The Long Night ends

Era beginning/end

With the Jedi Council now restored to nearly the roster before Palpatine's "Final Solution" coincided with the Mentats' "Final Solution", the political situation has taken a new turn.

Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker, as if to make up for his long absence, has put many people to work in unexpected ways, and given other people strong nudges to a faster pace. Rumor in the hallways of New Dendarii is that Master Skywalker has been heard adopting the catchphrase of "Mad" Miles Vorkosigan:

Forward Momentum!

But, surely, this is just rumor.

Pelagon System, Shifa System, and Procopia System have been freed from Galactic Imperial control. Procopia was freed one day after the end of this year's Capital Season. Rather than return and resume their duties as Regent (and totally harmless* wife), Aral Vorkosigan and Cordelia Vorkosigan volunteered for a covert mission deep behind enemy lines. Their son Miles is also known to be "up to something weird", allegedly involving mass driver cannons. Many of the Vor were killed by the Imperials, either in the initial assault or as later "public examples", and many ancestral homes were physically annihilated from orbit. When the war is won, Tapani Imperium society will have a lot of restructuring ahead.

Meanwhile, Palpatine's forces have been repairing the Death Star, and lack only a few critical parts before being restored to full operability.

Unhappy with several of the reports he's lately been receiving, Admiral Angelo d'Arcy begins avoiding the Command Operation Center; he blatantly steals the useful items among the COC's equipment and has it relocated to his personal office. No one dares argue with him because Captain Simon Illyan and Emperor Gregor don't seem to care, and D'Arcy's been in a bit of a mood lately anyway....