The meadow was peaceful. And for the two five-year-olds that equaled boring. They soon spied a cave in the distance. With childish glee the youngsters headed for what would be (in their minds) the adventure of their lives. The brown haired girl stopped at the entrance of the cave and peered into its depths. "I don't think we should go in there." She said with uncertainty. The dirty-blonde haired boy turned to her and exclaimed, "Com'on Kaylee! It'll be fun!"



Mach sighed and shook his head. Why was he remembering this again? He had to focus. He was currently on the Endar Spire en route to Dantooine, home to a Jedi Enclave. The Endar Spire, a Hammer-Head class capitol ship, was making good time towards its destination. Mach chuckled to himself as he remembered his mission and the Jedi's "secret" mission. The Jedi had, in an effort to keep it on the down low, refused the usual frigate escort for the Spire. Thus, making the ship look vastly different over the skies of Coruscant. Not only that, Jedi seemed to only have two main modes: One was Jedi aloofness or Jedi walking around telling everyone they were better because they had "the Force". The other was the Jedi running around sticking their lightsabers where it didn't need to be and/or trying to make everyone "play nice". That's just how the Jedi were. Mach chuckled as he remembered when he had explicitly told a nosey Jedi exactly where he could shove his lightsaber. "That shocked look of outrage on his face was priceless".

So, when a Jedi moved at a quick pace though one of the more "law-less" parts of Coruscant and boarded an unmarked ship and said ship immediately rocketed away from the landing pad. Well, it was like waving a large sign that said "Hay, I'm hiding something!"

Mach's mission was to make sure that Bastila, a Jedi Padawan, made it to Dantooine. Bastila was a Jedi Padawan "gifted" with Battle Mediation. Battle Mediation, as Mach understood it, was the ability to demoralize your enemies and at the same time energize your allies on a large scale, en masse. Bastila herself however, was known as "The Ice Queen". And that was one of the nicer terms. Mach had been told that unless Bastila was in danger he was not even supposed to make any sort of contact with her. A strange request, yes, but credits were credits. Mach figured that the ship would be boarded around the half way point.

"Which would be right about…now." Mach thought. He waited for a few seconds and then shrugged. Not two moments after this, the ship gave a large lurch and then the Captain's voice boomed over the ship's intercoms, "We have been engaged by the Sith forces! There is boarding craft headed for the Endar Spire! All combat teams move to decks Four through Seven! This is not a Drill! I Repeat, This is not a Drill!"

Mach nodded to himself and with unconscious calm began to strap on his armor and weapons as his mind raced though a myriad of strategies the Sith might use and how to counter them as he moved to the objective; Protect Bastila.

Mach closed his eyes for a moment and centered himself. Then, with his eyes still closed, he looked. Beyond his room; beyond the hallways and soon the ship itself. Then he was everywhere and it was too much. Mach snapped his eyes open and winced as he felt his consciousness slam back in to his skull. But, before his mind tried to "see" the entire galaxy, he "saw" that at least four large boarding parties had entered the Endar Spire. With that in mind Mach headed for the door to his room. He keyed the door and it slid open to reveal two very surprised Sith Troopers. The shock slowed their reaction time down considerably; not that it would have saved them had they not been shocked. Mach simply raised his hand and flexed his fingers outward. The result was instantaneous. The Sith were blasted away from Mach and hit the wall with sickening crunches. They would never be getting up. "Fighting is so much easier with no one to ask uncomfortable questions."

Mach stepped over the Sith's dead corpses and headed for the main elevator. He figured that since Bastila was on board she would have gotten an embassy suite or something like that so she would be on the upper living quarter's level.


Trask Ulgo knew that he was going to die. He, along with every crewmember aboard the Endar Spire, swore to protect Bastila to their dying breath. But he wasn't a trained soldier. He wasn't trained for this. He was just an ensign. Trask looked back at Bastila who was currently trying to use her Jedi powers to save them or something. Two Republic Space Marines who were also assigned to guard Bastila were there as well. One was watching the feeds from the numerous cameras installed throughout the ship.

"They're coming." The guard looking at the feed spoke.

"How close?" The other Marine calmly asked.

"Two corridors over." Was the reply.

Trask watched the exchange with a mixture of awe and disbelief. "How the hell are they so calm?! The Sith are coming to kill us and they're talking calmly?!" Trask then realized why the Republic Space Marines were the best of the best, they probably were trained for something like this. Suddenly, they turned to each other and began making hand signs at each other. The one who was watching the feeds held out his fist; the other held out his hand flat, palm down. The one on the left turned and walked back to Bastila. The other calmly walked to the door. Trask suddenly know what they had done. One was going to buy Bastila some time, while the other tried to move her somewhere else safer. Trask made up his mind. He was going to honor his vow.

Trask quickly walked forward and grabbed a thermal detonator from the marine's belt. Before the Marine reacted; Trask ran through the open door. Trask triggered the door open/close button and the door shut as the marine started towards him. Using one of the many locking codes, he learned as an ensign, Trask locked the door behind him. Trask turned and looked at the very empty and intimidating corridor. The urge to open the door was almost over whelming. Almost. Trask's heart pounded in his chest. His breaths came in gasps. He literally had to force one step at time to move forward. Trask moved to the end of the corridor. It seemed to take a lifetime. Trask realized he was sweating profusely. He fought the random urge to giggle at the thought. "Here I am, going to die and I'm worried about smelling."

Then, Trask heard them. The Sith's plastisteel boots clanking on the floor. Trask summoned up courage from somewhere deep inside and clutched the thermal detonator; and with a slightly strangled deep breath, flipped the impact switch. He stepped around the corner. It all seemed to happen slowly. The Sith stopped and began to focus their weapons on him. Trask thought about the family farm and how proud mother and father were when he was accepted into flight academy. He remember when he was getting ready to board the ship his mother had been crying and his father had looked like he had dust in his eyes. They both ignored it. As he hugged his mother for the final time she whispered, "Come home to me. Please." And he had whispered back, "Of course I will. I Promise."

Trask smiled sadly. "Sorry ma. It looks like I won't be coming home after all." The first shot hit him in the chest with a fire unlike Trask had ever felt before. Then he went numb. He didn't feel the other shots hit him as he fell backwards. Nor did he feel the thermal detonator fall from his powerless hand as he fell into the comforting darkness.


Trenton Uvelle swore as the door refused to open. "Haar'chak! (1) What was the utreekov(2) ensign thinking? He was just going to get himself killed." Trenton reached for the door panel once more when a large explosion rocked the ship. Trenton was stunned as he realized then what the "weak" ensign had done. Trenton bowed his head and spoke quietly, "Ni su'cuyi, gar kyr'adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum. (2)" He then looked up. He was a Republic Space Marine. And he still had a job to do. Trenton turned and signaled to his partner to rouse Bastila. It was time to go.


Bastila felt him die. His last thoughts were of his mother. A tear slipped had slipped down her cheek unnoticed as she felt his resolve to protect her. Because he believed in her. Bastila Shan. Jedi Padawan and wielder of Battle Meditation. And the best chance the Republic has at stopping the Sith's reign of terror. Bastila felt like crying. Then she felt a hand shaking her shoulder. And Jedi Padawan Bastila Shan opened her eyes.


Mach faintly heard an explosion in the distance. It was not close to him so Mach dismissed it. Mach finally reached his destination, the door to Communications. Standing next to the closed door Mach recalled the room layout. It was small and cramped; But, more importantly, there was sensitive equipment that was vulnerable to say, blaster shots.

"So, no blasters." Mach thought. "Not a problem."

Mach drew his Baragwin Assault Blades in each hand. The Assault Blades, in addition to being able to cut through almost anything, were modified with cortosis weave; a rare lightsaber-deflecting mineral.

Mach triggered the door release with his elbow. The door opened to reveal four very surprised Sith troopers. Mach flipped the blades to 'reverse' grip and impaled the two Sith standing on either side of him in one violent motion. He then took a step forward as he slid the swords clear of the bodies, cocking them behind his head as he did so. Mach then plunged them into the chest of the trooper in front of him. The body fell, sliding off the blades with a wet sound.

The last trooper eyed his blaster sitting on the console next to him. Mach and the Sith stared at each other silently. The Sith broke the silence and lunged for his blaster. His hand grasped it and he swung it around to fire at the Republic mercenary. His hand never made it. With a flick of his wriest Mach embedded the sword in the Sith's skull.

Mach jerked the blade out the Sith's cranium and flicked the blood and brain matter away from the blades then sheathed them. He then looked around to locate the reason he had come to this room, the personal communications panel. Locating said panel, Mach walked over to it and examined it for a search function. Upon locating the proper button, He pressed. After searching for several seconds, the panel found a frequency it recognized and connected to it.


Trenton Uvelle couldn't believe his luck. After getting into extended battles with the Sith foot soldiers he and his partner where running low on ammo and completely out of grenades. But, then, the comlink call came in that there was another survivor. Survivor. When did this start being a massacre? Trenton bitterly wondered. They were going to meet the mercenary at the escape pods.

Jay, his partner, whistled. All clear. Trenton moved into the corridor slowly. The door to the escape pods was just ahead. The Republic Marines escorted Bastila through the door. They then locked the door behind her. She was a smart girl. She would figure out how to use the escape pod herself. They stood between the Sith horde and the door in which the Jedi was currently located. And nothing or no one was going through that door while they had justone breath left. They heard the marching of feet in the distance. Trenton turned to Jay and clasped his shoulder as Jay did the same. "Die well my brother." Jay nodded. "And to you."

The Sith had arrived. The first wave died upon turning the corner. The second and third waves made it just beyond the bend but not much further. Trenton's rifle ran dry and he whipped out his pistol firing it with deadly accuracy. The Sith had made it within 5 meters when Trenton's pistol ran out of power. He glanced left and saw Jay throw down his pistol.

Trenton started to speak, voice rising, as he drew his vibroblade. "On this day blood will spill. And I will die. But not before I paint this wall with your blood! OYA!(4)" Trenton screamed and charged the Sith, blade drawn as blaster streaks began to whiz close to him.


Mach had almost reached the escape pod corridor when the blaster fire intensified and then slowly died off.


Trenton ripped his vibroblade out of the last Sith's head. He looked over at Jay, sprawled over a Sith body, blade buried to the hilt in the Sith's chest; dead troopers behind him. The Sith had shot Jay pointblank as he stabbed him. All of the adrenaline that had been fueling Trenton's body suddenly left him. The six blaster shots he had taken began to burn with blinding fire. Trenton fell to one knee, his blade supporting him. Through his slightly hazy vision he saw movement. Looking up he saw the black Sith robes. He heaved his body back to standing position as the adrenaline began to surge once again. The pain began to vanish. He readied his blade. And charged.


Mach reached the corridor in time to see a Dark Jedi behead a Republic Marine. The Sith, sensing Mach, turned to face him. When he turned Mach saw that there was a fresh cut on the Sith's face. The Republic soldier had come close to blinding the Dark Jedi. The Sith smirked. One more to play with before getting the target. He was still pissed that the pathetic Republic soldier had wounded him. Mach drew his blades. The blood-red lightsaber snapped into existence. The Sith allowed himself one more smirk of satisfaction before his face twisted into a feral snarl. And then the battle began. The lightsaber struck again and again, but each time a blade blocked it. Then Mach attacked. Blades flashed as he drove the Dark Jedi back. Mach spun the blades out and slashed the Sith's chest.

The Sith jumped back with a snarl. His hate-filled yellow eyes glared at Mach. Mouth twisted into a furious snarl, he leapt at Mach lightsaber raised!

The swords and the lightsaber clashed powerfully. Blades pushing against each other, the Dark Jedi and Mach tested their strength.

"How can you resist me?" The Sith snarled.

"I don't remember much." Mach started, "I don't remember how I got these skills or how I can do what I do. What I do remember is a name. A name. My name. " As Mach spoke his voice began to rise to power and intensity. "And you know what it is? Revan." With those words Mach pushed with his blades and blasted the Dark Jedi across the corridor to slam into the wall, lightsaber shattering upon impact. The Sith started to get up when two blades slammed into the wall on either side of his neck crossed in an "x" position. "I don't know why or how I lost my memory. But I'm going to find out. And you're in my way." And with those final words, Mach ripped his blades back; decapitating the Sith in a bloody shower. Mach then flicked his blades, flinging off the blood of the shiny vibroblades. As Mach approached the escape pod door he sheathed them.


1. Mandalorian - Damn It!

2. Mandalorian - Fool, Idiot

3. Mandalorian - Remembrance of those who passed on - "I'm still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal"

4. Mandalorian – Hoorah!


And...this chapters done!

And in only six months time!

Yeah.

Let me know what you think.