The Story of forgotten Jedi Owen Sun
Chapter 10: The Trade Federation Secret
Time was their enemy as Arca would have to think of something fast to get him and his Apprentice out of this situation alive, as the walls closed in Arca suddenly remembered an ancient technique in the Force his great Master had taught him many years ago, it was their only chance.
"Quickly Owen I need you to focus!" plead Arca who felt his Apprentices frantic mind.
"But Master the walls are-" Arca interrupted Owen.
"You must not think of them my Apprentice, focus your mind, I cannot do this alone!" implored Arca.
"Y…Yes Master I will" replied Owen as he desperately tried to steady his mind.
"Good my Apprentice your mind is ready, now hurry sit here on the floor with me" began Arca.
Owen was skeptical as the walls continued to close in around them but he would not question his wise Master as he crossed his legs and sat across from Arca.
"Now close your eyes" instructed Arca.
"What?" questioned Owen.
"Close your eyes my Apprentice there isn't much time!" Arca pleaded.
Owen closed his eyes and using his trained Jedi mind forgot about the room closing in around them and listened closely to his Masters voice. "Now Owen I need you to merge your mind to mine" coached Arca.
Via their Master/Apprentice bond he easily did so.
"Picture the room around you, study each square inch" instructed Arca.
It took him a moment but he did just that. "Now my Apprentice, stretch out" guided Arca.
The walls around them suddenly started to slow down as Arca and Owen concentrated their minds together, then mere inches from crushing both of them the room started to expand.
"Yes Owen focus on my voice and the room around you" continued Arca.
Both of them kept their minds as one until the room returned to its original state. Arca and Owen opened their eyes and stood up. "Excellent my Apprentice, you are indeed much stronger in the Force then the Council gives you credit for" stated Arca.
"Now stand aside" ordered Arca.
Owen stood aside still trying to fathom what just happened when his Master reached out his hand and pulled part of the wall away with his mind. Owen looked on awestruck as Arca made his way through the hole in the wall.
He peaked back inside the room. "Are you coming Owen?"
"Uh yes Master, forgive me" replied Owen.
Arca and Owen found themselves on a large walkway overlooking the manufacturing plant in the facility. Owen took notice of a few battle droids below.
"We must not alert them yet my Apprentice, first we must find our lightsabers" informed Arca.
"Yes Master" replied Owen as he followed his Master down the walkway.
Both Jedi ran down the walkway when Arca suddenly stopped. "What is it Master?" asked Owen.
Arca looked to his Apprentice. "Droids, coming this way" he sensed.
"Quick Owen up to that platform" instructed Arca.
Both of them quickly jumped up onto the small platform above and watched as several battle droids came into focus. "They were just here" informed the OOM security battle droid in his mechanical voice.
"Roger, roger according to the camera display" replied another battle droid.
"Spread out, they're here somewhere" ordered the security battle droid.
As the droids began their search Owen accidentally knocked a piece of metal onto the walkway. The droids quickly took notice. "There they are, blast 'em" ordered the security battle droid.
Blaster shots rang out as Arca and Owen jumped from the platform and back onto the walkway, their Jedi martial arts training kicked in immediately as Arca kicked the battle droid right in the head sending him flying into another falling off the walkway. Owen on the other hand used the Force to send a few droids over the railing to the ground below, they continued until only one droid was left standing. The young Apprentice reached out and crushed the final droids insides with his Force crush ability.
"Good work my Apprentice, we better get moving" advised Arca.
Several minutes later.
The conniving Finis Sedros heard the Jedi had escaped and rushed past the destroyed squad of battle droids to the armor plated bronzium room. The Administrator was furious as he surveyed the damage, three droidekas then rolled in to get their orders.
"Find them and destroy them!" ordered Sedros.
The three droidekas rolled off to find the Jedi, Sedros knew what would happen if the Jedi escaped and warned the Republic. The Trade Federations plans on Naboo would be jeopardized and Viceroy Gunray would waste no time and execute him for sure, he had to find the Jedi and stop them.
Back in another sector of the facility.
Master Arca and his Apprentice Owen Sun had reacquired their lightsabers from the armory. It was regrettably clear now that the Republic Inspectors had been killed by Sedros so they would search the rest of the facility to find out what the Trade Federation was up to.
Arca and Owen continued throughout the facility coming across battle droids here and there, they made short work of them as they were ill equipped to handle Jedi especially now with their lightsabers. Arca stopped to look at the map on his datapad to confirm where they were. "We're getting close to the facility's master control console" updated Arca.
"Yes Master but there's unusually high amounts of trace energy flowing near there, what do you think it could be?" wondered Owen.
"I'm not sure my Apprentice, we will know more once we arrive" awaited Arca.
Eventually they reached the master control console but it was heavily guarded.
"Master what are those large walking droids?" asked Owen.
"They must be the newly designed super battle droids I heard about but according to the Trade Federation there weren't any being built here" explained Arca.
"Another lie from Sedros no doubt Master" stated Owen.
"Yes but we must be cautious these droids will be a little tougher to handle, we will need a plan" prepared Arca.
"Hmm we will have better odds if we strike from both sides, I will attack from behind and you from the fro-" Arca was cut off by his eager Apprentice.
"Forgive me Master but would you mind if I attacked from behind and you the front?" queried Owen.
Arca paused for a moment then agreed. "Very well Owen, mind your surroundings and wait for my signal"
"Yes Master" agreed Owen as he jumped to the facility piping above.
Owen made his way past the droids until he was directly behind them, Arca then gave the signal and he sprang down off the pipes to the surprised droids below. Owen cut into the first super battle droid with his saber, it would take a little more grit in his strikes as super battle droid armor was much bulkier than the standard battle droid. Arca struck from the front making his way toward his Apprentice cutting through any battle droids in his path, Owen was handling his own as he already cut down four super battle droids; he twirled his saber into the final super battle droids chest blowing it to pieces. Arca tossed what remained of the battle droids over the ledge using the Force and reunited with his Apprentice.
"Nicely done Owen" praised Arca.
"I had a great teacher" he returned with a grin.
After slicing the door open Arca and Owen stepped inside the facility's master control console and we're stunned by what they saw. Details of the corporation's combat tactics, invasion strategies and recent droid production were displayed on various monitors throughout the control console.
"These numbers can't be right, the Trade Federation don't have these kinds of resources" observed Arca.
"Maybe they lied to the Senate Master, perhaps they were planning something" Owen speculated.
"Possibly, it would certainly explain all this" replied Arca.
Owen then came across a viewing screen; he promptly punched up one of the consoles and opened it, to his utter shock and disbelief he couldn't quite comprehend how many droids there were.
"M…Master you must see this" informed Owen.
Arca turned to the viewing screen overlooking what appeared to be a storage hanger, what they both witnessed spelled terrible things for the Galactic Republic and the Jedi. As far as the eye could see inactive battle droids covered the hanger along with thousands of Trade Federation Armored Assault Tanks, or more commonly known as super battle tanks.
"How many are there Master, hundreds…thousands?" wondered Owen.
"No…millions" stated Arca.
"Why would the Trade Federation need so many droids?" questioned Owen.
"I don't know Owen but it doesn't feel right" replied Arca.
"See what you can find on that console" directed Arca.
Owen looked for some answers throughout the system until he finally found something.
"There Master, I've found their destination" acquired Owen.
Arca glanced at the screen and couldn't quite believe what he saw. "Naboo, they're going to Naboo" he verified.
"Naboo, but Master why would the Trade Federation be sending so many droids to Naboo?" wondered Owen.
Arca stopped, thinking for a moment. "Oh no…I'm afraid Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan have been setup just as we have" concluded Arca.
"I don't know what's going on exactly but we cannot let those droids get to Naboo" determined Arca.
"What will we do then Master?" asked Owen.
"We will have to split-up" replied Arca.
"I have to tell the Jedi Council what we've found here and let them know what is about to happen on Naboo" planned Arca.
"You're going to head for the facility's core and keep these droids shut down" ordered Arca.
"The core Master?" questioned Owen.
"Yes, you will need to destroy the core and it will shut them all down for good" ascertained Arca.
"But Master I ca-" Arca cut off Owen.
"Listen to me Owen, you can, you are strong in the Force and it's time you realize that, you can do this" stated Arca.
"But Master I've never been off on my own, what if something happens?" questioned Owen.
"I have faith in you my Apprentice, trust in yourself and you will discover what you're capable of" believed Arca.
"Yes Master, I will do as you command" settled Owen.
"Good we must hurry if those droids ar-" Arca was interrupted by what sounded like rolling thunder coming towards them.
They went back through the cut open door and to their shock it was three droidekas progressing towards them.
Quickly they both discarded their Jedi robes as Owen drew his yellow lightsaber and Arca his green, they would need no restrictions against the droidekas. The menacing droids stopped got up and drew their twin blasters, after activating their shields they began raining heavy fire onto both Jedi.
Arca and Owen dodged and deflected each shot but three droidekas would be a match for even the best of the Jedi, knowing this Arca leapt high in the air and landed behind one of the droidekas. He lunged his saber into the back of the droid taking it out of action; Owen was still being hit with heavy fire so Arca reached out with the Force and pushed another of the droidekas off the platform. With just one left the Jedi Master left it as a challenge for his young Apprentice as he leapt forward twisting in the air and sliced it in half as he landed.
"We must hurry Owen, you know what to do my Apprentice" evoked Arca.
"Yes Master, I shall do my best" replied Owen.
"Remember Owen you must find the core to shut down this facility" Arca reminded.
With that both Jedi made off in separate directions, Arca heading to warn the Jedi Council and Owen to the facility's core. It wasn't going to be easy but Arca had faith in his Apprentice that he would complete his task, Owen already had the skills of some of the best Jedi in the Order but ability alone would not prepare him for what was to come; he had to believe in himself.
They had to hurry though, with Administrator Sedros hunting them time would tell if either would succeed…