A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away….
Episode I: Droid Attack on the Wookiees
The vicious CLONE WARS have raged for three long years, and still show no signs of stopping. In a bold move, the SEPARATIST ALLIANCE attacked the capital of the Republic, Coruscant. The beleaguered city is in a period of recovery.
Daring new offensives by both factions plague every world in the Outer Rim, and the battle droid armies have launched an assault on the Wookiee homeworld of KASHYYYK. The Republic has dispatched special forces as a first response to Wookiee pleas.
Growing desperate for extra help, the Jedi generals turn to the seedier underworld elements, going so far as to hire five mercenaries. Their mission: assist the beleaguered clones stem the ever-rising tide of separatism and violence….
A field of stars is broken by the kite-shaped form of a Corellian freighter—the Kamino Storm. Its pilot, Vania Fengris, known to many as Storm, is in a bit of a hurry. She is late to a very important meeting.
The planet below, Coruscant, is rebuilding after a surprise assault by the Separatists. As she descended into its atmosphere, she noticed less flying traffic in the air than she would have expected. But she didn't care. All she cared about was getting to Arligan Zey's office on time for her briefing. This mission was the only thing standing between her and a prison sentence. She had to make it on time.
Soon, she landed the Kamino Storm at Arca Company Barracks, and dashed out of the ship as quickly as she could. She wasn't late yet, and wasn't going to be. That much she knew.
Before entering the Jedi's office, she paused to collect her breath and gather her composure. Then she tapped a control and the door slid into the wall.
The first thing Storm noticed was that everyone had already gotten there. Six people were already crammed into the office, two of them behind Zey. Next, her eyes were drawn to General Zey, who was waiting patiently, hands tented on the desk in front of him. His grizzled, greying beard intimidated the pilot.
A smile spread across the Jedi's lips, and he said, "Let's get started, shall we? Our pilot has finally arrived."
Storm blushed a little, and sat down in the last remaining chair.
Zey activated a blue hologram on the desk in front of them. It showed a giant tree that had circular constructions on all sides of it.
"Your target is here," Zey said, pointing to a bridge on the hologram. "This bridge in Kachirho, on the Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk. Blow up this bridge, and our forces will have a much easier time defending the planet from invasion."
Murmurs of agreement enveloped the room.
"But I have a few words of caution," Zey warned. "Separatist Anti-aircraft artillery will prevent you from landing within 500 feet of the city, and the beach will be rather exposed. You will want to land in the forest to the north of the city."
Storm interrupted, "I agree. I don't want those droids wrecking my ship."
Zey smiled. "Excellent," he continued. "We don't know exactly how many droids you will be up against, but there will be everything from cannon fodder B1s up to Dwarf Spider Droids."
One of the figures behind Zey spoke, the one in Jedi robes. It was his former Padawan Bardan Jusik. "Dwarf Spiders are tough beasts. They have heavy armor and a huge cannon that can blast everything in a 10-foot square. Their major weak spot is the eyes." He pulled up a hologram of a spider droid, showing how apt its name was. It had a large, round arachnid body, four red photoreceptors on its front, and a large blaster cannon that seemed almost like a nose.
Bardan continued, "As you can see, it might be a tough haul against these. Luckily, you won't see more than five of these big guys on the planet."
Various sighs of relief were heard around the room.
"I'll be on the planet with you, but I have other missions to attend to. All you need to do is comm me, and I'll be around as quick as I can."
The armored figure behind Zey, his bodyguard Riashan, spoke. "So, don't land too close, don't land on the beach, and don't run into a Dwarf Spider Droid. Anything else?"
"Here's the explosives you will need," Bardan replied, handing Riashan a neat, white package with a computer interface on one side. "Place this on the center span of the bridge, and you can detonate it once you are a safe distance away. Anything else, Master?"
Zey said, "No. I have nothing more to tell you. May the Force be with you."
The five mercenaries filed out of the room, with Storm in front. Bardan hung back to discuss his own mission on Kashyyyk.
They walked through straight and narrow corridors to Storm's ship, and the pilot hopped into her pilot's seat. "Don't touch anything," she said, "unless I tell you to. Feel free to sit, but don't touch."
"Duly noted," said the armored figure, extending her hand. "I'm Riashan Agis, personal bodyguard to General Zey."
Storm shook the hand. "Vania Fengris. But everybody calls me 'Storm.'"
The other three mercenaries also introduced themselves. There was a human bounty hunter named Rho Damascus, a Dathomiri Darkside user called Jesper Nulle, and the Zabrak Grey Jedi known simply as Omney.
After the introductions, Storm made the jump to hyperspace, towards Kashyyyk.
When they arrived, the Kamino Storm's sensors picked up a Separatist dreadnought on the other side of the forest planet.
"Blast, that doesn't look good," Storm said.
"What?" asked Rho, nonchalantly.
"Dreadnought on the other side of the planet," Storm explained.
"It's on the other side of the planet," Jesper dismissed, raising an eyebrow. "Nothing to worry about."
Storm laughed in the Sith's face. "I have a bad feeling that it's going to come around and bite us later. A very bad feeling." She flicked a few switches, sending the ship into a landing cycle. "Worse comes to worst, I'll be maneuvering the ship in close to avoid its turbolasers and we can jump to hyperspace as soon as we're clear."
"If you say so," Jesper retorted.
"All right," Storm declared, "I'm putting her down in the forest underneath some decent cover, away from those anti-aircraft guns."
The ship descended into the atmosphere, passed a hundred giant wroshyr trees, and finally set down a fair walk from Kachirho. The boarding ramp descended, and the five mercenaries strode out. Rho, being the most comfortable in the outdoors, took the lead. They started to walk, blasters in hand and every footstep carefully placed so as not to make a sound.
Soon, though, Riashan began to sense a large, brutish presence behind them.
"Guys," she whispered, "I think we're being followed by a Wookiee. Don't provoke it." She reached out with the Force, and sure enough, there was a Wookiee.
Who the hell are you? it grumbled, and only Riashan understood.
We're friends, Riashan explained. The Republic sent us to help scrap the droids. We aren't going to hurt you.
Fine, the Wookiee huffed. If you have come to kill those clanking invaders, feel free to go along your way. I will not stop you.
Thank you, friend, Riashan said, sensing the brute move off. While her mind was open to the Force, she sensed several other Wookiees, and some other humanoids.
But there was something terribly wrong with these. They had suffered great pain and loss. Their hearts weighed heavily in the Force.
"There's a few humanoids I want to check out. I'll be back shortly," Riashan explained to the others.
"Be careful," Rho said. "You're the one with the bomb."
"Don't worry," Riashan said. "I'm always careful."
She crept into the forest towards the disturbed humanoids, and soon found a large, grey DC-17m trained on her face.
"Woah," she said, raising her hands in surrender. "Take it easy. I'm with you guys."
"You're no clone," a clone's voice said from behind the blaster, "and you don't dress like any Jedi I've ever seen. You carry a blaster."
Another clone, farther back, interjected, "So the Republic is hiring mercenaries now? What's next, conscripts?"
Riashan calmly reached for her identichip. "Look, here's the proof that I was hired by General Zey. Do you need anything more?"
The blaster lowered, and a black glove took the chip. The clone's glowing blue visor looked the object over, carefully examining it.
"Everything looks in order. Sorry to bother you, sir."
"I just have two questions for you, before you go," Riashan said.
"Ask away," replied the clone.
"Why isn't your armor like all the other clones I've seen on the HoloNet?"
The clone chuckled. "We're the commandos. Special forces. Phi Squad, to be exact. I'm Ajax, this is Ka'rta, Buckler, and Tracker." He pointed to each of his squadmates in turn. They each nodded at their introduction.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Riashan. Now, is there some kind of trouble? I could sense you were in distress."
Ajax laughed again. "The war grates on all of us. We've been through some especially rough patches. Our old sniper died a couple years back." The mirth began to fade from his voice, and it started to crackle, as if with tears. "Shot to the spleen. Nasty wound. Ka'rta here tried his best to save him, but…" the thought broke off into sobs that soon became macho throat clearing.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Riashan comforted. "But I'd best be on my way."
"May the Force be with you," Ajax said, laughing again, "or whatever the shab it is we're supposed to say to each other."
Riashan chuckled, and walked back through the trees to her allies.
"Well?" Jesper asked when the bodyguard caught up. "Who was it?"
"Just some clones," Riashan answered. "Commandos, I think. They seemed a little disturbed, so I wanted to help."
The budding Sith seemed indifferent. "They're just soldiers. Nobody cares what happens to them. Their whole purpose is to die for the Republic."
"They're hardly 14 years old," Riashan explained. "You're really okay with sending children to fight a war?"
"They were engineered. Basically organic droids, that's all they are."
Riashan huffed angrily and walked to the front of the line.
Omney turned to Jesper. "I don't get it either. There's no reason to get worked up about something so trivial. They wouldn't even exist if this war wasn't happening. I agree with you."
The trees began to thin, and sections of beach were starting to become visible through the trees.
"Stick to cover," Rho suggested. "It'll be harder for them to spot us in the trees."
"Good idea," Riashan confirmed. "We should stick to the trees as long as possible. I can see the base of Kachirho up ahead, so we're not far now."
They could see droids in the ocean beyond the beach, moving towards the defensive positions occupied by clones and Wookiees. The beach was covered in long trenches, full of white-armored figures and furry, brutish warriors. The Republic had dug in, and the Separatists were on their way.
"You know," Jesper began, "somebody would probably pay a lot for a Wookiee pelt. I hear they make great—"
A hand clapped over her mouth, and Riashan whispered, "Shut. up. We don't want them to find us, do we?"
Jesper shook her head in a muted "no." Riashan released the Sith.
However, it was too little too late. Somebody had already noticed the five.
"You there!" shouted a clone's voice. "Help me, please!"
"I'll check it out," Riashan told the others. "You go on. I can catch up."
The others kept walking forwards, and Riashan stepped off to the side to help the clone.
"What is it?" she asked the soldier, reaching out her hand.
"My squad," the clone replied. "I… left them to die. Our position was getting overrun, and… I ran. I acted like a complete coward and ran. So… many… droids…"
"I wish I could help," Riashan said, her hand touching the clone's shoulder. "But I have to blow the bridge in Kachirho City. Maybe someone on the front line there can help you."
"Good idea," the clone replied. "There should be a Jedi there who can help me get fit to fight."
The soldier headed toward the front, and Riashan began sprinting to catch up with her party. Before long, a blaster bolt whizzed across her path. She stopped dead in her tracks and turned to see four B2 Super Battle Droids. A patrol.
"Droids!" she shouted to the others.
Rho shot first, nailing the lead SBD in the chest.
Omney and Jesper rushed in, charging the droids with their lightsabers. The remaining three fell in quick succession to various blaster shots and saber slices. That is, when Omney managed to hit them, usually with her backhand stroke.
As the last droid fell, Jesper dismissed her blade with a tap and proclaimed, "That was easy."
Riashan shot the Sith a nasty glare. Shut up, she thought.
Jesper looked startled to hear someone else in her mind. Shutting up, yessir.
The party strode right through the treeline, and walked up to the base of Kachirho, a giant wroshyr tree nearly half a kilometer thick. An entire city was built around and inside the tree. It was a brilliant testament to Wookiee craftsmanship.
Riashan pulled up a holo of the city on her wrist com, pointing to the bridge they were ordered to destroy. "Looks like there's a turbolift close to here, and it can get us straight to the bridge."
Rho loaded her blaster, meriting a glance from Storm.
"What?" the bounty hunter wondered. "You can never be too careful. Call it a 'bad feeling.'"
Storm shrugged. "I don't know if they'll be there yet, but I guess you never know."
Ten feet to their left, Jesper yelled, "I found a door! Probably the turbolift."
"Good work," Riashan praised. She led the others over, and asked Storm to slice the door controls with a wave. The pilot did so with ease, and the metal-edged wood retracted into the wall.
Another patrol of four Super Battle Droids stood at the end of the just-revealed corridor. They appeared to be waiting for the turbolift to arrive.
Rho, as could easily have been predicted, again shot first. She put a good-sized hole in the closest droid. The others also got the jump on the droids, and one by one, they fell to either blasters or lightsabers.
The turbolift doors slid open.
Rho smiled. "There never was better timing," she commented, stepping over a sparking pile of scrap metal that was still vaguely droid-shaped.
"Agreed," replied Jesper, getting another glare from Riashan.
The crew stepped aboard the turbolift and silently rode it up to the bridge level, preparing their weapons for the battle they knew would happen.
Riashan's communicator buzzed, and she answered. "Agis," she greeted.
A small, blue holopresence of Bardan Jusik erupted in her hand. "Riashan," the Jedi returned. "How's the mission going?"
"Well," the mission leader answered. "We've encountered two patrols so far, and they gave us little serious resistance. We're on the turbolift to the target now."
"Understood," returned the Jedi. "Separatist forces are about to break through our front line. Expect reinforcements soon."
"Copy. Anything else?"
"Feel free to comm me if you need anything. I'm less than a minute away. Jusik out."
"Copy. Agis out."
The holopresence disappeared from Riashan's hand.
"Sounds ominous," Rho commented. "Is he expecting the droids to kill us?"
"I don't," the leader reassured. "Considering how well we've done so far, I don't expect them to be a serious threat. Dwarf Spider Droids aren't that much tougher than Super Battle Droids."
"Let's hope not," Storm sneered. "I'm having a bad enough day as it is."
"Sorry to hear that," Riashan replied.
"At least I'm not in prison," the pilot supposed.
The turbolift door slid open again, revealing a Dwarf Spider Droid, flanked by four Super Battle Droids and four B1 battle droids.
Rho already had the shot lined up, and took it, hitting the spider droid squarely in the eye.
Riashan took the opening and rushed into the fray, sliding under the spider droid and slicing it perfectly in half with her lightsaber. The two halves fell neatly apart.
The other droids soon fell, to Storm's and Rho's blasters along with Jesper's and Omney's lightsabers.
Riashan created a Force barrier for the crew to hide behind, which succeeded in its purpose.
Before Omney force pushed the final droid off the bridge, two more SBDs and another spider droid lumbered down the bridge, firing at the crew.
The Dwarf Spider Droid's cannon fired, the shot exploding and hitting all five humanoids.
"That actually hurt," Riashan commented. She had absorbed most of the droids' returned fire.
"I don't think I could take another hit like that," remarked Jesper.
The super battle droids behind it also took a few shots at Riashan. She took the hits as if she were a sponge, rushing in to decimate the second Dwarf Spider. She and the others made quick work of it.
"Jusik, Agis here. We've defeated the guard at the bridge and are ready to plant the charge," reported Riashan. "We're a little bit shaken. We could use some help in case there's more on the way."
"I hear you, Riashan," Jusik confirmed. "I'm on my way."
Riashan clicked off her comms, and went to the center of the bridge to place the charge.
"Stand back," she warned. "I don't want you getting hurt if I make a mistake and the charge blows early.
The other mercenaries didn't need to be told twice. They stepped back behind Riashan's force barrier for protection, as the mission leader placed the explosive package on the center of the bridge and primed it, hooking the detonator to her comlink.
Riashan also ran and took cover. As soon as she felt safe, she pushed the detonator and listened to the forceful explosion.
Jusik arrived shortly after the bridge exploded.
"Job well done, I see," Jusik mused, running his hands over the wounds of the crew, healing them with the Force. He took a little more time healing Riashan since she was so hurt.
"Thank you," said Riashan. The others murmured variations of the same.
"Well, if that's all—" Jusik was interrupted mid-sentence by a splitting headache. He propped himself up on a nearby wall.
"What's wrong?" inquired Riashan, helping support Jusik.
"I felt a great tremor in the Force, almost as if a thousand souls cried out and were suddenly silenced."
Not a second later, a voice crackled in Riashan's mind: "Execute Order 66."
Palpatine, the mission leader deduced. She remembered the protocol from one of her Republic field manuals. It said to remove all Jedi officers by lethal force. Riashan understood immediately what was going on.
She focused on Jusik and sent her thoughts to his mind. Palpatine has ordered the execution of all Jedi. Why do you think he would do that?
Jusik collapsed at the revelation. I—I don't know. Maybe—we were getting so close to finding the Sith Lord. I don't know why… oh.
Count Dooku told Master Kenobi at the battle of Geonosis that the Senate was under the control of a Sith Lord. It must be Palpatine. The only… explanation.
I heard chatter that Master Windu was headed to his office with several other masters. That must have prompted this reaction.
The Jedi Knight began openly sobbing for his friends and masters. At least I still have Kal'buir.
Riashan turned back to her comrades-in-arms.
Rho glanced up and asked, "What's the problem?"
"Chancellor Palpatine ordered the execution of all the Jedi officers," Riashan explained. "And if you want to kill Jusik, you're going to have to go through me."
"Don't worry," Rho reassured. "I'm on your side."
Omney commented, "They probably want my head, too. I'll stick with you."
"As long as I get paid, I'm in," Storm pledged.
Jesper added, "I'm no match for the lot of you, so I guess it's in my best interest not to mess with you all. Besides, even I might be Jedi enough to kill."
Jusik sobbed again. "Thank you for sticking with me. I want to go home to my family on Mandalore. The only thing I have left."
"We might have to wait a while," said Riashan. "There's a battle on Mandalore, and it won't be safe until the Republic pulls out in about six months. I know their procedures."
"So do I," mused Jusik, wiping the tears from his eyes and standing up. "And you're right. Mandalore isn't safe. But neither is Kashyyyk. It's time to go."
The others murmured their agreement and moved towards the turbolift, which opened when they got about ten feet away.
The crew had not opened the door. Six clone troopers stood inside the turbolift, DC-15 blasters readied.
"Halt," recommended their leader. "The Jedi agent Omney, along with Force user Jesper Nulle, has been identified as a traitor to the Republic and is to be summarily executed. You may submit now or fight to the death."
"Hey," Omney objected. "I'm no—"
"How about neither?" interrupted Riashan, raising her hands and creating a bubble around the troopers with the Force. "Good luck getting out." Crap. Now they're after me, too.
The clone pressed his fingers to the side of his helmet. "We have two—correction, three—Jedi fugitives on the loose in Kachirho City. All units, converge on the north side of the bridge. Respond."
No answer came, not in the five seconds that were customary procedure.
"Sergeant, I don't think they heard us," one of the subordinate clones conjectured.
The sergeant tried to blast the Force bubble they had been trapped in, to no avail.
"Blast," the clone remarked. "It's no good. They're getting away."
"Not for long," reassured the squad's second in command. "With as many men as we have onplanet, they won't get more than 100 meters."
"If only that were guaranteed."
By this time, the fugitive Jedi and their mercenary compatriots had escaped Kachirho entirely, and were sprinting through the forest as quickly as they could, towards the Kamino Storm, hidden in the forest.
"That could have been worse," remarked Jesper.
"We got out alive. Be grateful for that," corrected Rho. "A squad of clones might be tougher than a Dwarf Spider. If there's enough."
"I, for one, would certainly not want to risk it," cautioned Jusik. "Clones are bred killing machines."
Rho agreed, "That's why we're running so fast."
The crew soon arrived at their vessel, and Storm rushed into the cockpit, swiftly flicking a few switches, both to close the loading door and to get the freighter airborne.
A few blaster rifle shots glanced off the Storm's shields, but not enough to do any real damage. The ship and its expert pilot avoided all anti-air defenses.
On her way out of Kashyyyk's atmosphere, Storm yelled, "Is anybody else a decent pilot? I need somebody in my auxiliary fighter to keep the heat off my tail!"
"I'm an okay pilot," Bardan volunteered, climbing up the ladder to the auxiliary fighter.
"Get on it," Storm ordered, unaware that the Jedi was already undocking. "Rho, you're good at shooting things, right?" She didn't wait for an answer. "I need you in the tailgun. Riashan, you seem pretty competent with weapons. Hop in the main turret up top."
The two quickly obeyed, dashing up ladders and jumping into articulated gunners' seats.
Republic warships were nowhere to be found on that side of Kashyyyk, but a Separatist dreadnought blocked Storm's egress into hyperspace.
"I'm taking us in close to that dreadnought to avoid its turbolasers," the pilot informed. "Jusik, try to keep with me. I need all guns on any vulture droids they might launch."
Jusik maintained formation, though he was a bit shaky trying to fly that close to a large object.
"Vultures, mark oh-five-three," Riashan called. She aimed and took a shot, blasting a wing off the lead droid fighter.
"I see them," confirmed Jusik, pulling his nose up to face the attackers. He blew the lead fighter out of the sky. "Bogey down," he called.
"I don't see them," Rho reported. "Can you try to draw them out in front of me?"
"Sure," offered Jusik, spinning around to zip in front of the freighter.
Before turning to chase the faster fighter, the vulture droids launched a missile at the Storm. It exploded before making contact with the ship, releasing a swarm of small, insectoid droids.
Storm felt her beloved ship list to port, and she screamed, "What the hell was that?"
"Buzz droids," Riashan explained. "I can see them all over the hull. They're trying to disable us."
"Well, can we get them off?"
"They are programmed with the schematics of Republic ships. I don't think they can do any real damage to us."
"Good. See that they don't. If something gets broken, I'm holding you accountable. Repair money is going to come out of your wallet, since we're not getting paid for this assignment."
"Copy that," affirmed Riashan, blasting another vulture droid. The majority were chasing Jusik in the fighter, except for two that were still locked on the Storm itself. They fired a volley of lasers and a proton torpedo.
"I'm going to jump to hyperspace as soon as the navicomputer is done calculating my jump. I'm jumping to the only 'safe' place I know: Hutt Space. Shields going offline… now."
Jusik dodged a blast, but was hit by several others. "I'm going to dock, then. Don't want to get left behind, even though Hutt Space is a wretched hive of scum and villiany."
"Don't much care where I go," Storm rebutted. "Anywhere is better than here. Jumping in three… karabast!"
"What's the problem?" Jusik wondered.
"Those two vultures just flew right out in front of me. I can't jump if they're in my way," Storm replied.
"Pull up," the Jedi recommended, focusing on the two droids. He imagined his two hands extending out and clapping together, around the droid fighters, like he was smashing a pair of flies. The fighters crashed into each other.
"That was awesome, Bardan," Rho admired.
"I have no idea what you just did," Storm admitted, "but whatever you did, it's let us the hell out of here." She pulled down a lever on her console, and the pinpoint stars streaked into the safety of blue-white hyperspace.
"Riashan," the pilot wondered, "those things off my hull?"
"Yes, ma'am," replied the former bodyguard. "All gone, but they left a couple scratches."
"I can fix it at the next planet. Good work."
"I think our resident Jedi Knight deserves most of the credit," Riashan informed.
"It was nothing," replied Jusik, modestly. "Consider it your payback for doing this mission."
Rho scoffed a bit. She knew she wasn't getting her promised bounty from the Republic now. But there was nothing to do about it now. She leaned back in the comfortable seat, gazing out upon the blue and white tube they were traveling through. It was so beautiful.
Their brief period of R&R was interrupted by Jesper's voice. "Guys," she said, shakily, "come to the lounge. I think you'll want to watch this."
All four others made quizzical expressions to themselves, then turned around out of their seats and headed to the lounge. Jesper and Omney were watching the HoloNet broadcast.
"...We bring you live to the Senate chambers, where Chancellor Palpatine is giving a speech," informed the broadcaster.
The image shifted from a HoloNet logo to a hologram of Palpatine, standing tall in the center of the Senate chamber. A red cloak with an obscuring hood shaded his face. What little of it was visible was his pale lips, flanked by a wrinkled jawline.
"Citizens of the civilized galaxy," he began, his voice distinctly more crackly than in previous speeches, "on this day we mark a transition. For a thousand years, the Republic stood as the crowning achievement of civilized beings. But there were those who would set us against one another, and we took up arms to defend our way of life against the Separatists. In so doing, we never suspected that the greatest threat came from within.
"The Jedi, and some within our own Senate, had conspired to create the shadow of Separatism using one of their own as the enemy's leader. They had hoped to grind the Republic into ruin. But the hatred in their hearts could not be hidden forever. At last, there came a day when our enemies showed their true natures."
Jusik clenched his fist with a lapse of anger. He soon got the emotion back under control.
Palpatine went on. "The Jedi hoped to unleash their destructive power against the Republic by assassinating the head of government and usurping control of the clone army. But the aims of would-be tyrants were valiantly opposed by those without elitist, dangerous powers. Our loyal clone troopers contained the insurrection within the Jedi Temple and quelled uprisings on a thousand worlds."
Riashan scoffed. The clones seemed a little too loyal, since they were brutally murdering their own commanding officers and friends.
Palpatine reached a crescendo. "The remaining Jedi will be hunted down and defeated! Any collaborators will suffer the same fate. These have been trying times, but we have passed the test. The attempt on my life has left me scarred and deformed, but I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger! The war is over. The Separatists have been defeated, and the Jedi rebellion has been foiled. We stand on the threshold of a new beginning. In order to ensure our security and continuing stability, the Republic will be reorganized into the first Galactic Empire, for a safe and secure society, which I assure you will last for ten thousand years. An Empire that will continue to be ruled by this august body—"
"Shut it off," Storm demanded, standing up in a disgusted rage. "I've heard enough."
"Yeah," Omney admitted, flicking off the hologram, "it was boring anyway."
Jusik sat in shock, complete horror coloring his face. Could it be true? Was his beloved Jedi Order really so bad?
The knight remembered his reasoning that Palpatine was a Sith. A Sith politician would spin the truth any which way to make their point of view seem correct.
He was still distraught that the Council didn't have the foresight to see their own demise, or that any action against Palpatine would be met with harsh resistance. Had they been testing him to see if he was a Sith? Was their sight really that clouded by the shadow of the Dark Side?
Were there any other survivors?
Riashan carefully placed a hand on the Jedi's shoulder, a symbol of their unity amidst this great and terrible loss.
At least, Jusik comforted himself, again letting hot, salty tears fall, I still have my clan.
"Please," he begged between sobs, "let me go to Mandalore when it's safe."
"We'll take you there," Riashan promised.
"Thank you," replied the Jedi. The two would sit there and share the moment for several long minutes.
