The galaxy tilted ever deeper into shadow. Reports arrived daily of Republic garrisons overrun, supply lines severed, and star systems pledging allegiance to Sith warlords. Among these names, one now carried a weight that unsettled even the bravest commanders: Darth Nox.
His campaigns were brutal yet precise. Entire fleets crumbled under his sudden assaults. On conquered worlds, governors bent the knee rather than face annihilation. Each victory seemed to magnify his presence, as though the dark side itself coursed more fiercely through his veins with every battle.
And always in the background was Darth Vrakus, whose influence slithered unseen. Few outside the Sith knew his name, yet he whispered in the ears of senators, fueled mercenary uprisings, and sent misleading transmissions to bait Jedi into costly diversions. His genius lay in deception, never allowing the Republic to see his full hand until it was far too late.
A Moment of Stillness
Amid this growing storm, Zen and his Padawan, Tiffany, returned from a months-long campaign defending a border system. Their starship, scarred from weeks of fighting, touched down at a Republic stronghold.
Inside, the atmosphere was restless. Padawans whispered anxiously in the corridors; Knights walked with hurried steps. The war weighed heavily on every soul.
Tif walked beside her Master, shoulders squared in determination, though her eyes betrayed exhaustion. Zen noticed.
"You fought well, Tiffany. Better than most seasoned Knights," Zen said, his voice calm but carrying pride.
She offered a faint smile.
"Only because you've been patient with me, Master. You always see something in me… even when I don't."
She hesitated, then added softly,
"Sometimes I wonder if you believe in me more than I ever could."
Zen chuckled softly.
"Because it's true."
She looked away before her emotions betrayed her. What she truly wanted to say, that it wasn't just his teachings, but him she drew strength from, remained unspoken.
What Was Lost, What Remains
Later, in the quiet of the Temple gardens, Tiffany finally shared what she had never fully spoken aloud.
"When I was still with my old instructor, Jedi Knight Drayen, I thought he'd guide me all the way to Knighthood. He was… like an older brother to me. Strong, protective, but also kind. When he fell in the war, I thought I'd lost everything."
Zen was silent, letting her speak.
"You became my Master soon after. I was still grieving then. At first, I followed you because I didn't want to disappoint him. But somewhere along the way… you became more than just a teacher. You became…" She stopped herself. "…the reason I keep pushing forward."
Zen placed a hand on her shoulder, warm and steady.
"I'm honored, Tiffany. And I promise, I will not fail you.
Her heart ached at his words, because they carried no awareness of the deeper love she harbored. She smiled instead, masking the feeling as she always did.
Master and Mission
The summons came the next morning. The Council requested Zen's presence. Tiffany waited outside, her hands clasped tightly.
Inside the chamber, Masters Kaeden and Cilara stood among the others. Holograms of distant Council members flickered around the circular hall.
"Jedi Knight Zen," Master Cilara began, her tone grave,
"your service to the Order has gone above duty. You have faced battles that would have broken many Knights, and yet your compassion has remained unshaken. For this, the Council has reached a decision."
Master Kaeden's lips curved in a faint smile.
"You are to be elevated to the rank of Jedi Master."
Zen bowed deeply, calm but humbled.
"I will continue to serve the Order with all that I am."
Then Cilara's voice sharpened.
"But know this: the times grow darker. We cannot afford hesitation. Your brother stands at the heart of much of this chaos. You must be ready for the moment when words fail and only the blade remains."
Zen's eyes lowered.
"I will do what I must… though I still hope there is light in him."
Some Masters exchanged doubtful glances.
Shadows in the Light
That night, Zen sat alone in the meditation chamber. The silence was deep, broken only by the hum of distant starships.
He reached out to the Force, but it felt… clouded.
"Why do I still hope?" he whispered.
"Why do I believe he can return?"
Visions flickered. Nox's face, twisted in fury, cloaked in shadow. Tif's eyes, bright, searching, afraid. The galaxy, fractured, bleeding.
Zen opened his eyes.
"Is it faith… or fear?"
The Force did not answer. It only stirred.
The Sith's Design
Far away, in the shadows of a Sith command chamber, Darth Vrakus studied a holomap. Stars glittered across the projection, some already crimson under Sith control, others flickering with instability.
Nox entered, armored in black, his presence pulsing with raw power.
"The Republic still resists. Let me crush them fully. Aldiris' fleet will fall in weeks."
Vrakus smiled slyly.
"No, my apprentice. Aldiris will serve a greater purpose. It shall be the stage upon which both sides believe they come for peace. But it will be our snare."
Nox narrowed his eyes.
"Peace talks? The Jedi will never trust it."
"They will if it's offered at their moment of weakness," Vrakus replied smoothly.
"They long for hope. We will give them a mirage of it."
Nox hesitated, sensing layers within his Master's plan he could not fully read. Still, he bowed.
"As you command."
The Mirage of Peace
Back in the Republic, whispers spread: a communication from Aldiris' governor Rhae, offering to host negotiations between the Jedi and Sith. Senators seized on it eagerly, an end to war seemed tantalizing.
The Jedi Council remained cautious. Yet the political pressure was undeniable.
"It may be a trap," Master Cilara warned.
"Or an opportunity," countered Master Kaeden.
"The galaxy bleeds. Even the chance of peace is worth exploring."
At last, it was decided: a Jedi delegation would attend, led by Master Zen. Tiffany would accompany him.
Into the Unknown
As their ship prepared to depart Coruscant, Tiffany stood by the viewport, watching the city-planet fall away beneath them.
"Do you think it's real, Master? Peace?" she asked quietly.
Zen's expression was unreadable.
"If it is, we must welcome it. If it is not… we must be ready."
What he did not say was that the Force whispered unease to him. Shadows stirred at the edges of his vision. He could not yet see the trap, but he felt it tightening.
And across the stars, Darth Nox also set his course for Aldiris, unaware that fate was bringing him once more to his brother's path.
In the Sith Palace, Vrakus stood cloaked in darkness, watching the stars flicker across his holomap. His voice was low, but it carried the weight of certainty.
"At last," he whispered,
"the game begins."
His laughter echoed, not loud, but cold, deliberate, and final.