Neon Genesis Evangelion Fan Fiction ❯ CHANGING DARKNESS ❯ Gatherings ( Chapter 10 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

CHANGING DARKNESS INTO THE LIGHT

Book 1: Changing Darkness

Chapter 10: Gatherings

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Far away from EVAs and Angels, preparations were made. A MC 40a awaited it's passengers. The captain,
an old Mon Calamari that commanded this ship ever since the first Thrawn campaign, was surprised that
such a gathering of legends was soon to be taken place on his ship.

The last Jedi Master, the most famous Jedi, the legendary Han Solo; the best diplomat, Leia Organa Solo;
the best Commando, Page and his soldiers; and some of the best pilots in republican history like Pash
Cracken and Wedge Antilles.

The mission itself was top secret, and happened under outmost importance and speed.
He received his new orders only a hour ago, and now he already awaited the arrival of the party.
The target was also set. A small, primitive planet. Why it was suddenly so important, he didn't know. Not
that it mattered. He had his orders.

As he watched out of the hangar, he saw the first of his 'guests' to come. The disc shaped appearance of
this ship was as legendary as it's pilot.

Soon, they would be on their way.

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Ayanami Rei started her first day as apprentice of a Sith as all days before. Waking up at 5.00h in the
morning, she took a shower, put on her clothes and took a bite of blank bread, accompanied by a glass of
water.

Then, the differences started. Instead of going to NERV, she started her way to her new master. She would
have a hour of training, then school. Now, the training as Sith was her most important priority. She
needed the knowledge to kill her creator as painfully as possible.

AT 5.30, she arrived at the home of her master. She didn't bother to knock, as she already had realized
that he was able to feel her. So, she opened the door and entered.

She was already awaited.

"Morning. Time to start your training."

"Yes, my master."

The Sith took a long and slender bag, shouldered it and led the way to his car.
After a short drive, he stopped in the woods, where the training would start.

"At first, we need to find out what strengths, and what weaknesses you have. What talents, and where you
suck. After this, we will start to train seriously."

Rei didn't answer.

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After an exhausting hour of tests, she was glad that it was over, at least for this session.

"I am pleased. Your talents are wide-spread and strong. Your control and dedication to learning is awesome.
To be more precise, I will tell you what I learned in this hour about you and your future training.
Your ability to manipulate the force is strong, but so far, you don't really believe in the force.
This will be something I have to change. You can manipulate objects, and do the same with minds. That means
that you are good at mind-control, and telekinesis. Your greatest weakness is energy control.
You have absolutely no talent for it, which is very dangerous, because it means that you are unable to
manipulate electronics, or channeling hits of energy weapons into a power-boost for yourself. In a galaxy
where 90 percent of all weapons are energy based, this poses a great danger.
As myself, you will need some technological help to overcome your dangerous weakness."

"Yes, my master."

"After school, we will see with what kind of weapons you are good."

A weaker person would have sighed, but Rei wasn't weak. While she still doubted the power of the force, she
felt how much possibilities she had after she mastered it. She would have to go a long way. However, the
price was worth it.

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At lunchtime, it was no great surprise that the second child came to her and wanted to spend lunchtime with
her. Rei couldn't really understand the fiery girl. Why was she so inclined to being friends with her? Why
couldn't she leave her in peace, ignoring her like all the others did?

Asuka, unaware of those musings, decided that it was time to get some insights of the team she had to work
with. While the first and third fought only against the fifth Angel together, they worked together for some
time. So, the pale girl should be able to tell her how perverted the third was.

As Asuka decided to ask this, she was confronted with a chain of events that only Rei Ayanami was able to
start. Instead of giving an answer, she led her straight to the third, who sat together with his only
friend, the annoying picture-taking geek.
With a short notice that they had to speak to Ikari about NERV business, the freckled boy brought as fast
as possible a rather large distance between him and them.
What then happened, was also an Ayanami trademark.

"Ikari-kun, Asuka asked me what kind of pervert you are. I do not possess this information myself, so
could you please answer this question? She seems distracted by this, which could become dangerous in
combat."

Shinji blushed heavily at this, but Asuka's reaction was even better. Flushed in a nearly blood-red color,
with wide eyes and an open hanging mouth, she stood unbelieving beside the blue haired girl.

It didn't take much time until Shinji regained his composure and answered the question. The times where he
would have been to shy to admit anything sexually were gone in a week of pure lust and passion.

"I like water sport."

Rei tilted her questioningly to the right side.

"I like it when my girl pee on me, and when she let me pee on her." he explained calmly.

"So, this only affects your sexual partners?" Rei inquired.

"Yes."

Rei turned around and faced Asuka.

"Do you intend to have intercourse with him?"

"HELL NO!"

"Then you are safe and have nothing to fear. There is no reason to be disturbed by his sexual behavior,
as it does neither concern you, me, or our teamwork." came the final conclusion Ayanami's.

Asuka only nodded dumbly, before Rei started to walk back to their previous place. After a few seconds,
she followed.

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Unbeknownst to all three of them, another one had heard Shinji's confession as well.

<So he really is a pervert.> thought Hikari. This new information was interesting, as she finally was
able to gain some knowledge she was able to use to get him back.

But should she really continue to try?

<He had sex with another girl. I can live with that. He likes pee. No problem. He wants to pee on his girl,
AKA me, if I want him. Big problem. Should I still try to get him back or not?> she questioned herself.

Thanks to her older sister, she knew that this particular fetish was not very uncommon, and that it wasn't
one of the big perversions. And because she didn't plan to make Shinji a porn star, nobody would know.
So, only one question remained. Should she try it with him, or not?
The thought of doing it to him didn't bother her. But the other way was a problem. As child, she tasted
one time her urine out of curiosity, and one thing came clear. It was the most disgusting taste she ever
had in her mouth.

<Well, what now? Try, or not?>

It took her some time until she came to the final conclusion: she would try, and if she got him, she would
try this sexual variant as well. She could always break up with him, if it was too much for her to handle.

With her decision done, Hikari stepped around the corner and greeted Shinji.

His response wasn't what she had hoped for. Only a cold glance acknowledged her presence.

"I heard your little confession." admitted Hikari.

"And? Does that mean that it becomes common knowledge in school? I don't care."

"N...No." gasped Hikari. "I would never do such a thing."

"Then, what do you want?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I don't care. I understand know that you changed more than I thought since
our 'date'. That you were with another girl, and that you had sex with her. That you tried a lot of sexual
variations, and that you like those wet games. But still, I want you back. I'm determined to reach my goal,
so your surrender would only be avoiding of wasting time. Just be gentle when we are together, and give
me time to get used to your likings, ok."

Not waiting for an answer, Hikari walked away, and left a stunned Shinji behind.

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"After the synch tests, we drop by at your dump, get your possessions and move them to our new home.
Katsuragi will drive us, so we don't have to walk. Since we will be living in the neighbor apartment,
it is only logical that she does something for us." announced Asuka.

"Agreed." was the only answer Rei gave to the German girl. It was strange that the fiery redhead talked
so much, ignoring her own silent demeanor. Even more strange was the fact that it bothered her less by
each minute she was with the pilot of 02.

For Rei, the moving posed no problem. Her training would be finished immediately after school, then she had
a little time to eat dinner. Synch tests, then the move. This was her program for today.

She saw with very mixed feelings to living with the other girl. Not only that she had no experience of
living with others, but there was a more serious problem too.
Tonight, they had no time for it, but tomorrow, she would accompany Asuka down to Terminal Dogma, where
she would meet her sisters, where she would learn the truth about NERV, and where she would learn the
truth about herself, Ayanami Rei.

The bell chimed, and they moved back to the classroom.

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As if fate decided to reach Hikari a helping hand, Shinji was on cleaning duty this day. The second student
with this task wasn't in school today, so it was up to her to help him.

In utter silence they did the chores, and only after they were finished, Shinji decided to talk to her.

"Thanks." he muttered, clearly meant for her helping hand.

"No problem. Could you walk me home?"

Hikari knew that she took a risk by pushing for that, but she thought that now was the best time to play
the risk, and maybe getting the big award.

Shinji contemplated this request, and finally, he nodded in approval. The face of the brown haired girl
lit up like a halogen light. She gathered her things and moved them to a pile on her desk.

"Just a minute. I only need to go to the toilet, then we can go." she announced, not knowing that she would
get a completely unexpected response for this statement.

"May I watch?" Shinji asked, wickedly grinning behind her back.

Hikari froze.

<How could I be so stupid? So damn, damn stupid. So absolutely baka. Talking about this when I know that he
is interested in such things. And the nobel-prize for idiocy goes to....Horaki Hikari.>

For Shinji, it was almost too funny. He had a hard time of suppressing the laughter that threatened to
escape his lips, as he knew that Hikari had messed up badly.
There was no way that she would agree, and if she refused, he could use it as reason why she didn't deserve
a chance. After all, she told him that she accepted his little fetish, and when she declined now, he could
say that she only lied to get a new chance.
For him, it was an always win situation. She would decline, and he would have his peace.

For long seconds, Hikari stood statuesque there, not moving, not even breathing as her mind struggled
with finding a solution for the problem she created with her loud mouth.
Primary, all her musings were concentrated on one question: Was he worth it, or not?

Finally, without turning around to face Shinji, she gave her answer.

"Yes."

The word cut clear and loud through the hot air in the classroom, and hit Shinji with full force.
He gulped audibly, as he tried to grasp the fact that she gave him permission to go with her and watch.
Of all the scenarios, this was never planned, as it was deemed impossible by him. He thought that her will
to get him back were nothing more than a ploy, or maybe, sparely possible, a way to get the famous pilot as
boyfriend. But this was something that exceeded all things a girl would do for such empty reasons.
And as much as he disliked her, Shinji had to admit that Hikari was not an empty-minded girl.

Without saying anything, his mouth was too dry, he stood up and followed her.

The school was, like most public buildings equipped with western-style toilets. So, Hikari only upped her
skirt, downed her panties and sat down. Shinji squatted down in front of her.

"You need to spread your legs if I should be able to see something."

Hikari blushed further as she heard this. She removed her panties completely and spread her legs.

"Cute." came Shinji's opinion of her neither regions, what raised Hikari's nervousness again.

It was the longest pee she ever took in her whole life. Unable to fulfill the need of nature with someone
closely watching her, it took her almost a half hour until she finally fulfilled this simple task.
Shinji watched, and as she stood up to wipe herself, he caught a golden drop that fell down from her and
tasted it.

"Hm. Good."

Hikari stared wide-eyed at him, but didn't comment this action. She put her panties back on and left the
cell, directing her steps to the sink where she wanted to wash her hand.
Shinji washed his hands too, and before they left the toilet, he asked a question.

"Why?"

The pig-tailed girl understood immediately. Now it was the time to spill the beans. And hoping that it
would convince him. She didn't know why, but this episode steeled her resolve to get him to formerly
unknown proportions.

She turned to him and looked in his eyes.

"Because I made a mistake. Because I want happiness, and I think that I could find it with you. I didn't
do it for some rash excitement, or for getting you as trophy. If you want to keep it a secret, that's
fine with me. I just want to know you, want a chance to see if it could function. I won't beg for
forgiveness of my error again, I did that often enough. Now it's up to you." she explained her bold move.

Shinji sighed deeply. "I see."

"You don't want to spend time with me?" she asked.

"Would you have asked me this a half hour ago, the answer would have been a simple 'No'. Now, I am not
so sure. You get very far for a chance, and my thoughts about your actions doesn't fit anymore. I can't
understand you, and why all those things happened. Your actions are confusing, and I don't know what
to do anymore."

"Then give us some time. Go out with me, spend time with me. Then, you will know."

Shinji nodded. "I suppose you deserve this. Today I have synch tests."

Hikari blinked, taken off guard by this comment about his duties.

"That means you need to wait for tomorrow to go at the movies with me."

A shy smile spread over the brunette's face.

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While Hikari and Shinji had their little talk, Rei and her Sensei arrived at the spot where they already
trained in the morning.

"Now it is time to see which weapons are suited for you. We will try a light sword, a normal sword with
metal blade, throwing daggers, shuriken, blasters, assault rifles and precision rifles. I will show you
how to handle them, then you can show me what you can make of them, and what you think about them."

Rei nodded.

She watched the demonstration with the energy blade, and as she tried it herself, she was fascinated by the
elegance of the weapon. The precision that was able to achieve, the pureness of a blade made out of light.

"A very elegant weapon. Made for fast and precise slashes and strokes. The non-existing weight makes it
unsuitable for fighters that are relying on strength instead of precision."

"Very observant of you. So this is the ideal weapon for you?"

"No. It is too light-weighted. The dark side need strong emotions. Strong emotions are leading to strong
actions."

The Sith smiled, and decided to change the training a little bit. Instead of grabbing the next sword, he
took the daggers and started the demonstration.

As Rei had to handle them, it became clear that those weapons weren't made for her. She lacked the
strength for throwing them over greater distances, and was unable to use them effectively in close-combat.

"Those weapons are unsuitable. Stumpy, too heavy for such small things and badly balanced."

Her Sensei smiled at those words. She was right, those weapons were crap. But figuring it out if you never
before had them in your hands wasn't an easy feat. And telling your master that they were unsuitable even
more so.

"Correct. They are crap. I used them to gain some insights how I will have to train you. Even if they were
masterpieces, they wouldn't be serious weapons. Nobody uses them, they are outdated and toys for fools."

Next was a small hand blaster. It didn't have much firepower, was more made for stealthy actions than
for mass murdering. He disliked this weak weapon, he preferred massive firepower.
That didn't mean that he couldn't use it, as his demonstration showed rather well.

Rei, already trained with pistols and other firearms, had no problem of giving an acceptable performance.

"Useable, but not good. Too loud for covered missions, and not enough firepower for fire fights."

The Sith smiled. Years ago, he almost said the same.

Then he started the show with the shuriken. Small and deadly stars of metal, enhanced with the best
micro-technology available. Small repulsors held the star in the air, and due to the circling of it,
accelerated it even faster. The small blade vibrated at ultra-sonic speed, and cut through everything with
frightening ease.

What then happened, surprised the Sith and made him more than proud for his decision to take this frail
Soletti as apprentice.

Rei didn't even try to figure out a way of using them in close combat. Instead, she immediately started to
threw them at some trees. Not surprising, so far. But she did it with acceleration and in an angle that the
small star didn't simply cut a hole in a tree, but deflecting from it, flying to the next one, deflecting
from it too, and so on and so on. With one threw, she hit nine trees.

"Very effective secondary weapons. Small, able to be used to cut enemies behind corners, surely a wise
choice."

The Sith nodded dumbly. He always hated those weapons, as he never was able to master them. Only Sith
with very high skill in telekinesis used them, but so far, Rei had no clue how to use those abilities.
If he wouldn't have had such a strong grasp about his face, his jaw would have landed in the grass.

"Yes, they are."

They were the first on his list for weapons his apprentice would need to get.

The next demonstration was with one of his most loved weapons, the heavy assault blaster. Two-hundred shots
per minute, enough energy for 10 minutes of fire in one energy-pack, they were made for mass destruction.

As he saw how Rei used it, he almost wanted to start crying. Instead of a continuous stream of fire, she
only gave short salvos against the targets.

"Very inefficient. Good against crowds, but useless against dangerous enemies. A weapon for barbarians."

"I use them." he dead panned. As Rei didn't apologize, he smiled again. She learned fast.

The next one was the precision rifle. The weapon he liked even more than the assault version, as the
required precision and discipline to master it was more than a good training as Sith. And taking out an
enemy at long range had often very satisfying and live-saving advantages.

He smiled as Rei used the weapon and failed miserably. While she had the concentration and control, she
lacked the proper technique completely. Those rifles were made for shooting on distances of 1.000 up to
45.000 meters, where the own heartbeat and breathing made errors of dozens of meters.

"A good weapon." was Rei's only comment.

"You need to learn how to use it, then it should function well."

She nodded, and the Sith added this weapon on the list.

Now it was time for the last one. Again a sword, but this time made of metal, with a real blade.
Personally, he liked them way more than the blades of light, he used his strength for overwhelming attacks
that were able to take out any enemy in one strike. Rei couldn't use such a two-handed sword as he did, as
the sword would have been way too heavy for her. So he used another variation. A long sword with a very
thin, rapier-like blade.

Rei found this weapon very satisfying too. The handling was more complicated than the light-blades, and it
was more difficult to use the precision that it made possible. Yielding it required more training and
determination than any other close-combat weapon she ever held in her hands so far. The perfect weapon for
her, if it wouldn't have a serious flaw.

She admired the perfect blade and voiced her opinion. "A perfect weapon. It is sad that it cannot be used
in combat."

"Why?" asked the Sith.

"An energy blade cuts through metal with ease. So, fighting with such a weapon would be suicide."

The Sith nodded. It was time to show her for the first time that she did well by accepting him as Sensei,
as he told her for the first time one of his many secrets.

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The synch tests at evening were completely uneventful. Which was definitely a good thing, as any disruption
of such a test would either mean an Angel attack, or a berserk-run.

After the tests, the pilots hit the showers, one of Rei's favorite spots in HQ. Nowhere else in the complex
she was able to relax in the strong rain of hot water, and think about nothing.
Sadly, she was disturbed in this non-activity, as the newest addition to their team, and already her flat
mate, Soryu Asuka decided that it would be a good time to start a rant.

Rei listened to it for a few minutes.

<This time, she found at least an understandable reason.> thought the annoyed blue-head.

The rant went on the topic of the non-existent bath-brushes in the HQ, which meant that the German girl was
unable to wash her back properly.
LCL was a very slimy liquid, and when it dried, it became extremely sticky, and tickled horrible. So it
was no wonder that all pilots showered immediately after they left the tubes where they were immerged in
the orange goo.

Due to its stickiness, it couldn't be simply washed away. The pilots needed to scrub it off.
Rei managed this without help, but even she had to admit that it was quite a feat and functioned only with
a great amount of agility.
Considering Asuka's rants, the red-head wasn't as agile as herself, so it posed a problem for her to get
rid of the smelly goo.

Rei's shoulders slumped as she realized that she wouldn't get the peace she wanted to have here. After a
very small sigh, she exited her shower cell and went to Asuka. Without bothering to ask, she opened the
small cubicle and entered, making Asuka gasp.

"Turn around." she ordered, and Asuka, too surprised to think and complain, obeyed.

Rei liked efficiency, so if there was a problem, she searched for the most easy solution.
This time, it was easy to solve with logic, and she was able to implement it immediately. So she did.

"I wash yours and you wash mine." announced the pilot of unit00, and started to scrub the back of her
friend.

Asuka tensed under the first contact, but relaxed at the slow circling motions. She was surprised by this
unorthodox move of her new companion, as she would have never thought of solving the problem by showering
with each other. Rei's body touched hers several times, and to feel the silky smooth skin of another person
was a new sensation for Asuka. She always pushed people away, and the last physical contact, beside
hand-shaking and for medical treatments, happened as her mother was still healthy and alive.

Relishing this new feeling, she relaxed and was disappointed as Rei announced that she was finished.

Now it was Asuka's turn to wash the other girl, so she turned around. Instead of Rei's back, she was
confronted with a full frontal view of the other girl, which resulted in a blush forming on her cheeks.

"Y..You need to turn around." stammered Asuka.

Rei obliged, but not until she noticed the blush in Asuka's face.

"Why are you blushing? Have I embarrassed you?"

Asuka started to put soap on Rei's back as she answered. "No. You just surprised me."

"I see. I never showered with another person, so I made this mistake."

"It wasn't a mistake. It only surprised me. I never thought that you would come in my shower and help me."

"You are helping me too." came Rei's dry response.

"You know what I mean. I was never alone with a nude girl, so I was surprised."

"Does my nudity bother you?"

"No."

"Good."

"Why?"

"I prefer being nude. Back in my old apartment, I was mostly nude, and I had thought that I would have to
stay clothed now, that I start to live with you. Besides, showering with clothes is useless."

Too shocked over the first statement, Asuka was unable to agree at the second.
So she decided to concentrate on her work, and soon, she announced that she was finished.

After Rei left Asuka's shower and went back into her own, the red-headed girl asked herself if she hadn't
made a mistake by choosing to live with the enigma called Ayanami Rei.

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In the apartment of the Sith, an important meeting was in progress. While only a hologram, the aura of
power and wisdom still emanated strongly from the Sith's talk-partner.

"You have a lot of evidence backing your theory. I agree, this kind if bio-technology, along with the
goals of those fools, are indicating that the Vong are already present. Your request for reinforcements
is granted. Which units do you need?"

"The time has come, my Emperor. The Vong units can't be too strong. I planned to use the P-fleet, and then
we will see if our hopes are fulfilled, my Emperor."

Thrawn waited for a few seconds, then he nodded approvingly. "Yes, the time has come. Those units are
under your command, and you can use them as you wish."

"Thank you, my Emperor."

The communication ended, and the Sith sighed. This would be a long night. He had a lot of orders to give,
and only very limited time. Now, all the plans he worked for were set in motion. The long phase of
preparation was over, now, the chain of events was unstoppable.

It would be interesting to see if he survived his own plans.

He had worked a long time towards his goals, and now, the game would start. He came only through nearly
unbelievable luck from his home planet, and his start in the life of a person who lived in a galaxy of
advanced races and species was nothing to be proud of.

Only a stranded smuggler ship decided his fate, as he helped to get some equipment he needed for his
ship-repairs. Said smuggler gave him out of gratitude the chance to fly with him to Mon Calamari, a
foreign waterworld with even more foreign species living there.

Not knowing what to do, he tried to enlist in the young republican army, but was rejected due to his
lack of knowledge about flying and life in general.
The next weeks, he survived only due to stealing, and managed to get enough money for a passage to
Byss, a planet under rulership of the Empire.

There, he went straight to the next recruitment center, and contrary to the Republic, the Empire choose
to take his service. A long row of tests discovered his talents, and a brutal training prepared him for
his service as pilot, the career he wanted.

His first battle was at the location of the Katana fleet, where, to the surprise of his superiors, and
his own, he managed to shoot a member of Rogue-squadron down. This event changed his career big time, as
he was now considered a star-pilot, one of the best and therefore, someone precious.

Instead of standard Ties, he flew interceptors, Avengers and finally, Defenders. Those Tie versions were
superior to all republican crafts, and he used this well. Twenty-seven kills, including a republican
Nebulon-B, cemented his status as hotshot pilot, so he was relocated aboard the Chimaera, where he met
Thrawn for the first time.

He found in Thrawn a person he could be completely loyal to, and Thrawn found in him a trustworthy and
loyal warrior.

Thrawn's plans were always long-termed, and while he was on a good way of defeating the republic, he made
a lot of side- and emergency-plans.
A day before the faithful battle at Bilbringi, Thrawn received a message that said that Skywalker was on
Wayland. And that the Noghri helped him.
Instead of trying to defend Wayland and get rid of the Noghri, he knew that it was too late. His initial
plan to thwart the republic had failed, and if he would remain in command, he would be killed.
So he used a clone to replace himself in the battle of Bilbringi, and while the Empire got another
devastating blow, a cloaked shuttle flew away, straight into the unknown regions.

The Sith smiled as he thought over those events. He was the pilot who flew the shuttle, and became the
executor of Thrawn. The Chiss pushed him, and he repaid Thrawn's efforts with surprising performances.
He learned the technics behind the starships, received long courses about Hyperspace-theory and ship
design. Finally, he designed his first ship, a small fighter drone, and it was a success.
This decided his road of destiny, and he became one of the designers that worked on a new imperial navy.
Along with his loyalty to Thrawn, his experience as pilot, and a small victory against pirates as
commanding officer, he gained ranks as if it were nothing.

Then, everything changed as the Vong came. The pitiful attempts of the Republic to stop them were futile,
and the help of the shattered remains of the Empire was useless too.
After the fall of Ithor, the Vong started a very successful campaign against the imperial remnants, the
Empire stood before its final destruction.

Those events forced Thrawn to act years before he planned to do so. He came back officially, and Palleaon,
now Grand Admiral and supreme Commander of the Imperial Remnant, supported him immediately as new Emperor.
Thrawn fought the Vong off, and became the only one who was able to gain clear victories against the Vong.

This was enough for them, so they concentrated again on the Republic, which finally led to the destruction
of Coruscant. The republic senate was decimated, their forces scattered, their chance of triumphing over
the Vong almost zero.
Only a resistance that fought completely different against the invaders, led by the Solos and Skywalker,
managed to give those intruders a hard time.

And now, the new imperial fleet was almost ready. And he would command it in its first battle.
The Sith knew those new ships better than anybody else. He flew all of them, tested all of them, commanded
all of them. He knew their strengths and their weaknesses.

He sighed. Ever since he swore an oath of loyalty to Thrawn, he only failed two times. And both times, Jedi
were involved.
The Sith shook his head. Now was no the time to think about this hurtful memories.

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Somewhere in the virtual space of digital communications, another gathering was held.
In a non-existing room, a circle of black monoliths appeared. Each of them represented a person with
enormous wealth and political power. They called themselves the 'Council of the seven eyes', or, more often
used, SEELE.

The head of SEELE, Lorenz Keel, started the meeting.

"Our plans are in danger. The events of the last days are endangering everything we have worked for. Ikari
has lost control over the pilots, and our intelligence says that this is not the only thing Ikari has lost
control of. Our emissary from the Republic is useless as well. We sent her to guard our plans, but she is
unable to stop the threat our plans."

"Then, what should we do?" interjected SEELE 07.

"I have made plans for such events too. The Republic is not the only available ally. We knew that it was
dangerous trusting them, especially the Jedi. Their strange force is something we do not need nor want.
Our goal is to become gods, and for this, I decided that it would be wise to ally ourselves with people
who believes in gods too."

In the middle of the circle, another hologram appeared. The man was taller than an average human, and more
muscular. Tattoos and ritual scars ran over his body and face.

"Who is this?" demanded SEELE 03 to know.

"This is our ally. Nomad, domain Na'Kral."

The Vong raised his hands for silence.

"The Jeedai ans Seeth belive in some force. We believe in our gods, as you do with your gods. We are
stronger than the Republic, or any other force in the galaxy. Yun-Yuuzhan will wipe them out, and we are
his tools. We will deal with this Seeth, and your plans will succeed."

No answer was heard, but one monolith after another blinked out of its existence.

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Rei's settling in into her new home took exactly 5.3 minutes. Then she was finished with placing her
possession on their new places, and with looking around in the entire apartment.

She liked the nice look out of the window, the fact that she had warm water, and a nice bathtub instead of
a small shower. Most important was the biggest change in her life. She wasn't alone anymore.
The ramblings in the kitchen were testament to that.

"Verdammte Scheisse! Wie soll diese verfickte Kacke funktionieren!?"

The tone of Asuka's words, plus the smell of burnt food indicated that they had encountered a little
problem. Rei was unable to cook, and guessing from the events in the kitchen, Asuka as well.

The pilot of unit00 entered the place where poor and innocent food was tortured into oblivion, and after
a look at her redheaded flat mate, she decided that it was better to not comment the view of a smoking
pan, a pile of some black....something, and Asuka, holding her hand under some cold water.
Obviously, she had also burnt herself.

"Take-out?" offered Rei as solution, and Asuka nodded.

Due to the thin walls, the commotion in their kitchen was also noticed in the neighbor apartment, so it
didn't take long until someone knocked on the door.

Rei opened and was confronted with a very satisfied looking Katsuragi Misato. She entered without bother
to ask if she was permitted, and dragged Shinji behind her.

They entered the kitchen, and saw the mess Asuka had made. Glowing with an aura of superiority and wisdom,
Misato turned around to Shinji.

"See. I was right as I told you that this building is cursed. It is completely impossible for a woman to
cook something in here." she announced.

After some culinary disasters, Shinji took over the chore of cooking, but demanded to know why she was
unable to. So she came up with a wild story that the building was cursed, and that she could cook
everywhere else perfectly good food. Not that Shinji believed her, even a little ploy with a restaurant
didn't convince him.

Now that Asuka fell also victim to the 'curse', she was able to reinforce this little tale.

Rei simply raised an eyebrow, while Asuka was being more direct.

"What curse?" she asked the Director of Operations.

"No woman is able to cook in this building. I am not, you are not, and no woman else would be able to
do it."

A short look to Rei made clear that they both thought that their tactical supervisor was more than a
little dumb to come up with such a fairy tale.

"And what do you eat?" asked Asuka.

"All the good things Shinji cooks." Misato announced proudly.

"As he is a pilot as we are, and due the fact that our team cannot function if two of us are starving, he
should cook for us as well." said Rei in a serious tone.

Shinji gaped in shock at her, but as he saw no sign of a joke, or of mercy, his shoulders slumped in
defeat.

"Ok."

Asuka gave Rei thumbs up, while Misato pouted that her own little idea was now also some benefit for
others.

At the same time, both pilot girls thought unison: <Maybe Misato/the Captain isn't as dumb as I thought.>

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Later, as the girls were alone again, they went out on the balcony, because Rei requested it.

"So, what's up?" asked Asuka.

"Tomorrow, we will go down to Terminal Dogma."

"Yes, I know. Our 'Sensei' told me, and that there are some surprises waiting for me. And that they aren't
nice is something I was able to guess."

Rei nodded. "You underestimate the things that are lying down there. Your entire view of the world will
change, of everything, and of everyone."

Asuka blinked as she understood. Rei was afraid that after tomorrow, she would hate her. Whatever laid down
there had something to do with Rei, and it wasn't something small and cuddly.

"You help me and I help you. So is it now, and so it will be tomorrow, and the days after." declared Asuka,
who was rewarded with a grateful look.

For Rei, it was strange. This foreign girl, an annoyance that she could compare to nothing, became someone
important in her life. Someone she didn't want to lose, because she gave her the respect and the treatment
as equal. Nobody else has ever done this for her, and she found it not only interesting, but also very
comforting. Somewhere in those last days, she started to feel something for the other girl. A warm
feeling, a good feeling.
Friendship.

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"Okay. So, why are we here, where are we flying, and for what reasons?" opened Han Solo the gathering in
the tactical room of the cruiser. While it was nice to have so much friends around, he wanted to know the
reasons for it.

"Our first stop is at Nkllon, where we will meet with Lando." answered Luke, who just entered the room.

"And then?" Han had the odd feeling that Luke was again on some kind of weird crusade, and that he would
be again involved in it. Hell, alone the fact that he sat there, in this room was testament to that.

"Then we are complete, so that we can head to our real target: Terra."

Han had never heard about this planet, and no one of the others had too.

"Currently, Tenel Ka is on a mission there. A group of powerful men is trying to pacify a planet that had
suffered horrible losses due to a natural disaster, followed by an endless chain of wars. I sent her to
help them, but things are not as they seemed. Her last report included her suspicions that there is
something seriously wrong. And another important fact. One of the most powerful Sith has arrived there."

Wedge sat up in his chair. "The Admiral?"

"Yes."

Han looked questioningly at the former leader of Rogue squadron.

"One of the best the Empire has to offer. Made a career as pilot, then he vanished after Bilbringi. Years
later, he came back and ended as Grand Admiral of the Empire, number three in the imperial hierarchy."

"Over Tharagon?" asked Corran.

"Yes. Tharagon wants too much power, so Thrawn plans already for his demise. But the Admiral is another
matter. He has oath loyalty to Thrawn, and there are a lot of rumors telling that he was the one who
brought the real Thrawn to safety at Bilbringi." answered Iella.

"What does such a high caliber want at a backwater planet that nobody has ever heard of?" This question
came from Jaina.

"Something important. A Grand Admiral doesn't walk around for fun. He has a mission, and surely the
ability to fulfill it. And whatever it is, it will be very bad for us." said Han.

"And if it is bad for the Vong?" questioned Pash.

"Then it will be worse for us. An Empire that is so strong that they can defeat the Vong will wipe us out
too. Ever since Thrawn's return, the Empire gained immensely in strength. In the last months, our
long-range drones received a lot of messages from the Vong, indicating that along the border to the
unknown regions, a lot of their ships disappeared. And not only coral skippers, but entire battle groups.
And now take a guess who has the command there." replied Wedge.

"Any chance of getting another report from Tenel Ka?" came a question from a concerned Jaina.

Luke answered. "After this report, we only got some statics and pieces. Not enough to find any sense
in it."

Han took the opportunity to lighten the mood. "So we are on a mission to a planet nobody has ever heard of,
against an imperial Grand Admiral and some forces that are strong enough to trouble the Vong, and this with
just one old ship? Yep, that sounds exactly like you."

Most of the participants in this conference laughed, Luke did not.

"The reason for this is not to stop the Sith." he dropped the bomb.

Everyone looked surprised at him, most of them with surprise or shock on their faces.

"What then?" asked Corran the question everybody wanted to have answered.

"After Bilbringi, the 'Admiral' appeared one time before he came back as Grand Admiral. At the time of the
Jedi Academy at Yavin, we got an Imperial visitor. He came with a Tie Defender, and asked for training as
Jedi. I tested him, and he had the ability. But contrary to the early stages of the order, I didn't want
to train him because he was too old. After two months, and my disapproval for training, he left. Later,
we heard that he started to train as Sith."

"So you know his abilities?" demanded Corran to know.

"Yes. While he can't do the more flashy things, like moving stones, or perfect mind controlling, he is
very strong in controlling energy and very small objects. He may be unable to throw a large boulder with
the Force at you, but he can move it over your head, molecule for molecule. Add to this that he is able
to use energy as power boosts for himself, like yourself are able to, he is quite deadly. Even back then,
he was good with the sword, so don't think that you could beat him in close combat."

Corran shook his head. "Not good."

"Now back on topic. We know that the new order of the Sith is divided in three factions. The biggest,
under Tharagon wants the order as it was in its golden days. The second largest wants to get back to
the one Master - one trainee system, and the third, under leadership of the Grand Admiral and supported
by Thrawn, follows Brakiss' ideas about the force. So it is in our best interest to keep him alive, as
his fraction is the smallest threat, at least for now. But this is not the reason for this mission.
I had a vision."

"So we are here because of a vision? Sounds like the good old days." interjected Han.

"After it, I had a visit from my old master, Yoda. He sent me to do this, and I agree with his logic."

"Yoda was one of the greatest Jedi. What did he say?" wanted Kam to know.

"Whatever happens on this planet, it is paramount for the entire galaxy. And the Sith has a key-role in it.
Events there will decide if he will transform the Sith-order to something we can negotiate with, or if he
falls completely to the dark side, and becomes a threat for the entire galaxy."

"So you want us to keep a Sith from falling to the dark side?" asked an unbelieving Corran.

"Yes."

"Then I don't know why we are here." stated Wedge and pointed at the other pilots and at Page.

"Because the events there are big. We cannot take any risks, and the probability for military action is
very high. An Grand Admiral is never alone, and beside this, we will have to deal with the things that
are happening on the planet too. If necessary, we will bring in reinforcements for a full-scale invasion.
Admiral Ackbar already agreed on this plan, and told me that the necessary forces will be ready in two
weeks."

After this, silence ensued in the tactical room.

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Preread and useful comments by Yagami
More useful comments and encouragement to write by Kuracao
Domo arigato.