Siege of Tibrin

by Angel Blue01

Earthling Read Admiral and Jedi Padawan David Prus fights new Sith lords and invaders threatening the New Republic 21 years after the Batle of Endor. Overrides Vector Prime.

Siege of Tibrin
THOMAS PRUS
Based on the story by David Prus
Dedication

To John Williams, and Akira Ifukube, whose music brought life to their many characters in the movies, without whom their characters would be dull and lifeless.

The time is twenty-one years after the Battle of Endor. The New Galactic Republic is at the height of its power. The greatest discovery of all time has occurred. Through an accident of fate, the Republic has discovered a small world named Earth in another galaxy far, far away. Those with the potential to use the Force have come from this world for instruction with the Jedi Masters of the Republic; among these strangers are young David and Thomas Prus.

David has become the star of this new world. He quickly rose through the military ranks, to gain the rank of Rear Admiral for his discovery of an old member of the original Jedi Order. In recent months, he has defeated the vile Borbbat the Hutt and his allies in battle. Now he is traveling to oversee negotiations with the Hutts.

But a greater danger lies hidden. A long-defeated enemy, the Ssi-ruuvi Imperium, is secretly rising in force with a new ally, the Tuíukii Alliance, even as the complexity of the government again puts the Republic itself in danger. Together these invaders plan to split the galactic government, and reduce it into a chaos from which they can take control of the galaxy.

1

The small triangular Republic Lambda-class shuttle, its red markings showing its diplomatic status, cut through space. Its destination was clear, for it was flying towards the hideous-looking Hutt ships orbiting the shiny gaseous world of Nar Hutta. The ships were huge rock-shaped things. They were covered in large bulbs that made them resemble grotesque parodies of the Republic's own famed Mon Calamari cruisers. The more common-looking Imperial-designed shuttle looked very small as it approached, but it did not stop.

Only a handful of people fit in the small cockpit of the shuttle. Usually, it required a command crew of four. But for this mission, only three were needed. And the fact that one of them was a Jedi Knight-to-be, and a Rear Admiral besides, made it seem all the more unnecessary to waste trained pilots.

"Look at the size of those ships, Admiral, I've never seen anything so…" the young pilot started.

"Ugly in your life. He's trying to intimidate you," the concealed figure behind him finished.

He too was cut off, this time by the shuttle's copilot. "Shh, there's a transmission coming in."

Above them, a small viewscreen switched on with the touch of a button on the communications control panel. An image materialized immediately. A small-looking figure appeared. He –or she- had a long rodent-like nose, and beady eyes, almost hidden by the over-sized clothes it wore.

"Greetings, New Republic ambassadors. We have been awaiting your arrival with much anticipation. My master is more than willing to accept your terms, whatever they may be. Head towards the main cruiser, we will guide your ship into the hanger via tractor beam. An armed escort will lead you to the lobby, where you will await my master, the illustrious, the exalted, the honorable, his excellency, Borbbat Killlackk Radon, ruler of the Fartas system," it spoke quickly, as if he was simply reciting a quickly memorized speech.

"Go ahead, captain. I will tell Master Jima," the figure said. He had been waiting for just such a "form" message. He was anxious to start the discussions. He turned and left the cabin, heading towards the passenger compartment of the ship.

In seconds, he reached the all-but-empty room where Master Jima waited in silence. The edges of his brown robes lay on the floor, as their wearer was too small when sitting to hold them up off the ground. His reptilian face was calm, and his eyes closed. He was in a Jedi trance, preparing for whatever surprises awaited them during the negotiations.

His young Padawan waited for only a few seconds, before his Master awoke.

"Master, we have arrived, and are preparing to land," David said, as he strapped himself down.

"I know. I hope that this is a good decision, my young Padawan. They will not be friendly when they discover your identity," the reptilian Jedi warned.

David said nothing, and hoped that things would go smoothly.

The small shuttle sped towards the largest of the cruisers. Its features became clearer. The closer they came, the more it looked as if it had been copied off the Mon Calamari cruisers that had become so common. David thought that they were based on designs similar to the Return of the Jedi concept art. They looked every bit as ugly and unwieldy.

The shuttle was guided towards a hanger on the ship's bottom. It carefully slid into the familiar-looking hanger. The wings folded into their landing position, and the ship came to a stop on the polished black floor.

A pop came from the ship, and the ramp lowered. Out stepped two concealed beings in brown robes. They were clearly Jedi. This bothered the commander of the escort, but he was not in a position to protest.

Nervously, he faced the Jedi, and commanded, "This way, ambassadors."

They followed him silently to a rather spacious room adjoining the hanger. The armed men left, leaving only a silvery protocol droid.

"Hello good sirs. I am KL-38 at your service. I hope your journey here was pleasant. My master will be with you shortly," it said. The droid walked out, closing the door softly as she left.

The tall green alien stood quietly for a moment, and pulled back his hood. His short beard was of a pale color that suggested age and wisdom to a human like the primitive Earthlings.

But then, he was old, he remembered. He was almost a hundred standard years old. Na-Ka Jima had been a great Jedi during the days of the Old Republic. He had even fought in the Battle of Geonosis, and had survived the slaughter of the Jedi Order. So many of his friends had died in that single battle… But he had survived. During the Clone Wars, he had even led a platoon of Republic clonetroopers.

Then the Empire had come. He had been off world when Supreme Chancellor Palpatine had made his announcement. During the Purge, he had hidden from the new Sith Lord that had been General Kenobi's old student. How could that boy have fallen so far?

But he had had many decades to reflect on the mystery of the Force. Undisturbed by the Empire, he had waited. He knew that the Empire would fall someday, for evil supported by evil cannot stand forever. But he had never would have suspected that it was to be because of Skywalker's son.

While in exile, he had received some reports of the New Republic's battles to end the tyranny of the Empire. But at first, it had seemed that he would not live to meet Skywalker. Very suddenly, the warlords who controlled what remained of the Empire collapsed into dozens of civil wars, leaving the New Republic to take their place. It had all happened so quickly…

Only months after the signing of the peace treaty with the Empire's remnants in the Outer Rim, fifteen years after the Emperor's death, he had decided that it was safe to speak with Master Skywalker at last. However, his ship had been damaged during the flight.

That was when destiny had finally struck. After months of hopelessly wandering through interstellar space, his ship had been found by a friendly ship piloted by a young boy from a planet called Earth who was rising through the ranks of the Republic military. He immediately sensed the boy's sensitivity in the Force, and had taken him as his new Padawan.

Only on the trip to Coruscant was he told the full story of David's planet. It had all been confidential information at the time, so he had certainly not known it while in exile. He learned that it had all started when a secret experimental exploration craft headed for the Unknown Regions surrounding the galaxy had encountered a wormhole. It had led to the outskirts of a solar system with eight major planets. Seeking a place to restock the ship, the now famous crew had directed their spacecraft towards the third planet, and had stumbled on the existing sentient life forms…

Those needy explorers had arrived in Earth year 1995. After some time, the Republic had established formal contact with the nations of that blue Earth, including applications for pilots. A young boy named David Prus had applied to enter the Republic Starfleet. But he was quickly rejected, unlike his brother, who had become a famous fifteen-year-old apprentice engineer for Industrial Automon, and ultimately an apprentice to Skywalker himself.

Eventually, the younger Prus brother had become a space pilot, trying to work his way up to the attention of the Navy officials. That was when he had found a damaged ship enroute to Coruscant… and their paths had joined.

Not wishing to disturb his Master, David was silent. Finally, the young Earthling spoke. "I sense a trap."

Na-Ka opened his eyes. He had not felt anything. "I doubt that Borbbat would go that far," he told the young Admiral.

"I believe he would. I know this Hutt. I know how his slimy little mind works. He'll betray us alright," David protested.

"Watch what you say. They are monitoring us. But Borbbat won't go any farther. He won't risk another war after all he's lost. It's too dangerous for him," Na-Ka advised.

"But with us out the way, it'll be all too easy for him to do great damage," David argued.

The green Jedi Master closed his blue slit-like eyes for a second. Then he reopened them.

"I sense much distrust in Chancellor Fey'lya. It is not his fault, my young apprentice," he told David.

"He doesn't take the Hutts seriously, Master. In the Battle of Ambria, I was commanding the only Republic squadron that participated. He never had good skill where warfare was involved. He's more interested in politics than the protection of our borders," David argued.

"We've been through this before. You should stop thinking so militarily, and embrace the Force as your guide. He has been in power for only a few months. I believe that it is too early to be sure, just as with your President Bush," Na-Ka defended the President.

"If you say so Master," David said, defeated for now. He had never liked Borsk Fey'lya the Bothan, or George W. Bush the American. To him, both were stupid beings, which should have remained in their lower ranks, -senator and governor, respectively- instead of rising to their respective presidencies. To him, the immediate future looked bad for both Republics.

"Now we must be patient," Na-Ka instructed his fidgeting apprentice.

On the bridge of the same expansive cruiser, the slimly being named Borbbat recoiled in shock, his multiple layers of fat shaking. He had just been told horrible news by one of his slaves, and then again by a worthless protocol droid. The ambassadors were Jedi. What did they have to do with anything?

"What! Are you sure?" he finally asked the droid in his native Huttese tongue.

"Oh yes, I am quite positive. Although I could not establish their identities, both the ambassadors are Jedi, sir," the droid told him.

"Go! Distract them!" the Hutt ordered his slave Thu Jika.

But Jika did not move. He was sure that he had sounded too prepared when he had addressed the ambassadors' shuttle. He certainly did not want to be slaughtered by the bloodthirsty Jedi that patrolled the Republic, much less any Jedi who might side with those who had defeated his Master's people weeks ago.

"Master, shouldn't we at least identify the Jedi?" he suggested nervously, stalling for time that might prolong his life.

"Yes," the Hutt responded impatiently. The scum had a point. It would be good to see if this was worth the trouble it could mean…

A viewscreen clicked on in front of him. He only needed to watch for a few seconds… His eyes bugged. There were two humanoids sitting in the conference room. They were dressed in long brown robes…the robes of a Jedi! Although terrified, Borbbat forced himself to watch more. The taller Jedi pulled back his hood, revealing that he was some type of reptilian being.

If his spies had told the truth, then there was only one Jedi in the galaxy that looked like that… Borbbat felt like ordering their termination… But he wanted to know positively who the other one was, although he already suspected it…

"…More interested in politics than the protection of our borders," the second Jedi said. He turned a little, and said something quietly. He was a human boy with brown hair and gray-ish eyes. There was only one human Jedi like that!

"Kill them, immediately!" Borbbat thundered.

"Yes my lord, activating the autoblasters," a voice responded.

Red bolts ripped across the viewscreen. The two Jedi stood up in a flash. They ignited their Jedi lightsabres, and began to deflect the bolts.

Borbbat began to laugh, his layers of fat swaying, as he watched the Jedi struggle for their lives.

Then stray bolt defected off the reptilian Jedi's green blade struck the camera, and the screen went black.

"Master do you have any plans for us when this is over?" David asked, looking around nervously, although trying to hide it.

"I hope-" his Master started. He turned to face a projection that had just emerged from the walls…

Suddenly, a bright red bolt struck the table in front of him. It began to burn, filling the room with smoke.

Instantly, hundreds of blaster bolts sprang across the room, striking the table, chairs, and all other objects in the room. They came from small guns on the walls and ceilings, incinerating whatever blocked their path. Many shot in the direction of the two Jedi.

But the Jedi were ready. As the waves of bolts came, they had ignited their lightsabres, and began to wave them wildly. The bolts began to bounce off the green and blue blades. But there were so many of them… They could not possibly hold off forever…

"David, this way! Cover me!" Na-Ka shouted. He had reached a doorway opposite their entrance. He did not have much time. He dug his bright green blade into the closed door. It was made of a very dense material, and would take time to cut apart. But he did not know how much longer he would last at this…

David ran up to defend his occupied Master, worrying about their mutual safety in this trap. Of course, he had suspected it all along…

Finally, the door came apart. He pushed it apart, leaving a gaping hole large enough for a human of sizable proportions to use.

"Now!" he shouted.

David instantly stopped his defending, and switched off his lightsabre. He ran behind his mentor, as he climbed over the opening, and into the hallway beyond.

On the bridge, the sensor-blind Hutt waited. He knew that the Jedi were not perfect, especially not that boy who had humiliated him so much only a few weeks before. He could still win, and kill the boy.

"Although they must be dead, we must send someone to make sure. Send two squads of our best warriors to make sure that they are dead," Borbbat commanded.

"If they fail, and the Jedi escape, then you will die," he added, stressing the seriousness of failure.

Perhaps he would still win this battle after all, he thought uneasily.

At the far end of the hallway, a thick blastdoor slid open. A rag-tag looking group of armed beings appeared at the end of the hallway. They were of varying species, but all carried identical weapons, which were already firing when the Jedi noticed. They raised their blades, began to block their fire.

He had finally met an enemy that would be easy to defeat, David thought quickly. They looked like a bunch of smugglers and pirates sent as a last resort to stop them. It would be simple.

He blocked laser bolts everywhere. They went wild, hitting the walls, the ceiling, and the attackers. As the Jedi advanced, their attackers retreated. The Jedi were far stronger than they had expected. But there were many more, waiting for orders. The Jedi were trapped on the ship, regardless of how many Hutt defenders died.

"We're getting through!" David shouted above the din.

Suddenly, they were in the band of aggressors. From here, they either were trapped, or had the best vantage point. Perhaps they had both, David discovered. As he began to Force-grab their back-ups, he watched them carefully. He saw a Rodian shout into a commlink. He was calling for reinforcements!

Hidden doors slid open to reveal more troops, hundreds of them. Even two Jedi could not hold off this number forever… It was worse than back in the room with the auto-blasters. There, there had not been an intelligence to control the blasters. But here, each blaster was controlled by a living being…

It was an up-hill battle. To make matters worse, they had lost their only way back to hanger, where they could steal a ship and jump out to safety. Around the fight was a maze of corridors. They probably led to doorways and passages filled with even more of the enemy.

"David, retreat back to room we left. It might be our only chance to stop them," an insightful Na-Ka shouted to his apprentice.

"All right, but I have-" David was cut off by a whizzing bolt of plasma.

Suddenly, a speaker switched on. It shouted something in excited Huttese.

"What did it say?" Na-Ka tried to say. He had never understood the language of the Hutts, unlike his apprentice.

But he did not need to repeat his question. With a few parting shots, the Hutt defenders suddenly stopped in their tracks. They lowered their weapons, and ran away in the direction where the first squad had come.

"He-He-He said that there are needed to defend the base from some attacker. But that's all I understood," David stuttered out of breath.

"It'll be enough. We must find a hanger, and a ship, and escape," Na-Ka said, somewhat unnecessarily.

"Master, here's a map of the ship. It says that there's a hanger over…here." David said, pointing at a map on a nearby wall.

The green Jedi walked over and saw where his student was pointing. The outline of a room blinked on the screen. It was on the other side of the ship…but he was sure that they would make it.

"Come, we'll go up the maintenance shafts," he said while changing the display, and stopped when David told him to.

"That's it, Master. Let's go!" David exclaimed.

He took off for an out-of-the-way access room. Slicing open the lock, it took only a few seconds to enter and study the vast labyrinth of ladders and ramps that led to their destination.

"This way David," Master Jima pointed, looking up from a printout of the map.

David did not bother to ask how he had been able to print it without knowing the Huttese written alphabet. He simply followed where he was told. After several wrong turns, they reached the correct level. Now it simply meant finding the way out closest to their hanger.

Slowly, they crept along the passages made for beings smaller than themselves. They also had to avoid the frequent explosions. Occasionally some came quite close, bringing the young human to the brink of panic.

"Master," David began.

"Yes," his mentor answered.

"They must be having quite a battle out there. We might be safer in here with our Hutt friend. They would treat us better." David joked.

"That remains to be seen." Na-Ka said, smiling. But he turned serious. "Here we are," he reminded the lost Earthling.

"And David, don't slice open this lock. They will almost certainly have guards posted around a hanger," he warned.

David stepped aside to let Master Jima open the lock. He did not have time to argue, only to watch his Master work. The green reptilian Jedi stuck a claw into the mechanism, revealing the wires within. Carefully, pinching the wires, they began to spark. Then they lay still.

"Now the electronic lock is disabled. That should give us access to an emergency manual lock," he explained.

The ship began to rock wildly. Explosions filled the air. Light blinded the two Jedi. But Jima continued to work with the lock.

"There. Let's go!" he said, pushing the sliding door aside. In the distance, a fire began to rage.

They ran into a deserted hanger. In it lay one starship, a New Republic starfighter, based on a common Old Republic design. It was one of his own. David quickly theorized that it had been captured during a previous battle, after its pilot had been given up for lost.

He opened the hatch, and scrambled up to the cabin followed by Master Jima. He glanced at the controls, and instinctively threw switches. Behind, him, he could hear a wall of flame approaching at incredible speed…

The ship lifted off as David strapped himself down. It would be a close race against the rapidly exploding Hutt ship they were leaving.

Finally, the small ship lifted off and blasted its way out of the hanger. Behind it, the wall of flame consumed their hanger. As they sped away, the fire grew to engulf the entire ship, which finally exploded in a ball of fire.

2

But the day's danger was far from over for the two Jedi. They had evaded the explosion of the main Hutt cruiser, but the Hutts' mysterious attackers remained, as did a portion of the Hutt fleet. They were still far from safety.

As if to emphasize the point, a small doomed starfighter exploded only meters away. If it had been a little closer, than they would have joined the pilot in a fiery death…

But its fellows still flew around. After a minute of observation, they quickly fell into two opposing sides. Each side of the conflict had its own ships, each with a different set of standard weapons.

On one side fought the familiar Hutt starfighters. They made up many classes actively engaged in combat with orange laser fire. These were fairly conventional-looking ships. One type was rectangular-shaped, with laser cannon-tipped wings jutting out the sides. It looked like a flattened X-wing, with four engines shining bright yellow light. They were similar to the outdated R-41 Starchaser that had become common in pirate groups during the days of the Empire.

Another was also a common X-wing-like starfighter. Instead of the familiar X-shaped wings, it had a single pair of wings parallel to the hull. It too was an out-of-date starfighter class. But this one was certainly far older than the R-41. The Z-95 "Headhunter" had been built as far back as the days of the Battle of Naboo, fifty-five years before.

These were but the majority of them. Nearby there were large varieties of starfighters. Several saucer-shaped Supa fighters gave a jarring entrance with their green laser fire. David was sure he could see a few Y-wings.

The strangers were the invaders' starfighters. They were saucer-shaped ships with protruding bulbs for the cockpit and the other functions that could not be tucked into the hull. A thick line of exposed mechanics split the ship in half, cutting off the pilot's pod from the rest of ship, giving the entire spacecraft a lopsided appearance. Four red engines propelled the ship forward on one end. The other had several external weapons: at least four laser cannons, that fired ruby bolts across space.

Both sides ignored the out-of-place Republic ship. Some fired at it curiously. David wondered if the starfighters of both sides were droid piloted. But he could feel the presence of the pilots. Few were human. There was no one he could trust.

Hopefully, they could simply sneak away to safety during the battle. They would have to report their "progress" to the Senate. This meant more diplomatic speeches, something David did not like at all. But he had no choice, and no time to consider the future.

Suddenly, an invader starfighter fired at them. It must have mistaken us for one of the Hutts! David thought. He panicked, and nearly became a victim of the battle.

"David, take us over there." Na-Ka suggested, pointing at a number of shadows in the distance. David turned to see where Master Jima had pointed.

It was a quiet-looking section of nearby space, well away from the battle. He looked closer. He could see a number of rapidly turning objects, many so dark that they could only be seen when they moved relative to the background stars. Asteroids!

"But Master, why? We'll be pulverized!" David argued.

"David, trust me. It is the best way," his Master argued.

David gave up. It was no use arguing. Arguing would mean that he could not concentrate on flying. Again, he barely avoided the glowing wreckage of a downed Supa fighter. If he had been inattentive a few seconds earlier…

Carefully, he steered the ship towards the asteroids in the distance. As they drew nearer, he could see more of the deadly rocks. They were tumbling and crashing together silently. He thought for a moment about the origin of this unusually unstable asteroid field. Maybe the Hutts had accidentally destroyed a planet or moon sometime in the last century…

But that was all the time he could spare to this phenomenon. Behind them, several ships began to pursue the lone fighter. They were a ragtag bunch, made up of members from both sides. Hutt-owned starfighters of many types began to fire upon them. In the distance, several of the invader's long, triangular capital ships moved to cut off the Republic stranger.

"I have a bad-" David started.

"Stop! David, trust me!" Master Jima shouted.

Suddenly, one of the Hutt ships –which David recognized as a Razor fighter- exploded without an apparent cause. But the cause was too obvious to the young Jedi pilot, for he barely avoided joining this late pilot in death. They had entered the edge of the asteroid field.

Enormous flying rocks soon filled the sky. They were of various dark colors, depending on their mineral makeup. Dark carbonious asteroids the size of boulders slid into view only when directly illuminated by the ships' lights.

After all the arguing, David saw the other point in Master Jima's insistence. It was a test. If he could survive the flight to safety, than he would prove his strength in the Force, and his piloting skills besides. David was determined to pass.

He jerked the ship to the left, narrowly avoiding a particularly large gray planetoid. But an angular alien pursuer did not. He almost smiled as it collided with the very rock they had just avoided, and exploded, taking out several more of the unrelenting pursuers.

He could not judge the abilities of the pilots. They could have been trained on a variety of worlds, unsure of their own skills in these captured ships scourged up by their late Hutt employers.

But one thing was sure. They could not keep up forever. Even the best pilots in their prime could not compare with the instinctive abilities of a Jedi. This would be dangerous but fun. He grinned at the reptilian Jedi Master behind him.

But Master Jima was not smiling. He was sitting grimfaced, watching his apprentice. David remembered the old ways of the Jedi. From their point of view, students should not pursue excitement or danger. Master Skywalker seemed to have changed that view, but Skywalker had not yet met this experienced Master…

He put a hand on the shoulder of his student. It was a sign. Yes. David understood. He was let go of flying consciously. He must fully embrace the power of the Force. It alone would be his guide.

David closed his eyes. He relaxed. But he did not take his hands off the control sticks. With the Force as his ally, he would navigate through the asteroid field. He could picture every object out there, and its connection with the Force.

In this state, David flew the ship. He was almost unaware of the spectacular turns he made. They were easy for him. He noticed the discouragement in their pursuers, as their prey gained a new skill.

But he did not cheer when he felt their lives cut short, their spot in the network of life vanishing. He did not even flinch when a barrage of laser fire came close to their ship. It did not matter. Only survival mattered. Survival and the Force.

He felt the presences on board the occupied capital ships behind him. They were becoming discouraged. But they did not yet give up the hunt. They were scared, terrified. He could sense their fear of the Jedi that they chased. But there was another, a deeper fear. It was one that went deeper than their fear of being killed by the space rocks. They seemed to fear a fate worse than this quick death by impact. It was puzzling: Why would they be so afraid?

The ship was still rained upon by the rock storm when the first of the capital ships exploded. It was a very jarring experience for the young Jedi. Despite all the battles he had fought in, he had never given himself to the Force enough to experience such a tear in the fabric. What did that mean for his Jedi career? That question would have to wait.

Suddenly, he could feel the presence of a space slug in one of the larger asteroids. It was hungry, for it could find little to eat in this environment. But it was also new to this place, a traveler from another system. David had a thought.

He dove towards the mouth of the crater where the slug was hidden. Sensing a source of food –albeit a small one- the slug pushed its immense bulk out of its lair. The small ship it had found was already too far to reach. But in it path were several large objects, each full of energy and metal to feed upon.

The captains of the ships that lay closest to the slug never had a chance to turn around. For them, it was already too late. The huge mouth of the slug opened, and closed with a sizable chunk of the ship in its mouth. It tried to take another bite of the nearest ship.

But by then, it was too late for the hungry slug. Several starfighters were flying around it annoyingly. They were seeking an opportunity. As the mouth swallowed as many of the tiny metal vermin as it could, a pilot took his last chance, hoping to at least save his superiors. A sudden explosion came from within the slug. A moment later, a huge explosion took the place of the slug. It spread, taking out all but one of the remaining capital ships.

David recoiled from the disturbance. He had just caused the fiery death of an innocent creature, as well as countless thousands. It was worse than before. But he did not have to time to think.

At long last, they were near the end of the asteroid field. The cluster of rocks began to thin out. Their pursuers had all vanished, although many had survived. Only the remaining invaders' ships still orbited the vanishing planet of Nar Hutta. The Hutts either had surrendered, or had been wiped out. The newcomers would soon have control of the planet.

"That's it! We're through!" David cried in relief as he awoke from the Force's comforting grasp.

"Good work, my young apprentice. Your connection to the Force is strong," Master Jima congratulated his pupil. "But you must control your urge to destroy," he added.

David nodded and turned back to controls. He was thankful that this was a Republic Hawk Eye class starfighter. It was fully equipped with a hyperdrive. Although it would take too long to go directly to Coruscant, they certainly would reach a safe port.

"Master, I'm setting our destination for Kothlis. From there we can go to Coruscant."

"Good. I'm anxious to speak to the Chancellor about this," Na-Ka commented.

He smiled when he felt David's distain at the suggestion. The boy would have to learn to accept the politicians, even if he disagreed with their policies. He still had much to learn about life as a Jedi in the Republic.

"David, let's talk about him on our trip to Kothlis. There will be time." Na-Ka said.

"Yes, I know." David muttered. He finished adjusting the hyperdrive systems. They were ready to go.

The small Republic ship vanished at a speed that once would have been thought impossible. In a flash of red light, they were gone, leaving only the wreckage of ships floating aimlessly to mark their exit.

3

It was millions of kilometers from the nearest borders of the Republic. Out here, such a gathering was safe from even the most curious of vagabonds. It was a large military summit, but one that could not risk discovery. The distant and uncaring Republic did not officially acknowledge the existence of one of the alien groups represented here. The other had been considered all but defeated since the early days of the Republic, just months after the Emperor had fallen.

The leaders held their discussion in the greatest of the blue Ssi-ruuk Shree-class cruisers. It was a large egg-like ship, with two enormous orange bulbs sticking out of the structure near the stern. They were in perfect safety deep in the bridge complex at the very tip of the ship.

At a prearranged signal, one of the tall darkly colored robed reptilian Ssi-ruuk waited for his soon-to-be ally. The Tuíukii leader was in another room, making final arrangements.

The large blue reptile had waited years for this day. The fleet had suffered a great loss at Bakura, over twenty years earlier, according to their enemies' calendar system. He had risen in power since that day, although he had been severely punished for the failure.

But the worst treatment of all came only weeks after their defeat on the border of the Empire. Lwhekk itself had been attacked by a fleet of blue-skinned humans. Quickly, they humiliated the already drained fleet, causing many Ssi-ruuvi to be doomed forever, after dying far from the Homeworlds.

Even His Potency had been forced to move off world, to another planet in the Ssi'kaat system simply for his own personal safety. By the time the hated humans from old Empire had approached the Capital, the Ssi-ruuk were all but defeated already. He had been in many battles against them, each time vowing revenge.

Now they had a chance at revenge against the human Republic. Perhaps the invaders had been a good thing in the end. Finding the Ssi-ruuk devastated, they had assumed that they would never be a threat again…

For most of the last twenty human years, it seemed that this presumption had been correct. But their savior had come. He was a powerful human, who shared many traits with the humans' long-dead Emperor. He was always hiding, choosing to communicate only when some minor incompetence had spoiled some minor plan. He was extremely greedy and unforgiving, but was now the Ssi-Ruuvi's only hope. O how the Ssi-ruuk had fallen to deserve such punishment!

At long last the Tuíukii leader emerged, at last ready to make this alliance legal. His whiskers bounced as he walked up to the towering reptilian leader. His small eyes shone in the light. He too was anticipating this moment.

"Bring forth the translator!" Ivpikkis shouted in his people's shrill voice.

"Yes, Admiral!" a subordinate responded.

Only a moment later, a ragged human was brought in. His long gold-colored hair almost came down to his chest. He had been raised –and renewed- by the Ssi-ruuk, since they had conquered his home world while preparing for the invasion of the collapsing Empire.

Too soon, a holoprojector clicked on. A humanoid image appeared: a darkly clad being, Lord Bogan. He had come too early! But even the Admiral knew better than to anger him over something so trivial.

"Are both of you ready?" the figure asked in the Ssi-ruuvi tongue.

"Yes, my lord. We are ready to –as you humans say- 'shake on it'," Ivpikkis said.

"Good. Well, do it!" the dark lord snapped impatiently.

The little rodent-like spoke. Although he had not been spoken to, the rules of the summit permitted such an interruption.

"As you wish, my lord. My people are more than ready to fight under your direction against our common enemy," he spoke in the human language, which was only so much gibberish to his partner.

"Sign the treaty now! We must begin our attack soon," Lord Bogan ordered the two alien leaders.

With only a bow, the two leaders stood near each other. Each placed a digit on the small bilingual electronic pad between them. A small sound emitted from the pad. Their digit-prints were being processed for authenticity. Another small sound came from the pad. This one was an affirmative.

The treaty was signed. With the permission and guidance of their mutual leader, they could begin their attack in force. Not a merely a mission to capture a pair of traveling Republic Jedi, but an actual planetary invasion. It would be a great moment!

"It has been done my lord," the reptilian said.

"Yes. Now we are ready to get our revenge!" the mammalian leader exclaimed.

"Prepare your troops. We are to begin our first attack. At once," the dark leader ordered.

"Yes my lord. Where should our cruisers be sent first?" Ivpikkis asked.

"You are to attack the enemy world of Dai Shedo. Send some of both your fleets," he ordered. "I will send along a surprise for the Jedi," the hologram smiled.

"As you wish my lord," the Admiral said, and turned away.

"Minister Azanak-ukii," Lord Bogan addressed the small Tuíukii.

"Yes my lord?" he asked

"What of your attack on the Hutts? Have you captured the Jedi as I commanded?" the figure asked impatiently.

"We…We were able to draw them out from Borbbat's command ship not long after we started our attack…They flew a Republic ship captured by the Hutts…" he said weakly.

"Yes, yes. But did you capture them?" his master asked.

"Well, we underestimated the abilities of the pilot. He flew into an asteroid field. He-he caused the destruction of five of our cruisers. We were unable to pursue them to end of the asteroid field-" the other explained.

"So, you did not capture the Jedi! You could not even get them. I overestimated your abilities," the dark figure frowned.

"Yes my lord. If there is anything we can do to help amend-" the dejected rodent offered.

"Yes…Yes… As punishment for your failure, you are to invade the planet Tibrin," the crossed human commanded.

"Very well, I will tell Admiral Ivpikkis-" the defeated leader said, and started to turn towards the Ssi-ruuvi leaders.

"Alone. The combined attack is to serve as a diversion. You are to invade the actual target. Alone. If you succeed, your people will regain my trust," Bogan clarified.

"But my lord! We-" the astonished minister argued.

"But if you fail, your people will suffer. I will see to it myself that such an…unworthy race does not survive to fail me again!" he told the terrified diplomatic minister.

Finally, the hologram disappeared. Azanak-ukii was relieved. He had never liked the human. He made all the rumors of the murderous Empire seem real… But now he had no choice. The three leaders were in this battle forever.

Then he remembered the rest of the fleet. Although his people would be pleased to know that they were to lead an attack, they would not be pleased to hear about Tibrin. It might be the last spark in a series of mutinies over the last few years since the mysterious humanoids had arrived.

The Tuíukii people's hopes rested on him. He could not dare to break the alliance. But he could not afford another revolt against the ruling class either. Truly, he was in a bind.

In his own chamber, Darth Bogan watched the fleets ready for the invasions. He was pleased with their progress. Although they had already failed him once, he could be sure of their cooperation this time.

After all, even a one-time failure did not mean the end of the war. There would be other chances to destroy the Jedi. Soon enough, all the Jedi would be in his power. Skywalker did not even know of his existence. But he would soon become a slave to the dark side…

Remembering his surprise, he gestured to a figure behind him. It walked toward him, and stopped just behind the computer console.

"Yes, Master?" it asked.

"You are to ready Project G for combat," he ordered.

"Yes, Master. What should be his target?" his apprentice asked.

"It is to journey with the fleet to the world of Dai Shedo," his master ordered.

"As you wish. I must research this planet Dai Shedo to make the necessary arrangements to the animal," he said, while checking the planet's status on a nearby data display. At last, he found the world. Information scrolled onto the screen.

"Master, Dai Shedo is an ice world. The animal will be uncomfortable there. It may not obey my orders out of discomfort," the younger man noted.

"But he will survive. And, he is ready to fight. I can feel it," his Master almost whispered.

"Yes, Master. It will be done as you ask," the apprentice said, as he turned and left the room.

Now Darth Bogan was alone. He could feel victory. The primitive insects of Dai Shedo did not have anything that could defend them against such an animal. It was unstoppable.

Even if Dai Shedo did not fall, there was still Tibrin. He had never told the pathetic alien leaders his reasons for choosing those worlds. Only his apprentice knew his secret…

If Tibrin was not taken, all would be lost in the end. There was a very valuable medicine on the planet. It was the only known cure to a plague that had already begun to strike the infected worlds in the remote parts of the inhabited galaxy.

And soon, it would strike him too.

But he did not want to worry about this yet. He would still win the battles. With a fleet like this, and a monster besides, he could not lose in the short run.

Darth Bogan turned to a viewscreen in front of him. With a touch, it displayed the vastness of the twin fleets. The egg-shaped Ssi-ruuk ships flew along side the more traditionally shaped triangular Tuíukii ships. Behind them came a large block-shaped ship that carried the monster surprise.

All the ships he watched gathered towards a single point. They arranged themselves into formation, like a flock of air-born animals. With the smaller ships at the head of the formation, they lurched forward with increasing speed.

Then, the smaller ships sped off into the distance. Their larger cousins followed them. At the end of the line were the command ships and the monster transport. In a matter of seconds, all had vanished into hyperspace and were gone with a flash of red light. Now, -baring an unforeseen danger- nothing could stop them from reaching their destination.

4

Although million of lightyears from home, David still felt relieved as he piloted the small shuttle through the atmosphere of the city planet of Coruscant. It had been the first Republic world he had ever visited, six years earlier. Now, as then, the endless city amazed him.

The days where any natural life could be found on the world's surface had long since vanished. The entire planet had been absorbed by the city millennia earlier, perhaps before the rise of the Old Republic.

In certain ways, the planet had not changed greatly as the governments had changed during the last half-century. The world was still home to trillions of citizens, many of which did not care what government ruled the galaxy.

But on the grand galactic scale, this factor of support was almost irrelevant. For Coruscant had been the capital of the galactic government for millennia. It was a symbol of power. Whoever controlled Coruscant controlled the opinions of countless trillions throughout the galaxy.

Yet, on a smaller scale, there had been many changes. The Emperor had erected a new palace for himself in place of the Old Republic's quarters for the Chancellor and the Senators. The Senate building itself had been remodeled by the New Order. But it had not been entirely demolished by the Empire before the Republic arrived two years after the Empire's fall. For a short time, the Senate had met in what was salvageable of the old building. Then the "reborn" Emperor had attacked it seven years after the Battle of Endor, forcing the Republic to flee the Core Worlds entirely.

As the reborn and reorganized Republic attempted to rebuild from a near defeat, it had rebuilt the Senate building for the New Republic. After a terrorist attack caused by sabotaged droids destroyed much of the newly remodeled building, the Senate had been floating from building to building. At the end, the government agreed to rebuild the original Senate building as part of the newest reorganization of the New Republic's internal system.

It had been a wise decision. Restoring the Senate Building –with its famous floating platforms- proved to be a decisive factor in regaining the trust of a galaxy that had a constantly changing government.

David directed the shuttle towards a small landing platform nearby the Senate Building. From here, he had an excellent view of the structure. It was shaped like an upside-down saucer, much like another government building back home… Around it lay the remains of countless statues of significant people from long ago in the Old Republic.

Another ship docked with the platform as the two passenger emerged. A door slid open and a uniformed man dressed in blue walked out. He was alone.

"Master Jedi, Senator Williams has requested that your apprentice be taken to his quarters immediately," he explained.

"Of course. Am I allowed to join the Rear Admiral?" Na-Ka asked.

"Yes," the guard said. He gestured towards the transport that he had arrived in, "Come with me," he said.

The two Jedi followed him into the transport. They left the landing pad behind, and approached the huge Senate building. Their transport flew to a small hanger within the building itself, and docked with a small bump.

They quickly disembarked, leaving the transport's pilot to go on his next assignment. A couple of guards watched as they walked through a pair of glass doors, and into the carpeted hallway.

Waiting there was a tall thinly built light-skinned man. This man was Senator Frank Williams, representative of the United States in the Republic Senate. He had been a famous politician from New Jersey, until he had been reassigned to this more important duty.

"Greetings Admiral Prus and Master Jima," he said with a short bow to the Jedi.

"What is it this time, Senator? On Kothlis I was summoned to address the Senate," David asked.

"Yes. It's about the attack you recently escaped. We need you to address the Senate body to prove that the matter is a real threat to the Republic," the man explained.

So, "Whiskers" has finally begun to worry about the safety of our borders, David thought. He was not surprised that it had taken so long. Everything took forever with President Fey'lya…

"Very well. I will take the opportunity to discuss the mysterious attackers that ambushed the Hutts. I'm afraid that they are the real threat to our safety," David said in a whisper.

"If you say so Admiral. I agree with the President: the Hutts are not our real enemy anymore. We don't have one anymore," Senator Williams said skeptically.

"With all due respect Senator, I believe President Fey'lya underestimates the determination of our enemies. We can never know when a new one will arise. Remember the Yevethans-" David started to argue.

"Quiet, my apprentice. You have repeatedly told me of President Fey'lya's 'incompetence' enroute to Coruscant. We don't want to anger the Senate," Master Jima calmed his student.

David was silent. He nodded in temporary defeat. He could feel the fear in the Senate. There was much mistrust of the new President, especially in the sectors closest to Hutt Space and the fringes of the galaxy. Perhaps he could use this to his advantage…

"Come this way. I will go tell the Inner Council of your upcoming address," the Senator said while leading the two new arrivals to a box overlooking Earth's Senate box. From here, they had a terrific view the Senate chamber.

The chamber was circular, and shaped like a sports arena. The edges were lined with circular repulsor platforms. Some were docked to the wall, like the not-too distant Corellian box. Others floated just off their moorings.

David could not see the Earth box… He checked himself: Earth did not have a box. Since it was made up of many, many, independent nations, it had been decided that it could not be a voting member of the Senate or the larger Republic government. Several nations had sent delegates to Coruscant to observe the proceedings. But they could not vote, only talk, something some did unceasingly. They were Senators in name only.

David walked around, looking out the window for the small balcony set aside for their use. It was in plain sight, but he could not make it out among the movement in the room. He could see Senator Williams standing near the bridge that led to the tall dais in the center of the room. It was filled with people of various species.

One them David recognized as the furry Bothan President. He was short and hairy. His short dog-like ears stood permanently on end. He was dress in a dark blue robe that seemed much too big for him. His fur-lined arms moved in seemingly random directions. He looked nervous, especially when Senator Williams spoke with him. That was Fey'lya.

The Earthling bowed and left the dais, walking on the narrow bridge to the walls of the room. He was soon out of sight, but was obviously walking around he chamber. It was taking him a long time to return…

David was surprised when he saw the man remerge in the Tibrin box, which had just returned to its station. The tall fishlike Ishi Tib turned to face the Earthling as he walked inside the box. His ears perked for a moment, but never lay flat. He chattered with his beak in a voice that David could imagine clearly, after the communication problems he had had with his Ishi Tib First Mate.

They spoke for a few minutes. The Ishi Tib gestured to the dais once or twice, to David's general direction. Their conversation seemingly over, the two Senators nodded and shook hands. Then Williams disappeared again.

He reappeared a few moments later in the chamber where the two Jedi waited. He had been running, and was out of breath. David was not surprised; after these months indoors, the man had not lost much weight, yet remained as thin as ever. He barely avoided smiling at the thought of the man feasting on doughnuts in an effort to gain weight…

"Admiral, Master Jedi, the Senator from Tibrin had offered us his box to address the Senate. You are to speak next," he told the Jedi, already leaving.

He led them around the chamber in the direction of the Tibrin box. It was not a long walk. Only their tiredness made the trip difficult.

They stopped just short of the doors that lead to the docked platform. An old looking Ishi Tib waited patently, looking at the young Earthling. He listen to the Bothan speak over the loudspeaker system –which David could not hear, and gestured to the two Jedi.

They walked through the sliding glass doors and onto the platform. It began to move almost immediately. David could clearly see the faces on the dais above the blue Republic symbol.

"The Senator from the planet Tibrin wishes to address the Senate," a mechanical voice called.

The box moved closer to the dais. The Ishi Tib spoke clearly and loudly.

"The representative from the nation of the United States of America of the observer world of Earth wishes to address the Senate. With your permission, he will state his cause from the platform of the planet Tibrin," he said.

Recognizing his cue, Williams stepped up to the instruments at the rim of the platform, as the Ishi Tib sat down.

"Thank you, Senator Na-Shima. Fellow members of the Senate, President Fey'lya, may I present Rear Admiral and Jedi Apprentice David Prus from my nation to speak on the matter that he has requested," he boomed quietly.

"He may address us. Speak Admiral," Fey'lya almost muttered.

David spoke up. Williams winked at him in encouragement as he walked up to the microphone pickup.

"Members of the Senate and New Republic representatives, I speak to you on a matter that had plagued the New Republic since its very founding. Although my world is not a voting member of this assembly, I have risen to the rank of Rear Admiral in the New Republic Starfleet. In the past few months, I have been engaged in a series of battles with the Hutts in a dispute over our mutual borders. They were defeated in the Battle of Nas Akima seven weeks ago, and I have just returned to report the status of our diplomatic negotiations.

"Those negotiations never took place. Jedi Master Na-Ka Jima and I were attacked by the Hutts, until a fleet of invaders attacked the meeting, enabling our escape. These mysterious attackers used a well-organized fleet that annihilated the already damaged Hutt fleet.

"The reason I am here is to address the matter involving their appearance, and to convince this body to act immediately. Now, although we did not remain-" David said calmly, his voice riding in tension as he spoke.

"This is ridiculous! We request that the Admiral stick to the topic of discussion," an alien Senator shouted from another platform.

"I will, Senator," David nodded.

"Then continue, Admiral," Fey'lya urged.

"Thank you President Fey'lya." David continued, "Although we did not remain to observe their action, I believe that the Hutt world of Nar Hutta is only the first target of this fleet of attackers. The borders of the Republic may be the next to fall. I believe-"

"You make assumptions without proof. You said yourself that the Hutts were already defeated. This does not make this a new fleet a direct threat to the Republic. It proves-" a Senator interrupted.

"We do not request any further comments from the Senator of Ryloth," an old human on the dais said as Fey'lya tried to find a word.

"As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, I believe that the invaders have established a base of operations on Nar Hutta. It is of the greatest importance that a fleet be sent to investigate the intruders," David concluded his speech.

"Thank you Admiral Prus. We will put the matter to a vote, scheduled for the next standard week," Fey'lya said.

"But President! This is a very urgent matter! We must act as once!" David interpreted.

"We must follow the regulation: we will decide later today, Admiral." Fey'lya tried to quiet David's objections.

David had had enough. He had just addressed the Senate, on their own safety, and they were going to vote! There was not enough time! This was a very important matter! Perhaps the very Capital was at stake in the long run!

This session had proved all his prejudices about the President. Now he had seen that the Senate cared more about the rules than they did about their own safety. He wondered what to do, not bothering to check his emotions as they rose to a fury… He had a sudden idea…

"President Fey'lya, I am not finished with my statements." David offered, fighting to hide his distain of the President.

"You have had your turn, Admiral. What is it this time?" the Bothan demanded.

David started again, his tone darker and full of anger. "This is a matter that is very important for the future of the New Republic. As a member of the Starfleet, I have seen a lack of confidence in the government, leading to its base in this very building! Recently, I have encountered a hostile fleet that threatens New Republic territory, and you decide to later vote in a committee!"

"What is more, while I personally led a battle near the planet Ambria, the reinforcements I called for never arrived. Only the ships I had under direct control followed orders and engaged the enemy."

"Admiral, the Starfleet cannot risk all its ships to deal with such a disturbance as the Hutts. They are-" the President shouted angrily.

"Every bit as dangerous as the Ssi-ruuk, or Kueller, or the many enemies this government had fought since it's founding! The New Republic was once ready to fight almost any attack at its borders, but you have led it into the same maze of bureaucracy that led to the end of the Old one!" David shouted.

"Rear Admiral Prus, sit down!" the Bothan shouted back

"No, President. If you are not able to lead this government thorough an eternal array of enemies that will always arise…" the fed up Earthling started.

He stopped for a moment, to let the suspense build, as well as for the benefit of his own courage.

"…Then I suggest that a new leader is needed. I call for a vote to impeach President Fey'lya, on a charge of negligence against the Republic's borders," David concluded, lowering his voice.

The room filled with a murmur. Voices fought for control of the floor. Senators stood at their platforms, some arguing for the young Admiral, some against him. The Bothan sat quietly, shocked speechless. He would not have believed it if he had not been there to see it. How dare a boy –Rear Admiral or not- do such a thing! He would restore order, and put the matter aside…

But it was too late to stop the wave of protest. Although the assembly began to quiet, it would not simply drop the matter as Fey'lya hoped. As David sat down –while trying to ignore the angry glare from his Master- the Senator stood up. He went up to calm the assembly.

"The Senator from Tibrin seconds the motion for an impeachment vote against President Fey'lya," he said simply and sat down.

Again, the room was stunned into silence. Again, arguments arose. But this time, they would not be stopped. Fey'lya looked defeated at last, staring in disbelief at the Tibrin box.

"Procedure demands that the matter be voted on at once, it is the law!" an Ithorian Senator said above the shouts.

A new wave of shouting started. This one was only two words long, but they united the Senate at last: "Vote now! Vote now!"

An old gray-haired man stood up to speak to the chaotic body. He looked to the others around him for support. They nodded. He spoke.

"The New Republic military agrees with the decision to continue the vote."

The shouts kept coming: "Vote now! Vote now!" Senators and diplomats stood up. Several men in military uniform joined in. Even the peaceful Admiral Ackbar stood up to cast his people's vote on the matter.

The noise grew louder, until it seemed that they would cause the very building to fall, all on the President's furry head. It all seemed lost.

It was only hours later when a uniformed guard rushed into Senator Williams's quarters. He had been running, and gasped as he entered.

"Admiral, the vote you started has gone through," he reported.

"And the verdict?" Master Jima asked.

The guard nodded, "President Fey'lya will be investigated." He whispered, "I predict that he will be out of office within a few days."

"Who are the nominees?" Na-Ka asked.

"You don't understand. That isn't the way things-" the guard started to explain.

A figure rushed into the room. It was beat-up looking gold protocol droid. David smiled.

"Excuse me, sirs. I have received an urgent message for a Rear Admiral David Prus," he said quickly. David nodded. The droid seemed visibly relieved.

"Sir, the message is from the Verpines on Dai Shedo. The message simply says that their latest project is done.

"What is he talking about?" Williams asked.

"He means the battle droids that we ordered are almost complete." David explained. "Correct Threepio?" he asked the stranger.

"Admiral, how would you expect me to know of such things? I'm only a translator, and not very knowledgeable about such things," the droid started to complain.

"Is that the message?" David asked impatiently.

"Why, yes sir!" the droid said.

"Thank you, I will prepare to leave at once," David addressed the panicky robot.

The robot looked at the stern expressions on the adult humans. They were not ready to discuss any more…

"Have a very pleasant day, Admiral!" it said one last time.

The droid bowed mechanically and left the room muttering something about unworthy duties, clanking noisily. The door closed behind him. David muttered something about memory wipes. Then an awkward silence filled the room for a moment.

"Well, my apprentice, we should go to Dai Shedo," Na-Ka suggested.

"Yes, I suppose," Williams admitted. "But I suggest bringing along military escort. The Verpines are not known for their peacefulness…" He looked at a datapad.

"And Dai Shedo is near our borders. You may need it in case that fleet comes back…" he added.

"Yes, you're right. We should go," David said. He took a commlink from his belt.

"Captain, send down a shuttle, and prepare to deploy the fleet," he commanded.

"Goodbye Senator," David said, bowing to the man before running out to catch the shuttle.

5

Deep within the mass of ships from both Tuíukii and Ssi-ruuvi fleets lay the giant transport. Although it was not as large as the capital ships in the fleet, it was large by transport standards.

This was not merely for show. It was a necessity. This ship carried a giant that awaited combat. It had been born of fire, and was ready to use its abilities. Created in secret, it would strike the unsuspecting ice world that lay still many lightyears ahead.

Only a few known weapons could stop it, and the insect citizens of the factory world did not possess those secrets. The great beast would shock them into surrender, leaving the world for the Sith's taking. Then it would aid the coming conquest of the galaxy.

The beast could sense the coming battle. It reared its heads, trying to escape, unaware of the danger that lay in hyperspace. The great wings tried to expand, but they could not. The monster was securely restrained, until called for.

That moment would be soon.

The Corellian-designed "Y-head Corvette" sliced through space with its triangular head. The design had long been outdated, but was still well used…in the Republic's out-of-the-way fleets.

The vessel was about 120 meters long, equal in length and firepower to the Corellian gunship. They shared a common homeworld, and even hull-shape. But it was the bridge that set it apart. It was shaped like a swept-back wing, giving it its nickname.

Although he used larger vessels for command ships, David still liked this ship the best. Perhaps this was due to its recent "discovery" in Return of the Jedi. Or perhaps it was simply because it appealed to the mind of the boy-leader.

Whatever the reason for this larger favoritism, his decision to use the Eye of the Storm for this mission had been made carefully. It was well armed, but did not pose an obvious threat to the constantly quarrelling Verpines. Together with the rest of the fleet that flew behind it, it could defend the sparsely populated world against whatever attackers that chose that moment to spring.

David waited patiently as the ship approached the ice world ahead. From here, it looked like a solid block of ice, with only occasional mountains and burst of rock formations to break the monotony on the surface. He thought it looked like Hoth, the remote ice world that had once housed the Rebels to hide them from the Imperial Starfleet.

"Admiral, we have made contact with the planet," an officer told his shorter superior.

"Good. Bring up a display," David commanded, looking at his Master who sat to his left.

A viewscreen lowered from its post in the ceiling in front of David's chair. This communication was merely a formality; the Verpines colony had long been a member of the New Republic. The screen clicked on, displaying a waiting insect ambassador.

"Greetings, ambassador. I am Rear Admiral David Prus," the human said calmly.

"Greetingss Admirral Pruss. I am Ambassador Sigginallssk. Tell me, why are we gracced with the pressence of the Starrfleet?" the diplomat asked, somewhat uncomfortably.

"Your senator told us that your newest battle droid is complete. I am here to check your progress with the project," David explained.

"Verry good. Yourr ship is clearred to land on pad zerro fourr. Frrom therre, I will show you ourr faccilities," Sigginalsk's form said.

"Thank you. I will be there shortly," David agreed, as the screen switched off.

"Get my shuttle. I will be going down to the planet," David ordered.

"Yes, sir!" a busy director affirmed.

David had just boarded the Lambda-class shuttle when it took off startlingly quickly. He almost protested to the out-of-sight pilot, but decide that the issue could wait until after they returned to the fleet.

"Okay, Master, this time I'm sure I'm making a good decision," he whispered to the green Jedi besides him.

"As am I, my young apprentice. I do not sense any danger here, only anticipation," the green alien told the human.

"Good. Then this should go off smoothly," David half asked, half commented.

"I did not say that, my young apprentice. That fleet we encountered earlier may still return, and this time they have a perfectly good reason to attack a planet," Na-Ka continued.

"Then you do believe me! I'm glad somebody agrees-" David said in relief.

"I did not say I agreed with your decision concerning the Supreme Chancellor," Na-Ka corrected. "But we have already discussed the issue. There is nothing more to say about it," he ended the discussion before David could continue the argument.

David sat silently for the next few minutes, watching the simple landing procedure outside their transport. The atmosphere must be very thin, he noted, as the shuttle never heated through atmospheric effects. The shuttle came to a soft landing on a small pad outside a large building.

Waiting for them was a tall insectoid in multicolored suit that shielded it from the harsh environment. It was Ambassador Sigginalsk.

The ramp slowly lowered, and the two Jedi walked out. They had their robes wrapped tightly around their bodies to protect them. But it was a wasted effort: the Verpines extended the reach of the atmospheric containment shields to protect their visitors and themselves.

"Welcome Admirral. Thiss way pleasse," he gestured. "We have taken many measurres to enssure yourr safety and comforrt," he added.

He led the way in, through a small door to one side. Once inside, the two Jedi unwrapped their robes.

"Thank you, Ambassador. I am already pleased by your thoughtfulness," David told their guide dutifully.

"You arre welcome. Thiss is our Adminisstrration building, where we meet vissitorrs such as yourrsselves," he told them, slipping into a "tour guide" tone of voice.

He led them past a guard, and through a set of doors that slid open when they approached. David looked around curiously. He had never been inside a mechanical factory before, only one where the product had been baseball bats, in Louisville…

But that was not why they had come from the capital.

"Ambassador, we are here to see the droid developed, not to take a tour, at least not right now," David explained.

"Yess. You are rright. This way pleasse," the alien host remembered.

Immediately, he turned around, gesturing for the others to follow. David glanced at the machinery, hoping that he would see how it all worked. But it would wait.

"Ambassador, I have a question," David started.

"Yess, Admirral? I can ansswerr many questionss…" the ambassador responded.

"Do your facilities produce other things besides droids?" the young human asked.

Sigginalsk stopped walking. He turned to face the Jedi visitors.

"You will ssee," he said quietly, almost whispering.

They continued walking through the complex. David thought of several questions, and waited for an opportunity to ask them, if only to break up the monotony that was visible in these unusually shaped hallways.

"Do your facilities cover all of the planet?" David finally asked.

"No. We trried to leave wild as much of the worrld as we could. Most of the native lifeforrmss sstill live out on the plainss, or in the unexplorred undergrround geysser caverrnss," their guide explained.

They continued to walk, for what seemed like many kilometers. They could see doorways that led to other buildings, or the underground caves Sigginalsk had mentioned.

"Pardon my curiosity Ambassador, but what do you keep in the caverns?" David asked.

"Undergrround, we have our powerr generatorrss for the entirre complex, sstorrage rrooms… and our defensses againsst planetarry attack," the Verpine said slowly.

David did not press the point. It would only be a disturbance to ask to see the defenses. They would only be seen if needed, and that was enough for him. Besides, he saw Master Jima giving him a warning look not to overextend his boundaries.

They continued walking, and finally entered a building marked "Droid Display Center" in handwritten Basic. They were guided through the building, and into a room with heavy blast doors and walls. A sign labeled it "Display Room 12".

David looked around the room. The first thing that struck him was the size of the room. It looked like it went back a hundred meters from the door they had just entered. The walls were made of –or at least lined with- unadorned permacrete. All lights were set back in the walls and ceiling. At the far end were an array of seats protected by heavy transparasteel made to fit a variety of species. This was obviously the visitor observation deck.

"Pleasse sstay behind the shield," their Verpine guide directed the two Jedi as they reached the observation post.

They sat down on the plastic chairs. Their host disappeared, probably searching for whoever was supposed to conduct the demonstration. David saw several doorways in the walls of the room. From here, the droids would emerge and run through the demonstration.

Suddenly, Sigginalsk returned, chattering with another Verpine. Their antennas twitched as they conversed in their native tongue. The newcomer looked very much like Sigginalsk, although his –her- it's?- eyes shone blue in the light, unlike Sigginalsk's red eyes.

The newcomer spoke, in unusually articulate Basic, "Welcome New Republic representatives to our demonstration of your new droids."

He walked into a raised command post that elevated into position above the display deck. He pressed a serried of switched, activating the nearest portal. Slowly, it slid open…

Out walked a strange looking droid. It reminded David of the infamous "destroyer droids" built on Geonosis, and used in the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo, and the resulting battle; as well as in the first battle of the Clone Wars, the Battle of Geonosis, ten years later.

He looked at his Master. The green reptilian was staring at the droid with a haunted expression. David could feel that he too had made the connection between these droids of different generations. But he had never been told that Master Jima had actually been a part of that first battle, many years ago…

This droid had an insectoid head. In place of human ears, were blasters, as well as another one on each side of the top of the head. The cylindrical body supported a huge backpack that held power supplies and other essential operation devices. The surprisingly long arms ended in yet more blasters, pointing at the floor. But what made this design especially unusual was its method of movement. Instead of legs or repulsorlifts, the thing moved around on many curved claw-like legs that skittered to support the body.

"New Republic representatives, your new battle droid!" the Verpine host shouted excitedly.

"This is the new WSTLR-2434," he continued.

"As specified by the terms of the design order, we have begun mass-producing the model, for our own defenses. With your permission, we will begin shipping the units to Coruscant's specified defense posts," he added.

"Very good work, I will-" David started. A glance from Na-Ka was enough to stop his premature order. The Verpines had no intention of allowing it anyway.

"We must demonstrate its power," the controller said, pressing controls at his board in the box.

Instantly, the droid stopped it slow movement, and stood still. It crawled to the wall, almost obscuring it completely. The arms straightened out, pointing all its blaster at a series of targets on the opposite wall that emerged from trap doors in the floor.

Seconds later, they disappeared in a cloud of debris as fiery plasma emerged from the single droid. More targets appeared, at varying angles. The droid fired again. This time, the red bolts flew in different directions, striking not only the targets in its direct field of vision, but also those that had been hidden in the shadows.

"We cannot test it against a living thing, but this will prove its abilities against moving targets, the controller commented.

Several side doors slid open, revealing small, wheeled droids the size of an Earth cat. They resembled the famous "mouse droids" that had been common on Imperial capital ships. The doors closed, leaving the five small droids ready to be destroyed for the sake of this demonstration.

The five droids scurried about in seemingly random directions, unaware of their fate. The battle droid moved swiftly and silently into position. The first guns opened fire at the droids. They began to vaporize very quickly. Less than half a minute later, the battle droid was alone on the floor.

David could no longer control his boyish instincts. He stood up and clapped, congratulating the excellent work that had gone into this droid. Now all he had to do was authorize their distribution. More diplomatic work…

But like the earlier diplomatic summit, the decision would be postponed by fate.

An alarm went off. Unlike an ordinary security system, that announced the presence of an intruder on the ground, this alarm was different, as was it cause. The sound was long and relatively low pitched. An invasion alert.

" I'm sorry, ambassadors, we will have to postpone your decision…" the droid controller squeaked.

"Come with me, Doctorr Ssagan. We musst activate the defensses," Sigginalsk shouted in his badly pronounced Basic. Then the two Verpines began to run.

David did not have time to ask for details. Again relying on the Force, he could feel it guiding him, telling him to join the Verpines in the defense of their world. He might be their only hope…

"Please, wait for me!" David shouted, running after the insectoids. He glanced for a moment behind him. Following him was Master Jima, seemingly proud of the choice made by his student.

The four running beings ran back through several buildings, and up several flights of stairs. The two Verpines stopped and entered a small command room that vaguely resembled America's Mission Control in Texas, or maybe the control deck of a Death Star.

In it were several humans, hunched at computer controls. One of them looked vaguely familiar, but David knew he did not have time to think about where he had seen the man before.

"This is Doctor Harryhausen, our genetics expert," Sagan introduced the man.

"Preepare the drroids for battle againsst militarry invassion transsportss." Sigginalsk ordered.

"Sir, they're sending down an unusually large transport. The sensors indicate…" a young man addressed the scientist.

"What! Tell me man!" his superior shouted.

The man responded by gesturing to a display. It showed a mass of red objects; an infrared display. The display centered on a single large transport preparing to land.

"My God! No!" Harryhausen shouted.

David ran over. He had no idea what was going on… He glanced at the screen. Within the outline of the transport was a large moving object, a living thing! It moved wildly, three necks -or perhaps tails- twisted around, trying to break free. David was speechless.

Suddenly, a small chime sounded from the commlink at his belt. He picked it up, already fearing what his first mate would say.

"Prus here. Continue." he said.

"Admiral, we are under attack! Repeat, we are under attack by two fleets that jumped out of hyperspace only a minute ago!" a shrill Ishi Tib voice explained.

"Commander, open fire!" David ordered. "We must not allow the products of this planet to fall into enemy hands," he told his first mate.

"Ambassador, I must be allowed to call for reinforcements! They may be our only hope," David said as a though occurred to him.

"Of courrsse. Usse our holo communicatorr," Sigginalsk agreed.

David ran into a small chamber, and closed the door. It was about the size of an old-fashioned phone booth. He had a funny thought at the comparison, but he pushed it away. In this universe, there were no supernatural heroes. It would be up to him. He began pushing buttons and dials at the controls. A light clicked on.

"This is Rear Admiral David Prus of the New Republic Starfleet. I must talk to Mr. Thomas Prus at once!" he said excitedly.

"David, there are transports landing!" Na-Ka shouted from outside the chamber.

After waiting for what felt like forever, a mechanical voice chimed that the receiver was ready.

David pressed a button. A foot-high hologram of his older brother appeared.

"What's going on, David?" the holo asked.

"Thomas! Hurry! Call Kyp Durron or Master Skywalker, and tell him to send some Jedi reinforcements to the planet Dai Shedo in the Neblar system! Or maybe Rogue Squadron or the Dozen-and-Two, I don't care!" David ordered.

"Alright, alright! What's up? Do you need repairs again?" Thomas asked innocently, annoying his younger sibling.

"We are under attack by two fleets! They are beginning to send transports to invade the planet!" David explained. "But if you can't come within an hour, don't bother coming!"

"What? What are you talking about? I don't know… I'll do my best. Good luck, you're going to need it," he said.

"And kid," he added.

"What?" David asked annoyed.

"May the Force be with you." Thomas smirked, terminating communication from his side.

David shook his head, almost laughing, and finally left the chamber.

"He says that he'll try to get reinforcements…but I doubt they'll arrive in time." David said to no one in particular.

"Admiral, sir! The transport is unloading its cargo!" a still bewildered man told David.

David rushed over to the display again. This time, it was in the so-called "visible light" that humans could see with their eyes. The transport was a dark gray. Several small transports were emerging. It seemed that they were evacuating the vehicle! Why?

The answer to the unspoken question emerged seconds later. The ship exploded violently, releasing it deadly cargo. Out of the debris cloud came a shape. It was at once alien and familiar. David could have identified it without a second glance; he had seen it many times.

It was part of his worst fears for a battle, yet it was only a few dozen kilometers from the command center where he was. He knew that against this creation, the small defenses of the planet could never win in time.

6

The dragon-like creature flew closer to the camera that was their best information gatherer. It was huge, about seventy meters tall. The body was of a gold color, shining strangely in the light. The huge wings flapped excitedly in the air, whipping up violent winds.

The three long necks ended in ferocious-looking heads, the bright metallic teeth fully exposed in the narrow jaw. The necks moved around wildly, looking for targets. Unfortunately, there were targets out there, David remembered.

A few beings of several species ran past the camera as they tried to escape the monster's fury. But they could not escape. Even as two of the mouths emitted a high-pitched roar, one mouth opened it deadly fire on the escapees. A bolt of yellow-hot lightning the color of a young G class star shot out from the depths of the creature, striking the retreating soldiers. They began to catch fire, or explode.

"My God! It's Ghidorah!" David muttered, unaware that anyone had heard him.

"Its what…?" Harryhausen asked the teen Jedi.

David tried to explain, "Well, on my planet, we have an entertainment medium called the 'motion picture' or 'movie' in common usage in my… second language. But there's one company that made many movies with giant monsters destroying cities, and fighting each other. And-"

Harryhausen cut him off, "That's it!" he exclaimed, as if he had stumbled on a plan. "But what about this monster? You seemed to know what it's named…" he asked David quickly.

David pointed to the rapidly approaching monster. "This monster they call 'Ghidorah', or 'King Ghidorah' or-" he told the human scientist excitedly.

"Never mind! Ambassador, that's what we'll call the invaders' creature! 'Ghidorah!' Harryhausen exclaimed excitedly. "You said that he fights other monsters, right?" he asked.

"Yes!" David nodded, "Many of them. Once he fought three monsters: the flying pterosaur-like 'Rodan'; 'Godzilla' –that looks like what my people call a 'dinosaur'; and-"

"Dinosaurs! Admiral, that's it again!" the adult human exclaimed again, puzzling David more.

At his excitement over the word 'dinosaur', David began to worry. Although there were many movies about dinosaurs brought to life, the most intriguing were the Jurassic Park movies. They dealt with cloned dinosaurs… No! They wouldn't dare!

"Doctor, uh, why are you so uh, excited about the word 'dinosaur'?" David asked nervously.

Harryhausen began to explain. "It's a long story… But a few years ago, the government of a nation called the United States on your world of Earth gave us several projects to work on, in exchange for opportunities to study your world in greater detail… One of these was to resurrect extinct animals that they called dinosaurs in their language. Fairly recently, we began to think of using giant dinosaurs as living defenses to protect the installation during a ground assault. But only one survived, a bipedal carnivore…"

"And you want to call it 'Godzilla'?" David asked bewildered by the news.

"Well, if we can use it to fight this Ghidorah," the eager man gestured to the screen, "And it is a carnivorous dinosaur, then I don't see why not!"

"But there are a few things I didn't tell you about the fictional Godzilla-" David tried to explain.

The scientist had already hurried to the other side of the room. He sat at a chair, and pushed a switch, activating a commlink.

"Prepare to release Project G-5401!" he ordered. "Yes, I know the control link is prone to failure… But this is an emergency!" he argued with the unheard listener.

He finally off the switch, and walked back to the wall of displays.

"Well, that's it. We're sending Godzilla into battle! I hope this works like in your movies, Admiral," he said uncertainly.

He touched a button on a screen. The display began to change rapidly, as the camera changed, providing different points of view for the commanders in the room. He finally stopped at a display of a large room about the size of an old-fashioned aircraft hanger. Technicians bustled about, making preparations. A giant cage with walls sixty meters tall approached the camera on a slow repulsorlift transport bed.

As the only Earthling among the group, only David noticed a curious feature of the box. It was very narrow, and very tall, but was not very long. Any ordinary dinosaur would have required a cage far longer than it was tall, but this was almost the opposite. He was getting nervous about this again…

Another press of a button changed the view to a slightly different angle: outside the building. Gigantic blastdoors slid open, revealing the still moving repulsorsled. It lumbered along, outside the doors, slowly leaving the entire complex behind. For the next several minutes, there was nothing to display as the transport moved out of the range of local visual pickup systems.

"Prepare to release the animal. Rear Admiral Prus has named it 'Godzilla'. Standby…Thirty seconds…" Harryhausen ordered onto a commlink, alerting David that he had moved to the other side of the room to take command. David quietly walked over to look at the consoles. They displayed all sorts of information, from breathing rates, to body heat. He wondered how many aspects of Godzilla could be controlled from this room or its equivalent with which the scientist had been communicating.

"Stand by…Release!" Harryhausen ordered.

Suddenly, one of the panels lit up, displaying the point of view of a camera mounted on the transport exterior, to give a better view of the unloading process. The great door of the transport burst open with the force of the great animal inside.

Pushing aside the remains of the door, David caught his first glimpse of Godzilla. It was a familiar sight, for it had been in two movies already, but the vision was still shocking to see in real life.

The monster was fifty-five meters tall, and towered over the surrounding hills and clefts of rock. It was a dark color, which looked black, but could have been blue or green. Several silver fanlike fins projected out of the monster's back. The beast opened it mouth to roar, emitting a long ear-piercing sound out of its enormous mouth. The jaw was lined with a row of long straight teeth.

It was clearly a warning call, challenging the other almost forgotten monster that was still at large. Although David had always wanted to see a real Godzilla battle, he began to understand the true terror of what it could mean to die at the fury of the daikaiju was beginning to grasp him. Now he had some idea how it felt to be one of leaders of Japan, helplessly watching as their cites are destroyed by the huge monsters.

And it was at once awesome and terrifying. He hoped he could give useful advice.

"Ghidorah is approaching Godzilla!" Master Jima exclaimed.

"Ready plasma jet!" Harryhausen ordered, as he watched the dragon monster near his creation.

David stopped and turned to face the man. Plasma beams! That was too incredible to be true! It would finally complete this "Godzilla"… and make it into the kaiju that he knew so well…

"What do you mean, Doctor? A plasma jet?" David asked.

"You'll see, Admiral." Harryhausen grunted, watching the screen. He mumbled to himself, "If this works…"

"Ready! Begin beam emersion!" he ordered into his headset.

On the screen, Godzilla opened its mouth, as if to roar at the monster. But it began to scream in pain. A faint blue glow emitted from the mouth…. The fanlike fins on the creature's back began to glow white, barely standing out on the snowfields.

As the monster tried to roar again, the glow from the mouth and the spines intensified. They began to outshine the local light sources, creating a blinding light. A long column of blue gaseous fire spat out of the mouth from an area in the back. Steam rose as it hit unprotected fluids inside the mouth.

The "beam" of star-stuff traveled on, hitting Ghidorah on its left leg. The flying monster howled in pain, as the scales seemed to catch fire. It began to shoot more of its strange sun-colored lightning. This time its aim was admirable, for it almost hit the target, missing by only a few meters. The beams raced past, instead causing what was left of the tractor to explode behind the dinosaur-like creature.

Godzilla roared a challenge. It seemed to want to fight, but David knew that at least some of this urge must be caused artificially by way of implants. He still did not understand how the famous blue "radioactive fire" was created. The largely irrelevant movies did not even attempt to provide a scientific explanation… But here, there must be one.

"How did you create the radioactive- I mean the plasma jet?" David asked.

"Admiral, its not as hard as you think. Its an implant inside the monster's mouth, that we use whenever needed. But it creates a lot of heat, so that radiates out the fins that had originally been used for mating displays, although the mechanism is not perfect causing them to glow too," a young human aid sitting at a console explained.

"David look!" Na-Ka told his apprentice.

He turned to the screen again. The monsters began to hit each other, Ghidorah using its long necks and twin tails against the more traditional erect Godzilla. But Godzilla fought back, the way its remote Earthling ancestors had millions of years ago. Godzilla swung its tail at the other's huge body. Ghidorah responded by biting with all three heads on various parts of Godzilla's body, causing a small amount of blood to ooze out of it target.

Godzilla hit the necks with its tail, causing Ghidorah to loose its grip instinctively.

Sensing an opportunity, Harryhausen ordered "Prepare plasma jet!"

Godzilla continued to fight, biting hard on the larger monster. Strangely, Ghidorah did not bleed…But Godzilla had also bled very little, David remembered.

Godzilla tried to strike again. But then it stopped, and walked away to one side, as if in pain. Sensing an opportunity, Ghidorah approached its recoiling foe, unaware of the gathering blue glow inside Godzilla's mouth. It opened its mouths, ready to use it lighting rays at point blank range…

Then came the blue semi-gas again. It scathed the gold monster, forcing it to recoil in pain once more. Godzilla attacked, thrusting it huge body at Ghidorah. Both shook on impact, and Godzilla almost fell to the ground.

This time Ghidorah gained the upper hand –or claw- in the battle. It whipped its tails, striking Godzilla as it tried to right itself. Ghidorah stood up, towering over Godzilla. The golden space monster opened its mouths, again unleashing its deadly beams at Godzilla.

The other monster fell back, hitting the ground with an almost silent boom. Again, Ghidorah fired, again making Godzilla writhe in pain. It kicked furiously, but to no avail. Ghidorah lifted itself with its wings, and kicked hard, causing more long roars of pain.

"Quick, use your ray, Godzilla!" David cheered on his favorite kaiju. The same aid that had earlier explained about the beam gave him a curious stare. "I mean fire up the plasma jet! Hurry!" he ordered instinctively.

"Yes! Hurry! It might again be our only hope of stopping Ghidorah!" Harryhausen agreed.

David heard a voice come over the headset. "Sorry, sir, we can't! The control mechanism for the jet is damaged, or something! It just won't respond!"

Harryhausen swore under his breath. He could not see any way out of this… Suddenly, a thought struck him…

"Admiral Prus, you said that the Ghidorah in your primitive movies once fought three monsters at once, correct?" he asked David.

David understood where this was going. "Yes, but what other monsters do we have available? Besides, if it hadn't been for those annoying twin-"

"Never mind!" Harryhausen interrupted yet again. "Prepare to release N-8802, to join the battle! At once!" he ordered. At once, he met opposition, but did not bother to explain to his young guest. "I don't care how… Prus' codes override that!" he looked at David. The young Jedi nodded. "Yes, Yes! I know that its never met Godzilla, but we have to try!" he continued to argue.

David listened. He found himself quoting Yoda again… He half wondered what new lines there would be in the as-yet-untitled Episode II… Harryhausen seemed to reach the end of the argument victoriously. He switched the commlink off with a click again.

"Well, Admiral, that's it! This have better work…." he told his audience.

"Look, my young apprentice! Here comes that new defense monster!" Na-Ka said again.

Indeed, there was a new large blip on the holographic overview of the battlefield. It was a large transport with Verpine and Republic markings. But this one was flying to its destination. David guessed that there was not enough time to unload its living cargo the way Godzilla had made its own dramatic entrance less than a half an hour ago.

"Prepare to release on my mark!" Doctor Harryhausen instructed.

"Release!" he ordered.

After a pause, the transport dropped a large case that held the waiting animal. The used ship flew away to safety, its pilot not even turning back to look at its old payload as it hit the ground. The giant case split open, upsetting more snow, some of which fell on the rapidly winning Ghidorah. Ghidorah did not even stop to fight the newcomer, but only turned a head in the direction of the stranger.

The first thing that emerged from the remains of the transport was a bird's beak. David wondered if it this monster was a giant eagle. This suspicion continued to build as more of the animal became visible. Then came a giant bird's claw with sharp talons that plied away the rest of the wall of wreckage. The darkly feathered head had emerged fully by now, looking like a normal eagle. It began to squawk loudly, and then emitted a strange sound like a big cat's roar.

Giant wings emerged slowly as it continued to free itself. The almost black feathers contrasted well with the snow and ice. Perhaps aware of the threat posed by this new creature, Ghidorah began to kick snow on both of the other animals, burying the very injured still form of Godzilla under the snow.

Angry at the dragon monster, the newcomer freed it entire body, and prepared to fight to avenge the insult it had taken. David got a look at the full body of the strange monster. It was only part eagle. The other part was lion! A griffin!

Now he saw that only the head and neck were eagle. The rest of the body was a healthy lion's cream fur. The back legs of the animal were also lion, completing the lion part of this mythical animal. It was a very strange sight.

"Doctor… How… How did you create this new animal?" David asked.

"Its another experiment. I'm afraid it doesn't have a common name yet…"

"Oh… You want me to name this one too…" David understood. The other humans nodded.

"Well, on my planet, there's a fictional animal like this called a 'griffin'…" David explained.

"Fine, Admiral!" the scientist said as switched on the commlink with the monsters' controllers.

"Prepare this animal –the griffin- for combat!" he ordered.

David turned back to the display of the battle. The griffin stood up at its full height. It flapped its wings, perhaps as a threatening gesture. It screeched wildly. Now its intentions were clear: It wanted to fight. Of course, they could only hope that it wanted to fight Ghidorah…

Apparently finished with Godzilla, Ghidorah turned its full attention to the newcomer, hoping to destroy it too. All three heads opened, and screeched. They two monsters screeched at each other, ready to fight, least the other back down.

The griffin struck first, choosing to ram the other monster in what probably contained its gut. It began biting wherever it could, even while Ghidorah struck back. The dragon bit its antagonist with two heads, while the other distracted the target.

Still the griffin pecked ferociously. Twice, it tried to grasp a long neck, but it failed. On the third attempt, the bird-cat succeeded, causing Ghidorah to howl in pain once more.

This sparked a memory of the almost forgotten Godzilla, which still lay buried under the snow, where Ghidorah had left it for dead only moments earlier.

"What about Godzilla?" David asked loudly, hoping that his favorite kaiju still lived.

"It appears to be…dead…" Harryhausen responded, barely looking up.

"You have to revive it!" David exclaimed.

"I don't think it'll make much of a difference, but you're right…" Harryhausen admitted.

He gave the order to use their last resort: an electrical implant in Godzilla that would hopefully shock it awake. Alternatively, it might kill Godzilla… They could do nothing but try, or they would certainly be doomed by the unstoppable Ghidorah.

For the past few minutes, Godzilla's life readings had been low, showing that while it still lived, the monster's life would certainly end soon. Just after the order had been given, they began to perk up suddenly, as the huge body felt the effect of the electricity.

"Look, the readings are going crazy!" Harryhausen's assistant remarked.

"It's working!" David exclaimed excitedly. This was better than a movie! Not once in the twenty-four Gojira kaiju eigas had someone tried to revive Godzilla.

A mound of snow began to move behind the raging dragon. It began to grow, rising slowly. Snow began to tumble off the peak, slowly at first, but the amount and speed was growing every second. The fins, being Godzilla's most prominent features, were the first to be exposed from the mound.

With a mighty roar, and a cloud of snow, Godzilla emerged from the snows in which it had been buried alive. At first, the two battling monsters did not notice. The griffin was too busy pecking and scratching, while avoiding its attacker's strikes. Ghidorah was busy biting and occasionally blasting its opponent with its lighting rays when it came within safe range.

Finally, Godzilla caught the attention of Ghidorah. The taller monster turned a head towards the approaching dinosauroid, unleashing as much of its deadly electric ability as it could.

Godzilla responded by roaring, its fierce cry a welcome sound to the young Earthling who watched the battle from safety. Godzilla kicked the ground, pushing snow on the confused dragon.

David could only hope that these daikaiju would fight together without needing the interference of a go-between from the sentients that watched. He remembered how Rodan and Godzilla had fought, in Ghidrah: The Three-Headed Monster, until Mothra and her annoying twin priestesses had interfered. That had been a cool battle, but they could not afford to see its equivalent played out live.

He was still worried as the griffin noticed Godzilla. It screeched at the taller animal. Godzilla looked as if it understood. With a few mighty pecks at the necks, the griffin escaped from the tangle of scaly hide.

It flew a short distance, to Godzilla's side. Ghidorah had the advantage of three heads; it did not need to worry about which monster to attack first; it attacked both at once. The griffin cried in pain as the lighting cut deep into it.

Godzilla could not help. It was too weak.

"Does the griffin have a beam- a weapon like Godzilla's plasma jet?" David asked, wondering whether a "laser light show" battle would be the solution.

Harryhausen shook his head. No. Then this one would stay a Showa-style physical battle…

Godzilla turned, and ran. It ran behind Ghidorah. From here, it only had the twin tails to fear. It was much safer. Aware of the trap, Ghidorah turned a head to stop Godzilla as its tails swung wildly at the monster. It did not know that the ray was out of commission…

"We must use the…uh… plasma jet!" David ordered.

All the adults turned at him and frowned, even the wiry Verpines. He knew as well as they did that the device was not working. But David knew what the Force was telling him alone. He would have to argue against common sense.

"You have to try! I know it sounds crazy, but it may be our only chance. Even in our primitive movies, Godzilla is forced to use his beam against Ghidorah. Otherwise, it –and its equivalent here in the Republic- would have died in combat against Ghidorah."

"Alright, Rear Admiral. But this have better work," Harryhausen said after a moment. Although he did not want to trust the backwards movies, he knew that they were his best guides in this battle. Inside, he knew the boy was right. If they didn't try, they might as well surrender the territory, and try to use Godzilla in battle against the invading droids that were at this very moment landing.

He gave the order: Try one more time.

"Look, David! It's working. You were right!" Na-Ka beamed at his apprentice. The boy had done a good job. He had followed his Force-born instincts, and persuaded these people to try an unlikely chance at victory. But the Jedi Master could feel another, greater disturbance in Force…

Godzilla roared in pain. Blue light shone from the back of its mouth. The light began to grow in intensity, as did the shining fins on the creature's back. The beast moved to find a better place, apparently aware of the potential of the pain-causing weapon, although it could not control it directly.

Then came the beam. The blue stream of hot star-stuff speed out of the mouth, and onto the back of Ghidorah. The cloud-like beam landed, burning the more vulnerable back of the scaly monster.

Ghidorah screamed in pain, louder than before. It turned its attention away from the griffin in order to pry away the other monster before it could cause another painful blow. Seeing an opportunity, the griffin launched its own attack. It flew away, and then it charged mightily at the taller Ghidorah. Again, the space monster screamed in pain as the sharp talons dug as deep as they could into its chest.

Harryhausen ordered another use of the apparently fixed beam weapon. Strangely quicker than last time, the jet of blue fiery plasma again emerged from the mouth of Godzilla. It hit the centermost of the necks, causing the head to shout still louder. Slowly, the neck started to burn, and then it went limp, the great head fallen against its chest.

Godzilla took advantage of the pain, and bit hard at one of the two remaining necks. The griffin continued its never-ceasing furious attacks. Ghidorah fired wildly, its aim far from the precision it once had.

Suddenly, Godzilla's mouth began to glow again, as the internal weapon readied. Good work, Harryhausen! David thought. Attack it while its still weak. He did not notice the scientist's strange look, or the surprised voices coming over the comm.

Ghidorah was clearly losing by now. It still fought on, even as the scales began to come off as the griffin scratched constantly. The tails moved wildly as well. They struck at Godzilla, nearly knocking it to the ground. Godzilla bit the tails with as much strength as it could. Pale body fluids oozed out the cuts. Ghidorah's ferocity grew. But it knew could not win the battle….

Godzilla began a new strategy. It dug his head into the burned areas on the back. The toothy jaws emerged, dragging a sickening collection of soaked internal organs. Gurgling wildly, the once proud dragon bit at whatever it could, even as the griffin pierced the long necks.

Giving a mighty charge, Godzilla body-slammed Ghidorah. The body fell over, just as the griffin flew to safety a few dozen meters away.

The corpse fell with a jaw-jarring bang. The monster was dead at last.

The command room filled with the sounds of victory. David congratulated the geneticists for their work.

"Great work with the beam weapon, doctor!" he shouted happily.

Soon the scientist's face turned dark and serious. "Didn't you notice how one of the last plasma jets was ready earlier than unusual? It might be another malfunction…"

David thought for something to day, as the orders were given to recover the two "friendly" kaiju.

Suddenly, a Verpine ran in. It chattered wildly. David wondered why it had not used its natural antenna radio system. The question was answered quickly.

It pulled a small screen from a pocket. The thing turned with a click. Data poured on the display. Then a small video started, recorded from security cameras.

The small video showed the inside of an empty hanger. No movement was visible, for every employee had left to prepare for battle. Whatever ships had once laid here had long since gone, leaving no trace that they had ever existed.

A heavily clothed humanoid figure approached from the outside, implying that the hanger was actually a "garage" of some sort on ground level.

Alarms rang as the figure walked in. But it did not stop, or even slow down. It kept walking determinedly. Was it a saboteur? David wondered.

Several security droids slid into view, and called for the figure to stop, or face persecution. The stranger did stop, but only for a moment. It put a hand into the long coat, at waist level.

At first, David thought he was reaching for a blaster. He was shocked when the intruder pulled out a long cylinder. With a touch, twin ruby blades jutted out from each end of the weapon. It was a lightsabre.

The figure turned the weapon towards the droids. Blasters clicked into firing stations. Only one opened fire. The rest were cut short by the rapidly swung weapon. Seconds later, only scrap metal lay on the floor. The figure moved on, and out of view.

As if to subconsciously avoid thinking about the mysterious sabre-wielder, David's thoughts turned elsewhere. He wondered what was going on in the space battle.

7

The stars shrunk back into points, and the white sphere of Dai Shedo neared at fantastic speed. As they approached, the space around them showed none of the deep silence that surrounded most worlds. The view from the Friend of Yavin was filled with a large number of closely spaced explosions as the battle raged.

Thomas Prus watched from a chair on the bridge of the transport. He had been summoned an hour ago by his brother, and told to pull any strings to gain an army to go to Dai Shedo. The reasons for this attack were all too clear. The world was a Verpine colony that specialized in battledroid design. And if the attackers had known about the Republic task force stationed above the planet, so much the better for them.

He looked at the ships, and a tactical holo. There were only a few dozen Republic green blips, as opposed to the hundreds of invaders' ships, glaring in red. He looked closer, to try to figure out the opponents.

"Excuse, me Lieutenant, but what ship classes are out there?" he asked. Although he did not have authority over the starfighters, he wanted to know what the Jedi were up against.

The young woman answered. After studying a few screens of tactical gibberish, she answered him. Her heart was full of horror as she said it, although her voice did not betray her feelings. "They seemed to be made up of two classes, one known, the other not."

Thomas took this in. He nodded. "And what are they? They both seem…alien."

"One type appears to be Ssi-ruuvi, whom our Republic forces defeated some years ago."

The young engineer apprentice nodded, his emotions too full of fear. Ssi-ruuvi! They had been defeated over twenty years ago, at Bakura! By the time the NR had reached their capital, they had already been all but defeated already by the Chiss, Thrawn's people.

He had always feared their return, although the odds against it seemed impossible. He remembered an old Han quote from shortly after the Battle of Hoth: "Never quote me the odds!" It seemed that the Ssi-ruuvi had taken that advice, and somehow beaten those odds, and wanted revenge.

The blue dinosauroids were one of the greatest threats to the early Republic! Their machines ran on the life energies of living things. And a pre-Endor experiment had proven that humans made the best fuel for their computers. If the initial invasion fleet had not been defeated, then today, the entire galaxy might be in their control. They had to be stopped again!

But why had they aligned themselves with this new fleet that used Imperial-based designs? The Ssi-ruuvi were fiercely independent and xenophobic. Unless their philosophy had changed –which he did not believe- they would certainly turn on their allies once the war was over. Unless they too were held in check by an unseen force that hid in the shadows…

He had a bad feeling about this…

And he could feel a disturbance in the Force through his incomplete Force training, originating somewhere in this system. A Sith? It was not impossible. After all, the Neimoidians had joined forces with Darth Sidious, unaware of his plans to conquer the galaxy… He would have to talk with David's Master, Na-Ka Jima, the green reptilian Jedi he had rescued a few years ago. That would be hard; the green guy had never liked him, all because he had refused to join his old fashioned ways of Jedi training…

"But what about the others, the strangers?" he finally asked.

"We don't know who they are, or where they came from. Their ship designs are similar to old Imperial ones…but that's it." the Lieutenant explained.

"And they're lightly manned," a male human voice said from the entrance to the bridge. The speaker walked in. It was a tall young man with dark hair and dark eyes. Kyp Durron, Jedi Knight, friend of Captain Solo, and leader of the Dozen-and-Two Avengers starfighter squadron.

Thomas bowed quickly to the almost-Master. This man had his own apprentice, and was busy running the Avengers. It had been hard to convince him to take a break from pirate squashing on the Outer Rim. He did not dare cross that Jedi.

"Well, Mister Prus, it looks like the Rear Admiral was right. Here are the fleets. And his forces our losing the battle," he said to no one in particular.

Thomas nodded. He sat back down, silent. He could feel the gut wrenching deaths of those on the heavily manned larger starships. The enteched souls of beings within the Ssi-ruuvi's small pyramidal starfighters cried out in death. Whether they had been sentient or not, they created the same rupture in the Force caused by the deaths of ordinary living pilots.

Kyp reeled back more times than Thomas did as he felt far more subtle ripples in the Force. He was far more alert to the Force. He might even feel the deaths of those on the planet's surface.

Straining his abilities as far as he could, Thomas tried to feel David's presence. It would be the most obvious to any trained Force-sensitive, especially to his own brother. He could feel excitement, and fear…Had he just escaped to freedom? No, that was not the answer.

Lights began to flash throughout the bridge. Alarms rang. The smell of burning filled the air, as something burned on another part of the ship. It was only a little bigger than the famed Corellian Gunships, but not nearly as well armed. If the ship was in danger, it would be easy to finish off…

"Lieutenant, we must get this ship away from battle! It will not last long!" an officer shouted in the distance.

Thomas thought about his options, as well as those for the entire ship. If they did go down, they would still survive…And the enemy would never suspect it.

"Shields down!" the cry went out.

The young Lieutenant turned to the Jedi. Her face and emotions filled with worry. She unconsciously brushed her brown hair away, fidgeting.

"Master Jedi, what should we do? We won't survive for long."

Kyp shrugged. He was not used to commanding a force of this size. Before they settled their own fate, the rest of the force must be given their last orders.

"What's the Rear Admiral's largest ship?"

The Lieutenant looked at a screen to her right, behind the Jedi. "A KDY Imperator Star Destroyer, the Divine Wind. Its communications systems are still up, and all systems are nominal." She looked at Kyp for guidance.

He sighed. "Well, Rear Admiral Prus sent his brother here to fetch this force. Command is up to him."

Thomas looked at the other Jedi in surprise. He had never commanded anything before. He could only trust his instincts. The Force would guide him.

"Well, I think we should try to land on the planet, even the Friend's hull is damaged. The atmosphere is thin; we should survive reentry."

"If you say so, sir," she sighed. "I will try to contact the Divine Wind, and notify her captain." She glanced at a list, "Captain Bak-urakk, of Tibrin."

Tibrin, the home of the fish-like Ishi-Tib. According to the news networks, the Senator from Tibrin had been the one that allowed David to address the Senate, so the kid could vote to impeach Fey'lya. Thomas doubted that the Senator had had that goal in mind when he had given David permission.

A shrill voice responded; an Ishi Tib, maybe even David's Captain Bak-urakk. Both conversers hushed their voices, to talk in relative privacy. Several loud noises came from the other end of the commlink, but Thomas did not know if they were disdain, or distress calls.

Several moments later, she turned it off, and clipped the small link back on her belt. She walked back to the waiting Jedi.

"Well, he thinks we should try to land if it's possible. But-"

From a control panel, an officer cried the words that everyone had been fearing: "Our hull is damaged!"

"We must land at once!" Kyp ordered, not caring that he was not in a position to give orders to these ships.

The Jedi Master and the Lieutenant turned back to Thomas.

"Well. Now, we'll find how good our people are in an emergency," the lady said.

"If not, we'll test the strength of the hull," Kyp whispered dryly.

Outside the windows, the planet had been nearing for some time. But now the ship moved to land, its hull spotted with small explosions. The white world neared at startling speed. Within seconds, they would know if Thomas was as good a leader as his brother.

Secretly, Thomas doubted it. He closed his eyes to shut out the lights of doom.

8

As the planet of Dai Shedo approached on the wrecked Friend of Yavin, Kyp Durron closed his eyes. But unlike most of the people on the ship, he wished to block out all his ordinary senses, and rely on the mysterious all-powerful Force for aid.

He concentrated like never before, quickly demonstrating the technique to his fellow Jedi, hoping that the boy's strengths could overcome his anger and fear, and allow his Jedi powers to flow out to the universe.

Kyp reached out, touching the minds of the landing crew. He worked instinctively to help them. He strived to remove all fear and disorder from their minds, to concentrate on saving their own lives.

But as he worked, the Jedi Master encountered three, more powerful bursts of Force. Two shone in light, and felt excitement while running towards the third. These two were the Jedi Master Na-Ka Jima, and his apprentice, Rear Admiral David Prus.

But it was the third presence that bothered him. It was extremely powerful, but also cold. It shone with darkness. Could it be a Dark Jedi? Or worse, a true Sith Lord?

His mind turned the presence away. He could not afford to consider the possibilities now. He had to save his life!

Seconds later, miraculously, he heard the rumble of landing gear. He felt the ground come up, but it did not shatter the suddenly fragile spacecraft. The ship's landing gear carefully met the unstable surface and the ship landed.

Not waiting to join the cheers, Thomas and Master Durron rushed out the ramp the second it lowered. Already, the defenses of the planet must be dying, except for the droids, of course, Thomas thought.

The second large transport approached the crash site of the first. The bright landing lights blinked wildly as the ship neared the ground. Under much more controlled circumstances than its leader, the strangely colored angular ship landed softly.

They only had moments to spare, but this time fate appeased. A flood of dark clothed-beings rushed out the ships, escorted by Republic soldiers.

"My fellow Jedi, welcome to Dai Shedo. The Rear Admiral's brother and I will discuss strategy," Kyp addressed the meeting.

A small sound emitted from Thomas's commlink. He had just tuned it to David's frequency. He picked it up, adjusting his brand-new lightsabre. The weapon had never seen actual combat; it had only been tested in practice-fights.

"Hello?" Thomas said in English instinctively, forgetting that this was the New Republic, not the United States. But the hurried voice of the caller understood. It was David.

"Thomas! You made it!"

The elder boy had many questions. "David? What's going on? We were forced to land after the ship was damaged-"

"Shut up! There's a guy with a lightsabre out here, who hacked the security droids into scrap. Master Jima and I are going to stop him!" David explained quickly.

"We'll go help!" Thomas nodded. He turned off the comm., and turned to explain the situation to Kyp. The more experience Jedi turned to the boy, waiting for that explanation.

"There's an old-style Sith lord here!" Kyp looked visibly disturbed at the mention. But Thomas continued. "David and Master Jima are going to fight him! We have to do something!"

Kyp thought for just a moment, trying to gather his thoughts. The older boy waited impatiently. He was too excited about the coming battle. Kyp turned to face the hastily assembled Jedi army. There were only about fifty of them…

"My fellow Jedi Knights of the New Republic, we have a new unexpected danger. The Rear Admiral has reported that a figure he believes to be a Sith lord like our predecessors fought before the Dark Times is on this planet. We must help end this dark side menace once and for all!"

With that, the Master ignited his purple-bladed weapon, and ran, gesturing for the other Jedi to follow. The great sea of Jedi surged forward across the landscape, a spectrum of colored weapons ready for use against the Sith. It reminded Thomas of a fan-made trailer for the untitled Episode II he had once downloaded from the Internet…

It was all he could do to keep up. He ran as hard as he could, careful to avoid the bright sticks of matter they could destroy almost all they touched. He decided to be safe, and kept his own lightsabre off until called for; there was no need to risk death here, at least not yet.

For a moment, he wondered how Kyp knew where to run; David had not given any instructions to him, much less to Kyp. But should not have bothered with such an obvious explanation. The more experienced Jedi relied on the Force to guide them, simply by heading towards the dark presence projected by the Sith.

After what seemed like many kilometers, the army advanced towards the building that shone most clearly in the landscape of life energy. The older Prus too could feel the cold of the dark side, and the brighter familiar forms of David and his alien Master.

With an extra burst of speed, Thomas ran, putting his trust in the Force, letting it empower him. He ran up to Kyp, trying to be first to see the Sith lord. He ran in the building, forcing the heavy doors to open. He ran through the corridors, and stopped, letting the others catch up.

The room was spacious, probably a hanger for airspeeders, or a garage for land-bound vehicles. The tall silvery walls reflected much of the pale light thrown onto them. Strangely, the room did not ring with the sounds of lightsabres crashing, or even preparing for battle. Silence filled the room.

Standing still near the center of the room, was a tall darkly clothed figure. It held its arms out, as if bearing a weapon, threatening to use it. At the far end rushed two brown-clothed figures: the two Jedi. Running once again, Thomas rushed to his brother's side, ready to fight with him. As he ran, he ignited his own lightsabre, the pale orange blade blinding those who looked straight at its white-hot core.

"David! I've made it! I'm ready to-" Thomas shouted, drawing the attention of both his allies, and their common enemy. The Sith lord turned to face him. He stopped as he got a better look. The face was an almost bluish color, with dark green eyes piercing the air between them. With a touch of a button, twin blades sprang from the recesses of the lightsabre, forcing the running Jedi to stop in his tracks.

"Thomas! Get out! This is our fight!" David shouted at his brother.

As Kyp Durron and the others entered the room, the young Jedi continued to shout:

"All of you! Out! You are needed to fight the droid army that threatens the planet!" Master Jima agreed, to everyone's surprise.

"My apprentice is right. Although our combined strength may defeat this…warrior, it is not your destiny. He will be quite busy with us. You are needed elsewhere!"

Shaking his head in denial, Thomas turned. He knew that this was not his density. Jedi student or not, this was not his calling. He was a boy, and had not received the excellent lightsabre training this battle would require. To paraphrase Master Skywalker, "Fighting droids is one thing, but this, is totally different." He could only help that this time, Yoda would be wrong again.

"Let's go," he ordered, and walked out defeated.

With a last unreadable look, Kyp left too, shutting his own weapon down. One by one, each of the Jedi left the room.

Sensing an opportunity, the Sith neared his two remaining opponents. He held his staff of power in a challenging stance, ready to attack.

Knowing that this was his density, David walked up to the beckoning figure, his own weapon drawn, and ready. He adopted a defensive posture, unsure whether to strike first. He did not sense any fear, but anger and excitement flowed through the Sith's veins and spirit.

Behind him, he heard Master Jima ignite his own green-bladed. He turned his head and saw the green Jedi nod. Summoning up his courage, David turned back to face the staff-wielding opponent only meters in front of him.

Taking the initiative, David stepped forward. Raising his blue blade, he swung at the blue-faced being with a powerful blow.

9

The blue-skinned figure raised his own weapon to block the first offensive blow. The two sabres clashed, throwing off sparks and creating a crackling noise that almost echoed in the empty garage.

Taking his own opportunity, Master Jima struck at the momentarily distracted Sith lord. He fully expected to catch his opponent of guard, and was surprised when he did not. The Sith took his own chance at attack, striking at the green alien Jedi Master. Jima moved out the way, again letting David strike.

This time the young Earthling was not as sure of what to do. He had far less experience than his Master, and almost certainly less than their deadly enemy. He struck a blow aimed at the black-clothed body.

The Sith responded by simultaneously stepping back as he blocked the blow. He was determined to lead the duel, perhaps trying to take the Jedi to their doom. Yet, he was in exactly the position to do so, David noted dismally. This would be harder than he had hoped.

His thoughts were quickly interrupted by another attack by their Sith opponent. David raised his blade and pushed, forcing the black-robed figure back half a step. Master Jima pushed as well, seeking control of the battle.

With a strange expression, the blue-faced Sith drove his attackers back once more with seemingly little effort. He struck with powerful blows intended to knock his opponents off their feet. Only an instinct and a strength born of the Force prevented this.

Master Jima pushed with his sabre when he saw an opportunity. He hoped to end this quickly. He was getting too old for this sort of thing… But that did not limit his determination to win, nor his deep secret hope to do what Master Jinn had not when fighting one of the original Sith. Perhaps it was simply born from his experiences on Geonosis: while Kenobi, Master Yoda, and Skywalker had fought Darth Tyrranus, he had been one of the many Jedi forced to help the heroes by fighting the thousands of battle droids…

The Sith's strong repulse was enough to make him wonder if this time he would join Master Jinn…

"Master, be careful!" David shouted.

David saw a new expression come across their opponent's face. He had long ago learned not to trust human instincts about emotions when dealing with non-humans; although the emotions were common, the ways of expressing them were not. He could not help suspecting that the blue Sith was pleased…

Of course, there was no time to consider that sort of thing. A sharp blow to his left shoulder reminded him of that. He refocused his attention and saw that the enemy was indeed throwing objects at them. The boy glanced at his Master. Even Master Jima was confused by the onslaught of small objects momentarily flying at them.

Only a few meters away stood their enemy, tantalizingly beyond reach. The apprentice Sith could feel the fear within the Jedi, especially the boy. He wondered, what was a young Jedi student doing out here? He had time to consider theses things, he gloated inwardly… Such a simple trick could cause so much confusion…

Suddenly, a loud explosion in the distance broke his thoughts. Although his powers of concentration were very good, they were not yet perfect… In a split-second, he raised his staff up energy again, blocking the green alien's thrust as he moved with surprising speed.

David watched from a distance of a few steps away. A gesture from his Master warned him to stay away. He couldn't have approached the solitary Sith even if he wanted to, for the could of debris –no longer quite as large he noticed- was still too strong for his approach.

Jima gestured to his apprentice. Now he could attack. The boy was too eager for his own good… He watched David try to sneak up behind their tall foe. So intent was Jima's attention on his pupil that he barely missed blocking a blow aimed for his own head.

The blue Sith was growing tired of this… He had had his fun. Now he must end it. He recalled his Master's briefing about the planet and its artificial constructs… Yes. That would be perfect.

With a sudden leap that knocked both Jedi over, the Sith switched off his lightsabre, turned and ran. He ran off towards a forbidding passageway down which a dark stairway ran and disappeared. The two Jedi were more shocked than injured and quickly recovered from that.

"Great, Master, now we have to find him." David commented as he looked towards the direction their opponent had gone.

"Yes. But we must be patient. He cannot win the end," Master Jima added.

David did not say anything. He and his Master walked slowly towards the Sith's new lair. He could only hope that the green Jedi would be right again.

A few kilometers away, Thomas Prus also hoped that his brother and his Master were making the right decision. He was still stung by the "orders" his brother had given him. Yes, he was bad with a lightsabre, but even he could hope to win when fighting along side a Jedi Master from the Old Republic! It just wasn't fair!

A nearby blaster shot broke his thoughts. Well, they had made it, he thought. Kyp's uncertain guidance had paid off: only a few hundred meters away stood an advancing army of droids, led by mysterious aliens whose body shape could not be seen clearly.

This was not much of a surprise: the Ssi-ruuk were much too afraid of death on an alien world to send in their own troops, especially on an attack with an undecided outcome. Yet Ssi-Ruuvi commonly sent out the smaller sentient P'w'ecks that were their virtual slaves….

Then it occurred to him that perhaps the xenophobic Ssi-ruuvi had simply sent out their allies with the Imperial-like capital ships. Yes, that guess fit nicely. As the advancing army of dark-cloaked figures ran closer to the enemy, the older Prus looked closer at the alien allies of the Ssi-ruuvi. His initial guess looked more correct than ever: they were mammalian, vaguely rat-like…

"Hey, kid! Watch it!" another Jedi with a purple-bladed lightsabre shouted, her red leathery skin flying as she shouted.

"Sorry!" Thomas shouted as the noise increased.

He stopped running with the Jedi and searched for a place to stop and rest. Finding none, he simply pressed on. With a touch of the button, his orange blade shot to life. Without thinking, his arm swiped down, the blade stopping a red blaster bolt that had been within seconds of reaching his face… The boy was breathless.

A familiar voice next to him remarked, "Great kid! Don't take that one shot too far!"

He turned instinctively to find the source of the voice, but the confusion and noise of battle effectively prevented this too. Even as he turned back, he sensed a tremor in the Force. Had someone died… The Sith lord? He hoped feverishly that David and Master Jima were still alive…

They were. The familiar presences of Jima and David were still there, as was the Sith. Instinctively, the young Earthling turned to run from battle. As strange at it would have seemed to anyone else, he knew that this was the best way to feel the distant lightsabre battle.

Again, he reached out, and touched the presences of his brother and his Master. He did not dare to venture out to the Sith. Somehow, he felt that even after the incident in the hanger/garage, it was better to keep the truth about his forces and himself a secret from the blue enemy…

A voice called out to him, indeed to all the Jedi. He listened closer. It was Kyp. He was shouting about a wave of reinforcements approaching from the northwest…

Thomas cleared his mind and raised his lightsabre. This fight was not over yet.

The base of the seemingly endless network of ramps and stairs down which he and his apprentice had just labored revealed exactly the type of environment that Na-Ka Jima had feared they would find.

His eyes struggled in the low light emitted from a handful of lamps that flickered in their places in ceiling far above. The dull walls they shown upon seemed to be a uniform brown of unadorned soil and bare rock. Although obviously explored and even settled, the place still shone of a fierce naturalness. Had it been a forest, the reptilian Jedi would have found himself quite enchanted by this realm.

"Master, where do you think he is?" David asked, interrupting his Master's flow of thought. The boy was constantly doing that… Yet, this time, he had a point. The Sith lord they were following was still alive, after all.

Jima reached out, trying to find the familiar burst of dark side power in an uncomfortable environment. He struggled to calm his emotions, and the primeval fear that warned him to escape. It was some time before he could answer.

"I don't know. He's too well hidden," he finally said in defeat.

But David was not listening. He had his own eyes closed, reaching out with himself. The great network of life seemed to become tangled with itself here. Whatever the reason, the sensation was very weird indeed. A single life form moved. It was him.

"Found him!" David exclaimed suddenly. He was happy that he had found the despicable Sith himself! His skills must be strong indeed, if he could succeed where his Master had not…

The awfulness of the unspoken reality seemed to add itself to the gloominess of the room. For the first time today, David felt fear grow in his complex emotions. Fear for his Master, fear for his own life.

He was not ready! He still had so many things to learn, about life, about the Force. This could not be Master Jima's end, could it? The emotion of fear increased, waves of it piling upon his young heart.

It was then that the blue humanoid decided to attack. As he prepared to fight once more, it occurred to David that perhaps their opponent had been manipulating them. It made quite a bit of sense.

"David, watch it!" Master Jima shouted. He was worried, about his own survival and his apprentice's. The boy was still too reckless for his own good.

Striking with all his force, Darth Rhea raised his weapon and struck against his weak Jedi opponents. He had trained for many years for this battle, alone and later with his Master. It had cost him his own people, but he finally supported the Sith's truths with all his being.

Power was the key. To everything: the universe itself, the Republic, the Jedi. The late Emperor had understood that. His weapons had been the envy of all who heard of them, and understood their true potential. What Palpatine had not understood was the overwhelming importance of knowledge. Knowledge of your enemies. You must know them as well as they knew themselves. Only then, could you use your power against your enemies, and win.

It was a lesson he had learned the hard way. After being exiled from his own people –already disliked for his unusual green eyes- for wanting to join the Jedi Order, he had been left to wander, hoping someone would train him in the ways of the Force.

After more than a decade of wandering, he finally had the money to talk to a dark side contact –someone in a position of influence in the renegade Jedi Brakiss' Shadow Academy. However, history was not to allow it. The very week he was to be told of his acceptance –if that had been his destiny- the infamous school had fallen, destroyed by a traitor after the school's secret had been revealed…

This had only been two years ago… It had been so little time since then, and look where he was now! He was in the fight of his life against the heirs of the Jedi –long time enemies of his people, he had realized almost too late. Lord Bogan had been his savior, not so long ago. He owed everything to the mysterious Sith Lord.

The strange reptile raised his weapon again. Yes. He was tiring, too old to fight against such a superior enemy. Rhea blocked with ease. Again, he raised his unique weapon, fighting back.

Now the boy struck again. He was so small, not even a Jedi in years. Had he not been ordered to do otherwise, Rhea would have considered taking the boy as his own apprentice or perhaps a gift for his Master.

In the distance, a jet of superheated water rose from the interior of the planet. Its spectacular entrance was all but ignored as the lightsabre fight continued. As if determined to get the fighters' attention, several more erupted without warning, spewing water in the interior of the chamber.

The heat rose, alarming David in particular. Having come from a well-behaved planet, temperature extremes were all but unknown to him, indeed to his whole species. At least Master Jima's still holding out, he noted with relief.

As if sensing the Earthling's fear, the temperature rose several more degrees while releasing more jet-charged water. It was getting worse…He was unsure if he could hold out much longer…

The planet responded with a small vibration. It was barely noticeable, yet added to David's discomfort. As if pleased with this development, several more Dai Shedoquakes shook that part of the world, each with increasing violence.

Still, the Sith fought, determined to win. At long last, he had regained control of the fight! Now he must find a way of killing them…

David did not express any surprise as their opponent leapt again, this time landing near a cluster of recently active geysers. They had just erupted, David noted, taking comfort in the knowledge that it might be hours or longer before they were ready to erupt again.

Jima pushed their opponent farther, trying to lead the fight away from the deadly waters. He was tiring, yes, but not ready to give in. He hoped the planet would cooperate…

The two sparing camps fought for the lead, each trying use the planet itself against his opponent. It wished to be left alone, the planet seemed to proclaim, releasing water and vibrations on Jedi and Sith alike.

At last, they were near the very sort of area both lizard and humanoid wanted to use, each for his own purpose to end the long fight. The end was nearing, and everyone was aware of this fact, although they differed in exactly how it would end.

At long last, the boy was retreating, Darth Rhea noted with pleasure. He jumped up high, putting his own life in danger. He did not care. From here, he could push the lizard –or perhaps both Jedi at once- to their boiling doom….

There was no way he or anyone else could have stopped the next quake, David would forever recall. The images of the next minute would stay with him for the rest of his life: the way the Sith struck at Master Jima, trying to push him to his doom. The way Jima had blocked the blow with a defensive stance. At that moment, the planet shook once more. For the last time, the Sith leaned forward to attack or perhaps to save himself from fate.

But his destiny was inescapable. His arms failed, even as his legs tripped on the rocky slope that was his pedestal. He fell back, surprised but still hoping to get up and live. Even as the great power of the planet demonstrated itself on its victim for all to see, David could sense the sudden fear within their dying opponent as he was boiled.

With a final scream of life and earth-force, the battle came to an abrupt –if not unexpected- end. David did not look up as he called upon the strength of the protective Force to shield himself from the great burst of water.

When he looked up again, only an eternity of his own life later, a soaking Master Jima still moved, still strong enough to survive. He simply gestured to David: It was time to leave.

Wordlessly, David hooked his water-deactivated weapon on his belt and rushed to escape from this place, a room of death and the raw fury of creation.

10

Again, Thomas Prus felt a great disturbance, a rupture in the field of life. Again, he reached out, to sense its source. It took only a second's concentration before he came to a very correct conclusion: The Sith lord had died a death of violence. The tremors still permeated the area, obvious to all those with the ability to listen.

He felt David and Master Na-Ka Jima running away from the scene of their battle. They were slowly heading this way…

As the other Jedi in "his" party neared, Thomas did not respond. He had a feeling… a feeling of safety and calm forced toward him by his brother through the network that bound all life together: David was safe, and coming to join the battle with his brother.

It was several moments before Thomas noted the silence on the windswept hills and plains of a vicious battlefield. It seemed that this battle too was at an end… Peace was at last returning to his little corner of the universe.

At last, the two Jedi caught up with their colleagues. Thomas noted with interest how they treated Master Jima. He was respected, even revered. Yet, Kyp was obviously uncomfortable with the older Master. Perhaps it was jealousy…

"How'd it go kid?" Thomas asked his brother in English.

David shook his head to clear his mind. He finally responded, "Fine. You should have been there…"

Thomas looked visibly disturbed at his brother's comment. After a long pause, he finally asked, "So, you won. I felt…his death."

David nodded. He began explaining, gesturing wildly. "Yeah. It was so cool! We fought in some underground caverns, with geysers and earthquakes…At one point, we were getting really tired out, but the Sith kept on fighting.

"See, he was patient," Thomas interrupted.

David pretended not to hear him, and continued talking, "…But we didn't give up either. He got up on a ledge in front of a volcanic pool, or something like that, and fought from there…But he…"

"…He did an Anakin." Thomas finished, understanding what his brother meant.

"Yeah." David agreed softly.

A small chime sounded. David picked up his commlink.

"Rear Admiral Prus speaking," he responded clumsily in Basic.

A familiar shrill voice quickly started a conversation. Thomas did not attempt to listen in. It was a tactical thing, and did not matter to him. He understood only that Bak-urakk's were winning, and the alien fleets were retreating.

Suddenly, David moved to end the call, "Thank you for the report, captain. Prepare some transports. I need to return to the Eye of the Storm as soon as possible. We also need to transport about a hundred other people," David guessed, looking around him. He terminated the transmission with a final "Thank you," and put the comm. back in his pocket.

"Well, guys," David started, addressing the assembled Jedi. "They're on their way."

It was about three quarters of an hour later when David found himself on the familiar bridge of the Eye of the Storm. Although the ship's exterior was pot-marked with battle scars, at first look the interior seemed clean and orderly. However, David could feel the tiredness of his loyal crew that made up the remains of his task force. They had been through a very intense battle while he had been fighting his own battles on –and below- the surface of Dai Shedo. He would enjoy telling him his adventures –whether they wanted him to or not. Ah, the pleasures of command!

He still needed to hear a full debriefing of the space battle, and prepare to replace his losses. It was still possible that his opponents on Coruscant would try to cut off any restocking of his small segment of the Starfleet. That possibility was definitely something to watch out for…

Any thoughts of returning were immediately pushed aside a moment later. In rushed a small Ishi Tib. Based on his uniform, David judged that he was a communications officer.

"Rear Admiral Prus! I have urgent news!" the officer announced.

David had a bad feeling about this…

"What is it now?" he asked.

"Tibrin is under attack! And by the same forces we just defeated!"

David's mind reached the only possible conclusion: A diversion! The whole attack on Dai Shedo had been a distraction, to prevent him from coming to the defense of Tibrin! Whoever that Sith had been, it too had been only to stop the only Jedi who could possibly stop his allies…

Yep, this was another bad feeling…

"Are there any Ssi-ruuvi forces involved?" David finally had the courage to ask.

"The report didn't say… The holos showed only the ships belonging to the attackers who previously attacked your diplomatic summit, and now Dai Shedo…"

David thought hard. The chain of recent events was beginning to make sense… That was it! The attack at Nar Hutta had been orchestrated to kill him specifically… Then the attack on Dai Shedo had been sent to take the planet's famed droid factories… And now Tibrin… Why? What was special about Tibrin?

And why were "they" so obsessed with destroying him in particular? What was so special about him? The Jedi! That was it. With a Rear Admiral Jedi flying around the galaxy, he posed a threat to the Sith's latest attempt at restoring dominance. Even the Jedi headquarters at Yavin IV was protected by a Republic fleet now…

He was too militarily important and too strong in Jedi ways to be ignored…Which also explained Master Jima. As a Jedi Master, he too posed a threat to the Sith, although not to a military invasion. The Battle of Dai Shedo had been their best chance at eliminating him and Master Jima, and capturing an important factory world besides.

And now that the Battle of Tibrin was well under way, even with Dai Shedo a failure, they would soon have a planet-sized bargaining chip, as well as whatever secrets the water-world possessed.

"Admiral?" the officer asked impatiently.

"Prepare the fleet. We will go to Tibrin at once!" David decided.

"Yes, Admiral!"

"I will tell our Jedi guests of my decision myself." David told him. Once again, he hoped he was making the right decision…

11

The great blue rush of hyperspace dissolved, and the familiar universal order of stars, planets, moons, and nebulae returned within seconds. The Eye of the Storm thundered out of lightspeed, closely pursued by the rest of what remained of Rear Admiral David Prus' fleet.

The Admiral's brother waited on the Storm's bridge. For the second time today, his ship rushed headlong into an already fierce battle. Again, he was denied the wonder of rendezvousing with a peacefully floating world.

He glanced nervously at his brother, also waiting anxiously at the command center of the ship. A quick glance with senses greater than his eyes told him all that he needed to know. The kid was nervous, yet excited, full of a youth's battle-spawned exhilaration and love of speed.

"Well, Thomas, we're here," David said nervously.

"Yeah…" his brother responded slowly and quietly.

"Um, David. What about me? You've got about a hundred tired and homesick Jedi out there…" he finally asked.

David paused only for a moment. "Move the ships carrying the Jedi army out the battle zone. They must be protected," he ordered.

He glanced at a list of captains among his own fleet, barely giving any indication of his shock at the great losses.

"Tell Lieutenant Wayffly to escort the Jedi back to Coruscant," he directed.

He glanced at a tactical holographic map. Several green dots began to break off from the fleet formation. Several large red dots pursued them at great speed. The bi-colored holos exchanged fire, as shown by the rapidly changing numbers on another display.

Several of the retreating Republic ships' statistics began to blink red, a sign that they were sustaining great damage. They could not hold out much longer…

"Red group, do you read me?" David inquired into a commlink. He hoped that these pilots could sustain their reputation, especially after the day's previous battle…

"Move to intercept. We must protect the transports!" he ordered.

"Roger that, Admiral! Moving in now!" a static-filled voice responded.

Several of small green dots began to cut off from their previous attack formation. They speed towards the larger red objects that represented the rapidly moving enemy. They too exchanged heavy fire, the ship statistics monitor proclaimed.

At the last moment, the Jedi transports rushed away from view at great speed…Within seconds, they had disappeared from all short-range sensors. The Jedi were safe. David breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sir, we're receiving a transmission from the planet," an alien voice chirped.

Good. This meant not only that the Tibrin leaders were still alive, but also that they had some sort of short-range communications…

"Put it on," David ordered.

Much too slowly, a static-filled shape began to form. It took the shape of the world's Ishi Tib leader. David struggled to remember his name, but found that he could not…

It did not matter, for the first words spoken by the leader of the besieged world were not words of greeting, but of relief in a time of crisis.

"Rear Admiral Prus, if you can hear me, I request that you journey down to our headquarters so that we may discuss strategy in person. Our forces will do their best to ensure your safety, although understandably, they may be in jeopardy."

"Thank you. I will prepare a transport at once," David answered quickly, not trusting the integrity of the communications channel.

The alien bowed. But the hologram did not dissolve, terminating the conversation. David waited with all the patience he had left…

"We are transmitting the coordinates on another encrypted channel. Come quickly with yourself and whomever you wish. Please hurry…"

At last, the small holographic figure slowly vanished as the transmission concluded.

"Well, kid, good luck! May the Force be with you. Again." Thomas told his important brother.

"You too…" David said hurriedly, remembering that his brother had seen and heard the entire conversation.

"Thomas, I want you to stay here. Find something to do, but don't call me, unless its safe or an emergency," the younger boy told his elder sibling.

David picked up his commlink again. He had to tell the others about his whereabouts… It would be very bad indeed if a transmission was sent to a non-functional channel. Besides, he had to decide who would go with him and Master Jima down to the planet…

It was obvious, he decided. Who would do better on Tibrin than one of their own people?

He switched to the channel aboard the Divine Wind.

The small shuttle carefully made its way from the hanger of the large triangular Divine Wind. The large Star Destroyer began to shrink slowly, as the shuttle flew farther away from its grasp.

David gave the ship only a brief glance. The ship was under attack on all sides. This was to be expected. After all, an Imperator had enough power to occasionally prove the decisive ship in a battle, as he had learned during his first battle with the Hutts…

He did not dwell on memories. There was not enough time. He returned his full attention to piloting the triangular Lambda-class shuttle. The controls were simple enough, and he had flown them before. What was truly unique about this particular situation was the battle that raged around them. He hoped that they were too small to be noticed…

The blue-gray world approached with typical speed. But David hardly noticed. His attention was strongly focused on his mission. It was not until he was a kilometer above the vast oceans that he began to worry about landing, for Tibrin was a planet of ocean, without any large landmasses.

Yet the Ishi Tib he had spoken to a few moments ago had given him exact coordinates… Below them, the waves crashed with a strangely silent roar. David did not dare look down at the deep waters… He could not afford to panic now.

A large shape began to emerge from the impossibly deep ocean. Water spilled off it, returning to join the rest of the planet's surface. Very slowly, the tall structure rose up to its maximum height, giving the waiting passengers their first view of the thing's true nature.

The tower was a tall and slender. At its top, a large dome opened up like a metal flower to reveal a small landing pad hidden within. The tower's lights blinked, beckoning the shuttle to approach.

Reluctantly at first, David relaxed. He must concentrate. With Jedi precision, David began to lower the shuttle. The waves did not bother him. They were only a distraction. A distraction that could, and must be ignored… The waiting tower loomed below as they approached.

Gently, the Lambda touched down on the pad. He shut down the engines, but did not dare open the hatch. They were not yet safe from the elements. This tower would see to it that they were.

The large metal petals began to close, blocking off more and more of the sky. Only at the last minute did David look up at the sky. Bright flashes that might be deadly in nature reminded him of his duty…

The doors closed with a silent bang, submersing the spacecraft and all within it in darkness. Gentle vibrations began pulsing through the cabin as the long needle began to lower itself, and return to the sea.

David did not glance at the ship's internal clocks as he waited. Nor did he try to sense the presences of this waiting hosts. A great task awaited him, and he must be refreshed. Very quickly, he relaxed further still, immersing himself with a shield of Force…

When a tap on the shoulder returned him to reality, David did not mind. He had rested. Perhaps he would be ready to face this responsibility. He glanced at Master Jima. The reptilian Jedi Master was silent. He gave David a pleased look, and turned away.

The shuttle's main hatch was wide open. David glanced out a window. Nearby, several green Ishi Tib waited. Captain Bak-urakk, in his Republic uniform, stood alone, awaiting his superior.

David ran from the cabin, out to the ramp. He slowed down only as he ran down the ramp. One of the Ishi Tib walked up to greet him.

"Greetings Rear Admiral Prus. I am Bal-nurra, leader of the Schools of Tibrin during this time of crisis. We are very glad you could make it to this meeting in time. As you can see, your fleet had arrived just in time."

The party began to walk, led by Bal-nurra and his fellows.

David nodded. "Yes. I hope to do my best to save this world. But I must know, is there some sort of secret that this world hides, one that merits an invasion?"

A moment passed. Bal-nurra whispered, "Yes. One of our schools is very advanced in the fields of medicine. Perhaps that is what the invaders seek." David nodded.

Bal-nurra returned to a normal tone of voice. "And we must prevent them from taking our world at any cost. Had your fleet not arrived when it had, we might not have been able to hold them off much longer."

"My forces are already engaging the enemy as we speak. I am certain that they can prevent any enemy forces from reaching the surface for a time," David reassured the alien.

"That will be enough for now. We have already launched our own orbital defenses, as you have seen. We are currently equipping our drone watercraft for combat in the seas surrounding the cities. The population has been evacuated to underground shelters. There they are safe until this emergency had passed," Bal-nurra explained.

"Well done. My forces will continue to do all that they can. Do you request any reinforcements on the surface?" David asked.

"Yes. We request that your Captain Bak-urakk guide us in strategic matters. His reputation as a leader has made him quite well known here on Tibrin. Second, in the event that invading forces do make it to surface, we request that your forces help us in eliminating them."

"Granted. We will do all we can," David agreed. "Captain, are you prepared to defend your home world?" he addressed own subordinate.

"Yes, Admiral. I am willing to do whatever possible to aid those of my school and my world," Bak-urakk answered.

David turned to face the Ishi Tib directly. "Captain Bak-urakk, I hereby give you the temporary rank of Colonel, for the duration of the emergency. This position may be removed upon its conclusion. Do you accept?"

"Yes, sir! I understand, sir," Bak-urakk answered dutifully.

"Congratulations, Colonel Bak-urakk," David said.

A figure ran into the room, an Ishi Tib. He chirped in his native tongue to his leader. Bal-nurra answered, again in "Ishi Tib". He began to run.

David chased after him. What was going on, he wondered. Had the invaders broken through the shield he had just bragged about?

He could feel discomfort, and anxiousness within Tibrin's leader. A quick reach to the seas proved too overwhelming with life to give any indications of exactly what had occurred.

He looked at his tired Master behind him. His blue eyes remained wide. David doubted that he was impeded by the vast quantities of life. Were people dying? David wondered. He did not dare to ask.

"Colonel, what's going on?" David asked the newly promoted officer.

Bak-urakk answered his superior quickly. "Our own space forces are failing. Several invading transports have broken thorough, and are heading towards the surface!"

As the small party continued to run, Bal-nurra led them through several more winding passageways. The air changed from natural coolness and humidity to a distinctly artificial brand of moist coolness as they ran thorough sealed doors.

Bal-nurra stopped outside a large control center. He stepped inside as calmly as possible. Prus' great starfighter support had been broken through. Now enemy forces might slip through a small hole caused by their failure. But the situation was not lost. Not yet.

An officer spoke, "Sir, we have sent for reinforcements from Coruscant, although local sector authorities may arrive sooner."

"Good. Have any enemy forces gotten through to the surface yet?" Bal-nurra asked nervously.

"No, sir. The gap has been closed, for time being. We did not detect any intruders, although several ships did probe the area," the officer answered.

"What should I do?" David inquired, having heard the entire conversation.

"Tell your forces to be more careful in the future," Bal-nurra answered dryly.

"So the planet is safe?" David asked.

"Yes, for the time being."

Even as he said it, Bal-nurra knew that the situation would not remain stable for long. One false alarm had been bad enough…

Although it was safe for now, the Battle of Tibrin was far from over.

12

Aboard the Tuíukii command-ship, Minister Azanak-ukii sat nervously. He did not want to be here. His forces were almost alone, with only few Ssi-ruuvi to assist them. It had been hard enough to convince Lord Bogan to allow even that.

At least they weren't losing. It was not a reassuring thought, but it was all the comfort he could conceive of at the moment. He could not afford to dream too far into the future. That would lead to ruin, as it almost had for his entire forgotten people.

He certainly did not trust the Ssi-ruuvi leadership, especially after their combined failure at Dai Shedo less than a day ago. He was sure they would betray the Tuíukii. But he could not prove it…

Lord Bogan was another matter. He had promised salvation for the unknown Tuíukii Alliance. But he had never claimed to have any major military plans, such as the one his forces were currently involved in. He had forgotten that the Tuíukii wanted economic revenge, and perhaps territorial gains. He had reversed the goals, without any concern for the rulers' popular support.

Azanak-ukii was certain that if the battle was lost, and he survived, Lord Bogan would not forgive him. The human seemed very unforgiving and impatient… Of course, he might simply report the matter back to the Alliance's leaders. They could see to his demise just as effectively… Either way, a loss would be personal suicide.

A chime rang. Azanak-ukii froze in mid thought. If it was Lord Bogan, he would not be bringing good news…

A familiar dark form rose from the holoprojector. It remained unchanged from the last time he had "visited" the Tuíukii's leader. Darth Bogan never seemed to changed his appearance.

"Yes my lord…" Azanak-ukii started.

"The attack is going well, I trust," Bogan whispered.

"Yes, my lord. We are ready to break through a weakness in the enemy's defense network. When we succeed, we will be ready to begin the invasion," Azanak-ukii said quickly.

Bogan frowned. His voice became darker still. "Do not lie to me, Azanak-ukii. I can feel it when you lie… Luckily for your sake, you are telling the truth."

"Yes my lord, of course," Azanak-ukii responded automatically, still not sure why the Sith had chosen to contact him in the middle of battle.

"My lord, do have any requests?" the rodent asked, unsure if he had the authority to ask even that question.

The hologram shimmered.

"Accelerate your plans," it commanded.

"Yes, right away."

"Begin landing your troops. The invasion must start as soon as possible. I have sent the remainder of your forces and Ivpikkis' fleet to join you. Together you will capture the planet," Bogan ordered.

"Yes my lord. We will be ready," Azanak-ukii agreed.

"I trust that you will succeed in this endeavor, Minister. You are aware of the consequences of failure," the Sith warned.

"Yes, I am aware," Azanak-ukii answered nervously.

"Good. Now go! Wipe the enemy out. All of them."

"Sir! Several enemy ships have broken through the defenses!" a familiar officer shouted.

Bak-urakk flinched, glad that this was not his fault. Yet, that thought did little to improve the situation…

"Put all ground forces on alert. They might try to attack the cities," Bal-nurra ordered.

"Sir, they have already landed! Several small craft are heading towards the cities!" another voice announced.

"Colonel, this is your arena. You will command our sea forces," Bal-nurra told Bak-urakk.

"I am prepared," he answered.

"Come with me," the leader ordered.

Gesturing to the Jedi that they were to remain behind, Bal-nurra led his new commander to another room. It was a standard control room. Computer consoles manned by dozens of busy Ishi Tib blinked.

"This is our underwater drone control room. From here, you will have our entire aquatic fleet at your disposal. Use them wisely," Bal-nurra told his newfound student.

Before Bak-urakk could say anything in response, the other Ishi Tib turned and left the room. He was alone in this battle. It was all up to him.

Colonel Bak-urakk watched as the various controllers pressed their controls on the blinking boards and consoles in front of them. The room hummed with the shrill voices of Ishi-Tib communicating status reports.

He carefully watched a viewscreen of the outside of the underwater complex. The scene was calm and beautiful. Fish swam past the coral reefs. The walls of the towering reefs themselves were lined with small transparent bubbles. Slowly, they opened, some like flower petals, others simply hinged open silently.

Then the first of the drone-subs slid out into view. It was sleek and resembled the carnivorous fishes common on so many worlds. Bright lights shone in the place of eyes. A long thin fin projected out from the top of the fighter. Two dorsal fins jutted out from the sides. The tail gave way to the common prop engines.

As it turned, it was joined by many more of its kind. They emerged from their hibernation at various angles, giving Bak-urakk a new perspective of the sleek drones. Now he saw that the fins ended in long thin prongs permanently facing forward. Long thin tubes jutted from the drones' sides. These were truly machines of war.

He was patient. He watched as the by now huge army of drones swam through the oceans. He watched as the last externally mounted camera clicked off. From this point on, they would have to rely on sensors in the drones themselves.

The minutes crept by slowly. Suddenly, a controller near the front of the room spoke. His voice was clear and excited, yet calm and professional all at once. "Sir, we have enemy craft approaching from Sector 7."

This was now Bak-urakk's stage. "How far are they from our base, and the cities?" he asked.

"About 150 kilometers," one controller answered over his mike.

"That is too close. We must protect the cities." Bak-urakk said to no one in particular.

"Sir! The enemy is opening fire!" someone interrupted.

Now Bak-urakk watched new red dots appear next to their own green ones on a tactical hologram of the battle. There were hundreds. He hoped that their own ships would be enough to stop the enemy before it came too close to the cities. It would be close.

He turned to another screen. On it, was displayed a vast array of motion. A bright yellow flash appeared, blinding him for a few seconds. It was one of their ships blowing up. A green dot on the tactical holo disappeared.

A stream of yellow bolts appeared in one corner of the screen. He did not need to wonder where it had come from. The question was answered quickly. A torpedo-shaped ship entered a few seconds later. It was an enemy ship.

He made a decision. "Open fire!" he commanded. A Gunnery officer responded with an affirmative.

Long purple streaks appeared from the prongs on the fins of the drones, including the one that was providing information for the visual display. Several struck the hulls and fins of the enemy craft. They responded by exploding, and new bursts filled the scene. A loud cheer went up as the first enemies were struck down.

But this battle had just begun.

"Sir! The enemy has deployed ground forces!" the same officer shouted as Bal-nurra reentered the command room. He was getting tired of this, but knew that it was just beginning.

"Deploy all tank and artillery units. The enemy ground forces must be stopped." He said mechanically.

David's interest was aroused. Although he had no authority in commanding these forces, he was curious.

"Excuse me. What is the enemy deploying?" he asked.

"They have deployed several units of TIE Century Tank crawlers and repulsor tanks."

"Well, the TIEs will be easy to take out. I've taken out a lot of them in the sims," David commented.

"This is not a simulator, Admiral. Although we have no way of knowing the experience of the pilots, we must assume that they are as dangerous as they would be under the finest Imperial control," Bal-nurra told the boy sternly.

David kept quiet. He did not want to interrupt the busy leader of Tibrin. His very presence seemed unnecessary, and an annoyance. It was time for him to leave.

"Sir, if you'll not be needing me any further, I will return to my command ship, and assist my forces in orbit," David announced, noting the relief in Master Jima's face.

Bal-nurra did not even face him. He grunted a note of thanks and returned to work.

Quietly, the two Jedi left the room. David reached for his commlink. He would have to notify the Divine Wind of his eminent arrival, and prepare for some sort of water landing despite the distant battle. He did not dare ask of assistance from the Ishi Tib.

A familiar chime from his comm. broke his thoughts. He could already guess who it was…

"Rear Admiral Prus speaking," he started.

A familiar voice spoke in an alien language at the other end, "Well, Rear Admiral, we are under attack up here, and bored out of our minds."

David smiled. "What else is new? Listen-"

"You listen. We are going down there. I mean, come on, kid. You can't just leave me up here… Kyp and I have to do something," his brother interrupted.

"Would you hold it! Master Jima and I are going back up there ourselves. We're done down here," David explained.

"Great. We'll have a big bored Jedi party. And by the way, you are not done down there. The sensors have picked up a bunch of ships on their way down there, and…." Thomas paused.

"What is it?"

"Well, one of those ships looks like it belongs in a Sith memorial museum… See you later!" Thomas said quickly. The communication ended with a click.

Master Jima looked at his apprentice. He had never gotten used to the boy's brother. After seeing more of him, he doubted that he would have made a good apprentice, even if they hadn't had their differences… Not that Skywalker had done a better job so far…

"Well, my apprentice, what has your brother told you?" he asked.

"Well, he's coming down here, and something about… another Sith lord in a spacecraft."

"Another one? If he's right, we'd better hurry!" Master Jima told David quickly.

David nodded. He ran towards the "hanger" where his shuttle had landed only about an hour earlier. Already waiting was a single Ishi Tib in a mechanic's uniform. He looked at the approaching Jedi.

"Sir, I'm afraid you'll have to stop here. This ship isn't authorized for clearance," it argued.

David considered his options. This being seemed determined to stop him… Well maybe authority and the Force would allow him passage…

"I'm Rear Admiral David Prus. I need to leave at once," David told him, displaying his Republic Starfleet identification. David waved his hand in from of him.

"Yeah, right, kid…" the Ishi Tib's voice drifted away.

"Your ship is ready for departure. I'll get clearance for you…" it said in a strange tone of voice. It left the room, running off, hopefully to do exactly what it had said. Otherwise, he'd be in real trouble, David thought.

The Ishi Tib came back some moments later. It did not seem worried, for its safety, nor anyone else's.

"Well, sir, you have received clearance to take off."

"Thank you," David told the Ishi Tib.

David walked through the doors again. Inside was the Lambda shuttle, exactly as it had been not long ago. Noticing a parallel, David commented, "Well, Master, at least this time we can come and go in the same ship."

"Yes, my Padawan. We must leave quickly, or they will start sending out their own security forces at us," Master Jima said with a humored look.

The two Jedi boarded the shuttle. David took the controls, waiting to be free to lift off from Tibrin. The platform lifted off with a gentle nudge. It slowly traveled through the darkness of the self-contained cylinder. About fifteen minutes later, the great metal petals began to open to the sky.

The shuttle took off slowly. As it left, David watched the metal petals close. The great stem began to "shrink" as it slowly sank back into the sea. The waves began to wash against it. The waves got higher as the stem got shorter. At last, like some ship sinking to the bottom of the sea, the waves flowed over it, leaving nothing when they subsided.

13

Thomas Prus adjusted the controls of the Lambda shuttle he piloted. They were so easy to fly… He flew around and above the eternally crashing waves. They did not worry him. As long as he kept his distance, he was safe.

"Well, Mister Prus, do you have a scan?" a voice asked from the ship's rear.

"Well, I think I've got something taking off from the planet. It could be our missing Jedi… Yes, it's a Lambda. That's gotta be them. And there's that ship I saw earlier."

"Good. Maybe this time the Rear Admiral and his Master will allow us to help."

"Yeah. Well, they better. If that other Sith was only an apprentice, imagine what a Sith Master can do… They're going to need our help. We'll be needed alright, Master D…."

"Master, there's a new ship coming up," David told Jima.

"Yes. I can feel its pilot. He is strong in the Force…" Jima commented.

"I know… I can't feel anyone else on board…" David started. "The scanners can't tell what kind of ship it is…" he noted with surprise and dread.

This was really bad news. The scanners were supposed to be able to pick up the signature of almost any Republic or Imperial ships… Which could mean that it was of alien design. Yet, the Force-sensitivity of the pilot contradicted that outright. Unless it was a very old design…

He had a bad feeling about this.

Darth Bogan adjusted his scanners. There. It was perfect. The landing spot was just a block of reef that projected above the waters. There was more than enough room for the two ships to land. After they did…

They would pay! The cursed Jedi had already escaped more than twice. What was worse, they had killed his apprentice, Darth Rhea. He would be very hard to replace. They deserved to die, to be slashed by his weapon, then consumed by the predators that inhabited this world. And it would happen soon. He could feel it.

He brought his ship, one of Old Republic design, down onto the reef's flat surface. He readied himself to fight. To kill. To destroy. To avenge. It was a matter of time.

David brought the ship closer to the new arrival. It was a long black ship with widespread wings jutting out from the central control "ball". It some ways, it resembled a TIE Fighter. And so it should, for it had been designed back in Old Republic times, by the same people who would later do the TIE series. It was a clone of the long gone Darth Maul's spacecraft.

He turned to Master Jima, unsure of what to do. Master Jima nodded quietly. Swallowing instinctively, David brought the Lambda lower, looking to a place to land. Finding one, he carefully set the shuttle down on a flat part of the reef. He wondered if it would ever fly again…

Taking his lightsabre off his belt, David followed his Master down the ramp. All three were ready to fight. All three wanted to win. Here they would decide who would live.

The Sith was already waiting for them. He was a dark-clothed figure that matched the Emperor's very closely. Had they not died more than a decade ago, David would have sworn this was another Emperor clone. The image itself inspired fear, which was precisely its purpose.

The Jedi unhooked their lightsabres. The Sith reached to his own belt. To David's surprise, he unhooked not one but two of the weapons. Again, the mere thought of fighting such an experienced Sith was frightening in itself.

The Sith lord pushed controls on his weapons. The ruby red blades slowly sprang to life. He raised his weapons, and struck the Jedi. Having learned from his first encounter, David was completely ready. His weapon was drawn and blocked the blow with ease.

He struck the black form. The Sith blocked with equal ease. He would not have to decide which Jedi to fight first, David realized. He could fight them simultaneously. It would not be easy. But since when had the Sith set out to do things the easy way?

David struck again. The Sith sidestepped the blow, striking Master Jima. Jima blocked the blow. He was too experienced to fall for a trick like that…

The duel began to pick up speed. Blow followed blow. Strike. Block. Step aside. The never-ending pattern. With accuracy rivaling the ancient Samurai of a far away nation, the Sith lord rushed his opponents. He was patient. Even if he had to fight for hours, he would win eventually.

Clothes rushing, the Jedi too poured their energy into the battle. They could not afford a loss. They had fought too much, too long to be destroyed so soon. Nor could they risk running away, allowing the Sith to go back and hunt down the Jedi one by one. So they had to fight on.

The double blades became a rush of red light. They moved like small sticks used by a child to poke at siblings, yet were the size of an ordinary lightsabre blade. The meter-long sticks of light poked furiously, yet were blocked each time.

Deep in concentration, David did not notice the blast of orange plasma that exploded nearby. Another followed, and another. The air filled with smoke as the reef burned and turned to powder.

The Sith jumped back, and landed on a small ledge of reef. He looked up at the source of the fire. It was a single Lambda-class shuttle with New Republic markings. It flew around wildly, as if the pilot feared approaching the battlers.

A new wave of laser fire erupted from the shuttle. The blasts tore towards the waiting Sith. With a look of concentration, the laser bolts bounced off the double weapons, and raced back in the direction from which they had come. The shuttle shook as its own fire hit it.

Not easily deterred, the shuttle began to approach, looking for a place to land. With a swipe of his hands, the Sith called on the Force to aid him. Although Force control over atmospheres was inherently weak, it was enough. Gusts of wind buffeted the shuttle's non-aerodynamic wings. It shook and waved on the artificial wind.

At last defeated, the shuttle aborted its approach, and flew off towards the distant horizon. The triangle of the Lambda shrank, until it ceased to exist in the skies.

The Jedi had approached the perched Sith while he had worked. Now they could kill him, and end the menace forever… They raised their blades in unison….

And blocked a blow apiece. With only a hint of surprise, the Sith fought back. It was not ready to give up. The battle would have to continue.

14

Far above the planet, the Ssi-ruuvi fleet raged out of lightspeed. Guns of both types blazed. Purple ion blasts added a new color to the battle as Admiral Ivpikkis' flagship moved to intercept and capture as many of the enemy as it could.

If they were human, they would make good entechment candidates, to give a form of life to Ssi-ruuvi equipment. They had lost a lot of hardware at Dai Shedo at the hands of this task force and its leader. Now they were being given another chance to win.

Thousands of the small pyramidal starfighters that were a signature of the Ssi-ruuvi streamed out of the ships' hangers. Armed with four laser cannons, each was ready to deal death to those who were unprepared or gathered without sufficient weaponry.

With famed accuracy, wave after wave of fighters fell to the Republic forces. They had fought this enemy before and won. Now they fought again, and would likely win again. Although tired, these pilots were superior to the remaining Ssi-ruuk forces.

In general, they were confident of a hard-fought victory. Only the capital ships were endangered, and only by the their enemy equivalents. These too could hold out for some time to come.

Aboard his own ship, Minister Azanak-ukii of the Tuíukii watched the reinforcements arrive. He had been expecting them for some time. Their tardiness was not a surprise. He was sure that his distrust of Ivpikkis was mutual, despite their contract with Lord Bogan.

With the arrival of his forces, Azanak-ukii felt a new sense of safety. Now he had enough forces to hope to win against the dangerously victorious Republic forces above Tibrin. He was reassured of victory, although it might be slow in coming.

A small Tuíukii officer walked up to him

"Yes?" Azanak-ukii asked.

"Minister, we have received word that the Ruling Council has its newest weapon, one that claims to be able to disable the ray shields of enemy ships," the small rodent answered.

"Very well. It shall receive its first battle test. Bring this new weapon to bear against the enemy," Azanak-ukii ordered.

Azanak-ukii watched as new blip appeared on the ship's scanners. The weapon was contained in an unusually shaped ship. The tiered hull curved in a slightly cone-like shape with a sudden drop leading to a saucer-shaped underside. Several guns emerged from space between the two "halves".

He gave the order to fire at will. The target was a Corellian ship with still-active shields. Purple sparks shot from one gun. Upon contact with the ship, they began to worm around the hull. Soon the entire hull was visibly crawling with sparks. A display confirmed the weapon's effectiveness; the ship was now shield-less and vulnerable.

From somewhere within the fleets, an order was given: the vulnerable ship was to destroyed. Dozens of starfighters moved for kill. The doomed ship began to fire wildly at everything it could hit. With a sudden flash, it exploded, destroying several small ships in the process.

A suddenly worried Azanak-ukii was too busy celebrating the success of the new weapon to notice the loss of several friendly ships. Azanak-ukii did not bother to glance at the displays. Thus he did not see the first ships of a fleet of new arrivals emerge from hyperspace.

Far below, Colonel Bak-urakk sat tense in the underwater command room. His forces had been fighting the enemy drones for an hour, at least. He was getting tired of commanding such unfamiliar units in such a crucial battle.

The last he had heard, Bal-nurra had been winning the battle on the reefs. He was relieved that such a great responsibility had not been assigned to him. The ground forces were in capable hands, so their eminent victory would be no surprise.

He returned to staring at the screens and projections. The number of dots in general had decreased significantly. Yet even after all the effort, an uncomfortably large number of red dots remained…

The holograms flickered, and went blank. He gave worried expression to a random officer who happened to be passing by. He kept silent, except for a worried expression. Bak-urakk glanced around the room. Did anyone know what had happened?

"Check power routing to the communications systems, he ordered."

"They check out all right," came the response from a distant Ishi Tib.

"Are our commands still getting through?" he asked another.

"Checking… Yes. The signal's weak… and fading," a worried voice answered.

"Sir, the enemy is jamming us," someone offered.

Bak-urakk nodded. It made sense. Now they had to get past the jamming somehow…

"Locate the source of their transmitter. Order our ships to take it out."

"Can't do it… All transmissions have stopped," a communications officer answered.

"Uh, sir, we've found their generator… You'd better look at this yourself…"

Bak-urakk walked over to the voice that had just spoken. He glanced at the small screen. It was a color-coded map of the general area. From this wider view, he could see the large number of enemy forces that remained in the danger zone. There were far more than he had assumed.

The officer at the console pointed to a single large red blip on the screen. It had a long and slightly tubular shape. It stood near the very center of the enemy command forces. Dozens of smaller ships cruised lazily around it.

"Sir, that is their generator. If we take it out, the jamming will stop. Perhaps even their own communications will be crippled, or even disabled entirely," he explained.

"Then we must take it out immediately. We cannot allow this jamming to continue," Bak-urakk commented.

With communications to their own drones knocked out, the task was made much more difficult. Even with all remaining forces operational, an attack could easily prove disastrous. There was only one real option: He would have to send a team out there to take out the communications ship.

Bak-urakk began giving orders. "We'll have to take it out ourselves. I'll get a team ready. I will join them myself."

Unaware of all that occurred beyond the range of their senses, the lightsabre duel continued. An untiring Sith lord continued to jab his opponents. An equally unrelenting Jedi Master continued to block each blow.

Despite great exertion, Na-Ka Jima did not yet control the pace of the battle, much less its outcome. It was all he could do to fight to live. For the first time, his mind began to doubt.

With a burst of energy, as if fueled by Jima's feelings, the human opponent began to attack the reptilian Jedi's apprentice.

David sprang again to his own defense. He had been attempting to contact his forces in space. He had not heard any reports for more than an hour. As a Rear Admiral, staying in touch with his forces was a very important duty.

But it was a duty that this dark adversary would not let him fulfill. With a greater sense of tiredness, David raised his blade once more, and blocked the taller human. With greater precision than he would have expected, David struck a powerful blow at the Sith's right arm, hoping to at least distract the guy long enough to attack and win.

Instinctively, the man looked at his arm to guide his blade. This slip was all that David needed. He struck again, this time at the heavily clad chest. With a rush of hope, he pushed with all his might…

Using his left hand, the enemy deflected the boy's blow. He tumbled off his feet, and onto a small notch in the edge of the reef. Dark pointed coral surrounded him, providing a momentary distraction, as the boy tried to right himself.

With a smile of triumph, the Sith lord towered over his fallen opponent. Now was his chance. He could kill the boy, and then defeat the old alien. Then his revenge would be complete. He raised his right weapon to strike a deathblow…

David reactivated his blade, thankful that the hilt had not fallen into the waters that lay less than a meter away. He blocked the blow. His eyes locked with those of his opponent. He could see the evil pleasure in them, the driving urge to destroy. Even as he tore his eyes away, David saw the other blade coming down on him. Already occupied with the other, he could not possibly stop both in time. David closed his eyes instinctively…

When he reopened them, he was alone. Only a few meters away, a struggling Master Jima struck at their common enemy. Yet the green alien was too weak and too tired to continue leading. He began to falter, once again becoming the follower.

David leapt up, calling on the Force to raise him. He jumped past the narrow ledge of rock that separated him from his Master. With superhuman abilities, he swept past the clashing figures, and landed safely behind his twirling Master. For the moment, he was safe.

A voice cried within him: Call for help! In the blink of an eye, the small commlink was out. He switched it on, not caring what frequency it was tuned to.

A voice answered him at the other end, "What's up?"

"Thomas, get back here now! Master Jima-" David started.

"We can't! There's about a dozen big droid airspeeders around us. Kyp's taking out as many as he can. But we're only one ship!" his brother argued.

"Shut up! I need you to get here now! We can't hold on much longer!" David screamed.

Surprised at his brother's rage, Thomas gave in. "Alright, alright. We'll do what we can…" He addressed the blindingly fast human beside him. "Hey Master D.! We need to get to David now!"

"See. We're on our way," he told his brother.

Satisfied, David shut off his commlink. He did not have enough time to try to get any good reinforcements. Thomas and the pirate-bashing former Dark Jedi would have to do. At least they could try firing again…

David returned to aid his Master. He did not say anything, but only ignited his weapon, hoping that this would be the last time.

Aboard the Mon Calamari Star Defender Viscount, Vice Admiral Merniz watched the star-lines shrink back into familiar points. She glanced at the tactical holos: there were about twelve surviving non-starfighters that she could count on… and about eight enemy capital ships.

She knew that this would be a simple operation for her team. After all, what chance did any normal capital ship stand against a force with an Executor-class Star Destroyer on their side? Next to that, even the six Imperial SDs and the five Mon Cal Cruisers looked very small indeed…

"Launch all fighters to intercept enemy forces! Alert all ships: we are to open fire on enemy forces immediately!" she ordered.

She continued to watch the screens as dozens of New Republic starfighters joined the already ferocious battle. Only a sudden announcement interrupted her thoughts of victory.

"Admiral, the Rolling Thunder is reporting a partial loss of shields. Sensors indicate that the enemy is using some sort of anti-shield weapon of immense power."

"Find the source!" she commanded. A weapon that could endanger an Executor was to be feared indeed.

For the moment, she had to command the rest of the fleet.

"Attention all New Republic ships. This is Vice Admiral Merniz. We are here to help," began over an open channel. She changed to a New Republic military frequency.

"All ships of Rear Admiral Prus's fleet, your are to continue your present attack plans until the Rear Admiral returns from the planet." She paused for a moment.

"All capital ships of the Ninth Fleet, standby to engage enemy capital ships."

She switched to another channel. "Begin dispatching our ground forces. We must aid the planet's."

The fun part was just beginning.

Slowly at first, a wave of new troop ships began to near the surface. As the first wave touched down, another appeared just within view of the surface. As it too landed safely, another began its descent. The ships opened up, revealing a vast ocean of ready warriors in their barracks.

Thousands of metal balls rolled from their racks. On command, they began to unfold. Within a minute, the entire surface of the reef that formed the landing platform was covered in droids of alien design each capable of dealing death to almost any known creature.

The army began to split into groups of several hundred, each commanded to find and obliterate any known enemy forces. The awed Ishi Tib leaders reported to their underwater base: the reinforcements had arrived.

A final transport landed. The ship's great height surprised all that had been warned of its arrival. A great sound emanated from within. It was a truly alien sound, one that announced that the hidden contents of the transport was ready to join the battle.

Bak-urakk carefully navigated his personal command sub through the expanse between safety and the enemy. Out here, he could see and feel the gap between the invaders and his own people. This gap was steadily closing as the unchecked enemy subs continued their advance. It was a gap that would have to be spanned, and the other side destroyed.

Ahead, the gap between his forces and those of the enemy narrowed with increasing speed. The first scouts became aware of his force's presence.

He waited anxiously for the first wave of enemy fire. He tightened his grip on the controls, determined not to let rage overtake him…

A yellow bolt streaked towards one of his subs. The pilot sensed the danger and maneuvered his craft, dodging the deadly beam of energy. Another yellow ray shot out, and missed its target.

"Open fire!" Bak-urakk ordered.

Streams of purple bolts raged at the attackers. Muffled explosions filled the water with brief bursts of light that subsided as quickly as they had come. One by one, the first wave of enemy ships was destroyed.

One by one, the Ishi Tib losses also grew. Bak-urakk began to worry about the mission, and about what failure would mean to his people, even if he did not live to see it for himself. He could not let his people down.

A large ship approached, weapons already blazing.

"All ships, evasive action!" he ordered.

"Roger, Colonel," a pilot responded.

The fish-like Ishi Tib subs began to wave and flow like a school of their living cousins. Violet bolts streaks from their guns as they wove around the larger enemy. They were too fast to be destroyed so easily, Bak-urakk noticed with satisfaction.

"Sir, I've picked up a strong power source at 3 KM. It could be our target," a pilot announced.

"All ships, you heard that. Lock in and prepare to engage enemy cruisers. We'll get 'em yet," Bak-urakk ordered.

The fluid wall of friendly ships continued to weave through and past the non-living enemy ships. Vast armies of enemy ships began to notice the intruders, and took their own action.

Bak-urakk's ship shook under heavy bombardment. He was not yet ready to give up. They were nearing the center of the fleet, having entered the cluster through a relative weak point.

The large command and communication subs approached with increasing speed. But the force ignored them. They were not to be distracted by anything less than a direct attack, a directive that many took to the heart.

A vast command ship approached from one side. It did not fire back; it simply continued on its journey towards the still-distant cities.

"That's it!" Bak-urakk realized.

"All ships open fire on that cruiser. It is our primary target."

A dozen small subs opened fire on the enemy communications ship. Parts of its hull began to glow under as the attack grew in force. Shield integrity began to weaken. It would not stand for long…

"Look! What's that!" a voice exclaimed.

Bak-urakk looked up… Far above, an enormous dark shape began to descend towards the underwater conflict. Vast arms and legs began to kick, as the strange creature struggled to find comfort in this new environment.

The creature did not discriminate among the two opposing sides as it destroyed all that opposed its presence with their weapons. Great jaws opened, as it tried to breathe in an environment where the air lay far above.

Bak-urakk watched as the monster continued its rampage. It was incredible, like some beast out of legend, an angry god out to restore order in the universe. It was a god that he did not want to provoke.

"All forces, retreat!" Bak-urakk ordered.

The remaining subs formed up behind him. It would be a race, his forces against the monster, with their lives at stake. The instruments reported the approach of the monster.

"Everyone, full throttle!" he ordered, although no one needed to be told.

The beast noticed the small group of hurrying craft. Perhaps they would provide some nourishment… It did not even notice the great dark ships that lay in the way; it simply crashed thorough them. The fleeing ships fired their weapons, only to see the animal jerk about as they hit its skin. Still, the monster did not stop.

Even as they began to gain in distance from the monster, it did not give up its quarry. They were fish-like, and thus a source of energy in this cold ocean. They could not be allowed to escape without a catch.

It opened its mouth, and swallowed the nearest one. Far from the taste of flesh it had been expecting, the beast encountered only more metal, and more bolts of energy that while they could not kill it, did injure the exposed organs from within. As the last gunner within the swallowed ships prepared to die, he saw a glint of metal. Perhaps it was the control for this horrible thing… He fired. The last thing he saw was the flash of light as the metal exploded.

At last, with curiosity satisfied, Godzilla left the chase, and began to seek protection from the hostile elements on Tibrin.

David struck with newfound certainty. For the first time, he knew that he would be able to defeat this Sith lord as well. It would be hard, but he and Master Jima could do it, even if it meant that the other two Jedi would take the credit. That no longer mattered.

He relaxed, knowing that his physical tiredness could only be healed with the Force's warmth and peace. It was in that peace that he rediscovered his strength, enough to continue.

Although the Sith blocked his blow, David did not let that one defeat disappoint him. Other things were more important. Like life. Survival. Love.

He pulled and tugged at his opponent with invisible hands. The man responded with a renewed attack. David stopped pulling, and fought with his weapon. It did not really matter how he fought, he realized, but that he lived.

Again calling on the Force for guidance, David touched on a presence. There were two of them, heading this way. Both were familiar. They were Kyp and Thomas, coming to the rescue.

Also sensing their approach, Master Jima pushed with new strength. He knew that help was on its way. The fact that he did not agree with the Jedi philosophies of that help did not matter.

Darth Bogan also sensed the approaching Jedi, as well as the source of strength that that knowledge was to his hated opponents. He must move quickly; the reinforcements would arrive any minute…

A blast of orange laser fire struck nearby. David cheered within. They had done it! Now the two had to work on their aim, and it would be over… He saw a new fear on the face of his opponent, as well as a renewal of hatred.

With surprising speed, the robed Sith jumped over his opponents. He did not stop to fight, but turned and ran towards his ship. Knowing that any escape depended on it, he did not stop to blast his opponents with the ship's weapons, but continued to fly.

The great Sith spacecraft lifted off with a jerk and a cloud of dust forced from the rocks of the reef. Kyp Durron opened fire with all the shuttle's many weapons, hoping to take it out before it was too late… With a burst of speed, the ship left its closest possible pursuers behind, speeding out to the relative safety of space.

Within his ship, Darth Bogan fumed silently. Not only had he failed to avenge his lost pupil, but the boy's reinforcements were at that very moment decimating his fleet. The boy had cost him almost everything…

For the moment, he would have the fleets withdraw to safety. Once they arrived… he would deal out justice to those who had failed. Many were responsible for this. Many would pay with their lives.

Especially that boy. He and all the loved would vanish soon enough, allowing him –Darth Bogan- to rise and eventually to rule the galaxy, even if it took another half-century. For he had not forgotten a Sith's most important rule: Patience.

He reached up and picked up a commlink. For the moment, he had to escape to safety, and deal justice. Then he could consider the future in greater detail.

As his brother landed, David sighed with relief. Although he and Master Jima had not won their battle, they had significantly weakened the new Sith. Now one was dead, and the other on the run. It was unlikely that there would be more, for the Sith in the days of the Old Republic had learned that only a pair could keep their dream alive, only a master and an apprentice. Never more, never less. The fact that one of the two –regardless of his position- had survived meant that someday, the Sith might return…

At last, the Lambda landed, it wings folding back as the landing gear stretched out to touch the ground. The ramp extended with a hiss, and the shuttle's two crew ran out to great the Jedi. David ran out as well, to met his brother.

"Hey, kid, you made it!" the elder of the pair shouted as they approached each other.

"Yeah! But you saw, he got away…" David reminded him.

"Don't worry too much. It'll take him a while to get a new apprentice. After all, how many people out there want to join the dark side?" his brother reassured him.

"Too many." David responded quietly.

A sudden roar of waves broke the conversation. Vast amounts of water split and slid off the approaching object. David froze. Could it be some enemy submarine, come to finish the three Jedi off, as it prepared to retreat?

At last the ship surfaced, its cylindrical surface sending more water everywhere, throwing spray on the young Jedi's feet. David remained tense. He had to be ready…

The hatch popped open. Another tense moment passed. A familiar human voice called from within. At last, the voice's owner emerged. It was Doctor Harryhausen.

"Well, Rear Admiral, I'm glad to see you and your Master are safe…" he said to a pleased David and his confused brother.

"Yes, we're fine. But what brings you here from Dai Shedo?" David asked curiously.

"Well, your Vice Admiral suggested bringing the newest battle droids along, as a combat test…" David nodded.

"After some thought, we decided to…" Harryhausen continued.

A beep sounded from the young Admiral's commlink, still hanging at his belt. He did not stop to consider the planet's water would have on its performance.

"Rear Admiral Prus speaking…" he spoke into the device.

"Rear Admiral, this is Vice Admiral Merniz of the Viscount. I'm pleased to report that the enemy forces are withdrawing. Our forces are pursuing, but it seems likely that most of the remaining Ssi-ruuvi will successfully escape any possible significant damage," a woman's voice spoke.

"What of the other aliens who had previously attacked my forces at Nar Hutta?" David asked his superior.

"As the enemy withdrew, several Ssi-ruuk cruisers opened fire on their allies. They destroyed several capital ships, including what we believe was their command ship. To put it simply, they turned against their allies, and wiped them out," she told him.

"I see… Does this mean that the space battle is effectively over?" David asked, changing the topic.

"Yes. It appears that the system is firmly in our control. Any remaining damaged enemy ships are being swept up. Their crews will become New Republic POWs. We are done. Merniz out."

David switched his comm. off and hung it back on his belt. Now that that phase was over, he had to find his forces, and see what the Godzilla guy was doing on Tibrin… Could it be?

"Now, why are you here?" David asked the waiting scientist next to him.

"As I was saying, after much thought, it was decided to take your monster 'Godzilla' to Tibrin," Harryhausen explained.

David saw his brother stop in shock. He could not help smiling at his confusion. After all, he did not know that a monster called Godzilla now existed, nor of the fantastic battle it had fought in. This would be fun…

"How is this possible? Godzilla is from a cold world. There are no oceans on Dai Shedo… And besides, dinosaurs were certainly not aquatic…" he asked with a mischievous smile in his brother's direction.

"Well, in laymen's terms, Godzilla is aquatic. Although it breathes air, including the oxygen-rich atmosphere of Tibrin, it was designed to survive in a variety of climates, including deep oceans, with only occasional surfaces for air. In a way, it was a very wide-reaching experiment, including cloning ancient alien DNA, adding a cyborg implant, and a variety of physiological features that could aid it in a battle against enemies armed with conventional weapons."

So, Godzilla was now on Tibrin, swimming about… David wondered about Colonel Bak-urakk's forces… What if they had met Godzilla?

It was a question he would come to when he came to it. He had a lot of work to do…

"So, David, what are you talking about?" Thomas asked him.

"I'll explain everything. You'll see!"

He had a lot of explaining to do… It would be fun.

15

Five days later, David Prus again found himself on Tibrin. Again, his brother and his Master stood by him, beaming in pride. With them again was the young Kyp Durron, as well as the leaders of the planet.

But this time, he was not on an out-lying reef in the middle of the planet's oceans. Today, he was standing in front of the government buildings in the planet's largest city. Today was peaceful, and nothing could disturb that peace nor the happiness of the moment.

A tall purple humanoid walked towards the little group assembled there. The cluster bowed, a sign of respect. For this being was the new President-to-be of the Republic.

"Yes, President Mo-Gararn?" David asked respectively slow.

"I'm here to congratulate you on your successes, Rear Admiral Prus. It is quite a challenge to be a Rear Admiral in the Starfleet, and a Jedi Padawan besides," he told the young human.

He turned to the others. "Master Jima, you have a good apprentice. He will someday become a great Jedi, and passionate military leader." Master Jima nodded in agreement.

"You, young Thomas Prus, have a good brother. You should be lucky to have him as a kinsman. I can assure you, respect for one's family is a good trait, one of a strong and worthy being, regardless of his species." Thomas glanced at his brother, ignoring his "See?" look. He nodded quickly.

The tall humanoid turned back to face the crowds, searching for a face. Finding it, he turned back to the four-person assembly. He waited as the being in the crowd approached. It was a short human male with graying blond hair and a grim expression that somehow did not entirely hide his boyish nature of times past.

"Master Skywalker is approaching. I'm sure he will have good words for you, Vice Admiral Prus," the President-to-be told the shocked human. He watched the boy with joy, an emotion betrayed by a sudden ripple in his violet scales.

Without another word, Mo- Gararn walked away to greet the approaching Jedi Master. David watched them talk, perhaps about Skywalker's plans for the future of the Jedi Order.

He didn't care. For the moment, there were other things to do, more people to congratulate, including the permanently-promoted Colonel Bak-urakk. In the distance stood the new Colonel, busy congratulating his people as they approached. Ishi Tib and human exchanged a message without words, one of mutual thanks and a wish of luck.

From somewhere across the distance of the ocean, David thought he could hear a familiar animal roar. It was not a roar of pain, nor of challenge, but a new one of joy. The joy of freedom. Yes, even Godzilla was now free from his creators, for the time being.

David again drifted back to his time and place. He had much to be thankful for, many people to be grateful of. Despite his promotion, David promised himself that he would change his outlook on the "every-man" of the Republic Starfleet. It was an essential part of the workings of the galaxy, intertwined with politics, much as the Jedi had been in the Old Republic.

Again, the complexity of politics in a peaceful galaxy was threatening the security of the Republic's countless citizens. In both his duties, it would be up to David Prus to do his best to ensure that those freedoms were not denied to the population. It would depend on the military, as well as the Jedi.

Through it all, the Force would be with him. That was certain.