EPISODE I
Chapter 2: Old Wounds

One day later, in the library of the new Jedi Academy on Ossus, Luke Skywalker and Zolph Vaelor discussed their new enemy, the Valkoran.

"So, do you remember anything else about this Valkoran organization that we didn't put in the databank five years ago?" Luke asked Zolph.

"Nothing, other than that they attacked the Angelion, orphaned me before we went to war with the Vong and that they recently sabotaged a planetary restoration project," Zolph answered.

"That's a shame," Luke responded with disappointment. "However, we've done some research on this Admiral Gravlek you met at Ithor. According to his file, he used to be a fleet admiral and weapon scientist with the Imperial Remnant and disappeared sometime around the time peace was formed between the New Republic and Remnant."

"So this group is made up of all sorts of types. It's too bad he didn't let me take him in for questioning and died with the ship. Between ex-Imperials, a soldier who claims I've killed him once, and a Force user, what other types are among them?"

"You mentioned a Force user?"

"Yeah, it might be that Maesterus guy. And he's also the last person I saw with my father. He's probably the one who killed him, too."

"Sounds like we've a got a Dark Jedi or a rising Sith on our hands. Even if he isn't, we still need be prepared for him and his group."

Zolph casually looked around as he listened to Luke, and then his eyes widened when he spotted on the library's ceiling, a small gray probe droid hanging by a claw-tipped arm. "I think that's going to be sooner than expected!" Luke was then alerted to the droid's presence.

The droid immediately detached from the ceiling and hovered into place before it hit the floor. It then flew away and both Jedi made chase.

Before it could exit the academy's main entrance, an orange double-bladed lightsaber flew spinning at the droid and cut it in half. The lightsaber then returned to Dynn Manthis. "I really think we should secure this place better."

"That was close," Zolph said in relief. "Thanks, Dynn."

"Unfortunately, that probably wasn't the only one they sent." Dynn then picked up one half of the broken droid. "We can expect the Valkoran to be attacking us about a week from now."

"Wait, this is a Valkoran droid? What makes you think it's theirs? I don't see their emblem on it." Zolph asked.

"I saw a few of them while protecting Acropolis's shield generator, and it's got their color scheme."

Luke then spoke. "Looks like we're going to be preparing for a full-scale assault on our academy. I'm going to contact Alliance Command and see if we can get the army and fleet over here this time. You two," he said to both Zolph and Dynn, "you may want to get some practice before the assault happens. This goes for the rest of the students and faculty as well."

"And I recommend we stick to our strengths for this," Zolph replied.


One week later, the Galactic Alliance had supplied an army to defend the academy on the surface and put up a fleet in orbit, along with Rogue Squadron. They had also set up an energy shield barrier. Now the Alliance and Jedi make final preparations for the inevitable Valkoran assault.

In the academy's hangar, Dynn Manthis - wearing a flight suit - was performing maintenance on her X-Wing fighter. Zolph then spoke to her. "So, you're going to be joining Gavin and his boys up in space again. Well, they could use a Force-sensitive pilot or two."

"Yep, and I was getting bored dealing with pirate raids. These guys should provide a little more of a challenge." Dynn replied.

"Of course, because after all, they are more militarily advanced than any pirate could hope to be. But be careful up there. We've had little experience so far dealing with them in naval combat, and there's no telling what kind of other tricks they may have up their sleeves."

"Hey! Quit worrying about me! I'll be back in one piece!"

A siren then sounded, followed by a message on the intercom. "Alert! The Valkoran fleet has dropped out of hyperspace! All personnel report to your stations!"

"Well, that's my cue to get up in the sky" Dynn responded. She then climbed into her fighter's cockpit and put her helmet on. "You may as well get out in the field, too."

"May the Force be with you." Zolph replied.

"Same to you."

Dynn then closed the fighter's windshield and flew out of the hangar, followed by several more fighters.


In orbit over Ossus, the fighters grouped up with the rest of the Alliance fleet and Rogue Squadron in battle with the Valkoran fleet, headed by three Obliterator-class Star Destroyers, a pack of Fury-class corvettes, and squadrons of Firaxa-class starfighters. The fighters on both sides then engaged each other in combat. Meanwhile, one of the Obliterators pointed its main cannon towards the academy on the surface and fired.


On the surface, Zolph, a few more Jedi and the army watched as the large ball of plasma headed straight down to the academy. The shield generator placed inside the academy released a large energy dome over the structure, which then dissipated the shot as it made contact.

"Looks like we were right about them doing just that." Zolph responded. He and the rest of the army then got an alert over comlink from Rogue Leader, Gavin Darklighter.

"Attention, ground forces! They are sending dropships down to the surface! Some of us will try to take down as many as possible, but be prepared to repel them!"

A large number of Behemoth-class dropships touched down on the surface away from the academy, releasing many troopers, speeder bike-mounted troopers, and Gundark combat walkers. On a cliff a few miles away from the academy and the main attack force, a trio of three-legged, bug-like droids with cannons mounted on their backs positioned themselves at the cliff's edge and extended out their cannons. The droids released a volley of plasma fire outside the shield, incinerating a few Alliance soldiers and destroying a few of their turrets.

"Well, looks it's up to me to deal with the artillery over there," Zolph replied with annoyance at the Valkoran's habit of planning ahead. He then exited the force field and headed towards the cliff, dodging the artillery blasts.


Along the way, Zolph aided several Alliance soldiers and tanks, taking down many Valkoran troopers and walkers in the process. Eventually, another ball of plasma from the Obliterators up in space came towards him as he got closer to the path up the cliff. He narrowly evaded the shot and felt the heat from it. However, another trooper that barely avoided the blast as well lost his balance and fell into the recently-formed crater right next to him. Zolph looked back towards his destination, but before he could move forward, a new vehicle with one large wheel came speeding towards him and fired at him, sending him into the crater too.

At the bottom of the crater, Zolph got back on his feet and found the trooper that fell in alive as well.

"That was close." The trooper replied in relief. "I almost got burned to ash…again."

Zolph then realized who this trooper was. "Are you that…what was your name again?"

"Helms. Private Will Helms."

"Yeah, that guy I met at Ithor who claimed I killed him before and then died before I could question him. We never finished our conversation, so please explain yourself!"

Zolph had seen several strange phenomena in the galaxy, but nothing as strange as this before.

"Well, I don't really…" He was then interrupted by a large vehicle entering the crater spectacularly, the same one that made Zolph fall in. The vehicle then crashed into Helms, sending him flying out of the crater making a scream Zolph has heard one too many times.

"Oh, for goodness sake!" Zolph yelled at the tank in annoyance. "Will you guys stop killing him before he can tell me anything?!"

The vehicle then turned towards Zolph, lowering its two leg-like brakes and coming to a stop. "Oh, don't worry. You'll have thousands more opportunities to ask him…assuming you survive this," the pilot of the vehicle said over microphone. "Once I kill a Jedi, my new toy will make it on our military's production line!"

"And if I turn your toy into scrap metal, I won't be dealing with it in the future."

The tank's missile launchers opened and the pilot yelled. "You will not make a mockery of the Gutkurr!" The missiles fired out and Zolph dodged them. The Gutkurr then raised its legs and dashed towards Zolph, firing its blaster cannons.

Zolph evaded the vehicle and the Gutkurr performed flips as it got to the edges of the crater. Zolph thought about how he would take it out quickly with it being so fast, but then he noticed smoke coming from exhaust pipes. The vehicle must have engine problems, and having a butt that big only makes it easier to notice.

The Gutkurr made another rush towards Zolph and as it closed in, Zolph Force-jumped on top of it. He then got towards its over-sized rear, slashed at it with his lightsaber and leapt off.

The vehicle performed one more flip and dashed towards Zolph. Before it could run Zolph over, it exploded into many pieces.

"Now to deal with the guns…" Zolph said un-phased by the situation.


Zolph found himself on the cliff-side with the trio of Starmantis-class artillery droids. The droids, alerted to his presence, retracted their cannons, knowing they were useless at short range. They moved towards Zolph on all three limbs and attempted to slash at him with their front two limbs, but to no avail. Zolph cut down two of them and Force-pushed the last one off the cliff. The artillery threat had been eliminated.


Meanwhile in orbit, Dynn Manthis destroyed a squadron of Firaxa fighters. However, she noticed a badly-damaged Fury corvette speeding toward a Nebulon-B frigate. The corvette rammed into the mid-section of the frigate, detonating and taking out the frigate - as well as a few nearby fighters - along with it.

"Alright, Rogues. Don't let those corvettes near any of the capital ships if they're unarmed. They are apparently armed with self-destruct mechanisms." Gavin responded to his squad over comlink.

"Understood, Rogue Leader," Dynn replied back. "So let's take out their engines first."

A few B-Wings, escorted by X-Wings, fired proton torpedoes at the corvettes' engines, preventing them from making quick suicide strikes, but that wouldn't stop them from detonating to take out nearby fighters.

When the number of corvettes left was small, one of the Obliterators fired its plasma cannon at an already badly-damaged Mon Calamari Star Cruiser, destroying it.

"Dynn," Gavin called, "we'll worry about the rest of the corvettes. You deal with the bigger fish."

"Consider it done." She flew towards one of the larger vessels, firing proton torpedoes at all of its weapons while dodging fire from both fighters and turbolasers. She then fired another volley at the command bridge, effectively disabling the vessel. She repeated the process a second time.

"Only one more." She told herself.

"Dynn!" Gavin cried over comlink. "I'm reading increasing heat signatures coming from the ship you just disabled! Get away from it!"

She didn't have enough time to react when the vessel exploded right next to her, setting her engines ablaze.

"Oh Sithspit…Gavin, tell them to cease fire on the last ship. I'm going to be making a very rough landing into their hangar." Her fighter then dashed into the last Obliterator's hangar.


Back on Ossus's surface, Zolph reported the destruction of the artillery droids. Unfortunately, he got another alert from command.

"Zolph! They're sending troop transports towards the academy! Get back over here!"

"On it!" Zolph replied. He then spotted a group of large repulsorcraft speeding towards the academy. Some of them were stopped by a few rockets to the engines, but the rest managed to penetrate the academy hangar doors by ramming their front tips through them. Zolph then dived off the cliff, controlling his falling speed so as to land safely on the ground below.


Once back at the academy, Zolph cut into one of the docked transports' command center, and then exited the vessel through the front hatch and into the hangar, and found a rather horrific sight.

He found the bodies of both Alliance soldiers and Jedi, killed not only by blaster fire but also a lightsaber. Zolph then noticed a few more soldiers and Jedi, pinned to a wall by dark gray spike-like bones through their chests.

"Who or what could've done something like this?" Zolph asked himself. He then noticed a trail of blood leading upstairs and immediately followed it.


On his way, he found the bodies of a few more Jedi and soldiers, killed under similar circumstances, although he did find a few simply wounded. As he went further along, he heard lightsabers clashing, and then he found the source: Luke Skywalker was dueling with none other than Maesterus, the same armored man who killed his father.

Luke and and the armored man clashed swords a few seconds longer before the man cut off his cybernetic hand. Zolph responded by telekinetically throwing a piece of rubble at Maesterus before he could land a killing blow on Luke.

"Just in time," Maesterus responded to Zolph.

"You were waiting for me?"

"Yes. Why don't we go talk in private where the shield generator is?" He then dashed upstairs and Zolph gave pursuit while Luke recovered.


Zolph made it to the highest room in the academy, a dark room where the shield generator was stationed. He then found Maesterus.

"I'm surprised you haven't destroyed the generator yet," Zolph told him.

"Oh please. I'm not interested in annihilating the Jedi. I'm only interested in you."

"Then why did you…?"

"Because they tried to kill me. They thought I was a Sith Lord and decided to attack me on sight, so I defended myself."

"But you are a Sith Lord, aren't you?"

"I'm not, contrary to what my attire suggests. I just want you to aid me in my cause and I'll leave the Order and Alliance alone."

Zolph responded with anger. "What makes you think I would join you?! You murdered my father!"

"I'll admit that I did kill him, but I wouldn't call it murder."

"Nerfshavit!" Zolph then ignited his lightsaber.

"I tried to ask for his permission, but he responded the same way the rest of you have been doing for the past half-hour. However, killing him was unintentional."

"Are you going to keep using the self-defense and accident excuse on me?"

Maesterus sighed and then ignited his lightsaber. "You're just as stubborn as your father, aren't you? It looks like I'm going to have to do to you what I intended to do to him when he declined."

"Fine by me." Zolph responded. The two then clashed lightsabers, lighting up the room with sparks every time the blades connected.

A few seconds later, Maesterus then threw Zolph against the wall, and then lifted him up in the air with the Force. "Calm down, Zolph. Didn't they tell you to control your emotions? Getting angry and attacking me like a raging lunatic isn't good for your health!"

Zolph responded by Force-pushing Maesterus, causing himself to fall to the ground. "I know you're trying to turn me to the Dark Side!"

"I told you I'm not a Dark Jedi! I'm just stating a fact, and ironically, you're only corrupting yourself!"

Zolph charged toward Maesterus, who then responded by Force pushing him into the wall. As Zolph got up off the floor, Maesterus put his lightsaber away and two spikes emerged from his palms, tearing through his flesh and gloves. Zolph cringed at this sight.

Maesterus fired the two spikes from his palms and into Zolph's shoulders. He then fired two more into his forearms, pinning him into the wall. Zolph, at Maesterus's mercy and bleeding, went from being angry to being scared.

"I'm not very impressed," Maesterus responded. "You're too easily controlled by negative emotions, and that makes your combat prowess sloppy in contrast to the reports I got from my men. However, with some training from me, we can remedy that."

"What makes you think I'm siding with you?!"

"Oh, just give it up! You're helpless! What more could you do to resist?"

Maesterus was suddenly interrupted by the door opening, with Luke Skywalker on the other side - his hand still missing and stump sparking. The academy headmaster then used the Force to send Maesterus flying through the wall, a big contrast to their previous duel.

Luke walked over to Zolph, carefully removed the spikes, and walked him out of the room to the med bay.


Maesterus landed outside on the Academy grounds and ordered his forces to retreat. The Valkoran troop transports pulled themselves out of the academy walls and he boarded one of them. They, as well as the remaining land forces, then went back to the landing sites. They got aboard the dropships, and took off into space. They and the remainder of the fleet then left the Ossus System.

The Jedi Academy was safe.


In the academy hangar, Zolph and Luke listened to Gavin's report on the battle in space.

"It's great that we won, but what happened to Dynn?" Zolph asked Gavin.

"I don't know what to say, except that her fighter caught fire and crashed into the last enemy ship's hangar."

"What?!" Zolph responded with shock at the idea that his closest friend at the academy would be dead. "Tell me, Gavin. You didn't destroy the vessel she crashed in, did you?"

"She told us to cease fire on the vessel when her ship caught flames, so we did as she said. And that vessel retreated from the battle."

"That's a relief. At least there's a chance she's still alive."

"I don't know if we should prepare a rescue mission, Zolph."

"Why not?"

"There's a chance she may not have survived the crash, and if she did, she may be a prisoner."

"After what I've seen of their leader, I don't think they would execute or torture their prisoners."

"Maybe so, but even then, we don't know where they would've taken her."

"Let's keep our eyes and ears open, though." Zolph ended. Gavin then left.

Luke then spoke to Zolph. "Zolph, I could sense your anger and fear during your battle with Maesterus. You must remember that emotions like these can lead you to the Dark Side."

"I know, and he pointed that out to me. I may be a Jedi Knight, but I still have a lot to learn about keeping myself in check, and having such a troubled past doesn't make it any easier. And now Dynn's missing, and I have no idea whether she's alive or not."

"I've been close to the Dark Side before, so I know what that's like. If you encounter Maesterus again, don't fight him for revenge. Do it because you have to."

"Yeah, I now remember my mother telling me something along those lines before she died." Zolph then remembered something else. "Speaking of the Dark Side, I didn't sense it coming from Maesterus. He seemed sincere and he had no desire to kill us. He was only interested in recruiting me. Did you sense it?"

"I sensed only a weak bit of it, but strangely, I sensed the Light Side coming from him too. That must mean he believes he's helping a just cause. However, I also sensed something else from him, an absence in the Force, like an emptiness that gnaws at you. Something you would feel just after someone has died."

"I wonder if that emptiness has anything to do with his ability to shoot his bones at people, assuming he isn't just a member of an alien species we haven't seen before."

"You could figure that out next time."

"And let's hope I've gotten over my anger-management issues before then. He may want me to join him first, and I don't know if I want to be siding with him considering the things he and his group have done. But still, I wonder why he's so obsessed with me."