Silas

Jacen set his ship down at the coordinates that he had been given. It was a very expensive, three-story, condominium that almost made him feel out of place. Almost. As the seal broke and the landing ramp lowered, a cloud of smoke could be seen leaving the vessel that Jacen had flown in. He staggered down the ramp, bottle of booze in one hand and cigar in the other, and made his way through the servants cleaning landspeeders to the front door. He knocked politely, attempting to put on his very best "business" face. He didn't even consider the idea that it might be unprofessional to attend a business meeting while partaking in multiple vices.

((I guess I never technically left, so I'll handle this one seeing as everyone else is off planet.)) Jacen was lounging in his office, puffing on yet another cigar, when the comm came in from his assisstant, one Ms. Rachel Dawes, regarding a meeting on Taris. Considering how long it had been since Jacen had been off planet, he felt this was a good opportunity, and as such, he seized it. Within minutes he was changed into a suit, aboard a Black Sun shuttle and setting off into hyperspace.

Perhaps "grammatical errors" wasn't the correct term. Its more of a little word like "of" or "the" missing in the middle of a sentence. Sadly, I just go through and change it in my word document so I couldn't tell you where they were. If I come across any more as I finish catching up I'll let you know where.

I'm catching up! I'm currently on Pg. 244 of 322 (the group is talking to the crazy plant people after Pike was stopped from executing them). There have been a few more frequent grammatical errors but they really don't detract from the story because you still get your point across completely. I'll keep this short and say that I'm loving everything you're pumping out and can't wait to get caught up!

Masterfully done, Lee. I decided to see what all the fuss was about and I have to say that I'm surprised with the high quality work that you're pumping out. I copy and pasted all of your updates into a word document totaling 306 pages and right now I'm on page 78 (just got done with Locke and Browne making their contract), and its been a thrilling ride thus far. The way that Cooper operates is a bit confusing to me, though I suspect that that was your intention. Locke is probably my favorite character thus far. He is the perfect hired killer, playing the part quite well. Jason, Pen and Ossus make an interesting trio, and Kwame is hilarious. Some much needed comic relief in what is a fairly dark tale. I am quite interested in learning more about Penelope and her background specifically, though the rest of the character's backgrounds appear just as promising. I can't wait to continue reading. I'm hoping to be caught up sometime before the week is out. Excellently done, sir.

A cold feeling had fallen over the Black Sun base on Dubrillion. Jacen had sent his team out on their respective missions, but now he needed to find something to occupy his time. He pulled up a personnel list to see where the operatives that he knew were stationed and was surprised to find that Delta was in the very base that Jacen now occupied. He grabbed an unlit cigar and a bottle of whiskey and headed toward the hangar that Delta had recently landed in. As he entered the hangar he was surprised to see many more figures than he had expected to. He immediately recognized Delta, as well as the famed Sith Masters Ar-Pharazon and Geki. The other two figures he knew only from his time on Coruscant. Had he not recently experienced the amazing powers of a Sith Master first hand he would not have believed that the phenomena before him was real, but after seeing a Sith Lord summon a river of blood it wasn't much of a stretch to believe that Ar-Pharazon was capable of setting himself ablaze and living to tell the tale. As he came up behind the two Sith and the Black Sun operatives he pulled the unlit cigar from his pocket and cocked an eyebrow at Ar-Pharazon. "Would you mind?"

Yeah, I was definitely seeing some parallels between Chazi and Anakin. I was wondering if Chazi's character would be exploited in the same way that Anakin's was. Guess we'll have to wait and see!

I think I remember that piece, Ami. Very well written. It won a FanFic award, didn't it? As for this one- Very well done, Tiana! I really love reading the small posts that you do when you tear apart people's heads and get into the most basic ideas of what they're thinking. It just makes it so believable to read, even though its set in a galaxy far, far away. Absolutely loved it.

Agreed. I remember reading that back when I first joined. I think I remember you trying to do a rewrite but I don't believe that you ever finished it, which is a problem.

No responses yet?! A very well written chapter, Ben. There were one or two words missing that didn't in any way detract from the story, but its worth mentioning just so you can be on the lookout in future chapters. Krystal is definitely my favorite character thus far. You've developed both her and Ar-Pharazon beautifully and I can't wait to see where you go with them. Well done, good sir.

When I used to write (haven't written in quite a while), I pulled a lot from the EU. I liked the idea of delving into character's backgrounds and exploring the possibilities of what stories could have taken place that would eventually lead them to the point that we see them in the movies. I never really got into anything other than the novel portion of the EU, so that's pretty much where I draw the canon line though I'm sure if I chose to dive more deeply into what's out there that I would have plot bunnies jumping around in my head.

A shuttle landed in Jacen Onnd's personal hangar, setting down with a hiss and a clank. It had just returned from a trip to Corellia to pick up a most important being. The ramp lowered and a team of Black Sun agents stepped down, followed closely by a professional looking woman and a man of oriental descent. They made their way through the base, coming to stop at Jacen Onnd's office. They entered to find him sprawled in his chair, a half-empty bottle of whiskey in his hand. His secretary, Rachel Dawes, stepped forward and kindly shook him awake. Jacen convulsed and fell backwards out of the chair. He righted himself before looking around to figure out what was going on. When his vision finally cleared he realized what had happened and he took his seat again. "Its good to see you all again. As you know our time on Corellia was well spent and now we will have the full resources of the Black Sun behind us. Dr. Pang has developed what we hope will be the correct strain of the virus we desire. Agent Bale is already on Coruscant looking for General Faust's request." Jacen turned towards one of his most trusted men. "Agent Larren, I need you to make your way to Naboo and capture a few Gungans. They will be our starting place. The rest of you can resume your duties, but be prepared for the call."

Yeah, I'm signed up (same screen name as JNET for anyone else who is doing this) and I'll begin writing tonight. This sounds like it should be a good experience.

I've had an idea for a novel running around in my head for quite some time and this might actually be the motivation I need to do it. I'll attempt it and see where I get.

Jacen watched as the man he knew as Faust entered his office with his eyebrow raised. He hadn't seen the man personally in quite some time, though that could generally be considered a good thing with all the death that tended to follow the man. Taking Faust's cue, Jacen relit his own cigar and grabbed the bottle of whiskey to take a rather generous swig for himself. He smiled through pursed lips as the alcohol tingled its way down his throat and into his empty gullet. "Well Vlad, if I may call you Vlad, I don't have a team per se but I do have an agent already on the assignment as we speak."

A flash of white, then, complete darkness. Well, not complete darkness. There was an orange tint to the black void that suggested there was some kind of light source behind the veil that currently masked his vision. Another flash of white caused Jacen to recoil and squeeze his eyes tightly closed, blocking off the world for a few precious seconds. It was like waking up after only sleeping for two hours but ten times worse though other than the drowsiness he felt as good as new. Jacen slowly let his eyes flicker open while raising his hand to protect them from the harmful rays of light. He sat up in what he now recognized as a hospital bed and propped himself up on his arm. A nurse in a tight fitting, starkly white and rather pristine looking uniform made haste to his side, her three inch stiletto heels making an almost soothing clacking noise with each step. "Aren't you a little...inappropriately dressed for a nurse?" Jacen asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. It wasn't that he minded, actually it was quite the opposite, but this opportunity was too good to pass up. "Lord Daisaku likes for us to be dressed manner for his own...enjoyment. Welcome back to the land of the living Mr. Onnd. You'll find your personal affects on the table to your right. If you need anything else just press the button behind your bed and an attendant will be with you. I'll leave alone now to dress," said the nurse, obviously wanting to leave the room after noticing Jacen's keen interest in her. Jacen looked down at his new body and realized for the first time that he was naked. He threw the hospital covers off of him and stood up, proudly displaying himself in his entirety. "You don't have to leave. I'm sure it's nothing you've never seen before," he said with a devilish smile. He sauntered over to the pile of clothing she had mentioned on the table and began to slip on the clothes, though it was blatant that he was in no particular hurry. For all he knew they could be coming off in a matter of moments. "Indeed," the woman said, raising an eyebrow, a look of annoyance on her face. "Though it's not a spectacle I wish to view again anytime soon". With that she turned and quickly left the room. Jacen let his eyes follow her rather voluptuous posterior until it was out of sight. Bitch. Jacen dressed quickly after that, choosing not to waste anymore time chasing tail that obviously wasn't interested. He could have her if he truly desired to and no on within the criminal organization would take any notice but the hunt was part of the fun. The last item that he picked up was a gun made of pure gold with a note attached to it reading: One of the agents picked this up on during his hasty escape from the Black Sun Citadel on Coruscant. It appears that it fell off your person during your death at the battle and recognizing it as yours, he returned it to you. -Nurse Rachel Jacen read the note quickly before discarding it in the trash receptacle. He slipped the weapon into the back of his trousers before exiting the hospital wing. He made his way down the corridor, admiring its extravagant beauty. Smash wasn't one to spare any expense, that much was for sure. The destruction of the Citadel would have angered him. It cost a fortune to build and maintain and now that money was gone. He stopped outside what used to be his office in the base and read the nameplate. Sasori Soren? I thought that bastard was dead and gone. Oh well. Jacen kicked in the door, much like he had done at the Citadel, and stepped inside. Apparently Soren had never utilized this office as it was exactly like Jacen had left it all those years ago, complete with a half-finished bottle of whiskey and a cigar in the same state. He moved to a position behind his desk and sat down in the nearly broken chair. Regardless of its condition it still felt like home to Jacen. Some of the agents had suggested that he order a new chair but he liked the way it made his office feel. It felt...lived in. He picked up the half-smoked cigar and lit the end of it, taking a long drag off of the cancerous stick. It tasted stale but the chemicals were still present and that was all Jacen cared about. He leaned back and took another drag, closing his eyes...

This reminds me of the Simulation Game you used to do in PooDoo. Perhaps that thread should be unarchived and you should continue them?!

An old, rickety freighter stumbled out of hyperspace above Corellia. Vesper Stubernic sat in the pilot's seat considering his options. His return from Nhagathul had been anything but normal. Vesper was normally a man of action but now he had important matters to attend to. The future of the planet below him would be decided by what he decided next. He set the ship down on a familiar landing platform in the heart of Corellia's capital. He stepped off the ramp and was greeted by Ms. Dawes, his assistant. She held a few files that he needed to review, as well as a comm unit that he recognized from his days with Black Sun. He took the items from her without a word, brushing past her and heading towards his suite. Once he arrived in his quarters he took the opportunity to change out of his destroyed business suit and into something a bit more comfortable. A pair of ripped pants, a tight fitting t-shirt with a brown jacket, and a broken in pair of shoes. It was a wardrobe that he had worn in a previous life. One that he had forgotten about. At this point he took the comm unit and listened to the message that had been left while he had taken his vacation. To say that what he heard surprised him would have been an understatement. The call had been issued and as a former leader of Black Sun he was obligated to answer it. This drastic change of events also made his choice regarding the virus that he had engineered that much easier. He left a note for Ms. Dawes on his desk, packed his few valuable belongings, and walked towards the exit trusting that his team here would follow his instructions. He re-entered the hangar bay and boarded one of the many ships in his possession. A few minutes later he was breaking atmosphere and heading into hyperspace.

((As fun as it's been...)) As the group was walking through the seemingly deserted planet a gleam caught Vesper's eye. An abandoned ship was settled not 50 meters away and it was all that he needed. He looked around to make sure that everyone left was busy and scampered towards the ship. He reached it to find it fully functional. He started it up, ran through a rather hasty pre-flight check, then lifted off and headed back towards civilization.

((Another filler post...Since I have no idea what I'm supposed to be looking for...)) As the rag tag group walked through the foliage, Vesper was left alone to his thoughts. Black Sun had been a part of his life for an extremely long time. He had grown up a lot in his years with the crime syndicate. When he had joined the organization he had been a mere eighteen years of age. He was now more than a decade older and the "elected" Senator of a prominent planet within the Republic. But was he happy? Sure, he had everything that he pretended that he wanted. Power, fame, money, women, and enough spice to last him for the rest of his life. He was using everything he had gained to spread chaos through a legitimate government. There was nothing standing between Vesper and total control over his surroundings. Except himself. There were so many memories that he had with Black Sun. He had sought to eliminate Force Users from the face of the galaxy. He had been blockaded for more than a month by the evil of the Republic forces. He had seen more Overlords than any member of the faction ever should have. He had become Overlord of the faction and survived a coup, then disbanded to faction to be recalled by a returning overlord only to fake his own death. His past was what would determine his future, but he didn't know if he was prepared to return to reclaim his title. It was something that he would have to ponder on. "Did your father or grandfather fight in the clone wars? Sorry for the intrusion, it just seems that there is something I recognize about you..." "No, I don't believe so. I'm not on very good terms with my family though, so it's a possibility. I guess I should introduce myself. I'm Vesper Stubernic."

Vesper stayed close to the rest of the ragtag group but he felt extremely isolated. Not that that was a bad thing due to the way he had treated them and in return had been treated. There would be time for amends to be made once some sort of shelter was found. For the time being he had other items of business to consider. He had set in motion a very destructive plan that was intended to exploit the corruption within the Republic for the furthering of his own agenda. The virus he had commisioned should have been ready days ago and though he had a rather large window of time in which to work, the sooner he could begin the process the sooner his goals would be achieved. Even though he had left a very competent woman in charge of his operations he feared that his team would grow idle and screw something up. He needed to get off this rock. He also found it interesting that one of his former employees was here. Delta had worked for him during his long association with Black Sun. When the crime syndicate had become more focused on ideals that he hadn't agreed with he had left in a rather...explosive...fashion. While he knew that none of the Jedi would connect even his real name with his former post, if Delta were to discover his true identity and report it back to Smash, his entire operation would be completely blown.

((Filler post...)) Vesper followed the rest of the group through the ship, carefully avoiding anything that looked like it might kill him. This planet was giving him the creeps and he hadn't even set foot on soil yet. He had never felt something akin to the amount of evil he could feel radiating from the planet. It seemed that the planet itself was alive. He watched the ramp slowly lower. The sight that greeted him was possibly the most unwelcome thing that he had ever set eyes on. No words could describe it and Vesper wasn't even sure that he would have described it if he could find the words. "Well, standing around isn't getting anything accomplished." With that he began to head down the ramp.

Vesper nodded slightly to each person as the introductions were made. He listened as each of them spoke and began to mull over his situation, tuning out the older Jedi as she gave an explanation. He knew that his lack of interest could be visible but he was beyond the point of caring. He had more important things to think about. He had left Corellia and his operation there with the intent of returning within a few days. While he trusted the people he had left in charge, he would feel much better if he could be there overseeing the preparations himself. His future hinged on his plan proceeding smoothly. This was not the time to be stuck on a soul stealing planet. But there was nothing that he could do about it now expect assist the Jedi in figuring out how to get off this rock. The older Jedi's question brought him out of his contemplative state. He shook his head slightly before meeting her gaze. "Sorry about that," he said as he lowered his weapon. "You'll have to forgive my cautiousness. After all, it's not everyday that one ends up on a soul-stealing planet with people with laser swords. Now the questions is, where do we go from here?"

Vesper began to comprehend all of the responses that came to him. The first two words that processed through his mind were Jedi and Nhagathul. He had previously fought the Jedi during his time with Black Sun. He had even sought to exterminate their kind from the galaxy permanently. Piccolo's plan had sadly failed, but it had also cost him his life. To say that he had a vendetta against the Jedi would be an understatement but right now his survival could depend on his reaction to their statements. As soon as the word Nhagathul infiltrated his ears he visibly stiffened. He had heard rumors of the hellish planet and it's soul-stealing powers. He hadn't even been sure that the rumors were true until now. Looking down the ramp, it was easy to believe that he had descended into the depths. Now his survival depended even more upon how he stood in the graces of the others present. He lowered his weapon slightly, not completely holstering it, and motioned for his guards to do the same. "Right..." He studied the ragtag group before him. Delta apparently hadn't recognized him, which was a good thing. If any of them were to discover his true identity it could spell disaster for his operation. The Master and Padawan Jedi team were an interesting couple. The woman had an air of power out her than was almost intimidating. She was obviously the stronger of the two. The young man was confident in his abilities but lacked the poise of the woman. "So talk..."

"I'll be back..." Vesper had quickly grown tired of the "former Jedi's" presence. Instead, he opted to "search" the rest of the ship while his guard took care of the useless waste of space that had presented itself. He spoke quietly into his comm, alerting the man who had remained with the intruder to the course of action he wished to take. His other two men walked in flanking positions behind him. <> ((Merely due to the lack of posting on his part)) He heard the stun bolt fired but didn't even turn around to check if the blast had connected. He didn't care in all honesty, as long as the man didn't continue to bother him. He trusted that his employee would babysit the former Jedi's unconcious body until Vesper returned from his exploration. As he and his men carefully picked their way through the mangled body parts littering the corridor, Vesper was suprised to feel the ship lurch suddenly, sending him fumbling into the blood-covered wall. He attempted to regain his balance and composure before feeling the ship lurch once again, sending him sliding down the wall, effectively ruining his suit jacket by covering it with some now-deceased creature's bodily fluid. He slowly stood, looking around for his two bodyguards. He was able to identify them only by their glarring lightwands. They both made their way to their feet before straightening their uniforms and continuing to escort Vesper towards what he assumed was the front of the vessel. As the trio was nearing the end of the corridor, Vesper was able to make out a feint light coming from what he assumed was the planet that they had just crash landed on. As they drew closer he was able to make out four figures. Three he didn't recognize and one that he did. His weapon, as well as the weapons of his guards, instantly came up to aim at the group. Oh shit, what if Delta recognizes me?! Vesper knew that he would just have to trust the plastic surgeon that he had hired had done a good job and left him completely unrecognizable. "Who are you and where the hell are we?"