Chapter 3
I.
Beta strode down the dim halls of the subterranean Confederate base. OM-1 flanked him to his right, carrying its battle rifle. The base was still with the onset of night on the surface. The majority of the patrols were switching shifts for recharge. Unlike other worlds, Ord Canfre was largely agrarian. The people were simple folk and weren't the type that bathed themselves in the luxuries of pleasure and sin. The largest town on the surface was just outside the base and it was the center of a farming hub. Maybe ten thousand citizens lived and worked there. Beta couldn't remember the exact count. He was focused on other, more pressing matters.
Beta stopped at a small, hidden doorway that any normal patrol or person would have missed or taken for granted. It was marked as a maintenance room but it was anything but that. It was shrouded in the darkness between the lights.
Beta waved his hands and the door slid open. He looked to OM-1, "I don't want any interruptions. No one comes in. Scramble and encrypt the transmission. Let me know if we're being watched." OM-1 nodded and the door slid shut. He descended a spiral set of stairs into a large dark room. He moved to the center where an idle console tower stood alone. He tapped on the dim screen bringing life to the room. Surrounding him were large screens that took up the entirety of the wall before him. Three figures flickered on replacing the static that had been there before.
"My comrades," Beta raised his right hand to his chest. "As you know we have less than twelve weeks until Supreme Commander Grievous launches Operation Durge's Lance. We will have a paramount position as we will be conducting some of the first incursions, drawing the bulk of the Republic Army to us. Admiral Norith, is our ship production on schedule?"
"The shipyards above Wistril have been fully restored. Additionally, at Ord Canfre's two farther moons and other systems within our jurisdiction, ship production has resumed at full capacity," Admiral Norith answered from the right screen. She had bandages wrapped around her eyes that obscured most of her features.
"I also see that your modifications to the Lucid Voice are nearly complete. Will this be the new standard?" Beta asked. Lucid Voice was the sister ship to General Grievous' Invisible Hand. It was a Providence-class dreadnought and the flagship of General Beta's fleets and armies. Admiral Norith had just been given command of the fleet with her promotion.
"If that is what you wish my Lord," She answered.
"See to it, Admiral. We need to bolster our fleet's capabilities before Grievous' main offensive begins. If we are to take on the Republic Navy, we'll need ship production to increase four-fold," Beta looked down pensively. "If these are the specifications you wish to upgrade the Providence-Class with, then I suggest you make it universal now."
The silver-haired admiral raised her right fist to her chest. "It will be done, my Lord." With that, her transmission cut out flickering away.
"Aella… Svana…" Beta began hesitantly. He didn't know what to say as he was still wrapping his mind around the conundrum himself. Had he really been so foolish to discard everything he was taught when he was young? Had he been too impatient, too arrogant.? "The prophecy that I declared void… I believe I may have been gravely mistaken. Hours ago, a boy and a deranged man appeared mysteriously on the plains. OM-1 and his team apprehended them and brought them to me."
"So you believe the boy to be relevant?" Svana, a fair blond replied first. Beta noted to himself that Svana was intuitive as always.
"I do. I can feel great power dwelling dormant within him. Greater… greater even than mine. The Force flows through him. Yet for some reason, he has undergone very little training which is absurd and disturbing. It seems he also neglects his true potential on a personal level."
"Traits and issues that you well know can lead down a dangerous path. If the boy is to be trained, then I advise we take on this task with caution regardless of the prophecy. After all the prophecy is not finite to one person," Svana replied.
"If we do not want to endanger the boy, I counter that we move quickly. Training the boy cautiously will only stunt his growth and leave him exposed to dangers we cannot always protect him from." Aella, another fair young woman with dark blue hair spoke. She had the opposite stance from her counterpart. "To be a true Ostari, one must be able to balance mind and heart, light and dark. Training him cautiously won't prevent any permanent fall to the dark side." Beta gazed at Aella, for she was a friend that he truly cherished. She was headstrong and charismatic, yet still wise from early troubles in her youth.
"Training him too fast could be catastrophic. If he succumbs to the dark side of the Force, that would put us in a more perilous situation than we are already in!" Svana voiced her protest.
"Yes, but our order of balance is small. It would benefit us greatly to add to our ranks. You have taken on an apprentice of similar age. Last I checked her past was riddled with conflict so severe that our Master forbade you from teaching her any skills other than that of a saber. Now a year in she would seem to have stabilized," Aella countered.
Beta thought hard. He hadn't expected this day to come so soon, if at all. He had all but given up years ago on the prophecy. Ron was young, naive and he could sense the distraught, emotional turmoil inside. But he wasn't all that dissimilar from him. Ron had a strength that he himself wasn't aware existed. He had a strong heart, courage, and a sense of pride that was at the moment just displaced. He had felt it when he was in the room with the young man. He had a fortitude that he himself envied. If given the proper teacher and training, he knew Ron would eventually surpass and succeed him.
On the other hand, he took Svana's words to heart as well. She wasn't wrong and this wasn't the first person he had run into that had strength such as Ron. He had known another who took an entirely different path and interpretation of the Force. He knew the risks with someone as powerful as Ron. She wasn't wrong in her statement of treading carefully with the new student. He would have to be careful. If he wasn't he could very well be the cause of a great catastrophe.
"I propose that we immediately put the boy through a rigorous test. One that will hinge on survival or death. That will let us gauge how he'll react to certain conditions and ascertain what regimen we should put him through," Aella proposed to both Svana and Beta. Beta pondered long and hard about her idea. It seemed reckless to him to put Ron through such a test. He wasn't physically strong enough yet. Was he even mentally? He had felt that Ron's aura was perturbed by troubles. Ron's heart had a whirlwind brewing. And what if Svana was right? What if Ron wasn't the one mentioned in the prophecy? What had compelled him to make that assumption in the first place? Why come to that conclusion?
Part of him forgot how he had come to that thought. But he needed to act. Beta needed to figure out what to do with Ron. He didn't get placed here by accident or mistake. If it was by providence, then the divinity of the Force was especially cruel to him. Ron had come at the worst moment. The Clone Wars were raging across the galaxy. Anarchy ruled the space in between the war. Famine, strife, and death were prevailing in hundreds of sectors. Ron would face challenges Beta wasn't sure he had faced yet back on Earth.
Beta came to his decision. "Although I would like to side with Svana's caution and tread his path carefully, progressing slowly will stunt his growth, and in this war, it will only consume him. He's already older than I would like and it will be hard to train him. I have an idea that might push him to his limit and gain insight into just exactly where he is at. Aella?"
"Yes?" Aella answered inquisitively.
"I'm assigning you to be the boy's primary master," Beta instructed. Beta was confident that Aella would be a suitable teacher for Ron. He needed someone who would coach him but also wouldn't let up in his training. Svana was more suited for someone who was broken and she already had another apprentice. With everyone else already having an assignment, she was the best option. Aella, even though she was essentially his right hand and another bodyguard, was the most suitable character to Ron's unique personality.
"As you wish, my Lord."
Aella and Svana flickered away and the dim lights in the room slowly illuminated his surroundings. Beta turned to walk out of the room putting his hand on the railing of the stairs. He paused on the steps toward the exit and stared down at his feet. Was he making the right move at a time like this? Was it not just better to hide Ron in the depths of space where none of his enemies could find him? With the war in full swing, what was he to do? Aella was right. There was no way he could protect the boy from the war. The only reason he himself had survived his journey here was because of his previous training and coincidence.
Ron was unrefined in almost all totality. If he had been trained then he hadn't taken heed to his former instructor's practices. Ron needed to be molded and then sculpted into something he currently was at any level. If Ron was truly the one chosen for this fate, then it would take all of Aella's focus to ensure that Ron was set on the right path to survive. Ron had entered a fray that he truly wasn't ready to fight and Beta was beginning to wonder if he could survive the Clone Wars.
II.
Ron squinted as a brisk wind blew in from what he presumed was the south. No longer in the base's warm depths, he had stepped out of the structure's shadow into Ord Canfre's blue sun, its warming rays bathing the ground around him. Ron looked around the entrance of the base. Where yesterday there had been a plethora of activity on the surface of the installation, all had gone quiet. Where there were once thousands of battle droids, ships docked on the ground, and military vehicles patrolling, now only a few battle droids here and there roamed around.
Now that it was day out, Ron could see that the base was situated on a small plain surrounded by rolling grassy hills. Judging by the entrance to the underground levels below and where he was dropped off last night, the town they had passed through was somewhere on the other side of the green hills. He didn't know exactly what direction the town was in since it had been night when they rode in and there was no real imprint of a road leading outside of the base. There must not even be a need for roads since all he saw so far were hovercraft.
Normal people. People in general. He had seen them the other night in the town. Looking up to the bluish-pink sky, the two moons that were still visible presented him with a mystery. How were there people? Not only people but people living about their normal daily lives. Was he in the future? Ron was more confused than he ever thought possible.
KP. Kim. If Ron was in the future, would he ever see his best friend again? Ron wanted… no he trusted his gut instinct… Sensei's word that it was time for him to grow up. Time for him to set out on his own path and forge his own life. But if Sensei had told him that it would cost him his best friend for an eternity, he wouldn't have stepped through that portal. Just how long he would be away from Kim? It had been a full day and she was already at the forefront of his mind.
He missed her warm contagious smile. It always seemed to bring hope to people who were lost in hopeless circumstances. Just her name evoked hope, but her smile even more so. The last time he had seen her though, she didn't have a smile on her face. Instead, worry had been etched in the smile's place. Sadness. Betrayal. Those words hurt Ron to his core. He had never intended nor wanted to make her unhappy. But what was I suppose to do? If I had stayed I would have really messed things up with my feelings, Ron thought to himself dejectedly. In his mind, if he had stayed, he would have mucked things up even more between the two. Especially with Eric in the picture.
Eric. He had told Kim he was O.K. with Eric. He could handle Eric. He wasn't a big deal. He was fine with Eric. Eric. Ron started to hyperventilate. Truth be told though, he wasn't fine with Eric. Not remotely in the slightest.
"Hey!" Ron shrieked jerking away from a cold metal hand grasping his shoulder. Turning, he found OM-1 staring down at him.
"General Beta wishes for you to follow me. I trust the medical droids fixed up your injuries to your shoulder given your reflexes?" OM-1 asked pointing towards Ron's left shoulder.
Ron looked at his shoulder. He had almost forgotten that Dementor had shot him the night before. Now after seeing the medical droids deep in the base, he hardly felt a thing. He wasn't sure the injury was even there since he hadn't even looked after waking up in the medical bay. Come to think of it he hadn't seen the professor either. Things were just too out of context for Ron. It was almost like he was in a strange dream. OM-1 here wasn't helping by sneaking up on him.
"Yea it's fine," Ron said rubbing his shoulder glaring up at the droid. "You know, you don't have to be so sneaky," Ron grumbled, bumbling after Beta's commando droid toward a troop carrier that had just pulled up in front of the entrance to the bunker.
Ron's other question was answered as soon as he boarded. OM-1 sat Ron down across from Dementor who had been picked up earlier. Dementor stuck his nose up at Ron. Ron couldn't say he was too happy about the development. He would have rather Dementor stayed locked up in the depths of the base as he had suggested to Beta. It looked like his suggestion had been sidelined. The carrier thumped into gear driving away from the underground entrance turning an about-face toward the rolling hills.
Ron looked back watching the small entrance jutting out of the ground quickly shrink away to nothing. They crested the hills to another plain where he could see the sun rising above snow-capped mountains. The sun cast a beautiful indigo aura over the wispy clouds in the sky. Across the plain, they entered a heavily wooded area that Ron swore he had seen the previous night on the horizon.
Ron's thoughts again drifted to Kim. What would she think of this adventure if she had followed him into the portal? Would their feelings still be frayed by Eric or would the newfound wonder of a new world rekindle their friendship and perhaps… even lead to something more than that. Ron couldn't believe it himself, he was thinking of what it would be like to have Kim sitting by his side right now. And the thought of it turning into something romantic?
Don't think like that. You were supposed to come here on your own path and help get rid of these feelings. Ron thought the only way to fix their friendship at this point was to rid himself of the feelings that had begun to surface from deep within himself. If he didn't remove them or bury them, how would he save his friendship with his best friend?
Ron was jolted from his thoughts as the vehicle came to a sudden halt. They paralleled a metal platform that was fastened into thick, robust pine-like trees, with a sleek large shuttle docked on its platform. It looked similar to a Global Justice hovercraft, just larger and minus the built-in rotor-blades. It was armed with what looked like cannons at least from what Ron guessed. With its futuristic look, Ron really couldn't make out what other features the craft sported.
"Good Morning Ron... Professor Dementor," Beta rounded the ship's thrusters pocketing some small devices into his belt pouches. Ron still wasn't sure of what he made out of the general. He seemed genuine to Ron, but there was that mysterious factor that threw Ron off. He had yet to see what he looked like! He was still in the same armor that he wore the day before. His battle helmet wasn't like Dementor's where you could see at least his eyes and lower facial features.
"Aw! Vell if it isn't ze General himself," Dementor mused sarcastically, sauntering his way off the transport. Ron could tell the professor wasn't thrilled, that this wasn't exactly where he expected to be led.
"OM-1, escort the good professor aboard ship," Beta ordered. "I need to speak to Ron without interruption." He motioned his head in the direction of Dementor. Dementor didn't look too fond of Beta's gesture as he groaned, rolling his eyes.
"Yes sir," OM-1 complied escorting Dementor to the ship.
Beta crooked his hand at Ron to step to his side. While Ron stepped up beside Beta, Ron noticed the other commando droids had come from where Beta had around the ship. They gathered around Beta and Ron who stood at the edge of the platform. When OM-1 returned Beta began to speak.
"OM-1, stay with Three and Five, and help Colonel Coryn with observation and security on the planet. Contact me if an emergency arises," Beta addressed. Ron wondered what Beta was talking about. Security of the planet?
"And what of the PDVI?" OM-1 asked.
"In the forests near the Usurri Mountains is a hidden bunker. Store it there," he instructed. "It's imperative that it not be found out by the upper echelons of the Confederacy or Republic."
OM-1 nodded its head in approval of Beta's plan. "Two and Four will join me on this expedition. Your objective is to protect our passengers at all costs. Is that understood?" Beta asked. The two commando droids nodded and marched into the ship. OM-1 saluted and left the landing pad with the others.
Beta turned to Ron as they were left alone by the departing commando droids. "So Ron? Do you know anything about your name and where it comes from?"
Ron was perplexed. The question was odd at the very least. What did Beta want to know about his name? "I don't think I follow…" Ron squeaked out unsure of what the general meant. He wasn't sure how to answer. Ron didn't think there was anything unique about his name. Neither the first name nor the last name. Why was he asking about his name anyway? The question really didn't make any sense to Ron. He wasn't a Possible.
Beta shook his head in frustration. Of course, the kid doesn't know. He barely has a grasp on his powers and his true potential. Beta didn't know how to begin his training. Ron was not only oblivious but had little focus or drive. Even his self-esteem was dwindling from some unknown cause that Beta couldn't put his finger on. Beta saw the face Ron was giving him. This kid really has no idea what I'm talking about. Am I really sure he's the one? Beta once again felt the divine push of the Force pulse through him as he stepped closer to Ron. It was the same feeling he felt when he first met the boy.
What was strange about Ron was the fact he was able to conceal his power so easily. He hadn't felt Ron's presence within the Force until the very moment he had reached out and touched him. It couldn't just be his other power. How was this young man able to conceal his abilities and the Force that flowed through him. This was an advanced technique that had taken years for him to master completely and sometimes decades for people who were less skilled in the metaphysical aspects of the Force. But Ron had seemed to have almost completely mastered it. He was hidden in plain sight. Any Jedi or Sith that came upon him would never think he was a nexus for the Force.
"Never mind then. Let's focus on other matters shall we," Beta said while stepping towards the ramp of the shuttle. Beta was trying to figure out why his last name was Stoppable. It was curious since the prophecy didn't mention anyone that was a Stoppable. The name just gave Beta a vibe he wasn't familiar with as the prophecy had mentioned a group that was headed by an unstoppable force.
"And what other matters should we focus on?" Ron asked still suspicious of the general's question. The other night Ron's mind had drifted away from Kim for once and pondered on why the general seemed so interested in him. Ron wasn't usually too keen on people's intentions and what they were up to. But for some reason, Beta gave Ron an uneasy feeling. Not one where he felt like he was going to die or he was out to hurt him. It was more like Beta was an unknown. He was a mystery and it threw Ron off.
"Perhaps I should start off somewhere in the middle then and just come out and say it. You were sent here weren't you?" Beta asked. Ron's face still bore that look of confusion. "What I mean is that someone told you to, follow your instinct. Someone said you had to choose your own path to follow. They gave a very vague sense of what to follow and where to look," Beta explained as they stepped towards the hatch on the belly of the shuttle.
Ron rolled his eyes. Now he got the gist of what he was talking about. The general must have been referring to Sensei. "Yea, something like that," Ron said looking down dismally. He had begun to regret his choice of following the old master's advice.
"Let me guess. An older man with a long wispy white beard. Looks like a monk and speaks in riddles and metaphors. Does that sound about right?" Beta asked as they stopped just before making it into the hatch.
Ron was surprised and even more confused. This general who he had just met had just described Sensei to a tee. "You know. I don't know whether to be surprised or creeped out that you know exactly who I'm talking about without me going into details."
Beta let out a chortle, "I would have thought you'd catch on by now. You and Dementor aren't the only ones to have come to this place from Earth. I too came from Earth. Albeit at a much younger age than yourself. I was only a child when I came here. However, I didn't come along with a rogue scientist."
Ron could swear that under his helmet, Beta was smirking. "So you're from..? Oh c'mon! How can this day get any weirder? Don't answer that. I don't wanna know," Ron shook his head in frustration. He forgot that Beta had mentioned that last night when Dementor exclaimed he was the boy they detected. And by the way this 'General' talked, he also knew Sensei. "So does that mean you knew Sensei?"
Beta looked up and sighed. "You can say he was my teacher. A friend even. He also told me that I had a path to walk. I must choose between walking the path of the unknown or greet death."
Ron's eyes grew wide, "Death?" Sensei never mentioned anything about death. Fear welled up inside Ron. He didn't know how to feel about that word. Death. What exactly did Sensei tell this guy?
Beta could see the worry in Ron's eyes. "Don't worry. I've faced death before. It's not as scary as you think. But that's beside the point. The point being, you just weren't sent here. You were sent for a reason."
Ron thought on Beta's words. "I don't think sent is the right word. What's the word that comes to mind, oh yea. More like guided. Yup, definitely guided here. And I definitely didn't know I was gonna end up here either."
Beta was taken aback by Ron's choice of words. If he wasn't sent, was there such a thing as fate? It couldn't be. Ron had already mentioned that he knew the old master. He assumed they were talking of the same master at Yamanuchi. But wouldn't he have been sent? He should have been trained, yet here the young man was in front of him didn't have half a clue what he was talking about.
Beta put his hand on Ron's shoulder, "What if I told you that-"
"I'm a special person," Ron deadpanned at the general.
Beta was astounded he interrupted, "That's not what I was going to say."
"Listen, been on this train of thought before. Not really my thing," Ron held his face tapping on his chin pensively. "Unless you're gonna say be a great cook or a Bueno Nacho eating contest. Look Ron has da mad skills…" Ron's confident look was replaced by one more sullen, "but nothing that makes me special like KP."
Beta was amazed… and disturbed. He had no idea what Bueno Nacho was or what was wrong with being a master in the culinary arts. The chow hall back at the base could use someone with skill. Yet what troubled Beta most was not Ron's self-esteem being low in himself, but rather the confidence he had that he was nothing more than these defining traits. He had no idea who KP was, but this KP person must have had a significant impact on his life.
Beta stifled his laughter. He should have known sooner. KP was probably a girl he had a crush on and tried to woo that really didn't work out. That could hurt any young man's self-esteem. Still, it didn't change his mind that Ron was too set in his own lackluster. "Listen, I wasn't going to say any of that. In fact, if I were to say anything it would be that you're going to take on a mantle of responsibility that even I wouldn't envy."
Ron crossed his arms defiantly, "What a great prize to win. No really, it's badical." Ron rolled his eyes, the sarcasm evident in his voice. Responsibility wasn't usually something that rang great thrills in his mind.
Beta's face creased downward, displeased with Ron's reaction. Perhaps training this kid wasn't going to be the easiest endeavor. He lacked the self-esteem and motivation to become something more than himself. Beta could sense it, the young man had more potential than he led himself to believe. "I'll strike you a deal then," Beta said holding out his hand.
"And what kind of deal is that?" Ron asked precariously.
"You have two choices. One, you can go your own way. Find yourself, choose your own path in this reckless galaxy, and do whatever you desire. Eventually, you'll either find what you're looking for or get lost in the quagmire and become another victim of fate," Beta explained Ron's first option. To Ron, it wasn't direct and seemed like the general wasn't even trying to sell the first option. "Or…" Ron watched as Beta unsheathed what looked to be a small silverish-gold baton from under his holster.
"Or…" Ron grew curious as Beta twirled the strange short baton in his fingers before holding it like a sword. Before Ron could ask, a bright burning silvery-white energy blade erupted from the tip of the hilt. Beta twirled the strange weapon in his hands as it crackled through the air as if it was tearing the air itself.
"Or, allow me to train you, refine your way of thinking. Allow myself and others to teach you the ways of-"
"To become a space-knight," Ron deadpanned crossing his arms. He had seen this kind of weapon before albeit different. When they were in Tokyo rescuing Mr. Nakasumi. The ninjas had similar, more crude, red-colored versions of what General Beta held in front of him. "Seen it before."
Beta was floored. He was at the edge of not knowing what to say to how Ron responded. He shook his head lowering the saber to his side and raising his right hand out, reaching out with the Force, "Then perhaps I will just show you."
Ron turned his attention to where Beta had pointed his hand. To Ron, it seemed he had directed his focus onto a large evergreen tree about thirty-some yards away. Ron wasn't grasping what he was doing until the trunk of the tree, at least four or five feet in diameter imploded, crushed instantly by some unknown force. It had begun to fall away from them when it stopped to Ron's amazement and reversed course, tipping back towards where they were standing. Ron stood still, fear rising as a lump in his throat as the massive tree trunk began its descent toward him.
Ron flinched as the mass accelerated, while time seemed to slow. His eyes pressed shut and arms raised in some vain attempt to stop the impact. No pain. He winced one eye open to peek at what had happened. The evergreen in all its enormity stood still, in the air floating. No one was holding the tree at least physically. The trunk had been ripped clean from the root. Ron slowly looked back at Beta who still held the glowing white saber in his left hand while his right hand, still extended seemed to be holding the tree with some invisible force.
"But-" Ron looked back at the tree which stood at least a hundred feet tall, then back at Beta. "…How?" Ron seemed astounded. He watched as Beta held up his other hand deactivating the lightsaber. Ron watched as if he had grabbed the tree itself like a mime would and heaved it away. The evergreen twisted away from them before being sent down gently away from them onto the ground.
"I… we, can teach you how. You want to ride the waves of fate. Or would you rather be able to control your own fate and the fate of others? Learn the ways of the Force and you'll learn to handle your other powers, and control them as well," Beta explained sheathing the lightsaber back under his holster.
"My other powers?" Ron asked bewildered. Just how much did this general know? "You know about mystical monkey powers?"
Beta straightened himself out before stepping toward the shuttle. "Mystical Monkey Power… a power that can be stolen, ordained, or chosen. A power that wells up from the depths of ancient darkness itself. It itself, a form of ancient dark sorcery from a long-gone, almost forgotten race."
"Eww… Monkeys," Ron cringed eliciting a hardy laugh from Beta.
"Come with me and I doubt you'll ever fear them again," Beta said pointing up the ramp into the shuttle.
"Nah man, I'm pretty sure they'll stay on my list of phobias. They're so sick and wrong," Ron said waving his hand. He still wasn't sure. Was this military man that was in charge of some random droid army, someone Ron could trust? He was armored from head to toe and Ron had yet to see his face. Was this the destiny, or rather what Sensei had vaguely meant? Why didn't he give Ron more to go on? Was this someone he was supposed to turn away and avoid or was he supposed to take him up on the offer at hand?
"Keep your phobias then," Beta chortled. "But I'll tell you now, walk away and you'll only know what you ever have known. Come with me, and you'll find more about yourself and what you hold within you than even I could imagine."
Ron was now left at a crossroads. What should he do? What was the right answer here? Was he making the wrong choice? His mind was stormed by images and memories, and then of illusions of what he could be. But at the forefront of his mind was Kim. Would he see her again? Which path would lead the way to eventually becoming closer to her? Why think of her? That's not why he came here. Why was she the first thing to come to mind? No, this is for me. I need to do this for myself. She was right. If there was one thing that Kim was right about, it's time to grow up!
Ron straightened himself out and stepped up to the armored general. "You really mean what you say? I have a choice?"
Beta reached into one of the pouches on his belt and pulled out what looked like silver metal cards. He handed them toward Ron, "Ten-thousand credits. I'll fund your choice to go out on your own. You'll get a ride into town and it should be enough to start a simple life here. Just know, whatever choice you make, once you start down that path you can never turn back."
Ron looked at the money, or credits rather, that Beta was handing him. Whoever this armored, photon sword-wielding man was, he was serious and genuine about his offer. Ron pushed the credits back into Beta's hands, smiled, and trotted up the ramp. He had made his choice. It was a risk, but in Ron's mind, the risk was a necessary one. It was time for him to better himself.
Beta shook his head following Stoppable up the ramp and into the cockpit taking to the controls of the craft and flipping switches. "Main power on. Thrusters and anti-gravity power at fifty percent. Shields online?"
"Roger roger," OM-2 nodded. Beta flipped the switch to ignite the shuttle's engines and repulsors. The ship lifted off slowly before darting into the sky and soaring through Ord Canfre's clouds.
"Vowww!" Dementor gasped. It seemed that it was very rare that Dementor was ever amazed. Ron stared too and was just as astounded as Dementor. As the craft transcended the planet's troposphere and into space, the clouds were replaced by darker shades of blue as the sky was replaced by the backdrop of space. Ord Canfre's three moons orbited closer than Earth's own moon, and it seemed one was larger than the Earth's own. The system's blue star burned brightly, more blinding than even the Sun.
The hundreds of ships in orbit around the planet were even more astonishing. The large crafts he and Dementor had seen late the previous night slowly glided through the vastness of space like floating cities. Ron pressed his hands and face against the window as the shuttle slowly came behind and passed by a massive, cylindrical-like battleship. A tall spire with a darkened bridge towered above the stern. An active command bridge jutted over the tapered nose of the ship.
Beta noticed both Ron and Dementor's dumbfounded stares. "It's a Providence Dreadnought. Impressive isn't it?" Beta asked them. They both nodded. Ron gazed back as other ships, some of a smaller class and a few of a larger class became visible. "Don't worry Ron, soon you'll know them all," Beta added.
"So what are we doing up in space? Isn't the city OM-1 mentioned back on the planet?" Ron asked. "Are we going to one of the moons?"
Dementor smacked his face, "It iz unbelievable how you cannot sometimes comprehend a situation!"
A sly smile spread across Beta's face, "Oh, you'll see in just a few seconds. OM-2, activate the hyperdrive."
"Yes, sir!" OM-2 pulled down a lever and flipped two green switches above him.
Beta leaned forward and reached out with his right hand for a large handle, "Coordinates locked," Beta spoke to himself. "Prepare to make the jump to hyperspace."
"What's hyperspace?" Ron asked.
Beta let out a chortle pulling down the handle. Ron was bewildered as a bright blue tube appeared from the veil of space, the stars themselves twisting and contorting. The massive Dreadnought behind them spaghettified with the rest of the system disappearing. It was an endless bluish-white glow that illuminated his face.
After some time of silence, it finally hit him. He wasn't at nor anywhere near home anymore. He was a galaxy, no, a universe away. He had planned to force Dementor to take them back to Earth. But with General Beta and his army in possession of the PDVI, that option was farther than home was. Now he was in tow with a faction's military leader he knew nothing about other than he was from Earth. He really had overestimated his actions by going after Dementor.
Ron's eyes began to shutter as his mind drifted. He thought of a home that didn't exist in this galaxy. One that he probably wouldn't see for months, perhaps years if ever again. He slumped his shoulders leaning back in his seat. He smiled, reliving his memories with a red-haired girl, slumbering away.
III.
Kim stepped down from the hovercraft. Wade was ahead of her across a wooden and rope bridge in the flesh, talking with Dr. Director at the entrance of Yamanuchi. The same school where Ron had become an exchange student for a week or so a little over a year ago. For a secret school, there was a lot of activity surrounding it. Unfamiliar helicopters flew past her and over the steep ravines between the mountains. There were many sounds emanating from inside the school gates that also didn't sound familiar to a ninja school.
As Kim stepped onto the bridge, Wade waved her over, "Hey Kim!"
"Hey, Wade. So what's the sitch?" Kim looked around as she finished crossing the bridge. Although she was happy to see him, there was no time to waste on pleasantries. She wanted to know the plan. She wanted to know the plan to get Ron back.
In his shadow followed the Director. "Kim Possible..." The Director extended her hand to greet Kim.
"Director… I can't figure out if I'm surprised or not at seeing you here," Kim wasn't sure what the director had in mind. But she wasn't amused at the amount of firepower brought in. To her left up against the hill, the barrel of a massive tank cannon stuck out of the mountain's brush. To the right on the top of a taller mountain, she made out what seemed to be missiles aimed at the sky. "I didn't know you needed all this firepower to find Ron. After you found the Ron Project a bust, I didn't think you gave one iota about him."
Dr. Director glanced around and caught Kim's drift. "Oh..? You mean all the muscle. None of it's mine. As a matter of fact, I'm the only one from G.J. that's here. I mean besides the pilot and crews that flew you and me here."
An uneasy tension had begun to develop between the two skilled women. "Kim, did you know that Dementor doesn't have the only Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer?" Kim looked at Wade who seemed uncomfortable with them at the moment.
"Really?" Kim crossed her arms. She turned back to the director. "So G.J. has more than one of these insane contraptions do they?"
Wade was ready to explain but the Director stopped him. "Judging by Kim's glare she wants to know the truth… from me would be best."
"You catch on quick," Kim grumbled.
The Director crossed her arms. "These men aren't mine nor is the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer. They're all Russian soldiers. In fact if anything, all their guns and Yamanuchi's men have their sights trained on me. You see I don't know all the classified parts, but the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer is - was never stolen by Professor Dementor. At least not at first and not from us."
"What do you mean?" Kim was confused. If she recalled correctly, Professor Dementor had stolen the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer from a secret lab in the Rocky Mountains almost two years ago. What did the director mean by he had never stolen it from them?
"You were asked to retrieve the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer almost two years ago from Professor Dementor. You and your computer genius weren't told the whole truth. Professor Dementor did steal the device, but technically he was taking it back for himself."
"You mean to tell me that that mission was a lie from the start!? And how was a mad-scientist taking it back for himself? Are you implying that he created the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer?" Kim asked incredulously.
"Professor Dementor did steal that day, but to keep it simple, we stole the device from a thief who stole his own creation. You see, Dementor was the lead in a group of Soviet and other communist bloc scientists. During the Cold War, the Professor was a top scientist for the Eastern Bloc. Dementor not only conceived the Pan-Dimensional Vortex Inducer, he engineered and built it. So you see, you could say that the PDVI is Dementor's mark on the world," the Director explained.
Kim wasn't sure if she bought into the director's explanation. Then again, it wasn't the first time that Dementor had invented something. "So, fast forward over a decade and why does Dementor have to steal it from an American research facility?"
"You see, when the Soviet Union collapsed, the professor fled the East and headed for Western Europe. He wanted to take his work with him; however, his work was classified and held under the secrecy of the Iron Curtain. So in short he stole one of the devices from a Russian facility and fled," the director explained. "Except the professor ran into some problems. You see, the CIA had been keeping track of him and intercepted him and his stolen technology."
Kim arched her brow, "And why did the CIA keep track of the professor?" She asked skeptically.
"They wanted the scientist and the technology of course. However after the Soviet Union fell, the FSB and CIA agreed to share all information they had with Global Justice. Only then did Russia figure out they were missing one of their prized devices. However since Global Justice was now in charge, GJ kept the device and Dementor in America," Betty Director explained.
"Wait, you kept Dementor? What do you mean by that?" Kim crossed her arms now.
"We kept him detained at a location I can't disclose. Letting him sustain a life in public wasn't feasible-"
"Wasn't feasible for you!" Kim shook her head in her hands. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had no idea what kind of person Dementor was during the Cold War, but Kim was sure of one thing - GJ probably turned Dementor into a villain by keeping him imprisoned just like the Soviets. "What else do I need to know?"
Betty Director went on to explain the whole situation to Kim. Professor Dementor was originally a Bavarian scientist working for the Soviet Union. He was the inventor of the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer yet he had not developed the firing mechanisms to operate it. Only two countries currently had the capability to fire the weapon, America and Russia. Yet America's had been lost since Dementor and Ron disappeared with it and they never replicated the device.
Russia had the only working devices. Yet, according to the Director, the Russians weren't here to help her or GJ. Far from it, as they eyed the organization with suspicion. They were here at the behest of Sensei and the Yamanuchi School. So Russia was willing to lend Yamanuchi another Pan Vortex Inducer and its firing mechanism. But what connection did Yamanuchi have with the former communist juggernaut? Kim couldn't find any and when she brought it up with the Director, she got no answer that would allay her suspicions.
On the other hand, Kim didn't care why or who had another device. The fact was that Sensei had somehow convinced the Russians to help find Ron and then contacted Wade and GJ. Sensei knew something that they all didn't, which concerned Kim far more than the armed Russian soldiers patrolling the school grounds. Yet if Sensei knew where Ron went, why hadn't the school rescued him already? Something wasn't adding up for Kim. Sensei knew something that no one else knew and that was unsettling at the very least.
"So where have they got this all set up?" Kim asked as they strode into the schoolyard.
"They have it set up in the central courtyard. However, they are only lending it to us. We don't get to touch it. Their scientists will be doing all the work and insisted Sensei be in charge," Dr. Director noted to Kim.
"Sensei is in charge?" Kim asked surprised. So Sensei had connections. He probably knew Ron's whereabouts but had yet to rescue him. And the Russians who were a major international power put him in charge of the operation at his school. The only reason it made sense was because it was his school.
"The Russian ambassador to Yamanuchi insisted," Dr. Director replied.
"Russia has an ambassador to Yamanuchi School?" Kim asked. "That's a little unbelievable seeing how secret the school is."
"Mysteriously enough, Russia is the only country with an ambassador to Yamanuchi aside from its home nation, Japan," Kim noticed the Director's frustration with her own statement. The mystery between Yamanuchi and America's former Cold War foe deepened. "In fact, the only reason I'm involved was to help insist Japan let the Russians fly their military in. Can you believe that!"
"Right…" Kim rolled her eyes at the Directors complaint. She didn't understand why the Director was so flustered. It wasn't her country nor her school. It wasn't like they had hired Gemini and put him in charge.
"Well, the scientists have finished setting up the device and are ready to open a portal," Wade broke the silence. He looked nervous, probably because Kim was becoming slightly irritated at the Director. "We should go meet with Sensei and Yori."
"Yori?" Kim mused remembering Ron's female companion from the secret Ninja school. She still didn't fully understand the depth of the relationship between Ron and the Japanese heroine. She knew that Yori held feelings for her best friend but being how secretive the school was, she was unsure of how far Ron and Yori had gone. Not that they had done more than kiss, but Kim's mind wondered if Ron had only acted surprised when Yori pecked him on the cheek after rescuing Sensei.
Her own mind was getting to her. Did Ron and Yori become an item at Yamanuchi while he was here? Did they go out on dates? Did she take him to Tokyo and around Japan? She had already taken him around the world looking for Sensei and Monkey Fist not long ago. Why was she getting so worked up about it? It was Ron.
"Kim!"
Kim was snapped from her brainstorm of Ron and Yori's happenings. She looked over to see Wade staring at her with a worried expression across his face. "Sorry about that Wade, just got lost in a few thoughts is all."
"No worries, there they are though," Wade said pointing at the Russian scientists scuffling around the courtyard among the Yamanuchi students and Russian soldiers.
Kim saw the scientists had set up at the foot of the main building. A similar, yet more refined ray gun was set up, aimed at a large, hollowed metal ring. As they walked in the ray gun's direction, Kim spotted Sensei and Yori waiting at the top of the steps of the main hall near the scientists. Kim bowed respectfully as Sensei and Yori turned to see her. Rufus popped out of Kim's cargo pocket and onto her shoulder bowing too.
"Ah! Kim Possible. It is good to see you," Sensei greeted her bowing back.
"Good to see you too Sensei. Wade tells me you have an idea on how to find Ron?" Kim's stealthily kept her eye on the rifle-wielding soldiers, wary of the Russians watching her.
"Ahhh, young Stoppable-san. I felt his presence disappear in this world and therefore asked for a favor." Kim couldn't key in on the old master's emotions. If he was hiding anything she couldn't tell. "I sense you feel lost without your companion?" Sensei stood in his usual manner, arms locked in the opposite sides cuffs. Kim gave up, there was no way she was going to figure out what was going on in his head.
"I would have to say at the moment I'm feeling a lot more than lost," Kim shook her head in frustration. She didn't want a spiritual lesson right at the moment. She wanted to know how to find her best friend. She needed to talk to Ron. She couldn't risk losing that friendship. "Sensei…" Kim sighed, "I really don't want to seem aggravated. But I'm here to find Ron and only Ron. I'm more than just worried at this point."
"Do not fear Possible-san, I believe that you will find Ron in time," Sensei tried reassuring her doubts, it didn't work.
"And how do you know that? You didn't jump in a portal and go looking did you?" Kim shot back tensed over the stress of the situation.
"Kim..." Sensei reached his hand out to Kim's slumping shoulders, using her first name. "Believe me when I say I know what it is like to lose someone who means so much. Stoppable-san is an important part of our lives as he is yours."
Kim grabbed her arm, her fingers squeezing into her delicate skin. "It's not that I don't believe you Sensei. I'm sure what you're saying is true. But I'm not sorry for saying that. I'm pretty sure Ron means more to me than he ever did to you and this school." Kim felt horrible for how she worded it. It wasn't fair to the leader of the ninja school. He did indeed care for Ron, but she... she was slowly realizing that she cared more than she ever let on.
But Sensei's expression never wavered. He didn't seem upset by her statement at all and sympathized completely. But a much younger Yori didn't empathize. "If you are only sure about this feeling you have. Then maybe you should-"
"Yori!" Sensei said firmly, a scowl playing out across his facial hair. "You will keep your thoughts to yourself," Sensei said sternly, his eyes dogging what was one of his best apprentices.
Yori glared at Kim from over her shoulder turning away at her master's insistence. "Yes, Sensei. My most sincere apologies."
Kim was shocked, to say the least. She had never seen this side of Yori. Then again it was her first time formally meeting the young warrior without Ron. It firmed her suspicions that Ron and Yori shared a deeper connection than Kim was comfortable with. If Yori was comfortable enough to defend her position about Ron and who he was to her, then they must have been tight at some point.
Regardless of how she felt about Yori, it wasn't an excuse for her. "It's alright Sensei. I was out of line. I should be thanking you for contacting the Russian Government and getting them to help. I really should be more grateful," Kim smiled uncomfortably at her ill-mannered response.
"There is no reason to apologize Possible-san. If it is to help Stoppable-san, then Yamanuchi will use its resources to help find him."
"The Russian scientists were able to trace the exact coordinates and equations that Dementor used," Wade interjected. "So, in theory, we should end up relatively near to where Ron and Dementor ended up," a small smile cracked on the corner of his face. There was hope that they could find Ron fast.
They all turned to the ray gun, humming as it powered on and fired a bright blue beam into the ring, opening a portal. Kim turned to Betty Director who spoke, "Although Global Justice would like to guarantee your safety, we… I cannot do that. I just don't know what will happen once you go through," Dr. Director regretfully informed her.
"Wade?" Kim crossed her arms looking to the young genius for a better answer. Dr. Director's statement didn't sit well with her.
"There are many possibilities for what can happen once we go into that portal, but I highly doubt any unsafe events will happen. Besides, I've already downloaded the algorithms for returning. There's just one catch…" Wade chuckled nervously as he didn't know how to inform Kim of said 'catch'. Before he could answer the director answered for him.
"The Russian Ambassador will not let you take their Vortex Inducer or any of their other spares for security purposes," Dr. Director was very blunt.
"You will have to regain the one Dementor took," Sensei added. "Where Dementor is, I assume you will find Ron. I am sending Yori with you to help in this endeavor."
"That would be great," she thanked trying to hide her sarcasm. She wasn't excited at all about bringing along a girl that may have had relations with Ron, but Sensei had gone through all the trouble to help them. This was his contribution to his investment. And where Ron was Kim's best friend, to Sensei and Yamanuchi, Ron was a student and an investment at that. Rufus seemed excited about it though as he crawled up on Kim's shoulder squeaking and nodding.
"The scientists say we don't have much time. With the current power supply, they can't sustain the portal for more than ten minutes," Dr. Director informed them.
"No time for goodbyes then?" Kim frowned.
"I'm afraid not," Dr. Director replied. "The Russians won't allow any communication from the outside. They have jammed all outgoing and incoming signals for security reasons." A pair of Russian soldiers ran up behind the director with rucksacks strung over their shoulders. They dropped them on the ground in front of Kim and the others. They conversed in Russian with the Director and then ran back to their original post. "The Russian Military has supplied you with equipment for the journey. They won't specify the equipment inside but ask you to not look until you're through the portal."
Kim picked up her bag and noticed immediately that it had to have weighed at least eighty pounds. "Overcompensating much?" she sighed. "I'm glad I had your pilot stop at my place before here," Kim mentioned walking to the portal. "I just hope it doesn't take too long." Kim looked at Rufus who was still perched on her shoulder. "You ready to go find Ron?"
Rufus nodded fervently. Kim could tell that the naked mole-rat missed Ron just as much as she did. Yori and Wade stepped up beside Kim in front of the portal. She glanced at both of them. Wade looked hopeful while Yori bore a face of determination. Kim could tell they all hoped to find Ron. Although Kim had her own reservations about Yori, she couldn't be more confident with the team that had been assembled to find Ron and bring Dementor back to justice. They stepped through the portal together disappearing just as it closed.
Dr. Director crossed her arms. "I don't like you keeping me in the dark, keeping the kids in the dark about what's going on is one thing. But I know you know more than you're letting on," Dr. Director glared at Sensei.
"Are you not just as guilty as I am. You know they won't be coming back anytime in the future. I have told you what you need to know, director," Sensei replied unsympathetically.
"I told you. Just because you are the director of Global Justice, the Russian Federation will not recognize your authority on matters of national security," the Russian ambassador said. "The Master of Yamanuchi and I agreed to only let you in on what we think you need to know," he added in his thick Russian accent.
"The Russian Federation and all," Betty emphasized the word all. "All of its security and intelligence directorates are subservient to Global Justice under U.N. directive 32, which requires all nations to-"
"The Russian Federation has only partially ratified U.N. directive 32 and has only given up past intelligence to GJ. May I remind you that it is the Russian Federation's position that G.J. is a western intelligence agency in everything but name," the Russian ambassador replied with a cynical smirk.
Betty scowled at his response crossing her arms. She didn't like that something was going on that she didn't have insight to. She would have to take this to the U.N. Security Council to get any information on what was taking place here.
Sensei sighed. "One day director, you will understand the reason why we operate as we do. Perhaps sooner than you think," Sensei replied walking away with the Russian Ambassador leaving a peeved Global Justice Director, one who was in charge of global security, seething, behind.
IV.
Kim sat up taking in the new surroundings. She had landed in a small clearing surrounded by pine-like trees. The green grass was soft and the air warm. It was unusually comfortable. She took in her surroundings trying to get a clear footing for where she had landed exactly. She was in a forest, one with tall like evergreens that towered through a lower canopy made of oak-like trees. The forest floor was covered in a soft, velvety green grass. She couldn't find a bare patch of dirt anywhere in sight.
Judging by the dimming light in the forest, it was evening wherever they were at. Wherever the sun was, even the light had a hard time piercing the canopy above. No clouds, no sky. Not that it mattered. She had a hard time believing she was even on Earth anymore. Even the scientists who had been forced to help Dementor seemed unsure of where Ron and Dementor were sent. Yet she suspected that Sensei, even the director, knew where they had been sent or at least had some idea.
"You okay Kim?" she turned finding Wade brushing his arms off and straightening his shirt.
"Yeah, I'm fine. How about you Rufus?" she asked the naked mole-rat who was rubbing his head. He hadn't remained on her shoulder but instead fallen it seemed headfirst into the forest floor.
"Okay," Rufus squeaked giving her a questionable thumbs up before falling back to the ground exhausted.
"That sure was one heck of a ride," Kim stood up brushing herself off now. She looked around the forest for any sense of direction but couldn't find anything. There were no trails, no patches of dirt to speak of. Even where the roots came out was covered in a smaller version of the soft grass. The forest was starting to seem uniquely and uniformly distributed with the different trees and shrubs.
"Perhaps we should go this way."
Kim finally found Yori who had already begun walking in a direction without even checking with Kim and others. "And why that way?" Kim asked a little vexed that Yori had decided to nonchalantly go a direction without any input. Who designated you the leader?
Yori paused and glanced back at Kim, "Better to head somewhere than wait around, is it not? Besides I have a good feeling about this direction." Yori continued, on an unknown and unseen path of intuition. Kim and Wade glanced at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and followed her.
Kim tried to hide her vexed emotions under the grit of walking with the heavy Russian rucksack. Kim was the leader of Team Possible and now along comes Yori, whom Sensei had sent. Now she was calling the shots. Why was this girl so aggravating to Kim and her psyche? Was it the fact that she was suspicious that Yori and Ron had become an item when he attended Yamanuchi or was it the fact that Ron found her desirable? Why was Ron having Yori as girlfriend an issue to Kim? She mentally shook her head in frustration.
"Wow!" Kim was shaken from her ruminating. She had been so focused on her thoughts, she hadn't realized night had fallen. "We sure aren't on Earth anymore," Wade pointed up at the sky.
Kim followed his gesture gasping at the sight. They had exited the forest into a clearing that seemed to be atop of a mesa. It was beyond her where they were, she couldn't recognize a single star, constellation, or anything else. "Wow, talk about alien," Kim replied, her eyes fixated on the fact there was more than one moon in the sky. Ahead the clearing ended at a cliff with about a hundred-foot drop, the forest continuing down below and climbing tall, gracious snow-capped mountains.
Wade had stopped staring, plopping himself on the ground and taking out a laptop from his own smaller pack along with another instrument. "What are you doing?" Kim asked.
Wade looked up briefly and then resumed what he was doing, "I'm just getting some readings on this planet's magnetic field and some other things."
Kim placed her hands on her hips looking back up at the sky, "Why? What's the sitch?"
Wade smiled as he continued to fiddle with his gadgets, "Just to be safe as always." Wade looked up and took in his surroundings again and sighed. "Never know that if sunrise comes and we're fried to a crisp. Could be that the fauna has built up a defense against the cosmic elements." Wade could see Kim's slight expression of anxiety. Wade let out a small laugh, "Don't worry, I highly doubt that's the case. And if it was, I'll know well before dawn."
Kim smiled again setting her rucksack on the ground away from the cliff. "Well, you do you Wade, you rock as always."
Wade let out a huff of disappointed breath, "If only…"
"What is it?" Kim rolled out a mat from atop the Russian knapsack they had given her.
Wade stared back into the now dark woods. "Nothing, it's just that when I walked through that portal, I… I expected something different."
Kim cocked an eyebrow, "This place, wherever we are has more than one moon. How much different did you want?" she smirked, setting the knapsack itself at the end of the mat for a pillow.
He looked back at her, "It's nothing bad, I just didn't expect a place so different to be so much like our own," he answered listening to the creatures of the alien night. It sounded eerily similar.
Now Kim understood what he meant. Though the sky was alien, everything else was almost completely like earth. But it was still night and they had yet to see what it was like during the day.
The smell of smoke sifted through the air. Both turned around to see Yori and Rufus had lit a fire. "If we are to find Stoppable-san, we should get some rest. It would not be wise to travel at night in a land we aren't familiar with." Kim and Wade couldn't argue her point. They weren't going to try. They had a similar train of thought.
Yori had set down her own mat to sleep as she had brought her own gear from Yamanuchi. Kim suspected she had been prepared long in advance. Kim surmised the only real reason the Russians supplied them with gear and food was that they knew it wasn't going to be a quick or easy mission. They knew something and Kim didn't like it.
"Goodnight Possible-san." Yori set her head down turning away from them.
Kim gazed up at the foreign sky. Yori hadn't talked much since they had met up at Yamanuchi. She had changed, no longer the optimistic person she had met. She seemed more pessimistic and less joyous. She was obviously focused on rescuing Ron, but Kim suspected her own hidden agenda.
Kim looked down to see Rufus and his sad eyes. She turned onto her side, resting her head on her arm. Rufus crawled up to her and nestled himself against her, finding warmth. "Don't worry Rufus, we'll find him," she reassured, even though her own doubts still lingered. Her eyes began to close, unaware of watchful eyes in the forest.
V.
General Beta's underground base was the headquarters for more than just the Droid Army stationed on Ord Canfre. It was the headquarters for the Confederate Second Fleet based above. Deep within the base, in a room with only a single shared entrance, battle droids watched monitors in a dark room constantly receiving feedback from recon units.
One of the monitors began to flash and droids began sifting through the data to locate where the alert was originating from. A video from a scout near the Usurri Mountains appeared. An OOM officer stood up walking to the back of the room. He stopped in front of a tall man with an eye-patch over his right eye. "Colonel, we have intruders in sector 425."
"Are you sure they're not just some teens from the small town in the valley below? We've had these things happen before, it's not a big deal."
"No, sir. Before the subjects were observed, an anomaly energy signature was detected in the same region."
"Has anyone passed through our blockade?" A Neimoidian stepped by the Colonel's side.
"No sir, there are no logs of any stray ships passing through our defenses."
The Neimoidian turned to the Colonel. "You don't think Jedi could have slipped onto the planet to start a coup?"
"I think we're over-thinking this. With how well the General has treated the populace here, I doubt even the council could win a coup." The Neimoidian looked nervous, his slimy skin shimmering more than usual. "If you feel that strongly about the situation, send out a platoon of battle droids to scope out the area and see if they can find the 'Intruders.' The General did leave three of his crack guards. I believe OM-1 and his team were sent to the Usurri Mountains already. Tell them to investigate."
The Neimoidian, Kushro turned to the OOM droid. "Send out battle droids. Find out if they are children who have just happened to meander into a restricted zone."
The Colonel turned his attention back to the monitors. "You really think the Jedi would be that knowledgeable about what this planet is churning out, Kushro?"
"How can you be so ignorant of the Jedi's abilities!? With the General gone, it wouldn't take long for them to-"
"It would take half the Republic Navy and at least a hundred Jedi to take this planet! I think General Beta has done everything in his power to ensure that. I dare say that this planet is more heavily fortified than even Raxus Prime or Serrano. The Count should wish this was the capital," the Colonel boldly claimed.
"Let us just hope they are mischievous kids," Kushro turned away frustrated at the colonel's callous attitude.
"Don't worry about it. I'm positive they're just some kids who wandered into the wrong area." Kushro glanced back at Coryn's words. "It'll be fine, you'll see. By morning we'll have found someone's missing kids," the colonel proclaimed boldly.
VI.
Ron wiped the sweat from his brow. Mandalore was a hot, humid planet, unlike the cooler temperate climate of Ord Canfre. They had come to a small village surrounded by a forest of what Beta called 'Veshok' trees. The trees were so tall that Ron couldn't even make out the tops amongst the canopy. That didn't stop the heat from reaching the shaded surface. Even with the shade, it was still hot as a greenhouse.
They stopped in front of a wooden shack nestled between the trunks of two Veshok trees. "Keep an eye on them," Beta ordered the commando droids. He glanced at Ron one last time before stepping into the shack leaving Ron and Dementor behind... Ron sat down on the shack's patio to rest his legs. They had grown weary from all the walking. It had been a long walk from their landing site.
"Vhy are you sitting down?" Dementor asked Ron, always amused by how low the boy's stamina was.
"Because it's comfortable. Don't your legs hurt from that walk?" Ron soothed his thighs by kneading the sore spots.
"Now zhat you mention it, yes. I must have been too interested in ze alien forests," Dementor mused looking up through the Veshok trees.
"Eh, all I could think about was when we would stop walking," Ron replied. He had stopped caring about everything going on around him. His mind was back on home and his best friend Kim. The last time he had seen her, she had a pained expression drawn over her face. It hurt Ron knowing that the last time he had seen her she was hurt, but he made this choice for the best. It was the best choice for her and himself.
"You should be more like the Professor," Ron looked up to find it was OM-2 who had given him instruction. "Observing and analyzing your surroundings is crucial in combat situations."
"Huh?" OM-2's voice took Ron by surprise. Other than OM-1, Beta's other commando droids didn't really talk much. They were usually quiet and low-key having nothing to say but the occasional affirmation of orders.
"I said that observing your surroundings is crucial for combat," OM-2 repeated.
"But we're not in a 'combat' situation," Ron used air quotations. Why would a droid have any advice for Ron? If the commando droids were similar to the B-1's in any way, Ron thought he was better off taking direction from the dirt beneath his feet.
"No. But that doesn't matter. OM-2 had good advice and you blew it off," Ron swiveled to find Beta standing in the doorway. "OM-2 is an expert sniper and knows what it means to know your surroundings."
"But…"
"You aren't on Earth anymore Ron. You're in a different galaxy that is rife with suffering and in the middle of the biggest war in millennia. Anywhere at any time can be a battle waiting. In the future, I highly recommend you take any advice from us and hold it dear. You never know when you might need it."
"Yes sir..." Ron looked down at the ground dejected. Even here he was having a hard time getting anything right. His mind was too far down procrastination road for him to get anywhere. He needed to get out of that mindset if he wanted to forge his own path.
"Ease your mind. You have a more important event you have to prepare for. I hope that you will be more observant there," Beta instructed.
"What event?" Ron piqued. What did the general have planned now?
"A fight."
"Fight?" Ron gulped.