Chapter 13
New York City, New York
Vlad
Vlad watched from the transport ship, called a Lambda class T-4 Shuttle, as TIE fighters screamed over New York's skylines. Only two hours ago news media from around the world was reporting on the attacks on military outposts and capital cities around the world, noting the devastation and nearly crippling Earth's governments. Below him he knew 2,000 stormtroopers were marching through the streets, crushing any resistance on their way to the United Nations Headquarters. All Terrain Scout Transport Walkers were also on the ground, blasting a few tanks that New York's National Guard managed to scrounge up to slag. "This is a little more damage than I would have liked," Vlad commented, "But it's certainly getting the job done." The pilot of the shuttle then turned to Thal and said, "Lord Thal, Lord Masters, we are approaching the United Nations Headquarters, but there are not many places for us to land nearby."
"Land us at the nearest clearing. We'll walk if we must and regroup with the main squadrons," Thal told the pilot. The pilot found a park with enough flat space to land the shuttle. Thal and Vlad walked out surrounded by the 20 stormtroopers that came with them. People in the park ran screaming out as soon as they saw the shuttle. "Power, it is a glorious thing to see those weaker than you cringing at your feet. This is true power," Thal commented as they walked. "Indeed, I admit that while I haven't done much rampaging myself, I've always enjoyed it when ghosts would fear me. Did I tell you about that time I first met Daniel?" Vlad said. "Yes, you mentioned that you took over his Father's body and used it to terrify your guests," Thal said with a little smile. "Yes, I enjoyed displaying my power over those imbeciles, and now I have a whole planet!" Vlad responded as they and their troops marched through the street.
Five soldiers with a Jeep armed with a very large gun drove up to them and yelled, "STOP RIGHT THERE!" Thal signaled for his stormtroopers to stand back and walked forward. The soldiers pointed their guns at him. Thal looked at them all with a bored look on his face as he brought his hands up, palms up. He then pulled his arms back as if yanking a sheet off a bed, and the soldier's assault rifles were torn from their hands by an invisible force. Or would Force be more appropriate? The large gun fired off one round that killed a stormtrooper next to Thal, but Thal lifted his left arm and it fired the rest of its ammo uselessly into the sky. Thal then took a deep breath as he raised both arms, and the Jeep floated in the air. The soldiers stared at the Jeep in shock; two of them ran off as Thal telekinetically slammed it on the gawking soldiers. "Kill those cowards," Thal ordered, and two blaster shots finished off the fleeing soldiers. They marched on.
They made it to the United Nations Headquarters where they found three tanks in their way. "Now is your time, Vlad. Show these fools your true power!" Thal encouraged him. Vlad smiled like a Cheshire cat as black rings flew up and down his body, turning his midnight blue eyes completely red and silver hair black while his skin turned green and his suit was turned into a white jumpsuit and cape with black belt, boots, and gloves. Vlad Plasmius flew up and looked down at the soldiers, "Bow down before your new ruler, fools, and you'll be spared." "FIRE!" the one leading the soldiers ordered. Vlad turned intangible and let the bullets pass harmlessly through him. He laughed as he became tangible again at their shocked expressions. "My turn," Vlad said as he formed an explosive ecto-ball and threw it at one of the tanks, blowing it up like a giant firecracker. One tank tried to attack him and Vlad flew at it and lifted it up by its main gun and slammed it on the last one.
"Last chance to live, throw down your weapons now!" Vlad ordered the soldiers. "NEVER!" the commander yelled and fired at Vlad. "Very well, if you want to play a hero, then die a hero!" Vlad yelled as he blasted a massive ghost ray at the commander, leaving nothing but a small charred area where he had once stood. He did the same for the rest of the soldiers before floating down to the ground in time to see the rest of the stormtroopers had reached them. "All hostiles eliminated sir," the stormtrooper commander told Thal. "Follow us into that building, capture all noncombatants and bring them to the main area of the building, kill those that resist," Thal ordered, and they all went into the United Nations Headquarters.
Vlad ignored the screams as his soldiers; I have soldiers, as he made his way to the main area of the Headquarters where he knew all the cameras would be. He was the first in and blasted a few security guards that got in his way. I'm here now! I am in charge now! He thought as he walked up to the podium. The delegates were all shocked into silence at his arrival. They tried to leave, only for stormtroopers to force them back in along with a few more people. Once everything was settled, Vlad turned back into is Human Form. The delegates gasped in shock, Vlad Masters was a world renowned billionaire, and he was leading these…invaders against his own planet?!
"My fellow Earthlings," Vlad began, "As you can plainly see, we are not alone in the Universe. There is in fact a mighty Galactic Empire out there, with hundreds of planets as its subjects. I am here today representing the Galactic Empire to offer a great opportunity for our pitiful planet. As you have seen, our technology is pitiful compared to that of the Galactic Empire's. We cannot hope to overcome its might. However, its representative, Lord Kandall Thal, has come to me to offer his hand in friendship. All he asks is that we swear our allegiance to the Galactic Empire and its leader, the great Emperor Palpatine, and no more need die. With the Galactic Empire's aid, we can become a part of something greater, a vast galaxy awaits us! And the Earth shall be led by none other than me. This is a great opportunity, but the choice is yours, the hand of friendship," Vlad lifted up his right hand openly at this, "Or the fist of a superior Empire!" Vlad went back into his Ghost Form and made his left fist glow. Vlad couldn't help but get a wide smile as after ten minutes of silence delegates stepped forward subserviently.
Jof
"COWARD!" Jof yelled in the ruins of the Hotel. She yelled at herself in frustration, in anger at the Universe, the Force, the Empire, but most of all at herself. She punched what was left of a wall, tears of frustration streaming from her eyes. She trusted me! She needed me! And I failed her! Jof Favrem slumped down in grief, she had failed once again. Failed on Dantooine when all her men were killed, failed to rescue any of her fellow Jedi in the six years she had been on the run, failed to save Master Tan on Ord Mantell, and now she failed her own apprentice here on Earth.
What can I possibly do now? She asked herself, still reeling from the shock in the Force from the thousands that Thal's forces had killed. Jof slumped down and looked at her lightsaber handle. It was a very simple metal tube, yet had various symbols she had etched onto it herself that only the Twi'leks, or beings that were knowledgeable in Twi'lek culture, would understand. She looked down and saw the symbol for 'hope'. How can I hope? I've failed for so long. Jof sat there, going through her life. And she remembered. She remembered how she had been one of the first to show any telekinetic skill, how she had gone through the Jedi Trials, passing them all in near record time. She had survived, she had endured many extreme conditions during her archaeological pursuits, and hade faced even more adversity in the Clone Wars. Most of all she remembered something.
She had survived. She, Jof Favrem, a Chronicler, had survived under the Empire's rule for six years where other Jedi, warriors and ambassadors and heroes, had all fallen, she survived. She had learned how the Order had fallen, she could not let that knowledge die. Jof clenched her hand around her lightsaber, I will survive. I will bring Jazz back. As long as one Jedi remains, the Sith will never succeed.
Jof saw something glow among the ruins and saw it was the holocron, it was untouched. She also saw that her bag with her various data containers had survived as well. She picked them up and started to walk out of the ruins. She then heard a large vehicle approach and a female voice say, "JAZZ! DANNY! WE'RE HERE! WHERE ARE YOU!" Jazz and Danny's parents, Jof thought then she had a feeling. Jof looked through the Force and found their minds. She sensed fear and worry through both minds, and an iron will to protect their children. Their Father was slightly less refined, but underneath she sensed his intelligence, and how it was tempered and enhanced by his wife's. She sent a feeling through the Force into their Mother and Father's minds, to turn right at that corner then take a left. Head for the debris was the impression she gave them.
A large wheeled vehicle stopped nearby. Jof saw a large man in middle age with graying hair at his temples and blue eyes wearing an orange jumpsuit with black boots and gloves step out of the vehicle hefting a large weapon unlike any firearm or blaster Jof had seen, followed by a much smaller woman of similar age with brownish-red hair and purple eyes following after him with a similar weapon. Jof put her bag and lightsaber down and raised her hands. "Please put away your weapons, I am unarmed and mean you no harm," Jof said when they saw her. "Why should we believe you?" Jazz and Danny's Mother asked. "I cannot give you a satisfactory answer, or any way to prove to you that I am your friend, but I only wish to help you find your children. I know them both, I saw who took them," Jof explained.
"How do you know Jazz and Danny?" Jazz and Danny's Father asked. Jof explained how they had found her a month ago and helped take care of her. How she had discovered Jazz's strength in the Force and tried to train her, and finally how she had watched them be kidnapped by Vlad Plasmius. "Vlad…how could he do this!" Jack yelled. "Mr. Fenton, I sympathize with your sense of betrayal, but right now we need to find your children. I can help you find them if you will trust me," Jof told him. Mr. Fenton looked at her and Mrs. Fenton lowered her weapon and said, "Jack, we don't have a choice. This extraterrestrial may be able to help us." "Alright, get in the Fenton Family Assault Vehicle, and we'll go where we need to," Jack told her.
Jof, Jack, and Maddie went in and Jof closed her eyes, looking for Jazz and Danny. She soon found Danny, he was somewhere nearby. But Jazz was gone, off the planet in fact. Thal…he took her to his Star Destroyer. Jof told Jack and Maddie, "Danny is nearby, but Jazz is no longer on this planet." "What!? Where is she?" Jack yelled. "If I had to guess, she is on board the Star Destroyer as a prisoner," Jof told him. "You mean that giant space ship that we saw earlier?" Maddie asked. "Yes. As we are now, we cannot save her, but we can rescue Danny now. He will be necessary to save Jazz," Jof told them, and gave them directions on where to go.