On the Edge of Darkness

He'd been this planet's warden for as long as he could remember. Lucien had seen it grow from a planet on the verge of de-industrial collapse, to a bustling hub of economic activity and radical Imperial ideals. It had once been the birthplace of Pellaeonism, and of the New Imperial Order itself. Lucien was there at the ruins of the Hand of Thrawn that day, when the original Warlords had gathered to solidify their coalition against the Sith. He was just a boy when Irveric Tavlar showed him there was a path other than the self-inflicted ignorance, and policies of appeasement adopted by the Jedi at the time who occupied the Core worlds. It didn't radicalize him as much as it solidified his desire to fight, and fight he did, for the entirety of his life.

From the high-rises and skyhooks of Muunilinst to the wide expanses of Dantooine's plains, Lucien battled the enemies of the Order with an unending fury behind his lightsaber. He was there as his mentor, the Sovereign Imperator, ordered Operation Kyber Dark on the elements inside their growing state who were not compatible with the future they wished to bring to life. Their defeats, and their victories, still followed him till this day. Names long lost to the echoes of time weighed upon his thoughts more often than not, but despite their whereabouts being uncertain, he cherished every moment they had to share.

"Luc." The voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he swung his head to the right settling his eyes on the much-aged figure of his second-in-command, Knight-Warden Dante Corvus. The aged Imperial Knight had served plenty of years as the Regent of Lucien's holdings in the past. He'd made it a habit of venturing out into the galaxy all throughout his youth and beyond, but that habit had waned for many years by that point.

Lucien's ears buzzed with the many voices occupying the bridge of his flagship, their presence having been previously drowned out while his mind remained occupied elsewhere. But for now his attention had returned to the real. "You don't have to say it Dante–I know." Dante sighed, but the man remained planted firmly next to Lucien's side, his eyes seemingly lost on the visage of the planet of Nirauan before them. A gloved hand patted Lucien on the shoulder firmly, and Dante smiled. "We've fought for years together Luc; Victories, death, glory. That is not something you just leave aside– not at moments like these."

The response managed to draw out a chuckle from Lucien. "You might be right, Corvus, but the offer still remains on the table. Having someone of your ability to regent over them might delay the order-of-events– if only for a time."

Dante huffed at the idea, not even considering it in the slightest. "I'll pass." He said, retaining the same conviction despite Lucien throwing the offer at him seven times by then. Luc wouldn't offer it again, they were far too past the point.

A moment of silence followed, until Dante broke it with a change of topic. "If I didn't have the full details I'd think this plan was stupid, Luc." Dante leaned against the railing, shaking his head slowly. "We're talking about the outer reaches that are barely even mapped by the Chiss and their neighbors. Even our specialists can't give us more than a few percentiles' worth of a chance of pulling this off."

Lucien simply shrugged. "Five years ago I might've agreed with you." He joined his friend at leaning on the railings, the cool façade beginning to show signs of the apprehension he felt towards his own plan, deep-down inside at least. "But I've got a kid now, Corvus." Strained eyes contrasted the genuine smile that followed his words. "I never thought i'd live to see it. Hell– most of us didn't. But..I can't pass this on."

Dante looked confused for a second, an eyebrow perched and raised as he waited for clarification towards the last bit of Lucien's response. "I can't–I Refuse to pass on this cycle of kids fighting and dying in never-ending wars against the Sith. We've been killing them for so long that we've confused the tumor that we see and fight, for the true cancer that exists beneath it. There's a true source to it all, and I'm certain that the heart of the Sith exists far past the reach of the Jedi, or what remains of our Empire."

It seemed as if every month a new expanse of their vast Empire simply broke off, or collapsed into feuding Warlords vying for power. While the factionalism of the Empire had served to keep the ideas of Nirauan a powerhouse inside of the Empire, it had also drawn enemies from the Tarkinists, and even among the more radical Felists as well.

"Even if I'm unable to prevent this generational blight upon our galaxy for my own son, there is a chance for future generations to achieve true peace." His eyes seem to brighten up ever-so-briefly at the thought. The kind of peace Auteme wanted for the world, and for their child. He would give everything to achieve that dream, even if it meant never seeing the two of them again.

Dante's grip tightened around the railing as he considered the words of his friend. "I hear you, Luc. I'm with you on this one." His fingers tapped rhythmically against the railing, a nervous habit the veteran Knight had picked up over the years. The two remained there in silence for a few moments, watching the crew go about the final preparations for their expedition into the far reaches of the unknown. Dozens of warships surrounded his own, thousands of soldiers filling its complement alongside the entirety of the Knights who served directly beneath his command. It was a true expeditionary fleet in the style of the New Imperial Order of old, fully capable of self-sustainment via the dozens of replenishment vessels accompanying it.

Dante raised off the railing and sighed.

"We're all with you, until the end."