A long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away…
The galactic empire found itself in turmoil, about nine years after the execution of Order 66. While most of the Jedi in the galaxy had, by this time, either been killed or fell to the dark side and became imperial Inquisitors… with only a select few loyal survivors who'd still follow the light with every breath they took… one would have thought that the empire's troubles would be at an end. But recently, a new threat to the emperor's authority rose seemingly from nowhere. Along with the various bands of rebels who refuse to bow down before him… including the one led by the infamous warlord Lux Bonteri and his companions… there also seemed to be something else keeping old man Palpatine's forces occupied. Just to the point where he could not focus his attention on the rebels as much as he would have liked. A very, very, very small rebel cell consisting of five people and one droid who travel the galaxy in their ship, the Ghost, became curious as to why the empire didn't seem so mighty anymore. A surviving Jedi knight named Kanan Jarrus along with his Twi'lek pilot named Hera Syndulla, his fifteen year old apprentice named Ezra Bridger, his artistic Mandalorian explosives expert named Sabine Wren, his Lasat wrestler named Zeb Orrelios, and his droid called Chopper decided to go straight to the lion's den to find out what was going on in the imperial senate. They snuck into Coruscant….
Kanan had his imperial storm trooper disguise on, and was waiting for Ezra to get into his cadet outfit, so the two of them would have an easier time getting into the senate building to try and see what was up. Chopper had just finished being spray painted black by Sabine, so that he could go in there, too. The poor grumpy droid didn't like having to be painted like this, and made his lack of content clear by grumbling out loud in astromech language... as usual. Ezra finished putting on the cadet uniform, ensuring the armor plated were positioned correctly, then running diagnostics on the helmet's HUD. Once finished there, he tested the power cells on his E-11 blaster. If one didn't know any better, they'd think he was a real Imperial cadet. All he was missing was his identity pass, which he procured on the table next to him. After putting his putting the helmet under his arm, he snatched the card up and put it on his utility belt then exited the room to meet with Kanan and Chopper. "Alright. Let's go." Kanan said as he started to lead the way towards the senate building, which wasn't far off from the platform where they'd landed the Ghost. Hera watched as they exited the ship. She had confidence they'd come back in one piece. Whether or not they'd run into trouble was another story. But she had faith they'd make it back.
Ezra stepped foot out of the ship right behind Kanan, stuffing his lightsaber away to keep it out of sight of the Stormtroopers. "Gee, how many of them are there?" He said, looking around at the many Imperial patrols. "They got enough to conquer a planet."
"You're telling me." Kanan joined in the one that he sensed was headed to the Senate building. Chopper followed behind Ezra and Kanan both. The patrol didn't seem to notice. If they did, they didn't show signs of caring too much. They walked straight to the Senate building and got clearance to enter. There was a session in congress going on, in which the emperor would elaborate on what was going on, since the senators had become so curious about it.
"You think it's even the Emperor there? He's probably got doubles..." Ezra noted as he followed the Jedi Knight, growing anxious of the many Imperial storm troopers patrolling about. "What are we doing here again?"
"Spying." Kanan reminded him. Chopper blurted out some irritated noises that said he hated to agree with Ezra, but he had a feeling they'd be better off getting this information through another way.
Ezra walked along continuing as they made their way. "I wish we could've just hacked their comms or something, this seems a little too up close and personal... if they find us out, we're gonna have a hard time getting out."
Then the patrol entered the main room... where all the senators were assembled. The emperor was in the center of it all. The unmistakable talking prune who had turned the Republic into the empire and issued Order 66.
"Order! We shall have order!" The Grand Vizier, Mas Amedda shouted.
As the Senators were all hushed, the emperor spoke. "I will cut straight to the chase. It has come to my attention that there are rumors floating around suggesting that the empire is growing weak. I can assure you that is not so. However, I am afraid not all is well." With that, some of the senators began to murmur quietly. Then he continued. "I regret to announce a state of crisis! The furthest reaches of our empire have been invaded."
One of the Senators spoke up. It was the representative of the Quarren on Mon Cala. "You mean to say the rebel forces have gotten through?! You promised us security!"
"Order! Order!" The vizier repeated.
Palpatine went on to explain, "I wish it were that simple. Unfortunately, it is worse than that. Bonteri's feeble band are still at bay for the time being. No. We have been invaded by a threat that this galaxy has never before seen. We have lost contact with some of our furthest listening posts on the other side of this galaxy, shortly after they gave their final distress call. Unfortunately, they were only able to describe so much before transmissions were lost. After sending part of the fleet to find out what happened in those areas, none have since reported back."
"Old habits die hard, I guess..." The young Jedi said to himself as he stood next to his master and Chopper. Listening as the Emperor of the Empire spoke, his presence awfully massive. Ezra couldn't help but have his hand holding on to where his lightsaber was kept. "I don't like this." He said, almost to himself as they waited.
"If I may." The Senator from Pantora, now about the same age as the former Senator of Onderon turned rebel warlord, spoke up. "There is one thing we haven't tried. I see no reason why we shouldn't try to put our differences with Bonteri aside, once and for all, for the purpose of taking on whatever it is together. If this new threat is as bad as all that, it will take unity to save us."
The Senator from Kato Nemoidia wasn't as willing to try that as Riyo Chuchi. "I doubt that will be necessary. With the emperor's permission, I would like to begin construction of a NEW and improved droid foundation to assist the storm troopers we already have. I'd sooner do that than form an alliance with a band of traitors."
Riyo glared a little and said, still respectfully, "I believe that might take too long, if the threat is already upon us. How many more casualties will it take before the construction is finished and running smoothly?"
"Fine." The emperor interrupted. "We'll decide on this matter democratically. Now that the choices are clear, we will take a vote on which of these two courses of action to take."
After the ballots were made ready in a matter of seconds, the vizier said, "Cast your votes, now!"
Sadly, the number of votes that agreed with the notion of an imperial droid army outnumbered those with the same sentiment as Chuchi. "It seems the majority of you share my thoughts on the subject. I would not come crying to a sower of treason unless I had no other choice," Palpatine said.
Riyo sighed from her floating platform and thought to herself. 'I have no say.'
"With that, I believe we've seen enough." Kanan told Ezra, and made a motion saying it was time to get out of there. Chopper heartily agreed.
Ezra nodded in agreement, "Alright, let's get out of here then." He said as he followed Kanan out of the area, crossing his fingers they wouldn't have any last minute problems.
They made their way out, following another line of troopers back the way they came. When they reached their ship, Kanan let Hera know about all they'd witnessed. "Sounds like the one from Pantora is the only one in there with any good sense." She remarked. "I wish it had made a difference."
Zeb threw his two cents in as well. "If the empire is having problems, let them get through on their own. Let them fail, if they can't. Why should we care?"
"What makes you so sure who or whatever's causing them difficulties is gonna treat the innocent any different from the guilty?" Kanan said, rebuking him.
"Ah, Karabast! You're right. Sorry." Zeb felt a little bit ashamed of himself now.
"Well, I don't think it really matters if a senator is speaking up or not. We can't help them even if we wanted. But I feel like the Emperor was on to something, there must be a way bigger threat if he's talking about it." Ezra stepped into the Ghost, removing the scout helmet. "We should look for it, whatever it is. Maybe if they're against the Empire, they'll help us? You know, enemy of my enemy is my friend?" He shrugged the idea off a bit, "Whatever it is, can't be all bad if they're helping deal with the bucket heads."
"I actually like that idea." Zeb said, nudging Ezra's shoulder in a chummy manner. Chopper agreed with the notion as well, surprisingly.
"Who the heck cares? I say just let the senators knock each other out." Sabine fingered a pen that she always carried around. "You know, I'm missing a race for this."
"If only a certain 'droid' managed to steal info on where the Empire last saw these guys, we'd be able to meet up with them." Ezra said motioning toward Chopper.
Sabine patted Chopper's head. "Hey, take it easy." she said. "Busting Imperial Bums is hard work."
With that, Chopper blurted out a few noises that translated into, 'Do I hear anybody volunteering to help me?'
"Heck, no!" Sabine replied. "After this, I'm going to get something to eat. Anyone wanna come with?" With that, everyone else stared at her as if she were some sort of alien from another galaxy.
Chopper, Zeb, Ezra, and Sabine, were selected to go to the imperial intelligence center to steal the bit of information about where the last location of the unknown invaders was. Where they last struck, so to speak. They approached the back entrance, which would probably be less guarded than the main entrance. Kanan would race to their rescue should something go wrong, while they were in there. There appeared to be six storm troopers guarding the back. But it would only take one to sound the alarm. "Hm... anybody got a plan?" Ezra asked, observing the storm troopers. "We'll have to get them all at once or one will get to the alarm."
"Everyone have your weapons ready," Zeb said. Then he knocked over one of the crates they were hiding behind without giving away their position, to make some noise.
"What was that?" The storm troopers said, before they all rushed over to see what happened.
"I've got this." Sabine said as she pulled out her twin blasters. Before the Imperial Troops had a chance to see who the intruders were, she had already shot them. "Come on, guys!"
Ezra left the hiding spot, "That's one way to deal with them." He said before surveying the area where the troopers were guarding.
Sabine surveyed the area with her eyes. "Hold up. Two more troops, 10 o'clock. Ezra?" Chopper looked both ways, crossed the path, and then opened the doors leading into the building. "Chopper!" Sabine tried to call back the droid, but apparently he didn't see the troops. Thanks to her shouting out, they finally noticed the intruders... and while one of them began shooting at Sabine, another one sounded the alarm. "Urgh." Sabine growled in frustration, ducking behind another stack of crates. "Ezra, now would be a good time for you to... you know. Use the force?"
"Karabast!" Zeb said as he knocked them out. "That's just great... and the mission hasn't even gotten started yet!"
Chopper grumbled too, as if to say, 'Nice going!'
"Well, we'll have to protect Chop while he gets the info, I can hold them storm troopers off of him as long as he doesn't take forever to hack it." Ezra said.
Chopper went inside and Zeb followed him close behind as he asked the other two, "Coming?"
Ezra nodded and followed behind them, igniting his lightsaber. "Follow you anywhere." Sabine concurred.
Surprisingly, there were almost no difficulties whatsoever in reaching the room with the data banks. Upon getting there, Chopper began hacking into the system to get the information they came for immediately. "Wait a minute." Zeb said. "This seems a little bit too easy. Don't you think?"
Ezra nodded, "Definitely too easy. Keep your guard up. Something's not right here." Ezra could feel something was up, he just wasn't sure yet. Their missions were never this easy, never. He kept his lightsaber up in preparation.
"Looking for something?" A stern and heartless sounding voice came from behind. They would turn around to see the dark figure of an imperial Inquisitor standing behind them with six shadow troopers. "Well, look for me... and look your last!" This Zabrack Inquisitor went by the name of Xulbon... and he was one of Palpatine's more fortunate lesser servants. The only one who had gone face to face with Lux Bonteri and survived to tell about it, so far… for whatever reason. He ignited his red saber, ready to fight.
"I knew it!" Zeb shouted as Chopper finished his hacking job. But the bad news was, they would have to fight their way out of this one.
Sabine fired four shots. The inquisitor easily deflected them back towards her as he shouted for his shadow troops to fire at Zeb. "Open fire on the others. I'll deal with the kid holding the light saber." He then started to approach Ezra.
Sabine shot mercilessly at the shadowtroopers, but their armor seemed to take no injury. Zeb got a few flesh wounds from the enemy fire, but he charged up to them quickly enough to engage them in hand to hand combat. "Nrrraugh!" He grunted in mild pain.
"Zeb!" Sabine abandoned her attempts to shoot the troops, and rushed to his side.
That's when Xulbon started to force choke Sabine. "One false move from anybody, and I'll break her neck." He glared at Ezra as he stopped advancing. "You think I don't mean it?"
Zeb had only knocked out five out of six of the shadow troopers. There was still one left when he noticed the enemy had the advantage. "Oh, Karabast!" Then he noticed Chopper wasn't in the same spot anymore. Ezra thought for a moment. He was in a hard position. He thought quickly for a moment before he quickly sent a powerful Force push toward the inquisitor to break his Force choke on Sabine. Xulbon flew backwards into the wall behind him. But he recovered quickly enough to avoid getting attacked again. In any event, he let go of Sabine... giving her and Zeb a chance to escape. Sabine rubbed her sore neck, gasping for air. Zeb knocked out the last shadow trooper and then yelled, "Run for it!" He started to retreat, following Chopper outside.
Xulbon watched as Zeb and Chopper got out... and used the force to close the blast doors... and all other exits. "You're not going anywhere." Sabine and Ezra were trapped!
Ezra pointed his saber at the Inquisitor, "Back off of us now." He said, "We're not here to fight you."
Sabine raised her blasters. "But we will if we have to."
"Then what brought you here, Jedi? Why did you set foot here on the heart of imperial territory? You trespassed into the imperial capitol and disturbed the peace by striking at this post. You know that!" He grimaced a little. "You'd better have a good explanation for it. Because, either way, my orders were to kill you."
Ezra sighed. He could burn through the blast doors, but it wouldn't be quick enough. By the time he got through, he'd be dead. "We're not here to fight you, no. But we will do what we must." He said, still pointing the green blade at the Sith servant.
After thinking, the Zabrack imperial said, "Tell me why you're here. If what you say pleases me, I'll let you go under the condition that I'll get something in return for it. If not, I'll have to follow my orders." He had his own blade ignited too.
He let out another sigh, "Not like it'll matter in the long run anyway. We're searching for a threat to the Empire. The Emperor spoke of it to the Senate, we want to know who or what it is and where to find it."
Xulbon put away his blade. "You're in luck. I'm letting you go. But UNDER A CONDITION. As soon as you learn what it is, assuming you don't die trying, you'll contact me with footage of whatever it is... so that I may present it to my superiors to be studied." He glared again. "Do I have your solemn oath?"
"Fine." He said, deactivating his lightsaber, "You have my word. But how exactly are we supposed to contact you after?" He asked. After giving him his personal contact for holo communication, Xulbon opened the blast doors... knowing that whether Ezra lived or died made little difference to him, personally. He'd win either way. If Ezra lived, he'd get a bit of info the empire needed. If he died, there'd be one less Jedi to hunt down and eliminate.
After Chopper and Zeb had made it out of the imperial intelligence post with the information they'd come for... and Ezra and Sabine had been allowed to go by the scheming Sith Inquisitor, the Ghost crew came out of hyperspace in the Bango system at the furthest end of imperial space. Now, they'd hopefully find out what was causing the empire the problems it was having and live to tell about it. There was several disabled Imperial Star Destroyers in the system, many were covered in a brownish slime looking material, sort of like a fungus. There was multiple large masses of the same stuff as well that didn't seem to be alive or moving. The planets in the System were already covered in what appeared to be, definitely not their native flora, but an assimilation of sorts. "I don't need the force to know something's not right here." Kanan observed. Hera started to descend towards the foremost planet's surface, but she too didn't like the mere look of this.
"Yeah, are you kidding me?!" Sabine scoffed, "Ezra and I almost got killed back there! This info better be worth it."
The Ghost landed on the surface of the planet and Hera opened up the hatch. Kanan said to the others as he prepared to exit the ship, "Use extreme caution. I sense that whatever's out there isn't native to THIS galaxy." As the Ghost landed, the surface seemed like a fleshy substance. It moved like meat as well. There was several overgrown alien vegetations to add to the oddity. Soon it seemed the environment took note of the newcomer's arrival, it seemed... unsettled.
"I've got a bad feeling about this..." Zeb said as he stepped out after Kanan.
Chopper grumbled in droid speak. 'You're not the only one.'
"I have a feeling we're not alone here." Sabine reached for her pistols uneasily. "I'm no Jedi, but I don't need the force to tell me something's up."
Before long, some of the native fauna showed up and were visible. Though, they looked... deformed. They had large tumor-like growths on them, others had the same fleshy substance that made up the surface covering their entire bodies. It was all quite grotesque. The air itself was filled with stench. This planet no longer belonged to the Galaxy, but to something else. Ezra stepped in front of Zeb and Kanan as he held up the holo recorder to record the planet's surface, vegetation, and animals. "Ugh... what happened here exactly? All this stuff looks new." He said, estranged by the alien type of environment.
Kanan tried to communicate with whatever was in charge here. He doubted they would understand him, but he spoke in the common tongue as he looked around and tried to reach out with the force. "Hello? We come in peace."
Zeb, disgusted by the mere look of the animals, threw in... "For now." Chopper was so frightened that he turned around and flew back towards the ship... in panic.
"Chopper, come back!" Sabine sighed. "I'll get him." As Sabine went after Chopper, Zeb, Kanan, and Ezra stayed focused.
There was no answer to the group. There was no response in the Force either. As a matter of fact, the very place seemed… cut off from the Force, not unresponsive, just... apathetic to it. There was a path, though, that appeared as footsteps in the ground not too far from where they were. The footsteps looked like a deformed human of sorts. This place was very much darker than it appeared. Kanan followed the tracks. But he started to get the feeling whatever was here wasn't friendly. Zeb and Ezra continued to follow Kanan. After they marched for a bit, they would come across a small village of huts made from an unknown material. In the middle of the village, there was a body tied up to a stake, it wasn't any alien known to the Rebels, or to the Galaxy in fact. It seemed alive, though it was drooped down as if dead. Zeb walked up to it, and poked it with his stick to see if it was dead or alive. "Zeb! Are you sure that's a good idea?" Kanan asked.
The figure lifted its head up to reveal disfigured and deformed face. "Tchurokk Yun'tchilat!" With that, multiple similarly appearing beings jumped out from hiding with serpentine like creatures in their hands. The creatures were stiff and standing similarly to a sword. The humanoids all yelled out in unison, "Do-ro'ik vong pratte!"
Kanan ignited his light saber. He sensed hostility. Zeb took several steps back. Ezra held the holo-recorder to see the beings as they screeched out at them. In the meantime, he ignited his own lightsaber, "Uh... they don't look too happy."
Upon seeing that there were so many, Zeb did what Chopper did a while back. He lost his nerve, turned around, and ran the other way! That left Kanan and Ezra no other choice... but to do the same "Run!"
The screeching monstrosities chased after the group. "Eia dag lightsabers, Duman Yaght! Yenagh Jeedai!" They began sprinting aggressively.
It was a long run back to the ship... but they eventually made it. "Hera! Take off! Quickly!" Kanan yelled as they got within sight of the Ghost. Zeb was the first one on... Kanan was second. He then checked to see if Ezra was still behind him.
Ezra barely made his way to the ship, grabbing the ramp as it lifted off the ground, "H-Hey!" He yelled as one had grabbed his foot, he sent a Force push at it, strong enough to knock it off at the very least as they made their escape. The Ghost took off... and Kanan hoped they wouldn't be chased in the air, as well, as he helped Ezra on board. But surprisingly, they WERE chased in the air. Ezra noticed as he studied these creature's ships… that they weren't machine or manufactured. They, like the planet's transformed surface and everything else about these things… were ALIVE. But Hera soon made the jump to light speed… and so they got away with good footage of these invaders from another galaxy.
"Well, THAT could have gone better." Sabine sat back in the copilot's seat, as they made their escape.
When Kanan wasn't looking, Ezra forwarded the evidence to Inquisitor Xulbon, true to his word. Xulbon then presented it to his superiors to be studied and he got rewarded for it. Thus it came to be that the entire galaxy became aware of the new threat posed by the YUUZHAN VONG.
THE END.