This will probably be the only time I upload 2 at a time. But, here it is. Enjoy.
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Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, or any of it's contents or characters...except for the ones I made up.
Chapter 1:
-Two years Later…
The dense forests of Kashyyk was one of Admiral Stafford's least favored places to be. Not that he did not like the ecology, the inhabitants, or the planet for that matter. It is just so...uncivilized. After all, he was a noble, a Count. But, for some reason, on this planet, that meant nothing. Money couldn't buy him luxury here. Money couldn't buy him much of anything here, actually. The Wookiee's dealt in a more… primitive economy. Food, armor, weapons, clothing were a few of the more valued objects, Republic Credits were useless. It was the first time in the Admiral's life that he couldn't buy a beach house for the duration of his stay on the planet. Pity, he heard they had some quite lovely beaches along the outskirts of the forests.
As for his rank of Grand Admiral, well, that was something no amount of money could buy. His greatest achievement. Throughout his life, he had proven himself to be every bit as brilliant and fierce in a battle as he was wealthy. To Palpatine, Stafford was invaluable, and that, in and of itself, was a feat, but after the late Chancellor's treasonous acts, it was Stafford that the Republic called on to lead against the Separatist armies that took full advantage of the Supreme Chancellor's death. And lead, he did.
But even in his many triumphant victories in the past two years, He was still a servant of the Republic, and he would go where they needed him.
And as of now, that was Kashyyk. Clone Intelligence had intercepted a few transmissions between the hierarchy of the Separatists. Kashyyk was a prime location for anybody, its location, resources and such put this, the home of the Wookiees in the crosshairs of any regime. It was just too important to let fall.
But, that didn't stop the man from disliking this place.
The Admiral sighed to himself.
Middle aged, in his early forties, but he didn't look a day over thirty-five, but the stress of his job had certainly taken a toll. He wore a pure white Admiral's uniform, his rank displayed proudly. His dark blonde, almost brown hair had just a touch of gray, matching his beard, it made him look distinguished, he was a man of nobility and it showed in how he held himself. He was poised and graceful, and yet, he still had a bit of a rough edge about him, a disquieting sense of importance. He was respected, perhaps the most respected militant of his time. He ruled Anaxes, his home planet, and commanded the Republic's entire navy, both with booming success. Respect was garnered by his underlings just as quickly as money flowed into his many bank accounts.
Under the Senate's "War Council Act," which stated that Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's powers be returned to the Senate, and all damage he dealt to the Republic was to be reversed before a another Supreme Chancellor was to be elected, Stafford became the acting leader of the War Council which oversaw all military action. With his position, he liquidated foreign arms contracts, private arms dealers, and seized bureaucrat and lobby funds of those who helped Palpatine gain his power. He nationalized R&D, thus creating billions of jobs, and bringing the Republic economy out of a fast coming fiscal debt. He was a political hero. Development that would normally take twenty years, now only took five. But, this new found surplus wouldn't last.
"Admiral."
The Admiral turned to address the officer on deck.
"The Benedict has come out of hyperspace." The officer stated.
Stafford gazed out of the command bridge. The Benedict, the Jedi Order's flagship. One of many secret projects that were uncovered after Palpatine's fall from grace. Star Dreadnoughts, or, as the mechanics called them, Super Star Destroyers. Massive was an understatement, this thing was easily fifteen times the size of any Venator cruiser, and easily ten times any normal Star Destroyer. Nineteen kilometers in length, it was a project concocted by Palpatine for a mobile Jedi extermination base.
How ironic.
The second of these various projects was a massive warship called The Eclipse. Being of a slightly different design from any Star Destroyer in production, it lost the traditional dagger-shape, and, in comparison to the Jedi's Benedict, the Eclipse was only seventeen and a half kilometers long.
But, the coaxial super-laser more than made up for it's lack of length. It was a ship for a Grand Admiral, worthy of his talents and the billions he spent to finish the project. It's projected finish date was less than a two years away. The Admiral was giddy, to say the least.
"Sir, Master Yoda has requested clearance to board." The officer said.
The Admiral nodded.
He could see the small Jedi Master's shuttle approach the hangar bay of his current Dawn Class Star Destroyer, or, as Palpatine had called them, Imperial Class. The class name was changed in honor of the dawn of the New Jedi Order.
"Assemble a welcome party." Stafford ordered, in response to the officer's statement.
"Yes sir."
"Admiral, the Senate has voted for an O.K. on total the defense of Kashyyk." Stafford's second in command, Fleet Commander Piett informed him.
Stafford nodded at the news. "Good. Contact General Marek, we will assemble the proper defensive armament, station inter-system communications, establish dedicated hyperspace routes for military coded vehicles, and et cetera."
Piett nodded.
General Marek. A former Jedi Knight, now acting General for the Republic's Grand Army, and one of Stafford's most trusted friends. After the birth of his child Kento Marek, he withdrew from the Jedi Order, alongside his wife, Mallie, in order to raise their child. Stafford and Marek went together like Jawas and droids. Over the years, the two had managed to take over fifteen tactically advantageous territories away from Separatist control, and successfully defended Kashyyk three times.
But something told the Admiral that this time, it may be different…
"The Order is here."
Kento Marek looked up toward the sky. He sensed them just as clearly as he sensed his wife and his child in front of him. "Not for the reasons you think." He replied to his wife. He hoped it wasn't for the reasons she thought.
She sighed. "I hope not."
He grabbed her shoulders. "Mallie, I've told them already that our son will not be taken away from us. The Council agreed to let us raise him like a normal boy." He said in a serious tone. "Perhaps one day, Galen will join the Republic and become a great asset, but for now, he is our son, and he isn't going anywhere."
She placed her hand on his. "I know." She said. "But something still doesn't feel right."
"The Separatists have Kashyyk in their crosshairs. There will be a battle here." Kento replied.
She shook her head. "It's not that." She replied. "I sense darkness here, like something is… is watching us, waiting to attack."
He looked directly into her eyes. "Mallie, I promise you, I will let nothing befall my family." He replied sternly.
She nodded. "I have faith."
He pulled her into a hug. "And for that, I am grateful." He said softly. He pulled away and grabbed his cloak and Lightsaber. "There is a shuttle waiting to take you and Galen to Admiral Stafford's ship. You'll be safe there." He said. He then walked over to the sleeping boy on the couch of his living room, and kissed him on his head. "I will see you in a bit." He said, beaming with a warm smile.
She smiled back at him.
He loathed this bleak planet, this dank bunker. He loathed the droids that worked around him, ignoring his presence as if he were one of them. He deserved respect, and this was not what he had in mind when he was ordered to take Kashyyk. He pictured a brilliant battle, one where he could claim the lives of anybody he wished, not this...sneaking around, waiting for an opportune moment. He was a Sith, the very definition of power. He could take this wretched planet by himself! He could take the entire Republic by himself!
He waited patiently for the day his plans would finally come into fruition. He was more of a "big picture" sort of guy, planning and plotting for years until the right moment to strike, and, unfortunately for the Republic and the Wookiees, that moment was Jedi, and the Republic would know his name, he would strike fear into the hearts of his enemies, and cut them down mercilessly. The true Sith Order would reign supreme, and he would finally garner the respect, and the power necessary to see to it's golden age of terror.
The Separatists, oh, how he loathed the Separatists. They were mere stepping stones for his greatness. He would toss them aside once they became of no use to him.
Especially their leader. Sate Pestage. By the Force, this man was as incompetent and narrow minded as ever. But, what could one expect from such a devout follower of the late Darth Sidious. To Pestage, this day marked his glory, the Republic he once knew that let him roam free and make all the money in the Galaxy would be a reality.
What Pestage didn't realize was this day, this war was much, much bigger than his puny, wrinkled old self. It was time to usher in the true age of the Sith. An age that would last for eternity.
There were just a few more tools to secure. And one of those tools was on this very planet.
The Force spoke to the shrouded Sith in hushed whispers, telling him that wells of untapped power resided within one being, wells and wells of it. With this person, the Sith would reign unchallenged, eternal, and most of all, powerful. To this Sith, this individual was the key for his wildest dreams to become reality. This creature would bring forth a regime unlike any other ever heard of.
This personage would be the death of one, shrouded Sith Lord. And the thought of it was almost too good to be true. Anybody capable of destroying him was worthy of all the power in the Galaxy.
Today was the first day of the Republic's demise.
"My Lord, shall we start our generators?" Came an ominous, metallic voice.
The young Sith gazed behind him at the terrifying General. A sickly smile crossed his face as the Force gave him hints of what this recreated monstrosity could, and would do on the battlefield. "By all means, General Grievous." He replied cooly.
The monster bowed, and left to perform his duties.
The young Sith turned back toward the holo table, mapping out the entirety of their approaching flank. The small village of Tunnatutikan. There, resided the home of Marek.
"In deep thought are you, Admiral?"
Stafford was quickly jarred from his thoughts. He spun on his heel to face his guest. "Master Yoda." He greeted with a smile and a slight bow. "I wasn't aware the Council was sending Jedi of such stature here."
The tiny old master hobbled forward, two Jedi Knights accompanying him. "Afraid our own agenda we have." He said in a teasing voice.
Stafford smiled. "Nothing too sinister for my tastes, I do hope."
The old Master chuckled lightly. "News of the Senate's vote, I have received. Hmm, the defence of Kashyyk, very important it is."
"Indeed." Stafford commented. "There is, however, just one thing I can't seem to wrap my head around." He brought his fingertips to his beard.
Yoda stopped and stared up at the Admiral, waiting for him to elaborate.
"Moving a ship as massive as the Benedict doesn't go unnoticed. I'm sure they've realized it's headed to Kashyyk's defense." Stafford said. "They haven't the resources to send a fleet large enough to destroy both my fleet and the Benedict." He concluded. "Unless they do, and we have yet to see this armada."
"Hmm." Yoda pondered. "Wary we must be, Admiral. Deception I sense."
"My informant has mentioned The Bounty Hunters Guild has brought this system up quite a few times in the past few weeks." Stafford explained thoughtfully. "They've been quite restless. However, I don't see them even a contender on a battle of this scale."
"Unlikely, it is." Yoda answered. "Something more, there is. A trap perhaps."
"I've already contacted General Marek. King Grakchawwaa of the Wookiees has offered his army." Stafford said. "This defense seems too perfect to attack it….for the fourth time"
Yoda's eyes narrowed in contemplation. "The Jedi, you will have." Yoda finally said, after a poignant silence. "Great darkness on this planet, I feel. In danger, General Marek and his family are." The old master concluded with a scowl It was almost as if the Force was teasing him, like a fairy just waiting to tell a secret. But this whisper wasn't at all playful, it was dark, and malicious, and behind it was something not even Master Yoda, with all of his collective knowledge and wisdom could understand. It felt like a void in the Force, like someone had ripped it open. It sent a chill down his spine. Whoever was on this planet they brought evil with them.
He was tired. Being woken up at such an early hour wasn't what he had in mind for the day. But rarely was it what he had in mind.
"Sweetie, we need to hurry now." His mother said in a warry, hushed tone.
But he didn't need her to tell him. He knew something was wrong, not that he knew how he knew, he just knew. It was like something was telling him. His gut was twisted in a knot, and a sickly feeling crawled throughout his entire body. It scared him more than anything. He resolved to keep pace with his mom.
The two scurried about hastily, both shrouded in dark brown robes. He knew where they were going, the shuttle landing zone. He'd practiced this escape route with his parents, and the clone troopers about a million plus times. This was real though, something was wrong. He clutched his mom's hand tighter and moved his small legs as quickly as he could.
"Sir, we have strange readouts coming from the planet!"
Admiral Stafford furrowed his brow swiftly turned toward the tech officer manning the scanners. "What?" He he asked, almost hoping he would hear something different than what he heard. He already knew the implications of these readouts.
He officer's eyes narrowed in concentration."It's like the Separatists have started their generators... on the planet." The officer said, staring intently at the screen.
Stafford strode quickly toward the screen. His heart sank. "They beat us here." He muttered to himself. How long did they have a base on the planet? "Deploy every available transport immediately!" He hollered.
The officers scattered.
"Get me General Marek now!" He continued. "Tell them to sound the alarms! Get everybody out of the villages! Hail the Benedict, instruct them to begin landing men!" He barked quickly.
The command bridge suddenly became alive with chaotic purpose. He turned back to the viewport and stared intently toward the planet. This wasn't going to end well.
"Sir! General Marek is out scouting!" Stafford heard from one side.
"Admiral! The Separatist fleet is emerging from hyperspace!"
Stafford growled. This is just what they needed. Such coordination of the Separatist forces was unheard of since the death of Dooku and Grievous.
"Orders sir!"
Stafford sighed and his eyes narrowed dangerously. The Separatists would pay for this, one way or another. "Deploy the squadrons, concentrate firepower on their transports! Do not let another droid step foot on that planet!"
The shuttle was in view now, just a little bit more and they'd be there.
But the Force sent out a warning blare in Mallie Marek's mind. She stopped momentarily and stared up toward the sky. They were too late. The fleet had arrived.
"No, no too soon." She muttered to herself. She was told the fleet was still hours off…
Unless… this fleet wasn't the one being tracked, which meant there was another fleet in bound.
She grabbed her son and picked him up. "We have to hurry now."
A massive eruption tore the shuttle to pieces, sending Mallie with Galen still in her arms flying backward.
Instantly, she felt death. The death of hundreds of Wookiees, all concentrated on her village.
She quickly stood up.
"Get behind me!" She yelled over the blatser fire. She grabbed hold of her lightsaber, and activated it in one swift motion.
Danger lingered at the edge of her senses from every direction. Tanks began emerging from the banks of the lakes, and droids began firing upon them.
She gracefully defended herself as the droids began advancing toward them.
"MOM!" Galen screamed. She huffed and spun around. Trandoshans, loosely affiliated The Bounty Hunters Guild. How had this become so coordinated. A single Trandoshan tried to attack Galen, who had his back turned from it, but luckily Mallie sensed it, spun around, and decapitated the creature.
Trandoshans began to emerge everywhere, coming left, and right, trying to kill both her and Galen, she skillfully killed each one while still protecting Galen.
Galen was wide eyed, he couldn't comprehend all that was happening around him. The most he knew about death was that when you step on a bug, it dies. All he knew was that he was scared beyond belief. Everywhere he turned, something was being shot, or impaled, or decapitated, even bisected, he could feel it happening all over the planet, it made his heart and his head pound.
The metallic clanking of a droids footsteps alerted Galen to turn his head. Before him, was the largest, scariest thing he had ever come into contact with. A Super Battle Droid, and it's sensors were locked onto him.
The boy's eyes widened in utter terror as the droid raised it's arm. Galen shut his eyes tight.
There was the unmistakable swoosh of a lightsaber, and a heavy clunk on the ground just in front of him. His mother had sensed even that.
An explosion rocked the ground, and Galen found himself on his knees.
He saw his mother lunge and stab a Trandoshan, sidestep around the dead lizard and slice a droid, all while protecting herself from potential wounds from blasters, and protecting him as well.
It was like a dance to him. Beyond all the horror, the one thing he still had faith in was his mother. She looked like a dancer, dancing to the beat of a drum. It was rather awe inspiring to him.
But, the harsh realities broke the boy out of his reverie when he felt the death of another sentient being. Each death brought him an almost tangible pain in his chest, his breathing was far beyond normal, and his head was pounding from all the noise.
Again, he shut his eyes and slammed his hands over his ears.
It was all a dream... It had to be. He shook his head to make himself wake up.
Galen was no stranger to his parents moving him to a safe place when a battle took place. But this was different. He was in the battle.
And he hated it.
The smell of burnt flesh and hair, oil and metal, fire and wood assaulted his nose. The taste of smoke and a tingle of electricity made the hairs on his arm stand up. He could feel small chunks of debris slapping harmlessly against his clothes, and he could feel his mother's concentration, her sheer power. It was staggering. His senses were on overload, his emotions and thoughts were scrambled.
At that instant, he decided he hated war.
It was hard for him to concentrate on one thing, in fact, almost impossible. His thoughts were with his mother, and in his mind, she was the most prevalent thing. He could feel her concentration slipping, her power weakening, and her body tiring.
He willed her to be stronger, with all of his might, all of his desperation, willed her to continue. Hell, if he knew how to do what she was doing, he would have picked up a stick, for all he cared, just to help. But, something in the back of his mind told him to stay put. It told him that help would be arriving.
Why he trusted his instinct, he didn't know.
But, he knew that his mother just had to hold on for a little bit longer.
And then he felt it. A searing pain in his chest. The boy cried out in pain, but the pain disappeared almost as quickly as it came. He opened his eyes to look over his body. He was unscathed.
And then again, right in his spine.
And again, and again... and again.
The boy's eyes widened in sudden realization. He was feeling his mother's pain...
He slowly looked up at her. Her back was arched, and her lightsaber falling slowly to the ground, her eyes to the sky, and her pained look and gaped mouth.
"No." Galen said softly.
Another burst of pain shot up his back. And they continued all over, until his mother collapsed right on top of him, and wrapped him up in her arms.
She was dying.
And he knew that it was for him.
"NOO!" He screamed, at the top of his lungs, everything else was completely irrelevant. The blaster fire, the sudden power he felt coursing through him. It meant nothing.
And then it slammed into his chest, a pang that felt more like a hammer to his chest.
He felt her die...
His mind suddenly became blank, and the eerie, evil feeling coursed through him. It numbed him.
His body began to move almost by itself. He stood up from beneath his mother. With a howling wail of complete and utter sorrow, he slammed his fists into the ground beneath him.
Anything near him was completely decimated. His raw, monolithic power saw to that. And it felt good. And so he continued.
Trandoshans crawling up the trees suddenly became hulking piles of meat and bones with just a squeeze of his hand. Thunder echoed through his ears, and small droplets of rain began to clean the smog off of his face.
He slowly turned to face his mother's body, and, like that, the power was gone.
He dropped to one knee. Tears rolled down his face, as his body shook from his soft sobs. He couldn't speak, or move, he was too scared.
Galen did his best to try to wake her up, knowing in the back of his mind, it was futile. He bawled, and pleaded with her. "Mommy! NO YOU CAN'T DIE! I LOVE YOU, YOU CAN'T DIE!"
He closed his eyes and cried harder, and harder until he couldn't breathe any more. Until he didn't have the strength to continue. Until he was shivering from the coldness that encased his heart.
"She's dead, boy."
Galen's awareness came back to him. That feeling… the same one as before. Cold, lifeless and evil. He looked toward the source of the voice. There stood a young man, most likely in his late teens covered in all black. What remained of the darkness of the night seemed to cling to him, shadows melding around him as if protecting him, waiting for his command.
Galen looked back down to his mother. She was dead… And at that moment, he understood what it meant.
"Come." The man instructed, smoothness rolled off of his tongue in both understanding, and demanding.
The boy found himself wanting to obey.
Galen's head turned to look at the man, his eyes puffy and red. He wanted this man to help him, somehow. He could feel this man's importance.
"W...who are you?" He asked with a sniffle.
"I am your revenge." He simply replied. "Come with me, I will show you how to make these creatures pay for what they've done."
Galen stared up at this shrouded enigma, it was almost like he was in a trance, and that dark feeling urged him to go forth. It whispered in his mind telling him of the greatness he would become if he went with him, all the revenge he could ever hope for.
The boy nodded numbly.
"Admiral! We've just lost the Atmosphere."
Stafford cursed. His arm flung out in front of him. "Reposition the Sidewinder in it's place!" He ordered, his finger pointing to the place he spoke of.
"Yes sir!"
"Concentrate forward firepower on that control ship!" He ordered in a holler.
"Sir, our engines are being bombarded!"
Stafford slammed his fists into the terminal. "Dammit! Get me a squad, and get those bombers off my ship!" He yelled.
"Admiral, we're gonna have company!"
Stafford looked down at his ships readouts. Sure enough, a boarding party transport slammed into the port side of the ship. His teeth ground in anger. "Piett!"
The man instantly stood up and saluted. "Yes sir."
"You have the bridge!" Stafford said as he began to stroll toward the blast doors. "I'm going to deal with this myself."
"Of course, sir."
On his way out, Stafford grabbed his effects, a heavily modified blaster pistol, and his phric vibrosword. Two ARC troopers flanked him, and more joined.
He had every intention of fighting this off, if only to relieve some of the tension he felt from this battle.
He and his troops picked up their pace as the sound of blaster fire erupted through the hallways. A few mechanics rounded the corner ahead of them, shooting off their pistols in quick succession.
Stafford proceeded forward, rounding the corner. He raised his pistol and instantly two of his blaster bolts found their marks. Fighting filled the hallway, and Stafford began weaving up and down, side to side, firing his weapon with as much accuracy as he could. Blaster bolts whizzed passed him harmlessly, and the unmistakable clank and whirring of droids firing their weapons and advancing was heard.
Stafford drew his vibrosword and, with his two ARC troopers, advanced, spearheading the handful of clones behind him. The man ducked under the wide fist of a super battle droid, and shoved his sword into it's torso, spun around it and shot another behind it, ripped out his sword and cleaved down on another.
He was no stranger to combat, he had fought the likes of Trandoshans in hand to hand combat, taken down massive Krayt Dragons in hunts, and boxed a mandalorian into submission. He'd even managed to garner the respect and admiration of a Barabel. These droids were mere toys when compared to a Barabel.
He slashed and shot his way through the center of the enemies, all while keeping his uniform in perfect order.
He continued forward, rushing his enemies down. Parrying the blaster attached to a super battle droid, he stabbed it multiple times, and shot over it's shoulder, all of his shots hitting a target.
A loud swoosh was heard over his head. Stafford looked up, and before he could register what just flew past him, a concussive detonation knocked him to his face.
Instantly, he rolled and got to his feet, firing two blasts out of the smog that blurred his vision. Another rocket flew into the smoke, just over his head, and another detonation knocked him off balance. Stafford growled. "Fall back!" He ordered to his remaining forces.
He began his retreat, firing in front of him for cover. He turned the corner and ran, hearing the metallic steps of whatever was behind him. It was heavy, and large.
He turned momentarily and fired his weapon. Rounding the corner was what appeared to be a super battle droid, but this one was easily double the size of any other he'd seen. And, it was a deep, bronze, nearly red color. The bolts of his heavy blaster pistol bounced off of it harmlessly, hitting the roof.
"Not good." Stafford muttered.
The thing stopped momentarily, and Stafford could see it's giant center eye scanning the hallway. It's giant hand raised, and the three long, wide barrels of the weapon attached to it's wrist widened even further.
Stafford dropped to the floor just as it opened fire. The sound was nothing any stock barrel could produce, this blaster was heavy, and modified for precision. The barrels kept firing, and when they hit someone, it didn't just kill them, it mauled them, leaving massive holes, or simply tearing off limbs. This blaster was meant for something much larger than a trooper.
Stafford jumped to his feet and took off down the hallway.
The droid raised it's other arm, and Stafford soon found that this weapon was repeating. It fired rapidly, clearing everything in it's path. The Admiral barely dove around a corner, closely followed by just a handful of Clones.
He signaled them to keep moving. They had to find a tactically advantageous position to fight this thing from.
He peered around the corner to see it still immobile, both wrists still extended. A whirring of gears were heard, and the droid's elbows bent, and it's fists pointed at the roof.
Then, Stafford saw a small slot open on the forearm of the droid, the arm with the heavy three barrel blaster, and out popped a fairly large container of blaster gas.
It had to reload.
It began stalking forward as Stafford hatched his plan.
He just needed it to empty it's ammunition.
Stafford narrowed his eyes, and did what any sane man would do in this situation.
He leapt out to draw the droid's fire.
Galen slowly rose to his feet, almost as if he wasn't himself anymore, the dark void called to him, urging him to trust this man. And he wanted to.
He wanted revenge.
He walked toward the hooded figure, and the man still had his gloved hand extended, a solemn look of contemplation on his shrouded features. Galen reached out to take it.
But the man instantly leapt backward, appearing in the same gloved hand was a crimson blade that lit up the darkness. And then, more blasterfire flew past the boy, right at that man.
Galen fell to his knees in fear, and wrapped his hands around his ears. He coudln't take anymore of this fighting.
He heard orders being yelled out, screams from men dying, and footsteps all around him.
Galen opened his eyes for just a moment to see the hooded man weaving gracefully between bright blue blaster bolts, his crimson lightsaber deflecting those he couldn't dodge, and expertly dismembering anybody foolish enough to stand too close to him. These were his dad's troops! Which meant that he was here somewhere!
Galen instantly perked up, looking around for his father whom he was sure would jump out at any moment.
And as if on queue, he heard a battle cry, and heard the unmistakable snap-hiss of a lightsaber. The man lept at the offender, and for an instant, everything stood still. Galen could clearly see the two blades connect with each other, but he could feel the power behind his dad's strike.
And then, time relapsed to normal.
For what he was worth, the young Sith held his own against the battalion firing at him, and the Jedi attacking him. He'd been put through a lot worse than some petty Jedi and his men, though, and he soon found his advantage once again. He parried the Jedi's blue blade and deflected a blaster bolt perfectly, hitting the Jedi in his shoulder.
The man let out a howl of pain, but it didn't seem to slow him down at all, not that he was expecting it to. However, the clones seemed to realize what the Sith was trying to do, and ceased their fire.
At that moment, the shrouded assassin became hyper aware of his surroundings, stretching his awareness past the skirmish he was engaged with the Jedi, they would probably resort to a sniper at this point. He continued to fend off the Jedi's onslaught of attacks, doing his best to stay on the defensive for now, light on his feet, and quick to defend any advantage he gained. He'd need a one on one battle to kill this particular Jedi. But before that, he needed to bait out this sniper if he was going to do anything productive in this fight.
The Jedi swung down on the Sith with a Force empowered strike, but the Sith met it with one just as powerful, and the two blades bounced off of each other. The Sith then flung his hand in front of him, and with a forceful wave, pushed the Jedi back a few feet.
He then leapt to a large tree branch above the roof of a house, and stared down at his attackers through narrowed eyes. Now was his chance to bait the sniper out. He made himself a pretty easy target to hit, now all that needed to happen was dodge, or deflect the powerful bolt from the sniper. "I never took the Jedi for cowards." He said in a smooth voice. "And I certainly never thought I'd have to face one as feeble as yourself." He sneered.
The Jedi frowned. "I didn't figure you could make the most out of a disadvantageous position. So I took the initiative." He stated in a steely tone. "There's no happy ending for you here, so we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."
The Sith smiled. "I do enjoy a challenge."
Kento's frown deepened. This young man was powerful, staggeringly so. He had no doubt in his mind that if he were to release all of his power, he could probably kill Kento, that wasn't good. "Who are you?" He asked.
"A humble man bumbling through the galaxy looking for answers." the Sith replied. "You may call me Darth Seren."
"Those are strong words, the Sith have been destroyed, boy. This is no joking matter." Kento's blade raised to point threateningly at this 'Darth Seren.'
Darth Seren chuckled. "I'm no comedian, Jedi, but you'd be a fool to take me lightly."
Kento's eyes narrowed. This 'Sith' was powerful, he could feel the Dark Side soak to his very core. But the thought was inscrutable. The Sith had returned? And so soon? "So you're one of Sidious's failed experiments?" Kento mocked. "Hardly a diverse resume to be considered a Sith Lord."
"I have no ties to Darth Sidious. You'll find my ways to be a lot less cloak and dagger." He said with a sick smile. "Sidious was merely a distraction just waiting to be taken advantage of. All you Jedi are the same, comfortable on your cradle of power, blinded by the Sith's very existence."
Was this, 'Darth Seren' alluding to the existence of a separate Sith Order? Was that even possible? "If you have no ties to Sidious, then why join his Separatist army?" Kento prodded. He needed answers, he needed to tell the Council if this was truly a threat.
"Just an advantage." Seren simply replied with a slight tilt of his head and a shrug.
There was something more to this... Kento knew it. "So you've shown up out of the blue to join the Separatists in a vain attempt to take down the Jedi Order?"
Seren chuckled. "Do you expect me to monologue now?" He asked. "My reasons are my own, but I assure you, your Jedi Order's fall will not simply be an attempt. That powerful little boy over there will make sure of that." He said, with a nod of his head toward Kento's son.
Anger slowly crawled into Kento's mind. He wanted to train his son to be a Sith? His eyes narrowed dangerously. "That will never happen."
"Now, now, Jedi, let's be civil. Anger is a path to the Dark Side." Seren's twisted smile widened. He was enjoying himself.
Kento's jaw set as he raised his blade in a ready stance.
The slight action didn't escape Seren's notice. The Jedi prepared to attack, but made no move quite yet.
That's when the Force pinged in the Sith's mind. The sniper finally took his shot.
Darth Seren's body twisted backward, and he felt the heat of the bolt miss him by just inches.
Blasterfire erupted once more, and it rained down on the Sith in waves of cerulean.
He jumped off of the tree, high in the air, and slammed his saber into the ground, sending a massive repulse of the Force from his center. The clones scattered and flew away from the Sith. Seren lunged at Kento with all the ferocity of the Dark Side. Their blades locked, and the Sith smiled evilly.
"Now, Jedi, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way."
Kento broke the lock, and began to swing his saber at the offending Sith, but his offensive didn't last long at all. Seren blocked two blows, and countered savagely with four. His attacks were quick, and powerful, and blindingly accurate. Kento was barely able to mitigate killing blows, suffering burns all over his arms and chest.
He wouldn't last long, and now any questions he might have had about this man's claim to be a Sith were quelled. This boy had maddening power, and the skills of veteran Masters. And the Dark Side was almost physically heavy. It blinded the Jedi.
Kento blocked a downward strike, but was sent careening backward from the Sith's massive push. Kento slammed into the trunk of a tree with a thud, his breath knocked out of his lungs, and his awareness blurry.
He heard blaster fire erupt from the men who had survived the Sith's original attack, but he could feel their lives snuffed out instantly.
This man was dangerous, and Kento felt like a fool for taking him so lightly.
He couldn't win this fight, but he couldn't allow this man to take his son either. His wife had been slain already, his men were being ripped apart. There was no good end to this fight for him. He could feel the foreboding feeling of his impending death creep up.
He clenched his teeth. If it was the last thing he did, he would save his son!
Kento leapt at the Sith with a howling battle cry, his energy restored from the Force, his dizziness gone, and fueled by determination. His attacks became uncharacteristically aggressive, and for once, he was actually keeping the Sith on his toes. Kento swung down at the Sith, the two blades locking for an instant, but Kento wasn't about to lose his advantage. His head snapped forward and connected with Seren's with a loud crack. The Sith stumbled backward, and Kento released a blast of the Force, shooting the Sith back several yards through the thick wooden walls of a hut.
He had to end this now.
His gaze turned upward at the sound of a detonation. A Separatist battle corvette was just destroyed over his village and was bound to crash nearby. Kento reached out with the Force, and latched on to the corvette, yanking downward as hard as he could. He would bring this ship crashing down on the village itself, using it as a distraction for escape.
It would only be less than a full minute before this corvette leveled the village.
He quickly turned toward the house, sensing that the Sith was still removing the rubble that was on top of him. He moved quickly, racing passed the dead bodies of his men over to his son who still sat on his knees, staring at the entire scene with wide eyes.
Kento briefly checked him over for wounds. He was fine, but he had gone into shock. He'd never seen so much death, and he probably felt every one of them die. Kento pursed his lips and picked Galen up, running toward the command base a few miles off.
"Very clever, Jedi!" He vaguely heard Seren yell from behind him. Kento didn't need to look back, they were almost out of the village now.
But he stopped dead in his tracks once he felt the most intense spike in the Force he'd ever felt.
He didn't believe how powerful this Sith was, he had to see it. He turned momentarily to see the large Corvette suspended in midair, a couple dozen yards above the ground.
It wasn't possible! Nobody was that powerful! To stop a falling ship? These ships were fairly large at that, towering higher than the trees as it's nose pointed to the Sith holding it.
Kento's heart sank. He'd just given this man a weapon.
He set his son down. "Run!" He yelled. The corvette slowly began to tip and fall toward Kento and a loud battle cry was heard from the Sith.
But the boy was too scared to move.
Kento didn't have time any more. "Galen you need to run!" He yelled urgently, throwing his hands upward in vain attempt to stop the falling cruiser.
The boy snapped and looked at his father pleadingly. He couldn't leave him!
"NOW!" The man yelled.
Galen flinched. Where would he run? Would he even be able to escape?
But he did. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him...
The situation only seemed to worsen. Master Yoda sat on the bridge of the Benedict, his lips pursed, his eyebrows strained in concentration. This was too well set up to coordinate a proper defense. Surely Admiral Stafford saw that, but his thoughts weren't too much on the battle as they were on the planet. He could feel staggering darkness spread like a wildfire. Whoever was there, was incredibly powerful. He was right when he sensed the Marek family in danger, one had already been killed.
And he couldn't risk their young son's death, or worse, capture. Yoda needed to intervene.
"A ship I will need." Yoda said to his captain. The man slowly turned from his duties, and motioned for an officer to gather a ship for Yoda. "Order the men to on the surface to fall back, lost this battle is."
The captain nodded.
Yoda's gaze fell back onto the planet. He only hoped he would be on time.
He was definitely regretting his sudden burst of confidence, he ran right behind his men, the massive droid rounding the corner just feet behind them, weapons blaring loudly.
Chunks of Clone Trooper's armor over dismembered body parts lay strewn behind him, and more were erupting all around him.
He turned and fired a few shots, if only to draw it's fire away from his men for a moment, but the bolt bounced off like a balled up sock, effectively ignored.
He just needed it to unload, but it's reload cycle was proving more difficult to predict than Stafford had previously thought. One clear shot was all he needed!
A blaster bolt whizzed passed him, tearing open the small of a Clone trooper's back completely through. Stafford cringed. This wasn't good. Another rocket flew over him, detonating with a fiery, smoky explosion. Stafford covered his face, and kept running.
He cursed at his own helplessness. He needed a damn turbolaser to kill this thing! He contemplated louring it to the hanger, but it wouldn't sit through a turbolift ride. Through the smoke, he saw that at the end of the hallway, the droid had targeted a recently set up turret. It targeted whoever was a high threat potential.
He was hurt that he wasn't even a minor threat...
But then it occurred to him. He was a Grand Admiral, the Separatists would gain more from his capture than his death.
Maybe this thing wanted him alive.
Stafford ordered his men to continue their fall back, then, he stopped and turned.
The droid ignored him for a moment, continuing to fire past Stafford, his theory becoming more and more confirmed.
Stafford pulled out his pistol and shot two consecutive shots off, both having absolutely no effect. But, they got the droid's attention. He could see the massive center eye shift and scan him. It stopped it's walk, and it's wrists pointed directly at him.
Stafford's eyes went wide. Maybe this thing didn't care if he was dead or not...
But, the massive cannon on it's arms shifted, it's barrels closing to a narrow hole.
It was trying to incapacitate him.
Stafford dove to his right, avoiding what would've been a shot through his chest, non fatal, he assumed.
Stafford was on his feet just in time to avoid another shot.
From behind him, blasterfire began to fly past him right at the droid. It held it's ground, and it's scanner moved from Stafford to his men behind him. The barrels opened wide again, and it began to unleash a hellfire of bolts. The men rounded the corner, taking cover.
The caught onto his plan, or, at least, somewhat. It continued firing indiscriminately, completely ignoring Stafford.
Then, it stopped, it's wrists pointing to the ceiling.
Now!
Time seemed to slow as he raised his pistol, just as the slot opened. The blaster bolt flew.
But instead of hitting the blaster gas, it shot clean through the droid's wrist.
Stafford cringed as it's slot closed, and it pointed it's wrists toward his men.
Then, the droid's wrist detonated in a bright red, plasma filled explosion.
Stafford fell on his butt, looking curiously toward the droid, who was effectively out for the count.
He missed...
And then it occurred to him. The molten metal where the bolt entered and exited was hot enough to make the gas rapidly expand.
Stafford smiled. He stood and turned to his men. "Qwell these intrusions!" He yelled. They all saluted and ran off to different sectors of the ship.
Stafford needed to be on the bridge now. He could tell that this battle wasn't going well, simply from the massive shakings of his ship.
The situation there was no better than it had been when he left. Officers scurried about from one post to another, his fleet was taking a brutal beating. The sheer savagery of this battle, no, this massacre was startling.
"Admiral, Master Yoda has ordered a withdrawal of all Jedi on the planet." Piette informed him. "I suggest we follow his lead."
The Grand Admiral looked down at his scanners, the battle on the planet was worse than it was up in space. He closed his eyes in contemplation. He knew deep down that this was a lost cause. Wasted resources, men's lives lost for nothing. "Fall back. We're on a full retreat as of now."
Piette nodded.
"Run now!"
Galen did as he was told and ran, ran as fast as his tiny legs could carry him. That strange feeling was telling him to move faster, it crept on him like a cold chill. He wasn't fast enough.
But he pushed himself faster and faster. He could feel his own father's urgency, his worry and his determination and effort. But even the little boy knew that his father wouldn't be able to stop that ship. It would fall, and it would detonate and kill him. The realization made the boy stop in his tracks.
He couldn't lose his father too. He wouldn't lose his father too. He needed that power, that was the only way.
But he didn't know how to tap into it. It left as quickly as it came, the unimaginable rage. He was more desperate, and scared than he was angry. And that power was nowhere to be found.
He had to try.
He quickly ran back toward his father, much to his utter dismay. "No!" He yelled. "Get out of here!"
Galen's fear suddenly left. There was absolutely no way he was going to sit by and do nothing while his last remaining parent died! "I'm gonna help!" He yelled, reaching his father's side.
Before Kento could protest, the dark presence of Darth Seren suddenly reached his senses. There he was, jumping from high in the air, his lightsaber activating on his way down. With his one free hand, Darth Seren gripped the boy, and flung him away, sending him colliding with a tree. The boy blacked out.
It was mere seconds, the Sith Lord landed in front of Kento, and plunged his lightsaber through the man's chest, and with a swift wave of his saber, sent his head rolling on the ground.
Seren then jumped to the side, and lept over the ship just as it collided with the ground beneath it.
Galen's senses came back to him with the massive vibration and shaking of the ground beneath him. He shook the dizziness out of his mind and slowly stood up. He saw the ship on the ground, a small crater around it's length. But his father was nowhere.
His worry, and his fear began to peak. He had to be here somewhere.
He walked toward the crash site, observing his surroundings in an attempt to find his dad. But he was nowhere.
An ominous creaking from the ship startled him, and his gaze fell on a small fire that started on the side of the now upturned ship. That feeling came back again, it told him to leave, to run and not to look back.
But he ignored it. "Daddy?" He called out softly.
No response.
He knew something bad had happened. He could sense it unconsciously. He just wanted to believe that everything was alright.
"Daddy?" He called a bit louder, fear laced in his voice. That feeling became more and more prominent the closer he got to the ship.
But he had to know! He had to find his dad and bring him with him! "Daddy!" He yelled desperately. His walk sped up into a jog, and slowly into a run. "Daddy! Where are you!?"
A deafening sound suddenly jolted through his ears, followed quickly by a shock wave that knocked him to his butt. He looked up at the ship, and that feeling was now screaming in his mind to run, to get up and go as fast as he possibly could.
But it only served to shock him. He'd never heard a warning like that before! Before he could even contemplate what was happening, an even louder sound rang throughout the village, and the shock wave that followed hit Galen's chest like a sledgehammer. He tumbled and rolled several feet back before yet another detonation occurred. The side of the fallen corvette blew wide open, it's innards sent flying in every which direction. Galen instinctively shut his eyes, but the pain was too much. He was vaguely aware that he was tumbling further back, but it didn't seem like a tumble anymore. It seemed like he was being dragged through the earth itself. Several objects collided with him, and he could no longer feel anything. He could no longer think anything. He was simply in a void of black.
Darth Seren watched with a twisted sense of interest, the scene that played out before him. He knew well enough to stay away from that ship, it was going to detonate the fuel tanks. But the boy had no idea.
Darth Seren made his way quickly away from the ship when he heard the explosions. He turned to see flames billowing upward beyond the trees, dissipating slowly into smoke.
But the Force seemed to panic. He felt the ghost pains of objects colliding into his body, and then sudden numbness. This boy was powerful, Seren concluded. If he could project his feeling to the likes of Darth Seren, even if unconsciously, well that was a rare talent indeed.
It was the boy's way of asking for help.
Once the detonations ceased, Seren made his way over to the wreckage. The boy was still alive, he could sense as much. How much danger he was in, the Sith could not tell. He lay sprawled out on the ground, blood gushing from a few bodily wounds. Seren knelt down and turned the boy from his side to his back. A fairly large chunk of durasteel had firmly lodged itself diagonally across his chest. The irony didn't escape the Sith Lord. It seemed as though the Force itself saved his heart from being hit, just a few centimeters would've done it. Seren smirked, grabbing the boy and lifting him by his arm, dragging him across the ground toward his base. He would live, his wounds were not fatal. This recovery would be the perfect way to start his Sith training. The pain of training with injuries. A smile crept on his face.
But it was suddenly wiped clean off at the sound of a shuttle approaching.
He looked up to see a Republic Transport fly over his head, and land right in front of him.
It was who was inside that soured his mood.
The doors opened, and two Jedi stepped out, followed closely by the small Master Yoda himself.
The old green Master stared at Seren as he hobbled closer, his lips pursed and his eyes narrowed. Seren could sense his displeasure.
But he said nothing.
Seren growled under his breath. "Master Yoda." He greeted in a low tone. "I'm on a roll today, I suggest you stay out of my way."
"Much to learn, you still have." Yoda returned. "Outnumbered, and outclassed, you are." He said with a finger pointing at the Sith.
Seren frowned. He knew he couldn't beat Yoda yet. This old thing was a mere century away from a millenia. He knew secrets not even Seren's master knew. "You want the child?" Seren asked. He tossed the boy like a ragdoll to the feet of the three Jedi. He'd get him eventually. This was a minor hiccup in his plan. "Take him. But mark my words, Jedi, he will join me, or he will die. Now run along, Jedi, before my army gets here."
"Come with us, you will. Stand trial for war crimes against the Republic, you will." Yoda said. "A threat, you will never become."
Seren spoke sinisterly. "Oh, I am more than just a threat." He rolled up his robe's sleeve, and pressed a few buttons on a gauntlet he had on his wrist. He then reached in his robe and pulled out his crimson blade.
The two Jedi Knights at Yoda's side did the same. The old master's lips pursed. "Leave, we must." He said. This Sith just activated a homing beacon, he planned to bring his army here, and use that as a distraction for taking the boy. It was a standoff so to speak, staying was a risk for the Jedi, and waiting for Seren's army to show up and fighting Yoda was a risk for the Sith.
"Master Yoda, Admiral Stafford has ordered a full retreat." Yoda's comm crackled.
He turned and walked back to the transport, the Jedi with Galen in one of their arms, following suite. Yoda turned before he entered the ship. "Meet again, we will." He said in a low tone.
"I look forward to it." Seren called back. "It will be the end of Yoda's reign as King of the Jedi." He mocked.
Master Yoda ignored the comment and hopped onto the ship, taking one last glance at the young man that sent tidal waves of disturbances through the Force in just one day.
This war was to never end...
Above Coruscant, Admiral Stafford stayed on his ship, the events of today still running through his mind like a movie. The losses were staggering... But the loss of one of his closest friends hit home the hardest. "He was a good man." Stafford kept telling himself, as if it would make the pain subside. They were close, ever since the eruption of the Clone Wars all those years back. He stood beside Kento at his wedding, fought alongside him nearly a hundred times. He never would've thought that the Ex-Jedi would die in a battle.
Stafford was told by Yoda himself that the Sith had returned, and that they was responsible for both Kento and Mallie's deaths if only to have their son to train in the Sith ways. He knew little about the Force himself, but Stafford had seen it's wonders with his own two eyes. The Jedi said that Galen had the potential to be the most powerful Jedi the Order had ever seen, even more than the Hero With No Fear himself. His protection was priority number one as of the battle.
Nobody but the High Jedi Council knew of his existence, and his location. Stafford had offered to take him in, but the Jedi refused. He needed to be trained to defend himself from the Sith.
But they were wary of him. Stafford didn't know why.
He stared at the little boy floating in the neon blue of Bacta, mushrooms of blood seeping out of his nearly sliced open chest floating slowly to the top of the tank. How could they be wary? He was a boy who just witnessed the atrocities of war. They should give him a damn medal of honor!
"I agree."
Stafford quickly turned to the doorway of the medbay to see none other than Anakin Skywalker himself. "Ahh. Master Skywalker." Stafford greeted, turning back to the tank. "I would very well appreciate it if you'd kindly stay out of my mind."
Skywalker walked to stand beside the Admiral. "That's like asking me not to hear you speak."
Stafford smiled. "Am I that weak minded?" He joked.
The question was all but ignored.
"Has the Council reached a decision?" He asked.
Anakin nodded. "I'll train him." He said.
"You?" Stafford asked with an eyebrow rose as he glanced over to the Jedi.
"I can feel his power, even while he's unconscious. I think I'm the only one who can train him." Anakin replied. "I feel connected to him. He's experienced the Dark Side... as have I." He said darkly.
Stafford turned back to the boy. "I see."
"The Council is worried about my decision." Anakin continued. "He's older than the allowed age of acceptance, he's witnessed his parent's deaths, and he's even unwittingly touched the Dark Side." Anakin sighed. "He's dangerous."
"He's a boy." Stafford defended. "With the right guidance, he'll be a great hero. Besides was that not the same description of another young boy a few years ago?"
"I agree." Anakin nodded. "But... what if I'm the one making the mistake?"
Stafford huffed. "Enough of that, Master Skywalker. You've outdone yourself in this time of unrest. Remember, you resisted the Dark Side and killed Darth Sidious, even while suffering from uneasiness in your personal life. If anybody can help this boy grow into a fine Jedi, I'd say you're a near perfect choice." Stafford chided. "It's not like the Hero With No Fear to show fear." He smiled. "If you are given a title, then by mercy, you better live up to it"
"I hope you're right, Admiral." Anakin said.
"If it's any consolation, I'm rarely wrong." He joked. "And I do trust you to make the right decisions."
"That means a lot coming from the famed Admiral Stafford." Anakin smiled.
-AN-
So that's it. Kind of like a second prologue rather than a chapter one, but it will suffice.
Review, let me know what you think.
