V.3-C.67│The End II│

The Deep Core.

The Deep Core is a maze full of anomalies that skew the senses. The task of finding one world within it is impossible.

The Deep Core, also known as the Deep Galactic Core, was a small region in the galaxy, about seven thousand light-years across, that hid unusual worlds.

The Deep Core was home to some thirty billion of the galaxy's oldest stars, and at its center was a supermassive black hole surrounded by antimatter and dense clusters where stars were only a hundredth of a light year apart.

In some areas they were in such close proximity, stars would collide and rip the cores from each other.

Due to the gravitational pull of the vast number of stars and the prominence of dark matter concentrations, local space-time was severely warped, making hyperspace travel difficult at best. The Deep Core held great strategic value because of its position near to the Core Worlds.

Despite the inaccessibility of the Deep Core, the Rakatan Infinite Empire was still able to colonize Byss during the Pre-Republic era between 35,000 years to 25,000 years ago, from current time now.

With the collapse of the Infinite Empire, Byss was presumably abandoned and the Rakatan structures crumbled over the millennia. 36,453 years ago, the brightest and best philosophers, priests, scientists and warriors convened on Tython to discuss their discoveries involving the enigmatic, mystical Ashla, and mysterious Bogan eventually forming the Je'daii Order who focused on maintaining a balance of the force in one's self.

25,793 years ago, the Rakata invaded Tython. They were expelled the following year, but this was the start of the Force Wars between followers of the Ashla and dissidents who used the Bogan.

The war ended with the followers of Ashla as the victors, who gradually evolved into the Jedi Order. The newly-formed Jedi left Tython 25,783 years ago. These Jedi later established a philosophy school on distant Ossus in the Outer Rim.

Prior 27,000 years prior, Koros Major was colonized by Human colonists from Coruscant who discovered vast deposits of carbonite in the system's seven worlds.

The Korosians discovered that carbonite could be used to preserve space travelers in a state of suspended animation for interstellar travel, leading to the development of sleeper ships that enabled Humans to expand throughout the galaxy.

With the discovery of carbonite and andris spice, Koros Major prospered as a key base of the Mining Guild shortly prior to the formation of the Galactic Republic 25,053 years prior.

With the discovery of the Koros Trunk Line and the invention of the hyperdrive, Republic scouts were able to discover a few habitable worlds within the volatile region including Khomm and Vulpter.

Over the millennia, Koros Major prospered from trade with Coruscant and became the largest settlement in the Deep Core frontier, developing into a vibrant ecumenopolis.

Prior to the Unification Wars, the Coruscant government owned the Korosian mines but sold them off to the emerging Tetan aristocracy.

Following the Hundred-Year Darkness, the Sith Lord Darth Andeddu built a tomb on Prakith. 5010 years prior, Empress Teta of Koros Major waged a prolonged war to consolidate her world's control over the system's seven worlds, concluding her campaign 5000 years ago with the annexation of Kirrek.

During the Great Hyperspace War, Koros and the red giant Primus Goluud in the Primus Goluud system were the sites of battles between Empress Teta's forces and Sith Lord Naga Sadow's Sith Empire.

With the defeat of the Sith, Koros and its system was renamed Empress Teta and the Empress Teta system in honor of the Empress.

Over the centuries leading up to the Great Sith War, Koros prospered and became a strategic economic and military powerhouse within the Deep Core.

3997 years prior, the aristocratic Aleema and Satal Keto established the dark side-using Krath sect which seized control of the Empress Teta system during the early stages of the Sith War and launched the devastating Krath Holy Crusade that engulfed much of the Republic.

With the defeat of the Krath and their Mandalorian and Sith allies 3996 years ago, Republic control was re-established over the Tetan system.

3651 years ago, shortly after the end of the Great Galactic War with the restored Sith Empire, the Jedi Master Satele Shan discovered a new route to Tython.

The Jedi Order recolonized the planet and made it the new headquarters for the Order, since the Jedi Temple on Coruscant had been destroyed in the Sacking of Coruscant.

A new generation of Jedi Knights was trained here, including the Hero of Tython and the third Barsen'thor. The Hero of Tython earned this title by defending Tython against an attack by the Sith Lord Darth Angral.

At some point the Jedi once again abandoned Tython.

The region was thought to be inaccessible, but certain individuals found other safe hyperlanes into the region, such as the Byss Run and the Deep Core Run over the millennia. During the New Sith Wars, the Dark Lord Belia Darzu rediscovered Tython and build a secret fortress there.

Darth Bane visited the fortress 990 years prior to now, during his search for the key to making holocrons. Bane's apprentice Darth Zannah was followed to Tython by a group of Jedi led by Valenthyne Farfalla, but the two Sith killed those Jedi.

Finally, 980 years ago, Darth Bane traveled to Prakith to recover Darth Andeddu's holocron from the Malevolence cult.

This is the ancient and vast history associated with the Deep Core.

It was only recently that, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine dispatched scouts and probe droids to explore the region. As the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, he would've provided the Separatist leadership with access to secret hyperspace routes that allowed them to bypass the heavily-defended Corellian sector and attack Coruscant.

However, that shall never come to pass, and instead, said hyperspace routes are now being used and was used by the Empyrean to further explore themselves.

Some of the Empyrean's droid fleets were still stationed throughout this space regions, amongst the few systems that may of been of any value at all.

The droids stationed themselves, killing whatever they could at first, before switching over to methods that would not enable and help Abeloth increase her power.

Instead, the droids started to retreat from these planets and systems, for every death made by them would influence and increase Abeloth's said power. The source of where her true body is being made, somewhere, and quite possibly is going to be found here.

Within the Deep Core.

Anakin, Ahsoka and Eve were coming closer and closer, even if having to take their time advancing through the chaos that was the Deep Core. Stars would collide and rip the cores from each other, further destroying and distorting space-time in this region.

Being anywhere near here would of be a death sentence for sure, but the Yuuzhan Vong didn't seem to mind and on the orders of the madmen behind the wheel, the Yuuzhan Vong's invasion failed.

In the end, only a few of their species remained, unaffected and taken away by the Empyrean to reeducate them and make them better as a species. One that didn't feat technology and stuff like that, but the culture and religion of the Yuuzhan Vong would take some time to dismantle.

Breaking it down and rebuilding them into a proper peace loving species like the rest of the galaxy. Not that there wouldn't be any conflict, as the Empyrean had adapted and taken into account that conflict is necessary for their own growth.

Whether that be at the personal level or on a much grander scale.

[]

The closest point that the small team of Anakin, Eve and Ahsoka could get to was the Tsoss Beacon. Of course, the innermost systems and planets closest to the supermassive black hole is Typhon, Byss, and Kalist VI.

These three systems were the closest that anyone could get to the galactic center. The closest known point or station is the Tsoss Beacon, which is the actual closest to the galactic core.

However, the team of three would not be going there, and their first stop would be Typhon. It is here that they will first explore and try to discover whether or not Abeloth had made herself a home here, as it was not connected by any hyperspace lanes.

Thankfully, with evolved enough technology, they are able to traverse the rocky currents of space and find themselves here, with some aid from the Force as well.

A verdant world that was incredibly rich in the Force, Tython was eventually abandoned when the ever-changing hyperlanes in the region drifted away from the planet and became shrouded in myth. The Martyrium of Frozen Tears was built by Jedi there, and some Jedi scholars made the case that Tython was the site of the Jedi Order's first temple.

It was orbited by at least two moons, with the primary being known as Ashla, and was incredibly rich in the Force. Areas on its surface included the Meridional Ice Cap. Tython was home to a number of beasts.

Anakin, Ahsoka and Eve would traverse the planet, in their suits knowing that the place was also probably corrupted.

There was however one place that one would consider staying within, and using a special artifact imbued with the planets energy.

The seeing stone.

A seeing stone was located at the ancient ruins of the Force-henge on the planet Tython. The stone was dome-shaped, with ancient runes written around the bottom. It was said that if a Force-sensitive being were to meditate on top of the stone, it would send a beacon out to any other nearby Force-sensitives.

It is here though, that one may access the many futures, past and present to see into what is to be, what has been and what is happening.

Ahsoka really wanted to come here the most, which Anakin and Eve didn't know why, but acquiesced. So the three would each have their turns interacting with the stone.

The first being Eve.

Meditating, Eve found herself facing her mother, that had become the being known as Abeloth. It was here that Eve was faced with a choice, a decision. Use the Mortis Dagger to strike her down, or do not and retreat, allowing her mother to live, but in a form that may or may not be considered as such.

Eve had her answer on what she would do, granting Ahsoka her turn to access the stone and in turn find some more wisdom for her to follow.

Confronted, Ahsoka was faced with a decision herself. In front of her, there was Anakin, but there was also Abeloth, the thing she had been dreaming about for a while now, haunting her dreams.

Here, before her, the two were facing off against each other in space, really close to the supermassive black hole, using their powers to resist the massive pull of the behemoth black hole.

Ahsoka, seeing this had to make a choice, as Anakin struck Abeloth down, Abeloth grabbled ahold of Anakin, dragging him in with her, towards the supermassive hole and with nothing to stop her from doing so.

Ahsoka, panicked, decided she would throw herself at Abeloth's attempt instead, using herself as the one to be sacrificed instead. Tears in her eyes, Ahsoka awakened to the worried look of Anakin's, and she knew what she needed to do now.

Determination within herself, and determination within Eve, these two girls would be pivotal in the upcoming confrontation with the arbiter of chaos herself.

Finally, it was Anakin's turn.

Sitting down, the other two seemed to be at peace with themselves, allowing Anakin some peace of mind as he connected himself to the beacon of Force energy that was Typhon.

Staring out into space, Anakin came face to face with the first two Force apparitions he had seen ever since his rebirth.

"Red? Blue? What are you two doing here?" Anakin questioned, seeing the two versions of himself. Red, being the Sith or Dark side, while Blue being the Jedi or Light side of himself.

"You have gotten yourself into a lot of trouble. You know that right?" Red questioned, as they both had looks. Serious looks, that was grim.

"I am not sure I understand what you mean." Anakin was confused.

"It is exactly as it is. You are in trouble. The Force is in mourning, and you don't even realize it." Blue added.

"..." Anakin didn't say anything in turn, just waiting for these two to continue with what they are meant to say.

Sighing, Red seemed to take on a look of loss himself. "Look... It... I don't think you will know. Even I can't know, nor Blue here, or the Force, or anyone for that matter. We can only speculate."

"Yes. Speculate that it is going to happen, and then there is a big blank period of nothing? Do you really want to be nothing?" Blue turned to Red as he said this.

It seemed as if Red got upset and the two were about to fight it out. "Ok, ok! Stop it, the two of you." Anakin stopped these two idiots, which may or may not be himself. "Tell me what I need to know. Where can I find Abeloth."

"She is hiding on Byss, where else would she be?" Red said as a rhetorical question, snark coming through with some hints of anger.

"I am afraid that there is nothing else we can tell you. No matter what we do, you do, or anyone else does, it is the end. Finality in its truest form." Blue seemed mournful as well.

Narrowing his eyes, Anakin asks. "Tell me more..."

"I am afraid, there is nothing else to say. Not myself, not Red, and not even you can escape what is coming. It must happen, if things are going to be saved." Blue replied, before he started to fade away, leaving Anakin to face Red.

"And you?" Anakin asked.

"I am not the final one you are to say goodbye to. Someone else has that pleasure." Red said before fading away himself, leaving Anakin alone.