Xerin Hedashield's campaign

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**Xerin Hedashield's campaign** was a series of attacks and skirmishes initiated and performed by the Third Order and the Sith Order to supplant the Galactic Republic for control over the galaxy. The coup lasted for ten years and mainly included traces to the fabled Pearian, who eventually turned out to be Kristen. The operation was smooth and virtually silent, and the existence of the Third Order remained private knowledge. However, the conflict led to open warfare after a brief but fateful skirmish on Der Erebolten.

## Background

The seeds of the conflict were sowed in the world of Vrean. Around sixteen decades before the Battle of Yavin, the world was threatened by a plague. Desperate to save her world from extinction, a young girl named Xerin Hedashield followed Senator Chalatos when he tried and failed to appeal to the Galactic Republic, which had long been hurting and manipulating the peoples of the galaxy to maintain their power, for the well-being of the Vreanian race. The Senate was focused on their own needs and callously dismissed Hedashield and Chalatos. Not long after, the world fell and Hedashield became part of the surviving quarter, while her mother and father did not.

Deeply impacted by this event, Hedashield came to believe that the government's selfishness caused them to overlook the bigger problems for everyone, and their cruelty was rapidly threatening the very existence of a galaxy far, far away. If nothing was done, then the galaxy would be destroyed from within. Hedashield concluded that the galactic authority needed correction and wishing to spare other planets from suffering Vrean's fate, resolved to conquer the Republic and replace it with her dictatorship, the Third Order.

## Conflict

### The conflict begins

Using her vast intellect, rapidly strengthening Force powers, and exceptional ability to obtain followers, Xerin Hedashield spent the next ten years building her army and set out on her quest to save the galaxy from itself. It was around this time that she came into regular contact with Darth Mutialatus and successfully merged the Third Order with the Sith. Hedashield became the Supreme Leader of her organization even ruling from the stronghold of the Dark Tower on Der Erebolten.

Safe in the science tower, Xerin began making her lifelong dream a reality, starting by recruiting individuals in high places, who in turn helped her recruit many officers, nobles and technologists, who all fled with her to Del Erebolten. Most of her soon-to-be followers would have likely perished while crossing this uncharted realm if it had not been for the ancient hyperspace trails blazed by a retinue of mute alien navigators that believed Hedashield's views were right and superior to those of the current Chancellor of the Galactic Republic. Together, these rogues based on Del Erebolten and served Darth Mutialatus, who acted on Hedashield's orders thus creating the Third Order. While Mutialatus gave most of the orders and generally appeared to be in charge, Hedashield closely monitored him, telling him what to do and what orders to give, and essentially becoming the Supreme Leader of her organization.

In spite of initiating the birth of the Third Order in complete secret, Xerin Hedashield still attended high school and hung out with Vlaire, whilst operating the Third Order on the side. When the Omnipotent One was gravely ill, Hedashield saved his life by inventing an antidote for him, making him very fond of her. She had spent less than a week in the tower when the robots finished building her consumption speeder. Xerin drove it to the store, where it sucked out all the candy and soda and they stacked themselves neatly on the shelves inside the speeder's giant box. She drove home, undetected, as everyone in the store ran amok, having no idea what had happened. On Del Erebolten, the box implanted itself into the wall, effectively becoming her food shelf. There were only two weeks of school left, during which time Xerin, who had become lazier and so always came to school wearing the colorful and skimpy clothing she slept in, made another grocery store plunder in the same city as the first. On her last day of school, she said a tearful goodbye to Vlaire and returned to her headquarters, remaining secluded within its walls for the next decade and rarely leaving except on special errands.

### Ascension of the Third Order

After school, Hedashield returned to her headquarters, lying low while Darth Mutialatus traveled around the galaxy. Both Supreme Leader and Dark Lord explored the Dark side of the Force extensively, studying obscure and arcane Force concepts, and consorting with terrorists who agreed to join the Third Order. Both Hedashield and Mutialatus were occasionally accompanied by two separate groups of followers. On Hedashield's orders, Mutialatus began establishing relations with various kinds of scum in the criminal underworld, including thugs and gangsters. Though Hedashield was generally even less tolerant of them than society in general, these criminals were receptive of her violent and destructive goals. Dark activity throughout the galaxy rose.

In the wider galaxy, the early actions of the Third Order were almost totally unknown, and the 150s BBY were a time when the tide of social progress clashed with the entrenched social order.

Xerin Hedashield also founded a relatively formal organization called the Grabbers, a band of mercenaries subordinate to the Third Order. Yaxa became an Admiral to the Order, but according to Darth Mutialatus, he was formally stripped of this rank due to his incompetent nature. Despite actively collecting followers and finding her life to be quite enjoyable, Hedashield distrusted her newfound allies and remained secluded within the walls of her headquarters and rarely left except on special errands, on account of not knowing who to trust. She always kept an illegally modified blaster under her pillow on her bed.

### Attack on Der Erebolten

*"I thought you and your homies all got creamed by Mutialatus' goons."
"I would choose my next words wisely, woman."
"My humblest apologies, I'm sure you don't like thinking about it, anyway, why are you here again?"*
―Shae Bibble and Abbott[src]
Eventually, Abbott and his crew infiltrated the Dark Tower. He and his fellow crew members intended to call for reinforcements when they scaled the tower and figured out what they were up against, only to encounter impossible odds at every turn, including an army of black-clad troops and numerous security measures that included turbolasers, Rancors, and electric shocks that ravaged the crew, along with "peculiar objects and cruel inventions and devices that trap and maul the unsuspecting". Making his way into the Room of Concealment to challenge the Supreme Leader, Abbott challenged Xerin Hedashield directly. Being vastly more powerful than her challenger, Hedashield effortlessly dented his sword and smashed him against the base of the Dark Tower. Forced to relinquish his own crew, Abbott narrowly escaped capture and fled the planet, not getting any information including Hedashield's name. With his friends brutally murdered, Abbott became traumatized and went from loyally serving the Obstacles to making his services to them extremely indirect.

### Assassination of Saint Pyro

Eventually, Xerin Hedashield learned from Saint Pyro that a Pearian may appear in the galaxy at some point in the near future. Believing a Pearian would be very useful in her plans of galactic domination, Hedashield ordered Pyro's slaughter, as she hoped to destabilize St. Pyro's Center for Militarized Sciences. While Pyro's assassination was successful, she failed to end the science program, as Pyro, in his dying breaths, placed a scientist named R'ockienc in charge.

In the mix, Hedashield began seeking out an apprentice for Darth Mutialatus. Several individuals volunteered, finding this idea an honor. Hedashield was particularly impressed by a small Twi'lek boy named Thomas Slovak, though she accepted the fact that the choice was entirely up to Mutialatus. She chose not to reveal this to him until the time was right. Another man swathed into her ranks was Captain Cole.

### Discovery of a Pearian

When she was twenty-eight years old, Xerin Hedashield learned that a Pearian had appeared on Coruscant. She learned that the Pearian, whose name was Kristen, was being accompanied by a Jedi Padawan named B'en'jamin Thorrn, and she sent Yaxa and fellow Grabber Marion to capture the children and bring them unharmed to the science tower to be questioned by Darth Mutialatus. Upon learning of their failure from Mutialatus via comlink, Hedashield ruthlessly arranged for their private execution by General Gore. Somehow, she acquired an exotic marble owned by Jedi Master Yoda and entrusted to a Jedi Knight. Owning the marble confirmed that Kristen and Thorrn were to follow the individual.

Immediately after the Grabbers' deaths, Xerin Hedashield took off in her personal speeder to seek out Kristen and B'en'jamin Thorrn herself, believing that disclosing information whilst leaving out the essentials would earn their trust. She tracked them to an isolated field where they were hiding from the Third Order (albeit ignorant to what the Order was). Thorrn immediately showed her a vintage necklace made of Phrik, which she was glad to hear more about, but Kristen told her about the marble entrusted to them by Yoda. Thorrn developed an instant crush, while Kristen was wary of Hedashield (though she was currently suspicious of everyone).

They arrived at Xerin's apartment, where Hedashield brought Thorrn upstairs with her, wishing to speak with them separately in order to give them information they would find incredibly useful whilst cleverly withholding the essentials. When they entered her bedroom, Hedashield changed into her bedclothes and offered Thorrn a snack, before questioning his knowledge of the prophecy of the Chosen One who would bring balance to the Force. Hedashield also revealed that she knew how Kristen appeared in the *Star Wars* galaxy, something she claimed he did not yet need to know. Xerin then interrogated B'en, wanting to know about the Chosen One who was allegedly destined to bring balance to the Force. B'en, however, did not find this likely, though Xerin thought otherwise, she could find no backup to this claim, so she dropped the subject and they prepared to leave. B'en told her a joke about space slugs and in turn, she told him a joke about neebrays.

They returned to the playplace and Xerin picked up Kristen, dropping B'en off. In her room, she realized that Kristen was incredibly curious, so Hedashield spoke to her fluently to explain everything she wanted to know in a levelheaded way. Kristen learned that a failed experiment of St. Pyro's Center for Militarized Sciences intending to learn how to travel outside the galaxy has resulted in her abduction. Hedashield pointed out that the leader of the laboratory beckoned her several times. She chided Kristen for not answering, who shrugged her off by asking what Pearians were. When Xerin claimed it was a great mystery, Kristen asked how to return to Earth. Xerin told her to seek out the mysterious and all-powerful Omnipotent One.

### Tracking the Pearian

*"Be careful. If you knew what I know, you'd want them on our side too. I like you, Cole.* Do not *let me down."*
―Xerin speaking to Captain Cole (deleted scene)[src]
Intrigued by both of the children, Hedashield followed them downstairs and offered them the opportunity to spend the night with her. Both of them obliged. Thorrn seemed to bond with Hedashield during this time, and when daylight came, Hedashield allowed the children to borrow a speeder and gave them advice on how best to get offworld again. Thorrn begged Hedashield to come with them, catching her off guard by tenderly holding her hand, and while she acted touched by this, she let go of his hand and returned upstairs.

Captain Cole came to visit her afterwards, and after two two-liter bottles of root beer and six small Gove candies, she told him to ensure the children got offworld and told him she intended to use Darth Mutialatus to lure them back to Der Erobelten. However, Cole's lack of interest raised her suspicions that he may be planning to betray her.

Following this event, on Hedashield's orders the Third Order ambushed the children on several fronts, but they proved nearly impossible to capture, even by Mutialatus himself.

### Skirmish on Der Erebolten

A couple days later, Darth Mutialatus spoke with Hedashield, and they agreed that two Grabbers would not be enough to try again. Concurrently, Mutialatus dispatched ten Grabbers to capture the children on Geonosis. Their mission was a success, but the children fought their way out of their bonds and through the fortress, impressing Hedashield, who was watching them via security camera, with their fighting prowess.

Shortly afterwards, she was approached by Captain Cole, who had brought the two children to mask his disenchantment and plan to betray and murder her. Hedashield responded by projecting a shield between herself and her enemies. As if out of nowhere, Darth Mutialatus appeared and killed Captain Cole. Shocked and overcome by agonizing pain, Cole falls to the ground in front of Hedashield. Infuriated that Hedashield was not any less indifferent regarding Cole's unexpected demise, Thorrn challenged her to a duel. Suddenly, Cole used his powers to teleport the children away from the apartment and to safety, Hedashield could only watch as they twisted out the window. As Cole's life ebbed away, Hedashield seethed with fury at the loss of two valuable assets to her plans as well as her Captain.

Just then, General Gore arrived in the room. Hedashield quietly expressed her doubt that B'en'jamin Thorrn is the Chosen One. Hedashield decided that soon, she would risk coming out of the shadows to lead the Third Order, which was now public knowledge, to victory. However, the knowledge that this meant she could hire more able soldiers without fear of exposure or disloyalty comforted her. She took this chance to tell the Dark Lord, whom she planned on brutally punishing at a more appropriate time, of her Holonet campaign to find him an apprentice. She arranged to work alongside Mutialatus, an extension of her plan to expose herself before the Dark forces. Although Mutialatus believed that the Third Order was ready to prove to the Jedi Order that they existed, and Xerin agreed that the time to expose their conquest is not far away at all, she disapproved of challenging the Jedi outright until their armies expanded. In spite of her disappointment at this turn of events, Hedashield hopefully awaited the day that B'en'jamin Thorrn would be claimed by the Dark side of the Force.

## Aftermath

Main article: Conflict of the Numbers
With the Third Order struggling to keep their actions silent from the peering eyes of the Jedi Order, Xerin Hedashield ordered the initiation of several casualties. Many innocent lives were claimed and two planets were completely obliterated. The Conflict of the Numbers had officially begun. Fed up with the failures of her followers, Hedashield had finally grown tired of the lack of progress in her crusade and decided to take matters into her own hands. Hedashield also put her life on the line for a creature known only as "the Captain", unintentionally procuring his loyalty. The Captain ultimately replaced Captain Cole in the ranks of the Third Order. War had come to the galaxy.

## References

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