"well here we go another run for the Hutts…but I SWEAR this is the last run I do with them… it's getting risky going to courisont and back" Nick said sitting back and sighed thinking for a moment in his ship, The Arch a small cargo ship just good enough to get out of situation quickly and end a ship just fast enough to get out of there.
Nick sighed watching as they left the planet Hutta and went into space.
Nick, a 20-some year old with dirty blond hair, brown eyes, fair skin, tail, skinny human was just like every other smuggler in the galaxy trying to make a living. Taking jobs from the high and low, though he was getting sick of working with the Hutts 24/7 and wanted to break away from them and got him killed, this job was going to be the last one, the big one with a lot of credits. As he flipped a few switches and pressed a button he sighed he went into Light Speed he thought for a moment and looked up at the ceiling remembering the rumors he had herd about strange ships coming out of a few outer rims sectors. He shrugged it off thinking it would probably be nothing but a stunt to try to pull latest models of ships. As he came out of the hyper drive he was surprised to see so many ships entering coruscant in almost one place.
He knew it wasn't his place but he needed to see what this was about. He pulled the ship close but when he did he was met with hostility towards by a few unknown fighters.
"Dimmit, they don't know how to make a good greeting do they…but they do make one hell of an opening" he said and took onto the controls and pulled back, snapping the ship to go right right as the blasters went right past, he made a side-ways U turn and then pressed a button and the a few bright yellow blast came out and hit one of the fighters and they blew up.
Nick smirked lightly and then turned so he was straight, the fighters kept fallowing him. He sighed and pulled a lever that made the ship stop in mid speed, making Nick lurch forward and the ships flew right past him and smiled and aimed and fired at one and kept firing to the right and hit the other.
"well there not that smart" he then turned and head to Coruscant as he watched as they firing at the Jedi Temple. He sighed and flew closer. He then turned around, after all, it wasn't in problem, more war would just mean more money for him.
As he landed he was greeted with a hail of blaster fire. He sighed heavily and shot at them with his ship's blasters, the soldiers where quickly killed, he landed the and got his weapon out. He sighed.
"why cant we just have some peace" he thought and open the door and ran out of it and started shooting at everyone with the empire's clothing and ran into the ships as he closed the ship and was able to lock it with a code only he knew he ran down the docking bay only to be greeted with more fire. He ducked down below and shot a hail of fire hitting multiple targets and got up running and looking at the blasters they had and took a few just in case. He then ran into the building that hooked up all the docking bays of that sector. He looked around seeing many republic Troopers firing on Imperial troops. Nick duck low keeping to himself and got out safely he looked around, chaos was all around the city, Troopers where getting fired down with being over numbers.
Nick sighed putting his gun in his jacket and kept on moving trying to make sure he would look more like a civilian and not get fired upon instead o-
"you there! Smuggler!" an imperial shouted out.
"was worth a shot.." he muttered and turned around. "hello officer…what…what are you talkin' about? I mean really? Smuggler? Where did you get that idea? I mean really…come on" nick said.
The imperial sighed. "vary funny…Nick Spade, but we know your base of operation well, you've crippled a lot of imperial supplements by taking them to….well lets say…unworthy…suppliers."
"well you know…life's hard and all but you know, got to make a living" he said smiling and slipped his blaster out and pointed it at the imperials head. "like now" he said and pulled the trigger, the man fell to the ground. He looked around as he saw imperials coming near surrounding him raising there guns.
Nick sighed seeing this and dropped his gun.
"hey…it was worth a shot give me credit on that one!" he said smiling lightly ready to die.
Lives a great life…I guess… he said realizing he never really made a impact and true meaning in life. Just smuggling and being alone most of his life, so alone he always talked to himself. He sighed closing his eyes ready to die. But what happen is he herd the humming of something, he open his eyes seeing something jump in front of him and ran at the imperials and cut them up with a Light saber, they tried to blast at him but he deflected and was able to kill them all.
Nick watched surprised when he notices who had kill them was some kid. About in his teens, 15-16
"what…you're a Jedi?" Nick said surprised.
"in training" the human boy, with dark hair and green eyes said smiling wide, he was in regular trainer cloths, gray robes shirt and cloth pants. He held his blue light saber out and looked around.
"and you must be a Smuggler?" the kid said.
Nick sighed, forgetting that jedis in training know much more about the world around them then kids there age.
"well…yes but we-"
"amazing, you must of seen a lot of the galaxy" the boy said, his eyes almost lighting up.
"well-" Nick said surprised that any kind of Jedi wouldn't be the cool and silent type and one of reason, but he was stopped mid sentence as firing was herd a few yards away. "that will have to wait 'till later kid, seems like you got to do your Jedi thing and protect people, and I need to do my own thing and get the hell out of here" he said.
"but…don't you care? If the Empire takes this the republic is finished! And not only that bu-"
"sorry kid I got to watch my own back, I was only here to do my last payments to the Hutts and…well…ya know do what I do best" he said smiling walking backwards but bumped into someone. He stopped turning around and saw someone in a hooded cloak.
"So…you run instead of stay and fight…what honor do you have to live in this galaxy?" the man said and put his right hand out and Nick was blasted back next to Aztook.
"a Sith?" the boy said turning on his light saber with a hiss.
"do not think you can go and fight a sith such as me in the state your in…padawan" the Sith said taking out his light saber and lit it, the blood red right zipped out and sighed.
"I don't care!" the boy yelled. "I have sworn to protect the weak and help the universe for the greater good! I will defeat you with my will along with the Force!"
"you couldn't even beat my own Padawan much less me now-" he said and ran at them Nick got up slowly taking his gun and shooting. The sith easily deflected it as he kept running at them and was about to stab the boy as he switched his blade down deflecting the blade downward and the padawan jumped up and behind the sith about to stab into him. The Sith laughed and turned deflecting the blow and moved his hand and made the boy get blown back and hit a wall. As he did he let out a loud grunt and hit the ground hard dropping his light saber.
"damnit kid" Nick said looking at the sith turning to him "come on now…im sure we can work something now I mean- come on…really we could do SOMETHING im s-sure of-"
"one as you who is not ready to fight should not live in a universe meant for the strong" the Sith said jumping up read to strike Nick down but was moved by and unknown force to the side and into a building wall. The boy was behind holding his hands up, saber in hand.
"I told you…the Force and Will alone will let me defeat you"
"nice job kid" Nick said taking out his gun and started blasting at the sith. The blast hit the Sith and Nick looked over at the kid.
"we should get going…" he said turning around and ran off to the center of battle. The boy smiled and ran catching up to nick. As they did they hid to the side of the building watching as imperials stormed the now ruined Jedi temple and made its way as Jedi kept attacking they where struck down and they made there way to the sennets house.
"we got to stop them" the kid said running out but Nick grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him back.
"are you NUTS? They will kill us more quickly then we could ever draw our weapons" nick said quickly.
"now kid-"
"AZTOOK"
"Aztook…What ever, hear me out…we need to think this through right now…NOW let me do it MY way" Nick said smiling lightly
A few moments later Nick was dressed up in Trooper uniform and sighed under the helmet. "so how do I look?"
"a little too small to be a too-"
"oh shut up"
"just sayin" Aztook said smiling lightly.
Nick sighed taking his blaster and walked into the mass of the imperial army, as they lift there weapons up Nick dropped his weapon. "look I give up!" he said putting his hand up.
The Imperials looked at each other strangely and walked over slowly, there blasters still raised as two went and grabbed him by the arms and forced him to come nearer
"pha pathetic one would not fight us before surrendering…but I wouldn't be surprised…our superior military tactics outmatch, outclass, OUTMANUVER you republic idiots to the brink of distribution" the leader said smiling.
"outmatched…I'll give you that…but NEVER outclassed." He said whipping his head to the side as his helmet came off and struck the one guard who was holding him to the right as it did it knocked the guard to the ground letting Nick swing his fist into the face of the other, picking up the blaster rifles he lifted it, the soldiers raised there weapons, as they did Aztook jumped from the shadows deflecting the guns smiling lightly and then jumped in and stabbed one which fell down quickly. "I would sugest you give up" Aztook said to the commander.
"the Empire will NEVER surrender to you Republic scum!" the commander said getting on his wrist computer pressing a button and there was a red flash and a short beep repeating over and over.
"damnit" Aztook said running at the commander but stopped as the commander fell to the ground shaking.
"P-please stop!" the Commander yelled. Please don't k-kill me…I….I was only fallowing orders! ORDERS! I…I'm sure you understand!"
"but at what cost! Hundred of people lost there lives today…hundreds of people who where NOT even meant to be in this war! Kill you…NO…I have something much worst" Aztook said turning his light saber off and bending down putting his hands on the commanders head and closed his eyes as the commander's eyes went wide, in his mind he could hear the death screams that Aztook had seen, and the disturbance in the Force…the PAIN in the force that Aztook felt through it feeling the hundred of people dieing.
"that's the problem with you sith empire…you don't understand how many people will fight to defend there own family…and not only that…how so many people just want there to be peace in this war torn Galaxy" Aztook said removing his hands and turning away. The commander just watched stunned. Nick just watched surprised by this.
This is a Jedi…? he thought.
Aztook walked past Nick. "come on…we got more then just th-" he stopped mid sentence hearing the beeping in the commander wrist communicator and turned it on.
"y-yes…?"
"war is done…be ready to move out from this planet once all battle fields in the galaxy have been done with…" a voice said.
"yes sir…" the commander said getting control of himself and stood up.
"So…your trying to hold this planet hostage?" Nick said a bit surprised by this.
"that was the plan…a plan surprisingly you Republic fell for to take all your powerful Jedi and leave the weak defiance here…but…I guess I have been taught wrong"
"hm…" Aztook said looking into the sky. "I sense…a disturbance near by…" Aztook then went wide eye and turned around looking at the commander running at him. The commander had fear into his eyes as a then a red Light saber went right through his chest. The surprise face stayed on his dead face. The saber came out of the chest and the body fell to the ground.
"betrayers…are not meant to be kept…a compelling speech you made there" a man in a black cloak that they saw before said, as he removed his hood it revealed a human with a right machine eye and a scar going down his face across the right eye and down his cheek. "its too bad that most of the people who serve the republic are back stabbers who just want to get to the higher seats." he said and then jumped high as Nick shot at him, the Sith deflected it and kicked Nick to the ground quickly and pointed his saber at Aztook. "A padawan such as yourself should NOT be talking about the rights and wrong…for you do not even begin to understand the power that is the force"
"I know it enough to understand that the force takes no side…the force only knows balance, we Jedi and you sith only use it for reason that you believe are right, what I believe now…what I will believe by this day is Balance"
"a funny little speech you got there child, there is no balance, only the strong survive" the Sith said and ran at Aztook. Aztook jumped back swashing his light saber to meet the Sith's and with it bashed it away from pointing at Aztook. Aztook then stopped and did a back flip, when he got his footing he charged at the sith and stabbed his Saber out to the Sith. The Sith easily twirled to the side and swung his saber, Aztook then moved his saber to stop it just in time. After that they dueled a few more blows, neither side gaining anything,
As Nick finely got up groaning in pain he saw the duel that was taking place. Aztook was fighting with all he had trying to control his anger for what he felt around him, the death of people close to him, but slowly his anger was taking over.
The sith laughed jumping back doing a back flip landing a few yards away. "I see your hate is starting to guide you…good, let it grow, let it FLOW through you and make you stronger then you ever could have been!" the Sith smiled.
Aztook stopped for a moment thinking about all this, his anger his hate, he wouldn't let it take control over him…he wouldn't let it guide him…he would use it though…channel it Aztook looked at his saber and then looked at the Sith and raised his sword and ran at the Sith jumping into the air and swung his Saber downward. The Sith raised his sword in a defenses position and was able to deflect it with easy and raised his hand making Aztook fly back, almost to the edge of the platform. As he gain balance again he ran at the Sith and attacked with full force striking blows faster and swifter.
It was harder for the Sith to keep up but he was able to. "good…the anger, the pain…let it…let it…flow through you" he said as he kept dealing blows. Laughing while he was doing it.
This just enraged Aztook more as he then put his hand out forcing the Sith back a few and Aztook jumped behind him and went to stab. The Sith just laughed and duck low and turned while still low and put his hand out sending Aztook to the ground hitting it hard.
The Sith stood up and smiled lifting Aztook up as he was choking.
Nick was surprised by this and looked around for someway to help. He then raised his own gun but knowing his luck It wouldn't help he then looked at his suet he was whareing and smiled taking out a grenade and looked at it smiling and pressed a button and threw it at the Sith hitting him in the head the force of the throw was enough to let the sith let go of Aztook, as the grenade hit the ground the sith looked at it a little surprised.
"all this stuff about the dark side…ant enough to take down a smuggler you SON OF A BI-" he was stopped his sentence with the Sith throwing his saber, as he did the grenade detonated and blew up. Aztook watched surprised as the saber cut Nick's arm clean off and cut a few inches into him.
Nick let out a gasp of air and a moan of pain as he fell to the ground. Aztook watched surprise and ran at Nick as he did the saber went back wards him and ducked down.
"what the-" he stopped in mid sentence as he saw the sith, his body completely a mess, blood and burnt marks all over, his robe completely burnt.
He laughed insanely.
"this is what TRUE power is…have a taste of it! You Jedi bastared!"
His death was in vain…no…no…I WILL NOT let it be in vain!
Aztook growled running at the Sith quickly. The sith laughed walking closer to Aztook, as the blades met Aztook pushed to try to take him down. The Sith only laughed and used sheer force to send the light saber flying into the air and kicked Aztook to the ground.
"just admit it…you have LOST young one…and it will be the end of you, your Jedi brethren will be destroyed, I don't care if we where called to stop this war…I will kill every Jedi until there gone!" the Sith said laughing again and send his saber down. Aztook just watched, waiting.
NOW
He rolled to the side and the saber struck the ground. Aztook jumped onto his legs and used the force to make his light saber fly back to his hand.
"I feel its time for you to reconsider that statement" Aztook said and smiled.
"WHA-"
"pride comes before the fall" Aztook said and stabbed into the arm going deep into his chest and going through the other arm. The Sith gasped in surprise and his eyes went wide as he yelled in pain as the Force that was keeping him together was fading and most of his body crumbled into nothing and what was left was burnt, Aztook slipped his saber out and the body was there, dead and destroyed. He turned his light saber off and looked at Nick and ran over to him.
"sir!" Aztook said pulling him up.
Nick groaned in pain. "d-damnit they can really pack a punch"
"y…we…we need to get you to a health center!"
"ah…c-come on I…I've had worst then this" he muttered and laughed. "funny thing…the start of this day I was just a smuggler that had too many credits and no where to spend them but at a local cantina…I…before I thought I would die when we first met I thought I probably wouldn't never be an impact in life…to be alone and just take smuggling as the only opinion in life…but…I see there's many difference in life. You…your different then most JedI that I have met on my travels during this war. Believing there side is the only right and…and…thank you for making me see the universe defiantly today…l-live on…young JedI…and…and remember…balance. Is…always the key" Nick said and went limp. Aztook watched surprised. Shaking lightly unsure what to do now. His first real friend outside of the JedI temple…and he just got himself killed and did it enough to give him time to kill the sith. Aztook sighed heavily and looked up at the sky as he saw the imperials leaving to space to there planets. Anger welled inside of him.
But he knew what that would cause, the anger would only corrupt him into something that he was not. Aztook got up. Holding Nick close to him and looked into the sky. Tears came down his face, his body shaking, he held onto Nick close to him and walked to the nearest Medical center…
Smuggler Nick Spade was pronounced dead 2 days later, cause of death: the saber cut just enough to sever a few organs that killed him two days later after being in a coma-like state. though Aztook could already feel it through the force without anyone telling him, the ship The Arch was given to Aztook as he seemed to be the only close person to the Lonely life of Nick Spade.
Aztook went on to try to learn more about Nick Spade, all that he herd was that he was a decent Smuggler in the underworld that was all he could find…nothing of the past of the now heroic Nick Spade.
As the JedI all returned back from war they saw how much people blamed them for there trouble of the war. With this most if not all JedI went back to the Root of there JedI-hood… Aztook, needing to learn more of the Force and needed to become better to control himself…
What will happen there is and what will come will be the start of the story of not only Aztook, but many brave JedI, troopers, Smugglers and other brave people that will come to the aid of the dark times to soon to come…
This is the story of only one brave and poor soul of his lost of the war, though small in some peoples eyes, was bigger for him then anything, for losing your first true friend in his eyes, someone that he really looked up to, even though he only met him for a short time.
Time is short fellow people of the Republic, the shadow is falling, and more pain and sorrow is coming sadly, and more lost will just come, unless we stick together and fight this out as one then we will be completely destroyed…