I'm one of those people that only rarely comments on the fanfiction they read across various fandoms. This is simply because if I've truly enjoyed a story, I find it extremely difficult to portray that. But given that you've put a lot of work into producing this epic, it's only right that I post to reaffirm what everyone here is saying: it's amazing. This is equally as grabbing as the novels, if not more so. Your characters are all so different and interesting, I really enjoyed the variety of species, personalities and skills.

 

It was always hard to see where this was going and you left a lot of things unanswered till the very end, which is good because it prompts further reading. I know an author doesn't always know themselves exactly what might happen, but you made it work along the way. I am grateful that I started reading this towards the end, because I would have likely died of impatience waiting for the new chapters to be released. That isn't a dig at your writing speed, it's an acknowledgement of the fact that it's a great story and waiting for my email to tell me you'd updated was torture. And when it finally would arrive, the latest chapter was able to brighten the most horrible of days.

 

One of my favourite aspects of any story are friendships and close relationships, especially of the male variety (platonic or not). As close as Jresh and Lorrik ended up becoming, I will just say I never saw *that* coming. That lovely moment when he finally kissed Jresh. I had just assumed all of the relationships would be hetero so you made me very happy by sticking those lovely boys together, I was like, WHATTT

 

Then I was all :D:D:D

 

They are perfect for one another in many ways and I hope we see more of them in future.

 

Even if you were to make a dig at my writing speed, I'd have beaten you to it long ago. If there's one thing I can write fast its self-deprecating statements.

 

I'm glad people were receptive to Lorrik and Jresh's relationship as it developed. I wasn't sure how far it would go, or if it would even go anywhere in the very beginning. At first, the only pairing I knew would become a loving relationship was Kar'ai and Ryloh. And the only pairing I knew wouldn't become a loving relationship was Isorr and Arlia. Even Nesk and Vurt see themselves as sort of brothers, and the closest thing to family they'll get.

 

But with Lorrik and Jresh, the action-hero 'bromance' turned into genuine romance, and I wasn't sure how people would react. Not so much because of the male on male pairing, but the fact that the story didn't really have romantic elements early on. From the number of views and warm comments, I realized people liked this story, but I had no idea why. I didn't know if people kept reading because of the action, the dialogue, the overarching story, the seriousness, the humor. I wondered who exactly was reading this story? Was it the same readers as other works that do involve a healthy amount of romance? Was it readers who liked the story because it wasn't centered around 'shipping' characters like so many others? It was always weird as an author when people would ask for more, and I would wonder, 'more what'? More of the same? More added on top? Would changing things or taking them away be met with resistance? With the story over, only now do I realize that I have no freakin' clue what its genre or demographic is. My only goal was to make a good Sith story by writing a 'good Sith' story.

 

But, having met no resistance or objections concerning the main characters' relationship, I can say I'm relieved. Star Wars isn't exactly known for its same gender relationships, and those of the female variety seem more prevalent in fan works. That I was able to have a story with two loving males at the forefront that was not only accepted, but appreciated, warms by heart.

 

This has been amazing throughout, and the ending was a triumphant conclusion which still leaves things open for more (*hints*) I've really looked forward to each new installment and never been disappointed. Definitely very high quality stuff, thank you for all your work writing it and for sharing it with us *applauds long and loud*

 

Happy that I managed to avoid disappointment. Although with 111 chapters, I'm sure there's got to be one in there somewhere that rates just above a solid 'meh', right?

 

 

 

Alright, now that the story's finished, thought I'd share some stats:

Start Date: 5/10/2011

Post Date: 3/24/2012

End Date: 12/03/2013

Total Page Count (Approx.): 678 (Formatted for forum posting, no indentation, space between each paragraph)

Total Word Count (Approx.): 274,424

Act I Word Count (Approx.): 54,155

Act II Word Count (Approx.): 46,382

Act 0 Word Count (Approx.): 44,728

Act III Word Count (Approx.): 83,404

Act IV Word Count (Approx.): 42,982

Longest Chapter: Act IV, Chapter 10 (6,468 words)

Times 'inquisitor' is used: 646

Times 'warrior' is used: 539

Number of PMs I received over the course of the story offering suggestions: 1

Number of PMs I received over the course of the story offering suggestions that had an impact on the story: 1

(When I asked for suggestions and criticism, I meant it)

Limb Injuries: Lorrik Velash, 1 arm (corrupted); Jresh Takuul, 1 leg (corrupted); Meylin Velash, 1 arm (severed); Ornell Barath, 1 hand (crushed*); Algo Syrosk, 1 leg (severed); Nesk 1 hand (severed).

 

Other things I'd like to note:

Over the span of two years, Lorrik goes the entire story with zero direct kills (Your move Jedi).

Lorrik really only knew the birth-names of fellow acolytes and apprentices. Everyone else either used adopted names, titles, or went nameless.

 

 

 

In future story news, I can reveal that Syrosk's branch of the story will involve a new group known as the 'Executors of Logistics', a group of Sith enforcers dedicated to keeping the Empire running smoothly in the years following the Treaty of Coruscant. Securing trade routes, keeping rebellious Sith in line, dealing with internal affairs Intelligence can't handle alone, making sure the cogs are forever turning in the right direction.

 

Darth Vowrawn has tasked Syrosk with filling the ranks of this new group, scouting recruits from wayward Sith with nothing to do and nowhere to go after the war has ended. But after finding dozens of suitable Executors, Syrosk is charged with taking a more direct role overseeing a particular group. Three Sith that their patron has an odd interest in.

 

Asher. Fay. Graves. Three misfits. Three apprentices whose masters fell in the in the final hours of the war, and rather than being reassigned, managed to slip through the cracks. Three Sith with new-found purpose. Purpose placed upon them, rather than self-realized.

 

 

 

As for Lorrik and Jresh's branch, well I'm always open to suggestions. If there's anything you'd like to see, my PM box is waiting.

Wow, I have been reading from the beginning and I must say, it has been one of the best fan fictions I have read. I must ask, are you going to continue with The Seven? I particularly liked that one. Great job!

Wow, I have been reading from the beginning and I must say, it has been one of the best fan fictions I have read. I must ask, are you going to continue with The Seven? I particularly liked that one. Great job!

 

It's always amazing to hear someone's stuck it through since the early chapters, so for that alone, I thank you. The compliment is an added bonus. As for The Seven, that'll be my next main focus. Just like with Acolyte Ascension, I'll make it my prime story, focusing on getting it finished while adding to other stories still in progress when the mood strikes or when I've hit a writer's block. It won't be as long as this story (I doubt any of the others will), as I plan on concluding it with its seventh episode (how fitting). Guiding Lights will probably receive the soonest update because I have a chapter in progress and I'd like to finish the current mini-arc. Tools of the Trade, I know exactly where I want it to go, but I don't want to start something with it and leave it hanging until I'm ready to give it attention. Torrid Squadron, I'd like to introduce all the new members of the team before putting it on hold.

 

As always, my interests can become focused or dispersed at times, so I can't guarantee certain content schedules. But the continued feedback provided has kept me motivated, so thanks everyone.

Wow, this was absolutely AMAZING!

 

I mean I only started reading it in teh last couple of months, and Its just......I mean wow, I honestly think this should be an actual book that people can go and buy in places like WHSmith and Waterstones, cause it is just amazing!

Preview #1

 

0 ATC

 

Dromund Kaas. The Sith Empire was adapting to the new galactic climate. One of peace. The Great War had ended. And in their minds, they had won. Coruscant burned, and would have been reduced to nothing had their conditions not been met. All their years of planning, all their years of waiting to reveal themselves, and in a few short decades, the Empire brought the Republic to their knees. It was a time to celebrate, but now new preparations had to be made.

 

The Empire’s borders and holdings had rapidly expanded as a result of the Treaty of Coruscant. Even in victory, their forces had waned and were stretched perilously thin. It was the fear they had stricken into the hearts and minds of the Republic and Jedi that protected them. But that fear would not last, least of all without a war to propagate it. Thus it fell to the Empire, and their leaders, to rebuild, to strengthen, to cement the ideal of superiority in their every facet.

 

But the normal operations the Sith had relied on for centuries would not prove sufficient. The tenet of individuality and personal power had provided the Empire a base for military might, but some measure of order was needed to ensure their control over their new territories. The Ministry of War possessed the skill and discipline to secure the new worlds, but lacked the necessary numbers. The same was true for Imperial Intelligence, more than capable of monitoring threats across the galaxy, less able to act on them. Every sphere of the Sith Empire had their role to play in the new age. And every sphere had their own way to fulfill that role.

 

Perhaps the most integral to the continued success of the Empire was that of Production and Logistics. Charged with balancing intelligence and troop movements, maintaining the economy, supervising labor and agricultural supplies, securing trade and transport, the sphere dealt with the underlying framework that kept the Empire running smoothly and efficiently. But the majority of its work was behind the scenes. It operated not through warriors and posturing, but through numbers and records. And though its influence stretched toward all corners of the Empire, the sphere was perceived a weak. Limited.

 

The perception was not misplaced. It lacked the agents other spheres possessed. It lacked the Sith presence of other organizations. It lacked enforcers, those willing to carry out its plans, and instead relied upon the other spheres to carry out what it deemed necessary for the Empire’s survival. But that was soon to change.

 

The Dark Councilor heading the Sphere of Production and Logistics, Darth Vowrawn, had a plan. One involving the rectification of his domain’s single greatest fault. Thus, the Executors of Logistics were born.

 

Within the halls of the Citadel, the foundations were being placed. The framework was being constructed. And the first members were being picked. In a small office, rather than some opulent chamber of Sith splendor, two figures had tucked themselves away. Away from fellow Sith. Away from Imperial Guardsmen. Isolated.

 

Both elder gentlemen, one possessed the red skin of a Pureblood. The other’s was a rough, leathery orange, belonging to an alien species unheard of within Imperial space. The Pureblood was regal, dignified. The other was coarse, stoically fierce. One a refined statesman, the other a horned Lord who’d seen more lost than gained.

 

Darth Vowrawn. Algo Syrosk.

 

Dark Councilor. Executor Zero.

 

Syrosk sat behind a desk, whist his superior gently paced about the compact room. In front of the seated Lord sat an array of datapads, each displaying information on potential recruits, pulled from official Logistics databanks.

 

“Amazing isn’t it?” Vowrawn commented as Syrosk poured over the stream of information. “Details regarding every registered citizen of the Empire at our fingertips.”

 

“Keyword: Registered,” Syrosk curtly replied. “There are countless individuals who managed to slip through the cracks.”

 

“Like your former students?” Vowrawn supposed. “They’ll be in there soon enough. They did earn their citizenship, after all. But then again, we’re not interested in slaves and aliens now are we? This isn’t to be some underground operation. Just because we’re not broadcasting our actions to the galaxy, doesn’t mean we don’t have rules and standards to conform to.”

 

“And yet you’ve put me in charge of things,” Syrosk commented.

 

“In the public’s eye, there is no Executor Zero,” Vowrawn declared. “You are the lone piece of intrigue in an otherwise upstanding organization. If anyone asks, you are merely a consultant, picked for your many years of service recruiting for the Academies.”

 

“I thought that actually was my purpose,” Syrosk admitted.

 

“For now, it is,” Vowrawn explained. But as recruitment winds down, I was hoping you would be interested in a more… hands-on role.”

 

“So you want me for more than finding suitable Sith after all,” Syrosk muttered.

 

“You’re in charge of filling the ranks, who will be divided into teams and guided by handlers in accordance to their relative talents and skill levels,” Vowrawn detailed. “But afterward, I’d like to you oversee a particular group. Be their handler.”

 

“You’re giving me a new set of apprentices?” Syrosk supposed.

 

“No,” Vowrawn offered with a quick chuckle. “There is a time and place for hierarchies and traditions. This isn’t one of them. We’re asking those we bring in to give up their rank and titles. They’ll be Executors. Not apprentices, not Lords, not Darths.”

 

“No Darths,” Syrosk declared. “They’ll destabilize the organizations with power plays and prideful endeavors. I’m going along with this because you promised this would be a chance to help the Empire. I’ll not see it devolve into the same chaos I’ve seen these past decades.”

 

“Very well. No Darths,” Vowrawn conceded. “But for this to work, we’ll need heavy hitters. Sith who can get things done.”

 

“I can give you at least two,” Syrosk replied.

 

“You can give me three more, assuming you accept my offer,” Vowrawn declared.

 

“Who do you have in mind?” Syrosk wondered.

 

“Three Sith. Apprentices who lost their masters in the last hours of the war,” Vowrawn informed. “Nothing to do. Nowhere to go. I’d like to see you make use of their talents.”

 

“How do you know them?”

 

“I like to keep tabs on the more interesting students to leave the Academies,” Vowrawn declared. “A man in my position needs to stay cognizant of potential threats and assets.”

 

“What makes these three special?” Syrosk inquired.

 

“I believe they possess a potential unrealized by their former masters,” Vowrawn reasoned. “And without proper guidance, all that potential will just fade away.”

 

“And what do you hope to accomplish with this… realized potential,” Syrosk asked.

 

“The same thing as you,” Vowrawn proclaimed. “Raising Sith of worth, who believe in bettering the Empire rather than fulfilling their own selfish desires.”

 

“A lot of people say they want to make the Empire a better place. And most of them would have others manipulated to see that want realized,” Syrosk stated.

 

“Speaking from experience, are we?” Vowrawn supposed.

 

“I lied to my students, thinking the truth would sabotage everything I had hoped to build. I was wrong, and it nearly cost me everything,” Syrosk confessed. “I don’t plan on making the same mistake again.”

 

“That’s good to hear,” Vowrawn admitted. “I’m sure they’ll be in capable hands then.”

 

“I trust all the others will be as well?” Syrosk curtly inquired.

 

“Of course they will.”

 

“Good. Because the last time someone betrayed me, I spent every waking moment of life righting the wrong they had committed. If I find out that you’ve been lying to me, that there’s some hidden purpose you’re not telling me about…”

 

Vowrawn’s wrinkled lips turned into a coy smirk. “It’s good you haven’t lost your spirit. Because you’re going to need it.”

 

The Sith Lord released a low sigh. “You going to tell me more about these Sith you want to me to oversee?”

 

“That can wait,” Vowrawn calmly directed. “You can focus on recruitment for now.”

 

“Can I at least know their names?” Syrosk inquired.

 

“Asher. Fay. Graves.”

 

----------

 

The new story unfolds in:

 

Executors of Logistics: The Misfits

Edited March 30, 2014 by Osetto

Preview #2

 

0 ATC

 

“So there we were. We had scaled the side of the of one of Coruscant’s skyscrapers. More than a dozen levels climbed with nothing but our bare hands. We didn’t know what to expect when we finally peaked our heads over the hole in the side of the building. Our bodies wanted to quit, be we couldn’t allow them to. Not when we still had to deal with the man in that vault.”

 

“When we dragged ourselves past the threshold of the blasted room, we saw our master leaning against a wall, drawing his last breath. I rushed over to him and he was all ‘I’m sorry… this was all my fault’. But this wasn’t his usual rasp. This was a ‘on the verge of death’ kind of rasp. But I kept my cool. I was like, ‘It’s okay master… we’re here now’. I look down, he’d been stabbed in the gut. His spine has been severed. He thought he wouldn’t make it. But he didn’t know how proficient I had become at healing wounds. I saved his life, but he’s all ‘why… now you’re too weak to fight’. But I’m playing it up like a cool guy, saying ‘nah man, I had to prove you wrong’, and he’s like ‘prove me wrong?’. 'Cause, you see, he had this vision a long time ago that this was how he died. This was basically me punching fate in the face.”

 

“But that’s when we notice Tash coming out of the vault. We still don’t know whether or not we can be diplomatic about this, so we play it cool and go over to meet him. We talk. He doesn’t know whether or not we’re still aligned with Syrosk. I throw down my ultimatum. Give him his options. The moment I saw the amulet around his neck, I was like ‘oh, all this had to be so he could get his hands on that’. But I call him out on it, and he’s like ‘psh, I just wanted to hold this in my hands before I go and loot all this other stuff’ and chunks it off the side of the building.”

 

“Now, we don’t exactly know how things are about to unfold. I think maybe I can goad him into revealing some more of his motivations, but then, wham, we get hit by the hardest Force wave we’ve ever been hit with, knocking us against the far wall. Well now we have to fight. Thing is, the guy’s a Darth. He’s stronger than both of us, even when we attack together. Plus, we’re exhausted at this point. I mean, he’s not fighting at his peak either because of his bout with Syrosk, but he’s still been through less than us probably. Well, he practically knocked my partner out, and I’m left staring him down. Guy starts getting a bit full of himself, starts throwing out some taunts. We have a short conversation in the heat of battle. Well, I learn Tash has been living the last few decades of his life in debt to other Sith. All this time, the acolytes at the Academy were just another asset sitting in his back pocket. Only this one he couldn’t get rid of. He had too much invested in them to take a loss, so he just kept waiting for an opportunity to present itself. These vaults were finally a way to get some utility out of them.”

 

“I find out that, basically, Tash has been chipping away at this debt of his, so that he might finally be able to be a proper Sith. So long as he was beholden to other Lords, he couldn’t do any of the things he wanted to. But eventually he realized he was getting old, and his debt would pass on to his apprentice. So his motives had shifted to raising the perfect apprentice, and then doing everything in his power to give them the chance to do what he couldn’t. Of course, this meant screwing over hundreds of other Sith to give one a better life.”

 

“Of course, we’ve spent enough time talking now that my partner’s recovered. And he had an idea. It fell to me to drain what remained of Tash’s reserves. I found out my right hand had a knack for absorbing energy, so I basically took in an entire torrent of a Darth’s Force lightning. Now, I couldn’t really do anything with that energy. I didn’t have the skill to contain or redirect it. But I had enough power within me to shoot off a spark of my own. But really, it was just a distraction. Plus, I got to say a great one-liner. You see, I shot a quick bolt at him, and he’s like ‘you call that lightning?’. That’s when I say, ‘if lightning won’t work, how ‘bout some thunder?’ That’s when Jresh charges him, and I supercharge his charge by doing a version of the trick we did earlier where I propel him forward with the Force. Pretty great, right?”

 

Sitting across from the chatty Human, was one resting his heavy chin upon his palm as his elbow dug into the desk between them. The talkative Sith wore a plain set of black robes, whilst the Imperial behind the desk was garbed in an neatly maintained gray uniform. Sitting inside the quaint office, the two men were alone, surrounded only by wall-bound computers and data terminals. In front of the Imperial, there rest a small datapad on the flat of the undecorated desk.

 

“Sir…” the imperial drearily began. “All I asked… was for a date of birth… so that I can enter you into the system.”

 

“Oh,” the Sith muttered. “I don’t actually know.”

 

“Is it the new calendar system? I can work with either date if you’d-”

 

“Uh, no. I mean, I don’t know my birthday,” the Sith admitted.

 

“Do you know your age?”

 

“Twenty four…ish.”

 

“Twenty four-ish?” the Imperial repeated, almost in disbelief. Grabbing ahold of the datapad, the officer released a heavy sigh as he tapped at the screen. “Lorrik Velash. Twenty four-ish.”

 

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Lorrik admitted.

 

“And your… partner?”

 

“Twenty six-ish,” Lorrik quickly answered.

 

The Imperial began to rub his brow with his free hand. “Jresh Takuul. Twenty six-ish.”

 

“Is that all you need?” Lorrik wondered.

 

“Honestly, I don’t know,” the Imperial sluggishly confessed. “It’s not every day we get word from a Dark Councilor telling us to grant citizenship to a group of Sith who have somehow managed to live in Imperial space unregistered for more than a decade. But yes, you should officially be in the system by next week. You should be able to apply for housing as well as-”

 

“Oh, Vowrawn’s going to take care of that,” Lorrik casually informed.

 

The Imperial arched his brow at the Sith’s odd candor. “Is he now?”

 

“Well, that’s what Syrosk said,” Lorrik confessed. “He said he’s going to try and get us an apartment near the market district.”

 

“Lucky you,” the Imperial drolly stated.

 

“I know right?” Lorrik offered with a genuine excitement. “Once we get settled in, we’re going to become artifact hunters.”

 

“How does that work?”

 

“Well, there are a number of Force artifacts floating around the galaxy. We’re going to hunt for them.”

 

“Well, I wish you luck,” the Imperial replied, no real sense of encouragement in his voice. “I hear some of the Sith that deal with those kinds of things can be… unpleasant.”

 

“Oh, we know how to deal with unpleasant,” Lorrik declared. “Besides, after what we’ve been through, I think our worst trials are behind us. From here on out, it’ll practically be smooth sailing.”

 

----------

 

The new story unfolds in…

 

No Lords, No Masters

 

----------

 

 

 

Also, I've gone back and done a full read through the the story, start to finish, making edits and adjustments alone the way. Hopefully, most of the glaring errors are gone and the story itself is cleaned up. I doubt I'll be doing any more comprehensive sweeps again any time soon, so I guess this is pretty much as close to a finished version as I'm going to get.

 

Thanks for reading, everyone.

Edited April 5, 2014 by Osetto

Thanks. There's no words to express the gratitude I feel.

Now that it ended i feel bad. i need more like a drug addict with abstinence syndrome.

Just, thanks, and now that I realize there are more stories made by you I will follow them too and i have to say thanks for that stories too.

Thanks, again.

 

 

 

 

 

And again, Thanks. And another thanks to you, just in case you dont realize how many I bloody thank you all the good time you gave me.

Thanks. There's no words to express the gratitude I feel.

Now that it ended i feel bad. i need more like a drug addict with abstinence syndrome.

Just, thanks, and now that I realize there are more stories made by you I will follow them too and i have to say thanks for that stories too.

Thanks, again.

 

 

 

 

 

And again, Thanks. And another thanks to you, just in case you dont realize how many I bloody thank you all the good time you gave me.

 

And you have my sincerest thanks for your comment. I never really expected anything I've written to receive the level of appreciation and enjoyment readers have expressed toward this story.

 

If anyone asks, it was you people who made this happen. If not for the feedback and comments left by everyone in this thread, I don't know what state this story would be in. All those weeks and months between posts happened even when I was sufficiently motivated to continue writing. Without them, I don't know if I could have finished this.

 

For all my other ongoing stories, I still care about each and every one of them, and hope I can deliver them somewhere as remotely satisfying as this one. I haven't been writing much as of late, and probably won't for the rest of April as I find myself with a heavy workload that requires my writing attentions, but I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

 

 

 

Also, for anyone interested, I've posted this story over at fanfiction.net. It should be easier to navigate and won't have any comments or author's notes breaking it up if someone wants a 'cleaner' read.

well after reading this story for years im really impressed on how it ended ive just finished reading thru the whole story it was nice taking time off from reading it cuz when i went back to the story there were so many chapters to catch up on. This story held my attention and i fell in love with the story and characters in it and it was nice how the in game characters got some light in your story as well. I cant wait for the other stories to unfold!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! as always keep up the great work you do you are an amazing writer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!