Chapter Two:

Jedi Temple Dormitory Area, 3 standard months ago.

Nobi woke up with a yawn. All the beds were empty. Everybody was awake, except him. He didn't know anybody here.

"Jedi Masters to train you, we have run out. Fighting the war, the Knights are. Be patient we must," said Master Yoda last week.

Great!

It started out in the 'net café. A group of Jedi Padawans snuck out for some Age of War session. It's a war strategy game that lets you command classic space fleets, land marines, conduct tank war fare, wage diplomacy wars, all in one. Nobi was good, very good at it. So good that the Padawans formed a 5-1 coalition to knock him out first, he managed to beat them all. Nobi had the gift of making sense from confusing bits of information to construct the big picture. Every recon flight, every radio snippet, even the player's expression, told the tale. They complained they Nobi cheated. One thing led to another, a push became a shove, a full out brawl erupted.

Nobi was running through the streets, with 7 young Jedi after him. Holy! Weren't Jedi blokes peace loving people? No, these were kids, not much older than him, they were not Jedi.

Nobi didn't look back, his legs were pumping as hard as he can we he ran smack into an old female bum. He landed on top of her.

"Help me please, the mystic mob are after me," said Nobi. On second thought she looked so old, that she would have heart attack before she got up. "Sorry, to bother you Granny."

In a flash the old woman got up, shoving Nobi out of the way. She held her hand up in a way that only Jedi on holvids do. The Padawans after him were stunned.

"4 weeks of agriculture duty on Pahaya for conduct unbecoming of Jedi," she said in a gentle voice.

On second thought the crummy clothes were actually Jedi robes, her wrinkles were actually facial marks Better stay away from these characters, they're nothing but trouble.! Whoa! A real Jedi Master. Damn! And I just called her the mystic mob.

Nobi didn't hang around to find out, just as he was rounding the corner, in a seedy area, he snuck a last look. One was trying to blame everything on Nobi, another one was describing how great the game was (not all Jedi have brains apparently,)another one was figuring how to avoid to be sent to farming duty. Throughout the shouting, Nobi noticed that the Granny Jedi, as he had taken to identifying her, nodded patiently, taking it all in, like, like I do. Well, it's nice to know another person in the world who listens.

Nobi waved a cab, none would stop for him. Kids do not call for cabs. This was sick. He was 16, last month, by all rights and legal purposes an adult on Coroscant. He can vote, but he can't drink. Such is the nature of civics.

When one finally stopped, it was the most rickety, dirty old cab Nobi has ever seen. The repulsor lifts were humming in some strange rhythm, the headlights were broken.

"Kyro Towers 17, stop at Yakky's drive through on the corner to 14 street before that," ordered Nobi.

The cab roared off with such acceleration that Nob sank into the seat. When they arrived at Yakky's luckily there was no cue.

"Welhum to Hackky. What do you hont?"

Immigrants! Can't even learn to speak basic properly.

Any how, the Nerf strips were delicious here. Not exactly healthy, but topped off with Surry's special hot sauce, it was paradise.

The cab stopped at his place with a jerk. It was a nice little mansion. His mother was on to her 4th husband. Fortunately her first husband, Nobi's father had left them a small fortune. So they were pretty comfortable financially. The light was on in the entire house.

"Welcome home young master," greeted the servant droid, "we have two guests waiting for you."

"Guests or police?" asked Nobi.

He kept walking towards the living room.

"Neither master," said the droid, "I believe they are Jedi."

Nobi was stunned. There were two Jedi sitting in his room, their distinctive robes and hairdo told the tale. It was the Granny, and the dumb one. On seeing Nobi, they both stood and gave the customary bow.

"Look alright, I cheated," stammered Nobi. "I hacked into the security cams, so I can watch the player's faces."

The two Jedi just stared.

"Other than that, it was an honest match," said Nobi, "Honest!"

The rest was history. His mother and step-father were more than delighted to see him leave. Nobi was happy in a way. Jedi Nobi, conqueror of universe, here I come.

Now that he got up from bed to see Master Yoda standing beside him.

"Late to wake up, our new Jedi," said Yoda grimly.

"Master please understand, I am not complaining. It's an observation. I've been here a whole week, I've browsed through the entire collection of your war records, from Sith to the Separatists like you told me to. When do I start my training?"

"Oh but a Jedi is never at war, only at peace," replied Yoda.

"Master, no offense, there is a war going on. And cryptic answers ain't gonna help. People are dying. And I want to do my part. You dragged me from my home to be a Jedi, then you let me sit on my butt doing nothing for a week, and you told me you were running of of Jedi, and here I am a Jedi, loafing around" begged Nobi.

Yoda took a deep breath, this one is not a war junkie. He just feels useless sitting around. His analytical mind is going crazy, without something to analyze.

"Change the galaxy, this one will," thought Yoda.

"If war is what you lust, then war will you have. To the roof you must go, landing pad 45. Answers you will find there," and Yoda walked away without another word.

Count on the Kermit for weird answers.

Nobi took the elevator up to the roof. He passed some younger Padawans. They were all looking at his belt, and snickering.

"Hey where's you lightsaber?"

"Maybe he lost it somewhere."

Damn, no lightsaber, how can I be a respectable Jedi with no lightsaber? Do they issue you one? Or is there some Jedi PX store I don't know about. He didn't dare ask.

He arrived at pad 45, the view was breathtaking. Coroscont, the entire planet is one city. The higher one lived, the richer one is. He could see the Senate building across. Its magnificent steps, the statues, he was part of that world now, a for real Jedi.

Just then, the same rickety cab landed on the pad.

WHAT? I'm a Jedi, and I still take cabs? Great master Yoda.

He got in without a word. The Cab roared off the pad, towards the industrial district, pass the Galaxy Mall, the galaxy's for real largest mall. It could take you three months just to browse through half the shops. They finally ended up at the big GAR base, down south.

A clone trooper looked at his face, checked his data pad and waved the cab inside the base. The driver jerked his thumb, the universal sign of get out.

Nobi got out. Most citizens have never been in one of these bases before. Massive Acclamator class assault ships sat fueling from the docks, while crewmen were busy loading provisions. AT-TE, tanks, Torrent fighters in giant hangars were being worked on. It was a sea of white armor. At base, the clones kept their helmets off, so it was amazing to see thousands of the same face, joking, laughing, and sweating.

Nobi didn't know where to go. So he just walked along the piers of one of the assault ships. Out of curiosity, he walked on the pier to one. One of the massive cargo droids, that look like wheels with two arms, were bearing straight down on him, making no move to stop. Nobi spun around and fairly leapt of the pier, panting.

The clones were chuckling at him.

Nice going Nobi.

A green trimmed armor was fighting the flow of the crowd towards him.

"Attention on deck!" came the projected voice.

The clones stopped lounging and snapped to attention.

"At ease," Nobi said in his best holovid voice.

The clones went back to loading the giant ships.

"Sorry sir, I've been looking for you. You didn't check in at the gate?" asked the green trimmed clone.

"Kinda obvious isn't it?" observed Nobi.

"Oh introductions, how rude of me. I am Sergeant CT64/3484, of the 6th Reconnaissance Wing. You can call me Stack," said the green helmet.

"Uh, I am, uh Jedi Padawan Nobi Khun," answered Nobi.

"We know that sir," if he didn't have a helmet, Nobi could sense the man was smiling, "Now if you will please follow me to our Wing's hangar."

Nobi struggled to keep up with Stack, the man, even with all his armor plates on, slid down stairs, ran up escalators so fast that Nobi was panting. Finally they ended up beside a huge half cylinder hangar on the far end of the runway.

The hangar had 6 LAAT/I gunships lined up, and a couple more fighters Nobi couldn't recognize. There were clones working on them. Stack led him to a small office, off to the side of the massive entrance.

"Officer on deck!" someone shouted. Nobi fairly jumped at the sound of 20 boots coming together.

"Take a seat men," said one of the red trimmed clones. "Command has finally relented and bought our idea. Jedi Nobi here is to be our mission commander. Commander?"

All eyes were on him now. A Jedi never lies. He saw it on a plaque in the Great Dining Hall. "Hi, I'm Nobi. And," he paused. "A cab picked me up at the Temple, and, I don't know what I'm doing here."

20 pairs of eyes rolled to the ceiling.

"Another balls up," complained Stack. "I'll make it short commander. We here at the 6th Reconnaissance Wing don't actually conduct any reconnaissance. What we do is deep penetration strikes. Droid factories, armories, unreachable targets, we blow them up. Now for the past six standard months the Seps had moved their factories around. It's getting difficult to pin point. They're getting better at this cat and mouse game. So Captain Red there, thought since we have the capability to conduct hit and runs, why don't hit, grab, and then run."

Nobi looked confused.

Red stood up and paced around the front of the room. "Since we don't get much intel from dead droids, it is hard to pin point their supply system. What I proposed couple of months ago, was that we grab our own intel. For example, we know the Banking Clan finances the Separatists with loans and bonds. All that money has got to go somewhere. The dikuts still have their public shareholder meetings, even advertise on the holonet! I'll let Howe talk now, he came up with this part of the plan. Howe is from Special Forces. Sergeant Howe?"

Nobi noticed that his armor was very different. It was scratched in a million places, and it looked thinner than regular clone armor somehow. It also has a lot of attachment points, for the-force-knows-what.

"We grab them, that simple," said Howe. Even though a Sergeant, he had such a commanding presence, that Nobi felt he was the de facto leader.

"We pack our strike force into a modified Acclamator. Captain Red here will jump out from hyperspace as close to the planet as he can. We come down in gunships, land in front of the building in question. Me and my assaulters can kick down the door and have them gagged and hog-tied before the explosions stopped ringing in their ear. Mean while, Torrent fighters will be conducting suppression of enemy air defenses. We herd the whole parade on one of those cargo type gunships, lift off. ARC-170s will fly top cover for gunships and the Torrents, back to the Acclamator. Captain Red will then recover the ships, and jump to hyperspace right from orbit. We'll be back here in time for dinner, plus the prisoners."

"Sounds like a good plan Sergeant. Where do I fit in?" asked Nobi.

It was Stack this time, "Coordinating a mission this complex, truth is nobody here can do it. There are too many assault elements, too many units operating in concert within a very short time frame. We asked for a Jedi 4 months ago," explained Stack.

"You're him," summarized Captain Red for the benefit of Nobi.

And the truth shall set you free. "Guys to tell you the truth, I'm very new at this."

The clones assumed he was talking about new to their operational concept.

"I play, well, used to play Age of War," heads nodded in recognition.

"It works similar to our command and control network," said Stack, "we play it sometimes to test our new tactics against the AI."

"'Cept that real people are dying in this game," this was from Howe.

Nobi was beginning to get Master Yoda's plan for sending him here.

"Look, the reason why I'm so good at the game is that I know the capabilities of each unit intimately. I know what they can do and what they cannot do. I know their weakness, I know their strengths. " Nobi took a deep breath, "If you really want me to coordinate the mission, I need to know what each of you guys do, not just a briefing, I need to be out there with you guys. "

The room was silent.

Nobi was living up to the image of the Jedi.

Red broke the silence.

"Okay," said Captain Red, "That's just fine with us. First thing off, Stack will show you how to fly. Not the standard civvie 3 degree standard turn, but REALLY fly. Howe will take you through his shooting house, and you'll experience first-hand what a crack assault team can do, and you will be on my bridge to see how deep space tactical maneuvering works. Dismissed."

"Sir, this way," said Stack. Nobi followed him to a parked LAAT/I gunship in the hangar. Nobi was used to seeing them over open skies, this close, it's huge. "You go up in front." Stack punched a button, and the side of the cockpit snapped out to reveal climbing stairs. "In you go." Stack began strapping Nobi in. In front of Nobi were a center mounted joystick, and a side controller. In front, there were about a dozen different screens, targeting computers, moving maps, Nobi was overwhelmed.

"Don't worry about the avionics just yet, Commander. We're gonna concentrate on just flying this baby."

Nobi found a pair of headphones and plugged them in.

He heard, "Starting one, starting two." Nobi heard the ion engines spool up to the proper temperature. "Activating repulsor lifts!" a rhythmic whine began to growl. The gauges at first spool up to red, and then green.

"Sir, you probably piloted speeders and stuff before. They're using repulsor lift technology. It ain't bad, but it just isn't designed for high performance. This LAAT/I here actually uses both. Two ion engines to propel the craft, and repulsor lifts for altitude control. But what most people don't realize is that the stubby wings on the sides actually produce lift. So what I'm going to show you , commander is how to combine all three laws of physics, to make the LAAT/I the most maneuverable craft you've ever seen. It's not easy, but it can be learned."

Nobi realized that commander is probably a mouthful. "Stack, call me Nobi."

Nobi could hear stack flipping switches, "Roger Nobi."

"Tower, request permission to taxi, take off, blow some holes, and land again," Nobi heard in his ear.

The reply came as a chuckle, "Latty 29 you're cleared for all the above. Watch for inbound Senate traffic at 40,000 feet, stay clear of section grid 4839, over."

"Latty 29 copies all," said Stack.

"Nobi, I'm going to do a high performance climb. The trainer mode will move my controls in sync with yours. Put your hands on them and follow my movements."

Nobi felt the right handgrip, which controls the power to the ion engines move forward.

"I'm going to full military power, the engines have some inertia, they take a couple of seconds to spool up. I'm holding the craft on the ground with the repulsor lift."

The engines were approaching the red line. Then Stack released the repulsor lift control, and they shot out from the hangar in a screaming climb.

The G-forces pressed Nobi into his seat. From the front bubble canopy view, it was exciting. The city rushed by them vertically, then the clouds. After what seemed like an eternity, Stack eased off the climb.

"We're in military air space so there shouldn't be any drunk cab drivers to run into. Try to fly us straight and level Nobi,"

Nobi put his hand on the controls and heard, "You got it," in his earphones.

He pushed the center stick slightly forward to stop climbing. Nothing happened. Then he pushed a little more, now the whole craft was in a descent. He pulled back the stick, and was suddenly in a vertical climb. This went on for a few minutes, then Stack said, "I got it."

The craft was back nice and level again. "The gunship has to be handled with nudges on the control. Don't jerk it. You have to think 2 steps ahead of her. The fast forward motion we have is from the engines, plus having no wing control surface, contributes to the lag in controls you just experienced. Remember the engines drive it forward, the direction, control by the repulsors, and the wings provide lift."

Nobi was trying to take all this in. This was a truly weird craft to fly.

"You got it."

This time Nobi kept the gunship straight and level.

"Use the foot pedals to turn."

Nobi stomped on the left foot pedal. Easy enough. The gunship was turning, but he noticed that the compass heading didn't turn with him. The gunship was now flying in the same direction but sideways. "Uh, Stack, help!" The gunship was now going sideways in a barrel roll.

Stack chuckled over the intercom, "Sorry Nobi, you must be used to driving speeders. In the gunship, turn and bank are different things. To change direction you must use both. Let me demonstrate, I got it."

This went on the whole morning. By noon Stack was teaching Nobi advanced maneuvers, like nap of the planet flying and assault formations.

"The beauty of the gunship is that, even in the slowest of flight, we still retain a good deal of control authority unlike the majority of crafts out there, who wallow and mush in slow flight," explained Stack.

"Stack, let's grab a bite. I'm in for some nerf strips."

Before Stack could say anything else, the gun ship lurched forward followed by an I got it from Nobi.

Nobi brought the gunship over near the seedy district getting it into the traffic pattern.

"Look Nobi, rules require that in traffic pattern, the instructor pilot, me, has to fly the aircraft. I got it."

"Okay turn right and down three levels," ordered Nobi, "Stop stop, see that entrance?" It was Yakky's Nerf Strips. Their gunship got in cue in the drive-through, with Stack expertly holding the huge aircraft steady. The gunship dwarfed all the other speeders, the civilians' mouths were opened wide, here it was, a for real assault ship, bristling with canons, turbo lasers, and rockets, and what's worst, there's a kid in the front pilot seat!

Nobi flipped the switch to open the bubble canopy,

Welhome to hackkys!

"Two extra large nerf strips well done, and I want extra hot sauce to go with that, you'll gonna love this Stack, oh and two super large Pop ups. When they moved to the receiving window, the waiter's eyes were as wide as a door knob. A huge gunship hovering next to his window, the front canopy open, with Nobi sitting there.

"Now Stack, go straight up to level 105, there should be an abandoned building pad on top."

Stack pulled the gunship vertical slowly as not to spill the drinks. He parked the gunship on the pad Nobi pointed. They both sat in the open troop bay. Stack acted like he never saw nerf strips before, he was eating slowly, as if taking every molecule of taste in.

"This is great stuff Nobi, " said Stack in between munches. "Can I have more of that sauce?"

Nobi was just wolfing his portion down, all that crash course in learning the fly the Larty was sapping his strength.

He didn't know how Stack did it, but it seemed that Stack drowned his super large Pop-ups drink in one gulp.

"So, Stack, how'd a great pilot like you ended up instructing me? I thought you'd be out on the outer rim with the fleet, get the pearls, save the world," Said Nobi.

He took off his helmet. He was missing a left eye. "Oh don't worry about it, caught some shrapnel when my last Larty blew up. Waiting for a replacement eye. Instead of being cooped up in the hospital, I thought I might do some good with the unit back there. "

Nobi regretted asking.

"So Nobi, how did YOU become a Jedi? I know they don't grow 'em in vats like we do."

"I was how do you say, it was an accident."

Nobi told him the story.

"That's some story. A word of advice, sir? Keep that a secret. The troops won't listen to you as much, if they know you just became a Jedi last week. I read a lot. I read anything I can get my hands on. I know that Jedi training at first they focus on the peaceful stuff before the combat stuff. In your case, sounds like they're ready to ship you out to war at the first notice," observed Stack.

"Yeah, I know. In the Temple, they don't teach combat stuff until you're like 19. Yeah, with me, they started off with a combat pilot course. Not that I mind. "

"Yes sir, when you're out there, in combat, it can get pretty lonely. The important thing is not to let that get into your head. Concentrate on the mission, come back home alive. That's more than I can bargain for. Enough of sad stories, let's get back. I have instructions to drop you off at the Jedi temple. "

Nobi was in a powered descent towards the front of the Jedi temple. The gunship was loosing altitude fast in a dive.

"Now remember, pull up at around 100 feet to loose your forward speed. Aim for that space between the two statues," commented Stack. "Remember retard your throttles too soon and you'll sink, add too much and you'll float over you landing spot."

Nobi looked out the canopy to see that he was level with the statues, and pulled up, too late. The gunship bounced on its repulsors and floated back up. Hundreds of eyes were on them now. If wasn't often you see a gunship flying so low and so fast in the city.

"That was Master Yoda watching on the steps! Oh crap," said Nobi.

"Nobi, go around, make another pass, don't worry about Master Yoda or anything. Just fly the ship. You pulled up too late. Watched the angle of attack, now try again."

Nobi prepared for the fast descent again, they roared over pedestrians and Jedi alike. When it looked as if he was going to crash in the statue, he pulled the joystick back. Airspeed coming down, angle of attack, good.

From Master Yoda's perspective it looked like the gunship was flying itself into the ground, but at the last possible moment, slowed and made a perfect landing.

"And that's it for today. The cab will pick you up at pad 45 tomorrow, and thanks for the nerf," concluded Stack.

The canopy popped open and the ladder popped out like magic. Nobi climbed down, and Stack rocketed back to base.

"In one day, a great pilot become, have we?" asked Master Yoda

"It was Stack flying. But thank you master Yoda for letting me do this," said Nobi. But master Yoda was gone.

That night, Nobi was the first night Nobi slept soundly since he became a Jedi.

GAR base Next Morning

Nobi walked off the cab with two big paper bags in hand. At the hangar office, everyone was already assembled.

"Officer on deck!" they all stood at attention.

"Sorry I'm late, I got nerf strips and soda pop-ups for everybody."

There was a mad scramble, all military discipline was evaporated. Nobi learned from his room- mate that night, that clone troopers eat tasteless ration cubes all their lives. Rarely, except in civil affairs units, that anyone of them has tasted anything else. Everyone with the exception of Howe dug in. The officers and the enlisted, Nobi learned, treated each other as equals in the GAR. They were brothers after all. Especially in this unit, they simply transcended rank. The objective and results were more important than who salutes who.

"We can forgive our commanding officer for being late," said Captain Red in mid crunch.

"Hoo ahh," the men agreed.

"What's it made of?" asked Howe.

"Who cares," said Captain Red.

"Today Stack is busy on an errand. You'll be with Howe today," Red doesn't envy the Jedi. Howe was from an elite unit in an army composed entirely of elites.

Howe led Nobi to the far end of the hangar, where the LAAT/I gunships were being worked on. Ammo boxes, and food crates were set up as makeshift chairs. A classic chalkboard was set up.

Nobi noticed that the whole hangar stopped whatever they were doing, pilots, officers, engineers grabbed a seat where ever they can to hear what Howe has to say.

"I am sure we all have had enough lectures in our dikut lives."

Polite chuckles.

"But this is important. What I am about to tell you has been earned in blood. First off, commander, if you have any questions, even an inkling of a question, interrupt me. Same for you dikuts in the back," ordered Howe.

Howe now had everyone's complete and undivided attention.

"Your Jedi council files say that you used play for the Rareing Rangers in Shock Ball. Though you never did win anything, it was still good sport. For the benefit of the uneducated dikuts back there, shockball is a gunfight game. You shoot each other with electrodes that give you a nasty shock when hit. So I am going to skip the basic infantry stuff," observed Howe.

Captain Red was passing ration cubes to chew on around.

"In all of the combined arms, only the infantry can take and hold a position. Tanks are good for blasing a whole in their lines, air strikes are good but you run out of ammo and fuel before you get anywhere."

That invoked a snicker from the pilots.

"So let's cut to the chase, it's 40 of us against atleast 500 of them. The key to this kind of assault is speed and surprise. We would go in as violently as possible to induce and state of shock and fear into the guys inside the building. The more time the bad guys have to regroup and organize, the harder our job will be done. In my experience, if a building is suddenly filled with lights and explosions, most would just try to find a table to hide under."

Howe began drawing a diagram of a room.

"Now most of you here, by which I mean the assaulters, have conducted unconventional warfare. Raids behind the lines, armed recon, and the likes. But this is what I call direct action. We have some Galactic Marines here, taking over a capitol ship is your cup of tea. Republic Commandos, the classic special forces, guerialla tactics, raids, recon, uprisings, these are the missions you've been used to. Today I will tell you off another kind. You all know Close Quarters Combat, we all been through the shooting house. Well this is CQC on steriods."

"The traditional method of clearing a room, is to stack up on one side and the first shooter goes in and conducts his take. This is useful for small rooms with few occupants. The downside of it is that only the first shooter has guns pointed on target. The second assaulter has to shoot through the first assaulter to get to the target, resulting on more dead clones than enemies."

Some were beginning to yawn.

"What I propose is that as soon as the door is breached, we move along in and L-shaped like so. The first assaulter goes to the left, the second sweeps to the right and move along the sides of the room allowing the third and fourth assaulter to add their fire to the carnage. That way, we tripple of firepower in one stroke."

There was a collective ahs from the assaulters. They had been through CQC training and all saw the limitations of it, Howe was going to change all that.

"Which means that a four man team can take on at least 40 occupants in a given target room, if speed and surprise are achieved."

"Now let's talk weapons,"

There were colletives hooahhs. They all looked very interested.

"The standard DC-17 multipurpose rifle, frankly to say is a piece of osik. You commandos should know it by now, empty a clip into a Transdoshan, he still comes at you. What I like is this,"
Howe pulled one of its dust case, odd looking short stock rifle. "The SA-15 carbine. Grenade, breaching, and scope attachments are available. It jams a lot, holds less shots, but it packs a heavy stopping power, and it's silent. You all can have a go later on."

"The important thing is not the method, but the purpose of this task force. For too longs those responsible had just been sitting comfortably in their palaces, pointing fingers and sending the poor and unfortunate to die. Well, TODAY, it will be diffenrent. We are going after their command structure. We will kick down the door to their private seaside villas and drag them screaming back to Coruscant for interrogation. We will storm their parliament building and grab the whole rotten lot of them for justice."

"How do we know who to grab?" asked Nobi.
"Just wach the holovids, these guys still make public appearances. We will show them on live holovid that the Republic will not stand by. And we will win this war."

There was a thunderous applause from the audience.

Apartment Blocks 247 Coroscant Daytime

There was a sea of CSF squad speeders.

Come out with your hands up, and you won't be hurt!

"The art of negotiation is wearing the enemy down. Once he has given into one request, more will follow," said Jedi Master Gimwai. Master Gimwai was behind the police line with 5 young Padawaans. Under the Jedi council's new training program, young Padawaans were to be exposed to a variety of real life crisis.

"Mam'm," said Captain Jayler of the CSF anti crimes unit, "we've trying talking to them but they won't budge. Thank heavens no hostages. They've got heavy weaponry, probably stolen from some armory. With this new law, 20 years minimum hard labor, smuggling death sticks, just makes 'em more desperate. By dark I'm afraid they just might try to shoot their way out. And," he admitted sheepishly, "We don't have the firepower to stop them. Budget reasons you see. Can't spare the armory for us lowly CSF."

"You want me to talk to them?" asked the Jedi Master coming right to the point.

Captain Jayler nodded. "Get the lady here a loud hailer." Someone tossed a comlink.

"Now Paddawans, in negotiations like this, you must be strong, for the enemy will perceive any weakness in your tone of voice as a sign of your weakness as a whole." The Padawaans nodded, taking in everyword.

This is Jedi Master Gimwai. You are surrounded! There is no place to run. If you come out right now, I can gurantee on my honor as a Jedi, and as an officer of the Republic, you will not be harmed.

There was silence.

Then hailstorm of heavy repeating blasters firing for all their worth fell on them. Speeder radiators smoked, winshields shards were flying. The experienced CSF cops ducked faster than the Jedi. That evoked some smirks.

Jedi Master Gimwai crouched behind a speeder with Captain Jayler.

"Now what?" asked the Jedi Master.

But Captain Jayler was already on his radio, requesting GAR assistance.

"I repeat, we have heavy repeating blasters, I don't know how many, estimated over 15 armed and dangerous, yes I know!" Jaylor spoke into his radio.

"Normally I would just go in and just end the situation for you," she patted her lightsaber, "But Jedi do not have jurisdiction on Coruscant. Plus I've got these Padawaans with me, they need to learn the art of negotation," said the Jedi Master over

Captain Jayler made a face. "You Jedi, you're all the same. Upstuck, holier-than-art-thou people. I've called in the GAR, they told me they're bringing heavy artillery."

"You can't just level the entire neighborhood!" exclaimed one of the Padawaans.

"Watch me kiddo," replied Jayler, "This is my city, not yours."

"Master this is not right, we Jedi must revere all life, we can't just blast them into oblivion" protested the young Padawaan.

"Laws are meant to protect the guilty and the rich. Lawyers defend whoever can afford them, for those who can't, they call it pro bono, obstructing justice for free," argued Jayler. He was sick of these naïve Jedi. "No wonder we haven't won the war yet with you yuppies as generals," he added.

Just then, Jedi Master Gimwei realized how awfully naïve his Padawaans and fellow Jedi were. Jayler, this unlearned man, was right about everything. The Jedi, they led protected lives, meddled in affairs they seem fit, and ignoring those they could. Yes Jedi do revere all life, it was the princple of the becoming a Jedi. But to see this cop tear it apart like this. Gimwei felt shame.

The radio then crackled, "Captain Jaylor of the CSF, this is Task force Romeo 61, confirm the suspects are in the building that your speeder bikes has surrounded?"

Jaylor replied, "Affirmative. All my people are 50 meters back from the building. It's your show. Apprehend the suspects, if you take fire, deadly force is authorized."

"Copy deadly force authorized," crackled the radio.

"Master, you have to do something. We can't just kill them all," pleaded the Padawan.
Gimwei felt she HAD to stand up for the Jedi principles their order held so dear. She struck a compromise. "Captain Jaylor, I implore you as a Jedi, don't do this. They deserve a fair trial."

"Trials are for the accused innocent. It would be obvious to everyone except you Jedi that these scum are definitely guilty!" shouted Jayler.

"At least tell them not to fire until fired upon," compromised Gimwei.

After a long stare, he Jayler relented, and radioed, "Rules of engagement are as follows: do not fire until fired upon."

After a long paused, the radio crackled again, "Wilco, standby."

They popped out of the clouds and no one saw them. A formation of 3 LAAT/I gunships dived on the target buidling like angels screaming down . At the last moment, they all split up, one looked like it crashed landed on the roof, the other two landed at the front and back entrance. Heavy blaster fire began to rake the gunships immediately. Gimwei saw that each gunship held only eight clones, decked from head to toe with ammos and grenades.

As fast as the gunships landed, they lifted off in to the air again to act as decoys for the heavy repeating blasters.

Gimwei saw the clones stacked up in front of the door. Their movements sparked of excellent training, each man covering a fire sector, with no muzzle sweeping over his comrade's head. As she looked closely, the second one in the stack is too small to be a clone trooper, looked like a boy so totally out of place.

He wore a brown robe, but was covered by a black assault vest, ammo and big radio strapped to his back. His head was obscured by a high tech looking black helmet with goggles and a wrap-around comlink that went to his mouth. Then Gimwei spotted the telltime Padawaan braid on his hair.

"Wait, that's a Jedi…." She never finished her sentence.

The first clone fired a strange gun protruding under his main weapon's barrel in to the door lock. The unknown Jedi kicked it opened the whole team went through the door in highly trained movements.

Meanwhile the roof team rappelled off the roof, and swung in through the windows.

Gimwei saw flashes and heard several loud explosions. Then there was silence. Then a heavy repeating blaster opened up, more flashes.

Then the radio crackled, "All clear, all clear, bring your paddy wagons up."

Gimwei rushed towards the building along with her five Jedi Padawaan and about a hundred other cops.

The clones came out of the buiding with the prisoners already hog tied and gagged. She watched as they swap magazines, looking like they were ready to go and do that again.

"Wow that quick!" exclaimed Captain Jayler, he was busy congradulating the clones.

Gimwei looked for the black helmeted Jedi. But found him sitting alone on the hood of a speeder drinking water. In this pose, he looked far older than he appears. It's the eyes, it's always the eyes that age first. A holovid photographer caught him in this very award winning pose. He took off his helmet, and poured water over his head. Now Gimwei recogonized him as the gamer kid whom she had personally brought in to the Jedi Order. He was different today, that's' for sure. A boy had become a man, the old fashioned way.

She went over and sat next to him. "Here have another bottle," she pulled her personal canteen which she carried everywhere with her for 30 years.

He turned around and looked. He squinted a bit. "I know you. Master, master,"

"Master Gimwei." She bowed the traditional Jedi way, hands locked together in a knot. He didn't return it.

"It's not like you said you know. Real people die in this sort of thing. I saw in a plaque in the dining hall, Jedi are peacemakers, not warriors." He looked at himself, "well, look at me. From the get go, the Jedi has been training me for war, that's for sure."

Gimwei saw it before, they just stared off into nothingness. The thousand-yard stare, Gimwei didn't expect in her lifetime to see a Jedi with it, especially a young Padawan.

"It's an experimental program. Jedi are dying far greater than the sustainable rate. Something must be done to improve the survival rate. We've decided to include military training in the Jedi studies. It's just that somehow your assigned Master didn't survive to teach you the ways of peace first."

After a while Nobi said, "Master, oh I'll survive alright. I'll survive and come back to learn all about the peace and loving ways of the Jedi Order. But what I see is you are sending children, like me out to die on some unknown battlefield, in the name of the Republic."

"We are Jedi, defenders of the Republic, regardless of age," Gimwei repeated the party line. How many times has she said that?

"Look Master, I can tell you that this war won't last much longer. I'm working with this unit," he suddenly paused.

"What unit?"

"You don't need to know. Just say we're going to win this war pretty soon. The kid gloves are off. I gotta go Master." He grabbed his helmet, and walked over to the landing gunship with the clones without another word.

Gimwei saw that he hadn't touched her canteen.

By the force. What have we created?