There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.
—William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
Taken at the Flood is the twenty-third installment in Sakaros's Untitled New Sith Wars series. After the Battle of Allanteen, the last Sith Lords of Vedya Gasald's territory convene in an attempt to salvage their fief.
Opening Crawl
Excerpt
| Source: Taken at the Flood | Attribution: Sakaros |
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Misen Deech wanted nothing more than a few moments to strategize in silence—or, failing that as he had many times these past days, to think of his palace and spacious hunting reserves on Retep III and wonder if he would ever enjoy them again—but of course the other Sith Lords could not give him even that. "He summons us aboard his flagship," Lord Besnasc fumed. "He summons us. Less than two months anointed, but as arrogant as any Korriban hierophant—" "Calm yourself, Besnasc," Lord Aldelkeugh replied. "It wasn't much more than two months ago that he was laboring under that delusional Lakalt creature. With Lady Gasald…" Aldelkeugh trailed off, and for all his talk of calm, his face and the Force within him darkened. Clearing his throat, he added in a tighter tone, "With Lady Gasald taken from us, Darshkére may feel we're a threat to him." "She anointed him, for good or ill. Or does he not even understand—" "Anointing is new, but the constant need to watch his back with Lakalt, and with his apprentice after that…some habits die harder than others." "And that habit kept him from actually dying," Misen put in; if they would give him no peace, he might as well not be left out. "If going to him puts his mind at ease, what's the harm?" Darshkére's battle group had taken in the remains of Lady Gasald's fleet at Eriadu, and Misen and his colleagues were bound for the Triumphant Successor, the battle cruiser Lady Gasald had gifted Darshkére only weeks before… Misen forced himself to pay attention to the ongoing discussion; it was better than dwelling on what this had all been before. | |
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Segments
Appearances
| Characters | Creatures | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
Dramatis personae
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Other characters
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Events
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Locations
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Organizations and titles
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Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
Weapons and technology
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Miscellanea
Plot Summary
Shortly after the Battle of Allanteen, Sith Lord Misen Deech, along with the other Sith Lords who survived Vedya Gasald's defeat, takes a shuttle aboard the Triumphant Successor, the flagship of Gasald's newest Sith Lord, Darshkére. Lord Besnasc, who resents being "summoned" to Darshkere, worries how the Council of Five will react to Gasald's defeat, suspecting they will want someone to blame.
Darshkere brings the dozen survivors of Allanteen into a conference and contacts two Sith Lords in the far recesses of Gasald's territory by holo, so they can all choose their course. The council rejects Darth Nyewlk'ek's plan (an immediate counterattack to retake Allanteen) and Besnasc's strategy (hunkering down in place to wait out the Republic and see how the Council of Five reacts). Several Sith Lords fear that, if they betray the extent of their weakness, Sith Overlord Trayvin Osydro will exploit it for his benefit and further weaken their position.
Darshkere pitches his own plan: "Operation Back Door", a blitz through several systems to forge a stable Imperial route between his own fortress world of Eriadu and the back reaches of Gasald's territory. Several Sith Lords are supportive, but believe a new Overlord is needed to effectively implement the plan. At the suggestion of Darshkere's apprentice, Bregin Bymar, the council entertains the idea of electing an Overlord, rather than waiting for the Council of Five to appoint one and missing a crucial opportunity. The idea causes dismay, but fear of Osydro's manipulations and the Jedi causes the council to lean toward it. After Besnasc refuses Darshkere's nomination and Lord Aldelkeugh demurs, Darth Nyewlk'ek nominates Darshkere. After a brief discussion, the council unanimously elects Darshkere the new Overlord—some in genuine support of him, some for lack of any viable alternative, and some just hoping the Council of Five will fix its wrath on him and spare everyone else.
After the vote, as Darshkere and Bregin prepare their first strikes, Sith Lord Lady Teyjean approaches Darshkere and frankly asks how long he has been planning to become Overlord, believing he subtly manipulated the council to elect him. Darshkere admits that he had the plan in mind since Gasald anointed him, claiming he would never have betrayed her, but he knew his recent defection to the Empire made him vulnerable if anything untoward happened to her. Pleased by his candor and his obvious ability to manipulate others and take the long view, Teyjean pledges him her support.
Behind the Scenes
In discussing avenging Gasald with Teyjean, Darshkére remarks, "it isn't personal at all. It's just business", a nod to Michael Corleone's famous line in The Godfather.
The novella was titled Triumphant Successor until the last moment; as with "Jedi Trap" as a title for Moments of Truth, Sakaros felt it would give away the ending.