Vong War Annals – “An Outcast’s funeral” 3.17.2009

       When he had first received the news, Kyle Katarn had admittedly felt less than he would have expected a person to feel in a similar situation.  Though he had certainly known his half brother and even spent a few years training with him closely along with Mara Jade Skywalker, their relationship was more like casual friends at best.  During the trip back to Sulon, however, it had set in.  Not so much the loss at first as the isolation…Kyle truly was the last of the Katarn bloodline, save for what little was in Kiiara’s veins.
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “Don’t give in” 3.14.2009

            Jinx’s gaze held her, even after the light in his eyes faded and died away, his final words ebbing into the silence.
            “Jinx…” she pleaded, “forgive me.” He had, that she knew; only she could never be able to forgive herself. It had to be done; for her son’s sake, it had to be done.
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “The end of things (part two)” 3.12.2009

     “The hell was all of that about?” Kal’or asked, doing his best to make it as casual as he could though he knew something was wrong.  He had that feeling ever since they came to the cursed planet in the first place, and he was kicking himself for not giving it the proper attention it deserved.  A Mandalorian that didn’t trust his instinct wound up dead.
     Jinx stood there for a long moment, Janet’s words still ringing in his head as a sudden sense of foreboding washed over him.  As he tried to fit the pieces together in his mind, he could begin to feel a disturbance in the Force growing…it was not unlike getting sick to one’s stomach, and yet the pressure it used against one’s mind could become numbing quickly as well.  “I don’t like this,” Jinx said.
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “The end of things (part one)” 3.12.2009

            Jinx landed on the balcony far lighter than he should have, or at least so it would seem to any innocent bystander. Of course they might question where he came jumping from in the first place, given that this balcony was several floors above the next balcony down and so on down the length of the building. 
           He was on the hunt though, the Force flowing through him like some kind of intoxicating drug. It was at times like this that he felt at his full potential, in full control and yet not as the Force guided his actions faster than any normal person. It didn’t make him special, it just put him in a different group than most citizens of the galaxy. The Jedi group.
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “We all have secrets” 6.3.2008

    A shiver ran through Jeir Katarn’s body, the kind of shiver that made you want to look over your shoulder to see if someone else was there.  Of course, he wouldn’t…that would be silly to do.  Jeir was sealed in his most secret of places now, facing a life he doubted he could ever share with another person.
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “Deck the halls” 6.03.08

    “I’ve got to say, Katarn,” Kal’or sighed as he stepped off of the Adenn Senaar‘s ramp.  “Never pictured you much for the macabre type.”
    “I think it’s neat,” Kiiara said, coming up to Kal’or’s right side with her travel bag slung over a shoulder.  “How old is this place, buir?”
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “Dusty Old Castle” 6.03.08

    The trip had been long, though in the best way possible.  Conversation had been a constant, filled with many great laughs and bonding between Kiiara, Kal’or and Jeir.  It made Jeir’s heart heavy to realize there were but a handful of happy tales Kiiara could tell, and even then those she spoke of were either dark in their nature or not actually that funny at all.
    They had spent a few hours getting through customs at Wayfarer station, in orbit of Xenen.  With the increased hostilities in the Vong war–which they were all as familiar with as they could be now–security precaution measures were at an all-time high.  Kal’or disliked the thorough checking of their backgrounds…or what could be found of them, at least.  Eventually they had been cleared to pass through, reminding Jeir he had no official military position anymore on Xenen, and they had shot off to the planet below.
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “Loose ends tied” 5.26.08

    “Now if you have any more problems,” Jeir said, his arms waving around with great emphasis, “you know how to contact us.”
    Jeir’s voice trailed off as Kal’or walked away from the group of people towards the VCX-820, sleeping gently in a grassy field.  He couldn’t quite bring himself to acknowledge it’s beauty, though he could admit how soothing the place felt.  It was strange how everything seemed a bit softer; cleaner than it had been before, when the war was on.  The planet wasn’t so bad after all.
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “Past Life” 5.23.08

      It was late.  Later than Jeir should still be awake, at least…the lack of sleep that had become the norm for weeks now was being intruded upon, yet for all the wear and tear on his body and the heavy eyelids his mind raced through far too many thoughts to let him have such peace. 
    Not wanting to bring further attention to the growing assault force at the Citadel’s northern gates, Jeir had flown the transport farther south, well out of range of the Citadel’s sensors.  They would stay there with the seals open for air and all systems off for the night, then meet back up with the assault group in the morning.
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “Messages from Afar” 5.23.08

            The atmosphere, so heavily laden with moisture that the ghost-gray clouds that had eclipsed the sky sank lower and lower to the ground, so that by the time Les arrived back to the borders of Arradan, they seemed ready to touch the ground. The light mist that was falling did not drive Les immediately into the house, but he took a detour through the gardens, taking his time as he did, enjoying the familiar scent of damp earth and stone, and trees and plants anticipating the rain. He knew where his steps were taking him, yet continued onward. A few days ago he would have resisted going there, but now he obeyed the wandering of his feet in that direction without trepidation.
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “Longer Day” 5.22.08

      It was that last moment of the sun’s light for the day now, where it no longer filled you with warmth even though the warm colors it bled across the sky around you made it feel like it should be.  Instead, the cool air of the night started to sneak it’s way in, pushing the day’s heat aside.  Kiiara felt like she could identify with it more than any other time of day or year.
    She had been hiding inside of the small alcove for several hours know, her joints beyond the point of simple anger with her now and the unpleasant stench of dried blood and sweat creeping up her nostrils.  The blood wasn’t hers, which seemed to amplify the discomfort ten fold.  No, she had escaped relatively unharmed, just like she always did…a few scrapes, a good bruise on her right cheek, and her lekku–if one could call them that–a little tender.
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “Long Day” 5.22.08

    Jeir slammed down on the ground with nothing resembling grace, awkwardly bouncing on his tail bone before rolling onto his back in the mossy clearing.  The moisture soaked through the back of his sleeveless shirt, three pats on his chest from his right hand sending up small clouds of dust from the day’s work.
    As discussed earlier, the base camp’s security detail–seventy four men and a few dozen war droids–had marched off just before lunch to the staging point for the northern assault group.  The Citadel no longer had anything beyond basic speeders for air transport, which turned the battle into an old-fashioned ground fight.  Nearly all of the outlying security checkpoints had been taken out by the main assault group, which left just the last line of defense–the city walls–for them to deal with.
Continue reading

Vong War Annals – “A Far Off Place” 5.22.08

    The ground shuddered with a distant thump, cot slowly rocking back and forth and stirring Jeir Katarn in his sleep.  He cracked his eyes open slowly, the stress on his body protesting angrily and making the eyelids heavier than they should have been.  A blue-grey morning sky poured into his pupils which adjusted with a little resistance.
    Another happy morning.
Continue reading