An AU storyline of the Prequels
Star Wars Episode 1
FORCES OF CORRUPTION
For a thousand generations, the JEDI KNIGHTS have been the guardians of peace and justice throughout the Old Republic. But a rogue Jedi, named DOOKU SERENNO, has abandoned the Jedi Order, who he feels are too passive, trying to force the Jedi into action by orchestrating piracy across the galaxy.
The increase in piracy has forced the Republic into creating a CLONE ARMY, to protect shipping throughout the galaxy from this growing threat.
The Jedi Order has dispatched several knights to apprehend Dooku and bring him to justice. Two such Jedi are currently following a lead that has taken them to the small planet of Naboo.
Part 1: Hunting the Rathtar
The Lady Aurora was far from a luxury liner. It was a freighter, dented and scratched, showing signs of battle, getting hit by asteroids and trying the hulls integrity once too often. Four massive engines were attached to a large and bulky cargo-hold that in turn had a crew-compartment and bridge attached to it at the front. Only patches of the original pain remained.
The Lady Aurora silently moved through the void, in high orbit of a beautiful planet. Naboo was like an emerald, green with streaks of blue that made it appear like a gem that was hanging freely in space.
Dex, a large four-armed besalisk with an impressive mustache, walked down the bridge of the Lady Aurora, eying each station he past. His crew, a mix of aliens from all across the galaxy looked the part of privateers and scum. Indeed, the Lady Aurora did not flinch if credits could be earned on the wrong side of the law.
Dex was the captain and the ship had been his for the last decade. It was his and no-one would take it from him. He walked past the pilot, a mean and grumpy dug that constantly had a profanity waiting to be used for any situation. Beyond the pilot, up by the three large viewports at the very front of the bridge, stood the two passengers that had payed good money for Dex's services, and the services of his ship and crew.
The pair were dressed in brown cloaks and hoods, the hoods obscuring their features. Dex knew one of the men well enough; he had done business with him on a couple of occasions in the past and it had always earned him good money.
"All is quiet" Dex said, resting his lower pair of hands against his hips, the other pair folding over his chest. "Only freighters on our scanners. Merchants and smugglers."
The younger of the two passengers, a human, no more than twenty-two years of age, turned to look at the captain from behind the rim of his hood. Then offered his companion a glance before turning his attention back at the beautiful planet below. "Perhaps your contact on Takodana is not as reliable as you thought, master" the boy said, resting his hands against his belt, revealing a uniform beneath his robes, complete with attached pieces of armor. The observant eye would notice the insignia of the Jedi Order on his vambracers.
"I have no reason not to trust her" the boys older companion said, carrying the title of Master. "Yet" he added and looked at his younger apprentice, revealing the reddish beard that covered his forty years old features.
He was a tall youth, Dex thought to himself. A head taller than his older master. An impressive specimen, for a human. "I thought you Jedi would have more respect for the difference between knowledge and wisdom" the besalisk chuckled.
The older Jedi turned to glance at Dex, and in so doing he too revealed the same type of uniform that the youth was wearing, with patches of armor. "Need I remind you of what happened on Rodoro Prime?"
Dex chuckled, the lose skin under his chin wobbling as he did. "Be careful with this one, boy" he told the youth. "Your master has many dirty tricks up his sleeve." Dex returned to his crew, still amused.
The youth kept his eyes on the captain for a moment before he turned his attention back to his master, whom by now was looking out the viewport once more.
"Should I tell him of the time you fell into that nest of gundarks?"
A heavy sigh escaped the older of the pair. "Again, that was not my fault, Anakin" he said and turned to look his apprentice in the eyes. "You really do need to re-evaluate the part you played in that…"
"Catastrophe?"
The smile on his apprentice was annoying, but not so much as to wash away the uncomfortable feeling that his apprentice was right. "I wouldn't go so far as to call it that" the Jedi master said eventually. "I chose to view it as a learning experience for you, my young Padawan."
Anakin Skywalker, Padawan of the Jedi Order and apprentice under Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, was unable to hide the surprise he felt over his masters answer. "You chose to view that disaster as beneficial?"
Obi-Wan nodded. "Off course" he said with renewed confidence. "How we chose to view life is essential to how we come to terms with the obstacles we face. From a certain point of view, even failure can be seen as success. You have much to learn, young one."
The Bloody Rathtar left hyperspace together with four Z-95 Headhunters as escort. The Rathtar was a freighter as old as the fighters that protected it, but unlike the Headhunters, the Bloody Rathtar carried enough guns to earn respect. The small squadron adjusted their course and headed for Naboo that was waiting in silence off in the distance.
Obi-Wan could feel it. A presence. It was out there, somewhere, sending ripples through the ebbs and flows of the Force; that mystical energy that the Jedi had learned to tap into and harness centuries ago.
"What is it, master"? Anakin asked, seeing how his mentor was reacting to a disturbance of some sort or form.
"I sense something" Obi-Wan said, looking out towards the stars, searching them for a sign. "A presence in the Force" he added and then turned to Anakin. "Dooku is here." The Jedi master turned and spotted Dex easily enough. "Captain, has a ship just recently arrived to the system?"
Anakin felt tension rise within him. Dooku was here?! He turned to see what the reaction would be from the crew of the Lady Aurora.
"The Bloody Rathtar just exited hyperspace" Dex said and nodded, leaning in over one of his crew-members to check the readings on his display. "Bad news for us" the besalisk added as he straightened his back once more.
"How so?" Obi-Wan inquired.
Dex turned serious as he turned to look at the two Jedi. "She's a well known marauder and privateer. A pirate-ship, captained by Mara Dendron. A woman as vicious as they come."
Obi-Wan nodded at the information he was given. "That's the ship we're after. Anakin, get ready."
Anakin offered his master a nod and then with quick strides headed to leave the bridge. Passing the dug in the pilots-seat, Anakin patted the alien on the shoulder. "Keep an eye out, Sebulba. You might learn a thing or two about flying today." The boys cocky smile was salt to the wound.
Sebulba frowned as he looked over his shoulder at the young Jedi as he left the bridge. A burst of some of the foulest profanities in Huttese escaped his mouth right before the door shut behind the exiting Jedi.
It was a regal man in his mid-sixties, with gray beard, that entered the bridge of the Bloody Rathtar. His posture was that of confidence, of nobility, of arrogance. A black robe flowed behind him as he moved with determined steps up to the captain of the pirate-ship.
"Are there any suspicious ships close-by?"
His voice was deep, commanding and full of experience. His presence was commanding and intimidating. The captain, a human female with a metallic patch over her left eye, was not all too impressed when she turned to face the man.
"No" the captain said, resting a hand against her blaster, kept in a holster along her thigh. "Only transports and cargo-ships. Nothing to worry about."
The elderly man frowned. He was not convinced. In fact, he knew better. He walked past the captain, crossed the bridge that was filled with scum and villains from a dozen planets, and walked up to the forward facing viewport. Dooku Serenno studied the stars, the odd ship that was visible in the darkness, the planet that was slowly growing larger as they closed in on its orbit. He sensed something.
"Is something wrong?" Captain Mara Dendron asked as she followed Dooku to the viewport.
"I'm not sure" Dooku said, glancing briefly at the captain before turning to look at the stars once more.
Obi-Wan could now make out the Bloody Rathtar in the distance as it slowly crept into view as the suns light began to illuminate its hull.
"Careful" the Jedi master said over his shoulder. "We must not alert them of our intentions."
Dex, standing next to Sebulba, turned to the dug pilot. "You heard the Jedi" the captain said. "Close the distance, but don't look like you're closing the distance."
The orders earned the captain a full repertoire of curses and profanities in Huttese.
The two ships moved in opposite directions, passing each other at a respectable distance, yet close enough to make out details if one only stood by a viewport. Obi-Wan stood by the port-facing viewport on the bridge of the Lady Aurora, focused on his breathing as he saw the fierce-looking pirate-ship silently move into view.
"Now" Obi-Wan then said.
Dex turned to his crew and bellowed his commands. "Open gun-ports and fire!"
Along the length of the hull of the Lady Aurora, several hatches slid open and revealed turbo-laser turrets that immediately opened fire, sending powerful bolts of energy directly at the Bloody Rathtar. The first volley struck the hull of the target, cracking it open at several places, but the second and third volleys detonated against the, by then, activated shields.
From a ventral hangar-bay on the Lady Aurora, a small fighter-craft shot out into space at full speed like a bat out of hell. The arrow-head hull of the ship was flanked by two massive engines that seemed to better belong in a Pod-Race than on a fighter-craft. The fighter, painted with the heraldry of the Jedi Order, instantly turned to head straight for the Bloody Rathtar.
Anakin Skywalker was piloting the fighter with a smile on his lips. "Alright, T7" he said. "Full power to engines. We're gonna need it."
Directly behind the cockpit, the small astromech-droid T7 was situated, its flat head and single optic lens sticking out of the craft. T7 swiveled its head and made a series of prolonged beeps and chirps in response to its masters commands.
Obi-Wan watched the Bloody Rathtar from the bridge of the Lady Aurora. The shields made visible with each turbo-laser bolt that struck its mark. He ignored the crew behind him as they gave orders and passed along important information. Instead, he picked up his communicator from his belt.
"Anakin, they are increasing velocity. They're making a run for it, as expected. Their increased exhaust-plasma should weaken their rear shields."
The two larger vessels exchanged fire, their shields lighting up with each blast. Anakin shot through the cross-fire and avoided the incoming enemy fighters, tilting his own fighter as he flew past the pirates straight through their tight formation. Leaving the hostile fighters behind, Anakin now had the Bloody Rathtar directly ahead of him, and it was angling as it altered its course, slowly turning its rear and its engines to face his fighter-craft.
"Redirect all auxiliary power to shields!" Anakin said as he flipped some switches in his cockpit, heading straight for the Rathtar on a collision-course.
T7 argued frantically while still following Anakins command. The Rathtar aimed more and more of its turrets at Anakin and his fighter, but the young Jedi expertly avoided all incoming fire with some extraordinary flying, ever committed to staying on target. Anakin couldn't help but feel a bit of anxiety as he was thundering towards the large engines of the Bloody Rathtar. His grip on his controls turned his fingers white. The fighter struck the shields of the Rathtar, punching through where the plasma from the larger vessels engines had weakened its own shields. Red lights flashed inside of the cockpit, sparks spat from malfunctioning consoles. T7 screamed angrily at the stupid idea of his master.
"I know, I know!" Anakin growled as he struggled to maintain control of his ship as it was flying dangerously close along the hull of the Bloody Rathtar, even hitting the twin-linked barrels of a turbo-laser turret, knocking it off target. "Ready torpedoes!"
T7 gave his reply and Anakin pulled the trigger. Two bright orbs of light launched from the belly of his fighter-craft, point-blank-range from the Rathtar and instantly detonated against the hull of the pirate-ship. A massive explosion erupted directly behind Anakin, forcing him to adjust and compensate to not lose control. Anakin turned back along the length of the Rathtar, flying along the inside of its shields as incoming fire from the Lady Aurora hit it over and over. T7 fervently argued against Anakin's next course of action as they once again headed for the rear of the ship and punched through the rear shields once again.
"Told you it would work" Anakin said with a sigh of relief, flipped switches and pushed buttons to stabilize his ship and get some form of control over its internal systems.
On the bridge of the Bloody Rathtar the crew got back on their feet after having been thrown to the floor by the sudden impact of two torpedoes. A rodian on the crew double-checked his display a second time before he turned to address the captain.
"They've taken out the hyperdrive-motivator! We can't jump to hyperspace!"
Mara Dendron, regaining her balance, was a furious frown. "What?! How is that possible?! Our shields are still intact!"
A red-skinned nikto turned from his station to face Captain Dendron. "Their fighter somehow managed to push through our shields and launched its torpedoes at point-blank-range, captain."
Dooku listened in on the reports, glanced at the Lady Aurora through the viewports one last time before he turned his attention back to Dendron. "I suggest you prepare to be boarded."
One of the Z-95's came apart as the ship exploded and was ripped into eight larger pieces by the detonation of its fuel-cells. Anakin took his fighter in a tight turn through the debris of the destroyed marauder, closely followed by one of the other Z-95's. The pirate in pursuit launched a pair of missiles that instantly locked onto the Jedi craft. Looking over his shoulder, Anakin easily spotted the two missiles closing in on him. The Jedi fighter barrel-rolled and took a steep dive towards the planet, leveling out just above the top-layers of the atmosphere. The two missiles were closing in fast. T7 let out a series of noises that were very clear about his concerns as the Jedi fighter began to heat up from the friction of surfing the atmosphere, the underbelly beginning to glow hot within seconds. Behind them, the two missiles were also skimming the very top of the atmosphere of Naboo, them too slowly heating up, glowing hot from the friction; until they both detonated from being overheated.
As Anakin pulled his fighter away from the atmosphere, the three Z-95 Headhunters quickly took chase, firing their blasters whenever they thought they had a chance to hit the hostile fighter-craft. But Anakin was too skilled a pilot and his fighter too advanced, too fast and too agile; he easily avoided the incoming fire. But even so, there were three of them and whenever Anakin dodged one Headhunters cone of fire, he allowed another to make an attack-run. He knew he could only play this game of cat and mouse for so long.
"T7" Anakin said while a couple of blaster-rounds streaked past the cockpit. "On my mark, activate retro-rockets." T7 replied with a series of noises, and Anakin double-checked that his pursuers where behind him. "Now!"
Four forward-facing rockets ignited on the small Jedi fighter, drastically decreasing velocity, Anakin being thrust into his straps as he was flung forward. Taken by complete surprise, the three pursuing fighters had no time to compensate and flew past Anakin at full throttle. The Padawan pulled a lever and ignited the afterburners, his fighter increasing velocity dangerously fast, pushing Anakin into the pilots-seat with tremendous force. Anakin quickly came up behind one of the less advanced fighters, locked onto to it and launched a pair of missiles of his own. With the missiles locked, the young Jedi veered off and focused on a new target. Four salvoes to take out the shields of the slower and less maneuverable Headhunter, two salvoes to destroy its engines, sending it crashing towards Naboo. The pirate chased by the missiles stood no chance against state-of-the-art weaponry provided by the Republics finest weapons-manufacturers; the Z-95 Headhunter was unable to shake the missiles, got hit and was utterly torn asunder by the resulting explosion.
The last of the Headhunters came up behind Anakin, guns blazing. A couple of salvos struck their mark, much to Anakins surprise.
"Alright" the young Jedi apprentice said. "Let's see what you can do."
Chased by the last Z-95, Anakin headed back to the two larger ships. T7's audible complaints increased in volume as Anakin continued the chase of cat and mouse in between the Lady Aurora and the Bloody Rathtar, while the two larger vessels exchanged fire. The dangerous blasts of the turbo-lasers quickly forced the pilot of the Headhunter to focus on not getting hit, rather than staying behind Anakin. The Headhunter left the dangerous area between the Aurora and the Rathtar and started to look all around, attempting to spot the enemy fighter; but it was no-where to be seen. The pilot even considered it might have been destroyed in the crossfire.
Anakin had a cocky smile on his face, however, as he looked up at the hostile fighters belly that was only a mans length above his cockpits canopy. The perfect place to hide. The Padawan then took his fighter through a barrel-roll and was curtious enough to offer the other pilot a friendly wave as he past him by overhead. The pirate freaked out and immediately began evasive maneuvers. Anakin was once more in control of the situation, followed the Z-95's every turn and landed one salvo after the other until the pirate-ship exploded.
Taking his ship in a tight turn, Anakin watched the Aurora and Rathtar blast one another from afar. "Fighter-escort has been taken care of, master" he then said over his communicator. "You're cleared to move in."
Obi-Wans voice was heard over the static of the communications-system. "Good work, Anakin. But next time, less showing off and more efficient flying, if you wouldn't mind."
Anakin was unable to hold back the smile. "I'll try to keep that in mind, master" he said and then headed straight back towards the two dueling ships, ready to lend his support to the main fight.
To be continued…