THE FORCE ETERNAL

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....


Three years have passed and the Republic is now on
the edge of chaos. The Senate, fearful of the increasing
power of the Sith Triumvirate, has given the Inquisitors
complete powers and jurisdiction to search and destroy
any Sith influence. In their quest, they have become
ferocious and are increasing the anti-Republic sentiments
within the galaxy. Revolts are fast becoming rampant--
more so on the Outer Rim. Everyone sees that the end
may be approaching the Republic.

The Sith Triumvirate knows that their power will soon
reach its apex. They see the Republic slowly crumbling,
the Senate running for cover and the Jedi being abandoned.
They understand that now is their time to deliver a
final strike that will forever destroy the Jedi and all
they have created.

Meanwhile, the Jedi, no longer trusted by the people,
battle on to prove their worth. But many are the ones
who have lost the respect for the once proud Knights.
Master Ebbo Zommo, now head of the Council, is
trying his best to save an increasingly difficult
situation. He knows his time is running out....

It was a mistake coming here, thought Alle Mentera as he walked. They should not be here. Not by a long shot. The chances of success were minimal; the risks were too great and the smell was terrible.

The things the Jedi Knights had been forced to do.

He kept his head down and his face hidden within his robes. While the chances were low that anyone in the busy streets of Hiriu City would recognize him for who or what he was, he did not want to risk their mission. So he kept his eyes on the brick road and used the Force to guide him from any of the dozen alien lifeforms that were near. To ensure he hadn’t been followed, he had taken a different road--one that cost him ten extra minutes. Hopefully the others wouldn’t mind.

Alle came up to a hotel for aliens--in this case, him and his colleagues--and walked inside. Passing the patio and the gardens, he turned left and entered his room. Here, the plush carpet had been removed at a corner. While he was sure the cleaning staff would go insane when they saw it, the hole was the least of his concerns. He knocked once on the metal screen that served as makeshift door and waited for a three knock reply before repeating his one knock. A crude detection system to be sure, but it served the purpose of accounting for the people present or waiting for entrance to the inside. The metal door swung open and Alle descended.

“What took you so long?” asked a female voice. There was some harshness in it, but something told Alle that it was directed not at him, but at the delay. It was like the voice already knew the answer. He removed his hood and revealed a young, teal-skinned Menurian. He was very humanoid--could even pass for a human--except for the gills on his throat, the glassy eyes and the sharp teeth. His world, Menuri, was a water-world, with only a few pockets of dry land. Therefore, all life had adapted to survival under the blue-green oceans. But his people had kept what some believe were the original set of lungs for breathing oxygen out of water.

“I had to take another route to avoid detection,” replied Alle with a raspy voice. The female voice stepped forward and revealed herself to be Adea J’Brar. A former Lord of the Sith, Adea was now a prisoner of the Republic--thanks, in no small part, to the way she had been ousted from the group. For someone so recognizable and despised, she had found a way to, for the moment, avoid a death sentence or life-imprisonment. Alle was sure that the Senate would tear Coruscant apart if they knew where she was.

Oh, thought Alle, the miracles Jann Duvey can create when he sets his mind to it.

“Did you at least bring the necessary components?” demanded Adea, breaking Alle from his reverie. They began to move down the crudely-created hole while Alle nodded assertively. No more words were spoken by the two until they came up to the hole’s exit and a power-relay station. Here two more robed figures worked--one at ground level, the other several feet up high. Alle took some items from within his robe and moved towards the Jedi on the floor. Adea simply took a seat by the exit and closed her eyes--using her Force-abilities to detect any signs of trouble.

“Did you have any problems finding the parts, Alle?” asked the Jedi on the ground without looking up from his power cables or removing his hood.

“No,” replied Alle, as he unwrapped the metal box and produced various parts from within it. “Though the extra-large battery pack did raise some eyebrows. But overall, I was just another freaky alien spending too much money on bad parts.”

The other Jedi laughed for a moment before rising and removing his hood. Alle recognized the deep blue eyes and the face. Jann Duvey had changed a lot from his times in the Jedi Academy. His long, braided hair had given way to a more conservative and short haircut. The trademarked sense of humor had been toned down a lot and there was a new sense of purpose that Alle could feel and see. Overnight, Jann had gone from happy-go-lucky to a deeply focused Jedi. A roar from above made the two Jedi raise their heads and acknowledge Krokukkon. He too had changed. While before he had been the cautious of the two, now he impulsively led Jann through the doors he might once have blocked. Alle realized that his friends had seemingly changed identities. A strange occurrence to be sure. And he knew who had done that--Ulric Tronos.

The Wookie was working on bypassing some power lines. Dangerous work, but he enjoyed it. “Yes, the Coax Tellium cables are here,” replied Jann before tossing them up. “Catch.” Krokukkon tried to prevent Jann from tossing the cables, but before he could reply they were on their way to him. Before the cables could begin to fall, however, Krokukkon snatched them with the Force and brought them up to him. He inspected them for damages and, being satisfied, ressumed his very dangerous work. Meanwhile, Jann had taken the battery pack and some plastuminum hooks and returned to his own work. Alle took a step back and began to ponder their situation.

Hiriu was a world located right in the middle of the way between the Outer Rim and Coruscant. The planet was a resort, allowing species of all kinds to enjoy the natural habitats that were so sought by tourists. Its citizens, Hirions, didn’t mine the ores within their world because it was in their best interests to not destroy the planet and because they had some deep religious beliefs that prohibited it. In any case, they did not need anything from the land. Hirions were a silicon-based life form very similar to plants. Their bodies went through phosphorylation and a chlorophyll-like fluid filled their vessels. They did not need to harvest a thing, because they produced their own food

So then, what was a food processing plant doing in the middle of their capital city?

At first glance, one could argue that the Hirions were simply being mindful of the large numbers of guests who came to their world. After all, if you can’t feed your tourists, they’re not going to come back. But the food on this plant was earmarked for local life--or so said the paper forms Krokukkon had been able to copy from the govenment offices he had infiltrated. Hirions did not take part of the ecological war that predators and prey waged, so that was a lie. Or, as Adea had said, a cover story.

According to their prisoner, the power plant at Hiriu City was nothing more than a front for a Sith base. It was a service station for Sith soldiers and spies and held databases with a lot of information. Nevertheless, Alle had been wary of Adea. Treachery was not above a Sith lord, former or current. Yet Jann had believed her and made the plans to go to Hiriu. That was when Master Ebbo Zommo had ordered him to accompany the two Jedi on their mission. On their way here, he had been introduced to Adea and his Force-senses had jumped. He did not like this mission one bit. There was a scent of danger around it.

“Have I said lately that I don’t like this?” asked Adea without looking up. “I keep getting bad feelings left and right.”

“Yeah, yeah,” was Jann’s reply. “You and your ‘bad feelings.’”

Their present situation was Krokukkon’s idea. They needed to infiltrate the base, but the front door was out of the question. The back door was probably well-guarded. So, he had proposed, why not make your own door? Therefore, they had rented rooms on the hotel nearest the plant and used a drilling droid to make the tunnel connecting them to the power-relays that existed next to the plant. They figured that, if they were able to bypass some of the cables’ power that they’d reach the walls of the plant--where they would create a doorway inside. But they had to make sure the bypass was perfect, because a miscalculation would mean their death by five hundred thousand megavolts. Not pretty.

Krokukkon roared that he was finished and ready. The outer connection was complete. He then took the Coax Tellium cables and attached them to the power cords. These cables were then carefully brought down to Jann’s station, where he used more plastuminum hooks to create a crude relay back into the power cords. He then connected the previous hooks to the alarm sensor on this tube and switched on the battery pack. That should prevent any signals from going off and thus giving away their secret door. The extra-large battery ensured that they’d have various hours of no detection. Of course, Jann had remarked, this was all theory on their part.

“Well, nothing’s happening,” remarked Alle, happy that the relay hadn’t blown up in their faces.

“Don’t jinx us yet, Menurian,” remarked Adea rather harshly. Jann turned towards her, but she ignored his glance.

When nothing happened for a few minutes more, they assumed that their crude plan was working. Sensing no danger near to them, the Jedi and their prisoner inched towards the plant’s walls. Krokukkon was a step ahead of everyone and removed a welding torch and a set of goggles. He carefully and quickly made a whole big enough for each one of them to squeeze through. Alle, meanwhile, had removed a hook and handle and had placed it at the center of the hole being cut. As soon as Krokukkon finished and stepped back, Alle pulled with all his strength and removed the wall piece away, before carefully setting it aside. Jann looked through and entered, followed by Adea, Alle and, finally, Krokukkon, who placed the wall piece back to where it had been.

Looking around the Jedi were certain that they had hit paydirt. Instead of coming out to a regular warehouse, they had entered a lit and empty hallway. No heavy machinery could be heard nor was there a smell of food anywhere near them. Adea voiced their thoughts, “I told you I was right.”

Removing their lightsabers from their belts, the three Jedi began to move in one direction. Adea soon got behind Jann, the group’s pointman, and began to direct him on where to go. “Turn that corner and open the double-doors there. We should find some steps there to the command center.”

“Are you sure about this, Adea?” asked a nervous Alle, his Force-danger senses flaring up. “How can they keep the same design?”

“Trust me,” replied Adea, “the Sith are nothing if not predictable.” As she said this, they stepped through the double-doors--only to be greeted by a full garrison of armed Sith soldiers. This got the complete attention of the entire party.

“How the hell?” began to ask Jann as they all ignited their lightsabers.

“Greetings, Jedi,” said one of the Sith soldiers--a Sith Knight, by the robes and lightsaber he wore--“I trust that you’ve been busy. But you weren’t careful enough.” The last words were marked with ice in his throat.

“How did they find us?” asked an exasperated Alle as he turned to Jann. “I told you she wasn’t trustworthy. And you,” he said turning to Krokukkon, “your work probably triggered every alarm on this base!” Krokukkon turned to face Alle and roared back, but the Menurian stood his ground. Adea didn’t miss a beat. “My fault?! You just about led them to where we were!”

“Could all of you calm down?” asked Jann, his saber and sight still pointed at the now perplexed Sith soldiers. They had expected everything, except this.

“Calm down?!” said Adea as she spun to face Jann, “Your friends are the most untrustworthy, undertrained, little boys I have ever seen!”

“Hey! Do you want to finish this conversation in a jail cell?!” said Jann as he finally turned to face Adea. His gaze met hers for a moment before it was drawn to the still-roaring Krokukkon and Alle. “And I told you two-” began Jann. In an instant, the three Jedi turned towards their attackers and swung their lightsabers--hitting their marks. Without warning, the Jedi Knights leapt into action and tore through the Sith soldiers with tornado-like speed. The Sith soldiers up top actually got a few shots off at the Jedi attackers, but they were deflected back at them and they quickly went down. Before long, only the Sith Knight stood where he had been.

The three Jedi stood quietly staring at one another. Their small distraction had worked. The Sith soldiers, unsure of how to react to the breakdown of the Jedi’s composure, had lowered their defenses and their weapons for a few moments--all the time the Jedi had required. They turned to face the Sith Knight as he unhooked his lightsaber. But from behind them, a red blast shot past them and hit the Sith Knight in the chest. He quickly went down, no chance to stop it. The Jedi turned to face Adea--armed and deadly.

“We ought to do well now,” she said matter-of-factly.

“No, we’re caught,” replied Jann as he headed towards her and took the blast rifle away from her hands. “How could they have detected us?” he pondered.

“They didn’t,” replied Alle, as he looked at a security screen on the wall next to the fallen Sith Knight. “They got them.” His friends joined him around the small screen and saw various Inquisitors engaged in a firefight with what looked to be three garrisons of soldiers and ten Sith Knights. “On instinct alone, I’d say this mission has been had,” concluded Alle as he stepped away from the viewscreen.

“How did the Inquisitors know about this?” asked Jann to no one. Things were spinning wildly out of control. It was time they took control back. “Alright, let’s go help them.”

The other Jedi and Adea just looked at Jann with questions in their eyes. In particular, why should they help out the Inquisitors. Jann didn’t stop to answer them, he simply moved with a purpose in the direction the Force led him.

“Has he always been this stubborn?” asked Adea to the other two Jedi. Krokukkon roared once. Yes.

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The Inquisitors had been pinned at the main entrance to the Sith base. The few food crates that did exist now served as their protection from the Sith onslaught. They knew they couldn’t win the day, but they couldn’t leave either. Trapped figuratively as they were literally.

“Keep pouncing on them,” they heard a Sith commander yelling. “They will break soon! Don’t--,” and suddenly, he stopped his yelling. The Inquisitors were glad for the break in the cheerleading. It let them concentrate on other things--like the fact that there were less blast shots coming their way and more undistinct screaming all around them. They looked up and saw three Jedi Knights engaged in furious battle with their Sith counterparts. At the same time, a woman had manned a heavy gun position and was laying suppressing fire on top of the Sith soldiers. The woman, they thought, was none other than Adea J’Brar, but that couldn’t be true. She was in a prison, put there by the Inquisitors themselves.

The Inquisitor commander stood there for a moment before reminding his troops that they still had a job to do. That awoke the rest into firing back at the now trapped Sith soldiers. The clashing and huming of lightsabers approached them and they saw one of the Jedi take out a Sith Knight before somersaulting next to their commander. They knew he was human, but who was he? Their commander recognized him immediately.

“Beat it, Duvey,” snarled the Inquisitor. “This is our battle! These Sith scum are going down and we’re going to bring them in.”

“Just like an Inquisitor to play dumb,” replied Jann. “Can’t you see your men are seriously outnumbered and outclassed here? Pull them back and get the hell out! It’s the only way you’re going to leave here alive!”

“Oh no,” replied the Inquisitor commander, “we’re not going to follow you Jedi in running for cover. We are Inquisitors and we bring the guilty to justice. Now stand aside, monk, before I shoot you like I’ll shoot them.”

Jann saw all he cared to see. He turned and made a whistle call. Within moments, his companions abandoned the fight and began to run for the door. “We warned you,” replied Jann, “don’t stay here. You can’t win!” The Jedi then turned and fled.

The Inquisitor commander felt smug. Let those cowardly monks run. What good had they done? This was their fault and they were running from it. Too bad, he thought, this takedown was going to do wonders for his career. Probably promote him to Coruscant and the main offices. It was a good thing his second-in-command had spotted that Jedi heading back to his hotel. They had stolen their collar and now it was time to--.

The thought never finished. From behind him, another Sith Knight came down and ran his red lightsaber blade through the Inquisitor’s body mass. His subordinates turned around to see him fall down. They began to blast at him, giving the other Sith soldiers time to regroup and ressume attacking.

**********************************************************************

Jann ran out into the street at last and would probably have kept going had he not collided with the very solid back of his partner. The Wookie turned to roar and saw his friend fall to the ground.

“Hey, why did you stop?” asked the human, only to have his partner move out of his line of sight. There, he saw, were probably all the adult Hirions of the city in a semicircle, surrounding him and his friends. From their looks, they didn’t look either happy or friendly. Jann stood and got between the larger group and his own.

“We are Jedi Knights,” said Jann, “please let us pass.”

“We are tired of you, Jedi,” said one of the Hirions to his side. Jann turned to face him, but was hearing murmurs of agreement among the others of the crowd. “We tire of you, the Sith, and your damned eternal war. We tire of the Inquisitors and the way they poison everything they touch. Most of all, we tire of you coming here and destroying our peaceful world.”

“So, let us be off,” said Alle. “We will leave Hiriu without further delays or problems, if you’ll let us pass.”

“No!” firmly stated what was now the leader of the Hirion mob. “You must pay for all you’ve done. The only way there will be peace in Hiriu is when you and your ilk are all dead. The rest of the Republic will soon see this.”

The Jedi’s danger senses suddenly flared up. They turned back towards the processing plant and saw various Inquisitors and Sith soldiers firing back at one another and otherwise engaged in mortal combat. This was the fuse that lit the bomb. As one, the Hirions fell upon the Inquisitors, the Sith, their base and the Jedi.

Of all these groups, the Jedi were the most aware of the situation. As the Hirions advanced, they leapt high above them and landed on various perches--the roofs of small vendors or window gratings for hotels. The mass below them tried in vain to reach them, before quickly centering their attack on the still-fighting Sith and Inquisitors. They tore fighters apart and engulfed them, beating them to a pulp. Those not attacking the soldiers ran into the processing plant and began to tear it apart. The Sith garrisons began to shoot down Hirions, but the ocean could not be stopped. They overwhelmed them and ran inside.

“We have to get to the Flame!” yelled Jann across to his friends. “Let’s go!”

They began to hop across the various roofs, evading the Hirions as they did so. A few times they slipped, but quickly recovered themselves before the enraged mob could nab them. One Hirion jumped to the roof where Alle and Krokukkon were and engaged the Wookie with a knife. Before he could do any harm to the unsuspecting Hirion, Krokukkon Force-pushed him down again. They saw that the starport was fifty feet away from them--and they had run out of roofs and the mob was still trailing them.

“On foot!” yelled Alle and the four warriors leapt back to the ground. In a moment, they used their Force-abilities once again to run away from the mob. The fifty feet were easily covered in moments and they were inside the starport.

“Docking bay 55A,” said Jann and they all headed in that direction. They knew that within moments they would reach their ship and that they would escape this madness. Jann thumbed his comlink and immediately ordered that Zee-One ignite the ship and have it ready for blast-off.

As they entered docking bay 55A, they were feeling pretty good. However, once inside, the feelings were quick to dissapear. There were many Hirions blocking their way to the ship--too many to leap above and too many to simply push away. They knew they had one choice. As one, the three Jedi ignited their lightsabers and stood ready for action--Krokukkon’s blue blade, Alle’s green and Jann’s red. Adea, being a prisoner, still held no weapon in her hands. After a moment of sizing each other up, the Jedi heard the sounds of the larger mob heading towards them. They knew their time was now and acted upon it.

Krokukkon swung his mighty lightsaber down and upwards, trying to clear the path. Behind him, Jann took center position and swung his lightsaber in a semicircle above his head. Adea took the spot between him and Alle since she had no weapon. Alle took the rear position and tried to keep their attackers at bay. It was a nice design. Unfortunately, the Hirions had gone mad and charged them as soon as they were inside the mob. The Jedi were forced to strike glancing blows into the people. Most were searing burns, but a few actually pulled back stumps. They were almost to the Star Flame--salvation in their sea of hatred. The Hirions, however, had other plans. Their attack, unplanned as it may have been, was stronger and they proved it. Several Hirions ran towards Krokukkon and Jann and tackled them down before engaging them in close combat. Meanwhile, a mighty lunge by several Hirions seized Alle Mentera and tore him away from his friends--passing him backwards to where the other Jedi, who were at the ship’s entrance, could not help him.

“Alle!” yelled Jann as he and Krokukkon rose from the now dead Hirions. He quickly stepped between the defenseless Adea and the attackers. All of his senses were trying to determine where his friend was. He saw him at a distance, his green blade tearing into the Hirions with the determination of one who did not want to die. But in a moment, the Menurian Jedi was swallowed whole by the mob. Jann started to walk back towards the mob, fury in his eyes and heart. But from behind him, strong arms seized his body. Adea yelled into his ear, “You can’t help him! He’s dead!” Krokukkon forced his friend into their ship as Adea seized the red blade from the enraged Jann. He kept the Hirions at bay and saw Alle’s green blade rise from the ocean of green bodies. She could feel him dying, but he was not giving up. At the last moment, he threw his green blade at her direction. She allowed it to pass and saw it strike the blast door box, which sealed the blast doors of their bay-- and did not allow more of the Hirion mob inside. Then the arm went limp and slowly descended back into the dark green ocean.

Krokukkon roared towards her from inside. She had to get in. But before she did that, she called on her Force talents and brought Alle’s green lightsaber to her. Catching it, she placed it within her robes and quickly ran inside--beating the surge of mad Hirions. Once in, the doors closed and she yelled, “I’m in! Go!” before shutting off the red blade.

Jann didn’t have to hear her twice. He ignited the ship’s drive and blasted out of Hiriu City like a madman. Once outside, they quickly engaged the Star Flame’s hyperdrive and dissapeared. Now, relatively safe, each of the passengers slumped back and let their hormones die down. Krokukkon fell in his seat in the cockpit and merely stared at the blinking lights. In her small quarters, Adea removed Alle Mentera’s green lightsaber and did something peculiar--she began to cry. Meanwhile, Jann fell on a couch and thought of the little gift he had left the murdering Hirions.

**********************************************************************

The Hirions at docking bay 55A were very proud of themselves. They had hurt these vaunted Jedi Knights and had actually managed to kill one of them--an alien of some kind. While a few of them had been seared by the blasting of the ship, they were all safe. A group of them was trying to knock down the door, but they were immediately silenced by several voices who heard something. They approached the place where the ship had been and found a small red box. Opening it, they realized they were dead.

The explosion rocked Hiriu City and its plume could be seen for miles. Docking bay 55A was lost as was the group of Hirions inside of it. The starport would require months to be repaired completely. All of this, however, did little to help Alle Mentera.

***********************************************************************

The fighters moved in an arc over the skies of Terturi at incredible speeds. Within a few moments, they all broke into an attack vector and plunged into the planet. In unison, they spun left and avoided a large stone overpass. Then, they climbed back into the skies, separated and danced over the clouds. Once done, they returned to formation and passed in front of the reviewing stand of a massive and ancient castle. The figures standing on the stand acknowledged the maneuvers as the fighters flew by. Other ships--fighters, cargo and capitals--could be seen moving to and fro. There was a lot of activity taking place. Just the way the Lords of the Sith liked it.

“Very impressive,” said Darth Masterna, referring to the fighters’ maneuvers. “Very impressive, indeed. Lord Rahn, you have done well.” Darth Masterna now wore his hair bald, except for long braids which sprang from his head and ran down his back. They were held by a knot into a tail at the nape of the neck. A far cry from the clean cut visage of Master Ulric Tronos. “When will our forces be at full power?”

“Thank you, Lord Masterna,” replied Darth Rahn. “The rest of our air forces will be completed by tomorrow’s end. The ground forces will require another week after that.”

“How complete are our ground troops?” asked Darth Belian, who had just joined them on the reviewing stand.

“Seventy percent, Lord Belian,” replied Rahn. “They are going as fast as possible. I can guarantee that myself. Within one week, the Sith will once again have an armada unlike they’ve had in over one thousand years.”

“Excellent,” replied Belian. “King Nemb has agreed to our...requests. Soon, this whole world will be our base.”

“Nemb is a fool,” said Rahn, “a puppet. We should have killed him a long time ago.”

“He believes that by allying himself with us,” replied Belian, “he will stand on the victor’s side once the Republic falls. And he wants us to make him a Lord of the Sith.”

“Then he is a fool, as Lord Rahn said,” replied Masterna. The three laughed for a moment. Then, Masterna began, “ Though that does give me a chance to introduce a plan to produce the atmosphere that will bring about our victory.”

“Oh?” asked Belian. “And how is that?”

Masterna led the other two Sith lords back into the darkened room next to the reviewing stand, before beginning his speech. “Our problem, lords, is that we have been fooling ourselves. We cannot destroy the Jedi.”

This made both Rahn and Belian raise an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re having second thoughts, Lord Masterna,” questioned Rahn.

“No, my lord,” said Masterna. “I am Sith. I obey the Dark Side. But, as we know, we have been on the brink of extinction many times. Within years of our order’s creation, all but one were dead. After the loss at Endor, we would have been destroyed had it not been for Emperor Palpatine’s foresight. Most recently, the great defeat of Darth Venom’s Dark Armada over the skies of Coruscant over two hundred years ago. At each and every turn, we have stood on the grave’s edge. It would be foolish on our part to think that an order that has more numbers and higher connections than us could be destroyed. Even Darth Vader was unable to do this--and he was once a Jedi.”

“So then, what do you propose?” asked a perplexed Belian.

“We do not have to destroy them,” answered Masterna. “We only need to defeat them. You have all seen the reports. After my separation from the Jedi, their reputation was tarnished. The Senate created oversight comitees, the Inquisitors were moved into their position. Now, the people have begun to revolt against their own protectors.” Taking out a report, he continued, “This is the latest reports from our spies across the Republic. It seems that a group of Jedi and Inquisitors was attacked when they tried to infiltrate our Hiriu base. Two Jedi were injured and one was killed by an angry mob.” Putting it away, he emphasized, “We don’t have to destroy the Jedi because the Republic itself is within moments of doing that for us.”

“I assume you plan for us to further embarrass the Jedi in the eyes of the galaxy, so that the Senate and the Republic will finally disband their order,” proposed Lord Rahn.

“Exactly,” said Masterna. “But I don’t mean just simple embarrassment. I mean total humiliation. Defeat at the hands of our forces such that they will look weak and foolish. The people will then scream their heads off, demanding that the Senate pull back all aid to the Jedi. The Senate will then have no choice but to call a vote for their disbandment.”

“Then, we will have no problem tracking them down and destroying them,” said Belian in a satisfied and delighted tone. “Lord Masterna, how do we go about doing this?”

“With your lords’ permission,” spoke Masterna, “I have asked various of our best spies to infiltrate several key Jedi positions. They have been there for a couple of days now and have provided the information for my plan.” Keying in various locations into the computer, a holographic map of the Republic came out. Three red dots were blinking hard. “These are the three most important Jedi posts. First, the Jedi shipyards at Fennegen. This is where they manufacture, upgrade and repair all of the Jedi’s cruisers and fighters. Second, the Jedi Academy on Yavin’s Fourth Moon. This is where all the future Jedi are trained since a young age. Third, there’s the main base of the Jedi--the Towers at Coruscant. This houses the Jedi during their off-mission times. It is also the place where the Jedi Council--their governing body--stays and does its work. I propose we attack and destroy these three sites.”

“But Lord Masterna,” retorted Rahn, “all of these places are heavily guarded. Not to mention, Coruscant is the capital. We couldn’t go there.”

“Have faith, Lord Rahn,” replied Masterna. “This is where my spies come in. I have asked them to remain there and instruct me as to when these places would be most vulnerable. As for Coruscant, trust me, the hardest place to hit will not be Coruscant, but rather Fennegen with its fleets of fighters and ships. Yavin has only its planetary defenses. Coruscant, well, no one would ever attack there. So why would they be worried?”

At that moment, Nekki, the Sith Lords’ right hand, entered and bowed. “Lord Masterna,” he said, “there’s a transmission coming for you. It is from Coruscant.”

“Excellent,” replied Masterna. “Patch it through at once.” Nekki did as he was asked and left. A second holographic visage replaced the map--this one was of a Sith knight. “My lords, Sha-wan Merkat here.”

“Yes, Sha-wan,” replied Masterna. “Deliver your report.”

“I have entered Coruscant,” said the knight. “It is as you say, Lord Masterna. The ground floors are all but abandoned. No one is here--guards, droids, sensors. I checked the old transport tubes and they will be working by the time of your arrival. Entering the Towers will be easy from here.”

“Excellent work, Sha-wan,” said Masterna. “Remain there and prepare the way for your brothers.”

“I obey the Dark Side,” said Sha-wan as he knelt, before the image dissapeared.

“A back entrance into the Jedi Towers?” said Belian. “Ingenious. But, if these places are heavily guarded, how are we to destroy them?”

“Like I said, milord,” replied Masterna. “The strongest one is Fennegen. I say that is where we should attack first. Because the other two will go on alert after the first one is destroyed. A ready Fennegen will be impossible to destroy--an unsuspecting one will be far easier.”

“Very well,” replied Belian. “How soon can we do this?” he asked to Rahn.

“Like I said before,” replied Rahn, “our forces will be full and ready within a week. But this attack on Fennegen, it doesn’t seem like we need ground troops, right?”

“If done properly,” replied Masterna, “only Coruscant should require them.”

“Very well,” replied Rahn. “We could start our attacks within two days. Destroy Fennegen by then and Yavin a few days after.”

“Excellent,” said Belian. “The time has finally come for the Jedi to fear the Sith’s might.”

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Sha-wan stood straight once the connection with Terturi was broken. He began to notice the terrible station that Coruscant was down here, on the planet’s real ground. The Republic was filled with fools. You never forgot where your moorings were set--never. In time, this could prove to be their downfall.

A figure emerged from the shadows, yet seemed to carry the shadows with it. “Have you spoken with them?”

“Yes, milord,” replied Sha-wan. “I have delivered my report. My feelings tell me that soon they will use this information for an attack.”

“Well done,” said the figure. “Carry on as you have.”

“Yes,” replied Sha-wan before bowing low.

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The skies over Coruscant it seemed were never bright and cheerful anymore, thought Master Ebbo Zommo. They were now, at best, dusky. At worst, they were dark and decrepit. No happiness nor delight could be felt here--at least, not by him. And though it seemed as if this feeling had been here forever, he did remember a time when Coruscant was different. A time when he was different.

He knew this was one person’s fault. Ulric Tronos. Or rather Darth Masterna.

In one single moment, Tronos had destroyed the thousands of years of work that the entire Jedi Order had put in to defend the Republic and its people. At first, the Senate had tried to be simply belligerent--naming oversight comitees and placing sanctions. However, with the ever-decreasing respect that the Jedi had--as well as the increased position the Inquisitors were being given--the time would soon come when the Senate would change. When that time came, he knew the days of the Jedi Order would be numbered. And for the life of him, he did not know how to prevent it.

“Thank you, Ulric,” said Ebbo to the wind. “Thanks for all your help.”

A chime sounded, alerting him that the connection with the appointed knights had been established. He turned and pushed a button, igniting a hologram of two knights--one human, the other a Wookie. It was strange, but he knew that these two had also been something else a long time ago. The human wore his hair short now--no longer long or in braids--and both he and the Wookie looked haggard and defeated. Injury wounds had been patched, but those had been just wounds of the flesh. Their deeper wounds were to their souls. Ulric Tronos’ disgrace had nearly levelled the Order, but it had just about destroyed Jann Duvey and Krokukkon.

“Thank you, brave knights,” said Master Zommo. “I know that the past couple of weeks have been both dangerous and disappointing. I read your reports on your escape from Hiriu. It was a terrible event, made even more terrible by the death of Alle Mentera. I hope that your wounds have recovered well.”

“The doctors said we would be fine,” said Jann. “And repairs to the Flame are almost complete.”

“Good,” acknowledged Zommo, “because I have a new mission for you. The Council has met and decided that it is time the both of you took on apprentices.” It took a few moments, but both Jann and Krokukkon became aware of what he said.

“Master Zommo,” said Jann after a moment of silence, “are--are we to become Jedi Masters?”

“Yes, but not yet,” smiled Zommo, glad to see some life in their eyes. “The process to become a knight in our order is long and arduous. The process to become a master is even more harrowing. But the biggest step is, of course, the taking of a Padawan. The Council believes that you are both ready for this step. If you prove yourselves, then the next steps will be taken.

“However, you must answer one thing first,” said Zommo, force now in his voice. “Why have you taken charge of Adea J’Brar and taken her away from her cell?”

Jann stood there for a moment before replying, “Adea J’Brar has first-hand information on the workings of the Sith. She led us to Hiriu because there was a Sith base there. Had it not been for the Inquisitors, we could have taken captive many of the Sith knights and the base. Instead, they caused a commotion, brought the populace out and they overran everything.” Pausing for a great moment, he continued, “We have a working relationship. She understands that both she and I are united in our quest to destroy the Sith. Though she may not look it, she is trustworthy.”

“Have you at least taken necessary precautions?” asked Zommo.

“Yes,” said Jann, “she is tied to me through internal placers. They insure she doesn’t leave my side when we are out on a mission.”

“Well,” replied Zommo sternly, “I bring it up because once you have chosen a Padawan, she will be returned to the pens permanently. You two are not to work together. Anything she has to give, will be given through proper channels. Do we have an understanding?”

“Yes, Master,” replied Jann after a moment.

Zommo calmed down, before saying, “Dismissed. And may the Force be with you.” The hologram died. He waited a moment before allowing a comment from the person in his office. His old pupil, Serania Burtell, stood gaitly before him.

She no longer wore the red robes of the Inquisitors, but rather had returned to the classic brown robes. Though her career was still riding high, she no longer felt the connection to the Inquisitors that she once felt. It had been exactly like Jann had said all those years ago. The Inquisitors had risen to power and they now were at the brink of running the Republic--or ruining it. They had most certainly taken the steps to replace the Jedi and she didn’t like it.

“What do you make of Jann’s involvement with Adea J’Brar?” asked Master Zommo.

“Well,” replied Serania, “I don’t know either one very well. However my feelings tell me that they are both working towards the same cause. They have both been injured by the Sith and will try to hurt them back as much as possible. Besides, they may also harbor some feelings towards each other--but that would be due to the large amounts of time that they have been spending together.”

Zommo raised an eyebrow and smiled before asking, “Don’t tell me you’re jealous, Serania?”

The Jedi Knight blushed and quickly responded, “No! Master, how could you think that?! Why would I be jealous of a pompous jerk and a Sith lord? One who is going to be spending her life behind stone walls?”

“Well,” said Zommo, rising from his seat, “I hope that it isn’t true, because I want you to accompany them. Since they need to travel to Yavin, they may require further escort with their guest. Make sure that Jann Duvey and Krokukkon are both alright.” Taking a deep breath, he continued, “What Ulric did to those two was incredible. That they haven’t let it eat them from the inside is a sign of their strength. Even with the high level of attention that the Council has placed on them ever since. We have been watching both Jann and Krokukkon since that fateful day--hoping that no signs of Ulric’s shadow would appear. But Jann could be using J’Brar as a shield from his own personal hate for Ulric. If that is the case, then perhaps Jann Duvey shouldn’t be a Jedi anymore. Much less take an apprentice.”

“So am I being sent to spy on our own, Master?” asked Serania. She and Zommo left his offices and walked the nearly empty Jedi halls.

“No,” replied Zommo. “I just want to make sure that they are both alright and that they can still function within the Jedi Order. After all, Duvey was right. Taking a Padawan is the surest sign of a future Jedi Master and that kind of investment shouldn’t be made on a person who might be corrupted.

In any case, I sense a great rumbling in the Force. And that tells me that Jann and Krokukkon need to have exorcised whatever demons they may have.”

“Will he go with Adea J’Brar to Yavin?” asked Serania.

“I don’t know,” said Zommo. “In any case, make sure she goes along. It’s time we knew where she stood. Just to make sure, have an internal placer installed. My feelings tell me you will need it.”

“Yes, Master,” replied Serania, before leaving him. Zommo watched the figure walk away before allowing himself a long breath. “May the Force guard them. They have suffered much and I feel they will suffer more before it is all done.”

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