Chapter 14: Distress Call from Mon Calamari

Ackbar stood in hologram presence in front of Anakin on the bridge of the Executor, the image was riddled with static from the feeble attempts of the military city to jam the transmissions, at times Ackbar appeared saber hilt thin, others Hutt fat.

"How are you progressing Admiral?" Anakin asked.

"Excellent milord." Piett answered from somewhere behind him.

"Not you Piett." Anakin said, several crew members chuckled. Anakin cast one of his icy Vader glares at them and they immediately shut up. He turned his attention back to Ackbars now fat hologram. It turned thin as he spoke as if he was letting out an enormous amount of words.

"We have started are approach with the AT-AT's, so far three turrets are down with the rest functioning at fifty percent or less, so I am told."

"That is good Admiral. Alert me when the city is taken I will be standing by, otherwise alert General Antillies if I am busy."

"Alright Lord Skywalker. Ackbar out."

The hologram wavered in and out of focus, buzzed with static and faded completely. Anakin took in a deep breath of triumph, this was about the easiest battle he had ever seen. Though in previous battles there was no Yoda to help out with the ground forces, but then ruining his moment of glory the comm officer cried out in alarm.

"Milord, we are receiving an urgent distress call from Mon Calamari!"

Anakin whirled around.

"Mon Calamari! Patch it through immediately!" Anakin yelled in alarm, if something were to happen to the ship yards of Mon Calamari the New Republic fleet could not grow, bad.

He turned back to the holoprojector and a very static filled image of a perspiring Mon Calamarian sprang up.

"Dear, dear, help us! I am the minister of major city Reef Home on the planet Mon Calamari, we are in need of immediate assistance! There are four, I repeat FOUR Imperial class star destroyers bombarding us from space. Reef Home is about to sink and most of the major ship yards are gone or in great peril." The Mon Calamarian cried in a static filled voice, his worry and distress was evident, as was his fear. He looked off camera for a minute. "What? NO! We're sinking? No, no, no, no! Help, help, help! Please we need help, we are sinking Reef Home is…."

And then there is nothing but static. Anakin looked at the hologram until it disappeared. Every hair on the back of his neck stood up and a bead of sweat trickled slowly from his right temple. With the shipping yards of Mon Calamari gone…. He snapped back into reality.

"Alright!" He shouted and everyone jumped. "I want a course set for Mon Calamari NOW! Alert General Antillies that I will be going to answer to the call. I want the Phoenix and Accuser to accompany us!"

He looked at the crew members and they cast him nervous glances and immediately began to work. He paced the bridge, frustration and anticipation rolling off him like dark waves of lava in the Force. He failed to notice Kreia was studying him so closely, his stance his walk, how he carried himself. She was reading his life story and found similarities between him and someone else. Was it possible? No, no, no. There was such a thing as resurrection but reincarnation? Ridiculous, though still… similarities were so many they could not be ignored.

Both found droids on Tatooine, both went through Jedi training and both became Sith Lords out of necessity, one to save a galaxy, the other to save his children. That similarity was strong but so were others. His mere presence was intimidating yes, anything he said seemed to be true no matter what it was and he inspired such loyalty. But alas there was no such thing as reincarnation, if you became one with the Force you could not become a new person. But then again Revan was power, and so was Anakin, but no, they were not the same person.

"Course set Lord Skywalker." An officer called. "Jumping now."

Anakin looked as the stars became lines, and the lines swirled into a multicolored spinning vortex that took them across the galaxy.

XxX

There were indeed four Imperial class star destroyers in orbit of Mon Calamari, they looked like insects compared to the size of the planet but still, they shot down on it causing the smallest little explosions that could just barely be seen from space. The Executor, Phoenix II, and Accuser came out of hyperspace at the same time with the Phoenix about the enormous hull of the Executor and the Accuser to its right side, it made somewhat of a triangular formation though the Phoenix and Accuser looked like TIE fighters compared to the sheer mass of the Executor.

"Charge up all weapon systems!" Anakin said. "Prepare to fire."

"Wait." Kreia said. Anakin turned to look at her. "Why not open a communication channel with them?"

"What?"

"Do not doubt that the galaxy can be conquered with words." Kreia replied. "And if a galaxy can be conquered with words the so can simple beings, besides what greater power is there than to make an enemy see through your eyes, rather than close theirs forever?"

"Alright, hold fire! Open a channel with the flagship."

"Channel open milord… they are responding."

Seconds later a blue transparent image of a woman with long flowing brown hair appeared in hologram form on the bridge. She wore the standard Imperial military uniform and her badge indicated she was an Admiral.

"Hello Lord Vader." She said recognizing him.

"Lord Skywalker now, Admiral Daala."

"Well Lord Skywalker I have no interest in surrendering to you so do not even request it, nor do I have any desire to speak with you, however my… ally would."

Before Anakin could ask she stepped out of view of the camera and a hideous looking man appeared. He looked as though he has been recently turned to stone and hit in the chest with a wrecking ball causing him to crack. Even more disturbing though was his right eye it was completely white, though bloodshot.

"Greetings Lord Skywalker." He said in a voice with an echo quality to his voice. "I am Darth Sion."

"Darth?" Anakin asked, thinking he may not have heard right.

"Correct, Darth I am a Sith Lord."

"Well milord tell me where your master is. There are always two, I would know."

"My master chooses not to reveal herself. But you know the name Skywalker. Darth Traya."

"The one from my vision?"

"Is there any other Darth Traya? Jump now!" Sion cried off camera and suddenly the connection turned to static and the four star destroyers sped away, into hyperspace.

"Damn it!" Anakin bellowed.

"Sir, we could not get a lock on them." An officer said.

"Very well." Anakin grunted, his eyes were now a red brimmed Sith yellow. "Send repair teams down to Mon Calamari, make sure they are alright. I want the Phoenix and Accuser to stay in orbit here. Ready my shuttle and prime it for a jump to Coruscant, let the Executor remain here. I am going to speak with Mon Mothma about this threat, alert her and I want Jedi Master Qui-gon Jinn and his padawan here when I get back."

Next Chapter: To Coruscant and Back Again