Personal Journal of Shan Pellian
The weight of this decision is heavier than I anticipated. It was a choice made in the heat of battle, fueled by the call of something greater than myself, but now I find my thoughts turning inwards. The Final War is upon us, and I am committed to seeing it through. I have pledged my life, my soul, to a cause I once believed would bring a new dawn for the galaxy. But tonight, as I lie in my quarters aboard the Wyvern, I wonder if we have simply exchanged one form of chaos for another.
When I first joined the Diarchy, I was filled with idealism. The galaxy—fractured by centuries of conflict, torn apart by the endless cycles of war and rebuilding—needed something drastic. It needed a clean break from the past, a final resolution that would reshape its future. A war that would purge the old evils, break the chains of corruption, and bring an end to the endless cycles of death. We would finally be rid of the factions that have bled the galaxy dry for so long, the Sith, the Jedi, the Galactic Alliance and Empire, and all the others who perpetuate this endless struggle.
But as the war drags on, I question if we truly understand the consequences of what we have set into motion. The men and women around me speak of victory, of glory, of the dawn of a new order. They speak of the great good that will come from it, but I wonder—are we merely replacing one oppressive regime with another? Is the galaxy truly better off when it's bent to our will? And if we fail—if the war ends in ruin, as many have warned me—it will not be a new beginning. It will be the final undoing of all that has come before us.
I have heard the voices of my fellow commanders, their speeches stirring the hearts of the soldiers, and I have heard the voices of dissent, those who have seen through the veil of righteousness and ask if we are not walking the same path as those we claim to oppose. They speak of the inevitable cost of this war—the lives of billions, the destruction of entire worlds, the sacrifice of our very humanity in the pursuit of something so grand, so nebulous. It is as if we are all willing to become the monsters we seek to destroy.
The irony, of course, is that I cannot afford to hesitate. The war is already upon us, and my duty is to see it through. To hesitate now would be to abandon those who have placed their faith in me, to betray those who have already given their lives for this cause. They are counting on me. And yet… the burden of knowing what could happen if we fail is suffocating. The galaxy could fall into a chaos that would make the Second Great Hyperspace War look like a whisper in comparison. The suffering, the bloodshed—it would be unimaginable. The very foundations of civilization would crumble beneath us. What if we are simply too blinded by our certainty to realize the terrible cost?
But then again, what if we succeed? What if we manage to break the cycle of violence that has shackled the galaxy for so long? What if the war does indeed lead to a new era—one where peace is not just a fragile hope, but a lasting reality? A galaxy where tyranny and corruption no longer rule, where the people are not bound to the whims of despots or the manipulation of ancient, dark forces? I cannot deny that the possibility is alluring, that the thought of creating a future where my children, if I ever have any, can live without fear of war or oppression is worth fighting for.
Perhaps that is the true nature of this conflict. It is not just a war of armies, but a war of ideals. Of sacrifice. Of a price that must be paid for the possibility of something greater. Yet even as I write this, I feel the sting of doubt. Is it worth it? And if it is, who will decide when enough has been sacrificed?
I know there is no easy answer. In truth, I fear there is no answer at all. I will see this through, of course. My duty to the Diarchy and to the future of the galaxy demands it. But I cannot escape the nagging thought that, in the end, the line between hero and villain is far more tenuous than I ever imagined.
The only thing I am certain of now is this: we stand on the precipice of something far greater than ourselves. Whether that will be a new age of peace—or an everlasting night—remains to be seen.
-Shan Pellian, High Admiral of the Diarchy
