Mission &nbsp; A Single Branch

Coren Starchaser Aiden Porte

Lorn Reingard

I send this message to those Jedi that I have managed to discover still live who may have suffered Darth Solipsis' invasion of the Core.

I am Kadann, sworn to the Light, Knight Captain of the Imperial Order.

I am certain that you will treat a message from an Imperial with great suspicion. I serve the true Fel Emperor. Darth Solipsis corrupted our proud order and formed his own dark side elite.

The Republic may be disorder and corruption, but even within your own Jedi Order there are those who serve a monarchy. I write this not to belittle, so that there may be some common understanding that our political views differ, but that we also serve the light for peace and order.

One of our Knights returned to us, seeking redemption. Driven out by the Sith Covenant, I now have the location where a cult of Dark Side elite have gathered.

I do not have the resources to stop them alone. I reach out with a proposal and an encryption key such that you can reply securely.

We help one another and attack their stronghold. I ask that any former Imperial Knights that were corrupted by Solipsis in may be taken into my care. Any other Dark Side Elite may find justice within the Republic.

Coren Starchaser · Apr 19, 2026

Aging. That was the term. Coren Starchaser was a fighter, yes, and a Warden of the Sky. But he was more than that, once upon a time, he’d been a Jedi, but now? Now he’d been seen referring to himself as a Warden to those not in the know, and those that knew him? His close circle? Light Side Adept. Even with the light side as his ally, and some additional spells that were granted to him through a care package from Kattada, he was still aging. Getting up was harder, but he could still navigate better than most.

Porter, his faithful orange and white astromech, had helped Coren to the comms room of the Tachyon Rising, as it was on its patrol outside the Dawn Chaser. A call came in, one from someone who he didn’t recognize, and also wasn’t in distress. That was something interesting.

Knight Captain.

Imperial Order.

That latter one took him back. Before he had reclaimed the Light, he served an Order of Imperials within the Unknown Regions, that quickly got folded into the Lords of the Fringe. Could this be similar?

Listening, he nodded. Perhaps there was still luck out there. The Republic was all well and good, he knew Kaia was supporting their Outbound Flight, and Jared was finding a place. But struggling. And Kattada helped the Republic with Jedi and explorers.

But this?

“Knight Captain. Your message finds me in a place where I would be interested in helping. However, I am indisposed for the foreseeable future.” He wasn’t going to say forever, but with Plane Shift, he had a lot of lost sailors he needed to tend to. “I am forwarding your call to someone within the galaxy who can assist. As you may have gathered, I do not always follow the most traditional sense of Jedi, and neither does my son. I am sure he will be in touch.”

Jared Starchaser · Apr 19, 2026

The clank and clatter of tools on the steel floor of the hangar were heard. The Oasis was in orbit over Kattada, its typical home, when it wasn’t deep within the Levantine space. The executive hangar, once used by the vessel’s command crew, was reformatted to support some repairs as well. The hangar had a few personal craft, well, honestly, the whole vessel did, but this had ones in varying states of disrepair. But that did not include the prototype shuttle ShortFin that was being used to hook up power to some of the tools Jared Starchaser was using.

His TIE Exalt was heavily modified, mostly for hunting and seeking, but also for racing. And this was where Jared was working now. The solar array panels were folded in and the ship was braced off the deck, but didn’t give him a great place to work, so with the help of a droid and some cussing, Jared was working on some of the stabilizers for the vessel. Kattada had a bit of a racing scene, and well, it provided him some precedence to wander and get into worlds he had no other reason to be in.

Hopper bounded out of the ShortFin, and presented the message to Jared.

Imperial Order. And the Light Side?

This Jared had to see.

“Kadann. Message received. How can I help?”

Lorn Reingard · Apr 20, 2026

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Lorn stood with his arms crossed, eyes fixed on the flickering blue light of the holoprojector. The man claiming to be Kadann spoke of a "true" Fel Emperor and an Imperial Order purged of Solipsis's corruption. Lorn knew that name well. So did Bastila. The Knight Captain's proposal was bold, offering a secure encryption key and a target: a stronghold of the Dark Side elite.

He glanced to his right where Bastila stood silent. Her presence was a grounding weight in the small room. Lorn leaned forward, the glow of the hologram reflecting in his tired eyes. He tapped the console to record a reply. "This is Knight Lorn Reingard of the Jedi Order," he said, his voice raspy from years of barking orders and breathing smoke. "Tell us what we can do to help."

Lorn stepped back and caught Bastila's skeptical look. He shrugged his shoulders, a small, weary gesture. "What?" he asked. "I am curious. Keeping this cult on their toes is better than waiting for them to find us." He looked back at the console, the quiet of the room suddenly heavy with the prospect of another fight. "Where are your thoughts on this, Padawan?"

Kadann · Apr 20, 2026

Zark San Tekka

Tydeus of Tion

Kadann stood upon the bridge of the Ardent-class frigate Freedom. Before him was an array of holo images. They were the knights they had lost to Solipsis' corruption.

The wheel continued to turn. The Empire was a fine concept that had been corrupted from the inside by the sith. Darth Sidious, Darth Krayt, Darth Solipsis.

One face stood out. Stald. His apprentice. Kadann had failed him. There was still a chance he was alive with the Dark Side Elite and could be captured alive. They had fortified a temple on Ghorman after fleeing the Sith Covenant. The window of opportunity was small.

"I suggest we meet at neutral ground and discuss the matter. What I am asking for is assistance in assaulting and neutralising their temple. If you are willing, the spaceport at Abregado would do. I am sending a proposed time and location."

The message was sent

"Prepare for hyperspace. We will drop back in real space beyond the system. I'll take a lambda class," Kadann explained.

"They could betray us," one of the bridge officer said.

"That's why you'll be nearby," Kadann said with a smile. "If they do, you can make a judgement call on escaping or coming to rescue me."

There was a slight twinkle in the old man's eye.

"Your choice, of course."

The lambda class shuttle slowed on approach to the trade station. It's wings folded up neatly and it set itself down.

The ramp hissed as it slowly lowered. Kadann would wait and see if anyone arrived to talk. "

Bastila Sal-Soren · Apr 20, 2026

Bastila did not answer Lorn’s question, not straight away. Instead she stood with her hands folded behind her back, gaze lingering on the frozen blue image of Kadann’s face as though she was trying to peel truth from the distortion by force of will alone. The projector’s light caught the edge of her features, sharpening the line of her jaw, leaving her eyes unreadable for a moment.

Then she exhaled through her nose.

“My thoughts?” she said at last, calm but edged, “are that men who announce themselves as saviours through scrambled channels and convenient revelations are rarely what they claim to be.”

Her eyes shifted to Lorn Reingard, steady and level.

“For all his promises; I want to make my opinion known that he is still an Imperial. He may be bait cast into deep water to see what rises.” She tilted her head slightly. “Imperials of any state are dangerous.”

She stepped closer to the console and studied the sigils of the offered encryption key.

“But dangerous does not mean useless.”

There was a faint tightening at the corner of her mouth, the closest thing Bastila often gave to approval. “If Solipsis has enemies within the fragmented Imperial Remnants, that fracture matters. If this ‘Fel Emperor’ is real, then the Sith and their servants surely would be bleeding attention inward to finding him. If it is deception, then someone wants us moving toward a place they consider valuable enough to trap.”

She finally looked back to him, hazel eyes narrowing now knowing that Lorn was going to insist they follow this anyway.

“I say that we accept nothing at face value. We verify the key. We trace every route twice. We assume ambush, poison, treachery, orbital bombardment, and at least one long monologued speech about destiny.” She smirked at that one. “Then we go.”

Her expression softened. “You are right about one thing, Master. Waiting is how hunters become prey.”

She glanced once more to the hologram and her voice lowered.

“And if there truly is a stronghold of Dark Side nobility…surely we have to act.”

OUTFIT: XoXo | TAG: Lorn Reingard Kadann Jared Starchaser Tydeus of Tion Zark San Tekka EQUIPMENT:

Lorn Reingard · Apr 20, 2026

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Lorn listened to Bastila's assessment, nodding as she dismantled the risks. Her caution was well-founded. They hadn't survived the Artrisia invasions by being naive, and the idea of an Imperial trap was the first thing on his mind.

He wasn't the perfect Master, and he certainly wasn't the safest, but he believed in experience over lectures. If this was a baptism by fire, they would walk through it together.

"Yes to all of that," Lorn said with a faint grin. "Especially the part about the monologue on destiny. Twenty credits says it goes over three minutes." He tapped the console to download the encryption key and coordinates. "Go pack a bag. We leave shortly."

Some time later, Lorn stood on the observation deck of the Abregado trade station. He watched the sleek Lambda-class shuttle settle onto the landing pad, its wings folding upward like a predator nesting. The hiss of the pressure seal echoed through the docking bay. Lorn adjusted the belt of his tunic, feeling the familiar weight of his lightsaber.

He turned to Bastila, giving her a brief, trusting look. "Your choice on how we play this. Join me at the ramp or scout the perimeter. Be the backup plan if things go south."

He knew she could handle herself regardless of the path she chose. Without waiting for an answer, Lorn started down the walkway toward the Imperial delegation. He kept his stride steady, his eyes scanning the shadows of the hangar for anything that moved.

Kadann · Apr 21, 2026

Tydeus of Tion

Kadann watched the Jedi walking down to meet him. He stretched out gently with the Force, feeling it move around him.

This, he thought, was the Jedi from Naboo. They had an odd form of monarchy. They chose a weak member of one of the royal houses as a figurehead. Still, it was a monarchy. That was common ground. Kadann had precious little to work on.

He had not come in armour. He had a simple tunic and a small insignia on his shoulder. The red and white of the Imperial Knights.

"I am Knight Captain Kadann," he said plainly.

He offered his hand.

"Thank you for coming."

Bastila Sal-Soren · Apr 22, 2026

Bastila watched Lorn depart from the observation deck for half a second, her expression flat with the kind of disbelief reserved only for masters who mistook recklessness for confidence.

“My choice?” she muttered beneath her breath. Lorn was starting to loosen the reins, clearly allowing Bastila the chance to prove herself. She didn’t entirely trust it.

The docking bay was broad, industrial, and too clean in the places that mattered. Fresh security sweeps. Repositioned cargo crates. Workers present, but none working. Eyes elsewhere. Hands too close to coats. She took it in with one slow turn of her gaze, committing lines of fire and exits to memory.

“I guess I’ll join…you…” Lorn was already halfway to the shuttle. “Of course.”

She followed him down the central approach thinking about how she should have moved on the upper gantry overlooking the pad. From there she could have seen the ramp, the shuttle’s dorsal line, the cargo stacks, and most importantly, to Lorn’s blind side.

As she moved, she loosened the clasp of her cloak and let it hang freer for her draw. One hand rested near the hilt at her hip.

Through the Force, the station felt wrong. The shuttle felt wrong. This whole thing felt wrong. It wasn’t that it was overtly hostile. Not yet at least but it was tense in the way a room became stuffy when too many people were pretending to be calm.

She touched the small comm bead at her ear as the neared the approaching figure from the shuttle.

“Cue destiny monologue in three, two…” Her voice was low, and she gave the look of someone who knew that maybe she could get Lorn to laugh beside his own stern attitude. “I swear if they start I’m just going to turn around and go home.”

OUTFIT: XoXo | TAG: Lorn Reingard Kadann | EQUIPMENT:

Jared Starchaser · Apr 22, 2026

The flight wasn’t long, for a Starchaser, they never were. The ShortFin was the ship in better shape than his TIE. Also, coming in something like a TIE may get misinterpreted. Was why he tended to tow it along when he was going places, or just being far enough outside of Imperial sectors that it was a wild idea for it to be there. Touching his father’s prototype shuttle down, Jared and Hopper disembarked. The Mirialan Starchaser in his typical gear, lightsaber, kyber powered hand cannon, and wits. Enhanced leather armors from one of many beasts he felled.

He wasn’t sure if they were going to war quite yet, but he did let the Oasis know to be on standby.

And he always had the last trick, of calling on the Jedi Underground. Perhaps this would be just the thing they’d like to do.

Unsurprising to Jared, a Naboo shuttle was dispatched as well, Reingard and a Sal-Soren, one of them at least. Some big guns were coming to play, by the looks of it.

The red and white of Kadann contrasted with the navy and yellows of Jared's own outfit.

Lorn Reingard · Apr 22, 2026

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Kadann |

Lorn focused on the man in the red and white tunic. The Imperial looked like an older, weathered version of himself, and his presence in the Force felt strangely familiar. It was a peculiar sensation, like looking at a possible future he hadn't yet reached. As he neared the center of the bay, Bastila fell into step beside him. He felt a flicker of relief. He preferred having her where he could see her, sharing the weight of the moment. He noticed she had unfastened her cloak to clear her draw path. Lorn followed suit, mimicking her preparation with a silent nod of approval. Smart.

Bastila's comment about the monologue earned a sharp, knowing look from him. He silently hoped the Imperial wouldn't prove her right. Just as they reached the delegation, another figure emerged from the hangar's bustle. Jared Starchaser. Lorn recognized the Mirialan immediately. Having another Jedi on the floor shifted the energy of the meeting. It was one less unknown to worry about in an area already thick with hidden eyes.

Lorn stopped a few paces from Kadann, ignoring the offered hand for a moment as he scanned the Imperial's face. He could feel the eyes of the station's workers on his back, but he kept his focus forward. There was no point in pleasantries until they knew exactly what kind of blood was being asked of them.

"Alright," Lorn said, his voice level and raspy. "You have our interest. Let's hear about this stronghold." He stood with his feet braced, a man waiting for the first sign of a lie or a lecture.

Kadann · Apr 24, 2026

Bastila Sal-Soren

Lorn Reingard said:
"Alright," Lorn said, his voice level and raspy. "You have our interest. Let's hear about this stronghold."

"Straight to it," Kadann said.

Nothing in his tone suggested that this was a problem. Kadann didn't have high expectations, but having a line of communication was important. The man refusing a polite handshake galvanised his view that they would get no help here.

The Jedi in the core had been broken. He wouldn't begrudge them wanting to focus on their own defences as new sith threats rose in the core.

"Let me outline the timeline of events clearly then," Kadann said, his hand falling to his side.

"Five days ago one of my former Knights returned to me and remains in my custody.

"Darth Solipsis corrupted a number of our Knights and had them join his Dark Side Elite that fought the Alliance in the Core.

"Three days ago he revealed the location of their base on Ghorman. It is not a planet that would tolerate any Imperial contact."

The world had been strip mined by the original Empire. It would be easy to place the blame on the corruption of Darth Sidious, but Kadann knew it was a shameful failure. Even if it was in the distant past.

"If one of their own has been gone for days, as some point they may well prepare to move. Action has to be taken or another dark side cult will grow again."

Jared Starchaser · Apr 24, 2026

The Republic Jedi were probably more akin to the Imperial Knights than they’d like to admit. They both served the Light through their parent government. Jared was more a Rebel-Jedi, Underground and working on his own moral and angle. It was all about protecting the light, government be damned.

“And are you looking at Fel’s Empire through a lens of it being Imperial? Need others to… get in there?” Jared was curious about that. He could set Kadann up with the proper Identity Friend/Foe and a ship. The Imperial Knight may have to lose the red and black garb.

Pulling the lightsaber away from anyone was definitely a hard trick. It was why Jared and his sister still kept theirs.

Kadann · Apr 25, 2026

Jared Starchaser said:
“And are you looking at Fel’s Empire through a lens of it being Imperial? Need others to… get in there?”

"I am not in the business of carrying out operations on other people's soil without permission," Kadann said.

"Not unless I have to. Cards on the table I need more resources than I have to carry out this raid and minimise casualties and I want a government to reach out to Ghorman to coordinate."

"Is that clear?"

There was nothing unkind in the question; he clearly wanted to make certain the the simplistic explanation made sense.

Lorn Reingard · Apr 25, 2026

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Kadann |

Lorn kept his arms crossed, his weight shifted back. "Cards on the table, then," Lorn said, cutting through the explanations. "How do we know this isn't a trap?" He stepped a fraction closer, his gaze hardening as he studied Kadann's face. "Who are you, really? Who is this true Emperor you serve, and what resources are you actually bringing to this fight?"

Internal alarms were already ringing. Lorn glanced at Jared, then back to the Imperial. He needed more than a timeline, he needed to know what kind of fire they were walking into. "If we're going to hit a stronghold of Dark Side Elite on a world that hates Imperials, I need to know exactly who is standing at my back."

Kadann · Apr 29, 2026

Jared Starchaser

"If I was going to lay a trap," Kadann said, "this would have been the trap."

He glanced between them.

"I follow Caius Fel, heir to the Fel Dynasty. I am a servant of the Light and Captain of the Imperial Knights. I might not be what I was with a saber, but I'm still capable."

It wasn't a threat, nor was it warning.

"I can bring five Knights and a platoon of elite Storm Commandos.

"What else can I tell you both?"

Lorn Reingard · Apr 30, 2026

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Kadann |

Skepticism remained etched in the lines of Lorn's face. The claim that this wasn't a trap because it would have happened already felt like a textbook deflection. Anyone clever enough to bait a Jedi was clever enough to play the long game. Still, Kadann carried himself with a quiet steadiness that didn't feel like the hollow bravado of a Sith.

"That's exactly what a man setting a future trap would say," Lorn countered, his voice dry. He caught the slight edge in Kadann's mention of his own combat skills. A ghost of a smile touched Lorn's mouth. "We'll see about that," he joked. Five knights and a platoon of commandos was a significant force, but it also meant more variables to track once the shooting started.

A heavy silence followed as Lorn weighed the numbers. He shifted his attention away from the Knight Captain to the two standing with him. "Starchaser? Bastila?" Lorn asked, motioning for their input. "Any more questions before we decide if we're actually doing this?"

Bastila Sal-Soren · May 2, 2026

Bastila had so far done the most un-Sal-Soren thing of her life. She had stood next to Lorn and silently listened. No snipes back, no underhanded remarks and especially no reaching for her lightsaber…yet.

She had allowed the words of this ‘knight’ to fill them with indication of a raid, telling of Imperial strongholds that still held sway in a core that had rejected them with painful retaliation. It was quite the tale, yet there was one little thing that was really nagging on her. Something that neither Starchaser or Lorn had really touched on yet.

“Master…” She said quietly, attempting to interrupt as politely as she could. “Can we just for a moment address the elephant in the room. He is a frakking Imperial.” She gave the knight a look over. “I know he says he’s from whatever the Fel Empire is, but seriously are we actually considering helping him?”

OUTFIT: XoXo | TAG: Lorn Reingard Jared Starchaser Kadann EQUIPMENT:

Kadann · May 3, 2026

"Oh I am the elephant in the room am I?" Kadann asked.

His white hair caught the station's harsh lights. Though his posture remained straight and commanding, the corners of his blue eyes crinkled with a touch of warm amusement. He met their caution a steady patience.

"A fair suspicion," he said, addressing Bastila directly with genuine respect. "I am a frakking imperial."

A faint, self-deprecating smile touched his lips.

"I will not waste your time with pretty assurances. I believe that the Fel Emperor I offers the best chance at order. Order and justice which the the galaxy has not seen in generations. Solipsis twisted what was good in our Order. I mean to untwist it and do everyone good in the process."

"Within the Republic are Royal Houses. You have many Monarchies within your borders. I respect that. I believe that a Senate is a den of corruption and bickering. Our differences are political. Not - for the most part - moral."

"Is that plain enough? For an elephant."

Jared Starchaser · May 4, 2026

Sure, it’d make sense for him to sit back and just listen. The Republic was going to handle the politics, the Underground Jedi would handle the action. And the light siders in between? Well, they’d figure where they would go.

“Nothing wrong with an Imperial.” Jared smirked. If people went back far enough into his father’s history, especially that before the carbonite nap, there was an Imperial Warlord, and something suspiciously like the Imperial Knights due to some need to keep an old story that had been written some 20 years prior by the author. And if people did look into Jared’s typical color scheme, especially the Jensaarai armor he once donned, there was a familiar-to-Kadann red throughout.

Granted his lightsaber was green, but there had been one that was silver.

He should probably try to dig it out of the Corellia estate. “I mean, I’m willing to go on faith. Fel Empire over a Sith Empire? I know my history.” As scattered as it was.

And the Knight wanted to do away with the Senate?

Tell Jared less.

“I’m game.”