The calm before the storm...
Tabitha walks around the quiet ship in her pajamas, everyone besides her asleep. She looks out the cockpit window, the white streaks of lightspeed filling it. She sits down in the main room, having the synthesizer make her some tea. The fresh drink is quickly sipped by the tired but anxious Princess, who relaxes in the chair overlooking the main cabin. She is startled when Paul, wearing just pajama pants and a white-beater enters the room.
"Can't sleep either?" asks Paul, sitting down beside her, and ordering a glass of water.
"I don't like be cooped up for a long period of time," replies Tabitha.
"Yeah I'd rather be out doing something. When Jolee began to train us, it was agonizing to be locked up in that temple for so long. I understand the purpose for it now... but back then... it sucked," says Paul, sipping the cold glass of water.
"They had me locked up in our palace for so long, but I guess there overprotectiveness was warranted... I almost got assassinated a couple of days ago," says Tabitha, drinking the warm tea.
"You know it's funny, because we have the most power in the galaxy, and sometimes we would throw it away to be what everyone considers normal," adds Paul.
"You know, for the one who is supposed to be a battle-hardened warrior, you're pretty insightful," says Tabitha with a smile on her face.
"What can I say, I know some stuff, and my brothers know who I am. But it is true, I really do like to see stuff blow up. I'm the muscle, J is the brains, and Michael is somewhere in between," says Paul with a smile, and drawing a laugh out of the Princess.
"You should let this side out more often, not just the muscle-bound hunk," says Tabitha.
"That would ruin my whole mystique, or lack there of," says Paul, getting up from his seat, "have a good night sleep Princess."
"You too," replies Tabitha, getting up from her seat and heading towards her crew quarters.
"What up?" asks Jeff, sitting down in the pilot seat a couple hours later, looking at his brother who is relaxing in the co-pilot seat.
"Not much man, not much, just chillin," says Michael, straightening his posture in the chair.
"Paul said he talked to your girlfriend," says Jeff, relaxing into his chair.
"Yeah, what does our little brother have to say about her?" asks Michael.
"He approves, but if she breaks your heart he's going to eject her out into space," says Jeff.
"You think she knows what she's getting herself into?" asks Michael with a laugh.
"Probably not. But on another note, we'll be in the Hoth system in five minutes, so wake everybody up," reports Jeff, as Michael rises from his chair.
Michael force-speeds down the hall into his crew quarters, where Smitty and Paul lay sleeping, "It's game time."
"Finally, I'm ready for some action," says Paul, charging the heavy pistol under his pillow.
The Ebon Hawk jumps out of hyperspace and nears the Hoth Asteroid Field.
"Why are we heading into an asteroid field?" asks one of the handmaidens.
"Because this is where the Mandalorian base is," replies Michael, "now Jeff, its go time."
Jeff closes his eyes and reaches out to the force, allowing it to guide him through the asteroids.
"Should he be doing that with his eyes closed?" asks the other handmaiden, looking at Paul.
"Yeah, he does it all the time, it's called the close-your-eyes-and-drive," replies Paul with a smirk on his face.
A red light goes off above the main console, prompting the response of Tabitha, "what's that flashing?"
"Means incoming! Paul, get to the turret now!" commands Michael, focusing on the incoming ships, as Paul rushes towards the turbo-laser turrets of the Ebon Hawk.
Paul charges up the lasers, and aims at an incoming droid fighter.
"What do you see?" asks Michael, his eyes closed, but question geared towards Jeff.
"Mandalore is testing us," replies Jeff.
"Then you know what to do... where am I heading?" asks Michael, opening his eyes and taking control of the ship.
"The large asteroid in the center of the field, that's where the base is," replies Jeff, folding his hands and deepening himself in the force.
"Paul, you can get off the turret," orders Michael over the comm.
"You ruin all of my fun!" replies Paul, powering down the laser canons.
Droid fighters begin to fill the cockpit window, when force-lightning appears in space. The force-lightning creates a force-storm that tears through wave after wave of the ships. Michael continues to pilot towards the asteroid, more fighters coming into view, but being decimated by the force-storm ahead of them. As they near the base on the surface of the large asteroid, the comm channel opens, and Mandalore appears on the view-screen.
"What do you want?" asks Mandalore, ignoring the ease of their insurgence.
"I have a message from Revan," says Michael, pointing to T3 standing next to his co-pilot seat.
"Revan has returned?" asks Mandalore.
"And he needs your help," replies Michael.
"You're cleared to enter... we have a lot to discuss," says Mandalore, and the comm goes off.
"Nice job," says Paul, patting Jeff on the back.
"I'm gonna go lay in the back, I'm a little drained," says Jeff, getting up from his seat.
"Becky, please take care of him," says Tabitha, as one of the handmaidens accompanies Jeff to the medical bay.
"Is he gonna be alright?" asks the other handmaiden, as Paul sits down in Jeff's chair.
"Yeah, the force can take a lot out of you sometimes," says Michael, piloting the ship in for a landing.
"Jedi Master Enoch," says Mandalore, as Michael, dressed in his Jedi Master robes, walks down the ramp of the Ebon Hawk, docked in the Mandalorian base.
"I wasn't aware I was that well known," says Michael, shaking the hand of the leader of the Mandalorians.
"I used to ride around with your old mentor," replies Mandalore.
"So why the attack?" asks Michael, his crew following behind him.
"I had to see if you were as good as he said you were," replies Mandalore, "it's not like anyone could ever forget that ship of yours."
They exit the hangar and enter into a war room, with displays of the known galaxy everywhere.
"So, onto business," says Mandalore, looking down at T3, rolling into the room.
"Master Revan asked that you be alone to hear the message, so me and my crew will meet you back out in the hangar," says Michael, exiting the room.
"Feeling better?" asks Paul as Jeff exits the Ebon Hawk.
"Yeah," replies Jeff, walking over to his brother, and overlooking the hangar.
"You know those special modifications I talked about back on Coruscant?" asks Michael, walking over to his brothers.
"Yeah," answers Jeff.
"Talk to these guys," says Michael, pointing at a couple of Mandalorian mechanics standing next to him.
"We haven't heard from him in three hours," says Tabitha, growing impatient waiting in the Mandalorian dining room.
"Mandalore served Revan and was tasked with guarding the galaxy until he returned. Mandalore is the type of man that will serve his leader until the end. He may be a Mandalorian, but his true loyalty is to Revan," says Jeff, sitting across from her.
"That you're Jedi insight kicking in?" asks Tabitha.
"Naw, Jolee taught me about all of Revan's companions," replies Jeff.
"Got ya..." mumbles Tabitha, as Michael appears from the kitchen with food for himself and her.
"What about me?" asks Jeff, wondering where his food is.
"What about you?" asks Michael back at him with a smirk.
"Fine!" says Jeff, getting up and going to the kitchen himself.
"Thank you," says Tabitha, happy to be eating real food, and not the synthesized food on the Ebon Hawk.
"No problem," replies Michael, digging into his food, when Mandalore appears.
"I'm in," says Mandalore pridefully.
"We'll meet you on Telos in two standard weeks," says Michael, the rest of his crew boarding the Ebon Hawk.
"I'll have three-hundred Mandalorians and seven dreadnaughts. Right now their filled with mostly skeleton crews, but I'm sure we can find some Republic soldiers to fill them," says Mandalore, his army scrambling to get ready for battle.
"Thank you," says Michael, bowing his head and walking up the boarding ramp.
"May the Force be with you!" says Mandalore, and walks back to his battle room.
"That was easy," says Paul, watching as Michael boards the ship.
"Yeah, let's just hope three hundred Mandalorians are enough to stop a raging Sith Empire," replies Michael, as the ship lifts up out of the Mandalorian asteroid base, and into the field, jumping into hyperspace.
