Rapora War (Introductory RPG)

[Stellar_Magic]

OOC: You're not beaten yet darkie, Uh oh, here comes the Rapora superweapon...

 

On another note, the CEDF doesn't use Clawcraft, only the Empire of the Hand does.

 

Darth Fury stopped as a holographic transmission suddenly shimmered into existance. He turned then dropped to his knees in awe, "Timeless one."

 

"Darth Fury, the GFFA and Imperial Remnant seem determined to remove us of our victory, this cannot be allowed, you will remain in command of the forces currently engaged. The entirety of the Fourth War Fleet is heading to your position, under my personal command. Including the Resurrector."

 

Darth Fury looked up in shock and awe at the projection, "You think it wise to reveal the weapon already? It'll surely through fear into them, but also fuel their inspiration."

 

"It is already done, see for yourself." Suddenly out the view port of the Rapora cruiser a huge portion of space seemed to wrinkle, then an enormous battle station snapped into focus, one which would seal the fate of the battle of Csilla.

 

* * *

 

Jaina starred in shock as the new contact appeared on the sensor board, an enormous new threat. Seeing it loosed a feeling of complete dread, what would this new contact mean, and just how deadly was it. Beside her Jagged took a deep breath, "Its as big as a death star."

 

"Lets hope it isn't as powerful," Jaina answered slowly.

 

But it was, from a point at the ships center it focused a solid beam of Plasma which ripped into the chiss formation, destroying three of the ships with one stroke. Above them Raporan fighters continued their runs on the planet, blasting civilian and military targets alike, their souls thirsty for blood.

 

* * *

 

Shren bent down beside the sensor moniter, Darth Malice silently watching beside her, "There they are. We'll follow them down and engage them once they land, I don't want to risk destroying the ship with the target onboard."

 

Suddenly the vessel rocked and the Rapora helmsman spun in his seat, "Our sensors have been hit, some sort of plasma weapon!"

 

Darth Malice stepped forward as the normal sensor readouts disappeared, "He hit the nose sensors alright, we'll have to pilot with the force alone."

 

Slowly Shren turned, her voice cautious, "You don't think the rumors are true?"

 

Darth Malice smiled cruelly, "Our sensors beg to differ, if there is a Jedi already down there, I do not sense him."

 

Shren shook her head, "Somehow that doesn't ease me much at all."

 

Darth Malice grinned at her, "Good."

 

OOC: Behold the battle of Csilla, in Jpeg. I thought it would be easier to coordinate with a map...so I made one.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v436/StellarMagic01/Csilla1.jpg

[Trejiuvanat]

Oreton seemed hypnotized by the revelation of such a powerful battlestation, its sheer firepower had driven doubt into him.

 

"Orders sir?"

 

"What is the status of the evacuation?"

 

"About thirty percent, we are detecting that a few Kavia Cruisers and their fighter wings have started to orbit Csilla."

 

"The Galactic Alliance fleet?"

 

"They have arrived, and will be engaged by the Raporan reinforcements."

 

"Signal the Alliance commander, and tell him of the Raporan group moving to intercept the evacuees. Tell him to send as much as he can without compromising his position. And get me Baron Fel."

 

"Fel here," the voice came from the communications console.

 

"Status?"

 

"All Missileboats alive, but we have almost depleted our loads."

 

"Return to the Imperious for reloading and then move to the opposite side of Csilla to keep the escape corridor clear."

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"What should we do about that thing?" Captain Onolovav asked.

 

"Send TIE Scouts to get as much data on that things as possible. Other than that start removing some of our elements from Csilla's hypermass."

 

***

 

Ulan breathed more lightly as he drew away from the huge Cruiser, he had separated himself from the Imperial Missileboats, drawn to the massive cruiser by the distinct presence of a Force-user on board. A dark-side user.

 

He had manuevered and dodged plasma fire, and had instinctively fired on a section of the ship, his fighter suggested it had been the sensor array.

 

Ulan manuevered back to the furball were the Chiss were fighting the Raporan invaders, but Ulan could not help to keep the position of the cruiser in his mind. The dark essence on the ship was too strong and continued to distract him.

 

Then he felt another echo of that same strength, weaker much weaker. And another. One he knew came from another cruiser, one that was exchanging fire with one of the Imperials vessels, but the other, one still untrained and unfocused, but inequivocably evil emanated from one of the starfighters.

 

Ulan focused on that particular dark-pilot whose strength had unsettle him.

 

OOC: Not enoguht time for something else.

[ADarkJedi44]

OOC: Ok then, but I'm not having Evahe command the GFFA forces yet. He was pretty far away when the battle started and all...

Admiral Helos's fleet came out of hyperspace in the nick of time. It was not the entire Third Fleet as had been hoped for, as there was no time to wait for a few of the Task Forces to arrive at the meeting point. Also, Evahe was not among them. Hopefully, he would arrive soon with the rest of the Third Fleet.

Reciving the Imperials' transmission, Fleet Admiral Helos knew he had to act quickly. He took a moment to process the information, then spoke.

"Have the Ocean Blue, Tranquill and Liberator and their fighters cover the evacuating Chiss. The rest of the fleet will engage the Raporan reinforcements."

Thousands of fighters began to pour out of the Third Fleet's ships, a swarm of bees. Meanwhile, the Raporan fleet moved ever closer....

***

Darth Fury watced as the battle unfolded. The arrival of the GFFA could be trouble. Although the Timeless One could keep them off Darth Fury for as long as was needed, he wasn't sure who would eventually come out on top. The GFFA had brought a large fleet and it was rumored even more ships were on their way.

However, that was not for him to worry about. The Resurrector had tipped the scales in his side of the battle in the Rapora's favor. Any Chiss/Imperial hopes of holding out much longer were crushed. Although the amount of Imperial fighters was taking control, he hardly needed to have superiority in fighters. He could blow apart the enemy fleets without any trouble.

Although the Resurrector took time to charge, it wasn't long enough that the enemy could hope to stay. In the force, Fury reached out for Tuvax. Where are you?

[BadSamaritan]

Seryk sat in the cockpit of his ship, reading through more of his grandfathers memos when a loud beeping forced his mind away from his history. He looked over to the console the beeping was eminating from, and sighed. The hyperdrive was overheating. And at the rate they were going, they would burn out soon. He looked over to another console, and smiled slightly. They only had a few minutes left before they reverted to realspace. He placed his datapad on the co-pilots seat, and thought for a moment about waking the others. He decided against it, Luke and Mara needed their rest, and did Burt and Ben. He make a few final checks of all his systems, and as the numbers reached zero, he pushed forward on the levers, throwing them back into realspace.

 

Almost immediatly afterwards, however, there was a massive bang from the back of the ship, and Seryk cursed loudly. He checked his boards, and saw that the hyperdrive had decided to go and blow itself up. But even worse, it had damaged the engines in the process. He gingerly edged the ship towards the planet, praying to whatever gods that may have been listening. Mara and Luke came up to the cockpit, followed closely by Ben. Mara leaqned opver Seryks' shoulder, and frowned.

 

"The hyperdrive went out, didnt it?" she asked, worry in her voice. Seryk nodded, concentrating to much on keeping the engines running to talk. Luke sat down in the copilots seat, and Mara stood behind him, her hands on his shoulders. "Will we make it to Mos Eisley?" She asked, and once again, Seryk nodded.

 

"You guys will, yes. Along with Burt. As for myself, our course is going to take us right over where I want to go. so I will be ejecting in an escape pod to get there quicker." he said, and Luke looked over to him, dumbfounded.

 

"What about your ship? And Burt?" he asked, his voice showing the shock he was in.

 

"There is a used ship lot just north of Mos Eisley, take it there. Its where I found it. Tell the owner I sent you. He will take care of the ship. As for Burt, he will remain with the ship until I get back." Seryk, said, and he looked up to Mara.

 

"You think you can fly this heap that far?" he asked, and Mara nodded slowly.

 

"It wont be easy, but we will manage. How will you be getting back to Mos Eisley?" she asked, wonder in her voice.

 

"Ill be giving you some two-way communicators, so we can all keep in touch in case of an emergency. Ill call if I need a pickup. I trust you two will be able to find a ship for all of us?" Seryk asked, looking back to his controls. The engines were overheating quickly, so he cut back on the power, slowing them slightly. Luke nodded, and looked over to Seryk.

 

"Yes, but why all of us?" Shouldnt you be going back to Karrde?" he asked.

 

"No. Between the five of us, I think it would be best if we all went and reported in to the GFFA leadership. They will want all the info we can give them on whoever those things were." Seryk said, and he noticed the engines were still over heating to quickly. He cusred under his breath, and pulled back on the power a bit more.

 

"True," Luke said, reaching over to a control switch to adjust the power flow in an attempt to stabalize the shields. "They will need to debrief you. Any info you can give on the Repora is usefull, even though you only faced the ships." he said, watching the sensors carefully. Mara noticed this, and frowned.

 

"Whats wrong?" she asked, taking a closer look to the sensors herself.

 

"I dont know," Luke said, his face growing worried. "I just have a bad feeling."

 

"You will be fine in Mos Eisley, trust me. Being who you are, if the need arrives, Im guessing the whole sity will rise up to help save you if need be." Seryk said, also paying attention to the sensors. He suddenly stood, and looked over to Mara.

 

"Take over, this is where I get off." he said, and he reached into a small compartment. He pulled out a set of small two-way communicators, and handed one to Luke. Luke took it, and nodded. Seryk then turned, and walked to the back of the ship.

 

He saw Burt sitting at a console, practicing his flying again. Seryk smiled, and walked over to the remaining escape pod. He climbed in, and closed the hatch. He checked the emergency supplies, just in case he missed his landing zone, and then nodded. He belted himself in, and then, could feel as Mara ejected the pod prom the cockpit. Seryk quickly programmed the pos to land in a specific area, and then turned to watch as his ship grew farther and farther into the distance. He sighed, and wondered if it would ever fly again. He leaned back, and smiled. He knew he would get it running again, someday.

 

As the pod rocketed off to its destination, Seryk fell asleep. As he slept, he heard two voices, almost beckoning him on. One was the caring voice of an old lady, but the other was a darker voice, one Seryk only had heard in his nightmares.

 

OOC: Ok Stellar, your up. Dont go getting my ship blasted into bits!!!

[Stellar_Magic]

OOC: Just how many plots can I juggle? One? Two? How many more...

 

IC:The Savla class cruiser dropped slowly to the desert floor with a soft clunk of metal on desert sand. Slowly the Raporan Helmsman turned and pulled his helmet from the console and donned it, "Ready Missstresss, Lord. Mos Eisley if two hundred klicks to our south, just a few minutes by landspeeder."

 

"Good," Shren answered pulling a dull grey cloak over her form, slowly she pulled up the hood as she slipped her lightsaber into her pocket.

 

Darth Malice looked with disdain at her lighter colored gear, "You think that a grey cloak will hide you that much from prying eyes, there are easier ways."

 

Shren smiled in a manner which was plainly superior, "You'll be singing a different tune under that sun in the black." She turned to the squad of Raporan infantry inside the hold, "Form a defensive ring around the ship, if we need assistance or have finished our recon, we'll call you."

 

The Raporan squad leader nodded, "We'll be waiting for you."

 

Shren smiled at Darth Malice, "Brace yourself." Then she hit the ramp lowering button slowly the ramp descended to the desert floor. Then Darth Malice and Shren stepped out into the brilliant light of Tatooine's midday.

 

As they stepped out into the desert a compact landspeeder dropped from it's storage compartment beside the ramp. Buckling in they rocketed off toward Mos Eisley. Unbeknownst to them, a figure in a brown and red robe stood on the platue above them, silently watching.

 

* * *

 

Luke manuever the ungainly Bad Samaritan to a hover, as it dropped to the ground one of the landing struts cracked, tilting the vessel precariously. Slowly, cautiously, the three Skywalkers clambered out of a dorsal hatch, behind them Burt settled into one of the few seats that remained comfortable with the tilt, and kicked back.

 

As Luke marched across the hull he smiled, "Nice landing."

 

"You're lucky we didn't crash twelve kilometers back," Mara scowled as she lifted Ben off the crashed vessel and onto the ground. She scanned around and smiled, "I'll talk to the dealer, you watch Ben."

 

"Fine, I never liked dealing with Mos Eisley myself," Luke answered as Mara headed off. In boredom he leaned against the hull of the vessel and kicked a piece of granite across the bay.

 

Ben knelt down and began drawing in the sand. As he sat there Luke leaned over to watch. Suddenly the images swirled and disolved as his son drew a cloaked figure.

 

Immediately Luke found himself watching a battle, the roar of a pair of lightsabers flashing through space, green and blue, as they collided with a red blade. The crackling laughter of an older man echoed in the chamber as a tall greying man retreated from an onslaught of strikes set loose by one young man, his brown cloak and reddish brown hair glinting in the dim light. Lying on the floor of what had to be a hanger lay a Jedi, his legs slashed and his arms burned.

 

The image whirrled to show a man on a dark throne, his greying hair and nearly yellow eyes visible below the cowl of his robe. Before him stood Darth Vader, a child in his arms as he knelt before the man. The child, a girl no older then a toddler grasped at the black armor in fear, her green eyes flicking from point to point looking for escape. Luke felt his heart jump as he knew who she was, his own wife, Mara.

 

Another flash, another blur and Luke watched as a corvette exploded over Tatooine. Darth Vader's helmet reflecting in the glass of a viewport, beside him Leia, her arms clasped tightly behind her by a pair of stormtroopers.

 

Luke saw himself fighting at Cloud City, loosing his hand, then he saw himself inthe Emperor's throne room, his lightsbaer flashing across space. His blade slicing vader's hand away. The emperor's words echoing in the space, "I have forseen it."

 

Then he saw the Emperor plummeting down the shaft, and suddenly disappear midair in a burst of brilliant blue fire. His essence scattering across the galaxy to recolliase elsewhere. But not on Byss as he thought it would go, he travel further outward, passing the known regions and into the unknown, into a system with a single drab ringed planet. Travelling through the atmosphere and into the hightest pyramid of red brown stone before coming to solitary throne room, flanked by Raporan Guards. Slowly a figure rose from the throne and pulled back his cloak, revealing the redbrown hair and discoloration of the darkside. A smile tugged at the lips of the man as he sucked in the familiar greedy gasps of air, "All is going as I have forseen..."

 

Suddenly Luke found himself sprawled on the ground beside Ben, his face scratching against the dustpan. As he looked up he thought for the moment he saw the glimmering figure of Obi-wan Kenobi.

 

It was not a figment of his imagination, the old man bent, a smile playing on his lips as he looked to Ben Skywalker, "I've often wondered what it would have been like to have loved, to have been a father."

 

Luke nodded as he scrambled to his feet, "Ben, you were a father for me when I needed one."

 

The ghost, or spirit nodded, "Luke, listen to me. Everything is changing, can you feel it? The force grows more complex every day, concurrs and strengthens by the hour and darkness returns from its grave." Ben's cold stare chilled Luke to his soul, "You must cast aside everything you knew before, to unlearn what you have learned. For nothing I have taught you will prepare you for what is to come."

 

* * *

 

The GFFA fleet moved to engage the Rapora, suddenly a blast engulfed their formation from the Raporan battle sation, destroying a whole squadron of ships, and damaging many more.

 

On the flagship Admiral Helos starred in absolute shock at the carnage of the attack, "All ships are to fall back below the world's horizon, we can't let that thing get any more shots!"

 

One ofthe communications officers spun to the Admiral, "Sir, Ocean Blue, Tranquil, and Liberator report they're being overwhelmed by starfighters. They need immediate support."

 

"Fall back to form a line just ten degrees before the Chiss Vector, that'll be our stop line." Admiral Helos turned to watch as one of his cruisers detonated under a withering assault from a legion of Raporan Pulse mines. He spun to the fighter coordinator, "Get Red and Gold Flight Groups to clear those mines. Green and Blue will engage enemy fighters. Have Black and Magma wings to attack that task force, engage targets of opportunity."

 

"Yes sir!"

 

* * *

 

The command center rocked as a Plasma bomb ripped into the cityscape above it. Clearly frightened Jaina turned to both Jagged and the Admiral, "We've got to get out of here!"

 

The Admiral nodded solemnly, "Prepare the post for destruction, all nonessential personnel are to head for tunnel C-eight. I'll take Colonel Fel and Jedi Solo to the tunnel C-nine, everyone else head for C-ten once the charges are set." He turned to Jaina, "Lets hope you are as good a pilots as I hope you are, or we're dead."

[ADarkJedi44]

OOC: I can't post until Sunday,,,,

[BadSamaritan]

OOC: Get ready, its a long one.

 

Seryk slept comfortably in the escpae pod as it raced otwards its destinations. He was awoken only when the the crach alarm began to go off. he looked out the viewport, and noticed the outside of the pod beginning to glow red with friction. He quickly strapped himself in, and waited for the pod to land. When it fianlly did hit, Seryk was shaekn to the core as the pod rocked though it had been hit by a turbolaser. he could feel the pod bounce back up into the air, and then he felt the pod hit again. he gritted his teeth as the pod rolled a buit, and then came to a stop. Seryk sighed in relief, and then realized that he was hanging upside down.

 

Seryk sighed, and brased for what was going to be an ugly fall. he relased his harness, and did his best to brace himself as he fell to the other side of the pod. he hit hard, and had the wind knowcked out of hism for a few moments. he sat there, regaining his breath, and then slowly stood up as best he could in the cramped pod. he looked out the viewport, and realized why he had bounced. he had hoped to land in a sandy area without rocks, but he knew there was a hcance that he would land somehere unpleasent. And it seemed he had botten a bot of both worlds. the area he landed in was rocky for the most part, but he could tell that there was at least a few feet of sand covering the ground.

 

Seryk reached over, and grabbed the susrvival kit, and then checked the small onboard computer. he smiled, seeing that he was only a short distance from his destination. he then reached over to the hatch, and hit the button to open it. the hatch blasted outward, and Seryk cursed at himself for forgetting how loud the escpae hatch could get. He waited or the rining to leave his ears, and then stepped out into the blazing suns of tatooine.

 

Seryk resisted the urge to take a sip of his water, he had no diea how long he would be out here for, or if his grandfathers hidden spot would have any supplies. He pulled out one of this datapads, and began to walk in the direction his datapad indicated. As he walked, he though about what he might find there. He knew that more than likely, he would simply find a smugglers hiding spot, with some spare parts, maybe some ancient imperial creds, and some equallty ancient dry rations. But he had a feeling he would find more. Byt the way his grandfather talked abotu it, it seemd that this place was more like a home away from the rest of the galexy then a mere hiding spot. But he also knoew that if it was something more, all it would leave him wih in the long run was more questions than he had now, and probably no answers. But it was something he felt he had to do.

 

After a while, Seryk reached onto his emergency supplies, and took out a msall pouch. he opened it, and pop one of the capsules from the pouch into his mouth. It would keep him from the mental effects of de-hydration, but not the physical. But he knew he had to conserve his water. As he put the pouch back, he noticed an outcropping in the distance that just didnt seem right. To most passers-bye, it would have looked like just another rock grouping, but he felt almost drawn to it. he pulled out his datapad, and realized it was very close to teh coordinated in his grandfathers logs. he looked back to the formation, and began to walk towards it.

 

As he got to the rocks, he realized that the rocks werent here naturally, but seemed to have been placed here to colver something. he walked around them, looking for any kind of entrance or marker. After a few minutes, he noticed a very small symbol one one of the rocks. he leaned closer to inspect it, and found it caked with years of dust. he reached out to brush the dust off with his had, and as he did, he felt a small prick in his fingers. he pulled his hand back quickly, wondering if he had set off some sort of trap. But instead, a portion of the rock moved inwards, and to the side.

 

Seryk stood up slowly, and looked insode the rock. he saw a long passageway which was slowly being illuminated by small lights. he netered the passage, and as he moved forward, the door behind him rolled shut. he turned to look at it again, and tuned back to the passegeway. he began to walk down it, wondering why his grandfather had needed such an elaborate system for a hiding spot. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. This was confusing him slightly. This semed more like a hidden base than a small hideway.

 

He continued on down the passage, and finally came to a small alcove. The alcove was empty except for a ring of lights along the ceiling. he walked around it, wondering where the next door was. After an inspection of the alcove, he could see no more things that would hint to another door. he sighed, and ran his hand though his hair, wondering what to do. As he did so, he looked up, and noticed that some of thie lights were diferent from the rest. They looked more like holes than actual lights.

 

Seryk walked over to that part of the wall, and pusshed on it. A seamless door appeared, and moved inward, and then to the side. Seryk walked though it, and was astounded by what he saw. Instead of more rocks, he found himself in what looked like an old pre-fabricated shelter. the walls were all a dusty grey, but he could see a ew spots where the white walls still shown through all the dust. off to his right, he could see what looked to be a small living space, with a pair of chairs and a small desk. to his let, he saw a small alcove with a bed in it, and a few shelves with nick-nacks on it. In front of him, was a small kitchen. Seryk walked towards the kitchen, and straight to what he figured was a water outlet. he hit a small button, and dirty water dribbled out of the spigot for a few moments, but was quickly followed by clear water. he reached his hand nderneath it, and began to greedily gulp the water. As he did this, he suddenly heard a tinny voice from behind him.

 

"Dont waste the water master, we dont have much!" it said, and Seryk quickly spun, just in time to see a msall droid hovering not far from him. Seryk fell backwards slightly, and hit his head on a low-sitting cupboard. he cursed, and the optical sensor on the droid went wide.

 

"Master!! Mistress Terya does not allow such languse in her home!" the small droid said, and Seryk tilted his head to the side slightly.

 

"Terya? Who is that? This place was my grandfathers." he asked, and the little droid titled to the side slightly.

 

"Mistress Terya is who I said she is, Mistress Terya. And she does not allow such language. As for your grandfather, what was his name?" the droid asked, and Seryk raised one of his eyebrows. It was an odd question for the droid to be asking, but he decided to oblige it.

 

"My grandfathers name was Dally, my fathers name was Tridith. My name is Seryk." he said, and the droid made a sound as though it were laughing. Seryk frowned, and resisted th urge to swat at the droid. "Whats so funny?" he asked.

 

"Master, Dally and Tridith were noth ftaher and son. They were brothers." the droid said, and it turned and flew over to one of the shelves. It extended a small arm, and grabbed ahold of a small picture. It brought it over to Seryk, and Seryk removed it from the droids grasper. he looked at it, and saw what appeared to be a much ynounger version of his father, along with the face of his grandfather. or if this droid were to be belived, his uncle. Seryk looked back up to the droid, and frowned.

 

"Brothers?" But why would my father lie to me? he always told me Dally was my grandfather. He had no reason to lie to me." Seryk said, his voice showing his annoyance. The droid did a little up down motion, as if pantomiming a shrugging of the shoulders.

 

"That information is something I am not privy to. Why do you not ask your uncle the next time you see him? I have not seen him in years." the droid said, and Seryk looked to the ground.

 

"He died a few decades ago in a space battle against the empire, over a planet called Endor. And my father, he died nto to long ago fighting an alien race that was tryin to kill everyone." he said, and he walked over to the small bedroom, and saw more pictures there. Most of them were of his father and apparent uncle, but a few were of planets that he had never seen before.

 

"Oh. I am sad to hear that. Your uncle had so hoped that he one day would be able to tell someone of the family legacy." the droid said, following him closely. Seryk looked to the droid, and nodded.

 

"That why I am here. I dont know anything about the fmaily history. I was hoping to find some clues to it." he said, and he looked over to the wall. he saw a small closet there, and he went over and opened it. It was empty, but the littel droid hoered over to his side.

 

"There is more behind the wall, in a compartment." the droid said, and Seryk nodded. Seryk leaned forward, and pressed on the back of the closet, and watched as the wall slid to the side. When he saw what was inside, his jaw dropped, and the droid flew forward a bit.

 

"Your real grandfather kept this suit as a spare to his other one. He never had to use it though, which is why it is so spotless. he clened it constantly. The mistress always nagged him about it however." the droid said, and Seryk leaned forward to remove the headpeice of the suit.

 

He brought it closer to him and turned it ovver in his hands. he had read about these in history books, but never though that he would be able to hold part of one in his hands, let alone a whole suit. he tuned the helmet back over, and stared at the faceplate. Mandalorian armor. The armor of one of the fiercest warrior races in the galaxy at one time. Now, thugh mostly a part of history, some still sough after the armor for its sheer durability in combat. Seryk looked up at the littel droid, and shookl his head.

 

"My grandffather was a mandalorian?" he asked, awe in his voice. he had expected to find next to nothing here, but instead he was finding everything.

 

"Yes. A very nice one indeed. Whch is why he and your grandmother had to hide their marriage from everyone. it was forbidden in both cultures for the most part, at that time." the droid said. the droid turned, and moved to the other side of the room, where there was anothe closet. he droid pushed a msall button, and the closet opened up. Inside of it was nothing more than a msall rack of robes, which Seryk identified almost immediatly. The robes of a jedi.

 

"Hold on a moment," Seryk said, waving his hands in the air. "Your telling me my grandmother was jedi?" he asked, disbelief in his voice. This was getting way to strange. he was temped to shoot himself iwht his blaster just to make sure the escape pods landing hadnt knowcked him out cold and he wasnt asleeping.

 

"Yes, she was. She was ranked rather high, I think. She never talked about it much after she married the master. She seemed sad for some reason." the droid said, and he turned to look at Seryk. "Could their marriage have been why your uncle hid the truth from yout father?" the droid asked. Seryk shook his headm and sat down on the old bed.

 

"No. He hid it becuase the Jedi and their anyone with any force potential was killed out when the empire rose to power. If the empire had found out about us, we would have been killed. He hid the truth from us to save us." Seryk said, the weight of all of this falling on him rather quickly. Not alny had his Uncle been fighting for the fate of the galaxy at Endor, he had been fighting to be able to tell his fatehr the truth. And he died without realizing his dream. He looked over to the droid, and shook his head.

 

"This is all pretty overwhelming. I dont even know How I am supposed to react to all of this." Seryk said, and the droid came and hovered in fron tof his face.

 

"Your uncle said once, that for this family to accept who it is, it must embrace its pasts, both sides of it." the droid said. the droid hevered into the closet full of robes, and came back out, a case in its extended grabbers. Seryk took the case, and opened it. His eyes widened, and he reached in, and pulled out the lightsaber that was inside of it. he held it up, and inspected it closely.

 

It was very intricate in its design, obviously not your every-day lightsaber. It swirls on its outer-casing were carefully laid in a sotthing pattern, and they all seemed to come to a point well above the tp of the hilt. Also at the top of the hilt were four claw like prongs, which he guessed would look as though they gripped the blade when it was activated. He found the button to activate it hidden in one of the many sworls on the hilt, and pressed it. A dark blue balde of energy appeared, and Seryk smiled. he had always like that color. he stood up, and carefully took the blade through a few practice swings.

 

"Be carefull master, you wouldnt want to hurt yourself." the littel droid said. Seryk simply smiled, and put the helmet down on the bed. he then began to take the balde through a complicated seried of strikes, gaurd manuevers, and slashing attacks, reaching back to his childhood when he had learned the art of sword use from an alderly man. Seryk also added in a series of twirling kicks and hand strikes, which he ahd also learned. He ended the quick practice, and de-activated the balde with a quick tapof the button again.

 

"Im not to worried, i was put though some very intesive training on Chandrilla when I was younger. My father insisted on it. He said it would discipline me. I never thought it would have this kind of use though." he said, and he looked over to the armor sitting in the closet. Its grey and red coloring almost drawing him to it. he placed the lightsabe down on the bed. he looked over to the droid, and smiled.

 

"Do you think it would fit me?" he asked, and the droid seemed to do a quick one over of Seryk.

 

"You appear to be about the same size as your grandfather, although he had a lot less hair." the droid said, and Seryk chuckled. he walked into the closet, and began to remove parts of the armor from the stand it was on.

 

* * * * * *

 

After a while, Seryk stood back up, and wnet to look at himsefl in the mirror. he suit was a bit tight around the middle, btu he figured that it was due to the minor gut he had been building the past few years as a smuggler. The jetback on his back felt a littel to heavy, and he was tempted to remove it. he went back over, and picked up the lightsaber, and activated it. The little droid floated in fron tof him, and seemed to bob up and down in approval.

 

"Are you going to embrace both sides of your past master?" it asked, and Seryk nodded, reaching fro the helmet.

 

"Yes, I am. I dont think I will ever be able to come to full terms with who I am. But maybe this will be a good start" he said, cradling the helmet under his arm. he moved over to the small living room, looked around quickly. he didnt see much of interest at the moment, and decided he could come back later to inspect the house further. He looked over to the droid, and nodded his head.

 

"I hate to be leaving so soon, But I need to get to Mos Eilsey. And is a long walk." he said, and he began to walk towards the exit. The droid suddenly hovered in front on him, and shook itself back and forth.

 

"Master, walking is not needed. The masters speeder is still in the hanger. Sadly, his ship is not. He never returned the last time he anf the mistress left." the droid said, and Seryk nodded. Eventually he would have to find ot what happened to them. But until then, he had to get back t the Skywalkers.

 

"Alright, show me where it is." he said, and the droid led him to the back door which he had forgotten about. Once through it, he could see the ancient speeder sitting in the corner. Surprisingly, it started up immediatly. A few minutes later, the door to the outside was open, and Seryk was on his way back to Mos Eisley as fast as the speeder could carry him.

 

OOC: Ok, a really really really long one. But I needed to be able to at least make an attempt at going toe-to-toe with a reporan warrior.

[Stellar_Magic]

OOC: Don't worry about it, this RPG seems plagued with lengthy posts.

 

IC:Luke starred at the spot where Obi-Wan had stood, his shimmering form long since faded into the obscurity. Beside him Ben slowly stood his eyes worryingly focused on Luke, "Who was it dad? Who was that man?"

 

Luke didn't answer for a moment as the wind tugged at the sand and his hair. He seemed entranced with the sight of the wind billowing sand across streets an awnings. But when he spoke, his voice was calm, almost philosophical, "You never really left you Obi-Wan, did you?"

 

Two hundred meters away Mara slipped through the racks of protective clothing. She'd already settled with the dealer, but he'd made it clear that it would be some time for the ship to be functional once again, so they'd have to be ready for the long haul. She'd already tried to get a holocom line, but it was down throughout the sector. No one could get a message out, let alone contact the highest command levels of the GFFA.

 

She payed the merchant at the counter after managing to barter the price for the clothes to a more reasonable level, still they needed a place to stay and a way to get there.

 

Mara turned as she heard a rustle of movement behind her. The shop owner, a Twi'lek, froze as a man wearing dark brown robes with a crimson sash that slipped over the simple cloak. His face remained hidden behind the shroud of his hood as he scanned the clothing on its racks. The merchant ducked behind the counter as if in fear then slowly rose up to watch his new arrival.

 

Mara stepped toward the doors when the figure turned to her, she could feel his gaze on her. A whisper of breath pierced the silence as the figure spoke, "What do you want with him Jade?"

 

Mara spun and froze finding herself once again being the only patron of the shop. The merchant stood his mouth gapping open, his expression unreadable.

 

Everything seemed as though no one had ever been there.

 

* * *

 

Shren lifted the Electrobinoculars to her eyes as the desert wind tugged at the hood of her cloak. Through them she watched the bustle of Mos Eisley, they constant shifting movement and near misses of a frontier world.

 

Beside her Darth Malice did the same, his gaze sweeping the buildings, looking for any sight of their prey. Slowly he lowered the binocs, "They're there alright, I can sense them."

 

"Yes," Shren agreed solemnly then she shrugged, "Though I'm not sure they'll remain there, Skywalker is from this planet, if anyone could give us a chase its him."

 

"With the power of the force, he'll still be no match for us."

 

"Don't be so sure," A calm, almost mocking voice answered from behind them. Both of them whirrled, their hands diving for their blades. Only as they lit them did they see a man standing before them, his hands interlaced over his waist. A croaked smile slowly seemed to appear on his lips, "You know why I'm here."

 

Shren felt her legs begin to quiver with fear. Beside her Darth Malice snarled and twirled his doublebladed lightsaber through the air, "Is this courage or is this ignorance slipping from your tongue stranger? Few speak such words to a sith and survive."

 

The man continued to smile, "The ignorance is yours."

 

"You'll learn the language of the Sith," Darth Malice sliced forward with his lightsaber.

 

Suddenly, a brilliant purple blade leapt from the man's intertwined fingers and blocked the blow. Holding the lightsaber in one hand the man reached up and held his hand above Darth Malice, "Fool, I am the sith!"

 

A sound like thunder echoed across the platue as sand and dust enveloped it like a cloud. Darth Malice lay flat, his gaze fixed upon the sky. His lightsaber lay forty meters away where it had fallen. The figure stood there lime a somber sentry and glanced to the two of them, "Leave this world, do your masters bidding elsewhere, for this place is my charge and I'll let no one tamper with its tranquility, even you." Then as if he'd been enclosed by a cloaking shield, the figure disappeared into thin air.

 

OOC: Has anyone guessed who this guy is yet? It's not that tough.

[Trejiuvanat]

OOC: Which guy? Darth Malice? It's Palpy, at least that's what I deduced from the vision. And related in some way to Mara? Red-hair.. etc... ?

[Stellar_Magic]

OOC: Palpy is the timeless one...but I'm talking about the guy on tatooine.

[Mad78]

Is the battle of Csilla finished?

Is the guy Darth Maul. I have absolutly no idea of who he could be.

[Trejiuvanat]

OOC: We should move our conjectures to the OOC Thread. Ah and the battle isn't finished.

 

IC:

 

"Update?" Oreton asked.

 

"Fifty-five percent of all Chiss Civilians have left the system, about twenty percent are disabled or in pretty bad condition." A helpful lieutenant reported.

 

"They will not make it," Captain Onolovav somberly commented.

 

Oreton nodded, it didn't look that good for the Chiss.

 

"The Thing is firing again," Onolovav said as a huge blast hit the group of Alliance Vessels visble just beyond the horizon.

 

"Three frigates destroyed," Onolovav reported. "Alliance ships have started to withdraw beyond the horizon."

 

"Signal them to worry about the evacuees, until Lifter Squadron enters the system. And move against this Rapora Fleet to engage at point-blank range."

 

"An Ackbar Slash?"

 

"The only effective tactic against a such a weapon." Oreton grimly assented.

 

"And the Chiss elements?"

 

"All of them with shield over forty-percent will join the Imperial formation, the rest will support the evacuees." Oreton ordered, most of the Chiss would not affect the outcome of the battle.

 

"Update on Chiss Vectors?" Oreton asked.

 

"At least forty different vectors, some of them likely leadeing to other worlds in the Ascendancy, others to Known Space. Adumar, Bilbringi and Morishim."

 

"Vector Prime?"

 

"Clear." Vector Prime was the codename for the almost straight route that led from Csilla to Zonama Sekot. Pellaeon had insisted that that particular vector should not be given away to Rapora.

 

"Captain Dorja reports that her Star Destroyer has taken several hits, Captain Yage reports that the Rapora vessels have started to withdraw from the Imperials. She asks for orders."

 

Oreton said nothing. The Rapora understood the purpose behind the Ackbar Slash, the Rapora would continuously withdraw from the Imperial to clear the area to use their huge weapon.

 

"We will continue to pursue them." It was an insane maneuver. If the Imperial continued to pursue the Rapora they would find themselves amidst the two Raporan Taskforces.

 

"Yes, sir." Onolovav acknowledged and transmitted the orders.

 

"Lifter Group has arrived."

 

***

 

On the opposite side of a planet there was a short blur but nothing was to be seen.

 

Thousands of Chiss vessels of all sizes madly aimed at space hoping to escape. Hundreds stood still, a graveyard of sorts. Disabled by Rapora, to be captured.

 

With the Alliance Fleet entangled with the Rapora fleet and starfighters of all allegiance zooming through space noone seemed to care for the disabled vessels.

 

Out of nowhere, out of a mysterious blur hundreds of Heavy Lifters started to pick up the vessels.

 

Much like laborious insects the Heavy Lifter docked with each of the Chiss vessels and continued its run for hyperspace.

 

***

 

"The first Lifter has entered hyperspace," Onolovav reported and a sentiment of elation was felt int he bridge once again.

 

It had been an improvised strategy. As soon as Oreton had devised the Chiss' intention to forfeit the planet and evacuate he had put a call to Pellaeon and asked for a thousand of Heavy Lifters. Pellaeon had needed an hour and only an hour to gather that amount and put then on a cloaked Freighter and sent them here.

 

Oreton looked at the huge form of the Resurrector Station above his bridge without fear, with so many Rapora Cruisers around him he felt a relative safety.

 

He hoped his fleet could hold on long enough to make sure more Chiss survived.

 

"Have Telemetry work an escape vector for us, and start relaying it to all ships under my command. Then activate the gravity wells."

 

"The wells? What for?" Onolovav asked surprised.

 

Oreton simply smiled. "A little gift from Pellaeon, a little something called Thrawn's Payback."

 

****

 

He had kept close to the Imperial formation, following them as they moved closer to the Rapora fleets. It seemed as if the Imperial Commander was tired of his life, sending all of his command closer to the Raporan ships. Still, something else vaguely suggested Ulan that the Imperial was a great warrior.

 

Ahead of him a Rapora fighter tried to outmanuever him, he (who, Ulan knew was a Sith) tried to escape him. But he could not dilate the distance between hunter and prey.

 

Ulan was a Yuuzhan Vong and thus he was a hunter.

 

He continued his chase.

[Stellar_Magic]

Jaina slid into the cargo compartment of the Chiss Transport as the engines of the vessel thrummed to life. The Admiral was hunched over the controls, his gaze fixed at the sensor display, "We'll never make it out without an escort."

 

Jagged nodded from the copilot seat as Jaina slipped through the cramped group of chiss to the front. Jagged glanced back at the display as the ship rose out of its concealed hanger and into the air. Beyond the skyline of Csilla was thick with flames and smoke as missile after missile, plasma blast after plasma blast, arched down from the orbiting ships and into the city. Jagged starred for a moment at the devestation before speaking, "Emperor's black bones, they want to lift all evidence you existed fromt hsi world."

 

"No kidding," Jaina answered, she glanced at the navigation displays, "Has the Number four dpilomacy hanger been hit yet?"

 

The Admiral twisted to her, "It's still secure, you're not thinking of grabbing your fighters are you?"

 

"Admiral you said we needed an escort out anyway, it makes sense," Jagged answered before Jaina could.

 

Slowly the Admiral grimaced as he swung the vessel around onto the new heading, "I hope you're right."

 

* * *

 

On board the Raporan flagship Cycle of Death the Timeless One watched the battle, his mind sending out commands to his forces without bothering to use the subspace communications. Smiling he turned to gaze out the circular viewport at the battle beyond.

 

Csilla was in flames, its skies filled with the dark stain of smoke from a broke city. Above it a legion of thousands of Raporan Mines had settled into position, their cloaking shields engaged. Then the Imperial Fleet stood between the mines and the Raporan Task Force. To the side, along the rim of the planet's horizon, the Raporan Task Force under Darth Fury sped to the engagement.

 

The Timeless One shook his head, "Inform Darth Fury to break off the chase." He smiled as the warning light signaling the activation of a gravity well projection lit up, "And activate all mines."

 

Beyond the Imperial Fleet the Raporan Mines spun to their targets, their weapons fully charged. From the perspective of the Imperial Fleet it looked as though a brillinat orange ring had been strung around the globe as they fired. The solid wave of energy hurtled toward the Imperial ships.

 

With that the Raporan Fleet suddenly charged toward the GFFA forces, heading away from the Imperial Fleet.

 

With that done the Timeless One leaned back and reached out with the force, touching a familiar mind he greedily smiled. He tightened his mental grip beckoning it to open to him.

 

* * *

 

Mara felt herself shiver beneath her cloak as she strolled the streets of Mos Eisley despite the heat. The words he'd spoken echoed through her mind, "What do you want with him Jade?"

 

A second voice spoke back in her mind, calm and serene, I've never wanted anything from Luke... or have I? She stopped in the middle of the street her thoughts whirling, I wanted to kill him once, then I wanted respect, but now...

 

She shook her head, now Luke was as much of her life as possible. They were the same being, as close as she'd thought possible. He could feel what he felt, see what he saw, and think like he thought.

 

Again she stopped trying to think, I once could do that with another couldn't I, but he's dead, and now long afterward I'm glad he is.

 

Could Luke be manipulating her? That thought elicted a slight smile on her face, sure he could convince her to do something, but she had to really want to do it, for reasons other then his asking. No he wasn't manipulating her.

 

But someone else was trying to now, she could feel the gentle pressure on her mind, the beaconing to open herself to them. It also felt coldly familiar. Then she felt a searing hot pain slice through her skull. Suddenly she felt herself dropping to her knees. A voice spasmed through her, a command from another age, "You will..." She tried to close her mind once more, but the pain bent her will, deadening her concentration and keeping her vulnerable.

 

She slowly felt her lightsaber roll in her hand. Slowly she lifted it to point toward her skull, now she wouldn't let him... Never again. Then suddenly she felt a calm peace wash over her as though a mental blanket had been wrapped around her. She felt a hand on her shoulder as another pulled her lightsaber from her hand. Slowly she turned to look and saw a face which seemed nearly familiar. Looking up into the man's eyes she felt an age, like the memories of times long forgotten lay beneath the still youthful face and features.

 

Slowly the man spoke, "You've changed much since the last we spoke, of course so have I." He pulled her tired form to her feet, "Resisting him like that must have been difficult." She turned to look up at him, "You surprise me Jade, you're quite the loyal wife."

 

Mara looked up at the man, "Have we met?"

 

"Yes and no, tell Luke that Kenobi's place is still standing, he might be interested in what remains there." And with those words he was gone.

 

* * *

 

Shren knelt down behind the arched doorway of the spaceport entrance, "I'm in position, do you see anything?"

 

"Quiet, Jade's coming your way," Darth Malice answered with a hiss. Shren turned to peek around the corner of the building, as Mara stepped into view. She kept walking, her eyes downcast. Shren frowned, the enemy looked worried, could they have been detected?

 

After what must of been an hour Shren watched in surprise as the entire Skywalker clan shot by her on a speeder bike she stood and turned to watch them go as a man weaing a rich brown cloak stepped into her path. He stopped and Shren could see that the cloak was clasped at the front with a mandalorian symbol. Beneath the cloak a lightsaber hung along with a blaster carbine. Shren looked up into the black faceplate of the Mandalorian and felt her guts go cold, she reached for her lightsaber but found her hand engulfed by the mandalorian's, "If you knew what was smart lady you'd leave the Skywalkers alone. A long way from home aren't you Chiss?"

 

There was a snap hiss from behind the man and Darth Malice spun his lightsaber threatening, "If you knew what was good for you, you wouldn't have become involved."

 

OOC: Take it away Bad Samaritan

[BadSamaritan]

IC: Seryk heard the sound of a saber igniting behind him, and he heard a voice speak. He heard the words, and understood them completely. He was being threatened by a jedi, a dark one at that. He had never expected that tattoine would bring him so many interesting things. He let go of the chiss womans hands, and then ignited the rockets on his jet pack. Flying upwards, he grabbed his grandmothers lightsaber from his waist, and ignited it. The dark blue blade shot from ths hilt with a snap-hiss, and seryk backflipped in mid-air, just in time to deflect a blow from the man who had been behind him. He came back down, and quickly raised the saber into a defensive stance as the man backed away for a moment.

 

"A mandalorian warrior, carrying the blade of a jedi? Isnt that just a little odd?" the man seemed to ask to no one in particular. Seryk simply smiled, and nodded.

 

"Odd, yes. But, it is who I am." he said, watching the movements of the dark jedi carefully. He knew that while the others mans saber had two blades, that is not what gave him the advantage on this fight. What gave the man the advantage, was the fact that he was trained as a jedi, and Seryk was not. But Seryk had years of combat training to rely on, and he hoped that it would be enough.

 

The man smiled, sensing his thoughts, and suddenly struck, twirling his blade in a rapid fashion. Seryk parried the blows, carefully studying the mans technique, hoping to find some flaw in it. But soon, defence was all that Seryk was thinking off. He had never been in a fight like this before. Every time he tried to go on the offensive, the man parried his blade in such a way tio force him back onto the defence. Seryk was quickly being forced backwards, to what end he did not know.

 

The man suddenly lept over him, and Seryk quickly spun, sweeping his saber around, slapping aside the blade which had been coming towards him. Seryk was surprised by this, he hadnt even seen that attack coming, but he had known about it. He pushed the thought out of his mind, and began concentrating on defending himself again. He continued to watch the man, and he began to notice small details as to how the man planned his attacks. Small adjustments in his stance, slight twitches of the wrist, all slowly began to give away his patern. And suddenly, he saw it.

 

The opening in the attack was small, but it was there. The man spun on his heels, in an attempt to bring the tip of his lightsaber into the his stomach. Seryk stepped closer to he man, and turned to his side, parrying the blow. At the same time, he released a side-kick which cought the man off gaurd. The man stumbled and began to turn to face him, and Seryk took the attack.

 

Seryk spun his blade quickly, and brough it down on the hilt of the mans saber. The saber fell in two, on of the blades vanishing. The man growled in anger, and took a massive leap to put some distance between himself and Seryk. He adjusted his stance to one better suited to the use of a single balded sabre, and frowned.

 

"You are quite good, but you still have much to learn." he said, and Seryk smiled.

 

"If I have so much to learn, then why is your sabre in tow pieces?" Seryk said, and the man seemed to be angered by the statement. He charged, and Seryk readied himself for yet another onslaught of attacks. He raised his sabre in a defensive stance, and moved it to parry the first blow.

 

Suddenly, Seryk was lifted off his feet, and thrown backwards. He landed hard on the ground, and rolled for a few more feet. He looked up just in time to see the man leaping towards him. Seryk quickly activated his jetpack, and was rewarded by seing the man plunge his sabre into the ground where he had just been lying prone. Seryk flew up, and then back down, landing on his feet. He turned in time to see the man running towards him, and Seryk altered his stance, waiting for the attack.

 

The man swung his saber in a tight arc, and Seryk parried the blow, and used the momentum of his parry to carry himself aroun on his heels. As he did so, he adjusted the grip on his lightsaber, putting one hand directly on the butt of the hilt. When he came back around, he began to almost push the sabre up to where the mans stomach should have been, only to see that the man had almost copied his move exactly. Seryks blade, instead of aiming at the mans stomach, was aiming at his kidney. And the other mans blade, was pointed almost directly at his head.

 

Both men halted their attacks, and stood there. They didnt move from there positions, each of them seeming to be carefully planning there next move. And each of them knew that it was a stalemate. Neither could attack the other from their current postions without leavingthemselves horribly open to the other.

 

"Well fought, mandalorian." the man said, and Seryk nodded.

 

"Likewise." Seryk responded, a hint of respect in his voice. He then noticed movement off to hs side, and risked a small glance in that direction. He saw the chiss woman standing there, watching them both, a bored look on her face. She waved her hand, and Seryk flew through the air backwards, landing on his back. He rolled, and began to come up on his feet, just in time to see the man flying at him, his leg stretched out for a kick. Seryk tried to dodge it, but the man struck him in the side of his head. Stars exploded in front if his eyes, and he fell to the ground. Moments later, he was out cold.

 

Darth Malice reached down, and picked up the man lightsaber. He inspected it carefully, and nodded in admiration. It was intricatly designed, and by the looks of it, quite old. He threw it down to the mans side, and turned back to Shren.

 

"Come, let us go see what the Skywalkers are doing." he said, walking past her. She looked to the fallen warrior, and then back to Malice.

 

"Arent you going to finish him?" she asked, curiosity and anger in her voice. Malice turned to her, and frowned.

 

"No. He fought well, even for being untrained in the use of a lightsaber. Well enough, that he could have possibly even beaten me, given enough time. I have a feeling that we will be seeing him again. And when we do, I want to face him. He will provide an interesting challange." He said, and he then turned, and began to walk away again. Shren simply shrugged, and then turned back to the warrior.

 

She to has a feeling that they would be seeing him again. But in the back of her mind, she also had the feeling that Malice may be under-estimating the man. She then turned, and walked to follow Malice. They needed to find the Skywalkers, and figure out what they were up to.

 

OOC: lets see, I managed to break Malices Saber, and keep myself alive. That good enough for me. Also, I need to learn how to spell. I went through it three times, and still had to edit it after I posted it.

[Stellar_Magic]

Obi-wan's hoem was perched high on a plateau overlooking the jundland wastes. Luke had been there but a few times, but the last time he'd found the place empty of anything that could have helped him to pull together the remnants of the Jedi.

 

Now Luke thought his eyes were decieving him, the place seemed to come alive as he stepped into the door, the signs of destruction had disappeared and been replaced by what he'd remembered from his first visit. The damage and looting, the emptyness had been nothing but an illusion, created before Old Ben had left. Now it had been lifted.

 

Young Ben, Luke's own son now sat where he'd sat listening to Obi-wan talk about the ways of the Jedi. R2 stood hsi dome whirring from side to side studying the room and gave an electronic moan of rememberence.

 

Mara glanced aroudn the room fascinated, her trained eye studying the basic amenities, this had been the place Luke had first learned of his abilities, from the man who'd been his first master.

 

With a slam the door of the hut slammed shut behind them, a gust of wind having pushed it in, as Luke felt his insides go cold. He remembered the feeling well, the sheer wrongness that seemed to dominate a place which had been overwhelmed by the dark side of the force.

 

The other's felt it also as Ben suddenly began to glance around the room, his face contorted with fear. Then a whisper of movement betrayed their fear as a voice echoing across incalcuable distances filled the air, "Luke, you must unlearn what you have learned, open your mind to the totalitarity of the force."

 

"Ben?" Luke turned to see the shimmering figure. Mara stepped to his side and touched him and then she to saw Obi-wan Kenobi sitting on the simple chair in the corner of the room.

 

"Long ago I settled here to watch you grow. But the Jedi hunters were more active then you can imagine. I found myself forced to search for a refuge in the force, much as yoda had, and I found it beneath this house. A wellspring where the force itself has been contorted around the violence of an incident from long ago."

 

"A place that felt like an emotional blood stain," Mara said coldly, feeling the cold fear, anger, and hatred which flowed from beneath the home.

 

"I had little choice, if I hadn't I would have been found and exterminated, only now do I know what happened here," Obi-wan stood and walked across the chamber to the side of a wall, he bent down then stepped down through the floor and disappeared. Luke hurried tot he spot and felt around the stone floor till his hands came to rest on the edge of what must have been a long sealed chamber deep beneath inches of sand on the ground floor. The snap hiss of a lightsaber filled the room as Mara ignited her blade and bent down over the spot and nodded. She plunged down and sliced a round plug which fell after she finished the cut. With a resounding thud the stone hit the floor below it and broke.

 

Luke bent down to look and saw the glittering image of Obi-wan below him. Artoo produced a glow rod from one of his compartments and Luke lit it, then dropped into the chamber below. Mara dropped down beside him as he slowly circled the room with the beam from the glow rod. The floor was a polished red marble, which was foreign to the world. It was arranged to form a giant circular compass rose around which a ring of black stone lay. The compass glittered from impressed gems and diamonds as the beam cast over it. The walls of the chamber were mostly intact and Luke could see old plastisteel beams placed to keep the room intact. Most of them seemed to have once been buried within columns which were worn away by the effect of time.

 

Luke turned to Obi-wan, "What is this place?"

 

"The Jedi Council never found out, there are thousands of chambers and ruins like this scattered around the galaxy. Every one seems to seethe of the dark side of the force. Many of which had signs of battles from times long gone."

 

"As does this one," Mara said bending over the rusted remains of what must have been a steel suite of armor. Beside it was a spear with a styling that seemed somehow familiar. The armor's center looked melted from blast that had penetrated the armor. Beside the suit was a helmet shapped for a head that couldn't have been humanoid. Mara picked it up and rolled it over in her hands, "Why aren't there any bodies?"

 

Obi-wan smiled slightly, "The chamber is to old, over eight hundred thousand years old." He glanced at the end of the chamber, "Remember Luke, do not underestimate the powers of the emperor."

 

Luke turned and felt himself step back in horror. There in the center was a statue twenty meters tall with a face he wished he'd never recognized. Cloathed in a dark cloak the figure of the emperor sat in a simple throne. His eyes were made from a pair of gold orbs that seemed to stare back at anyone who looked upon them.

 

Luke turned back to Obi-wan his mouth agape and saw nothing but the dust drifting down from the ceiling.

 

Slowly Luke and Mara both felt a chill run down their spines as he slowly turned to face the statue. Above one of the uplifted hands of the statue a galaxy slowly spun, its appearnce terrifyingly familiar. The image was identical to one they'd seen before.

 

Luke felt his breath leave him as Mara spoke quietly, "Those that are ignorant of history are doomed to repeat it."

 

* * *

 

Ben glanced down the small hole Mara and Luke had gone down his eyes searching the darkness to catch a glimpse of his parents. Suddenly a strong tatooed arm closed around his neck as a hand slapped over his mouth. Within seconds, starved of oxygen, Ben slumped forward like the powered down droid behind him.

 

Shren nodded as Darth Malice lifted the boy and tossed him over his shoulder. She spoke in her mouthpiece, "Mission Accomplished," when every shutter and door of the hovel slammed shut except for one.

 

There standing in the backlight of the tatooine desert, a man glared angrily at the two of them. His voice spoke with harsh unrestrained power, "I warned you..." His vocie disappeared behind the hum of his violet blade.

[BadSamaritan]

Seryk layed on the ground, his body motionless, still out cold from the kick that the dark jedi had given him. But his mind was a storm of thoughts. Dreams of the past, the present, and the future surrounded his mind. He reveled in the memories of he and his father playing games when he was a child. He cursed at the recent memories of his battle with the dark jedi, and how poorly he had done. But the other dreams, the ones he couldnt place, frightened him.

 

He saw the galaxy, just having recently recovering from one massive war, being plunged into yet another. He saw worlds awash in flame, massive fleets destorying each other, and a seemingly infinite cloud of darkness race across the galaxy, engulfing it. He saw famous heroes of the past fall in battle, along with the billions of innocent lives they were trying to protect. He saw others, people he didnt recognize, rise to greatness, only to fall along side them. He also saw figures of people long since thought dead appear, but they to also fell. Seryk screamed, the pain of it all overwhelming him, and bringing him to his knees.

 

But then, he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder, and he looked up, and saw the face of an old woman. The kindness in her eyes seemed to soothe him, bringing a sudden peace over his body. he slowly stood, and looked at her. He turned his head to the side, and tilted it slightly.

 

"Who are you?" he asked, his voice soft, giving away the fact that he was wary of the woman. She chuckled sofly, almost to herself, and shook her head.

 

"My name is Drea. I lived here, on Tattoine once, long ago. Before your time. When the galaxy was a different place." she said, her voice soft, as if it was being spoken from somewhere far away. Seryk stood there, wondering what she meant, when suddenly, his surroundings changed, and he was standing over his prone body. he looked down at it, startled, and then back up to the old woman.

 

"Surprised? Well, here is a little hint for you. You are having what is called a force dream. Everything you just saw and experienced ws through the force. Even all that you saw of the future." she said, her voice suddenly growing cold, yet sad.

 

"The future? That was the future? Whats going to happen?" he asked, suddenly worried. The old lady simply shook her head, and looked off to the distance.

 

"I cannot tell you that. The force can show you many different possible futures," she said, turning back to him, "All of which can be changed by a single persons actions." she finished, runnng her hand down the side of his helmet. Seryk suddenly felt uncomftorable in his armor, so her removed the helmet, and breathe din some of the warm, fresh air of the desert. He then looked to the woman, a suspect look in his eyes.

 

"Your telling me that what I saw is one of many possible futures, and it can be changed? Even by me?" he asked, disbelief in his voice. The woman smiled, and nodded.

 

"All it takes is one person, although I belive that that point has already passed. Now, the galaxy is about to plunge into dark times, one way or the other. But hopefully, force be willing, it wont last long." she said, hope in her voice.

 

Seryk stood there for a moment, and suddenly felt a cold wind flow across him. He turned to see a robed man standing near them. Around his waist was a belt, with a lightsaber dangling from it. Seryk reached for his on instinct, but the man quickly raised his hand.

 

"There is no need for your weapon. I am not here to fight you." he said, his voice calm and even. The old woman scowled at him slightly, and turned towards him.

 

"You. I may be forced to rest here within the force with you, but that does not mean you can interfere with this." she said, a slight bit of anger in her voice. The figure turned to her, and smiled.

 

"Do not worry old one, I am not here to harm him. I am here to warn him." he said, and Seryk startled at this. Seryk took a step towards him, his hand dropping away from his lightsaber.

 

"Warn me of what? The future? I have already been informed of that." he said, and the figure shook his head.

 

"No. The old one is correct in the fact that what you saw is the most prominent future, but it can be changed. But the road will be difficult. And there are events transpiring now, to make it even more difficult. I am here to warn you of them." he said, and Seryk frowned.

 

"And what would these events be, by chance?" he asked, annoyance dripping from his voice. The figure frowned, seemingly insulted by it.

 

"The Skywalkers are in danger. You must travel to the former home of Obi-wan Kenobi. That is where they went. They will need your help." the figure said, and then vanished. Seryk stood there for a moment, and then looked to the old woman, who seemed to have a confused look on her face.

 

"Who was that?" he asked, confusion in his voice. The old woman turned to him, and slowly smiled.

 

"He... Is someone frm the past also, who fell from the path, to far to ever truelly redeem himself. But as to why he is interfering, I do not know." she said. She looked down to his waist, and reached out for his saber. he began to move to stop her, then stopped. he pulled the saber from his belt, and grasped it knowingly in her hands, running them along the length of the hilt. She turned it over a few times in her hands, and then handed it back to him. Seryk took the blade, and then it came to his mind who the old woman was. She saw the look of astonshiment on his face, and smiled.

 

"You finally realize who I am, do you? I was wondering when you would. But, I suppose you are just like your grandfather in that regard. He always was a little slow for some things. But he excelled in other areas." she said, turning away from him, and looking out into the distance. Seryk nodded, and felt he wanted to ask more, but realised that now was not the time. He tunred to look out into the distance, and sighed. His grandmother turned to him, and smiled.

 

"You must go, you are needed. I can sence it now" she said, and Seryk nodded. he moved to put his helmet back on, and suddenly, he was lying on the ground again. he slowly stood up, his head aching still from the kick. He looked around, and saw that no one had come near him. But he did notice a speeder bike hiding in an alleyway not far from him. he ran towards it, and hopped on. he quickly activated teh bike, and shot off into the desert, not completly understanding how he knew here he was going. But he felt this was the right directin, so he followed it.

 

Back at where he had been just minutes before, the figure appeared again, along with the blue ghost of his grandmother. They watched his speed off, and his grandmother slowly turned to the figure.

 

"Why are you helping the skywalkers?" she asked, confusion in her voice. The figure gave a quick laugh, and then turned to her.

 

"Who said I am helping them?" he asked is a ironic tone, and then he vanished once again. Drea, stood there for a moment, and then turned to look to where Seryk had sped off. And then, slowly, she vanished as well.

 

OOC: WHERE IS EVERYONE ELSE?!?!?!?! POST PEOPLE!!!!

[Stellar_Magic]

OOC: Waiting for Darky to post... Oh what the Heck!

 

IC:Darth Malice felt his hands tremble slightly as he drew his lightsaber and ignited it, the sole blade humming through the darkness.

 

The man smiled slightly at him then struck his purple blade hissing through the air toward its target. Darth Malice twisted away as the blade sliced into his outer robes, leaving them in tatters. He dropped the boy Ben onto the ground and deflected the hot energy blade before the man could twist it back toward him.

 

Shren spoke quickly into her commlink as the man advanced on Malice, "Condition Spike Cycle, we need help." She turned back toward the fight just in time to duck as the man's lightsaber hurtled toward her. She dove into her cloak and withdrew her orange saber and ignited it, "Malice, bracket him!"

 

Darth Malice had already begun sliding to a point opposite Shren anticipating her orders. Behind him Ben slowly stirred his hands gropping forward across the floor. The man smiled calmly as Shren slunk toward him. She struck and the man redirected the blow forcing Darth Malice to deflect the blade from him. Shren swore, the man was planning on using their attacks to engage each other.

 

Ben suddenly knelt down beside the hole in the floor and reached out with the force. Mara felt her soon and spun toward the entrance of the chamber, "Luke!"

 

Luke was already unfastening his lightsaber, "Two of them, for now anyway." Mara scrambled toward the opening in the ceiling and began to pull herself through when suddenly her lightsaber popped free from her belt and soared into hands of a man squaring off against to widely space opponents.

 

As she straightened the doors of the house burst open and a squad of twelve Raporan warriors sped into the room. Mara starred in horror and grabbed Ben's hand and pulled him back through the entrance and into the cavern below.

 

* * *

 

Jaina pulled the canopy of her X-wing Starfighter shut over her head as Jag's Clawcraft came to a hover and began firing upward to ward off a trio of Raporan Fighters clawing their way towards them. Suddenly a Sekotan Skip slashed across them, killing two of the fighters before settling in behind the lead starfighter.

[ADarkJedi44]

OOC: Sorry guys, this will be pretty short. Been busy lately....

 

The Resurrector fired again, ending the lives of a few Chiss ships. With the Timeless One occupying the GFFA forces and the Imperials occupied, Darth Fury's task force could focus on destroying the Chiss. As it was, their line was thin. Everytime the Resurrector fired, they were brought closer to their end.

The Task Force's fighters were exhausted. Nevertheless, Fury trusted his apprentince. He was confident the Chiss and Imperials fighters would not do too much damage to his capitol ships as long as Tuvax lived. The Raporan Task Force accelerated towards the Chiss. The Chiss were even more depleted than Fury's task force. They would not hold on for long.

The plasma canons of his ships fired again and again. Still the Chiss ring held. They were desperate. Even at this point, if the defensive ring was broken so many Chiss civillians would die. Darth Fury grew frustrated, he could see the cracks but his time was running out....

He reached for Tuvax. Where are you?

***

Supreme Commander Litok's task force came out of hyperspace in the middle of a fierce battle.

"Shields up, launch our fighters! Prepare for battle, move right against the Rapora. Let's show them who they're dealing with!"

The men responded enthusiastically. Evahe looked at the Raporan task force. It's size intimidated him for a moment. He was glad to be in the Guardian.....

[BadSamaritan]

OOC: I just thought about this, so I thought I would bring it up. Dont have much time right now though. Ill post more later.

 

IC: Burt sat in the ship, wondering how the skywalkers and Seryk were doing. They had been gone for a while now. Then a thought struck him. he hadnt heard any noise at all. None. Not even the chirping of an Artoo-unit.

 

Where was Artoo? he thought to himself. He hoped tehy hadnt left him to the repora back on that planet.

[Stellar_Magic]

OOC: Artoo is deactivated inside Obi-wan's House.

 

IC:The Timeless one watched as the Alliance fleet drifted toward his force, coming to strengthen the Imperials. As it did it brought itself unwittingly before the Raporan Replicator.

 

He smiled slightly at the sight, "General Varak you may fire when ready."

 

Suddenly from the Replicator's Arms plasma arched to its center, giant repulsor and tractor beam crafted the plasma into a solid beam of energy which washed across the Alliance ships. Half were either destroyed or left dead in space at that moment.

 

* * *

 

Jaian winced away from the canopy as she watched half the Alliance fleet meet its doom awashed in flame and a beam which she'd only heard of but never seen, a plasma repulsor beam, the same weapon which made Centerpoint an superweapon. Now it was in the hands of a merciless and devestating foe.

 

Behind her Jaina sensed a hungry alien mind moving to engage her craft. A powerful Raporan mind. In her rear sensors she could see the fighters dogfighting and the Sekotan skip manuevering against the Raporan craft. Glancing beside her she waggled her wings to Jag and dove into the fight.

 

OOC: BadSamaritan, You may come to the Skywalkers rescue at any time.

[ADarkJedi44]

Evahe watched with tears in his eyes. So many men, just destroyed in a blink of an eye. Half of his fleet was no more. What could he do? Csilla was certainly doomed. He had done pretty well against the Raporan fleet, until they had brought in the superweapon. Without their giant station he was pretty sure he would have won.

At this point, continuing would be suicide. He knew that much. Could he really leave the Imperials and Chiss alone? Would that destroy their relations with the GFFA? In a moment he thought it all over. If he lost here, the GFFA could be doomed no matter what. The Rapora were certainly planning on Galactic Conquest, there could be no doubt about that.

He needed to get back and prepare the GFFA. Even with their loses, Evahe was in control of numerous huge fleets. He was certain he could prevent the Rapora from quick scoring victories against him that would make the situation impossible. He had to retreat, he had to organize his fleets....

"Plot us a course out of here."

"But, sir...."

"PLOT US A COURSE OUT OF HERE!"

"Yes sir...."

With a flash, the Third Fleet disppeared into hyperspace.

***

Darth Fury smiled as the Chiss defensive wall began to disintegrate. With the GFFA gone, the Timeless One's fleet could move against the Imperials. Victory was his.

[Trejiuvanat]

Admiral Oreton frowned as the gigantic beam desintegrated half the Alliance's forces.

 

"Status of the evacuation?" Oreton asked as the Alliance ships started to run for hyperspace.

 

"Above eighty-five percent; most heavy lifters are out. Baron Fel's forces have cleared a vector for them. At least a ninety percent should make it into hyperspace."

 

"Prepare for withdrawal, start recalling our fighters. This battle has been lost. Signal to all the Chiss ships to abandon their defensive formation and regroup and hyper to their nearest base. Start maneuverting into our escape vector, but we will not leave until it is absolutely necessary."

 

"Our escape vector will take us too close to that Superweapon."

 

"Whatever it is it should take a few minutes to reload itself, in that time I want every Imperial ship out of that things firing angle."

 

****

 

Ulan kept close to Jaina and her co-pilot. Ulan had been surprised to find a Jedi on Csilla and especially Jaina, the three of them and Baron Fel's Imperial squadron had succeeded in cleaning a considerable portion of space for the escaping vessels.

 

Then the flash came, and most of the Alliance fleet disappeared. The Imperials were starting to break away. In an ordered fashion the white daggers started to move away towards hyperspace.

 

"Sword One, the Imperials are starting to move towards space," Baron Fel's voice echoed in the cockpit of Ulan's craft.

 

"Staying around that superweapon would be suicide, Strikefast Lead. The Imperials have done enough for the Chiss."

 

"I guess it's also our call to leave this place." Jagged Fel's voices joined the other ones.

 

"I agree," Ulan replied as he killed another Raporan craft.

 

"Even the Chiss were ordered to leave," the older Fel insisted. "Oreton is not taking a great risk, he is covering the Chiss' escape by manuevering closer to the Resurrector."

 

"Desperate and suicidical, your dad would like him." Jagged jibed Jaina.

 

The Imperial Fleet continued to move closer to the Resurrector hoping to avoid the angle of fire of the superweapon. They exchanged point-blank shots with the Raporan Fleet.

 

The Raporan shots were focused on select objectives, more precise than their Imperial counterparts. As a result a Victory Destroyer started to slow down, and it as a fireball consumed its rear quarter it collapsed into a small Raporan cruiser. Bringing death to both.

 

Another group of Chiss had entered hyperspace, the Raporan Fleet that had orbited the planet was closing the vector. A few hundred spaceships would be trapped here, unable to escape.

 

"Strikefast do you have any missiles left?"

 

"No, all the squadron is empty. I'm done here. Back to the Imperious."

 

"Three against a cruiser are odds that even your father would consider," Jagged noted reading Jaina's mind.

 

"There must be something." Jaina retorted desperately. "We are Jedi."

 

***

 

Baron Fel had confirmed that his squadron, was returning at top speed back to the Imperious. The Chiss fleet had already withdrawn, after saying goodbye to their homeworld.

 

"We are out of the hypermass of Csilla," Onolovav reported. "We can be out as soon as you want."

 

Oreton felt impotent to see so many Chiss civilians left behind on the opposite side of the planet. He was too far away from them. A superweapon and a Raporan fleet in between.

 

The three ships left by the Alliance had moved to exchange fire with the Cruiser sent to intercept the evacuees. But the effort would not be enough.

 

"How many Chiss are still trapped there?" Oreton asked.

 

"Hundred twenty seven, most of them are outdated freighters." Onolovav answered with dismay. "About hundred thousand civilians."

 

***

 

Some Chiss had gambled their escape by entering into the hangars of the Alliance cruisers.

 

Two Mon Calamari Cruisers and a Republic Star Destroyer were filled up with evacuees within minutes.

 

Two Jedi and a Top Ace pilots kept the fighters distracted and a healthy amount of klicks kept the Alliance ships relatively safe from the Rapora. But distances shrunk. And the Rapora had more priorities than two single Jedi.

 

The Alliance Cruisers entered hyperspace.

 

***

 

"Forty freighters were left, twenty thousand civilians." Onolovav commented.

 

Oreton breathed. There was nothing for them to do now.

 

ARound him most of his ships kept exchanging shots with the Raporan Fleet. The Rapora had successfully driven them further from the planet into space.

 

"All fighters recovered." An officer reported

 

"Hyperspace on my mark. Three-Two-One," he looked again at the status display and the lights of the Chiss freighters dimmed. "Mark."

 

The Imperials left.

 

***

 

The Imperials left within ablur.

 

"It is our turn now," Ulan commented. "My ship will not take another life today."

 

"Away it is." Jaina said and set on an escape vector. "Where are we going?"

 

"Imperial Space, we do not know where the Chiss have gone to hide. But they will most likely communicate with my father and Oreton."

 

"Ulan will you come with us?"

 

"A Yuuzhan Vong is not welcome on anyworld save his own, but a warrior is welcome in any war. I will go with you."

 

The last combatants of the Battle of Csilla left.

 

Csilla had fallen.

[Stellar_Magic]

The Timeless One nodded as the last of the combat forces fled the battle, "Commander you may commence the operation."

 

"Yes my lord," One of the Rapora leaned over a console and typed in a series of commands.

 

Outside the canopy of the bridge the Raporan Replicator swung around and began to fire. Within seconds a low intensity repulsor beam had cut through the crust of the world. Then the world broke arpart sending pieces of itself spining through space. But these suddenly slowed and began to curve back toward the replicator as pulse gravity projectors kicked in. Slowly the Replicator drifted into the debris field and began to suck in the pieces. Soon the world that had once been Csilla would be in the hulls of thousands of Raporan ships.

[BadSamaritan]

OOC: Blasted flu. its keeping me pinned down. This will have to be short, and to the point. Sorry Stellar.

 

IC: Seryk flew along the ground at top speed, the bike rattling with the pressures he was putting on it. The thought of what had happened just a little while ago still ran through his head, but he knew it wasnt what was most importnent right now. He knew the Skywalkers were in trouble, and he had to help them, in any way that he could.

 

Suddenly he saw it. The place that the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenodi once called home was in his sights. he could already see that a fight had broken out in front of what looked to be the main door. He could see at least four lightsabers in a dangerous duel, but two of them appeared to be wielded by one person. But he could also see the Reporan warriors entering the house. He thought about it for a moment, weighed his options, and put on a last second burst of speed.

 

As he drew closer to the battle outside the small house, he could see than man he had fought earlier and the chiss woman in battle with the one who had warned him of the skywalkers plight. He veered slightly to the right, and as he got close enough to see their features, he quickly lashed out with his right foot, catching the chiss woman in the back of her head with his toes, but just barely. he quickly steered towards the entreance of the hut, and jumped off the speeder bike. He landed on the ground hard, and looked up just in time to see the speeder nike crash into the building. he could hear the scream of startled repora from inside, and he knew he had managed to catch them very off-gaurd. but he alos saw the dwelling shake with the impact, so he knew he had weakened the structure. He rose, and ran quickly into the dwelling.

 

He could see a decent number of repora getting back to their feet, and the remains of the repora his speed nike had hit, but he also saw the hole in the floor. He gussed the skywalkers had retreated down there, so he began to run for it. On his way, he reached down, and grabbed one of the reporan sabers, but not really understanding why. he turned just as he reached the hole, and could see the reporans were getting ready to get their revenge on his for their fallen comrads. he jumped into the hole just as a reporan saber swept the area he had been occupying. He landed hard, and rolld, cioming up to face the green lightsaber weilded by Luke.

 

He looked off to the side, and noticed Mara clutchign Ben protectively, but not weilding her saber. He suddenly understood, and tossed her the saber he had picked off the floor.

 

"Sorry Im late" he said, and luke looked at him, confusion on his face. Seryk shrugged it, off, and turned to face the hole. He puilled out his saber, and activated it, just as mara activated teh saber he had thrown to her. Seryk and Luke backed up,. and Mara joined them, forming a three person line protecting Ben.

 

As they stood there, the Repora began to filter down itnot he hole.....

 

OOC: Sorry if any of it doesnt make semce, Ive been fighting a nasty flu the past few days, so Im kinda out of it....

[Stellar_Magic]

OOC: Flu, I understand. Oh and everyone I've selected the next Rapora Target: Bilbringi under Imperial control. I think elements of the GFFA fleets will be there as well after Csilla.

 

"You don't have any more tricks up your sleeve do you?" Mara yelled as a plasma bolt flashed down from the hole and smashed into the ground.

 

Seryk shook his head as he leveled his blaster, "No, any idea what these guys have as personal equipment?"

 

Suddenly a disk whirred down from the hole and shot toward them three red blades flashed blightly as Seryk rolled forward away from the attack. The disk turned around and sped back toward them. Mara made a gesture with her hand and sent the disk spinning upward into the ceiling where it was securely jammed into the slit it had cut itself.

 

Then a Rapora warrior dropped down the hole, its hands clasped firmly around an activated lightsaber. Seryk stepped back as he triggered a burst which the creature deflected. Fumbling he grabbed a frag grenade from his pocket and through it at the creature using the force. The grenade smashed into the creature's chest plate and flung him back into the wall then detonated. Its armor tore apart from the blast, slicing one of its hands clean off with a piece of shrapnel and peppering the rest of his body with fragments. The creature stood and tossed aside its destroyed helmet as blood ran down its fractured Jaw. Mara couldn't believe her eyes knowing the creature should have fainted from the pain. Then whizzing through the air the lightsaber equipped disk flashed through its neck and dropped the creature to the floor.

 

The disk sped back toward them its blades deactivated and Ben reached out and caught it. His face twisted into the grim display Mara always had when in combat, "What now?"

 

Another figured dropped down through the hole, his brown robes burned and singed, his face a glow with the force. He marched past them his long dirty blond hair visible in the darkness and flung out his hand. Suddenly a large chunk of stone fell away to reveal the desert beyond. He turned to Luke as a Sekotan ship slid into the newly made entrance, "Lets go."

 

* * *

 

Darth Malice gripped his lightsaber tight enough that the plastic of its handle shattered in his grip as he watched the Sekotan ship blast away, its drives clearly visible in the sky. It vanished as a force cloak was drapped over it. Slowly he turned back to the house and shuddered. Twelve Rapora warriors lay crumpled, their bodies smoking from electricity or the blade of a lightsaber.

 

Shren slowly rubbed her head as she looked at the wreckage, "We've set him loose." She kicked at a ragged piece of metal which had once been a rapora helmet, "Why did we ever come here!"

 

Darth Malice felt fear begin to nip at his anger, "I've never seen a warrior such as that Jedi, if he is a Jedi, such skill with a blade is not natural, and the losses..."

 

Shren shivered despite the heat, "Are far worse then what the objective was worth." She sighed, "Fortunately for us they're still trapped on the planet."

 

Darth Malice looked at her with shock, "What?"

 

She smiled, "Don't you know, that ship only has enough breathable air for three if you use a trance, no they'll stay on this world, and I know how we'll keep them here."

 

* * *

 

The Timeless One nodded as he studied the Galactic Map, yes the next target would be one they would not anticipate. He glanced at the guard off the door and nodded, "My lord, Darth Fury."

 

Darth Fury slid into the room his hands clasped in front of him and bowed slightly, "How may I serve you my lord?"

 

"Take the First War fleet to Bilbringi, there you will find the remnants of the Imperial Forces that engaged us here, destroy the shipyards and as many vessels as practical, I'll await your report."

 

"What of Shren and Darth Malice my Lord?" Darth Fury asked quietly.

 

"They are currently working on an errand for me Darth Fury, I must request that you dispatch Darth Tuvax to Tatooine to assist in the errand."