Dantooine
Hyperspace was the best form of interplanetary transportation known to the galaxy, but no sedative in the world could break the tension of a long trip at light speed. Mostly it was Rekkon who was bored; the white lines of star systems slipping by caused him to lull off to sleep. Joran wasn't worried though; the Ebon Hawk was on autopilot until they reached Dantooine.
Joran walked towards the cargo hold of the ship, passing the little astromech droid that refused to leave. The droid whistled and chirped happily as it went about the ship performing repairs and other maintenance jobs. Joran smiled. He had to admit that the little droid was quite loyal to the ship.
When Joran reached the cargo hold, he fell silent. The Force was strong in this ship. Perhaps the Ebon Hawk had once belonged to a Jedi, or a group of Jedi. The residual Force aura was strong indeed. It felt almost like a calling. Joran decided to kneel and meditate.
Images flashed into his mind. It was three Jedi, Masters probably, and the Force was being literally ripped from their bodies. This vision made no sense. But it was clear that the event happened upon Dantooine's surface.
The Force was leading them; they had no choice but to follow.
Dantooine was a relatively peaceful planet. Though many battles had been fought on its surface, the ecosystem continued to amaze its inhabitants. From the plains to the crystal caves to the growing villages, Dantooine and its capital Khoonda were becoming prosperous under new leadership, and they owed it in no small part to the Jedi Order.
Thousands of years ago in the distant past, Dantooine was open to colonization. Isolated family estates dedicated mostly to agriculture arose, but the population density of Dantooine remained extremely low. The Aratach Corporation established an outpost there over four thousand years ago, and erected a small spaceport to handle imports for local merchants.
A Jedi Enclave had been built on Dantooine before Darth Malak had destroyed it. Now the empty ruins echoed with souls of dead Jedi. It became a popular salvage site, but now there was nothing left to salvage and the ruins lay quiet once more.
The Ebon Hawk's landing zone would have to be on the planet's massive plains. The particular one that Rekkon chose was one nearest Khoonda so the two Jedi could be relatively close for supplies if they needed anything.
"Let's scout out the surrounding area first." Rekkon said, "If there's any Jedi here, dead or otherwise, the locals here should be able to help us find them."
The surface of Dantooine was just as peaceful and as beautiful as it was through the Ebon Hawk's view ports. Joran and Rekkon were instantly at peace inside. But the peace did not last long.
From across the plains, they sensed trouble was coming. They quickened their pace towards Khoonda; the danger was coming from there. The crossed a bridge just in time to see Sith troops razing the capital. Joran and Rekkon looked at each other. They knew what to do.
Both Jedi crept along the rock wall to the east and circled quickly around city. The Sith hadn't noticed them yet; they were to busy unloading thorium charges to blow the main city doors open. Blaster fire filled the sky as Khoonda's militia and a few battalions of Republic troops rose to the walls and attacked the invaders.
"We'd better lend a hand," Joran said, "Let's try getting in through the north side. The troops haven't surrounded Khoonda yet."
The two Jedi approached the rear door. Two of Khoonda's defensemen stood to attention an aimed their blasters at them.
"No false moves or I'll…" the man noticed the gleaming lightsabers on the Jedi's belt. "Oh, uh, sorry. I didn't realize you were Jedi. Hurry and get inside, the Sith might break through!"
"Hold on," Rekkon said, "Were not here to defend your little village. We're looking for some more Jedi like us."
"We won't be much use to you if we're dead!" the soldier said.
"He's right," Joran said, "They won't be able to stop these troopers without us."
"Then let's go!" Rekkon said. The two guards opened the large north side door and the group quickly rushed inside just as some Sith troopers saw the open portal.
"Men! Charge that gate!" the Sith captain ordered. The armor-clad warriors ran to the open door just as it was sliding closed. They cracked off a few blaster shots which Joran and Rekkon easily repelled with the help of their lightsabers.
As Joran and Rekkon followed the guards, their gazes met with countless civilians, mostly women and small children, who looked on eagerly as if their saviors had finally come. Joran looked back at them and sensed the hope in their eyes. It made him sincerely wish that he could succeed in Khoonda's defense. He didn't want to let them down, but he knew he was not perfect. Jedi were not gods.
"Who's your commander?" Joran asked, "And does he have a plan for defending the city?"
"General Zherron is at the command office, coordinating the troops." the guard answered. When they approached the office, they saw a dark-haired man in his late fifties at a desk shouting orders to officers and engineers. His uniform had many awards and medal on it. Obviously General Zherron knew what he was doing. Men like that were not decorated unless they had earned it.
"General, we have visitors!" the guard said introducing the two Jedi. General Zherron looked up long enough to pay attention to the young Jedi. His face lightened up when he saw them.
"At last, the Jedi have returned. And not a moment too soon I might add!"
"What's your plan to defend Khoonda, General?" Rekkon said, cutting right to the point.
"As of right now, we don't." the General said, "The Sith have us outnumbered and outgunned in every way."
"How did they get here?" Joran asked, "We never saw one battle cruiser or Sith ship when we landed."
"We asked ourselves the same question. No one knows where they came from, or why they decided to attack such a small settlement like Khoonda."
"If they breach the walls," Rekkon said, "How long will we stand?"
"Not very long." Zherron muttered, "This city wasn't built to handle a full scale siege. We defended it against mercenary attacks a few years ago, but they didn't have artillery and battle droids at their disposal!"
"We'll do the best we can to delay them, General Zherron." Joran said, "If you have any more ideas, now is time to use them." With that, they left the General to his plans.
"Do sense what I sense?" Rekkon asked.
"Yes," Joran replied thoughtfully, "Despite the General's efforts, Khoonda will fall."
"We'd better get out of here before more Sith show up." Rekkon said.
"And leave these people to their doom? Never! We have to think of something."
From above them they heard the cry of a Khoonda militia man. "They're breaking through!"
"Quick!" Joran said, running back to General Zherron's office, "Let's get these people to safety! We can fit at least fifty on the ship!"
"You're crazy!" Rekkon yelled over the roar of blaster fire and explosions, "We aren't going anywhere with a bunch of refugees."
Then Joran stopped. An image entered his mind. Of course! It was defendable, safe, and could easily contain the inhabitants of the city.
"General!" Joran said as the commander was leaving his office some armed militia, "We can evacuate the city! The ruins of the Jedi Enclave will work fine?"
"The Enclave ruins?" the General looked at Joran in disbelief, "There's a small matter of getting the people there without half of them being slaughtered! Our militia is no match for them!"
"Let us worry about that, General!" Joran replied, "We can hold them off long enough for you to get your men over there."
"You're crazy, even for a Jedi. Alright, this is our only chance. I'll organize the people and you keep them off!"
"You got it!" The men scrambled to get the civilians gathered and prepared for the journey to the Enclave. The people breathed sighs of relief and some even cheered. Their day for rescue had come!
"Well, now that you've decided saving the galaxy isn't enough, what's the plan?" Rekkon asked, still opposed to Joran's decision.
"There are too many of them to fight head on. We need to organize a trap."
"I'd rather gut those Sith animals just for being in our way."
"You need to sneak behind the ranks." Joran said as the hurried past fleeing civilians and militia. "Can you do that?"
"Sure, but what are you going to do?"
"You'll see."
- - - - -
"Men!" a Sith captain ordered, "Advance on the perimeter! Let no one escape!" The troops did as they were told as the formed a line around the south face of Khoonda. The men had already picked off most of the militia who were trying to snipe them from the towers, but now those towers stood in ruins thanks to the heavy artillery pieces the Sith had brought with them. Their target was clear: the main gate. When the main gate fell, they would be guaranteed victory.
But the Sith captain never counted on two Jedi showing up.
In fact, the Sith troopers were so intent on their objective, they failed to notice a stealthy figure moving behind their ranks. Nothing could stop them now.
Or could it?
Then, all of a sudden, the artillery fire ceased. The troops looked among themselves in bewilderment.
"What happen?" asked the captain, enraged. He didn't call a cease fire!
"The artillery has shorted out, captain!" a tech answered, "We don't have power!"
"No matter," the captain replied, still disgusted, "Khoonda will still fall. Men! Advance to the main gate!" The troopers dutifully pressed on to the main gate while their techs rushed to the portal with thorium charges ready to blow the gate sky-high.
But as the troops moved in, the door mysteriously opened. From behind the door stood one hooded figure in a brown robe. The figure didn't appear military.
"Move aside, civilian!" one of the soldiers ordered, "If you know what's good for you."
"I will not," the hooded figure answered.
"Then you're collateral!"
"Not today!" In a flash, the brown tunic flew off the figure in a flurry as a blue-bladed lightsaber ignited. It was Joran Skywalker! The troopers tried helplessly to inflict blaster fire upon the Jedi, but Joran was too fast for them.
Joran spun his lightsaber around himself as he struck down one, then two, then three of the armor-clad troopers. More blaster fire, more deflections off of the lightsaber's brilliant blue blade. Joran advanced as more troopers scrambled to meet their new threat.
"Kill the Jedi!" the infuriated Sith captain screamed, "Kill the-." But he never got to finish his sentence as he was struck down from behind by the green blade of Rekkon Tarek's lightsaber. The limp body of the captain slumped to the ground as Rekkon began slaying troopers left and right.
By now, Joran had jumped high through the air and landed in the midst of the assaulting troopers. His blade flew swiftly through the hail of blaster fire and soldiers. The lightsaber hummed and crackled as more troops felled to the young Jedi.
BOOOOM! Without warning, large artillery fire resumed it's battery on Khoonda. But instead of striking the city, the barrage was striking its very own troops!
"What is that?' Joran said, shielding his for a brief moment as he looked for the source of the attack. An old Sith attack ship was hovering over the battlefield. And it was aiding Rekkon and Joran.
In a matter of no more than a few minutes, the entire Sith battalion was completely wiped out. The Jedi had done it! They'd saved the city! But where had their mysterious new ally come from?
With a dull thud, the old ship set down. From within the battered cockpit came the figure of a beautiful young woman, clad in a worn Republic pilot's suit. She hoped down and approached the two Jedi.
"You Jedi can't stay out of trouble for very long, can you?" Joran and Rekkon were a bit surprised by her strange tone of voice.
"We'd survive longer than you." Rekkon said.
"Maybe, maybe not." She shrugged, "You guys looked a little out of your league trying to take on the whole Sith army by yourselves."
"And you are..?" Joran asked.
"Mira," the woman answered, "That's all you need to know."
"Well," Rekkon said, "We'd love to stay and chat, but we have a mission that can't wait."
"A mission, huh? What kind?"
"It's secret," Joran said hastily, "We were under strict orders by the Council not to discuss it."
"The Council? You mean the Jedi Council? Should've known you guys were up to something."
"What does that mean?" Rekkon asked.
"I've seen my fare share of Jedi in my day. Not one of them knows how to do anything the easy way."
"We don't choose the high ground because it's easy. Our path is difficult you know."
"All too well."
"So do you know what happened here?" Rekkon said, "I mean, I've seen the Sith attack before, but where are their ships? We landed seconds before they tried taking over and we didn't spot even a fighter."
"You're right," Mira said thoughtfully, "That is odd. I don't suppose I'll hang around to find out why, seeing as the Sith love to send out investigation teams."
"Well, then," Rekkon said, "I guess we'll see you later."
"Let's hope not," Mira said, "No offense, but trouble seems to follow you Jedi wherever you go. I prefer not to be a target."
"I know what you mean," Joran said, glancing back at the smoldering city and piles of Sith corpses. The red-haired woman climbed back into her ship and left as abruptly as she had come.
"Come on," Joran said to Rekkon, "Let's go find the Enclave and tell General Zherron we've taken care of the Sith." The two Jedi then turned back towards Dantooine's open plains to the Enclave. Joran wasn't sure where exactly it was, but the tracks made by the fleeing civilians made the task relatively easy. While trekking across the peaceful landscape, both Jedi were taken by the Force aura that was left there.
Soon, the Enclave was in sight. Its ruins stretched about the grassy knolls and lay there like a haven for the hopeless. Even in its now decrepit state, the Jedi were filled with hope as they gazed upon its battered and scarred exterior. Truly, the light side covered it like a blanket, holding the secrets of the Jedi who perished there long ago.
In the courtyard, Zherron's men caught sight of the Jedi and ran to find their commander. Zherron came out and offered his thanks to Joran and Rekkon.
"Khoonda owes its existence to the Jedi once again. Is there anything we can do for you?"
"Yes, General," Joran said, "There is. Do you know of any Jedi that live here?"
"I've seen my fair share, but mostly they've been corpses within these ruins. You are, of course, welcome to investigate them at your leisure."
"Great."
"Before you go," Zherron said, "You need a reward. Something like this is not an easy task. I think five-thousand credits should do."
"Please," Joran said, "Keep them. Your city is in need of new defenses anyway."
"Well, that's quite noble of you. If you insist, I'll use them to help rebuild Khoonda."
When the General was out of earshot, Rekkon grumbled, "Five thousand credits would've done us a lot of good. We're not out here to be beggars."
"Thank you, General." Joran called out, ignoring Rekkon, "Good luck." Soon, the crowd dispersed, but not before they expressed their thanks to the heroic Jedi who had selflessly laid their lives on the line for their fair city.
Joran looked back upon the Jedi Enclave. In a way it was sad to see such a place destroyed and desolate. The Jedi warily entered the Enclave courtyard, their hands close to their lightsabers. Something evil had happened here not long ago.
They approached the center of the Enclave which housed the Council Chambers. They were similar to the Chambers at the Temple back on Coruscant, but there was something mysteriously different.
All of a sudden something weighed Joran down. It wasn't the dark side, it was different. It was emptiness. A void. As if no life existed in this certain place and time.
In the center of the large, round, chamber lay three corpses. The had been Jedi most certainly by the look of their robes. And they had laid there a long time. They were not dead. Or were they?
"What happened to these guys?" Rekkon wondered aloud, "They don't exactly look dead, more like passed out."
"They've been stripped of the Force." Joran said, touching the near lifeless body of one of them.
"Well can your magic spell work or not?"
"I don't know. I'll try, but they seem so dead." Joran placed his hands on the one in the center. In a flash he felt power leave his body. He screamed in pain as Rekkon rushed to his aid. It was terrible, the feeling Joran felt. It was the feeling of nothingness, of loneliness like he'd never known. Bright flashes of light swirled around the chamber like a whirlwind.
Joran slumped to the floor, energy spent. His eyes lazily opened. Whatever the void in that place was, it was slowly coming back.
"Wake up, young Jedi," a voice called to him. It was soon paired with the face of an old man, probably as old as Master Bindo, with gray hair and tired-looking eyes. Joran jolted up.
"Who are you?" Joran asked before he realized that the bodies that had scattered about the council chamber were now very much alive. The corpse in the center was now standing before him.
"We thought it was you," the old man said, "You came later than expected, but then again you are just in time, I might add. You're probably too young to know who we are. It's not your fault. I'm Master Vrook."
The long-haired one to the left introduced himself as well. "You may call me Master Zez Kai-El." He said, bowing low.
"I'm Master Kavar," said the last one, dusting himself off.
"Greetings," Joran said, still in awe of what had happened, "I'm Joran Skywalker. This is Rekkon Terak."
"A pleasure, Masters." Rekkon replied.
"We owe our lives to the Force for your intervention," Master Kai-El said, "We had begun to slip away from this life entirely without your help."
"Yes," Master Kavar answered, "We are grateful. But it is curious why you have done what you have."
Joran laid it all out, "I was sent on a mission by the Jedi Council to find Jedi who would join their cause."
"Forgive us for being dense," Master Vrook said, "But what is this cause?"
"It's purpose eludes me as well, Master. I only know that the Republic is in grave danger."
"The Republic has always been in danger." Master Kavar responded, "Why have you really been sent here?"
"Master Atris would not be specific in her request. I…"
"Atris sent you?" Vrook asked, eyebrows raised, "So she still lives. What of the others?"
"The only other Masters on the Council are Master Bastila Shan and Master Jolee Bindo."
"This is strange, Vrook," Zez Kai-El said softly, "It could be a plot of the Sith. This one even bears the appearance of the other."
"Not now, Zez," Vrook said in hushed tones, "This is a conversation for another time."
"Yes," Master Kai-El agreed, "Perhaps later."
What was going on? Joran thought, What is it that they know? Their hushed tones were strange to him. What 'other' were they speaking of?
"No doubt you have questions," Master Kavar said, noticing Joran's confusion, "As do we. In time, the answers you seek will come."
"But for now, we should go from this place," Vrook said.
"Good," Rekkon said, "We probably late for another run-in with death and destruction elsewhere."
"Lead on, young Jedi," With that, the five Jedi, two Padawans and three Masters, left the Enclave and trekked among the plains towards the Ebon Hawk, which still rested nobly on the grassy field.
"Well," Rekkon said, "This is our ship,"
"Thank you for the gesture," Master Kavar said, "But I believe it is best that we travel alone. If the Sith are as interested in your mission as the Jedi Council is, we will only serve as a means of detection. The three of us will seek different passage off of Dantooine."
"Very well, Masters," Joran replied, "May the Force be with you."
"May the Force be with you as well." The masters responded. With that they trekked past the Ebon Hawk and made their way back to Khoonda.
"Well, if you ask me, they're just a little spooky," Rekkon said, turning to board the ship, "But I guess laying in the dirt of some abandoned Enclave will do that." Joran didn't respond, he was too busy looking out over the horizon. His eyes caught a figure running bask the ship. As the figure got closer, he could see that it was Master Vrook.
"Not so fast, young one," The old master heaved, "I've spoken with the others. I think it wise if I join in this quest, if not to serve only as a guide."
"I'm honored that you would join us, Master Vrook." Joran said.
"Great, another passenger," Rekkon grumbled, "We don't have many rooms left."
"I don't require comfort of any kind." Master Vrook said, "I'm not on vacation, you know."
"Then let's go," Joran said as the three boarded the ship. With a loud hiss, the Ebon Hawk's ramp closed back up into the belly of the large craft as the twin thrusters roared to life. Within seconds, the Ebon Hawk streaked across the daytime sky in flash of bright light and into the infinite universe of stars. As Rekkon lined up the coordinates for the next jump, Joran and Vrook retreated to their quarters.
- - - - -
In a small chamber in an unknown location, the Sith Lord's apprentice sat and meditated. His thoughts were connected to his master's and the two conversed back and forth.
They are approaching. The Jedi are coming to you.
"Then they will be easier prey than I had first imagined. But I sense a wiser one has joined them."
It is no matter, my apprentice. You will defeat them when the opportunity presents itself.
"Of course, my Master. I will not fail."