest really is great. Win or lose, they will both get a good amount of EXP. Tyler needed to win this spar. The amount of EXP for winning is exactly the amount he needs to reach level 3. He couldn''t afford to let this chance slip. After a few minutes more of meditation, the two arose from the ground and stood opposite each other in the council chambers. Windu nodded. "Bow to each other and then you may begin." They started by circling each other around the perimeter of the chambers. As if they reached an agreement, the two dashed in at each other. Almost immediately, Tyler noticed that Xander was slower than him. The force screamed out a warning as their lightsabers swung to meet each other. Tyler quickly adjusted his saber''s angle to redirect rather than block. His intuition proved right. As Xander''s saber came into contact, Tyler felt an overwhelming force behind the strike. It became obvious that Xander had poured most of his points into strength. ''If I can''t win head on, then let''s make this a battle of speed.'' Making use of his advantage in speed, Tyler began to launch quick strikes at Xander as he circled around him. Each time Xander would attempt to counter attack, Tyler would dodge the strike and occasionally redirect it. Growing visibly frustrated, Xander went all in on a strike. He made a powerful swing downwards. Seeing through the strike, Tyler sidestepped it and used his foot to sweep out Xander''s legs from underneath him. Xander landed on his back and Tyler pointed his saber at his neck. "Well done! Very impressive both of you. Although Tyler has won the spar, you have both gained valuable insight into lightsaber combat." *Hidden Quest Completed: Padawan Sparring* *Level up! You are now Level 3. You have been awarded 5 free attribute points.* ''Awww yeah. Level 3 baby.'' Tyler immediately put 2 points into dexterity and 3 into stamina. As he did this, he felt his body loosen up a bit and also felt energized. He will continue putting points into stamina for the next few levels so he could train for longer periods of time. Draco, 9 years, Jedi Padawan Level 3 EXP - 0% Mandalorian Human HP - 210 MP - 300 DEF - 1 DEX - 8 STA - 3 VIT - 3 INT - 5 CHA - 1 Free Attribute Points - 0 The two padawans continued the cycle of training with the droids and sparring each other. It turns out that Xander also leveled up from the sparring quest. They did so until the Evening. As they finished their last spar and sat down to meditate, both of their stomachs rumbled loudly in unison. They made eye contact and laughed. Neither of them would have guessed that you actually get hungry in this game. Windu stood up and walked over to the two players. "You two will stay in the temple for now. Arrangements have been made for the both of you. That is it for today. I recommend exploring the temple to get accustomed to the layout. You will spend a lot of time here in the future. May the force be with you young padawans." Xander and Tyler bowed to Master Windu and said in unison, "Thank you Master." The two turned and walked out of the chambers. They entered the elevator and pressed the bu??on that would bring them to the floor they would be staying on. For a few seconds, there was awkward silence. Xander coughed and turned to Tyler. "So, Dracoˇ­ Looks like it is just the two of us here for now." Tyler laughed and said, "Seems like it. I was thinking of going to the archives after I check out my room. Would you like to join me?" Xander nodded and sent Tyler a friend request. Tyler accepted it quickly. The elevator arrived on their floor so they both stepped out. The two then went to their rooms, and then met back up at the elevator. They entered again and went to the floor that contains the archives. They entered the area and walked up to the front desk. "Hello padawans. My name is Jocasta Nu and I am the librarian here. Is there anything I can help you with?" Tyler smiled and said, "Hello Master Nu. We are looking for the star charts. It would be of great help to us if we could study them." Jocasta nodded. "They are right behind me. You can access them using the consoles. If you need anything else, just come and see me. I''d be happy to help." Tyler and Xander walked over to the archive consoles and sat down. They wasted no time as they navigated to the star charts. *You have interacted with a star chart that is more complete than your own. Due to this, your star chart will include the information from the database.* Tyler immediately opened his map and zoomed out a few levels to view the whole galaxy. His map was now huge! Even though he hasn''t been to any system other than Naboo and Coruscant, he now has information on every known system in the galaxy. Fortunately, he will still be able to gain the EXP from visiting new places. Since they don''t need to use the archives to view a star chart anymore, they both shut down their consoles and left the archives to get some dinner. They went to the mess hall. The food was nothing special but it was definitely healthy. It would help their bodies grow. It started to seem that leading a healthy lifestyle in this game is somehow beneficial. To verify this, Xander and Tyler decided to try sleeping. To their surprise, they were prompted with a menu when they laid down into the bed. It allowed them to enter a sleep state for a set amount of time. It was basically a time skip. The time was now 10PM. The two exchanged a few messages and decided to wake up together at 6AM and start some early training. Another two in game days passed. At the end of the day, both Tyler and Xander were level 5. Tyler''s stats now looked like this: Draco, 11 years, Jedi Padawan Level 5 EXP - 28% Mandalorian Human HP - 380 MP - 430 STR - 5 DEF - 2 DEX - 10 STA - 5 VIT - 4 INT - 6 CHA - 2 Free Attribute Points - 0 Tyler decided that he would log out for a bit so that he could eat some food and exercise. Laying in bed for extended periods of time is definitely not good for his body. He got out of bed and did some basic exercises. Following that, he grabbed a protein shake from the fridge and some leftovers to reheat. After eating and drinking the shake, he went for a 4 mile run. Following this, he took a shower and then laid back down in bed to log in. When he logged back in, it was morning. He got out of his bed and met Xander in the mess hall. They shared some breakfast. While they were eating, a guard approached them. "The council has requested your presence. Please head to the chambers after your meal." The guard then walked away. The two of them were going to head there anyways so it wasn''t a big deal. After breakfast, they headed up to the council chambers. When they entered the room, they both got a notification. *Chain Quest Component Completed: Padawan Training* *Reward: Level Up* *Level up! You are now Level 6. You have been awarded 5 free attribute points.* *Chain Quest Component Triggered: Gaining Experience* *Rank: Epic* *Description: Accompany a Jedi Knight or Master on some ?ssignments. Travel with them until you reach level 9* *Reward: None* ''Oh my. If the reward for completing this quest wasn''t so good, I would be so mad.'' Tyler looked over at Xander and they stared at each other. They had an entire conversation just with their eyes. Yoda then hit the floor with his cane a few times. "Gather round padawans. Choose you today, your master will. Great wisdom, gain it through experience. You all may come in now." Tyler took a quick look around the room. He noticed that there were several new faces. They were all currently level 4 or lower. They must have just arrived from their starter planet. However, that means there are most likely several people becoming Sith Acolytes. The door to the chambers opened and several jedi masters entered the room. There were about 12 jedi that would be choosing padawans. Unfortunately, only 2 players were available for choosing. After a few minutes, their masters were ?ssigned. Tyler would be training under Kit Fisto and Xander would be training under Plo Koon. Kit Fisto stood in front of Tyler. "Hello Tyler. Today, we are going to focus on some secondary skills that you need to be successful as a Jedi. Let''s head to the archives." "Yes master." The two of them then took the elevator down to the archives. Once they got there, Kit Fisto led Tyler over to a console. They sat down next to each other and then Kit Fisto started his explanation. "Aside from a jedi''s combat prowess, there are various other skills that are required for you to be successful. The most critical of these skills is piloting. Other skills that are useful include engineering and medicine. I recommend taking on at least piloting and engineering to start with. They are difficult but are critically important. You are free to take on as many skills as you want but make sure you understand that it will take a long time to improve those skills." *You have a one time chance to choose 3 secondary classes. Please select your choices in the list below* *Pilot -Hard- Engineer -Hard- Merchant -Easy- Medic -Moderate- Demolitionist -Moderate- Bounty Hunter -Variable- Tailor -Easy- Blacksmith -Moderate- Chemist -Moderate- Miner -Easy- Gatherer -Easy- Hunter -Easy- Farmer -Easy- Jeweler -Easy- Marksman -Hard-* Without hesitation, Tyler selected Pilot, Engineer, and Marksman. Despite them all being high in difficulty, they are all essential skills for what he wants to accomplish. His current plan is to finish the chain quest, start a guild, and then explore to improve his skills. Although it is simple sounding enough, he planned to figure things out as he went. Kit Fisto nodded. "Those are some great choices. It is not common that a jedi chooses to work on his marksman skills. What is your thought process behind it?" Tyler grinned and said, "Firstly, blasters are really cool. More importantly though, it would be disadvantageous to have limited options when it comes to ranged combat. Having a blaster would allow me to have more options when confronting opponents." Kit Fisto laughed. "That is just wonderful. I like how you think ahead. If this is any form of a hint, you are probably the smartest padawan I''ve had! I''ll do you a favor then. If you are going to practice marksmanship, you will need some blasters. I will procure a pistol, rifle, and sniper for you to help with your training. Don''t let me down kid!" Tyler''s eyes lit up. Who knew that interactions with NPCs could yield rewards. It would seem that he needs to put more points into charisma. "Thank you master. That would be very helpful." "Anything to help my padawan! I''ll have them delivered to your quarters." *You have bonded with your master. +6000 reputation with Kit Fisto* *Congratulations. Your reputation level with Kit Fisto has reached friendly.* "That is good to hear, master. What shall we do next?" Tyler was curious. Kit Fisto nodded. "For the remainder of the day, you will be training in the flight simulator. Tomorrow, we will be heading out to another system so you need to develop your piloting skills." The duo then left the archives and went to grab some lunch. Following that, they headed over to the flight simulators. As they were walking, Tyler checked on his professions. They were all at the beginner rank with 0% progress. Once they arrived, Tyler turned to his master. "Master Fisto, is anyone able to use the flight simulators and fly spacecrafts?" Kit Fisto shook his head. "Only those who are developing their skills as a pilot can fly." ''Alright. That answers that question. It seems as if I will need to recruit a lot of pilots for my guild.'' It was now 2PM. Tyler spent the next 6 hours in the flight simulator. While he was training, Tyler quickly gained progress for piloting. He also slowly gained progress for engineering. He was now a Novice Pilot with 2% progress and a Beginner Engineer with 24% progress. Tyler headed to bed. It was important to get some rest before the ?ssignment tomorrow. But first, he checked out his stats. Draco, 13 years, Jedi Padawan Level 6 EXP - 0% Mandalorian Human HP - 450 MP - 450 STR - 4 DEF - 2 DEX - 10 STA - 8 VIT - 5 INT - 5 CHA - 5 Free Attribute Points - 0 Two days went by. Currently, Tyler and Kit Fisto were on a short ?ssignment. They were on Tatooine hunting a small group of bandits that stole goods from a republic transport. Inside a cantina, there was a firefight occurring. The bandits were shooting at Kit Fisto and Tyler. This was the finale of a chain quest that they were completing. After a few minutes, it was down to just two bandits. Master and Padawan popped up from behind their cover. Almost immediately, the two bandits fired their blasters at the jedi duo. They both slightly moved their lightsabers and reflected the shot back at the bandits, killing them both. *Battle Complete* *Enemies Defeated: 4* *Reward: 400 EXP* *Chain Quest Component Completed: Final Showdown* *Rank: Bronze* *Reward: 500 EXP, 500 credits* *Chain Quest Complete: Bandit Problem* *Rank: Bronze* *Reward: 2000 EXP, 1000 credits* *Level up! You are now Level 9. You have been awarded 5 free attribute points.* *Chain Quest Component Completed: Gaining Experience* *Rank: Epic* *Reward: None* *Chain Quest Component Triggered: Right of Passage* *Rank: Epic* *Description: Take your right of passage as a jedi padawan* *Reward: Unknown* Chapter 5 - Right of Passage *Chain Quest Component Triggered: Right of Passage* *Rank: Epic* *Description: Take your right of passage as a jedi padawan* *Reward: Unknown* Kit Fisto deactivated his lightsaber and turned to Tyler. "Job well done my padawan. Now that we are done here, we must return to the Jedi Temple. Tomorrow, you will participate in a Jedi''s right of passage." Tyler suppressed his excitement. "Yes master." Over the past few days, Tyler steadily gained reputation with Kit Fisto. He was now at 8000 out of the 12000 he needs to become honored. It was helpful to find out that the reputation does not reset back to zero each time the level increases. Tyler has also been growing more and more accustomed to the force. He constantly kept his mind open to it and was able to detect even the slightest hint of danger. Things such as figuring out when you''re being tailed has become easy for him. The two of them exited hyperspace and landed in the Jedi Temple Hanagar. Wasting no time, they headed straight up to the council chambers. When they entered, there were about 20 players training with the droids. In addition to them, the usual council members were in their chairs observing. There was one more surprise. Xander was waiting in the council chambers with Plo Koon. It seemed as if they would go to complete this quest together. Kit Fisto smiled. "Master Plo Koon, it has been a while. Let us go grab a meal to catch up!" Plo Koon nodded and said, "It would be a p???sur? Master Fisto." The two jedi masters left the room. Once the door closed, Windu spoke up. "Young ones, you have been training with us for quite some time now. It is about time for you to participate in a Jedi''s right of passage. Grandmaster Yoda will be accompanying you for what we call The Gathering. May the force be with you young padawans." Yoda got up from his chair and slapped the ground with his cane. "Come come. Follow me you must." Instead of the usual traveling in their starfighters, Yoda used an express ticket in a shuttle that had an engineering workshop. Once Tyler and Xander stepped onto the shuttle, they recognized it immediately. They were about to build their own lightsabers. They boarded the shuttle and lifted off to head to Illum. Once they exited the atmosphere, Yoda used the express ticket and 5 minutes later, they arrived on the legendary planet. The view of Ilum was quite underwhelming. The entire planet was covered in ice and snow. It looked like quite a miserable place to be. Tyler turned to Yoda. "Master Yoda, is there anywhere else other than Illum where we can get kyber crystals?" Yoda turned to Tyler. "Great question. Great question indeed. Many places there are. Know of all of them we do not. In your travels you may find one of the unknown places. Inform the Jedi Temple, I hope you will." Once he said that, a quest popped up for both Xander and Tyler. *Hidden Continuous Quest Triggered: Finding Kyber Crystals* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: You have been tasked into a long term quest by Jedi Grandmaster Yoda. The Jedi Order only knows of Illum when it comes to collecting kyber crystals. Find systems that have kyber crystals. The reward will multiply each time you complete the quest. When completing this quest with another Jedi, each party member will receive the reward as long as they were also issued the quest.* Upon seeing this, Tyler turned to Xander. "First, let''s keep this a secret. Do NOT tell anyone. Not even your best friend or even your mom. Second, what are you plans for after this?" Xander nodded. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing for the quest. But my plans for after this. Hmmmmmm. I think I''m going to go meet up with my friends and figure out where to go from there. I am going to be the first one of them to reach level 10 so we can''t all join a guild yet. Who knows? We might not even end up joining one." Tyler smiled. "Well, I was planning on starting a guild once I reach level 10. I''ll let you in on a secret. I have enough reputation with Coruscant to purchase a Guild HQ so my guild will be the first guild that is officially recognized by the Galactic Senate. Are you interested in joining with your friends? The more people we start with, the easier it will be to acquire a few resources I have my eye on." Xander thought for a moment. "That sounds very tempting. I''ll discuss it with my friends and then let you know. Most guilds would probably be lucky to have 1 jedi but we''d have 2!" Tyler nodded. "My thought process exactly. We can figure out the details later. In the meantime, let''s get ourselves a lightsaber!" Yoda hit the ground with his cane again. "Padawans, please give me your training lightsabers. You will not need them anymore." Xander and Tyler handed Yoda their training sabers. Once they did, the starship landed outside of the Ilum Jedi Temple. The door opened and the two of them exited the ship. "Find a kyber crystal. Today''s goal this is. Only one crystal is yours. Guide you the force will. May the force be with you." As they stepped onto the snow covered ground outside the ship, they got a notification. The two of them walked forward and up the steps to enter the temple. Once they were inside, they got another notification. *Legendary Regional Dungeon Discovered: Crystal Cave, Ilum +100 EXP* *Since you are here on a non-combat quest, an instance will be created for your party where all hostile beings are despawned.* After reading about the dungeon, Tyler found out a few things. The Crystal Cave is a regional dungeon. Regional dungeons are large scale dungeons that exist throughout the galaxy. Normally they are not separated into an instance like a typical dungeon. However, certain quests such as the one they are on now are classified as non-combat quests. Therefore, there will be no enemies to fight within the dungeon. That may seem like good news but that is not necessarily the case. All regional dungeons have other dangers aside from hostile beings. The environment is usually another factor that can cause injury or death. The treacherous terrain and the weather conditions can have major implications. For example, in the Crystal Cave, the temperature is really low and there are various pits to fall into. In addition, there are many spots where the structure of the cave is unstable. Tyler turned to Xander, "Wanna form a party so we can help each other in case of trouble?" Xander nodded so Tyler sent him a party invite. He accepted immediately. The duo then went into the dungeon. They opened up their minds to the force to let it guide them. They soon reached a fork in the cave. They looked at each other. Tyler then said, "I think I should go to the right. That''s what my senses are telling me." Xander shook his head. "I guess this is where we split up then. May the force be with you." "With you as well." Tyler then walked quickly down the right path. He kept walking for 20 minutes before entering a large clearing in the cave. The scene was gorgeous. Huge icicles hung from the ceiling and the entire room looked like it was made of solid crystal. The interesting thing is that it was quite a bit warmer in this area compared to the rest of the cave. There was a large body of water that spanned most of the clearing. In the middle of the water, there was a small island with a pillar of ice on it. It was curved on both sides from the top and bottom of the cave. In the middle, the ice met at a narrow point. At the spot where they met, a crystal was lodged into the ice. It was sparkling with a soft purple glow. Tyler felt the force pulling him to it. This was his crystal. The good news is that he found the crystal. The bad news is that there is a huge body of ice cold water in the way. It makes quite a bit of sense though. The quest is an epic one. It doesn''t even say what the reward is for this one. It must be this kyber crystal. He decided to survey his surroundings to see if he could find any clues on how to get over there. Only if he had a Mandalorian Jetpack. As Tyler scanned the room, he noticed some cracks in the ice near the edge of the water. He then came up with an idea. He stood in one of the areas where a large crack made a semi circular shape against the water. He then turned to face away from the water. He stuck his hands out and attempted to use the force to break away the piece of ice from the shoreline. It took him 8 seconds to break the connection that held the ice to the shore. As it broke off, it slowly moved towards the center of the water. He decided that while he waited for the ice to reach the center, he would take a seat and admire the environment. He sat down and let his connection to the force take over. It was then that he took in the beauty of the clearing. The walls were sparkling like he was surrounded by diamonds. The ripples in the water created by the moving ice expanded and bounced off the walls. This was definitely one of the most peaceful and relaxing places he has ever been to. After a few minutes, the ice reached the center. Tyler stood up and stepped off the ice. He then slowly approached the crystal. He reached out, and snapped it out of the ice. He felt as if the force was dancing in happiness as he held the crystal. He had no doubt that this was the one. Wasting no time, he used his minimap to navigate to Xander''s location. While he was on the ice, he noticed that Xander stopped for a moment and then kept moving further into the cave. It was at the same time as it felt like the force danced in happiness just like when Tyler picked up his own crystal. Tyler made it to the fork where they originally separated. He looked at his map and noticed that Xander was already heading back towards him so he decided to wait. Soon enough, Xander reached Tyler''s position. "How''d it go Xander?" Xander grinned and took out two kyber crystals. "Looks like I''m gonna have two lightsabers. It seems that they''re both going to be green. How about you?" Tyler sighed and said, "Well I only got one crystal. The cool thing is that it is going to be purple." Xander''s jaw dropped. "PURPLE?!?!? THAT IS SICK! You know what that means right?" Tyler raised his brow. He is quite knowledgeable about Star Wars so it would be a surprise if Xander knew something that he didn''t. "What does it mean? Clearly I''m missing something." Xander scoffed and said, "You don''t even know this. Well, there are particular meanings behind each of the lightsaber colors. Blue is the standard color. Green is for jedi that are extremely powerful in the force. Then purple is a special case. It means that you are able to dabble in the dark side of the force and use your emotions without falling to the dark side. You''ll be just like Master Windu!" Tyler shook his head. How could he forget such a thing? Of course he knew it but he didn''t make the connection. He was slightly embarrassed to say the least. "Oh yeah. I know about the color meanings but I completely forgot. Thanks for reminding me." The two then headed back to the ship. When they entered, Yoda was waiting for them. "Welcome back. Done well you have. Construct lightsabers you will. Come come." The two padawans followed Master Yoda to the engineering workshop. In the workshop was an interesting looking humanoid droid. "Welcome padawans. I am Professor Huyang. I am the caretaker of the Crucible, the vessel we are currently on. I will be guiding you in the construction of your lightsabers. Please take out your kyber crystals and place them on a workbench." Tyler and Xander chose workbenches on opposite sides of the room to avoid distracting each other. They placed their crystals on the bench and returned to the droid. While they were doing this, Yoda left the room to leave the padawans to their own devices. "Alright. Now that you have completed the first step, we will move on. The second step is to select the materials for your hilts. The hilt is supposed to be comfortable to hold yet durable. This is the most crucial part of The Gathering. The materials are available in the storage room in the corner. You may select your materials now." The droid pointed to a closet. Xander and Tyler made their way into the closet and started sifting through the materials. As they went through the motions, Tyler noticed something interesting. Constructing the lightsaber gave an absurd amount of progress towards the engineering profession. Each lightsaber is unique so you will get credit for creating a new weapon. While the progress is great, the second boon is much more important. From doing some research in the archives, he found out that engineers needed to create a certain amount of unique creations to advance to the master rank. The Lightsaber would fulfill one of those. To become a Master Engineer, two Epic creations were needed. Another interesting tidbit was found as well. There is a key difference between blacksmithing and engineering. Engineering mostly focused on technology. This includes technological weapons such as lightsabers, blasters, ion cannons, etc. It also includes ship designing, building, and repairs. There were plenty of other things that also were included in the engineering profession. For blacksmithing, it was very similar. The key difference was that smithing focused on non technological creations. Things like non energy based weapons such as swords, spears, and projectile weapons like artillery. The most useful function of the blacksmith class was creating armor. Any weapons that were not energy based were considered sub par and outdated. They still work and do plenty of damage but they require ammunition instead of energy cells. Energy weapons also do more damage to energy shields. 2 hours later, Tyler finished his lightsaber. He activated it and the deep purple blade sparked to life. The hilt was delicately crafted with appealing materials. He chose a silver colored metal as the base material. The overall shape of the hilt was the standard cylinder. Around the hilt, he used a shiny purple metal to complement the blade. The purple metal weaved and spiraled around the hilt to create a comfortable grip as well as an aesthetically pleasing design. It was beautiful. Not being one to waste time, he quickly went to present the saber to Yoda. He handed the hilt to Yoda. Yoda then activated it. He nodded and then deactivated it. "Done well, you have. Wait around. Arrive soon we will." Another hour went by before Xander joined them with his two sabers. One was normally sized but the other was slightly shorter. In addition both of his sabers were jet black. In other words, they were dope as fu?k. He handed the two hilts to Yoda. In similar fashion, he activated the sabers. One was the standard length. The shorter hilt ignited into a short blade. It closely resembled the shoto design. The shoto hilt was a shorter blade that could be used in the off hand. The most common purpose was allowing the user to dual wield. It would also commonly be held in a reverse grip. An example of a Jedi that uses a shoto is Ahsoka Tano. Once Yoda completed his inspection, the Crucible dropped out of hyperspace and entered high orbit over Coruscant. They went straight through the atmosphere and docked at the Jedi Temple. Yoda led the two players through the temple and up to the Council Chambers. As they walked, Tyler and Xander talked. Xander turned to Tyler. "So, I talked to my friends about the guild situation. We are down to join you as long as we are able to have some representation in the guild. What do you say to that?" Tyler nodded. "If you were able to get your friends to join, I was planning on giving you the position of elder at the least. In addition, depending on their abilities, they may become core members. There is a whole bunch of other stuff that I''ve been thinking about but we can deal with that when the need arises. For the name, I''m having trouble deciding but I''ve narrowed it down to a few. I was thinking either Umbrella, Limitless, or Golden Dawn. What are your thoughts?" Xander laughed. "Well two of those are kinda ripped off from somewhere but I don''t think that matters. Umbrella is from Resident Evil and Golden Dawn is from Black clover. Limitless is kinda cool though." Tyler shook his head. "Yeah yeah, I know where they''re from. They are all just so cool. I feel like my favorite is Umbrella. I feel like it''s the perfect name for a well rounded guild. I want the guild to be a cash cow and a military powerhouse. In addition, ours should be the first guild so we will by default have first pick at many resources." Xander nodded. "That is true. Anyways, with what you said, me and the boys are happy to join the guild. Any of those three names would be great." Another few minutes went by and they arrived in the council chambers. Yoda presented their lightsabers to the council members present. Aside from them, the padawans in training were staring. Windu smiled. "Well done padawans. With this, your basic training has concluded. You are always welcome to return to the temple to access its services. That includes the training resources, our ?ssignments, the archives, and many other things. With this, I bestow upon you both the rank of Jedi Knight!" *Chain Quest Component Completed: Right of Passage* *Rank: Epic* *Reward: Unrestricted Access to the Jedi Temple, Level Up* *Level up! You are now Level 10. You have been awarded 10 free attribute points.* *Chain Quest Completed: Jedi Training* *Rank: Epic* *Reward: Lightsaber(s), Jedi Starfighter w/ Hyperspace Transport Ring, Astromech Droid, 6000 Jedi Reputation, 1000 EXP, 5000 credits* *Class Change Complete: Jedi Knight* *Item Obtained: Draco''s Purple Lightsaber* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: This is the distinct weapon of Jedi and Sith warriors. It can cut through almost anything. This is a unique item crafted by Draco and the blade''s color is purple. Unable to be traded or dropped.* *Stats: Strength +20% Dexterity +20% Intelligence +20% Charisma +20% Attack (ATK) - 5 * STR * DEX Passive 1: This weapon can deflect blaster bolts from any handheld blaster. Passive 2: This weapon can cut through almost any material or weapon. Refer to Injuries in the game manual for more information on damage dealt. Active 1: User can throw the weapon to deal 60% ATK damage. Use the force to pull it back to your hand.* *Item Obtained: Draco''s Delta-7B Aethersprite-Class Light Interceptor* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: This is a modified version of the Jedi Temple''s unique starfighter. The fighter was designed specifically for Jedi. It is super lightweight, has high maneuverability, and lacks various systems that are inferior to the force. Unlike the Delta-7, the Delta-7B has a full astromech slot. This specific model was used by Anakin Skywalker. The colors can be changed and the Republic insignia can be replaced by a Guild Emblem. Unable to be traded.* *Stats: Max Speed - 1260 kph Max Acceleration - 5000 G Length - 8 meters Width - 3.92 meters Height - 1.44 meters* *Weapons: Twin Laser Cannons (Upgradeable) Missiles (Modifiable) * *Item Obtained: Draco''s Syliure-31 Hyperspace Docking Ring* *Rank: Epic* *Description: The hyperspace docking ring is meant to act as an external, modular, hyperdrive for starfighters that lack one. This particular model is specifically designed to accommodate the Delta-7 Aethersprite-Class Light Interceptor and its variations. Unable to be traded.* *Item Obtained: Astromech Voucher* *Rank: Common* *Description: This voucher is good at any shop in the galaxy for one astromech droid of any model. The voucher will dissolve after one usage.* *You have become a Jedi Knight. +6000 reputation with the Jedi Order* *Congratulations. Your reputation level with the Jedi Order has reached friendly.* *5000 credits added. You now have 12800 credits.* Chapter 6 - The Guild ''Holy shit. If I didn''t have to learn how to use my abilities and how to fight manually, even just completing the class change quest to become a Jedi Knight would make the time worth it.'' There are various handicaps and restrictions that are placed on the force s?ns?t?v? class. For example, anyone that is a Jedi is automatically locked at the reputation level of hated with the Sith and hostile with any of their allied factions. This also works the other way around. For example, during the Clone Wars, the Jedi are automatically considered hostile by all members of the Confederation of Independent Systems (CIS) due to the Jedi Order''s ?ssociation with the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR). On the other hand, Sith are considered hostile by all members of the Galactic Republic due to the Sith Order''s ?ssociation with the CIS. This excludes neutral citizens. Another restriction that is placed is that Jedi and Sith are sometimes at the mercy of the Jedi and Sith Orders. They occasionally receive mandatory quests that have a time limit. The only plus sides to this is that the rewards are bountiful, the objective will be located in a nearby system, and anyone can participate. The downside is that if the quest is not completed within the time limit, the player that was issued the quest will receive a severe reputation penalty. One other restriction is something that is detrimental to melee classes. They are restricted to only cloth and light plate armor. This transforms a Jedi or Sith into glass cannons. Light plate armor limits range of motion so most would just go for cloth armor. An example of light plate armor that this class can wear is similar to Obi Wan Kenobi''s getup but there are some limited exceptions. There are, however, some benefits aside from limitless potential. Legendary equipment is soulbound. This means that they permanently belong to that player and can not be traded or dropped on death. Just becoming a Jedi or Sith awards 3 soulbound items with 2 of them being legendary ranked items. Another benefit is that there are various items that are only usable by force wielders. For example, the Delta-7 starfighter is exclusively used by force wielders due to some lacking systems. One other benefit is that this class gains unrestricted access to their respective temples and their resources. Something such as the Jedi Archive is truly a Priceless resource. Xander and Tyler looked to each other and grinned. Tyler then said, "Well, looks like the two of us are the first two Jedi Knights among players. Pretty cool huh?" Xander laughed. "Fuck yeah it''s cool. Shall we head to the Senate building to found the guild?" Tyler nodded so they left the Jedi Temple. The two of them headed down to the landing platform and hailed a cab. Tyler paid and Xander was surprised with the fact that he got a discount and with the friendly treatment the taxi driver gave him. 10 minutes later they arrived at the Senate building. It was even larger than either of them could imagine. It was basically a gargantuan mushroom with antennae. The plaza out front was also huge and quite grand. Various metallic statues of warriors stood on each side of the path leading into the Senate building. Tyler and Xander ascended the stairs and walked down the path to enter the building. Once they were inside, the scene surprised them. There were so many NPCs and not a single player to be found. It kind of makes sense though. The only ones that are able to even be on this planet are those who are going through the Jedi class change quest. As they walked in, an attendant rushed over after noticing Draco. "Welcome to the Galactic Senate. How may I be of service?" Tyler nodded. "I would like to found a guild. Would you be able to tell me where I can do this?" "Of course. Come right this way. I''ll help you with everything." They followed the attendant into a private room. She pulled out a data pad and sat down. She then motioned to the couch across from her so the two players sat down. "First of all, the required amount for founding a guild is 10,000 credits. Secondly, I will need you to come up with a name. Third, you will design your guild emblem. Choose wisely as this will be worn by your members and painted on your starships. Lastly, I will ?ssign whoever you d?s?r?, including yourself, as the guild leader." Tyler felt great pain as he forked over the 10k credits. It was almost his entire fortune! As he tried to get over himself, he said, "I will be the guild leader and I''d like for my friend here to be put on as a vice leader. For the name, please name the guild Limitless." He then got to work on the emblem. First he decided on the general design. It would have a circular border. Within the circle, there would be two others forming a vertical venn diagram that is tangent to the outer circle on both top and bottom. To finish it off, a bisecting, vertical line would strike through the circles. His emblem would be purple. The Vice Guild Leader emblem would be white. The Guild Elder emblem would be black. Lastly, core members would be gold, elite members would be silver, and regular members would be bronze. The attendant accepted the design. "That is that. Congratulations on the founding of your guild. Since you are the first guild that is officially recognized by the Galactic Republic, your guild will automatically gain a reputation level of friendly. In addition to this, you have the option of a galaxy wide announcement regarding your guild. These benefits are only available to the first officially recognized guild in the galaxy." Tyler turned to Xander. "What do you think we should do?" Xander grinned. "I live my life by a certain saying. Go big, or go home. Let''s give everyone a little surprise." Tyler shrugged. "Oh well, fu?k it. Send out the announcement." The attendant nodded and tapped a times on her data pad. *Limitless is the first guild that is officially recognized by the Galactic Senate. +6000 guild reputation with the Republic and all subsidiaries.* *Congratulations! Your guild''s reputation level with the Galactic Republic has risen to Friendly* *GALAXY WIDE ANNOUNCEMENT* *Congratulations to Limitless. They are the first guild in the entire galaxy to be officially recognized by a galactic governing body. Due to their registration location, they have gained a reputation level of Friendly with the Galactic Republic.* This announcement sent shockwaves throughout the galaxy. Aside from it being front page news for NPCs, every single player in the game received the announcement. The first reason being that most players are around level 6 or 7 at this time. Even the highest leveled players are only level 8 and still stuck on their starting system. The guild system does not open up until level 10. And even then, your guild would only be recognized on that planet. You still need to travel to Coruscant or Raxus to be officially recognized by a galactic governing body. This is important because you can receive quests from all over the galaxy. Xander laughed maniacally as the announcement sounded three times. Tyler just looked at him. "Oh my. What have I done? I basically just painted a target on my head." Xander shooed his words away. "Come on dude. Less thinking and more doing! Let''s go get some astromech droids and then go to the hangar to check out our starfighters." Tyler laughed. "You are right in some capacity. There is no time to waste. The more we capitalize now, the less vulnerable we will be to our enemies." Xander nodded to that. The two then left the Senate building and hailed a cab. Tyler told the driver to take them to the best droid shop he knows of. The driver told them that the ride would take 2 hours. The shop he is taking them to is some hole in the wall located in the middle levels of coruscant. Since they had some time, the two of them decided to log out. Before doing so, Tyler made up some bullshit about how they are going to leave a teleportation marker in the cab and they will return when he is about to arrive. Tyler logged out and did his usual routine but drastically shortened since he only had 30 minutes. Time moves 4 times faster in game than in the real world. First and foremost, he used the bathroom. Then, he chugged two protein shakes because his body was exhausted. He also ate some fruit to get some healthy sugars and vitamins. Lastly he did some basic exercises for 10 minutes to keep his heart healthy. After he was done with this, he wiped the sweat off of him and logged back in. When he logged back in, Xander was already back in his seat and they were coming to a stop. Before they disembarked, Tyler decided to help out the cab driver. "Just a piece of advice. Pretty soon, there are a lot of people that will be coming to this system in the near future. They are all able to use the teleportation technique that we used. If you tell them that they have the option to log out during their ride, you might be able to charge them a bit extra. Make sure you remind them of the time difference so you don''t have to worry about waiting around." The cab driver''s eyes lit up. "Thank you so much my brother. My name is Goby. Anytime you need a ride, on Coruscant, give me a call and I''ll either come myself or have someone from the taxi ?ssociation come to pick you up." *You have helped the Coruscant Taxi Association (CTA) increase their profits. +6000 reputation* *Congratulations. Your reputation level with the CTA has increased to Friendly* ''Wow, even stuff like this could get me reputation points.'' "Anytime. I''ll definitely take you up on that soon." The driver decided to wait for them while they did their business. His mindset was that you could never have too many friends. Especially ones that are powerful or knowledgable. The droid shop really was a hole in the wall. It was without a doubt, the ugliest shop in the area. It made the shop quite inconspicuous though. Upon entering, the inside was just as nasty as the outside. Dust covered droids and spare parts were littered around the room. The weird thing was that the shop looked a lot smaller on the inside than the outside. At the checkout counter, there was a Togruta male that appeared to be napping. The two players walked up to the counter. "Excuse me. We were hoping to buy some astromech droids." The man seemed to not care and pointed towards the sub par droids that were on display. Tyler sighed. "We were told that this is the best droid shop around. I guess he was wrong." The man perked up. "And who said that?" Tyler grinned and said, "Well we got a ride from this guy named Goby. We helped him out so he brought us here." The man shook his head. "My droids are expensive. How are you paying?" Tyler and Xander took out their vouchers from the Jedi Temple. The man''s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. Something that Tyler and Xander did not know is that this guy loves to overcharge the Jedi Order when it comes to purchasing droids. These vouchers are essentially a blank check as long as the price is not too exorbitant. "Ah yes yes. Welcome to my humble shop. My name is Maro. Goby is my brother in law. I own this joint. I''m going to have to ask you to keep this place a secret or at least ask me before referring someone. I gotta make sure that only people I trust know about this shop. Follow me into the back and you''ll know what I mean." Maro got up from the chair and led Tyler and Xander into the backroom. It was locked away behind a door that was at least a foot thick and made of solid metal. It could probably withstand a sizable blast. Upon entering the backroom, it was completely different from the front. It was clean, nicely decorated, and had several displays around the room. Each display had a different droid model on it that was in pristine condition. There was also a staircase that led to the workshop and stock room upstairs. Maro turned to them after closing the door and said, "Welcome to the actual shop. Out front is just a facade. I prefer to have trustworthy clients since people love robbing droid shops. Droids are always in demand so it is big on the black market. May I ask what the purpose of the droid will be?" Tyler nodded. "That makes sense. Don''t you worry one bit. I will be sure to only tell those that I trust about this place. The same goes for Xander over here. For the droids, I want the best R2 unit and he wants the best one you''ve got." Maro smiled. "Wonderful! I''ll bring out the models immediately." A few minutes later, Maro came out of an elevator that was situated below the stairs. Two droids followed him. The first one was a brand new R3 unit called R3-H7. It''s primary color was red and the secondary color was a brushed silver. It looked very satisfying. Behind it was a brand new R2 unit called R2-F4. The droid had a primary color of white with a brushed silver base for the top. The secondary color was purple and it matched Tyler''s lightsaber and guild emblem. Maro waved to the droids as they lined up. "These are the finest models available for your needs. They will fit perfectly in an astromech slot and can also perform a variety of tasks. Do they suffice?" Little does this man know, Tyler and Xander haven''t the slightest clue when it comes to purchasing droids. All they can do is trust this man at his word. Tyler nodded. "I am quite satisfied with mine. It seems to be quite the piece of tech." In an effort to maintain the facade, Xander said, "Yeah, I agree. This should do." They handed over their vouchers to a grinning Maro. He looked as if he were gazing upon a mountain made of gold. Only if he knew more about the two Jedi he just sold the droids to. He was about to get plenty of business. *You have partaken in the first player transaction with Maro. +6000 reputation.* *Congratulations. Your reputation level with Maro has increased to friendly.* Both Xander and Tyler got the notification so they made eye contact. They agreed that this would need to be the place where they purchase droids from in the future. Before they left, Maro recommended that they also purchase a protocol droid. They are very useful for communication with species that don''t speak English. They realized their mistake but they did not have any way to transport it at this time. Maro told them that they should return to purchase one in the future and that he''d even give them a 25% discount. No one else could beat the price. The reason being he would be taking a loss on that droid. On the other hand, he made enough off the two astromechs that he would make up for the loss and more! When they exited the shop, Goby was still waiting there in his airspeeder. "Hey, I see you found what you were looking for. I hope you remember this favor that I have done for you. This galaxy is a big place and it is hard to find people you can trust." Xander and Tyler used the force to load the astromechs into the back of the speeder before getting in. "Don''t you worry my friend. Would you by any chance have any experience with piloting? And by the way, we are headed to the Jedi Temple. You can take us straight to the hangar." Goby raised his brow as he set off towards the Jedi Temple. "You got it boss. But for your question, yeah. Me and a bunch of the guys are all pilots. We get hired sometimes to fly ships but it isn''t stable enough in terms of income. Why do you ask?" Tyler grinned. "Well, it just so happens that I am the guild leader of Limitless. I''m sure you''ve heard of it considering the news report open on your data pad. We are going to be entering into a lot of business ventures that will require constant availability of shipping resources. We will be hiring people to fly those ships. It would be a great help if you could help us find some people to fill those jobs." Goby''s eyes lit up. This was the opportunity he''d been waiting for. He was in dire need of money since he was supporting a family. This would provide a steady income and probably provide even more than what he was getting now. "Oh my. That is great news! It is a p???sur? to meet you Guild Leader. I''ll be sure to let the guys know that there is an opportunity with you. I''ll probably come and work for you myself! And you can keep the fee for this ride. Take it as a thank you. I know it''s not much but it is all I can afford." Goby looked a bit distraught. He felt bad that he couldn''t properly repay the generosity that this person is giving to him. Especially when considering that they only met a few hours ago. While on the ride back, Tyler decided to allocate his remaining attribute points. His stats now looked like this: Draco, 17 years, Jedi Knight Level 10 EXP - 0% Mandalorian Human HP - 770 MP - 700 STR - 9 + 2 DEF - 4 DEX - 15 + 3 STA - 11 VIT - 11 INT - 6 + 2 CHA - 8 + 2 Free Attribute Points - 0 -Pilot - Advanced - 25% -Engineer - Intermediate - 78% -Marksman - Novice - 89% He was now the same age as he is in real life. In fact, his birthday was in a few days so he would be 18. While they were on their way back, they turned to each other. Xander then said, "Do you feel like you have to go to the bathroom?" Tyler nodded. Thankfully they were almost at the temple. They realized that now that they were level 10, there was even more realism. Things such as going to the bathroom, sleep, and eating would now be mandatory to survive. It might be a good idea to keep a pack of wipes in their inventory in case they need to "shit in the woods" as the saying goes. There is one other key thing that this means. Since you are able to go to the bathroom, that means that clothes are now removable. A whole slew of crazy s?x related shit flew threw their minds. It would seem that a force wielder would be quite capable in bed. A short ride and one bathroom trip later, the duo approached the hangar with their astromechs in tow to inspect their new starfighters. Tyler walked up to his starfighter. As he approached it, a window popped up. *You have just purchased this craft. You have the one time opportunity of a free paint job. Please choose your color scheme and decide if you want to use your guild emblem or not.* ''Free paint job. Sick.'' Well, it wasn''t exactly free. He worked his ?ss off to complete the quest. He decided to go with a stealthy design but still included some purple in it. He made the primary color matte black and selected a secondary color of a matte, dark purple. It was quite eye catching. Lastly, he put his purple guild emblem on the spot where the Republic insignia sat. Xander''s ship was also pretty cool looking. Its primary color was white and its secondary color was a soft green. Both colors were matte and they matched his lightsaber. Everybody has got to have that drip. Now it was time to get down to business. Tyler turned to Xander. "I was thinking about getting a head start on resources. You tryna make some money? We do need a guild hall." Xander nodded. "Hell yeah. Let''s do it. Where are we off to?" Tyler grinned. "Well first, we need to go and dock into our hyperspace rings. After that, we are headed to Kessel!" Chapter 7 - Kessel Kessel is located in the Akkadese Maelstrom. The Akkadese Maelstrom is a dangerous place. It is essentially a cluster of matter that contains gases, carbonbergs, ice chunks, and various other types of large debris. It surrounds Kessel and is nearly impenetrable aside from the standard route to get in. It is nearly impossible for typical pilots at leastˇ­ Kessel sits in the Outer Rim Territories. It is currently under the control of the Yaruba Family of Kessel. They are a royal family that has ruled the planet for many years. During the Clone Wars, the Pyke syndicate struck gold as they made a deal with the Yaruba family to export spice. On the surface, the planet is split into two distinct areas. The southern hemisphere is home to lush sanctuaries. This is where the Royal Family lives. The northern hemisphere is a barren wasteland where the various mines would be constructed. There are three main exports from the planet. The first is spice. Spice is officially used for medicine production. The unofficial use of it is to produce a powerful drug. The second is coaxium. Coaxium is a rare form of hypermatter that can be refined into fuel for starships. It is extremely potent. The two main purposes are that it allows for hyperspace travel and that just a small amount of it was enough to power an entire fleet. The third is Kesselstone. Kesselstone is a byproduct of mining spice. It can be ground into powder to create a powerful narcotic. Essentially, there would be two options for gaining control of the mines. The first being capturing the mines through a raid. This is the quickest and probably the easiest way to do it. However, the prior owner of the mine would not be happy and therefore attempt to retake it. At this point in time, that owner would be the Yagura Family. The other option, would be to stage a coup and take over the planet. This method would be much more complicated for most. However, this could prove the best method for force s?ns?t?v? individuals. Another benefit to this is that if an officially recognized guild were to do this, they have the option of joining a galactic governing body. One other benefit is that you would essentially seize all of the resources that the previous governing body was in possession of. It would just so happen that the two individuals that are heading to the planet were both Jedi and members of an officially recognized guild. Two starfighters dropped out of hyperspace just outside of the maelstrom. "Xander, you wanna take the easy way in? Or do you wanna have some fun?" Xander laughed over the comms. "If you''re talking about THE Kessel Run, I''m not even crazy enough to attempt it with our level of flying. I say we take the safe route for now. We also don''t have anywhere near enough credits to repair or replace our fighters. We have b?r?ly enough for fuel as it is." Tyler sighed. "That is a fair point. Boring route it is then." To reach Kessel, there are two main routes one can take. The first is the Traditional Kessel Run route. There is a winding path that is carved out of the maelstrom. It is the safest area and even has markers to help a pilot keep on course. In addition, it is large enough for even a star destroyer to fit in. The other route is the Risky record-breaking run. This is the one that Han Solo always brags about. Essentially, you take a route that goes straight through the maelstrom either to or from Kessel. The most dangerous part about this route isn''t even the maelstrom itself. Instead, it is a region within the maelstrom called The Maw. It is home to a planet sized gravity well and various extremely dangerous creatures. Of course, there are other courses that can be taken to reduce the travel time but they are unmarked. Tyler led the charge into the Kessel Run. It was a pretty quiet trip until they were about three quarters of the way there. "This is the Royal Security Force of the Yagura Family. Identify yourselves immediately." Sweat started to drip down Xander''s face. "Uhhhhh, Tyler? What do we do?" Tyler sighed. "We have two options. First, we talk to them and request to land. The other option is we shoot them down and hope we don''t encounter any issues. I have a decent idea if you wanna try the first option." Xander coughed. "First option then. Fuck it." Tyler then opened up the comm channel to reply. "This is Jedi Knight Draco. The other fighter is piloted by Jedi Knight Xander. We have come to negotiate a trade deal for coaxium." "Hold your course. We will let you know how to proceed." A few minutes later, the voice responded again. "We will escort you to a landing pad so you can seek an audience with the Royal Family." Tyler cheered internally. "Alright. We''ll follow you down." This was the exact reason that he put a bunch of points into charisma. It is extremely useful when dealing with NPCs. The squad of starfighters escorted the two players to a landing pad that was nearby the Royal Palace. Tyler and Xander landed as their escort flew back into high orbit to resume their patrol. *New Location Discovered: Kessel +100 EXP* *Optional Quest Triggered: Liberation* *Rank: Epic* *Reward: Sovereignty over Kessel, Unknown* ''Well this is convenient. Now we can get some additional rewards for doing what we were planning to do anyways. This is useful information nonetheless.'' Tyler was not expecting that neutral planets could trigger a quest to take over the planet. Even if the first reward was the only thing he got, it would still be more than worth it. A squad of guards marched over to the two Jedi. "On behalf of the Royal Family, we welcome you to Kessel. Please follow us. We will show you to your chambers." Tyler and Xander nodded and followed the squad. The city was quite grand. Tall buildings made from stone and metal towered over the streets. It was very similar to Theed, Naboo in that there was plenty of greenery all over the place. The conditions really lived up to being lush sanctuaries. The Royal Palace was huge. Just how one would expect, it was beautifully constructed. Various statues of former monarchs lined the path that led to the entrance. In order to keep up the facade, they followed the guards all the way to their chambers. Once they arrived, the guard caption turned to them. "The Royal Family will meet with you tomorrow for lunch. For now, you may get some rest." Tyler and Xander bowed. "Thank you. We are going to get some sleep then." Once they entered their rooms and the doors closed, they started scheming over comms. "Xander, I think I wanna go stretch my legs. How about you?" Xander sighed. "I would go but I''m beat. This new thing where we have to sleep is brutal. Especially after flying for so long. Let me know if anything interesting happens." Conveniently, there was a window in his room so Tyler opened it up. After looking around to make sure no one was watching, he jumped using the force and landed on a nearby building. On most planets where there is a monarchy, there is usually a resistance movement. Tyler''s goal of "stretching his legs" was to see if he could locate such a group. From the top of the building, he had a great view of the city. As he scanned the surroundings, he noticed that the outer areas of the city had shorter and more plain looking buildings. This is where he would start his search. Tyler quickly hopped across buildings and arrived in the area in question after a few minutes. It was just as he suspected. This area appeared to be the slums of this city. He dropped off of the building and landed in the street. A few people gave him weird looks but went back to their business. Unlike in the central portion of the city, this area was devoid of the presence of guards. As a result, beggars lined the sides of the streets and struggling businesses had almost no stock. It was a truly painful sight. Tyler grew up in a nice area. Although his mom and him struggled for money, they were still able to remain in a home and get by. Here, there were children and old people dotting the streets. They were all homeless. After walking for a few minutes, Tyler noticed a few suspicious looking individuals. He used his force enhanced senses to listen in on their conversation. It turned out to be his first lead. They were discussing a shipment of contraband and relief supplies for the homeless. If this wasn''t a tell tale sign of a resistance movement, what is? This proved to be a pretty effective deterrent as both of them widened their eyes before moving their hands away from their blasters. Tyler stopped right in front of them. "It was much easier to find you guys than I thought it would be." The two men looked at each other. Then one of them said, "Have we met before?" Tyler chuckled. "Nope. Not once. I actually just arrived on Kessel a couple hours ago. I''ll be straightforward with you guys. I am here to help." The man looked confused. "Even if we are who you''re looking for, how can you expect us to trust you? And what could you even do anyways?" Tyler smiled. His charisma was really doing work. "I don''t expect you guys to trust me. All that matters is that we can enter into a prosperous business arrangement. I won''t say anything more until I speak to whoever is in charge." The man sighed. He pressed a bu??on on his wrist comm. A few seconds later, the door behind them slid open. It revealed a dimly lit hallway with a mess of crates on either side. There was another man behind the door. "Come in. I''ll take you to meet the boss." Tyler entered the building and followed the man. He led Tyler down a staircase and through a system of tunnels. After a few minutes, they arrived at a large, well lit room. Standing in the middle of the room was a large man that seemed to command the respect of everyone else in the room. The man looked up. "And who might you be?" Tyler smiled. "I am Jedi Knight Draco. I am here on behalf of the guild Limitless. I am sure that you have heard of it." The man scoffed. "Yeah, I''ve heard of you guys. You''re just a startup group that was recognized by the Galactic Senate. You guys are way in over your heads here so I recommend you leave before any unfortunate accidents occur." Tyler sighed. "You know, it is usually common courtesy to provide your name when someone gives their''s." The man shook his head. "Why should I have to give you my name?" This was getting difficult. This guy was going to take a bit more convincing before he cooperated. Tyler made the same move as before as he made his lightsaber visible. "Well, for starters, your rag tag group of rebels don''t stand a chance against the Yagura Family. In addition, I came here with another Jedi Knight. Currently, we are staying in the palace and are also set to meet with the Royal Family tomorrow for lunch. Do those reasons suffice?" The man laughed. "Well well. My friend, it is good to have you. I am Khan Ardel. I lead the resistance on Kessel. I do have a question. How did you get a meeting with the Royal Family?" Tyler smirked. "The name of the Jedi Temple carries quite a bit of weight throughout the galaxy. It was easy. Now, let''s get down to business." Khan smiled with joy. "Someone get this man a drink! Please Draco, take a seat." The two of them sat down at the table. "So, my friend. What are your plans?" Tyler nodded. "Essentially, I want to stage a coup. Limitless is interested in taking control of the resources on this planet but we do not have the manpower to do such a thing. It would also put frowns on the faces of the Jedi Council. That is the more prevalent reason we aren''t just taking over." Khan shook his head. "Where do me and my men fit into this? It sounds like you want us to work for you and then you get all of the rewards." Draco laughed. "You misunderstand! The governance of this planet will be left to you once we are done. You see, we are only interested in the resources and a few other benefits. My idea is to have you, or whoever you choose, act as governor of Kessel. Limitless will take over the mining operations and take whatever is in the treasury. The first thing that the funds gained will go towards is improving the conditions on Kessel. The remaining will belong to me. In addition, I want to affiliate this world with the Galactic Republic. Limitless will represent Kessel in the Senate." Khan looked intrigued. "Aside from some funds to improve conditions, how will we gain anything if you take over the mining operations?" Draco shook his head. "First, the gains from joining the Republic will be huge. Once word gets out that Kessel exports spice and coaxium, planets from all over the Republic will send relief supplies to curry favor in hopes of striking a trade deal. In addition, I plan on sharing 20% of the profits on these exports with you. The 80% that Limitless receives will be completely reinvested in either Kessel itself, or in expanding our military capabilities to help defend this world and any others we cooperate with." Khan smiled. He knew that they stood no chance against the Royal Family. All that they have been able to do is provide some basic necessities to those that are suffering. However, this changed when two Jedi Knights were added to the equation. What is even better is that they have already infiltrated the palace. "I can agree to these terms. What is the plan?" Tyler fleshed out a plan of action with Khan and then left a few hours later. He returned to his chambers just in time for a guard to knock on the door. "It is time for dinner. We will escort you to the dining room." Tyler and Xander exited their rooms and followed the guards to dinner. As they walked, Tyler called Xander to prevent the guards from listening in. He filled Xander in on what happened and what their role would be. The next day, the two of them woke up early and skipped breakfast to iron out their plan of action. Finally, the time for lunch arrived. Everything was set and the show was on. A guard knocked on the door. "The Royal Family awaits you in the dining room. We will take you to meet them now." Tyler and Xander followed them down the hall. Part of the plan was to be decided on the fly. If the Royal Family was a bunch of pricks, they would just kill them and seize the palace. On the other hand, if they were genuine rulers, they would just get imprisoned and be dealt with by the resistance. They then arrived at the dining hall. There were two guards stationed at the door. They opened the door to reveal the room. There were 10 guards around the perimeter of the room. All of the guards were level 15. The table was mostly full on the opposite end of the room. There were several officials. Each one was level 20. In addition, the king sat at the head of the table and was also level 20. For them, the level difference would not matter too much since they were using lightsabers. It would only take a few well placed slashes to kill them. In addition, the level 20 NPCs were noncombatants. As the door opened, Tyler opened his mind to the force and felt an aura of disdain and impatience from several of the officials present in the room. It would seem that they were indeed a bunch of pricks. That made this easy. Tyler turned to Xander and nodded. This was the signal. Before the guards could close the doors, the two players ignited their lightsabers and executed the two guards with a swift slash to behead them. The King screamed in horror as he watched the guards fall lifelessly to the ground. Xander quickly used the force to close the doors. Meanwhile, Tyler made good use of his speed to quickly dispatch the guards around the room. As he ran, he deflected a few blaster shots. A couple of them even returned to the shooter and killed them. After closing the doors, Xander made his way around the opposite side of the room. He dispatched the remaining 3 guards that Tyler hadn''t reached. Once the guards were gone, there was nothing protecting the officials. Tyler walked over to the king and pointed his lightsaber at his neck. "Order all of the guards to stand down or all of you die." The king nearly soiled his royal und?rw??r when he heard this. In a frightened voice, he shouted, "Do it!" One of the officials sighed and activated his comm. "This is Prince Yagura. By order of the King, all guards are to stand down. Drop your weapons and do not resist." Tyler nodded. He then activated his wrist comm. "Khan, the operation is a go. You may proceed." Upon hearing the name of the resistance leader, all of the officials and the King had looks of dread on their faces. It would seem that they understood the circumstances. "Now, who can show me to the treasury?" One of the officials quickly got up. "That would be me. I am the Finance Minister." Xander remained in the room to make sure that the others would behave. Meanwhile, Tyler was led to the treasury. The finance minister opened the vault. The interior was HUGE. It was more of a warehouse than a vault. There was tons of shelving that was filled with crates. Tyler turned to the minister. "Do you have an inventory list?" To avoid provoking the Jedi, the minister quickly took out a datapad and handed it over. After looking over the list, there were endless profits. First, there were over 70 million credits. This might sound like a lot but most of it would be invested in improving Kessel. Next, there were about 10 million credits in spice. Lastly, there was a small amount of refined coaxium. This last thing was too valuable to trade. Tyler thought that this whole operation was too easy. They merely were lucky that the guards were quite weak. Something like this would not go the same way on a more developed planet or one that is affiliated with a galactic governing body. *Optional Quest Completed: Liberation* *Rank: Epic* *Reward: Sovereignty over Kessel, Contents of the treasury, Assets of the Royal Family, 50k EXP, +1000 Jedi Order Reputation* *Level up! You are now Level 11. You have been awarded 5 free attribute points.* *Level up! You are now Level 12. You have been awarded 5 free attribute points.* *Level up! You are now Level 13. You have been awarded 5 free attribute points.* *Level up! You are now Level 14. You have been awarded 5 free attribute points.* *Optional Quest Triggered: Intro to Politics* *Rank: Epic* *Description: Convince the Galactic Senate to recognize Kessel as a member.* *Reward: Seat in the Galactic Senate, +6000 Galactic Senate Reputation, Unlocks a Politician profession trainer for your guild* Chapter 8 - Guild Developments (Just an FYI, I made a slight change to the last page of the previous chapter. Swipe right a few times and look at it before reading so you don''t get confused. Sorry for the inconvenience. I also really gotta stop making each chapter longer than the last XD. Enjoy this extra long boi.) As Tyler and Xander were wrapping their heads around what they gained from this mission, Tyler had made his way back to the dining room. Once he got there, Khan entered the room with his men. "Lock those bastards in the prison. We''ll deal with them later." Khan''s men detained the King and his court before escorting them away. He then turned to Tyler. "Draco, or actually it is Lord Draco now. You have done a great service for this world. It would be my honor to serve under you." Tyler nodded. "We are friends. Unless it is in a political setting, feel free to call me Draco. Now, for my first decree as sovereign ruler of this planet, I proclaim you, Khan Ardel, Governor of Kessel. You will be in complete control of Kessel only after the leaders and vice leaders of Limitless. As long as you do your very best to improve this planet, you will have our full support and protection. Be sure to remember that we can remove you from power just as easily as we put you in. That would only be necessary if you abuse your position." Khan bowed. "Thank you Draco. I don''t know if I can ever repay you." *You have helped Khan Ardel achieve his dreams. +12000 reputation.* *Congratulations! Your reputation level with Khan Ardel has increased to Honored.* *Your guild has removed oppressive rulers from power and gave the planet to its people. +40000 guild reputation to Kessel.* *Congratulations! Your guild''s reputation level with Kessel has increased to Exalted.* Tyler laughed. "It is good to know that I''ll have a man like you on my side. Let us get down to business. I have gained quite a lot of resources from the treasury. As per my promise, I will be giving you quite the budget to work with. My first investment will be in the form of 50 million credits. In addition, I plan to sell the unrefined spice and I will transfer the profits to you according to our agreement." Khan nodded. "That is extremely generous of you my friend. I will make sure I put it to good use. What of the mining operations?" Tyler sighed. "This is where things might make you unhappy. I want to make this planet self sustaining and also turn a profit. Thus, I need you to prioritize your spending on improving the mining operations. This includes giving fair wages to the slaves that are currently working there, installing essential facilities and housing, and renovating the mines themselves to reduce the amount of hazards and pollution. In addition, I would like for you to construct a refinery for the coaxium so we can maximize our profits." Khan appeared to get visibly irritated. "I can not agree with you on this one. Why should I prioritize the mining operations over helping my people?" Tyler scoffed. "Khan, you are thinking in the short term. Although it would be very beneficial to Kessel if you used the funds to help the people, it would prove to be a poor choice in the future. As I said, I want this planet to be both self sustaining and profitable. Investing in the mines will bring in huge profits in the long term. As we expand the operations, we can create jobs for your people and bring in even more revenue. In addition, I believe that it is fair to say that the people that are suffering the most right now are the slaves in the mines. They are your people too, right?" Khan looked defeated. "I have to hand it to you. My way of thinking is flawed. I must work on that in the future. Regardless, I''m sure that there will be plenty of leftover funds to improve the cities as well. That is my primary goal but I will need plenty of funding to do that. I will follow your recommendations. If you''ll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do." Tyler smiled. "I''m glad you have come around. It is important to think about the bigger picture. I''ll leave you to it then. I will send for you soon as you will need to make an appearance in the Galactic Senate once we become members." Khan nodded. "Safe travels my friend. I look forward to a profitable relationship!" He then set off to start barking orders and distributing governmental positions. Tyler turned to Xander. They both grinned. "Bro, we just leveled up 4 times! And please don''t tell me you gave all of the credits you found to Khan." Tyler laughed. "Don''t worry, we still have about 20 million leftover. And that isn''t all. We have some refined coaxium. With it, we will be able to power an entire fleet! In addition to that, we also have about 10 million credits in unrefined spice. We will get about 8 million from the sale since we are sharing 20% of all Kessel related profits with the government." Xander''s jaw dropped. "Dude, you''re talking about that sum like it is nothing! We are fu?k?n? rich!" Tyler shook his head. "You might think we are rich now, but wait until we start investing in the guild. From what I gathered, starships are not cheap in the slightest. We also need to purchase a guild hall on Coruscant." As he finished saying this, he got a call from John. He picked up. "Hey, what''s up?" From the video feed, John was currently in a transport. Probably on his way to Coruscant. "My group and I just reached level 10. We are en route to Coruscant. What are you up to? That doesn''t look like Coruscant." Tyler laughed. "Bro, you are way behind in the news. I just took over a planet!" John''s jaw dropped. "Waitˇ­ WHAT THE FUCK? WHAT PLANET?" Tyler let on a playful expression. "Oh, nothing major. It''s a little place called Kessel. Maybe you''ve heard of it?" John shook his head. "I don''t know how you did it but I won''t complain. How is the guild doing???? Tyler sighed. "Aside from the Kessel thing, there is nothing that you don''t already know. Oh, this is Xander. I met him at the Jedi Temple and we have been working together. He is a vice guild leader." Xander waved from behind Tyler. John rolled his eyes. "Hi Xander, I''m Napoli. Nice to meet you. Anyways, I''ll make sure I bring an extra pair of und?rw??r because I haven''t the slightest doubt that you have more surprises up your sleeve. Talk to you later dude." "Later." Tyler hung up. Now, he had to do something important. It is time to allocate his attribute points from leveling up four times! He decided to put 3 in strength, 2 in defense, 3 in dexterity, 3 in stamina, 2 in vitality, 2 in intelligence, and 5 in charisma. Now he looked like this: Draco, 17 years, Jedi Knight Level 14 EXP - 11% Mandalorian Human HP - 1010 MP - 860 STR - 12 + 2 DEX - 18 + 3 STA - 14 VIT - 13 INT - 8 + 2 CHA - 13 + 2 Free Attribute Points - 0 Tyler turned to Xander. "We should head back to Coruscant ASAP. I have some important things to take care of now that we have funds. I need you to buy a huge guild hall in the upper levels of Coruscant. Here are 10 million credits. Get the best one you can." Xander was shaking a bit as he received the credits. "Yeah, I''m on it." They then departed Kessel. After navigating through the Maelstrom, Tyler opened a comm link with Xander. "Actually, I''m going to make a stop before returning to Coruscant. I''ll let you know when I am done with my errands." Xander sighed. "What are you? You are describing interplanetary travel as if it was going to buy groceries." Tyler laughed. "Well, it seems like we will need to do that too! I will secure some resource channels for us so that we can provide our guild mates with the necessities." He then docked into his hyperspace transport ring. "Anyways, LATA BITCH!" As he said that, he jumped into hyperspace. Xander could only shake his head. "Damn. What have I gotten myself into?" The journey from Kessel to his destination would take about 20 hours. This meant that he had 5 hours to log off and take care of himself. 8 in game days or 2 real world days have passed since the game launched. This showed just how painstakingly slow the leveling can be in the game. In fact, most players aren''t even level 10 yet. When Tyler logged off, it was 8 in the morning. His mom had already left for work. Her day job is an executive ?ssistant at a big financial firm. Upon remembering this, he got an idea. ''What if I got my mom to be a guild representative?'' While this might sound weird, it would actually work quite well. Her real job is an executive ?ssistant. That job entails constantly interacting with people and keeping a high level of organization. With a little bit of adjustment, she could probably even act as Limitless''s representative in the Galactic Senate! This would solve a huge problem that Tyler is having. He has no experience in politics! While this is also true for his mom, she has extensive experience in dealing with people. This is a very valuable skill because let''s be real, people SUCK! As he was formulating his plan, he let on a maniacal expression. How twisted does someone have to be to want their own mother working for them? That will have to be found out in the future. After going through his routine and an extended workout, he decided to read the news. You never know what useful information you can find. "Mystery Investor Behind New VR Game Introducing New Hardware" Tyler was shocked as he read the article. Essentially, there is a new technology being released to replace the headset. In simple terms, something called the Life Capsule is going to be released to the public next week. This might not sound like a big deal but its capabilities are impressive. It allows for the user to remain in a virtual environment for 7 days of real time. It was also designed with the purpose of being used with Galactic Expedition. That means two things. First, the device will provide the necessary nutrients needed by the body to remain in peak condition. It would also stimulate the user''s muscles to keep them from deteriorating. The other thing is that it will allow for someone to remain in game for 28 days! In addition, those 28 days would be experienced in only 7 days of real time. It essentially prolongs the user''s lifespan by up to four times. Aside from discussing the specifications of the Life Capsule, the article also discussed how many large corporations are keeping a close watch on the situation. If the capsule delivers as advertised, this is a huge money making opportunity. There are endless opportunities in a virtual space. Aside from those that would choose to create their own virtual space, Galactic Expedition has a major untapped opportunity. Tourism! Many of the sights, experiences, foods, beverages, and cultures that exist in the game have never been seen by the general populace. In addition, there is a whole galaxy full of them! It would just be a matter of time before everyone wanted a piece of the pie. Due to this, investors felt immense pressure to take the leap of faith. Being one of the first investors could be extremely profitable or become a huge loss. Only time will tell. After considering some possibilities, Tyler came to a decision. He needed to expand his guild at light speed. The more players he has, the more systems Limitless can control. In addition, Tyler currently holds 100% of the shares for his guild. He has read plenty of novels where some stupid and arrogant MC refuses to let investors into their guilds. Although this might make sense in older VRMMO games that are based on a singular planet, there was a whole galaxy up for grabs in this one. In addition, these investors held real world resources that people such as Tyler did not have. It only made sense to establish some relationships with these corporations. (I am thinking of using a particular real world corporation in this novel. I am not making any money from this and it is totally fictional. Pls don''t sue me.) While finishing another protein shake, he finished thinking through his plans. It would be quite wise to partner with some major corporations. It would be quite beneficial to have some famous designer brands, restaurants, or resorts on his future planets. In addition, it might even be wise to attempt a partnership with various industrial corporations. These groups have expertise in areas such as space exploration, transportation, mining, weapons production, and robotics. These are just a few examples of fields that could strike it big in Galactic expeditions. After a few more minutes of scheming, Tyler noticed that he only had about 30 seconds before his starfighter would drop out of hyperspace. He quickly went to his room and logged back in. When he opened his eyes in game, a familiar sight greeted him. The swirling blue tunnel of hyperspace was glowing around him. The appearance will probably never get old. It could almost put someone in a trance. A few seconds later, he dropped out of hyperspace. What stood before him was unbelievable. The planet he arrived at was a gorgeous green world that had fluffy clouds floating across the skies. Various large bodies of water could be seen surrounded by huge forests and plains. Surrounding the planet was a huge ring. The most surprising thing was that the ring did not consist of rocks, ice, and debris. It was actually man made! As he entered the system, a voice sounded over his comms. "This is the Security Force. Identify yourself." Tyler smiled. "I am here to do some business. Where should I land?" "The headquarters is located a few minutes galactic east from your position. You can disengage your transport ring in orbit and land in the hangar." "Thank you." Tyler flew his fighter for a few minutes and a huge building that was built on the ring came into view. It towered over all the other structures. As he passed various sections, he could see the skeletons of various large ships being constructed. He disengaged from his hyperspace transport ring and landed in a large hangar. *New Location Discovered: Kuat +100 EXP* Kuat is a planet located in the core worlds. It is also one of the earliest members of the Galactic Republic. It is best known as the home of the Kuat Drive Yards. As one of the largest corporations in the galaxy, they would go on to design and produce the fleets for the Galactic Republic, Galactic Empire, First Order, and Final Order. For organizations with tremendously deep pockets and a need for excessive firepower, the Kuat Drive Yards was the place to go. For reference, the Venator-class Star Destroyer, the standard republic cruiser, costs 59 million credits. Another reason that the Kuat Drive Yards was the place to go for Tyler is that it is the biggest starship yard in the entire republic. Since his guild is registered with the republic, in addition to being a citizen of the republic, he can only purchase starships from either neutral, or republic affiliated corporations. For those that choose to ?ssociate with the CIS, they would most likely do their business with Hoersch-Kessel Drive, Incorporated. They are located in the Nimban system that lies in Hutt Space. Tyler hopped out of his ship and had R2 follow him. A quality droid is quite tempting for many. As he approached the entrance to the headquarters, an attendant rushed to meet him. "Welcome. My name is Cerri Tillian. I am at your service. May I know your name?" Tyler puffed out his ?h?st a bit. "I am Draco, a Jedi Knight and the guild leader of Limitless." He would have added that he is also the sovereign of Kessel but he didn''t want that news getting out until he secured his seat in the Senate. Cerri''s eyes widened as she heard who the man was. Limitless was huge news across the galaxy. Everyone was at the edge of their seats, waiting to see what they would do next. She knew that if she did a good job tending to this client, she may see a huge bonus! She resolved herself. "It is a p???sur? to meet you Lord Draco. I''ll take you to meet with a representative immediately." A few hours later, Tyler got into his fighter with R2 weighing about 8.7 million credits lighter. He would have to return the next day to retrieve his purchases. Now he had to go to Coruscant to deal with the Senate. After a quick 5 hour flight, he entered high orbit over Coruscant. He then called Xander. "Yo. Did you purchase a headquarters yet?" Xander sighed. "Yeah, I bought the property for about 7 million. The place is being renovated to contain a large hangar and some other facilities that we will need. It will be ready tomorrow." Tyler shook his head. "I should have expected as much. Anyways, meet up with your friends and I''ll find mine after my dealings with the Senate." Xanded nodded. "Sounds good. See you soon." He hung up. Since he couldn''t land in his guild hall yet, he would touch down in the Jedi Temple. While he was coming down, he called up Goby to give him a ride to the Senate building. He also tossed him a few extra credits to have him wait. Tyler entered the Senate building. Just like last time, an attendant rushed to greet him. "Draco, welcome to the Senate Building. How may I help you today?" Tyler grinned, making the attendant nervous. "I am here to have my system join the Galactic Republic." The woman''s jaw dropped. It was not every day that you get a neutral system trying to join a galactic governing body. She needed to inform Supreme Chancellor Valorum immediately! "Please, Lord Draco, follow me to a private reception room. I will come get you once the Chancellor is ready for you." Tyler nodded. "Thank you. I am in a bit of a rush so if you can inform him that I have urgent matters to attend to, I would greatly appreciate it. A guild won''t develop itself you know?" She opened the door. "Yes of course. I will return shortly. Thank you for your patience." Tyler stepped into the room and she closed the door behind him. While he waited, he decided to give Khan a call. Khan picked up. It looked as if he hadn''t slept for weeks. "Draco, how are you my friend?" Tyler laughed. "Khan, you do realize you have subordinates for a reason, right? Go and get some sleep! That''s an order! I can''t have a sleep deprived governor!" Khan sighed. "There is just so much to do. I guess I''ll have to dish out some responsibilities. I still don''t know when I can sleep though. There aren''t enough hours in a day." Tyler shook his head. "I know exactly when you can sleep. I need you to come to Coruscant immediately. Sleep on the way here. I need you well rested to stand before the Senate. They will likely call for an emergency meeting tomorrow to vote on our membership." Khan nodded. "I''ll organize a transport and fighter escort at once. I''ll see you tomorrow." Tyler nodded. "See ya." He then hung up just in time for the door to open. The attendant had returned. "The Supreme Chancellor is ready for you." Tyler got up. "Lead the way." He followed her to an elevator that is guarded by two men and behind a blast door. They took the elevator all the way to the top floor of the senate building. Once they exited, they entered a grand hall situated outside of the Supreme Chancellor''s Office. The door slid open revealing a luxurious office. The carpets were red and there were ornate, bronze statues on pedestals lining the walls. At the large desk that was in front of the window, there were five chairs. Behind the desk sat Supreme Chancellor Valorum. In three of the chairs in front of the desk sat Mas Amedda, Vice Chair of the Galactic Senate, Silman, aide of the Supreme Chancellor, and Sei Taria, aide of the Supreme Chancellor. Tyler rolled his eyes. ''It really is amazing how quickly they can move when they actually want to. Now that I think about it, maybe I should try to thwart Palpatine''s plans! That is quite a ways down the road though. In addition, the Clone Wars could be very profitable if I can get my affairs in order.'' Shaking out of his scheming, he walked over to the empty chair. As he did, the Supreme Chancellor rose from his seat along with his entourage. "Ah, Lord Draco! It is a p???sur? to finally meet you. I''ve heard quite a bit about you and your guild." Tyler put a smile on his face and shook Valorum''s hand. "The p???sur? is all mine. I hope we can establish a prosperous relationship today that will outlast us both." Valorum nodded. "Of course. That is the goal of the Galactic Republic. Please, take a seat. Tell me all about why you are here today." Tyler nodded but internally he was rolling his eyes. Valorum knows exactly why Tyler is here. This is just a basic strategy in negotiations to put the host in an advantageous position. Nonetheless Tyler took his seat. After sitting down, Tyler said, "Then let''s get right to business. I have many matters to attend to. In case you haven''t heard, I am now in control of the Kessel system. I got rid of that overbearing monarchy and am heavily investing in the development of the planet. Most of the people there are suffering." Valorum raised his brow. "This is news to me. Kessel has been under the control of the Yagura Family for many generations. I will spare you the interrogation. All that matters is that you are the sovereign ruler now." Tyler shook his head. "Actually, I appointed a governor to handle everything on the planet. He is still under me but for all intents and purposes, he is the acting ruler. His name is Khan Ardel. He is actually on his way here as we speak. We are hoping to join the Galactic Republic." Valorum smiled and clapped his hands together. "Wonderful! This is great news! Kessel has many valuable resources on it. I am sure that it will be quite easy to pass the vote for the Kessel system to join the republic." Tyler chuckled. "I am glad. I was worried that this would be a difficult process. Would we be able to have the vote tomorrow? If it is as you say, I am sure that the voting process will be quite brief." A bead of sweat rolled down Valorum''s face. "You do know that you are asking me to call for an emergency meeting, right?" Tyler nodded. "Yes, I do realize this. I am confident that the senators will be glad that you did. With how my people are suffering, they will welcome us with open arms and send humanitarian relief in hope of striking a trade deal." Valorum sighed. "You really do have this all figured out. I can''t tell what your motivations are for joining the republic but from what I can see, a prosperous relationship lies ahead." Tyler laughed. "Indeed Chancellor. Is there anything else you need?" Valorum nodded. "There is just one more item to discuss. Aside from Governor Khan, who will be representing Kessel in the senate hearing?" Tyler smirked. "The representatives, aside from Governor Khan, will be Vice Guild Leader Xander of Limitless, and myself as both Guild Leader and Sovereign of Kessel." Valorum smiled at this. With Tyler there and a convincing story from the governor, he would not have to do any schmoozing to sway the vote. "That is fantastic news! I''ll send out the notice for an emergency hearing to be held immediately. Anyways, I would invite you for dinner but you seem to have places to be." Tyler thought for a moment. "You know, the thing that is great about being the one in charge is that the party doesn''t start until you walk in. Unfortunately, I am already quite late for said party. I will have to defer your invitation for a later date. It would be great to have an opportunity to meet some of the many senators and representatives in the same place." Valorum sighed. "That is quite alright. I''m sure that various senators will be knocking your door down to become friends once they find out about the resources your system possesses. I''ll see you out then." Tyler rose from his seat. "Thank you Chancellor." "Of course Lord Draco. It is my p???sur?." Valorum and his staff walked with Tyler to the elevator. They shook hands again and said their goodbyes. By the time he reached the lobby, people were already giving him looks. There were also some players finally in the crowd. They were also giving him looks. Then he noticed the news report that was being given on one of the holo screens. "Breaking news. The Galactic Senate has called for an emergency session to vote on the inclusion of Kessel in the Galactic Republic. It is rumored that the new guild, Limitless, is behind the change of attitude of this neutral planet. Wait! This just in! Draco, the guild leader of Limitless has been spotted in the Senate building! It appears as if he just concluded a meeting with Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum. That is all for now. We will keep you updated as the news comes in." Chapter 9 - The Guild Hall Upon seeing the news report, Xander called Tyler. "What did you do now?" Tyler giggled. "Oh come on. I did exactly what I told you I was going to do. The show I''m putting on is only to gain more publicity. It will also encourage the senators that will be voting on our membership plea tomorrow to look into both Limitless and Kessel so that they don''t make fools out of themselves tomorrow." Xander sighed. "Geez. What have I gotten into? You are one crazy motherfucker but I love it! At least you keep things interesting." Tyler puffed out his ?h?st to look proud. "Yes I do and damn am I good at it! Anyways, what is the status of your friends?" Xander smiled. "They arrived a few hours ago. There were at least several thousand players that came off of the transport. Your friends might be on Coruscant as well. I told my group to wait at the spaceport." Tyler nodded. "That is good news. Go and meet up with your friends and invite them to the guild. I''ll do the same." "Sounds good. See you in a bit." Xander hung up. Tyler then joined Goby in the speeder since he was still waiting outside. He smiled. It would be great to have someone like Goby on his side. Although he isn''t powerful, he is quite useful. While they traveled, Tyler called John. "Hey, where are you guys?" John sighed. "We are almost to the front of the line to get a cab. What about you?" Tyler grinned. "I''m on my way there. Take your group out of the taxi line and go to the pick up area." John sighed again. "I don''t know why we''d get out of line but I guess I just have to trust you." Tyler laughed. "I''ll be there in a few minutes. Just rally the troops!" He hung up. A few minutes later, John and his group of 15 players were standing by the pickup area. There was also another sizable group of players. They numbered at 24. Suddenly, a swarm of airspeeders split out of the express lane that ran past the spaceport. They sped downwards and all crowded around the pickup area. Tyler hopped out of one of them and strolled over to John. "Hiya. Funny seeing you here!" John and his group were struggling to keep their jaws from hitting the floor. They just arrived on Coruscant and have b?r?ly anything to their names but this guy was commanding a fleet of speeders. Only if they knew that he also had a whole ?ss planet. Tyler walked over to John and dapped him up. "How was the trip?" John stretched and cracked his back. "Those seats are so uncomfortable. At least I was able to log out for a bit." Tyler laughed. "I pity the poor." He shook his head. "But from now on, we ride in style! You guys are all partied up, right?" John nodded. "Yep. We have been together for almost all of our leveling." Tyler nodded. "Great! That makes this easy." He then extended a guild invitation to John''s entire party. They all accepted immediately. As soon as they saw Tyler pull up with a fleet of speeders, they instantly affirmed their thoughts of joining Limitless. Tyler quickly promoted John to an elder and then turned to the other group of players that were standing a few meters away. "Would you guys happen to be Xander''s friends?" One of them stepped out front. "Yes we are. He told us that you might beat him here so he said to look for a guy that makes a showy entrance. I presume that would be you?" Tyler laughed. "Oh, he knows me so well already! I am Draco. Who might you be my friend?" "I am Kumbis." Tyler nodded before sending his whole party a guild invite. They also accepted immediately. Aside from the showy entrance, they have heard about Xander''s escapades with Draco. They might really not have limits like the guild name implies! Tyler then called Xander. "Hey, I''ve got both of our groups here. Is the guild hall ready?" When the players in both groups heard those words, they were shocked. Guild halls aren''t something that can just be purchased so easily. One needs to have enough reputation with the system in order to be able to even own property. This goes the same for guilds. Xander nodded. "Yep. The contractors just left a few minutes ago. It is glorious." Tyler smiled. "That is fantastic news. I will go fetch both of our starfighters and meet you in the hangar. If you will, please welcome our new guild members." Yet again, everyone''s jaws hit the floor. Starfighters? More than one? Who the fu?k is this guy? Xander nodded. "Sounds good. I''ll send a message to R3 regarding this. See you soon!" He hung up. Tyler turned to the two groups. "Alright everyone. Pile into the cabs. I have already paid the fee so don''t worry about having to break the bank! I''ll join you all shortly." Without giving anyone a chance to respond, he hopped into Goby''s speeder and they took off. Everyone was frozen for a few seconds while they wrapped their heads around what just happened. In addition, the huge line of players waiting in the taxi line was giving them their undivided attention. Countless looks of envy and greed were painted across their faces. Shaking themselves out of their stupor, they loaded into the cabs and then took off towards the guild hall. When they arrived, they were in for a surprise. The guild hall was huge! In addition, it was just outside of the Senate District! This was prime real estate. Just how much does something like this cost? However, they were slightly misled. Their guild hall only included the top 10 floors of the building. The rest of it was available for expansion in the future. It was still massive and even had its own hangar! The fleet of cabs dropped them all off in the hangar. Waiting there was Xander. "Welcome brothers. Let us wait for our guild leader. He should be here momentarily." As he said this, two Jedi Interceptors approached the hangar and touched down. Once they landed, two astromech droids dropped out of their slots. Then, the star of the show hopped out of his fighter using the force to make for a flashy entrance. John rolled his eyes. "Dude, why do you always have to make a scene? We already have the whole galaxy watching us!" Tyler laughed. "Oh shush. Am I not allowed to have my fun? Anyways, in case anyone forgot, I am Draco, Jedi Knight, Guild Leader of Limitless, Sovereign of the Kessel system, and soon to be Senator to the Galactic Republic." Silence purveyed the room. How were they supposed to react? They knew that he was a Jedi Knight and their guild leader. But what of the other things? Sovereign of the Kessel System? Senator to the Galactic Republic? WHO IS THIS MAN? As Tyler and Xander saw the looks on all of their faces, they broke into a fit of laughter. "Draco, you are one of a kind. The looks on their faces are priceless!" Tyler stood tall and puffed out his ?h?st. "I am great, aren''t I?" This eliminated the tension in the room and everyone started to laugh. There was something funny about their guild leader acting in this manner. It made them happy. They felt that based on what he was accomplishing, they would be super rich and successful even if they were merely side characters in his show. "Xander, would you mind leading the tour? I have no fu?kin idea where I''m going." Xander laughed. "Of course. Alright everyone, follow me!" The hangar was massive. It took up the two bottom floors entirely and had openings on two sides. In the middle of the hangar on both sides of the floor plan, there was a set of elevators. There were also several workshops for engineering. The fourth floor was the entertainment floor. There was a casino, a few restaurants, a cafeteria, and a pool and spa area. The pool and spa took up about 40% of the floor. The fifth floor was the medical bay. It was designed like a standard hospital. There was a reception area, an emergency landing pad, operating rooms, recovery rooms, and a set of bacta tanks. The sixth floor was dedicated to professions and secondary classes. There were several workshops for each of the crafting classes, a set of flight simulators, a shooting range, and an indoor greenhouse. The seventh and eighth floors were residential blocks. They held hundreds of rooms for guild members to rest. They were small but that was really all they needed if they even spent a night on Coruscant at all. The rooms were complete with a bed, a closet, a small desk, a chair, and a full bathroom. The ninth floor was a private residential floor. The Vice Guild leaders will live here and any important guests will also stay here. There were only 20 suites on this floor. Each one was complete with a kitchen, master bedroom, guest bedroom, 2 full bathrooms, one half bathroom, a balcony, and a pool on said balcony. The tenth floor was a hybrid floor. A quarter of the floor was dedicated to the Guild Leader''s quarters. The adjacent quarter of the floor space was split into a large conference room, a few smaller conference rooms, a reception hall, and a small general purpose workshop. This workshop would be exclusive to force s?ns?t?v? classes and anything else Tyler decides to do in here. It officially belonged to him so he could advance his professions but he was willing to allow other Jedi and Sith guildmates to make use of it. The other half of the tenth floor was home to a small hangar that can fight fighters and small transports, a reception area, and a small landing pad. Since they own the top floor of the skyscraper, they also own the rooftop. The top of the building was a recreational area meant for entertaining. There were two bars, two pools with swim up bars, a large restaurant, a spa, and various scattered lounge furniture. To say the least, the guild hall was quite impressive. Seeing how impressive the guild hall was, he came up with a fantastic idea. He quickly called Maro. "Hello my friend! How are you doing?" Maro laughed. "I am doing great! I have been thanking Goby over and over for referring you to me. It makes me happy that I can do business with someone of your standing." Tyler smiled. "That is good to hear. I will be sure to give you plenty of business in the future. I promise that you will be the exclusive droid channel for Limitless and our subsidiaries. On that note, I am in need of people. How good are your connections?" Maro scoffed. "You underestimate me my friend. What kind of connections are you looking for?" Tyler grinned. "I am hiring for my guild hall. I need a few hundred people by tonight. I need some bartenders, chefs, servers, receptionists, attendants, cleaners, and engineers. Whatever is enough to staff the facilities in my guild hall. Can you do it?" Maro thought for a moment. "It will not be easy but I can have them at your guild hall within two hours. Is this okay?" Tyler nodded. "That would be perfect. I am also in need of resource channels for food and beverages. If you would be so kind as to have some people who deal with those products contact me immediately, I would appreciate it. And don''t worry, I will reward you handsomely for your services. By the way, you are always welcome to ?ssociate with Limitless if you''d like. I would be happy to have your shop as one of my subsidiaries." Maro sighed. "I can do all of that for you. And for your proposition, I will think it over. Give me a few hours to decide." Tyler smiled. "That is great. I''ll send over some credits as a thank you right away." Tyler hung up. He then transferred 10,000 credits to Maro to help him along in his decision to join Limitless. His resource channels, connections, and engineering skill would be of huge help to the guild. Once he was done with that call, he called the Office of the Chancellor. One of his aides answered the call. "You have reached the Office of the Supreme Chancellor. How may I help you?" "Hi, this is Draco speaking. Would you be able to patch me in to Chancellor Valorum? I have an urgent matter to discuss with him." The aide scrambled after hearing Draco''s name. "Oh, yes of course, I''ll patch you in now." After a few seconds, Valorum was on the line. "Lord Draco, to what do I owe this p???sur??" Draco smiled. "The renovations just finished on my guild hall. I thought that I''d invite you over for a dinner party tonight at 8. We have quite the facility here. I am confident that you''d enjoy it." Valorum was surprised. "I would love to come, Lord Draco. Would you like anyone else to attend?" Draco thought for a moment. He realized that this would be a great opportunity. "Actually, yes. Please put out an open invitation to all of the senators. They are allowed to bring a plus one with them. It would be most beneficial if I were to meet them before the hearing tomorrow." The side goal of this action was to intimidate a certain old man. It is important to establish a position of power when dealing with slimy schemers. Valorum was joyful. "That sounds fantastic. I will send out an invitation immediately. I look forward to your hospitality." Tyler nodded. "Great! It''s a date then. I''ll be seeing you later then." Valorum nodded. "Indeed. See you later." He then hung up. Tyler then turned to Xander, "We need to go acquire some formal attire for everyone. There are currently 42 members in the guild. 33 guys and 9 girls. Let''s have a tailor take everyone''s measurements so we can go to a clothing store." Xander raised his brow. "Why would we need such a thing?" Tyler grinned. "I may or may not have invited the Chancellor and the entire Senate to a dinner partyˇ­" Xander nearly fainted from shock. "I swear, your antics are going to kill me before anything else can. Wait, what are we going to do about staffing the facilities? The guild hall is essentially an empty husk right now." Tyler scoffed. "And I thought you knew me. I called Maro. He has that and resource acquisition handled." Xander sighed. "I have underestimated you yet again." Tyler puffed out his ?h?st. "I know I know. You can say it. I''m the best!" Xander rolled his eyes. He then turned to the patiently waiting guild members. "Alright, who is a tailor?" Three players stepped forward. "I need you three to take everyone''s measurements for formal wear. Then create a list with everyone''s names and measurements. We are having an event tonight!" About 30 minutes later, everyone''s measurements were taken. Xander then quickly left to retrieve the formal wear. Tyler turned to the crowd. He had his scheming face on. Everyone got nervous. "Everyone, pay attention. Since we have some time, I am going to see what you guys have got. This examination will determine your starting rank in the guild. We are going to start recruiting soon so I want to establish our standards. I want our normal members to have the same strength as elites in other guilds. Every echelon of Limitless must be at least a step above everyone else. That is the only way we will come out on top." "Everyone pair up. You will be taking me on in a 2v1 spar. If you are put in a position where your opponent could kill you without question, you lose. The same condition goes for me. Your performance will determine your status in the guild. Let''s get moving!" After two hours, Tyler had given everyone a thorough beating. There were a few close calls but he won every single spar. However, he completely expected this. He is a force enhanced player on top of being 4 levels higher than all of them. Regardless, he was quite satisfied with the results. There were only 4 players that matched the standard for normal members. 22 players earned elite status, 12 players earned core status, and 2 players were promoted to elder. Coincidentally, the two elders were John and Kumbis. It kind of makes sense since they were the party leaders of their respective groups. After the ranks were distributed, Tyler stood in front of the group. "That was great everyone. Make sure you remember that your rank in the guild is not static. You are able to rise through the ranks up to guild elder on merit alone. Keep in mind that you can fall down the rankings just as easily." "Tomorrow we will begin our recruitment efforts. Essentially, there will be an exam. To join the guild, a participant must be able to defeat at least one of our members in a spar. We are going to be taking the path of the elite. We have no room for weak combatants in Limitless." "Depending on the rank of the member they defeat, that is what they will be in the guild. In addition, anyone who is a Jedi, Sith, intermediate or higher pilot, and/or advanced profession or secondary class will automatically pass the test. However, they will be ranked in the same way." "I will also need you guys to inform any profession oriented players that we will be founding a subsidiary soon to manage those players. The last thing is that anyone that joins the guild will be forced to sign an extremely strict contract that varies with each rank. This includes you guys. This contract is going to be enforced by the game so I would highly recommend that you do not even think about breaking the terms." He then sent out the contracts. Everyone was shocked when they found out how thorough the contract was. It was as if it was written by a legal team. In addition to being thorough, the contract was truly vicious. Anyone above elite members were required to wipe their account if they wished to disaffiliate. Even normal and elite members would be required to fork over an exorbitantly high severance fee that would include the value of anything provided by or purchased from the guild. This would effectively eliminate anyone who planned on freeloading until shit hits the fan. Despite their shock, every single person signed the contract. Once everyone was officially registered with the guild, Tyler spoke up. "Now that we have gotten that over with, I am going to address a few things. First, I am sure you guys have noticed that there have been a few changes since you have reached level 10. Particularly with your bodies. Using the bathroom, eating, bathing, sleeping, and drinking are now necessary activities. This is why there are so many accommodations available in the guild hall. The number of rooms available will only increase in the future." "Secondly, we will not be using a guild point system. All transactions between you and the guild will be completed using credits or capital resources. You will be receiving a salary based on your rank so you don''t have to worry about prioritizing income channels. In addition, any quest rewards are yours to keep. However, if you do find any potential income channels, please inform me immediately. If it proves to be profitable, I personally promise that you will be rewarded a heft finder''s fee." "For the final order of business, you all should know what is happening tonight. Essentially, I invited the Chancellor and the entirety of the senate to our guild hall for a dinner party. This will be critical to our development. If we can establish friendly relations with these senators, we will have more opportunities in the future. You can never have too many powerful friends." "Do not forget that you now represent Limitless. You represent me. You also represent any current and future systems under our control. A single fu?k up on your part could potentiall impact countless people. I encourage you all to go take a shower, relax, and get a drink in your system to mellow out. There will be a lot of important people here in a few hours and we need to make a good impression. You are all dismissed for now. I will send out a message once Xander is back with the formal wear." Chapter 10 - Open Season (Thanks for all of the feedback. Please remember that this timeline will not match the canon since it is a game. In theory, if no players change anything, the same stuff that happens in the movies will happen in the game. However, if Tyler keeps fu?k?n? around, stuff will change. I plan on having the Invasion of Naboo happen soon. Technically it was supposed to happen in 32 BBY but I am going to have it happen in 30 BBY. This is my story afterall and 2 years doesn''t make a huge difference. And I also want your input. Would you guys like it if I did some scenes where I show events that the MC doesn''t know are happening? Let me know!) Tyler took the elevator up to the top floor and entered his chambers. He was completely exhausted. It was around 5pm now. Three hours before the dinner party is set to begin. He decided to take a shower. He honestly didn''t smell the greatest since he hadn''t gotten the chance to shower since he reached level 10. It is quite understandable though since he didn''t exactly have access to one. He did not have time to waste. He stripped of his layers of clothing. As he laid his clothing out on his bed, he realized that he is still wearing the original pair of clothing that he received when he became a padawan learner. He decided that he would go shopping in the morning before they begin recruitment operations. The guild leader needs to look stylish in front of a crowd. That is at least what this showman thought. Tyler entered the master bathroom of his penthouse suite. The bathroom was lavish. It had white tile floors that were heated to keep your feet warm. A gorgeous slab of marble made up the countertop and two large sinks were embedded under chrome faucets. A large mirror covered the wall above a backsplash that sat against the wall above the counter. A large shower sat in the far corner. The glass panes that surrounded it climbed up to the ceiling. He walked up to the shower door and pulled it open. He turned the faucet and let the water run hot. He then stepped in and closed the door behind him. The feeling of hot water flowing over his body was pure bliss. As it washed through his messy hair and various bodily crevices, his stress and tension washed away with it. As he washed himself, various thoughts went through his head. Every pair of eyes in the galaxy was on him and Limitless. It was as if he were the star of a reality TV show. Some of the onlookers are even sure that Limitless will be extremely successful. All of them want to take a piece of the pie. On a stage such as this one, power is nearly everything. Especially if you can get the people on your side. Tonight would be his first real exposure to this galaxy. The hungry vultures would be swooping down for the kill. Due to Limitless being the new guy in town, the senators would be hoping to take the long end of the stick when it comes to negotiations. Tyler would not be taking this on his back. He must stand firm. Suddenly, he received a message from John. It said that there is a large group of NPCs entering the reception area. They claim that they were told that we are hiring. Tyler smiled. ''Well, that was quick! I really gotta make sure I thank Goby and Maro properly.'' He quickly finished his shower and then dried off. His clothes were dirty so he only put on a pair of pants and some slippers. He then put on a robe to cover his torso before taking an elevator down to the reception area. As he departed the elevator, the one next to him opened as well. Xander and Goby stepped out of it. They were pushing carts that were filled to the brim with clothing, und?r??rm?nts, and shoes. Tyler laughed. "Xander, I thought you went to buy formal wear for everyone, not the whole store!" Xander shook his head. "I thought everyone would appreciate a fresh pair of und?rw??r. Am I wrong?" Tyler nodded. "Nope. You are completely correct. Let''s take everyone shopping tomorrow. We will all need different outfits to pack when we go on extended trips." Xander smiled. "That would be great." Tyler then sent out a message to his guild mates to let them know that the clothing has arrived. High fashion and formal wear in Star Wars is vastly different compared to what it is on Earth. Women wear exotic dresses and men wear fitted suits. This may sound the same as the real world but it is not. For reference, the casino scene on Canto Bight from the Forbidden Archives film, The Last Jedi, is a perfect example of formal wear and high fashion in the galaxy. There are a few pretty cool things about the clothing for players. First, all clothing aside from the starter gear is considered cloth armor. That means that it gives you a small amount of defense when worn. Another cool feature is that for guild players, they can have their guild emblem displayed anywhere on their torso. A cloak can also be used to hide a player''s information and guild emblem. Tyler turned to Xander. "Would you mind leaving my outfit in my room? Just ring the buzzer when you get there and I''ll let you in." Xander nodded. "Sure." Tyler smiled. "Thanks!" He then received a call from Maro. "Hello my friend. I have good news!" Tyler laughed. "Get on with it then. I have much to do before the dinner party starts." Maro chuckled. "Alright alright. I contacted some companies that provide the services you require. Once I dropped the name of your guild, they freaked out and said that they would be sending a representative immediately. They should start trickling in a few minutes from now." Tyler smiled. "Again, I can''t thank you enough Maro. Have you thought about our discussion from earlier?" Maro sighed. "I will need more time. It is hard to make such a decision regarding my shop. I have devoted my life to it." Tyler shook his head. "Maro, I have no plans of taking the shop from you. It is quite on the contrary. I want to help you expand your operations. Feel free to take your time. Even if you say no, I will still keep my promise of only purchasing droids from you." Maro smiled. "You are too kind my friend. I am quite fortunate to have met you. I will let you know when I come to a decision." He then hung up. Tyler then walked over to the crowd of NPCs that were waiting in the reception area. They were all dressed appropriately for their jobs. "Hello everyone. I am Draco, Guild Leader of Limitless. As of right now, you are all hired full time to work here. You will receive a weekly wage of 500 credits. Managers will receive 700. Before you get started, I am going to distribute a contract for you all to sign. It includes various clauses and a confidentiality agreement. There will be things you hear that are not to leave the walls of this building. If everyone understands, I will hand out the contracts now." Once they all signed the contracts, Tyler handed datapads to the managers that had information on the facilities. Once they were received, everyone got to work. A few minutes later, several representatives from corporations rushed inside from the landing pad. They looked like they were frantically searching for someone. Tyler chuckled. ''I guess those are the reps that Maro told me about.'' Tyler then met with them all. The negotiations were actually quite quick. They didn''t try any bullshit to gain more profit. The most important thing was establishing a good relationship with Limitless. The marginal amount of profit they got off the deal was of minor significance. After just thirty minutes he had secured resource channels for the b?r? necessities. Each representative was from a company that specialized in different types of food. They included meats, baked goods, fruits, vegetables, spices, kitchen appliances, silverware, beverages, and alcohol. This was everything they would need for tonight. Once the meeting was concluded, each representative rushed out of the room. They all promised that they would rush an initial shipment over within the hour. It was now 6PM. Tyler desperately wanted a nap before people began to arrive. Once the senators entered the hall, it would be open season. Each and every one of them would be hunting for benefits. He would need all the energy he can muster to keep his head straight. He went back to the elevator and arrived in his suite. He stripped off his pants and laid down in bed. The interface came up and he set it to one hour. In the blink of an eye, he awoke an hour later. His comm was blinking. "This is Draco speaking." Kumbis was on the other end. "Guild Leader, one of the Chancellor''s aides sent a memo. They received 431 responses indicating an acceptance." Tyler sat up in his bed. "That is great news. Please inform the head chef that we need food for a thousand." Kumbis was confused. "Why a thousand?" Tyler laughed. "Well first of all, each invitation to the senators was for them and a plus one. So that doubles our count to 862 at least. There will most likely be those who respond after you received that report and also those who attend without responding at all. Then we have the Chancellor and his party of 3. Lastly, we have the 42 members of the guild. This brings us to at least 900 people." Kumbis nodded. "I did not think about that. I guess this is why you''re the guild leader! I''ll get it done." Tyler then shifted and allowed his feet to drop onto the floor. He reached his arms out to stretch. Then he placed his hands onto his mid back and pushed. He got the fattest back crack of all time. It was glorious. He then stood up and walked into the main living area. He grabbed his new clothing that was hanging over a chair. He then walked back into his room to clean up and get dressed. After getting dressed, he clipped his lightsaber to his belt. He also instructed Xander to do the same with his lightsabers. It is now 7:15PM. Tyler''s plan was to receive the senators by the landing pad on the tenth floor. With that, he sent out a message to his guild mates. They were to be dressed and ready for a meeting in the tenth floor reception area at 7:30PM. Fifteen minutes later, Tyler and Xander were standing before their 40 guild mates. "Here is the deal. Our guests will begin to arrive in about 30 minutes. I expect that the Chancellor and his security detail will arrive early. Xander and I will receive them personally. Xander, you are to then lead the security detail on a tour of the facility while I do the same with the Chancellor." "For all of the other senators, you all will be the ones to receive them. Be kind and courteous. The first impression is the most important one. I know how it is. You guys are gamers at heart. One of the reasons that you are so into gaming is that you don''t have to deal with all the political bullshit. All I ask is that you do your best. Put a smile on your face, address them by their title and then their name. Lastly, you may offer them a tour of the facilities before escorting them to the rooftop." After he was done speaking, Tyler noticed that his guild mates did not seem too into it. He then came up with an idea. He quickly wrote up a guild quest that was distributed to everyone except him and Xander. *Rank: Bronze* *Description: Your guild is hosting a dinner party. Various important figures will be attending. Make a good first impression on as many of them as possible.* *Reward: 10 Credits per net gain of reputation* The crowd of players erupted in excitement. There were about 900 guests coming! That means that they had plenty of opportunities to gain reputation. It is much easier to gain reputation on your first encounter with someone than later encounters. After the first impression, one needs to complete missions and help out the person or faction to gain more reputation. "Quiet down everyone. Now that you are motivated, I look forward to seeing what you all can do. Oh yeah, when addressing officers of the guild in an official setting, you are to say their title before their name. This includes the Elders, Vice Leaders. I am a special case. All of the senators know that I am the sovereign of a system. This means that I am to be addressed as Lord Draco." "One last thing before we are done. Any non-officer who does an exceptional job tonight will be eligible for an Ambassador position in Limitless. This is a position that will be equivalent to Elder but will be more focused on relations. That is all. Everyone get ready. Our guests will arrive soon." It is now 7:45PM. A few airspeeders approached the landing platform. Tyler recognized the force signature of the Chancellor so he rushed out of the reception area to welcome him. He got to the end of the platform as the Chancellor was disembarking. "Chancellor Valorum, it is my p???sur? to welcome you to our guild hall." Valorum smiled and walked up to Tyler to shake his hand. "Lord Draco, the p???sur? is all mine. I am thoroughly impressed that you were able to throw this event together so quickly despite the fact that you are new to Coruscant." Tyler laughed. "Oh Chancellor, you flatter me too much. I merely had a few fortuitous encounters. There are some people that you really don''t expect to have the connections they do." Valorum nodded. "That is true indeed. You can never know everything someone has to offer until they show their hand." They started walking down the path that connected the landing pad to the reception hall. As they walked, there were several servers holding trays with drinks. There were tall glasses with champagne, normal wine glasses with white wines, wider glasses with red wines, and an ?ssortment of hard liquors on ice in short, square glasses. ''Now that I think about it, I have yet to sample the alcohol.'' He turned to Valorum and his party, "Please, help yourselves to a drink." They all happily complied and retrieved a glass. Tyler grabbed a glass of hard liquor that appeared similar to a scotch. He took a whiff of the aroma and was in bliss. The woody and smoky aroma was strong and deep. He began sipping on it. "Chancellor, would you like a tour of the facilities?" Valorum smiled. "That would be wonderful. I am eager to see how far Limitless has developed so far." Xander walked over to them. "Oh, Chancellor, allow me to introduce you to someone. This is Xander. He is the vice guild leader of Limitless. He was of great help in liberating Kessel from that abhorrent monarchy." Valorum chuckled. "It is a p???sur? to meet you Vice Guild Leader. Lord Draco, it is quite impressive that you have two Jedi in your ranks. It is no wonder that you were able to do so much. The Jedi Order is quite resourceful." Tyler nodded as Xander spoke. "It is a p???sur? to meet you as well Chancellor." He then turned to the security detail. "I will give you guys a more purposeful tour of the facility so you can do your jobs effectively. It would be highly undesirable for anything to go awry." The guard captain nodded. "That would be of great help, Vice Guild Leader." Xander then escorted the captain and a few guards on an excursion to view all the points of entry and exodus. Tyler turned back to Valorum. "Allow us to continue on the tour." Valorum was impressed by the facilities. He was even a bit jealous that the Senate Building did not have these amenities. However, he put these feelings to rest since this would not be a good way to spend taxpayer credits. The tour lasted thirty minutes and it concluded on the rooftop. The elevator opened to reveal a somewhat crowded scene. Countless senators and representatives were chatting it up with each other and the guild members. Everyone had a drink in their hand and were sampling the platters that were carried around by servers. Some had even sat down to eat at the restaurant already. Tyler was sure to have his vendors deliver the finest stock they had in order to avoid appearing as if he cheaped out on the arrangements. Valorum smiled. "I still can not get over the fact that this was planned just this afternoon. I don''t think I have ever seen pull off a stunt of this scale." Tyler laughed as he led the group out of the elevator. "Anyone can accomplish anything they set their mind to as long as they have the right people on their side. I can only thank my connections for this." Valorum nodded. "I know this all too well. It would seem that the various different fields all play their game the same way as a politician. Allow me to introduce you to some people." The dinner party went quite well. Tyler got to meet plenty of senators. They were all eager to form a positive relationship. Fortunately, nothing bad happened aside from a few representatives drinking a bit too much. For the guild, they gained 3,562 individual reputation with various figures. That meant that Tyler had to dish out a total of 35,620 credits as a reward. Each credit was worth it since it helped foster relationships with these senators and their systems. Tyler also had an interesting conversation with Senator Palpatine of Naboo. The bastard was quite crafty. If Tyler did not know that Palpatine was a Sith Lord, he wouldn''t have suspected that he was being sized up. Palpatine was clearly trying to measure the threat that Limitless would pose to his plans. Before settling in for the night, he talked with the managers of each staff group to see how things went. After their meeting, it was determined that they would implement a few minor changes to help improve the results. He then sent out a message to his guild mates to be awake at 8AM. They had things to do before recruitment would start. Tyler also had a Senate Hearing to attend. Exhausted, Tyler finally got into bed at 1AM. Without even taking off his clothing, he set the menu to sleep for 7 hours before knocking out. Something interesting happened while he was sleeping. He dreamed! Sleeping in game was just like sleeping in real life except that you can do it on command. Tyler woke up to the sun shining through his window. He reached over and grabbed the datapad that was on his bedside table. A few news headlines caught his eye. "Breaking News: Chancellor and Senators Attend Dinner Party Hosted by Limitless" "Influx of New Guilds Recognized by the Galactic Republic" "Senate Hearing to be Held Today Regarding Kessel Joining the Republic" He was not surprised. He had expected that players would finally get around to founding their guilds. However, they may already be too late. Limitless has already established its foundations in the Republic. He then got out of bed and put on his starter clothing. He had it washed the previous night so that he would have something to wear. At 8:30AM, the guild departed the hall to go purchase clothing for different purposes and some combat gear. The group returned at around 11AM. In all, Tyler dished out about 50,000 credits for their purchases. For clothing, everyone got a second set of formal wear, a few casual outfits, a few pairs of comfort clothing, various types of shoes and boots, varying types of armor sets depending on their classes, and some new weapons. Since they are an officially recognized guild, they are able to procure weapons through legal channels. For the guild officers, they purchased an additional few sets of formal wear since they will be attending functions more often than the other members. Lastly, the two Jedi purchased a few extra sets of Jedi garb. Tyler also purchased a ELG-3A Blaster Pistol, and an OWB (Outside the Waistband) Holster for it. It is the same one that Padme Amidala uses. *Item Obtained: ELG-3A Blaster Pistol* *Rank: Gold* *Description: The ELG-3A was a lightweight, elegant, and functional hold-out blaster pistol designed for practical use and easy concealment. It was a small, sleek weapon with a polished chrome finish and a wooden grip, and fired green or blue bolts, as well as a stun setting. The slim blaster was fired using a snap trigger, which required a firm squeeze to prevent misfires. Refer to Injuries in the game manual for more information on damage.* *Stats: Attack - 400 * Tyler remembered that he never did any research into how damage works in the game. After looking through the section for Injuries in the manual, he understood. Essentially, weapons do damage in game the same way they would in real life. If you were to shoot someone in a vital area, such as the head, they would be killed in one hit. In addition, damage done to non vital areas such as the arms or legs will cause injuries. Melee weapons that can cut through materials can also do the same to body parts. If the resulting injury does not cause death to a player, it is permanent. It will not even regrow upon death. This means that a prosthetic would be required to replace it. Fortunately, the available prosthetics are equal to, if not better than, an organic part. This adds to the realism of the game. All injuries to NPCs that can not be healed by a bacta tank or surgery are also permanent. However, their deaths are permanent unlike the players. As they arrived back at the guild hall, he received a call from a Kuat Drive Yards representative. He was informed that his order was ready. Tyler responded saying that he would send his ?ssociates to retrieve the merchandise. Tyler then went up to his suite to change into his new clothes after showering. He put on a fresh set of formal wear and a dressy pair of brown leather boots. He then concealed his new pistol in the holster under his jacket and allowed his lightsaber to dangle off of his hip. As he was walking out of his room, he received a call from Khan. Chapter 11 - A Major Inconvenience Tyler was in the main hangar when the Kessel transport landed. Khan walked down the ramp. "Draco, it is good to see you." Tyler smiled. "It is good to see you too. Thank you for coming on such short notice." Khan shook his head. "It is not a big deal. This also gives me an opportunity to see how you are doing over here." Tyler nodded and led Khan on a tour of the facility. "So, Khan, how are the developments on Kessel?" Khan smiled. "Everything is going quite well. The people are in great spirits. Everyone is off of the streets and are gradually getting jobs." Tyler laughed. "I had no doubts about how the people were doing. I am more interested in the mining operations. While it is important to have happy people, it costs a lot of money to keep them happy." Khan sighed. "This is true. It just warms my heart to know that my people are doing well. For the mines, we got them up and running yesterday. They are more efficient and safer than before thanks to your investments. We also began construction on new mining facilities that should be up and running today. In addition, we have finished construction on one refinery with several more on the way." Tyler nodded affirmingly. "That is great news. Do you have a report on estimated output and our profit margins?" Khan grinned. "We are excavating a large amount of spice each day. It is estimated that it will bring in a daily revenue of 20 million credits. For coaxium, we can only predict the numbers. There is not a consistent amount being mined and we do not have enough refineries running to handle the volume. The estimate places it at about 50 million credits each day in revenue once the other refineries are up and running. Further expansion in the future will increase these numbers." Tyler smiled. "How are the margins?" Khan laughed. "I would call it more of a chasm than a margin. The expenditures on equipment, maintenance, wages, and the various amenities amount to about 5 million per week." Tyler was joyous. "That is amazing. We have a profit margin of 69 million per day!" After his short high, he came back down under a realization. Although he is making a lot, it would cost a tremendous amount to develop Limitless and it''s worlds. In addition, 20% of the profits from Kessel belong to its government. Regardless, 55.2 million credits each day is a massive sum. For reference, there are a few examples. Firstly, we can use the real world. The United States Government collects about $4.5 trillion dollars in taxes each year. Converted to credits, that is about 1.1 trillion credits. Even with that revenue, there is still a deficit. Another example is in Star Wars. When Count Dooku was captured by pirates, the Republic had no qualms about sending a reward of 1 million credits in spice for an exchange. This essentially proves that on a large scale, this amount of credits is mere pocket change. On the bright side, this income meant that he could soon expand Limitless and its ?ssets. Tyler got back to business. "I would like for you to put out a hiring notice for engineers, chemists and researchers. It would be highly beneficial to us if we can develop our ability to produce medical products and anything else related to Kessel''s exports. Since we have the capital, we will have a larger profit margin if we can keep the whole process in house." Khan nodded and signaled to one of his aides to go do it. "I''ll have it done immediately. This could make Kessel a hotspot for research and education throughout the galaxy. I predict that it would become quite popular due to the safety provided by the maelstrom. There is only one route in and out for large starships." Tyler nodded. "My thoughts exactly." The tour took about 30 minutes. Once they were done, Tyler led them back down to the hangar. It was now about 1PM. They had about an hour before they had to leave for the senate hearing. Tyler turned to Khan and his party. "Before we depart for the Senate Building, I would like to show you all the results of my investments outside of the guild hall." As he said this, a roaring engine could be heard. Looking to the source, a humongous starship was approaching the hangar. This was the bulk of the credits that Tyler spent at the drive yards. The list of his purchases is as follows: *Item: Pelta Class Frigate* *Rank: Bronze* *QTY: 1* *Description: The Pelta-class frigate, also known as Pelta-class medical frigate or Republic medical frigate during the Clone Wars, was a versatile model of frigate manufactured by Kuat Drive Yards. During the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and Separatist Alliance, the frigates were used by the Republic Navy to safely ferry injured clone troopers to medical stations for treatment. They also served as supply ships to deliver armaments, medical supplies, and food rations.* *Stats: Max Speed - 800 kph Max Acceleration - 4000 G Length - 282 meters Shielding - Deflector Shield Generators Sensor Systems - Long-Range Sensor Navigation System - Equipped Complement - 8 Starfighters Docking Bays - Port, Starboard, Ventral Hangar Escape Pods - 16 Crew - 900 Passengers - 200 Consumables - 5 months* Point-Defense Laser Cannons Turbolasers Tractor Beams * *Item: Z-95 Headhunter* *Rank: Silver* *QTY: 5* *Description: The clone Z-95 Headhunter was a model of starfighter produced jointly by Incom Corporation and Subpro Corporation. A variant of the popular Z-95 Headhunter, it was designed specifically for use by the Grand Army of the Republic''s clone pilots.* *Stats: Width - 18.12 m Max Speed - 1150 kph Max Acceleration - 4000 G* *Weapons: Ion Cannon Twin Laser Cannons Concussion Missiles Proton Cannon* *Item: LAAT/i* *QTY: 4* *Description: The Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantry (LAAT/i), also known as the Low Altitude Assault Transport, Republic attack gunship, Republic Gunship or Assault Gunship, was one of the several models in the Low Altitude Assault Transport line of starships that mainly served as gunships and troop transports for the Grand Army of the Republic during the Clone Wars. Its role was to transport Clone troopers as well as offering air-to-ground and air-to-air support for the Galactic Republic against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. The LAAT/i gunship saw extensive use in numerous battles and campaigns of the Clone Wars.* *Stats: Length - 17.69 m Height - 6.94 m Max Speed - 620 kph Max Acceleration - 100 G Crew - 6 Passengers - 30* *Weapons: Twin Laser Cannon Turrets Twin Laser Beam Turrets Twin Mass-Driver Missile Launchers w/ Missile Belts* *Item: BARC Speeder* *Rank: Common* *QTY: 20* *Description: The Biker Advanced Recon Commando (BARC) speeder was a speeder bike manufactured by Aratech Repulsor Company. It was designed for use by the Galactic Republic''s Grand Army during the Clone Wars. The speeder gave the ordinary clone trooper fighting on foot increased speed, mobility and firepower. Used primarily as a scouting and escort vehicle, it was readily adaptable for various environments and missions.* *Stats: Length - 4.6 m Width - 1.29 m Height - 1.53 m Max Speed - 520 kph Max Acceleration - 80 G Crew - 1 Passengers - 1 w/ modification* *Weapons: Twin Laser Cannons* The guild members that were in the hangar were shocked. They could easily trample over any other guild with this firepower. However, they quickly realized that they were still just an ant to most forces in the galaxy. Despite their realization, other players did not feel the same. People had already started lining up for the recruitment exam. They now understood that there was no room at the top for small guilds and teams. They would still be able to easily survive and thrive, but they could never hope to match up to the superpowers in the galaxy. Tyler spun around towards Khan. "What do you think? And this is only my first purchase." Khan laughed. "It seems that we have a very prosperous future ahead of us!" Tyler nodded. "You got that right. I have something to do before we depart. Would you mind following me?" Tyler led the group to the reception area. While they were walking over, Xander, Kumbis, and John joined them. In the reception area was a huge crowd of players. Tyler smiled. "Welcome everyone. I am Draco, Jedi Knight, Guild Leader of Limitless, Sovereign of Kessel, and soon to be a Senator of the Galactic Republic." Everyone was silent. You could hear a pin drop despite there being thousands in the hall. The information about Kessel and his Senate appointment had not been found out by the general playerbase as of yet. They were shocked to say the least. "Today will mark the beginning of our first wave of recruitment. I want all of you to understand something. Limitless has no need for weak players. We are looking for the strong. However, strength is not the only thing needed for us to reach the top. We also need skill, intelligence, resources, among other things." "To avoid any formalities, we are willing to allow anyone that is a Jedi or Sith, intermediate or higher pilot, or advanced or higher in any profession or secondary class to bypass the test. You still need to be evaluated to determine a rank but you will be automatically accepted into Limitless after you sign the contract." Upon saying this, a few hundred people made their way out of the crowd to participate in the placement exam rather than the acceptance exam. Tyler noticed several force s?ns?t?v? individuals among the group. However, most of them looked to be profession oriented players and pilots. "These announcements will be repeated. I am now going to turn this show over to Guild Elders Napoli and Kumbis as I have matters to attend to. May the recruitment begin!" As people started shuffling forward to take the exam, there were various displays set up to outline the conditions for each rank in the guild. People were complaining about how strict the contract would be but kept moving forward regardless. Their fate would be tied to Limitless. That is, of course, given that they pass the test. Tyler and Xander led the Kessel party to a transport before heading off to the Senate Building. While they were in transit, Tyler got a call from the Jedi Temple. "This is Draco speaking." A voice sounded over the line. "The Council has summoned you. You are to return at some point today." Tyler rolled his eyes. This must be his first mandatory quest as a Jedi Knight. "Alright. I''ll come in after I conclude my business." He hung up. Xander looked over. "What was that about?" Tyler sighed. "The Council has an ?ssignment for me. I have to see them later today." Xander chuckled. "I guess that I can count myself lucky that I haven''t been called upon as of yet." They soon arrived at the Senate building. They were welcomed by one of the Chancellor''s aides. She informed them that the senate was already in session. She would escort them to their pod. Once the other agenda items are done with, the hearing will begin. After a long walk, they arrived outside the Galactic Senate Chamber. Khan left behind his aides as he and the two players entered the pod. There was about 30 minutes until their hearing was set to begin. That half an hour was brutal. Listening to all of the senators and their antics was irritating. Finally the agenda was complete. Valorum called out. "Now we will get to the primary reason for today''s session. The hearing for Kessel''s plea to join the Republic will now begin. I welcome Kessel''s representatives to take the floor." Tyler made use of the controls and flew the pod towards the center of the chamber. "Hello everyone. I am Draco, Jedi Knight, Guild Leader of Limitless, and Sovereign of Kessel. I stand before you today with a goal. I have seen the wonders of the Galactic Republic. Many of its people live happily and their systems are thriving. On behalf of the people of Kessel, we wish to join the Galactic Republic. Before we have any questions, I would like to allow someone to speak." Khan then stood up. "I am Governor Khan Ardel of Kessel. I wish to clear any and all confusion regarding the situation on my planet. I was born on Kessel. My family was poor. It was difficult to find work and we were b?r?ly able to afford food. Many others suffered like this but no one received help from the monarchy. I established a resistance movement. Our primary goal was to help provide relief to our suffering brothers and sisters." "Then, two men changed everything. Lord Draco and Vice Guild Leader Xander came in and removed the abusive monarchy from power. Then, rather than taking the planet for themselves, they gave it back to its people. With Lord Draco''s guidance and continuous investments, the people of Kessel have had some of the burdens of poverty relieved." He then sat back down. Tyler then took the stand again. "Our goal in joining the Republic is one of mutual benefit. Kessel possesses many resources that are critical to the operations of any system. We need funds, and you need resources. I believe that is simple enough. I will now open this up to any questions." Almost instantly, a pod shot out and someone spoke up. "I am Senator Sheev Palpatine of Naboo. I have taken note of the intentions you have presented to the chamber. However, I am sure that many of us remain somewhat skeptical regarding your true motives for joining the Republic. How can you ?ssure us that you are an ally, rather than a threat?" Internally, Tyler was flaming the living shit out of the man. Of course the slimy bastard had to say something. Conveniently, any other pods that were moving out to ask a question had retreated. No one dared to follow up such a straightforward and vicious question. Despite his anger, he composed himself. "That is a great question, Senator Palpatine." He glared at him with the intent to kill. On the surface, Palpatine was calm. But internally, he was panicking. He had yet to confirm that this man isn''t a threat to his plans. He now was somewhat suspicious that Draco might know his true identity. "I can prove that I am an ally by making a certain claim. My values are aligned with that of the Galactic Republic. I believe that my actions thus far have proven this statement. My actions on Kessel were ones that resulted in vast benefits for both sides. Rather than take the planet for myself, which I could have easily done, I handed it over to the people. On top of that, rather than claiming some benefits and then leaving Kessel out to dry, I am continually investing in the planet to help us both develop. Kessel''s prosperity is my prosperity." "Lastly, but definitely not least, I eliminated the practice of slavery in the system. Every single laborer that was risking their life for no rewards now has a generous wage. I have even invested heavily in the improvement of safety, and in the provision of amenities. I have not spared any expense in ensuring the safety of my people. If these actions do not prove my statement, I don''t know what will." The chamber erupted into a round of applause. It was not every day that someone could completely turn around an interrogation. They all supported the actions that Draco has taken. After waiting for a minute, Valorum spoke up. "Since there are no more questions, I will now put this matter to a vote." The vote was fairly brief. It was concluded in a matter of minutes which was quite surprising to most. Valorum nodded seeing the results. "By the power invested in me by this Galactic Senate, I proclaim Kessel the newest member of the Galactic Republic. Through this, I would like to congratulate Lord Draco on his appointment to Senator for Kessel. Since we have completed today''s agenda, this session is adjourned." Yet again, the chamber exploded with cheering and applause. Tyler flew the pod back into their slot. "Guys, I recommend we get out of here as quickly as possible. Unless you want to be eaten alive by a mob of senators." Xander and Khan laughed as they regrouped with Khan''s aides and rushed out of the building. Despite their efforts, they were swarmed by representatives from all directions. Tyler turned to his group. "Have fun guys!" He then equipped a cloak and snuck to the hangar. Fortunately, he pinged R2 before they left the chamber so his ride was waiting for him. He hopped in and raced towards the Jedi Temple. Soon after, he arrived in the Council Chambers. "I apologize if I made any of you wait masters." He bowed. Windu nodded. "No worries Draco, or it is Senator Draco now, right?" Tyler laughed and scratched the back of his head. "What can I say? I''m just a small guy trying to get by in a big galaxy." Windu chuckled. Tyler was shocked. ''I think that was the first time I have ever seen him with anything other than anger or contempt written across his face. Must be my purple lightsaber!'' "Nonetheless, you have done a great service for the Jedi Order and the galaxy as a whole. We have learned about the conditions on Kessel. Your actions in liberating Kessel are quite commendable. However, we do not approve of your handling of the aftermath." Yoda nodded. "Clouded, the future is. The dark side grows ever stronger." Windu nodded. "Since your efforts are aimed towards the benefit of the people of Kessel, we can overlook it. Keep in mind that we will reprimand you if you stray from the path of the Jedi Order." Tyler nodded. "I understand Master Windu. I am only thinking in the long term so do not worry. I have no plans of straying from the value of the order." Windu smiled. "That is good to hear. Now, let us get to the primary reason we have summoned you today. You may come in now!" The chamber doors slid open revealing a younger looking version of Yoda. He was even dressed similarly. Yoda smacked the ground with his cane. "Time to take a padawan, it is." Kit Fisto nodded. "During your time under me, I gained a great respect for you. You manage to keep to the values of the Jedi Order while also taking the most appropriate course of action in a scenario." Yoda nodded. "Careful, you are. Sense the dark side in you, we have." Windu sighed. "When I look at you, I see a younger version of myself. You are righteous in your beliefs but have delicate control over your emotions. You are able to harness your emotions and use them to your benefit without letting them control you. Have you ever heard the Sith Code?" Tyler shook his head. "I have not. What about it?" Windu smiled. "They go like this: Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The force shall free me. Do you understand what this means?" Tyler thought for a moment. "It is essentially the opposite of the Jedi Code. Rather than locking your emotions up, they want you to let them run wild and allow the dark side to consume them." He kept his actual interpretation to himself. He is of the belief that neither the Jedi or the Sith are correct. The force is supposed to be a balance. One needs to make use of their darkness and their light. In a way, a user of the force would constantly be in a tug of war to maintain this balance. Achieving harmony will bring out one''s true potential. Windu nodded. "Indeed. It is a very dangerous mindset. I will warn you. Be careful. If you are consumed by the dark side, we will have no choice but to take action. Moving on from that, this is your padawan. His name is Kai. He has just completed his youngling training and is in need of a teacher. He has massive potential and we decided that we would have you teach him." "Due to the dark side clouding the future, we believe that war will soon consume the galaxy. From our observations, you have great skills in leadership and command. If a conflict erupts, the Republic will look to us to command its forces. I hope you can meet our expectations." *Long Term Quest Triggered: Training a Padawan* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: The Jedi Council has ?ssigned a padawan learner to you. Train your padawan until they have reached the standard of a Jedi Knight. The death of your padawan will have severe repercussions. *Reward: Revered with Jedi Order, Promotion to Jedi Master, NPC Companion* Chapter 12 - Yodas Love Child As soon as Tyler heard that this kid was his padawan, he felt a rollercoaster of emotions. First, he was excited. His padawan was one of Yoda''s species! But then he thought about how much of a pain in the ?ss it would be. Lastly, he was happy again when he saw that after Kai''s training, he will become an NPC Companion. Tyler turned to Windu. "I will do my best to teach him and protect him." Windu nodded. "You are dismissed then. Keep us updated on his progress. We are very interested in how our fastest improving Jedi Knight will instruct a padawan. This is an experiment of sorts. We look forward to the results." Tyler bowed. "Thank you Master Windu." He then turned and walked out of the chamber with his new padawan. Once they were on the elevator, Kai turned to him. "Master Draco, what type of training are we going to do first?" Tyler turned to his padawan. "First, I am going to test youˇ­" He sniffed a few times. "Kai, you smell that?" Kai inhaled through his nose to see what Tyler was smelling. "I don''t smell anything out of the ordinary master. What do you smell?" Tyler scoffed. "I don''t know about you, but I smell some fu?kin cap." Kai raised his brow curiously. "What is cap?" Tyler chuckled. "Don''t worry about it. Anyways, we will train later. First, we are gonna go shopping. We gotta get you out of those rags. We also need to get you an astromech." Kai tilted his head in confusion. "This is the traditional outfit of a Jedi. Why would I need different clothing?" Tyler laughed. "Oh, my padawan. You have much to learn!" They headed to the hangar. Kai''s starfighter was a modified Eta-2 Actis-Class Light Interceptor. It was smaller than the typical starfighter to accommodate Kai''s size. It is the same model that Yoda used at one point in the Clone Wars. They completed their errands in a few hours and then headed to the guild hall. Tyler purchased a few different outfits for Kai. He got him a few sets of formal wear, a few casual outfits, some comfort wear, several more fashionable Jedi-like outfits, a blaster just like Tylers, an OWB holster, and some custom footwear for his unusually shaped feet. Most of the time he would be b?r?footed but in formal settings, it was not appropriate to not wear shoes. Tyler happily forked out the 3,000 credits for the purchases. When they landed and got out of their fighters, Kai turned to Tyler. "Master Draco, what is this place?" Tyler puffed his ?h?st out. "This is the guild hall of Limitless. I am the guild leader so I live here." Kai''s eyes widened. "Wait, this is your house?" Tyler laughed. "Technically speaking, only the top floor is my house. However, I do own the entire facility." Kai was amazed. "Wow. I heard the rumors but it seems that you really are a big shot." Tyler grinned. This kid knew exactly how to bu??er his egg roll. "I am pretty great. Haha. Anyways, let''s go get some rest." Tyler led Kai to his penthouse. Yet again, he was amazed at the size of his home. It was mind blowing for a child monk who was raised by the Jedi Temple. Now that he had some time, he logged out. Today was his 18th birthday! He wanted to celebrate with his mom before getting back to business. While they were eating dinner together, his mom told him something interesting. Apparently she is the executive ?ssistant for the CEO of the firm she works for. He is having her investigate Galactic Expedition. The main goal of the task is to determine what opportunities there may be in the game for investment. It seems as if his estimation for how much time he has to develop was too high. He probably only had a few real world days before these corporations began heavily investing. Fortunately, he had just secured a consistent source of income. It would seem that he needs to make another trip to the Kuat Drive Yards. He also decided that he needed to make use of the currency exchange system to get some money in real life. Tomorrow, the Life Capsule will go on sale and preorders are currently open. Thus, he logged back in, quickly listed 100,000 credits in the currency exchange system, and then logged back out. Within 10 minutes, he had over $1 million in his bank account. Then, he went online and ordered three Life Capsules. Two were to be shipped to his house and the other one was shipped to John''s house. The sooner he could get his mother into the game, the better. Each one costs $50,000 but that is a small price to pay for extending your life. They also come with two months of fluids. Tyler ordered 10 years worth for each of them. After everything was in order, he sat down with his mom. "Mom, I have something to tell you." Julia got serious when she heard this. "What is it sweetie?" Tyler sighed. "I want you to quit your jobs." Julia was shocked. "Excuse me? What do you mean?" Tyler laughed. "You don''t need to work anymore. Look at my bank account." He showed her his phone and her jaw dropped. She then frowned. "Tyler, where did you get this money?" Tyler shook his head. "I just withdrew this from the game I''ve been playing. This isn''t even close to what I have in game. You can use real money to purchase in game currency that other players list on the exchange. I listed some credits and got over a million dollars." Julia breathed a sigh of relief. "I was worried that you got caught up in some bad stuff. What are you going to do with the money?" Tyler grinned. "Well, I ordered a few of the Life Capsules that you have been hearing about on the news. They should arrive sometime tomorrow morning. Press the large bu??on on my headset when the installation and I''ll log out to transfer over. Then I''ll help you get accustomed to the game. From now on, we work for ourselves." Julia was so proud of her son. He reminded her of how ambitious her late husband was. He was always reaching for new heights and would have probably dropped everything to do the same with Tyler. "Alright. I''ll trust you on this one." Tyler smiled and hugged his mom. "You won''t regret it. I promise. Don''t worry, I''ll keep you quite busy!" He then went to log back in. He had some preparations to make. When he logged back in, it was the afternoon in game. He gave Xander a call as he walked over to the shooting range. "Hey Xander, can you fill me in on what I missed yesterday?" Xander nodded. "Sure thing. So we secured a lot of trade deals already. In addition, there are frigates on the way to Kessel carrying humanitarian relief. Each deal that we made put down a week''s worth of payments as a deposit. Once they receive the promised resources, we will start the normal payment plan where they pay on pickup. After giving Kessel their cut, we are left with 386.4 million credits." "For recruitment, the first day went extremely well. In total, we recruited 327 core members, 849 elite members, and 4,826 normal members. In addition, we recruited 26 Jedi Knights, and 4 Sith Apprentices. In terms of non-combat classes, we recruited 302 pilots, and 78 advanced profession players. We now have 6,044 members in the guild. Everyone is currently hanging around the guild hall and the number keeps climbing." Tyler was thrilled. This was going better than he could have possibly imagined. "That is great news. Transfer all of the credits to me. I have some big ticket items to purchase." He then hung up. Soon after, he got a notification of the transfer. Kai sensed his master approached so he hopped down from the table. "Hello Master Draco. How did your business go?" Tyler smiled. "It went quite well." He then turned to Wolfgang. "Dude, your name is amazing. How would you like to be an elder? It just would not be right if we didn''t have someone with a name as crazy as your''s in an officer position." Wolfgang''s jaw dropped to the floor. "It would be an honor Guild Leader." Tyler laughed. "Go see Xander and he will handle the promotion. I have urgent matters to attend to so you are dismissed." Wolfgang nodded. "Thank you. I''ll be going now." He then rushed away excitedly. Kai looked to his master. "So, what are we going to do now?" Tyler sighed. "Unfortunately, we have to do some boring stuff. After that, some more boring stuff. But for some reason, I have a feeling the next few days will be quite interesting." Kai''s face lit up. "Sounds like fun!" Tyler rolled his eyes. "Be careful that I don''t rub off on you too much. The Jedi Council would be quite unhappy." Kai laughed. "I''ll be careful." They went to the tenth floor hangar and entered their fighters. The two of them took off and docked with their hyperspace transport rings. A few hours later, they arrived at Kuat. They disengaged from their rings and landed in the hangar. His order this time around ran him 606 million credits. He would have to pay off the debt over time. In addition, unlike last time, he left with something in hand. After seeing Kai''s starfighter, he got jealous and needed to get himself a new one. *Item: Draco''s Eta-2 Actis-Class Light Interceptor* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: The Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor, also known as the Jedi starfighter or Jedi interceptor, was a starfighter used by the Jedi during the Clone Wars. Designed to replace the Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor, the Eta-2 was a smaller vessel but possessed superior firepower. This particular model has been stripped of unnecessary systems for a force s?ns?t?v? pilot and was customized by Draco.* *Stats: Length - 5.47 m Max Acceleration - 6000 G *Weapons: Laser Cannons Ion Cannons* This is quite a major upgrade. For reference, this is the fighter used by Anakin and Obi Wan during the Battle over Coruscant. Although Tyler was beyond poor right now, he felt that every credit was worth it. Once his order was complete the next day, he would be unmatched in space until the Clone Wars. As they departed Kuat, Tyler opened comms. "Padawan, on to our next boring thing. You might actually learn something from this though. Next stop, Naboo!" When they arrived in high orbit, something was different. Naboo was surrounded by Trade Federation Cargo Ships. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that these ships were modified into battleships. They were massive and heavily armed. "Kai, I think we are going to have to run a blockade. I really hope they attack us!" Kai started sweating. "Uhhhh, master? Why do you want them to attack us?" Tyler laughed maniacally. "Remember how I said you might learn something from this? Well, unless you want the Jedi Council to hate you, don''t do this. If they attack us when we try to land on a Republic system, it will be taken as a declaration of war against Kessel. I recommend we ditch the rings now." They both disengaged from their hyperspace rings. Kai sighed. "You really are mischievous Master Draco." Suddenly, a mechanical voice sounded over comms. "This is the Trade Federation Blockade. Identify yourselves." Tyler smiled. "This is Lord Draco of Kessel. I am here on behalf of Limitless to open a branch on Naboo." "Stay your course. We will continue with further instructions." After about 30 seconds, "You must turn around and leave the system immediately. You have 30 seconds to comply." Tyler grinned. This was going perfectly. "We will not turn around nor will we comply with any of your orders. I am a Senator of the Galactic Republic and the Sovereign of a planet. You can take your blockade and shove it where the sun don''t shine. If you attack me or my padawan, I will take this as a declaration of war against me and my system." "10 seconds." Tyler changed to private comms. "Kai, be ready to perform evasive maneuvers. Action is coming." As he said this, Vulture Droids started swarming out of the closest ship. *Vulture Droid, Level 20* "Is this your first time?" Kai nervously replied, "Yes master." Tyler laughed. "Me too kid! Prioritize speed first. Our goal is to break through. While we are on the way, feel free to stretch your fingers and take out a few vultures." As he finished speaking, a wall of vulture droids was upon them. "Alright kid, let ''em loose." The two jedi opened fire. In an instant, 8 vultures were taken out. Then they took out another 27 due to collateral damage. Immediately after, the wall of droids opened fire. A hail of red blaster fire rained upon the two jedi. "Open your mind to the force my padawan. Let it guide you. Become one with the force and you can overcome any odds." Tyler reached out in his mind. He felt the force screaming warnings in every direction. He reached deeper. He found a one trajectory he could take to survive the bombardment. Without hesitating, he pulled up and to the right in a sharp turn. A few shots grazed his wings but none hit the mark. In the instant he made it through, he put the thrusters on full and opened up all of his weapons. "OPEN EVERYTHING UP!" Kai then did the same. Their interceptors were significantly faster than the vultures. There was no chance for them to catch up. After a few minutes and some careful dodging of blaster fire, they were through the blockade. In all, they took out about 250 vultures. Kai leveled up 5 times and was now level 15. *Level up! You are now Level 15. You have been awarded 5 free attribute points.* *Level up! You are now Level 16. You have been awarded 5 free attribute points.* *Level up! You are now Level 17. You have been awarded 5 free attribute points.* *Congratulations! Your Pilot proficiency has increased to Master Pilot.* Tyler smiled. "Kai, I''m going to make a call." Xander was sitting in a pod within the Senate Chambers. There was an emergency session called regarding the Trade Federation''s blockade of Naboo. Since Tyler was off world, he needed to fill in and represent Kessel. He suddenly got a call. "Hello?" Tyler smiled. "I have good news." Xander rolled his eyes. "What could this good news possibly be? I''m sitting here clawing my ears off listening to this senate session. There is outrage about the blockade of Naboo but no one is doing anything." Tyler grinned. "Oh, this news is related to that. I am currently about to land on Naboo. Inform the Senate that we are declaring war on the Trade Federation due to their unwarranted attack on me and my padawan on our trip to Naboo. I warned them and they still went ahead with the attack. I am going to convince Queen Amidala to allow us to deal with the blockade for them since we are going after the Trade Federation regardless." Xander sighed. "I won''t even ask. The Senate is gonna be pissed. Honestly, it will be worth it to see the look on Palpatine''s face when he finds out what we are doing." Tyler laughed. "This is true indeed. I will send more information when I land." He hung up. As they approached the military hangar attached to the Palace, they noticed armies of droids and tanks approaching the city from the fields. It seemed as if the Siege of Theed was about to begin. They hurriedly landed in the military hangar. There were no issues due to their Jedi identities. A familiar face greeted them in the hangar. Tyler and Kai hopped out of their fighters and had their astromechs stay put. "Padawan Kenobi, funny seeing you here." Obi Wan bowed. "Master Draco. It is a p???sur? to finally meet you. May I ask what you are doing on Naboo at a time like this?" Tyler smirked. "I was here to open a guild branch on Naboo. However, I was attacked on my way here by the Trade Federation. As we speak, my Vice Guild Leader is announcing to the Senate that we are declaring war on the Trade Federation." Obi Wan sighed. "You really do live up to the rumors." Tyler laughed. "Well they aren''t really rumors if they are true." Obi Wan nodded. "This is true. Follow me, I can take you to my master." Tyler nodded. "That would be fantastic. Lead the way padawan. Let''s hurry. There is a droid army knocking on Theed''s door and they aren''t gonna wait for a response." Tyler had Kai jump on his back since they were running. Obi Wan led them on a quick run to the throne room. Qui Gon sensed them coming and turned to them. "Master Draco? What are you doing here?" Tyler smiled. "Master Qui Gon, it''s a p???sur? to meet you. My original plan was to just establish a guild outpost, but now, I am here to seek Queen Amidala''s approval to forcefully remove the blockade over Naboo. My Vice Guild Leader has announced to the Senate that we have declared war on the Trade Federation due to their transgressions against me and my padawan." Queen Amidala overheard this. "How can you expect us to agree to such a thing? I am sure that we can find a peaceful resolution to this conflict." Tyler frowned and walked up to bow before the queen. "Queen Amidala, I implore you to reconsider. Your planet has just signed a major trade deal with mine. We are also fellow members of the Galactic Republic. I will not stand for the egregious transgressions committed by the Trade Federation." Amidala shook her head. "Is that a threat?" Tyler chuckled. "Queen Amidala, you misunderstand. In the trade agreement signed between our worlds, there is a certain clause. In the case where a third party interferes with the fulfillment of the trade deal, Kessel and Limitless by ?ssociation reserves the right to forcefully remove the hindrance. If you deny us in our efforts, I will have no choice but to void the agreement. I would very much like to avoid that so I hope we can figure this out together. I would never threaten a fellow sovereign, I am merely keeping the promise that was made between our worlds." Tyler was able to feel intense emotions emanating from the throne. However, it turns out that the emotions weren''t from the woman sitting in the chair. They were actually coming from the handmaiden standing next to it. He smiled and looked right at her. "And you might be?" The handmaiden was startled by the sudden inquiry. "My name is Padme Naberrie. I am just a handmaiden." Tyler found this interesting. Using the force, he could sense that she was completely telling the truth with the first half of her statement. However, she was clearly lying with the second half. Even without his knowledge of the universe, he would still be able to tell that something wasn''t right. Tyler laughed. "Interesting. Well you seem to have a strong opinion regarding this matter. If you have something to say, out with it." Amidala intervened. "My handmaiden will have no part in this." Tyler raised his hands. "Okay okay. I''ll lay off. It is just highly unusual that a handmaiden would have such strong emotions regarding an issue such as this." Amidala was intrigued. "What are you trying to say?" Tyler waved his hand. "This revelation is not to be revealed at this point in time. I believe it most beneficial if that matter were to remain a secret for now." Amidala was confident now that the Jedi in front of her had figured out the truth. "Very well then Master Jedi. So back to the discussion we were having before, what are we going to do regarding the droid army?" Tyler spoke up. "If I mayˇ­ We should retreat to a remote part of the planet for now. Somewhere they would be unlikely to find us. My fleet will be here tomorrow and then we can free your people." Qui Gon was confused. "Master Draco, what fleet are you referring to? To my knowledge, you are only in possession of a frigate and a few fighters." Tyler grinned. "Oh that? I spent another 600 million credits before I came here. Your information is a bit outdated but that is understandable since the ships won''t be ready until tomorrow anyways." Qui Gon sighed. "You are an anomaly in the Jedi Order. I have no idea where they found you but they probably think that you''re just as much of a pain as I am." Tyler chuckled. "Master Qui Gon, you are mistaken. I am much, much worse than you are. They even had to have the dark side talk with me. Apparently I''m special." Qui Gon laughed. "Indeed you are Master Draco. Anyways, we should get going. Queen Amidala, are you coming?" Amidala rose from her throne. Her handmaidens followed closely behind. "This can''t really be considered abandoning my people so I guess I can agree with this plan." The four Jedi escorted the queen and her handmaidens to their starship. It was in the same hangar as Tyler and Kai''s fighters. They all got into their fighters. Tyler talked over comms. "Kai, come with me. We are going to rain some blaster fire over the droid army. We will act as a distraction so the queen''s ship can get to its hiding space unnoticed." Kai nodded. "Sounds like a plan Master." Without further adieu, the operation got underway. Chapter 13 - Limitless Navy (Oops. Might have made this one a lil bit long.) On the plains next to Theed, the droid army marched towards the city. The Trade Federation was planning to take the city hostage in order to gain the upper hand in the senate. They are furious regarding the taxation on their shipping activities. Little does anyone know that within the senate, a certain old man is orchestrating the whole incident. Senator Palpatine flew his pod towards the middle of the chamber. "The actions taken by the Trade Federation are unacceptable. I implore you all to enstate sanctions against them." The chamber was in uproar. Everyone was voicing their opposition to what was happening but nothing was getting done. Valorum sighed. "ORDER! THERE WILL BE ORDER IN THIS CHAMBER!" Palpatine was joyful. Everything was falling into place perfectly. "In response to the lack of action taken by this senate, I would like to call a vote of no confidence in Supreme Chancellor Valorum." Xander sighed as he flew his pod to the center of the room. "That will not be necessary. I have just received word that while en route to Naboo, Lord Draco and his padawan learner were attacked with extreme fervor by the Trade Federation''s blockade. We will not stand by quietly while our sovereign is attacked for no good reason. Thus, Kessel is making a formal declaration of war against the Trade Federation." Everyone was shocked. On the other hand, Palpatine was furious. "What makes you think that you have the authority to meddle in the affairs of Naboo?" Xander smirked. "You are mistaken, Senator Palpatine. Through the trade deal we signed, Limitless and its subsidiaries hold the right to eliminate any hindrance that prevents the fulfillment of said deal. This holds for all systems that we signed the deal with. With this, I don''t believe that a vote of no confidence is necessary." Valorum let out a sigh of relief. Something about this scenario just didn''t seem right. Fortunately, his new friend in the senate is coming to save the day. The chamber erupted into applause. Everyone was thrilled that action would be taken against that treasonous Nute Gunray and his Trade Federation. They were always causing problems in the senate. Palpatine was thoroughly defeated. He flew his pod back into his slot and left the chamber immediately. It would seem that he needs to have someone deal with the hindrance known as Limitless and fast. "Kai, one more pass and then we will pull out and join our new friends." "Okay master. Let''s give ''em hell!" About 20 minutes later, the duo landed their fighters in an estate known as Varykino that was far away from Theed. It just so happened to be the place where Anakin and Padme would get married. After parking on the landing pad, Tyler and Kai rushed inside. Qui Gon noticed them enter the room. "So what now Draco?" Tyler smiled. "Now, we wait. My fleet will be here tomorrow. For now, I need to have a conversation with the Queen." Amidala heard this. "What do you need, Lord Draco?" Tyler bowed to her. "Queen Amidala, I am afraid to say that I believe there is more to this incident than meets the eye. I have had a vision that there is a man behind all of this. He is trying to capitalize on this situation and seize power." Amidala was shocked. "Do you know who? This is a serious accusation you are making." Tyler shook his head. "Unfortunately, the force is not a tell all. The only thing I know is that there are sinister forces at work." Amidala sighed. "I guess that is fair. I will be sure to launch an investigation. The one who is responsible will not go unpunished. Thank you for the warning." Tyler smiled. "Just trying to help a friend." *You have gained the queen''s favor. +3000 reputation with Padme Amidala of Naboo* Tyler left the area and sat down on a balcony to meditate. He felt as if something was missing. He was most definitely forgetting something. He started to feel worried so he decided to go for a walk. We wandered around the estate for a while and ended up on the landing pad. He felt something pulling him to the Queen''s ship. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he allowed the force to guide him. He entered the ship. Rather than going to the ???kpit, he went the opposite way. He then found himself in the astromech bay. Almost immediately after he walked in, his eyes were drawn to a particular blue and white droid. ''Hmmmmmˇ­ something about this droid is the source of my worries.'' Tyler walked over to the droid and checked its designation. "R2-D2, huh? Oh yeah, I forgot that it came from Naboo. I wonder how it came under the possession of Anakin. WAIT! SHIT! I FUCKED EVERYTHING UP! WITH MY INTERVENTION, THEY NEVER GO TO TATOOINE AND RESCUE ANAKIN! FUCK FUCK FUCK WHAT DO I DO?!?!?" Rather than this being the Skywalker Saga, he has unintentionally turned it into the Draco Saga. He decided to make a call. "Xander, I fu?k?d upˇ­ bad. Like really bad." Xander panicked a bit. "What do you mean you fu?k?d up? What happened?" Tyler sighed. "I may or may not have made it so that Obi Wan and Qui Gon never meet Anakin Skywalker on Tatooine." Xander laughed. "That''s all? Why is that such a big deal?" Tyler shook his head. "You are right. I was not thinking clearly. What do you think we should do?" Xander chuckled. "I''m going to throw that question right back at you my friend. If there is anything I''ve learned from you, it is that every inconvenience creates some type of opportunity." Tyler grinned. Xander was totally right. In his panic, he was not thinking clearly. He then put on his scheming face. "You are so right. Now that I think about it, there is a huge opportunity here. You know what Anakin and his mother are right now, yeah?" Xander nodded. "They are slaves. What about it?" Tyler smirked. "That is the thing. They are slaves. What does it take to get slaves? Money. And we have a good amount. I''m going to transfer 10 million credits to Napoli. Wait, no. Credits are no good out there. Oh! I know! Send Napoli to Mos Espa on Tatooine on the frigate. Find a Toydarian named Watto." "He is the one that currently owns Anakin and Shmi. Have Napoli offer a trade of some BARC speeders and Headhunters for the mother and son. Tell him to not care about the price. This needs to be done fast. Once that is done, have him bring them to Coruscant. We''ll deal with fixing everything later." Xander sighed. "Why don''t we have Anakin come to Naboo? We can set the stage for him to be the hero and set him up with Padme. And what of the Gungans?" Tyler coughed. "Shit, I forgot about them. Have the frigate join the fleet then. I''ll figure out the other thing. I gotta go. Talk to you later." He hung up. Tyler rushed back inside the estate and found the queen. "Queen Amidala, we have a problem. When my fleet engages the blockade, there is no guarantee that my ground forces will be able to break through. I have one cruiser that is capable of deploying on the surface and if I lose it, Limitless and Kessel will be crippled." Amidala sighed. "That is not good news. If there is any delay in your forces reaching Theed, my people are not guaranteed to be safe." Tyler nodded. "That is exactly my point. However, within every problem, there lies and opportunity. Then, within every opportunity, there lies a solution to said problem." Amidala was intrigued. "Please, Lord Draco, what are you thinking?" Tyler smiled. "I believe you will like this one. Aside from humans, there is another sentient species on Naboo. You know of them, yes?" Amidala nodded. "Of course. The Gungans are Naboo''s natives. What of them?" Tyler continued. "From what I know, your people do not have the most friendly relationship with them. This is where the opportunity lies. I recommend that we go to the gungans and seek their ?ssistance. This invasion of Naboo will also affect them. I believe that if we can convince them of the danger, they might provide us with ?ssistance." Amidala perked up at this. "Lord Draco, you are a genius. I find it hard to believe that you only entered the political arena less than a month ago. You are just as resourceful as those old foxes in the senate. It is quite the admirable trait. When shall we head out?" Tyler nodded. "The sooner the better. Also a piece of advice, groveling before them may have a larger impact than you expect." Amidala nodded. "I''ll keep that in mind." With this, they all boarded a large, amphibious speeder and headed to the Gungan capital city, Otoh Gunga. A few hours later, they arrived at Lake Paonga. This is where Otoh Gunga is located. Without hesitation, they entered the water. After about a minute of propelling through the water, the city came into view. They landed in a hangar within one of the larger bubbles and were quickly greeted by a squad of guards mounted on beasts. "What is youssa doin hea?" Amidala stepped forward. "I am Queen Amidala of Naboo. I am here to seek an audience with your Boss." The guard nodded. "Yousa follow meesa." The squad surrounded the human group and escorted them to the Gungan High Council. Boss Nass watched closely as the humans entered his court. "Youssa high and mighty humans. What is youssa doin hea?" Amidala stepped forward. "Boss Nass, I am here to seek your help. There is an army invading our planet and we need to work together if we are to survive." Boss Nass clicked his tongue and shook his head letting slobber fly everywhere. "Meesa no think so. Yousa up there and weesa down hea. They don''t knowa about da Gungans." Tyler stepped forward. "Boss Nass, once they have taken over the surface, they will come for what is underneath it. It won''t be long before they discover your existence and take action." Amidala nodded. "The only way for both of our peoples to survive is for us to work together." Boss Nass shook his head again. "This no happenin. Yousa no get help from meesa." Padme was getting visibly frustrated. She snapped and stepped forward. "Boss Nass, I regret to inform you that we have deceived you. I am Queen Amidala." Tyler chuckled but everyone else aside from the other three jedi were shocked at this. Some were surprised that she revealed it but others did not even know that Amidala was just posing as the queen. Padme continued. "I stand before you askingˇ­ no, begging for your help." She got down on her knees and bowed. "I wish to become friends and work through this struggle together." Seeing her bow, everyone hesitated for a moment but then joined her on the ground. Boss Nass laughed. "Yousa no think you betta than da Gungans? Meesa like dis. Meesa help with da invadas." Padme smiled and stood up. "Thank you Boss Nass. I promise that our relationship will be of great benefit to us both." Now the stage was set. Padme has a few of her guards stay back in the Gungan city so they could coordinate the timing of the two fronted operation. Several hours later, it was now dark on Naboo. Tyler suddenly got a notification that the communication bu??on on his headset has been pressed. That meant that the Life Capsules were ready! He immediately logged out. Waking up in the real world, his mother was standing over him. "Hey mom. I take it that the capsules are installed?" Julia nodded. "They just left and headed to John''s house to install his capsule." Tyler sat up in bed. "That is great news. Let''s get you set up then!" Tyler led his mom to the kitchen table and opened up his ??ptop. "Usually you would set up your account in stores since they take a DNA sample to bind the account to you. However, they added a method to link an account to your DNA with the release of the Life Capsule." Julia tilted her head to the side. "I don''t really understand." Tyler laughed. "Don''t worry about it. I''ll handle the complicated stuff. What do you want your name to be in the game? Keep in mind that you''ll be a very important guild representative so don''t make your name too ridiculous." Julia thought for a moment. "I''ll be called Cynthia." Tyler sighed. "Something like that is too simple. I highly doubt that it is not already taken." Julia shook her head. "Just try it. If it is taken, I''ll come up with something else." Tyler sighed again. "Okay." He typed it in. "What the fu?k? It''s not taken? Okay, that is surprising." Julia laughed. "Nothing can beat a mother''s intuition." Tyler laughed. "I guess you''re right." Another few minutes later, they completed the account creation. They then printed out a slip to be scanned by the Life Capsule in order to bind the account to her DNA. "Alright mom. Just lay down in the capsule and put the helmet on." She followed his instructions. Tyler then grabbed the arm strap that is used to monitor vitals and wrapped it around her arm. "What is the strap for?" Tyler laughed. "This monitors your vitals. It is to make sure that nothing goes wrong while you are in game." Julia nodded. "Okay, I''ll just stop asking questions. This is all pretty confusing." Tyler laughed. "Don''t worry mom. It is completely safe. Do you really think that Disney would release something that hurts people?" Julia chuckled. "I guess you are right. I was worried for nothing." Tyler nodded. "Indeed. Before you dive, let me give you a few things to keep in mind. The place you are about to be dropped into is currently being invaded. Don''t worry, I am currently nearby and will make sure nothing happens to you. If you level up at all, don''t use your attribute points. You''ll understand what that means once you are in game. Lastly, open the social menu and send a friend request to a player named Draco. That is my in game name. After that, just sit tight and lay low. I''ll come to you." Julia nodded. "Okay. That seems simple enough." Tyler smiled. "I''ll see you soon mom. Just press the bu??on on the right side of your headset and the capsule will take care of the rest." Julia nodded and pressed the bu??on. Almost instantly, she was knocked out as the headset hijacked her consciousness. It then whirred to life. Similar to a tanning bed, the lid of the life capsule came down but did not completely seal. This was to ensure proper air flow. The capsule was fitted with a humidifier and a temperature control system to ensure proper conditions for the user. The fans started blowing. Cool, moist air started circulating in the room. From the top of the capsule, two restraints came down and clamped onto her arms. They were fitted with injection devices. They pierced into the vein that is located in the crook of her elbow. Following that, a clear fluid began flowing through the tubes and the nutrient fluid started flowing into her body. Lastly, several stim pads were pressed down into various locations on her body. These would emit electrical signals to keep her muscles stimulated. This would prevent muscle deterioration. Watching the process was really interesting. The user would never know that any of this is happening because all of the components would be retracted by the time the logout procedure is complete. The only evidence would be the bandage that gets placed onto the spots where the IVs are inserted. Not to waste time, Tyler went and got into his own capsule. He replaced the headset with the one that he already had since his account was already attached to it. It was a pretty cool feature that the headset was modular. As long as your account is attached to a headset, you can use any Life Capsule. They made sure to follow proper regulation with the injection device since it is not safe to use the same needles on more than one person. After logging in, the sun had risen on Naboo. It was approximately 9AM. He quickly called Xander. "How is the Tatooine affair?" Xander smiled. "Napoli has secured the targets and they are en route to Naboo as we speak. One of the pilots is giving Anakin the rundown on how to operate a headhunter." Tyler nodded. "That is great news. What is your ETA?" Xander sighed. "We are still loading up our members on Coruscant." Tyler shook his head. "That is perfectly fine. I need time to go and fetch my mom from Theed." Xander''s jaw dropped. "Wait, did I hear you correctly?" Tyler nodded. "Yes you did. I bought Life Capsules for us and got her set up just now. I plan on powerleveling her and then having her use the Politician Trainer in our guild hall. Did you know that you can have Politician be your main class if you don''t complete a class change once you reach level 10? I found that out when a civilian guild member I was working with tested out the trainer." Xander laughed. "That is fantastic. This means that we can have someone handle the bullshit in the senate!" Tyler nodded. "That is what I got my mom for. She should be a natural. I''m gonna have her put most of her attribute points in charisma." Xander sighed. "You are a goddamn genius. Anyways, we should be loaded up in a few minutes. After that, we will be at Naboo in a few hours." Tyler nodded. "That is perfect. Open fire on the Trade Federation battleships the second you drop out of hyperspace. The second you destroy one of the battleships, have the acclamator and an escort squad run the blockade. The faster we get boots on the ground, the better." Xander nodded. "Sounds good Draco. I''ll see you soon." He hung up. Tyler then went to see Qui Gon. "I need to go and prepare something. Take this communicator. I will inform you when my fleet has commenced their ?ssault on the blockade. I will be in the city." Qui Gon shook his head. "We should stay together. We will come with you. There should be no problems sneaking through the city in such a small group." Tyler sighed. "I guess that is a fair point. So be it then. We will all go to the city. That should give us a good opportunity to retake the palace." Qui Gon nodded. "Exactly my train of thought. Let''s go inform the Queen." They rushed over to where Padme was resting. Tyler stepped forward and bowed. "Queen Amidala, we must head to Theed in preparation of the coming battle." Padme was shocked. "Why would we do such a thing, Lord Draco? We would be asking to be captured." Tyler shook his head. "Firstly, we need to capitalize on the opportunity we will have to retake the palace and capture the Trade Federation representative that is currently there. Secondly, I have someone that I need to rendezvous with." Padme nodded. "I guess you are right Lord Draco. I will follow you." *Main Storyline Quest Triggered: Retake the Royal Palace* *Rank: Epic* *Description: You are participating in an operation that will liberate Naboo from the Trade Federations occupation. Seize control of the Royal Palace from the Trade Federation and ensure the safety of Naboo''s officials.* *Reward: Exalted Guild Reputation with Naboo, 10x Level Ups for each player, 100 million credits in guild account* *Main Storyline Quest Triggered: Destroy the Blockade of Naboo* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: The Trade Federation has set up a blockade of Naboo. Their forces are heavily fortified. Rally your guild and relieve Naboo from the blockade and destroy as many of the Trade Federation battleships as possible.* *Rewards: Honored Guild Reputation with the Galactic Republic, 10x Level Ups for each player, 200 million credits in guild account* ''Holy fu?kin shit, those are some rewards! This will make getting my mom to level 10 super easy. Now all I gotta do is find her.'' As he thought this, he got a notification. *Friend Request Received from Cynthia* He accepted it immediately. They were currently in transit to Theed so he gave her a call. "Hey mom, where are you right now?" Julia looked like she was freaking out. "These fu?k?n? droids just detained me and are holding me at gun point. They seem to be taking me to be held with the other prisoners." When he heard this, his emotions flared. His stupidity allowed his mother to get captured. The dark side of the force flared. Qui Gon noticed it and gave Tyler a look. Tyler immediately reigned in his emotions so he could think clearly. He would have to come to terms with this and make the best of it. Tyler took a deep breath. "I''m so sorry I got you into this. Please don''t be scared, they wouldn''t dare kill you. Here''s what I want you to do. Tell them that you are a representative from Limitless and that you demand an audience with their commanding officer. They should bring you to the Royal Palace and keep you with Naboo''s government officials. I am conveniently on my way there so don''t worry about anything. I promise that nothing will happen to you. I am sorry I was so stupid." Julia shook her head. "It''s okay. Now that I know they won''t kill me, it isn''t as scary. I''ll do what you said. See you soon sweetie. Love you." Tyler smiled. "Love you too mom." He hung up and then turned to Qui Gon. "What was that look for?" Qui Gon sighed. "What just happened to you? I felt the dark side and extreme emotions emanating from you." Tyler shook his head. "The person I am supposed to meet up with in Theed has been captured by the droids. I''ll be okay." Qui Gon nodded in understanding. "Part of being a Jedi is keeping a cool head. You must not allow your emotions to control you. It seems that we are similar. I don''t fully agree with the council on how to handle emotions either. I am more of a moderate when it comes to that. I am under the belief that we should embrace our emotions, but not let them control us. They can fuel us and grant us great power in times of need. You seem to have great control on your emotions so I''m confident that you can do this without falling to the dark side." Tyler nodded. "Thank you for your wisdom Master Qui Gon." As they finished their conversation, a ripple in the force hit them. It was dark and cold. "I believe we might encounter some unwanted company in the palace. Someone of the Sith variety." Qui Gon frowned. "That is not good. I recommend that you and I take on the Sith when we encounter him. We can trust our padawans to keep the Queen and your ?ssociate safe." Tyler nodded. "Indeed. Kai and Obi Wan are very capable. Are you thinking of having Obi Wan taking the promotion exam soon?" Qui Gon smiled. "So you think he is ready too. Depending on his performance here, I am going to recommend him for promotion to the council." Tyler smiled. "That is wonderful to hear. I''ll be sure to extend my congratulations to him once he passes. I have something to ask of you. My guild has been doing some business on Tatooine. We discovered a young boy that has an extremely high midichlorian count. He was a slave along with his mother so I took the liberty of having my ?ssociates purchase the two of them. Would you mind meeting him? He is on his way here and is quite a talented pilot. He is going to take part in the crushing of the blockade." Qui Gon nodded. "I would be happy to meet him. If he is strong in the force as you say, he may be the chosen one. I hope you do not intend to keep them as slaves." Tyler shook his head. "I would never make use of slaves. I plan on giving his mother a job at my guild hall as a server. She will be paid generously. For the boy, I have not decided yet. Maybe he would make a good padawan for Obi Wan. He surely has the wisdom to take one on." Qui Gon smiled. "That is very true. Obi Wan is usually the one keeping me out of trouble. It is supposed to be the other way around." They both laughed. An hour later they arrived in Theed at a secret entrance below the Palace. Tyler sent a message to his mom. He got a reply quickly. Fortunately, his plan worked and she was being held with the other officials. As they were departing the speeder, Tyler got another message. Xander was telling him that the fleet was about 10 minutes out. He turned to Padme. "Queen Amidala, please inform your ?ssociates that are with the Gungans that they should commence their ?ssault immediately. My fleet''s arrival is imminent." In space, Xander was on the bridge of their capital ship, the Excelsior. A guild member walked up to him. "Commander, we have reached Naboo." As he said this, the fleet dropped out of hyperspace. The makeup of the fleet was as follows: *Item: Modified Venator-Class Star Destroyer* *Rank: Gold* *QTY: 3* *Description: The Venator-class Star Destroyer, also known as a Republic attack cruiser or Jedi Cruiser, was the wedge-shaped capital ship utilized by the Galactic Republic during the Clone Wars. The backbone of the Republic Navy, the Venator was a versatile capital ship able to fill the roles of both a warship, capable of ship to ship combat, as well as the role of a carrier with its impressive starfighter complement. The standard design was modified by Draco to relocate the command deck to within the cruiser. Makes use of panoramic displays and cameras to provide a view of the outside.* *Stats: Length - 1.115 km Max Acceleration - 3000 G Max Speed - 975 kph Hyperdrive - Equipped Shielding - Powerful Shields Sensors - Long-Range Sensors Navigation System - Equipped Complement - 420 Starfighters, 24 Walkers, 40 LAAT Crew - 7400 Passengers - 2000 Consumables - 2 Years* *Weapons: Heavy Turbolaser Turrets Medium Dual Turbolaser Cannons Point-Defense Laser Cannon Turrets Heavy Proton Torpedo Launchers Heavy Tractor Beam Projectors Deck Guns* *Item: Modified Acclamator-Class Transgalactic Military Assault Ship* *Rank: Epic* *QTY: 1* *Description: Acclamator-class transgalactic military ?ssault ships, also more commonly called Republic ?ssault ships, were military warships utilized by the Galactic Republic for ferrying clone troopers across the galaxy. Unlike many ships of its size, the Acclamator-class could land on the surface of planets to deploy its forces.The standard design was modified by Draco to relocate the command deck to within the cruiser. Makes use of panoramic displays and cameras to provide a view of the outside.* *Stats: Length - 752 m Max Speed - 1200 kph Hyperdrive - Equipped Shielding - Equipped Sensors - Long-Range Sensors Navigation System - Equipped Complement - 320 speeders, 80 LAAT, 48 Walkers, 12 Juggernauts, 12 SPHA-Ts Crew - 700 Passengers - 16000 Consumables - 6 months* *Weapons: Quad Turbolaser Turrets Laser Cannons Missile Launchers* *Item: Arquitens-Class Light Cruiser* *Rank: Gold* *QTY: 5* *Description: The Arquitens-class light cruiser, also known as the Jedi light cruiser or Republic light cruiser and later the Imperial light cruiser, was a line of light cruisers designed by Kuat Drive Yards that saw extensive service with the Republic Navy during the Clone Wars.* *Stats: Length - 325 m Hyperdrive - Equipped Shields - Energy Shielding Layers Sensors - Medium-Range Sensors Navigation System - Equipped Complement - 3 Starfighters, 2 LAAT, 10 Speeders Crew - 100 Passengers - 100 Consumables - 3 months* *Weapons: Turret-Mounted Twin Light Turbolaser Batteries Heavy Quad Laser Cannon Batteries Missile Launchers Ventral Laser Cannon* *Item: Pelta Class Frigate* *Rank: Bronze* *QTY: 4* *Description: The Pelta-class frigate, also known as Pelta-class medical frigate or Republic medical frigate during the Clone Wars, was a versatile model of frigate manufactured by Kuat Drive Yards. During the Clone Wars between the Galactic Republic and Separatist Alliance, the frigates were used by the Republic Navy to safely ferry injured clone troopers to medical stations for treatment. They also served as supply ships to deliver armaments, medical supplies, and food rations.* *Stats: Max Speed - 800 kph Max Acceleration - 4000 G Length - 282 meters Hyperdrive - Equipped Shielding - Deflector Shield Generators Sensor Systems - Long-Range Sensor Navigation System - Equipped Complement - 8 Starfighters Docking Bays - Port, Starboard, Ventral Hangar Escape Pods - 16 Crew - 900 Passengers - 200 Consumables - 5 months* *Weapons: Point-Defense Laser Cannons Turbolasers Tractor Beams * *Item: Alpha-3 Nimbus-Class V-Wing Starfighter* *Rank: Bronze* *QTY: 576* *Description: The V-Wing starfighter was an agile and fast starfighter used by the Galactic Republic and various other parties.* *Stats: Length - 7.9 m Max Acceleration - 5200 G Max Speed - 1450 kph* *Weapons: Dual Rapid-Fire Laser Cannons* *Item: Eta-2 Actis-Class Light Interceptor* *Rank: Gold* *QTY: 550* *Description: The Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor, also known as the Jedi starfighter or Jedi interceptor, was a starfighter used by the Jedi during the Clone Wars. Designed to replace the Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor, the Eta-2 was a smaller vessel but possessed superior firepower. This particular model has all the systems necessary for a normal pilot.* *Stats: Length - 5.47 m Max Acceleration - 5200 G Max Speed - 1500 kph* *Weapons: Laser Cannons Ion Cannons* *Item: Modified Eta-2 Actis-Class Light Interceptor* *Rank: Legendary* *QTY: 27* *Description: The Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor, also known as the Jedi starfighter or Jedi interceptor, was a starfighter used by the Jedi during the Clone Wars. Designed to replace the Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptor, the Eta-2 was a smaller vessel but possessed superior firepower. This particular model has been stripped of unnecessary systems for a force s?ns?t?v? pilot and customized by each pilot.* *Stats: Length - 5.47 m Max Acceleration - 6000 G Max Speed - 1900 kph* *Weapons: Laser Cannons Ion Cannons* *Item: Z-95 Headhunter* *Rank: Silver* *QTY: 113* *Description: The clone Z-95 Headhunter was a model of starfighter produced jointly by Incom Corporation and Subpro Corporation. A variant of the popular Z-95 Headhunter, it was designed specifically for use by the Grand Army of the Republic''s clone pilots.* *Stats: Length - 16.74 m Width - 18.12 m Max Speed - 1150 kph Max Acceleration - 4000 G* *Weapons: Ion Cannon Twin Laser Cannons Concussion Missiles Proton Cannon* Chapter 14 - Battle of Naboo (Alright, I''m gonna do my best to have this chapter make sense. I will be switching between the battle in orbit and the operation within the palace. -GE- will signify a change of scene going forward.) The moment that the Trade Federation ships saw the fleet, they panicked. Viceroy Nute Gunray was in the palace when he received the report regarding the fleet''s arrival. He immediately contacted his droids. "Scramble all fighters immediately. We must not allow the control ship to fall." "Roger roger." The command droid then barked orders to the others. Immediately, every federation battleship scrambled their full complement of vulture droids. Back on the Excelsior, Xander was observing the blockade. "Have all vessels open fire on the closest battleship." The command went out and the black void of space was instantly filled with blue light from their turbolasers. The shots barraged the shields. They were being depleted quickly. Suddenly, 3 swarms of vulture droids exited the three federation battleships. They numbered at 4500 fighters. Upon seeing them, Xander barked another order. "Heavy artillery will maintain their barrage on the battleship. All other guns are to focus their fire on the vulture droids." Most of the turrets and cannons stopped firing and adjusted their aim. After a few seconds, blue light rained on the swarm of droids. Within seconds, 700 droids were eliminated. "Continue the barrage and scramble all fighters." Xander was completely calm. This was not his first rodeo when it came to naval combat. He had commanded fleets in other games before that were much larger than this. He actually quite enjoyed standing over the battlefield and pulling the strings like a puppet master. The three venator cruisers opened their hangar doors. Hundreds of fighters emerged and launched an ?ssault of missiles and laser fire on the incoming droids. At the same time, the droids were finally in range. With the 3000 or so they had left, they started their barrage of red blaster shots. The majority of Limitless pilots were much better than the droids so only 41 fighters were destroyed. -GE- Captain Quarsh Panaka led the group through the network of tunnels underneath the palace. After 20 minutes of travel on foot, they arrived at a service entrance to the palace. They climbed up the ladder. Tyler led the group into the palace since he would be able to defend himself better when breaching a room due to the force. As they reached the end of the hall, they ran into their first droid patrol. There were 20 B1s and 5 B2s. (B1 are normal droids and B2 are super battle droids) "Fire on those intruders!" Yelled one of the droids. Tyler quickly took cover. "EVERYONE USE THE PILLARS FOR COVER!" Everyone quickly followed his command and started shooting at the droids from behind their cover. They quickly dispatched the 20 B1s and only the B2s remained. Tyler looked to Kai and nodded. They charged forward while deflecting blaster fire. Kai jumped into the air and landed against a pillar besides the droids. He then pushed off the pillar and landed on one of the droids with his lightsaber stabbing into its head. Meanwhile, Tyler jumped forward with the force and slashed downward to bisect one of the droids. He then spun and bisected another droid before quickly moving his lightsaber behind his back to deflect a blaster shot into a third droid''s head, instantly killing it. Kai jumped to the last droid from his first target and, in a similar fashion, dispatched it with a flipping slash. He looked to Tyler. "Well done my padawan." Kai smiled. "Thank you Master." Panaka then continued to lead the group forward. As they reached an intersection, he turned to the group. "We are right below the throne room. If we break this window and grapple up, we can breach and clear through the window." Hearing this, Tyler quickly sent a party invite to his mom and shared the quest with her. This would be the quickest way to have her reach level 10. -GE- After a few minutes, the shields of the first battleship had fallen. The turbolaser fire started dismantling the hull of the Lucrehulk-Class Battleship. Within another minute, the ship exploded as a shot penetrated and destroyed the reactor core. As the battleship started floating through space, the Acclamator and escort of 2 Pelta frigates pierced through the blockade and sped towards Naboo''s surface. Their ground forces had broken through. "All heavy artillery, focus your fire on the left battleship. If we can take out all three, those droids will drop dead." At this point, Limitless had lost 93 fighters total. Fortunately, those who die in Galactic Expedition will respawn next to their most recently used bed. They had all slept in their ships before the battle commenced so they wouldn''t end up all the way back on Coruscant. In the case that the bed is located on a ship that has been destroyed, they would then respawn in the nearest guild hall. They had not set up an outpost on Naboo as of yet so they would be sent back to the capital. On the Trade Federation side, they only had a few hundred vultures remaining. The Limitless ?ssault made quick work of them and then focused all of their fire on the remaining two battleships. Within another 2 minutes, the second battleship had fallen. -GE- Tyler''s group was about to grapple up to the throne room when he got a status report on the battle in space. He immediately called Xander. "How the fu?k did you get enough players to satisfy the crew for all those ships?" Xander laughed. "Recruitment really sped up these past few days. We have 45,247 members now! The majority of players that started playing at launch are in a galactic capital at this point so we can expect higher rates of recruitment." Tyler laughed. "That is fantastic news! Did you guys get the guild quest?" Xander nodded. "Yep. Everyone is thrilled about it. How are things down there?" Tyler smiled. "We are about to capture the Viceroy. This battle should be over soon. I gotta go. Talk to you in a bit." He was the last one to grapple up to the next floor. They all attached their hooks to the side of the window on a column so that they wouldn''t be seen by the droids. Everyone was in position. Panaka held up his hand and counted down, 3ˇ­ 2ˇ­ 1ˇ­ Then he shot his blaster and shattered the window as everyone swung into the throne room. The 4 jedi used the force to jump to the other side of the room to handle the droids at the far end. Within seconds, the only things left standing were Tyler''s group, the hostages, and the Viceroy who was panicking. Gunray turned to Padme. "How about we negotiate a solution?" Tyler scoffed and interjected. "Not a chance you treasonous slime." He used the force and pulled the Viceroy to his hand where he gripped his collar. "Restrain him and send him to Coruscant to be brought to justice." Panaka signaled his men to detain the Viceroy. Tyler then walked in front of him. "You''re through. I hope you enjoy rotting away in a cell." As he said this, the doors to the throne room and several squads of droids ran in. They surrounded the group of invaders. However, just a few seconds later, all of the droids froze and their weapons fell to the floor. Tyler smiled. "Looks like my fleet was successful." Padme nodded. "Thank you Lord Draco. Without your help, my people would have been at the mercy of the Trade Federation for much longer." *Main Storyline Quest Completed: Retake the Royal Palace* *Reward: Exalted Guild Reputation with Naboo, 10x Level Ups for each player, 100 million credits in guild account* *Level up! You are now Level 24. You have been awarded 55 free attribute points.* Tyler quickly invited his mom to the guild. She accepted just in time to get the rewards for the second quest. *Main Storyline Quest Complete: Destroy the Blockade of Naboo* *Rank: Legendary* *Rewards: Honored Guild Reputation with the Galactic Republic, 10x Level Ups for each player, 200 million credits in guild account* ''Ez 300 milli baby.'' Tyler just got a shit ton of credits. With this much, he was able to pay off his debt to the Kuat Drive Yards. Then he came up with an idea. What if he gathered up all of the scrapped droids and towed the Trade Federations out of commission battleships to the Drive Yards? He could make a lot of money on selling them for scrap. B1 droids are worth 1.8k, B2s are worth 3k, droidekas are worth 21k. There were even a few thousand vulture droids left in space that didn''t get destroyed. Those would be worth 40k a piece. Even the destroyed ones were worth about 10k in scrap. Lastly, those huge Lucrehulk battleships. Brand new, those puppies cost 500 million credits. As scrap, they should be worth at least 100-200 million a piece. Tyler immediately sent a message to Xander. Every single guild member was to deploy in space and on the ground. They were to collect all of the Trade Federation ?ssets to be sold for scrap. After he did this, he contacted the Kuat Drive Yards. A representative picked up. "Hello?" Tyler smiled. "Hi, this is Lord Draco speaking." The representative nodded. "This is Malak speaking. How may I help you Lord Draco?" Tyler nodded. "I was wondering if you guys would be interested in purchasing a large amount of scrap. A lot of the items are also undamaged so you guys would be able to study your competitors'' hardware and programming." Malak smiled. "Can you give me a ballpark figure for how many units you are selling?" Tyler nodded. "There are a few hundred thousand B1 droids, around 50 thousand B2s, a few thousand droidekas, a few thousand vultures, and three Lucrehulks that are dead in space." Malak nearly shit his pants. "I''m sorry sir, would you mind waiting for a moment so I can go get my superior?" Tyler smiled. "Of course." A few minutes later, another person appeared in the holo display. "Hello Lord Draco. My name is Rego and I am the VP of Recycling Operations. Based on what I have been informed, you have quite the sum of scrap to sell us. Since it is estimated that the transaction would amount to over a billion credits, we will have to send a representative to appraise the items." Tyler nodded. "That is perfectly fine. I am willing to exchange starships and complements instead of credits if that would be better." Rego was excited. "I would need to inform you that the exchange rate would be slightly lower if you trade in to pay for an order." Tyler smiled. "That is perfectly fine. How about this? I will transfer over the credits to pay off the outstanding debt from my last order. In addition, I will get all of this scrap delivered to Kuat in exchange for two sets of my last order. Would that be acceptable?" Rego ran the numbers in his head. "Yes. That would work. The order will be ready tomorrow. How long will it take for you to deliver the materials?" Tyler raised his brow. "I did not think that you would accept an order of that size on credit." Rego shook his head. "You have proven to be a reliable customer. You have paid off your debts quickly each time and you have done a lot of business with us. It only makes sense that you are allowed to take out such a large loan." Tyler nodded. "That is good to know. I should be able to have the materials delivered in 3-5 days. It depends on how long it takes to load it all. In addition, I need to find a way to transport the Lucrehulks to you." Rego smiled. "I can have a frigate deliver towing cables to you. They will allow for each of your venators to transport one Lucrehulk each through hyperspace." Tyler''s eyes lit up. "That would be wonderful. It is a p???sur? doing business with you." Rego nodded. "Thank you Lord Draco. We look forward to your continued patronage." He then hung up. *You have completed a major deal with Kuat Drive Yards. +6000 reputation.* *Congratulations! Your reputation level with the Kuat Drive Yards has increased to Friendly.* Tyler was thrilled. He just tripled his fleet size. Now he could carry out operations in three systems at once! He decided that he would station one fleet at Kessel. Two Venators would be guarding the entrance to the maelstrom at all times. One Venator would remain in orbit above Kessel and the Acclamator would remain grounded. The other ships would be used to ferry supplies back and forth between Kessel and the Venators among other things. He would then have another similar set up on Coruscant. For that, he would need to purchase a shipyard where he could land the Acclamator. The three Venators would remain in orbit above Coruscant. Lastly, he would have one fleet to spare for major operations. He had three places he wanted to get under control. They could become quite profitable once the tourism industry takes off. The first system he had his eyes on was Scarif. The planet is a tropical world in the Outer Rim Territories. It was the location of the final battle in Rogue One. The second location was the snow world of Hoth. Snow sports is a huge money making opportunity. This is a no brainer. Especially with the technology that exists in the game, it would be much less expensive to run a resort. The third place was Kashyyyk. People love jungles and exotic creatures. The Wookies that live there have a very unique architectural style that would be very appealing to tourists. It would be quite the exotic experience to be able to stay in a tree fort and swim in warm waters. It was time to start securing investors in the real world. After he finished thinking about this, he turned to Padme. "Queen Amidala, I would like to introduce you to someone. This is my mother, Cynthia. From now on, she is going to be the Senator for Kessel." Julia was shocked. "I''m not quite sure what that means, but it sounds nice." Padme''s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. "Senator Cynthia, your position is of utmost importance in the galaxy. As a representative in the Galactic Senate, you represent an entire planet! I plan on becoming a senator soon. My term as Queen of Naboo is going to end in a few days. It is about time that Senator Palpatine be allowed to retire." Tyler laughed. "I think he would appreciate that very much. It would be fantastic if you and my mother could become friends. Having someone as experienced as yourself showing her the ropes would be perfect." Padme smiled. "It would be my p???sur?. The benefits of having friends can not be understated." Tyler nodded. "Mom, I have some business to attend to so let us get going." As he said this, he got a call. "Yo, Ty. I got the kid and his mom. Where should I bring them?" Tyler smiled. "Bring them to the palace. Meet me in the throne room." John nodded. "Sounds good. See you in a few!" He hung up. It was time to allocate his attribute points. Draco, 18 years, Jedi Knight Level 37 EXP - 0% Mandalorian Human HP - 2210 MP - 1760 STR - 22 + 2 DEF - 11 DEX - 43 + 9 STA - 19 VIT - 23 INT - 18 + 2 CHA - 18 + 2 Free Attribute Points - 0 Once he was done, he turned to his mom. "Ma, allocate your points as follows. Put 10 points into strength, 10 into defense, 20 into dexterity, 10 into stamina, 20 into vitality, and the rest into charisma. You don''t need intelligence since you are going to be non-combat primarily. Intelligence is only important for using skills." Julia allocated the points. She was level 21 now so she had 110 points. She would have 40 points in charisma! "And done. How should I use them in the future?" Tyler smiled. "You can put all your points into charisma from now on." By the time they were done, John showed up in the throne room. He was escorted by a few guards. Anakin and Shmi. Tyler turned to Padme. "Queen Amidala, I''d like to introduce you to someone. This is Anakin Skywalker. He was our key to victory in orbit." Little Ani puffed out his ?h?st but then he laid his eyes on Padme. "Are you an angel?" Padme laughed. "Why would you ask that?" Anakin walked up to her to get a closer look. "Back on Tatooine, I''d always hear stories from travelers about angels. They come and rescue people when they are in danger. Rumor has it that they are the most beautiful creatures in the galaxy." Padme blushed a bit. "That''s sweet of you." Tyler laughed. "It seems that piloting isn''t the only thing he is good at." Everyone laughed at that. Tyler then walked over to Qui Gon. "This is the boy. His name is Anakin Skywalker. His natural skill as a pilot is a testament to how strong the force is with him." Qui Gon nodded. "I can feel it. I am going to take a blood test. I recommend you go talk to his mother. She is probably very concerned right now." Tyler nodded. "You are right. I must get to that." He then walked over to Shmi who was obediently standing next to John. "Hello Shmi. How was the journey?" She bowed to him. "It was alright. I''m sorry, I just get nervous each time I get traded." Tyler laughed. "Well you don''t have to worry about that anymore. You are a free woman now." Shmi was shocked. "What do you mean?" Tyler smiled. "I purchased you and your son because my ?ssociates discovered that he is quite strong in the force. I plan to have him trained as a Jedi." Shmi''s eyes lit up. "That is amazing. Thank you so much Lord Draco." Tyler waved his hand. "Oh it''s nothing. Don''t worry about it. What will you do now?" Shmi sighed. "I don''t know. I guess for now I can find somewhere to work so I can eventually come and be closer to Ani." Tyler smiled. "How would you like to work for me on Coruscant? My facility is going to be expanding soon and I will be doing a mass hiring." Shmi got really excited. It would seem that she had never had anything as fortunate as this happen to her in her entire life. "It would be an honor to work for you Lord Draco. It would also mean that I can see my son every once in a while." Tyler frowned. "The Jedi Order is quite strict about having families. I can do my best to pull some strings or figure out some workarounds to get you two some occasional time together." Shmi nodded. "As long as he is not a slave any longer, I am happy with any arrangement." Tyler then realized something. "Shmi, you are quite well spoken. Have you received any form of education?" She nodded. "One of my previous owners had me as an attendant. I would welcome guests to the estate and attend to their needs." Tyler got thinking. "If you don''t mind me asking, what kind of work was that owner doing?" Shmi thought for a moment. "I believe he was some type of local government official." At that, Tyler got excited. "Change of plans. I am going to get you cleaned up and groom you to become a representative. You can help out my mother in her role as Senator. You two can learn the ropes together." Shmi smiled. "Anything you need from me, I''d be happy to comply. You have already been more than generous, Lord Draco." Tyler again waved his hand. "Please, call me Draco. After we are done on Naboo, we will head back to Coruscant and I''ll have someone get you situated." Padme then walked up to Tyler. "Lord Draco, we have organized a parade to celebrate the liberation of Naboo and the founding of the friendship between us and the Gungans. It would be an honor if you could participate." Tyler smiled. "Please, we are friends now. You can call me Draco. And I''d be happy to participate." Padme smiled. "Then you can call me Padme. That is great to hear. Let us head over there then." (I''m lazy, go watch the parade from the movie and pretend that the characters from here are there and that there are a bunch of purple republic cruisers flying over Theed. Goodnight everyone.) Chapter 15 - Quest With Yodas Love Child (If you are wondering where Darth Maul is, just think about the circumstances. There was a whole ?ss army and battle occurring and Palpatine didn''t want to just throw away his apprentice.) Following the Battle of Naboo, Padme gifted a building near the palace in order for Limitless to use it as an embassy. An embassy is similar to an outpost but there is one key difference. An outpost is similar to how you purchase a store in a shopping center. You can''t just tear down the entire building and rebuild however you want. However, you are able to personalize the inside. On the other hand, an embassy works very similar to how it does in the real world. The owner of an embassy has complete control over everything on the property. It is kind of like a miniature country. Tyler decided that he would have it built in the architectural style that aligns with the other buildings. It is quite a nice style anyways. If it is not broken, do not fix it. In the days following the event, Tyler got some interesting notifications. As expected, he gained enough reputation with Padme for him to become friendly. In turn, his reputation with Palpatine went down to -3000 becoming unfriendly. He also got a massive amount of reputation with the two Skywalkers. He is at 21000 reputation with Shmi so he is revered. With Anakin, he got 12000 to become honored. The day after the battle, Obi Wan took the promotion test and was given the rank of Jedi Knight. In addition, the council also met with Anakin. After some intense convincing, they allowed Obi Wan to take him on as a padawan. Tyler also swore that he would help keep Anakin''s emotions in check. That was one of the biggest concerns of the council. In addition to all of this, Tyler managed to have his mom take on the politician class since she was still a civilian. When he was doing this, he also discovered something quite interesting. Civilian NPCs can take on non combat classes from the same class trainers as players. As a result, both Shmi and Julia are now politicians. It was morning, three days after the Battle of Naboo. The sun rose over Coruscant and bled through the window of Tyler''s master bedroom. As of late, three of the guest rooms in his suite are being used. The people staying with him include Kai, his mom, and Shmi. Tyler woke up with the sun on his eyes. He squinted as he sat up in bed. He had a message. Earlier this morning, the last of the materials were delivered to Kuat. In addition, the two new fleets have garrisoned at their respective locations. Fortunately for the guild members that are participating in the garrisons, there are plenty of quests to complete on Kessel, since it is developing, and Coruscant, since it is the capital of the Galactic Republic. In addition, the third fleet was currently in the process of colonizing Scarif. The income from Kessel is just b?r?ly enough to keep the guild afloat with its rapid expansion. Thus, they cut off recruitment when they hit 100k members. Once they secure more revenue channels, they would be able to continue expanding. Tyler got up and clothed himself. There was a very important event occurring today in the senate and he would need to attend. Once he was in his formal wear, he stepped out of his bedroom and found his three flatmates waiting for him. The two moms were getting along very well. Tyler smiled when he saw this. "Alright guys. Let us go and welcome Padme. She should be here soon." The four of them walked over to the private hangar on the tenth floor. As they got there, Padme''s Nubian starship was approaching the hangar. It landed and the ramp came down. Padme was dressed very differently from how she is usually dressed. Instead of the heavy makeup and extravagant dress, she now only wore a slightly less extravagant dress and had a common makeup job and hairstyle. She looked stunning. Tyler smiled. "Padme, it is great to see you." Padme walked up to Tyler and gave him a hug. "It is great to see you too Draco. Today is an exciting day and I''m happy I get to celebrate with my friends. Cynthia, Shmi, how are you two?" Padme then walked over to the two moms and they started chatting it up. As they were doing this, the new queen of Naboo walked down the ramp. Tyler bowed. "Queen Jamillia, it is a p???sur? to meet you." Jamillia nodded. "Lord Draco, I''ve heard a lot about you. It is great to know that we are allies." Tyler nodded. "Let us all get some breakfast before we have to stand before the senate." Everyone agreed and followed Tyler up to the rooftop restaurant. The moment they sat down, they were served an elegant spread of foods. Since the players have joined the game, many have brought cuisines and recipes from the real world. Things like bagels and eggs are now quite popular. The group was about to start eating when the elevator for the rooftop opened up. Standing inside was Obi Wan and Anakin. The two walked over. "Lord Draco, unfortunately, Master Qui Gon is currently off world so he was unable to come." Tyler waved his hand. "Don''t worry about it. And Obi Wan, please call me Draco. We are friends." Obi wan smiled. "That is good to know. Just a heads up, the council has requested your presence. It seems they want us to cooperate on an ?ssignment." Tyler sighed. "Hopefully it isn''t too boring." Everyone laughed. After a hardy meal, everyone boarded an airspeeder and headed to the Senate Building. An hour later, the Senate is in session. Valorum called out to the chamber. "Welcome everyone. Today is a day to remember. First, I would like to thank Senator Palpatine for his extensive service to this Galactic Republic. Every day, he works hard for his people and I commend him for that." There was a round of applause as Palpatine stood up and thanked everyone. "Thank you all for working with me over the years. It has been a p???sur? to get to know many of you." Valorum nodded. "In addition to that, we have two more announcements to make. Firstly, Naboo has appointed a new senator. I would like to introduce the former Queen of Naboo, Senator Padme Amidala." Padme stood up and waved to everyone as the chamber erupted in a round of applause. "Thank you all for the warm welcome. I hope to enjoy a peaceful and cooperative experience with each of you." Valorum smiled. "Lastly, Kessel has now appointed a senator. Lord Draco was serving as the representative but now we have someone who will be dedicated to the position. I would like to introduce Senator Cynthia." This time there was applause and cheering. Everyone has loved Kessel since they joined the Republic. The ability to send aid was good for publicity and the resources they traded were of utmost importance. Julia stood up and waved to everyone. "Thank you, I look forward to working with you all." Valorum smiled. It would seem that he has gained more allies. "Now, let us move on to today''s agenda." Tyler then said bye to his mom and left the senate building with Obi Wan and their padawans. Their next stop was the Jedi Temple. It might seem weird that Tyler is rarely doing things with the guild but there is a reason for that. He had appointed another 2 Vice Guild Leaders in John and Kumbis. Those two, along with Xander, are taking care of everything related to the guild. They do this so that Tyler can continue to come across fortuitous opportunities throughout the galaxy. They all stepped off the elevator outside of the council chambers. The door slid open revealing only half of the seats filled with people who were present. The other half were projections. Windu smiled upon seeing the two master padawan duos. "Thank you for coming on such short notice." Tyler nodded. "Of course. We would have been here sooner but I needed to be present for the appointment of Kessel''s new senator." Windu smiled. "It is good news that you are free of that burden. Politics can be a treacherous place for a Jedi." Tyler chuckled. "Indeed. It is much more fun being out in the field." Windu got serious. "Speaking of being out in the field, we have a joint ?ssignment for you and Obi Wan here. We have heard rumors of there being a cell of Dark Jedi on Moraband. The planet is formerly known as Korriban, home of the Sith. It is a place that is quite strong with the Dark Side since there are tombs of many powerful Sith Lords. The four of you are to investigate the reports. In addition, bring back any notable artifacts you may find." *Quest Triggered: Investigate Moraband* *Description: Formerly known as Korriban, this world is widely known as the home of the Sith Order. Investigate the planet and eliminate any dark forces that reside there.* *Rewards: Unknown* Tyler nodded. "We will do our best, Master Windu." The group of four then left the temple. Tyler turned to Obi Wan. "Obi Wan, would you like to ride in one of my frigates with me? It will be a much more comfortable ride than our fighters." Obi Wan smiled. "That would be great. Thank you, Draco." About an hour later, they landed their fighters in one of the pelta class frigates that Limitless kept in high orbit over Coruscant. The four jedi navigated through the ship to the bridge. "Good morning Guild Leader. My name is Private Johnson. I''m a core member. It is a p???sur? to meet you." Tyler smiled. "It is great to meet you too. I really am happy that we are getting so many hilarious names in our guild. Did you know that we have an elder named Wolfgang Bang?" Johnson laughed. "That is great. Anyways, where are we off to?" Tyler sighed. "Set a course for Moraband, or Korriban. Whatever it is called in the nav system." Johnson nodded. "I''ll get on it immediately." Tyler smiled. "Perfect." He then turned around. "Gentlemen, let us go find somewhere comfortable to ride out the journey." Several hours later, they arrived in high orbit over Moraband. The moment they came out of hyperspace, the four jedi felt a chill wash over them. "Master, it feels so cold." Tyler sighed. "Kai, and Anakin too, listen closely. This entire planet is soaked in the Dark Side. Thousands of years ago, the Sith Order had an academy on this planet. It was similar to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Nowadays, there are various abandoned Sith Temples scattered across the planet. At least they are supposed to be abandoned." Kai and Anakin gulped. "It sounds dangerous down there." "Yeah, is it really okay for us to be here?" Obi Wan chuckled. "Everything will be alright padawans. You both are more than capable of handling yourselves. Draco, how should we get down?" Tyler thought for a moment. "We can either land our fighters on the surface, or we could have a gunship drop us off. I''d recommend the fighters in case we need them." Obi Wan nodded. "Good thinking. Let''s head out then." *New Location Discovered: Moraband +100 EXP* Tyler turned to the group. "Well, here we are. I wonder what kind of goodies we might find inside." Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "Is everything about profit for you?" Tyler scoffed. "What do you expect? I gotta fund my guild somehow." Obi Wan shrugged. "That is a fair point." Tyler then led the group into the temple. They formed up in a diamond formation. Tyler led in the front, the two padawans were in the middle, and Obi Wan brought up the rear. This was Tyler''s idea as the Jedi don''t have military training. The temple was massive. It was made of dark stone and metal. Aside from the many statues and monuments, the design was quite minimalistic. Tyler led the group over to one of the statues. It appeared that this one displayed Darth Bane. Bane was the Sith Lord who founded the Rule of Two. As he was inspecting the statue, he discovered a faint red glow emanating from behind it. He walked to the backside of the statue and found a floating triangular prism that was glowing red. He used the force to pick it up. *Item Obtained: Sith Holocron* *Rank: Epic* *Description: The Jedi Holocron is one of the many forms of loot boxes that can be found throughout the galaxy. The various tiers of these loot boxes include Common, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Epic, and Legendary.* Tyler was shocked. He immediately called up Xander. "Yo, I got something that needs to be done immediately." Xander perked up. "What is it?" Tyler grinned. "I am currently on a quest for the Jedi Order. They sent me to investigate Moraband. It seems as if this place is home to countless artifacts. I just found an Epic Sith Holocron within 30 seconds of being inside. I want you to gather as many force s?ns?t?v? and core members as possible and send them to Moraband. I have a feeling that there is more to this planet than it seems." Xander nodded. "I''ll get it done immediately." He then hung up. Tyler looked at the holocron with extreme fervor. He couldn''t wait so he opened it right away. *Item Obtained: Han Solo''s Lucky Dice* *Rank: Epic* *Description: Belonging to Han Solo, this pair of golden dice on a chain was a good luck charm. This item will provide +30 Luck to the holder.* ''Wait, luck is a stat?'' It turns out that Luck is a hidden stat. With this item, he would be able to pull much better items from the loot boxes. Obi Wan turned to Tyler. "We have company." Metallic footsteps could be heard in the distance, getting closer with each passing second. Suddenly, a large, black droid with red eyes rounded the corner. *Sith Combat Droid* *Level 20* The droid reached to his back and unsheathed a red lightsaber. It then jumped at the group. Responding quickly, Obi Wan used the force to throw it against a wall before throwing his saber and beheading it. He then used the force to summon the saber back to him. *+100 EXP* Killing enemies that are a lower level rewards lower amounts of experience. The group walked over to what was left of the droid and inspected it. After a few seconds, it disintegrated leaving a torn piece of parchment. Tyler bent down and picked it up. *Item Obtained: IG-88 Design Fragment* *Description: This is a fragment of an engineering design. Collect all 12 fragments to complete the design.* It would seem that this temple could be quite the place to farm for items. Tyler turned to the group. "Let''s keep moving. We don''t want to get trapped by a swarm of those things." The group continued forward. Through some meticulous navigation, they managed to cover the entirety of the structure. Tyler had collected 8 design fragments, and 4 holocrons. One of them was epic, one was gold, and the other two were silver. They entered the last unexplored room. Once they entered, a door slid shut behind them. 10 droids dropped from the ceiling and ignited their crimson blades. Tyler shouted out. "Padawans, take two each. Obi Wan, we will handle the rest." They nodded and got into position. Tyler and Obi Wan rushed forward and pulled aggro on three of the droids each. The remaining four targeted the two padawans. Tyler employed a defensive style since he was outnumbered. The three droids in front of him pulled back their sabers to prepare for a strike. The one on the left was using a short swing that maintained the ability to guard a counter. The middle one was jabbing towards him. The right one had its saber lifted over its head. This was his opening. Tyler rolled to the right and then spun around quickly to send a droid flying in pieces as his saber sliced through it. He then realized that these droids were much weaker than he thought. With this in mind, he went on the offensive with a flurry of powerful strikes. He continuously swung his saber at the droid and in between swings he would parry their strikes. Making use of his speed, he sidestepped a downwards strike and then countered with a swing to the neck. He beheaded the droid leaving one left. For the last one, he jumped away to create some distance and lifted the droid using the force. He then closed his hand into a fist and crushed the final droid like a tin can. Without hesitation, he looked to his companions. Kai and Anakin had both taken down one of their droids and were on the offensive with the second. On the other hand, Obi Wan was observing his padawan while effortlessly parrying the strikes of his remaining droid. He was not even looking. Tyler scoffed. "Show off." Hearing this, Obi Wan parried another strike and stabbed his saber straight through the droid''s face. Just a few seconds later, the two padawans had taken care of their droids. *+1000 EXP* Now that they were out of combat, Tyler went to inspect the drops. From those 10 droids, he got the 3 of the remaining 4 fragments of the design. One other item dropped that he had not seen yet. *Item Obtained: Sith Temple Keystone* *Description: This item is used to unlock the dungeon within the Sith Temple it was found in.* As he picked it up, it started glowing red. Suddenly, flames started igniting in lanterns on the walls. The room was gradually illuminated. When the last two flames ignited, a set of large stone doors was revealed. They had a slot in the middle that was the same size as the keystone. Tyler walked over to it and placed the keystone into the slot. Once it was close, it was pulled out of his hand and into the slot. He instinctively stepped back as the doors started rumbling. They slowly opened to reveal a dimly lit hallway. At the beginning of the hallway, there was another path that split off to the right. *New Epic Dungeon Discovered: Sith Catacombs +100 EXP* Obi Wan turned to Tyler. "What is that place? I''ve never seen anything like it." Tyler thought for a moment. "It seems to be some sort of dungeon. Let''s check out the path on the right and see if we can find what we came for." Tyler then led the group into the side room. When they turned into the path, they saw a large metal door at the end. Tyler ignited his lightsaber and started cutting an opening into the door. Once he cut out the hole, he used the force and pulled out the section. Inside was a well lit room with various artifacts all over the place. There were several Sith Holocrons, some designs, and many old books. One particular item caught Tyler''s eye. There was a black cloak draped over a mannequin. He walked over and picked it up. *Item Obtained: Darth Revan''s Cloak* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: This cloak was worn by the legendary Sith Lord, Darth Revan. His spirit and teachings are ingrained in the cloak.* *Stats: All Attributes +20% Passive 1: This cloak is ingrained with the teachings of Darth Revan. Reduces the risk of being consumed by the dark side of the force when making use of it. Active 1 - Incognito: Hides your information from others.* This item was perfect for him. It would give him a way to sneak around covertly. Doing so without the cloak would prove to be quite difficult since he is so well known throughout the galaxy. Next, he walked around the vault and picked up the other items. For the Sith Holocrons, he got 2 legendary, 3 epic, and 4 gold holocrons. He also found the final fragment he needed for the design. *Item Obtained: IG-88 Assassin Droid Design* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: This is the complete design for the IG-88 Assassin Droid. The IG-88 ?ssassin droid, also known as the IG-88 series droid, was the model of a set of five identical ?ssassin droids manufactured by Holowan Laboratories during the final decades of the Galactic Republic. Upon their activation, the droids slaughtered their constructors and escaped their laboratories into the galaxy. One of these droids, IG-88, was an independently programmed IG-88 ?ssassin droid who became a feared bounty hunter during the Galactic Civil War.* He also got a few other designs and books. *Item Obtained: 3PO-Series Protocol Droid Design* *Rank: Bronze* *Description: The 3PO-series protocol droid was a model of protocol droid produced by Cybot Galactica sometime prior to the Invasion of Naboo. They were equipped with a TranLang III communication module, and as a result were fluent in over 6 million forms of communication. C-3PO was an example of this model, though he was rebuilt out of spare parts.* *Item Obtained: Medical Stimpak Recipe* *Rank: Epic* *Description: This is the recipe for the Medical Stimpak. On use, the product will instantly restore up to 20% max HP and heal up to 5% max HP each second for 10 seconds.* *Item Obtained: The Dark Side by Darth Revan* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: This book was written by the Sith Lord, Darth Revan. He recorded his teachings for future generations to discover.* These three items on top of the holocrons and other designs were huge. In addition, Tyler found a dungeon! He also got a legendary item. Unfortunately, they did not find any trace of Dark Jedi at this temple. Suddenly he got a call. "GUILD LEADER! THERE ARE HOSTILE NPCS OVER HERE WITH RED LIGHTSABERS!" Tyler sighed. "Well that was easy. Send me your coordinates. I''ll be there shortly." He then hung up before turning to his group. "We need to get out of here now. My ?ssociates discovered the location of the Dark Jedi." They all ran out of the temple and boarded their fighters. Fortunately, the location they were headed to was only a short distance away. Once they arrived, Tyler recognized the structure and geography. This was the Sith Temple in the Valley of the Dark Lords! Otherwise known as Darth Bane''s final resting place. Chapter 16 - Valley of the Dark Lords As the group of Jedi were preparing to land, Tyler received a call from Private Johnson. "What do you need?" Johnson sighed. "An unknown starfighter has entered the system and is approaching your position. It looks awfully familiar. It was definitely not a player''s." Tyler sighed upon hearing that. "Thanks for the heads up. I''ll be ready for anything." He then hung up. The group landed on the outskirts of the valley. They would have landed closer but the terrain was too tight. Once they disembarked their fighters, Tyler turned to Obi Wan. "Aside from the enemies here, it appears as if someone else will be joining us. We must tread carefully." Obi Wan nodded and the four of them set off, running towards the Sith Temple that lies at the deepest part of the valley. As they approached, they were able to see a large battle occurring. There were about 20 Limitless members fighting a horde of force s?ns?t?v? enemies. It also appeared that only 10 or so of the Limitless members were force s?ns?t?v?. Tyler started sprinting. "Let''s go! We must hurry!" He ignited his purple saber. Obi Wan and the two padawans followed suit igniting 2 blue sabers and one green. Tyler jumped using the force and landed in the middle of the crowd. Everyone stopped for a moment to observe him. "You know, I''ve always wanted to try this." He gathered a large amount of force energy in his hands and then slammed them into the ground. A dim glow appeared as his hands hit the ground. Then a strong, telekinetic wave shot out from his position. It knocked everyone to the ground. As this happened, Obi Wan, Anakin, and Kai were airborne. They all landed on an enemy each, taking them out in one stab to the ?h?st. While they were doing that, Tyler used the force to dash at a superhuman speed. In doing this, his saber beheaded two enemies. Tyler stood tall. "Everyone group up! Only take on one at a time!" Everyone grouped into a circle to make defending easier. This also made it so that there was only enough room for one enemy to engage each person at a time. After a few minutes, the Limitless group outnumbered the enemies. "Everyone charge forward! We outnumber them now!" They all rushed forward and quickly eliminated all of the enemies. "Guild Leader, you are amazing. Since you got here, we didn''t have any more casualties." "All hail the Guild Leader!" Tyler waved his hand. "Calm down everyone. Pick up the drops and then head out. My group will handle this location from here. There is another temple a few minutes from here. I uncovered a dungeon inside and I want you guys to explore it. You are all dismissed." His guild members quickly got to work. They collected the drops and quickly left the area. Tyler turned to Obi Wan. "Now that we have some privacy, I have a bad feeling about this." Obi Wan tilted his head. "Well we are on the homeworld of the Sith." Tyler shook his head. "I''m not talking about that. Aside from the overwhelming dark presence emanating from the temple, I also feel an even stronger presence approaching us from orbit. The commander of the ship we rode here said that there was a starship approaching our position." As he said this, a low engine sound could be heard in the distance. They all looked up and saw a ship approaching. It was a long ship. It was gray and white, and had foldable wings. It landed a short distance away from their group. The ramp came down and a black cloaked figure walked out of the ship. It turned and approached the group. Tyler knew exactly who it was. "Darth Maul, to what do I owe the p???sur? of this visit?" The Sith apprentice froze upon hearing his name. He slowly reached up and pulled back his hood. It revealed a red and black fact with spikes on the top of his head. "So you already know who I am." Tyler chuckled. "Of course I do. Now, stop wasting my time." Maul scoffed. "My master has sent me to get rid of you." Obi Wan was shocked. "How can this be? The Sith have been gone for thousands of years!" Tyler shook his head. "Well obviously that is not the case. Kai, Anakin, stay out of this one. This guy is dangerous." Following his orders, the two padawans stepped back. The two knights then ignited their sabers. It looked almost scripted as the two of them fell into the same stance. Of course, this stance belonged to the form of Soresu. This was Obi Wan''s signature combat form. Maul rolled his shoulders and dropped his cloak to the floor. He reached to his waist and unsheathed his oversized lightsaber. In two flashes, he ignited both ends of his saber staff. Maul snarled. "Shall we get this started?" Tyler turned to Obi Wan. "Watch out for a two handed shove with his lightsaber staff." Obi Wan turned to him. "What do you mean? Have you fought him before?" Tyler shook his head. "Nope. Just an intuition. It would be a sensible thing to do with such a long hilt." Deciding not to give them anymore time, Maul rushed forward. He spun and jabbed his saber towards Obi Wan who easily parried the strike. In response, Maul used the other side of this saber to jab at Tyler. Tyler stepped out of the way of the strike. As he did so, he took a page out of an older Obi Wan''s book. He lifted his saber above his head and quickly slashed downwards. Maul quickly stepped back to dodge the strike but it still cut his saber hilt in half. Now he had two sabers instead of one double sided one. Unfortunately, that wasn''t the end. One of the ends flickered out due to the internal circuits being damaged. He was now clearly at a disadvantage. Using the opportunity, Obi Wan quickly jumped over Maul so that he would have to defend from two sides. The two jedi quickly went on the offensive. For a string of several strikes, the two jedi were continuously keeping Maul on the run. After about 30 seconds, Tyler noticed that there was an opening on his side each time Obi Wan would attack. He quickly capitalized. The moment Obi Wan began his strike, Tyler ducked down and spun with his right leg sticking out. Maul was immediately swept off his feet. Seeing the opportunity, Obi Wan quickly dashed forward and cut off Maul''s saber hand. Now that he was quite literally disarmed, Maul stayed on the ground. The fight was over almost as soon as it started. Tyler smirked. "A bit overconfident, were we?" Obi Wan laughed. Maul snarled. "Just finish it already." Tyler shook his head. "Oh no, not yet. First, you will tell us who your master is." Maul chuckled. "Why would I ever tell you? I''m already dead." Tyler''s face got serious. "We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. There are plenty of ways to make vermin like you squeal." Obi Wan turned to Tyler. "You''re not thinking of torturing him, are you?" Tyler shook his head. "There are much simpler ways for a force user to extract information. You probably haven''t heard of it because it is not taught by the Jedi Order. I believe it is called a mind probing. This is my first try at this so don''t blame me if he becomes a vegetable." Maul winced as he heard the term. A mind probe is a technique that allows a force user to break into the mind of their victim and sift through their memories. Obi Wan shook his head in surprise. "That is such a cruel method. The Jedi Council would never approve of it." Tyler smiled. "Of course they wouldn''t. Let''s just say that my morals don''t exactly align with the Council. However, we do have many values in common. Now step back and keep quiet. I need to concentrate." He then turned back to Maul. He lifted his body up into the air using the force. With the same hand, he flicked his wrist and Maul was restrained in the air. Using the force, he reached out and penetrated Maul''s mind. Maul started screaming. Obi Wan cringed as he heard the blood curdling screams. It was like referring to this as advanced interrogation rather than torture. There was no real difference in his eyes. After a few seconds, the screams stopped. Maul looked as if he was in a daze. Meanwhile, Tyler was walking through Maul''s memories casually. It turned out to be much easier than he thought it to be. This was probably the result of Maul being a Nightbrother. They were quite a simple minded tribe with only physical prowess to boast about. Suddenly, Tyler dropped Maul. He turned to Obi Wan. "I found what I was looking for." Obi Wan raised his brow. "What exactly did you find?" Tyler smirked. "I found the identity of the Sith Lord in question." Obi Wan was interested. "And who might it be?" Of course, Tyler already knew that Palpatine was the Sith Lord. He couldn''t just make the claim so he took this opportunity to come up with some bullshit to make it seem convincing. Especially now that the old man was out of the way. Tyler smiled. "It would seem that our old friend, Senator Palpatine, is the culprit. He goes by the name, Darth Sidieous." Obi Wan''s jaw nearly hit the floor before he caught it. "That can''t be! He was hiding right under our noses!" Tyler shrugged. "I''ve been suspicious of him ever since I received a report on what happened in the Senate before the Naboo affair." Obi Wan raised his brow again. "What was in the report?" Tyler laughed. "Although that old man thought he hid it well, he was strongly opposed to my intervention in the situation. He tried calling for a vote of no confidence. He damn near succeeded if not for my ?ssociate''s timely intervention in which we declared war on the Trade Federation. Now that I think about it, I never resolved that thing! HA!" Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "I really don''t know how they let you into the Jedi Order. Even more so, they gave you a padawan!" Tyler chuckled. "There are things that will happen in this galaxy soon that will require a skill set that the current Jedi do not have." Obi Wan sighed. "What do you think is going to happen?" Tyler got serious. "I estimate that within the next ten years, there will be a war. The Jedi Order will be looked to as leadership for the Grand Army of the Republic." Obi Wan shook his head. "There is no such army. And the Jedi are peacekeepers, not tools of war." Tyler chuckled. "I guess we will see when the time comes. That is all my visions told me so I can not claim much more. Anyways, let us head into the temple. I have a feeling that we may find something interesting." Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "Always the explorer, aren''t you." Tyler laughed as he ignited his lightsaber. "Indeed I am. An adventurous spirit is a good thing to have in this galaxy." He then walked over to Maul and stabbed his saber through his neck. Maul was now dead for good. Tyler then called over their padawans and they made their way into the temple. This temple was a bit different then the last one. It was magnificent and large. It was quite similar in form to the pyramids in Egypt. There were also monolisks scattered around the outside. Inside was immaculate. There were gigantic statues all over the place. Each one reeked of the dark side. In addition, there was one statue that was moved to the side. A staircase leading into the ground was visible. Tyler was curious. "I wonder if there are hidden rooms underneath all of the statues." Kai tilted his head in curiosity. "Only one way to find out, Master." He raised his hands. Using the force, he shifted the first statue on their right to the side. Low and behold, there was a staircase beneath it. Dark energies exploded out of the hidden stairs. Tyler grinned. "Well done my padawan." He then led the group down into the hidden path. They got down the stairs and entered a square room. In the middle was a sarcophagus. They walked over to it and there was some text written on the side. "This is where Darth Krayt was buried. This must be some sort of tomb for Sith Lords. I suggest we check out the other ones and then check out the open one." Obi Wan nodded. "That would be a good idea. Why don''t we see if there is anything notable buried with them?" Tyler nodded. "Great idea. We might be able to find the artifacts the Jedi Council are looking for." Tyler used the force and pushed the cover to the side. Inside the sarcophagus was a mummy. In one hand was a lightsaber hilt and in the other was a Sith Holocron. He picked up the holocron. He tried grabbing the lightsaber but it was unlootable. It would seem that NPC lightsabers are also bound. *Item Obtained: Sith Holocron* *Rank: Artifact* *Description: Unlike other holocrons, this one contains only information. To most, it is worthless but it is a precious artifact for the Sith and Jedi Orders.* Tyler displayed the holocron for his group. "I believe that this is the type of thing that the council wanted." Obi Wan nodded. "I recommend you keep it somewhere safe." Tyler nodded as he put it in his inventory. "Let us check the other burial chambers." After 20 minutes, they investigated all of the chambers. The people buried included Ajunta Pall, Ludo Kressh, Marka Ragnos, Nagha Sadow, Tulak Hord, Darth Bane, and XoXann. Each tomb also contained a Sith Holocron that was to be given to the Jedi Council. Now the group stood before the open chamber. "Let''s head in. No point in waiting around." Tyler led the group in. As a precaution, he ignited his saber. As they entered the chamber, the force screamed out in warning. Suddenly, a red glow ignited on his right side as a saber came crashing down towards him. In response, he rolled forward. The lighting was very dim so he could b?r?ly make out a figure. The ?ssailant quickly dashed at him. Tyler quickly parried a downward strike. After feeling the blow, he could tell that this opponent was much stronger than those he encountered outside. *Dark Jedi* *Level 30* Tyler went on the defensive. He wanted to test his opponents strength since he had not encountered anyone of this level so far. Part of a person''s strength is their ability to know their opponent''s strength. For a string of several strikes, Tyler easily parried each and every swing through the guidance of the force. It was quite disappointing. Through the usage of the force, Tyler has yet to encounter a challenge in the game. Along these lines, he put some extra force into his parry. Not expecting the strength, he stumbled. Tyler then quickly spun, shifting his saber into a reverse grip. He then jabbed backwards towards the dark jedi. Facing no resistance, it went straight through his stomach, killing him. As the dark jedi fell, the wall at the far end of the room lit up. Suddenly, it rumbled and one of the wall panels slid open revealing a pair of glowing red eyes. All four jedi ignited their sabers and stood in a defensive stance. Breaking the silence, a voice spoke through the room. "Well done Jedi. You are just the type of person I was waiting for." Tyler scoffed. "And who might you be?" The voice laughed. Suddenly, the red eyes moved forwards. Once they entered the lit room, a translucent, masked figure in dark robes was revealed. "I am the force ghost of a dark lord of the Sith. My name is Darth Revan." Tyler was shocked. He immediately deactivated his saber and sheathed it. "My name is Draco. It is a p???sur? to meet you." Revan smiled. "I would like to impart some wisdom upon you. Would you care to listen?" Obi Wan turned to Tyler. "Don''t listen to him Draco. He is a Sith. I have no doubt that he will try and manipulate you." Tyler shook his head. "You are gravely misinformed Obi Wan. Revan is different. He is not like the Sith that you love to hate. He used to be a Jedi, just like you. He fell to the dark side of the force once but was then pulled back to the light. That is all I really know." Revan nodded. "You are quite well informed for a Jedi. I applaud you for that. However, you are still missing much of the story. It is as you say, I have been both Jedi and Sith during my lifetime. At one point, I was even a supporter of the typical Sith teachings. I am sure you have some basic knowledge of them. However, that is not what I am here to teach you." "I would like to tell you about what I discovered following my redemption to the light. Long ago, as a young Jedi, I was a warrior who slaughtered armies. I accepted violence and darkness and the Emperor called to me from across the galaxy. He made me a Sith Lord and named me Darth Revan. As a Sith, I was a teacher who trained a thousand dark apprentices. Eventually, both Sith and Jedi turned on meˇŞbut instead of being destroyed, I was reborn." "I was stripped of power, stripped of life, of memoryˇŞand left to rot. And still, a chance was forged for me to relearn the ways of the Force. I embraced both power and discipline, war and peace, dark and light. They all intertwined and complemented each other''s aspects: power is useless without discipline, and vice versa; peace can only be forged through war against those who oppose it; and the light can grant clarity through the haze of the power of the dark side, which serves as a conduit for purpose." "There were moments where my destiny wasn''t certain as a result of being unbalanced by both sides of the Force. Those moments are gone. I''ve saved the Republic twice beforeˇŞI''ve fought Mandalores and armies of the dark side. I''ve been both Jedi and Sith, and found clarity in the Force. Death could not stop meˇŞlife could not stop me. Life hindered my progress, but provoked my death. Death freed me, left me unbound from all oaths and promises. It paved my road to rebirth. Rather than making myself a conduit of the Force, I have controlled both facets to my will and found a new path to balance. Now I no longer have anything to fear." (I copy pasted this from the internet bc I really couldn''t have said it better myself.) Tyler smiled. "And what might all that mean?" Revan smiled. "It is good to see someone in pursuit of knowledge like myself. You search for answers under the surface. I can put it another way for you:" "There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no fear; there is power. I am the heart of the Force. I am the revealing fire of light. I am the mystery of darkness. In balance with chaos and harmony, Immortal in the Force." Tyler bowed to Revan. "Thank you, Darth Revan." Revan nodded. "Of course. I hope you make use of this knowledge in pursuit of your goals, young jedi. Inside my sarcophagus, there are four things. Two of them are holocrons. One contains my teachings as a Sith Lord. The other contains my discoveries from after my rebirth. The other two are my lightsabers. I bestow these items upon you." Revan waved his hand and the lid of his sarcophagus slid off and landed on the floor. "I look forward to seeing what you can accomplish in the future. For now, I will continue my journey within the force and my trials will await you. Until next time, Draco." He then faded away. Tyler walked up to the open sarcophagus. As Revan said, there were four items inside. The two holocrons were placed next to the mummy''s head and the two sabers were in its hands. Tyler took the two sabers. He ignited them. One was crimson red. The other was a deep purple just like his. "Ha, it would seem that this item was almost meant for me!" He stored the red saber away in his inventory. He would keep that for special circumstances. Both sabers had the same stats. *Item Obtained: Darth Revan''s Red Lightsaber* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: This is the distinct weapon of Jedi and Sith warriors. It can cut through almost anything. This is a unique item crafted by Darth Revan and the blade''s color is red. Due to being bled with the dark side of the force, the user gains some resistance to the influence of the dark side. Unable to be traded or dropped.* *Stats: Strength +20% Dexterity +20% Intelligence +20% Charisma +20% Attack (ATK) - 5 * STR * DEX Passive 1: This weapon can deflect blaster bolts from any handheld blaster. Passive 2: This weapon can cut through almost any material or weapon. Refer to Injuries in the game manual for more information on damage dealt. Active 1: User can throw the weapon to deal 60% ATK damage. Use the force to pull it back to your hand.* *Item Obtained: Revan''s Purple Lightsaber* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: This is the distinct weapon of Jedi and Sith warriors. It can cut through almost anything. This is a unique item crafted by Revan and the blade''s color is purple. Unable to be traded or dropped.* (I skipped the stats for this one. Look up Darth Revan''s lightsaber on google. It is actually fu?k?n? gorgeous. I kinda wanna buy a replica LOL.) Now Tyler was in possession of three legendary items not including the saber that he keeps in his inventory. Between his lightsaber, Revan''s lightsaber, and Revan''s cloak, he was unmatched when compared to other players. It is too bad that legendary items are bound. Otherwise, they would be worth a pretty penny. He then picked up one of the holocrons. *Item Obtained: Darth Revan''s Holocron* *Rank: Artifact* *Description: This holocron holds information from the Sith Lord, Darth Revan. When he died, it was buried with him. He bestowed it upon the player, Draco, as a force ghost. Soulbound.* Tyler picked up the other holocron and stowed it away before turning to Obi Wan. "This one is mine. The other one along with the ones from the other chambers will go to the council." Obi Wan nodded. "I have no qualms regarding that." Tyler smiled and placed it into his inventory. Conveniently, it did not stack with the other holocrons since it was not labelled as a Sith Holocron like the others. "Alright. Let''s get outˇ­" As he was saying this, he felt the force pulling him towards the opening that Revan''s force ghost emerged from. He walked over and stepped across the wall. *New Legendary Dungeon Discovered: Darth Revan''s Trials* Chapter 17 - Darth Revans Trials (Sry, I''m tired. Short chapter for this one. Pls follow my twitter and join my discord that''s in the bio. @ARN3wman) Tyler chuckled. "Of course something like this would be here. On second thought, let us keep moving forward." Obi Wan nodded. "Let us tread carefully. That place reeks of the dark side." Tyler nodded. "I have an inkling of what may be inside. I believe that this is a test of sorts left by Darth Revan to find someone worthy of passing his knowledge to. You all should make a concerted effort to keep your emotions in check. If they take over, you will without a doubt fall to the dark side." Obi Wan turned to the padawans. "If either of you would like to stay back, don''t be afraid to say so." Tyler shook his head. "That is not an option, Obi Wan. They will need to face something like this at some point regardless. It is better that they do it now while we are there to support them." Obi Wan sighed. "Yet again, you are right Draco." Tyler puffed out his ?h?st. "I''m pretty great aren''t I?" Kai rolled his eyes. "There he goes again!" They all laughed. Tyler then led the group into the dungeon. Unbeknownst to Tyler, his suspicions were correct. This was a test left by Darth Revan. However, what he did not predict is that there are no material rewards for completing the dungeon since there are no boss fights or trash to clear. In fact, the reward is the training that one would receive by completing the trials. Each trial will attempt to overwhelm the participant with dark energies and extreme emotion. The farther you can make it, the more control you can grasp over your emotions and the dark side of the force. It also works for NPCs. Since it is a dungeon, you can fail it but not through death. If you are about to fall to the dark side, you will be transported back to the entrance of the dungeon and be relieved of the burdens that the trial placed upon you. Thus, the only price this dungeon has is emotional pain. As soon as they exited the hall and entered a large room, a thick fog rolled in. Tyler quickly spun around but found that his group was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, he felt the force screaming at him from his back. He turned frantically and saw a horrific sight. Kai was laying on the ground. He was bloody all over and had both arms missing. "Masterˇ­ Help me." His voice was weak and sounded close to death. Tyler was shocked. "No, this can''t beˇ­ I couldn''t have failed." It completely slipped his mind that this was just a game. It felt soˇ­ real. He rushed over and fell to his knees. The dark side of the force was washing over him. He felt its power. It whispered to him in a seductive manner. It promised him great power. He reached out to console his padawan. As he extended his arm, he realized something. He closed his eyes, stood up, and shook his head. He then walked straight through Kai. As he did, it faded away into the fog. "As I thought. This is just a test. I will need to be careful." He continued pushing on through the fog. He felt the dark side getting stronger and stronger. It clouded his mind, his judgement. He found himself slowly losing his ability to think clearly. It went on like this for about 10 minutes. Before him were four figures. One was donning a black cloak. Two of them were restraining someone but they were masked. The last one is what made him lose his mind. It was his mother. She looked like she had been through the gauntlet. Her clothing was ripped and she was blood all over. Suddenly, a familiar voice called out. "Ah ah ah, I have found your weakness young jedi. Submit to my power, become my apprentice. Let the dark side control you. It will grant you power beyond your imagination." Tyler was furious. "Sidious, let my mother go, or else." He drew both of his sabers and ignited the deep purple blades. Darth Sidious laughed maniacally. He then gripped part of her clothing and ripped it off. "Submit to me Tyler. With the power I can give you, you''ll be able to protect your mother from things like this. Join me!" Tyler froze. ''How did I let this happen?'' He then realized something. He deactivated his sabers and sheathed them. He closed his eyes and took a series of deep breaths. He then knelt down and meditated. He chuckled. ''It almost got me that time.'' Sidious was furious. He flicked his wrist and a lightsaber hilt landed in his hand. He ignited the crimson blade and hissed. "HOW CAN YOU JUST SIT THERE AND DO NOTHING? IS THIS NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN YOUR LIFE?" Tyler remained in silence. Sidious snarled. "Fine, so be it. You Jedi are so impotent." He dashed forward with his lightsaber aiming for Tyler''s neck. As it went through, Sidious and the other three figures faded into the fog. *Congratulations! You have passed Darth Revan''s Trials. You have inherited the legacy of Darth Revan. Thus, you have gained the Hidden Class of Revanite. With this, you gain unrivaled control over both the dark and light sides of the force. This class will be hidden from view for others but remain visible for you.* *Dungeon Cleared: Darth Revan''s Trials* *Rank: Legendary* *Reward: 100 million credits, Hidden Class - Revanite, +50 intelligence* *First Clear of Legendary Reward: 10x Level Up, 500 million credits* While he was reading this, he was sent back to the entrance of the dungeon. Waiting there for him were the other three members of his party. He quickly looked over his stats. He had 55 free points to allocate! He quickly used them all. Draco, 18 years, Jedi Knight (Revanite) Level 47 EXP - 0% Mandalorian Human HP - 3170 STR - 32 + 19 DEF - 16 + 6 DEX - 58 + 35 STA - 29 + 12 VIT - 33 + 13 INT - 68 + 41 CHA - 23 + 14 Free Attribute Points - 0 (I just realized that I missed a few level ups. I think I fixed it. Whatever is here is what will be canon for this novel from now on.) Tyler was stunned. "HOLY SHIT!" Obi Wan turned to him frantically. "What happened? Are you okay Draco?" Tyler laughed. "Yeah, I''m fine. Just surprised about how strong I am now." Obi Wan thought for a second. "You''re right, you seem much stronger than when we went in." Tyler thought of something. He looked over at Kai and inspected him. Kai, 70 years, Jedi Padawan (Revanite) Level 45 Unknown He had discovered that hidden classes can be applied to NPCs too. He then looked over at Obi Wan and Anakin. Obi Wan Kenobi, 25 years, Jedi Knight Stewjon Human Anakin Skywalker, 11 years, Jedi Padawan Level 33 Tatooine Human Tyler was intrigued. "Obi Wan, Anakin, allow me to ask you something." They nodded. "Did the two of you both encounter two visions?" Obi Wan nodded. "Yes. That is the case. I saw some horrible things." Anakin also nodded. "Same with me. I probably would have failed if not for your warning before we went in. Thank you Master Draco." Kai also nodded. "I probably would have failed as well. Thank you Master." Tyler smiled. "Well it seems that all of us benefited from this." Due to it being a hidden class, it must not be visible on non companion NPCs in addition to other players. If they completed the trials, they must have gotten it. He sighed. It would seem that he has yet again fu?k?d with the canon. He could only wonder what would happen once the Clone Wars came around. "Let''s not stick around any longer. I''m starving!" Kai laughed. "Master, you can say that again!" They all laughed as they walked out of the temple. Tyler then noticed that Maul''s starship was still sitting there. If it was just going to rot away, he might as well take it! He stepped onto the ramp. *Item Obtained: Scimitar Starship* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: The Scimitar, also known as the Sith Infiltrator, was a heavily modified Star Courier and the personal starship of Darth Maul. After his defeat on Moraband, the experimental starfighter was appropriated by his opponent, Draco. Unable to be traded.* *Stats: Length - 26.5 m Max Speed - 1180 kph Max Acceleration - 5000 G Hyperdrive - Equipped Extras - Cloaking Device Complement - 1 Speeder, 3 Probe Droids* *Weapons: Concealed Laser Cannons Proton Torpedo Launcher Minelayer (launches mines)* This day just couldn''t get any better! Tyler turned to the group. "I am going to fly this starship back to the frigate. You guys grab your starfighters and meet me there." Without waiting for a response, Tyler excitedly ran into the ???kpit and took off. The reason he was excited was not because he got a new ship. He was excited because he could give this ship to his mother! A Senator needs to travel in style. Let''s be real, the Scimitar is quite a s?xy starship. It is also armed to the teeth and has a hyperdrive! Stick a good pilot in the front seat and there wouldn''t be a safer place to be. He landed the Scimitar in the frigate''s hangar. A few minutes later, his group returned. They then walked to the bridge and set course for Coruscant. The flight would take a few hours so he decided to browse the forums. (Yeah, I''m retconning this in. Deal with it.) Nothing interesting was happening. This was quite a boring era in Star Wars. Not much would happen between the first and second episode. Maybe he could speed things up a bit to make thingsˇ­ less boring. Then again, he might not have to since Palpatine lost his easy route to power. His only solution now was to take over the CIS and wage brutal war on the galaxy. Tyler was hoping for the second so he could keep his focus on the most important thing for him. MONEY! In the case it wasn''t obvious, Tyler loves money. How else is he supposed to have Limitless plastered across the galaxy? However, there was currently an opportunity that has arisen for him. He is lightyears ahead of the rest of the player base in terms of levels. Due to this, he would have time to do something that was crucial to his class. Training! He could hone his skills and ensure that even if someone was several levels over him, they wouldn''t stand a chance. He could also do this while he explores the galaxy to uncover untold riches. That is just a mere afterthought though. Unfortunately, even with everything going on for him, he was not amused enough. He therefore decided to make a forum post. The subject line was this: "Limitless Seeks Capital Investors for Partnership Initiatives" He filled the post with vague information about various initiatives that the guild was taking and what types of investors he was looking for. Mostly large corporations that are seeking an entrance to Galactic Expedition. They would also have to meet with him in game. This put him in the position of power since they would be coming to him. He made sure to emphasize that investors should not expect to acquire shares. Then he clicked "post". Within seconds, the post was trending. It was a big deal. This was the first post that the guild leader of Limitless has published. Even more so that it was such a crazy subject. There were three types of responses. The first were the skeptics. They ridiculed Tyler for posting this by making claims that there was no way that corporations would invest in this game. The second were the admirers. These people were impressed that Tyler would make such a bold claim. At this stage of the game, most guilds would be begging for investments and happily hand out shares. Meanwhile, Limitless was tossing out a fishing line with some bait on it and had no doubts that the corporations would bite. The last type were the spectators. They were enjoying themselves from the sidelines. They made comments about wondering who would take the bait. This group was by far the majority since almost everyone was curious what move Limitless would take next. Several hours later, they arrived over Coruscant. Tyler had someone take the Scimitar down to the private hangar in the guild hall. He boarded his fighter and led his group down to the Jedi Temple to turn in their quest. Soon enough, the group stepped into the council chambers. Windu smiled. "I take it your mission was a success?" Tyler nodded. "Very much so." He then withdrew all of the Sith Holocrons from his inventory, except for the special one from Revan, and handed them over to the council. Windu was shocked. He did not expect such a bounty. "What of the Dark Jedi?" Tyler shrugged. "We took care of them. However, there was a much more interesting development." Windu raised his brow. "Do tell, Draco." Tyler sighed. "When we were about to enter a second temple, we were met with an unexpected guest. He goes by the name, Darth Maul. He is a Sith." The Jedi Council was shocked. Yoda sighed. "Returned, the Sith have. Surprised, I am not." Windu nodded. "It is no wonder that our minds have been clouded by the dark side. What happened? And was he the master or the apprentice?" Tyler chuckled. "That pathetic excuse for a Sith was no master. I had a little talk with him afterwards and he sang like a bird. Care to guess who the Sith Lord is?" Windu rolled his eyes. "Just tell us. There are trillions, if not more, beings in the galaxy. It could be anyone." Tyler shook his head. "It turns out that he was right under your noses. His name is Darth Sidious, more commonly known as Senator Sheev Palpatine." With that bomb dropped, everyone''s jaws hit the floor. Windu was furious. "Are you sure?" Tyler laughed. "Of course I am sure. I went through his memories myself! And you lot are damn lucky that I intervened with the whole Naboo affair. He was almost named Supreme Chancellor for fu?ks sake." Windu sighed. "Although we do not approve of your methods, we must thank you for your deeds. You have saved us for now." Another voice from the side of the room called out. "I have had visions as of late. Through the darkness, I can see a great war that spans the galaxy. It appears that this Sith Lord is at the center of it all." Tyler turned to see who talked. He was surprised because it was someone he thought to be dead. It was none other than Jedi Master Sifo Dyas. The one who commissioned the clone army. Tyler smiled. "Master Sifo Dyas, you are correct. I have had these visions as well." Windu sighed. "This news is quite concerning. We shall meditate on it and come up with a solution. You are dismissed Draco." *Quest Completed: Investigate Moraband* *Rank: Epic* *Rewards: Darth Revan''s Legacy* Tyler rolled his eyes upon seeing this. He was inwardly hoping that this was not the reward for the quest. Oh well, what could he do. As he walked out he overheard something. Sifo Dyas stood up. "If you all would excuse me, I have something to attend to." A lightbulb lit up in Tyler''s head. He then waited for the master to walk out of the chambers before boarding an elevator with him and Kai. Obi Wan and Anakin stayed behind. Hopefully they would not expose the whole affair with Darth Revan. Tyler turned to Sifo Dyas. "I don''t believe we have had the opportunity to meet. My name is Draco." He bowed. Sifo Dyas smiled. "It is a p???sur? to meet you Draco. I am Jedi Master Sifo Dyas." Tyler smiled back. "I couldn''t help but overhear that you had something to attend to. Where might you be headed?" Sifo Dyas had to suppress his panic. He did not want his actions getting leaked. "I have some personal matters to attend to. With the coming war, I have some affairs to get in order." Tyler smirked. This could not be a worse excuse for a monk. "I hate to be intrusive, Master Sifo Dyas, but would you happen to be headed to Kamino?" Sifo Dyas froze. He had been found out! The one thing he didn''t want happening had come to fruition. "How did you know? I haven''t told anyone about this." Tyler chuckled. Having high charisma really is a blessing. "I was just curious. I have been meaning to head there myself. I heard that their cloning facilities are magnificent. With all the talks of war, in addition to the fact that Jedi don''t really have personal affairs, I would be surprised if you weren''t headed to commission an army. Aside from that, Kamino would be the best place to go for such a thing." Sifo Dyas sighed. "Well, it would seem that you have caught me. What will you do with this information?" Tyler smiled. "Oh, you don''t have to worry. I would never tell the Council about this. If anything, they will be on the hands and knees thanking you for this once the war comes around. It is in fact the complete opposite! I would like to join you on your little trip to Kamino." Sifo Dyas chuckled. "Well, it couldn''t hurt to have someone of your status with me when I negotiate with the Kaminoans." Tyler nodded. "I am also sure that traveling in one of my frigates would be much more comfortable." Sifo Dyas nodded. "Indeed. This could also be a good lesson for your padawan. Afterwall, the purpose of him being your padawan was for him to gain experience in this type of thing." Tyler laughed. "I guess that is the case. I just hope I don''t rub off on him too much. I doubt the Jedi Council is too fond of me." Sifo Dyas shook his head. "Although they are not very fond of your methods, they think that you embody what the Jedi Order used to be. I, on the other hand, am a strong supporter of yours. The things you get done deserve a lot of merit. I commend you." Tyler smiled. "That is good to hear." Now his mind was made up. With Sifo Dyas''s support, he might even be able to snag a seat on the Jedi Council! Now all he had to do was save his life and his one way ticket to glory would be booked. At least that is what he thinks! Chapter 18 - Commissioning an Army In high orbit over Kamino, a Pelta-Class frigate dropped out of hyperspace. Three Jedi starfighters departed from the frigate. As they headed out, Tyler received a call from Private Johnson. "Guild Leader, we found one of their facilities on our scanners. I''m sending over the coordinates now." Tyler smiled. "Thank you Johnson. Let me know if anything interesting happens up there. I would rather avoid any unwanted guests." Johnson nodded. "Will do." He hung up. A few seconds later, the coordinates were transferred to Tyler. After a few minutes, they were approaching the facility. Kamino is a very interesting planet. It is covered with deep oceans and the cities are held up above the surface. The thunderstorms on the planet are nearly endless. They landed on a large landing pad connected to the facility. All three of them put up the hoods on their cloaks and disembarked their fighters. Then, they walked down the walkway to enter the facility. While they were walking towards the entrance, Tyler turned to Sifo Dyas. "Is it true that Master Windu''s lightsaber has ''Bad Mothafucka'' engraved on it?" Sifo Dyas froze. "That is a council secret. How do you know?" Tyler shrugged. "Just a lucky guess?" Sifo Dyas rolled his eyes. "Don''t tell anyone!" The doors slid open and they stepped inside. Once they did, an attendant met them. The woman was a Kaminoan. She had a small head and a tall, skinny body. She wore sky blue and white robes. "Welcome to Kamino Master Jedi. How may we be of service?" Sifo Dyas stepped forward. "We are here to commission an army. Would we be able to meet with the Prime Minister?" The attendant nodded. "Of course. Right this way." She guided them through the facility to a meeting room. Sitting in a suspended chair on the far end of the room was another Kaminoan. He was wearing black and white robes with a neck piece. "I present to you, Prime Minister Lama Su." Lama Su nodded. "It is a p???sur? to meet you Master Jedi..." Sifo Dyas smiled. "Sifo Dyas. It is great to meet you too. My ?ssociates here are Lord Draco and his padawan, Kai." They bowed. Lama Su smiled. "Ah, Lord Draco. I was hoping I would get the chance to meet you one of these days." Tyler smiled. "I have heard many great things about your people. To my knowledge, you guys are unparalleled in the field of cloning." Lama Su waved his hand. "You flatter us too much. Please, take a seat and let''s get down to business." Three seats came down from the ceiling. The three Jedi sat down in them. "So what do you require of our services?" Sifo Dyas sighed. "There is a war coming. The Republic needs an army." Lama Su nodded. "That is what we do. What is the scale of this war?" Sifo Dyas sighed again. "Unfortunately, we anticipate that the war will span the galaxy." Lama Su shook his head in surprise. "That is quite the conflict." Sifo Dyas nodded. "Indeed. I don''t know too much about this so do you have any recommendations on quantity?" Lama Su thought for a moment. "We have never done anything on this scale before. However, I would estimate that the initial order should comprise at least a million units. The only question that remains is what you would like to use as the template." Tyler spoke up. "If I mayˇ­" Sifo Dyas nodded. "Let''s place the initial order at 1.2 million units. I also have an idea for who I want to use as the template." Sifo Dyas perked up. "Who do you have in mind?" Tyler smiled. "There is a certain bounty hunter that I have heard of. He is a human and goes by the name of Jango Fett. This would be a good opportunity to make his acquaintance." Sifo Dyas sighed. "I''ll trust you on this. You seem to be much more experienced in this type of thing despite being so young. I can see why the council is so interested in you." Lama Su nodded. "A human bounty hunter is an excellent choice for the template. The sooner they can arrive, the better. How will you be handling payment?" Sifo Dyas was about to talk but Tyler cut him off. "I will handle it. I plan to meet with Supreme Chancellor Valorum regarding this matter. We will need the full support of the Senate." Lama Su smiled. "That would be splendid. I look forward to hearing from you. The account numbers will be provided for you." Tyler nodded. "Thank you for your time, Prime Minister." Lama Su nodded. "Of course. It will be a p???sur? doing business with you." The attendant guided the group out of the facility. Once they were outside, Tyler gave Xander a call. "Hey Draco, what can I do for ya?" Tyler smiled. "I need you to make contact with Jango Fett. I have a job for him." Xander was curious. "What is the job?" Tyler chuckled. "Just tell him that the pay is good and drop my name. Bounty Hunters love to have powerful friends. I want to meet him in the guild hall as soon as possible. Have him land in the private hangar." Xander sighed. "I guess this is just another one of your surprises." Tyler shrugged. "All I''ll say is that I''m in pretty deep." Xander rolled his eyes. "One of these daysˇ­" He hung up. Tyler turned to Sifo Dyas. "Let''s head back to Coruscant. We need to meet with the Chancellor." Sifo Dyas nodded before turning to Kai. "So, padawan, how is it learning under Draco?" Kai smiled. "It is definitely more fun than what I have heard that most Jedi do." Sifo Dyas chuckled. "That is definitely true. He is one of a kind in the order." Several hours later, they were on Coruscant. The group boarded a LAAT and headed to the Senate Building. While they were in transit to Coruscant, Tyler contacted the Office of the Chancellor and arranged a meeting. Valorum stood up as Tyler and his group entered the room. "Lord Draco, to what do I owe this p???sur??" Tyler sighed. "Chancellor Valorum, it has been a while. We have some work to do my friend." Valorum raised his brow as he waved for them to take a seat. "What can I help you with?" Tyler frowned. "We are going to have a lot of convincing to do. There is a war coming." Valorum tilted his head. "What kind of war?" Tyler shook his head. "Not just any war. This one will engulf the entire galaxy." Valorum shook his head. "How can this be? I mean, there are some systems seceding from the Republic but I doubt that there will be a war." Tyler sighed. "Many Jedi have seen visions of the coming conflict. We must rally the Republic and raise an army. If we don''t do so, we won''t have a chance." Valorum looked distraught. "Who will the enemy be?" Tyler frowned again. "Unfortunately, it is someone that you are quite familiar with. Recently, the Jedi Council has discovered that former Senator Palpatine is actually a Sith Lord that goes by the name, Darth Sidious." Valorum was shocked. "Iˇ­ I haven''t heard of this yet. Where did they get this information." Tyler smiled. "Your''s truly. I uncovered the information from the apprentice that he sent to eliminate me. I threw a wrench in his plans for galactic domination by intervening in the Naboo affair. He probably would have become Supreme Chancellor if not for my actions." Valorum nodded. "You are probably right. He was attempting to call a vote of no confidence before you declared war on the Trade Federation." Tyler scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Oh boy, I forgot about that yet again." Valorum nearly coughed up blood. "You are really something. I can never get a read on you. Back to the matter at hand, where are we supposed to raise such an army?" Tyler smirked. "Master Sifo Dyas and I have already arranged the setup. All that is left is the necessary resources and to contract some weapons manufacturers." Valorum raised his brow. "Please, enlighten me." Tyler continued. "We just met with the Prime Minister of Kamino. They have agreed to produce our army. My men are currently contacting the man we plan to use for the clone template. In addition, I happen to be able to broker a deal with the Kuat Drive Yards on the Republic''s behalf." Valorum sighed. "This soundsˇ­ expensive. Do you have any sort of ballpark figure?" Tyler shook his head. "I am sure you have seen reports on my fleets. One of them is even garrisoned on Coruscant. In fact, that is b?r?ly passable for a fleet. Including the complement and ground based hardware, each of those costs over 600 million credits. This is just the minimum acceptable expense for something like this." "I estimate that each unit of cruisers and escorts would cost somewhere in the range of a billion credits. On top of that, we would then need ground resources. Tanks, speeders, artillery, low altitude aircraft, all of these things are needed and more. Each set of equipment for ground operations including the starship that can ferry it all across the galaxy would cost somewhere around 200 million credits." "Next, we need the personnel for all of this. Pilots, maintenance, ground units, specialists, officers, all of these are things we will need. The Kaminoans can train the clones for most of these roles but we will need to come up with our high command. The clones alone will cost around a billion credits for the initial order which includes 1.2 million units." "Lastly, we will also require resources to keep everything moving. Things like food, weapons, munitions, fuel, and medicine will be needed. Those will be a dynamic cost as the war goes on." Valorum wanted to slam his head through a wall. "Thisˇ­ It will be a challenge, no doubt about it." Tyler nodded. "This is the price of freedom and democracy my friend.??? Valorum let on a small smile. "On the bright side, it is great to have you on my side. I would hate to think about what would have happened if that treasonous bastard became Chancellor." Tyler perked up. "That reminds me. Have you heard anything regarding Palpatine as of late?" Valorum shook his head. "Now that I think about it, he completely disappeared after he finished his term as senator." Tyler sighed. "This is troublesome. It seems as if this war will come sooner than expected. I thought that we would have about 10 years but he will probably make some drastic moves to speed things up. His goal is to rule over the galaxy with an iron fist." Valorum nodded. "It would seem so. I will call for an emergency session. Would you mind speaking before everyone? With your reputation, it will be much easier to pull the vote in our favor." Tyler shook his head. "I was hoping that this could be done without the Senate''s approval. I guess it was unrealistic of me to think that such a large payment could be approved without a vote." Valorum shook his head. "You misunderstand. I have the ability to make the payment. However, it will ease the burden on the Republic''s treasury if we can garner the support of the allied systems. Would you be willing to burden the role of a broker in this matter?" Tyler smiled and nodded. "It would be a p???sur?, Chancellor." *Long Term Quest Triggered: Broker to the Republic* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: Supreme Chancellor Valorum has tasked you with brokering the commission of the Grand Army of the Republic. You will be in charge of all matters related to resource acquisition for the GAR. *Reward: Unknown* ''The rewards for this quest should be fantastic. I never would have expected that something like this would be a quest.'' Valorum smiled. "Wonderful. With you at my side, there will be no issues protecting the Republic. I have sent out the summons for the emergency session and it will take place in a few hours. I''ll see you then." Tyler nodded as he stood up. "Sounds good Chancellor. I''ll be on my way then." The group then headed out. As they walked, Sifo Dyas turned to Tyler. "I don''t think that there is a single person in the Jedi Order that can do things like you do." Tyler shrugged. "I recently said this to Obi Wan. My morals do not align with the Council. However, we do have ideologies in common." Sifo Dyas nodded. "I can definitely agree with that." Suddenly, Tyler got a call. "Guild Leader, some bounty hunter named Jango Fett is here to meet with you." Tyler smiled. "Tell him I''ll be right over." A short flight later, Tyler was sitting across from the legendary Jango Fett. "Wonderful weather we''re having!" Fett rolled his eyes. "Don''t waste my time. The only reason I came is because I heard your name. I hope your reputation isn''t for naught." Tyler chuckled. "I was just trying to be friendly. Anyways, let''s get down to business. I would like to hire you as the template for cloning." Fett''s eyes widened at that. "Interesting. What does this job entail?" Tyler continued. "It is a long term ?ssignment. Essentially, the Kaminoans will need to take some genetic samples and you will oversee some of the training." Fett thought for a moment. "This is an interesting one. Never thought that other people would wear my face. One question for you Draco. Why me? There are plenty of bounty hunters out there." Tyler smiled. "But there are few who have your reputation, Jango Fett. Both in terms of your skills and your discretion." "Think of it. A Grand Army of the Republic. A show of strength and power like the galaxy has never seen. All stemming from you. How many men can claim such a legacy?" Fett sighed. "When you put it like that, it makes it hard to decline. I have a request on top of the pay." Tyler perked up. "If it is within my power, it shall be done. Name your price." Fett smiled. "20 million. And I want an unaltered clone for myself." Tyler raised his brow. "Ah, that is quite interesting. Never would have pegged you as the father type." Fett shrugged. "I''ve never had the time for a woman. They''re too expensive. Why pass up the opportunity when it is made available?" Tyler nodded. "That makes sense. Anyways, your conditions are acceptable. Hopefully this is the beginning of a prosperous relationship." As he said this, Tyler checked Jango Fett''s stats. *Jango Fett, 26 years, Bounty Hunter* *Level 93* Fet nodded. "With your status and resources, there is no doubt that our relationship will be profitable." Tyler smiled. "I have one other request. Don''t take any jobs from the Trade Federation. In exchange for this, I am willing to offer protection and the ability to operate out of this building." Fett shrugged. "I will take it into consideration but no promises. You know how my field of work operates. Our services go to the highest bidder." Tyler sighed. "Oh well. At least I could say I tried. Hopefully you can come around in the future. Whenever you are bored, I am confident that I can find something fun and profitable for you to do. Also, feel free to use my facilities to train the kid. As I always say, you can never have too many powerful friends in this galaxy." Fett chuckled. "You can say that again. When can I accept the payment?" Tyler pressed a bu??on on his wrist comm and the door opened. A guild member walked in with a crate and set it on the table before opening it up. "Here is the payment in cash. You can tell the Kaminoans about the other thing when you get there. Tell them I''ll cover everything and to put it on my tab." Fett laughed. "Is it your tab? Or the Republic''s?" Tyler waved his hand. "The credits for your payment and whatever it takes to pay for the kid are mine. The rest is on The Republic." Fett was surprised. "That is quite generous of you. I will remember this." Tyler smiled. "I hope so. Anyways, I am sure you have things to do before you are locked down on Kamino for a while so I''ll let you go." He got up and reached out to shake Fett''s hand. Fett smiled. "Thank you. I look forward to doing business with you in the future." He then shook Tyler''s hand. They made some small talk as Tyler accompanied Jango Fett to his ship. They talked about how Fett was impressed with the facilities and Tyler asked a bunch of questions about the Slave I. Then he boarded his ship and took off. Tyler then summoned Shmi and his mother. They had a senate session to attend. After just a few minutes, they joined Tyler in the hangar. Once they got the living arrangements figured out, Julia is living with Tyler in his penthouse. Shmi was given an executive suite on the 9th floor. They boarded the Scimitar and headed to the hangar in the Senate Building. It had been a few days since he last saw Shmi and his mother so he asked how they were doing on the way over. Julia has been adjusting to the game nicely. Most of her day is filled with meetings and events. She was actually planning to host one of such events in the near future. In her spare time, she had been training with the ELG-3A Blaster Pistol that Tyler gave her or hanging out with Shmi. They enjoyed the recreational facilities available in the guild hall. Shmi had been having a bit of trouble adjusting. This life was very different from that of a slave. She described having people serve her instead of serving others as weird and foreign. However, her physical appearance would not tell the same story. After she was cleaned up and dressed in something other than rags, she was beautiful. She would regularly attract the eyes of guild members in passing. Aside from themselves, they had taken on a few guild members that were interested in the politician class. Not including Shmi, there were 5 ambassadors in the guild. They would serve as representatives of Limitless and any worlds in its control. Tyler wasn''t surprised to find out that of the 5 ambassadors, there were three females other than his mom. In addition, one of them was apparently 19 years old. Julia relentlessly convinced Tyler to meet the girl since she had been talking him up to her. Tyler caved and agreed to meet her after the emergency session. The arguments she was making about how Tyler has never had a girlfriend and that she wanted grandkids are what really sent it home. After suffering through his mother''s coercion, they finally arrived at the Senate Building. Julia really was the only player in the game that he is helpless against. Kai found this quite entertaining. There was something funny about watching some woman, who has virtually no combat prowess, completely steamroll his master. As the four of them departed the Scimitar, they saw a familiar face. "Padme, it is wonderful to see you." Tyler smiled. Padme walked over to their group with her party. "Draco, Cynthia, Shmi, Kai, it is great to see you all too. Allow me to introduce you to the newest representative of Naboo, Jar Jar Binks. On the surface, Tyler put on a welcoming face. But internally it was anything but. ''That thing, oh no. The force screams warnings just being on the same planet as him. Aside from that, there is nothing that can convince me that Jar Jar was not supposed to be a Sith Lord until they introduced Dooku.'' (This is actually a conspiracy theory. I think it''s pretty funny. Look up Darth Jar Jar and read away. It low-key makes sense.) Julia took the initiative. "It is a p???sur? to meet you, Representative Binks. Any friend of Padme''s is a friend of mine." She smiled. Tyler just smiled and made sure to keep his distance from the walking catastrophe known as Darth Jar Jar. After a short walk, they split up to enter their respective pods. As they were walking, he got a call from Master Windu. "What can I do for you Master? I only have a few minutes before the senate will be in session." Windu nodded. "I am aware of that. The Jedi Council has caught wind of what is to be discussed today in the senate. I would like you to also represent the Jedi Council in today''s session. Due to our limited numbers, we are not capable of keeping the peace in the galaxy on our own. Thus, we are in support of raising an army." Tyler was shocked. Did he just hear that correctly? The Jedi Council approves of the GAR? Whatever they''re smoking, Tyler definitely has to get some! "It is good to know that the Chancellor and I have the support of the order. If we combine all of our reputations, it should not be a problem to convince the senate to pass a bill." Windu smiled. "May the force be with you, Draco." He hung up. This should make for a pleasant surprise for Valorum. A few minutes later, Valorum stood up in the center of the chamber. "I declare this emergency ?ssembly of the Galactic Senate in session." Everyone quieted down upon hearing those words. "I am sure that many of you are wondering why you were called here today. It is my duty as Supreme Chancellor to dedicate all of my efforts to maintaining the freedom and democracy of the Galactic Republic." "Keeping this in mind, it pains me greatly to have to stand before you at this time. I have been informed that there is a new threat to our ways of life. To explain this further, I would like to give the floor to Lord Draco of Kessel." Kessel''s pod floated over to the center of the room. Tyler stood up. "I stand before you in all my capacities. I speak on behalf of Kessel, Limitless, and the Jedi Order. I shall start at the beginning. In recent times, the Jedi Order has been struggling. The dark side of the force has clouded our foresight." "I am sure that many of you are not the most knowledgeable on the force so I shall give a brief explanation. The force is what connects everything in the universe, both organic and inorganic. As with everything in life, the force has two sides. The light side of the force is what the Jedi Order prides themselves in using. It can heal injuries and save lives. On the other hand, the dark side of the force is a powerful weapon that is used for manipulation and harm." "Recently, we have discovered the source of these dark energies. Chancellor Valorum, may I?" Valorum nodded. "You may continue, Lord Draco." Tyler smiled. "Through an encounter with one of his followers, we have discovered that former Senator Sheev Palpatine was the source of these dark energies. He is a Sith Lord that goes by the name of Darth Sidious." Everyone was shocked. Tyler just dropped quite the bomb on the senate. There had been a Sith right under their noses for a long time! Tyler shrugged. "There is no use in fretting about the past. What is done, is done. We should, however, count ourselves fortunate that he did not gain the opportunity to become Supreme Chancellor. If everyone would recall, he attempted to call a vote of no confidence. It turns out that the entire Naboo Affair was orchestrated by him to gain power." "Following the end of his term as a senator, he has disappeared. I have no doubts that he has joined forces with the Separatists. This is the source of our current dilemma. The Sith Order will stop at nothing to achieve their goals of ruling the galaxy with an iron fist. They will be cooperating with the CIS to raise an army and wage war on our Republic." "Before I move on, I want to ingrain a fact into everyone''s minds. There is a high price for freedom and democracy. Keeping our freedom and our worlds in the hands of our people does not come for free. If we sit here and do nothing while the Separatists raise an army and attack our homes, there will be no more freedom to speak of." "With this, I would like to present the Military Creation Act. This act will enable the Supreme Chancellor to organize a military force to defend the Republic. I can promise you, this army will not be used to expand the Republic''s influence. It is solely for the express purpose of defending our freedom!" About half of the chamber erupted in applause. ''It would seem that the vote is split. I guess I have to pull out the big guns.'' Tyler continued. "Currently, this bill is backed by the Office of the Supreme Chancellor, Kessel, Limitless, and the Jedi Order. In addition, the Jedi Order has agreed to offer their services in commanding the army. If anyone would like to read the bill, a draft has been sent to each of your pods. In addition, I will be taking questions." Everyone gasped in surprise. They would never have thought in a million years that the Jedi Order would endorse the creation of an army and then even take part in the fighting. Many factions that were on the fence now firmly supported the bill and some who were opposed were opening their minds up to be changed. As expected, Naboo''s pod floated off the wall. Padme seemed a bit flustered. "Why are we not exploring a peaceful resolution to this? The fact that a war has not started still stands." The chamber was in uproar. Many senators agreed with this ?ssertion. Some had a better grip on the current situation so they were opposing it. "ORDER! THERE WILL BE ORDER IN THIS CHAMBER!" Everyone quieted down following Valorum''s demand. Tyler nodded. "Thank you Chancellor. To answer that question, I must impart some knowledge onto you all. Are any of you familiar with The Sith Code?" Silence purveyed the room. Tyler continued. "I didn''t think so. The Sith Order has a code that they live by. It is what drives them to commit atrocities. It goes like this: Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken. The force shall free me." "The Sith Order will not stand for peace. They thrive in war. In fact, they even seek it out. The emotions created through violence feed them. It is like a drug that gives them power and fuels their insanity. Since the Sith are behind the CIS, I see no path that doesn''t lead to war." Padme couldn''t accept this answer. "What will raising an army accomplish? This is not some kind of game where we are trying to prove that we have a bigger stick! Just because the CIS is raising an army, that does not mean that we must as well. If anything, us doing so would be no different than an open provocation of the Separatists." Tyler shook his head. "You are not taking into account the most important things. The Trade Federation set up a blockade of and occupied Naboo. They used your people as hostages. They threatened your very existence! If I did not intervene, your people would have been used as bargaining chips. Are you willing to concede to these tyrants each and every time they invade a world?" "If they came anywhere near Kessel, I would do everything in my power to erase them from the galaxy. I do not negotiate with terrorists and neither should any of you. Your job is to protect your people and their freedom. If we allow the CIS to trample over us, how could we ever stand before our people as their representative?" Padme was completely and utterly defeated. How could a former queen possibly lose in the game of politics to a mere 18 year old? She decided to take one more shot before backing down. "I will concede to those points. However, I have one question. How can you guarantee to us that you are not making a similar move to Palpatine? It is not that I doubt your loyalty to the Republic. It is more so that I want to be confident that there are no ulterior motives." Tyler smiled. "It would be outrageous to even consider that I wish to take power for myself. I am a leader because I am strong and provide for my people. However, I despise the political portion of the role. You can look at anything I do. For running Limitless, I defer to my fantastic Vice Guild Leaders. When it comes to the Senate and other representative activities, I have my mother and several ambassadors to rely on. Lastly, when it comes to governing Kessel, I found someone to do that too!" "I don''t want political power or influence. All I want is to be free to explore and improve myself! In doing this, I dedicate my life to providing for and protecting the people that have helped me get where I am today. Anyone who knows me will understand that this is the truth. Those who help me, I help in return." As he finished speaking, the chamber exploded in applause. It would seem that he accomplished what he needed to. "I will now turn it back over to Supreme Chancellor Valorum." Valorum nodded and stood up. "Thank you for your inspiring words Lord Draco. Before we put this to a vote, I would like for everyone to be aware that Lord Draco has volunteered to broker the commission of this army. Without further adieu, I will now open the polls." Several minutes passed. It seemed that this vote would take longer than the last one Tyler was present for. It took almost 20 minutes for the vote to be completed. Valorum stood up. "I will now announce the results of the vote. With an 80% approval, the Military Creation Act will be enacted as law from this point forward. If you are interested in joining the Military Oversight Committee, please contact my office by the end of the week. I declare this session adjourned." Chapter 19 - First Date (Just a heads up. I do not write R-18 content. Don''t expect it. It will be hinted at but not explicitly written about. Also, sorry for the late release and shortish chapter. I didn''t wanna make a chapter with no juice super long and I was super into a conversation I was having while writing it lol. Enjoy <3) The rest of the day was pretty boring. Tyler contacted the Kuat Drive Yards and placed an initial order on behalf of the Republic Navy. On top of that, he ordered an additional fleet for Limitless with the funds gained from the dungeon. Along with the profits from the mines on Kessel, it was time to acquire one of his target worlds. Tyler looked around the guild hall for Xander but he was told that he was currently on an ?ssignment for the Jedi Order. He sent him a message to expand the guild hall when he returned. Fortunately, he was able to find John. "Hey, I got something I need you to handle." John turned to him. "What needs to be done?" Tyler smiled. "I want you to take a fleet and some construction materials to Scarif. It is about time that we made an acquisition. Head out immediately." John perked up. "Oh, that reminds me. One of the ambassadors told me that there are a bunch of investors looking to meet with us. What should I say?" Tyler grinned. "This is perfect timing. Have the ambassador tell them that I will be meeting with them tomorrow over lunch. They can arrive at the guild hall any time before then. Speaking of ambassadors, I have a date tonight." John raised his brow. "Do ya now? It''s about time you get yourself a woman." He laughed. Tyler shrugged. "It''s not my fault that I''m not as good looking as you are." John shook his head. "Looks aren''t everything my friend. You''re quite the smooth talker in case you didn''t realize." Tyler waved his hand and turned to walk away. "Nonsense. Anyways, send some video footage and pictures of some prime real estate on Scarif. I''ll need something to show those investors tomorrow." John laughed. "You just enjoy yourself tonight. I''ll handle the operation." Tyler headed off to his room. He had to clean up before his date. He decided that he would dress up a bit for the meal. Not too much though. It would not look good if he showed up in Jedi robes or the suit he wears to the Senate. After a nice shower and some personal grooming, he was ready to get dressed. He bu??oned up a collared shirt. It was white with red and blue tinted plaid. Over that he put on a cream colored, cashmir, pullover sweater. On his left wrist, he wore a beautiful watch. It was made of brushed beskar steel and had a quartz face. For pants, he wore slim fitting blue slacks with a brown leather belt. To finish it off, he wore brown leather shoes. He stood in front of the large mirror in his bedroom and was satisfied with his look. Then there was a knock on the door. His suite was empty tonight. His mother was staying with Shmi and she dragged Kai with her to keep him out of the way. Thus, there was only one person the knock could be for. Excited to meet the beauty that awaited him, he rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a scotch glass. He tossed in a few ice cubes, poured in some 15 year aged whisky, and finished it off with a splash of water. (Just some knowledge for you guys. There are three main ways to enjoy brown liquor. You can drink it straight, which means that you have it plain with nothing in it. You can have it on the rocks, which means that you have it with some ice cubes. You can also have it with a splash of water, which means that you take a bit of water and put it in with the liquor. I personally use a bunch of ice cubes and a splash of water.) As he walked over to the door, he took a few deep breaths. ''Calm down Tyler, you can do this. It''s just a girl. You have overcome much more difficult things before.'' He lifted his empty hand and pressed the open bu??on on the control pad. He put on a cool face as the door slid open. He looked up ready to lay his eyes on his date. Once his vision focused on the person that stood before him, you could definitely say that he was surprised. Tyler shook his head in confusion. "Who the fu?k are you?" After saying that a bit loud, he could hear giggling from around the corner that was down the hall. The person that was in front of him was not his date. It was just some random guild member. "I am El Capitan, an elite member of the guid. Vice Guild Leader Napoli sent me to deliver this to you." He held out a small package. Tyler snatched the package. He glared at El Capitan before closing the door. He walked over to the kitchen and placed down his drink. The package was crudely wrapped and had a winking face drawn on the front. Tyler ripped it open to see what was inside. He picked up the item and examined it. It was a pack of ??nd?ms with the words, "Good luck! -J" written on it. ''OH THAT MOTHERFUCKER! I''M SO GONNA BEAT HIS ASS WHEN I SEE HIM NEXT!'' Tyler opened the box and tossed the packaging into the garbage before slipping the ??nd?ms into his pocket. He then heard another knock at the door. Repeating his last shtick, he grabbed the scotch glass, walked over to the door, put on a cool face, and then opened the door. There was a woman standing there this time. In a soft and seductive voice she said, "Are you Draco?" Tyler nodded. "Yes I am. Who might you be?" Again, Tyler heard giggling from the end of the hall. "I was told you wanted to get laid. Are we doing this or what?" Tyler rolled his eyes and yelled, "JOHN, I SWEAR TO GOD!" He then closed the door furiously. In his rage, the furniture in the room shuddered as a wave of telekinetic energy pulsated out from him. Hearing the commotion, he quickly calmed down by taking some deep breaths. "Damn, I really gotta control my emotions. Being a Jedi is a pain in the ?ss." He sat down and started sipping his drink. The alcohol helped calm his nerves as the smoky taste rolled over his tongue. After a few minutes, another knock came from the door. Maybe this time it would actually be who he was waiting for. With his half empty drink, he walked over to the door and opened it up casually. Standing there was a beautiful, human girl that was the epitome of youth. She had wavy brown hair that dropped down to her upper back. She had hazel eyes and a soft and adorable nose. On her lips was a light gloss that didn''t pop too much. She was wearing a cute, textured, midnight blue dress with strings over her shoulders. The color complemented her fair skin perfectly. Finally, she was wearing a pair of cream colored cork wedges with a matching midnight blue strap over her feet. Tyler was stunned. "Wow." She giggled. "What''s wrong?" Tyler shook his head slowly. "Oh no, nothing is wrong. You''re just that beautiful." He let on a half smile as he looked her in the eye. She blushed and looked down before glancing upwards to check if he was still looking. "So, Draco, right?" Tyler shook himself out of his stupor and nodded. "What might your name be?" She smiled. "I''m Emelia." Tyler gently smirked and slightly tilted his head upwards. "Wanna come in for a drink before dinner?" Emelia nodded. Tyler stepped to the side so she could walk in before closing the door behind her. "So what do you like to drink?" She didn''t respond for a moment as she let her eyes wash over his suite. She had never seen something so luxurious before. She then walked over to the island in the kitchen and leaned on the counter. Tyler smiled and walked into the kitchen. He set his drink down on the other side of the island. "Red or white?" Emelia tilted her head. "What do you mean?" Tyler chuckled. "Well, you seem like a wine girl. Would you like red, or white?" Emelia thought for a moment. "I''m not sure. I want something with a strong flavor but not too bold." Tyler smiled. "I know just the thing." He opened up the wine cabinet. Inside was an array of bottles of red wine. He pulled out an expensive bottle of merlot. Grabbing a corkscrew, he flipped out the blade and cut off the foil. He then twisted the screw into the cork and then pulled it out. He turned around and grabbed a red wine glass from the cabinet. He tilted the wine glass to an almost horizontal position. He gripped the wine bottle by the bottom with one hand and poured the glass until it was one third full. He slid the glass across the counter. "This is a 85 BBY Nabooian Merlot. It is light but has a deep aroma with complex flavor. Smell it a bit and then take a sip." Before he let go of the glass, he gently swirled the wine around in the glass. She nodded before elegantly picking up the glass. Placing her nose down to the rim of the glass, she took a deep whiff of the aroma. The smell of berries and dark fruits filled her nostrils. She then put the class to her supple lips and took a sip. Allowing the taste to linger in her mouth, she swallowed the wine. Tyler smiled and looked at her. "How is it?" Emelia blushed a bit. "It is perfect." Tyler nodded. "That''s what I was going for. Soˇ­" They drank and talked for about an hour before heading up to the rooftop restaurant for dinner. The restaurant on the roof was open from 7am to 11pm. They serve the most extravagant cuisines for each meal. For this reason, it is mostly empty except for a few core members and some visiting politicians. When they exited the elevator, there was an attendant waiting. He recognized Tyler immediately. "Right this way sir." He guided them to a L-shaped couch with leather cushions in the corner of the roof. It was a chilly night so there were space heaters turned on. In addition, the stone table that was in front of the couch had a gas fire pit in the middle. For what the weather was, it was quite warm. Tyler took Emelia''s hand and helped her to sit down. He then walked around the table and sat down. "Have you ever been up here before?" She shook her head. "No I haven''t, have you?" Tyler shook his head. "Even though I paid for the whole place, I have not eaten here outside of a catered event. I guess we''ll have to explore the menu together." They laughed. A waiter then came over with a bottle of champagne. Tyler turned to Emelia. "Would you like some champagne?" She smiled. "That would be wonderful." The waiter nodded and set down the ice bucket. He took out a towel and uncorked the champagne with a pop. He set down two champagne flutes and poured into each glass with precision. Not a single drop was on the side of the glass. It is actually surprising how much practice it takes to be able to do this. Tyler grabbed his glass and took a sip. He then sat back into the couch. "So, what do you think you wanna try?" Emelia looked the menu over. "The salmon looks good." Tyler nodded. "I was told to try the steak. It is supposedly one of the best steaks on Coruscant." He then nodded to the waiter and we headed off to fulfill their orders. Emelia laughed. "Really now." Tyler shrugged. "I don''t know. Some senator was raving about it after a session." They both laughed. "So you''re an ambassador right?" She nodded. "Yeah, it is interesting. In the real world, I wanted a job where I could work with people. If I''m being honest, I was playing this game because a few of my friends were getting it. I actually ended up dropping out of college after I realized the salary I was getting just from playing this game. It really is like a job though." Tyler laughed. "What do you do?" Emelia scoffed. "You''re telling me that you pay me and you don''t even know what I do?" Tyler shrugged. "The money may be mine but I honestly don''t do much to manage the guild." She laughed. "I''ll tell you what I do if you tell me what you do." He nodded. "Deal." They both laughed. She thought for a moment. "Well, a lot of what I do is negotiations." Tyler raised his brow and let on a soft smile. "Define negotiations." Emelia giggled. "Dinner parties, banquets, balls, galas, benefits, all things of that sort." He laughed. "So basically you just go to parties with other representatives." She shrugged and took a sip of her champagne. "Well, you can put it that way." They made eye contact and broke into laughter. She then poked his shoulder. "Your turn." He sighed. "Well, I''ve been to a few of those events myself. Most of what I do is exploring and finding new ways to make money. I see the galaxy as a gold mine that has gone untouched. There are countless opportunities out there, ripe for the taking." She laughed. "So you just go around having fun. Is that what I''m hearing?" He shrugged and gave her a teasing look. "Well, you can put it that way." They both laughed. As they were laughing, she brushed his lower th??h with her hand. In response, Tyler inched a bit closer to her on the couch. "So tell me this. What is the most beautiful thing you''ve seen in this game so far?" She thought for a moment. "I''d have to say that it was the sunset on Naboo. My friends and I grabbed some drinks and takeout. We walked out of the city and sat down on the edge of the cliff and had our food. By the time we finished eating, we just sat there in silence, enjoying our drunks and the sunset. It was unreal." Tyler inched a bit closer again. "That sounds almost as beautiful as you." Emelia blushed. "That was really cheesy." They laughed. He shrugged and chuckled. "Well, it did its job." At this moment, the waiter returned with their food. The aroma was powerful and hunger inducing. The first plate was put down in front of Emelia. It was a decently sized portion of grilled salmon on a round dish. It was covered in various herbs and an oily sauce. Then it was topped with an orderve. On the side was some roasted and seasoned potatoes and a scoop of creamy, black, risotto. The second plate was put down for Tyler. It was a sliced porterhouse steak on an ovular plate. It was propped up on a stand and the juices pooled at the bottom of the plate. It came paired with roasted potatoes in melted cheese, topped with chives and bacon bits. Tyler was salivating. "This looks delicious." Emelia nodded. "You could say that again." She took her fork and separated off a piece of salmon. She picked it up with her fork and also scooped a bit of risotto. She delicately took a bite. As she chewed, a joyful expression lit up her face. She finished chewing. "It''s so good!" Tyler smiled and nodded. "I''m glad." They enjoyed a meal together for a while. At around 10:30pm, they were about to leave. "So, where do you usually stay?" Emelia started twirling her hair with her finger. "I usually stay in one of the normal member rooms." Tyler inched closer to her again and smiled. "Would you like to come stay at my place?" She smiled. "Sure, why not?" They laughed. Tyler stood up and walked around the table. He held his hand out and she grabbed it and stood up. She wrapped around his arm and they walked away. As they walked away, Tyler took a 100 credit chip and tossed it to the waiter. "That''s for you my friend. Thank you." He nodded. "Of course Lord Draco. It was a p???sur? serving you this evening." They went to the elevator and rode it down the one floor to his penthouse. They walked down the hall and before they could even make it to the door, she pushed him against the wall and looked him in the eye. In a flash of mutual passion, they began kissing. Tyler placed his hands on her waist and she lifted up one of her legs. He reached down and lifted her up as they continued kissing. She wrapped her legs around him as he walked down the hall. Using the force, he opened up the door. Once they made it inside, he used the force again to close the door. She released her lips from his. "Not gonna lie, that was pretty hot." They laughed and she hopped down. Tyler shrugged. "If I''m being honest, I''ve wanted to try that haha." She giggled. They stared into each other''s eyes for a few seconds. There was an intense, deep passion between them. It felt like something that went beyond ?ust. They truly connected on an emotional level in this one night. They, in the deepest sense of the word, vibed with each other. He dashed forward and scooped her up. He then carried her like a princess to the bedroom as her face lit up red like a stoplight. About an hour later, clothing could be seen scattered all over the master bedroom. A beautiful brunette could be seen snuggling up to a lean, blonde man in the bed. She looked up to him. "So, what''s your real name?" Tyler smiled and looked up at the ceiling. "You first." She giggled. "Alright. My name is Emily. Your turn." Tyler laughed. "That''s a cute name. My name is Tyler." She nuzzled into his ?h?st. "And that''s a hot name." They both laughed. He then took a deep breath and sighed. She looked up at him. "What''s wrong?" He shook his head. "Oh, no. There is nothing wrong. This moment is perfect." She shifted on top of him and looked him in the eye. "So what is it then?" He smiled and snatched a kiss. "I was just wondering, what now?" She laughed and kissed him again. "We can figure that out another time. Let''s just enjoy tonight." He shrugged. "Sounds good to me." He then grabbed the back of her head and pulled her back down into a passionate kiss. Chapter 20 - Money Moves The morning light washed over Coruscant. Within the guild hall, the golden warmth bled in through the windows. On the top floor, a delicious smell permeated through the air. Emily slowly opened her eyes, roused by the aroma. She stretched her arms and sat up. She was still completely n?k?d from the previous night. She went to Tyler''s closet and borrowed a robe. With nothing but that on, she exited the bedroom and went towards the kitchen. The smell grew stronger and more appetizing as she approached. Within the kitchen, Tyler was cooking breakfast for the two of them. Emily walked over and hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms around his torso. Tyler laughed. "Good morning sleepy head." Emily pouted and pulled away. Before she could, Tyler spun around and caught her in a hug. He tilted his head down and kissed the top of her head. She was a decent amount shorter than him so her head stood even with his shoulders. "How''d you sleep?" She smiled and buried her head in Tyler''s ?h?st. "Like a baby. Whatcha cookin?" Tyler grinned. "Well, I was cooking breakfast but I think I found a better meal." He gave her a teasing look. They laughed. Emily looked up at him. "We could go for another round if you want." Tyler shook his head. "If I had time, I would. However, there are some important things I need to take care of today." She frowned. "Okayˇ­" Tyler chuckled. "We can do something tonight if you want." Emily looked up at him and smiled. "I''d like that." Tyler smiled back at her and snagged a quick kiss. Currently, it was about 8AM. At 10AM, there will be a meeting with potential business partners. Various major corporations from the real world were sending representatives to secure a partnership with one of, if not the, top guilds in Galactic Expedition. Tyler and Emily enjoyed breakfast together before he sent her on her way at around 9:30. He then returned to his room and got dressed. He quickly got dressed in semi-formal attire. He wore a bu??on down beige linen shirt with a navy blue cardigan over it. Under the cardigan, he wore his OWB holster. Recently, some of the guild craftsmen started to create joggers. He put on beige joggers and his leather boots. He then strapped on his tactical belt and clipped his two purple sabers to it. Lastly he equipped Darth Revan''s cloak. To preserve the fit, he hid the cloak on his appearance. Once he was dressed, there was only a few minutes before the meeting was set to start. Thus, he headed over to the meeting room. Within the conference room, Xander was waiting with the representatives. Aside from the head of the table, every seat was filled. Representatives from companies in various fields were present. They included fashion, tourism, food, and sports. The door slid open revealing a blonde Jedi. "First, I would like to thank you all for coming. I hope there were not any issues in getting here." Xander shook his head. "They didn''t tell me about anything. We had some transports waiting for them anyways." Tyler smiled and nodded. "That is good to hear." He took his seat. "My name is Lord Draco, Jedi Knight, Guild Leader of Limitless, Sovereign of Kessel, and Former Senator to the Galactic Republic. I am going to kick off this meeting by explaining a few things. After that, I''ll open things up to questions." "As I am sure you already know, Galactic Expedition is a gold mine that has yet to be touched. Players have only scratched the surface of what is available in this game. In fact, it would probably be more accurate to call this another reality rather than a game. This might sound weird but just think about how real this all feels. Once you reach level 10, players even need to do things like sleep and use the bathroom." "What I''m trying to get at, is that there are legitimate opportunities available for exploitation. However, there is no such thing as free lunch. This galaxy is a dangerous place. There are pirates, bounty hunters, terrorists, and other mysterious powers. In this galaxy, strength is almost everything. Even if you have vast wealth and influence, someone who is strong enough is guaranteed to come and take it." "That is where Limitless comes in. At this moment, there are very few powers that can match or exceed us. In addition, two of those powers are galactic governing bodies. We also have a vast network of resource channels and connections. There is no other group of players that can compare at this point in time." He then clicked a bu??on on the control panel in front of him. A hologram of Scarif materialized over the middle of the table. "This is the second world that we have acquired. It is known as Scarif. The entire planet is a tropical paradise. It is also quite remote so the risk posed by enemies is vastly reduced. There is a large amount of untouched resources there. I plan to have it used for tourism and research. Currently, we have a fleet stationed in high orbit and troops on the ground securing the planet. There is not a native sentient species so the operation has been very simple." "Now that you have a basic understanding of where Limitless stands, I will define the general terms of agreement. Firstly, our cooperation is that of a partnership. There is no option to purchase shares of my guild. Secondly, Limitless will ?ssist you with resource acquisition, transportation, and construction. Lastly, the worlds that your ?ssets will be based on are under the control of Limitless. Thus, we will handle security and defense of the ?ssets. Any questions?" One of the representatives quickly raised her hand. "Lord Draco, what is leading you to believe any of us are unable to acquire shares?" Tyler chuckled. "You are mistaken. Limitless is not your usual group. I possess 100% of the shares. I promise you, I am adamant about not giving away any of them. What else?" Another representative called out. "What do the financials of Limitless look like? We would not be interested in partnering with an organization that does not have the capital to back up its infrastructure." Tyler nodded. "That is a great question. Currently, we are bringing in a daily revenue of 59 million credits at the minimum. This is only from our mining operations as the revenue from other sources is immediately reinvested. For reference, one credit is approximately equivalent to four US Dollars. Compared to our income, our daily expenses are negligible. Does that help?" He nodded. "A follow up question then. You mentioned a fleet earlier. Can you delve into what you mean by that?" Tyler smiled. "You are on a roll with these good questions! Currently, Limitless currently has four fleets. Each is composed of three Venator-Class Star Destroyers, an Acclamator-Class Assault Ship, escort frigates and cruisers, and a full complement of both ground and air ?ssets. To put this into perspective, a bombardment from one of my fleets could level New York City in the space of a few hours. In addition, each fleet runs me about 600 million credits or 2.4 billion dollars." The representatives were shocked. They began to suspect that Limitless might be trying to take over the galaxy! Tyler laughed. "You are mistaken if you think I have aspirations of ruling the galaxy. Even a few hundred of these fleets would not be enough to do something like that. What else would you guys like to know?" One of the tourism representatives spoke up. "Lord Draco, please excuse me if this sounds rude, but what can you tell us that can boost our confidence in the future of Limitless? Are there other acquisition targets?" Tyler nodded. "Of course. That is completely understandable. Currently, we have another two targets. Unfortunately, I am not willing to disclose which systems they are. The first one is a snow world. This one would be primarily for tourism and research. This would be an acquisition target. The second is a jungle planet. This would also be for tourism and research. However, this world is a part of the Galactic Republic. Therefore, it would be a partnership rather than an acquisition." All of the representatives were in quite an awkward spot. They came into this thinking that they''d be dealing with some clueless kids playing a game. It was their intention to just dangle a large amount of money in front of his face and take control of the guild. However, they were not prepared for the tycoon that sat before them. Tyler smiled. "If there are no more questions, I will now define the financial terms. In exchange for the resource channels, land, construction, transportation, and protection, 30% of the profits from your ventures in Galactic Expedition will go to Limitless. In addition, you can not partner with or acquire any other guilds while partnered with Limitless." Almost immediately, one of the reps stood up. "That is outrageous! What makes you think you''re in a position to demand that much?" Tyler laughed. "You are clearly mistaken. I don''t think you understand how generous I am being in this offer. In addition, you clearly don''t realize just how much money can be made through this. Unlike what you may think, players that log in from the real world aren''t the only customers that will be patronizing your services." "The trillions of non-player characters are also potential patrons. I can almost guarantee that the majority of your customer base would be made up of this group. In addition, they will almost surely outnumber your patrons in the real world quite quickly." "With my reputation and your experience in your respective fields, our combined resources will amount to unimaginable profits. You will definitely make more in this game than in the real world. There is a lot more to this galaxy than you are aware of. You will not reach the top without my help." The other representatives pulled back. They seemed to be more understanding of their position. However, the one that complained stormed out of the room. Tyler chuckled. "Well that decides the hotel partnership then. If you don''t like these conditions, you may see yourselves out." The room was silent. Not a single representative moved. Tyler smiled. "Great! I look forward to doing business with each of you. For now, we will sign a preliminary agreement. Essentially, we will help you start developing your operations immediately." "This agreement will remain in place until the official contract is signed. If you end up deciding to not partner with us, all ?ssets that we help you secure will be transferred to Limitless and you will reimburse us for the expenses wasted." He then distributed the preliminary contracts around the room. They all scanned through them quickly before signing and handing it back. For fashion, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, and Gucci signed on. For tourism, Marriot signed on. For food, 6 chefs representing different groups signed on. For sports, the Olympic Committee signed on. Tyler was satisfied with this. An unexpected outcome was the Olympic Committee. They came up with the idea of Limitless backing a competition between systems in the Galactic Republic. They would handle the planning and coordination while Limitless would take care of the logistics. The Senators would love that idea so Tyler put them in contact with his mom. News quickly got out regarding the partnerships. Players swarmed to guilds that were partnering with or being acquired by corporations. It is rumored that of the top 10 guilds in the republic, 7 of them were bought out by investment groups. The influx of resources to these guilds began to threaten Limitless''s position at the top. Once the meeting was over, Tyler had the representatives cooperate with guild elders to begin developing their operations. Tyler and Xander were currently in an elevator together. "Draco, we have received 7 insane offers from investment groups since news about the partnerships got out. How should we respond?" Tyler laughed. "What do you think would piss them off more? Ignoring them, or declining instantly?" Xander sighed. "Why do I feel like you are trying to make enemies?" Tyler shook his head. "I just want to make sure that the other guilds and these obnoxious investors know their place. They are no more than ants under my boot. But if it makes you happy, you can decline them politely." Xander nodded. "At least you are being somewhat sensible in this matter. If it weren''t for me, you''d be sitting atop a mountain of credits with the galaxy burning around you." Tyler shrugged. "I don''t think that sounds so bad." They laughed as they arrived in the lobby area. They had received a message that someone was here to meet with Limitless. Since they were around and didn''t have anything better to do, they decided to entertain this visitor. Tyler and Xander entered a private reception room. Inside were three players. Two were standing up. They were level 20. One was a Protector, and one was an Assassin. Sitting down was a nicely dressed man. He was level 10. He wore a look of contempt on his face. Tyler walked in. "Welcome. How may I help you today?" The man scoffed. "Bring me your guild leader. Don''t waste my time." Tyler raised his brows. Internally he was excited. It would seem that someone had so generously arrived to alleviate his boredom. "That would be me. I will repeat myself. How may I help you today?" The man sighed. "I would have thought that you would have more of a presence. Anyways, I am here to purchase your guild. From my firm''s analysis, you guys are worth 200 million dollars. That is what you will get." Tyler currently had his information hidden with his cloak so this guy doesn''t realize how wrong he is. Tyler shook his head. "My friend, you haven''t even introduced yourself yet. I am Lord Draco. Who might you be?" The man laughed. "Oh yes. My name is Eric. I am a board member for the Forest Group. Now, Draco, I ask that you sign the contract and hand over Limitless." He then slid a contract across the table. Tyler laughed. "Eric, I am Lord Draco to you. And also, I am going to have to slightly change that valuation. 200 billion dollars sounds more sensible." He penned in the correction. Eric nearly coughed up blood. "Are you insane? Do you have any idea who you''re dealing with?" Tyler nodded. "I think so. The real question is do you?" Eric rolled his eyes. "You clearly do not realize the position you are in. All I have to do is make one call and your shipping operations will be crippled. I have multiple groups waiting for the signal." Tyler laughed hysterically. He then picked up the contract, crumpled it up, and threw it back in Eric''s face. "Do it. I''m begging you to try me." Eric scoffed. "Is that a threat?" The two players behind him unsheathed their weapons. Tyler shook his head. He casually raised his hand and used the force to pick up the two players. He then swiped his hand to the left and threw them into the wall. "I find it quite peculiar that you threaten me and then complain when I don''t take it lying down." He then revealed his level. *Draco, 18 years, Jedi Knight* *Level 47* Upon seeing this, the color left Eric''s face. "Now now, let''s not be too hasty. I''m sure we can work something out." Tyler laughed. "How comical it is that you''re backpedaling now." Eric shook his head. "Clearly you are too confident of your abilities. One man can not carry an entire guild. I''ll be waiting with a new contract that will have an even lower valuation of Limitless for when you come crawling back to me. I''ll be leaving now." Tyler nodded as he ignited his lightsaber. "Yes, you will be leaving now." With his free hand, he pulled Eric towards him and skewered the idiot with his purple blade. The two players watching this were cowering in the corner. Tyler turned to them and pointed his lightsaber at them. "You have 20 seconds to be out of this guild hall or I''ll kill you back to level 1." They immediately sprinted out of the room and boarded the airspeeder that they arrived in. Tyler turned to Xander. "That, my friend, is how you handle those types of people." Xander sighed. "Why do I feel like this is going to be a headache?" Tyler shook his head. "It will be no more than a minor inconvenience." As he said that, he received a call. "Guild Leader, we have received reports that multiple transports have been attacked." Tyler smiled. "That is fantastic news. Mobilize everyone. Find out which guilds are ?ssociated with the Forest Group and fu?k their shit up. Every kill is worth 1k credits. Every vehicle destroyed is 10k credits. Every outpost or guild hall damaged or demolished will be 50k credits. Lastly, every kill on that dumb fu?k of a board member named Eric will yield a million credits. Send out the message to all guild members." The guild member nodded. "It will be done, Guild Leader." He then hung up. A few minutes later, there was a commotion in the guild hall. People were excitedly rushing to join the hunt. Shortly after that, players started logging in by the thousands to participate in the fun. Who in their right mind would ignore this opportunity? Firstly, most Limitless players are multiple levels higher than the general player base. In addition, the players in Limitless are of a higher standard than others. With these two things combined, each member can easily take on multiple players on their own. They could easily make thousands of credits by essentially pulling weeds from a garden. Unfortunately, they quickly found out that the Forest Group had acquired the number 3, 5, 6, and 10 guilds in the Republic. This meant that their targets weren''t just cannon fodder. However, after they started wreaking havoc, they realized that there was a chasm lying between the standards of these guilds and Limitless. Tyler sat in a lounge on the rooftop. He lazily watched his credit balance rapidly decline. Despite the thousands of credits flying out of his account, it was b?r?ly a dent in his current fortune. The message that went out was in the form of a guild quest. This meant that the rewards would automatically be distributed. He also entertained himself by reading through the forums. There was a hoard of posts about people leaving the guilds ?ssociated with the Forest Group. In just the few hours that had gone by, 30% of the players in those guilds had disaffiliated. In addition, Tyler had dished out about 21 million credits in rewards. Tyler smiled. It was money well spent. All he was doing was lounging around with a drink in his hand as his enemies were dismantled. Suddenly, his tranquility was disturbed. Four players led by John walked over to Tyler. These were the guild leaders of the four guilds that Limitless was currently curb stomping. A player named Beowulf stepped forward. "Lord Draco, I beg of you to cease your hostilities against our guilds." Tyler raised his brow. "No." Beowulf was confused. "What do you mean, no?" Tyler laughed. "In case you weren''t aware, Eric came by earlier. He tried offering me 200 million dollars for Limitless. I mean, let''s be real. That is about .1% of the actual current value of the guild." Beowulf shook his head. "What does that have to do with us?" Tyler sighed. "You do understand that your guilds are just ?ssets to Eric, right? I am removing his group''s presence from the galaxy. I have no need for pompous ?ssholes that think they can walk in here and act like they own the place." Beowulf dropped to his knees. "We''re finished. Because of Eric, my guild won''t exist anymore by this time tomorrow." Tyler laughed. He couldn''t sense hostility towards him from any of the guild leaders present. Their anger was being directed elsewhere. Most likely towards Eric. Beowulf looked up. "What is so funny? This is no laughing matter. Everything I have is about to be gone." Tyler shook his head. "You misunderstand. I like you guys. Instead of being irrational and getting angry at me, you all recognize who is actually at fault in this situation. How would you like to join Limitless?" The four guild leaders were stunned. Beowulf stood up. "What do you mean?" Tyler smiled. "I mean exactly what I said." He sipped his drink. "Gather all of your loyal supporters and come join me. Everyone you bring will be guaranteed a spot in the guild but will be ranked based on our standards. You four can be elders. How does that sound?" Beowulf sighed. "That is an enticing option." Tyler nodded. "Indeed it is. We must band together and make sure that the Forest Group never touches this game again. To honor our agreement, I will name a capital ship after each of your guilds." Beowulf nodded. "I guess I really have no choice. I''ll send out a message now." He looked totally defeated. He was helpless. The other three guild leaders also agreed. Their names were Toshinori, MonkDonalds, and Mcree. Tyler smiled as he welcomed 4 more great names into his guild. Much to Tyler''s surprise, each of them brought thousands of players with them. In total, Limitless gained 31k new members. This brought the grand total of members to 130,543. That is a massive number. Tyler promoted the four of them to elder and had John show them to their personal quarters. To finish off his day, he received a report from Governor Khan regarding the developments on Kessel. As per their last discussion, a multitude of researchers and engineers have been hired. In addition, a university had been constructed. They named it University of Kessel. It would provide higher education to people and double as a research organization. For the matter of the welfare of the people, they managed to get everyone off the streets. In addition, it would only be a matter of days before they were able to secure employment for every citizen. Kessel was quite close to becoming a self-sustaining world. Streets have been repaved, technology has been upgraded, public services have been introduced, and the availability of resources has improved tremendously. Nowadays, it was not uncommon to see an airspeeder flying around their cities. Lastly, the mining operations. With the massive influx of credits, the operations were expanded and improved even further. In addition, the refineries were fully operational and new ones were being built as well. This brought the daily net profits from Kessel to 160 million credits. With this, Tyler decided it was time to start rewarding his guild for their hard work. Guild members would now get salaries. Each week, normal members would get 1k credits, elites would get 5k, core members would get 10k, elders and ambassadors would get 50k, and the vice guild leaders will get 100k. When totaled up, this amounts to about 40 million credits each week in wages. After the deduction of that and the cut of Kessel''s profits that goes to the government, Limitless is profiting about 88 million credits each day! For comparison, after a conversion to dollars, this is about half of Amazon''s daily revenue. Tyler then instantly purchased the remainder of the building that their guild hall was located in. In total, the building had 1,127 floors. Considering that Coruscant has 5,127 levels, it is not that huge. That ran him about 300 million credits since the floors got cheaper as they went down. A few hours later, it was sunset. Tyler was standing on the roof with Emily in his arm and a drink in his free hand. He gazed out upon the setting sun over Coruscant. It was a magnificent sight. Only one thing came into his mind. "It''s good to be the king." Chapter 21 - Detective Draco Part I (Sorry for the delay guys. Yet again, I drank a lot all day yesterday. It was my younger brother''s graduation party so I had to get sauced. You know how it is baby. Just a heads up, this is going to be a story arc that will span multiple chapters. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.) Tyler woke up to something shifting in his bed. He opened his eyes to see Emily nearly pushing him off the bed. He rolled his eyes and hopped up. He put on a pair of joggers and went to brew a cup of tea. As he let the tea steep, he thought back on what happened the past two weeks since the Forest Group incident. With the insane amount of damage and the stealing of players from the four guilds the group controlled, they were forced to go into hiding. Only a small fraction of the former member counts remained. In addition, they stopped recruitment since then so they still maintained the same member count. They had more than enough members to maintain their operations and continue their expansion. Within a few minutes, Emily walked out of the bedroom and they kissed each other. She had a lot to do today. The construction on Scarif was also going quite well. In another month, the first resort will be completed and open for business. With this, a lot of new money will start coming in. Suddenly, he got a call from John. "Ty, you need to go to the senate building immediately, there is a hostage situation." Tyler shook his head in surprise. "WHAT? I''LL BE THERE AS SOON AS I CAN!" He then hung up. He quickly got dressed in his Jedi robes and left his room. He rushed to his hangar and read the forums as he hopped into his fighter. "R2, take me to the senate building." The top article on the forums was a crazy headline. "Forest Group and Bounty Hunters Take Over Senate Building." He immediately called his mom. "Mom, what''s going on?" Julia was panicking. "There are a bunch of guys here holding us hostage. They split us up into multiple rooms." Tyler nodded. "I got that already. Please, breath. I''m coming to help. Do you know anything about who is there?" Julia took a few deep breaths and nodded. "I overheard one of their conversations. Someone named Mizaki Shoko." Tyler sighed. "I haven''t heard of him. Just sit tight and stay quiet. I''ll be there soon." He then hung up. A few minutes later, he landed. Waiting at the senate building was John and a few guild elders. Conveniently, Kai was also there. *Quest Triggered: Chamber in Chains* *Rank: Gold* *Description: The Galactic Senate Building has been taken over by terrorists. Resolve the situation and save the hostages.* *Reward: +6000 reputation with the Galactic Republic* Tyler turned to John. "Any idea about this unknown reward?" John shook his head. "Nope. I don''t even know how to get it." Tyler sighed. "Oh well. I guess we just gotta do this fast. Let''s make sure we get in there and finish the mission before any other people can grab the quest. We don''t know if the bonus reward can be given to more than one person." John nodded. "That is a good point. We have come up with a plan for entry. I''ll have Toshinori fill you in. His guild specialized in ?ssasination so they have the edge in finding their way around undetected." Tyler smiled. "Wonderful. Good to have you Toshi. Let''s hear it." Toshinori nodded. "Of course Guild Leader." Tyler shook his head. "Please, we are friends. Call me Draco. That goes for all elders in fact. I don''t like the honorifics unless absolutely necessary." Toshinori smiled. "Sounds good Draco. Anyways, before we joined Limitless, my guild came across a network of old drainage and ventilation shafts that aren''t used anymore. We can use them to gain access to the newer ventilation system within the senate building. We would need a covert method of breaching." Tyler smiled. "Well that is easy." He raised his robe and displayed his lightsabers. Toshinori laughed. "I almost forgot about that. We did not have a Jedi here before so that was not taken into consideration. That should make this easy." Tyler nodded. "Alright. That sounds good. Once we get in there, we should stay grouped to cover each other''s ?sses. Lead the way!" Toshinori nodded. "Follow me then." He led them away from the senate building. They boarded an LAAT and flew for about a minute. Then they arrived at a spot on the wall surrounding the platform that the senate building was on. This spot looked off. All around there was worn metal plating but in this spot, the metal was cleaner. "This is the spot." Tyler nodded. He took out his blaster and used the grappling hook. It drilled into the wall and he suspended down to the spot after clipping the cable to his belt. He then took out one of his lightsabers and cut a large hole in the plating before detaching the cable and swinging in. Inside was a large ventilation shaft. There was dust and cobwebs all over. It really did have the appearance that it had not been used in years. There were several thumps as John, Toshinori, Beowulf, and Mcree landed in the shaft. Tyler took point in their formation. He stuck two fingers up and flicked his wrist forwards. Everyone nodded and followed him into the shaft. From here on out, they would be silent. The hostages'' lives would be at risk if they alerted the enemy to their presence. After several minutes of walking, they arrived at another patched up spot in the shaft. Tyler took out his lightsaber and cut a large opening in the plating. Using the force, he gently pulled the cutout and placed it down on the ground. They then walked through. Now they were inside the current ventilation shafts for the senate building. They reached a cross in the shafts so they stopped. Toshinori stood in the center of the group and pulled up a hologram of the senate building. It was complete with a bioscan that one of the Venators in orbit completed on the building. There were several clusters of signatures. They deduced that these were the locations that the hostages were being held. In addition, there were several pairs of signatures moving around the halls. These were presumably patrols. The coverage of the building was quite thorough. Whoever is in charge is definitely a professional. They continued onwards. Their destination is the farthest into the building they could get before the shafts become too tight to fit through. They reached a vent that is on the ceiling of a hall that a patrol was set to pass through shortly. They waited patiently. The group then dropped into the hall after kicking the vent out. Tyler signaled and they opened up a private meeting room and hid the bodies in there. They restrained them to prevent them from reporting what happened and then went down the hall. As they went down the hall, Tyler felt as if there was a dark presence focusing on him. It felt cold and harbored ill intent. ''Hmmm, I guess a Sith might be involved. We must be careful.'' They continued to a crossroads in the halls. Tyler raised his fist and they stopped. He then pointed to Toshinori and had him take point. There was another patrol approaching from in front of them. This time it was two bounty hunters. Toshinori readied his vibroblade shortswords. He got into an athletic stance and waited for them to be in position. As soon as they began to round the corner, he activated a skill called Extreme Speed. In an instant, he was across the hall and the bounty hunters'' heads were sliding off of their torsos. They had a general plan. For player patrols, they would knock unconscious and detain them. This would prevent their party members from discovering that they are dead and also prevent them from respawning to inform their party of what happened. For NPC patrols, they would just kill them. Now that they were past those two patrols, they reached the first room. Checking the holo map, it was apparent that there were 5 hostiles monitoring the hostages. It was also a possibility that there were enemies hidden among the hostages. Using some hand signals, they organized their plan to breach and clear. Tyler stood ready to blow the doors in. On the ready signal, he sent out a wave of telekinetic energy and slammed the doors open. As he did this, he rolled to the side and hid from view. Everyone inside spun towards the open door. On the other side of the room, one of the doors inched open just a bit. Through the door, a small ball quietly rolled into the room. Suddenly, there was a flash and a deafening sound. Everyone inside covered their eyes and reeled from the pain. The Limitless group charged into the room. They quickly dispatched the bounty hunters. Tyler focused on the players and easily knocked them unconscious using the force. There were no challenges for him when it came to these players. They were at least 20 levels lower than him. Tyler stood up. "Is everyone okay?" They all nodded. One man stood up in the middle. "Lord Draco, we can''t thank you enough." Tyler smiled. "Senator Bail Antilles, it has been a while. Don''t worry about it. How could I not come when my mother is here?" He laughed. Bail nodded. "What should we do now?" Tyler sighed. "Unfortunately, I am going to have to ask that you guys hang tight for a bit. Guards will come for you all once these terrorists are dealt with." Bail sighed. "That is fine. Please hurry. I would hate for anything to happen to my colleagues." Tyler nodded. "Alright boys, let''s go." They headed to the next group of hostages. As they headed out, they got a notification. *1 of 7 Hostage groups released.* Tyler sighed. ''6 more to go.'' Seconds laterˇ­ He turned to the group. "Let''s hurry. We don''t know the requirements for the hidden reward. I''d like to be the one to save my mom anyways." They nodded and they started running down the hall. After realizing how weak the ?ssailants were, they were much more bold in their approach. They dispatched another three patrols on their way to the next cluster. The next room was a bit different. There were two levels inside. One was an atrium and the other was a balcony that lined the outside of the room. They decided on a two staged approach for this round. They all went up to the second level. Fortunately, there were doors that opened into this level. As they were about to round the corner, Tyler raised his fist. They stopped on a dime. Down the hall, there were two bounty hunters guarding the doors. Tyler closed his eyes and reached out with the force. He closed his fist and raised his hand. They two NPCs floated down the hall towards them as they were choked. Using his free hand, he ignited his lightsaber and skewered the two bounty hunters. They silently went down the hall and approached the doors. Inside, there were a total of 3 guards patrolling the upper level. Tyler waved a finger in the air and they nodded. They slowly opened the door. Using the force, Tyler sent another flash grenade into the middle of the room. It then went off, blinding and deafening everyone in the room. Mcree was the first one in. He used an ability called Quick Draw to dispatch the three guards on the upper level with clean headshots. Tyler and Toshinori flew through the air. Down below, there were 3 players and 5 bounty hunters. Toshinori landed and then dashed through two bounty hunters. Their heads rolled across the floor as their bodies slumped. Tyler landed on another bounty hunter with both his sabers ignited. They cut clean through his torso, leaving the poor soul in three pieces. He then used a force enhanced dash and took out another bounty hunter with a twin slash across his torso. Once he came to a stop, he reached out with the force and raised the three players into the air. He flicked his hand and smashed them into the wall, leaving them unconscious. By the time he was done, Toshi had taken out the last bounty hunter in similar fashion. Tyler turned to the group and saw a familiar face. He ran over and hugged Julia. "Mom, I''m so glad you''re okay." Julia embraced him. "It''s okay. In case anything happened, Padme had her blaster hidden." Tyler broke free from the hug to see Shmi, Emily, and Padme standing next to them. Padme smiled. "Thank you, Draco. After all you''ve done for me, I don''t know how I could ever repay you." Tyler shook his head. "You are mistaken Padme. You have been of great help to me as well. Helping get my mother, Shmi, and the rest of my representatives get accustomed to the galactic stage has been great. We would not be in the same position without you." Padme shook her head. "Oh, that is nothing. After your help on Naboo, it was only natural that I''d extend a helping hand." Tyler smiled. "It is good to have you as a friend." Padme nodded. "Indeed." Tyler then turned to Emily. He walked up and put his arms around her lower back. He pulled her close. "And last but not least, I''m relieved that you are okay. I''d hate for my girlfriend to get hurt." She smiled and gave him a short kiss. "I had a feeling you would come to save the day." Suddenly, someone called out. "Lord Draco, there is something urgent that needs to be done." Tyler released Emily and turned to the voice. It was one of the Chancellor''s aides. "What is it?" She was stressed. "Before we were captured, I received a transmission from the Chancellor''s office saying that they were holding out against a group of bounty hunters." Tyler''s eyes lit up. ''This is it! This is the bonus requirement!'' He nodded. "I will head there right away. Kai, let''s go." Kai nodded. "Okay, master." They ran out of the room and headed for the Chancellor''s office. Along the way, they had to dispatch a few pairs of bounty hunters. They were easily dealt with using Kai''s agility and acrobatics. He would become a blur as he would jump towards them and take them out in a green flash. They reached the elevator shaft that led up to their destination. Tyler pulled up a holo map as they rode upwards. It seemed as if the bounty hunters managed to break through the defensive line and take the Chancellor hostage. Hopefully their leader would be here too. There was no other possibility for what the requirement could be. Outside the elevator, two bounty hunters were guarding the entrance to the office. The elevator doors slid open. Weirdly, there was no one inside. One of the bounty hunters walked over to check it out. As he walked up to the elevator, Kai dropped down from the ceiling and killed him in one slash. At the same time, Tyler dropped down and used the force to silence the woman that was outside. He walked up to her and used the force to snap her neck before laying her gently on the ground. He turned to Kai and whispered. "How about we do our usual entrance?" Kai giggled. "If you say so, master." Tyler walked up to the door and knocked on it gently before calling out in a feminine voice. "Room service!" After a few seconds, someone called out from inside. "We are busy right now. Come back later." Kai was holding himself up against the wall doing his best to not fall over from laughing. He was blown away with how it works almost every time. Tyler sighed before knocking again. "I can''t do that. The food is hot! I''ll get fired if I bring it back down." A few seconds later, the door slid open. Tyler was waiting at the ready with his lightsaber hilt pointed at the door. He activated it and it ignited right into the bounty hunter''s face. He died instantly. "HA! I''ve always wanted to try that!" Everyone in the room turned to the door. They realized what happened and reached for their weapons but it was already too late. Kai had already reached the chancellor''s desk and killed two bounty hunters. Tyler ran into the room and dispatched another as he returned a blaster shot back to its sender. He then ignited his other saber and spun. He swung his sabers in a defensive fashion deflecting multiple shots. He then dashed at a cluster of bounty hunters. With a swift series of slashes, he took them down. Meanwhile, Kai was jumping from bounty hunter to bounty hunter, taking them out with slashes from over their heads. He took out a string of six like this. Within 10 seconds, every bounty hunter was dead barring the one sitting in the chancellor''s seat. Tyler inspected the man. *Mizaki Shoko, 41 years, Bounty Hunter* *Level 60* Tyler scoffed. "So you''re Mizaki. You don''t seem like much." Mizaki shrugged before putting his hands up. "I won''t resist. I don''t stand a chance against you and the gremlin." Kai glared at him. "I''m not a gremlin you spineless cuck." Mizaki chuckled. "Whoa! I didn''t know they teach you that kind of language in the Jedi Temple. Seems that times have changed." Tyler nodded affirmingly. "That was a decent comeback, my padawan. Try and make it a bit more direct and relevant next time. It will improve the results." Kai nodded. "Yes, master." Valorum stood up. "Lord Draco, what kind of things are you teaching your padawan?" Tyler laughed. "Oh Chancellor Valorum. Funny seeing you here! It is often useful to possess a sharp tongue when it comes to dealing with criminals." Valorum sighed. "I can''t deny your claim, nor can I support it. Nonetheless, well done. I can''t thank you enough for coming to our rescue." One of his aides was sitting in the other chair. He nodded. "Thank you, Lord Draco." Tyler waved his hand. "Don''t worry about it. It is my duty to the Republic and to my mother to resolve this crisis. I do have a favor to ask of you." Valorum tensed up. "If it is within my power, I will make it happen. What do you need?" Tyler smiled. "I merely wish to take custody of our friend over here. I wish to cooperate with the Jedi Temple and investigate this caseˇ­ personally." Valorum heaved a sigh of relief. "That is easily doable. As soon as this is all over, I will sign the documents to have him officially transferred to your custody. For now, however, I will allow you to detain him unofficially. With your status, there should be no issues. If anyone questions you, tell them to contact my office." Tyler nodded. "Thank you, Chancellor. I will ensure that those behind this atrocity will be brought to justice." What Tyler didn''t tell Valorum is that he has no intention of working with the Jedi Temple. They would be far too humane when it comes to interrogation. In addition, he had other plans for the bounty hunter in question. Chapter 22 - Detective Draco Part II (Sorry for the delay. I got sick and then I was super busy trying to finish a class. I will do my best to return to a release schedule of at least one chapter every other day. Hopefully it will be more than that but I never know what comes up. Anyways, enjoy!) Mizaki looked a bit scared. "I think I''d rather go to a prison." Tyler laughed. "Nonsense my friend. Just cooperate with me and you''ll be glad you did." Valorum sighed. "I hope I''m not making a mistake doing this." Tyler shook his head. "Don''t worry Chancellor. You of all people should know how thorough and careful I am with my work." Valorum nodded. "I can''t argue with you there, Lord Draco." Tyler smiled. "Glad you understand. Anyways, Mizaki, tell your men to stand down. I don''t think I need to tell you what happens if you don''t comply." Mizaki chuckled. "Relax, relax. I''ll do it. Just cut me some slack, will ya? It wasn''t my idea to pull off this mindless job." Tyler nodded. "I''m sure that is the case. You will tell me all about that later." Mizaki ordered his men to stand down over comms. "Thank you for making this easy. Now just put these on and we''ll be on our way." Tyler handed some cuffs over to Mizaki and had him put them on. *Quest Completed: Chamber in Chains* *Rank: Gold* *Bonus Reward: Investigation Quest* *Chain Quest Triggered: Exposing the Puppet Master* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: While taking part in the operation to resolve the hostage situation at the Senate Building, you took custody of the lead bounty hunter. Investigate and expose the mysterious backers. The reward will be scaled off of performance.* *Potential Rewards: 10 billion credits, +12000 GR Reputation, 10 Level Ups* Tyler smiled. "Let''s go somewhere moreˇ­ private." He pressed a bu??on on his comm to summon a transport. The three of them walked through the building and arrived at a private hangar on the upper floors. This was the hangar for the Chancellor''s Office and their security detail. By the time they arrived, the LAAT was waiting. Suddenly, Tyler remembered something. "Hehehe, now I have a chance to put the new dungeon to use." He had a maniacal look on his face. The color faded out of Mizaki''s face. "I am really starting to feel like prison would be better." A few minutes later, they arrived in the top floor hangar of the guild hall. Tyler and Kai escorted Mizaki to the "dungeon" on the top floor. In actuality, it was just an armored room that had a biometric lock. The inside of the dungeon was plain. The walls were padded to prevent self injury and there was a table with a few chairs. Tyler removed the cuffs and had Mizaki sit in the chair on the far side of the table. He then sat down and had Kai stand behind him. Tyler put his feet up on the table. "Mizaki Shoko, public enemy number one right now at least. What was the goal of taking the senate hostage?" Mizaki sighed. "What is in it for me if I tell you?" Tyler sighed. "So we have to do it this way. It seems that you are more afraid of your employer than you are of me." Mizaki chuckled. "Well of course. If you knew who it was, you''d be scared too!" Tyler shook his head. "There are very few people in this galaxy that I need to be careful around. None of which, however, I am scared of." Mizaki raised his brow. "And why is that?" Tyler smiled. "Well considering that I have the largest fleet in the galaxy, there are not many individuals that I need to be scared of. If they try to hide, I can just remove them from the face of whatever world they''re hiding on from orbit." Mizaki started sweating. "Well, I guess I was mistaken then. You clearly are scarier than my employer. Can you guarantee my safety?" Tyler nodded. "I can do even better. If you cooperate with me, I will hire you full time. That would mean that you''ll be under my protection at all times. And don''t worry, I can pay you handsomely." Mizaki thought for a moment. "Deal. What do you want to know?" Tyler smiled. "Let''s start with the question from before. What was the goal of this operation?" Mizaki sighed. "I don''t know what my employer wanted to achieve by this, but we were instructed to take the senators hostage and eliminate a list of targets. The operations went to shit when we were about to start making our rounds." Tyler raised his brow. "Where is the list?" Mizaki took out a data pad and handed it to Tyler. "That''s it right there. I don''t know too much about politics so you''ll have to figure out the motives." Tyler looked over the list and made a realization. "A lot of the senators on this list are anti war. It would seem that someone is trying to eliminate the opposition to war. Who was your employer?" Mizaki shrugged. "I never met them. All I know is that I was going to get a lot of money." Tyler sighed. "Did you at least get a name?" Mizaki nodded. "I believe his name was Tyranus." Tyler perked up. "And you''re sure of this?" Mizaki nodded. "Yep." Tyler sighed again. "This is not good." Mizaki raised his brow. "Why is that?" Tyler laughed. "Darth Tyranus, otherwise known as Count Dooku, is a Sith Lord. I don''t know if I can handle him. He is able to hold off Grandmaster Yoda in a duel for fu?ks sake." Mizaki scoffed. "Oh, we''re gonna fu?kin die." Tyler shook his head. "I doubt that. I most definitely can not defeat him, but that doesn''t mean I can''t hold him off. We just need to get the evidence and get out. I guess that we are headed to Serenno." About a half an hour later, Tyler was on his way to Serenno, Dooku''s home world and the capital world of the CIS. At least that had yet to be formed. Accompanying him was Kai in his fighter. Mizaki stayed back since Dooku would easily recognize the bounty hunter he had hired to attack the senate. Upon landing they were greeted by a squad of guards. Once Tyler got out, they recognized him immediately. "Lord Draco, welcome to Serenno. Please, right this way." Tyler smiled and nodded. "Thank you." He then turned to Kai and nodded. On the way there, they discussed that Kai would have to sneak around to find the archives. He had his fingers crossed that it would be that easy. This is a legendary quest after all. The guards led them to what appeared to be a palace. It was quite grand. The gargantuan building was ornate and made of stone. Statues of previous leaders lined the path that led to the main entrance. The two front doors were gorgeous. They were about 15 feet tall and made of metal. Carved on them were meticulous designs. Ornate designs of floral and abstract patterns dominated the surface. Two guards pushed the doors open in a manner that made them appear weightless. Waiting behind the door was a nicely dressed woman. She was smiling at Tyler. "Lord Draco, welcome to Serenno. I trust that your trip went smoothly?" Tyler nodded. "Indeed. I appreciate the warm welcome, Missˇ­" She nodded. "Ah yes, how rude of me. My name is Maree Courte. I am an aide to the Count. To what do we owe the p???sur? of you visiting?" Tyler smiled. "I wish to discuss some business with the Count. Might he be available to meet?" Maree shuddered a bit. She couldn''t afford to mess this up. Every system in the Republic was trying to do business with Kessel. Unfortunately, they had to go through Limitless to do so. This is a bad thing because the guild has quite the military strength to back up their words. They do, afterall, have the largest standing fleet in the Republic at this time. Shaking herself out of her stupor, she regained her focus. "Please, come right this way. Count Dooku is currently having lunch. I am sure he would love for you to join him." Tyler smiled. "Great. Lead the way." They then headed to the dining room. -GE- While on the way to the palace, Kai slipped away from their escort. A few blocks down from the palace, he ducked into an alleyway. Fortunately, they took a scan of the city on their way down so Kai had a holomap of the area. He activated the hologram. Searching around, he found an alleyway near the palace that had a cluster of life signatures. If luck was in his favor, he would be able to slip into the palace. Kai jumped up against a wall. Pushing off, he jumped across to the other side of the alley and continued hopping up to the roof. The alley he was interested in was a few blocks down on the side of the palace. He jumped across the roofs in an acrobatic fashion. He made sure to use the force to mask the sound of him impacting the roofs. About a minute later, he was above the alleyway he was looking for. He looked down and noticed a mixture of people. There were speeders out in the streets. Some people were carrying crates from the speeders towards the door. Shuffling in and out of the door were people who looked to be various staffers of the palace. They were receiving the crates from the delivery people and bringing them inside. Kai sighed. ''Well shit, I need a way to get inside.'' He decided to wait and observe for a bit. They were nowhere close to being finished unloading the crates. After a few minutes, he counted that there were 4 total staffers from the palace. One of them appeared to be a manager that was taking stock of the deliveries. The other three were carrying the boxes in and out. This could work to his advantage. Kai looked around on the roof to see if there was anything he could use to his advantage. He found an empty glass bottle so he picked it up. He then patiently waited until all three of the staffers that were carrying the crates were outside. At last, the moment struck. He took the bottle and chucked it down at the far end of the alleyway. It landed on the ground, shattering. No one got hit with it but it was quite startling. Everyone in the alley looked towards the spot where the bottle fell. Using the momentary distraction, Kai dropped off the roof and silently rolled into the door and then dashed to the side to find a hiding spot. Infiltration was successful. Now he needed to figure out where he was going. -GE- On the way to the dining room, Tyler made use of a new skill he had been practicing. He masked his force signature to hide it from the Count. Maree opened a smaller set of ornate doors. Behind them was a grand dining room. A large fireplace and a long wooden table with plenty of seating around it. At the far end, Count Dooku was enjoying his meal. Having not been informed of the intrusion, he looked up from his plate with a glare as he set his wine glass down. As soon as he saw who was there, his expression vastly improved. Dooku stood up. "What a surprise! Lord Draco, welcome to Serenno." Tyler smiled and walked towards Dooku. They stepped up to each other and exchanged a firm handshake. A handshake can tell you a lot about a person. From his first interaction with Dooku, Tyler could tell that he is a strong and honorable man that sticks to his beliefs. "Count Dooku, it is a p???sur? to finally meet you. I have heard many great things about your days as a Jedi Master." Tyler let on a gentle smirk. This did not slip through Dooku''s attention. His face became more neutral. "Those days are in the past. Unfortunately, I had to return to my home world and take up the mantle of Count. It is my family''s duty afterall." Tyler nodded. "Of course. That is completely understandable. I am on your side when it comes to family. I do have my mother to take care of after all." Dooku smiled. "Ah, yes. Senator Cynthia. How is she doing?" Tyler stepped back from Dooku. "She is doing well. Senator Amidala has been wonderful with helping her get accustomed to the political arena. I''m guessing you have met Cynthia and my other representatives?" Dooku nodded. "Indeed. I made a trip to Coruscant recently. Our Senator Lissa Pavan invited me to accompany her to an event. There was a wonderful reception at the Limitless guild hall." One of the servants walked up and pulled the seat next to Dooku out. Another servant rushed over to set down a wine glass with a deep red wine in it and a plate with an elegant sandwich. Tyler sat down and smiled at Dooku. "That is great. The interesting thing is that I paid for the place but I never get to be at the parties! What kind of arrangement is that?" They laughed lightly. Dooku nodded. "I imagine that is what it feels like to be a father." Tyler shrugged. "That might be the case. Anyways, let us discuss business." Dooku nodded as he sat down. "Indeed. What can I help you with?" Tyler shook his head and chuckled. "My friend, I should be the one asking that question." -GE- After getting inside, Kai found himself in the storeroom. He snuck around and luckily found a console. He plugged a key fob into the port and then pressed his wrist comm. "R2, get me the schematics for this building. I need a holomap." R2 beeped a few times aggressively. Kai sighed. "Fine, fine, I''m sorry. PLEASE get me the schematics for this building." R2 then beeped happily. About 30 seconds when by and R2 beeped again. The incoming data light then blinked on Kai''s comm. "Thanks R2. I''ll clean your servos later personally." R2 beeped again in excitement. Kai pulled up the holomap of the building. He was currently on sublevel 1. The data banks appeared to be on the ground floor. He presumed that it would be thoroughly guarded. It would seem that he will need to put his force training to good use. He slowly made his way to the exit of the store room. He was trying to get to a maintenance stairway that is down the hall. As he was about to go through the door, he froze. He then jumped up to the ceiling and positioned himself in the crook between the wall and ceiling. Within a second, a staffer walked through the doorway and went outside to help with the delivery. Kai breathed a sigh of relief. ''That was a close one. I doubt that any excuse could convince them that it is okay for a little green man to be here.'' Kai dropped down and hurried through the door. He had to go about 30 feet down the hall. He was hurrying because he felt another staffer approaching the hall he was rushing down. In the knick of time, he slipped into the staircase as the staffer rounded the corner none the wiser. He silently ascended the stairs and found himself in a maintenance hall. From what he saw of the map, the archives were a straight shot down the hall from here. Fortunately, there are two entrances to the data room. One of those being accessible from the maintenance hallway. Using this information, he dashed down the hall stealthily. He had a short window before a patrol would round the corner so he needed to hurry. He walked up to the door and tried using the console to open it but it was locked. He now had mere seconds before the patrol would be able to see him. ''Shit shit shit shit, what do I do?'' Kai looked through his cloak and as if he saw god, his face lit up. He then dropped to his knees. The guards came around the corner and walked down the hall towards Kai. They looked at him. He was wearing a cloak and was scrubbing the floor with a cloth. One of the guards slowed down as they passed him. "Finish that up and then go back to your chambers. We have a guest." Kai nodded under the cloak. "Yes sir. I''ll make it quick." The guard nodded and continued on his patrol. As soon as they rounded the next corner, Kai stood up and put the cloth away. ''That was a close one.'' He then turned back to the door panel. He took out the key fob and plugged it into the terminal. He pressed his comm. "R2, would you please open this door for me." R2 beeped with satisfaction. After a few seconds, the door slid open. Thankfully, there was no one inside. "Thanks R2." Kai rushed inside and stood on the chair to access the terminal. "Let''s do this." -GE- Dooku was stroking his beard. "That is a very tempting proposition. There must be a catch." Tyler smiled. "Of course. If there was nothing in it for me, there would be no reason to do business at all! The special clauses in the agreement will be the same as the others that I have made. Firstly, Limitless withholds the right to eliminate any interference that prevents the fulfillment of the trade deal. I am sure you are aware of how we handled the Naboo Affair." Dooku nodded. "Indeed. I was very surprised to see a Jedi taking such decisive action. It is uncharacteristic of The Order." Tyler shook his head. "You are mistaken, Count. My intervention on Naboo was merely in fulfillment of the trade agreement. If there is one thing that no one should mess with, it is definitely my money." Dooku chuckled. "You are a smart man. Every power needs the capital to support it. What other conditions are there?" Tyer smirked. "As I am a member of the Galactic Republic, I wish to keep my business within it. If you, for any reason, find yourself to be no longer a part of the Republic, our trade will cease." Dooku frowned. "That is a bit unreasonable. Isn''t the purpose of business to turn a profit?" Tyler nodded. "Indeed it is. However, the Republic is where my interests and ?ssets lie. It would be quite a reckless move to trade such critical goods to a potential enemy." Dooku smiled. He saw an opportunity. "Lord Draco, I believe I understand what the problem is. Might you be willing to listen to me for a bit about the Republic?" Tyler raised his brow. Dooku was up to something. Whether it was him trying to gain Tyler as his apprentice or have Tyler as a backer to his secession from the Republic. "I am happy to hear the wise words of a Jedi Master." Dooku nodded. "The Galactic Republic is an old system. It has fulfilled its purpose over thousands of years. Over these millennia, certain factions and systems have secured their grasp of power in the Senate. This has led to countless cases of corruption." "Unfortunately, the Jedi Order has not been of much help in this matter. They are a toothless organization that are bound by restrictive traditions and codes. They do not work well on the political stage. Sadly, I have experienced this fact first hand." Tyler sighed before revealing his force signature. Dooku''s face changed. Tyler smiled seeing this. "So, where exactly are you going with this?" Dooku shook his head as he changed his tune. "I am merely trying to make sure you know all of the facts before making such a binding agreement." Tyler raised his brow. "What might convince me otherwise? I don''t see how my ?ssets and interests are at any risk due to the drama in the senate. No one would dare cross me with the strength that I have." Dooku nodded. "That may be the case for now. I am sure you have felt it too, but this galaxy is headed towards war. In war time, you''d be naive to believe that no one will take advantage of the chaos to turn a profit." Tyler shrugged. "If anyone decides to pull up on my block, they most likely have a deathwish." Dooku sighed. "I guess I must be more direct. It seems that you prefer to deal in moreˇ­ clear and absolute terms." Tyler smiled. "Please, enlighten me, Count." Dooku nodded. "After leaving the Jedi Order, I came across a power that will allow me to stick to my values while serving a greater purpose. I wish to find a way to force the Republic to change using this power. Even if it leads to civil war." Tyler chuckled. "So you are a Sith now? Is that what you are trying to say?" Dooku nodded. "You are a man with similar values to mine so I am sure that you will understand my point of view." Tyler shook his head. "You misunderstand me Count. I may be a part of the Jedi Order, but I am not aligned with their core beliefs. The Code? That is just some ancient saying that is a hardline ideology. I don''t agree with the Sith Code either. That is merely a shortcut to losing yourself to the seduction of power." Dooku smiled. "Then we are of the same ideology. I use the dark side to gain power but not to oppress others." Tyler shrugged. "I suggest you give up on trying to pull me to your side. I am not interested in serving someone else or sharing in the spoils. If you plan on splitting from the Republic, I am happy to do business with you until that point in time." Dooku sighed. "I guess that will do. Do well to remember that the invitation will remain if you decide to change your mind." Tyler nodded. "I appreciate the offer, Count. Hopefully we can have a prosperous relationship." Dooku smiled. "As do I. As a show of our friendship, please feel free to call me Dooku." Tyler smiled. "Then you may call me Draco." As he said this, a green light flashed on his comm. It would seem that their objective has been fulfilled. Chapter 23 - Detective Draco Part III (I can already predict the comments. I will not have him join the CIS. He has morals and likes human rights. Also forgot to mention that part of the stuff that happened in the time skip was signing a peace treaty with the Trade Federation. Neither side was interested in the money pit that results from a drawn out conflict. I''m also changing the chain quest into a normal quest. Sorry for the short chapter. I''m tired as fu?k lmao.) Tyler smiled. "Dooku, unfortunately I must go. There is urgent business I must attend to. Here is the contract. Please look it over and send the signed copy to the Office of Kessel''s Governor." Dooku nodded as he received the datapad from Tyler. "It was a p???sur? meeting you today Draco." He stood up. Tyler stood up and shook Dooku''s hand. "We''ll be in touch. I''ll be sure to let you know if I change my mind about your offer." Dooku smiled. "I look forward to hearing from you then. Safe travels my friend." Tyler nodded. "Thank you." He then turned and walked out of the palace at a brisk pace. He made sure to take the same route back to the spaceport that he used to reach the palace. Kai emerged from an alleyway and joined Tyler. Tyler turned to Kai as he walked. "I trust there were no complications." Kai nodded. "Yes master. There were a few close calls but there is no chance anyone saw me." Tyler sighed. "I am less concerned about if anyone saw you. I have a feeling that they will still find out the true purpose of our visit. It would be best for us to make haste my padawan." They hurried back to the spaceport and boarded their fighters before taking off to dock with their hyperspace rings. Tyler had a cruiser and escort meet them a few parsecs away from Serenno. They landed in the topside hangar and disembarked their fighters. A guild member walked up to Tyler. "Guild Leader, welcome to the Repentance. Jiraiya reporting for duty." He stood at attention. Tyler nodded and kept walking. "Kai, give him the data chip. I need a full analysis on the information we stole. Get it done STAT." Kai handed the chip over. Jiraiya received the chip and nodded. "Yes sir. I''ll get it done right away." He then rushed off after ordering some personnel to refuel the fighters. Tyler and Kai walked through the cruiser and arrived at some quarters. He tossed his padawan a change of clothes. "Take a shower. We''ll get briefed on our findings once we are cleaned up." Kai nodded. "Yes master." They went into their respective rooms and cleaned up. About 20 minutes later, they emerged feeling refreshed after a much needed cleaning. They headed to the bridge. Jiraiya was standing at the holotable. "Guild Leader, the analysis is complete." Tyler nodded as he and Kai walked up to the table. "Show us what you found." Jiraiya nodded. "From the data on the drive, we found one entry that is relevant. It appears to be a communication log between someone named Tyranus and the bounty hunter Mizaki Shoko." Tyler smiled. "That is our evidence then. Is there any record of payment? That is what we need to really nail this case shut." Jiraiya shook his head. "Unfortunately there is not. There was something about compensation but no record of it." Tyler raised his brow. "Out with it then." Jiraiya nodded. "In short, Tyranus instructed Mizaki to contact the Trade Federation for compensation." Tyler sighed. "Fuck it all to hell. Why do those slimy fu?ks have to be involved?" Kai laughed. "I honestly would have been surprised if they weren''t involved." Tyler shrugged. "You are right on that one. I couldn''t tell you why I didn''t think they would have a hand in this." Kai shook his head in disappointment. "It would seem that our roles have reversed." Tyler gave Kai a look. "Is that the case now?" Kai''s expression turned gloomy. "Master, that was just a joke." Tyler laughed. "That''s better. Anyways, I think I have a plan to get our information from the Trade Federation. Jiraiya, set our course for Coruscant." After a day''s travel, they arrived in high orbit over Coruscant. Tyler and Kai boarded their fighters and landed in his private hangar after leaving their hyperspace rings with the garrisoned fleet. Tyler stood in the hangar and smiled. "Today we will be flying in luxury. Kai, let''s get on the Scimitar." Kai''s face lit up. "Really?!?!" Tyler nodded. "Let''s go." They boarded the Scimitar and sat down in the ???kpit. "Now we are off to Cato Neimoidia." After setting the navigation computer and entering hyperspace Tyler began to put his plan in motion. He equipped Darth Revan''s lightsaber as his primary weapon and pulled up his hood before taking a nap. A decent flight later, they arrived in high orbit over Cato Neimoidia. Tyler equipped a mask on his face. He had crafted it recently himself. It was made of titanium from Scarif and had some electronics including air filtration and a voice modulator. As they dropped out of hyperspace, Tyler turned to Kai. "How much do I look like a Sith?" Kai smiled. "I''d say it''s pretty convincing. Having a red lightsaber would help though." Tyler smirked under his mask. "I have that covered my young padawan." He unsheathed and ignited his crimson blade. Kai raised his brow. "If I didn''t know any better, I''d think you were just posing as a Jedi." Tyler shrugged and chuckled. "Maybe I am. Who knows?" Kai sighed. "You really aren''t helping your case for why the Council hates you. Anyways, what is the plan?" Tyler nodded. "So basically, I am going to pose as Palpy''s apprentice and ask for a report on the Senate operation. While I am doing that, you will do your thing and try to get the records of the down payment. If you can''t get that, at least get some dirt on the slimy boys. You just have to wait in the ship until I am out of the hangar." Kai nodded. "Makes sense. I will do my best, master." They landed in a hangar on Cato Neimoidia. Tyler stood up and disembarked the Scimitar. He really did look like a Sith with Revan''s black, torn cloak and his other dark clothing. Two B1 droids greeted him. "Identify yourself." Tyler nodded. "I am Darth Zagan, Sith Lord. Bring me to whoever is in charge here." The droid nodded and responded in a mechanical voice. "One moment sir." It opened a comm link. "Uhhh command, we have a Sith Lord named Darth Zagan here in the hangar. What should we do?" Tyler rolled his eyes. These droids really are dumb. The droid nodded after hearing the response. "Come with us. We''ll take you to the Viceroy." Tyler nodded before following them to the Viceroy''s office. It was quite a luxurious building. There were gorgeous statues and ornate decorations lining the walls. The floors were lined with a high pile carpet. It was quite cushy to walk on and put a bounce in everyone''s steps. After a short walk, they arrived outside the Viceroy''s office. The droid opened the door and Tyler stepped in. The Viceroy stood up. "Lord Zagan, welcome to Cato Neimoidia. I am Viceroy Nute Gunray. What can I do for you?" Tyler sneered under his mask. Gunray really did sound like a lizard. "Viceroy, Lord Sidious requests a report on the Senate operation." Gunray stiffened up a bit. "I am sure you have heard about what happened in the Senate building. It did happen a few days ago at this point." Tyler nodded. "Yes, we heard. We want to know what is being done to finish the job." Gunray started to get nervous. "I was not told anything about this. After we hired the bounty hunter, we thought there was nothing more to do." Tyler shook his head. "Viceroy, Lord Sidious will be most dissatisfied." Suddenly a red light lit up on his desk. Immediately following that, Gunray tensed up. "So how was your flight here?" Tyler sighed. He was obviously stalling. He decided to sense the force. Gunray was extremely nervous. "It was fine. Why are you stalling?" Sweat started to roll down Gunray''s face. "I don''t know what you are talking about. I am just trying to make conversation." Tyler shook his head and stood up. He unsheathed and ignited his crimson blade. "I will ask you again and don''t try to deceive me. Why are you stalling?" He pointed the blade at the Viceroy. Gunray sunk into his chair. "Lord Zagan, let''s not make any brash decisions." Tyler sighed. He had been found out sooner than he was expecting. "I will be taking my leave now." He used the force to open the door and stormed out. He made his way through the halls and was shocked when he arrived at the main hall. At this point, Tyler was level 70. *Level 75* Dooku was standing at the base of the stairs. "Draco, how interesting it is to see you here. And I was thinking that you came to me in an effort to forge a friendship." Tyler sighed again. "It would seem I have been found out. Nice to see you Dooku. How was your flight here?" Dooku rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately, we must spare the pleasantries." He unsheathed his curved, silver lightsaber hilt. He then activated his crimson blade. "Your time has come Jedi." Tyler smirked. "I guess it would be a disservice to Master Revan if I did not use his saber." He unsheathed Darth Revan''s saber and ignited the blood red blade. Dooku raised his brow. "Whose lightsaber is that? I thought you were a member of the Jedi Order?" Tyler chuckled. "Oh this? I didn''t steal it or anything like that. I have learned from the Sith Lord, Darth Revan. He taught me balance in the force and gave me his lightsabers." Dooku nodded. "Then let''s see the results of your training." Tyler jumped from the top of the stairs and flipped through the air, the crimson blade hissing as it spun. He landed behind Dooku and swung his saber towards his back. Dooku quickly spun and deflected the strike. Recovering from the deflection, Tyler swung his blade downwards and to the right, aiming to bisect Dooku''s torso. Dooku easily blocked the strike and shoved out his free hand. He knocked Tyler back with a blast of telekinetic energy. Conveniently, it pushed him further towards the hangar. At this moment, a green light lit up on Tyler''s wrist comm. He smiled. Dooku stuck out his free hand and shot lightning towards the masked Jedi. Tyler used his lightsaber to block the lightning. Dooku rushed towards him while maintaining the lightning and swung his lightsaber at Tyler''s side. Using the force with his free hand, he pulled Revan''s other lightsaber to his hand and ignited the purple blade just in time to block the strike. He started slowly backpedaling as he blocked a flurry of strikes and objects thrown with the force from Dooku. The zapping of the blades colliding was intense. Sparks were flying as their sabers scraped against the walls and various objects were smashed as they flew through the air. After another minute of this, they approached the hangar. Tyler leaped backwards and used the force to open the doors. He then quickly backpedaled through the doorway. Dooku scoffed. "There is no way out." Tyler smirked under his mask. "I think you are mistaken." Listening to the warnings screaming through the force, Tyler rolled to the side as laser cannons lit up the hangar. Dooku was blown down the hall by the blast but Tyler got away unscathed. The shots were fired from the Scimitar. Tyler unequipped his mask and ran towards the starship. The ramp was extended down so he jumped on and the Scimitar flew away. Tyler sat down next to Kai and let out a long sigh of relief. "Phew, that was getting a little scary there." Kai giggled. "I really saved your ?ss this time." Tyler bonked Kai on the head with the blunt end of his lightsaber. "Oh shut up, will you?" He then closed his eyes and passed out for the remainder of the flight. Kai woke Tyler up when they dropped out of hyperspace over Coruscant. "Where to, master?" Tyler smiled. "Did you get what we needed?" Kai grinned and nodded. "Yep. I was able to get the record of the down payment." Tyler nodded. "Good job. I''ll have Mizaki meet us at the Senate building. Let''s head straight there." He then called the Office of the Chancellor. "Hello, this is the Office of the Chancellor. How may I help you?" Tyler smiled. "This is Lord Draco speaking. I am en route to report the results of my investigation to Chancellor Valorum. It is urgent so I must see him immediately. Would it be okay for me to land in his private hangar?" The aide nodded. "He is available right now so I''ll let him know. Feel free to land on the top floor hangar." Tyler nodded. "Thank you. Be there soon." He then hung up. About 10 minutes later, Tyler, Kai, and Mizaki were standing in Valorum''s office. Tyler walked up and shook Valorum''s hand. "How are you doing, Chancellor?" Valorum smiled. "I am doing well. And yourself?" Tyler smiled. "I am doing well. Much better now that I have finished the investigation." Valorum''s face lit up. "I was informed that you were coming to report but I was not expecting you to be done already!" Tyler nodded. "Here is the evidence we have compiled. It appears to be a plot by the Sith Order. Count Dooku appears to be behind it. He must be Palpatine''s new apprentice. I fought with him and he is definitely a Sith Lord." Valorum nodded. "That checks out with the evidence you provided. Thank you for this. It has been a great service to the Republic." *Quest Completed: Exposing the Puppet Master* *Rank: Legendary* *Completion Rating: B* *Rewards: 5 billion credits, +6000 GR Reputation, 5 Level Ups* Tyler sighed. It would seem that there was a lot more to this he could have figured out. It would have been extremely difficult to get evidence that incriminated Palpatine. Especially since he is nowhere close to a match for the Sith Lord yet. Unfortunately, it would probably be a long time before he could cross lightsabers with him before being able to come out alive. Chapter 24 - Carnelion IV Part I (This is another arc that happens before I time skip to the Clone Wars. I might do another one after this but I haven''t decided yet. Let me know if you guys enjoy these types of arcs. If that is the case, I''ll do one or two more before I do the time skip. I might do some BS where once a certain percentage of players reach the initial level cap of 100, the year is changed to 22 BBY. Let me know what you guys think.) Another few months flew by. Developments were coming along nicely. Most of the spare funds have been going into expanding to new planets. Building on undeveloped planets is quite expensive. Between shipping materials, hiring personnel, and growing the population, it is time consuming and a bottomless money pit. This morning, Tyler had to attend a Senate session. The main topic of discussion was the Open-Closed War on Carnelion IV. A transmission was recently received by the Jedi Temple regarding the conflict. It was thought that the people of the planet destroyed themselves through their fighting but this was not the case. The distress signal made this quite apparent. Valorum stood on his podium. "I believe that we have reached a consensus. We must take action to cease the fighting on Carnelion IV. I wish to have the Jedi Order send some representatives to do this." The chamber exploded in applause. This was exactly what most of them wanted. Tyler stood up. "I will also volunteer my services. I will accompany whoever the Jedi send to provide reinforcements." After some murmurings, everyone clapped again in agreement. This was now the best case scenario. Valorum nodded. "All is set then. Lord Draco, please convey the message to the Jedi Council. I wish for this to be dealt with immediately." Tyler smiled. "With p???sur?, Chancellor." He turned and left the chamber before heading to the Jedi Temple with Kai. About 20 minutes later, they were standing before the Jedi Council. "That is what I have to report from the Senate." Yoda sighed. "Troubling this is. Send Obi Wan at once, we will." Windu nodded. "Draco, link up with Obi Wan and Skywalker. You will head to Carnelion IV and work to resolve the conflict. Be wary, there is a dense field of debris surrounding the planet." Tyler nodded. "Thank you for the warning Master Windu. I will do my best." *Quest Triggered: Mission to Carnelion IV* *Description: It has been discovered that the war on Carnelion IV never stopped. Travel to the planet and resolve the conflict.* *Rewards: 1 billion credits, +12000 Carnelion IV Reputation, +6000 Jedi Order Reputation, +6000 Galactic Republic Reputation* Tyler sighed as he walked out of the Council chambers with Kai. The quest rewarded mostly reputation. That isn''t such a bad thing but it is unnecessary. The Clone Wars would be a gold mine for reputation. He contacted the fleet that is on standby and had them get ready to go into action. About an hour later, Tyler and Kai welcomed Obi Wan and Anakin to the Repentance. "Obi Wan, it has been a while." Obi Wan nodded. "Indeed it has. Things have been getting busier and busier. Soon we won''t even have time to sleep!" Tyler shrugged. "You could always leave the Jedi Order and work for me. You''ll get plenty of time off." Obi Wan laughed. "Surely you jest Draco. I have dedicated my life to the Order. This is all part of what I signed up for." Tyler sighed. "Well, you''ll always be welcome in my ranks. Anyways, let''s get comfortable. This is going to be a long ride." Obi Wan nodded. "Yes. We appreciate the accommodations." A day''s worth of traveling later, the fleet dropped out of hyperspace a short distance away from Carnelion IV. Tyler sighed. "This debris field is going to be a bitch. All ships open fire on the debris. We need to clear a path so we don''t get pelted." Blue laser fire illuminated the space above Carnelion IV. Countless pieces of debris exploded as the laser cannons hit their targets. Those who were watching stared in awe. It was like a fireworks display but on a whole nother scale. Tyler smirked and turned to Obi Wan. "So how do you like this?" Obi Wan sighed. "I''d say it is quite excessive but I can''t discredit the results." Tyler laughed. "Well I recommend you get comfortable with it. There is a war coming and you''ll be in command of one of these fleets." Obi Wan''s expression turned grim. "I do not look forward to it. I guess I have much to learn." Tyler nodded. "You got that right. I''ve been preparing for it. I''m sure some of my men would be willing to give you some pointers when it comes to military command." In the real world, Limitless launched a campaign where they would hire veterans. Retired Naval Officers, experienced pilots, and other seasoned combatants were indispensable. In addition, the Star Wars galaxy is a great environment for them. Many veterans were never able to adapt to civilian life so they struggled to make a living and stay healthy. The action packed life they can lead in the game allowed them to feel like they were in their element. Many guilds offered benefit programs for their members in the real world. Things such as health care, housing, commodities, and finances were given to members. Limitless and a few other guilds ran special programs for veterans where they would get additional benefits on top of the typical things. Aside from these programs being great for the veterans, the reputation and quality improvement of the guilds skyrocketed. It took several minutes to clear a sizable area of debris. The three venators remained in orbit while the acclamator and a few other landing craft approached the surface. The four Jedi and a few LAAT''s went ahead to secure an LZ. As they approached the ground, several explosions rang out. Upon checking the scanners, there appeared to be a small scale battle taking place nearby. Tyler opened the comm link. "All transports continue to the LZ. Fighters will follow me to scout out this battle." The four Jedi split off from the LAAT''s to investigate the battle. As they passed the peak of the mountain in front of them, the sky lit up as a crippled airship went into a nosedive towards the ground. Tyler sighed. "How rude of them. They started the party before we even arrived!" Obi Wan scoffed. "I continuously question whether we are really a part of the same order." Anakin laughed. "I don''t know, master, his logic seems pretty sound to me." Kai laughed as well. "Agreed." Obi Wan sighed. "Oh well, what is the plan?" Tyler laughed. "I don''t know. I was hoping that you had something in mind. I usually start fights, not end them." Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "I say we try to communicate with them. I''ll open a comm link." Obi Wan pressed a bu??on and spoke into the open comm channel. "This is Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi. I am here on behalf of the Galactic Republic. We ask that you cease your fire immediately so that we may be able to find a peaceful resolution." The channel was silent for a few moments. Then a raspy voice sounded over. "TAKE YOUR PEACE AND SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS!" Tyler laughed hysterically. "Shall we skip directly to Plan S?" Obi Wan raised his brow. "First, what is Plan S? Secondly, what happened to Plans B through R?" Tyler laughed maniacally. "Plan S is where we shoot them down. A good show of power is a proven method to stop a conflict." Obi Wan shook his head. "Are you mad? That would just add to the destruction and accomplish nothing!" Tyler chuckled. "You are wrong about one thing. The thing that this will accomplish is ?sserting our dominance." Obi Wan sighed. "Fine, we''ll have it your way this time. Let''s just keep it to the small craft so we can minimize casualties." Tyler nodded. "I can agree with that. Let''s do this shit." Once the four Jedi joined the fight, it escalated quickly. Native fighters were dropping like flies. Each side''s officers were panicking. Whoever these new participants were, they were very problematic. It took only a few minutes of unanswered carnage for someone to call in desperation over open comms. "Okay okay, we get it. We are willing to comply with a temporary cease fire." Obi Wan smiled. "That wasn''t so hard, was it? We will be in touch shortly." He then switched to private comms. "Let''s head back to the LZ and figure out the next step." The four fighters flew back over the mountain. By the time they returned to base, the acclamator had already landed and temporary structures were being ?ssembled. Walkers and juggernauts formed a defensive perimeter around the base camp. They touched down in the airfield. Tyler walked up to Obi Wan. "That was fun. It feels good to stretch my fingers every once in a while." Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "My point exactly. What''s next? I never know what to expect." Tyler chuckled. "I''ll just have to see where the wind blows. I don''t even know what I''m doing half the time." Obi Wan shook his head. "You do keep things lively. Anyways, what is our plan of action?" Tyler thought for a moment. "Well we have two options. First, we can just use extreme force to take over the planet. This would be the easiest method. The second option would be to go and talk to both sides and try to find a way to resolve the conflict." Obi Wan chuckled. "Option two, naturally. I''d rather not take anymore lives than we already have." Tyler nodded. "Sounds good. Let''s get a transport together after figuring out where we are going." A few minutes later, a squadron of LAAT''s were flying towards the Open faction''s base. There were 6 transports in total. Including the 4 Jedi, there were 60 people in the visiting party. They landed in the airstrip of the base and were greeted by a large group of soldiers. Someone who appeared to be an officer stepped forward. "Identify yourselves." Tyler raised his arm to stop Obi Wan before stepping forward. "I am Lord Draco. Along with Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi, I am here on behalf of the Galactic Republic. We would like to meet with whoever is in charge." The officer waved his arm. "Stand down men. They come in peace. I am Captain Koga. Follow me and I''ll take you to Mother Pran." Tyler, Obi Wan, Kai, and Anakin followed Koga while the rest of the Limitless members stayed back. The base was more of a large settlement than a military base. The civilians actually outnumbered the soldiers. The buildings looked like they were initially intended to be temporary but have been in use for much longer than they were made for. They were patched up with sheet metal and wood and looked quite shoddy. After a 10 minute walk, they arrived at a building that was larger than those surrounding it. Koga led them inside and into an office. It was nothing special and quite bland. The conditions really affected everyone. A woman stood up from the desk. "Welcome Jedi. I am Mother Pran, leader of the Open. How may I be of service?" Tyler smiled. "It is nice to meet you Mother Pran. I am Lord Draco. My companions are Jedi Knight Obi Wan Kenobi, Padawan Kai, and Padawan Anakin Skywalker. We are here on behalf of the Galactic Republic to end this conflict. We would appreciate it if you would tell us a bit about what this conflict is about." Pran sighed. "Peace is something we have given up on a long time ago. You are several generations too late to complete your mission." Tyler shook his head. "Please, tell me about it." Pran sat down and waved for them to take a seat. "Many generations ago, our ancestors were part of a group that was attempting to contain gas leaks across the planet. Unfortunately, we were unable to hold it back and the gas exploded out of the ground and covered the planet. The only safe places that remain are the mountains. In response to our inability to contain the gas, the Closed declared war on us. They claim that it is our fault that the planet was devastated." Tyler sighed. "I think I see where this is going. This appears to be a huge misunderstanding." Pran shook her head. "It may have started out that way but the only solution now is for one of us to be wiped out. They are unforgivable." Tyler shrugged. "Thank you for telling me this information. If you''ll excuse me, I am going to take my leave. I must go visit the Closed and see what they have to say." Pran nodded. "I wish you luck. I doubt that there is any possibility of a peaceful resolution but I guess only time will tell." Tyler nodded. "Farewell for now, Mother Pran." He then stood up and walked out with the other three Jedi. They walked back to the airstrip and boarded their transports before flying off towards the Closed base. They had to fly over the Celadon Sea. That is the sea of toxic gas that covers most of the planet. There isn''t any water but the body of gases is large enough that it is called a sea. The flight was pretty quiet. After the gases contaminated the planet, everyone cleared out of the cities. There was no one to bother them. Suddenly, there was an explosion. "MAYDAY MAYDAY! WE HAVE LOST AN ENGINE AND ARE GOING DOWN!" Within a few seconds, there were a few more explosions and every LAAT in the squadron was going down. Before anyone could react, they hit the ground. They were flying much lower than they thought. The gas must have messed with the sensors. On impact, all of the pilots died and were sent to respawn at the acclamator. In addition, 37 of the guild members that were with them died as well. Fortunately, those that remained were only lightly injured at most and all four Jedi survived. Using the force, Tyler flung the LAAT door off. The transport was on its side. He then started helping his remaining guildmates out of the transport. Once he helped the two survivors out, the uninjured went to the other transports and helped the others to get out. Tyler turned to Obi Wan. "I swear, I''m gonna erase whoever shot us down." Obi Wan sighed. "If that is your intention, I suggest you take a look around us." He waved his hand. Tyler turned and realized that they were surrounded by humanoid creatures. They were holding primitive weapons and looked like they came straight out of a nightmare. They had smooth, insect-like heads and large, black, beady eyes. Their teeth were sharp and had gaps between them. He sighed. "It would seem that the cities are not so empty after all." Chapter 25 - Carnelion IV Part II (So I want some feedback for this idea. After this arc, I want to skip to the Raxus Address which is the formation of the CIS. The Clone Wars wouldn''t start right away but this would be like the pregame to it. I would do a few arcs that revolve around the pre-Clone Wars events and then skip to Geonosis. Let me know what you guys think. Anyways, enjoy the chapter!) The Limitless survivors were surrounded by these nightmarish creatures. They appeared extremely hostile andˇ­ hungry. Tyler shivered. "I don''t like the look they''re giving us." He unsheathed and ignited his purple lightsabers. Obi Wan followed suit. "I am not sure that we can talk our way out of this one." Beowulf turned to Tyler. "Guild Leader, what do we do?" Tyler stood tall and turned to his remaining guildmates. "Ready your weapons. We are going to have to fight our way through this. Make sure you keep your masks on tight. If you inhale the gas, you won''t make it." The two padawans and the rest of the guild members readied their weapons. Suddenly, there was a screech. All of the creatures raised their weapons and responded with a battlecry. Tyler decided to inspect them. *Fisher, Mutant* *Level 60* Tyler sighed. This would be a piece of cake for him but his guildmates would struggle. They are only in the mid 50''s at this point. They aren''t above level 70 like him and his padawan. Tyler raised his right lightsaber and shouted. "Everyone form a defensive circle. All tanks and melee capables in the outer circle. Ranged DPS and medics in the middle. Do NOT let them break our formation." Everyone moved into their formation and got ready to defend against the onslaught. Although it was important for them to get out of the city as quickly as possible, they first needed to deal with the attackers at their front door. The Fishers charged forward. Some were throwing spears while others were charging in with sharp and blunt weapons alike. As they clashed with the Limitless circle, the players were surprised. The Fishers were much weaker than they thought they would be. Most could be taken down with a few attacks and skills. The 4 Jedi handled the larger ones with ease thanks to their insanely high levels and their absolutely broken weapons. After a few minutes, the group of Fishers was starting to thin out. However, they did not seem to have any intentions of letting up. Tyler noticed this. "Everyone charge forward and finish this. Don''t let them get away!" He leapt forward swinging his lightsabers like a windmill. He mowed down the Fishers with ease. Then he continued forward, leaving a trail of death in his wake. In his signature fashion, Kai was leaping from one Fisher to the next as he slid his lightsaber into and through their torsos. He would definitely get a gold medal in the Olympics. Obi Wan and Anakin were just as effective but they were much less flashy. Anakin''s prowess with the force was still impressive nonetheless. He is the chosen one after all. After another few minutes, the remaining Fishers were dead. All of the guild members gained a few levels since they were fighting enemies above their level. In addition, there was a horde of them. They were all surprised since they had not experienced a leveling speed of this magnitude as of yet. They now understood some of why Tyler was over level 70 while they were not even level 60 yet. Tyler stood tall in front of everyone. He was about to announce their plan to move out but they all looked exhausted. It would seem that fighting enemies above your level is extremely taxing on stamina. He sighed. "Alright everyone. Let''s take a breather and then we will move out. We all need to be ready for anything." Everyone heaved a sigh of relief before plopping down on the ground. Many of them had mats in their inventories to have something to sit on when they are out in the fields. Being comfortable while resting is the key to recovering your energy. Aside from that, refreshments such as water had a small stamina recovery boost. Tyler grouped up with Beowulf, Obi Wan, Kai, and Anakin. He turned to the Jedi. "Listen closely guys. In the upcoming war, shit like this will happen all the time. The most important skill you can have is recovering when shit hits the fan." Beowulf nodded. "I''ve been doing this for 13 years. It comes with experience." Tyler smiled. "Well Wulf, would you like to take lead in this discussion? You definitely outrank me in terms of experience. And in the words of a certain Captain, experience outranks everything." Beowulf laughed. "I love that quote, that show is a classic. Anyways, let''s get started." The three Jedi were confused by this interaction but the two players shrugged it off and he continued after pulling up his holomap. "Fortunately, we were able to take scans of the planet from orbit so we have a complete topographical holomap of the surface. If we didn''t have this, we would be SOL since the gas is interfering with communications." Tyler nodded and Beowulf continued. "Anakin, let''s see what you''ve got. This is a military operation. Our objective is to reach the Closed base and gather intel. We have 23 men and no transport. The only hardware we have is what is on us and anything we can salvage from the LAAT''s. What do we do next?" Anakin thought for a moment. None of his training has challenged him like this yet. This reminded him of the problems he would face when he was messing around with engineering. After thinking for a bit, he had an answer. "From our position on the map, our destination is the closest safe zone. We would have the best result if we were to continue the operation. It seems that the enemies use physically based weapons and not energy based ones. If we can fabricate some light shields using the armor plating of the transports, we should be able to defend against their attacks. Maybe we could set up a formation where we have those with shields on the outside and attackers behind them." Tyler smiled and nodded. "Kai, did he miss anything?" Kai grinned and nodded. "Just one thing, I think. Although the shortest route to a safe zone is indeed to the Closed base, it also brings us through the center of the city. It is likely that the highest concentration of enemies would be located there." Beowulf nodded. "That is good. Unfortunately, there is one thing that both of you missed. What about this environment poses a challenge?" Kai and Anakin looked around. Anakin noticed immediately. "The gas is reducing visibilityˇ­ WAIT THE GAS! How could I forget?" Beowulf laughed. "It''s alright. Draco and I are here after all to cover for your mistake. There should be spare gas masks and oxygen tanks in the cargo holds of each LAAT. We need to be prepared for when, not if, someone''s mask gets damaged or someone runs out of air. Regardless, well done padawans. In a few years, you both will probably be capable of leading a battalion of your own!" Kai and Anakin smiled. "Thank you." Beowulf smiled. "You are very welcome young ones. You too, Obi Wan. I hope you learned something too." Obi Wan nodded. "Anakin is the type to think outside the box. I would have never thought to use the plating to make shields." Tyler laughed. "It seems that the master has learned from the student." Obi Wan smiled. "Master Yoda has told me that a true master is an eternal student." (Anyone know what game that quote is from and who said it?) Tyler nodded. "That does sound like something he would say. Anyways, everyone drink some water and eat something before we move out." A few minutes later, everyone was refreshed so they got started. The four jedi got to work on cutting the larger pieces of plating from the downed LAAT''s. Tyler felt physical pain as he did this. Each LAAT costs 85k credits which approximately equates to $340k! This was over a million dollars worth of aircrafts. Other players that had the engineering subclass worked on finishing the shields. They cut them down into smaller pieces and welded handles onto them. After an hour of hard work, the shields were b?r?ly passable but they would serve their purpose. They created 10 shields from the plating. They could have created more but that was all they needed. These 10 shields would be given to the 10 players with the highest strength that weren''t protectors since they already had shields. They don''t always use them but they have a few in their inventories. The formation that they fell into was a triangle. Tyler took the point, Kai took the left face, Anakin took the right face, and Obi Wan brought up the rear. Guild members with shields filled in the gaps on each side and then the remaining 5 players stayed in the middle since they had the best medic skills. Tyler started moving forward. "Alright, MOVE OUT!" Everyone readied their weapons and shields. The four Jedi didn''t hold shields since it would be unnecessary. The area they moved down seemed to be an avenue. It was a wide street with destroyed speeders and dilapidated buildings lining the sides. The gas limited visibility so it appeared straight out of a horror movie. Buildings would creak and groan as they walked through. Sometimes, they would hear something topple over and sweat would roll down their heads. The cold air also didn''t help. They were shivering even though they were dressed warmly. The occasional gust of wind would send a chill up everyone''s spine. Suddenly there was a loud groan. All four Jedi looked in the same direction as the force screamed in horror. A huge piece of debris was falling through the air towards their group. Tyler froze. "EVERYONE FUCKING SCATTER!" The four Jedi raised their hands and closed their eyes. They reached out with the force and felt for the debris. Locking onto it, they sent out a wave of telekinetic energy. With their four efforts combined, it came to a quick stop just a few yards above their heads. In unison, they waved their arms to the side and sent the debris tumbling away from the group. Tyler sighed and plopped down on the ground. His breaths were fast and deep. "That was fu?kin scary." Obi Wan put his hands on his knees. "Indeed Draco. Thank the force that there were four of us." Tyler hopped back to his feet after calming down. "Form up everyone, let''s get back to it!" Silently, everyone fell back into formation. The atmosphere was somehow even more tense than before. They all thought that the main threat would be the Fishers. The dilapidated city added a whole nother layer to this challenge. They continued forward for another few minutes. It started to weigh on them all that there has been no contact with the locals yet. Tyler started to feel like the strings of the force were being pulled taut. "Get ready, we are gonna have some company." Everyone nodded. As if on cue, the sound of windows breaking could be heard. Everyone looked up to see it raining Fishers. The shield bearers raised their shields and deflected the attacks. The protectors charged forward and performed a shield bash. In doing this, they sent a few Fishers flying each. Their targets were in a staggered state. Tyler jumped high into the air over his guildmates. He raised his lightsaber over his head and switched into a backhand grip. He let the force flow through him and harnessed the power of his emotions. The fear, the hate, the anger, the frustration, it dripped off of him. As he landed, he yelled and stabbed his saber into the ground, releasing a pulse of force energy. With his fine control over the force, he was able to concentrate the blast on the Fishers. They were blown to pieces from the sheer strength of the attack. Obi Wan ran up to him. "What the hell was that?" Tyler smirked as his eyes flickered yellow for just a second. "This is what happens when you let your emotions run rampant, allowing the dark side to flow through you. I let the dark side feed on my anger and fear before gripping it by the neck and bending it to my will. I have no plans of falling to the dark side my friend. You should know all about what I did from our excursion with Darth Revan on Moraband." Obi Wan sighed. "I seeˇ­ I hadn''t thought of it in that way. I have definitely had better control on my emotions ever since Moraband but I still steered clear of the dark side. Have you been teaching this to your padawan?" Tyler nodded. "Of course. A Jedi that is in control of his emotions and can use them to boost his power is a Jedi that is grasping the fullest extent of his potential." Obi Wan sighed again. "I''ll have to trouble you to give Anakin and I pointers some time." Tyler smiled. "It would be my p???sur?, Obi Wan. Aside from Master Fisto and Kai, you two are my favorite people in the Order. Master Fisto was my teacher after all." Obi Wan laughed. "It is good to hear that you hold us in such high esteem. You are a great friend to have." Tyler puffed out his ?h?st a bit. "I am pretty great, aren''t I?" Beowulf rolled his eyes. "Did you really have to go and inflate his ego even more?" Everyone laughed. Tyler''s shenanigans will never get old. He has a way of keeping things fresh and lively. He definitely keeps everyone on their toes since not even he knows what he will do next. Tyler shrugged. "Alright, enough talk. Form back up and let''s get out of this shit hole." Everyone perked up at that. No one wanted anything more at the moment than to get out of this city. As everyone was moving back into formation, there was a ground shaking roar. Stomping could be heard approaching the group. Everyone turned to the origin of the noises. Out of a thick cloud of gas in the street, a huge Fisher emerged. It was easily 30 feet tall and massive. It was juiced out of its mind. It had sharp claws and jagged teeth. Standing around it was a group of smaller Fishers. They did not look as scary as the big boy but were definitely more dangerous than a typical Fisher. *Fisher, Mutant Juggernaut, World Boss* *Level 65* *Fisher, Mutant Hunter, Elite* *Level 64* Tyler sighed. "Ah shit. Of course there is a world boss in this city." In MMO games, there are several varieties of enemies that one can encounter outside of dungeons. The typical enemy would be a normal mob. Above that is an elite. They typically have more HP, possess greater combat prowess, and do more damage. The highest level is a world boss. They are essentially juiced up elite mobs that are virtually impossible for someone to solo. World bosses have a very large range of variation when it comes to strength. Some are only slightly stronger than elites in terms of raw stats, but others can be many times stronger. They are, without a doubt, a force to be reckoned with. Tyler turned to Beowulf. "I haven''t really got any experience with bosses in this game yet so you take the lead." Beowulf nodded. "Of course, Draco. Alright, all non-tanks drop your shields! Tanks move up and occupy the enemies. Assassins attack from the flanks, gunners, attack from behind the tanks, and medics stay back to provide support. Last, but not least, Jedi, go nuts." Tyler and Kai grinned. Seeing this, Obi Wan grimaced. "This is just splendid." Tyler laughed crazily. "Gladly. Let''s fu?k shit up!" Chapter 26 - Carnelion IV Part III (You ever enjoy doing something but then you start doing it a lot so it feels like a chore? That''s why I''ve chilled a bit with the release rate. The last thing I want to happen is to burn out and I feel like I''ve hit the sweet spot with the release rate I''m currently at. That being one every other day. That probably won''t happen because I am going back to college on Monday but I''ll do my best. Sorry if you guys want more but I''d rather keep the story going than get bored of it. Enjoy the chapter!) *Fisher, Mutant Juggernaut, World Boss* *Level 65* *Fisher, Mutant Hunter, Elite* *Level 64* Since this was the first world boss that Tyler had encountered, he was quite excited to see what it would be like to fight it. He quickly got to commanding his guildmates for the fight. "ONE TANK FOR EACH HUNTER! ALL OTHER TANKS ROTATE ON THE JUGGERNAUT! IF YOU GET INJURED FALL BACK FOR MEDICAL ATTENTION! MELEES FLANK AND RANGED KEEP YOUR DISTANCE! LET''S GET THE JUICE!" Being the idiot that he is, Tyler runs forward, ignoring his own orders and starts to play with the Juggernaut. With his speed, he created a comical scene where he acted as a matador, taunting and dodging the juggernaut''s strikes. Its meaty arms seemed like they would be hard to dodge but it was quite slow. Unfortunately, a lightsaber was not enough to cut through the beast. It was able to make gashes but its armor and thickness was too much. Tyler realized that he could tank the Juggernaut by himself. "Ummm, on second thought, all tanks double up on the Hunters. I''ll handle the Jugg." Everyone facepalmed as they hadn''t even joined the fight yet. They were awestruck at Tyler''s shenanigans. Beowulf rolled his eyes. "EVERYONE GET OFF YOUR ASSES AND HELP!" They all shook themselves out of their stupor and went to help with the fight. When everyone moved in, the Juggernaut let out a deafening roar. Everyone was momentarily stunned as it began to activate a skill. It ignored Tyler and jumped in the air towards the crowd of players. It was intent on smashing its fists into them and taking them out. Odds are that this would one shot most of the people in the crowd. Having broken out of the stun, Tyler raised his arms. He reached out with the force and held the Juggernaut up in the air. It started flailing its arms and legs since it was floating in the air. Tyler swung his arms to the side and flung the Juggernaut into a building. The side of the building exploded as the beast crashed through it. Concrete and stone chunks scattered through the air, raining upon the players. They had to dodge several chunks each to avoid injury. The Hunters just tanked the debris, taking a decent bit of damage from each hit. Another deafening roar echoed through the city but this time everyone wasn''t stunned. The building crumbled as the Juggernaut climbed out of the wreckage. As it emerged, it became apparent that it was seriously injured. One of its arms was mangled and severely broken. It would not be able to make use of it any time soon. The Juggernaut shrieked in pain as the injuries set in. It now lost function of its other arm. This made it even more enraged. In its fury, it quickly turned and pushed off its back foot to launch itself forward. Within the duration of a blink of an eye, it arrived before Tyler. Once it was there, it swung its right leg with extreme power and sent Tyler flying. Tyler coughed up blood. "AHHHH FUCKKKK!" He screamed as he flew through the air and collided with a wall. Beowulf grimaced at this. "MEDIC! GO TAKE CARE OF DRACO!" A medic nodded and sprinted forward to help her guild leader. She quickly arrived next to him. Beowulf took charge since Tyler was now out of commission. "KITE THE JUGGERNAUT! WE DON''T HAVE ANYONE CAPABLE OF TANKING IT! DODGE ALL ATTACKS!" Tyler looked on to the shit storm that was ensuing before him. "Iˇ­" He then passed out from his injuries. The medic panicked. "GUILD LEADER!" She frantically started injecting him with bacta. This situation was out of the ordinary. She had never seen someone fall unconscious in the game. Usually they would just die and respawn if they sustained injuries like this. She checked his pulse and it was steady. In addition, the wounds were closing up and his HP was recovering rapidly. She heaved a sigh of relief before putting Tyler over her shoulder and bringing him to safety. A bright light pierced through Tyler''s eyes and he reacted to it. He raised his arm. "Ahh, get that out of my eyes!" The medic sighed. "So you''re finally awake." Tyler raised his brow. "What happened?" She frowned. "You got clapped by the Juggernaut and got knocked out. You''ve been out for 3 hours." Tyler sat up in a panic. "Holy fu?k. Is everyone okay?" She nodded. "Yep. We finished the fight without you. Your padawan has been waiting patiently for you to wake up." Tyler smiled. "Good, I''m glad that I didn''t fu?k everything up." She giggled. "Nooo, without you disabling its arms, we would have been wiped." Tyler stood up. "Well then, I think it''s time we resume our journey then." He walked out of the tent and everyone turned to him. "Alright everyone, I am okay now. No, I will not be taking questions. Let''s just get out of this shit hole." Once they emerged from the gas, the settlement was in sight. It was actually much nicer than the Open base. There were proper walls and defensive structures surrounding the settlement. There was also barbed wire on top of the walls. Tyler led the group towards the gate. A guard stopped them. "HALT! State your business." Tyler smiled. "We are here to speak to your leader." The guard smirked. "And who might you guys be?" Tyler sighed. "We are from Limitless. I am Lord Draco. May we come in now?" The guard''s expression became gloomy. "Of course. Please enjoy your stay." Tyler raised his brow. That was an interesting reaction. It was probably due to the show they put on in the battle that they interfered in. Once they got inside, they were greeted by a few guild members. "Guild Leader! Glad to see you guys doing alright." Tyler nodded. "That was a pain in the ?ss but we made it. Did you guys bring transports?" He nodded. "Yes we did. They are parked on the airstrip." Tyler smiled. "Wonderful. We will be heading back soon so go and prep the transports." He nodded. "Will do. See you guys in a bit." Tyler sent everyone except the Jedi and Beowulf to the transports before continuing towards the Closed Leader''s office. This settlement was very similar to the Open one in that there were lots of civilians. It was quite interesting that the conditions were significantly better here. A guard led the group through the building and to a door. He knocked on it and a voice called out. "Come in." The guard opened the door to reveal a luxurious office. There was nice carpeting on the floors, a few bookshelves stocked with books and datapads, and a large wooden desk. Tyler smiled. "This is a very nice office you have here. I''m a bit jealous." The man sitting behind the desk laughed. "I''m sure you jest. I am General Krom. Who do I have the p???sur? of speaking with today?" Tyler nodded. "It is nice to meet you General. I am Lord Draco. I am here to discuss the ongoing conflict on behalf of the Galactic Republic." Krom sighed. "There is not much to say about it. Those despicable Opens drowned our planet in poison. They must be eliminated." Tyler sighed. "I don''t care if there isn''t much to say. Please just tell me the story. I have already heard what the Open had to say. Now it is your turn." Krom sunk in his chair a bit. "Very well then. I must go back to the beginning. Several generations ago, we were living peacefully on the planet. However, something that we called The Tremors started occurring. They began soon after the Open began their efforts to harness the power of the gas that was leaking out of the planet''s crust. They overestimated their abilities and lost control of the gas leading to a series of accidents. The gas flooded out of the crust and covered most of the planet." "I guess you have already encountered the abominations that my people have turned into due to the gas. There is nothing we can do to save them. However, we can avenge them by wiping out the Open." Tyler sighed. "It seems that neither side knows the whole story then." Krom scoffed. "What do you speak of? There is nothing more to it." Tyler laughed. "I doubt that. It would seem that both of you are missing something. Neither of you knows the origin of the gas." Krom raised his brow. "Are you insinuating that the Open are not to blame for this?" Tyler shook his head. "I have a feeling that neither of your groups are at fault for this tragedy. Please refrain from any hostilities for a bit. We will conduct an investigation into the source of the gas. Something is telling me that there is more to this that it may seem." Krom sighed. "Very well. I am certainly not in a position to resist your demands regardless. However, if there is hope of finding a solution to the gas problem, that would be great. It would be even better if we could find a cure for those who were mutated into those monsters." Tyler nodded. "I will do my best. Notice will be sent regarding this to the Open as well. I appreciate your cooperation." *Rank: Legendary* *Description: Find the source of the gas leak on Carnelion IV. Resolve the problem and restore the planet to its former health.* *Rewards: Unknown* Obi Wan nodded. "Indeed General. I am confident that we will be able to find a peaceful resolution to this conflict." Krom smiled. "I''ll do anything for my people. Even if it means reconciling with the Open. That is if it turns out that the gas problem wasn''t their fault." Tyler nodded. "Of course General. We''ll be in touch." Krom nodded. "I look forward to the results of your investigation." Tyler and the group then headed out of the office and went to the airstrip. They were all desperate for some rest after the nightmare they were stuck in. They boarded and LAAT and headed back to their base camp. This time, they made sure to stay well above the gas. After about an hour of flying, they arrived back at their camp. Tyler went straight to his tent and shut the flap. He stripped off his cloak and helmet before sliding onto his futon and instantly knocking out. The next morning, he woke up with a chill. It really was cold on this planet. Fortunately he had the force protecting his body. Otherwise he would have surely gotten some kind of negative status effect. He sat up and rotated, letting his feet drop onto the ground. He raised his arms and stretched with a yawn. He reached into his inventory and took out a still hot thermos of tea. It really is a blessing that items placed in the inventory are frozen in stasis. Tyler lifted the thermos to his mouth and took a small sip. The hot beverage washed through his mouth and warmed his entire body. "Ahhhhh, nothing like a hot cup of tea on a cold morning." He placed down the tea and put on his cloak before placing his helmet into his inventory. He walked out of his tent. He groggily walked through the camp and eventually found himself at the edge. Right outside of the camp there was a drop off since they were on a mountain. Tyler plopped down and let his feet hang off the edge. The sun was rising over the sea of poison gas. Despite the disgusting environment, it was quite a beautiful sight. The sun ascended over a mountain range in the distance. Tyler was in bliss. He just fully relaxed for a bit and sipped his tea. Unfortunately, his peace wouldn''t last for long. "Guild Leader, we found something interesting." Tyler raised his brow. "Something interesting? Do tell." The guild member shook his head. "Come to the mobile command center with me and we can show you." Tyler smiled. "Very well." He placed his tea down and hopped up. He then picked up the thermos. "Lead the way!" He then followed the guild member back to the camp. On the edge of the airstrip, there was a modified Juggernaut with a staircase extended down to the ground. The guild member led him inside. Around a holotable stood Beowulf, Obi Wan, Anakin, and Kai. Tyler smiled. "So what did we find?" Beowulf perked up. "Ah Draco. Nice of you to join us. How are your injuries?" Tyler chuckled. "All better. Something like that can''t stop me." Beowulf smiled. "That is good to hear. Anyways, the Venators in orbit have been constantly trying to find a scanning method that can penetrate the gas. Fortunately, they were able to get a certain frequency of low intensity gamma waves through to the surface. Once we did that, we were able to get a full scan of the planet." "That is where it gets interesting. We also did a meteorological scan to see wind directions and then this tied it all together. There is a singular source of a majority of the gas on the planet. We looked at the gamma scans for that part of the planet and we found something crazy." He pointed to the hologram on the table. Tyler was confused. "What the fu?k is that abomination?" The hologram depicted several gigantic spires made of stone. Connecting them all were crudely built walls and a few gates. Inside was a monstrosity of a structure that was carved into the mountain face. Beowulf grinned. "It appears to be some kind of fortress built into the mountain. It is inside the gas and appears to have been constructed after the gas covered the surface. I would put money on this being the place we need to go." Tyler let on a maniacal smirk. "What are we waiting for then? Let''s check it out!" Chapter 27 - GulDans Citadel Part I (I''ve been drunk for 5 days straight since I moved into my frat house. I''m not sorry. Enjoy the chapter. As a heads up, 99% of the races and monsters referenced in this novel are not made up by me. They actually exist either in Star Wars or in other universes. Use Google if you wanna learn more about them. Skipping the flight to the fortress bc I''m lazy. :P) After landing in front of the fortress, they stepped out and all received a notification. *Raid Discovered! Gul''dan''s Citadel.* Tyler walked up to the gates of the fortress. An interface popped up. *You have approached the raid, Gul''dan''s Citadel. Please select a difficulty: Normal, Heroic, or Mythic.* He called over Beowulf. "So this is a raid. I didn''t even know that they had these in this game." Beowulf shrugged. "Me neither. Before getting this game, I heard rumors that there would be a lot of inspiration taken from the old MMORPG game, World of Warcraft. It would kind of make sense since Disney acquired Activision Blizzard after they ran their company into the ground. After hearing that, I read up on how the game worked. The reputation system is taken straight from there." Tyler nodded. "I''ve read some of the WoW lore. Isn''t Gul''Dan one of the extremely powerful, evil characters?" Beowulf sighed. "I read that he is considered one of the most powerful warlocks to have ever existed. I don''t know how that would work in this game though. I don''t believe that there is magic." Tyler shook his head. "Well there is mana so who knows. Maybe we can find something interesting. There are a lot of unexplored regions within the galaxy with untouched resources. I can''t even imagine the money to be made. Hehehe." Beowulf rolled his eyes. "God, you are such a Jew." Tyler laughed. "Oh shush, it is in my blood. Anyways, since I am the party leader, it is asking me to select a difficulty." (In case you couldn''t tell from my last name, Newman, I am Jewish. It is okay for me to make that joke. :D) Beowulf raised his brow. "That is interesting. Haven''t seen anything in terms of difficulty selection yet. What are the options?" Tyler smiled. "We can do Normal, Heroic, or Mythic." Beowulf scoffed. "Damn, that is ripped straight out of WoW. I presume that the enemies would scale based on the average level of our party, right?" Tyler nodded. "That is how it has worked in most circumstances thus far. In the open world it is scaled off the mainstream player level but for party encounters, it has been based on party levels." Beowulf sighed. "I honestly don''t know. Maybe we should play it safe and do Normal since this is the first raid? I don''t think anyone has done one yet." Tyler grinned. "I don''t know. Harder difficulty means better rewards. In addition, there might be a first clear bonus." Beowulf grimaced. "You''re not about to do what I think you''re gonna do, right?" Tyler laughed. "What do you mean ''about to do'', I already did it!" Beowulf''s expression dropped. "What exactly did you do?" At that moment a notification popped up for everyone in the party of 50. *Mythic Raid Activated: Gul''dan''s Citadel. Good Luck!* Beowulf sighed in defeat. "We are doomed." Tyler shrugged. "I think we''ll be fine. We have 50 of the finest members in our guild right here. Everyone is a veteran MMO player so we got this. In addition, we have 3 Jedi with us. I think we will be just fine." Kai walked over. "Master, are we going to investigate that place? It feels dark and cold." Tyler nodded at his padawan who was followed by Obi Wan and Anakin. "Indeed we are. This place seems to be strong with the dark side. I have also heard some stories about the person this citadel is named after." Obi Wan''s eyes lit up. He was always hungry for knowledge. "I have never heard of anything like this. Would you please explain? It is unusual for something like this to not be in the archives." Tyler laughed. "Something like this would not be in the archives. I would be genuinely surprised if it was. Anyways, there are ancient tales of a system called the Azeroth System. No one knows where it is but it is home to powerful warriors that use magic never seen before in this galaxy." "I''ll give you a brief background on the system. There are many sentient races just like our galaxy. There are two main factions known as the Alliance and the Horde. They have been at war with each other for a long time." "Gul''dan, the person this citadel was named after, is an extremely powerful warlock that betrayed his people to ?ssist the dark forces trying to invade Azeroth for personal gain." Obi Wan raised his brow. "What is a warlock?" Tyler sighed. "They are powerful spell casters. They also summon demonic minions for various purposes. If you aren''t careful, they can kill you instantaneously." Obi Wan grimaced. "Are they somewhat like the Nightsisters?" Tyler chuckled. "I guess you can compare them to a Nightsister on steroids. They definitely use similar magic." Obi Wan nodded. "Then they must use the force in some way we haven''t discovered. It sounds like something a user of the dark side can do." Tyler raised his brow. "That is actually an interesting theory. I would not have thought of it like that." Obi Wan smiled. "Draco, there are many things we do not know. Knowledge is the key to unlocking the secrets of the galaxy." Tyler nodded. "Thank you for the wise words. Anyways, shall we proceed?" Obi Wan nodded. "That would be wise. We don''t want to keep the people of this planet waiting." Tyle turned to the group. "Alright everyone, form up. We are going to do an arrow formation. One Jedi on each side of the arrow with me at the front. Tanks and melee capable people on the outsides. Ranged people behind them and healers in the middle. Beowulf, you take command since you have more experience with this kind of stuff than I do. Let''s move out!" Everyone fell into formation quickly. Tyler walked up to the gates and used the force to push them open. They ?r??n?d and creaked as they moved. It took a few seconds but the gigantic gates opened fully. As they revealed the courtyard, several guards became visible and turned to look at the group of players. One quickly turned and ran inside presumably to inform his allies of the intruders. *Felguard, Warrior, Elite* *Level 65* Tyler''s expression dropped. "Shitˇ­" He unsheathed one of his lightsabers and ignited it quickly. He then threw it through the air straight towards the retreating felguard. Tyler called out to his group. "Group up and take on one felguard per group. Jedi come with me!" With Beowulf commanding the remaining 48 players, they split into 8 groups of 6 with one healer and 2 tanks for each of them. Tyler led Kai, Anakin, and Obi Wan towards the entrance of the citadel. As they approached the entrance, a deep, booming voice screamed. "WHO DARES INTRUDE ON THESE SACRED GROUNDS?" A monstrosity of a creature dropped down into the courtyard from a platform up above. As it landed, the stone cracked around it like an anvil had been dropped from an airplane. *Rogmon the Terrible, Mo''arg Brute, Elite* *Level 67* Rogmon snickered. "FOOLISH MORTALS! THIS MISTAKE WILL BE YOUR LAST!" It unsheathed a sword with a skull charm hanging off the bottom. The sword was glowing with a strange energy. Obi Wan shivered. "This one is strong with the dark side. I don''t know if we will be able to cut through his sword." Tyler shrugged as he unsheathed his twin purple sabers. "Nonetheless, it wouldn''t seem that he is open to negotiations." Kai chuckled as he pulled out his green saber. "Master, isn''t this what you call aggressive negotiations?" Tyler laughed. "Yes, Kai. You are right. You and Anakin will take the flanks. Do NOT take this demon head on. Obi Wan, you and I will take this fu?ker on." Obi Wan nodded as he unsheathed his blue lightsaber. "That would be wise, Draco." Anakin unsheathed his lightsaber. Him and Kai ran to either side of the brute. Tyler and Obi Wan fell into their ready stances. Tyler smiled at the demon. "COME!" Rogmon laughed demonically. "If death is your wish, I will happily grant it!" Rogmon charged forward, raising his sword in the air. Tyler''s eyes widened. "DODGE!" He and Obi Wan rolled out of the way as the brute swung his sword into the ground where they just stood. The stone shattered as if an explosion went off and bricks flew through the air. Sweat rolled down Obi Wan''s face. "So uncivilized." Tyler rolled his eyes. "It is literally a demon. Did you think it would invite you in for tea and ask you nicely for your soul?" Obi Wan scoffed. "I never thought I''d meet a demon other than you, Draco." Anakin and Kai giggled. Tyler''s jaw dropped. He had never seen this side of Obi Wan. "Good one. Can we get back to the task at hand?" He pointed one of his sabers out. In that direction, the brute had just pulled its sword from the ground and looked angry. Obi Wan shrugged. "It would seem it is not giving us a choice." He ran forward with his lightsaber held downwards lagging behind him. It looked pretty damn cool. Tyler smirked and put his sabers away. He then nodded to the padawans. As Obi Wan approached the brute, he jumped into the air using the force and raised his saber. The demon grinned and pulled back its sword. Tyler raised his hands and used the force to lock the demon''s arm in place. The demon then tried to swing at Obi Wan who was recklessly flying at him through the air but found that its arm couldn''t move. It immediately looked towards Tyler. "So I guess you have a few tricks, mortal." Along with Obi Wan, Kai and Anakin were charging in from behind. They jumped as well and raised their sabers over their heads. In unison, they struck downwards, leaving large gashes in the demon''s back. Obi Wan arrived in the air in front of the demon and slashed downwards. He left a gash in the ?h?st of the demon before rotating his body and moving his saber with him. He swung his saber upwards and sliced off the demon''s free hand. The demon shrieked in pain. "HOW DARE YOU! YOU WILL SUFFER MY WRATH!" Its muscles started to bulge and dark energies began pouring out of its skin. Obi Wan''s expression dropped. "SCATTER!" As he said this, a wave of dark force energy exploded from the demon and sent the three Jedi tumbling. Tyler felt the shockwave but was not knocked down. However, his control on the demon was eliminated. He scoffed. "This is going to be a challenge." He took his sabers back out and ran forward to prevent the demon from attacking his allies while they were down. Rogmon noticed this but ignored him, choosing to charge towards Obi Wan instead. It was furious with the Jedi. Tyler raised his hands as he ran and used the force to stagger the demon. "I''ll be your opponent." He continued towards the demon as it snickered and shifted its attention to Tyler. "Very well, mortal." It turned and started charging towards him. It pulled its sword back and swung as Tyler approached. Tyler dropped down to his knees and slid under the sword. As he slid under the arm that was flying over his head, he raised his sabers like a pair of scissors and sliced off its other hand. Rogmon screamed. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS!" Ignoring the cry, Tyler rolled behind the demon. He then swung his sabers horizontally, slashing the back of the demon''s ankles. It screamed as it fell to its knees. He then jumped over the demon in a flipping motion. Using his sabers, he slashed through its shoulders, crippling what was left of its arms. He then landed on his feet in front of the demon as it looked on helplessly. Its eyes were blank and glazed over. Tyler scoffed. "I''ll put you out of your misery. It would be cruel to leave you alive." The demon closed its eyes and Tyler took his sabers and stabbed them through its eye sockets. Its lifeless body fell to the ground. Its body disintegrated leaving a singular spherical item atop a small mound of credits. The credits amounted to 10k but the item was more interesting. *Item Obtained: Rogmon the Terrible''s Demonic Eye* *Rank: Keystone* *Description: Obtained by defeating Rogmon the Terrible. This eye was transplanted into him. He is the gatekeeper of Gul''dan''s Citadel and this eye is the key to entering the facility. It holds no other purpose and can only be used once.* Beowulf walked over followed by the remainder of the group. "Things looked rough over here." Tyler shrugged. "Just another day''s work." Beowulf rolled his eyes. "So did you find a way in? That door doesn''t look like it will open via brute force." Tyler smiled and held up the eye. "I know we need to use this but I don''t know how." As he said this, a panel slid open on the wall next to the door. Behind it was a circular stone. In the middle of it was a spherical orb that was glowing neon green like a Fel flame. Tyler walked up to the panel and held up the eye. The orb flared up as the eye was presented to it. It seemed to accept it as the panel slid shut and the doors slowly creeped open. As they opened it was revealed just how fortified they were. They were 8 feet thick and made of solid metal. It also appeared that they were shielded by force energy so they were virtually impenetrable. Inside was a dark hall. Once the doors were fully opened, green flames ignited in lamps lining the hall. They slowly flickered into existence, illuminating the hall. As the lights reached the end of the hall, a large chandelier ignited up in the air. It appeared to be floating and it was massive. Tyler walked into the hall and a notification popped up. *You have entered Gul''dan''s Citadel. 0 of 9 bosses defeated.* Tyler rolled his eyes. "Fuck, this is gonna be a long day." Chapter 28 - GulDans Citadel Part II (Sorry guys, but I''m backˇ­ kind of. I promise this is not getting dropped any time soon. Release rate is just gonna be really shitty so b?r? with me. Sleep apnea plus school is not a fun combo.) The hall was massive. It was at least the size of a football field. The walls were detailed to look like large stone blocks carved into the mountain. It was impressive considering that the entire structure was built inside a mountain. On each of the long walls of the hall, there were four massive openings. Above each opening, there was a crystal that had an energy beam shooting out of it. All eight beams converged into one crystal at the far end of the room that was embedded over an even larger opening. Tyler turned to Beowulf. "I''m guessing these 9 openings are the 9 bosses. It seems that we can do the first 8 in any order we want and then we can proceed to the 9th." Beowulf nodded. "That would make sense. I am curious what the bosses are gonna be like. Do you think they''ll be similar to the world boss we encountered?" Tyler nodded. "I would think so. However, this is a mythic raid so the bosses are probably going to be meaty as fu?k." Beowulf sighed. "You are probably right on that one. Hopefully we will be able to handle it." Tyler chuckled. "You underestimate our abilities brother, we are some of the strongest people in the galaxy, let alone Limitless." He then turned to his guild mates. "Alright, ummmmmmˇ­ you! Pick a number between one and sixteen!" The elite member raised her brow. "Ummm, nine?" Tyler laughed. "Alright, door one it is!" Everyone rolled their eyes. However, they all knew that there wasn''t really a better way to do this since they had no knowledge of the raid. Tyler led the group through the first opening. Inside was a totally different environment. It was a tight hall that could b?r?ly fit 5 people across. Thus, they had to travel in 10 groups of 5 with the 3 Jedi in the middle in case something happened. Afterall, players could respawn, NPC''s could not. As they walked down the hall, lamps would ignite with the neon green fel flames of the burning legion. It was nerve racking that there were no enemies present in the hallway. A short distance into the hallway, there was a seemingly endless staircase. After a few minutes of walking, they reached the end of the staircase.'' It expanded into a large circular room. As the last of the group entered the room, large green torches lit up around the perimeter of the room. Lining the edges of the room sat what appeared to be various workshops and half completed war machines. The green light revealed a humongous demon in the middle of the room. *Xorkath, Antaen, Boss* *Assistant Engineer of the Apocalypse* It was about 50 feet tall and sitting on a throne. It was leaning on its right hand with its elbow propped up on the arm of the chair. Xorkath had an indifferent look on his face. He scoffed. "Who is interrupting my break?" He looked up and scorned at the players. "Ah, it has been many years since mortals last entered my workshop. I hope you''ll entertain me!" Xorkath stood up and grabbed a sledgehammer that was leaning against his throne. It looked like mjolnir with an elongated handle. He raised the hammer and green lightning shot out towards the ceiling. In what sounded like an explosion, two large war machines dropped from the ceiling onto the ground and sparked to life with neon green eyes and energy flowing throughout them. *Fel Reaver, Mechanical, Elite* *Level 67* Fortunately, everyone aside from Tyler had gained a level or two off of the enemies in the courtyard since they were multiple levels below them. If they hadn''t reached an average of level 65, they would have no chance against these enemies. Xorkath was just standing there, grinning. After scanning over the group of players, he wore a smug look on his face and sat back down without a care in the world. Tyler turned to Beowulf. "Any ideas?" Beowulf shrugged. "Master Kenobi, do you have any recommendations for how we should handle this?" Obi Wan nodded. "This situation is quite new to me. However, from my experience, I have found that when facing opponents that are much larger than you, it is best to use a series of diversion and flanking tactics. This will result in avoiding a head on confrontation." Tyler nodded. "That could work. It would appear that one of his abilities is Fel Lightning. I presume that it is a multitarget attack. In addition, he seems to be able to summon these mechanical life forms." Beowulf nodded. "That seems sensible. I would also put my money on a melee AOE attack with that sledgehammer. Possibly one that involved the Fel Lightning too." Tyler smiled. "This shouldn''t be too hard then. I should be able to tank the boss and deal most of the damage since I am level 77 at this point. I''ll take a few stimpacks with me in case shit hits the fan." Beowulf sighed. "Your leveling speed really is inhuman." Tyler shrugged. "What can I say, I am the guild leader of the strongest guild afterall." Beowulf rolled his eyes. "I swear, Draco, you''re one of a kind." Tyler smirked and turned to his guildmates. "Everyone got the plan? If so, let''s do this!" He spun back around towards Xorkath and said, "Alright, let''s go shit stain!" He then ran at Xorkath. The demon just scoffed as he watched the puny jedi run towards him. Raising his hammer with two hands, lightning sparked off of it as he swung it down. As if expecting it, Tyler jumped over the hammer as he unsheathed his purple sabers and made a twin slash through Xorkath''s shoulder. The demon shrieked in agony before transitioning into a maniacal laugh. "HAHAHA! So this is what pain feels like! Seems like this will be more fun than I could have ever hoped for!" Tyler grimaced. "Fuck. NOW!" At that moment, the tanks all split between the two Reavers with a few medics for each of them. At the same time, Kai and Anakin went to one Reaver while Obi Wan took the role of DPS on the other. The rest of the players all remained on the backside of Xorkath to provide supporting damage as Tyler tanked it. He enhanced his body with the force to be able to deflect the hammer strikes but they still hurt like a bitch. Xorkath grinned as his strikes were getting deflected. "You are the first to last this long." Tyler chuckled as he flipped backwards away from a strike. "I bet you don''t even last this long in bed!" Xorkath''s eyes widened. "HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME! FOOLISH MORTAL! NOWˇ­ YOU DIE!" He took a step backwards and raised his hammer. "Lord Sargeras, please lend me your power to smite down this pathetic mortal." Green lightning struck the hammer before Xorkath redirected it towards Tyler. Reacting quickly, Tyler crossed his sabers in front of him just as the lightning reached him. His purple sabers absorbed the green bolt as he was shoved back from the extreme force. He slid across the ground. Tyler gritted his teeth and grunted under the sheer magnitude of the attack. "FUCKIN INTERRUPT HIM OR SOMETHING!" Shaking out of their stupor, everyone unleashed their blasters on the demon. Within seconds, the lightning ceased. Xorkath spun around with his hammer sticking out to clear the space around him. Everyone dodged just in time. The demon scoffed. "It would seem that your little friends came to your rescue. Guess I might have to get a bit more serious to finish you all." Tyler smirked. "COME!" Xorkath chuckled. "As you wish, mortal. But first, tell me your name." Tyler nodded as he fell into his combat stance. He looked similar to Kirito from Sword Art Online. "I am Draco, Jedi Knight." Xorkath smiled. "Very well, Draco. I will commit your name to my memory. I doubt that any mortal can challenge me as you have thus far. Unfortunately, this workshop will be your tomb!" The demon charged at Tyler with his hammer lagging behind him. He jumped into the air and raised the hammer over his head with both hands, preparing for a powerful strike. Rather than setting a defence, Tyler used the force to jump and meet the demon with a grin. Xorkath smiled and swung the hammer but it missed its mark. Tyler used the force to move himself mid air to just dodge the strike and landed on the demon''s shoulder. He swiftly sunk his sabers right into its upper back. He twisted them as he pulled them out. Tyler flipped through the air. Using the force, he stabilized himself and somehow landed on his feet. Looking up towards the demon, he saw a horrifying sight. Xorkath was now ablaze with green flames. Fel lightning was shooting off of him and scorching the ground around him. "You should be honored that you''ve pushed me this far. In fact, you almost killed me with that last stunt. However, now you''re really done for. Even I don''t know what this power will do to a mortal." Tyler shrugged as he put his sabers away. "Well, I don''t know if I want to find out." He raised his hands and blue lightning sparked off his finger tips. "Let''s see how you like a taste of your own medicine!" He then shot two bolts of lightning at the demon. Xorkath raised his hammer to block the bolts. They collided with the hammer and crackled loudly. The interaction was quite mesmerizing. The bolts combined into a blinding ball of light on the hammer. The head was beginning to glow red as green arcs of lightning scorched the ground. Xorkath widened his eyes as he watched his hammer heat up. "HOW?! NO MORTAL COULD EVER DAMAGE THIS HAMMER INFUSED WITH THE LIFE ESSENCE OF KIN''GAROTH!" Tyler smiled as he put more strength into the attack. "I am not your typical mortal. Underestimating me has been your downfall." The hammer started to crack. Within seconds, it shattered as the pieces fell to the ground. Xorkath scoffed as this happened. "It would seem that my hammer is not enough." He quickly dropped the shaft and used his right hand to absorb the lightning. He slowly converted it into fel lightning and absorbed its energy into his body. Steam began to come off his wounds as they closed up. Noticing this, Tyler quickly stopped his attack. "Looks like you have a bit more fight in you." Xorkath chuckled. "Jedi, you have not seen even half of my strength yet. I only use that hammer to honor my mentor who gave it to me. Now, I will use your life essence to forge a new one. I thank you for delivering yourself to me so conveniently." He flexed his arms and whipped his fists out. Each one created a sonic boom as his arms extended. Green energy pulsed off of him. It was almost as if this demon was the hulk with force powers and more intelligence. Xorkath opened one of his fists and a large ball of fel flames formed in his palm. Raising his arm, he threw the ball at Tyler while forming another in his left hand. He then quickly threw that one at Tyler as well. With the two huge balls of fire flying towards him, Tyler momentarily froze. In a moment of inspiration, he mustered up a large amount of force energy. Releasing it all at once, a shockwave like that of a bomb surged out of his body. Colliding with the balls of flame, they dissipated immediately. Tyler breathed heavily, exhausted from this strenuous attack. Xorkath grinned as he saw this and charged forward. As he ran, he coated his hands with fel lightning and flattened his hands as if he were going to chop something. Seeing this, Tyler quickly unsheathed his purple sabers and flipped backwards to avoid a downwards slash. The demon quickly followed up with a swipe using his other hand. In turn, Tyler swung his right saber upwards and deflected the strike, causing it to b?r?ly miss him. Xorkath then raised both of his hands, preparing for a cross slash. Rather than being fearful, Tyler saw this as an opportunity. The demon had left his ?h?st fully exposed. He coated his lightsabers in force lightning as he prayed this would work. He then charged forward and jumped towards the demon. As Xorkath''s hands began to come down, Tyler sunk his sabers into the demon''s ?h?st. This successfully interrupted the attack as the demon staggered. Tyler then yelled. "GIVE ''EM EVERYTHING YOU''VE GOT!" A hail of blaster fire rained upon the demon''s back. Since Tyler staggered Xorkath, he was in a weakened state. The blaster bolts actually damaged him and left scorch marks on his back. Xorkath screamed in agony as he was being wounded. "YOU''LL NEVER GET AWAY WITH THIS!" His body began to crack as green light started shining out of him. After a few seconds, Tyler screamed as he put all the energy he had left into the lightning coating his sabers. Xorkath went silent as his eyes dimmed. He then exploded into a pile of credits and holocrons. Tyler dropped to the ground and passed out from exhaustion. This battle pushed him to his limits. As he passed out, he heard two dings as he leveled up twice. Chapter 29 - Guldans Citadel Part III (Hey, it''s ya boi, uhhh, skinny p?n?s.) (Issa long boi.) Opening his eyes, a green tinted room came into view. The lighting was quite gentle so it was not so bright as to force him to squint. He then heard a voice. "Oh Master Draco! You''re awake!" Tyler turned to the voice and saw Kai looking very worried. "Haha, you think that could kill me? Not in a million years!" Beowulf heard the commotion and walked over. "Draco, glad you''re okay. How are you feeling?" Tyler scoffed. "Me? I''m fine. More importantly, what did we get?" Beowulf grinned. "We got a lot. Aside from a decent amount of credits, we got a design for those Fel Reavers and also some engineering tools." Tyler nodded. "That sounds juicy. Have we scouted out the remaining bosses yet?" Beowulf nodded. "We actually did. It would seem that Xorkath was one of the harder bosses. While you were knocked out, we actually took care of all except the last two which seem much harder than the rest." Tyler grinned. "I''m glad you saved the fun part for me! How long have I been out?" Beowulf sighed. "It''s been about 4 hours. Kai didn''t leave your side the entire time" Tyler smiled. "Awwww, who''s a good little padawan?" He patted Kai''s head. Kai ?r??n?d. "Come on Master, I was worried." Tyler chuckled. "You don''t have to worry about me. It''s not that easy to get rid of me. Anyways, I think we should get moving. What are the details on the next boss?" Beowulf nodded. "It appears his name is Archondius. He is some type of mage but we aren''t sure of much more than that." Tyler thought out loud. "Hmmmmm. If he is some sort of mage, he must be somehow connected to Gul''dan. Possibly his apprentice or protege? I would guess that he is a warlock if that is so. We should be prepared for large scale debuffs and have flame resistant gear at the ready. Prep the boys Beowulf." Beowulf nodded. "Of course he must be a warlock. How did I not think of that? I''ll get to it then." Beowulf walked off and called a raid meeting as he briefed everyone on what to be prepared for. A few minutes later, he came back over to Tyler who was having a snack. "Dude, what are you doing?" Tyler responded in a muffled voice due to the food in his mouth. "What does it look like I''m doing?" Beowulf scoffed. "You''re eating?" Tyler sighed. "No shit Sherlock." Beowulf shook his head. "So you mean to tell me that you couldn''t do the brief because you wanted to have a snack?" Tyler nodded. "Uhhh yeah, what about it?" Beowulf laughed sarcastically. "You''re fu?k?n? ridiculous." Tyler shrugged. "What can I say? I''m hungry." Beowulf rolled his eyes. "Fuck off dude." He walked away. Tyler laughed. "Oh, the look on his face was priceless." He then turned to his guildmates. "If everyone is ready, let''s go kill this son of a bitch!" There was a wide, spiral staircase that led down to another hall which opened up into an arena of sorts. Looking in from the outside, the seats were empty and so was the battlefield in the middle. Overlooking the arena was a box seating area positioned opposite the entrance. Archodius sat on a comfortable looking seat. Once all of the guild members entered the room, the warlock stood up. Oddly enough, he was human. In fact, this was the first human that they found in the citadel. He was wearing dark blue robes with golden accessories. His eyes were black due to the dark magic He looked very ominous and definitely powerful. Archondius raised his arms in a welcoming gesture. "Welcome, challengers. If you are here, that can only mean one thing. That thing being that you have stepped up to my challenge." He grinned excitedly. Tyler stepped up to the edge of the seating area. "What do you mean?" Archondius frowned. "I can see that my guests have no manners. At least introduce yourself. I''m even happy to go first. My name is Archondius. I am the main disciple of Lord Gul''dan and therefore the second most powerful warlock in this citadel. Your turn my friend." Tyler smiled. "Archondius, it seems we have something in common. We are both showmen! This should be a good time. I am Lord Draco of Kessel. Namely the guild leader of Limitless, senator to the Galactic Republic, Jedi Knight, and sovereign ruler of the Kessel System. How shall we proceed?" *Your reputation with Archondius has increased by 6000.* *Congratulations! Your reputation level with Archnodius has increased to Friendly.* The warlock let on a gentle smile. "It warms my heart that you are going to cooperate. Allow me to explain the rules. This will be a little competition. Five of your men vs five of mine. Each battle will be one on one and will not end until one of the fighters is no longer able to battle. Do not fret, no deaths within my arena are permanent so please, fight to your heart''s content." Tyler raised his brow in curiosity. "How will the selections work?" Archondius chuckled. "Wonderful question! Four members of each of our teams will be anyone of our choosing. I, of course, already selected my fighters. The last battle will be between me and the leader of your group, seemingly you. The order of participation will work as follows: I will send my fighter out and then you will choose from your team. Each fighter can only fight once. Any more questions?" Tyler smirked. "What does the winner get?" Archondius smiled. "Quite directˇ­ I like it." He thought for a moment and then his face lit up. "Let''s make this interesting. Regardless of whether you win the competition, I will disable my portion of the inhibitor that is preventing you from meeting Lord Gul''dan. If you win, I will disable it entirely and I will grant you this citadel. If you lose, however, you must acquire a planet in the core regions for me." Tyler was a bit confused. "Why does that seem a bit unbalanced?" Archondius smiled again. "Aha! We have got a businessman here too! Firstly, I doubt you understand just how valuable this citadel is. There are a few surprises you will get. However, you will have to clear the citadel first. It is not yours until you chase Lord Gul''dan out of here even if it belongs to me!" Tyler smirked. "I knew there was something you weren''t telling me." Archondius chuckled. "No other way to keep it interesting. Shall we get this started? When you are ready, come down to the arena and we will shake on it." Tyler nodded. "Sounds good my friend. I''ll be with you in a few minutes." He then turned to Beowulf and Obi Wan. "Ummm, so obviously I am going to be participating in this and I think it would be a good idea to have my padawan fight. The remaining three spots are up to the both of you. Obi Wan, would you and Anakin like to participate?" Obi Wan shook his head. "As a member of the Jedi Order, I can not participate in something such as this. It would be against my moral code. The same goes for Anakin." Tyler shrugged. "I thought so. Anyways, Beowulf, hook me up with three teammates. Feel free to choose yourself as well. The title of elder in my guild isn''t just for show!" Beowulf chuckled. "If that is the case, then this is a no brainer. Aside from myself, I will choose an ?ssassin and another brawler. Their names are Eclipse and Mr. Rogers." Tyler laughed. "Mr. Rogers? That is pure gold. Have them step up and sit in the front row. We need quick access to the arena." He then turned back to the arena and jumped down onto the battlefield with a flip. "Archondius, we are ready!" The warlock smiled. He then dematerialized and a midnight blue haze. A streak of smoke shot through the air towards Tyler. Just as he was standing, he reformed in front of the Jedi Knight. "Let us shake on it then." He reached out his hand. Tyler nodded and gave the warlock a firm handshake. "I look forward to this. It should be fun." Archondius nodded. "Indeed it will." He retracted his hand and turned to the empty stands. "WITHOUT FURTHER ADIEUˇ­ LET THE GAMES BEGIN!" Gates all around the stands opened up, allowing tens of thousands of spectators into the arena. Within a few seconds, every seat that wasn''t in the section that Limitless was in was filled. Archondius turned to Tyler. "Join me in my box will you? I''m sure you have a way to communicate with your team. It is only proper that I show you some proper hospitality." Tyler raised his brow. "You got snacks up there?" Archondius chuckled. "What kind of host do you think I am? We can enjoy some food and drink as we watch the competition." Tyler smiled. "My kinda guy. Hopefully you don''t disappear after this. There''ll always be a place for you at Limitless if you decide against returning to Azeroth." Archondius''s expression turned serious as he grabbed Tyler and phased back up to his box. He then stepped back. "Grab a drink. We need to talk." Tyler raised his brow. "Alright, what do you recommend? I''m in the mood for some wine." Archondius smirked. "I have a good one for you then. I would recommend that bottle of Brightsong Wine over there. Made in the Terokkar Forest, it is quite hard to come by. If you''ll excuse me, I''ll get this started." The warlock picked up a glass filled with a black liquor and ice and walked over to the edge of the box. Tyler made sure to quickly message Beowulf that he was alright. Archondius called out. "Will my first fighter please take the floor?" A gate on the side of the arena that is under the box opened up. An Orc warrior stepped out onto the battlefield. He was dual wielding battle axes and looked similar to Olaf from League of Legends. He was wearing leather armor and looked quite menacing. Without waiting for orders, Beowulf looked up to the booth. Tyler nodded in confirmation so the brawler made his move. He stood up from his seat, planted one foot on the wall and launched himself into the air. As he flew, he equipped a pair of gauntlets made from beskar steel. After making a superhero landing, he stood up with a serious look and punched his fists together twice making a metallic ring. "I''ll be your opponent today. My name is Beowulf and I look forward to our fight." The orc smiled. "Greetings human, I am Shelakh, the strongest warrior in this citadel. I also look forward to our fight." Archondius smiled. "This should be exciting so let''s get right into it. If both fighters are ready, you may begin." The two fighters grinned before sprinting at each other. When they were close, they raised their weapons and Beowulf leaped into the air. It was truly an epic scene watching the brawler fly through the air while the warrior swung his battle axes towards his opponent. Meanwhile, Tyler sat down in the seat next to Archondius. "So, what do we need to talk about?" The warlock sighed. "How do you know about Azeroth?" Tyler raised his brow as he thought for a moment to come up with something. "Back on my home world, we heard tales of a World of Warcraft called Azeroth. Powerful warriors and wizards fight for justice and defend their people. Once I arrived here, I realized that these stories were true." Archondius sighed. "I thought that we had done a better job hiding our existence." Tyler smiled. "If I may, where is Azeroth?" Archondius nodded. "Reasonable question. I don''t know the exact coordinates but it is somewhere in the Unknown regions of the galaxy." Tyler nodded. "It makes sense that your world is not widely known. Since it is so far, there must be a portal here since I don''t see any starships." Archondius chuckled. "Most of Azeroth doesn''t even know that most of this technology exists! They are blinded by their magic. Portals and airships are their preferred forms of transportation." Tyler laughed. "How barbaric. I would like to visit at some point in the future. I have heard that there are some beautiful sights there." Archondius nodded. "That is true. I have explored much of Azeroth. There are some things there that you can''t see anywhere else. The wildlife is so diverse that there is no shortage of delicacies!" Tyler smiled as he looked back towards the arena. Beowulf was struggling. Shelakh was toying with him. This warrior was truly powerful. Each time Beowulf would throw a punch, the warrior would tactly use one of his axes to deflect it. Shelakh laughed. "Is this all you humans can do? I have to say that I''m not entertained!" Beowulf smirked. His bait had worked. He ran forward towards the warrior like he had been and started to throw a punch. Shelakh raised his axe to block the punch again. At that moment, Beowulf dropped to the ground instead of throwing the punch and used an outstretched leg to sweep the warrior off his feet. In a crash, the towering Orc fell to the ground. Beowulf quickly recovered and pounced on the Orc with a full powered punch towards his head. In response, Shelakh crossed his axes and blocked the punch. Shelakh grinned. "It seems you can entertain me after all." The warrior roared and threw Beowulf off of him. He performed a backwards roll and landed on his feet. "COME!" The crowd roared. Beowulf smirked and charged at the warrior. From this point onwards, the warrior was on the defensive. He was continuously blocking a flurry of punches from the beskar gauntlets. Suddenly, Beowulf began incorporating kicks and feints into his punches. Shelakh''s expression turned serious. He seemed to be remembering something. In this moment of distraction, a punch landed and sent the warrior flying. He was out cold. With this, the crowd was excited yet again. This was truly an impressive bout. Archondius smiled and stood up. "It would seem we have a winner for our first bout. The score will stand at 0-1 with the challengers in the lead." Beowulf walked over to the Orc and injected him with a stim. He almost immediately woke up. To see Beowulf''s outstretched hand. He grabbed it. "You remind me of my mentor. He would always beat me senseless." Beowulf chuckled. "It has been a while since I have been pushed that hard. Most people in this galaxy are not skilled in hand to hand combat so fighting you was a p???sur?. I hope to meet you again Shelakh." The warrior nodded. "I wish the same, Beowulf. Next time I will be sure to push you even harder. I might even win!" Beowulf laughed. "I look forward to it." He then turned and walked back towards the stands to rejoin his teammates. After the battlefield was cleared, Archondius resumed. "Will my next fighter please take the floor?" This time when the gate opened, an undead walked onto the field. He was wearing mage robes but did not look like a warlock. Beowulf sent the ?ssassin, Eclipse, out to challenge this mage. Based on the matchup, it should be easy. The crowd seemed to get riled up at this. This made the ?ssassin nervous as this was supposed to be an easy win. The mage looked upon him with contempt. This made him irritated so he didn''t even bother introducing himself. Archondius turned to Tyler. "You are in for a surprise here. I hope you brought a change of und?rw??r." He then turned back to the crowd. "If both fighters are ready, BEGIN!" Immediately, Eclipse disappeared into a blur. After about a second, it appeared as if several clones of him were charging at the mage. These were actually just afterimages. Assassins mainly focused on speed and dexterity when it came to stat allocation. As he closed in on the mage, the undead began chanting. When Eclipse was about to strike and end this in one shot, the mage swung both of his hands outwards and along with them came a pulse of blue energy. Everything within 12 meters of the mage was frozen solidˇ­ including the ?ssassin. Without hesitation, the mage swung his staff and shot an icicle towards the frozen ?ssassin. The ice shattered and Eclipse was dead on impact. Within a few seconds, Eclipse had respawned in the crowd but the undead mage was already walking out of the arena. Tyler was left slack jawed. That spell was Frost Nova and then Ice Lance. These are two abilities unique to frost mages! Who knew that it had such destructive capacity in a realistic application. Archnodius smiled. "Now the score is 1-1. Will my next fighter come out?" The next fighter to come out was a human rogue. She was wearing red leather armor and was holding a dagger in one hand and a short sword in the other. Beowulf decided to send out the other brawler. Namely, Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers jumped down from the stands in similar fashion to Beowulf and landed in front of the rogue. Archondius smirked again so Tyler got nervous. "What? Am I in for another surprise?" The warlock shrugged. "I don''t know. Maybe? I doubt that sending out someone that wasn''t a Jedi against a rogue is the best idea." Tyler sighed. "Well after this, we have two Jedi as our fighters so I doubt we will be in much trouble." While Tyler was looking at Archondius, the latter stood up. "If both fighters are readyˇ­ BEGIN!" By the time Tyler looked at the arena, the brawler was already dead. "WHAT?" The rogue was already standing over the brawler and her short sword was through Mr. Rogers''s neck as he slumped to the ground. Archondius chuckled. "I can see that you are beginning to understand how valuable this citadel is. This is the only place in the galaxy, other than Azeroth, that you can learn these techniques." Tyler''s eyes widened. This opportunity was too lucrative to pass up. "Would you mind if I went and talked to my padawan? He is the next fighter." Archondius smiled and nodded. "Of course. Feel free." He waved his hand and Tyler was phased down to the arena. Kai quickly jumped down and listened close to his master. Tyler smiled. "Kai, you are free to use everything I have taught you. I will have Obi Wan and Anakin turn a blind eye. They know how valuable we are to the order so I doubt that they have the balls to report anything they see today. I''m also sure that they understand what we are doing since they are also Revanites." Kai grinned. "YES! I finally get to use the stuff you taught me. This should be fun." As they were talking, a Tauren hunter walked out into the arena. She was walking with a feline beast and was holding a bow. Kai grinned with this. Any non-magic class would be a cake walk for a Jedi. Even with some kind of familiar, the force would guide the way. Tyler waved to Archondius and he brought him back up to the booth. "What did you talk to your padawan about?" Tyler shrugged. "Oh, I was just telling him that he can let loose. I wanna keep this interesting. I would hate to miss out on fighting you." Archondius chuckled. "That is quite acceptable considering that you are down 2-1." Tyler rolled his eyes. Archondius stood up and gestured to the crowd. "If both fighters are readyˇ­ BEGIN!" The hunter quickly pointed at Kai and her pet charged towards the small padawan. Kai smirked and waved his hand at the tiger. Using the force, he convinced it to stop. The tiger stopped in its tracks and the hunter panicked. In response, the hunter raised her bow and shot at Kai. Kai kept his hand up and stopped the arrow in its path. It floated in the air before spinning around and aiming back at the shooter. Kai then waved his hand and sent the arrow towards the hunter''s head. The Tauren was frozen with shock as she had never faced a Jedi before. Snapping out of his stupor, she rolled to the side and dodged the arrow. Realizing that her original plan was now out the window, she would have to use her own prowess. However, her instincts told her that engaging with a Jedi in close combat would be suicide. A hunter''s instincts are almost never wrong. The hunter notched three arrows into her bow string and made a small chant. She pulled back the string and released it. All three arrows scattered in different directions and curved towards Kai. One of the arrows was flying straight at him so he responded in like. He ran straight at the arrow and leaped into the air. The arrow was shot with a lot of power and had a green aura surrounding it. Kai landed with one foot on the arrow and unsheathed his lightsaber. He flipped into the air using the arrow as a platform and swung his green lightsaber to cut down the other two arrows that were converging on him. Kai landed in front of the hunter. The top end of the hunter''s bow was sharpened into a blade. Making use of that, she swung her bow at kai while infusing mana into it. In this case, it was as if she was strengthening it with the force. This further confirmed Tyler''s suspicions that the force and magic were one in the same. Kai deflected the bow with his lightsaber and slid under the swing. After coming to a stop behind the hunter, he flipped his saber into a reverse grip and carried out a two handed stab backwards. The green blade went straight through the hunter killed her. He pulled out his saber and the hunter fell to the ground, lifeless. Within a few seconds, she respawned. Kai sheathed his lightsaber and bowed to the hunter. "It was a p???sur?." She whistled and her pet came to her. "Likewise. See you around." She swiftly turned around and left. Archondius grinned and turned to Tyler. "Quite the disciple you have that. I expect that the master will not disappoint based on that showing." Tyler smirked. "We''ll see. You ready to do this? It''s all down to us since it''s tied up!" Archondius waved his hand and they phased down to the battlefield. The crowd roared in excitement. This was the most anticipated battle. "I am ready, young Jedi." Tyler raised his brow. "Where is your staff? Are you not going to use a weapon?" Archondius chuckled. "I could ask the same to you, Draco. From what I have seen of you, there should be two lightsabers." Tyler grinned. "For you, my friend, I can not fight with anything but my best." Tyler unsheathed the singular lightsaber from his belt and ignited it. The crimson blade crackled into form. Obi Wan''s eyes widened as he turned to Anakin. "Do not speak of anything you are about to see." Anakin raised his brow. "Why does he have a red lightsaber?" Obi Wan sighed. "I am not quite sure. We will have a little talk with him afterwards. Let''s just watch for now." Archondius was intrigued. "I would never have taken you for a red lightsaber kind of guy." Tyler chuckled. "Don''t worry, I am no Sith. They are too edgy for me." Archondius shrugged. "Oh well, let''s begin." He flipped his hands upwards while keeping them down by his waist and formed two spheres of purple flame in them. As Tyler looked at them, he felt the force scream out in warning. These spheres were extremely dangerous. The warlock raised his hands and shot the two flames at Tyler. With one hand, Tyler raised his crimson saber and absorbed the purple flames. With his other hand, he caught the flames and used the force to absorb and shoot the flames back at the warlock. It was a force based attack so it works the same as Yoda shooting force lightning back at Dooku. Archondius sidestepped the flames and smiled. "It would seem that this fight won''t be so simple." Tyler shrugged. "My turn." Tyler raised his free hand and shot force lightning at the warlock. In response, Archondius made a quick chant and summoned an infernal. It tanked the lightning and looked as if it took very little damage. Unknown to Tyler, it did a lot of damage even if it didn''t show. A bead of sweat rolled down the warlock''s face. "Was not expecting that one! Let''s heat this up a bit." He again summoned two balls of purple flames. However, he coated his lower arms with them rather than shooting at his opponent. Tyler raised his brow. "Interesting. COME!" They charged at each other. Tyler swung his crimson blade at the warlock aggressively. In response, Archondius used the back of his hand to deflect it. It was coated with force energy so the lightsaber did no damage. Archondius blocked with his left hand so he threw a right hook towards Tyler''s ?h?st. Almost as if he predicted this, he rotated his saber around and directly blocked the right hook. Immediately, he flipped over the warlock and slashed through his right shoulder, disabling his right arm. Tyler expected panic but he got nothing but an evil grin out of Archondius. Suddenly the force was screaming and Tyler turned just in time to see the infernal''s fists flying towards him. Tyler rolled to the side, dodging the strike. He immediately swung his saber diagonally upwards and sliced both of the infernal''s hands off. He then quickly jumped upwards and swung down as he flipped over the infernal, slicing its head in two. The infernal shook violently and then shattered. He then turned back to Archondius and the sight shocked him. All of the warlock''s orifices were ignited with intense flames and smoke clouds were forming above Tyler. A demonic voice then called out. "HELLFIRE!" Countless balls of flame rained down on the Jedi. Tyler dodged left and right to avoid the balls of flame. It was becoming too much. Suddenly he came up with an idea. An insane video clip from The Force Unleashed flashed through his mind. He immediately jumped and crossed his arms over his ?h?st. He concentrated an insane amount of force energy in his body for as long as he could. As a fireball was about to hit him, he screamed and swung his arms outwards. A huge pulse of force energy flew out and neutralized all of the fireballs. In addition, it blew away the smoke cloud and knocked the warlock on his back. Tyler landed on the ground and leapt over the Archondius before pointing his lightsaber at the warlock''s throat. "Checkmate." Archondius laughed. "Indeed. I was never expecting such abilities from a Jedi. Then again, you don''t seem to be as simple as that." He gestured towards the crimson saber. Tyler retracted the lightsaber and sheathed it before extending his hand. "Well, I at least owe you an explanation some time over some drinks. I''d also like to hear about Azeroth. What do you think about staying here as a part of my organization?" Archondius thought for a moment as he took Tyler''s hand. "Hmmmm, that sounds like fun. I might have to leave to run some errands for Lord Gul''dan, but otherwise I''m here." Tyler smiled. "That is great. I look forward to seeing Azeroth some day. You must show me around." Archondius nodded. "Indeed. Anyways, I must hold up my end of the deal. I will open the gate so you can proceed to Gul''dan''s library. I must warn you, he will not be happy to see you." Chapter 30 - Guldans Citadel Part IV (Thought I''d try to create a community so I''m gonna start properly interacting with you guys. For each of you, what is the thing you miss most that you can''t have or do anymore due to Covid? Comment on this paragraph and I''ll try to respond to as much of it as I can. Anyways, enjoy the short chapter!) Passing through the opened gate, the hallway was quite ominous. Creaking sounds and low toned noises shook the hall and put all the players on edge. Obi Wan walked up next to Tyler. "I don''t have a good feeling about this. Everything is telling me to get out of here." Tyler shrugged. "I feel the same way but we have come this far. We must finish what we started. Think of all the people we will save on Carnelion IV if we are successful." Obi Wan sighed. "You are right. Let us steel our resolve and push on." Tyler nodded. "Indeed. Nothing else to do at this point." After a few minutes of walking that felt like hours, the hall opened up into a circular room. The floor was made of perfectly cut stone bricks that had some ornate textures engraved into them. Lining the outer edge of the room, countless pillars extended up at least 80 feet to the ceiling. In the center of the room, a glowing green orb of energy floated in the air with crackling beams of energy connected to 4 acolytes surrounding it. A hunched over, hooded Orc was walking around them observing their work. Without turning to the intruders, he scoffed. "It seems that my subordinates are utterly useless. If you want something done, you must do it yourself." Tyler smirked. "Ah, you must be the famous warlock, Gul''dan. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Gul''dan immediately turned towards Tyler in response to his nonchalant attitude. "And who might you be, human?" Tyler grinned. "I am Lord Draco, soon to be owner of this facility." Gul''dan rolled his eyes. "Silly humans with their silly claims. What makes you think you can take it from me?" Tyler unsheathed and ignited his twin purple sabers. "I''d love to see you try and stop me." Gul''dan chuckled. "Let''s see what you''ve got, then. Unfortunately, this quarrel is not worth my time so my acolytes will take out the trash. If you make it through this, I guess I''ll see you on Azeroth." He waved his hand as he turned his back and walked through a door in the back of the room. Tyler sighed. "Awww, I was hoping for a fun fight." One of the acolytes with blue hair and a yellow headband heard this and his head snapped towards Tyler. "WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU SAY TO ME YOU LITTLE SHIT? YOU KISS YOUR MOTHER WITH THAT MOUTH?" Tyler nearly choked as this reminded him of someone. "What? You must have a death wish." The acolyte smirked before turning to his companions. "Let''s let the experiment deal with them. They will make for fantastic test subjects." Suddenly, the sphere faded away. The beast began unraveling itself. Large wings stretched out and its legs dropped down. It floated in the air for a moment before dropping to the ground, shaking the room. It slowly stood up and stretched its wings. Lifting its head, it set its gaze upon the group of players. *Subject 15, Modified Doomguard, Boss* *Level 70* The demon looked as if it lacked intelligence. It simply raised its arm and opened its hand. Green energy waves began compressing into its hand and began taking shape. The energy formed into a battle axe. If it were to hit any of them, they would die in one hit. The blue haired acolyte grinned. "Before you all die, allow me to inform you of who is responsible for your demise. I, Nyn Jah, Head Acolyte of the Lord Gul''dan, am your doom. KILL THEM ALL!" Without giving them time to come up with a strategy, the doomguard rushed forward, raising its axe. Tyler sighed before yelling. "Everyone fall into big boi counter formation!" (I''m eating lasagna for breakfast poggers) In addition to this, the four Jedi split up on the four sides of the doomguard. Their job would be to distract it whenever someone makes a mistake. They needed all the tanks they had for them to be able to defeat the doomguard. Despite their strategy, everything immediately went to shit. One of the tanks did too much damage and pulled aggro for several seconds. He was going fine at first but then he tripped on a stone brick that was slightly higher than the rest of the floor and the doomguard''s battle axe was flying towards him. Sighing and rolling his eyes, Tyler used the force and strengthened his legs. Springboarding off the ground, he shot towards the monstrosity like a rocket. He flipped once through the air and planted both feet on the doomguard''s back, making it stagger with a powerful kick. This did just enough as the axe missed the tank by a few inches. Tyler was furious. "WATCH YOUR FUCKIN DAMAGE!" After that wakeup call, the tanks became more careful to not pull too much aggro. The fight began to progress nicely. For a few minutes, the doomguard''s HP slowly went down while only using some simplistic attack patterns. Suddenly, green arcs of electricity started to ripple off of the doomguard''s arms. It began chanting in a demonic language. It sounded like it came straight out of hell. Green runes began forming on the ground. After a few seconds, it raised its battleaxe in both hands in front of its face. Beowulf''s expression looked like he had just shit himself. "FUCKING SCATTER!" As he said this, the doomguard slammed the bottom of the shaft of the axe into the ground in the center of the runes. Green pulses of electricity exploded outwards with the bottom of the hammer as the epicenter. All of the Limitless members tried to get away but some of them couldn''t make it. Eleven players were vaporized instantly. As the pulse went farther, it became weaker and thus did less damage. This meant that players didn''t die past a certain point. The doomguard looked around and grinned at the results of its carnage. It had nearly demolished the entire group of its foes with that one move. It''s HP had reached 5%. This was its last resort and would have probably wiped any party without an experienced raid leader. Subject 15 was panting and using its axe to remain standing. A glimmer shone in Tyler''s eyes. This was his chance to finish the fight. It would clearly take a hot minute for the demon to regain the ability to fight due after using such an insane ability. Tyler was currently positioned at the demon''s 8 o''clock. He took off like a bullet with his twin purple sabers trailing behind him. He was moving so fast that he was leaving a wall of purple light behind his legs. Once he reached the demon, he slid on his knees, letting his sabers slice through its achilles tendons. With those gone, the demon fell to its knees. Tyler rolled forward, getting back to his feet before stopping on a dime. He then leaped directly behind the demon and sliced up the demons back. It shrieked in pain but wasn''t able to do anything about it. Using it''s gargantuan figure as a platform, he landed and used his two sabers to leave a deep gash in the demon''s shoulders. This rendered its arms useless. Without being able to support itself, the demon fell face first onto the ground. Tyler rode its back as it fell and stood tall over the demon''s limp body. He flipped both sabers into a reverse grip before jumping up and raising both sabers over his head. Landing on the doomguard''s neck, he slotted both of his sabers into the back of its head. It died instantly. Green cracks began forming all over the demon. They kept getting brighter and brighter until the body crumbled to dust, leaving a pile of items and credits. Tyler stood atop the mound grinning. The remaining guild members began cheering. They were the first guild to finish a raid. Soon, his favorite kind of thing happened. *Congratulations to Limitless. They are the first guild in the entire galaxy to complete a raid.* Chapter 31 - Emergency Session (If ya''ll know anything about Star Wars, shits boutta get spicy. Merry Christmas btw.) -7AM, Limitless Penthouse- The holoscreen flickered on as it does every morning. It was playing the morning news for Coruscant and by ?ssociation, the Republic. In fact, this was actually the morning routine of most officials in the galaxy as it was a great source of information. It is often a marvel how quickly the media can acquire information. "Good morning Coruscant. It''s gonna be a hot one today in the Senate District. Don''t dress too warm unless you want to sweat through your attireˇ­" Looking around the room, there were clothes scattered everywhere. This was a common sight the past two weeks since Tyler returned from Carnelion IV. Emily wasn''t exactly looking for money, but no one would ever say no to getting access to the luxuries that come with it. In addition, she has even paid for dinner a few times despite Tyler''s bottomless bank account. Tyler raised his arms. One of them went straight up into the air but the other one was blocked. He rolled over to find his lover cuddled up against his shoulder. He smiled and gently replaced his shoulder with a pillow before rolling over and sitting up on the edge of the bed. This time he was able to raise his arms and stretch to his heart''s content. A deep yawn escaped his gaping mouth before he groggily stood up and walked to the bathroom. As he entered the comfortable room with heated tiles, the lights turned on and the news broadcast moved to a smaller holoscreen next to the mirror. He planted his hands on the counter and raised his head. He was a mess, not that he expected anything else due to the lack of sleep the previous night. Tyler turned around and headed to the toilet. It was time for his morning dump. As he sat down on the toilet, he checked his stat window. It was glorious. Level 83 EXP - 76% Mandalorian Human HP - 5760 MP - 7690 STR - 78 + 47 DEF - 36 + 7 DEX - 90 + 54 STA - 50 + 10 INT - 75 + 45 CHA - 55 + 33 Free Attribute Points - 0 -Pilot - Master - 85% -Engineer - Master - 40% -Marksman - Expert - 31% -Medic - Intermediate - 28% Once he was done reading through his stats, he stood up and hopped into the shower. Once he stepped in, the pre set temperature water shot out of the walls and ran down his body. He had quite a slender figure but there was the strength of a beast hidden behind that facade. After a nice long shower, it was now 7:30. Stepping out of the shower, he came out of space and began listening to the news cast as he did his hair. "...clean up efforts by the Senate have been proceeding nicely on Carnelion IV. Ever since they have joined the Republic, they have turned into a valuable trade hub in that sector due to the lack of habitable systems. They continuously thank Limitlessˇ­ Hold on, we have breaking news from the Galactic Senate." Tyler perked up at this. It was not often that something from the Senate was considered breaking news. "Supreme Chancellor Valorum has just called for an emergency session of the Galactic Senate. It is to take place in two and a half hours. There is no word on what it is about but we will report as soon as we find out more." Tyler smirked. He was looking for something to do today. Who knows? It could be something exciting. He does love his drama. He decided to give Chancellor Valorum a call after putting a shirt on. Valorum picked up his communicator as his hologram popped up. "Draco, it has been a while. How are you doing my friend?" Tyler smiled. "It has been a while. I am doing quite well. I''ve been enjoying some time with my girlfriend. How is the family?" Valorum sighed. "I was supposed to leave on a vacation with them this morning. I was very excited for a week off from senatorial duties. The galaxy never sleeps my friend." Tyler shook his head. "That it does not. Fortunately, there are some new renovations that were just completed at my guild hall. If your family would like to come check it out one evening, everything would be on the house." Valorum''s eyes lit up. "Are you sure? You don''t let anyone in aside from guild members and esteemed guests." Tyler laughed. "And what do you think you are, Chancellor?" Valorum chuckled. "I guess that is fair. So, to what do I owe the p???sur? of your call?" Tyler smiled. "I heard there was an emergency session called today. Anything I should be concerned about?" Valorum sighed. "There have been some concerning developments. I was actually about to send an invitation to you personally but I guess that is unnecessary at this point." Tyler raised his brow. "Can you tell me anything or are you just teasing me right now? I''d like to be able to launch my own investigation. You know how deep my network runs." Valorum smirked. "That could actually be quite helpful as long as the information is from good sources." Tyler chuckled. "I am pretty sure that they would think several times before lying to someone like me." Valorum nodded. "This is true. I would appreciate it if you could report on anything you find. What I need you to look into, is the disappearance of a large group of senators that have all been ?ssociated with each other over the last few years. Some of them include the Techno Union and the Trade Federation." Tyler raised his brow. "By any chance, has there been increased traffic over Geonosis?" Valorum let on a confused look. "I can have someone look into it. What would be significant about that?" Tyler chuckled. "My informants have reported that there has been some Sith activity in that system. It would make sense if they were related since Palpatine is ?ssociated with the Trade Federation." Valorum sighed. "This could mean trouble. I hope this is not what we needed the clones for." Tyler scoffed. "War is coming my friend. I suggest you get everything in order. It might be helpful to grant you emergency powers and appoint a committee of senators to lead the war effort. The various guilds will also be of great help." He could not let a possible source of revenue fall through the cracks." Valorum sighed. "Very well. I hope I can count on you to put forth the motion at today''s session. I would also ask that you check on the status of the navy construction and the clone production. Consider this as part of your responsibilities in the commission of the army. Please also check in on the status of the officer training curriculum in the Jedi Temple. I hope the officers I have sent over have achieved some significant results." Tyler nodded. "Consider it done, Chancellor. I will ask for a report on the starship construction but make a visit to Kamino personally. I wish to check on the progress of their training. I will need to bring Master Sifo Dyas with me for that so I can check on the Jedi Temple when I pick him up." Valorum smiled. "I don''t know what I would do without you Draco. Your loyalty and resourcefulness is unparalleled among my supporters but more importantly my friends." Tyler shook his head. "The feeling is mutual Valorum. I must make arrangements now so I will let you go. I do have one last request. Please have the officers that you have appointed as high command meet me in the hangar at the Senate building. It would be best to show a unified front." Valorum smiled. "Brilliant idea. I will have someone summon them immediately. See you soon." Tyler nodded. "Indeed." He then hung up. Tyler sighed. "So much to do. At least I won''t be bored. Emily! It''s time to get up. We have things to do." Emily rolled over and called out from the other room. "Ughhhhh, just five more minutes." Tyler rolled his eyes. "What shall you wear today for the session? I''ll take it out for you. Did you not hear the news?" Emily shot up from the bed. "Shit, I heard it but I didn''t exactly process it. I need to shower." Tyler leaned over and let his head pop out from the bathroom. "Yes you do babe. Come on, chop chop!" She hopped out of bed and briskly walked to the bathroom. As she walked in, Tyler grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in before wrapping his arms around her n?k?d back. He then leaned in and gave her a sensual kiss before releasing her and walking out of the bathroom. Seconds later, he heard the water kick on. He quickly finished getting dressed. He put on his form fitting white shirt and slid a dark blue cardigan over it. He then put on a brown leather belt that was fitted with his equipment after pulling on flexible, beige chinos. On his feet, he put on fashionable dress boots that were a dark brown. They matched his belt. Heading to the kitchen, he went straight to the cabinet. He pulled out a scotch glass. He then went to the freezer and pulled out several ice cubes. Lastly, he pulled a bottle of 100 year aged Naboo Whisky out of the liquor cabinet. This bottle ran him 400,000 credits, or about $1.6 million. This was only a small drop in his finances. Ever since two of the resorts have finished on Scarif and Hoth, the money has been rolling in. He was currently sitting on a comfortable 2.8 billion credits. This, however, was nothing to the liquid and capital worth of Limitless and its subsidiaries. He is making hundreds of millions of credits each day off of the resorts, trade, and fuel sale. He has also started some liquor startups for various types of alcohol including wine on Naboo and Tequila on Tatooine. He then made some calls. His first was to Jango Fett. He needed him to inform Kamino that he would be visiting later today with Republic High Command. Next, he called Master Yoda and informed him that he would be visiting the Jedi Temple to check on the progress of the officer training. Lastly he called his mom. Julia picked up the call as her hologram showed up on the communicator that is installed in the kitchen. "Good morning Ty, I hope you''re not too bored with nothing going on. I know you always get into trouble in situations like these." Tyler scoffed. "You think I wouldn''t be able to keep myself busy? I will actually be coming to the Senate today." Julia''s eyes lit up. "That''s wonderful! Padme will be excited to see you again. Bail will also be happy to see you." Tyler sighed. "I am not sure they will feel the same after the subject of today''s session." Julia raised her brow. "Do you know something we don''t?" Tyler shook his head. "I don''t know if it is my place to tell you but there will be a polarizing topic covered today." Julia sighed. "That does not sound exciting. It is still hard for me to believe that this is my world now. Rather than an executive ?ssistant, I now help govern a galaxy. These are crazy times we live in. However, I wouldn''t trade this experience for anything. It is exhilarating." Tyler tried to put a fake smile on his face. "Let''s hope that the upcoming events don''t change that." Julia frowned. "Well it is always a p???sur? seeing you honey." Tyler smiled. "Glad that won''t change anytime soon. Anyways, I''ll see you in the senate chamber. I will be going somewhere after so I need to take a starship." Julia nodded. "Sounds good honey. See you in a bit, love you." Tyler smiled. "Love you too, mom." He hung up. It was now 9AM. It was time to head to the Senate building. Tyler scoffed. "Em, you almost ready?!" The door slid open revealing a beautiful woman dressed in an equally breathtaking dress. "As a matter of fact, I am. Are we grabbing breakfast to go?" Tyler nodded as he pressed a bu??on on his wrist communicator to have the staff prepare his and her breakfasts. "Indeed. We should get going. You can fly there with me but then we will part." Emily frowned. "I''m guessing you have some ''Draco Business'' to take care of?" Tyler chuckled. "You know me too well. I would hope that you''re used to it by now." Emily shrugged. "I guess that is fair. Guess I''m happy we got to enjoy ourselves this past week." Tyler nodded and gave her a cool look. "Yes we did, babe. Anyways, let''s be on our way. I have some Admirals to meet." Emily''s expression dropped. "Don''t tell meˇ­" Tyler hushed her with a finger over her mouth. "You''ll find out everything at the session today." A comfortable ride later, they arrived in the Chancellor''s hangar. Tyler usually comes here instead of the Senatorial hangar to avoid having to deal with the usual BS of senators su?k?n? up to him. No matter the setting, there will always be those trying to ride on the coattails of a successful man. Waiting in the hangar were a few officials. Three men wearing military formal wear were lined up behind the Chagrian man in the front. The man stepped forward. "Lord Draco, it''s a p???sur? to see you again." Tyler smiled. This was one of the few people that didn''t try su?k?n? up to him. Not that he needed to anyway given his position. "Vice Chair Amedda, the p???sur? is all mine. I trust you are here for introductions?" Mas Amedda nodded. "Indeed. These men are Admirals Kilian, Coburn, and Yularen. They are the highest ranking officials in the military. As of this moment, you are now General of the Grand Army of the Republic, making you their only commanding officer other than the office of the Chancellor." Tyler raised his brow. This was different than he remembered. I guess the extra preparation he has the Republic take resulted in some changes. Hopefully the Jedi that did not do well in the officer training would not be held in the same esteem. Tulare stepped forward and stood at attention. "General Draco, on behalf of Republic High Command, we look forward to working with you." Tyler nodded. "At ease Admiral. Feel free to call me Draco, all three of you. I hate the formalities and titles. I''m here to get shit done rather than keep up appearances." The three Admirals smiled. Draco was exactly as the rumors had stated. This drastically differed from other Jedi who were more concerned about their religion than the good of the people. Tyler turned back to Amedda. "Vice chair, if you don''t mind, I have some matters to discuss with the Admirals." About 20 minutes later, it was time for the session. During that time, Tyler discussed the agenda for the rest of the day with his Admirals. He would have them accompany him to the Jedi Temple and then to Kamino. Unlike where he usually goes Tyler was accompanied by the three Admirals in a pod just for the Grand Army of the Republic. As a General of the high command, he was now an important galactic official. As they stepped into the pod, Valorum began addressing the senate. "Good morning everyone. It is quite unfortunate to have to meet under these circumstances. As some of you may have realized or heard, a large group of Senators have disappeared all at the same time." Suddenly, a voice familiar to Tyler called out over the speakers. "Indeed, Chancellor, they have." Accompanying the voice, a hologram of Count Dooku popped up in every single Senatorial pod. "I have a few things I would like to announce." He let on a sinister smile. Chapter 32 - The Raxus Address (I found an amazing take on the Raxus Address that some guy named Steven Baleshiski wrote. He did an amazing job on this and his work is amazing. Everyone I have written here on what Dooku says is from him and I have not written any of that part so do not give me credit. Please give him credit.) Count Dooku stood tall in the hologram. He let off his typical "above everyone" aura as he spoke. Each word came out with disgust and disdain. Unknown to the senators, this speech was actually being broadcasted to every single communications channel in the Republic. "Hello oppressed citizens of a once free galaxy. I am Count Dooku of Serreno. For my entire life, I served as a Jedi knight, and for many years, on the Jedi High Council." "I dedicated my life to peace and justice, undertaking countless missions and risking my life countless times. I have protected people and communities, and brought countless criminals, pirates, terrorists, tyrants, and corrupt individuals to justice. And yet, as a Jedi, I was serving the most corrupt, most destructive institution in the entire galaxy." "The Galactic Republic, and its Senate, have become abominations. The Senate is mired in corruption and decadency. Senators routinely betray the people they''re supposed to represent, whoring themselves to the highest bidder. They allow you, their own people, to suffer lawlessness, abuse, exploitation, stagnation, prejudice, and injustice. They lounge in luxury on Coruscant, while you toil and languish." "The Republic is deep in debt, which they expect you, the working people, to pay off for them. They have created layer upon layer upon layer of bureaucracy, which is enormously expensive, stifles your voice, and makes even the simplest aspects of governing frustrating and ineffective. They abolished their military, causing the rim worlds to fall into chaos and the hyperlanes to be overrun with pirates. And to add insult to injury, they punish and ridicule systems that try to militarize in self-defense." "The Republic also stifles our economy. It imposes a myriad of taxes, as do its sector governments and planetary governments. These taxes do not pay for our safety, as the military has been abolished. No, these taxes pay for the Senate''s lavish lifestyle, the Republic''s burdensome bureaucracy, and the whims of the highest bidders. The Republic has such contempt for you, they couldn''t even be bothered to vote on the recent Financial Reform bill. Worse still, the maverick Senator who drafted the bill, Senator Jheramahd Greyshade, was ?ssassinated by the powers that be. Killed in cold blood, for daring to actually represent the interests of the citizenry. Well, I dare the powers that be to come after me. I do not fear you. I will fight you, I will overthrow you, and I will destroy you." "The Jedi enforce the will of the Republic upon you. Their rhetoric about compassion and peace is self-righteous lies. They stand by and do nothing as the Republic tramples on you, but are quick to cut you down if you defend yourselves. Those in the Outer Rim know this all too well. Suffer an attack by pirates, enslavement by criminals, and the Jedi do nothing. But, declare your intention to leave the Republic and govern yourselves, and the Jedi are at your doorstep in the blink of an eye, ready to take you down. Instead of using their power to liberate people from the Republic, they use their power to keep people subjugated. Instead of devoting themselves to justice and good, they devote themselves to the Republic. It is for these reasons that I have resigned from the Order." "From this day forward, I devote my life to building a new government and a new Force order. The new government I will create will correct the Republic''s failures. It will be led by a head of state, a council of advisors, and a parliament. Instead of thousands of sectors with thousands of senators, we will have only a few dozen sectors, with only a few dozen senators. These Senators will serve four-year terms, and be elected by the planetary and system governments within their sector." "Our new government will not have sector governments, thus eliminating an entire layer of bureaucracy, taxes, laws, and regulations. Our new government will not impose its will on education, which will be left to the free systems of the galaxy. Our new government will not involve itself in welfare or healthcare, allowing the free systems to manage these tasks as they see fit. Under our new government, all tariffs and trade barriers will be eliminated. Citizens will be able to trade and do business with other citizens without restriction." "The new government will possess a large military. The military will be centralized, with planetary and system militaries being absorbed into it. The enforcement of law shall also be centralized. The role of government is to maintain order and the rule of law. Our new government will devote itself to that responsibility, without treading into roles that are not its by right." "We will patrol the hyperlanes, keeping them free of pirates. We will bring order to the Outer Rim, and root out lawlessness. We will rebuild the economy, by restoring control of economic matters to the people, instead of a corrupt and inept government." "I will also build a new Force-using order, to replace the complacent Jedi Order. This new order will serve the people, not corrupt politicians. It will utilize its power in service to good, uninhibited by a self-righteous, tyrannical code." "This will be the beginning of great strife and turmoil. After all, the Republic and Jedi will not surrender power willingly. We the people will have to take them down by force. A new day has begun. Today marks the end of silence and consent, and the beginning of revolution. We will seize power back from the ruling class." "No longer will we be spat upon by people who are supposed to represent our interests. No longer will our voices be silenced, our grievances ignored. They didn''t hear our pleas, now they will hear our judgment. People of the galaxy, join me in this quest. We will fight, and we will be free. May the Force be with us all." The broadcast abruptly shut off and the senate chambers erupted into outroar. This dissent of their glorious republic and the plain insults that Dooku laid down were unacceptable. Valorum had long slumped into his chair. He would have a long several years ahead of him. No war throughout the history of the galaxy ended quickly when it was on this scale. No matter how convincing a victory, there would always be enemies remaining. Vice Chair Amedda stood up. "ORDER! THERE WILL BE ORDER IN THE SENATE!" Gradually, everyone quieted down and stopped screaming. He then turned to his friend that was in despair. "Finis, you must do something." Valorum sighed and stood up. "My fellow senators, now is not the time to fight among ourselves. Rather, we must come together and resolve this problem. For the past eight years, I have been working with Lord Draco of Kessel to create the Grand Army of the Republic. I was planning on having him speak later, but I think now would be for the best. I give the floor to Lord Draco." Tyler rolled his eyes. Of course Valorum would fork the responsibility of saving face over to him. He nodded to Yularen and he piloted their pod out to the center of the room. All eyes were on them. He turned to his Admirals. "Watch carefully. Politicians require a delicate touch. Stick with me and you''ll be able to do things like this." Tyler activated the microphone. "Ahem, good morning fellow representatives of the Republic. These revelations are most unfortunate. This marks the end of the longest recorded period of peace this galaxy has ever seen." "However, this peace is just a facade. I have slowly lifted the blindfold from my eyes that this Republic has pulled over it and revealed the struggles, the oppression, the downright neglect that the people of this galaxy experience every single day. It has been excruciating, but eye opening." "My first experience of this was on Kessel. I liberated the people from their oppressive ruler and gave them a better life. The people of that system and the surrounding systems have enjoyed freedom and prosperity like none of their ancestors had ever seen. Their lives are free of pirates and evil doers, but at the same time filled with happiness and the freedom to choose and live how they want." "We must extend this freedom to all corners of the galaxy and ensure that anyone who d?s?r?s freedom shall have it. However, we can not allow corruption and deception run rampant in our Republic. As General of the Grand Army of the Republic, I vow to defend the ideals and people of the galaxy to no end. I will not rest until the people of this galaxy are free to live as they want and the interests of the many are prioritized over those of the few." "The first thing we must do is root out the corruption and oppression that is running rampant in our Republic. Then, and only then, can we snuff out this rebellion and eliminate the tyranny that they are imposing on their systems. This tyranny is driven by the Sith. Their ideals have no place in this galaxy and must be eliminated to guarantee the safety of our people, of our children." "We have no time to waste. If anyone has anything they think is unclear, please make yourself heard, quickly." Almost immediately, Senator Amidala''s pod shot out and she spoke up. "Lord Draco, these developments are preposterous. Raising an army is the complete opposite of peace and will only lead to more oppression. How can you, someone who has personally liberated the people of a planet, be okay with this?" Tyler smiled. "I''m actually glad you asked Senator Amidala. As someone who has personally liberated a people, I have been enlightened of the problems with the current system. If we wish to survive the coming conflict, we must change our ways. Not all systems are perfect like Naboo. Many systems have corrupt and selfish people in power that do not serve the people, but rather themselves." Padme scoffed. "That doesn''t change anything. Having an army will only scare people and that fear will lead to oppression." Tyler shook his head. "You are misunderstood. Soldiers are meant to sacrifice themselves for the people of this galaxy. They protect and serve by defending the people and their interests. Without a means of enforcing the laws and protecting the freedom of the people, our decrees are nothing but words." Padme opened her mouth to respond but she had nothing to say. She saw first hand how her people were at the mercy of the Trade Federation until Limitless stepped in and rooted out the problem with considerable force. There is a reason that all of the systems and trade routes protected by Limitless are so safe. Padme sighed. "Very well. There must be more discussion on this subject in order to guarantee that this power is not used for the wrong reasons. I suggest that a committee be formed with representatives elected by this senate. They should oversee the army and ensure that the interests of the people are being put first." Tyler nodded. "That is a wonderful idea. Governor Khan Ardel of Kessel actually put something similar in place. How about we call it the Senate Armed Services Committee or SASC?" Valorum chimed in. "That is a fantastic idea. Let us put the formation of the SASC to vote. More details and nominations to the committee can be dealt with after further discussion. Voting is now open, please cast your decision." It only took seconds. The vote was unanimous. How could any of these senators refuse the opportunity to have a say in such a thing. They could not all be in it but they could always organize themselves behind various members. Valorum smiled. "It is decided then. By unanimous vote, this galactic senate has formed the Senate Armed Services Committee. Due to urgent matters that have presented themselves, let us conclude this session and reconvene later today. A full report of Count Dooku''s address must be put together and a detailed proposal of the SASC must also be drafted. You are all dismissed." By this time, Tyler''s pod was already back in its spot and his group was at the elevator that went straight to the Chancellor''s hangar. This was one of the greatest things about landing there. He would never have to deal with the political bullshit as he left the senate building. As the door to the elevator closed, several senators were rushing over calling out his name. Kilian turned to Tyler. "General, was it wise to leave all those senators behind? I''m sure they have many important things to discuss with you." Tyler laughed wholeheartedly. "When you have been dealing with these political rats for almost a decade, you begin to understand how much of a pain in the ?ss it is to deal with them. We would be here until the end of the day if we didn''t leave quickly. We have things to do!" Yularen chuckled. "General, it would seem that we are in for a treat serving under you." Tyler scoffed. "Please don''t think of yourselves as under me. I am only your superior on paper and in name. You three are easily my superior when it comes to experience, decision making, and tactics. I expect you each to be fully autonomous as I will be partaking in plenty of operations throughout this coming war." Tyler grinned. "Unless I say otherwise, you three are to follow one and only one order. In any instance where I am unreachable, any decision where my input is needed shall be decided by a vote between the three of you. That should prevent any holdups. Is that clear?" All three Admirals stood tall. "Yes, sir." Tyler rolled his eyes. "Gentlemen, please. What did I say about formalities? They make me quite uncomfortable. I am not from a military background. I merely d?s?r? the best for my people. I encourage you to call me Draco when there are no subordinates in our midst." Coburn nodded. "As you wish, Draco." Tyler sighed in relief as the elevator doors opened. "Ahhhh, now that''s better. Anyways, don''t get too comfortable as I will be introducing you to the war machines that you three will be commanding. Of course they won''t be these vessels in particular because they belong to me. However, those that belong to the Republic will be fully outfitted and at your disposal. Come, come, we have no time to waste." Tyler led the three Admirals aboard the Scimitar and they quickly took off. A few minutes later, they landed in the hangar of the flagship of the standby fleet over Coruscant, Excelsior. In his usual showman style, he turned to the Admirals with his arms extended. "Welcome to the Excelsior." Yularen smiled. "From some meetings, I have seen these cruisers on paper but I have never seen them up close. You don''t realize how many people are concerned about them being in Coruscant''s orbit." Tyler waved away his concerns. "Like I could give less of a fu?k what they think. As long as I have the big stick, they can eat their words. Anyways, come on. I''ll tell you about the complement and weapons systems on the way to the command center." Kilian then spoke up. "Where exactly is the command center? I do not see a bridge on this ship." Tyler chuckled as he started walking. "That is a fantastic question. Follow me, I''ll explain. When I ordered the first batch of my fleet, I requested that they remove the bridge on the cruisers and landing ships. They are easy targets that stick out like a sore thumb. What they did was build the command center into the heart of the ship. The bridge is outfitted with panoramic screens that show an uninhibited, 360 degree view of the surroundings while guaranteeing the safety of the commanding officers." Kilian''s mouth was ajar. "That is god damn genius. Starships have always been designed after aircraft or boats depending on the class. Large ships have always been built with an exposed bridge but this changes everything. It is perfect for a warship." Tyler nodded. "My idea exactly. Winning a war is all about having the newest toys being used by the best men. I want to guarantee that we have both." Kilian smiled. "What you lack in experience, you definitely make up for in ingenuity. I look forward to seeing what else you can pull out of your hat." Tyler then proceeded to describe to them the different classes of ships that they would be commanding. This included the Venator-class Star Destroyers, Acclamator-class Assault Ships, and their protection details. He also briefly went into the forces carried on each ship. Soon after, they arrived on the bridge. There was a surprise waiting for them. "Drake, what''s poppin''?" Tyler turned to the voice and his face lit up. "NAPS! What''s good dude?!" He walked over and dapped up his friend. John (Napoli) chuckled. "Life is great these days. Finally convinced my parents to retire and enjoy the money I''m bringing in. How''s your mom?" Tyler smiled. "She is great. You know, you could come by for dinner every once in a while. Maybe you could get your parents to come join the game. Your mom would be great for keeping mine grounded." John laughed. "I guess the line between this world and the other can be blurred at times. Who are your new friends?" Tyler turned around. "From left to right, these fine men are Admirals Yularen, Kilian, and Coburn. Gentlemen, this is my dear friend and Vice Guild Leader of Limitless, Napoli. You may consider his words as my own." The three of them nodded. Yularen spoke up. "It is a p???sur? to meet you Vice Guild Leader." John chuckled. "Please, call me Napoli. It''s easier to say anyway. I''m not your commanding officer or anything like that so consider me a peer." Yularen nodded. "Very well Napoli. I look forward to working with you. Will you be accompanying us to Kamino?" John nodded. "Indeed. I gotta see what my buddy has been cooking up all these years. I''ve been begging to see the clone army for a while but he hasn''t let me. I want nothing more than to lead a platoon of those badasses into battle." He then laughed heartily. Yularen smiled. "I hope the rest of your guild turns out to be as enthusiastic as you are." Tyler cut in. "Don''t you worry one bit. Every single guild member has been hand picked to ensure that they are in this for the guild, and not just for the benefits. However, I won''t lie and say that the benefits don''t justify the means." Coburn chuckled. "It would seem that you have put together quite the formidable organization. It is a perfect mixture of fighting for a cause, but also for benefit. I see no better way to motivate people." He was amazed by the efficiency of the people working around him. Countless players and NPCs were all working together to get the cruiser moving. Tyler smirked. "I know, I''m pretty great, aren''t I?" Another voice cut in. "Oh shut up, will ya?" Tyler spun around and two more surprises presented themselves. "Xander, Master Sifo Dyas, it''s great to see you two." Sifo Dyas smiled. "I was disappointed that you did not come by the temple yourself. The younglings love when you come by." Tyler shrugged. "As I''m sure you heard, some shit went down during the emergency session." Sifo Dyas nodded. "I did hear. That is why I understood when Xander came to inspect the progress of the officer training in your stead." Tyler nodded before turning to Xander. "So, how was it?" Xander smiled. "They seem to be much better prepared than they would have if we did nothing. I can at least say that. Unfortunately, the Jedi Code is not too accommodating when it comes to taking action." Tyler shrugged. "Well, something is better than nothing. Hopefully this will reduce the potential casualties in battle." Xander nodded. "That will most definitely be the case." Tyler smiled. "Great. Allow me to introduce the two of you to our new ?ssociates. These are Admirals Yularen, Kilian, and Coburn. This is Vice Guild Leader and Jedi Knight Xander, and he is Jedi Master Sifo Dyas." "Anyways, let''s get going to Kamino. I don''t want to keep my ?ssociate waiting. He is a busy man raising his kid and all." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw John''s face light up. "Naps, shut up." John''s expression sunk. "Okayyyy. Fine, I''ll go keep myself busy." Several hours later, the fleet of cruisers arrived in high orbit over Kamino. Almost instantly a transmission came in. "Welcome Lord Draco. Please land on landing pad one. Jango Fett and Prime Minister Lama Su are eagerly awaiting your arrival." Tyler pressed the bu??on on the control panel. "That is fantastic. We will be there shortly. I have a few guests with me to inspect the facilities." The operator then responded. "We will prepare a full tour then. We look forward to your imminent arrival." The transmission cut off. Tyler turned to his entourage. "Alright guys, let''s head down. We can take the Scimitar." Chapter 33 - Grand Army of the Republic (Sorry I''m a bit late today. I have been sick the past few days and woke up at 2PM. Enjoy! Also, its my 21st birthday tomorrow :P) Weirdly enough, there was no orbital defense stationed around Kamino. This was no coincidence. There used to be a large fleet here but for some unknown reason, there was an announcement recently that the orbits of Kamino and Geonosis were off limits for long term deployment. This must have been the game''s way of preserving some integrity in the story. Who wouldn''t want to participate in the Battle of Geonosis? In addition, the NPCs had some defenses in place against the things they should not yet know. These things include, but are not limited to, the droid factory on Geonosis, the identity of the Sith Lords, aside from Sidious, and the current home of the Sith Order, Exegol. The developers chose Exegol since it is home to a Sith Citadel and quite remote at that. Tyler and Xander were in the pilot seats of the Scimitar. Tyler turned to his guildmate. "Dude, I just realized something." Xander was freaked out by Tyler''s expression. "Ummmm, I''m hoping that it''s not as bad as your face." Tyler facepalmed. "The Battle of Geonosis won''t happen if not for Obi Wan fighting Jango Fett on Kaminoˇ­ What do we do?" Xander chuckled. "You really are an idiot, aren''t you." Tyler raised his brow. "Tell me something I don''t already know." Xander smirked. "The amount of things going on in your own guild that you don''t know about is quite amusing. We have agents that are undercover in the CIS. Even with all of our Sith guildmates being forced to leave, we still have our information channels." Tyler tilted his head. "So this helps us how?" Xander rolled his eyes. "The last report was that some type of manufacturing facility is being built in Geonosis. This is presumably the droid factory." Tyler sighed. "Well no shit. I guess we need to figure out how to have the Jedi Order take the bait." Xander shrugged. "Well first, I think you mean that I need to figure it out because I''m the one that does that type of thing. Two, the intelligence committee came up with a plan already. We are probably gonna stage a series of transports going missing over Geonosis. That should foce the Jedi Council''s hand." Tyler scrunched his brows. "Hmmmm, that''d work. WAIT, WE HAVE AN INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEE?" Xander facepalmed. "Do you listen to anything I say? It''s one of those things where you said to just go ahead and do it." Tyler rolled his eyes. "How many things are there that I should know about that I don''t?" Xander nearly choked as he counted on his fingers. As he reached ten fingers, he looked at Tyler. "Ummmm, a lot. You see, the only reason this isn''t a problem is because of how much money your shenanigans bring in. Aside from the things you say, we have been using guild funding at the council''s discretion." Tyler shrugged. "Oh well. Seems like it''s working out so far so let''s not fix what ain''t broke. It''s probably easier for you guys that I stay out of most of the logistical stuff anyways." Xander laughed. "That is probably true. When we need you for something, we will let you know." By this time, they were approaching the landing platform. As per usual, it was torrential downpour. After the Scimitar landed, the group quickly headed inside to avoid getting soaked. Jango and Boba were waiting alongside Taun We. "Draco, it''s good to see ya." Tyler nodded. "Good to see you too." Boba ran towards Tyler. "UNCLE DRACO!!!!" Tyler picked up the little bullet. "How''s it goin'' little one?" Boba smiled. "Good! Can we spar?" Tyler chuckled. "Maybe later bud. I have some business to take care of with your dad." Boba pouted. "Aww" Jango hit Tyler with a gentle glare. "You spoil him." Tyler scoffed as he put Boba down. "Oh come onnn, he''s a kid. Let him have some fun before he becomes a full fledged Mandalorian like us." Jango sighed. "I guess you are right. Many kids in this galaxy don''t get to have a childhood so I guess I should let him enjoy himself a bit." Tyler smiled. "My mother would be happy hearing that. You two should come visit Coruscant some time. I''m sure that even with all your downtime, you haven''t taken a proper vacation." Jango chuckled. "Maybe I''ll have to take you up on that sometime. Seems like the benefits of working with you are endless though. Makes me a bit suspicious." Tyler shrugged. "I just like to show people why they should be my friends. Once the coming war starts, people are gonna learn that it is much better to be in my corner rather than the opposing one." Jango grimaced. "I feel bad for your enemies. Anyways, let''s not keep the Prime Minister waiting." Tyler nodded. "Indeed. See you later Boba." Jango grinned as he turned around. "He is actually a part of today''s demonstration." Tyler raised his brow as Boba puffed out his ?h?st. "Interesting." The group followed Jango to the conference room. On the way, Tyler introduced his companions to his Kamino ?ssociates. They quickly reached the conference room. Lama Su was waiting on the other side. "Draco, it''s a p???sur?. How was the trip?" Tyler smiled. "Uneventful. Anything interesting happen since I was here last?" Lama Su shook his head. "Fortunately not. Everything is proceeding according to plan. Who are your friends?" Tyler smiled. "These two men are Vice Guild Leaders Xander and Napoli. Then we have Admirals Yularen, Kilian, and Coburn. I believe you already know Master Sifo Dyas." Lama Su nodded. "Indeed I do. Please, everyone sit. We have quite the presentation in store for you all." Everyone quickly took their seats. Lama Su stood at the front of the room. "The operation is moving along quite smoothly. We have completed several companies with millions more on the way. Two armies'' worth of clones will be ready in less than two years time with millions more in the works." The doors slid open and two fully outfitted clones entered the room. One had purple officer markings on his armor. Draco''s interest peaked at this. The other was outfitted in clone pilot''s armor that had yellow markings. Lama Su stood proud as he paced back and forth in front of the two troopers. "This is what the clones will look like fully outfitted. All of the clones that are currently complete are undergoing extensive officer training. Those with exceptional reflexes and spatial awareness are receiving pilot training." Lama Su stopped and gestured towards the clones. "Despite their specializations, they still receive extensive training in all aspects such that they become well rounded soldiers. They are designed to be superior to droids in almost every way." He then signaled to the two troopers. They swiveled around and placed down their blasters. "We will now witness a hand to hand combat demonstration. These two clones have different specializations but one of the basics they are all taught is close quarters combat. Begin." The two clones dropped into differing stances. The officer swung both his arms down, one after the other, checking the movement of his arms before putting up a guard. The pilot fell straight into his guard. They immediately began circling each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. The pilot moved in, feinting a right hook before halting his punch and launching his left leg towards the officer''s head. The pilot raised his hands. "I yield." Lama Su smiled at the display. "As you can see, different styles of CQC are taught to the clones and then they pursue the one they feel most comfortable using. The use of kicks is widely popular among pilots due to their upper body strength being lower than that of ground troopers." "On the other hand, officers prefer to use grapples and counters. This allows them to quickly take down their opponent and also give them the opportunity to detain enemies in order to acquire intelligence." The door slid open again. A young clone that appeared to be in the same stage of growth as Boba entered the room. The clones have accelerated growth so it would be unfair for an eight year old clone to go up against an eight year old Boba. Lama Su gestured to Boba. "Little one, if you wouldn''t mindˇ­" Boba nodded respectfully. "Of course." He hopped up off the seat and stood across from the clone. Lama Su turned back to the group. "Now I would like to show you all a comparison of sorts. As you may know, Boba is an unaltered clone of Jango, a Mandalorian. Mandalorians are among the fiercest warriors in the galaxy. Some can even best a master jedi in combat." "This display will involve a hand to hand combat demonstration between a properly trained Mandalorian Foundling and a clone of the same maturity. You may begin." Boba immediately charged forward. He kicked off the wall and launched an aerial punch at the clone. The clone rolled forward, dodging the strike and spun around as he got back to his feet. Boba smirked and went back in firing off a flurry of punches and kicks. Some landed and some were deflected by the clone. This was until the clone caught one of Boba''s legs during a kick. He pulled Boba in and clotheslined him. The foundling was thrown to the ground. The clone quickly moved to pin Boba but failed. Boba rolled on the ground and flipped back to his feet before kicking the clone in the stomach and then pinning him to the ground. The clone quickly raised his hands. "I yield." Boba stood up and wore a triumphant smile. Lama Su was satisfied with the showing. "As you can see, a clone is no match for a properly trained Mandalorian but they can, without a doubt, put up a decent fight. Then again, most people of this galaxy with any semblance of combat training are no match for a Mandalorian." Lama Su waved off the clones. "Now, let us inspect the facilities before the last demonstration." Everyone stood up and followed Lama Su out of the room. Tyler walked next to the Prime Minister and they partook in some small talk as they moved towards the growth chambers. They soon reached the growth chambers. They were walking on a catwalk that was surrounded on all sides by glass windows. Outside of the windows, countless circular discs held dozens of clones each. The clones ranged from fetuses to toddlers. Lama Su stopped and turned to the group. "Cloning is the pinnacle of Kaminoan engineering. Our expertise allows for us to speed up the growth rate of the clones. We pride ourselves with our product." Admiral Yularen spoke up. "This is very impressive. Will every single one of these chambers yield a soldier?" Lama Su shook his head. "Due to the complexity of growing live specimens, not every attempt will be a success. However, we do have a 99.8% success rate in terms of cloning." Yularen nodded in approval. "That is quite the margin. I expected it to be much lower given that the product is biological." Lama Su stood tall. "It is all thanks to our engineers. Almost the entirety of our species works in the cloning business. Some other factions work in weapons and armor development. We outsource the manufacturing of those things since our facilities are only outfitted to produce biological specimens." Lama Su started walking again. "Clones can think creatively. You''ll find that they are immensely superior to droids. We take great pride in our combat education and training programs." He said this as the basic training areas came into view. Lama Su gestured towards the young clones. "This group was created about five years ago. Growth acceleration allows us to greatly accelerate their growth. This is how we have created entire companies of ?du?t clones within just eight years. Otherwise it would take a lifetime to develop them. We have also modified them to be slightly less independent than the original." Coburn spoke up. "Who is the original?" Jango waved. "That would be me, Admiral." Coburn nodded. "I see the significance of the comparison between the clones and a Mandalorian. You''ve got some good genes, son." Jango smiled. "Thank you." Lama Su resumed walking. "The only unmodified clone we created was young Boba here. Right up here, we can see the mess hall. In the next few years, it will be filled as the batches catch up with our production capacity." Lama Su then frowned. "Unfortunately, this marks the end of our tour. Since further staging areas are not in full use yet, there are no other available demonstrations. This, however, is expected since a combat ready force will not be ready for another two years." Tyler waved his hand. "That is fine. I think this was more than enough. Thank you very much, Lama Su. I look forward to seeing the finished product. From what I can see, there will be some fine men serving besides me." Lama Su nodded. "Indeed. Might any of your ?ssociates have questions? It would be my p???sur? to answer them." Kilian spoke up. "If I may, Prime Minister, could you give us some more insight into the specializations of the clones?" Lama Su nodded. "Of course. As you have already seen, we have pilots and officers. There are other specializations such as engineer, rifleman, sniper, demolitionist, special ops, and tactician. I can have someone send over a more comprehensive list if you''d like." Kilian smield. "That would be very helpful, thank you." Lama Su gestured to the rest of the group. "Anything else? You may feel free to reach out with any questions in the future. I can also tell you that any questions pertaining to transport and heavy weaponry would be best answered by Lord Draco. He is overseeing the whole process after all." Silence permitted for a few moments. "If there is nothing else, Taun We can walk you guys out. I am sure you all have plenty to do." Tyler nodded. "Thank you for the hospitality." As the group walked out, Yularen approached Tyler. "Where did you find such a fine facility?" Tyler chuckled. "If you want to know that, you must ask Master Sifo Dyas. He is the one whose idea it was to come here. He actually foresaw this whole ordeal with the CIS through his meditation." Yularen looked towards the Jedi Master. "It is quite unlike the Jedi Order for someone to take initiative like this." Sifo Dyas scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "If we work together, you''ll find that I''m not quite as eccentric as Draco here, but we are similar in our mindsets." Soon after, the group was back aboard the Excelsior and in hyperspace on their way back to Coruscant. -2 years later, 22 BBY- Tyler was in his engineering lab. He was currently working with beskar steel to forge some light armor. He had recently recreated Darth Revan''s mask from beskar. It essentially made his head bullet proof. *Item Obtained: Draco''s Helmet* *Rank: Epic* *Description: Designed after Darth Revan''s helmet, this masterpiece is made of beskar steel and is nigh indestructible. It is equipped with a heads up display (HUD) and various other technology.* *Stats: Defense +50 Passive 1: This armor piece is impervious to nearly all damage. For example, it can withstand direct blaster fire and can repel the strikes of a lightsaber. Passive 2: HUD displays various types of information such as a map and communications.* Suddenly, a guild member busted into the room. "Guild Leader, I have news!" Tyler turned around looking very annoyed. "Well? Get on with it. I''m busy." The guild member was shaking with excitement. "Word just came in that Master Kenobi was just captured on Geonosis." Tyler froze before grinning. "It''s go time." Chapter 34 - Saving Private Obi Wan (Just wanna make sure everyone knows, the time that passes is in game time which is four times faster than IRL time. I might have fu?k?d up the ages of our MC so imma fix that. HAPPY NEW YEAR MOTHER FUCKERS!) Almost immediately, Tyler was already at a crossroads. ''UGHHHHHH WHAT SHOULD I DO?!?!?'' On one hand, he can go and take part in the arena battle. There was a fourth empty pillar after all and he has no doubts that he is the only one Dooku would be happy to string up in there. On the other hand, he could do what he is supposed to do as a General of the Grand Army of the Republic and ride in on the valkyries with Grand Master Yoda. However, he came to a realization quite quickly. ''Since when do I actually do what I''m supposed to do? Fuck it. I can pass it off as saving a close friend and important General.'' Tyler quickly called up Anakin. A hologram of him and Padme popped up. "Padawan, where are you?" Anakin froze for a moment. Tyler outranked him so lying would be insubordination. He sighed. "Senator Amidala and I are on our way to Geonosis to save Master Obi Wan." Tyler nearly choked. "I see you''re still trying to keep up the facade with Padme." Anakin nearly choked. "What do you mean, Master Draco?" Tyler gave him a playful look. "I know, but I won''t tell. Don''t worry. Anyways, I''ll be joining you shortly. Don''t start the party without me. You know how much I love causing trouble." Padme rolled his eyes. "This is so like you Draco." Tyler laughed. "You know me so well. Anyways, see you soon!" He then hung up and summoned Kai. By the time Kai arrived, Tyler was in his penthouse getting dressed and having a preflight drink. "Master, you called for me?" Tyler downed his whisky and nodded. "Indeed I did. Go meet up with Master Yoda. Tell him that I was in the neighborhood and decided to go help Obi Wan. You are to go with him to acquire the clone army from Kamino." Kai pouted. "Are you going to go have fun without me?" Tyler rolled his eyes. "How bad of an influence have I been on you?" Kai shrugged. "We have been together for almost 10 years now. How could your bad side not rub off on me." At this point, Tyler was walking out the door towards the hangar. "Just shut up and go see Yoda will ya? OH! And tell Lama Su I want the purple one. He will understand what I mean." Tyler quickly boarded his Eta-2 Actis-Class Light Interceptor. He instantly took off and sped towards orbit. While he was in transit, he sent out a guild wide message. As soon as he docked with his hyperspace ring, he jumped into hyperspace. It would take him a few hours to reach Geonosis. *Guild Message Received: ALL NEARBY AVAILABLE FLEETS JUMP TO NABOO! STANDBY FOR FURTHER ORDERS!* There were already 11 Acclamators being filled up with troops on Kamino. In addition, 36 Venators were ready to escort the ?ssault ships to the battlefield. They would also end up partaking in the space battle. As Tyler was in hyperspace, he thought about the coming battle. He doubted that either side had any concept of how large the scale of this battle would be. It would make the original Battle of Geonosis look like a small skirmish. As soon as he exited hyperspace, he was welcomed by a fleet of Federation "cargo" starships. All of them were missing their command spheres so they were essentially sitting ducks. There were also at least 20 CIS frigates. He somehow slipped past the blockade. Even if they did contact him, he would have told them he was Darth Zagan. They probably would have just let him pass in order to avoid aggravating a Sith Lord. After disengaging his hyperspace ring, he pinged Anakin to receive their coordinates since they had already landed. Tyler landed inside the exhaust vent next to the one that Padme and Anakin landed in. Tyler did a flip out of his ship. Anakin and Padme were waiting for him. "What''s poppin''?" Padme stormed over. "Draco, what is this I hear about a massive Limitless Fleet forming over Naboo?" Tyler shooed away her worries. "Nothing you need to be concerned about. They are reinforcements for the coming conflict." Padme scoffed. "There is no fighting yet. We can still have a diplomatic solution to this." Tyler rolled his eyes. "Padme, come on. We covered this in the senate." Padme started walking away. "We''ll see about that." Tyler turned to Anakin and shrugged. "Well, let''s not keep your girlfriend waiting." Anakin just rolled his eyes and the three of them began moving into the droid factory. The catacombs were very dark and had ancient carvings in the stone walls. Through the force, Tyler could sense countless life forces all around them. Tyler turned to Anakin. "I''ve got a bad feeling about this." Anakin sighed. "This whole ordeal is a bad feeling." Tyler nearly choked. "And that''s coming from you. From what Obi Wan tells me, you love launching yourself ?ss first into danger." Anakin shrugged. As he did, his shoulder hit the hanging leg of a sleeping Geonosian. It almost immediately woke up startled. Must have been quite the light sleeper. It slowly opened its eyes and then screeched after seeing the intruders. Tyler sighed as he unsheathed his lightsabers and ignited the purple blades. "I''m getting a weird sense of deja vu." Anakin nodded as he ignited his blue lightsaber. "Sorry Master Draco. I didn''t see the leg hanging there." Tyler scoffed. "Now is not the time for excuses, padawan. Let''s get ourselves out of this mess." Anakin stayed next to Padme as they backpedalled to the end of the hallway. Tyler stayed in front of them staving off the horde of geonosians, his twin sabers leaving streaks of purple light as he cut down the humanoid insects. Suddenly, a rogue geonosian jumped out of a cavity in the wall and caught Padme. In a fit of rage, Anakin aggressively cut down the captor. A wave of dark energy permeated off him as he protected his love. Tyler felt the wave and immediately rushed forward. He had to calm Anakin down quickly. Tyler spun, letting his sabers fan out like the blades of a helicopter. In doing this, several geonosians were bisected. After seeing this, the remaining ones ran away. Tyler quickly turned around. "Anakin, remember what we learned on Mustafar. Balance is key. Use your emotions to fuel you but do not let them control you." Anakin sheathed his lightsaber looking slightly embarrassed. "Yes, master." Tyler nodded. "You are still young so it is important to not let the force cloud your mind. Forget light and dark, just try and keep true to yourself. Remember the reason you joined the order." Anakin nodded. "Thank you for the advice. If you are so wise, why are you not yet a Jedi Master?" Tyler sighed. "I''m quite young and I''m also inexperienced. I''ve been in the order for just a few more years than you, afterall. I should be one soon. My padawan is nearly a Jedi Knight. Maybe you two will graduate, quote on quote, at the same time." Anakin smiled. "That would be fun. It has been a while since I have seen Kai. Is he doing well?" Tyler smirked. "You will see him soon, I am sure. Might have quite the sight in store for ya." Anakin rolled his eyes. "Always the showman, aren''t you?" Tyler shrugged. "Anyways, we have a job to do." He then nodded towards Padme. Anakin nodded. "Indeed, master." Tyler walked forward and waved his hand. Using the force, he bypassed the security panel and opened the door. What he saw brought joy to his eyes. "This should be fun." Before them was the droid factory. Loud machinery and hot metal littered the humongous space. Tyler turned back to his companions. "Well, no time to waste." Padme rolled her eyes and walked past Tyler and Anakin followed. Tyler then followed them through the door. Suddenly, the door closed behind them and the platform they were standing on began retracting into the wall. Tyler and Anakin quickly grabbed hold of a cutout in the door. Unfortunately, Padme didn''t share that reaction and fell down onto the conveyor belt. Anakin panicked. "PADME!" Tyler extended his other arm to block Anakin. "She will be fine. I ?ssure you of that. They wouldn''t dare kill a senator. Let''s figure out our next move." Anakin su?k?d in a deep breath of air. "As long as that plan involves recovering Padme, I am all for it." Tyler nodded. "It will. Afterall, her ship is our way out of here. Anyways, we should find something to stand on that isn''t an ?ssembly line." After saying that, they both jumped down and ran in the direction that Padme was being pulled by the conveyor belt. Anakin flinched multiple times as Padme rolled underneath presses. Tyler pointed off to the side. "Look, there is a catwalk that follows alongside this conveyor belt." Anakin nodded. "Let''s move." (That is what it''s called. Look up "ladle metallurgy" or "foundry ladle". It looks just like the cups from the droid factory.) Tyler sighed. "Of course it couldn''t be easy." The two Jedi ran along the catwalk, following the path of the ladle. Up ahead, liquid metal was being dispensed into the ladles. Padme was just a few moments from being deep fried. Anakin shook his head. "What are we going to do?" As he said this, they heard the sound of small jets behind them. Turning around, they saw R2 land on the catwalk and rush towards the interface panel. Anakin sighed in relief. "Thank the force you''re here R2." Tyler chuckled. "We are blessed with our astromechs, eh? Mine hasn''t been able to do anything crazy yet but I have a feeling that he will be very useful during the coming war." R2 jacked into the interface and began spinning the dial. As the spout was about to dump liquid metal on Padme, it closed and pulled back. However, in classic R2 fashion, he released the ladle and it fell to the ground. Anakin and Tyler dropped down to ensure Padme was alright. Unfortunately, they were almost immediately surrounded by a squad of armed geonosians and droidekas. Then, a surprise guest landed in front of them. The man flipped his oversized hat and spoke in a raspy, robotic voice. "Freeze, Jedi." Tyler scoffed. "Cad Bane, in the flesh." Bane smirked. "So, the all mighty Lord Draco knows of me." Tyler rolled his eyes. "Of course I do. There are few things that go down in this galaxy that I don''t know of." Bane shrugged. "As expected of a Guild Leader such as yourself. Take them away." The droids and geonosians stepped forward aggressively. -GE- There were two transports pulled by beasts. In the front one, Anakin and Padme stood next to each other. In the back one, Tyler was being a third wheel. Anakin turned to Padme. "Don''t be afraid." Padme turned back with a sombre expression. "I''m not afraid to die." She paused dramatically then continued. "I''ve been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life." Anakin looked confused. "What are you talking about?" Padme looked at Anakin with d?s?r? in her eyes. "I love you." Anakin looked slightly surprised and then looked away. "You love me? I thought we had decided not to fall in love, that we would be forced to live a lieˇ­ and that it would destroy our lives." Anakin looked back and Padme locked eyes with him. "I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway." Padme began slowly moving in towards Anakin. "I trulyˇ­ deeplyˇ­ love you, and before we die, I want you to know." Anakin returned the gesture and slowly moved in before passionately locking lips with Padme. They shared a sensual kiss that would rock the galaxy if seen. Tyler rolled his eyes. "Guys, I''m right here, you know?" Padme quickly pulled away blushing. She looked away as the transport was pulled out into the arena. Anakin sighed. "Couldn''t you just let us have the moment, master?" Tyler shrugged. "No one is dying today. There will be plenty of time for that." As they were pulled out into the arena, the bright sun nearly blinded them. They were led along the wall counter clockwise towards the four stone pillars in the center of the arena. Obi Wan was already restrained there. He visibly rolled his eyes as he saw the three of them being brought towards him. Being the curious guy he was, he decided to check everyone''s levels. *Obi Wan Kenobi, 35 years, Jedi Master (Revanite)* *Level 112* *Stewjon Human* *Anakin Skywalker, 19 years, Jedi Padawan (Revanite)* *Level 81* *Tatooine Human* *Padme Amidala, 24 years, Republic Senator* *Level 72* *Naboo Human* All around them, geonosians filled the stands. Several levels were packed to the brim. They loved seeing stuff like this. The transports stopped and they were escorted off of the chariots towards the pillars. Padme reached inside her utility belt and pulled something out before hiding it in her mouth. She felt a gaze upon her and looked to her left. Tyler was staring at her and nodded when they made eye contact. She smirked as she was chained to the pillar. As Anakin was led to his pillar, Obi Wan turned to him. "I was beginning to wonder if you''d got my message." Anakin looked dejected. "I retransmitted it just as you had requested, master. Then we decided to come and rescue you." Obi Wan scoffed. "Good job." As he said this, the crowd began to roar. Looking up to a platform that stood high above the arena, Archduke Poggle the Lesser, Cad Bane, Viceroy Nute Gunray, and his aide came into view. Poggle waved to his people as they cheered. "[Speaking Geonosian] Let the executions begin!" Chapter 35 - The Arena (What did everyone do for New Years? Just look up the beasts if you wanna see what they look like. I''m lazy. I''m currently at my ski condo so short chapter due to my lack of time. It is very cozy. Enjoying a hard cider next to the fireplace.) Four gates around the arena opened up like they were in the coliseum witnessing a gladiator''s duel. A beast emerged from each gate. From the leftmost gate, an acklay came out. This amphibious crustacean looked like a praying mantis on steroids. It moved towards Obi Wan. Next was the reek. This mammal was similar to a rhinoceros but with three horns. It moved towards Anakin. After that was the nexu. The feline had an appearance similar to a albino tiger, four eyes, and a tail that split in two at the end. It moved towards Padme. Lastly, there was a mudhorn. This large mammal was quite the beast. It was a massive rhinoceros that towered over any human. It moved towards Tyler. As they moved, Obi Wan turned to Anakin. "Just relax. Concentrate." Anakin was confused. "What about Padme?" Obi Wan nodded towards her. "She seems to be on top of things. As does Draco." Anakin turned back to see Padme climbing up the pillar, already free of her chains. Meanwhile. Tyler was already on top of the pillar lounging about. Tyler waved. "Hey, how''s the weather down there?" He then closed his eyes and focused on the shackles. They began vibrating slightly. Through the force, he was feeling the mechanism. Suddenly, he raised his hands and the shackles fell off his hands and down towards the ground. Anakin scrunched his brow. "How did you do that?" Tyler snickered. "Well, you''re a little engineer too, yeah? Figure it out." A light bulb went off in Anakin''s head and his eyes popped open. Within seconds, he was free from his restraints. Obi Wan sighed. "Can I get some help over here?" Anakin smirked. "Of course, master." Now free of their shackles, all four of them were free to move around. The acklay quickly moved towards Obi Wan. The Jedi Master sidestepped a stab from its front leg and hopped behind the pillar to block line of sight. The reek charged towards Anakin. As it approached him, he grabbed his shackles before jumping. He soared over the beast that slammed into the pillar and then landed on the back of its neck. He then wrapped the chain around its top horn. The reek whipped its head and snapped the chain off of the pillar. Anakin then proceeded to whip the chain around its neck and began riding it. The nexu began climbing up the pillar to reach Padme. It quickly made it to the top but Padme whipped it with her chain. It then retaliated by swiping its claws across her back, splashing blood. She screamed in agony due to the pain. Tyler looked down on the mudhorn as it stared him down. He looked free of concern. Enraged at the lack of fear, the mudhorn charged at the pillar. In one fell swoop, it broke the pillar and sent it toppling over. Tyler stepped back to the edge of the pillar and rode it down. When it was about to hit the ground, he dove forwards and rolled to soften his landing via the redirection of his momentum. The mudhorn shook its head since it had just slammed into a stone pillar. It then resumed its charge as it ran towards Tyler. At the last second, Tyler sidestepped the beast and smirked. Out of his inventory, he retrieved a red cloth. He held it out to the side and shook it a bit. Even more angry, the mudhorn charged at Tyler again. Yet again, at the last second, he sidestepped and swung the cloth. "OLAY!" Obi Wan saw this out of the corner of his eye. "What in the bloody hell are you doing over there?" Tyler dodged again. "Let me have my fun, old man." Obi Wan choked. "I''m not even that old." He jumped towards a geonosian holding a spear and kicked him to the ground. "Thank you for holding that for me." He then turned around and chucked the spear into the acklay''s shoulder. He smirked. The beast screeched before biting onto the spear and pulling it out. It then snapped it between its teeth. Obi Wan grimaced. "Well, shit." He then ran towards Anakin who had just rode the reek to save Padme from the nexu. He hopped on the back while Tyler was still teasing the mudhorn. Hearing a screeching sound, Tyler turned around to see the acklay charging towards him. He sighed. "Well, guess it''s about time I finish this up." He raised his hands and reached out through the force. He grabbed hold of the mudhorn and lifted it off the ground before launching it at the approaching crustacean. They crashed into each other, both down for the time being. Tyler sighed and wiped the sweat off his forehead before plopping down to the ground. "Any second now." Suddenly, lightsabers ignited throughout the arena stands. Tyler smirked. "There they are. Right on time." Dozens of Jedi jumped down into the arena from the stands. A few Jedi ran over to the trio of captured Jedi and supplied them with their lightsabers. At the same time, a black Jedi tumbled through the air, falling from the platform that Poggle addressed the crowd from. As he flew through the air, a trail of flames followed him. His robe was on fire. Presumably, Cad Bane had a flamethrower on his wrist or he used his rocket boots and set the Jedi aflame with a kick. Tyler sped towards Windu and arrived next to him as he landed. "Master Windu, are you alright?" Windu scoffed. "That muthafucka burned my robe. I hate bounty hunters." Tyler laughed. "Cad Bane is going to be the bane of our existence throughout the war if anything I''ve heard about him is correct." As they were talking, droids flooded out of the open gates. Hundreds of them began to cover the arena. Unlike Jango Fett in the movies, Cad Bane did not leave the balcony, choosing to remain with the Separatist high command. The Jedi were in an all out battle against the horde of droids. With each swing of a lightsaber, a blaster bolt was deflected or a droid cut into pieces. Tyler and Windu were fighting back to back. "Master Windu, will there be reinforcements?" Windu blocked a blaster bolt before reaching out his hand and pulling in several droids and cutting them down with a swing. "Patience, young knight. The force will guide us." Tyler nodded as he lifted a super battle droid and skewered it with his lightsaber before using it as a projectile to knock down a squad of droids. Windu smirked. "You have learned much since your days as a padawan. I remember when that helpless young boy found his way into the temple." Tyler chuckled as he deflected a barrage of blaster bolts, using them to kill multiple droids. "Thank you for the compliments, master. However, my padawan is an even quicker learner than I am. I dare say he might be even better than master Yoda was at this age." Windu narrowed his eyes as he cut down three droids after jumping at them. "Unfortunately, the war will force us to delay his trials. He is not the only padawan that is ready." Tyler raised his brow after deflecting more blaster bolts. "You are talking about Anakin, yes?" Windu sighed as he cut down another super battle droid. "These are matters of no concern to you. Leave it to the council." Tyler shrugged. "Whatever. More importantly, this isn''t looking too good." They were both feeling connections to their comrades in the force being cut off. Individually, and even against a group of them, a single Jedi is vastly superior. However, it''s a whole nother story when they are being overwhelmed with numbers. A Jedi can only handle so much. Tyler sighed and yelled out. "Our losses are becoming too much! Group up in the center!" Windu nodded. "Listen to him! We must consolidate our forces!" There was no cover in the arena so there was no point in spreading out. It would only leave your back vulnerable and an overwhelming amount of enemies. Within a minute, Dooku raised his hand. "Master Windu, you have fought gallantly. Worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi order. Now, it is finished. Surrender, and your lives will be spared." Windu scoffed. "We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku!" Dooku sighed. "Then, I''m sorry, old friend." The droids then raised their weapons, ready to fire. Suddenly, Padme pointed at the sky. "Look." Everyone looked up as the reinforcements finally arrived. Chapter 36 - Ride of the Valkyries (So, this is a bit embarrassing but it was pointed out to me that I made a major continuity error. I went back and retconned the mistake. Shmi is no longer dead since I kinda made it so she wouldn''t die a while ago. I forgot and I apologise for that. I do this for fun but that is still no excuse for such a silly mistake. Pls forgive oWo.) To bring home Tyler''s thoughts about the drastic increase in scale of this war compared to canon, as the gunships were coming down, a wave of bombers from another Republic Guild erased half of the droids in the arena. This was before the droids even had a chance to shoot back. This guild was known as Space Force. It was largely made up of retired Air Force pilots and technicians. The story behind its founding is actually quite interesting. A recently retired Major General from the US Air Force was dragged into the game by his grandson. Being in his 60''s, he did not have much else to do so he checked it out. He was skeptical at first, of course, but soon realized how amazing this new world was. He could continue with the thrills of combat without having to use his aging body. Then he discovered space warfare. This is where he fell in love. He immediately contacted everyone he knew from his pilot days. They formed a guild and the rest is history. Aside from Limitless, they are the most dominant guild in terms of naval capabilities. They are even made up of retired pilots from various countries around Earth. Best of all, their flagship is called Space Force 1. Their guild leader, the retired general, was called Overlord. This was his callsign once he became an officer and it stuck with him until he retired. Tyler saw his wrist comm lit up. "This is Draco speaking." Overlord laughed heartily. "No shit. I''m the one that called you, son. How''d that danger close feel, drama queen?" Over the past few years, Tyler and Overlord have developed a great relationship. Their guilds helped each other out on multiple occasions and he may have had his elders tip them off on what was about to happen on Geonosis. Their air support would be unmatched due to their decades of experience in the ???kpits of fighter jets and other aircraft. Tyler sighed. "It was perfect. Might have to talk about making you an Admiral for the GAR." Overlord chuckled. "We''ll see about that. Anyways, I got some LZs to clear. Over and out." He hung up. Yoda yelled out to the clones. "AROUND THE SURVIVORS, A PERIMETER CREATE!" By this time, the battle had resumed and everything was going to shit on both sides. The airspace was crowded and the Jedi were boarding Republic gunships. As they took off, Tyler looked over at the balcony where Dooku was. Behind the Count, there were two people he had not seen before. Dark energies permeated the air around them and he felt a chill just looking at them. Feeling Tyler''s concern Yoda turned to him. "Draco, new guests it seems we have. Eliminate them, we must.??? Tyler scoffed. "Since when was it that easy to kill a Sith?" Windu nodded. "We can not allow Dooku to escape." Yoda sighed. "Rally more systems to his cause, he will." Tyler grimaced. "Master Yoda, I believe we should focus on winning this battle." Yoda shook his head. "Kill Dooku, we must. Fallen to the dark side, he has. Deal with him myself, as his former master, I will." Tyler sighed. "Don''t do anything drastic till I get there. I don''t think you can beat Dooku with his two lackeys. Master Windu, you should go with him. I can handle things here. This is my job after all." WIndu nodded. "Very well. Two grandmaster Jedi should be able to handle three half baked Sith. May the force be with you." *Main Storyline Quest Triggered: Battle of Geonosis* *Rank: Epic* *Description: The Clone Wars have begun. As General of the Grand Army of the Republic, lead your forces into battle and claim victory. Failure will yield no rewards.* *Rewards: Epic Jedi Holocron, 100 million credits, +6000 GAR Reputation* Tyler smiled. "With you as well." Tyler then proceeded to jump off the gunship and landed in another one that was flying next to them. Kai and Xander were waiting. "How was the trip, Kai?" Kai smiled. "Kamino is so cool. Sparring with Boba is fun." Tyler shot a look at Xander. "Hey, he''s your padawan, not mine. I''m like a cool Uncle to him." Tyler shrugged. "Oh well. Is this our gunship or the Republic''s?" Xander nodded towards the clones surrounding them. "What do you think?" Tyler laughed. "Well, doesn''t matter anyways. I''m the boss either way. Pilot, identify yourself." The clone nodded. "CT-2855, sir. What are your orders, general?" Tyler smiled. "Take me to the forward command center. Also summon a fighter escort for Master Yoda''s transport. We can''t have them lose anyone in their pursuit of the enemy commander." The clone nodded. "Yes, immediately, sir." He then pressed a few bu??ons. "CT-2855 to Endurance. Fighter escort requested for gunship one." Tyler turned to Kai. "So, did you get me what I asked for?" Kai grinned and gestured to a clone with an officer''s shoulder piece and a visor on his helmet. On his h?ps, he had twin WESTAR-34 blaster pistols and a blaster rifle with a scope strapped to his back. "Master Xander had him equipped to your standards since he would be fighting with you." The clone stood at attention. "CT-420 at your service, sir." Tyler choked. "Well first, we gotta call you Blaze. Second, p???sur? to meet you commander. I look forward to serving with you." Blaze nodded. "Thank you, sir." Tyler smiled. "Blaze, who is in command of the GAR fleet?" Blaze nodded again. "Admiral Yularen. He is expecting a call from you." Tyler smirked. "He knows me too well. I was about to call him anyways. I am curious what it''s like up there." Blaze sighed. "It''s an absolute shit show, sir. There is a massive separatist fleet defending the Federation ships and an equally large Republic force trying to break them down. I doubt any battle in the history of the galaxy can compare to this." Tyler nodded as he called Yularen. "Admiral, how are things up there?" Yularen rubbed his forehead in frustration. "It is hard to believe that this is just the first battle of this war. Nothing I can''t handle though. How are things down there, Draco?" Tyler smiled. "Not much better. We are doing our best to prevent as many ships from launching as possible. Any shot we could get an orbital ?ssault on the command vessels?" Yularen sighed. "Normally, I would say no. However, those ships launching means that we will have more on our hands up here. Mark the targets and we will hit them with some heavy artillery." Tyler nodded. "That''s great. I look forward to the fireworks. Please have someone fetch my fighter and Senator Amidala''s nubian. They are in some exhaust vents at the coordinates I just sent over." Yularen nodded. "I''ll get it done. See you back on the Endurance. This vessel is beautiful by the way." Tyler smiled. "I know. Later." He hung up. Blaze was waiting for him. "Sir, we are about to arrive at the forward command center." Tyler nodded. "Perfect. Now I can see what we are playing with." The gunship hovered next to the command platform. It was a small, circular deck with communications arrays and light shielding. A clone with yellow markings turned out to be waiting. "General Draco, all forward positions are advancing." Tyler smiled. "That''s good news. How are we looking?" The clone nodded. "It is looking favorable. It seems that the enemy was not expecting such a large force." Tyler grinned. "I thought so. Send out the juggernauts. I want to end this quickly and with excessive force. We need to show the separatists that we are not to be trifled with. What is your designation, commander?" The clone stood at attention. "CT-2224, sir. My men call me Cody." Tyler did his best to hide his excitement. "Nice to meet you, Cody. Let''s show ''em what we''re made of. Please relay the coordinates of their command ships to the Endurance so we can commence our orbital ?ssault." Cody nodded. "Immediately, sir." Tyler smiled. "Wonderful, now just sit back and we can watch the fireworks. Let''s also get a bombing run on those droids after the show. I want to minimize casualties." Cody nodded in approval. "Wonderful idea sir. I will send orders to the cruisers that have broken through the blockade." Tyler then looked up. He could see several flashing lights. He then looked back to the droid command ships. He was just in time to see the turbolasers demolish them one at a time. A grin stretched across his face. "Wonderful. Now let''s bomb them to smithereens and then let the juggernauts handle the rest. I must report to the Chancellor." Cody nodded. "Bombers have already been deployed and will be here within the minute, sir." Tyler nodded in approval. "Cody, you take care of the rest. I need to go ?ssist Masters Yoda and Windu." Without waiting for a reply, he jumped into his gunship with Xander and Kai before taking off. There was no time to waste. About ten minutes later, they arrived at the infamous hangar. From outside, they could hear the brawl occurring inside. Tyler, Xander, and Kai rushed inside. Yoda was fighting against Dooku and forcing him back. Meanwhile, Windu was fighting against the two unknown Sith. Windu blocked a strike from one of them but the other was coming from behind and was about to impale the Jedi. Tyler grimaced as he launched himself forward and ignited his lightsabers. "OH NO YOU DON''T!" Just in time, he blocked the strike while sending the Sith flying from the weight behind his strike. The other Sith flinched and jumped back at seeing the twin purple sabers. "Twin purple sabersˇ­ It''s Draco. Lord Tyranus, we should retreat." Tyler quickly checked all of their statuses. *Count Dooku, 80 years, Sith Overlord* *Level 114* *Serenno Human* *Mace Windu, 50 years, Jedi Master* *Level 108* *Haruun Kal Human* *Yoda, 874 years, Jedi Grandmaster* *Level 128* *Unknown* *Rhast, 28 years, Sith Acolyte* *Level 74* *Unknown* *Saburo, 31 years, Sith Acolyte* *Level 75* *Unknown* Tyler grinned. "Kai, support master Windu. We will take care of the other one." Unfortunately, the three Sith had already begun moving towards their transport. In unison, they all backflipped through the air and landed on the ramp. The ship, piloted by a droid, was moving before they even entered the ???kpit. Tyler sighed. "Damnit, I didn''t even get to have any fun. There''s no shot we can track that tiny ship." Yoda shook his head. "Patience, Draco. Closer, we are, the mysteries of the Sith will soon become clear. Just two, there are not, but more. Investigate we must." Tyler nodded. "Let''s get back to the Endurance. We should return to Coruscant and report to Chancellor Valorum." Windu turned and headed towards the exit. "Then let''s move. You can tell us of the battle on our way." Tyler laughed. "We can hear it from Commander Cody together. My transport should be waiting for us by the landing platform." When they hopped into the gunship, Blaze placed a communicator on the ground before a life size hologram of Cody popped up. He stood at attention. "General, I have a report." Tyler nodded. "I was hoping so. Fill me in." Cody nodded. "Our victory is imminent. The enemy is in full retreat and we are eliminating all stragglers." Tyler raised his brow. "Are any of them not droids?" Cody nodded. "There are a few, sir. What are your orders?" Tyler smiled. "Pack up and bring them back to the Endurance." Cody stood at attention. "Yes, sir. See you in orbit." He hung up. A short flight later, Tyler was on his way to the brig with Kai. Kai turned to his master. "How will we be interrogating them?" Tyler shook his head. "We won''t be interrogating them. Rather, we will be killing some, and keeping the others as prisoners of war." Kai sighed. "The council won''t like that." Tyler put his finger to his lips. "Shhhh, they won''t find out." Kai rolled his eyes. "And to think that you are next in line to becoming a master." Tyler shrugged as they entered the brig. "I am too valuable for them to keep me as a knight. I am glad they have come to see it that way." There were about 20 prisoners. Of those, 16 of them are players. They ranged from levels 40 to 60. They all had guild emblems. Suddenly, Tyler stopped in his tracks. One guild emblem caught his eye. "You, what guild are you from?" The player grimaced but kept his lips sealed. Tyler waved his hand and opened the shields that kept the cell closed. He didn''t even care to close the door behind him. There was no shot that this dude could get past him. Tyler held his hand palm up and raised it. In doing so, he lifted the player off the ground. He then flipped his hand around so it was palm forward before pushing his hand forward. The player slammed against the wall and yelped in pain. Tyler was furious. "I ASKED, WHAT GUILD ARE YOU FROM?" At this point, the player had soiled his pants. "PLEASE DON''T HURT ME! I WAS ALREADY LEFT BEHIND!" Tyler began lightly choking him through the force. "Then I better hear some fu?k?n? answers." The player gave up. "I''m from Forest." Tyler applied a little more force. "Would this guild happen to be owned by the Forest Group?" The player nodded since he lost the ability to speak. Tyler pulled the player towards him and ignited his lightsaber, skewering him. "Fuckin hell. Of course this guy has to come back." Kai tilted his head. "Who are you talking about, master?" Tyler sighed. "This jackass named Eric tried buying Limitless for some extremely low amount of money several years ago. I hadn''t heard much regarding him since I absolutely demolished his operations. Seems like he is going to be a thorn in my side." Kai shook his head. "Are there any other enemies I should know about?" Tyler chuckled. "I would put all my money on there being countless enemies that I have and don''t even know who they are. Especially that we are at war now. Let''s head to the bridge. I would like to check on some people." Kai nodded. "Yes, master." As they walked out, Tyler handed a datapad to the warden. "Execute those 16. The rest will be put in the GAR prison on Coruscant." The warden nodded. "Immediately, sir." He then approached the cells with his blaster. As the duo walked out the door, they could hear his blaster firing off and the agonizing screams of death. After reaching the bridge, they saw Admiral Yularen talking with Windu and Yoda. They had met a few times in the past year. The admirals took the officer training the jedi received to the next level. The jedi learned fast and excelled due to their ability to keep a clear head at all times. Looking out the window, the Endurance was already in hyperspace along with an escort of two GAR cruisers, and three Limitless cruisers. The remainder of the fleet was waiting for the acclamators to escort them back to Coruscant. Tyler walked up to the group. "Masters, Admiral. I see we are already Coruscant bound." Yularen nodded. "We will be there in a few hours." Tyler smiled. "Wonderful. Any word from the Chancellor?" Yularen sighed. "He wants to meet with high command as soon as we return. Devising our initial strategy is something that is too risky to do in person." Tyler nodded in agreement. "That is true. We do not yet know who we can trust among the army. Master Windu, where are Obi Wan, Anakin, and Senator Amidala?" Windu pointed to one of the other cruisers. "They are on that cruiser if I am not mistaken." Tyler smiled. "Great, did we lose any other Jedi after the arena?" Windu shook his head. "Fortunately, no. Just a few light injuries." Tyler sighed in relief. This day was finally over. "I''m gonna go get some sleep. I''ve been moving non-stop since I woke up. Kai, come with me. Rest is important." Kai nodded. "Yes, master." The two of them went to the officer''s quarters and fell asleep quite quickly. They had a lot to do and would probably not get much sleep that night. Afterall, not even a day had passed since Obi Wan was captured. Chapter 37 - Begun The Clone Wars Have (SORRY I''M SO LATE! I had too cook dinner. I made black rice risotto and pan seared salmon. Came out great. I''m thinking of doing a side story in which Kai goes on a solo mission. He is becoming a knight soon so it could be like his debut as a full fledged Jedi. What do you guys think? New question for you guys. Is there a song or smth like that that really gets your emotions flowing? For me, it''s Leaves From the Vine from Avatar, Samidare from Naruto, or Language by Porter Robinson. Let me know what you guys listen to when you just need a good crying session.) -Senate District, Coruscant- The sun dyed the sky shades of pink and orange as it descended over the horizon. The plummeting temperatures, made worse by the light gusts of wind sweeping across the planet. In the Senate District, there was a humongous shipyard. Currently it was filled to capacity. Hundreds of thousands of clones dotted the ground after they were transported from Kamino. In between the system armies of clones, LAATs were lined up. Hundreds of acclamator-class ?ssault ships were on the ground, awaiting their complement of clones. On a balcony overlooking the parade, several individuals stood, overlooking the series of events. Those people were Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum, Senator Bail Organa, Vice Chair Mas Amedda, and last, but not least, Lord Draco of Kessel. Valorum sighed and turned towards Tyler. "It really has come to this. Was there truly no other way?" As he said this, the engines of several acclamators kicked on, shaking the ground. The roar was deafening even from miles away. The constant procession of starships drew in news drones from around Coruscant. This would surely be front page news instantly. Tyler nodded. "Indeed, Finis. This is the price of freedom, of democracy. Unfortunately, it is only the beginning. Dooku and Palpatine will stop at nothing in their conquest of the galaxy." Valorum shook his head. "Well, none of this would have happened if not for you. I doubt we would have achieved such a sound victory in Geonosis if not for the clone army." Tyler raised his brow. "Victory, you say? No, not victory. The fact that this war happened is this galaxy''s greatest defeat." Valorum sighed. "You are right. Nonetheless, you have done the Republic a great service in your brokerage role. I congratulate you on the achievement." *Long Term Quest Complete: Broker to the Republic* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: Supreme Chancellor Valorum has tasked you with brokering the commission of the Grand Army of the Republic. You will be in charge of all matters related to resource acquisition for the GAR. *Reward: 100 billion credits, +10k Galactic Republic Reputation, Rank of General of the Grand Army of the Republic* *Congratulations! Your reputation with the Galactic Republic has exceeded 21,000. You are now Revered by the Galactic Republic!* Valorum chuckled. "I believe with that, you are now one of the richest men in the galaxy. Now, all that is left is to thwart this conquest of theirs by winning the war." *Long Term Quest Triggered: Defending Democracy* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum has tasked you with winning the war. All violations of laws pertaining to war and lost battles will deduct from your reward.* *Reward: Unknown* Tyler sighed. "The trust you place upon me is flattering. I will do my best. If I am no longer needed here, I must report to the Jedi Temple with my padawan." Valorum nodded. "Yes, yes, I heard the good news. Extend my congratulations to young Kai for me." Tyler smiled. "I will. Thank you, Chancellor. I will now take my leave." As he said this, a starfighter''s engine could be heard roaring towards them. Tyler hopped up on the ledge and waved as he fell backwards. He landed perfectly in the ???kpit and the glass closed. Tyler sighed. "R2, take me to the Jedi Temple. I''m gonna take a nap." A quick 15 minutes later, Tyler woke up to some beeping on the console. Looking around, he was in a hangar. "God, this will always be weird. It''s like falling asleep in the carˇ­ but not." Tyler hopped out of the fighter and walked towards the elevator. When he pressed the bu??on on the elevator, he nearly choked. The elevator music was a remix of the legendary cantina band. A short walk later, he was standing before the council. Beside him, in order from closest to farthest, was Kai, Anakin, and Obi Wan. *Clack clack* Yoda hit the ground with his cane twice. "Special day, today is. Two new knights, added to the ranks they are." He gestured to Windu who put his hands together. "You both have more than proven yourselves. Anakin, your piloting skills are unprecedented not only in the order, but throughout the galaxy. I doubt there are any others that can challenge you." "Kai, you are the other of the two prodegies in the order. Despite being in the shadow of the chosen one, you have blossomed into quite the young jedi. Your experience with politics and diplomacy will be indispensable in the coming years." Windu smiled. "I now grant the both of you the rank of Jedi Knight. With this, I would also like to extend to you, Draco, on behalf of the entire council, our congratulations on you reaching the rank of Jedi Master. However, we have yet to decide if you will get a seat on the council. Although, I believe you have enough on your plate already." *Long Term Quest Completed: Training a Padawan* *Reward: Revered with Jedi Order, Promotion to Jedi Master, NPC Companion* Obi Wan smiled. "Congratulations, Draco." Tyler nodded. "Thank you, Obi Wan. And, Master Windu, you are correct with that. I''ll be quite satisfied as long as the council takes my thoughts into consideration." *JEDI ORDER ANNOUNCEMENT: Congratulations to Draco for being the first player to attain the rank of Jedi Master.* With this, Tyler was officially ranked among the top known players in the galaxy, if not the top. Afterall, it is quite a large galaxy so anything can happen. Tyler grinned. "I think this warrants a celebration. Obi Wan, Anakin, would you two like to join Kai and myself for a night out? We ship out tomorrow so it will be our last chance." Obi Wan sighed. "You are right. I could use one last drink before this bloody hell comes to fruition." Tyler smiled. "Wonderful. We must make a stop first. I''ll summon a cab." He pressed a bu??on on his wrist comm and the light started blinking. Tyler pointed out the door as he swiveled around. "Let''s bounce." As they entered the elevator, Obi Wan turned to Tyler. "So, where do we plan on going?" Tyler grinned. "Well, I thought since this is a special occasion, we could go somewhere special that I have not yet been to. It will be entirely on me of course. I recently came into a SHIT ton of money." Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "And what is this special place?" Tyler scoffed. "Only the most exclusive party scene in the galaxy. Ever heard of a place called Cato Bight?" Obi Wan''s jaw nearly dropped. "Wait, how can you afford to get in there? Only the executives of the galactic corporations can get in there!" Tyler smirked. "Obi Wan, unlike you, I am not only a Jedi Master, but also the sovereign of a planet AND the guild leader of the most famous guild in the galaxy. How could they not let me in? And I''m sure that they know that if they turned me away, one of my fleets would surely roll up to convince them otherwise. They do have some shady operations going on there." Obi Wan sighed. "So if we are going to such a place, I can only imagine what the stop we need to make first will be." As he said this, the doors to the elevator opened up to the hangar. Once the doors were open, a luxurious stretch speeder could be seen. A familiar face was sitting in the front, dressed in fine silk fabric. He looked quite fashionable. Tyler smiled and waved. "Goby! How are you, old friend?" Goby waved back. "I am well, brother. How is my favorite Jedi?" Tyler smirked and struck a pose. "Masterful! Anyways, take us to the finest clothing store you know of. Price is not an object. I just need to have us look quite dapper." Goby grinned. "I know just the place. Any other stops?" Tyler gave him a look. "I have a favor to ask." Goby sighed. "What do you need?" Tyler put on his puppy dog face. "Could you fly my ship to Cantonica in the Corporate Sector? We will only be there for the night." Goby scoffed. "I don''t have time for something like that my friend. Regardless, that flight would be at least 20 hours." Tyler grinned. "My friend, you are in for a treat. My engineers have just finalized a prototype of a new hyperdrive. It can supposedly travel at five times the standard speed. In addition, you will be paid handsomely." Goby stared at Tyler as he seemingly poked at the air. Suddenly, he got a notification on his phone. He lifted it up and his eyes lit up. 100k credits just rolled into his bank account. "My friend, you are in luck. It just so happens that my night has cleared up. I''d be happy to be your pilot." Tyler made a grand gesture. "Wonderful. Let''s be on our way. We have no time to waste!" While Goby was familiarizing himself with the controls of the prototype ship, Tyler was busy. He had already gotten dressed so he left the three Jedi in his penthouse to finish preparing for their night. The ship was actually quite magnificent. *Item: Prototype L-35 Starship* *Rank: Epic* *Description: The Prototype L-35 Starship is an experimental ship designed by the engineers at Limitless. It features state of the art technology, including a prototype of a new hyperdrive that is capable of traveling at five times the speed of a normal hyperdrive. Designed for the purpose of transporting high value individuals at maximal comfort. Unable to be traded.* *Stats: Length - 54.8 m Max Speed - 2560 kph Max Acceleration - 8000 G Hyperdrive - Equipped Extras - Cloaking Device Complement - 1 Stretch Speeder, 10 Tactical Droids* *Weapons: Concealed Laser Cannons Proton Torpedo Launcher Minelayer (launches mines)* With the prototype being epic, it is most probable that the finished product would be legendary quality and worth millions of credits. He had a special delivery to pick up. For years now, Tyler had his eyes on a 500 year aged single malt scotch from Alderaan. The reason he had not splashed out the cash on it yet was because it was only available for purchase in full barrels. The price was a whopping 450 million credits. The barrel was about to be delivered to the guild hall. As Tyler reached the lobby, he was amazed. The elder council had really done some work here. It was even more magnificent than before. A dark oak, hardwood floor now covered the room. Several high pile area rugs covered various parts of the floor such as in front of the reception desk, in the lounge areas, and a runner leading inside from the entrance. The rugs essentially formed a path leading from the landing platform to all of the important accommodations. They were colored with various reds, blues, and beiges. The walls were now composed of huge marble bricks with golden metal separating each brick. They contrasted beautifully with the dark rugs and the dark oak flooring. In addition, the desks for the reception areas were made of solid marble blocks, carved for their particular uses. To top it all off, there was a top tier sound system installed throughout the room. No corner of the room was spared from the highest quality of sound. As he was admiring the room, an attendant rushed over. "Lord Draco, how may I be of service?" Tyler smiled. "It''s good to be the king." The attendant raised his brow. "How do you mean, my Lord?" Tyler waved his concerns away as he looked at the man''s name tag. "Trion, I am expecting a delivery. Might it have arrived?" Trion nodded. "Indeed it has. The courier made quite the commotion. It was delivered via a heavily armed transport. No one dared to stand in their way aside from the elder on duty." Tyler chuckled. "It''s nice to hear that someone around here has some balls. Where is the package?" Trion smiled. "It is in Elder Toshinori''s office. Right this way, my lord." Tyler nodded as he followed Trion. "So, how is it working here? And be honest. I don''t wanna hear some bullshit where you suck up to me." Trion sighed. "If you insist, my lord. Despite your apparent suspicions, I swear that this is the best place I have ever worked. The accommodations are great, the pay is amazing, and the guarantee of safety due to working for such an organization is priceless. It has allowed me to feel comfortable starting a family." Tyler raised his brow. "That is wonderful. How many children?" Trion smiled. He was in pure bliss that such an esteemed individual actually cared to ask questions about his measly life. "As of last week, two, my lord." Tyler froze. "You had a kid last week, and you''re here?" Trion nodded. "Indeed. I am doing this for my child''s future." Tyler scoffed. "That will surely change. After you bring me to Toshinori, feel free to take the rest of the month off with full time pay. I would not have remembered such a thing as paternity and maternity leave if not for you. Thank you, Trion." Trion bowed. "I have no words to thank you enough, Lord Draco." Tyler waved away his words. "No worries. It is a basic treatment that I want all my people to have." Trion then opened the door to Toshinori''s office. The Japanese ?ssassin stood up. "Draco sama, how are you my friend? It has been a while. Oh! I heard the good news, congratulations are in order!" Tyler nodded. "Indeed it has, and thank you. I am well. How are you doing?" Toshinori smiled. "I am doing quite well. There is a delivery for you. I was just about to send it up to your penthouse." Tyler chuckled. "If you knew what was in the box, you''d understand why I am retrieving it myself." Toshinori smiled. "Well, it would be wrong of me to not take this opportunity to celebrate with you. A toast is necessary." Tyler smirked. "When was the last time we shared a drink together?" Toshinori chuckled as he grabbed a second sake cup out of his inventory. "Probably a year. Between your escapades and then spoiling your girlfriend, you have not been around." Tyler scratched the back of his head watching the cup fill with hot sake. "Yeah, I like to keep myself busy. I wouldn''t be myself if I wasn''t getting into trouble." Toshinori handed the cup to Tyler. "Well, Draco sama, to your promotion and the success of Limitless." Tyler smiled after they both clanked cups and downed their share in one gulp. "Ahhhh, delicious as always. Next time I am in town, let''s grab some sushi and drinks with the missus. I have yet to meet her." Toshinori sighed. "And I thought no one had found out." Tyler smirked. "There is almost nothing that happens that I don''t know or can''t find out. Anyways, I''ll take this with me! Sayonara!" Toshinori bowed. "Sayonara, Draco sama." Tyler quickly found himself back in his room. He placed the barrel in his vault after tapping it and filling an empty bottle with some scotch. He wanted some to go. Kai was waiting by the door with Anakin and Obi Wan. "Master, are you finally ready to go?" Tyler smiled. "Of course, little one. Let''s head out." Once they were in the private hangar, Tyler stopped them before entering the spacecraft. "Before we head out, there will be two other guests accompanying us. They should be hereˇ­ now." The door of an elevator slid up. Out stepped two gorgeous women, both brunettes. They carried with them an atmosphere of royalty. Afterall, they were two of the most important women in the galaxy. Tyler smiled. "Emelia, Padme, nice of you to join us. How was your spa day?" Padme sighed. "It is sad that this is the last respite that we will have for a long time. We needed this day, right Emelia?" Emelia laughed while covering her mouth. "Yesˇ­ we.. did." Tyler smiled. "I''m glad. Well, you both look dashing. Anyways, let''s not delay any further. It is already 6:30. If we make good time, we can be inside by 11." -2 hours later, somewhere on the Hydian Way- By this time, everyone was well into the pregame. Even Obi Wan was a bit tipsy. It was quite the interesting sight. However, a certain someone had to make things interesting. Tyler smirked. "So, Padme, I heard you were planning on making a trip to Naboo soon." Padme nodded. "Yeah, I will need an escort due to the war though." She snuck a gaze at Anakin. Tyler grinned. "Well, how about we do it right here instead of on Naboo?" Padme raised her brow. "What are you speaking of, Draco?" Tyler chuckled. "Your wedding, of course. I presume you would want it to be secretive, small, and intimate after all." Anakin almost fell out of his chair. As he settled himself, he locked eyes with Padme. "I''m not opposed. It''s not quite the royal estate, but the only thing that matters is that we are together." Padme slumped in her chair. "This is not how I envisioned it at all." She then noticed Obi Wan''s frozen expression. "Obi Wan, do you have something to say?" Obi Wan shook himself out of his stupor. "The council will never approve of this. It is against the code." Tyler scoffed. "Obi Wan, you know as well as I do about the special circumstances us four Jedi are in. We have been enlightened to the fact that the code is wrong." Obi Wan sighed. "I guess you are right. Anakin, don''t expect me to save you if the council finds out." Tyler clapped his hands twice. As he did so, a bottle of champagne arose from the chilled compartment within the bar. "Well, let''s get on with it. I am technically a king so I can marry the two of you." Padme laughed. "You were the only person I was expecting to crash our wedding. I never envisioned that you would be the one marrying us." Tyler shrugged. "What can I say. Anyways, come come. Stand in front of me, both of you." Padme and Anakin stood up and faced each other in front of Tyler. Out of his inventory, he pulled out two rings. Both were forged from beskar steel. Anakin''s was embedded with a band of solid sapphire in the middle. Padme''s was embedded with a band of solid, pink diamond in the middle. He handed Anakin''s ring to Padme and vice versa. Tyler looked to Padme. "If you don''t mind, can we do the abridged version so we can celebrate?" Padme chuckled. "I''m sure we all want to get back to drinking." Tyler nodded. "Very well. Do you, Padme, take this idiot as your lawfully wedded husband, till death do you part?" Padme nodded. "I do." Tyler turned to Anakin. "And do you, Anakin, take this troublemaker of a senator as your lawfully wedded wife, till death do you part?" Anakin nodded. "I do." Tyler smiled. "By the power invested in me, I declare you husband, and wife. You may kiss the bride." -GE- In classic Draco fashion, their ship arrived at the VIP landing pad without any prior authorization. The ramp extended downwards and Tyler walked out with Emily''s arm locked with his. Anakin and Padme followed behind them. After them was Obi Wan and Kai. They seemed to be getting along quite well. An attendant approached the ship with a squad of armed guards. "Sir, you are not permitted toˇ­" Tyler locked eyes with the attendant. "You were saying?" The attendant was struggling to find her words. "Iˇ­ I... Lord Draco. I was not informed of your visit." Tyler waved her concerns away. "This was decided on a whim. I trust we are welcome?" The attendant nodded vigorously while shooing away the guards. "YES! Achem. I mean, Yes, of course. Please, follow me." Emily pecked Tyler on the cheek and he smiled. "Traveling with you will never get old." Tyler shrugged. "I''m just glad you''re here for me and not my money." Emily nudged him. "Oh come on. If I was here for the money, I would have left after just a few years of not being proposed to." Tyler grimaced. "How long has it been?" Emily laughed. "Almost 10 galactic years, honey." Tyler laughed nervously. "Damn, it''s really been that long, huh?" Soon they arrived at the VIP reception area. There were wait staff holding trays of orderves and alcohol. The receptionist smiled. "Welcome to Canto Bight, Lord Draco. How may I be of service?" Tyler leaned against the counter. "I would like to purchase a villa. Please choose the largest one available that is close to the casino. Make sure the furnishings are tasteful. You can put it on my tab." The receptionist nodded. "At once. Enjoy your stay!" A guide then brought them into the casino. "This is our final stop on the brief tour. Here is the counter where you can exchange credits for chips. The tables are just up ahead. Lord Draco, a representative will locate you shortly to give you the keys to your villa." Tyler nodded. "Thank you." He slipped 100 credits into his pocket. The guide bowed and then walked away. Tyler turned to Padme. "100 wasn''t too cheap of me, right?" Padme laughed. "I''d say that is an average tip here." Tyler raised his brow. "Have you been here before?" Padme shook her head. "Not this casino in particular, but I was here several years ago." Tyler spun around at that. "Well, without further adieu, let''s enjoy our stay." -2am, Balcony on the Top Level of the Casino- Tyler and Emily were overlooking the sprawling village below. Street lights lit up the area and it made for quite the beautiful scene. It was somewhat quiet with the occasional fit of laughter from a group of partiers walking out of the casino. Tyler''s arm was around Emily. "I wish every night could be like this." Emily nodded gently. "It would be fun but we both have day jobs. Well, I guess they aren''t really just during the day." They laughed at that. Tyler smiled. "The galaxy never sleeps..." He gave her a seductive look. "And neither should we." Emily blushed and looked away from Tyler. "I think I like the sound of that." Suddenly, she felt a tug on her arm. She looked back at him and froze. Tyler was on one knee and holding her hand. "Well, from that reaction, it would seem that you really thought that I forgot how long we have been together. It''s about time we become the most powerful couple in the galaxy. Emily, will you marry me?" Emily was speechless. "Iˇ­ Iˇ­ yes! Yes of course!" She was frozen as he slid a gorgeous ring onto her finger. Like the Skywalker couple''s, it was also forged from beskar steel. However, this one was engraved with intricate designs. In addition, She grabbed his face and pulled him up before locking lips with him in a passionate kiss. "Villa?" That was the only word Tyler needed to hear. "Do you even need to ask?" He slid his hand down to her lower back before lifting her up like a princess. "Let''s take our leave, my lady." He jumped up using the force and hopped across the rooftops to his villa. The remainder of the night can be found on the hub. ;) Chapter 38 - Battle of Radnor Part I (So, short chapter today. I''m super tired from driving yesterday. I had to make up the location of this battle. There is no recorded location that this battle takes place in canon so I just chose a planet from the map I found. I will explain why I chose it in the chapter. Don''t look up who Master Tholme is unless you want to spoil the chapter for yourself. I warned you. Enjoy! New question for you guys. What is your favorite thing to do during winter? As I have already told you guys, mine is skiing. Currently at the condo, drinking at noon so I''m having a great time. Let me know! I love hearing from you guys!) Radnor is a system that is on one of the major hyperspace lanes in the galaxy. This hyperspace lane was known as the Corellian Run. It runs from N''Zoth, through Coruscant, all the way to Ryloth. These lanes would be crucial throughout the war. Hyperspace lanes were mapped such that they would avoid any interference during the voyage. This included stars, asteroid fields, and planets. It would be quite inconvenient if your starship were to be destroyed before you even knew what happened. Thus, being in control of the systems along the hyperspace lanes was critical to maintain the ability to quickly ferry troops and supplies across the galaxy. Tyler and Kai were ?ssigned to deploy with Jedi Master Tholme. With the amount of players that joined the Jedi Order, they were able to provide multiple Jedi for each team unit of clones. Tyler received a mandatory quest for this. *Mandatory Jedi Order Quest Assigned: Assist Master Tholme* *Rank: Gold* *Rewards: 100k credits, +1000 Jedi Order and GAR Reputation* The Council was confident that with the ?ssistance of the clones, two Jedi Masters and a Jedi Knight could handle anything. However, they did not predict the reinforcements that the Sith Order also received in terms of players. Three venators dropped out of hyperspace in high orbit over Radnor. The flagship of Tholme''s fleet was called the Solliquin. Aboard this ship was Tyler, Kai, and of course, Master Tholme. Tholme turned to Tyler. "Draco, what should our game plan be here?" Tyler pressed a bu??on on the command table. A hologram of the surface of Radnor popped up. He pointed at a few settlements on the surface. "The CIS has set up encampments here, here, and here. However, this last one is the largest one so if we can take it down, we will be able to choke the other encampments through a lack of support." Tholme nodded. "That sounds like a great plan. However, this should be the place where their strongest forces lie. That may be a problem." Tyler sighed. "Tholme, that''s what we are here for. It is our job to rid them of their strongest combatants. Right, Kai?" Kai nodded as he puffed out his ?h?st. "Yeah, we can take anyone, master." Tholme sighed. "Like master, like student. I guess we should get on with this. Let us board a transport." Tyler raised his brow. "Let''s get a fighter escort. I expect quite the welcoming party." Tholme nodded. "That is a great idea. I didn''t even think of trouble on the way down. I was more concerned about our plans once we got down there." Tyler smirked. "And that is why I''m here, my friend. Let''s get going. I''ll give the order." Tyler turned to a clone standing nearby. "Captain, have a squadron of headhunters escort us to the surface." The clone officer stood at attention. "Yes, sir." He rushed away to carry out his orders. They were about to depart so this needed to be done quickly. About a half hour later, they were in the air, flying over Radnor. It was an interesting planet. The ground was covered in red grass. Small mountains towered over the mostly flat plains of the world. There were various forests with weird looking trees. They were all quite thin, but tall, with curved trunks. Their leaves were red and their bark was gray. The planet was inhabited by sentient beings but they had technology equivalent Earth in the 20th century. Thus, the Republic and Separatist armies were like gods to them. *BOOMˇ­ BOOM* Artillery shells exploded in the air surrounding the transports. Fortunately, none were hit in this first barrage. Tyler sighed. "PILOT, SET US DOWN IMMEDIATELY! WE CAN''T AFFORD ANY CASUALTIES!" The pilot nodded. "Yes, sir." All of the transports went into a nosedive, attempting to reach the ground as fast as possible. The anti-air guns couldn''t keep up with their maneuvers. Suddenly, they pulled up and the doors slid open. Tyler grinned. "GO! GO! GO!" The clone captain pressed his comm bu??on. "EVERYONE OUT!" Hundreds of clones hit the ground. In addition to them, a few ATTEs were also there for heavy support. Tyler began to charge forwards as he activated his comm. "Let''s move quickly. You guys create a distraction at the front door. I will go with Kai and take out their AA guns before opening the gates. We will need more reinforcements if we are to take out this encampment." Tholme sighed. "I will support the clones then. May the force be with you, Draco." Tyler smiled. "With you as well." Tyler and Kai ran into the forest next to the settlement. This would be their cover to approach the walls. However, it would not be as simple as they expected. They quickly spotted a patrol of droids about a mile out from the walls. Tyler rolled behind a tree and Kai followed suit. Tyler raised two fingers. He pointed to Kai, and then pointed to the left. He then pointed to himself and then to the right. They would circle around and take the patrol from both sides. There were three B1 battle droids in the patrol. They would be easy to dispose of. Once Kai was in position, Tyler signaled to him. They both leapt forwards, igniting their lightsabers. Kai flipped and took off his droid''s head in one swing as he landed on the ground behind it. At the same time, Tyler slid on the ground and used his twin sabers to bisect his two droids. The three of them hit the ground at the same time. Suddenly, Tyler felt several presences in the force. They were sinister but not quite as cold as a dark side user. He whispered to Kai. "Hide!" They rolled aside and hid in a bush. Out of the brush, further down the path, a squad of mixed race operatives emerged. They were players. Tyler sighed. "Shit." Kai was confused. "What is the matter, master?" Tyler shook his head. "These are no droids. It will be much more complicated to eliminate them. Fortunately I have this with me." The Jedi Master pulled a small box with two antennas out of his inventory. Kai tilted his head. "What is that?" Tyler smirked. "It is a portable communications blocker, or LCB. The power cell can keep it operating for a few minutes. That is all we should need to dispose of these clowns." Kai nodded. "That is quite useful. Generally, jammers are much larger." Tyler flipped the switch on the jammer. "We have little time. Let''s just do this fast before they notice that their comms are down." He pulled up his hood and placed the jammer in the bush. He then pulled out his blaster pistol. He would take out as many of them as possible before rushing in with his lightsabers. After having Kai move around behind them, he opened fire. The first shoot hit a player, square in the head, killing him instantly. They all reacted by dropping their heads and running for cover. Before they could reach any, Tyler took down another one with a headshot. Unfortunately for the patrol, they had not noticed that Kai was behind them until it was too late. The small, green jedi ignited his lightsaber and began cutting them down. By the time Tyler made it over with his lightsabers ignited, there were only 3 players remaining. He watched as Kai quickly incapacitated a player. Tyler jumped forward and beheaded the two players that remained standing. He turned to his former padawan. "Let''s move. They will soon realize that something is wrong when these guys notify their comrades." Chapter 39 - Battle of Radnor Part II (This completes the previous chapter.) Tyler and Kai were hiding in a bush about 10 meters from the wall. They were waiting for the signal to infiltrate the base. Suddenly, an explosion rang through the air, followed by a few more explosions. Tyler chuckled. "Well, that''s our cue. Let''s move." They walked up to the wall and jumped up to the top. There were two guards on top of the walls in the form of B1 battle droids with binoculars. They were currently looking towards the battle that was taking place at the front gate. Due to their lack of awareness, the two jedi quickly cut them down. Tyler turned to Kai while pointing towards a tower. "That is the control tower. Let''s go right through the front door. The faster we can get the gates open, the faster we can take this base." Kai nodded. "Okay, master. Let''s move." As they were running, Tyler whispered to Kai. "You know, you don''t have to call me master anymore. You aren''t my student anymore after all." Kai shrugged. "Old habits die hard. I only became a knight a few days ago. I still have much to learn, though." Tyler nodded as they reached the entrance to the control tower. "Indeed." Suddenly, Tyler''s comm lit up. "DRACO, WE NEED HELP OVER HERE!" Tyler sighed. "Calm down, what happened?" The clone captain scoffed audibly. "The General is injured. He was hurt by a Sith. There were also two more Sith cutting down our troops. We need ?ssistance immediately!" Tyler sighed. "Very well, we are on our way. Over and out." He turned to Kai while tossing him a bag of thermal detonators. "Let''s blow these guns and get out there. Everything is going to shit." Kai nodded and ran off before replying. After about a minute, Kai had planted the detonators on all of the AA guns and Tyler had put high explosives on the command tower. They wouldn''t be able to take the base but they would at least be able to blow it to hell. As they made their way towards the front gate, they encountered a horde of droids. Conveniently, there was a tank between them and the droids. Tyler looked at the tank while speaking. "I will take the tank. You open the gate." Kai rolled his eyes. "Always hogging the fun stuff, eh?" Tyler chuckled. "I''m sorry but the controls are definitely not designed for children." Kai almost choked. "Youˇ­ fine. I hate you with every ounce of my being." Tyler laughed. "Careful, young one. Hate is a dangerous emotion." Kai rolled his eyes as he walked towards the gate. "Shutˇ­ up!" Tyler sighed and mumbled to himself. "I mean, the controls ARE sized for a man, notˇ­ whatever he is." Tyler slowly inched towards the tank. Stupidly, it was not covered from the back so it was quite easy. Once he reached the back, he looked up. There was a command droid peeking out of the top. Igniting his lightsabers would be too loud so he would have to use his hands. With this strength stat, he was confident he could rip the head off of the droid. He jumped up, soaring over the top of the tank. He landed right on the droid. As he landed, he pulled the hatch closed with the force. He quickly dismantled the two droids. He then took out and used his tactical knife made from beskar to ensure that the droids would not power back on. Tyler then sat down at the controls. "Hmmm, I think I got this." He grasped the steering wheel and used the targeting stick to aim the cannon. He pointed it at the other tank that was on the other side. Tyler scrunched his brow. "Hmmm, where was the ammunition stored again? OH! Here!" Tyler grumbled. "Why do they have so many players? Such a pain in the ?ss. I thought that there were a ton more players with the Republic. I''m gonna look into this when I get back. This is ridiculous." He then pressed the triggers on the back side of the steering wheel. The heavy blasters started firing. He single handedly demolished half of the troops stationed at the gate. As he was doing this, the front gate slid open. Kai had completed his part. Seeing this, Tyler sped the tank out of the base. It would be quite inconvenient if he were to be stuck there. As he went through the gate, Kai hopped on and sat on the side of the tank. He deflected blaster fire with his lightsaber. Once they were out of the gate, they saw the horrid scene. One of two things must have happened. Either Master Tholme was an utterly incompetent leader, or they were completely outmatched in terms of firepower. The bodies of clones and scattered droid parts were laying all over the place. There were the remains of tanks all over the place and the wreckage belonged to a lot more republic hardware than separatist. As soon as they approached the battlefield, the separatist fire turned onto them. Suddenly, 3 blips popped up on the scanners. A bombing run demolished the CIS backline. Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. The Republic had already lost this battle. There were no reinforcements coming, and all the troops they had were in a full retreat. The only bright side of this was that now, the two Jedi had a path to meet up with the remaining clones and Master Tholme. Tyler sped the tank through the clearing. The last thing they wanted was to be sandwiched between the CIS forces. The battle quickly came into view. Red and blue blaster bolts flew through the air. Some stray Republic fire had to be deflected by Kai to avoid getting hit. As they moved closer, more details of the absolute stomping came into view. It was an endless cycle of clones running, the farthest back ones stopping to buy their comrades time, and then those clones being gunned down with blasters or cut down by the two sith. Tyler opened the top hatch. "Kai, go find Master Tholme. He is injured so treat him so he can fight the ?ssassin. I will handle these two shitstains." Kai nodded and ran to the right of the two Sith. One of them jumped at him with her lightsaber ignited. Tyler rolled his eyes. He used the force to empower his body and jumped to intercept the enemy. In the most dramatic entrance possible, he used the lightsaber in his right hand to block the Sith''s strike while he pointed the saber in his left hand at the other enemy. He smirked in delight. "Oh no you don''t. I will be your opponent today." *Hidden Continuous Quest Triggered: Bringing Balance *Rank: Epic* *Description: The Sith and Jedi Orders have begun another war. Throughout the Clone wars, defeat force-sensitive players from an opposing alignment. Rewards will be distributed each time this quest is completed and there is no limit. Reputation will be ?ssigned to your order.* *Reward: +1 Level, +1000 Jedi/Sith Order Reputation.* Tyler grinned seeing this quest. It would seem that it was triggered by him engaging in combat with Sith operatives after the start of the Clone Wars. He felt confident that he could handle these two players. *Level 71* *Unknown* *Qiyana, 22 years, Sith Acolyte* *Level 75* *Unknown* The two sith grimaced. As they looked at his monstrous status. Tyler''s information was on display for everyone to see. Unlike many players, he was quite infamous throughout the galaxy so everyone knew where he was from. *Draco, 21 years, Jedi Master* *Level 83* *Mandalorian Human* Qiyana scoffed. "Of course, this fu?ker just had to be here. The only people this is bad for is us. He is no match for Master Ventress after all." Tyler sighed. "Why does that cancer patient have to be here?" Mesto nearly choked. "I mean, you''re not wrong." Tyler rolled his eyes. "She would kill you 10 times over if she heard you say that. Too bad she''s busy kicking Master Tholmes ?ss." Mesto sighed as he scratched the back of his head. "Well lucky me, she will never get to hear you tell on me." The acolyte launched himself towards Tyler in a wreckless, all out attack. Tyler rolled his eyes. "How typical of a Sith." He used the saber in his left hand to parry the strike. Their strength stats were on totally different levels so he nearly lost his lightsaber. WIthout hesitation, he used his other saber to skewer the acolyte. "Thank you for the level." *Level up! You are now Level 84 and have 5 free attribute points.* Qiyana shrugged. "He has always been an idiot. I''ve always been the stronger of the two of us. Even so, I''m sure that we can talk about this. I doubt a Jedi Master being defeated could bode well for you." Tyler raised his brow. "Do all Sith travel in 2 man cells?" Qiyana nodded hoping to appease the strongest player in the galaxy. "Us players are put in teams of two and then we often will carry out missions under a higher ranking Sith." Tyler sighed. "There must be a lot of Sith NPCs then." She nodded again. "More than any of us expected." Tyler nodded. "I see. I have one more question. Why does it seem that there are so many more players allied with the CIS?" Qiyana scoffed. "You don''t even know that? Geez, and I thought you knew everything important. A majority of players swapped over to the separatists after the Raxus Address. We all know how the war ends so we want to be on top of it. It won''t be long before your reign ends." Tyler shrugged. "Think what you want. Well, I''m too lazy to kill you and I have a lot to think about. Tell the droids to stand down and I will let you go free. I doubt you want to lose a level like your idiot friend. They are not easy to gain. So, get on with it and then get lost." He shooed her away with a wave of his hand. Qiyana didn''t hesitate and ran away. "I will return this favor someday. Thank you." Tyler lacsidaically strolled through the retreating droids. He would have most definitely been slain if he didn''t strike a deal with Qiyana. No Jedi can handle that much blaster fire. Fortunately, selfishness got the better of the Sith. A few minutes later, he found Kai kneeling next to a body that was covered by a sheet. The small green jedi was praying. Tyler sighed. "Kai, who is that?" Kai shook his head. "It is Master Tholme. He passed away from complications due to his injuries. I am honestly surprised he lasted that long from a lightsaber going through his stomach." Tyler scoffed. "Fuckin Ventress." Kai raised his brow. "Is that what that lesbian is called?" Tyler choked. "Good one dude." *Mandatory Jedi Order Quest Failed: Assist Master Tholme* *Rank: Gold* *Rewards: None due to failure.* Chapter 40 - Review (New question: What alcoholic beverages do you guys like to drink? I am going to be doing a club scene in one of the upcoming chapters and it would be cool to have some of yall make a cameo drinking your favorite drink. I know it doesn''t make sense due to the fact that there is a war going on but I''m sure some of you will pick up on the reason quickly. NO SPOILERS! LMK!) Tyler and Kai were standing before the command table while they were in hyperspace. When they had arrived back on their flagship, they discovered that there were multiple requests for an emergency war council meeting. Among the various Jedi Generals whose holograms were on the table were Kenobi, Skywalker, Kit Fisto, and Windu. Aside from them were Master Yoda, Admirals Yularen, Kilian, and Coburn, and Chancellor Valorum. Valorum was visibly frustrated. "Someoneˇ­ anyoneˇ­ please explain to me why we have had so many defeats in just the first few days of the war? I was under the impression that we were at an advantage after Geonosis." Yularen scoffed. "Our forces are better equipped than theirs and our Navy is more powerful. This is preposterous." Yoda shook his head. "Unexpected these developments are. The shroud of the dark side, lay over this it does." Yularen gestured towards Yoda. "Please excuse my rudeness, but can someone translate this?" Tyler chuckled. "The reason we are losing is because of the unexpected amount of Sith acolytes that are bolstering the CIS forces. No soldier we have is a match for a force user. Similar to how one Jedi surpasses a thousand droids, one sith can surpass at least a hundred clones." Windu nodded. "Draco is sadly correct. The sheer number of Separatists truly exceeds all expectations. I fear what they may have planned. I have seen a grave danger awaiting us if we continue down this path." Kilian sighed. "How are we to win this war if we can''t win our battles?" Yoda shook his head. "Lived a long time I have. Change of approach, many benefits to it there are. More to war there is than battle." Yularen gestured again. "General Draco?" Tyler sighed. "Before I explain this, I must ask all of you to double check that you are on secure channels and clear the rooms. Anyone in your office or on the bridge that is not a clone or at least a Jedi Knight must leave. We can not allow anyone except us to hear this." Everyone quickly shuffled around. Tyler cleared his bridge and only allowed Kai to remain. After a few minutes, he spoke up. "Has everyone done what I asked?" Everyone nodded. Tyler sighed. "Alright. Now bear with me as this may sound crazy." Valorum chuckled. "Draco, most of the things you do are crazy but their success rate is nothing to scoff at. Continue." Tyler nodded. "Thank you, Chancellor. Since we can not currently succeed via direct approach, we must go on the defensive." Coburn scoffed. "That is ridiculous. Weˇ­" Valorum cut him off. "Admiral, please allow Lord Draco to continue." Tyler nodded. "As I was saying, we must go on the defensive. We should set up heavily fortified encampments in the systems that are crucial to our hyperspace lanes. They are the ones attacking us so we should let them come." Yularen sighed. "This is an obvious solution. That can''t be all, right? We would quickly exhaust our resources due to the fact that they use droids, and we use clones." Tyler smirked. "That part of the plan is only on the surface. I am about to disclose the reason I had you all ensure security. Underneath the facade of us turtling up, we will commence the largest scale espionage and disruption operation in the history of this galaxy." Yularen nodded. "This would definitely allow us to gain an advantage while their forces are scrambling to re-establish their networks. We will need to ?ssign personnel very carefully." Tyler smiled. "Indeed. That is why I will do this. We must splurge resources on this effort. We have a vast expendable force at our disposal that will do anything for the right price. Use the guilds for the low priority operations such as small scale disruptions and low level ?ssassinations." "For the high priority targets, we must use Jedi, elite guild members, and clone special ops units. Do NOT inform them of the reasoning behind their missions and make them appear as random as possible. We can not allow our strategy to leak and be discovered by the enemy." Windu sighed. "These are quite the underhanded methods." Tyler nodded. "This is war, Master Windu. We can not hold back. We have the resources and Jedi are quite skilled at infiltration. Does anyone have any objections to this approach?" Everyone shook their heads. Tyler smiled. "Great. Here are the orders. All forces in forward positions are to pack up and retreat to reinforce our defensive points. High command will relay your ?ssigned rendezvous by the time you are finished moving out." "Our biggest priority is to avoid any more losses. If you must leave anything behind that is not personnel, do not hesitate. Get moving people! Now, for those of us, here, I believe we received quite the distress call." Valorum sighed. "Senator Organa has become trapped on Christophsis while carrying out a relief effort for the besieged citizens and republic forces. We can not allow a galactic senator to fall into the hands of the separatists." Tyler agreed. "If I am not mistaken, we have two Jedi Masters and two knights in the region. May I join Kenobi in rescuing Senator Organa?" Valorum nodded. "He would be relieved to have a familiar face come to his rescue. It can also help us gain favor among the loyalists in the senate. Despite us being at war, we must still play the political game." Tyler sighed. "Well, I''m just glad I can get in on the fun." Valorum nodded. "Well, go there and rescue him immediately." *Main Storyline Quest Triggered: Senator in Trouble* *Rank: Epic* *Description: Senator Bail Organa has become trapped on Christophsis. Break through the Separatist blockade and rescue him along with Master Kenobi.* *Rewards: +6000 Reputation with Bail Organa, 1M Credits* Tyler smiled. "I have an admiral nearby so I will be employing their ?ssistance. My sources informed me that the infamous Admiral Trench is there. I need someone that can rival him." Yularen raised his brow. "Who might you have that can compete with that roach?" Tyler grinned. "Admiral Mcree has years of experience with commanding naval forces. I am confident that he can give Trench a challenge." Yularen sighed. "You''ll have to introduce me to him someday." Tyler nodded. "I definitely will. He would be happy to speak with you. I must be going now. Over and out." He closed the hologram table. "Kai, let''s get in our fighters. We must rendezvous with Mcree." Kai nodded as they walked out. "It will be good to see him again. It has been a while." Tyler smiled. "Indeed it has." A few hours later, Tyler and Kai were walking into the bridge of the High Noon. This is what Mcree decided to name his flagship. He had a fleet of 12 venators in 2 acclamators. Without a doubt, he was one of the two most experienced admirals in the guild. The other is MonkDonalds but he is on the other side of the galaxy leading an army of clones due to his status as a Jedi Knight and general. Mcree heard the doors slide open and spun around. "Draco, it''s been a minute." Mcree was quite the badass when it came to players. First, there was his unique look. He was super into the wild west so that was his theme. He wore brown leather boots, armor plated denim jeans that were fitted to his legs, a long sleeve white henley shirt, an armor plated vest, a leather jacket, a dark blue poncho with a white stripe across the middle, and a leather cowboy hat. His guild elder emblem was on the poncho. At his h?ps were two custom blasters that he made himself. They pack an extreme punch, are plated with a silver colored metal, and are shaped like revolvers. However, the cylinder that would normally hold bullets was designed to hold custom energy cartridges. The second reason he was considered a bad ?ss was a situation he once got himself out of. A few years back he was caught in quite the jam. While completing an epic quest on Tatooine, he was surrounded by eight bounty hunters. The twin suns were high in the sky above his head and gusts of wind blew sand around the ground. All around them, people were hiding behind walls and in their homes, spectating the events. These bounty hunters were a part of a cartel that he was trying to eliminate. Mcree rolled his eyes and hostered his left pistol. He then quickly shot one of the bounty hunters in the back. Without even turning to look at the other one, he swung his pistol under his left arm and blindly fired at the other escapee. As he heard the bounty hunter''s body hit the ground, he blew the smoke away from the barrel of his blaster, spun it around his finger, and holstered it. Once this happened, he was ranked among the top gunners in Limitless, let alone the entire galaxy. Tyler nodded and smiled as he shook Mcree''s hand. "Indeed it has, old friend. You are doing quite well for yourself. Aside from your naval exploits, I can see that you are among the forefront of leveling." *Mcree, 33 years, Gunner* *Level 74* *Tatooine Human* Mcree laughed. "Dude, my level is nothing compared to yours. You flatter me too much. Anyways, we will arrive shortly. Let''s open comms with General Kenobi so I can establish our plan." Tyler raised his brow. "How many clones do we have?" Mcree smirked. "Two acclamators full of them." Tyler sighed. "Are we trying to take the planet?" Mcree shrugged. "If Trench''s blockade can be eliminated, nothing will stop us from taking Christophsis." Tyler nodded as he saw Obi Wan and Anakin pop up on the command table. "Obi Wan, Anakin, it''s a p???sur?. Allow me to introduce you to Admiral Mcree." Obi Wan smiled. "I have heard quite a few stories about you, Admiral. I look forward to seeing what I can learn from you." Mcree nodded. "Thank you, General. Let''s get on with this. We only have a few minutes before we engage the enemy. Please turn your attention to the map." A hologram of Christophsis popped up along with a blockade of 14 CIS frigates and a federation command ship. Mcree grinned. "This should be easy. Admiral Trench is legendary. His prowess is not to be doubted. Fortunately for us, he is expecting an inexperienced Jedi General and not a veteran Admiral such as myself. Here is the plan." He pointed at three spots on the hologram and red dots popped up. "These three locations are our points of interest. There is an obvious trap set here since the blockade is weakest here. At this location here, there are reinforcements ready to jump through hyperspace at a moment''s notice. Their hope is to trap us in a pincer maneuver." He then shook his head. "Unfortunately for them, we will be ready. I am going to ask you, General, to have your fleet attack their weak spot and spring the trap. As soon as we can detect their incoming reinforcements, the entirety of my fleet will jump behind them. All of our fire must be focused on eliminating the reinforcements and then breaking through the weak spot in their blockade. This way, we can get our transports to the surface." Obi Wan raised his brow. "With all due respect, Admiral, I was under the impression that this was a rescue operation." Mcree shook his head. "General, you are sorely mistaken. There is a reason the CIS want this planet so badly. It is crucial to maintaining control of the hyperspace lane that is used to supply their forces on Tatooine and Geonosis. If we can cut that off, we can choke those forces until they are weak enough to crush." Obi Wan''s eyes lit up. "That is genius. Do we have the necessary forces to complete this operation?" Mcree nodded. "We have a system army''s worth of clones and 20 cruisers with full complement between the two of us. I have no doubt that we can decimate Admiral Trench and give him his first defeat." Obi Wan grimaced at that last line. "Are you telling me that Admiral Trench has never lost a naval battle?" Mcree nodded. "Indeed. I also have someone that might help us down on the surface. I believe Draco is already familiar with him. Generals, please put your clone officers into the call." Three more holograms popped up. These were Commanders Cody and Blaze, and Captain Rex. The legendary clones stood at attention. Tyler smirked. "At ease, men." In unison, they responded. "Yes, sir." Mcree turned to Tyler. "Draco, you cover the ground operation. I am not very well versed in that part of combat." Tyler nodded before zooming the map into the capital city of Christophsis. "This is where the majority of the CIS forces are concentrated. We will not be able to get any air support until the blockade is crushed so we will be on our own. Fortunately, we have an entire army to take the city. This will be the first official major battle of the war so we need to put on a show." He pointed to a tall tower in the center of the city. "This is where their commander will be on the ground. We must surround the city and slowly constrict them until we can take this tower. Once we gain the high ground, we can sweep the city and eliminate any remaining forces." Tyler pressed a bu??on on the command table. Holograms of the various heavy vehicles that were at their disposal popped up. He then dragged them around the map. "From each cardinal direction, we will deploy 2 juggernauts, and 4 walkers. We will have gunships carry out hit and run aerial attacks on their forwards forces to loosen them up. Then our heavy weaponry will take them out." Tyler then sighed. "We must play them like a fiddle so we are going to have to concentrate our ?ssets on the main avenue. All four Jedi and the clone commanders should be here. Keeping us together will force them to deploy the majority of their forces on us. This will make it easy to take them out with some guerilla tactics. Any questions?" Commander Cody nodded in approval. "This just might work, General." Rex smirked. "It''ll feel good to sucker punch those clankers. They have killed too many of our brothers." Tyler nodded. "Indeed." Mcree cut him off. "We are about to arrive, battle stations everyone!" Chapter 41 - Battle of Christophsis Part I (Another shortish chapter. Busy on my vacation. Longer chapters will come next week.) Aboard the Federation command ship, an arachnid humanoid was standing before a communication screen. Dooku looked at the arachnid with contempt. "Admiral Trench, I have learned that Obi Wan Kenobi was coming to rescue Senator Organa. You must stop him." Trench nodded and made his clicking noise. "Such a novice will be no challenge to me. I ?ssure you that we will soon apprehend the senator." Suddenly the scanners started beeping. A droid walked over. "Admiral, four republic ships are about to drop out of hyperspace." Trench nodded and turned to Dooku. "If you''ll excuse me, my lord, I must take care of these Jedi." Dooku ended the call without hesitation. Trench turned to the window just in time to see four venators drop out of hyperspace. "Have our remaining ships jump behind them. Let''s show these Jedi that we are not to be trifled with." He made his clicking noise again. The battle had begun, turbolasers were firing all over the place. Trench smirked and clicked again as he pressed a bu??on on his command chair. "Let''s see how they handle the vulture droids." As he pressed the bu??on, the remaining 6 CIS frigates arrived in high orbit. They were behind the four republic venators and opened fire. They also deployed their vulture droids. The scanner started beeping again. Trench sighed. "What is it now?" The droid looked a bit scared. "Uhhhh, 18 more republic signatures are about to drop out of hyperspace." Trench scoffed. "All withinˇ­ wait, how many did you say?" The droid cowered. "Uhhh, 18." Trench clicked loudly as he slammed his arm on his chair. "This is not good. I was not expecting this. They have successfully countered my trap. Inform General Whorm that he will have company soon.." The droid nodded. "Roger roger." Suddenly a communication request came through. Trench sighed as he accepted the call. A cowboy popped up in the hologram. "Admiral Trench, it''s a p???sur? to make your acquaintance." Trench scoffed. "Who are you?" Mcree smirked. "I am Admiral Mcree of Limitless. I thought I would at least introduce myself before I shit on your party." Trench nearly choked. "It is too soon to decide the victor. Only time will tell us who is the better admiral." He hung up the call before barking out orders angrily. "Jump to hyperspace. We must regroup with reinforcements. -GE- Tyler called Mcree from his ???kpit. "Is everything in place?" Mcree nodded. "I am about to send the order over the Obi Wan''s fleet for them to deploy all fighters." Tyler smiled. "I''ll be heading out then." He hung up and then swapped over to his squad comms. He would be leading a squadron of fighters into the naval battle. Kai, Obi Wan, and Anakin would also each be leading a squad while Mcree conducted everything from the Bridge of the High Noon. The remaining squads of clone pilots would be led by Limitless Navy Lieutenants. Over the years, Limitless had organized its combat forces similar to an army. They had three divisions: Army, Navy, and Marines. The Army was focused on ground based combat and aerial combat within the atmosphere. The Navy handled battles in space and deployed the other two divisions. The Marines were special forces. They were well rounded, elite players that stood above the rest. They were capable of piloting and shooting. Most of the guild''s Jedi were in the Limitless Marine Corp. Tyler pressed the comms bu??on on his control panel. "Boys, let''s move out. Captain, let''s take attendance once we leave the hangar." The pilot captain replied. "Yes, sir." About 20 seconds later, they were out of the hangar. "Sound off, boys. Purple 1, checking in." The clones sounded off one by one. "Purple 2." "Purple 3." ˇ­ "Purple 15." "Purple 16" Tyler Actis interceptor was at point with the 12 headhunters and 4 bombers behind him. "Let''s do this shit." He looked forward as a wall of vultures approached. "May the force be with you all. OPEN FIRE!" They remained in formation while carrying out evasive maneuvers to avoid crashing into the vulture droids. Scores of enemy droids were blown up during their pass. Rather than turning back to thin out the horde approaching vulture droid storm, they kept moving forward. They had a job to do with the bombers afterall. Their role was to escort them up close and personal with the CIS frigates. Each Jedi had the role of taking out the weak point in the blockade while the venators took care of the reinforcements. The captain''s voice came over comms. "Sir, we have 3 bogeys on our tail. They don''t seem to be droids." Tyler sighed. "Purple 2 and 3, break off with me and tri up behind them. We can not let them touch our bombers." The two pilots responded in unison. "Yes, sir." Tyler pulled up and looped around behind the chasing ships. He looked at their information as he went. *Geo, 35 years, Sith Acolyte* *Level 72* *Unknown* *Sirius, 28 years, Gunner* *Level 68* *Unknown* *Level 70* *Unknown* Tyler smirked. ''Well, I guess this is a free level for me. My fighter is much better than his. The clones can handle the other two.'' He then pressed comms. "I will handle the point, you guys focus on the other two." Purple 2 responded. "Yes, sir." Suddenly, the two trailing enemy fighters split off in opposite directions. The clones followed them. Tyler grinned. ''It''s just you and me, shitstain,'' Tyler pulled the trigger. His rapid fire laser cannons fired at the Sith. The enemy immediately began rolling and moving in seemingly random directions. The Sith was using the force to guide him around the blaster fire. One of the bolts hit the wing of the fighter and a trail of smoke followed the fighter. With that, its mobility was slightly reduced and made hitting it even easier. Tyler decided to end it quickly to support the clones. He locked onto the fighter and launched 4 tracking missiles. They scattered and then gave chase to the Sith fighter. He pulled up in an effort to dodge the missiles but Tyler was ready for this. He aimed his blasters into the path of the fighter. Several shots connected and the enemy fighter exploded. Tyler smirked and activated his comm. "Who needs help?" Purple 3 responded. "Sir, we have taken care of the fighters. Let''s form back up with the escort." Tyler smiled. "Good job, boys." They pushed forward their throttles and sped to get in front of the escort. They were back in position just in time to attack their ?ssigned frigates. There were two that they had to target. The fighters would barrage the bridges with blaster fire while the bombers would ?ssault the fuselage and engines. Once the frigates were dead in space, they would be easy pickings for the venators and their turbolasers. A few minutes later, they were escorting the bombers back to the venators as their job was done. As they were flying away, a wall of turbolaser fire hit the 8 frigates that were crippled by the bombers. Each of the four Jedi led squadrons did their job perfectly. Anakin came over comms. "How many vultures did you take out?" Tyler laughed. "Anakin, if this is a competition, I take the cake. I took out a Sith pilot on top of about 15 vultures." Anakin pouted and mumbled. "I took out 23 vultures." Tyler then opened up to the channel that covered all of their squads. "As we approach the cruisers, we will turn around. We need to escort the gunships to the surface to clear two LZs for our transports." An hour later, Tyler, Kai, Obi Wan, and Anakin were waiting on the ground. They were watching an acclamator land in front of them. It was carrying tons of ground hardware and thousands of troops. As soon as the ramp came down, 4 juggernauts and 8 walkers pulled down followed by thousands of clones. Tyler turned to Obi Wan. "You ready?" Obi Wan sighed. "Still hard to believe that we are at war. Hopefully this doesn''t go on for too long." Tyler raised his brow. "Why is that? Are you jealous of Anakin or something? I wouldn''t be surprised if you had a certain Duchess waiting for you, master jedi." Obi Wan choked and blushed. "Shut up." Tyler raised his hands. "Okay, okay! Let''s kill some droids." Tyler nodded and gestured to the three clone officers standing before them. "Indeed. Enough talk, I believe that the troops are ready. At ease, boys. Is everything ready?" Commander Cody stepped forward. "Yes, sir. We are currently stationed at the main avenue. Personnel are currently being transported to the other areas of approach. We are also sending commando units to clear the side streets and alleyways ahead of our heavy vehicles." Tyler nodded in approval. "Great work, Cody. If it is as you say, let''s move." He turned to Obi Wan and Anakin. "We will walk out front. You guys cool with that?" Obi Wan nodded. "That is the best course of action." Within a few minutes, they were advancing down the streets. Anakin turned to Obi Wan. "It is a bit too quiet for an occupied city, master, don''t you think?" Obi Wan nodded. "Indeed, Anakin. Iˇ­" He was cut off by a clone yelling through comms. "WE''RE UNDER ATTACK! WE NEED REINFORCEMENTS! THERE''S TOO MANY OF THEM! AHHHˇ­" Tyler scoffed. "You just had to say something, didn''t you." Anakin shook his head and waved his hands. "Nonono, do not turn this on me. UGHH! I knew I had a bad feeling about this!" Rex walked over. "Sir, we have lost contact with the other groups as well. What are your orders?" Tyler sighed. "Let''s keep moving. We can call for reinforcements on the way." Rex raised his arm and pointed his fingers forwards before waving his hand a few times. "Let''s move boys." They continued moving down the streets. It remained suspiciously quiet. Suddenly, one of the juggernauts blew up and droids flooded out of the buildings on either side of them. Obi Wan grimaced. "AMBUSH!" Chapter 42 - Battle of Christophsis Part II (I need some feedback. What should I have our MC do? If you remember the clone wars movie, you should know what is coming up. After the Battle of Christophsis, Anakin and Ahsoka go to rescue Jabba''s son from Ventress. Should I introduce Tyler to Jabba or should I have him ?ssist in the rescue? Although the Jabba thing might be a bit more boring, I will probably have a really interesting storyline down the road since Tyler would be cutting some sort of deal with the Hutt Clan. Let me know!) (New question for the readers! THAT MEANS YOU! What is your favorite musical artist and why? Mine is Frank Sinatra. The timbre of his voice is just so euphoric and hits me some type of way. I also love jazz so I am super into the instrumentals of his songs. In other news, I got some cameos for y''all coming up. Should be an interesting storyline and I might do a soundtrack for the chapter. Anyways, enjoy!) Obi Wan screamed to their group as a juggernaut was destroyed. "AMBUSH!" Several dwarf spider droids and a few massive octuptarra magna tri-droids climbed over onto the sides of the buildings that overlooked the GAR troops. Meanwhile, droids began pouring off of the side streets and surrounded the group. Tyler quickly gathered his thoughts. As the commanding officer for this operation, he had to take charge. "ALL HEAVY WEAPONS, FOCUS YOUR FIRE ON SECTOR 010! EVERYONE ELSE FORM A DEFENSIVE PERIMETER AND FOCUS THE DROIDS!" All the clones and players in their formation quickly created a perimeter. The portion of the conscripted players that were protectors quickly deployed their energy shields and portable hardware on the ground. It might sound interesting that there are players participating in these operations. However, it was quite normal at this point. The admin system constantly took feedback right from the players based on what is happening in the galaxy. It had seen how much everyone had enjoyed participating in the major events so it made sure to choose groups of players from each side to be ?ssigned to these quests. Like Tyler, other players also gained military ranks within the GAR and CIS forces. For example, Overlord from Space Force is an Admiral in the GAR Navy. Guild leaders of other major guilds have the rank of commander and so do all players that have achieved the rank of Jedi Knight. Since Tyler is the only Jedi Master, he is the only one that would have gotten the rank of General by default. However, his rank is above that, being General of the Army. He is the third highest rank in the GAR after Supreme Chancellor and then Senator. Tyler is just a freak of nature and built differently so this is all within expectations. As soon as the perimeter was set, the heavy weapons had already begun firing. Gunners and clones with launchers began targeting the dwarf spider droids while the heavy cannons on the walkers and the remaining juggernaut targeted the magnas. They quickly disposed of the heavy artillery above them but there were just too many droids. Commander Cody ran over to Tyler. "General, there are too many of them. We won''t be able to hold this position for long." Tyler sighed. "Indeed. This General Whorm is quite cunning. Let''s cut our losses and retreat. Give me a squad of the most elite troops we have along with Commander Skywalker. We will give you guys an opening." Cody shook his head. "But, sirˇ­" Tyler cut him off. "That''s an order, commander." Cody nodded. "Yes, sir." He quickly ran off and began shouting orders. Soon after, Anakin walked over. "What did you need me for, master?" Tyler smirked as he deflected a blaster bolt back towards a droid. "We are gonna have some fun. You down?" Anakin grinned. "You should already know the answer to that question." Kai looked over to Tyler. "Master, can I come too?" Tyler shook his head. "I need you to ?ssist Obi Wan. In case something happens, we need more than just one commanding officer. You are a commander now, afterall. Obi Wan isn''t coming because he would never approve of what we''ll be doing." Kai sighed and jumped towards Obi Wan. He enjoyed few things as much as participating in his master''s shenanigans. As he was hopping away, the group began their retreat. Most of the fire was focused on the forces that were blocking their retreat. Captain Rex rushed over to Tyler with several clones and players behind him. He nodded to Anakin. "Commander." Anakin smiled and nodded. "Rex, good to see you." Rex then turned to Tyler. "General, I''ve gathered the most elite troops we have. Allow me to introduce you to Torrent Company from the 501st legion." Tyler smiled. "Troopers, designations please." All the troopers stood at attention. "Sergeant Coric." "Sergeant Hez." "Sergeant Mik." "CT-8256, Hans." "CT-7286, Lars." Tyler nodded. "Pleasure to work with you boys." Then he turned to the players. They all looked like they were starstruck. "Gentlemen." The players stood at attention. "Yes, sir." They still visibly struggled to keep a straight face. They were in front of the unofficial number one player in the galaxy. Tyler sighed. "Come on, get your shit together boys. Perform well on this and I''m sure you can get some extra rewards." Unbeknownst to him, a quest popped up on each of these players'' HUD''s. The idea of the quest was essentially to impress General Draco. If they succeeded, they''d make a shit ton of credits, gain reputation with the GAR, and earn a promotion quest for the GAR. All of the players'' eyes lit up like they were staring at a gold mine. Since he was a high ranking official, even the smallest words he speaks could have drastic consequences for other players. He could unintentionally distribute quests and change the fate of others quite easily. Tyler looked annoyed. "Off to a great start boys. How about you introduce yourselves? Name, class, and guild please." The players stood at attention. "Woodford, protector, and elder of Alcoholics Anonymous." "Macallan, brawler, and Vice Guild Leader of Alcoholics Anonymous." "Najja, ?ssassin, and core member of Wakanda." "Blastoise, brawler, and elder of Nazjatar." "Eclipse, Assassin, core member of Limitless." "Shevchenko, gunner, member of Tri Paloski." Tyler raised his eye at that last one especially. "So, a normal member of a guild is considered an elite?" Shevchenko nodded and replied in his russian accent. "Yes, sir. I just retire from military service. I was commando. I only come to galaxy last year." Tyler nearly choked. "You are a trained commando with a body count and you are only a normal member?" Shevchenko nodded. "Accolades best earned by skill, not by reputation." Tyler laughed. "We might have to have a good talk after this mission. Anyways, Woodford, you will stand behind me and provide cover to the other men. Anakin, you''re with me. Najja and Eclipse, you remain in the shadows and scout ahead of us. Report back everything no matter how small. Everyone else, diamond up and watch the outsides. Be ready for anything. Let''s move out!" While they were moving within the larger group, he glanced at Eclipse''s status. Eclipse, 25 years, Assassin Level 73 (Okay, I''ve been super inconsistent with this so I''m gonna fix it. ALL players will not have asterisks bordering their status. NPCs will have the asterisks. This is final. If I forget, pls roast me.) As the larger group was retreating, the elite squad split off into a building off to the side. It wasn''t just any building, it was the tallest building in the area so they could get a good view of what they were getting into. It wasn''t that tall, only being 35 floors but As they were sneaking through the first floor of the building, Tyler closed his fist and raised it just above his shoulder. The entire group halted immediately. He glanced around the corner and noticed two players leaning against the walls on opposite sides of the hall next to the door they needed to get through. Tyler pointed to Shevchenko and Lars, the clone. They both had the DMR equivalent of blasters so they would take care of the two players. Lars stood up while Shevchenko crouched down so they could both peek around the corner with only their rifles and the corner of their head visible. Since the clone outranked the gunner, he counted off by whispering through comms. "On threeˇ­ oneˇ­ twoˇ­ three!" The both fired and hit headshots on the two players. With that, the dropped dead and an item flew out from the both of them. Tyler smirked. "Shevchenko, those are yours." The russian nodded. "Thank you, sir." He rushed over and put the two items in his inventory. The other players didn''t even bat an eye. Despite the fact that most of the valuable items are bound, unbound items still hold some value and every credit matters to the average player. However, they did not object as the rewards for their bonus quest outweighed almost any item they could pick up. After a few minutes, Najja reported it. "General, the stairs are clear up to floor 20. There are two other players guarding the doors to the stairs on that floor. Requesting permission to engage." Tyler smiled. "You are cleared to engage any hostiles that you determine you can handle. Eliminate them with extreme discretion." Najja replied. "Yes, sir." Tyler then turned to the rest of the group. "Let''s move." They slowly climbed the stairs. It was not that they didn''t trust the determinations of the two ?ssassins. In fact, it was because many unexpected things could happen in the field. Fortunately, nothing happened as they climbed all the way to the roof which was on top of the 35th floor. Once they reached the roof access hatch, they found the two ?ssassins. Tyler looked at them. "What''s the hold up?" Eclipse sighed. "There are 8 bogeys on the roof. It was too much for us to handle so we waited for you, sir." Tyler shook his head. "This was never supposed to be easy. Well done, both of you. I have a few questions though. Is the door locked?" Eclipse shook his head. "No. That is how we determined the number of enemies on the roof." Tyler smiled. "By any chance, is it windy outside?" Najja checked her wrist console before nodding. "Yes, sir. There is a thunderstorm picking up." Tyler grinned. "Perfect. Anakin and I will handle this. Everyone else, pull back one flight of stairs. Anakin, come here." Anakin walked over. "What are we going to do?" Tyler smirked. "Here''s what we are going to doˇ­" -GE- A robotic voice sounded over comms as a tactical droid''s hologram popped up. "Captain Marth, report your status." Marth stood at attention as he looked at the hologram.. "Commander, there has been no activity in this sector since the republic troops retreated." The droid replied. "As I calculated. Report any anomalies." Marth nodded. "Yes, sir." The hologram disappeared so he went back to solitaire on his data pad. Suddenly, he heard the roof door slam open. He quickly turned around but saw nothing other than the door open. He then yelled in frustration. "Damn storm. Someone go check on that." One of the players started walking over. "Wilco." After about a minute, he had yet to hear a reply so he turned around angrily. "What the fu?k are youˇ­" As he turned, a blue lightsaber ignited and stopped right before his neck. "Not a word." Looking past the lightsaber, he saw the bodies of his comrades laid on the ground. They were all dead. An unfamiliar figure walked over behind the Jedi. "Tell us what we want to know and I won''t put a bounty on your head." The voice sparked his memory and he shuddered in fear. Standing before him was the one player that there was a run on sight order issued for across all of the CIS. It was the infamous, the one, the only, Lord Draco. -GE- Tyler tapped Anakin''s shoulder. "Let me handle this." Anakin nodded and deactivated his lightsaber before sheathing it. "Yes, master." Marth nearly fainted from the pressure of that. The chosen one, soon to be Darth Vader, calling this player master was nearly too much for him. As Tyler noticed the player losing consciousness, he relaxedly raised his hand, lifting the player into the air. "Oh no you don''t. Marth, is it?" The CIS captain immediately regained his composure, or what was left of it at least. "Yes." Tyler smiled. "Will we be doing this the easy way, or the hard way?" Marth snapped out of his fear. "Keep talking. I ain''t tellin'' you shit." He then spit on Tyler. Tyler chuckled before his face turned dead serious. He ignited his lightsaber and cut off the guy''s arms. "Now, dipshit. Let''s do this the hard way." Tyler reached out with the force and called on the dark side to break through Marth''s memories. It was his first time doing this on a player. This guy was quite weak minded so it would be easy to experiment a bit. As he reached through Marth''s memories, he found that there was an impenetrable wall. Coincidentally, it was right where the memories that were created in game ended and real life began. The only logical conclusion was that this was how the admin system protected the real lives of the players. It must have a database for each player on what memories are created in game and out. After a few minutes, Tyler lifted the player''s body and flung him against the wall next to the door. Within a few seconds, the door opened and the rest of their group filed out. Rex looked at the mangled body and then back at Anakin. Anakin shook his head. "Don''t look at me, it was all him." Rex then looked at Tyler. Tyler shrugged. "What? He spit on me. His arms were in exchange for the dry cleaning fee." Rex shrugged. "Did you at least get the information we need?" Tyler nodded. "Here''s the deal." The occupation was rock solid. They had a large group of forces ready to move out at any second to repel any enemies. In addition to that, they were holed up in the center of the city. Their forces had a large number of tanks and magna walkers in terms of heavy artillery. Other than that, there were countless droids, a tactical droid, and of course, General Whorm. After his explanation, he turned to Anakin. "Any suggestions?" Anakin nodded. "I believe we can set a trap for their forces. We can even take the same approach that they took to trap us. We should move the other transport over to the other one so we can consolidate our forces. After that, we should be able to advance towards the center of the city." Tyler smiled. "Great analysis. Let''s do just that." Chapter 43 - Battle of Christophsis Part III (So I just learned something about Christophsis. Tyler will have any part in the Hutt affair. There is something much more important. Sorry to disappoint but this should be pretty interesting.) Tyler raised his wrist comm to his face and pressed a bu??on. "Blaze, is everything in place?" Blaze immediately responded. "Yes, general. Waiting on your mark." Tyler smiled. "Feel free to get started then." Blaze replied. "Immediately, sir." Suddenly, a barrage of heavy artillery fire flew past Tyler''s position. Down the road, there was a formation of separatist tanks and an army of droids. The cannon fire collided with their ranks and demolished chunks of them. The humming of machinery could be heard as the GAR forces made their way down the main avenue. Loud clunks could be heard each time a walker took a step and continuous explosions lit up the street. Tyler turned to his group and whispered. "Is everyone ready? They are about to pass us." Everyone nodded. Tyler turned around and made an okay sign to Anakin and his group that was across the street. Anakin made the okay sign back. The wall of droids marched past them without any suspicion of them being there. Even some players were mixed in. As soon as the droids went past and the tanks were in front of them, they made their move. Tyler pressed a bu??on on his comm and a light started blinking. One last barrage of cannon fire went off and then it ceased. This was their signal. Their small group rushed out and ?ssaulted the tanks. Anakin and Tyler each took their own tank and the remaining clones and players rigged up the tanks in groups of three. Tyler rushed up to one of the farther tanks and ignited his lightsabers. He jumped upwards, slicing off the cannon and landing on the top hatch in the process. A droid opened the hatch and popped up. "Uhhh, how did that happen?" He then noticed the Jedi standing over him. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Tyler dropped into the tank, letting his lightsabers sink through the droid. Once he landed in the ???kpit of the tank, he spun around, slicing up all 3 droids that were sitting inside. He then took his two sabers and sent out a flurry of strikes to cripple the controls and render the tank useless. Tyler looked at the rest of the group. "Is everything set?" They all nodded as they ran down the side street. In response, Tyler pressed another bu??on on his wrist comm. Behind them, the thermal detonators that they all placed exploded, destroying the tanks and blocking the enemy''s retreat. Tyler pressed his comm. "Weapons free." Blaze replied. "Yes, sir." Within a few seconds the artillery fire resumed. Suddenly, Tyler''s comm lit up. "This is General Draco speaking." A voice responded from the other side. "Draco, you''re gonna be on your own for a bit. They somehow gathered reinforcements and we are being forced to retreat. It took long enough for us to break through their jamming just to contact you." Tyler sighed. "That makes no sense. There is no way that just the control of a hyperspace lane could warrant enough resources to overwhelm your fleet." Mcree shook his head. "Indeed. I will do my best to gather reinforcements to get you out. We can not afford such a huge loss this early. Godspeed." Tyler turned to his group. "Let''s pick up the pace. We need to regroup yesterday." They quickly made their way through alleys and side streets. A few minutes later, they joined the main group. Once they were back, Tyler ordered a full retreat. The entire group pulled back to a safe area towards the edge of the city. It was across a bridge so there was a chokepoint to defend. They spent about an hour setting up their defenses and then settled in. Once that was one, Tyler convened an emergency meeting with all officers present. General Kenobi, Commanders Anakin, Kai, Cody, Blaze, and Captain Rex were present. He also invited the higher ups from any guilds that were present since they could provide reinforcements. Tyler sighed. "Before we get started, there are a few things I need to fill you guys in on." Obi Wan shook his head. "This doesn''t sound good." Tyler nodded. "Yeahˇ­ so the fleet had to retreat and communications are now jammed." Obi Wan shook his head in disbelief. "What?! I mean, how? I thought we had dealt with their blockade." Tyler nodded. "I was under the same impression. They gathered reinforcements and forced us out. We are stuck here until we receive help. Guildies, ensure that your available forces cooperate with Admiral Mcree." Suddenly, a distant humming could be heard and a red light became visible on the horizon. Cody pointed at it. "Sir, I believe that is the city center." Tyler sighed. "And now they have a ray shield. FUCK!" Kai tilted his head. "Master, why don''t we just get back on the transports and leave the system?" Tyler shook his head. "The acclamators are not meant for naval combat. We would be sitting ducks for their battleships. With that shield up, they will be able to safely advance. Let''s sit tight for a bit and see what the enemy does. In the meantime, there are some Jedi matters that need to be discussed." Obi Wan raised his brow. "This should be interesting." Tyler nodded and gestured to the three Jedi present. "Aside from you three, everyone is dismissed." The four Jedi began to walk off to a secluded part of the encampment to avoid being heard. Tyler suddenly stopped and turned around. "First, this is a top secret matter that can not be discussed in the presence of anyone not on the council. Second, this is all speculation at this point so take this with a grain of salt." Obi Wan got serious and put on a firm expression. "What is this about?" Tyler sighed. "There is something else going on here. This battle is not as straightforward as it seems." Anakin raised his brow. "What other use could this system have other than controlling a hyperspace lane?" Tyler smiled. "That is my question exactly. If this was just a battle to control a system, they would not have been able to justify gathering so many reinforcements in such a short amount of time. The question is, what is on this planet that they need?" Obi Wan was very confused. "Christophsis doesn''t have any major resources aside from metals that can be useful in a war effort. There must be something else that they want and it must be valuable." Tyler nodded. "Indeed. The information on this system does not have anything like that. As the one with the most experience, what do you think we should do" Obi Wan paused for a moment and thought. "If they are diverting this many resources to this system, then clearly there is something here that is worth the trouble. We must find out what it is and then see what the council will have us do." Tyler nodded. "I agree. However, we do not have the ability to do a thorough investigation until some help arrives. We must first focus on the problem at hand. Under the cover of battle, we can investigate properly." Obi Wan nodded. "This is true, but troublesome nonetheless. Let''s get some rest. We need to be in good shape to deal with this." A few hours went by that were quite uneventful. The sun had traveled through the sky and it was now mid afternoon. The only noises that could be heard were birds, the talking of troops, and equipment being moved. Suddenly, the engines of a ship could be heard. Everyone looked in the direction it came from. Instinctively, Tyler ran to find Obi Wan, Anakin, and Kai. As he found them, a republic shuttle flew overhead. Obi Wan looked at Anakin. "Looks like help has arrived." The group of them walked towards the landing shuttle. Tyler sighed, knowing what was about to happen. Obi Wan turned to Anakin looking relieved. "Our cruiser must be back." Anakin gestured with his left hand. "Which means we''ll be able to get our reinforcements." Obi Wan nodded. "Then it looks like our problems are solved. Fresh troops, new supplies, and perhaps they brought my new padawan with them." Anakin scoffed. "You really think it''s a good idea to bring a padawan learner into all this?" Obi Wan shook his head. "I spoke to master Yoda about it. You should put in a request for one. You''d make a good teacher." Anakin chuckled. "No, thanks." Obi Wan sighed. "Anakin, teaching is a privilege." The ship landed and the exhaust ports hissed. "And it''s part of a Jedi''s responsibility to help train the next generation." Anakin shook his head. "A padawan would just slow me down." The door of the shuttle dropped open and turned into a ramp. It revealed two people." On the left was an Asian human male. He was tall, about 6''1" and had jet black hair that was pulled back into a bun. He was wearing baggy Jedi robes that looked more like the attire of a traditional Japanese swordsman. The robes were all black with simplistic designs on them. The lightsaber hilt at his hip was shaped like the handle of a katana. It was made of a matte black metal with a leather webbing over it to act as a grip. The controls of the saber hilt fit perfectly in between the webbing. It also had a guard made of a shiny metal that Tyler was quite familiar with. On the right was a young togruta female. She wore revealing clothes that covered her ?h?st and then skintight pants under a skirt. Her boots extended up to her knee. The lightsaber at her waist was silver and black. It looked quite basic. Obi Wan widened his eyes. "A youngling?" Anakin narrowed his eyes. "And who are you two supposed to be?" The human replied by bowing. "My name is Bokuden Tsukahara, Skywalker sama." The togruta then replied. "I''m Ahsoka. Master Yoda sent me. I was told to tell the both of you that you must get back to the Jedi Temple immediately. There is an emergency." Anakin scoffed. "Well, I don''t know if you''ve noticed, but we''re in a bit of an emergency right here." Obi Wan nodded. "Yes, our communications have been a bit unreliable, but we''ve been calling for help." Ahsoka sighed. "Master Yoda hadn''t heard from you so he sent me to deliver the message." Anakin scoffed and turned away, taking a few steps. He waved his hand. "Oh, great. They don''t even know we''re in trouble." Ahsoka smiled. "Maybe you can relay a signal through the cruiser that just dropped me off." Anakin and Obi Wan''s eyes lit up at that. The four of them began to walk away. Tyler shook himself out of his shock. He grabbed the other padawan before he could follow them. "Padawan, a few words, please." Tsukahara nodded. "Hai, Draco sama." Tyler led the padawan on a walk. "I didn''t hear about getting a new padawan. Tell me about yourself." Tsukahara nodded. "I am Bokuden Tsukahara. I came to the galaxy this week and became a padawan learner. I believe there is a misunderstanding. I was ?ssigned to Kenobi sensei." Tyler raised his brow. "Hmmm, interesting. Well, that is fine. I didn''t want another padawan anyways. Do you mind me calling you Tsuka? And are you in a guild?" Tsukahara shook his head. "That name is fine and I am not in a guild." Being even more curious now, Tyler checked his status. Tsukahara Bokuden, 19 years, Jedi Padawan Level 8 Corellian Human Tyler shot him a friend request and a guild invite. "I trust that you at least know who the top guilds are." Tsuka nodded and quickly accepted both invites. "I am honored, Draco sama." Tyler gestured. "No problem. Now, tell me a bit about your background." Tsuka smiled. "I have been a swordsman my whole life. I was named after a legendary swordsman from ancient times. He was known as the Wandering Swordsman. Yoda sensei has said that I am the most promising padawan since Kai san. I doubt I can measure up to him. I have been told that he might grow to be a greater Jedi than Yoda sensei himself." Tyler was proud. It would seem that he did a great job. "Well, I''m sure you can live up to those expectations. You will be the student of Obi Wan and have the resources of Limitless behind you." Tsuka smiled. "Thank you, Draco sama." Tyler shook his head. "Please, dispense with the formalities. Please call me Draco." Tsuka nodded. "Hai." Something interesting that Tyler had noticed over the years is that gradually, people have stopped mentioning Earth and the real world. The admin system must be modifying people''s words to not break RP. It also made for less confusion among NPC''s since all they know is the galaxy. Tyler gestured and started walking. "Let''s rejoin Obi Wan. He will be delighted to meet you." A few minutes later, they found Obi Wan, Anakin, Kai, and Ahsoka. Ahsoka''s eyes lit up when she saw Tyler. "Master Draco, it''s a p???sur? to meet you. All of the younglings hope they could get you as their master." Tyler chuckled. "I have too much to do. Time for a padawan is something I just don''t have. Obi Wan, any news?" Obi Wan sighed. "The cruiser that delivered the two padawans had to retreat. Fortunately, we were able to hear that Master Yoda will send us reinforcements." Tyler smiled. "That is good news." Obi Wan shook his head. "Indeed. Hopefully we can hold out until then." Tyler laughed. "I''m sure we can make it." Obi Wan nodded. "Let''s hope that is the case. It won''t be long before those droids resume their advance." Anakin sighed. "I''ll check on Rex in the lookout post." Obi Wan smirked. "You''d better take her with you." Anakin looked back and rolled his eyes as he continued walking. Ahsoka followed behind him. Tyler turned back to Obi Wan while struggling to hold in a laugh. "How did he take the news?" Obi Wan chuckled. "He definitely lived up to his reputation." Tyler laughed. "Oh, man. He is gonna have fun. Anyways, allow me to introduce you to your new padawan. Tsuka?" Tsukahara stepped forward and bowed to Obi Wan with his hands together. "Hello, Kenobi sensei. I am Bokuden Tsukahara, your new padawan." Obi Wan''s eyes lit up. "I was starting to think that they had ignored my request. This is fantastic news. I can see that you two got acquainted?" Tsuka nodded. "Draco has been very kind to me. His resources will help me in my development." Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "I hope you''re not trying to steal my padawan, Draco." Tyler raised his hands in submission and shook his head. "Nope. Just thought he would make a great addition to my guild. Core members have access to quite the large amount of resources. Train him well, Obi Wan." Obi Wan sighed. "You are too much. Well, my padawan, let''s take a walk. I would like to learn about you." Tsuka nodded. "Hai, Kenobi sensei." Tyler turned to Kai after they left. "How''s it going little dude?" Kai rolled his eyes. "Aside from the nice ego boost, I am quite bored. I''d bet that you aren''t doing any better." Tyler laughed. "I think thatˇ­" He froze and stopped speaking. A cold wave rippled through the force. There was a huge disturbance. Tyler grimaced. "This can not be good. It would seem that several Sith have just joined us on Christophsis. One of them is undoubtedly powerful." Kai frowned. "This isˇ­ troublesome. Do you think that this has anything to do with your suspicions?" Tyler nodded. "It has to be. We must move quickly before they get what they want." At that instant, his comm lit up and a voice came through. "General, an enemy shuttle just passed over the city and is landing in the enemy camp." Tyler sighed. "Thought so. Any other updates?" Blaze replied. "None at the momˇ­ waitˇ­ the droids just began advancing behind the energy shield." Tyler raised his fist in frustration. "Shit. Inform Obi Wan that he is now in command and meet me at the rear of the camp with Burn Company. We have some work to do." Blaze replied. "Yes, sir." A few minutes later, Tyler and Kai were standing before Blaze and Burn Company. This was a group of the most elite clones in Tyler''s forces. This small group were experts in stealth and infiltration. If they were not ?ssigned to Tyler, they would be ARC Troopers. This was their first mission with their general. Tyler looked over their statuses. *CT-420 "Blaze", 25 years, GAR Commander* *Level 100* *Kamino Clone* *CT-7777 "Seven", 25 years, Scout* *Level 95* *Kamino Clone* *CT-666 "Diablo", 25 years, Heavy Weapons Specialist* *Level 95* *Kamino Clone* *CT-1800 "Corpo", 25 years, Field Medic* *Level 95* *Kamino Clone* Tyler pulled up a hologram of the city. "Before we begin, this mission does not exist. I will deal with the mission report. Unless it is with me, the details of this mission are not to be discussed. Understood?" All four clones stood at attention. "Yes, sir." Tyler smiled. "Good." He pointed to a spot in the city hologram and a red dot showed up. "There is some type of monastery located at this location. That will probably be the only place left in the city with locals. Religious officials refuse to leave their sanctuaries and leave their fate to whatever they believe in. We should start with them and go from there. I do not yet know what we are looking for but they might be able to help us out." Chapter 44 - Church of the Force Part I (Don''t google the name of this chapter. Now you can''t say I didn''t tell you. Also, any shot there''s an artist or a graphic designer that wants to draw/make a cover for this book? I''ll shout you out in the chapter and in the synopsis. Add me on discord ARN3wman#7777 and put your tag in a comment on this paragraph if you''re interested.) It was eerily quiet in the capital city of Christophsis. Despite the fact that there was a war going on, no battle was taking place. This would not remain the case for long as the Republic reinforcements were arriving imminently. Tyler, Kai, Blaze, and Burn Company were making their way through buildings and alleyways on their way to the monastery in hopes of finding information. Fortunately, they had not run into any patrols so their journey was a quiet one. A few hours went by and the sounds of battle resumed. The battle in orbit was visible from the surface. General Whorm was currently in talks with General Kenobi to organize the apparent surrender. By this time, the monastery came into view. Like much of the city, it was wrecked from the endless battle. The gates were torn off their hinges, several chunks were taken out of the walls, and the exterior of the temple was also severely damaged. As they got closer, they noticed something was off. Seven looked over towards Tyler. "General, the damages seem more recent than when the battle took place over here." Tyler nodded. "It does look freshˇ­ shit. Those are scorch marks from a lightsaber. We need to hurry." They ran forwards and rushed into the monastery. Once they got through the gates, they saw the bodies of monks littered all over the grounds. Tyler raised his fist. He pointed two fingers in the air and waved them in a circle. This was the signal to comb the area with weapons at the ready. Tyler ignited his lightsaber and used it as a light. The power had been cut off in this area of the city so it was dark. He fanned off from the rest of the group to cover more ground. The clones remained in pairs while he and Kai went alone. The front of the monastery had a large courtyard. There were shrines and various places for meditation. There was also a pond with a small waterfall. Suddenly, something ?r??n?d in despair. Tyler turned to the source of the sound but there was only a girthy tree. Since trees don''t talk, there had to be someone behind it. Tyler slowly approached the tree. As he rounded it, he saw the legs of a person. From what he could see, they were dressed in the robes of a monk. This made him relax so he lowered his saber and approached the person. What he saw was mortifying. The man had the typical appearance of a monk. He was bald, had toned muscles, and was dressed quite humbly. However, his condition was a different story. Down his torso, there was a huge gash. It was cauterized so the cause was presumably a lightsaber slash. Tyler rushed over to the monk. "What happened? Are you okay?" He also quickly looked at the man''s status while sheathing his saber. *Level 35* *Christophsis Human* Kalim just ?r??n?d in pain. He looked as if he was just moments from death. Without hesitation, Tyler gently lifted him with the force and laid him down, flat on the ground. He then grabbed the monks robes before ripping open the torso. Fortunately, the gash wasn''t too deep. Otherwise, he''d be dead already. Tyler knelt down and gently placed his right hand on the gash. He then closed his eyes and grabbed hold of the force. Once he was in a meditative state, he willed his life force to be transferred to the monk. Slowly, Tyler took damage as the monk was healed. The wound gradually closed up and Kalim visibly relaxed. Kalim relaxed his head and closed his eyes. "Thank you, master Jedi." Tyler smiled. "Can you tell me what happened here?" Kalim opened his eyes and stared blankly into the sky. He gazed upon what was visible of the battle taking place in orbit. Bright flashes of light streaked across the sky and countless explosions would follow. He closed his eyes again and sighed. "I always hoped that this galaxy would not see war in my lifetime. I guess I was not so lucky." Tyler frowned. "I can only agree with you. Every time someone dies, I can feel it through the force. It is not a good feeling." Kalim nodded. "I guess the universe spared me by not giving me the gift of the force. I am Kalim. Who are you, master jedi?" Tyler grasped the monk''s hand. "I am Master Draco." Kalim smiled. "Now that''s a name I never expected to hear." Tyler sighed. "Are there any other survivors?" Kalim sighed in response. "That is something I do not know. If there are any, I know where to look. Help me up, will you?" Tyler leaned down and lifted the monk to his feet. "Can you walk?" Kalim shook his head. "I am not sure if I can. I believe there is a pole arm over there." He pointed at a weapon rack that was somehow untouched. Tyler reached out and pulled one of the staffs to his hand with the force. He then handed it to the monk. "Lead the way, Kalim." By the time they reached the entrance to the temple, the others had joined up with them. The inside of the temple looked as if it was once magnificent. One each side of the central path, there was a large, slightly raised, wooden platform. On the platform, there were prayer mats placed in an orderly pattern. In the front of the room was a large altar. There were countless slots in it for small objects but they were all empty. Kalim pointed at the altar. "Behind that altar is a hatch. Our bunker is down there." They walked behind the altar. On the floor was a large rug. Kalim gestured to it. "Please pull the rug over from the right side." Seven and Diablo knelt down and pulled the rug as the monk instructed. As they lifted it, there was an interesting mechanism attached to it. There were steel cables attached to a metal bar on the underside of the rug. They ran through a track. Underneath the rug was a notch in the flooring and two grooves that the cables went through. It was designed this way in order to be able to conceal the hatch from the inside. Diablo lifted the hatch open from the notch. Within was a tight, spiral staircase. The lighting was very gentle. It was just enough to see where one is going. The monk began making his way down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs was a hallway made of stone bricks. Each side had small enclaves in the walls that had lightsaber shaped lamps. At the end of the hall was a wooden door. Once Kalim reached it, he used the staff to push in a brick on the wall. Rather than the door opening, the entire wall slid to the side. It was massive at about 10 feet thick. Behind the wall was a dark room. A voice suddenly called out. "There is no death." Kalim replied. "There is the force." The lights kicked on revealing about 30 monks cowering in fear. One monk stood out from the crowd. He wore dark brown robes, had light brown hair and a full beard that was well maintained. The man rushed towards Kalim. "Brother Kalim! I thought there were no other survivors." Kalim nodded. "I am not sure if there are any others, Brother San Tekka." San Tekka then looked towards Tyler. "Greetings, master jedi. I am Lor San Tekka. Who might you be?" Tyler wore a warm smile. "I am Master Draco. Would you be able to tell me what happened here?" San Tekka sighed. "First, I must tell you about us. Please, take a seat." Tyler walked over to a table and sat down in a chair. San Tekka did the same. Tyler then pulled a thermos and two cups out of his inventory. He poured out two steaming hot cups of tea and slid one to the monk. San Tekka smiled. "Thank you. Now, let me get to it. We are a sect known as the Church of the Force. We are a group of individuals that believe in the ways of the Jedi Order but are not gifted with the force. We scour the galaxy, searching for relics that are important to the force. They are then brought to monasteries such as this one to be prepared. We complete the sacred ritual and then start our journey to return the relics to the places that they belong." Tyler raised his brow. "What kind of relics are we talking about?" San Tekka nodded. "A good question, indeed. We occasionally come across an estranged holocron or lightsaber. However, we usually handle kyber crystals." Tyler tilted his head. "Is that what the altar upstairs is for?" San Tekka nodded again. "Quite the detective, aren''t you? We place the kyber crystals into the slots on the altar and then pray to the force. That is how we prepare for our journey." Tyler sighed. "So where are the kyber crystals?" San Tekka frowned. "We were carrying out the ritual earlier today. Unfortunately, we were interrupted. The gates were forced open and a group of people wearing dark robes stormed the monastery. They indiscriminately cut down our monks with their crimson lightsabers. I had thought that the only survivors were those taking part in the ritual since they were close to the bunker." Tyler shook his head. "But what happened to the crystals? " San Tekka nodded. "They must have taken them. I am not sure what use they have for them. The crystal is supposed to choose it''s wielder, not the other way around." Tyler shook his head. "The Sith are not chosen by their crystals. They pour their negative emotions into it to force the connection. The crystal turns red through that process which is known as bleeding." San Tekka was confused. "How do you know such a thing?" Tyler pulled Darth Revan''s lightsaber out of his inventory and ignited it. The crimson blade let off a harsh light that lit up their faces. San Tekka shuddered. "Where did you get such a thing?" Tyler shook his head. "That, I can not tell you. However, I learned about the subject through that encounter." San Tekka nodded. "I see. Nonetheless, their purpose can not be a good one. If they took the crystals, they probably also found the map that leads to the cave." Tyler froze. "What cave?" San Tekka sighed. "The cave that we return the crystals to. They naturally form there so we take any crystals that are delivered here and put them there." Tyler grinned. "The council must hear of this." San Tekka shook his head. "There is no time. You must stop them." *Hidden Quest Triggered: Stop the Sith* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: Sith operatives have raided a monastery operated by the Church of the Force. Discover their plot and stop them at all costs before reporting to the Jedi Council.* *Reward: +12000 Church of the Force Reputation, +6000 Jedi Order Reputation, +5 Levels* Tyler nodded and pulled up a holographic map of Christophsis. "You are correct. Could you please tell me the location of the cave? We must hurry if we are to stop them." San Tekka pointed at a spot on the map. "Christophsis is here. About 20 miles to the east, there is a place called the Crystal Forest. Deep inside this forest lies the cave. I wish you luck, master jedi." Tyler shot up from his seat and quickly bowed. "Thank you, Lor San Tekka." He then turned to his group. "Let''s move out. Blaze, call a transport and tell them it''s an emergency. Make sure it''s empty." Blaze nodded. "Yes, sir." Several minutes later, they were boarding a gunship. Tyler called out. "Pilot, take us 20 miles east of here." The pilot nodded. "Yes, sir." -GE- The tree cover was too thick to land so the gunship hovered over a spot that was a few miles into the forest. They didn''t go any further to avoid missing the cave. The clones grappled down while the two Jedi cushioned their landing with the force. Once they were down, the gunship returned to base. Tyler told the pilot to have General Kenobi pass this message to Yoda when he can. "Draco is making progress." Yoda should know what it means. Tyler pulled an armored box out of his inventory. He pressed a bu??on on it and then pressed a bu??on on his wrist comm to link it to his HUD. He then pressed another bu??on on his wrist comm and the box whirred to life. Several slots slid open and hundreds of tiny drones flew out in all directions. Tyler smiled at his invention. "Beautiful, isn''t it?" Blaze tilted his head. "What does it do?" Tyler smirked. "It is a reconnaissance device. It allows me to investigate a large area without having to lift a finger." Kai giggled. "Master, you had to press all those bu??ons though." Tyler rolled his eyes. "Shut up." This was one of the devices that he designed after he became a master engineer. He called it the Lazy Draco. Similar to how a lazy susan allows food to be spun around a table without the user having to leave their seat, this device allowed Tyler to scout out an extremely large area without having to move his feet. Tyler plopped down on the ground and leaned against a tree. "Take a seat, boys. Catch your breath so we can be ready for anything." Everyone quickly relaxed. Not even a mouse would be able to approach them with all the drones. Looking around, it was clear why this was called the crystal forest. All of the plant life was covered in a layer of some crystal like material. It made everything sparkle and glow from the light of the sun. Fortunately, there was no grass so they wouldn''t make a lot of noise when walking. This is probably due to the thick tree cover. About a half hour passed before a light started blinking on Tyler''s wrist. He shot up. "Bingo. Let''s move out." Blaze got up. "Aren''t you going to take the box?" Tyler shook his head before pressing a bu??on on his comm. Eight legs emerged from the box and it stood up before walking over to Tyler. "It will follow us while the drones come back." They began walking towards the cave. While they were en route, they strategized. The cave was well defended. Out front were two tanks and a squad of droids. The Sith were nowhere to be found so they were presumably inside. Unfortunately, they were not able to get any visuals of the inside. The entrance of the cave was located on the face of a small cliff. The rock was a dark gray and not too hard. There was only one entrance so they needed to take out the droids. Fortunately, the brush around the cave entrance was quite thick. The tanks must have been airdropped because they would not have fit through the forest. Tyler and Kai would each take care of a tank while the clones took care of the droids. Tyler snuck up behind one of the tanks and quietly climbed up it. Once he was right behind the top hatch, he raised his hand and counted down. Threeˇ­ twoˇ­ oneˇ­ he then closed his fist and jumped into the tank while the other two groups took action. He silently dispatched the droids using the force and Kai did the same. The clones used EMP grenades to take out the squad of droids. Within seconds, there was nothing preventing them from entering the cave. Tyler turned to the group. "Be ready for anything. We don''t know what is inside." They silently made their way into the cave. Rather than turn on their lights, the clones used night vision to see. Tyler and Kai just used the force. Several minutes went by and there were no enemies. However, the sound of machinery was steadily getting louder. As they got closer, they were able to make out the sound that results from drilling and processing ores. They were approaching a clearing so Tyler raised his fist. The group halted. He then pointed to Seven and then waved two fingers forward before waving them in a circle. Seven slowly creeped forward while taking out a scanner. He got down on his stomach and crawled forward until he got a view of the clearing. He panned over it for about 30 seconds and then returned to the group. Seven whispered. "There is a large scale mining operation going on in there. I only saw droids and machines. They don''t look armed. No sign of the Sith bastards." Tyler nodded and whispered back. "As expected. Is there a safe path?" Seven nodded. "There is. It leads right to a large tent in the center of the camp." Tyler smiled. "That is our destination then. Weapons free and move out." Blaze waved his hands. "Sir, shouldn''t we be a bit more covert about this?" Tyler shook his head. "The droids in there are not armed and there will be no reinforcements coming. You guys focus on destroying the machinery and us Jedi will handle the rest." Blaze nodded. "Understood, sir." Tyler smirked. "Let''s get going then." Tyler started sprinting forward and jumped high through the air. As he was told none of the droids were armed. They were all models that are designed for labor rather than combat. He landed in front of the tent and whistled. "Yoohoo, anyone home?" Kai quickly landed next to him. "Are you trying to piss them off?" Tyler shrugged. "Their mood is irrelevant. They are going to try and kill us anyways. Maybe if we piss them off enough, they''ll tell us their plan." Kai rolled his eyes. "That is ridiculous. Villains only do monologues in stories." Suddenly, six people dressed in black robes encircled them. Each one had a black helmet with a visor and a breathing device. They all had lightsaber hilts that were b?r?ly visible under their robes. Chapter 45 - Church of the Force Part II There was one gap in their encirclement that led right to the entrance of the tent. A hand reached out and lifted the flap of the tent. A woman walked out. She had black hair, pale skin, and the yellow eyes that gave away a Sith. She was dressed in a long, black robe. Underneath it was a body that could only be described as god like. She had large, firm br??sts that drew the eyes. They were accompanied by a small waist, pretty face, and a big bank. Tyler was truly hating on a bitch. She wore skin tight black pants and a dark brown fitted top. (IYKYK) Tyler quickly looked around to weigh out the situation. Crathious, 21 years, Sith Acolyte Level 68 Unknown Mikhael, 21 years, Sith Acolyte Level 71 Unknown Bianca, 25 years, Sith Acolyte Level 70 Unknown Kana, 22 years, Sith Acolyte Level 67 Unknown Asuka, 17 years, Sith Acolyte Unknown Boros, 35 years, Sith Acolyte Level 73 Unknown Mun, 21 years, Sith Apprentice Level 78 Unknown Tyler smirked. "Girl, are you congress? Because I wanna breach you." A few of the people surrounding them choked to hold in their laughter. The woman quickly contained her rage and smiled seductively. "Lord Draco, how nice of you to join us." Tyler bowed. "Thank you for the warm welcome. Who might you be?" The woman entered a pose reeking of grandiose. "I am Mun, apprentice to Darth Sidious and Vice Guild Leader of Forest." Tyler shrugged. "So, you guys finally mustered up the courage to rear your heads again or Eric sent you. Am I supposed to be intimidated?" Mun was enraged. "Not even breaking a sweat while surrounded by Forest''s finest. You must be delusional if you think you''re getting out of this alive." Tyler shook his head. "I believe that you are thinking about this backwards. You may have the numbers, but you are pathetically outmatched. Anyways, I wanna know something before I cancel your life subscription. What are so many Sith doing in one place?" Mun was furious but spoke in a calm tone that had venom in each word. "Such utter disrespect. This is no way for a servant of the Dark Lord of the Sith to be treated. All of us are here on his direct orders." Tyler chuckled. "So it is something important. A weapon, maybe?" Mun shook her head. "You won''t get anything regarding the weapon out of me." Tyler smiled. "So it is a weapon. Wait!" He let on an evil grin and spoke teasingly. "I know what''s going on here. The only question that remains is where." Mun panicked. "KILL THEM! THEY KNOW TOO MUCH!" The game had a great way to preserve RP. NPCs would not hear any information that was acquired close in time to a player''s death. The player would remember said information but no action could be taken. In addition, any quests that are not labeled as continuous or long term would result in failure upon death. Tyler quickly turned to Kai. "I''ll handle this bitch and whoever joins us. You handle the others. Use the terrain and your agility to your advantage." Kai nodded as he used the force to pull his lightsaber to his hand before igniting it. Tyler then pulled his hands into his ?h?st. "DUCK!" Kai dropped to the ground as Tyler swung his hands outwards. The force exploded in an expanding ring around him. It collided with all seven Sith and knocked them to the ground. Tyler jumped forwards, unsheathing and igniting both of his lightsabers. He landed over Mun and swung his sabers down. In the nick of time, she ignited her crimson saber and stopped the attack. Mun was furious. "YOU FOOLS! DO SOMETHING!" The other six Sith shot to their feet and ignited their lightsabers. Boros, Asuka, and Crathious all rushed to help their Mun. Mikhael, Bianca, and Kana moved towards Kai. Tyler grinned as he watched the acolytes surround him. "Well, this should be fun, eh? It''s been a minute since I''ve had a challenge." Boros and Crathious attempted a pincer attack on both of Tyler''s sides. Tyler stood up and flipped backwards to evade it. He soared through the air. Once he landed, he put on a serious face. "COME!" All four of them rushed forwards and launched an overhead strike. Using his overwhelming strength, Tyler swung inwards. He redirected the two outer lightsabers into the path of the two inner ones. This effectively blocked them. Tyler sighed. "Come onnnn. I expected more from Forest''s finest." The four sith pulled back and surrounded him. Tyler smiled. "This approach is correct. Good, you''re learning." This only pissed them off even more. They synchronized an attack from all four directions. They expected Tyler to stand his ground and defend. However, he is not one to be predictable. Tyler rushed Crathious, the weakest link. He pulled both of his sabers back and to his right. He then swung his left saber across, blocking the incoming strike. He then followed up with his other saber, bisecting the sith. The red lightsaber deactivated and fell to the ground along with the two halves of his body. He then spun around and grinned. "You are only as strong as your weakest link." He then rushed back into the fray. The three sith quickly surrounded him. He used his right saber to defend against Mun and his left to defend against Boros and Asuka. In response, Tyler dove forward, cutting off both of Boros''s hands, before rolling to dodge Asuka''s strike. He then spun around as he deactivated his lightsabers and held them both in his left hand. He raised his right hand, palm up, in a relaxed stance. Asuka was raised into the air. He slowly closed his hand and the acolyte gripped her neck. She was no longer able to breath since she was being choked by the force. Not wanting to give Mun a chance to attack, he threw Asuka at Boros, incapacitating both of them. Kai then called out. "Yo, you gonna be done soon?" Tyler looked over to the voice. Kai was currently sitting on top of the stacked bodies of the other three acolytes. Tyler rolled his eyes. "Momentarily. Patience is key, little one." Mun was furious. "YOU THINK THERE IS TIME TO CHAT?" She reached her empty hand out and pulled Boros''s lightsaber into her hand. She ignited it and then crossed her two sabers in front of her face. "It''s time to finish this, Limitless scum." Tyler shrugged. "Hey, you guys started it. You are right about one thing though. This fight is over." Tyler ran at Mun. She was immediately put on the defensive due to the monstrous strength and speed behind her adversary''s strikes. She attempted to block it but the lightsaber flew out of her hand. In her moment of hesitation, Tyler used his left saber and impaled the apprentice. "Lata bitch." Tyler deactivated his lightsabers and she fell to the floor, dead. *Level up! You are now Level 89. You have been awarded 20 free attribute points.* Kai hopped next to him. "About time." Tyler rolled his eyes. "Hey, I had 4 while you had 3. Don''t get snippy with me." Kai shrugged. "I know you could have ended it more quickly." Tyler shook his head. "Where is the fun in that? Anyways, let''s check out the tent." Tyler walked over to the entrance and lifted up the flap. The inside was quite b?r?. There were seven chairs around a flimsy table. On the table were three data pads. Two of them were on the end of the table that was closest to the entrance. After examining them, they were merely procedural items. One was for the labor droids. It included information on their protocols and parameters. The other contained information on the heavy machinery that was being used for the mining and ore processing. Tyler tossed them back on the table. "Boring stuff. Hopefully this last one will provide something useful." He walked over to the head of the table and leisurely sat down. He then picked up the datapad. There was only one file on it. It was a bill of materials labeled Project Stardust. Tyler stood up. "Kai, let''s go. We have what we need. Someone else can take care of the cleanup." Kai tilted his head. "What did you find?" Tyler shook his head as he walked to the entrance. "I''m not sure that you have the clearance for something like this. We must return to Coruscant." Kai sighed. "Very well." They exited the tent and found the clones waiting for them. They were sitting around and their helmets were off. Blaze looked towards Tyler and smiled. "You find anything?" Tyler nodded. "Any word on the battle?" Blaze nodded. "Commander Cody just contacted me. Admirals Mcree and Yularen broke through the blockade. It is only a matter of time before we gain control of the system." Tyler smiled. "That''s great news. Have you called a transport?" Blaze nodded. "I have, sir. It is waiting outside. The clearing is just large enough for a gunship to squeeze in." Tyler sighed in relief. "Good shit. Let''s get out of here." As they flew towards the city, they saw three more accalmators landing in the outskirts. Several cruisers were hovering over the city and bombarding the CIS troops. Tyler shook his head. "Warˇ­ war never changes. Pilot, drop Burn Company off at the camp and then take me to the High Noon." The pilot nodded. "Yes, sir." -GE- Two fighters dropped out of hyperspace in high orbit over Coruscant. They entered the GAR orbital sector and disengaged from their hyperspace rings. The two fighters then headed over to the Senate Building and landed in the Chancellor''s private hangar. Tyler and Kai hopped out of their fighters and rushed to the Chancellor''s office. A few minutes later, they arrived. The door slid open. Inside were only three people. Mace Windu, Yoda, and Finis Valorum. Valorum stood up and smiled. "Draco, I''m happy to see you in good health. I hear that you have a report to make?" Tyler nodded. "Before we start, I am not sure whether Kai has the clearance to hear this or not." Valorum waved away his concerns. "Kai is your trusted former padawan. He may be of help in this situation nonetheless." Tyler nodded. "Very well." Windu looked at Tyler. "Please tell us your findings." Tyler nodded and pulled out the datapad before putting it on the desk. "There is an organization known as the Church of the Force. They collect artifacts related to the Jedi Order and return them to the place they belong." Windu nodded. "Yes, we have had a good relationship with them. What do they have to do with this?" Tyler sighed. "I''m getting there. Most of what they handle are kyber crystals. Through them, I discovered a cave full of them. However, that wasn''t the only thing we found in the cave. A group of Sith raided the monastery, took the crystals, and killed most of the monks. We then found them in the cave, mining the crystals." Valorum grimaced. "This could not be good." Windu nodded. "Indeed. What use could they have for unbonded crystals?" Tyler pointed to the datapad. "Kyber crystals channel the power of the force. If used properly, they can create a formidable weapon. Our lightsabers are a great example of this. However, the amount of energy they can process can power something much, much bigger. I believe that they are designing a super weapon. The only thing we have on it is the BOM on that datapad there. They call it Project Stardust." Yoda shook his head. "Troubling, this is. Look into it we must." Valorum nodded. "Let''s keep this under wraps for now. Regardless, you have done the Republic a great service Draco." *Hidden Quest Completed: Stop the Sith* *Rank: Legendary* *Reward: +12000 Church of the Force Reputation, +6000 Jedi Order Reputation, +5 Levels* *Hidden Continuous Quest Triggered: Finding Kyber Crystals* *Rank: Legendary* *Reward: 100,000 credits, +2000 Jedi Reputation, Random Jedi Holocron* *Level up! You are now Level 94. You have been awarded 25 free attribute points.* *Congratulations! Your reputation level with the Church of the Force has increased to Honored!* *Congratulations! Your reputation level with the Jedi Order has increased to Revered!* Tyler turned to Yoda. "Master Yoda, Ahsoka spoke about an emergency. Has that been resolved?" Yoda nodded. "Returned to Jabba, his son has been. Pass through Hutt space, we now can." Valorum nodded. "This is a great boon. It will allow us to fortify our position." Tyler smiled. "Now we can commit to our strategy. We must let them show their hand before we push back. How are the preparations coming?" Valorum sighed. "There are hold ups left and right. It has made it quite clear who is on our side though. We have even been able to root out several officials that were in league with the enemy." Tyler sighed. "That is troublesome." Valorum nodded. "Indeed. In other news, I was informed by Master Kenobi that Jabba wishes to speak with you. He had one condition for allowing us to pass through their hyperspace lanes and that was it. I hope this isn''t an issue." Tyler shook his head. "Talking with the Hutts is not an issue. I''m just curious what he would need my help with." Valorum sighed. "I doubt it is community service. That''s unfortunately all I know." Tyler stood up. "Well, I must be going. I don''t want to keep the great Jabba waiting. He is one of the most powerful men in the galaxy after all." Valorum nodded. "I wish you luck." They shook hands before Tyler and Kai left the office. -GE- Tyler was sitting in an armchair within his penthouse. He was nursing a glass of scotch while waiting on an important call. ''Well, time to see if learning how to understand Huttese.'' A hologram of Jabba the Hutt popped up on the table in front of him. Tyler smiled and raised his glass. "Jabba, it''s nice to finally speak with you." (Jabba be speaking in Huttese but I''m gonna type it in English.) Jabba laughed. "Draco, I''m surprised it took so long. I was sure we would have naturally crossed paths eventually." Tyler sipped his drink. "Indeed. So how can little old me be of service to the great Jabba." Jabba sighed. "Ahhhhh, there has been some trouble as of late and I was hoping you could help me with it." Tyler raised his brow as he took another sip. "What kind of trouble?" Jabba nodded. "A Coruscant based cartel has been hijacking our freighters." Tyler sipped his drink again and thought for a moment. "That is certainly bad news. If I may, are these the above or under the table kinda freighters?" Jabba laughed. "Surely you know that no one would dare approach any of the legal ones. If they did that, the Republic would get involved. I doubt even you would do it without hesitating first." Tyler chuckled. "I haven''t yet been forced to resort to any illicit behavior. I have a reputation to uphold afterall." Jabba nodded. "What you have done is not easy to accomplish legally. Anyways, how about it? Do you think you can help me?" Tyler nodded as he downed the rest of his drink. "Yes, I think I can. We''ll be in touch." He hung up the call and sighed. "This will be a pain in the ?ss. I have to deal with it though. I can''t believe some jackass would dare to do something like this on my turf." Tyler walked over to the liquor cabinet. Before opening it, he sent a message to Papi Chulo. Papi is an elder in Limitless and is the director of the Limitless Intelligence Group (LIG). If anyone would be able to point him in the right direction, it would be him. He then grabbed an extra large flask, filled it with ice and then poured in about half a bottle of cheap whiskey. At least it was cheap by his standards. Having only learned recently that the LIG even exists, he decided to take a stroll down there. The facility took up five floors in the middle of the building. The bottom level was for the data banks and servers. The next level was for interrogation and holding. The middle level was for their equipment and storage. Three quarters of the next two floors were for office space and meeting rooms. The other quarter was a high security hangar secured with energy shields and 20 feet thick blast doors. He departed his personal elevator on the reception floor and walked out into the lobby. It was as pristine as ever and absolutely beautiful. He took a swig from his flask and exhaled loudly. "It''s good to be the king." He then walked across the floor to the security headquarters. There was a guild member standing guard. "Can you point me to the elevators that can take me to the LIG headquarters?" The guild member nodded and pointed at a wall with a scanner on it. "It''s right over there, Guild Leader." Tyler smiled. "Thank you." He walked over and examined the scanner. There was a flat glass panel and a retinal scanner. He nodded in approval before placing his hand on the scanner. A voice responded after a few seconds. "Identity, Draco. Please submit your retinal scan now." Following the instructions, he put his right eye up to the scanner. After about 10 seconds, there was a ding. "Identity confirmed." The wall collapsed inwards and then slid to the side, revealing 4 elevators. The one on the far right opened up. Tyler walked in and pressed the bu??on to bring him to the top floor of the LIG HQ. After a few minutes, the elevator door opened. Across from the door was a reception desk. A man was sitting behind it typing away on a computer. Tyler nonchalantly walked over to the desk and leaned on the counter. "Ahem." The man glanced up before returning to his work. After a few seconds, he looked back and realized who was in front of him. "Guild Leader! How can I help you?" Tyler smiled. "Where can I find the director?" The man went back to his computer and typed for a moment before looking back up. "He should be in conference room A. That is right down the hall from here." He pointed. Tyler nodded. "Thank you." He then walked down the hall. He read the room tags as he went. "Dˇ­ Cˇ­ Bˇ­ A! Hmmm, I wonder what they are talking about in there." He put his ear up to the door and heard a voice that he did not recognize speaking. "From our investigation, we have determined that the most vulnerable CIS bases are here, here, and here. I suggest we ?ssign a demolition quest to the guildies." Tyler smirked and slammed the door open. "That sounds like a wonderful idea." All the heads in the room turned to him. They were all curious who stormed into their meeting. Papi was sitting on the far end of the room. He stood up and spoke in his Mexican accent. "Draco! I wasn''t expecting you so early." Tyler laughed. "Don''t worry. Are you almost done here?" Papi nodded. "Guys, just formulate those quests, homes. Follow the standard procedure and then bump the rewards just a little bit. Assign clearance level two." The presenter nodded. "Yes, sir." Papi walked over to Tyler. "Let''s go to my office. It will be more quiet there." Tyler nodded. "Sounds good. What are these clearance levels?" Papi laughed. "Ah yes, Xander told me how you just learned that we even exist. The clearance levels are to restrict information. Level one is guild wide information. Level two is for elite members and higher. Level three is for core members and higher. Level four is for the elder council. Lastly, level five is information that only the vice guild leaders and myself are privy to." Tyler chuckled. "Well then it would seem that I have some level five information." Papi raised his brow. "Is that what we are discussing?" Tyler shook his head. "Fortunately no. I will fill you in on it but I have more pressing matters that I need your help with." Papi sighed in relief. "Good, I thought there was about to be a shit storm." Tyler shrugged. "Well that is one way to put it." Papi reached out and opened the door to his office. "Please, take a seat." Tyler nodded and sat down next to the desk. He took out his flask and took a swig. "First, let me tell you about the level five stuff. Project Stardust, you ever heard of it?" Chapter 46 - The Underworld Part I (Good evening. I just stepped in dog shit. Enjoy the chapter.) Papi Chulo smirked. "Project Stardust, eh homes?" Tyler nodded. "Yeah. If I''m not mistaken, that is the Death Star''s project name." Papi sighed and rested his head on his hand. "Unfortunately it is. I was not expecting them to get started on it so early. Palpy must be getting desperate." Tyler tilted his head. "Why would that be the case? They are absolutely demolishing us in the war at the moment." Papi shook his head. "You misunderstand. The war was always just a way for him to make his moves unnoticed. With his lack of control over the Republic and your interference in his affairs, he is probably getting shaky." Tyler sighed and closed his eyes. He tilted his head backwards. "More problems keep falling into my ??p. I haven''t slept in 3 days." Papi reached into his desk and took out an inhaler. He slid it across the desk and it stopped right in front of Tyler. "The boys in medical R&D developed this. It keeps you awake as fu?k." Tyler raised his brow. "What do they call it?" Papi smirked. "They called it BoFA." Tyler nearly choked. "Excuse me?" Papi laughed. "Breath of Fresh Air, BoFA. The Senate loves it." Tyler shrugged and picked up the inhaler. He pressed the bu??on on the back, put his mouth on the mouth piece, and took a deep breath. His eyes widened. He suddenly felt a wave of energy roll over him. In reaction, he fell out of his chair and threw the inhaler at the wall. "KEEP THAT SHIT AWAY FROM ME!" Papi nearly died laughing. "It''s not that bad, man." Tyler shook his head. "Nonononono. I might as well do coke. I think I should just take a nap. It is mid day afterall." Papi shrugged. "Well, you said you had something else you needed my ?ssistance with." Tyler nodded as he stood back up and sat back in the chair. "You keep track of the not so legal stuff that happens on our turf, right?" Papi nodded. "What about it? Someone causing you trouble?" Tyler shook his head. "Not exactly. Some cartel is stealing from the Hutts." Papi widened his eyes and grimaced. "Hmmmm. Organized crime has been getting more ballsy since the war started. Do you have anything else you can give me?" Tyler nodded and pressed a few bu??ons on his wrist comm. "I just sent you the data that Jabba sent me personally. It contains the ships that were commandeered." Papi smiled. "Just what I need. I can tell you who did it with that info." After a few seconds he frowned. "I only have two things for you. It looks like the Yakuza are involved. There is a huge club in Japan Town that they run. If you''re gonna find anything, it''ll be there." Tyler sighed. "Since when were they a thing?" Papi sighed. "Once they saw how many opportunities there were, they too wanted a piece. They are veterans in every illicit activity you can think of and the galaxy is the perfect place for them. Think about how successful the Pykes and the Hutts are. Those are only the two biggest players afterall. There are countless smaller groups." Tyler shook his head. "You misunderstand me. Since when do they think that it''s okay to operate on my turf without my permission?" Papi grimaced. "You wouldn''tˇ­" Tyler smirked. "Clearly you don''t know me that well. Give me a few days. They will either be wiped off the face of this galaxy or be bending their knee at the thought of us." Papi shook his head and sighed. "Please don''t cause too much of a shit storm. I''m the one responsible for the cleanup after all. Also, power vacuums are dangerous. Make sure you don''t leave the underworld unattended to." Tyler shook his head. "Oh, I know. We are gonna show everyone that no matter what side you''re on, Limitless and its partners run this town." He stood up and left a defeated elder in their office. -GE- Tyler was standing in his closet trying to figure out what clothes he should wear. It might make sense to just keep them all in his inventory but he doesn''t have the space for that. The only stuff he keeps on him is his Jedi robes, his senate attire, various spare clothes for emergencies, some food and water, his three lightsabers, his helmet, the Lazy Draco, his emergency liquor box, and some other things. This sounds like a lot but as with any game, inventory space is limited and unfortunately, it can not be expanded. After about 20 minutes, he finally decided what to wear. In order to blend in, he had to dress like a typical clubber. He wore a pair of dark brown dress boots. They were fashionable and would also be effective in a combat situation. He then was wearing a pair of Louis Vuitton trousers. The stitching was black with hints of gray. To finish the bottom half, he wore a brown leather belt. He received it as a gift from Padme when he got married. On the top, he wore a brown, leather jacket with lots of pockets. Tyler loves pockets. Under that he wore a silk white bu??on down that was tucked into his pants. Under his jacket he concealed a holster in which he kept his blaster pistol and his lightsabers. The holster was well hidden underneath the jacket. With a nap taken, shit shower shave completed, hair done, teeth brushed, and cologne sprayed, he was ready to go. He grabbed another flask, filled it with some ice and bourbon, and then called his trusty cab driver. By the time Tyler reached his hangar, Goby was already waiting. Tyler whistled. "Daaammmnnn. Nice new ride." Goby smirked. "Only the best for my favorite Jedi. Hop in, where are we off to?" Tyler jumped into the passenger seat. "Do you know anything about Japan Town?" Goby nodded. "I do, brother." He took off and started heading towards Japan Town. "What business do you have there?" Tyler sighed. "What makes you think it''s business?" Goby laughed. "Even when you are messing around, you''re always working. You need a vacation my friend." Tyler chuckled. "I guess that is true. The galaxy never sleeps after all. I need to make some friends there. I heard about a big club that is run by some super friendly people. You know of it?" Goby sighed. "I see you are causing trouble again. I do know of the club though. Is that where you''re headed?" Tyler nodded. "Yep. They need to understand how things work around here." Goby chuckled. "Every child needs to learn their lesson eventually." Tyler smiled. "Indeed. Wait, shit. I forgot about something. I need to make a call." Goby nodded. "Feel free. This will take a bit." Tyler then pressed his comm and contacted Eclipse. His hologram popped up. "Guild Leader, what can I do for ya?" Tyler smiled. "Remember Shevchenko?" Eclipse nodded. "Yeah, what about him?" Tyler forwarded a contract to him. "Please bring this to him and acquire him at all costs. Tell him that I will ?ssist him personally if anyone gives him an issue." Eclipse widened his eyes. "You''re poaching him?" Tyler nodded and smiled. "Yeah, we need guys like him." Eclipse nodded. "Very well. I''ll get it done." Tyler smiled. "Thanks. See ya!" He hung up. -GE- -10PM, Japan Town, Coruscant- For the ground level of Coruscant, it was remarkably clean. This must be due to the Yakuza. Tyler was standing in front of a club with a massive line outside. At the entrance, there were two ways in. One was going through the normal line. Once you reached the door, you would be frisked and then have to pay the entrance fee. The second option was the VIP entrance. They would show their invitation and then be allowed in with their guests. They would not be searched. It would seem that the search is unnecessary but it actually is. Inside private property, a player can block anyone that is not listed as an ally from accessing their inventory. This makes it so that players are somewhat safe in their own homes. Tyler''s only option was to get in with a VIP. He walked across the street and sat down at a food stall. He ordered some takoyaki and kept an eye out for anyone that fit the part. Two orders of takoyaki and a long wait later, a group caught his eye. The group was made up of 3 men and 6 women and were visibly intoxicated. One extremely handsome black man stood out in the front. He was wearing all designer clothing from the brands that Limitless brough to the galaxy. He was straight dripping. He also carried a blaster on his hip so he was clearly some kind of big shot. Tyler smirked and made his move. He walked up to the group and put his arm around the man as he talked. "Hey man! I''ve been waiting for you!" The guy was very confused but somehow maintained his composure. He spoke softly. "Who are you?" Tyler smiled and whispered. "Someone with a lot of money that needs to skip that line." The man stopped walking and looked Tyler up and down. "Hmmm, you got a name?" Tyler stepped up and whispered in his ear. "The name''s Draco. Call me Zagan." The man nearly shit himself at hearing the first name but kept his calm. "So, Zagan, what am I gonna get out of this?" Tyler smirked. "Well after I cover your tab for the night, I can send you and your friends on a vacation. You ever been to Scarif?" The man''s eyes lit up. "Done. Name''s Granville btw. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." Tyler smiled and shot him a friend request. "I''ll remember this. Let''s head inside." Granville nodded and continued walking. They soon reached the bouncer at the door. "Invitation." Granville nodded and pulled a golden card out of his jacket. The bouncer held it up to his eye and a scanner activated. After a few seconds, he handed the card back. "Granville, enjoy your night." Inside, the music was blaring. A DJ was expertly moving between songs and maintaining the vibe of the crowd. There was a great mix of dance songs, rap, and stuff to sing along to. Granville nodded and led his group inside. He turned to Tyler. "You ever been here before?" Tyler shook his head. "Nope. Didn''t even know Japan Town existed." Granville laughed. "I guess that makes sense with you beingˇ­ you." Tyler smiled at the discretion the man showed. "Introduce me to your friends, will you?" Granvilled pointed to one at a time. "Ferro, Moxy, Beccatron, Shiomi, Cilantra, Lissandra, Chanda, and Poola." Tyler smiled and waved to them. "I am Zagan. It''s a p???sur? to meet you all." Tyler felt gazes filled with d?s?r? coming from a few of the women. He shook off the feeling. "You guys get a table. I''ll be right over." Tyler went and sat down at the bar. A bartender quickly came over. "What can I get for you, sir?" Tyler thought for a moment. "I''ll take a martini, extra dirty. Blue cheese olives too please." The bartender nodded. "Right away." Suddenly, a raspy voice came from his left "You wanna buy some death sticks?" Tyler nearly choked. He then waved his hand at the man. "You don''t wanna sell me death sticks." In a daze, the man repeated him. "I don''t wanna sell you death sticks." Tyler then waved his hand again. "You wanna go home and rethink your life." The man turned around. "I wanna go home and rethink my life." As he walked away, he heard a laugh from behind him. Tyler turned around. "Something funny?" The man shook his head. "I think that guy comes here every night. Great choice in drink by the way." Tyler looked down at the bar counter and noticed that the man was drinking the same thing. "It''s my go to. What''s your name?" The man smiled. "The name''s Artimer. What about you, stranger?" Tyler nodded. "My name is Zagan. It''s my first time here and I was wondering if you knew who I can talk to if I wanna have a good time." Artimer smirked. "The people that run this place have suppliers walking around. It should be pretty easy to spot them. They are all asian and wearing the same suit." Tyler smiled. "Thank you." At that moment, his drink was put down in front of him. Tyler slid a few credits across the counter and went to find the group he came in with. As he turned around and got up, he bumped into someone and had liquor spilled on him. The man was furious. "What the fu?k, dude?" Tyler raised his hands. "I''m sorry. I didn''t see you." The man didn''t seem to care. "You spilled my drink." Tyler smiled. "Then I''ll buy you two. Let''s grab a seat, I''m sure we can talk this through. No need to make a scene." He gestured with both of his hands. The man looked around him and noticed that there were several bouncers gripping their blasters and glaring at them. The man nodded and gulped nervously. "That is probably a good idea." The two men sat down at the bar. "Thank you for talking me out of that. I almost got myself killed. I''m Sebastiaan by the way. You?" Tyler nodded and called the bartender over. "I''m Zagan. What would you like to drink?" Sebastiaan spoke without hesitation. "I''ll take some whiskey." Tyler nodded and relayed the order to the bartender. "So, you come here often?" Sebastiaan nodded. "This is one of the best clubs on Coruscant. They got the good shit here too." Tyler raised his brow. "You got any?" Sebastiaan nodded and took out a small bag. It had some small pink pills in it. "They sell these right in the club, can you believe it?" Tyler nodded and put some credits on the counter. "I can now. Anyways, my friends are waiting for me. I need to get back to them." Sebastiaan nodded. "Thanks again. Enjoy your night." Tyler smiled. "You too." Martini in hand, he made his way over to the VIP tables. He quickly found the group he came with and sat down next to one of the girls. Each guy was sitting between two girls so he sat on the end. Ferro smiled. "Zagan, you found us!" He took a sip of his drink. Tyler raised his brow. "Whatcha drinkin?" Ferro set it down on the table. "This here is a Cuba Libre." Tyler nodded and looked back towards Granville. He then saw the blue drink in front of him. "Dude, what the fu?k is that?" Granvilled laughed. "It''s called an Adios Mutha Fucka." Tyler shuddered. "I don''t even wanna know what''s in that." Ferro turned to Tyler. "So, where do you and Gran meet?" Tyler laughed. "About six years ago I was fighting a band of pirates. I was running out of ammo and they were about to overrun my position. Out of nowhere, this jackass runs in, guns blazing, and takes out every single one by himself." Ferro''s mouth was wide open. "Really?" Tyler smiled. "No. I met him outside." The entire table laughed. The girl next to Tyler scooted closer to him and brushed her hand on his th??h as she laughed. Suddenly, a squad of bouncers led by a petite asian woman approached their table. Granville turned to him. "How can we help you guys?" The woman ignored him and looked straight at Tyler. "Sir, I''m going to have to ask you to come with us." Tyler picked up his martini and downed the rest of it. "Found out already, eh?" He turned to Granville. "Gran, send me the bill. And don''t wait for me. I''ll probably be a while." Granvilled grimaced and the girl next to Tyler pouted. "See ya around, man." Tyler got up and followed the bouncers. They surrounded him and the woman led the way. After a few minutes of navigating through the crowd, Tyler was bored. "Did I win something?" The woman ignored him. Tyler sighed. "Okay, guess I didn''t win anything. Oh! Maybe your boss wants my autograph!" One of the bouncers pretended to trip and hit Tyler with his shoulder. He looked at Tyler. "Sorry, I tripped." Tyler rolled his eyes. "Rude." By now, they were entering a hallway in the back of the club. Two dangerous looking men were guarding the entrance. They stepped aside and allowed the group to pass. About half way down the hall, there was a door with another two men guarding it. The group stopped at the door. One of the bouncers turned and walked up to Tyler. "Raise your arms please." Tyler smiled. "I wouldn''t do that if I were you." The bouncer shook his head. "I don''t think you understand the situation you are in." Tyler laughed. "And I don''t think you know who I am." The bouncer started to get angry. "It doesn''t matter who you are here." Tyler raised his brow. "Oh, so my identity does not matter. Are you really willing to ?ssault a General?" The man quickly stepped back. At that moment, the door slid open. A man was in the doorway. "What is going on out here?" Tyler smiled. "Finally, are you the one in charge here?" The man nodded. "Draco dono, please come in." Tyler nodded and stepped inside. The door slid closed behind him. Inside was a luxurious office. It was filled with artifacts. The floor was lined with a soft, red carpet. On the far end of the room was a large, black desk with sharp features. The man walked behind his desk and gestured to the chairs in front of the desk. "Please, sit." Tyler smiled and took a seat. The chair was quite comfortable. "So, who might you be?" The man sighed. "I am Takemura Nawaki, oyabun of the Takemura family." Tyler nodded. "First, Nawaki, I''d like to thank you for the warm welcome. Those dipshits are quite accommodating. Second, are you the big boss or is there someone above even you?" Nawaki maintained his calm. He could not afford to piss off the person in front of him. "Above me is the kumicho. My family only runs operations on Coruscant." Tyler smiled. "Good. That means that you aren''t the one who is causing problems." Nawaki raised his brow. "Draco dono, what are these problems you speak of? We are under strict orders to not cross Limitless in any way." Tyler shook his head. "The problem is not what you are doing, it''s what you are not doing. Whose territory is this?" Nawaki tilted his head. "I''m not sure I understand." Tyler laughed. "Oh, you do understand. It is quite a simple question. Who runs things around here?" Nawaki grimaced. "That would be you, Draco dono." Tyler smiled. "Good. Then whose permissionˇ­" He was cut off by a hologram popping up on the desk. A woman was glaring at him. "Draco. I think it best if we have this conversation in person." Chapter 47 - The Underworld Part II (Check out the prologue for the new novel I am starting. I plan on writing it alongside this one.) It was about 7am. Tyler was sitting impatiently in his conference room at the top of the Limitless guild hall. Suddenly, the door opened and several people walked in. They were all asian. All of them wore suits and carried blasters aside from one person. She had quite the intimidating presence. She was wearing baggy black pants and a white kimono. Her black hair was long and straight. She had sharp features and piercing eyes. Tyler looked at her blankly. "Are the others almost here? I want to go back to sleep." She nodded humbly. "Hai, Draco dono. They will be arriving momentarily." The door opened again and two more groups rushed in. Another group was asian and another group looked very hispanic. These two groups were presumably the Chinese Triad and the Gulf Cartel. Tyler decided to jump out ahead of the apparent problem. "Before you take your seats, please remember that any action you take against each other during this meeting will be taken as action against me. I trust you guys to behave." The three bosses nodded and glared at their men. They then sat down. The woman sat at the far end of the table and the other two bosses sat in the middle on either side. Tyler smiled. "Great. Now, please introduce yourselves. I''ll start. I am Lord Draco of Kessel, Guild Leader of Limitless, Master Jedi, GAR General, and a very pissed off man." He pointed to the mexican guy. "You next." He did not look happy at this lack of respect. "I am Ernesto Guadalajara, head of the Gulf Cartel." Tyler nodded and pointed to the woman. "You, go." She nodded respectfully. "I am Tsuki Yakamoto, kumicho of the Yakuza." Tyler nodded again and pointed to the other man. "Now, you." He scoffed. "I am Hu Yeng, head of the Triad." Tyler smiled. "So you three might be wondering what me, a public official, is doing inviting the heads of the three largest crime syndicates to my home. I am about to answer that for you." He pressed a bu??on on the panel in front of him and the hologram of a freighter popped up in the middle of the table. Tyler gestured to the three of them. This was a clear lack of respect for these powerful individuals. "One of you fu?k?n? clowns decided it was a good idea to steal from the Hutts. It just so turns out that they have some interests aligning with the Republic. It now lays on me to guarantee this relationship." Hu shook his head. "What does this have to do with us?" Tyler laughed. "It has everything to do with you guys. I need to know, right now, which one of you guys did it." Hu scoffed. "And why should any of us tell you anything. We are not scared of you, Draco." Tyler raised his hand with his palm facing up, slowly. Hu was gradually lifted out of his chair. "Now, I believe you misunderstand the position you are in. One, you not only have just put a target on your head for who I can use as a scapegoat even if I find out it wasn''t you guys. Two, you should definitely be scared of me." Tyler started closing his hand a bit and then looked towards the other two bosses. Hu reached for his neck as he felt it constrict. "Did either of your organizations commandeer this vessel?" Ernesto and Tsuki both shook their heads. Tyler smiled. "Great, then I guess it really was the Triad." One of the Triad members behind Hu started walking towards Tyler. "RELEASE HIM!" Tyler chuckled as he took a singular lightsaber out of his inventory and held it in his hand. He effortlessly flicked his wrist, throwing the Triad boss into the wall. He then stood up from his seat. A sinister look then covered his face as he ignited Darth Revan''s lightsaber. The crimson blade hummed to life. He reached forward with his empty hand and pulled the idiot towards him, skewering him and instantly killing him. Tyler then slowly walked towards the Triad members that were fumbling to get their blasters out. He laughed and reached out again with his empty hand. He closed his fist and pulled his arm in, ripping the blasters out of their hands and flinging them across the room. Tyler knelt down and looked him in the eye. The red lightsaber lit up his face. "If I ever see or hear about you fu?kwads again, I will end you. Now get out of my sight." Hu scrambled to his feet and rushed towards the door. "My retribution will be served cold, Jedi scum." Tyler laughed. "Get in line, idiot. I believe the one who is first in line is a certain Sith Lord. After that would definitely be this annoying prick named Eric from the Forest Group." At the mention of Forest, the room went silent. Hu froze at the door. A sinister smile emerged on his face. "Then we will be meeting sooner than expected. Enjoy the time you have left, Jedi." He stormed out of the room and rushed towards the hangar. The door slid closed and the other two bosses were sitting silently. They were clearly in shock but hiding it well. Tyler raised his brow. "Clearly there is something that you guys aren''t telling me." Ernesto looked at Tsuki. The both nodded as if they had a silent conversation with their eyes. Tsuki smiled. "Eric approached us a few weeks ago. He offered us a handsome sum to disrupt some operations belonging to you and the Republic. We declined in order to stay out of the war. We also wanted to avoid stepping on each other''s toes. Afterall, the Yakuza mostly deals in weapons and smuggling while the Gulf Cartel mostly deals with drugs." Tyler looked at Ernesto. "Is this true?" Ernesto nodded. "Si. Clearly that pendejo decided to work with him." Tyler smiled. "Wonderful. Well it appears that the two of you have earned my gratitude. I have one thing I ask of you both. It is up to you whether you wish to comply or not. However, I would hate to put you in the same position as the Triad." Tsuki nodded. "What do you ask of us, Draco dono?" Tyler nodded and smiled. "I ask that you guys keep in your respective areas and don''t cause me or my allies any trouble. Do that, and I will turn a blind eye to everything that you do. I will warn you though. Piss off the wrong person, and I will be forced to take down your organization. And no, Limitless will not be doing it. I will do it personally." Ernesto gulped as sweat rolled down his face. "Draco, would you mind putting away the lightsaber?" Tyler looked down to his right hand and noticed that the red saber was still lit. He laughed. "I''m gonna be honest, I forgot I was holding it." He deactivated it and put it back in his inventory. "I will say one more thing. Under the table, you both are now my ?ssociates and I will treat you as such. Anything you do that I deemˇ­ beneficial to me will be rewarded handsomely. Things such as disrupting CIS operations are included. Will you both accept this offer?" Ernesto laughed. "How could we decline? I will never say no to something that can help the family." Tsuki nodded. "I accept this offer with honor, Draco dono." Tyler smiled. He took two datapads out of his inventory and slid them across the table. "This is the latest intel that my guild has on CIS operations. Feel free to make moves on the ones that are unmarked." Tsuki raised her brow. "If I may, Draco donoˇ­" Tyler nodded. "Please, ask away." Tsuki smiled. "What differs between the marked and unmarked targets?" Tyler chuckled. "The marked targets require a more delicate touch. Limitless will be handling those personally. Each target has a bounty ?ssigned to it. It is yours if you complete the objective." Tsuki nodded. "I understand. Now, if you''ll excuse me, I must be going. With the resources you have, I doubt the Yakuza can be of service to you in any other way, Draco dono." Tyler smiled. "You are right. Don''t worry, this will not affect my opinion of you. In fact, I have some respect for you that you know where you stand." Tyler bowed in respect. "Sayonara, Tsuki dono." She bowed back, returning the gesture. "Sayonara, Draco dono." Tsuki and her entourage then left the room. Tyler then looked towards Ernesto. "So, what else do we have to discuss." Ernesto smiled. "As you know, we traffic drugs. I was wondering if we may be of service in any way." Tyler raised his brow. "What are you saying?" Ernesto nodded. "You are in possession of two luxurious resorts. I''m confident that your guests would enjoy a safe source of some enhanced fun." Tyler smirked. "Thisˇ­ I didn''t think of this. What would I get in return?" Ernesto laughed. "Well normally you would get a cut for allowing us to sell on your turf. However, I doubt you want money with all you have coming in." Tyler nodded. "Indeed. What else can you offer?" Ernesto smiled. "There are certainˇ­ rumours going around." Tyler raised his brow. "What kind of rumors?" Ernesto sighed. "Supposedly there is an operation in the works to ?ssault your resorts. Kessel is too well defended so they can''t do anything there." Tyler shook his head. "I doubt we knew of this. What are you trying to get at." Ernesto nodded. "This is where the Gulf Cartel comes in. If you allow us to do some business on your resorts and maybe even do some growing on Scarif, then we can bolster your defenses to protect our shared interests." Tyler smiled. "Done. I''ll inform security to turn a blind eye to your dealers and to crack down on any competition. I''ll also have someone provide the coordinates for our farms on Scarif. The planet is self sustaining so there is plenty of arable land. I am sure that the tropical climate will be great for your various products." Ernest smiled. "Exactly my thoughts. I will be sure to direct a considerable portion of our funds towards reinforcing your resort defenses. Neither of us wants to see them go down." Tyler chuckled. "I wouldn''t just lose money if they went down. I have contracts to uphold. Speaking of contracts, let''s put this agreement on paper." He slid another datapad across the table. "This outlines our agreement. Sign it and we will be all set." Ernesto handed the datapad to one of his men behind him. "Please allow my lawyer to look it over before I sign. With all due respect, I can''t risk any mixups." Tyler nodded. "Very understandable. Many would try to take advantage of you but I merely am out for mutual success. The better you do, the safer my interests will be." Ernesto nodded as he received the datapad back from the lawyer along with a nod from him. He then placed his thumb on the pad to sign it before sliding it back to Tyler. "I look forward to doing business with you, Draco." Tyler smiled and nodded. "As long as it doesn''t involve the Hutts, if anyone causes you trouble, let me know." They added each other as friends. Ernesto smiled and stood up, offering Tyler his hand. "I appreciate the offer." Tyler stood up and shook his hand. "Well, you''d best get going. I''d rather people not know that I am making deals under the table with syndicates." Ernesto laughed. "Unlike me, you have a certain reputation. I will be going." Tyler nodded. "Good. I will put you in contact with Elder Papi Chulo. You two should get along just fine." Ernesto then headed out of the conference room. Tyler sunk back into his chair. "UGHHHHHH! I HATE BEING UP THIS EARLY!" Chapter 48 - Ambush Part I (First, espresso depresso time. I only have like 300 views on my new novel, Aetheria, after like 3 days and only one person followed it. Feels bad man. I''ll give it a week before I give up on it.) (Second, welcome to Clone Wars canon with a twist. Enjoy! Sorry it''s kinda short. I didn''t want to end the chapter at an awkward spot so I had to stop where it did.) With the increased scale of the war, every inch of available forces was dedicated to raging battles across the front lines. Despite the insane amount of resources that Limitless possessed in regards to their armed forces, they were stretched thin nonetheless. The Republic was still in the midst of their defensive strategy. They focused the majority of their forces on the front lines and patrolling Republic space. While the various guilds and clone commandos focused on a disruption and espionage campaign, high command focused on bolstering their forces. Aside from ramping up production of critical resources and hardware, the foremost priority was gaining the support of neutral worlds. In theory, the process of recruiting these worlds should be quite simple. One just needed to convince them of the treachery of the Sith and how their people would be treated as slaves if they were not deemed valuable by the CIS. The CIS ambassadors would approach these neutral worlds with promise of security and riches. However, what happened to the peoples of those worlds after accepting the aid of the Separatists would be the complete opposite. They would be sold into slavery and slaughtered by the droid armies. Unfortunately, the neutral worlds that the CIS would repeatedly approach were not privy to this information. Tyler was walking back to his penthouse. He was exhausted after not getting a good night''s sleep for days. It was about 8 in the morning at this point and he just wanted to get some sleep before his next deployment. It was only a matter of time after all. His communicator started blinking. He glanced down at it, rolled his eyes, and then ignored it. Hopefully they would think he is sleeping. He opened the door to his penthouse and dragged his feet over to the couch. He couldn''t even make it to his bed. Walking up to the armrest, he pressed his legs against it and then just face planted onto the couch. "Ughhhhhhhhhhhh." A long groan escaped his mouth as he got comfortable in this weird position. As Tyler was drifting off to sleep, there was a knock at his door. He ignored it. The knock came again. He still remained silent. Suddenly, the door slid open. "Master Draco?" Tyler coughed in frustration. "GUHHHHHH, GO AWAY!" Kai sighed. "Draco, Master Yoda and I have just arrived in your hangar. We need to depart immediately." Tyler shook his head aggressively. He grabbed the blanket hanging over the edge of the couch and then wrapped himself up before throwing his head onto the pillow laying on the couch. Kai shrugged. "Fine. Have it your way." He lifted his hand casually and raised Tyler, who was still wrapped in the blanket, and the pillow. He then walked out of the room as Tyler floated behind him sleeping soundly. When Kai reached the hangar with Tyler in tow, Yoda just looked at them blankly. He then smiled and shook his head. "Youth, a wonderful thing it is." He then turned around and boarded the Prototype L-35 with a squad of clones. Kai followed him with Tyler before gently setting him down in the middle of the lounge area. Yoda looked around. "Quite comfortable, this ship is. It is fast, you say?" Kai nodded. "I believe that it is currently the starship in the galaxy. At least it is officially. And this is only a prototype." -GE- Tyler awoke by the ship dropping out of hyperspace. He looked around and noticed Yoda and Kai quietly conversing in the lounge. Kai looked over. "Master, you''re finally awake." Tyler looked at the two little green Jedi and raised his brow. "Where are we?" Yoda chuckled. "Headed to Toydaria, we are. Meet the King, we must." *Main Storyline Quest Triggered: Ambush* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: Assist Master Yoda in his diplomatic mission to meet King Katuunko of Toydaria. Convince him to allow the construction of a Republic base in the system.* *Rewards: +6000 Toydaria Reputation, +2000 GAR Reputation, +1000 Jedi Order Reputation* Tyler inwardly sighed. These were definitely the most lackluster rewards he had ever seen from a legendary quest. On the other hand, he would get a total of 9000 reputation for quite the short and seemingly easy mission. Unfortunately, he knew that it wasn''t so simple. Tyler grimaced. "This spells trouble." Yoda ???ked his head in curiosity. "Trouble, you say?" Tyler nodded. "We are walking into a trap. Why didn''t we come with a fleet?" Yoda shook his head. "A secret meeting this is. Attract attention we must not." Tyler shook his head and laughed. "I recently received intelligence that the CIS are lying in wait for us to approach neutral worlds so they cen intervene. Don''t expect a warm welcome from those scrap haulers." A clone lieutenant rushed into the cabin. "Generals, two CIS frigates are entering the system." Tyler gestured at the clone in frustration. "See? Lieutenant, prepare to jump to hyperspace. I''ll be taking the wheel." The clone nodded. "Yes, sir." Tyler reached up into a long stretch as he stood up. "I''ll be back." He then walked into the ???kpit and noticed the seat already open for him. He quickly sat down and familiarized himself with the controls. The copilot looked at him with concern. "Have you ever piloted this ship before, General?" Tyler chuckled and looked back at the clone pilot. "Have you?" Tyler smirked as he heard a beeping sound. "Damn, that was quick." The copilot looked towards him. "What''s that beeping, sir?" Tyler laughed. "Press the blinking bu??on and find out." The clone nodded and pressed the bu??on. Several large warheads shot out of the belly of the ship. "Sir, there''s no way those warheads could break through their shields." Tyler shook his head as he pushed the lever forwards to jump into hyperspace. He then immediately pulled the lever back and they dropped out of hyperspace. They had only traveled just past the planet. On the scanners, the two frigates were still alive and well. Tyler sighed. "Ahhhh, damnit. Guess the tech isn''t there yet." The lieutenant was confused. "What were those warheads supposed to do?" Tyler sighed. "Well, they were supposed to be two staged weapons. The first stage would tear open a tiny hole in their shields. Then it would deposit the payload into the target before detonating it. I''m guessing the first stage failed." The lieutenant had a hopeful look in his eyes. "If we could get a hold of that tech, we could put a quick end to this war." Tyler shook his head as he stood up from the seat. "Each of those warheads costs a billion credits. The project will probably fall through after this demonstration." The lieutenant sighed. "What are your orders, sir?" Tyler nodded. "Land somewhere nearby the rendezvous. We can not approach direction unless we want to be shot down." The clone nodded. "Yes, sir." Tyler walked back into the cabin and sat back down before grabbing a drink. Kai looked curiously at him. "So what now?" Tyler shrugged. "Now we land, and take it from there." Yoda nodded. "Rarely ever work, plans do." A short ride later, they were within the atmosphere of Toydaria and were out of reach for the frigates. They sped across the surface at a speed that was difficult to follow with the n?k?d eye. Tyler walked into the ???kpit and pointed to an area of dense forest. "Hover above those trees. We will clear an LZ." The pilot nodded. "Yes, sir." Tyler walked through the cabin. "Master Yoda, Kai, please come with me. I need help clearing an LZ." The two little green Jedi got up and followed him. They walked to the back of the ship and Tyler pressed a bu??on to open the door. "Enjoy the fall!" He turned around, saluted, and fell straight backwards. Kai rolled his eyes and followed suit, jumping off the ship. Yoda shook. "Too old for this shit I am." He then jumped. The three landed like superheroes in one of them fancy movies. Not being able to resist the opportunity, Tyler giggled. "Avengers, ?ssemble." Kai looked at him curiously. "What are you on about?" Tyler laughed and shook his head. "Nevermind me. Cut down some trees and move them out of the way. I want to land right here." Tyler ignited his lightsaber and then quickly undid it and put it away. "Oops, not that one." Kai just stared at him and shook his head. "I swear, one of these days." Tyler pulled another lightsaber off his hip but nearly dropped it. He then pointed at Yoda. "Don''t look at me. They''re the ones that granted me the rank of master." Yoda chuckled as he ignited his lightsaber and started cutting down trees as close to the ground as possible. The other two Jedi followed suit. Ten minutes passed and the ship was setting down in the improvised LZ. Three clones with red paint on their armor walked out of the ship. One of them was a clone officer. This was signified by the black sash on his shoulder and the tactical visor on his helmet. They lined up in front of the generals and stood at attention. They were awaiting their orders. Tyler smiled. "Designations please." The clones sounded off. "CC-4477, Lieutenant Thyre." "CT-4590, Jek." "CT-4279, Rys." Tyler nodded. "Thyre, Jek, Rys, looking forward to working with you. Thyre, establish contact with the King. We must inform him of our arrival." The clones all responded in unison. "Yes, sir." Within minutes, Thyre came back over to them and knelt down in front of Yoda. Yoda smiled at the hologram of King Katuunko. "A p???sur? it is to hear your voice, Your Highness. Master Yoda of the Jedi Council this is." Katuunko smiled and nodded. "Master Jedi, I thought perhaps Count Dooku had frightened you off." Yoda shook his head. "Delayed have I been. But not too far away am I now. Unaware I was Count Dooku was invited to our meeting." Katuunko scoffed and shook his head, turning away from Ventress. "The count invited himself. He ?ssures me that, in this time of war, his droids can offer my world greater security than your Jedi." Yoda sighed. "Hmm. A matter of debate that is." Ventress then cut in. "Your Majesty might prefer more than words." Katuunko perked up at that. "What do you have in mind?" Ventress smirked. "If Yoda is indeed the Jedi warrior you believe he is, let him prove it. Allow me to send my best troops to capture him. If he escapes, join the Republic. But should my droids defeat Yoda, consider an alliance with the Separatists." Katuunko shook his head adamantly. "I did not request Yoda''s presence here to test him in battle." Tyler then decided it was his turn to cut in. He refused to be left out of something that was so much fun. "If I may, King Katuunkoˇ­" Katuunko watched as Tyler joined Yoda on the hologram. "Lord Draco, what a surprise. Please, continue." Tyler smiled and nodded. "I think Ventress has a wonderful idea. We accept your challenge and will see you within the day. Stay safe, Your Highness." He then cut off the hologram. Chapter 49 - Ambush Part II (Another shorter chapter. This arc is proving difficult to write long chapters so I am just trying to make it flow. Enjoy!) It was mid morning and the sun was already high in the sky. The piercing waves of heat and light beat down on the dry soil of this world. Looking to the horizon, the view was distorted by the bending of light due to the heat. Tyler wiped a layer of sweat off of his face. "Thire!" The clone officer rushed over. "What do you need, sir?" Tyler exhaled loudly. "You think there''s a beach around here somewhere? It''s too damn hot for this shit." Thire tilted his head in confusion. "Don''t we need to reach King Katuunko, sir?" Tyler scoffed. "It''s a joke, lieutenant. If we are spending the day together, get used to it." Thire nodded slowly. "Yesˇ­ sir." Tyler watched as Thire walked away and approached Yoda. Yoda was standing tall, at least as tall as he is, gazing upon the horizon. "Beautiful this world is, hmm? Amazing the universe is." The world really was quite beautiful. It almost looked as if they were standing at the bottom of an ocean but there was no water to be seen. The trees looked like giant formations of coral, pink and stretching into the sky. Rys walked in the direction the ship flew in. "There''s got to be a full battalion in there, probably packin'' armor, too." Jek charged up his minigun and chuckled. "We''ll have something for ''em." Tyler walked over to Yoda and Kai. "Did you guys feel that?" Kai nodded. "It''s the same feeling that I got on Christophsis but not as strong." Yoda nodded. "Arrived, the Sith have. Troublesome, this may be." Tyler scoffed. "We should have no problem dealing with them." Kai smiled. "Yeah, even if baldy joins them." Thire walked over. "I am more concerned about the armor they might be coming at us with." Tyler shrugged. "Nothing we can''t handle. Everyone got water and a snack?" Thire nodded. "We are ready to move out, sir." Tyler smiled. "Good. Let''s get moving then." He pulled the Lazy Draco out of his inventory and completed the activation sequence. The drones began flying all over the place but mostly concentrated on the forward direction. Thire laughed. "That''s quite the useful tool you got there." Tyler nodded. "Indeed. Let''s grab some explosives and portable energy shields from my ship. They should come in handy." Jek cheered. "Yeah! Now the general is speaking my language." Tyler chuckled. "Keep it in your pants, soldier. There is a time and place for everything." Jek nodded. "Yes, sir." After retrieving their supplies, they began to move towards their destination. Almost immediately, the scouting report came back in the form of a detailed holographic map of the ground. Tyler analyzed it and noticed that he was getting real time updates on where the droids were moving. "Based on this, we should move towards this valley. They will come right through it and we can give them a little surprise." Yoda nodded in approval. "Great patience you have, Draco. One of the reasons you are a master, that is." Tyler smiled. "That''s one way to put it. I prefer to think of myself as an opportunist. I try to make the biggest impact with the least effort. It''s worked thus far. Anyways, let''s move. We should only run into one company if we''re lucky." They began to pick up the pace. Best case scenario, they would only run into the B1 droids. Worse case scenario, they would get sandwiched between their tanks and the B2 super battle droids. Tyler pointed towards a spot in the forest. "Let''s move that way. We can flank them if we are quiet." Thire turned to his two clones. "Let''s move towards sector -110." The group started running while Kai and Yoda hopped to keep up. The humming of the CIS tanks began to get louder and louder until the enemy came into view. They quickly hid behind a few trees. Tyler made some hand signs to the rest of the group. He would act as a distraction while the rest of them get behind the droids and take them out. Tyler moved in the same direction that the droids were moving and prepared for his role. He watched as the clones and two Jedi circled around back. Suddenly, he heard a humming sound that was slightly different than the tanks. He looked around curiously until he saw a sliver of a small drone hovering in the distance. Tyler smirked. "Bingo. He pulled out his blaster pistol, aimed at the tiny visible portion of the drone, and fired. The droid hit the ground but all the droids in the group turned towards his position. Tyler sighed. "Y''all ain''t never gonna catch me lackin." He holstered his pistol and walked out in front of the droids with his hands up. "I surrender." A droid with yellow paint that was sitting in the middle tank responded. "Really? That was easy." Tyler nodded. "Indeed, this truly is easy." He then grinned as he saw Kai flying through the air towards the commander droid. In response, Tyler ignited his two lightsabers and took off like a cannon towards the droids. He was almost too fast for their optical systems to keep up. He elegantly danced through the group of droids, taking down at least one with each step. Once all the droids were dealt with, he deactivated his lightsabers and bowed as if he had just performed for a crowd. Kai was sitting on top of the second tank he had just taken out and shook his head. "Enough of your theatrics, they know our position now." Tyler laughed. "They know our current position but they can no longer follow us. There was a scouting drone following us that I took out. Regardless, let''s go set up our trap and light a fire. These kebabs aren''t going to cook themselves." Tyler walked off dramatically towards their destination. The rest of their walk towards the valley was quite uneventful. Having knowledge of the B2 battle droids'' position was quite useful. They are usually quite troublesome to deal with. They soon arrived at the top of the cliff. They looked around just enjoying the sights for a moment before getting to business. They weren''t in that much of a rush after all. It was only noon at this point. Tyler pointed to the choke point that led into the valley. "Jek, can you rig the rocks on both sides of the valley to collapse?" Jek subtly pumped his fist. "Yes, I can, sir." Tyler smiled. "Good. Have Thire and Rys help you with that. I will cook some lunch for us." Tyler jumped down to the foothold below and then walked into a small cave. He took a small grill out of his inventory and placed it on the ground before placing ten kebabs with meat and vegetables over the flame. Kai laughed. "Is this what you call field rations?" Tyler shrugged. "I have so much money that it would be a crime if I didn''t waste money on this kind of stuff." Kai chuckled. "Fair enough." Soon after, the clones came into the cave and sat down on the rocks around the perimeter of the grill. Tyler handed them cups of water. "Take your helmets off. Let''s relax for a bit. My scouts will tell me when something happens." The clones nodded and removed their helmets to enjoy the water. Tyler then retrieved the kebabs and distributed them to everyone. Thire sighed. "I''m not sure if we have the equipment to take on a whole battalion. With respect, generals, maybe you should go on. Let us slow ''em down." Yoda shook his head as he took a bite of the kebab. "All around us is that which we need to prevail. Yes. Hmm." He gestured to the group of them sitting around the fire. "Your faces, nice to see them it is." Thire shook his head. "There''s not much to look at here sir. We all share the same face." Yoda nodded. "Deceive you, eyes can. In the force, very different each one of you are." He got up and walked around the group, pointing as he went by. "Rys, always focused on the enemy are you. For inspiration, look to yourself, and those beside you. Jek, concerned about weapons you are. Weapons do not win battles. Your mind, powerful it is. Hmm. Outthink the droids you can. Thire, rush not into fights. Long is the war. Only by surviving it will you prevail." He turned away from the clones and walked back to his seat. "Yes. Hmm. Clones you may be. But the force resides in all life-forms. Use it you can to quiet your mind." Tyler''s comm started blinking as soon as Yoda finished speaking. Tyler smirked. "Looks like the party is about to start. Thire, you and your men will stay up here and hit them from above. Master Yoda, Kai, and myself will engage them headon. I sense that there are not just droids down there." Yoda nodded. "Cold, brought by the dark side it is." Tyler sighed. "They should just be small fry though. I doubt there will be any issues. Let''s move!" -GE- A man in dark robes walked in front of a large group of droids. Behind him were a few dozen B1 droids, about a dozen B2s, and 6 tanks. A woman rushed over to him. "Commander Stone, based on their path, they should be somewhere within this valley." Stone smiled. "Good work, Rose. Ventress will be pleased with our success." He then turned to the droids. "KEEP MOVING! SCOUR THE VALLEY AND FIND THEM! REPORT IMMEDIATELY IF YOU FIND ANYTHING!" The droids fanned out and started to search all of the possibly hiding spots around them. Several minutes went by and they found nothing. A droid with yellow paint walked over to Stone. "Commander, there''s no sign of them in the valley." Stone scoffed. "They should be here. Whatever, let''s head back and set up a defensive perimeter. We can''t let them reach the king." The droid nodded. "Yes, sir." At that moment, explosions went off above them. The hanging rocks above them crashed down and destroyed two of the tanks in the back. There was now a wall of debris blocking their retreat. Suddenly, Stone heard three people land on the ground behind him. He quickly turned and saw three of the faces that he hoped to never be within 20 feet of. The ?ssailants four lightsabers came to life, dying the ground below them with hues of green and purple. Stone grimaced. "KILL THEM!" He ignited his own crimson saber and began backpedalling through the group of droids, hoping to use them as meat shields. If the three Jedi in front of them weren''t enough, blaster fire rained on them from above. Stone rushed and took cover behind one of the remaining tanks. He quickly contacted Ventress. "My lord, we need support." Ventress didn''t even reply after glaring at him angrily and ending the call. Chapter 50 - Ambush Part III (I almost didn''t write today. I fell while skiing yesterday and I only have one semi-functioning limb. I pulled muscles in all of my limbs and my neck so I''m not having a good time. I just hope I feel better soon. Enjoy the chapter!) Tyler turned to Yoda. "Master Yoda, I''ll take care of the two Sith. You and Kai should handle the droids and tanks." Yoda nodded. "Hmm. Yes. Do that you will. On you, my eye will be." Tyler smiled and bowed slightly. "Thank you, master." He then charged forwards. Any droids that got in his way, he quickly cut down with a swift swing of his lightsabers. Stone peaked out from behind his tank and saw the wake of destruction Tyler was leaving behind. He grimaced and turned to Rose. "We can kill him, right?" Rose grimaced. She knew that they stood no chance. "We are two, and he is one. We have to at least try." Stone resolved himself and nodded. "Let''s do this then. On threeˇ­" Tyler continued walking towards their position. Suddenly, two blurs bursted out from behind the tank. One soared high into the air and the other was coming straight towards him on the ground. He smiled and spoke softly towards the two people that were now on either side of him. "Finally, I can end this annoying day. I just wanted to spend a day at the spa but nooooooo. That little green fu?k had to kidnap me while I was sleeping and take me to this fu?k?n? rock. I sure as hell can''t take it out on him, so I am going to unfortunately have to impose on you two. I hope you don''t mind." Stone shook his head. "We won''t just let you kill us, Lord Draco." Tyler shrugged. "Where would the fun be in that? However, you have changed my mind since you didn''t speak to me with pure hostility like all the others. I like that. Come at me one at a time and I''ll give you some pointers before sending you off to wherever you will respawn." Stone thought for a moment and shrugged. "Eh, we knew we were gonna die anyways. Might as well get something out of it." This type of opportunity was unheard of. Getting a lesson, no matter how short, from the undisputed strongest player in the Republic is no small deal. In fact, Tyler might even be the strongest player in the entire galaxy. He has yet to die once after all of the combat he has taken part in. Rumors have even been going around that he won a fight by himself against four Sith. Some even claim that he came out unwounded! Being able to learn from him would be quite the boon. Tyler sheathed one of his lightsabers and pointed to the remaining one. "Stone, you first." He nodded. Rose deactivated her lightsaber and stepped back before kneeling on the ground in a meditative position in order to watch. Tyler got into a relaxed pose and pointed his lightsaber straight downwards. "Come at me with everything you have." Stone nodded and complied. He charged forwards like a fu?k?n? mongoloid and threw a powerful swing at Tyler. Tyler scoffed and lightly swung, redirecting the swung before holding the point of his saber towards Stone''s neck. Tyler shook his head. "Who was your teacher?" Stone sighed. "I never had a teacher. I am in a small guild and us two are the only Sith in the guild." Tyler pulled back his lightsaber and stepped back. He then raised his brow in confusion. "Why didn''t you join the Republic?" Stone laughed. "That''s what I keep saying! It''s probably too late to switch sides now." Tyler shook his head. "Intelligence is a valuable thing. As an officer, you would be quite valuable if you switched sides. I would guarantee your safety myself as information is everything in war." Stone laughed. "I''ll think about it." Tyler smiled. "Great. Back to your lesson, you lack control and training. Stop putting all your power into aimless strikes and use your brain." He pointed to his head. "You win battles up here. Remember that. Let''s go again. Don''t be an idiot this time." Stone nodded and slowly circled around Tyler. The Jedi smiled. "Good. Patience is key. You must dictate the flow of battle. With control, victory is always within grasp." Stone suddenly changed his pace and started circling faster. In order to keep up, Tyler started rotating faster. Out of the blue, Stone stopped and moved the other way before charging in and swinging his lightsaber towards Tyler. This time, the strike was much faster due to the use of the wrists rather than the arm. Tyler smirked as he parried the strike. He then proceeded to block a series of similar strikes. Using his wrists as a focal point, Stone kept swinging his lightsaber back and forth at high speeds. Tyler then put a little extra strength behind his block and sent Stone''s lightsaber flying out of his hands. Stone raised his hands. "I yield." Tyler nodded. "You have already made quite a bit of progress. With proper training, you could become quite the warrior. As a melee fighter, you must focus on speed. This will allow you to block, parry, counter, and attack as you dictate the pace of a fight. Now reflect on this as you watch Rose and I spar. Sit." Stone nodded. "Thank you, Lord Draco." He then went to sit where Rose had just gotten up from. Rose stood across from Tyler and fell into a fencing stance. She bent her knees in a wide stance. Her free hand was behind her back while her lightsaber was held out in front of her. Tyler raised his brow. "Interesting. Let''s see what you''ve got." Rather than waiting for her to come in, he went straight in. He swung downwards from above his left shoulder. She masterfully parried the strike before countering by going straight for his neck. Tyler quickly raised his lightsaber as a blur of purple deflected the crimson blade. He then rotated his wrist, quickly repositioning his lightsaber for a follow up strike. Swinging his entire arm down, he pushed her lightsaber even further out of position and then held his saber to her neck. Tyler nodded. "You have good foundations but lack the initiative to use it. Be ready for the counter and use it to your advantage. When challenging an opponent that is stronger than you, act like it. You can''t be so obvious. Always be ready to reset your stance so you can maintain control. Again." Rose nodded as she took a step back and reset her stance. Without hesitation, she rushed forwards with a jab. Tyler quickly rotated his wrist and deflected the strike. He then positioned his saber at a downward angle and swung upwards. In response, she spun around, putting both hands on her lightsaber and placing it behind her back. After successfully blocking the strike, she continued spinning and swung at Tyler''s neck. He smiled and launched a powerful swing, bouncing her lightsaber off of his as if she had hit solid beskar. As he was about to launch a counter strike, she quickly stepped backwards and reset her stand, ready for the next exchange. Tyler laughed. "Good. That was the correct move. You took my opportunity and made it yours. Fight like that and you will be able to defeat your enemy." He turned to Stone and gestured. "Come, let''s talk." Stone walked over and stood next to Rose. "What now?" Tyler smirked. "Well you two have a choice. Join me, or die." Stone sighed. "Betraying our allies is no small ordeal. Why should we?" Tyler shook his head. "You are currently on the losing side. Your leaders might think they are winning but they are wrong. Plus, your foundations in the dark side will do you good if you follow me. If you gain my trust, I might allow you to participate in a new initiative I am going to start for the Jedi in my guild. Their power will increase by many folds." Stone raised his brow. "That does sound tempting. I doubt anyone would think twice about an opportunity to join Limitless. Even if it does involve a serious betrayal." Tyler smiled. "If you would like time to decide, I can take you both as prisoners for now. If you decide that you don''t want to switch sides, I''ll send you both on your way." Stone let his shoulders and head drop. He sighed. "I guess there is no other choice at this point. Rose, hand over your lightsaber." She nodded. "Yes, commander." They both handed Tyler their lightsabers. Tyler then looked around. He could only laugh. Kai was lounging on top of a destroyed tank, yawning and scratching his stomach. Tyler smirked. "How long have I kept you waiting?" Kai shrugged. "I lost track of time. You done over there?" Tyler nodded. "We have two new friends. You should escort them back to the ship with the clones and then meet us at the rendezvous with the L-35 after securing the prisoners. Treat them nicely will you?" He tossed the two lightsabers over to Kai. Kai caught them and nodded. "It will be done. See you in a bit!" Tyler then walked over to Yoda who was meditating. "Master Yoda, let''s go see the king." Yoda nodded and hopped up. "Hmm. Yes. Time it is." The two walked off towards the meeting point. -GE- A hologram of Count Dooku popped up in front of King Katuunko. Katuunko chuckled and gestured. "You were right, Count Dooku. One Jedi is not worth a hundred battle droids, more like a thousand. I''m sorry, but we will be joining the Republic." Dooku shook his head. "I urge you to reconsider, wise king. I promise you won''t regret it." Katuunko firmly shook his head and pointed at Ventress. "Your agent also promised me Yoda and Draco would get a fair fight. I will not deal with those who break their words." Dooku closed his eyes and sighed. He then reopened them. "So be it. Perhaps our negotiations will be more fruitful with your successor. Ventress, kill him!" Ventress ignited her twin, curved, crimson sabers. Katuunko''s two guards raised their weapons and fired at the Sith. She blocked both shots and then raised her hand. Using the force, she threw the two guards to the ground. She smirked at Katuunko and walked towards him. She then swung both sabers at Katuunko. As they were about to hit him, they stopped. She grunted in frustration, trying to overpower the invisible wall. Looking over, she noticed Yoda using the force to prevent her from killing Katuunko. Tyler was standing next to him. Ventress snarled. "Draco, of course you''re here." The two battle droids behind Ventress turned to fire their blasters but Tyler just waved his hand and sent them flying. Tyler smirked. "Baldy and Count Doodoo. It''s nice to see you both again." Katuunko smiled and turned to Yoda. "Jedi Master Yoda, Lord Draco, I am very pleased to meet you both at last." Yoda smiled. "Share the feeling I do, King Katuunko." Tyler nodded. "The p???sur? is all mine, your highness." Yoda waved his hand and sent Ventress flying backwards. She grunted as she was thrown. He then slowly walked towards the hologram of Dooku. "Failed you Ventress has, count." Ventress got up and brandished her sabers as she fell into her stance. "I don''t fear you, Jedi." Yoda nodded and looked at the Sith. "Strong you are with the dark side, young one, but not that strong." He raised his hand and pulled her lightsabers out of her hands with the force. He glanced down at them. "Still much to learn you have." He threw the lightsabers back to Ventress. "Surrender, you should." Ventress wore an angry face and holstered her sabers on her belt. She then quickly reached over and grabbed a detonator. Tyler laughed and used the force to pull it out of her hand. "Oh no you don''t." Ventress screamed with rage and ran over to her ship. As she stepped on the ramp, it immediately took off and she had escaped. Yoda shook his head as he watched her ship fly away. "In the end, cowards are those who follow the dark side." Dooku scoffed. "It''s a pity I wasn''t there in person, my old master." Yoda nodded. "A pity indeed, my fallen apprentice." The hologram cut off as Dooku turned away. Yoda then turned back to Katuunko. "Perhaps now, begin negotiations we can." Katuunko shook his head and pulled his sheathed sword into both hands. "That is not necessary, my friend." He unsheathed the sword as both of his guards stood back up and flew behind him. "You have my faith. Toydaria would be honored to host a Republic base." He held his sword straight up in front of his face before sheathing it and approaching Yoda. "My people are at your service." He handed the sheathed sword over to Yoda. Yoda bowed slightly and accepted the sword. "Your majesty, fail you we will not." As he said this, 6 venators entered the atmosphere as their engines roared. In addition, the L-35 was about to land next to them. From the venators, a squadron of gunships were approaching their position. They flew over them and hovered above the group. *Main Storyline Quest Completed: Ambush* *Rank: Legendary* *Rewards: +6000 Toydaria Reputation, +2000 GAR Reputation, +1000 Jedi Order Reputation* *Congratulations! Your reputation level with Toydaria has reached friendly!* Tyler gestured towards the ramp that was descending from the L-35. "Let''s get on my ship. We can head to the capital together." Katuunko smiled and nodded. "That is a wonderful idea, Lord Draco." Tyler waved his hand and shook his head as he approached Katuunko. "Please, call me Draco. I''d say we are friends now." Katuunko nodded. "You may do the same. We are peers after all." They walked towards the L-35 and entered the lounge. "Is there anything Toydaria can do for you?" Tyler thought for a moment and then his eyes lit up. "Toydaria is in Hutt controlled space, yes?" Katuunko nodded. "Indeed. What are you suggesting?" Tyler smiled. "I recently became friendly with the Hutts. It would be great if Limitless could set up a base here. This would also give your world a boost to its defenses. No one would dare touch one of my worlds." Katuunko smiled and nodded. "That is a wonderful idea. You can share a building with the Republic in the capital. I will also have some lands given to you so that a base can be set up." Tyler sighed. "You are very generous, Katuunko. In exchange, I will reserve a spot in my senatorial delegation for one of your representatives." Katuunko laughed. "I believe that is more than fair. I look forward to a prosperous relationship between us." Tyler nodded. "Indeed. Would you like a drink?" Katuunko nodded and sat down on one of the couches. "That would be wonderful. What do you have to offer?" Tyler pulled out a bottle of blue liquor. "I am not sure if you know this, but I am quite the collector and drinker of fine alcohols. This is a bourbon that is made from moon grass." He took out two glasses and dropped a few ice cubes into each. "Moon grass is native to Tython and grows under the moonlight. This gives it the blue color." He poured about 3 ounces into each glass and then set the bottle down after corking it. "Despite its appearance, it is not sweet. It has a slight peaty aroma but a gentle and oaky flavor. It was aged for about 20 years in wine finished barrels to give it a slight, fruity aroma." He handed one of the glasses to Katuunko. "It is made for those with a refined taste." He took a whiff of the glass and then took a small sip, letting it sit in his mouth for a moment before swallowing. "Try it." Katuunko smiled. "Happily. Everyone has their passions and this is quite a useful one to have. Friendships are best forged over drinks!" Katuunko took a sip and his eyes widened. "Thisˇ­ this is delicious! You must tell me where to get some!" Tyler laughed. He turned around and grabbed the bottle before handing it to the king. "Consider it a gift." Katuunko shook his head. "I could never accept something this great as a gift." Tyler chuckled. "Don''t worry. After tasting some of their products, I bought the entire distillery. I can get it whenever I want." Katuunko raised his brow in curiosity. "That is quite the move. Are you in possession of other distilleries?" He then accepted the bottle reluctantly. "My wife will love this." Tyler nodded as he sat down across from the king. "Indeed. I have acquired a whole slew of distilleries, vineyards, orchards, and farms over the years. I distribute their products across the Republic. I plan on using the base we construct on Toydaria to expand our coverage to Hutt Space. Everyone loves a good drink." Katuunko nodded. "I will be sure to become a patron of your business." Tyler smiled and stood up. "I appreciate that. I believe we have arrived. Shall we start the negotiations?" Katuunko nodded as he hopped up and hovered in the air. "We shall." Chapter 51 - Darth Revans Legacy (Short chapter just to bridge two arcs and fill in some stuff. Lot''s of prep in here. Enjoy!) In a dark room, three people were sitting. The room was made of reinforced metals and was virtually impossible to break into or out of. There wasn''t even a door. The only source of light was the dim lamps in each corner of the room. Tyler was sitting back in a chair. He was reclining with his feet on the table. Across from him sat Stone and Rose, the two new recruits. Several beads of sweat rolled down Stone and Rose''s faces. The source of their anxiety was the contract in front of them. It was an extremely comprehensive NDA. The release clause involved the complete wiping of one''s character. Stone sighed and rested his head on his hand. "This isˇ­ thorough." Tyler nodded and took a sip of his drink. "Of course it is. If you knew what you were signing up for, you''d understand. The only ones that are allowed to know anything about this are the ones involved. All information pertaining to this has a Level 5 clearance." Stone raised his brow. "What does that mean?" Tyler laughed. "I learned about this the other day. Basically, the clearance levels correspond to the rank you hold in Limitless. Level five is only privy to the Vice Guild Leaders and the LIA Director. The information has the potential to not only affect the guild but the entire galaxy if disclosed." Stone grimaced. "I''m guessing we don''t really have much of a choice." Tyler shook his head. "If you want to have the ability to get to my level, this is your only choice that doesn''t involve leaving it up to chance." Stone sighed as he reluctantly placed his hand on the datapad, signing his life away. "Rose, we have nothing to lose at this point but everything to gain. Let''s do it." Rose nodded and followed suit. Tyler smiled. "Wonderful. Let''s go to the conference room. There should be some people waiting for us." Several minutes later, they arrived. As he opened the door, everyone stood up aside from Obi Wan, Anakin, and Kai. Tyler waved his hand. "Everyone sit. This is important and I don''t want to waste time. Xander, is the blockade in place over Korriban?" Xander nodded and pressed a bu??on. An image of the blockade came up on the huge screen in the front of the room. "36 cruisers with full complement, civilian operated with guild officers. The armada is commanded by Wolfgang Bang as you''ve requested." Tyler smiled. "Wonderful. Sonia, activate lockdown protocol. Confirmation code 82169." A robotic voice responded over the speakers. "Code accepted. Lockdown initiated." Metal bars reinforced the door and several inch thick, metal plates came down and reinforced the walls. The room was now impenetrable and soundproof. Tyler took his seat at the head of the table. "Everyone here has signed the NDA so we can now begin. I am starting something known as the Revan Corps." Obi Wan sighed. "Draco, are you sure it is okay to reveal this?" Tyler nodded. "I''ve thought through it a lot. This will be the key to winning this war." Obi Wan shrugged. "Very well. I just hope this doesn''t backfire." Tyler laughed. "Don''t you worry one bit." He then turned his attention back to the rest of the room. "Several years ago, I was sent on a mission by the Jedi Temple. Kai, Obi Wan, and Anakin joined me on this mission. We investigated an ancient Sith Citadel in an area known as the Valley of the Dark Lords. It is located on Korriban. Within the citadel lie the tombs of the most infamous Sith Lords and figures in the history of the order. They include Darth Krayt, Darth Bane, and Ajunta Pall, the first Dark Lord of the Sith. Korriban is also home to an ancient Sith Academy." He pressed a bu??on and images of the Valley of the Dark Lords popped up on the screen. "I will start by saying that we are lucky that we took control of the system before the Sith could. Inside the temple, we investigated each of the tombs. Each one contained something that was left behind by the one who was laid to rest there. At some point during its existence, a man by the name of Revan was in control of the world. During his life, he was both a Jedi Master and the Dark Lord of the Sith." "This isn''t a history lesson so I will get to the important part. His legacy was balance. Having been a warrior for both sides of the force, he found his salvation in death by embracing the force rather than just the light or the dark. Revan''s legacy is giving those who are strong in the force the ability to become Revanites. These warriors are capable of using both the light and dark sides of the force without falling to their temptations. Currently, the only four known Revanites are Obi Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Kai, and myself. Are there any questions?" There was only silence. Everyone was just trying to wrap their heads around what was said. Tyler smiled. "Good. So the next step is to have a very selective amount of force s?ns?t?v? people attempt the trials to become a Revanite. All of you here are the first ones that will attempt them. In accordance with the new contract, you will each receive a considerable raise. I will remind you, this is going to be the key to winning this war. Head there immediately. You are dismissed. Xander, stay behind please." Everyone shuffled out of the room in silence including the three Jedi NPCs. The only remaining people were Tyler and Xander. Xander sighed. "What else is there to discuss?" Tyler smiled. "I was curious about the status of the experimentals." Xander''s eyes lit up. "Three squads are ready to move out upon your orders. Napoli has been handling the operation personally." Tyler''s eyes widened. "That is good news. Are they still stationed at the citadel?" Xander shook his head. "Nope. We moved them to the Naboo facility for easier deployment." Tyler nodded as his plan began to formulate. "What is the status of Admiral Mcree?" Xander took out a datapad and tapped on it a few times before looking back up. "He is preparing for deployment to Ryloth. They reached out to us directly for aid." Tyler raised his brow. "Have Mcree pick up the experimentals on Naboo before moving to Ryloth. What of the Republic? Will they be cooperating with us?" Xander nodded. "Our ambassadors are finalizing the details with the SASC right now." Tyler smiled. "Good. That means we will have the support of the clones. Things are moving along nicely. Anything interesting going on?" Xander chuckled as he knew what Tyler was asking for. "There are reports that a mystery weapon is tearing through fleets. General Plo Koon is headed there to investigate." Tyler laughed. "Wonderful. This should be fun. I''ll be off then or I''ll miss out on the fun." He lifted his right arm and pressed a bu??on on his comm. "R2, prep my ship. We got work to do." Xander waved as Tyler rushed out of the room. "Have fun! Don''t forget to call your mother every once in a while. She was complaining about it to me." Tyler laughed. "I will. Don''t worry." -GE- A clone officer walked through the bridge of a cruiser. He approached someone and stood at attention. "General, the meeting is about to begin. All is set." Tyler turned around. "Thank you." He then walked through the bridge and passed through a set of doors. A few holograms were already on the table. They included Windu, Yoda, Obi Wan, and Valorum. Valorum smiled upon seeing Tyler. "Draco, thank you for joining us." Windu nodded. "Now that we are mostly here, let''s get started. The CIS has come up with some type of weapon. This mystery weapon has struck in a dozen systems and disappeared without a trace." Valorum sighed and shook his head. "We cannot afford to lose any more ships, my friends." Two more holograms popped up on the table. "Master Skywalker and Ahsoka. Have you had any success in finding General Grievous'' secret weapon?" Anakin pressed a bu??on and a hologram popped up. "Master Plo was here in the Abregado system when we lost contact." Tyler raised his brow. "What did he say last?" Anakin sighed. "He said that they had tracked the weapon and requested for reinforcements. We have had no further contact with General Plo Koon. The absence of any distress beacons indicates that his fleet wasˇ­" He paused as he and Ahsoka made eye contact. "That his fleet was destroyed like the others. We are about to prepare a rescue mission." Valorum shook his head. "Hasn''t clone intelligence reported this weapon never leaves any survivors?" Obi Wan nodded. "The Separatists are being unusually tidy. They don''t want any witnesses." Yoda sighed and shook his head. "Tragic are these losses, but prevent more we must." Tyler scoffed. "I smell Count Dooku all over this. We must tread carefully as we are almost prepared to resume our offensive." Windu nodded. "I feel the same. All our battle groups will be reassigned to guard our supply convoys, including yours, Skywalker. I''m afraid we can''t risk any more ships with a rescue mission." Tyler smiled. "I would also like to add our medical facilities to that list. We can''t allow them to be caught off guard. I will move out to Kaliida Shoals since that is the closest one to the last known position of the weapon." Ahsoka then cut in. "Wait! Just because there haven''t been any survivors before doesn''t mean that there won''t be any this time." Valorum nodded. "Boldly spoken for one so young." Obi Wan sighed. "She is learning from Anakin." Anakin shook his head. "Excuse my padawan. We will deploy as you have instructed, master." Tyler smirked. "Enjoy the trip, Anakin." Anakin and Ahsoka disappeared from the table. "As for what I said, Master Windu, let''s have high command determine the proper deployment for each fleet." Windu nodded. "Indeed, Draco. I have a feeling that your idea will be of great help to us quite soon." Tyler shrugged. "Only time will tell. I must be going, gentlemen." Yoda nodded. "May the force be with you." Tyler smiled and nodded. "With you as well, Master Yoda." He pressed a bu??on on the table and the holograms disappeared. He then walked up to the bridge. Blaze walked over. "General, what are your orders." Tyler smiled. "Perfect, you''re here. Organize the fleet and head over to Kaliida Shoals. Set up a defensive formation there and be on standby. I''ll be taking a detour." Blaze tilted his head. "Where to, sir?" Tyler laughed. "The less you know, the better." He then left the bridge and headed to the hangar. R2 rolled over to Tyler as he walked out of the elevator. He beeped excitedly. Tyler chuckled and patted the droid''s head. "You ready for some fun, buddy?" R2 beeped some more and rolled towards Tyler''s fighter. Tyler hopped into the ???kpit and quickly took off after R2 was secured. "R2, set coordinates for the Abregado System." Chapter 52 - The Malevolence Part I (Short chapter. I need to go food shopping and cook dinner. I just moved into my college house yesterday so I need to get stuff situated. Longer chapter incoming this weekend. Enjoy!) -Abregado System- A huge field of debris was in orbit around the crimson planet. Large chunks of what used to be Venator Class Star Destroyers littered the space. Various escape pods also littered the field. One light freighter dropped out of hyperspace. In this freighter, the Twilight, sat Anakin, Ahsoka, and R2-D2. R2-D2 rolled up to the chair Ahsoka was sitting in and beeped a few times. Ahsoka turned to the astromech. "R2, set up the scanner. Modulate for incomingˇ­ mystery weapons." R2 beeped in response and started rolling over to the astromech console. Anakin then turned from the pilot seat. "No, R2, tune the scanners for life-forms, highest sensitivity." Ahsoka tilted her head in confusion. "Why would we scan for life-forms to spot an enemy weapon probably just filled withˇ­ battleˇ­ droids." She stood up and walked over to the windshield. "The Abregado system. Huh." Anakin smirked at her and she looked at him sassily. "So it''s okay when you don''t follow what the Council says." Anakin shook his head and sighed. "Doing what the Jedi Council says, that''s one thing. How we go about doing it, that''s another. That''s what I''m trying to teach you, my young Padawan." Ahsoka was livid. "So you always meant to come out here for survivors?" Anakin nodded. "Lives are in danger, Ahsoka. We can''t just turn our backs on them." Ahsoka gestured in frustration and sat down in the copilot seat. "That''s what I said back in the briefing room!" Anakin nodded. "I know, but the way you said it was wrong. Hurry up. Switch on the illuminator." Anakin looked over and sighed. "Speaking of not following what the Council saysˇ­" Ahsoka looked at the ship and laughed. Inside the ???kpit of the fighter was Tyler waving while wearing a shit eating grin. "Is that who you learned this stuff from?" Anakin laughed. "Well it obviously wasn''t Obi Wan." Ahsoka shrugged. "Let''s establish a comm link. We haven''t got much time before the fleet misses us." Anakin pressed a bu??on on the dashboard. "Master Draco, wasn''t expecting to see you here." Tyler laughed. "I had a feeling you''d be here. I wouldn''t be a good friend if I didn''t make an effort to locate my friend''s missing master. Anyways, open the cargo bay. I''ll park in it." Anakin nodded. "Done. See you in a few, master." -GE- Tyler and R2-F4 walked into the ???kpit. "Yo, find anything yet?" Ahsoka was pressing a few bu??ons on the dashboard. She shook her head in frustration. "The scanners are practically useless. Got anything on the emergency channel, R2?" Anakin sighed and took a deep breath. "Now, Ahsoka, we might find something you don''t want to find." Ahsoka nodded. "I know, master. But I have to believe." Anakin nodded. "How do you know Master Plo, anyway? I''ll ask you the same, Master Draco." Ahsoka sighed. "He''s one of my oldest friends. It was Master Plo Koon who found me and brought me to the temple where I belonged. Now he''s lost, so I thought maybe I could find him. What about you, Master Draco?" Tyler sighed and thought back. It had been years since they met. "When I first came to the temple, I trained under Masters Yoda and Windu until I became a padawan. I met Vice Guild Leader Xander during my time in the temple. When it came time for us to become padawans, I was under Master Kit Fisto and Xander went under Master Plo Koon. Since we were good friends, we often had meals together in our off time along with our masters." Both R2s started beeping urgently. Ahsoka looked at the dashboard and then back to Anakin. "Incoming transmission master. I think someone noticed we''re gone!" Obi Wan''s hologram popped up on the communications console. "Anakin, where are you? Oh, Dracoˇ­ you''re with them too. This ought to be good." Anakin laughed nervously. "Oh, hello, master. Uh, we made a quick stop in the Abregado system." Obi Wan shook his head. "A rescue mission I suppose. You had other orders." Ahsoka was about to speak but Tyler cut her off. "I approved of this mission, personally. You know I have the authority to do that regardless of what the Council says. In terms of the Grand Army of the Republic, I do outrank even Master Yoda, you know?" Obi Wan sighed. "Oh, I''m sure. Well, since you are already there and TECHNICALLY authorized to be there, have you found any survivors?" Tyler laughed. "Not yet, we have just started after all. Worry not. After a quick sweep of the area, we will head back to our respective fleets." Obi Wan nodded and sighed. "Very well. Join the defensive escorts when you are done. We need the both of you. You guys will miss the rendezvous if you don''t hurry." Tyler nodded. "We''ll make it quick, Obi Wan." Obi Wan sighed. "May the force be with you." Tyler smiled. "With you as well." The call ended. A few minutes passed and nothing was coming up. Tyler sighed and leaned against the wall. "UGHHHHH, THIS IS BORING!" Tyler perked up. "What is it, boy? Did you find a stick?" R2 beeped angrily. Ahsoka scoffed. "Don''t be mean to him. He''s not a dog. What is it, R2?" R2 beeped some more. Ahsoka lit up. "R2 thinks he''s got something on the emergency channel." Anakin got excited. "Can he trace it?" R2 beeped and rocked back and forth. Ahsoka nodded. "Let''s get going!" Chapter 53 - Malevolence Part II (Sorry for the late chapter. I was helping a friend with math. He bad. I hate having to wait for the google doc to load. There is like 200 pages.) R2-D2 beeped excitedly as he spun around. He then projected a map of the debris field with a blinking red dot where the signal was coming from. Anakin turned his head. "Are we still picking up that signal?" Ahsoka nodded. "Yes, but why aren''t we finding anybody?" Anakin sighed. "I don''t know, Ahsoka." Tyler laughed. "Have patience. The force will guide us to them. I have faith in Master Plo." Ahsoka pressed a bu??on on the panel. "Is there anyone out there? Come in. This is Ahsoka Tano. Can anyone hear me? R2, see if you can boost the reception." R2 beeped and turned back to the console. Ahsoka slammed her head back into the chair. "UGHH." Anakin shook his head and sighed. "As Master Draco said, patience. We''re trying to boost the power. Hang on." Ahsoka looked at the blinking light on the panel. "Incoming transmission." She pressed the bu??on and a hologram of Chancellor Valorum popped up. Valorum was visibly flustered. "Draco, what in the galaxy are you doing?" Tyler laughed nervously. "Ummmm, a rescue mission?" Valorum was livid. "I thought you said that your fleet would go defend the medical station." Tyler nodded. "And that is where my fleet is. Is there a problem?" Valorum shook his head. "Sometimes I wonder what will kill me first. Will it be you or Count Dooku?" Tyler laughed. "Worry not, Finis. There are some survivors and we will be picking them up in a few minutes." Anakin looked at Tyler with a panicked expression. Valorum scoffed. "Fine. Hurry up and get back to your fleet. Commander Blaze is not prepared to command an armada." Tyler nodded. "Thank you. See you soon!" Tyler quickly pressed a bu??on on the dash to end the call. Anakin was very confused. "Draco, why did you tell him there are survivors? We haven''t located any as of yet." Tyler shook his head. "It''s just a feeling. Let''s keep looking. Don''t worry about anything. And my connection with Master Plo through the force has yet to be terminated. Ahsoka, you should have noticed this by now." Ahsoka took a deep breath and then her eyes widened. "He''s right. We can''t leave. I know he''s alive." Tyler nodded. "Good. Take the wheel, padawan. You should know where he is now." Ahsoka nodded and grabbed the controls. The ship flew forwards and turned sharply. She navigated through the debris field and followed the guiding hand of the force. Tyler smiled and pointed. "Look, it''s them!" Ahsoka was ecstatic. "I knew it!" Anakin smiled. "Ready tow cable." Anakin took over the controls as Ahsoka rushed over to the console. The ship decelerated as it flew past the pod. Plo Koon and two clones were hanging onto the outside of the pod. Ahsoka turned back to Anakin. "Cable loaded, master." Tyler laughed. "Hold on. Let me move my ship so that the escape pod doesn''t damage it." Anakin nodded. "Good idea, master." Tyler rushed to the cargo bay where his ship and hyperspace ring were parked. He raised his hands and used the force to shift them out of the way. "READY!" Anakin pressed a bu??on on the dashboard and the tow cable shot out. It attached to the pod and pulled it in through the shields. As soon as the pod landed, Tyler was waiting with stretchers from the medical bay. He waved his hand and the glass on the front of the pod came flying off. When Ahsoka and Anakin came down from the ???kpit, Tyler was already loading the clones onto the stretchers. A Jedi Master can survive a while in space without breaking a sweat after all. Ahsoka knelt down next to Plo Koon. "Are you okay, Master Plo?" Anakin looked to Tyler. "Will they be alright? And since when were you a medic?" Tyler laughed. "They''ll be just fine. A few hours in a bacta tank should get them up and running. And I picked up the skill when I was a padawan. It''s been quite useful over the years and I''ve gotten plenty of practice." Ahsoka smiled. "Your men are safe now." Plo Koon looked at Anakin with a somber expression. "Tell me, were there any survivors?" Anakin sighed. "We couldn''t find anybody else." Plo Koon shook his head. "The hunters must have destroyed the rest." Ahsoka sighed. "I''m sorry, Master Plo." She then hugged him. Tyler clapped to get everyone''s attention. "You guys head back to the ???kpit and get us out of here. I will handle the recovery along with the medical droid." As soon as the three Jedi left, Tyler quickly powered down the medical droid and his R2-F4. One of the clones looked at Tyler in confusion. "General, why did you power down the droid?" Tyler shrugged. "Just a feeling. He would get in the way anyways." The clone shrugged. "Whatever." Suddenly the lights went out. Tyler smirked. "And it begins. Everyone sit tight and shut off any electronics." The clones quickly shut off their radios. After a few minutes, the freighter started shaking. Tyler waved off the clone''s concerns. "It''s just a large ship passing by. Let them pass and we''ll be fine." Tyler left the medical bay and went up to the ???kpit. "How are things up here?" Plo Koon turned to Tyler. "They have passed and appear to be leaving the system." Tyler nodded. "Good. Let''s wait a few more minutes. Then we can get out of this shit show." -GE- Count Dooku turned to the man. "Eric, what do you think of the weapon?" Eric smiled. "It''s fantastic. We should be able to use this to cripple the Limitless fleet. Once we eliminate their defenses, we can disrupt their sources of income and end this war. Lord Sidious will be pleased." Dooku nodded and turned back to Grievous. "What is taking so long? We can not allow any survivors to escape." Grievous growled angrily and slammed the railing next to him. "Status report!" A droid turned around from the scanners. "We have nothing. Wait, a ship just came online. We passed it a few minutes ago. The enemy is attempting to flee through the debris field." Dooku scoffed. "General, I don''t want any witnesses." Grievous growled. "MOVE INTO ATTACK POSITION!" The ship started turning. "ENERGIZE PLASMA ROTORS!" A droid called out. "Enemy ship targeted, general." Grievous punched the chair. "FIRE!" Grievous reached for the ship desperately and roared. "AHHHHHHHH!" He then slumped in defeat. "Now the Republic will learn of our ion cannon." Dooku and Eric glared at the general. Silence pervaded the bridge. Each and every droid slowly turned their heads to look at the Count. Dooku shook his head. "Your failure is most unfortunate. I will have to discuss this with my master." He turned and left the bridge with Eric. "Eric, let''s go meet with Lord Sidious. Hopefully we can rectify this." As they left the room, Grievous roared and slapped the head off of one of the droids. "Get back to work." He then walked over to a display and gazed upon it, trying to decide what to do next. -GE- Anakin and a clone officer were walking down the ramp of the Twilight. They were parked in the hangar of a cruiser. "Thanks for getting us out of there in one piece, General Skywalker." Anakin laughed. "You have my padawan and Master Draco to thank for that. She always said you guys would pull through and he is the only reason we aren''t getting in trouble." Ahsoka stood up from checking on R2. She smiled and turned back to R2. The clone nodded. "General Plo said someone would come for us. We''re glad he was right." Plo Koon then walked up behind them from the ramp. "Skywalker, it is time to give our report to the Council." Anakin sighed. "Right, the Council report." Tyler then popped over from checking on his fighter. "I''ll be coming too. Don''t worry Anakin, I''ll cover for us." Anakin nodded and smiled. "Thank you, master." The three Jedi started walking towards the elevators. He then turned back. "Come on, Ahsoka." Ahsoka looked up. "You want me there? I figured, because of beforeˇ­" Anakin shook his head. "Ahsoka, through it all, you never gave up. You did a great job. But if I''m getting in trouble for this, you''re gonna share some of the blame too." They laughed. "So come on. Let''s go." Ahsoka nodded and started following them. "Right beside you, Skyguy." -GE- Windu was furious. "Skywalker, you disobeyed orders. Even though you rescued Master Plo, you still put both you and your padawan at risk." Anakin was about to speak but Tyler cut him off. He spoke in a passive aggressive tone. "General Windu, I hate to break it to you but saving General Plo was the best thing that could have come out of this. Without this rescue mission, we would still be in the dark regarding the ion cannon. I commend General Skywalker and Commander Tano for their bravery in recovering the survivors." Windu scoffed. "Draco, watch your tone when speaking to your superiors." Tyler laughed. "I could say the same to you, General. I outrank you in these circumstances." Windu nearly choked and was about to retort but Yoda stopped him. "Fortunate we are for this. Our next move, important it is." Tyler nodded. "I suggest we put together a strike force to take down the weapon. Plo Koon and myself can escort a squadron of bombers. We can even put Skywalker and Ahsoka in a bomber. We will attack the ship and destroy the weapon so our cruisers can take care of the rest." Chancellor Valorum nodded. "I agree with General Draco." He had caught on to what Tyler was pulling. He was using his rank to outspeak the former grandmaster of the Jedi Order. "We will leave that to you. General Kenobi, have your fleet be on standby. Be ready to support General Draco''s defense at any time. You are all dismissed." Tyler smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Chancellor." He then pressed a bu??on on the communications table. "See? Everything is just fine." Anakin nearly choked. "You call this fine? The Council will have your ?ss for this." Tyler shook his head. "I''m untouchable to anyone other than the Chancellor. He is the only person that I follow orders from aside from the occasional mission from Master Yoda." Plo Koon shook his head. "What kind of monster did Master Fisto train?" Tyler laughed. "Now isn''t the time. Let''s move before the seppies can make their next move." -GE- R2 was projecting a hologram of the Malevolence. Next to him were Anakin, Tyler, and Yularen. Yularen gestured to the hologram as he spoke to the clone pilots in front of him. "This strike force has been commissioned by the Senate to hunt down the enemy''s new battleship. As the bulk of our fleets are engaged on the front lines, we''ll be on our own. General Skywalker has prepared our attack strategy." Anakin nodded and stepped forward. "Thank you, admiral. While our capital ships are vulnerable to the enemy''s attack, I believe a squad of bombers, at General Draco''s request, can out-maneuver their ion weapon. Our target will be the bridge and General Grievous." The clones started murmuring among themselves. One clone spoke to another. "Ha, the head clanker. Skywalker''s getting pretty ambitious." The clone shrugged. "Draco is with us. I have no doubts we can take on an army." Anakin continued. "Our bombers will attack at high speed to evade the enemy''s ion weapon." He pointed to the bridge and a red dot started blinking. "We''ll concentrate our firepower on the bridge superstructure, here. We destroy General Grievous, and the ship will fall with him. Any questions?" A clone stood up firmly. "Just tell us where that metal-head is, sir." Another clone stood up while the others started cheering. "Yeah, We''ve been waiting for a chance to take him out." Anakin smiled and nodded. "Alright men, settle down. This is an important mission. We destroy Grievous, we can bring the war to a quicker end. Pilots, prepare your bombers." Plo Koon walked over the Anakin as the clones stood up and walked to their bombers. "Skywalker, this is an aggressive plan. Are you sure your squadron can complete this mission?" Anakin smirked. "Let''s ask them. Matchstick, you think our boys can pull it off?" Matchstick nodded. "Yes, sir. There hasn''t been a mission Shadow Squadron couldn''t complete." Another clone behind him cut in. "That''s right. Minimal casualties, maximum effectiveness. That''s us." Plo Koon nodded. "I admire your confidence, pilot. Even so, minimal casualties may be enough to prevent you from breaking Grievous'' defenses." Ahsoka nodded and spoke softly. "Master Plo is right. With Grievous on that ship''s bridge, it''s bound to be well-protected." Anakin shook his head. "Don''t worry Ahsoka. We''ll destroy that bridge and Grievous along with it." Tyler nodded. "Exactly. Even if he tried to get away like the roach he is, I''ll be sure to blast that robo-bitch into smithereens." Plo Koon sighed as Anakin, Yularen, and Tyler walked away. "Master Skywalker seems to inspire great confidence in his men." Ahsoka chuckled and looked at Plo Koon. "He does lead by example." Chapter 54 - Malevolence Part III (If you aren''t already doing so, please read my new novel Aetheria. Start at the prologue to get the setting for the story. I grabbed portions of various novels I have enjoyed and I am smashing them all into what I think the best possible story is. Join me on my adventure of creating this new world!) Tyler was standing in the briefing room with Admiral Yularen and Plo Koon. They were currently listening to a report from high command. The officer giving the report was stressed. "The Separatists have attacked a medical convoy near Ryndellia. It would appear that your concerns were correct, General." Tyler nodded. "We must hurry. Have all nearby fleets waiting on standby. We can''t have them directly attack the Malevolence until that weapon is disabled. I also suspect that they might have backup. Let''s make a time gated request for all of the Republic guilds. We can use all of the support we can get." The officer nodded. "I''ll get it done, General." The hologram cut out. Tyler turned to his two companions. "We need to go inform Anakin immediately. We must set out as soon as we are ready. I''ve taken the liberty of having both of our fighters prepared, Master Plo." Plo Koon nodded. "Thank you, Draco. Let''s head down to the hangar." -GE- Across the bomber bay, countless clones and technicians were preparing the bombers for the mission. Clone pilots were standing on top of their respective bombers, inspecting them before the journey. Anakin and Ahsoka were walking in between two of the Y-wing bombers. R2 was rolling out in front of them. Ahsoka turned to Anakin as they walked. "Which one''s mine?" Anakin smirked and spoke in a snarky tone. "You''re with me. You''ll be my gunner." Ahsoka looked at Anakin with a face that had astonishment written all over it. "Somebody''s got to watch my back." Ahsoka scoffed. "Broadside could do that. Besides, you have R2." R2 beeped in agreement. Anakin shook his head. "But I so enjoy your company, my padawan." Ahsoka narrowed her eyes and furrowed her brow. "Just admit it. You don''t like my flying." Anakin choked on his words. "No, Iˇ­ No, it''s not that. It''s just Iˇ­" Like an angel out of heaven, Admiral Yularen cut Anakin off, saving him from this conversation. "Skywalker, the enemy warship has attacked our convoy of medical transports near Ryndellia." Anakin and Ahsoka turned and saw Yularen, Plo Koon, and Tyler walking over to them. Ahsoka was shocked. "Medical transports? Only General Grievous would go after clones who can''t fight back." Anakin nodded. "The Ryndellia system, near Naboo. That''s where the medical station is that Master Draco mentioned! It looks like you were right, that must be his next target." Plo Koon nodded. "There are many star clusters in that area. With a ship that big, he will be unable to chart a course that''s less than ten parsecs." Anakin sighed. "Looks like we''re gonna have to take a shortcut. Admiral, warn that station what''s coming." Tyler chuckled. "Oooh, a shortcut, sounds like fun." Plo Koon sighed as Yularen walked away. "This journey may be treacherous. If you lose any ships before you reach the targetˇ­" Anakin shook his head. "We won''t lose anyone." He said this adamantly. Plo Koon sighed. "Draco and I will be your fighter escorts so that should help. The hangar doors of the cruiser slid open. Tyler was sitting in his fighter, already in space since he had to dock with his hyperspace ring. A clone officer''s voice sounded over the radio. "Shadow Squadron, you are clear for takeoff." Tyler watched as a line of bombers flew out of the gaping hangar doors. Obi Wan''s voice came over comms. "I hope you know what you''re doing, Anakin." Anakin laughed. "Well, if I don''t, I won''t be around to hear the ''I told you so.''" Obi Wan sighed. "That''s reassuring." Tyler laughed. "I''ll be there to play your role when shit hits the fan." Obi Wan laughed. "Well, take your shortcut, and I''ll take the long way. But you''d better be there before I arrive." Anakin scoffed. "I''ll be there, Obi Wan. Shadow Squadron, tighten formation. Call in." The pilots began sounding off. "Shadow 2 standing by." "Shadow 3 standing by." "Shadow 4 standing by."... R2 beeped at Ahsoka while the clones were calling in. Ahsoka sighed. "I know, R2ie. This is gonna be a tough one." Anakin shook his head. "Cut the chatter, Ahsoka." The clones were still going. "Shadow 11 standing by." "Shadow 12 standing by." Tyler and Plo Koon pulled up behind them. Plo Koon talked over comms. "Fighter escort ready." Admiral Yularen''s voice then came over the radio. "This is Admiral Yularen. You are cleared for hyperspace jump. Good hunter, sir." Anakin replied. "Thanks Admiral. All right, boys, let''s go." Matchstick then spoke. "Broadside, if we make it through this one, drinks are on me." Broadside cheered. "I can already taste it." -GE- The Kaliida Nebula is a large nebula in the Outer Rim Territories. Nebulae really are amazing. Aside from being beautiful, they are also the birthplace of celestial bodies. These interstellar clouds of dust, hydrogen, helium, and other ionized gases are as amazing as they are mysterious. Their density makes it nearly impossible to peak inside of them without actually rearing one''s head. Throughout the galaxy, nebulae are home to strange creatures and hectic environments. The Kaliida Nebula in particular is home to the breeding ground of the Neebray mantas. These massive flying creatures feed on the gases that are spread throughout the cosmos. Since these gases are concentrated into nebulae, they can often be found feeding and raising their young there. Fourteen ships dropped out of hyperspace right in front of the Kaliida Nebula. Anakin pressed a few bu??ons on his dashboard. "Okay, if we can just manage to navigate through my shortcut, we''ll be all right." Plo Koon sighed. "A nebula can be very unpredictable. I advise caution." Matchstick then retorted. "Don''t worry about us, Master Jedi. We can hold our own. Right, Shadow Squadron?" A clone replied. "Copy that, Shadow 2." Ahsoka scoffed. "Does anyone care what the padawan thinks?" Anakin smirked. "Of course we care, Snips, but we''re still going through that nebula." R2 beeped with concern. Tyler laughed. "Everyone, keep a tight formation. We can get through this together." The formation entered the nebula. At high speed but proceeded carefully. They had no time to waste and could not afford any losses. Tyler decided to pass the time by handing the wheel off to R2 and reading an intelligence report. As he was scanning through it he found something interesting. The only person in the galaxy that he had a personal grudge against had made some waves. Eric of the Forest Group was apparently a high ranking official within the CIS now. The LIA is suspicious that he may have a hand in the possible ?ssault of Scarif. Plo Koon''s voice suddenly came over comms. "Draco, are you reading?!" Tyler laughed nervously. "Ummm, yeah. Why do you ask?" Plo Koon nearly choked. "We are navigating through a nebula and you decide now is a good time to read. You''re going to get us killed." Tyler buzzed his lips in denial. "It''s fine. We haven''t run into any issues just yet. I had just finished anyway." Matchstick then spoke. "This soup is thick. Can you see anything?" Anakin replied. "Just keep your eyes on my thruster, Shadow 2." Ahsoka was frustrated and smacking the scanner. "They''ll have to. The scanners are useless." Anakin smirked. "This is old fashioned flying. You have to feel your way through to stay on course." Plo Koon agreed. "Skywalker is right, Ahsoka. Clear your mind, young one, and you will see the path." Ahsoka rolled her eyes. "Right now, I can''t see anything at all." Broadside replied. "I always know where I''m going." Matchstick chuckled. "Yeah, where''s that, Broadside." Broadside replied adamantly. "I''m gonna blow up that battleship." Plo Koon laughed. "A clear path if ever there was one." Ahsoka then spoke after a few minutes of silence. "So, Skyguy, how did you know about this shortcut?" Anakin smiled. "It''s an old smuggler''s route. The pilots used to talk about it on Tatooine." Ahsoka was in disbelief. "Smuggler''s route? Huh! That makes me feel better." Anakin nodded. "They call it the Balmorra Run." Plo Koon nearly ruined his pants. "Balmorra Run?!" The scanners in front of Ahsoka started beeping. "I think I''m picking up a contact." Plo Koon continued. "Skywalker, listen to me. We need to turn around." Anakin retorted. "We can''t. Not if we''re gonna catch Grievous." Ahsoka was panicking. "Another contact. This one''s much larger." Plo Koon then exclaimed. "Skywalker, Balmorra''s the nesting ground of the giant neebray mantas!" Ahsoka didn''t even know what to do. "Another. Another!" Suddenly, a cry could be heard that pierced through the glass of their ships. Turning to the source, a massive creature was approaching them at high speed with its mouth ajar. Anakin nearly choked. "Take evasive action!" The squadron scattered, avoiding the manta. Only after regaining their formation did they realize that they were knee deep in shit. Hundreds of neebray mantas were flying in circles in the center of the nebula. They were close together and would be a challenge to navigate past. Ahsoka was holding on for dear life. "Those gas gulpers are huge." Plo Koon came over comms. "Don''t shoot, or they''ll panic!" Ahsoka nearly choked. "They''ll panic? I''m about to panic!" Matchstick then pulled down to avoid a manta. "There are so many of them!" Tyler then cut in. "Matchstick, drop!" As he said this, Matchstick quickly pushed his controls forward, causing his ship to nose dive. Due to this maneuver, he narrowly missed the manta''s tail. Matchstick screamed. "AHHH! I almost got hit!" Anakin complained. "Pull it together, Matchstick." Matchstick pulled up and stabilized his bomber. "I''m okay. I got it." Ahsoka was freaking out. "These things are gonna make a meal out of us!" Anakin quickly cut in. "All wings, line up behind me." Broadside replied. "Roger that, boss." Anakin began making sharp maneuvers, charting a path through the maze of mantas. Everyone followed close behind him in an orderly line. The tail of one of the mantas came smashing down and destroyed an astromech in one of the bombers. It squealed as it''s head flew away, never to be found. Plo Koon urged Anakin. "Hurry. They will not follow us beyond the nebula." A deafening roar sounded across the nebula. In front of the caravan of bombers, a manta was flying near them with its mouth open. Ahsoka was in awe. "That one looks hungry." Anakin laughed. "Nah, it''s just smiling at ya." They navigated past the smiling manta and were almost in the clear. Ahsoka smiled with glee. "We''re coming out of it! Let''s hope your shortcut paid off." Anakin was determined. "We''re not far behind Grievous now." Plo Koon then spoke. "Shadow 2, was there any damage to your ship?" Matchstick replied. "No, sir. Not even a scratch. The General really saved my ?ss." Plo Koon sighed. "We must not take any more unnecessary risks. If we lose even a single ship, our mission is that much closer to failure." Anakin nodded. "Understood, Master Plo. But we didn''t lose any ships, and I didn''tˇ­" He was cut off by Matchstick. "Sir, another contact." Ahsoka sighed. "I thought those things wouldn''t follow us." Matchstick retorted. "Not following, coming out of hyperspace. It''s a ship. It''s the Malevolence!" The massive Separatist warship dropped out of hyperspace, traveling at full speed towards the medical station. Taking a glance at the bridge, it was clear to almost anyone that they wouldn''t be able to put a scratch on it. Tyler called out through comms. "Anakin, let''s change our approach. The bridge is too heavily fortified. Let''s try to disable the weapon." Anakin scoffed. "But then we won''tˇ­" Tyler cut him off. "Grievous isn''t the important objective here. We MUST defend the medical station. We are bound to lose the war if it falls." Surrounding the Kaliida Shoals Medical Station, dozens of frigates were evacuating the injured that could be moved. Some were already jumping to hyperspace. Just as a few more were about to make the jump, a high pitched, piercing noise permeated through every surface. Looking to the source, arcs of electricity were forming around the ion cannon. Tyler screamed through open comms. "MAKE A BLIND SKIP! NOW!" Of the dozen or so frigates remaining, seven of them instantly jumped to hyperspace. As they made it out, the cannon fired. The ring of electricity sped through space, tearing through the remaining frigates. They were now dead in space. The Malevolence opened fire and decimated the frigates in seconds. The turbo laser fire with no shields to hold against it was too much for any ship to handle. While this was happening, dozens of vulture droids scattered from the Malevolence. They accelerated quickly towards the squadron of bombers. Ahsoka sighed. "We''ve got fighters coming in!" Tyler smirked. "Break through the wall and disable that weapon. We can''t let it fire again. Weapons free, boys." Chapter 55 - The Malevolence Part IV (Classes started so I took two days off of writing. Release time will be at 8PM EST from now on to fit my schedule better.) The vast expanse of space is all encompassing. The empty void is home to all that is the universe. Near the Kaliida Nebula, a battle was raging. Space, which is normally black as night, was being lit up by laser fire from opposing fighters. All of this commotion was caused by a weapon developed by the Separatists. The ion cannon they developed can obliterate an entire fleet in one shot, rendering the starships dead in space. Currently, this weapon was being turned on the Kaliida Shoals Medical Station. A wall of vulture droids approached the Republic strike team led by Anakin Skywalker. *Main Storyline Quest Triggered: Kaliida Shoals Defense* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: The CIS has launched an ?ssault on the Kaliida Shoals Medical Station. If this station falls, the GAR will be at a massive disadvantage in the Clone Wars. Defend the station and eliminate the ?ssailants. Rewards will vary based on completion rating. Maximum rewards are shown.* *Rewards: 1 Billion Credits, 10k GAR Reputation, 5k Kamino Reputation, 5k Jedi Order Reputation.* Tyler smirked upon seeing this. "Weapons free, boys." The stakes were unbelievable now. Unfortunately, it is unknown what had to be done in order to achieve full rewards. Space lit up as bolts of energy flew back and forth. In the first volley, the CIS had four unanswered casualties. Their vulture droids were no match for the clone and Jedi pilots. Tyler pulled up and looped around to get behind the squad of vultures pursuing him. He pulled on the trigger and landed a series of shots on the wing of the left most vulture. Due to the damage, it lost control and crashed into another vulture droid. Now there were three left. By this time, Tyler had locked on so he pressed a bu??on on his dashboard. Three missiles were ejected out of the front side of the fighter, speeding towards the droids. With the missiles handling the rest, he pulled to the right to support the bombers. They, of course, were less capable in dogfights. Anakin''s voice came over comms. "Steady, come on. Hold it steady." He then turned to Ahsoka. "Get those fighters off of us." Ahsoka scoffed. "Your fancy flying is making it difficult." Suddenly, the vultures tailing them exploded in a spectacular fashion. They were in the clear. Tyler laughed over the radio. "I got your back." As he said this, he noticed a bright violet glow out of the corner of his eye. The ion cannon was about to fire again. Luckily, it was only in its charging sequence. After a short few seconds, the ring of electricity stormed towards their position with extreme speed. Ahsoka screamed. "Incoming!" Anakin sighed. "Make towards the edge of the ray now!" Tyler shook his head. "Micro jump, now! Activate your hyperdrive and immediately deactivate it!" He pushed his lever forward. The stars around him turned to a blur as they streaked past at light speed. He immediately pulled the lever back and dropped out of hyperspace. In unison, they all blinked and appeared a few hundred miles above the ring. Anakin was breathing heavily. "Shadow Squadron, check in." Ahsoka laughed. "Great thinking, Master Draco. We didn''t lose anyone!" Tyler chuckled. "Well we aren''t out of the woods left. Let''s dive and get past those guns." The squadron started a nose dive, rapidly descending upon the Malevolence. The AA guns on the hull of the warship painted their path red with a hail of laser blasts. The munitions exploded as the squadron narrowly dodged the attacks. Plo Koon encouraged the team. "Stay on course!" Matchstick yelled. "This flak is heavy!" Anakin then commanded. "All deflectors double front." Ahsoka shook her head nervously. "Master, we need a new plan." Anakin scoffed. "We can make it, Ahsoka. Hang in there." Tyler then yelled over comms. "MAX THRUSTERS! DON''T LET THEM FIRE ON THE STATION!" The squadron sped up, speeding towards the broadside of the warship. Due to their path, they quickly broke line of sight with the AA guns. Anakin then commanded. "We are taking out the starboard ion cannon. Initiate bombing pass." As they dropped into the gab, the weapon was mid charge. The moment that it would fire on the medical station was imminent. Anakin yelled. "TORPEDOES AWAY!" All of the bombers launched their torpedoes at various pylons. Each impact would result in a cascade of explosions that would spread around the base of the cannon. The entire ship shook violently due to the explosion. A deafening noise stunned everyone in the area. Anyone close enough was not able to hear anything as if a stun grenade went off in their face. The piercing sound shook the squadron''s ships. Due to the misfire, both ion cannons exploded, rendering the Malevolence crippled. Tyler smirked and opened his comm line with Commander Blaze. "Jump now." Blaze replied. "Yes, sir." Suddenly, 20 republic cruisers and an ?ssortment of frigates dropped out of hyperspace behind the medical station. Obi Wan''s voice came over comms. "Anakin, do you copy?" Anakin replied. "I''m here." Obi Wan continued. "Congratulations. It looks like your mission was a success." Anakin sighed. "Partially, but Grievous is still alive. The battle was pretty rough on my men. We''re heading for the medical station." Obi Wan paused and then replied. "We''ll take it from here. But don''t worry, we''ll call when we need you." Anakin replied. "I''ll be waiting, Obi Wan." Obi Wan smiled. "Alright, let''s finish what Anakin started. Ahead full." -GE- After landing in the hangar of his cruiser, Tyler was standing in the bridge. A hologram of Obi Wan was in front of him. Tyler raised his brow. "I was expecting my fleet but where did all the others come from?" Obi Wan chuckled. "Republic guilds came in droves. We even have an Admiral with us." Tyler was now really confused. "And which admiral was able to spare time for this?" Another hologram popped up. It was a man in a military uniform and hat. He had a long scar running down the right side of his face, b?r?ly missing his eye. The man smiled. "General, I''m here to help." Tyler''s face lit up. "Overlord! How''s the guild?" Overlord shook his head. "We can catch up later. Right now, we need to take down that ship." Admiral Yularen, Plo Koon, Anakin, and Ahsoka all joined Obi Wan on the Hologram. Obi Wan turned to someone off screen. "Commander, what is the damage level to the enemy ship." The commander replied. "She''s lost her primary shield and stabilizers, but the ship is so massive that it can take all the fire our cannons can give it." Plo Koon sighed. "We must summon reinforcements." Anakin chuckled. "That''s why I''m here, Master Plo." Obi Wan nodded. "Anakin, were you able to contact Master Luminara?" Anakin nodded. "Yes, master. She''s busy with a fleet of Separatist reinforcements nearby. She won''t be able to give support until she''s turned them away." Obi Wan sighed. "Then we''ll have to make do with what we have." They continued their barrage of the Malevolence for several minutes but seemingly made no progress. Obi Wan became frustrated. "Admiral, status report." Yularen nodded. "They''re not attempting to jump to hyperspace. Their hyperdrive must be damaged." Obi Wan smirked. "This is our chance. All ships, target the bridge, maximum firepower. Tyler sighed. "I doubt it''ll be easy. If our guilds are helping, there will surely be enemy guilds as well. I also have a weird feeling that something unexpected will happen." Ahsoka turned to Anakin. "Master, I''m picking up a signal near the enemy vessel. Something just came out of hyperspace." Anakin sighed. "Enemy reinforcements?" Ahsoka shook his head. "No, it looks like a Naboo ship." Overlord was visibly confused. "What the hell are they doing here? Gunners, stand down." Anakin was getting concerned. "Ahsoka, contact that ship." Tyler sighed. "Anakin, calm yourself. You might not like who is on board." Ahsoka cut in. "Naboo cruiser, identify yourself." A feminine voice replied urgently. "This is Senator Amidala." Anakin was panicking. "Padme, what are you doing out here?!" Padme was freaking out but kept her composure like the senator she is. "I was sent on a special mission. The Senate was told the Banking Clan wanted to negotiate a treaty." Anakin yelled at her. "Get out of there as fast as you can!" Suddenly Padme staggered in her seat. C3PO inquired. "Have we been hit?" Padme shook her head. "I''m afraid it''s much worse than that." Anakin''s anxiety soared. "Padme, what''s happening?" Padme was visibly panicking. "I''m being pulled inside the droid cruiser by a tractor beam. I will not be made a Separatist bargaining chip. Continue your attack! You must destroy this monstrous ship!" Anakin was struggling with his decision. He was about to speak. Tyler cut him off. "CEASE YOUR FIRE! Anakin, respectfully, you do not have the authority to call off this attack. However, I agree with what I believe you were about to say. Senator Amidala is too important to the Republic for us to allow her to be held prisoner." Anakin turned and walked away from the call. Obi Wan turned to talk to him. "Where do you think you''re going?" Anakin scoffed and turned. "Somebody has to save her skin." Obi Wan sighed. "I thought you might say that." Plo Koon shook his head. "There he goes again. Craving adventure and excitement." Ahsoka chuckled. "You get used to it." Tyler laughed. "Do you expect him to not save his wife?" Plo Koon nearly shit himself as he turned to look at the hologram. "They''re married? And you knew about this?" Tyler grimaced. "Oops. Don''t worry. I''ve been personally ensuring that it doesn''t interfere with his duty. Regardless, no one can reach their full potential unless they''re fighting for something. Don''t even think about telling the council. You''d be dead if it wasn''t for that jackass." Plo Koon sighed. "You are right. What will you do, Draco?" Tyler sighed. "Admiral Yularen, take command of the fleet. Coordinate with Admiral Overlord to organize the guild forces. He will have an easier time commanding them than you will. A lot of them are his men after all. I''ll be joining General''s Kenobi and Skywalker. We must get that ship out of there immediately and they''re gonna need help. Besides, I have a feeling that this won''t be the only company we are getting today." Almost as if they were waiting for his words, 30 CIS battleships dropped out of hyperspace. They varied between heavy cruisers and destroyers, and were also accompanied by an ?ssortment of frigates and smaller ships. Tyler threw his hands in the air in frustration. "This day just keeps getting worse. Overlord, contact Admiral Mcree. See if he can provide support. Good luck, gentlemen." Chapter 56 - The Malevolence Part V The Twilight was parked inside the hangar of a cruiser. Anakin was currently in the ???kpit, prepping the ship for departure. The door slid open and Obi Wan came through. "I trust you''ve already formulated a brilliant plan to rescue your wife." Anakin smirked as he continued pressing bu??ons, each one beeping as he prepared the ship. "As a matter of fact, I have." Obi Wan sighed. "Do we have a plan B? Every operation needs a backup, Anakin." Anakin looked down to the side and then up at Obi Wan who was now sitting next to him. "I don''t have a backupˇ­ yet, but I do have a plan for getting on that ship." Obi Wan raised his brow in curiosity. "Really?" Anakin looked at Obi Wan excitedly. "The enemy sensors are obviously damaged, so we''ll sneak in behind them and dock at the emergency airlock." Obi Wan scoffed. "That''s your plan? Just fly there, land, hope they don''t spot us, and walk in the door?" Anakin smirked and shrugged. "Basically." Obi Wan sighed. "Oh, brilliant." He looked forward and nearly choked. "I think your backup plan has arrived." Anakin looked to see what Obi Wan was seeing. "See? It''s all gonna work out." Obi Wan shook his head. "That troublemaker is the last thing we need on an infiltration mission." Anakin laughed. "Master Draco is always welcome. He knows how to have fun." As he said this, the door slid open and Tyler strolled in. "Did I miss anything? Aside from his lack of a plan of course." He pointed at Anakin. Obi Wan laughed. "It''s so like him, isn''t it?" Tyler shrugged. "He is the number two most unpredictable Jedi." Anakin gave a confused face. "And who is number one?" Tyler smirked. "Me, of course. Let''s get going. It''s not polite to keep your woman waiting." While they were flying, Tyler decided to spark up some conversation. He was still bored despite the raging battle going on around them. "So Anakin, have you taken the wife on a honeymoon yet?" Anakin thought for a moment. "Well, after Geonosis we visited her family and the Queen on Naboo. They have a lake house that is very peaceful. That was definitely some of the best meditation I have ever done." Tyler clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Tsk tsk. That''s no honeymoon. That''s just you meeting her family." Anakin raised his brow and looked at Tyler. "Oh, wise Master Jedi, please share your wisdom with me. What is a honeymoon?" He grunted as he finished his words due to him pulling sharply to the right, b?r?ly avoiding a turbolaser shot. If it hit them, they would have been obliterated. Tyler laughed and relaxed in a seat. "A honeymoon is where you and your betrothed go on a trip and do something that you wouldn''t normally do. The most important part is that you do it together. Both of you already travel around the galaxy, seeing the most beautiful of sights, meeting all kinds of people, but there is something that neither of you do. You don''t relax." Anakin sighed. "Time to relax is hard to come by these days. How do you relax?" Tyler laughed nervously. "Well aside from the occasional night with the fiancee or having liquor with every meal, I sleep. However, I have just the place for you." Anakin raised his brow in curiosity. "So, what is it?" Tyler laughed and put on his salesman face. "The Limitless Collection by Marriot. Each of these gorgeous properties has every luxury and amenity you can imagine. Food, drink, music, only the best of all of it. The best part is the experience. You can go skiing on the mountains of Hoth, explore the jungles and caves of Kashyyyk, bathe in the oceans of Scarif, and much much more. Each of the properties is self sustaining, using state of the art technologies that make you feel like you''re in heaven. Make your reservation today!" Obi Wan was cracking up. "Oh my. I never thought I''d see the day when a Jedi Master spends his free time as a salesman." Anakin was deep in thought. "Scarif sounds fun. I think Padme would enjoy the beach." Tyler grinned. "Obi Wan, maybe you can take your special lady to one of my resorts one day. Even royalty would feel right at home." Obi Wan grimaced. "What are you talking about?" Tyler laughed. "I have said this many times but I''ll say it again. There aren''t many things that happen in this galaxy that I don''t know about. Maybe I can get you two back together someday. I am a Mandalorian afterall. Probably the most notorious one in all the galaxy." He bumped his ?h?st plate. "How do you think I was able to get this beskar so easily? Anyways, that ship doesn''t look too good." Obi Wan nodded. "If they spot us, we''ll be pulverized." At this point, they were nearing the bridge of the Malevolence. Anakin laughed. "They''re too busy repairing the ship. They don''t have time to notice us." He pulled the wheel again and avoided another stray turbolaser shot. Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "Subtlety has never been one of your strong points, Anakin." Anakin smirked. "Everything I know I learned from you, Master. And also a few things from the salesman." Obi Wan shook his head. "Oh, if only that were true. I always wonder if Master Qui Gon would have taught you better." Tyler perked up from hearing that name. "Speaking of him, what has he been up to? I haven''t seen him since the war started." Obi Wan sighed. "He went missing some time before the war began. His ship crashed on this world called Ziost. Once we reached the crash site, we couldn''t find anyone. What is interesting is that the ship was fully intact and no bodies were found inside. After a few months, we had to postpone the investigation due to the war." Tyler raised his brow. "Interesting. Is anyone still looking for him? If not, I will." Obi Wan''s eyes lit up. "Sadly, no one has held out hope any longer. He hasn''t contacted us so he is presumed to be dead. However, I wish you luck. Maybe you can find something that we couldn''t." He pulled out a small drive from his pocket. "Here, take this. I always keep this on me in case I find a lead by chance. This is all the information we found but it''s all a dead end." *Hidden Main Storyline Quest Triggered: Finding Qui Gon Jinn* *Rank: Legendary* *Description: Jedi Master Qui Gon Jinn and his team went missing during a mission. Their ship crashed on Ziost and that is their last known position. Investigate who or what is behind this and discover the team''s whereabouts. Rewards will vary based on completion rating. Maximum rewards are shown below.* *Rewards: 20 Legendary Jedi Holocrons, +10000 Jedi Order Reputation, +30000 Qui Gon Jinn Reputation, +24000 Obi Wan Kenobi Reputation* Tyler raised his brow upon seeing this. He had never seen or heard of a quest like this. Main storyline quests can be hidden? This quest was also a bit interesting. Tyler is the one that made it so Qui Gon didn''t die. Apparently the Jedi Master went on a journey to explore the galaxy. He was likely looking for ancient Jedi and Sith artifacts. Tyler sighed. "Well, I hope I can find him alive." He plugged the data drive into his wrist comm and copied the data into his personal archives. He then handed the drive back to Obi Wan. "I copied the data. I will use all of my resources to look into this." Obi Wan smiled. "I appreciate it, Draco." The ship shook as they docked into the airlock. The three Jedi and R2 got up from their seats and entered the airlock. They got onto a lift and R2 activated it. Obi Wan shook his head. "Anakin, you''re crazy. Spinning is not flying." Anakin smirked. "But it''s a good trick." Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "We do not want to be spotted." As he said this, the doors slid open. On the other side, two droids were walking over to investigate the noise. Tyler was already on it. He pulled his revolver style blaster out of its holster and spun it as he lifted it to aim. He pulled the trigger twice, slightly adjusting the aim between the two shots. The two blaster bolts struck the two droids in the head and they dropped to the floor. Obi Wan and Anakin both looked at the droids and then back to Tyler. Tyler shrugged as he blew the smoke off the tip of the blaster and holstered it with finesse. Obi Wan just shook his head. "Well so much for stealth." Anakin laughed. "You stay here R2." Anakin''s comm started beeping and a voice came through. "Master, we''ve found the senator. I''m patching her through." Anakin got serious. "Padme?" Padme replied. "Anakin." Anakin was very worried. "Are you alright? Where are you?" Padme quickly replied. "On the lower levels. I''m fine but I don''t know for how long. Droids are everywhere." Anakin nodded. "Obi Wan, Draco, and I are on board too." Padme was livid. "What?! What are you doing here?!" Anakin scoffed. "We came to get you off this ship. Ahsoka, how can we get to the senator?" Ahsoka replied. "According to our scans, there seems to be a large open area in the center of the ship. It should be halfway between the two of you." Anakin nodded. "We''re on our way. Did you hear that, Padme?" Padme replied. "I''ll be there." The three Jedi began running again, full speed towards the central area. Tyler sighed. "I have a feeling that Grievous is getting help searching for Padme." Anakin rolled his eyes. "Well of course. Every droid on this ship is probably hunting for her." I shook my head. "Separatist guilds are probably on this ship. Possibly even some Sith. I can sense living beings among the droids." Obi Wan sighed. "You are right. This won''t be easy." I nodded. "We should probably try to see if we can take down this ship from the inside." Anakin smirked. "I like the sound of that. So many methods to choose from. We can rig the power plant, we can detonate the munitionsˇ­" I laughed. "Or we could just crash it into an uninhabited planet. I love me some scrap collecting. That was how I first made money." Anakin pointed in front of their group. "Look! I think that''s it!" They sped up even more and reached the end of the hall. It opened up into a massive cargo bay. There were countless tracks with maglev trains flying at high speed to ferry supplies across the ship. The Malevolence was massive enough to require something like this. Obi Wan sighed. "I don''t see her Anakin." Anakin shook his head. "She''s here, Master. I sense it." Suddenly, blasters could be heard firing in the distance. Looking to the source, a woman and a golden droid were retreating from a squad of battle droids. Tyler sighed. "Let''s move. Padme is in one of her usual predicaments." The three Jedi ignited their four lightsabers and ran off to save Padme. Chapter 57 - The Malevolence Part VI (I just realized that I''m on part six of this arc. Damn. Sorry for the delay. I was sick and then was traveling. I''m at the ski condo right now drinking lol. Enjoy!) (Question of the day: What''s your favorite fruit?) Anakin, Obi Wan, and Tyler ran down the ramp. Their current goal was to save Padme who was being attacked by droids. At the bottom of the ramp, the three Jedi launched into the air with the force as their propellant. They landed gracefully on top of a speeding maglev train. Suddenly, two blaster bolts came flying at them from a group of three droids. Anakin and Obi Wan casually reflected the bolts, taking down two of the droids. The third droid visible shook its head and sighed. It was apparent that this battle droid must be one of the few that had survived an encounter with a Jedi. As they finished with that, they looked back to see Padme shoving 3PO onto one of the trains. The golden droid bounced and then landed on another train heading in the opposite direction. Tyler just shook his head. "Anakin, she really doesn''t take care of that droid you gave her. I remember finding you when it was still half built." Anakin sighed. "I''m not sure if she understands how much that droid means to me." Tyler laughed. "Women, am I right?" Anakin nodded. "You could say that again, master." They then watched as Padme jumped onto the train that she intended for 3PO to land on. Anakin panicked as he saw her jump. "Padme!" Tyler shook his head. "She is fine. In fact, she has survived much worse. Did you forget Geonosis?" Anakin sighed as he jumped off the train. Tyler and Obi Wan only watched. Getting C-3PO was also important as that droid undoubtedly had information in its memory banks that couldn''t be seen by the enemy. From the train above, Obi Wan and Tyler watched as Anakin flew through the air, floating to the train traveling adjacent to the one that Padme was on. The fall was at least 10 stories. This would kill any normal individual. However, the force essentially negates fall damage when used properly. It can be used to strengthen the body as well as slowing down the falling person. The combination of these two abilities effectively negates fall damage. As all four of them were moving forwards on their respective trains, some droids emerged in a hall overlooking them. There was a B1 droid and two B2 droids. The B1 droid pointed at the track that Padme was on and the B2 aimed towards it. A rocket launched out of its arm, demolishing the track. A huge gap was now in the path of her train. Padme started to panic. "The bridge is out!" Anakin extended his arms to her and yelled. "Jump to me! I''ll use the force, you have to trust me!" Padme hesitated for a moment, turning her head to look at the gap in the track. If she didn''t trust her husband, her death was imminent. The grind of the maglev train flying down the track, the arcs of electrical current snapping between the conducting plates, the air gushing past her. Each of these things contributed to the urgency she was being pressured by. This is where Anakin stepped in. Reaching out with the force through his hands, he caught the senator that doubled as his wife. Her fall slowed to a halt as she began to ascend through the air under the gentle guidance of the force. He pulled her straight to him, engaging into a passionate embrace as they were reunited. Their embrace was not only the result of her being saved from certain death. They had also not seen each other for weeks. With the Clone Wars raging, no military official, not even Tyler, had time to spare for their other half. The deprivation of romantic attention will cause even the most motivated person to take a hit. Obi Wan smirked upon seeing this. "Nice catch. We''ll fetch the droid!" The fact that the protocol droid had top secret intel on it wasn''t the only reason that he went to save C-3PO. The other reason was that he was one of the few individuals that knows that Anakin built that droid himself throughout his childhood. It was his masterpiece, his piece de resistance, his pride as an engineer. Nothing could compare to a creator''s first or greatest creation. Through their embrace, the couple shared a few words. They were presumably flirting with each other considering their relationship. It didn''t take long before Anakin and Padme locked lips, engaging in a kiss that was worthy of their reunion. Obi Wan and Tyler quickly descended through the air to another train. They needed to collect Anakin''s prized creation. Chapter 58 - The Malevolence Part VII (Sorry for the delay. I was traveling and had some other issues. Finally back to it. This shouldn''t happen too often. Also, I''m posting the random stuff I write. This includes whatever I write for my writing class. If it isn''t bugged, it should be visible in the list of my works. It probably is bugged so just search up "ARN3wman''s Writing Notebook" if you wanna check it out. Enjoy!) Obi Wan and Tyler jumped from their train to another that was closer to where C-3PO landed. The arcs of electricity were crackling as the trains sped down their tracks. The high speeds caused the two Jedi to struggle to balance themselves as the air pushed against them. Taking a deep breath, Obi Wan reached out with his hand. Grasping through the force with his eyes closed, he lifted the golden droid out of the crate it landed in. In a panic, C-3PO looked around. "Oh! What is going on?" The amalgamation of golden metal and wires floated through the air, slowly ascending towards Obi Wan''s outstretched hand. The tension drawn from this struggle could be cut with a knife. Unfortunately, they wouldn''t be so lucky. Nothing is ever that easy. Another train flew down the track, crashing into the droid and sweeping it away. The weird thing was that this train was moving considerably faster than the others. Upon taking a closer look, a small squad of people could be seen on the train. One of them was looking straight up at the two Jedi, smirking. He was wearing a black cloak. The other people were also wearing dark cloaks. With their hoods up, it was difficult to see their appearance. Obi Wan smacking his th??h in frustration. "Blast, that''s not good." He lifted his comm to his wrist. "Anakin, I got separated from your droid." Padme''s concerned voice came over the line. "3PO!" Anakin then spoked. "Ugh, I''ll take care of it." Tyler then cut in. "Wait for us so we can regroup. 3PO was taken by some unknown ?ssailants. I have a bad feeling about them." Anakin sighed. "Very well. I''ll have Padme return to the ship." Padme quickly retorted. "No, we can''t leave yet. I overheard Grievous. Their hyperdrive is almost repaired." Obi Wan nodded. "We are already headed in the direction so we''ll make sure the hyperdrive stays offline." Anakin replied. "Alright. R2, I need you to help me find 3PO. He''s on the rail jet." R2 chirped in annoyance. "I know. I know! He does. Look, just find him for me, and I''ll be there soon." Tyler turned to Obi Wan after turning off his comms. "Let''s head to the hyperdrive. We must disable it." Obi Wan nodded so they jumped again, navigating through the ship to reach the hyperdrive. -GE- A pair of double doors slid open revealing a wide open room. It was entirely made of metal. In front of the door was a bridge that led to the central controls for the hyperdrive. All around were massive pylons that made up the hyperdrive generators. Obi Wan and Tyler rushed through the doors in an attempt to sneak up behind two droids that were operating the controls. The bu??ons were beeping as they were pressed. The doors behind them slid closed. Suddenly, the lights buzzed on, illuminating the rest of the room. A squad of droids walked in from the two adjacent bridges, effectively surrounding the Jedi. In addition, the doors they came in through slid open again. The doors revealed another squad of droids. A trio of droidekas rolled out from behind the control panel. In all, there were 25 droids; 4 super battle droids, 18 B1 battle droids, and 3 droidekas. A sinister laugh came from behind them. As they turned around, General Grievous jumped down from the platform above. If he had a face, he would be smirking like a puppy eating shit. "Hello there." *General Grievous, 63 years, CIS General* *Level 100* *Kalee Kaleesh* Seeing Grievous''s not so high level, Tyler glanced over at Obi Wan. He essentially stopped looking at levels because there were very few individuals that he couldn''t defeat anyways. He just wanted to satiate his curiosity. *Obi Wan Kenobi, 35 years, Jedi Master* *Level 115* *Stewjon Human* Grievous was holding a blaster and was slowly walking forwards amongst a squad of six B1 droids. "General Kenobi, did you really think I would leave the hyperdrive unguarded?" Obi Wan shrugged and let on a smug look. "Anything is possible. You haven''t exactly impressed me today." Grievous released a sinister laugh. "Kill him." Tyler waved his hands. "Yoohoo, are you forgetting about me? I think you might have a few screws loose." Grievous shook with anger. "General Draco, it''s a p???sur? to meet you. It''s too bad this will also be our last time meeting." Tyler shrugged. "I''m honored that the head clanker knows of me. You are right about one thing. This will be the last time we meet." He smirked. Grievous roared. "KILL THEM NOW!" The surrounding droids raised their weapons, aiming to kill. Tyler and Obi Wan unsheathed their lightsabers. Not waiting to get soaked by a rain of blaster fire, the two Jedi jumped high into the air, gracefully evading the streaking red blaster bolts. They stuck their landings among the three droidekas. In unison, they used the force to send the two outer droidekas rolling down the adjacent bridges. Like the boulder rushing at a certain explorer, the droidekas crashed into the lines of droids, throwing them off of the bridge. Tyler smirked, noticing the opportunity. Due to the small difference in levels, the force should still be effective. This might not make sense in other games but there is no major difference when one is a certain amount of levels over another. Of course there is level suppression but that is it. There is no qualitative difference between brackets of levels, only increased stats. What matters most, however, is skills. Whether those skills are those implemented by the game, or those that the players have learned through effort, it makes no difference. All that matters is how they are used. This makes it so that anyone, with enough hard work, can overcome any foe. Tyler reached out with his hands, grabbing hold of the force. As soon as the droideka stopped rolling, Grievous found himself being lifted off the ground. Grievous roared in anger. "UNHAND ME, JEDI!" Tyler smirked, pulling Grievous to him. As the half droid, half beast, flew through the air, Tyler ignited both of his lightsabers. He raised them, and then swung them down and in as Grievous reached in front of him. This swift move removed all four of the general''s limbs. He was now just as mobile as a turd on a cold tile floor. Grievous screeched in pain. "JEDI SCUM!" Not paying attention to him, Tyler used the force again, flinging the remaining six droids off of the bridge. He then turned to Obi Wan. "Disable the hyperdrive. I''ll keep an eye on the metallic turd over there." Obi Wan rolled his eyes, as he turned towards the control panel. "Bloody hell, Draco. You''re a mad man." Tyler smirked. "I know how to get shit done. That''s all that matters." Grievous started roaring in anger again. Tyler walked over and kicked him in the head with considerable strength. Grievous''s turd-like torso ragdolled through the air, thumping onto the ground. "Shut up. I''m gonna get a headache if you keep crying like a bitch." To his p???sur?, there was no response. However, this was due to the debilitated general being knocked out from the kick to the head. A few minutes later, the hyperdrive was forcefully disabled and the panel was destroyed by Obi Wan''s lightsaber. Anakin''s voice came over the comm line. "Obi Wan? Come in, Obi Wan." Obi Wan chuckled. "The hyperdrive is taken care of. We also captured Grievous." Anakin was shocked. "WHAT? Seems like you had it easy over there." Tyler laughed. "That metallic turd didn''t put up much of a struggle." Obi Wan nodded. "Let''s rendezvous back at the Twilight. We must allow the fleet to engage the Malevolence." He waited for a few moments but there was no reply. "Anakin?" Tyler shook his head. "They must be jamming communications. I wonder what flavor they are using." Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "You do realize that they don''t use actual jam to disrupt comms, right?" Tyler laughed. "It''s a joke, you dobe. Let''s get back to the Twilight." Chapter 59 - Off to Naboo (Is the upload schedule absolute shit right now? Yes. Am I sorry? No, I been seen some shit. Will it get better? Soon. Very soon. I promise, for real this time, that once school is over, I will get back to having a chapter out at least every two days. Nonetheless, enjoy the chapter! Yes, it''s short. It''s a transition.) With Grievous captured, the CIS armada made the jump to hyperspace, abandoning The Malevolence. All of the players there received the notice that their quest was complete when Grievous was captured so presumably that was the reason. Tyler, Obi Wan, Anakin, Plo Koon, Ahsoka, Yularen, and Padme were standing on the bridge of a cruiser. Before them, in the expanses of space, lay The Malevolence, or at least what''s left of it. Tyler wore a wry smile. "We saved a lot of lives today." Plo Koon sighed. "Unfortunately, we incurred some losses as well. A lot of guild members went down with their ships." Tyler shook his head and let out a light chuckle. "The guilds will recover and continue supporting us. I''m curious what their end goal with this superweapon was." Yularen cleared his throat. "I believe the CIS are making an attempt to level the playing field. While they do have quantity over us, we still possess the better quality." Obi Wan nodded. "I agree with that but there must be more to it. Sidious wouldn''t make a move like this unless he had something big in the works. I worry that regardless of who wins this war, it will not end well." Tyler sighed and covered his face with his hand. "Unfortunately, I concur with that sentiment. In addition, there''s another man behind the CIS war effort." Obi Wan tilted his head and raised his brow. "And who might that be?" Tyler grumbled with displeasure as the man''s face came into his mind. "There is this investment group known as The Forest Group. They run a Separatist guild that goes by the name Forest. A while back, he tried to take over Limitless but I removed his head from my conference room. Some conflict ensued but they were utterly annihilated. Eric is the name of the ?sshole that is in charge. He stayed under the radar until the war began and he is now on the same level as Dooku when it comes to influence in the CIS. From the intel briefings I''ve received, it appears that Eric and Dooku are Sidious'' right hands." Obi Wan, along with the others, were having trouble comprehending this information. "So in short, due to this Eric, capturing Grievous is meaningless. Bloody hell, this can''t get any worse." Plo Koon turned to Tyler curiously. "Is Eric a Sith?" Obi Wan sighed in relief. "Well that''s good at least. Now that this is solved for now, where are we off to next?" Padme spoke up. "Now that this is over, I need to head to a few systems to ensure they remain loyal to the Republic." Tyler raised his brow. "Where is your first stop?" Padme nodded. "I will be going to the Outer Rim. I have been close to someone there for a long time, he''s like an uncle to me." Tyler smiled. "Please allow me to send an escort to accompany you. Elder Eclipse, come on out." From the shadows in the corner of the room, a slender man emerged wearing retro reflective fabric that covered his entire body aside from his eyes. As he came into the light, he pulled back his head covering. He had dark eyes and sharp features. His medium length, dark brown hair complemented his look. Eclipse walked up to Tyler and saluted. "Guild leader." Tyler smiled. "I have a mission for you. Please escort Senator Amidala on her trip to the outer rim. Ensure her safety and back her up in any negotiations using all of your authority as a guild elder." Eclipse nodded. "Yes, sir." Eclipse nodded. "Of course." He walked over and stood behind Padme. Tyler thought for a moment and then nodded. "Perfect. Now you will be safe on your journey." Padme rolled her eyes. "I doubt I''ll be needing his services but I''ll always welcome a Guild Elder of Limitless." Tyler nodded. "Of course. Well, off you go!" He turned to Obi Wan. "How is Tsuka doing?" Obi Wan smiled. "He is doing well. Unlike my former padawan, he actually listens to me. His skills with the lightsaber are also leagues ahead of any other padawan. I foresee him becoming a Knight within the year." Tyler nodded with a smile. "That is great news. Anyways, I must be going. For me, Naboo is my next destination. I will be shipping off in a few days to Ryloth along with Admiral Mcree." Yularen let on a confused face. "Why are you heading there personally? I''m sure there are other theaters that could use your ?ssistance." Tyler shook his head. "While that is true, there is something critical that I must attend to. If it is a successˇ­ well I''ll just let you find out when I make my report to the war council." Yularen sighed. "Very well. As long as you aren''t doing whatever it is you call fun, I''m satisfied. We have a war to win." Yularen could only shake his head. "I shall agree to disagree then." Tyler laughed. "Aight, Imma head out. May the force be with you." Chapter 60 - The Experimentals (I''m back, hopefully. Will be back to the old release schedule of a chapter for this book every other day. It alternates with my Fantasy novel. Not too many people are reading it but you should definitely check it out if you haven''t! I''m having a lot of fun with it. Only difference is that the chapters will probably be released pretty late in the evening. I''ll be working from 8 to 4. Also, the new J. Cole album is sick as fu?k. Highly recommend it.) A soft midnight blue light illuminated the horizon, bleeding into the sky like food-dye in water. As the light intensified, it shifted through the spectrum, displaying a pallet of colors. The warm glow spread across the remote grassy fields, no sign of modern civilization in sight. On this field, silhouettes of ruins were lit up from the back as the sun ascended from beneath the horizon. Within them, shadows moved about, seemingly in a hurry to prepare for something. Suddenly, a muffled boom raced across the landscape, causing everyone to stop and look to the skies. A cruiser had just dropped out of hyperspace in the upper atmosphere. Aside from this being dangerous, there were very few people that had the authority to do this in the entire galaxy. It just so turns out that one of those people is who they were preparing for. A lone starfighter emerged from the ventral hangar bay and sped towards the surface. As it came closer, the purple hue of its hull became visible. The Eta-2 Actis Class starfighter then landed in the center of the ruins. Out of the ???kpit popped Tyler wearing a cowboy hat for god only knows what reason. "Howdy." He tipped his hat. Napoli rolled his eyes as he quickdrew his blaster and shot the hat off of Tyler''s head. "Get that shit off. You look like an idiot." Tyler shrugged and hopped off of his starfighter and walked over the Napoli, dapping him up. "It''s been a minute. How you been?" Napoli chuckled. "I''ve been living a nerd''s dream. How could I be anything but great?" Tyler nodded. "If I wasn''t so busy, I would have handled this myself but I''m glad you''re enjoying yourself." Napoli smirked. "I think you''ll be satisfied with the results." Tyler sighed. "I would expect nothing less from my best friend. Let''s see what we''ve got." Napoli turned around. "DEMO TEAM, FORM UP!" As Tyler heard this, he raised his brow in slight surprise. They had a whole team prepared for a demonstration. His expectations had just shot up tenfold. He then smiled and turned to Tyler. "So some background before I have them introduce themselves. All of the classes introduced via Gul''dan''s Citadel''s Training Hall are as difficult, if not more so, than the force s?ns?t?v? class." Once he finished speaking, he turned and gestured to the leftmost person in the line." The woman bowed. "Gonzalez, captain of the Mage Corps." Tyler froze upon hearing that. "There are more classes than just warlock?" Napoli smirked. "A pleasant surprise, eh?" Tyler shook his head. "That can''t be right. When we secured the citadel, we were only informed about the warlock class." Napoli chuckled. "We were all surprised too. That was until we discovered something else. The classes have different specs. For example, Gonzalez is a frost mage. Other mage specs include arcane and fire." Tyler looked like a kid in a candy shop hearing this. He looked straight at Gonzalez. "Hit me with a spell. I want to feel the damage for myself." A bead of sweat rolled down her face. "Guild Leader, are you sure about this? My strongest spell rivals the destructive power of a turbo laser." Tyler''s eyes widened. "Well I''m sure that not all of your spells are like that. Hit me with something that you''d use on an enemy combatant." Tyler nodded as he pulled out a lightsaber, igniting it as he brandished it with a spin. He gripped it with two hands, expecting quite the impact despite frostbolt being a low tier spell. The force flared around the shard of ice as a gentle but cold light emanated from it. Then, it was launched towards the Jedi Master at a blistering speed. Tyler felt sweat begin to coat his hands as the shard of ice presented a frightening amount of power. In an attempt to deflect it, he swung down with his lightsaber. The purple blade easily sliced through the shard of ice, which was not the intended effect. It split into chunks that resembled buckshot from a shotgun. Fortunately, most of the chunks missed. Unfortunately, it was only most and not all. One of the shards struck Tyler''s shoulder, slicing it open like a hot knife through bu??er. His shoulder bone was briefly visible before blood began flowing out like a steady stream. Tyler immediately dropped his lightsaber, deactivating before it hit the floor. He then clutched his shoulder, grimacing in pain. "FUCK THAT HURTS!" Napoli nearly choked. "Well, we can get that fixed right up with our next demo." He laughed nervously as he scratched the back of his head. A man then walked forward. He was wearing white robes that contrasted greatly with the dark blue robes of the mage. He bowed. "Giorno, captain of the Priest Corps." Napoli nodded, signaling for the demonstration to begin. "Giorno is a holy priest, which is essentially a pure healing class." As he said this, a gentle white light covered Giorno''s hands as the force pulsed around him gently. "He can cast both AoE and individual healing spells due to his spec. The other specs are shadow and discipline." The white glow extended into a beam of light that struck Tyler, surrounding him in a warm, glowing aura. Tyler removed his hand from his shoulder and the wound healed at a visible rate. "Holy shitˇ­ ha, unintentional pun. But seriously, that was amazing!" Tyler cut him off, waving his hand. "I''d like to try something before we continue. Gonzalez, please cast another frostbolt at me." Gonzalez gave him a strange look. "Sir, are you sure?" Tyler nodded as he picked his lightsaber up off the ground and clipped it to his belt. "I''m ready when you are." Gonzalez sighed as she raised her staff, preparing another frostbolt. Just like last time, the force began flowing around her with great strength, congregating around her and moving through her body. As soon as the shard of ice was formed, she launched it straight towards her guild leader. As the shard flew through the air, Tyler suddenly raised his arm, palm facing out. He reached out in the force and felt the mass of force energy approaching him in the form of the frostbolt. He smirked. "Bingo." He clamped down on it using his extensive mastery of the force and froze the shard of ice in its trajectory. Upon seeing this, everyone was silent. No one could believe that the force could be used like this. Napoli furiously threw his datapad on the floor. "HOW THE FUCK DID YOU DO THAT?" Tyler shrugged. "I''m not the only Master Jedi player for nothing. I guess I''m just built different." He smirked and winked as he finished his statement. Chapter 61 - Field Test Part I (Moving is tough. Whole body hurts. Just a quick chapter bc I feel bad for not posting bc I was moving. Enjoy!) Napoli stood before his line of squad captains like a proud father. "So, dude, what do you think?" Tyler was standing there with a shit eating grin on his face. He was thrilled with the results of this endeavor. On top of all of this, there should be a group of Revanites ready for combat soon. They are all going through a comprehensive retraining and officer education process to lead the guild as squad leaders. "What do I think?! I can''t wait to see them in combat. No one will stand a chance against this shit." As they were chatting about the possible applications of this new power, a guild member ran over to them. "Guild Leader!" Tyler turned to him. "What is it?" The guild member nodded. "The Republic has just received a plea of help from Naboo. Senator Amidala has gone missing." Tyler perked up on hearing this. "Well, that''s my queue. Wait, this is a good opportunity to have the experimentals go through a field test. Napoli, go through the intel on the Naboo Crisis that occurs mid war and narrow down the location. Then have my cruiser scan for underground structures in that area. Meanwhile, I want two squads prepped and ready for my return. I''ll be leading this operation personally. It''s the least I can do for Anakin. I will be heading to the capital now so please take care of this for me." Napoli laughed. "Of course dude. It''s the least I could do after all you''ve done for me. I doubt I''d be in this position today if it wasn''t for you." Tyler shrugged as he hopped into his fighter. "R2, off to the capital we go." -GE- As Tyler landed in the hangar, Captain Typho rushed over to greet him. "General Draco, we''re so glad you could make it this quickly." Tyler waved his hand in dismissal. "I was already on-world so it''s not a big deal in the slightest. Please, tell me what the situation is." Typho nodded and guided Tyler towards a holotable. "These latest developments have been quite concerning. We definitely never thought we''d have to deal with anything like this. Personally, I thought it was more likely to see droids in the palace again before this." Tyler raised his brow. "That is quite concerning. Please get to the point, captain." Typho nodded as they arrived in front of the holo table, turning it on. "Yes, general. We did a robo-lobotomy on the battle droids and came up with this piece of memory." Tyler nearly choked when they saw him. He shook his head and patted his clothes, composing himself. "Who is Dr. Nosecone over here?" Typho chuckled at Tyler''s comment. ''Really? I didn''t realize this hardass had a sense of humor.'' Typho then continued, gesturing at the hologram. "This is Dr. Nuvo Vindi, the senior medic for the Perma families. He disappeared ten years ago." Vindi then began speaking. He sounded like a typical Nazi mad scientist. "Good news, my soulless automaton friends." He was gently stroking what looked like a bomb in his hands like a psychopath. He continued. "We finally have enough of the blue shadow virus to start filling the bombs. We will only need to send one bomb to each key star system. Work quickly!" As he finished, he was flitting his fingers as if he was fondling an imaginary br??st. "I want them ready to deliver-" The recording cut off. Tyler sighed. "Well that''s a shit show. How do we stop Dr. Nosecone?" Typho nodded. "The good news is that Senator Amidala found the lab." He pressed another bu??on and a 3D model of the lab popped up on the hologram. Tyler rolled his eyes. "I''m guessing that the go-getter went right in?" Typho chuckled. "I guess you know her pretty well. She did indeed. She sent us the coordinates before she disappeared. We''ve managed to get a geo-scan of the area." Tyler shook his head. "I think I''ll call this Operation Hugh Mungus." Tyler nodded. "Well done, captain. If we can stop this, I''ll be sure to have you and your men awarded accordingly. First, let''s prepare for the worst." Typho bu??ed in. "Sir, how do you plan on dealing with the operation?" Tyler shrugged. "That question is above my paygrade. My ?ssociate is handling the plan and preparing my squad. They''ll fill me in when I get there." Typho looked confused. "Ummm, General, but what could possibly be above your paygrade?" Tyler laughed. "Well, I just pay for everything and pretend to know what I''m talking about. Don''t tell anyone I said that though." He winked. Typho sighed. "Very well then. How should we prepare?" Tyler nodded. "There should be many guilds stationed on Naboo, yes?" Typho nodded. "Yes, they are a huge help. What about them?" Tyler smiled. He''ll never miss an opportunity to create quests for other players. "Put out an ?ssignment to have them gather and prepare emergency supplies for a potential virus breakout. Face masks, rebreathers, food, water, we may need all of it. Have them arrange it in various hangars around the planet and ensure that there will be proper coverage in case it does break out. Explicitly say to the guild representatives that they must restrict the information on this as we don''t want to cause mass hysteria. Anything I might have missed?" Tyler nodded. "Great thinking." Typho smiled. "Speaking of hazmat suits. Will your squad be needing them?" Tyler shook his head. "We will be fine. We have air tight armor prepared. That way we don''t have to worry about being in combat." Typho nodded. "Good thinking, sir. I''ll get that ?ssignment out. I wish you luck, General." Tyler smiled and turned to walk back to his ship as the quest popped up on his screen. "Thank you, Captain. I''ll keep you posted." *Quest Received: Mystery of the Thousand Moons* *Rank: Epic* *Description: Dr. Nuvo Vindi is attempting to release the Blue Shadow virus on the galaxy. The last time this virus struck the galaxy, billions died before a cure was developed. Prevent the release of the virus at all costs and save Senator Amidala. The slighted failure will result in at least 2% of the galaxy''s population dying including the loss of Naboo, a key system in the Republic.* *Potential Rewards: 1 billion credits, ALL NON ENEMY GROUPS BELOW HONORED +6000 Reputation, Unknown Title.* Chapter 62 - Field Test Part II A voice came over the radio. "This is Overlord, you are cleared for jump." Tyler turned to the squad that was to accompany him through the front door. He faced his back towards the open door of the LAAT and saluted. "Happy dropping boys." He then proceeded to fall backwards into freefall towards the tree cover below. A mage named Titus turned to the priest next to him. "Did he have a parachute?" The priest named Moo chuckled and she replied. "No, no he didn''t." Each squad of experimentals was made up of five players and one commander. With the total of six players, they would have two healers, two tanks, and two damage classes. This was a much more balanced and effective combination than the current classes that only had limited medics in terms of healing. Since Tyler was a Jedi, his squad was made up of a mage for damage, a priest and a paladin that were set up for healing, and then a warrior and a paladin set up for tanking. Titus called out. "Well you guys know the formation. You better catch up before he gets in trouble like usual." The warrior named Drax laughed heartily. "HAHA! It''s not like the boss can''t handle himself. I''m excited to see him in action!" All of the remaining squad members jumped out of the LAAT, none wearing parachutes. Although they couldn''t use the force like Tyler to cushion their fall, Titus the mage can use a spell called Slow Fall to have them gently descend to the ground. He waited until they were about 30 feet above the ground before casting it. When they reached the ground, Tyler was already cutting through the blast doors with his lightsabers. Drax scoffed. "Boss, let me handle this!" He then roared like a wild animal, the force being excited by his battle shout. "AHHHHHHHHHHH!" Drax charged towards the blast doors, using his twin battle axes he struck them right in the middle. With that one strike, they shattered, exploding inwards with an explosion-like sound. "HAHA! NOW THAT''S MORE LIKE IT!" Tyler chuckled. "I like this guy. That definitely got their attention!" As he said this, a sea of droids began flooding the hallway, red blaster fire raining upon them. Tyler was waving his lightsabers, elegantly reflecting the blaster bolts into the droids before him. A paladin named Nathaniel ran forward, warhammer in one hand and tower shield in the other. As a tank, he had a massive strength stat. "I got this, sir." He raised his hammer into the air, the force converging on it in the form of a warm and gentle light. It was almost holy in appearance. He then pulled his hammer down before slamming his tower shield into the ground. The energy formed a bubble around him, absorbing all of the blaster fire coming towards the squad. It resembled a droideka''s one way shield. Tyler smirked. "FORM UP BEHIND THE BUBBLE!" The six players slowly advanced from behind the bubble, shielded from anything coming their way. As they moved forwards, a steady stream of damaging spells and strikes demolished the sea of droids. *Level 81* *B2 Super Battle Droid, Infantry* *Level 86* Despite the players in the group only being an average of level 80, their output of DPS was more than enough to plow through the droids like a field of wheat before a tractor. With Tyler being nearly level 100 by now, he was doing quite well for himself. Draco, 21 years, Jedi Master (Revanite) Level 97 Mandalorian Human At this point in the game, the average level of front line players was just under 75. Being the top guild, the average player level in Limitless was just under 78. The reason these experimentals are not higher levels is due to the fact that they had to spend years learning their classes from scratch. It was especially difficult for the players that were not already Jedi since they needed to learn to feel the force. Most of their time was dedicated to training while they would occasionally get power leveled by guild elders in order to remain competitive. The game was released almost 4 years ago at this point. The unbelievable thing was that new players were still coming around. There are even massive professional esports within the game. Developments in the esports as well as general game changing events in the galaxy are considered front page news. Limitless, usually in the form of Tyler wearing a shit eating grin, often headlined due to their dominance within the game. With this, the priest, Moo, prepared for the bubble to expire by gathering energy to cast a spell known as Power Word: Shield. This would allow the warrior to substitute in tanking the massive amount of damage being thrown at them. They were nearly through the battalion of droids so this was the final push they needed. As the bubble expired, Drax dashed forwards. "HA!" The force rippled out as he screamed, forcing all of the droids to focus on him. All of their blasters now focused on him, ignoring the rest of the squad. By now, the shield had been cast on him by Moo. Tyler smirked. He decided it was time to move on so he charged forward. With each sweep of his twin purple blades, swathes of droids were cut down, rendered as scrap. Quickly, the remaining droids were cut down with the combination of the damage from Tyler and the mage. Fortunately, they finished the droids before the six second effective period of Drax''s taunt expired. After the last droid was cut down, Tyler sat down on top of a super battle droid''s torso. "You guys made this too easy. With this, the CIS is done for." Titus sighed. "I wish it were that easy. I''m sure Sidious has something up his sleeve. Just think about how quickly the ion cannon was developed following the start of the war. If we get a big gun, they''ll reveal something just as big if not bigger." Tyler shrugged. "I wanna take a crack at Darth Grandpa, see if he''s all he''s talked up to be." Everyone laughed at that. Tyler had a knack for coming up with demeaning nicknames that were pretty funny. Tyler stood up after drinking some water. "Alright, break''s over. Let''s go find Dr. Nosecone." Nathaniel led the way with his tower shield, advancing steadily towards the main lab. This was most likely where they would find Vindi, Padme, and Jar Jar. As they were walking, Tyler began to feel something cold in the force. Looking around, he noticed that his squadmates also seemed to be feeling a bit uneasy. "Stay vigilant. I sense the dark side up ahead. We might not be the only players here." Something just didn''t feel right about this whole thing. Suddenly, the cold feeling dissipated, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. It was quite unsettling. Then, Tyler thought of something. "No, it can''t be. That was just speculationˇ­" It was quite unusual. They met no resistance on their way to the lab. They doubted that all of the droids in the facility met them at the front door. Quickly, they reached the blast doors that led into the lab. Unfortunately, they were sealed shut. Tyler started barking out orders. "Titus, get in position to blow the door open. Healers in the back, tanks right next to the door, prepare to charge in. On my mark." He then pressed a bu??on on his comms. "Gamma Squad, are you in position?" A voice replied. "Gamma Squad is in position, sir." The other squad was heading to the staging bay while Tyler''s squad was heading for the lab. They would breach and clear simultaneously since the other squad''s presence was not known as of yet. Tyler nodded and smiled. "On my mark. Threeˇ­ Twoˇ­ Oneˇ­" Chapter 63 - Field Test Part III (Sorry for no chapter on Wednesday. My date went a little too wellˇ­ I also kinda got drunk and couldn''t finish the chapter. Close enough XD) On one, Titus launched his most powerful spell, arcane blast, demolishing the door in the process. The door wasn''t just simply blown out of the wall. It was absolutely destroyed, chunks of it exploding inwards towards the lab. Fortunately, there was a wall of battle droids that caught the chunks like true gentlemen. They may have gotten scrapped in the process, but they did catch them. The interesting thing about arcane magic is that it is essentially embodied as a blast of pure force energy. It''s power is pure destruction incarnate and few things can withstand it. Unfortunately, that wasn''t even a quarter of the droids in the room. Tyler could only sigh upon seeing this. "Well, shit. Anyone got a solution to this?" Titus chuckled. "Leave this to me, guild leader." He pulled his staff back, holding his hand in the front with his palm out. The force gathered into the staff, flowing through his body and into his hand. After channeling the force for a few moments, he casted his spell, arcane missiles. Bright, lights of pure energy shot out of his hand in pulses. The pulses broke into countless projectiles that snaked through the air, completely under the control of Titus. Like homing missiles, each of the approximately 70 projectiles collided into a droid each, taking down about 75% of the droids in the room. This left about 20 droids remaining which is easy pickings even if Tyler was alone. Responding in kind, Tyler charged into the lab with his lightsabers out. However, before he could even cut down a singular droid, a maniacal voice called out in a german accent. "Don''t move, Jedi." Tyler froze upon seeing what was happening. Before him, Vindi was holding Padme in a headlock with a blaster held against her head. "Dr. Nosecone, it''s a p???sur? to meet you." Vindi squinted his eyes in confusion. "Move even an inch and your friend''s head will be littered with blaster bolts." Ignoring the mad scientist, Tyler looked back towards Moo and raised his brow as if he was asking a question. Moo nodded, agreeing with the unspoken idea. Tyler nodded in kind. Tyler looked back at Vindi and smirked. "Well, doctor, I''m afraid you are mistaken. You are under arrest for violation of the Sentient Rights bill passed by the Galactic Senate. I will now be taking you back to Coruscant to answer for your crimes." Vindi blinked before breaking out into a fit of laughter. "Oh my, General, you are very funny. How do-" Before he could even finish, Tyler swung up his left hand, closing it into a fist as he lifted it. Even with the element of surprise, he wasn''t fast enough. Vindi was able to get a shot off right into Padme''s head. Fortunately, Moo had prepared a shield that she casted on Padme as soon as Tyler moved. Once Vindi got the one shot off, he was now paralyzed in mid air under control of the force. Tyler scoffed. "Fucking idiot." He then threw Vindi against the wall, knocking him unconscious instantly. He then pressed a bu??on on his bracelet. "Find the droid, I''d rather not have to go make an antidote. There have already been enough casualties on Ryloth." He then clipped his lightsabers to his belt before using the force to pull Vindi into his right hand by the collar. "Set the charges, let''s blow the joint. I''m taking this shitstain straight back to Coruscant. Get me a transport and I''ll see you all on Ryloth." Tyler then looked at Padme. "Hey, jackass, come with me." Padme was gobsmacked that she was just spoken to like that. "Excus-" Tyler cut her off immediately. "No, stop. The amount of shit I''ve had to get you out of is absurd. Don''t even think about complaining or I''ll ?ssign a whole battalion to follow you around. And trust me, the only person that can override my order is the chancellor." Padme''s expression sunk. "Fine. Jar Jar, let''s go." Jar Jar galloped over like the uncoordinated moron he is. "Misa come with yousa!" Tyler dragged an unconscious Vindi through the underground complex with the representative duo following him in silence. Although it might seem that it was a bit awkward, Tyler enjoyed the silence. Padme broke the ice. "Is everything alright, Draco?" Tyler ?r??n?d as he threw Vindi against the wall in frustration. "UGHHHH! I''M SO DONE WITH THIS SHIT! I HAVEN''T SEEN MY FIANCE IN ALMOST TWO MONTHS! I''M A HUMAN BEING TOO YOU KNOW?" Padme shook her head. "You really do overwork yourself. I know you enjoy all of this, but you really need some time off. I''ll personally put in a request on behalf of the war council to the chancellor that you get at least a week off following your operation on Ryloth." Padme sighed and knelt down in front of Tyler. "Draco, it is important that you make use of your people. Those around you are there to help you. You have a lot on your plate. You are responsible for a planet, a guild with over one hundred thousand members, a seat in the galactic senate, and our entire army. I know it''s a lot but you need to delegate. It''s part of being a leader. Those who follow you are just as important when it comes to the things you achieve. You can''t do any of it without them." Tyler closed his eyes and let out a deep exhale, letting his head tilt back and rest against the wall. "Thanks, Padme. I''m sorry for snapping on your earlier." Padme smiled. "Don''t worry about it. We''ve been friends long enough that something like that is inevitable to happen. And don''t you worry. I''ll make sure Emily gets off as well so you two can enjoy yourselves." Tyler smiled, still keeping his eyes closed. "I''d like that. Maybe I could finally check out one of my resorts." Padme chuckled. "Now that sounds like a good time." A singular tear rolled down Tyler''s face. It felt amazing to know that there''d be a short refuge in the near future. "Let''s get back to Coruscant. I need a proper night''s sleep before heading to Ryloth." Chapter 64 - The Galaxys First Drive By (This would have been longer but lactose intolerance is a thing. My ?sshole is burning hotter than the deepest recesses of hell.) After rendezvousing with Admiral Mcree''s armada over Naboo, Tyler''s personal venator was now traveling through hyperspace. Tyler was standing before one of the displays that showed a panoramic view of what was going on outside of the ship. The streaking blue lights of stars in the distance created a beautiful display. It was like a tunnel of light. It would never get old for him. A guild member rushed over to him. "Sir, there is an urgent meeting in the planning room. They have requested your presence." Tyler nodded as he turned around. "Very well." He then walked towards the planning room. On the holotable, a few people were already in attendance. This included Obi Wan, Windu, Anakin, Ahsoka, and Mcree. Windu turned and welcomed Tyler since he was the highest ranking person there. "Draco, thank you for joining us." Tyler smiled. "So what seems to be the problem." Anakin shook his head. "The blockade that the Techno Union has set up over Ryloth is impenetrable." Mcree thought for a moment and then responded. "We have 16, general. But we need at least four of them to escort the landing crafts." Tyler smiled. "Well, how does that compare to the blockade?" Anakin sighed. "It appears that the Techno Union aren''t the only ones holding the blockade. There must be some guilds reinforcing them as I saw at least 12 frigates and then 6 cruisers. One freighter is in the center. I reckon that if we take that out, their chain of command will fall apart." Windu nodded in confirmation of this idea. "We have been receiving intelligence that the guilds on the enemy side have not been as unified as those in the Republic." Tyler shrugged. "That doesn''t really make that much of a difference." He then turned and looked dead at Anakin. "Skywalker, don''t even think about using a venator sized projectile to take out the freighter. The guilds will know better than to let you get so close." Anakin blinked a few times in confusion. "I hadn''t even finished coming up with that plan yet." Tyler shook his head. "That isn''t important. What we need is a solution that doesn''t commit war crimes. Anyone have any ideas?" Mcree''s eyes lit up. "Sir, if I mayˇ­" Tyler nodded so he continued. "I believe using one of Skywalker''s damaged cruisers may be our best bet at destroying the blockade." Tyler sighed. "So you are saying that you DO want to use a venator sized projectile." Tyler blinked slowly, stunned at this atrocious idea. "I hate it, but I love it. Let''s do it." Windu shook his head in disbelief. "Wait a damn minute. Why is this what we are going with?" Mcree nodded, understanding Windu''s confusion. "Well, General, it is simple math. If we can use one venator to destroy an entire section of the blockade, a damaged venator at that, then we would be saving a lot of money and a lot of lives. We don''t even have to send in any soldiers. A droid can do it." Windu thought for a moment and then nodded. "I guess that checks out. What if it fails?" Tyler smirked. "Then I''ll buy you a shiny new venator and we''ll do it the boring way." Windu shrugged. "That works with me. Any objections, Obi Wan?" Obi Wan sighed and shook his head. "I''m still not sure how we are winning this war with both you and Anakin around but oh well. Just get on with it." Tyler smiled. "Great. Mcree, make it happen." Mcree nodded. "Yes, sir." -GE- From space, Ryloth is a beautiful world. The clouds stretched through the skies like feathers off the edge of a bird''s wings. Oceans of blue water stretched between the massive chunks of land that covered most of the surface. The majority of the planet was of arid climate, with the ground looking almost tinted orange. Stripes of greenery broke the orange palette of the land, providing a refreshing reprieve from the deserts and canyons. In high orbit, a massive blockade of Separatist ships prevented any unauthorized traffic from accessing the planet or leaving. The captain of this blockade was a Neimoidian, currently studying up on Anakin''s prior feats. He had a gut feeling that Skywalker would be coming back. Unfortunately, he would soon have company but it wouldn''t be Skywalker. The total blockade that surrounded the planet was made up of about 32 large ships. Eighteen of them are concentrated on the side of the planet that faces the Republic and the remainder are spread around the rest of the planet. Ryloth was a key system in maintaining the current front so it was crucial to keep it locked down. A droid approached the captain of the blockade. "Sir, there is a Republic vessel approaching the blockade in hyperspace." The captain nodded and smiled. "Good, just as I expected. We shall provide Skywalker with a warm welcome." Sadly, there was no welcome to be given. Limitless was about to carry out what would officially be called a "drive-by" from here on out. Within a millisecond, the entire blockade was destroyed. Due to this occurring in space, there was no sound. No explosions, no screams, no crashes. Only pure, unbridled destruction. Chapter 65 - Where We Droppin Boys?` Tyler was standing next to Admiral Mcree, admiring the wreckage of the Separatist blockade. "I wonder what Cad Bane has been up to lately." Mcree shrugged. "Not sure, Draco. Haven''t seen his name pop up in any of my intel briefings. He must not be a tangible threat at the moment." Tyler sighed. "Or better yet, we just haven''t noticed his activity. Blaze, send a message to Papi Chulo. Have him ?ssign a team to look into Cad Bane. He''ll understand what I mean." Blaze nodded. "Immediately, General. Also, Generals Windu and Kenobi are awaiting your input on the invasion." Tyler nodded after dapping Mcree up. "Later, dude. Take care of my cruiser for me." Mcree rolled his eyes. "The entire galaxy knows that they''d have to be out of the god damned minds to even look at your cruiser wrong." Tyler chuckled. "That is true. Anyways, I''ll be seeing ya." He then walked towards the planning room. Windu and Kenobi both turned towards Tyler as he walked up to the holotable. They were present in hologram form of course since they were on landing ships. "What''s the situation?" Windu sighed. "We can''t gather much about the surface. They are jamming our scans and the cloud cover is too thick to gather any intelligence. I''m getting a bad feeling about this one." Windu tilted his head in curiosity. "How do you mean, Draco?" Tyler smirked. "Well they use droids, so why don''t we use some as well to gather intelligence. We can also send some forward operatives down. The hard part will be disguising them among the droids." Obi Wan stroked his beard, seemingly in deep thought. "That could work. Is your cruiser equipped with probe droids?" Tyler nodded in confirmation. "They aren''t exactly probe droids but they''ll do pretty much the same thing." Obi Wan sighed. "All that remains is getting the forward operatives down there. Any suggestions?" Tyler thought for a moment and then an idea came to his head. He turned to the operator sitting near the holotable. "Contact Commander Skywalker and have him join us." The guild member nodded. "Immediately, guild leader." Obi Wan grimaced. "Are you sure about this? He''s bound to come up with something crazy." Tyler laughed. "Obi Wan, crazy is just what we need right now. How else do you expect us to be able to land on the surface of Ryloth without any idea what''s going on down there?" Tyler smiled. "We need your input, Anakin. We are planning on sending some of my reconnaissance droids down to the surface. We also want to get some boots on the ground to secure an LZ. How do you think we should do it?" Anakin quickly replied. "How large is the delivery capsule for the droids?" Tyler smirked. This type of thinking was exactly what they needed. "The capsules are about 6x8x4 meters. I designed them myself." Anakin nodded. "Easy. Escape pods are only slightly larger than that. Send down some guys with handheld excavation equipment in escape pods. They won''t be able to tell the difference." Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "That is ridiculous. You are just sending the clones to their deaths." Tyler chuckled. "Who said we have to use clones? I''ll send some of my guild members down. I''d go myself but I need to monitor the recon drones." Windu nodded. "Very well. Let''s get everything in order. Keep us informed on anything you find. Time is of the essence." Tyler nodded in agreement. "I''ll issue the orders immediately. The faster we get this done, the faster I can get some time off!" Windu raised his brow. "Time off?" Windu thought for a moment and then sighed. "I can''t argue with that. You will be missed in your absence. Nonetheless, enjoy the vacation." Tyler smiled, wearing a warm expression. "Thank you, Master Windu. I must be going now. I''ll keep you all updated." Tyler quickly walked away from the holotable. As he did, he opened up the guild interface. Using the proximity function, he sent out a guild quest with 20 slots. The quest was to reach the surface of Ryloth in escape pods and then establish a landing zone for the group of acclamators. The rewards were generous, amounting to 50k credits. In addition, the death of any of the quest takers would result in full compensation plus the quest reward. Failure was not an option. By the time he was finished issuing the quest, he arrived back in the command room. "Mcree, get me a core member. We need an officer for this mission." Mcree snapped his fingers and a guild member that was standing nearby quickly walked over. "Yes, sir." Tyler raised his brow. "You like this guy?" Mcree shrugged. "I keep him around for a reason." Tyler chuckled. "Very well. What''s your name?" The guild member stood at attention. "Bruno, sir." Bruno nodded. "Thank you, sir." Tyler pressed a few bu??ons on his wrist comm, sending the mission briefing to Bruno. "All the details are in there. I''ve made you the co-issuer for this guild quest so it''s in your hands now. Good luck to you." -GE- Tyler was standing before the holotable, informing Windu and Obi Wan of his findings. "Yeah, this is gonna be a shit show. They have anti-air cannons of unknown caliber. It would be easy to take them out if they weren''t using the locals as shields to prevent us from doing so." Obi Wan scoffed. "Despicable. This is just like the Separatists." Tyler nodded. "That isn''t the most troubling thing though. Through some ultrasonic scans, my drones discovered a massive underground compound in the mountains near the village with the cannons." Windu wore a look of great concern. "I was wondering why they had such a massive blockade for a seemingly unimportant world. Tactically speaking at least. Do you have anything more?" Tyler shook his head. "Other than the ways in and out of the compound, nothing. This is quite concerning." Windu nodded. "I knew I had a bad feeling about this. I wouldn''t be surprised to find some Sith down there. I''d say we should postpone the operation but the locals can''t afford to wait that long." Windu nodded. "I guess that is all we can do at the moment. How is the LZ coming along?" Tyler smiled. "Nicely. Commander Bruno is leading the operation nicely. I''d even go to say that we will be able to land as soon as the cannons are gone." Windu sighed in relief. "At least something is going well. Let''s get moving. We should head down in gunships for now and fly low during our approach. We must keep the acclamators in the air so they can move on the capital as soon as those cannons are down." Tyler nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me. Obi Wan, shall we go play with the cannons?" Obi Wan rolled his eyes. "Let''s go. We don''t want to keep the Techno Union waiting, do we?" -GE- A turbulence-ridden flight welcomed them to Ryloth. The gunships shook as they traveled at high speeds just above the forest canopy. This was their only choice to avoid being shot down by the AA cannons. It was dark inside the gunships. All of the men stood in silence, gripping the strap that hung down from the ceiling. The darkness was abruptly pierced by a flashing red light. This indicated that the drop point was imminent. A voice came over the intercom. "Delta team, you are clear for jump." Tyler smiled when he heard this. Jumping out of aircraft was one of his favorite parts of this game. Especially when he does it without a parachute. He had become a bit of an adrenaline junky. He turned to Napoli who was next to him. "Where we droppin''?" Napoli chuckled as he hopped out of the gunship that was coming to a halt. "Right here, dipshit." Tyler rolled his eyes, quickly following his best friend, plummeting towards the forest below. Chapter 66 - Murphys Law As soon as Tyler hit the ground, he felt a wave of cold energy wash over him. He shivered, grimacing at the strength of the dark side present in this world. He immediately looked around, finally locating Obi Wan, Kai, and Tsuka. Without hesitating, he rushed over to them. Before he could even speak, Obi Wan was frowning. "I''m guessing you felt it too." Tyler nodded solemnly. "Master Windu''s gut is never to be doubted ever again." As he said this, he decided to check on the three Jedi''s stats. *Obi Wan Kenobi, 37 years, Jedi Master (Revanite)* *Level 120* *Stewjon Human* *Kai, 81 years, Jedi Knight (Revanite)* *Level 97* *Unknown* Level 81 Corellian Human Tyler smiled. "Tsuka, congratulations on your promotion to Jedi Knight." Tsuka bowed to Tyler with his right fist closed in his left palm. "Thank you, Draco sama." Kai had become a Jedi Knight shortly after the war started and even had some missions where he was separated from Tyler. He was easily the most promising young jedi in the entire order. At this point, it was widely expected that he would one day surpass Yoda. In addition, Tsuka was widely regarded as one of the most promising lightsaber users the order had ever seen. This resulted from his background of training with a katana for most of his life. Tyler sighed. "We should get moving. The longer we take, the more likely it will be that we get ambushed." Following this, he immediately removed the Lazy Draco from his inventory and placed it on the ground. He quickly pressed some bu??ons on his wrist comm and a swarm of nano drones emerged and fanned out around them. This was how we would ensure that they were not being tracked by anything or anyone nearby. Within seconds of them beginning their advance, Obi Wan turned to Tyler. "I believe we will have some company very soon." Tyler nodded. "I also had that feeling. The question isˇ­ when?" Unsheathing both of his lightsabers from his belt, Tyler ignited them, the purple blades hissing to life. "Well shit. TAKE COVER! USE THE FOREST TO YOUR ADVANTAGE AND WATCH YOUR BACKS!" All of the guild members and clones quickly scattered, taking cover behind trees. A hail of blue and red blaster fire painted a dreadful picture in the thick forest. Trees were scorched, dirt and rocks were blown into the air, it was an intense war zone. Leaning against a tree, Tyler took a deep breath, reveling in the feeling of this intense battle. They were without a doubt outplayed. Unfortunately for the attackers, Tyler had some steam to blow off. Tyler immediately let the force run rampant through his body, the full strength of his level 99 stats casting an insane pressure on the area. His emotions and rage were free from their chains, creating tumultuous waves through the force. Off to the side, Tsuka felt the disturbance and snapped his head towards Tyler. He was shocked that such strength in the force was coming from his guild leader. This was Sith Lord level of strength and it was quite scary. He was thankful that he joined the Republic rather than the Separatists. Not that his family''s code of honor would have allowed anything else. Tyler deactivate his lightsabers, kneeling down to the ground. He let the force that ran through everything around him touch every corner of his body, it was euphoric. He was in pure bliss. Snapping out of it, he grabbed hold of the roots of the tree he was hiding behind. He sent an insanely powerful wave of force energy into the ground, shocking the roots loose. Feeling his success, he smirked. He may have been outplayed, but there was no way in hell that he''d ever be outgunned. For now, he had the bigger stick, literally. Tyler released a guttural roar, shocking everyone around him as the force smacked into them with each soundwave. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The ground around the tree began to crack and dust floated into the air. Within a few seconds, the tree was completely uprooted, floating in the air. He then threw his hands forward, sending the tree flying towards the enemy with an insane amount of momentum. Napoli was the first to follow up. "FLANK NOW!" Taking advantage of the enemy''s shock was the most important thing right now. Thus, their entire force carried out a pincer maneuver, effectively cornering the enemy. The ambushers were forced to convene in the middle where the trees had been cleared. With no cover, they were now easy pickings. Tyler just stood back and watched as the remaining players and droids were mowed down. He even went as far as clipping his lightsabers back onto his belt. After deflecting some blaster fire during the initial ambush, he didn''t use them at all. After a few minutes, every single enemy combatant was eliminated, not a single survivor remaining. Tyler quickly called out over comms. "Guildies, standard cleanup procedure. Get it done." All of the guild members quickly moved to collect the scrap from the droids and the loot dropped from the players. Spoils of war were very important to keep the war machine known as Limitless running. Obi Wan slowly approached Tyler. "Draco, are you alright?" Tyler nodded, smiling wryly. "Yeah, why do you ask?" Obi Wan shuddered. "Thatˇ­ nevermind. It''s probably best that I don''t ask." Obi Wan shook his head with his eyes closed. He then opened them and looked back at Tyler. "We should get moving. They already know where we are." Tyler nodded and gestured towards his men. "As soon as the cleanup operation is done, we will move. It shouldn''t be more than a few minutes. I''m sure everyone could use a quick breather. After that scare." Obi Wan chuckled nervously. "I''m not sure if they were scared more by the ambush or that show you put on." Tyler smirked as he shrugged and slumped down against a tree. He took out a protein bar and started eating it. "You want one?" Obi Wan shook his head. "No thank you. I like to fight on a half empty stomach. It keeps me mobile." Tyler nodded. "Understandable." A few minutes later, all evidence of the battle was gone except for the body parts and blood that stained the forest floor. It was quite the gruesome scene. Tyler shot up from the ground. "Let''s move. We should reach the entrance to the village soon." As such, they resumed their advance. Fortunately, they had an uneventful journey to the village after that ambush. Napoli had one of the most concerned expressions he''d ever had. Failure to liberate Ryloth was not an option. These people were suffering under the oppression of the Techno Union. "Well, I guess we can''t save everyone." Tyler shook his head. "Nonsense. I refuse to lose a single local that is within our reach." Napoli laughed sarcastically. "I know you''ve pulled off some crazy shit but how do you intend to overcome this?" This fortification really was impassable. There were three tanks on the ground surrounded by hoards of droids and players. Behind them were walls that stood at about 40 feet. At the top, fifteen turrets overlooked the treeline. Those things weren''t even the worse part. The worst part was that there were two players dressed in dark robes, presumably Sith. This operation just got a shit ton more complicated. Tyler sighed. "I have a few calls to make. Everyone sit tight for now." Chapter 67 - Call Your Mother Every Once in a While (Check out my other novel Aetheria!) Napoli was standing with Obi Wan, Kai, and Tsuka. Kai and Napoli were nearly dying from laughter due to what was happening in front of them. Tyler nodded endlessly. "Mom, I''m in the middle of an operation. I don''t have time to catch up. I just need to know if I have permission to proceed." She presumably responded on the other side but only he could hear her. Tyler raised his fists in frustration, silently roaring in his head. "Yes, mom, I''ll make sure to call you more often. Gotta go bye!" He immediately hung up. "FUCKIN HELL DUD! JEWISH MOMS ARE THE WORST!" Napoli absolutely lost it as he fell to the floor, rolling and laughing hysterically. Kai was a bit better at keeping himself upright. Tyler glared at his best friend. "Naps, I swear to god, I will fu?k?n? murder you." Over to the side, Tsuka was as stoic as ever. Some people wonder if anything phases him. Obi Wan walked over to Tyler. "So, what''s our course of action?" Tyler sighed as he pressed a few bu??ons on his wrist comm. A voice sounded over the radio. "General, I need verbal confirmation for the target coordinates." Tyler nodded. "Confirmation code indiana, delta, alpha, foxtrot. You may proceed." Obi Wan nearly shit himself. "ARE WE BOMBING THE CITY?" Obi Wan sighed. "So what''s the ETA on the bombers? We need to make sure we''ll be ready to move." As he said this, a clone rushed over. "General, the two Sith have retreated into the village." Tyler shrugged. "Makes sense. They probably felt the impending barrage." Obi Wan froze. "DID YOU JUST SAY BARRAGE?" Tyler nodded casually, not wearing any particular facial expression. "Yeah, orbital bombardment. What about it? It''s not like we can get bombers in there." Obi Wan grimaced. "How did you even get that approved?" Tyler laughed. "My mother is a senator on the war council. It''s hard to not get things sanctioned." Obi Wan shook his head before giving orders over comms. "Everyone find some cover, orbital bombardment is imminent." All of the players and clones started shuffling around, finding trees and rocks to take cover behind. They were all danger close to where turbo lasers would be hitting so they would definitely need it. A new sound pierced through everyone''s ears. Turbo lasers that are mounted on cruisers are usually only fired in space so there is no sound when they are fired. Right now, the venator that was firing was within the atmosphere. Even though it was tens of thousands of feet in the air, the explosions were overwhelming. Each round of turbo laser fire was like a hydrogen bomb going off in the upstairs neighbors apartment. As the rain of artillery hit the ground, the whole area shook as massive clouds of dust were kicked up. The shockwave shifted all of the rocks and the trees bent away from the epicenter. Tyler had his helmet on so he was just enjoying the explosions. "I feel like this is one of those moments where the cool dude would smoke a cigarette. Anyone got a pack?" Napoli whipped out a metal carton with cigarettes inside and passed it to his best friend. "You got a light?" Tyler nodded. "I''ve always wanted to try this." After waiting for a few seconds, the explosions stopped and the shockwaves dissipated. "Here goes nothing." He took one of his lightsabers off his belt and ignited it. He held the cigarette in his mouth and raised the lightsaber to the end of it. With a steady inhale, he ignited the cigarette using the heat of the lightsaber. He deactivated the lightsaber before clipping it back to his belt as he took a deep breath, filling his lungs with smoke. As he exhaled, he chuckled. "I can''t believe that actually worked. Definitely good to know." Obi Wan could only shake his head. "I don''t believe that is what lightsabers are supposed to be used for." Tyler shrugged. "Shush. Let''s just move out." He then switched over to the comms channel. "Recon squads A through D form up and move out. Everyone else should stay in defensive formation and follow the route they establish. We''ll have two minutes of lag time between the two groups." After a short two minute wait, Tyler tossed his smoke to the ground, stomping it out with his boot as he released the last puff of smoke. "Let''s move." The group of almost a hundred moved into the village. The recon teams informed them that the safest route to the village square was moving several blocks to the east and taking a side road towards the square. From there, they would move to the main street and launch an ?ssault against the AA cannons. The main goal of this operation was to clear the AA cannons. This would also include saving as many hostages as possible. It would be difficult though as they are in the middle of the hottest area in the village. Another thing to take into note is that the safest route never means the route with the least enemies. In fact, it actually means the route that has the least possible points for ambush and optimal amounts of cover to defend against any ambushes that do happen. These two things are the most important items to consider when entering enemy territory like this. Before they could even reach the side road, they already met resistance that the recon teams were able to slip past. They do specialize in stealth operations after all. A large unit is not suited for this type of thing so they were forced to fight. Around forty droids and players emerged from the buildings and alleys on either side of the street. Their red blaster fire lit up the street, scorching the ground and buildings. Before any of the blaster bolts could hit, portable shields were deployed and all other found cover in or behind buildings. These portable shields were a recent invention by the engineers at Limitless. They produce and sell them to the Republic with b?r?ly any profit margin. The GAR then sells them to guilds with high enough reputation for use in the war. The reputation was important to avoid the enemy stealing the tech for as long as possible. They resembled the portable shields from Halo. The four Jedi were out front leading the fight, slowly but surely cutting down the enemy forces. Kai bitched and m??n?d as he flipped through an encirclement of droids, bisecting them all with a fluid motion. "Geez, these mercenaries are a real pain in the ?ss." Tsuka grunted as he took down an enemy player with a monk cut. "It is more honorable to fight a living enemy than an artificial one. Battle should always have lives on the line." Tyler sighed as he casually mowed down swathes of droids by throwing them into each other using the force. "Stop complaining and just take them down. Those AA guns aren''t gonna disappear by themselves." They quickly dispatched of the remaining enemies, Kai taking the last kill as he was flipping through their back line. Tyler waved his finger in a circle. "Standard scrapping protocol, we move in 30 seconds." Guild members rushed to pick up the droid parts and player drops. Ever since his first major battle on Naboo, he learned to always collect scrap material. It proved to be an important source of funding as scrap is much cheaper to process than ore veins. Scrap already has the electrical components and alloys that can be harvested and sold or used. Thirty second passed quickly. "Let''s move, people." Tyler started walking again, leading the group. He was a fearless leader and inspired his troops. They finally made it to the side street. Tyler quickly sent out an order. "Assassins, move on top of the buildings and take care of any stragglers." The ?ssassin that was right near him nodded. "It will be done." He immediately disappeared, hiding in the shadows. As they walked down the street, they''d hear the occasional thud. This was the result of various ?ssassinations occurring on the rooftops. The enemy''s scouts were thoroughly eliminated. They were a mixture of commando droids and players. Tyler halted their advance as they regrouped with the recon teams. "Captain Chalamet, report your findings." The Frenchman nodded and made his report with a fancy french accent. "The main street is heavily fortified but there is no other way into the square on the ground. They have gun turrets, barricades, and several layers of defense. It will be a hard fought battle." Tyler sighed. "Just as I thought. Blaze, come here." Commander Blaze rushed over and stood at attention. "Yes, sir." Tyler smiled. "At ease, commander. We are about to commence Operation Reach-Around. Assemble back door squadron. We move out in 5." Blaze nodded and saluted. "Yes, sir." He then rushed off to complete his orders. Tyler then turned to his little green friend. "Kai, you ready for some fun?" Kai grinned. "I thought you''d never ask." Chapter 68 - Apologies This may or may not be dropped. I might come back after I take the LSATs (law school entrance exams) in October but we''ll see. I have an actual book that I''m gonna try to write that would be published professionally. If you are here for my writing and not the mediocre story, definitely check out my writing journal. I post free writing stuff in there. If I do come back, this book will probably take quite the dark turn and even bleed into the real world. I''m sure you guys could figure out where this turn would come from if you have read up to this point. If you guys would be into that, I''d be more likely to come back bc I''m kinda bored of this after 67 chapters. Not only is a twist fun for the readers but for the author too.