44 YEARS AFTER RETURN OF THE JEDI…
"What has become of the fleet?" the dark figure asked.
"Sir, the fleet is in full operation," a middle-aged officer in an Imperial uniform said, trying not to show the slightest bit of intimidation. The cloaked man… Or alien, he thought. The one they call Zen.
"Excellent work, Commodore. Your command of the factory has proven your significance as an Imperial officer. Your promotion has come well earned. Congratulations Admiral," Darth Zen said.
"T…Thank you, my lord. But I must ask, what will the son of Pelleaon think about this?" Admiral Welsh asked the tall figure.
"Seth Pelleaon is a fool. His father is in our possession, and his father was a fool to ever sign a treaty with the Republic. The Republic is more corrupted than when Palpatine took over, and the Empire shall rule the galaxy once again, but not with a withered old man like Palpatine on a throne."
Welsh raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "What will it be, my lord?"
"I've had a vision: thirteen Sith on thirteen thrones. Ask no more, and speak not one word of this conversation, Admiral. I am entrusting you with information that, if leaked, could bring the demise of the New Empire." Zen ordered in his scratchy, thick voice. Welsh turned around and knew that his personal glory would be great. With a man like Darth Zen leading us, the New Empire will be invincible!
* * *
Laser cannons blared as Tim Triforce threw down his E-Wing at the Hornet Interceptor. The turbocharged cannons hit the E-Wing's main drives and sent Tim into a spin. An explosion rocked the void of space as the E-Wing's molecularly-bonded armor began melting.
"Aaaaaaaahhhh!" Triforce yelled as his E-Wing exploded. Bits and pieces of blackened armor and machinery floated through space, with echoes of spirits flying through the void.
"I hate that simulation!" Tim said, slamming his fist on his chair. "Why would we ever need to fight Hornet Interceptors with laser cannons with near the power of turbolasers?" the 22-year old fighter pilot exclaimed in an annoyed tone.
"Heh heh heh… " Jaina Solo smiled. Her incredibly long, dark hair hung down, covering up her ears and part of her face. She pushed it back with her fingers. "Lieutenant, that anger won't get you anywhere."
Tim's annoyance slowly evaporated as he took in the words of the Jedi. Jaina was known for her peace and calm and place in the Jedi Council, but when need be, she was one of the best starfighter pilots in the galaxy. When the criminal organization Tycoon attempted a takeover of Coruscant, her quick-thinking skills in an X-Wing allowed her to infiltrate several cruisers and launch proton torpedoes inside the docking bays to destroy the starfighters of Tycoon, allowing the Republic line of cruisers to destroy the remaining ships.
Tim greatly respected her, she was a great symbol of the New Republic. "Yes, Master." Tim said, bowing. Jaina broke into laughter at him.
"You don't have to act like I'm a ceremonial figure or something," she said, as she had read his mind a little bit with the force. Tim blushed a bit, and nodded, walking out of the room to his quarters.
He's quite a pilot, I daresay… After all, I did rig those Hornet Interceptors… Hahahaha…
Jaina smiled, but the look of happiness faded as she thought about years before when her father and Chewie rigged the same type of simulation. Chewbacca was dead, and had been for years, but her father was old and tired. He wasn't going to live much longer, and Jaina knew it.
She felt another negative force, but this time coming from her uncle. She knew he was calling for the Council, but her family ties to him allowed her to hear things like that. She walked out of the simulator room and walked into the turbolift in the hall, telling it to take her to the Jedi Temple, where her uncle could tell her what was wrong.
* * *
"There is a disturbance, Master," Jacen Solo said to his uncle Luke. Luke nodded. "Its almost like a dark force is in motion, but I can't pinpoint where," Luke said, closing his eyes.
Pain and torture… Suffering…
"Something has occurred with the Empire," Luke said with his eyes closed, alarmed.
Jacen's eyes widened. "What is it? The remnant is at peace-" Jacen started to say, but was cut off by the Council Chamber's doors opening. In stepped Worrsil, who was a Quarren, and Jaina Solo. They stood as several members of the Jedi Council began walking in.
The Council was composed of nine members, with Kyp Durron and Luke Skywalker as Senior members. Jacen Solo had finally respected Kyp Durron when Luke allowed Kyp to be on the Council several years ago. Master Durron's dark side antics of the past are gladly forgotten. Although sometimes I still wonder…
His thoughts trailed off as the rest of the Council walked in. The Council consisted of Kyp Durron, the Rodian Yees, the Sullustan Fridu Klu, the Noghri Uzbakh, Tenel Ka, Rillia Rain, Yarrow Tadan the Ithorian and Master Corran Horn. They all had special abilities that were used in some way to help the Jedi order. The Jedi worked for the Republic as ambassadors, despite much public protest on the entire situation.
They sat down as the Solo siblings and Worrsil, Jacen's apprentice, stood, as they were in active duty.
"I have summoned you all here for there is a great disturbance in the force. The dark side's cloak is covering a planet." Luke Skywalker said to his fellow Council members and Jedi.
"I've felt the same thing," Master Yees stated.
"It feels… almost like… a Sith." Kyp Durron said.
The entire Council Chamber went silent, taking it into consideration. "Impossible. Darth Vader and Palpatine were the last Sith," Fridu Klu, a Sullustan Master said in his broken accent.
"For all we know, at least. But you must remember from the Holocrons I'm sure we have all read, Palpatine's dark beginnings began at a time when all Jedi assumed the Sith dead for a thousand years." Master Skywalker said.
The Council went silent again. Much thinking was going into this meeting, Jacen could feel it.
"My insights are of the same as yours," Corran said, but he shook his head in disbelief.
The look disturbed Jaina. She knew when a Jedi Master like Corran couldn't believe their own insights, then something was definitely wrong. She stared out at the Coruscant skyline of tremendous buildings and beautiful architecture, wondering if the Dark Jedi could be on this planet. It was the only possible explanation.
"Focus into this during your meditation sessions," Luke said. "We must find the location of this dark force. It may be a threat to the Jedi and the galaxy."
"Should we inform the Senate?" Fridu Klu asked.
Luke's closed eyes opened and stared at Fridu. "Master Klu, if we informed the Senate, everyone would try to use it to jump on for power. As ridiculous as it is we cannot inform our own government, politicians cannot be trusted. Not now, not ever. They are in for their own power."
"I agree, Master Skywalker," Tenel Ka said, nodding her head and making her braided hair twitch. The rest of the council nodded their heads in obvious agreement.
"This meeting is dismissed, but if something new arises, you will be called." Luke stood up and walked out of the room slowly with his cane. The rest of the Council watched as he left and began to talk amongst themselves as the doors of the Council room shut.
* * *
"Perimeter patrol… I can't stand this job," Rassa Johnsoon said into her commlink to her wingman, Jim Bogaan.
"I can second on that, Captain. There's no one to fight anymore. All I shoot out here is meteors," Bogaan said.
Rassa laughed. They were great friends and had been copilots since they enrolled into the academy together. They had participated in some great starfighters shootouts, but Jim and Rassa were assigned to border patrol, because even in the seemingly endless trail of the criminal underworld, no pirates needed to be dealt with, it was as if the entire galaxy was at peace.
Jim Bogaan enjoyed the peace of mind and freedom, but after seven hours of patrolling for the day, he wanted to engage something. He and Rassa always were great covering each other. Bogaan's mind wandered off as he piloted his craft.
"This sector looks secure… Nothing here but a couple meteors," Rassa said, "Are you getting the same, Jim?"
"Yeah… Wait a second!"
"Something's coming out of hyperdrive near that nebula… Its about a hundred clicks out," Rassa reported, almost finishing Jim's sentence.
"Let's check it out," Bogaan said, engaging higher speed sublight drives. He checked all of his monitors as he increased speed. His X-Wing fired forward, and followed Rassa. They went forward, and as they got closer to the beautiful mass of dust and stars, TIE fighters appeared.
"Its nothing… just TIEs," Rassa said with a clear sigh of relief. But as soon as she stopped, laser fire crashed into her T75 X-Wing. "Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!" she screamed as more laserfire hit, blasting at her.
"I'll cover you!" Bogaan yelled, flicking on the button for a distress signal. I can't even see the target on my sensors! Five TIE Interceptors dove forward at them, and the sensors began to go nuts as they fired.
Imperials?! We're at peace! What is this?!
The TIE fighters shot their green lasers at Bogaan, and he barrel-rolled out of the way. Rassa shot her fighter straight up and fired red-hot laser cannons at the Interceptor. The blasts dissipated. "Emperor's black bones! That thing has shields!" Rassa cried into her commlink.
Bogaan ignored her comment, and then it began to seep in. "What?! That's crazy talk!" Bogaan replied, and fired his lasers. The blasts missed. He dove to the left, just in time before he nearly collided with a TIE. He shot to his upper left in an incredible evasive maneuver, and his battered X-Wing groaned. He got the TIE in the X-Wing's advanced targeting system's sights, and blasted it to space dust. Two of the TIEs opened their laser cannons at Rassa.
The captain attempted to dive down, but she was hit, and her shields gave out. She's a sitting duck! thought Bogaan, but it was too late.
Laserfire struck Captain Johnsoon's ship. "All shields down… Bogaan! STOP THEM!!! AAAAAAAHHHH!" Rassa screamed, and it was her last breath as her hull overheated. She exploded in a burst of flame, rocking her fighter and blowing it to nothing but space dust.
"RASSA!!!" he yelled. Rage and sadness billowed upon him, and he fired his laser cannons. It was a direct hit, but the lasers were absorbed!
"This is ridiculous!" he yelled to no one but himself as he approached the TIEs. The TIEs dove in again and fired another round of lasers, creating a gaping hole in the X-Wing's shield system. He flicked a switch and pressed the button on the gunning stick. Another set of superheated lasers streaked out of the cannons and at the TIEs. Once again, the blasts went to nothingness on the shields.
These shields are incredible… But who are they? And why did they kill Rassa? His anguish turned to anger as he fired rounds of lasers at the TIEs. The blasts all missed, and even the glancing hits did nothing against the advanced shield systems. He was shocked, scared, and had no clue what to do… He would have gone for his copilot for advice, but she had passed quicker than he did. A tear rolled down his cheek as he continued to fire at the TIEs. He couldn't believe it… His best friend in the world was gone.
Of course, the T75 X-Wing models had upgraded power laser cannons and a proton torpedo launcher. It was all a standard starfighter needed… But obviously not in this case. Lasers won't work on these guys unless I've got a whole squadron… But I can't use torpedoes! That's nothing short of insane…
Wasting expensive and powerful torpedoes on TIE interceptors didn't sound like a good idea to Bogaan. He had been drilled in school by his flight instructor Master Jaina Solo: torpedoes on other starfighters is like using a disruptor to vaporize a fly… And to most extents, it was true. But here… Its my last hope. "R6, prepare to jump to the rendezvous when I order," he said to his astromech counterpart, R6-7Y.
Four interceptors still remained, firing round after round of bolts at Bogaan. He wiped the tears off his cheek and then flicked what most called the death switch: the one that heated up the torpedo launcher. Bogaan gritted his teeth. I hope to Mon Mothma's grave this crazy thing works. He then watched as the four interceptors engaged him together, again. He then got them in his sights and fired a pair of torpedoes. He wasn't planning on waiting around to see if he destroyed them. All he knew was that it got through their strong ray shields, because an explosion lit up as he did a sharp 180 degree turn.
"R6, engage hyperdrive."
With that order, the battered X-Wing, torn from combat, shot into the blue void of hyperspace. Jim knew he was incredibly lucky to be alive… He felt like he was being told another war story by his uncle back on Chandrila about the legendary Han Solo and his self-proclaimed 'luck'.
Bogaan was in no mood for remembering his family, as they were all gone by now. Rassa had been his last connection to anything close to a family since he was fifteen years old. Jim got a hold of himself and watched the spinning blue abyss around him, his mind wandering to somewhere else.