Chapter 2

Jedi Master Vos looked out over the dusk-lit plains of Boz Pity. For two years he had been stranded on that planet which was constantly under watch by the new Imperial forces. Two long years in exile after his troops turned on him at the end of the clones wars. He remembered it like it was yesterday.

After the siege of Saleucami, the routes to certain valuable systems such as Boz Pity were opened up, so Vos moved his troops there to engage the separatists. But just as they had captured the separatist command in the major city, Vos overheard a hologram transmission between the Supreme Chancellor and the head commander of the clone troopers. He invoked Order 66 and informed the trooper that the Jedi commanders should be eliminated.

He acted quickly, killing the trooper before he could inform anyone else about the order. Then he warned the other Jedi who were assigned to Boz Pity with him before the orders reached the ears of the other troopers. They had no choice to flee the city and find refuge in the wilderness of Boz pity. Ever since, the Empire has kept close watch on the planet and no ship could depart without them knowing. The Empire knew they were on the planet somewhere, but had yet to flush them out.

He and the other Jedi were hiding in an old, abandoned castle far from any civilization. All around them were low rising hills covered in graveyards. For Boz Pity was known as the graveyard planet of the galaxy. Many deceased from the neighboring systems would be buried here in order to conserve space on their own home worlds. And so, as a result, the planet had a reputation of being haunted and an eerie shroud fell upon the entire surface.

"Quinlan?" spoke a soft, female voice from behind him on the castle terrace, "What is it?"

Quinlan Vos turned back to see Jedi Knight Nera Ven, a tall, slender woman with long, brown hair and deep brown eyes. She wore a tight-fitting robe of purple and brown, with a black belt hanging off her hips which held her lightsaber.

Vos turned back to look over the parapet, staring into the mists beyond. He was a stern looking man, with shaggy black hair falling past his shoulders and was now sporting a short, full beard on his face. He was young when he was made a Master, but these last couple years in hiding had aged and matured him.

"I sense danger. A growing blackness."

"The Dark Side?" she asked.

"Perhaps," he answered, "Everything seems blurred now though. But something dark is growing out there."

He walked right to the end of the castle wall, peering far out into the misty distance.

"I have a bad feeling about this," he spoke again.

"You think they know where we are?"

"It was only a matter of time really," he turned to her, "We could only stay low for so long. Honestly, we stayed hidden for a lot longer than I would have thought.

"Oh Quinlan," she wailed as she drew herself up close to him, "What horrible times."

"Yes," he said thoughtfully as he wrapped his arm around her, "We're soon to be put to the test against this new enemy. This Darth Vader."

"I've been trying to draw strength from the Force, but I'm scared Quinlan," Nera confessed.

Quinlan turned to her and held her by the shoulders. "We'll get through it, all of us. As long as we have each other, we'll get through it." And with that he leaned in and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him as they kissed, pressing herself closely.

The Jedi were forbidden to love. But the Jedi Order was dissolved now, and the two of them had spent the last two years holed up together in this castle, so some of the rules had gone by the wayside. Quinlan Vos was never one for following the rules much anyways.

But their embrace was soon broken. Quinlan shot a glance back into the distance. He could hear it now, a large clunking far off. It was still too foggy to see anything.

"Let's go find the others," he said as they ran back inside the castle.

The castle was ancient and cracking. Many of the stone walls were hung with creeping ivy. Technology still existed here in the lighting and automatic doors, as well as with the large laser blasters hidden on the turrets.

Boz Pity is a graveyard planet, where many of the surrounding systems bring their dead to be buried. There is not much civilization otherwise except for the grave keepers, who would dwell in the castles which still remained from the old days of Boz Pity's history.

But now this castle was used by the refugees of the war which raged on that planet only a couple years earlier. Five Jedi survived the sudden betrayal of the Republic and were aided by an independent strike force which helped defend the planet against the separatists, in the interests of keeping this planet in Republic hands. For as morbid as its purpose was, Boz Pity was still economically essential.

Now there were about twenty of the Boz Pity troops left, guarding their hideaway castle with the Jedi survivors. Quinlan Vos ran over to two of these troopers standing at one of the doorways in their blue uniforms to warn them.

"Get every man you have left ready," he said sternly, "I think they've found us."

He then ran on into one of the larger chambers of the castle where they other three Jedi were standing around talking to each other. Two of the Jedis were very young and were still padawans until just before the end of the war. Vice Waver was one. He was a scrawny human with dirty blond hair which he wore a headband around. His Jedi robes were very tattered and unkempt. His young counterpart was Nakeen. She was also human but was richly decorated in tattoos, as was the custom of her people. She had a blue design around her left eye and some red motifs running down the sides of her neck. Her hair was red, short but wild, sticking out frantically from her head.

The other was not human, but covered in shaggy white fur-like hair. He had a kindly face with long, pointed ears stick up out of the fur. He wore a brown poncho as his robes to cover the massive bulk of his body. His name was Boro.

I think they're here," Quinlan told them in a calming, leader-like voice. He saw a quick look of panic reach the eyes of the younger ones. "The day we have dreaded has come. But we knew it would come eventually. Don't worry, we're as ready for this as we'll ever be. We just have to stick together."

"You've seen them Quinlan?" Vice asked.

"No, but I've felt them."

"I feel it too," Boro confirmed in his gruff voice.

"Boro," Quinlan now set out his plans, "Tell the commander to set his troops around the border of the castle. I think they'll be coming from the west, but have someone keep watch on the hills to the east.

"Vice, Nakeen, watch the entrances. If anyone tries to get in, don't let them. Nera and I will keep command on the front wall. If this Darth Vader arrives, do not engage him. He is a powerful Sith lord, far too powerful for any of you. This means you too Nera." He said softly as he looked to her.

"What if we can't fend them off? There aren't many of the local troops left here, not enough to keep back the Empire," Nakeen wondered.

"Then escape. We all know the route. I know how risky it is, but it may come to that. If it does, then it does.

"Alright, lets get ready. Boro, find the commander. Tell him to meet me at the front wall. Then you take command on the ground level."

The wooly Jedi nodded and left the group.

"Alright, let's go to our positions," Quinlan said in a soothing voice, trying to hold down the panic of the younger ones, "May the Force be with us all."

The troops in their blue uniforms took their places along the castle walls and at the entrances of the old, stone fortress. Vice stood nervously at the northern gate with two Boz Pity guards. Nakeen stood at the other, both facing the west.

There was now a thrumming in the air. All five of the Jedis could feel it closing in no them. Vice peered into the misty distance. Still nothing could be seen. But now nothing could be heard. Something was coming.

The Boz Pity troop commander met Quinlan and Nera on the front battlement.

"Troops are in position Master Vos," he reported, "How far out is the enemy?"

"Not far now," Nera said, "I can hear them."

"Me too," said Quinlan.

"Sir! Look!" one of the troops called to his commander. He was holding a pair of electrobinoculars. The commander walked over to him and looked into the binoculars himself.

"Master Vos! Master Ven!" he motioned for them too look themselves.

Quinlan Vos looked into the electrobinoculars. He looked into the west, past the field of raves dotting the ground. Just coming into view now were two huge, behemoth vehicles. They looked like Giant mechanical beasts, walking on four hydraulic legs under a huge bulk, with the cockpit coming out like the head of the beast.

They were the Imperial AT-AT walkers, as yet unseen in the universe. The might of the Empire was now reaching home to all of the Jedi there in that castle.

Inside the castle on the ground floor Boro stood around with five Boz-Pity troops. He all stood still as they could hear the thumping of the great feet, feeling the vibrations that rippled through the ground.

Outside, Vice and Nakeen could both see the horrible walkers grow in the distance. They could make out their form, and knew they must have been big.

Nakeen looked over to Vice ion the other end of the wall for comfort. But he looked just as uncertain as her.

"What are they?" she said in awe.

Back on the wall Quinlan tried not to look phased.

"Prepare for the enemy advance," he ordered as he walked back to his place on the wall. Nera took back her place too.

Quinlan looked out at the Imperial walkers. In a way, he was glad that the hiding was over. He was ready for a fight again, despite the fact that this fight they would almost certainly lose. They may be his last stand as a Jedi.

In a motion of defiance against their new invaders, he whipped his lightsaber from his belt and turned it on. His blade shone gold as is buzzed. As far as he knew, he was the only Jedi in the Order with a golden lightsaber. It was his prided weapon, unique like himself.

He now held his lightsaber up in defiance against their new invaders, the golden glow emanating around it.

"Let them come."