Battle at Amaxine Station

Qi'ra, the leader of Crimson Dawn, in her war to bring an end to the Dark Lords of the Sith, namely Darth Sidious and Darth Vader, obtained the Fermata Cage. This Cage was a dark side of the Force weapon capable of freezing moments in time, intended to trap Vader and Sidious. Qi'ra devised a scheme: she invented the tale of an ancient Sith Lord imprisoned within the Cage, hoping to entice the two Sith into a confrontation where she could ensnare them. To spread this fabricated story, Qi'ra sacrificed her flagship, the Vermillion, during a pursuit by the Imperial Navy. She then contacted Sidious via hologram, revealing her plans to unleash the supposed Sith Lord. The destruction of her ship led Sidious to believe Qi'ra was killed, but she secretly survived and escaped to Cataract Base, where the Dawn Fleet awaited deployment. Despite his uncertainty about Qi'ra's claims, Sidious deemed the risk too great and ordered Vader to locate the Cage.

"The Archivist" and Kho Phon Farrus's initial attempt to unlock the Fermata Cage failed, leading Qi'ra to instruct them to relocate to their next location. Meanwhile, Sidious ordered his apprentice to hunt down Qi'ra's allies, eliminate them, and retrieve the Fermata Cage. Following another unsuccessful attempt to unlock the Cage by the Archivist and Farrus, Sidious and Vader located them through the disturbance in the Force generated by their efforts. Vader was dispatched to secure the artifact. During a battle against Chanath Cha and the Orphans, Vader discovered Qi'ra's survival. Although Vader defeated Cha and two Orphans were killed, the Archivist escaped with the Fermata Cage aboard their starship, the Siroto. Later, Vader and Sidious engaged in a sparring session while discussing the impending confrontation with Qi'ra and the potential Sith Lord. Sidious reminded his apprentice of the Sith Rule of Two, emphasizing that only two Sith could exist: a master and an apprentice.

While evading Darth Vader, the Archivist informed Qi'ra of a location suitable for opening the Cage without fatal consequences: the Amaxine space station, an ancient space station in the Outer Rim Territories. Once a stronghold of the Amaxine warriorss, it had been overrun by living Drengir plants. These plants possessed a natural affinity for the dark side, making them an ideal energy source for the Cage. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Qi'ra instructed the Archivist to set course for the Amaxine space station immediately. At Dawnfall Base, Qi'ra sought allies to aid her against the Sith, but her initial contact, the assassin Deathstick, declined her offer. She then reached out to the Knights of Ren, former allies who had severed ties after growing weary of Qi'ra's leadership and suffering the loss of two of their members. Qi'ra successfully persuaded the Knights to rejoin her cause, providing them with coordinates for their assistance in confronting the Sith. Subsequently, Qi'ra spoke with Cadeliah, a young girl and heir to the Mourner's Wail Syndicate and the Unbroken Clan, hoping to unite the criminal underworld through her.

Cadeliah discerned Qi'ra's desperation and impending defeat, questioning why she didn't abandon her path and assume a new identity. Uncertain of her identity without her current purpose, Qi'ra informed Cadeliah of her imminent departure, suggesting it would likely be their final encounter, either due to her death or the need to flee. Qi'ra entrusted Cadeliah with a device, instructing her to activate its message if she didn't hear from Qi'ra within five days, to which Cadeliah agreed. As Cadeliah departed, Qi'ra received a communication from the Spark Eternal-possessed body of the rogue archaeologist Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra, offering an alliance based on their shared hatred of the Sith. Having deserted the Dawn due to fears that Qi'ra's plans would lead to total destruction, Farrus informed Aphra's allies of Qi'ra's schemes.

Upon returning to Dawnfall Base, Qi'ra gathered her forces and addressed them. She expressed her gratitude for their presence, regardless of their motivations, and emphasized that her plan's success depended on their collective efforts. Reminding the crowd of specific instances where Palpatine's rule had created injustice, she highlighted their insignificance to Sidious. She clarified that she wasn't advocating for rebellion, but rather encouraging them to act on their existing desire: to "shove" their resentment towards Sidious and the Galactic Empire "down his throat". Subsequently, the Dawn Fleet departed from the base to reinforce the Amaxine station. Meanwhile, the Archivist arrived at the Amaxine Station, established her position, and activated the Fermata Cage, which promptly began consuming the surrounding plant life and dark side energy. As the Cage's consumption commenced, Vader's flagship, the Executor, under Sidious's personal command for the battle, arrived, prompting the Archivist to realize her time was running out.

To completely eradicate Crimson Dawn, the Sith were supported by a fleet of Imperial-class Star Destroyers. Aboard, the Sith sensed the opening of the Fermata Cage. Both Sith Lords felt a strong pull to board the station, driven by a desire to experience the power of the potential Sith Lord, one deemed so dangerous as to be sealed within the Fermata Cage, and to test their own strength against this formidable opponent, regardless of the outcome. However, Sidious dismissed these desires as foolish. He instructed an Imperial officer to deploy the Executor's full power to destroy the Amaxine Station immediately. Before the order could be executed, another officer reported the emergence of an entire fleet from hyperspace. While Vader initially suspected the Alliance to Restore the Republic was exploiting their presence, Sidious recognized it as Crimson Dawn.

As the Dawn Fleet emerged from hyperspace, Qi'ra's trusted advisor Margo initiated their battle plan, assuming command of the Amaxine Station's defense from her starfighter. Class Three and Class-Two ships targeted the Executor's long-range cannons, while Class One ships engaged the Executor's starfighter complement. Margo also dispatched Crimson Dawn transports to infiltrate the station, enabling Dawn soldiers to establish positions inside and provide the Archivist with additional time. The ensuing space battle between the Empire and Dawn involved the deployment of TIE fighters and TIE/IN interceptors. Although the Dawn's fighters posed a limited threat to the Executor, they successfully targeted the ship's long-range weapons as planned. Consequently, the Executor was forced to divert power to its shield batteries, delaying Palpatine's order to destroy the station. Despite the admiral's claim of a short delay, Sidious, unwilling to take any chances, departed with Vader on a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle to personally resolve the situation. The two Sith also assembled an escort of Royal Guards and death troopers to accompany them in boarding the station.

Upon the arrival of the Dawn transports at the station, a team of Dawn soldiers, led by an officer, prepared for the impending battle with Imperial troops by securing the hangar, establishing cover, and deploying turrets. Meanwhile, a higher-ranking Dawn captain led several platoons deeper into the station to establish a perimeter around the Archivist. Escorted by four crimson TIE Interceptors, Vader and Sidious's shuttle entered the hangar shortly afterward, with their crimson TIEs destroying all landed transports. Royal Guards and death troopers quickly disembarked and began firing on the Dawn troops. As both sides sustained casualties, Vader and Sidious exited the shuttle. Sensing intense waves of dark side energy, not solely emanating from the Fermata Cage, Sidious cautioned Vader about the unknown dangers within the station, emphasizing the need to eliminate all survivors.

Leading their troops from the front, the two Sith deflected blaster bolts back at the Dawn soldiers, much to Sidious's delight, as his duties as Emperor rarely allowed him to directly engage his enemies. In response to their deflection of blaster fire, the Dawn captain ordered Squad Two and Squad Three to switch to electrified melee weapons and directly confront the Sith. Squad One and Squad 4, meanwhile, were instructed to continue firing, focusing on the escort. However, Squads Two and Three proved no match for the Sith, with the longest-surviving member only lasting as long as he did because Vader was toying with him. Upon Sidious's command to stop, Vader swiftly executed the soldier.

Having nearly completed her task, the Archivist informed Qi'ra, who was observing the engagement from outside the station, and urged her to leave to avoid being caught between the Sith Lords and the Fermata Cage. Qi'ra instructed the Archivist to escape. She added that her soldiers would delay the Sith long enough for the Fermata Cage to open, and if they failed, another individual, referring to the Spark Eternal, was on their way. After the Spark Eternal arrived on the station, Qi'ra herself boarded it to personally greet the AI near the Cage before rejoining the fleet in a personal ship. As Vader and Sidious approached the Fermata Cage, the Spark Eternal revealed itself. The Spark informed the Sith that it was aware of Aphra's memories and fears, stating that Aphra viewed them as demons, but that it merely saw them as men. Vader noticed Aphra's altered state and possession. Sidious departed, instructing Vader to deal with Aphra and the Spark before joining him at the Fermata Cage, as he sensed an impending event and desired Vader by his side.

As Sidious left, Vader dueled the Spark, who wielded a cortosis sword known as the Null Blade, capable of temporarily short-circuiting lightsabers. As it struck at Vader, the Spark declared that the sword weakened him. The Spark then knocked Vader's deactivated lightsaber from his hand, questioning if he understood its meaning. Vader responded negatively and pushed the Spark Eternal out of Aphra's body, stating that the Spark was weak. Aphra, now free of the Spark, attempted to hide from Vader, who declared it impossible. However, Vader decided to abandon the search for Aphra and proceeded to the Fermata Cage to join his Master, whom Aphra believed was planning something.

Vader joined his Master at the Fermata Cage, where Sidious announced its imminent opening after millenia. Declaring their readiness to face whatever lay within, Sidious asserted their triumph over any released entity. At that moment, a small, disc-like object landed beside the Sith, causing confusion due to its lack of connection to the Sith or the Force. Aboard the Siroto outside the station, the Archivist informed Qi'ra that she could observe everything. Seeing the two Sith near the open Fermata Cage, Qi'ra declared that all that remained was to win. Sidious realized Qi'ra had deceived them and lured them into a trap, but the Archivist activated a switch, locking the two Sith within a time-lock. While overjoyed, Qi'ra reminded the Archivist that the battle wasn't over, instructing her to seal the Fermata Cage and trap the two Sith Lords inside, intending to then cast the Cage into a star.

At that moment, the Knights of Ren arrived at the station in their ship, the Night Buzzard, with Marinda noting the widespread battle. Observing the station through binoculars, Ren confirmed the presence of Vader and Sidious, both seemingly in trouble, much to his surprise. However, Ren remained confident in the Emperor's ability to escape. He added that after the Sith eliminated Qi'ra, they would turn on the Knights for their heist on Vader's Castle. Believing they owed Qi'ra nothing after being treated as disposable and made enemies of the Sith, Ren informed the Knights that their only chance for survival was to align with the Sith. With that, the Night Buzzard fired on the Fermata Cage, freeing the Sith Lords as it collapsed, unleashing a Force Wave.

Once freed, Sidious remarked that Qi'ra had come incredibly close to killing them. The collapse of the Fermata Cage devastated Qi'ra, with the resulting wave destroying several Dawn ships and giving the Empire an advantage. In response, she informed her forces that she had failed them, instructing them to flee, scatter, and begin new lives. As the Imperials began to decimate Qi'ra's forces, Admiral Firmus Piett was informed that the Crimson Dawn forces had been nearly annihilated, and he ordered that no survivors be left. Witnessing the destruction of her forces, Qi'ra bid them farewell, wished them luck, and fled.

Vader and Sidious departed the remains of the Fermata Cage with the artifact in Sidious's possession. They discussed sensing a significant disruption in the Force that had reverberated throughout the galaxy, causing Sidious's own connection to the Force to weaken. As Vader inquired about their liberation, the Spark Eternal infiltrated the devices dropped by the Fermata Cage. Before Sidious could answer Vader's question, the Knights of Ren arrived and informed the Sith that they had freed them. In response, Sidious, remembering their theft from Vader's Castle, questioned whether they believed their actions at the station had earned them his mercy, to which Ren responded that they hoped so. Sidious declared their mistake and electrocuted them with Force lightning. As the Knights lay incapacitated, Sidious informed them that their remnants would now serve him, and that he was sure he could put them to excellent use. As the Knights remained on the ground, Sidious instructed Vader to accompany him, stating that they were finished with these minor matters.

Crimson Dawn was destroyed by its failure in the battle. Back at Cataract Base, Cadeliah played the message left by Qi'ra, who had recorded a farewell to the young girl, knowing she would likely be gone. Instead of leaving Cadeliah empty-handed, Qi'ra left her three gifts: the knowledge she had gained with the Dawn, resources that included the credits remaining in her Dawn accounts, accessible via details encoded on the message datacard, and the freedom to live as she chose, something Qi'ra never had. Qi'ra's pre-recorded message, in which she began to cry, ended by noting that she had no idea if her attempts to destroy the Sith had succeeded. Although Qi'ra believed she had never been able to free herself, she found solace in having freed Cadeliah.

The destruction of Crimson Dawn caused those willing to defy Imperial rule to go into hiding, hindering the Rebel Alliance's efforts against the Empire, particularly their investigation into the DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station. The rebellion had learned of the second Death Star's existence from two Dawn agents, Jon Melton and Bevelyn, who provided all their knowledge over ten debriefings. However, this intelligence was insufficient for the rebels to effectively counter the new Death Star. The lack of sources, due to potential leads going into hiding after the Dawn's destruction, further hampered their efforts.

Sometime later, Qi'ra was in a cantina when news arrived that Sidious had been killed during a battle with the Rebellion in the Endor system. As footage of an uprising on Coruscant played, the crowd erupted in celebration, declaring the Empire's demise and the Rebel Alliance's liberation of the galaxy.

After the battle, the Archivist recorded Qi'ra's attempts to destroy the Sith in a holocron. She stated that Crimson Dawn had been destroyed after the battle and that she never heard from Qi'ra again, presuming that the Empire or one of its remnants found and killed her. The Archivist contemplated the reasons for Qi'ra's near success, ultimately concluding that despite her power, skill, influence, and loyal allies, Qi'ra lacked trust, faith, and was ultimately alone.

Years after the fall of Crimson Dawn, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, discovered the holocron and learned about Qi'ra's attempts to destroy the Sith. After the Archivist's recollection, Organa found the story almost unbelievable. Skywalker agreed, but added that he believed Qi'ra had not failed. He recalled that Melton and Bevelyn had informed the Rebellion of the second Death Star's construction, noting that without this knowledge, they might have learned of its existence too late and been destroyed. Organa then recalled a Syndicate War that Qi'ra instigated to keep Sidious occupied, giving the Rebel Fleet time to regroup. Skywalker concluded that Qi'ra had saved the galaxy from the Sith, just not in the way she had intended. In response, Organa expressed her wish that Qi'ra had joined the Rebellion and lived to see their victory, unaware that Qi'ra was still alive.