The Rise of the Final Order - A Star Wars Story

Chapter 26

Darth Caedaris

They knew. The New Republic, they knew where the Final Order was hiding. And they were coming. This was the news Caedaris was given by the Sith spirits upon her return to Malachor, after finding all of the Force-sensitive children she had been sent to find.

She was furious that it had happened, that their foolish carelessness had allowed it to. But she had her orders now, and she would carry them out.

"Where are we going?" Damian asked, following behind Caedaris as she led him and the other children through the base, towards the hangar.

"Somewhere safe," she responded. The Sith spirits had made it clear that keeping the children out of the hands of the Jedi and the New Republic was the most important thing, and so, while the rest of her forces prepared for the oncoming New Republic attack, she was making sure that the children were on a transport en route to a secret Sith location on Mustafar before the New Republic had a chance to stop them.

There were twelve children total, all of various ages, Damian being the oldest at fifteen, and the youngest being a female Theelin-human hybrid named Dizzi Rao, who was only two years old. But then there was another child, Darra Jume's daughter, Jaiden Pryde, who, from what Caedaris could sense, was not Force-sensitive-if she was it was too weak to even pick up in the Force-but the Sith spirits wanted her to go with the other children anyways. They had insisted on it.

Darra had given her daughter over without a second thought, but she herself had chosen to stay behind and fight, proving her loyalty to Caedaris once again. She was currently preparing the fleet for battle aboard their flagship, Death's Hand, while Caedaris sent her daughter away with the rest of the children.

"Will we ever see you again?" one of the other children, a blue-skinned Twi'lek girl named Lumina, asked.

"I cannot promise that you will," Caedaris admitted. "But if you do not, someone else will train you."

"Really?" Lumina asked as they neared the transport, which already had its ramp lowered and the thrusters going. Caedaris nodded.

"You will be trained, even if it's not by me," Caedaris responded. "And you will all become Sith. It is your destiny." She gestured towards the ramp. "Now go. There isn't much time."

The children obeyed, hurrying aboard the transport, except for the younger ones, which were carried by nanny droids instead. Once they were all inside, the transport lifted off and was gone a few moments later, on its way to Mustafar, away from the battle that was about to happen.

As soon as they were out of sight, Caedaris spun around and made her way back inside the base, towards the command center. The officers looked up at her as she entered, but only for a brief moment before they went back to their duties.

Caedaris moved over to the holotable in the middle of the room, hands clasped behind her back, studying the display of Malachor and the Star Destroyers currently in place to defend it. "Are our forces ready?" she asked the other officer standing at the table, a blonde-haired woman named Risa Malric, who had been a loyal First Order officer before joining Caedaris and the Final Order and thus had quickly earned herself the rank of commander.

"Yes, my lady," she responded, dipping her head respectfully. "All preparations have been made."

"Very good," Caedaris remarked with a satisfied nod. She returned her attention to the display. "They expect to take us by surprise. Let's see what they do when they find us ready and waiting for them."

It wasn't long before the New Republic arrived. Caedaris watched on the display as their ships appeared out of hyperspace, only to be met by her forces, already ready for a fight.

But after a few minutes, her focus shifted away from the battle unfolding before her, for she had sensed an all too family presence, growing closer and closer. Kaia Kestis. And she wasn't alone. Ben Solo and his sister were with her, as were several other presences she vaguely recognized, but they were important. It was Kaia who had caught her attention.

Caedaris knew why she was here. To stop her, to try to save her, to bring back Cora Tonra, the Jedi. But Cora Tonra was dead, and Caedaris intended to keep her that way.

She turned to look at Commander Malric, who snapped into attention as soon as saw her eyes on her. "There's something I must attend to. Stay here and alert me if anything goes wrong."

"As you wish, my lady," Malric responded with another dip of her head.

Caedaris swept out of the command center, making her way to where she would wait for Kaia to arrive. It was a large, cavernous room in the Temple, ancient and carved from stone, weathered by time. Statues of old, long dead Sith Lords and Ladies decorated the walls, some missing fingers or a nose, or even entire limbs, but all still maintained their dark glory.

She concealed herself behind one such statue, but knew Kaia could sense her. She made no attempt to hide herself in the Force. She wanted the Jedi to find her, and it was only a matter of time before she did.

As she waited, the Sith spirits whispered thoughts of hatred and murder and violence in her mind, and she accepted it all, drinking it in like precious nectar. The darkness sang in her blood and strengthened her bones, giving her power she had never known.

And then, she felt it. Kaia Kestis was finally here. And she wasn't alone. Caedaris grinned to herself, removing her lightsaber from her belt and stepping out from behind the statue, activating the crimson blade as she revealed herself to her enemies. She was looking forward to this.