Author's note: the main plot of this chapter and the next one was originally to be the main focus of the third book, but due to its shortness, I decided to write it here and put the other main events into the second book (including the new co-main character). Plus, Jymn and Zeta had to do something during the gap between the end of the last chapter and the last chapter (hint: last chapter contains deaths of many Jedi).

Around ten in the morning galactic standard time (Coruscant time), Jymn received a message from Sub Commander Onasi, who commanded the ship whenever Jymn left the ship, that the Leviathan would be arriving in system around noon. For the next hour Jymn was getting 214 ready to fly back to the Leviathan when he received a call from General Kenobi who requested that Jymn come to the temple and meet him immediately.

When Jymn arrived at the Jedi temple he was told by a temple guard that Kenobi was waiting for him in the war room. On his way there he ran into Commander Cody, who also was going to meet with Kenobi. When they got to the war room entrance, the guard outside told Cody to wait because he wanted to meet with them one at a time. "Ah, Commander Jymn, I see your still in one piece. I believe your ship, the Leviathan, is about to reach Coruscant" Jymn nodded. "Good, because I have a mission for you and the Leviathan. For the past month our shipping has been under attack by various Separatist pirates, armed with Recusant light destroyers and Munificent Frigates. We assumed that the ships would have been involved in yesterday's battle, but it seems that only a few of them did. We believe the rest were out waiting in ambush. This morning Clone Intelligence found that the pirates are based on the world of Carriban. Also as of this morning, only three of their ships were in orbit around the planet. We also know that they do not have a base on the planet, only a large space station in orbit. Unfortunately for us, they are led by the longtime pirate Iaco Stark, who I once had the pleasure of meeting when I was a young padiwan. Fortunately for you, you have the pleasure of removing this pirate from existence" General Kenobi smiled at Jymn.

"I'll say hi to him for you sir. I expect he will remember you." Jymn said before excusing himself and exiting the room, remembering to say good bye to Cody. Hen Jymn returned to the Airfield, wing 214 was at full strength, having just received replacements, and ready to take off.

As he strode onto the Bridge of the Leviathan, Jymn ordered course to Carriban plotted and the engines warmed up. Once Jymn was sure that Zeta's gunship had docked, he ordered the helmsman to engage the hyperdrives and proceed to Carriban at full speed. From the time that Zeta's ship docked until he was on the bridge was forty seven seconds, Jymn counted. He didn't even wait for Zeta to ask, Jymn quickly told him the Situation, and the plan.

"So your saying, that we're going to waltz on up to this place, board the station while the Lev concentrates on the ships, set charges and blow the station, and go right back to Triple Zero? Sounds like the trip will take longer than the main event." Zeta ended after Jymn had finished.

"Would you rather be here or back on Coruscant filing after-action reports?" Jymn countered back. Zeta responded by saying that this would only cause more paperwork. "True, but at least we get a quick break" Jymn finished and went to his cabin to get a hour of sleep before the battle.

When Jymn woke up and went to the bridge Onasi informed him that they would exit hyperspace in ten minutes. Jymn was about to have Onasi bring the crew to battle stations, but first glanced at a status panel realized that the crew already was. Jymn thought about the tactics he would use in the upcoming battle. He would have Zeta lead the raid on the station, while he coordinated the attack from the Leviathan.

"Sir," the sensor operator shouted out, braking Jymn's train of thought, "long range scanners are picking up a large space station in a high orbit around the planet. Near by are four destroyers and seven frigates. Jymn's blood froze, he knew that it would take six Recusant destroyers to defeat the Leviathan, and that wing 214 could easily handle the frigates, but the station would tip the balance, and not in Jymn's favor. Then Jymn got angry, but successfully refrained from showing it, Kenobi said there were only three dikut'la ships, Jymn thought to himself. Jymn, thought, and fast.

"Helmsman, how long until we reach the planet?" Jymn asked calmly. The helmsman said they were now three minutes away, and would come out of hyperspace five thousand kilometers from the space station. "Alright, bring us out of hyperspace right now" Jymn wanted the Leviathan as far away from the station as currently possible. When the Leviathan decelerated and dropped out of hyperspace he could barely see the enemy ships in the distance, about five hundred thousand kilometers away. "Weapons officer," Jymn said, "fire main turrets in an Alpha strike at the enemy station, lets draw their attention." Jymn knew that at this distance an alpha strike, firing all the ships main guns at the same time, even though the turbo-lasers carried by the Leviathan were some of the longest range guns ever, wouldn't do much damage. Jymn's intent was to draw the enemy ships away from the space station and destroy them, before closing on the station. He then slightly modified his plan. "Helmsman, set a course for the station, full speed ahead. Weapons, the crews may fire at will" Jymn said, the rest of the bridge crew being as confused as the helmsman, but they followed their orders.

The bridge crew watched as the skeletal ships and the station in the distance grew larger, and how the blood red bolts sped towards the station. When they saw the bolts impact the station they watched as the ships slowly turned and broke orbit, heading towards the Leviathan. The leviathans guns started to continue fire, one at a time, still at the station because the ships could evade the shots at this distance. Minutes passed as the crew waited for the ships to close the distance. When the first pirate ship, a light destroyer, reached the Leviathan, she was immediately greeted by a broadside from the Leviathans port turrets. The majority of the bolts hit the midsection of the ship, splitting it in two. At this the crew cheered. Jymn saw that up ahead, unlike the first lone destroyer, the rest of the Separatist ships were in a tight block formation. Jymn opened a channel to the fighter control bridge and ordered the main hanger doors opened and the fighters launched, then the doors quickly closed. Then he ordered the fighters to remain close to the Leviathan. Not fifteen seconds after the hanger doors closed, a swarm of Vulture droids attacked the Leviathan. The fighters quickly engaged the droids and destroyed many of them before they had a chance to get one pass in on the Leviathan.

The Leviathan was quickly coming up on the pirate ships that were attempting to block their path. Jymn pointed at a ship on the Weapon operators station "When I give the order I want all batteries and missiles to fire on this destroyer." Then he walked over to the helmsman and pointed at the same ship, "head straight towards this ship. I want flank speed when I order it." The two clones had both heard each others orders and were able to figure out the plan. Jymn contacted the fighter control bridge, "when we next to the enemy ships, the fighters are to break off and fire at will." Jymn stood on the bridge and looked completely calm.

Onasi came up to him, "Sir, if this it will be a miracle" he said. Jymn just nodded. Jymn looked at the CIS destroyer right in front of the Leviathan, the space between the ships was quickly disappearing. Jymn gave the order to fire and watched the opposing destroyer. As soon as the bolts slammed into the destroyer it slowed considerably, for a second it almost looked as if it was going backwards. Then the torpedoes struck it and the ship became a momentary sun, disintegrating in a ball of fire. Jymn gave the order for flank speed and the Leviathan headed straight into the gap in the enemy fleet. Jymn was surprised at how long it took the pirates to realize Jymn's intent. For nearly a minute they didn't even move, by then it was to late. The fighters swarmed away from the ship as did more red bolts of deadly plasma. Jymn wanted to let out aa sigh of relief, but it would not be good for the bridges moral, and they weren't through it yet. As the pirate fleet struggled to turn around at their full speed, a few collision took place. Jymn was saddened when the fighter control bridge reported two of wing 214 fighters were crushed between a pirate frigate and destroyer when they turned into each other, worse, was that the destroyer was still turning. Jymn thought through his plan. First, the Leviathan would reach the enemy station and launch boarding parties without slowing down. Then the Leviathan would enter into an orbit of the planet on the exact opposite side as the space station where it would wait for, and annihilate the pirates. Finally the Leviathan would return to the station and pick up the boarding parties and detonate the explosives the teams placed on board.

Combat on a star destroyer is slow compared to combat in star fighters and to pass the ten minutes it would take to reach the station, Jymn watched the holo-tank that showed 3D images of the pirate vessels and wing 214. Jymn was unimpressed by the poor tactics and organization of the pirates. He watched as a group of Torrents shredded a destroyer because nearby pirates were ignoring it. Some areas of space you could walk on the laser fire, others were completely devoid of it. Jymn laughed when one Torrent with six heavy gun emplacements on two frigates firing at it, flew between the ships and caused them to deal a large amount of damage to each other. Jymn remembered he learnt about the Stark Hyperspace war, the republic's first battle with Stark. He remembered that Starks fleet was well organized and defeated the Republic forces. Jymn found it curious that Stark's new fleet wasn't doing nearly as well, Jymn doubted that Stark was even leading his forces. Jymn was a bit worried about where Stark was if he wasn't leading his forces, but he ran with the good luck and hoped it would hold.

Finally after ten minutes the Leviathan was close to the Station. For the past five minutes they had been at just 90 power, they couldn't risk over heating the engines before they launched the boarding party. Barely half of the pirate fleet, three destroyers and three frigates, were still following the Leviathan. Even though many of them were not in pursuit anymore, the Leviathan had sustained damage, not heavy damage, but certainly light damage. The Fighter control bridge had just informed Jymn that they would be at optimal launching distance for the boarding party in thirty seconds when the long range sensor operator shouted out "Sensors show a new contact coming out of hyperspace! It's going to come out right off our bow!" Jymn shouted for emergency stop just as a Providence class cruiser appeared in front of the Leviathan. Jymn wasn't happy. They were inside the space stations firing range and the rest o the pirates were almost in range, but for some reason they had all stopped firing. Jymn ordered all fighters and gun batteries to stop firing, temporarily. The comm. officer, in the same voice as the sensor operator said "Sir, the cruiser is hailing us." Jymn had the clone patch the cruiser through on a small view screen that Jymn walked over to.

The person who appeared on the screen had bright red hair and a short goatee, he was wearing an obviously expensive brown rancor leather jacket. The man then spoke, "Ah, Commander Jymn, of the famous raider Leviathan." To Jymn he spoke in a rather civilized voice, for a pirate. "I do not believe we have had the pleasure of meeting. I" the red-haired pirate paused dramatically, but Jymn already knew who he was, "am Iaco Stark. Surrender, and your crew will not be harmed."