AN: While the prologue gives a brief summary of some notable events in Rogue Knight, you need to read that story in order to figure out what's happening.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Star Wars. They belong to their respective copyright owners. This story is not created with commercial aim. I make no money from it.

Rogue Knight II: The Return of the Sith

=RK=

Prologue

Safe house

Coruscant

The man known as Alin Gray sat in front of his computer terminal and wondered how to best describe the situation across the galaxy. His official job was that of an informational broker. He had agents all across the galaxy, contacts within multiple intelligence agencies, 'friends' in the Senate – a lot of them too.

Gray had access to unparalleled amount of raw data. He could get his hands to AARs, intelligence summaries and much more.

None of that really prepared him for the events of the last few weeks. Gray believed he knew what was coming. He prepared to use those events to further the Vong cause.

Instead he was caught off guard by everything going to hell so fast it was hard to believe.

Where should he start?

Perhaps with Veil's impossible arrival from the past? Or that of his enemies, the Old Republic Remnant? His superiors were fascinated with the Force and the warriors who wielded it. They and their effect would play a prominent part in his report.

Still that didn't help him begin writing it. In order to explain how the whole galaxy was thrown in utter chaos, Gray had to explain the events leading to the current situation and that was problematic. Did someone plan this? Was the war itself to blame?

Despite all the information he had, Gray didn't have good answer to those questions.

Well, there were the facts…

The ORR arrived a few years ago, didn't like what they found so they infiltrated the Confederacy of Independent systems. Their plan was obvious in hindsight – make a war between the Republic and CIS inevitable, then escalate it until the only viable resolution was a military victory. Then ensure that both the Republic itself and the Sith who originally engineered the war were gone.

That at least was Gray's conclusion when he analyzed the data. Of course, officially the ORR were allies to the CIS and fought to save the galaxy from the Sith. It was unknown if they engineered the coup withing the Confederacy which removed Dooku from power so they could safely reveal themselves or if they stood up only after the Sith was removed.

Gray had conflicting data on that point.

Of course, one couldn't think about the Sith without Veil jumping to the front of their mind. A Sith from long forgotten age. A competent general who joined the war on the Republic side and if you trust most of the data Gray had – almost single handledly ensured that the Confederacy didn't win the war during the first year of the conflict.

Ryloth. Second Geonosis. Gerrenthum. Eriadu.

Four battles which made the man a legend. Then there were

Atrisia and Kamino – two worlds who he killed. Many loathed him for the first, while other defended his actions in stopping a horror worthy of the Shapers themselves.

Kamino was different. There was no independent confirmation – just Confederate claims which many dismissed as propaganda. Veil wasn't available to comment – the man was either dead or on the run with the Republic fleet which fled Kamino after burning that world. The CIS certainly believed in the later option and was hunting him.

The Republic on the other hand was numb. The news that Veil might have gone rogue came on top of many hammer blows. Most of the galaxy was under the nominal control of the Confederacy. The Corellian system was in Separatist hands with four of the Five Brothers invaded and two conquered.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the Jedi rebelled and attempted to carry out a coup under the pretense of protecting the Republic from the Sith. They managed to assassinate Chancellor Palpatine and put the highest ranking GAR officers on Coruscant either in the hospital or the grave.

In retaliation, the Republic army stormed the Jedi Temple and the surviving Jedi were now on the run.

Gray smiled. Of course they ran. After all, with his dying breath, Chancellor Palpatine issued Order 66 and thus crushed one of the biggest obstacles for the Vong conquest.

The Republic was in turmoil. It was besieged by the Separatists and weakened by treason.

ONI and SIB were under investigation because some of their agents and even the former's director took part in the coup. The Senate was paralyzed by clashing agendas and the stunning treason of the Cathar and their allies who not only seceded after the coup failed but formally joined the Confederacy a few days ago.

The CIS on the other hand was busy digesting and securing its new gains while trying to deal with hostile populations across the breadth of the galaxy. Their offensive in the east quadrants was still ongoing, while in the west multiple sectors led by Eriadu continued to resist.

Gray sighed. How exactly was he supposed to make a proper report of that utter mess?!

=RK=

The Mother Machine

location classified

Belsavis

"Well, this is certainly unexpected." I grumbled.

The entrance to the Mother Machine was buried when I landed. It took two days for combat engineers working around the clock to clear the way to the chamber where my salvation was supposed to wait.

The place was a bloody wreck chock full with the mummified remains of Old Republic troopers, Jedi and what suspiciously looked of clones based on me. The whole place was dark and there was no trace of power.

"Get generators set up and running." I pointed at the machine itself. "I need it operational yesterday."

My time was running out. Even with the best alchemy concoctions I could brew, my body was giving up. I had a day, perhaps two left before I died. That or began using Shaak Ti's body as a meat puppet.

I glared back at the Mother Machine. The damn thing looked quite banged up. Even with power restored there was no guarantee that it would be operational.

I went to the closest Jedi body and kicked the bastard. The bloody mummy crumbled into dust.

Kriffing Jedi! Even in death they were trying to do me in.