Okay, first a little back ground information. I've been writing
Corin stories on and off since about 1996. Corin Xerixes is a character
entirely of my own creation, based in the StarWars universe. Oddly, I had
never read about the X-Wing series or "I, Jedi" by the most esteemed
Michael Stackpole, and thus did not know anything about there being a jedi
named Corran Horn until about 1999. Just note that the two characters name
similarities are completely unintentional.
Anyway. Corin is a favorite character of mine that I've written maybe 200-300 pages (written, not typed) about over the years, and typed I don't know how much more. If I can get it all typed, MAYBE I can post it. If not, you'll have to make do with this. THIS is a fanfic I have branched off to from the mainstream New Jedi Order series. The scene that I will begin this arc with takes place at the end of the recent hardcover book, "Star By Star", by author Troy Denning. For those of you who've read my stories about Corin, I hope his new incarnation lives up to your expectations. And for those of you reading about him for the first time... My apologies for not typing his stories sooner for you to heckle. And now, enjoy. - Ian Caseno
* * * * *
A woman holding her infant son stood in abject horror for what seemed an eternity, staring up into the dying sky. Death rained in plasma bursts and fire, massive skyhooks slowly descending down from low orbit and the upper atmosphere into the very corridors of Coruscant's artificial landscape. Around her, chaos reigned. Thousands, millions of people just in that single city section of the capital world of the New Republic scrambling over each other, each desperately trying to locate their loved ones and find the fastest ship off of the soon to be ruined planet. Finally tearing her eyes away from the spectacle in the skies above, she turned, only to collide with a burly man rushing past, the impact knocking her to the ground. She clutched her son to her, struggling to avoid being trampled in the chaos and confusion. She cried out for help, but it was as if she was merely a part of the dying landscape, and no on paid her any heed. Suddenly an overwhelming calm filled her, and the chaos around her ceased, becoming more orderly as if by magic. A figure clad in black, dark and foreboding, strode through the crowd, which parted subtly for him. He leaned down, a hand outstretched to help her to her feet. She climbed to her feet, almost solemnly, a strange mixture of fear and amazement visible in her face. The people rushing past them as he guided her toward the starport entrance seemed to take no notice, but wherever they passed, the level of tension in the air seemed to dissipate. He guided her toward an alcove leading toward a ship awaiting the last two or three passengers it could squeeze in. As he turned to leave her, she caught his arm.
"You…thank you."
He answered with a barest nod, and walked away through the crowd, headed toward the remains of the Imperial palace. The woman turned to the guard standing by the access port. "Who was that?"
"Madam, I don't know. He's been bringing us people for the past hour, trying to calm things down to help everyone get away." He glanced at her, a forlorn expression on his face. "Coruscant is dying, and he knows it, but he's still trying to save as many people as he can. I should've left on the first ship, but because he stays and keeps bringing people… I've stayed, too." The guard took her arm gently, escorting her up the ramp and into the lower hold of the ship. "This way madam. I can try to find you some comfortable seating before this ship tries to escape."
Corin watched quietly in the same spot the woman he had just saved had stood transfixed, as if waiting for the end. The sky was filled with dying stars, and each star, a ship or bolt of energy large enough to engulf a ship. Drawing on the latent Force energy permeating the area, he send waves of calm and urgency into the crowd around him, using a tactic taught to him by Emperor Palpatine himself. The Emperor had probably never foreseen such a peaceful use of it, but any good that Corin could do would aid maybe these few who tried to make it off planet. A void in his perceptions behind him caused him to start briefly. The person who did not exist in the force, a man of no great stature, moved to stand next to him.
"It's almost lovely, isn't it?" Corin remarked to no one in particular. The man next to him grunted. Corin turned to face him. "Bombing a crowd is the work of a coward, even if the crowd is infidel," he said, even quieter, in the language of the Vong. The man started, and looked at him hard.
"Jeedai."
"Right first time."
Corin's lightsaber ignited with a snap-hiss, deflecting a strike from a short amphistaff as the ooglith masquer disengaged from around the man's head, revealing the scarred and tattooed forehead of a Yuuzhan Vong warrior. Sickeningly, it fell back like a living hood as the warrior advanced, the crowd around them taking no notice. Such was the mastery of Corin Xerixes that to avoid alarming them and destroying the calm he was trying to craft into their hurried escape, that he shielded their perceptions from his duel with the Vong insurgent. Moments later, he quietly tipped the body of the Vong agent over the balcony, replacing his lightsaber at his belt. Several hawk-bats dove after the body. Corin was glad to have been of service to nature at least in a small way, and continued his focus of calm out into the crowd. It was not until another figure, a young woman similarly dressed, but in light silver rather than black, came and stood beside him that he looked away from the unnatural shower of light and destruction above.
"The ship is secured, Master. I have loaded as much of our group into the ship as possible, but even then we did not have enough room for them and all of our cargo."
She glanced up at the ships, some of the analogs now visible as they began strafing the city sections that stretched almost to the atmospheric terminator.
"Cargo can be replaced. Lives cannot." He looked at her, studying her demeanor rather than sensing her through the Force. "You are troubled."
"That would seem to be an understatement, Master." There was no hint of worry or even sarcasm in her voice. The lack of inflection in her dry wit was telling of just how bleak she feared the situation had become. Would become. He turned his gaze upward again, observing a single coral skipper drifting toward them.
"And what would you do, were the imminent fate of this planet not troubling you?" She seemed to consider it a moment, her eyes following the same analog fighter.
"Very likely have a nice long shower. In hot water, rather than vibe it off. And after that, hot chocolate with cream and extra caff." Corin shook his head, smiling slightly. She looked at him. "You seem more troubled by this than I do, Master. I…know that this was your home for many years. I'm sorry." She looked down, but her gaze still flickered after the analog craft, now joined by several others and what appeared to be a transport analog. Corin did not bother to meet her eyes as he responded.
"Gaea, I was never truly at home here. It saddens me that this world will pass, especially in such a violent manner, but life will continue." A muscle in his cheek twitched as he forced a smile. "I almost wish the Emperor had lived to see this." He turned away from the balcony. "We're leaving. If you've any goodbyes to say, I suggest you hurry." She looked up into the skies above, the light from Coruscant's sun dimming. She realized, as no doubt Corin did, that this was the twilight of the galactic order, as they knew it. With the fall of the prime world in the Republic, there was truly no turning back. With a barely whispered goodbye to the past that was rapidly burning down in gouts of plasma and fire, she turned and followed Corin back to the ship, which waited to carry them and the other Jedi they had managed to locate away from Coruscant before the former Imperial capital was reduced to ashes and dust.
Anyway. Corin is a favorite character of mine that I've written maybe 200-300 pages (written, not typed) about over the years, and typed I don't know how much more. If I can get it all typed, MAYBE I can post it. If not, you'll have to make do with this. THIS is a fanfic I have branched off to from the mainstream New Jedi Order series. The scene that I will begin this arc with takes place at the end of the recent hardcover book, "Star By Star", by author Troy Denning. For those of you who've read my stories about Corin, I hope his new incarnation lives up to your expectations. And for those of you reading about him for the first time... My apologies for not typing his stories sooner for you to heckle. And now, enjoy. - Ian Caseno
* * * * *
A woman holding her infant son stood in abject horror for what seemed an eternity, staring up into the dying sky. Death rained in plasma bursts and fire, massive skyhooks slowly descending down from low orbit and the upper atmosphere into the very corridors of Coruscant's artificial landscape. Around her, chaos reigned. Thousands, millions of people just in that single city section of the capital world of the New Republic scrambling over each other, each desperately trying to locate their loved ones and find the fastest ship off of the soon to be ruined planet. Finally tearing her eyes away from the spectacle in the skies above, she turned, only to collide with a burly man rushing past, the impact knocking her to the ground. She clutched her son to her, struggling to avoid being trampled in the chaos and confusion. She cried out for help, but it was as if she was merely a part of the dying landscape, and no on paid her any heed. Suddenly an overwhelming calm filled her, and the chaos around her ceased, becoming more orderly as if by magic. A figure clad in black, dark and foreboding, strode through the crowd, which parted subtly for him. He leaned down, a hand outstretched to help her to her feet. She climbed to her feet, almost solemnly, a strange mixture of fear and amazement visible in her face. The people rushing past them as he guided her toward the starport entrance seemed to take no notice, but wherever they passed, the level of tension in the air seemed to dissipate. He guided her toward an alcove leading toward a ship awaiting the last two or three passengers it could squeeze in. As he turned to leave her, she caught his arm.
"You…thank you."
He answered with a barest nod, and walked away through the crowd, headed toward the remains of the Imperial palace. The woman turned to the guard standing by the access port. "Who was that?"
"Madam, I don't know. He's been bringing us people for the past hour, trying to calm things down to help everyone get away." He glanced at her, a forlorn expression on his face. "Coruscant is dying, and he knows it, but he's still trying to save as many people as he can. I should've left on the first ship, but because he stays and keeps bringing people… I've stayed, too." The guard took her arm gently, escorting her up the ramp and into the lower hold of the ship. "This way madam. I can try to find you some comfortable seating before this ship tries to escape."
Corin watched quietly in the same spot the woman he had just saved had stood transfixed, as if waiting for the end. The sky was filled with dying stars, and each star, a ship or bolt of energy large enough to engulf a ship. Drawing on the latent Force energy permeating the area, he send waves of calm and urgency into the crowd around him, using a tactic taught to him by Emperor Palpatine himself. The Emperor had probably never foreseen such a peaceful use of it, but any good that Corin could do would aid maybe these few who tried to make it off planet. A void in his perceptions behind him caused him to start briefly. The person who did not exist in the force, a man of no great stature, moved to stand next to him.
"It's almost lovely, isn't it?" Corin remarked to no one in particular. The man next to him grunted. Corin turned to face him. "Bombing a crowd is the work of a coward, even if the crowd is infidel," he said, even quieter, in the language of the Vong. The man started, and looked at him hard.
"Jeedai."
"Right first time."
Corin's lightsaber ignited with a snap-hiss, deflecting a strike from a short amphistaff as the ooglith masquer disengaged from around the man's head, revealing the scarred and tattooed forehead of a Yuuzhan Vong warrior. Sickeningly, it fell back like a living hood as the warrior advanced, the crowd around them taking no notice. Such was the mastery of Corin Xerixes that to avoid alarming them and destroying the calm he was trying to craft into their hurried escape, that he shielded their perceptions from his duel with the Vong insurgent. Moments later, he quietly tipped the body of the Vong agent over the balcony, replacing his lightsaber at his belt. Several hawk-bats dove after the body. Corin was glad to have been of service to nature at least in a small way, and continued his focus of calm out into the crowd. It was not until another figure, a young woman similarly dressed, but in light silver rather than black, came and stood beside him that he looked away from the unnatural shower of light and destruction above.
"The ship is secured, Master. I have loaded as much of our group into the ship as possible, but even then we did not have enough room for them and all of our cargo."
She glanced up at the ships, some of the analogs now visible as they began strafing the city sections that stretched almost to the atmospheric terminator.
"Cargo can be replaced. Lives cannot." He looked at her, studying her demeanor rather than sensing her through the Force. "You are troubled."
"That would seem to be an understatement, Master." There was no hint of worry or even sarcasm in her voice. The lack of inflection in her dry wit was telling of just how bleak she feared the situation had become. Would become. He turned his gaze upward again, observing a single coral skipper drifting toward them.
"And what would you do, were the imminent fate of this planet not troubling you?" She seemed to consider it a moment, her eyes following the same analog fighter.
"Very likely have a nice long shower. In hot water, rather than vibe it off. And after that, hot chocolate with cream and extra caff." Corin shook his head, smiling slightly. She looked at him. "You seem more troubled by this than I do, Master. I…know that this was your home for many years. I'm sorry." She looked down, but her gaze still flickered after the analog craft, now joined by several others and what appeared to be a transport analog. Corin did not bother to meet her eyes as he responded.
"Gaea, I was never truly at home here. It saddens me that this world will pass, especially in such a violent manner, but life will continue." A muscle in his cheek twitched as he forced a smile. "I almost wish the Emperor had lived to see this." He turned away from the balcony. "We're leaving. If you've any goodbyes to say, I suggest you hurry." She looked up into the skies above, the light from Coruscant's sun dimming. She realized, as no doubt Corin did, that this was the twilight of the galactic order, as they knew it. With the fall of the prime world in the Republic, there was truly no turning back. With a barely whispered goodbye to the past that was rapidly burning down in gouts of plasma and fire, she turned and followed Corin back to the ship, which waited to carry them and the other Jedi they had managed to locate away from Coruscant before the former Imperial capital was reduced to ashes and dust.