Four years had passed since the events on Tython. In that time the galaxy had begun to fall apart. The Confederacy of independent Systems had declared war on the Republic. The Jedi had become soldiers in a war to preserve the republic. The C.I.S. were led by a sith Lord by the name of Count Dooku. While the Republic seemed to be winning the war, it was plagued with corruption and politics that halted any attempt at a peaceful or swift resolution to the conflict.
Still, even with the war on, all I could think about was what had caused Saras to run off and disappear. It caused me to lose a lot of sleep.
"Tharen run!" Screamed Saras's voice. My movement's felt slowed like I was in mud. A series of red blaster bolts rained past my head. "They're catching up!" I looked around me but didn't see her. Her voice sounded more like a ghohst. I expected her to appear in front of me like on Tython. No such luck.
I felt like I had been running for hours then for a moment I caught a glimpse of long silver hair bolt by me and disappear into the darkness around me. "Ranna! Where are you!" I heard myself scream.
I heard a high pitched scream behind me and skidded to a stop. I swiftly turned around to face a clone trooper in pitch black armor. His rifle was raised at my head.
"Good bye jedi." I could sense him scowl through his commando's helmet. Then everything went black.
"Master? Are you in there?" Ranna's voice knocking on my door stired me from my meditation.
I pulled myself up from my bed and sat at it's foot. "Come in." I answered clutching my forehead. The clone trooper from my nightmare's voice still echoed through my ears.
A moment later Ranna appeared in the doorway. She had gown taller now. Her long, silvery white hair now flowed down her neck and stopped at her tunic, the same gray tunic that I had first met her in but now a plasteel gauntlet now covered both her forearms.
"Master Caren requests our presence in the strategic center." Explained my padawan without entering the room.
"Why didn't you just call me" I inquired standing up, placng both my lightsabers on my belt and attaching my blaster to my hip.
"You weren't answering." She pointed to my com-link sitting on the table beside my bed. I had forgotten I had turned it off so I could sleep.
"Sorry about that Ranna." I grinned with humiliation. I grabbed the device, turned it back on and placed it on my belt with the rest of my things.
"Now who's the forgetful apprentice? Huh?" She chuckled crossing her arms.
"You seem to have forgotten who saved you from a squad of magna guard on Corelia last week."
"Oh yeah, remind me to thank Master Fisto for that."
"I was there too!" I informed her. "Whatever, let's go to the strategic center and see what Caren wants."
"Your first good idea of the day." She waited until I was out of my quarters then said. "You barely destroyed one of those droids by the way." I ruffled her hair and playfully pushed her before taking off down the halls of the temple with her chasing me.
It was only a short run through the temple to the strategic center. It was a circular room that overlooked the hanger. Several clone technicians worked at computer consoles around the room and a few more watched security cameras on the opposite side of the room. Four jedi, including Master Caren, stood around a circular, holographic table that displayed a map of Coruscant's lower Levels.
"I see you slept well." Mocked my former master, pointing out my distinct lack of armor over my tunic. "We were just discussing the newest thorn in our sides."
"Well then don't let me disrupt you Master." I joined the group around the map. "I'll just wait quietly."
"I hope you can do better than that." Informed one of the other masters. He had an accent that sounded a little like the old imperial accent I heard on old holo-vids. "Master Caren if you will?" He had redish hair and a full grown beard. He emitted an aura of wisdom and peace but he was one of the younger masters in the room. It took me a moment to recognize him as Obi-wan Kenobi.
"Thank you master Kanobi." She answered before pointing to a blinking red dot at the surface of the hologram. "Tharen, Ranna, this is the Judiciary Central Detention Center. It is the prison that holds the Republic's traitors and war criminals." She explained. "You are aware of our shortage on peacekeeper police on the lower levels correct?"
"Yes, a majority of security funds were diverted to the war effort, correct?" I answered.
"Yes, and as you must know, a number of battle droids landed on Coruscant during last weeks battle, those droids have yet to have been destroyed." She continued. "Those droids would seem to have breached the prison and sealed themselves in with the prisoners."
"I'm guessing that we are to take a squad of troopers and secure the prison?" Guessed Ranna, appearing next to me. I shot her a look to remind her not to be so disrespectful of the masters in front of her.
"She seems a little eager doesn't she?" Laughed the Master Kenobi. "Reminds me of when I was training Anakin." Ranna's pale face grew red with embarrassment. "That would be correct, a squad of commandos will be joining you."
"What about the prisoners, did any of them escape?" I asked.
"As far as we can tell, they have joined the droids and are killing anyone that is sent to retake the prison. It would seem that they are programmed to be sacrificial droids that might be why they took such a high security prison instead of hit and run."
"Got it."
Master Caren pulled a chip out of the computer and handed me it. "This is the security code to the prison's security system. You need to raise force fields and re-secure the prison."
I nodded then said. "Thank you Master." Ranna I bowed to the four jedi around the table. "We will begin immediately."
"May the force be with you both." Said Caren as we turned around and walked toward the exit.
Once we were through the door way I over heard one of the other masters say. "Now, Master Kanobi you believe general Grievous to be on Utapau?" Then the door slid shut behind me.
Ranna and I headed straight for the motor pool at the bottom level of the temple and requisitioned a speeder to take to the lower levels. A blue, two-seat speeder bike. I figured that it's extra maneuverability would come in handy if things went south.
"Master... I don't like this." Admitted Ranna climbing onto the bike behind me.
"What do you mean?" I asked as I started the bike and slowly drove it out of the motor pool.
"I feel like we're on trash duty while the other Jedi are leading the fight." She complained. "I want to be out fighting, saving the galaxy!" Her arms were wrapped tightly around my chest, reminding me that she was still afraid of hights since her fall on Tython.
"I thought you would enjoy the relative peace of being back on Coruscant." We were now rushing through traffic, flying toward the prison. "I for one am looking forward to this war ending." I sighed as I pulled the bike into a slow but steep dive making her jump in her seat.
"I am too." She answered. "But sitting on the side lines sucks! The Echani have a motto, a warrior that's not in battle is like a blaster without ammo, it is an assets being wasted."
"I'm going to guess that we are one of those wasted assets?"
"Yep."
"Well something tells me you'll be back in a fighter by the end of the week." I laughed as the prison came into view. It was a tall spire-like building with a shallow dome-like top. Four more towers jutted from it's sides. No wall surrounded the towers, just a shear drop that spelled certain death to anyone that dared to jump.
"Looks like the commandos beat us here." Pointed out Ranna as I spotted the Republic gunship landed a few meters from the prison's main tower .As we landed next to the gunship we noticed the actual commandos. "What's with the black armor?" She asked as she climbed off the bike.
I had to fight the urge to pull her back onto the bike and take off but I held my ground. It was only a dream, black troopers weren't going to kill us. "I don't know Etch, probably just the squad's color." I answered as I followed her toward the commandos and lowered my cloak's hood.
Four troopers were crouched along the prison's tall, metal wall prepping something I couldn't see. A fifth was inside the gunship sending some sort of transmission. "Welcome General!" Said the trooper in the gunship as he turned around and snapped a salute to me.
"At ease trooper." I ordered. "Why aren't the droids firing on us?"
He relaxed. "My squad has already secured the outside of the prison. As far as we can tell the droids have fortified the interior and hacked into the auto turrets. We need to regain control of those turrets if we're going to have a chance."
"How do you plan to get past the prisons security system?" I asked.
"My demolition expert is going to open the waste disposal hatch on this side of the tower," He explained. "Once in, we will head straight toward the security control room, then allow the turrets to do the rest of the work."
"I have a better idea, your squad is heavily armed correct?" He nodded. "Your squad should make a distraction, then Ranna and I will enter through the front and make our way to the control center. From there we'll start the security drones and wipe out the remaining droids."
"Good idea, General. We'll cause plenty of noise for you and draw them away from the center and give you the time to power security." Saluted the commando before turning toward his men who were setting detonation charges against the wall. "Frag, get ready to blow those charges." A moment later he grabbed the rifle off his back and joined his squad prepping the explosives.
Ranna and I cautiously made our way to the main entrance, a large archway with two heavy, durasteel doors that had secured the inside of the prison. I spotted the remains of a CIS frigate crashed between the two large doors and locked them open.
"Well I guess that's how they got in." Said Ranna as we slowly approached the frigate's charred remains. "Is it weird that we haven't seen a single droi-"
At that moment, as if by impulse, I grabbed her by the waist and threw her to the ground just as a sniper bolt blasted by where she had been. "Good job Etch!" I complained sarcastically as I pulled her behind a large chunk of the frigate to keep us out of the droid snipers line of fire. "You had to ask where the droids where."
"Well its not like I planned it." She retaliated as she pulled her lightsaber off her belt and ignited it. "Did you see where it is?"
"No." I answered before drawing a blaster instead of my lightsaber. "If we get it to revile its position, I can probably take it out from here." Ranna grinned like she had an idea. "No!" I ordered, but it was too late. She took off toward the entrance. She was few meters from the bulk of the crashed ship when the droid fired. I saw it three floors up, firing from a guard tower. As Ranna ran she defected the bolts until I hit the droid with my blaster, then she jumped inside the prison.
"Ranna, are you okay?" I said over our com-link.
"I'm fine." She buzzed back. "Hurry over here old man."
"On the way. And I'm no where near old!" I answered, ending the call. I ran over to the door way, leaped over the crashed ship and joined my student on the other side of the door. "Don't ever do that again!" I reprimanded. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that was!"
She didn't answer. She stood there, frozen with fear. Then I heard the tapping of a single metallic foot a few feet away. I looked up to see a single command droid and several droideka.
"Hands up jedi." Commanded the droid with its synthetic, whinny voice. It's blaster rifle was raised and pointed at Ranna's head. "Drop the weapons and put your hands up."
"What do we do master?" Asked Ranna.
"Do as it says." I winked as I dropped my blaster. Hopefully they hadn't seen the two lightsabers concealed under my cloak.
Ranna's lightsaber clattered to the ground, then the command droid cautiously approached us and picked up the two weapons, but still had it's blaster pointed at Ranna. "Forward." It commanded.
Four Droideka followed us as we were led by the command droid, the prisons halls were metallic and shaped like octagons, giving the hall way the appearance of having more space than they really did.
As we walked I subtly dropped emp grenades, while using the force to keep them from being detected by the droids. I looked to Ranna. She gave me a frightened, and confused look. "Jump when I tell you." I mouthed quietly. She nodded in response.
I readied myself to blow the EMPs using a button on my belt. I waited until each of my four grenades were under a droideka's shield. "Now!" I ordered as I detonated the electric grenades then Ranna and I jumped in unison over the leading command droid and I sliced it in half using my silver lightsaber.
She retrieved her lightsaber and I grabbed my blaster. "Where to now?" Asked Ranna as she ignited one side of her staff.
Before I could answer, we heard a loud boom! echo through the halls. "I'm going to guess that is the commandos." I answered as I heard blaster fire from the opposite side of the building. "We need to find the control room so we can bring the security system back up."
"I think this hall leads to the main tower." Started Ranna. "From there, we'll just need to go up."
"Well, lead the way then." I motioned for her to continue down the hall. "Cautiously."
After what felt like an eternity of dodging battle-droids we reached the end of the hallway and Ranna was correct, the hallway opened into a large cavernous room that ascended the entire hundred story tower. Thousands of orange force-fields contained prisoners in their cells.
At the center a gigantic spire ascended halfway up the tower and widened into a security tower that could see the entire cell block. "What do we do now?" Asked Ranna. "I don't see a lift. How are we going to get up there?"
"You still have your grappling hook?"
"Blast... I hate these things." She complained as she pulled the cable launcher off her belt.
"You need to get over your fear of heights sooner or later." I reminded her as I aimed my launcher towards the bridge that connected the security spire to the walls of the prison, then Ranna and I fired. The moment the hooks latched onto the bridges rail an alarm blared and all the lights in the room flashed to a blood red. "Crap!" I cursed. "The rails must have pressure sensors." I could now here the rolling of droideka from all four hallways, speeding toward us. "Last one to the top files the mission report!" I said quickly before pulling the button on my grappling hook and lurching skyward.
Moments later Several droideka rolled into the room and began firing towards us, but it was too late, we were already on the bridge.
"Now what?" Asked Ranna.
"They're going to need to find a way up, that gives us a small amount of time to bring the security system online and activate the drones." I answered quickly. "I need you to keep them off me if they get here faster than I can power the drones."
"Got it." She drew her lightsaber and ignited it's bright blue blade.
I quickly ran over to the computer a few feet away and inserted the codes that the masters had given me. First I started up the force-field fence that surrounded the prison to keep any droids or prisoners from escaping.
"General, this is Horn. Please tell me those security systems are coming online." Buzzed the Commando's voice over my com-link. "The droids are headed for the prison's core, whatever you're doing, you better do it fast."
"I'm bringing the force-fields online right now." I answered while remaining focused on the computer. "Just one. More. Moment." A second later the monitor displayed all security fields were online.
"General, we're en'route to your location but I don't think we're going to make it in time, you need to get those drones online."
"You don't need to tell me twice." I ended the call that moment and focused on the drones. After a few moments of searching the screen for the drone program I finally found the program. "Damn, the droids spiked the system, its going to take me a bit to get it running."
"Better get to work now Master, I hear those clankers coming." She was right, the heavy clangs of droid feet rang through the halls around us.
"I'm going to have to do the start up sequence manually." I complained as I began my work. I started with the drones motor functions, powering those would be essential to wiping out the droid forces that remained in the prison. I skipped over the system's surrender protocols, there was no reason to take droids prisoner. Second was the weapons systems, the reason goes without saying.
"Master, you'd better be finishing up there!" I heard the sound of a blaster bolt being deflected by Ranna's blade.
"Keep you're tunic on, I'm almost done." I snapped. The last system was the shield generators, it wouldn't matter how many droids I had if they were all shot apart. "Done!" I cheered as I finished the start up sequence.
"Good, now if you don't mind!" Ranna deflected a volley of bolts back into a squad of battle-droids and killing them.
I turned to face the second bridge, opposite of the one Ranna was defending and drew both of my lightsabers, holding my silver blade in my right hand. I ignited my sabers just in time for several droideka to explode less than two meters from me. Then, out of the smoke stepped three clone commandos aiming their rifles at a set of droids on Ranna's side.
Before they could fire, four sentry drones dived across the bridge and riddled the attacking droids with red lasers.
A few moments passed as we waited for more droids, but the attack never came. "Where's the rest of your squad, Commander horn?"
"Dead, they went down while we were hurrying here to save you." His tone almost sounded spiteful. "Shall we commence clean up procedures?" I nodded and he motioned for his two squad mates to fan out down the halls, while he scanned the security cameras.
"Ranna, come with me" I ordered turning to my student and motioned for her to follow me. After a few moments of walking we stopped and looked down towards the tower's main floor. "Was that enough action for you?" I chuckled as we both slumped onto the metal deck and dangled our feet over the ledge.
"Not as fun as being in a fighter, but I am looking forward to a nice, cold glass of jawa juice." Answered Ranna. "When do you think we'll be able to go back to the temple and get lunch? I'm starving."
"After I call the council, it'll probably be a couple of hours." I answered and she sighed sadly. I reached to my belt and produced my com-link, then entered Master Caren's frequency. "Evening Master, the prison security system is online, you can commence sending in replacement personnel."
"Good to hear Tharen, after you finish cleaning up the last droids I look forward to reading your report."
"Believe me, you'll find Ranna's report quite interesting." I looked over to my padawan, then ended the call.
"You don't expect me to actually file that report do you?"
"Well I did win the bet."
Well, much to Ranna's displeasure, I was wrong. Several hours passed as we patrolled each of the hundred and twelve levels checking for flaws in the security fields. It was most likely dark outside but within the windowless catwalks of the prison, it was impossible to tell.
"This is about as boring as scrubbing plasma conduits." Sighed Ranna as she munched on one of her ration bars. "No, it's more boring, at least with conduits there's a chance of something exploding."
"Have I ever told you that you're impatient?" I answered, before checking a cell's door panel. The prisoner, a rather large Kathar male watched me angrily with his feline eyes. I finished checking the panel for malfunctions and stepped away.
"You might have mentioned it once or twice." Snickered Ranna as she took another bite of her "dinner." She casually placed the foods wrapper back in her belt. "Maybe more."
"Maybe a lot more." I corrected as we arrived at the flight of stairs that would bring us to the next level.
My com-link beeped just as I reached the second step. "General, Lieutenant Frag here." Spoke a troopers voice from my device. "We are reading a power failure in cell thirteen-thirty-one. Its on the deck you are about to reach."
"Thank you Lieutenant, we'll check it out." The transition abruptly ended. "Note to self, some clones don't understand thank yous." Ranna laughed at my comment as we trekked upward.
A few moments later we found the cell. The energy door was on but wavered in intensity. I tapped the door's panel and the door disappeared. Ranna and I immediately stepped inside cell and set to work finding the issue with the emitter matrix.
"Master, it has to be a power problem, none of these emitters are broken." Spoke Ranna as she moved over to the next set of emitters. Just as her fingers touched the bulb the shield blazed to light. Ranna screamed painfully as the energy seared her pale hand.
I yanked her back before the shield did any permanent damage. She fell back to the ground painfully grasping her scorched hands. "Why the blasted hell did it turn on! I thought it was broken!" She groaned.
"I did too!" I answered. I turned on my com-link. "Lieutenant Frag, why did the shield come back on? You said it was busted." I asked quickly.
"It was never broke sir." Answered the clone commando.
"What! Then why did you tell us- you know what, that can wait. Let us out of here."
"I'm sorry, I can't do that."
"I gave you an order lieutenant, I expect you to follow it." I balled my fist angrily in an attempt to contain my rage.
"I'm afraid, I'm not going to follow any of your orders."
I could now hear the sound of heavy, durasteel boots clanging from a few feet away. A moment later Commander Horn, followed by Frag and another commando, stepped into my view on the other side of the energy field. "Enjoying your new accommodation?" He held his helmet under his left arm and held an e-web auto-cannon in his right hand. His sharply angled face and malicious grin betrayed his intent. "Do you have any idea how many of my brothers have died because of you Jedi?" He spat at us causing the field to sizzle.
"Is that why we're locked in here? Because clones are dying?" I inquired getting as close to him as I could. "Do you realize the repercussions you are going to face?"
"Ha! I wish that was the reason you were locked in there." Cackled Horn. "Order 66 is active, you jedi are enemies of the republic." He slid his helmet over his head and ordered. "Activate the nerve gas, we can't let these jedi escape, the Chancellor wants to make an example of some jedi and I want the to be the first in front of the firing squad."
"Yes sir." Saluted Frag before pressing a button on the panel.
Once the three commandos were out of view, a loud hissing sound erupted from the grated ceiling a few feet above us. A white fog filtered through above us.
"Master, what is that stuff?" Asked Ranna nervously as we both backed up against the rear wall, away from the majority of the gas.
My nose began to go numb as more fog filled the cell. "Nerve gas." I coughed. My senses grew slower and slower as I fumbled to draw my lightsaber. "We need to get out of here. " My dulled mind could only come up with three options. Cut open the door? No, then we would have to fight three heavily armed clone commandos and in our condition I doubted we would succeed. Cut open the floor below us? No, we'd be trapped in another cell, with one of the prisoners and still have to deal with the gas. That left option three, cut out a back door and hope for the best. I ignited my blade and dug it into the wall.
After what felt like an hour but was probably only a few seconds. A blast of cold night air partially woke be from my half unconscious state as the cut portion of the wall crumbed in front of me.
"You aren't serious!" Complained Ranna as the prison's klaxon blared around us.
"I don't see you coming up with any better ideas." I yelled over the alarm.
"I don't think I can do it!"
"We'll jump together." I said grabbing her hand. "On three, one, two, three!" The second we jumped I heard the security field dematerialize and the sound of blaster fire then lost all consciousness.
~~~•••~~~
"Are they going to be okay?" Said a boy's voice next to me.
My shoulder burned like it was on fire and my sight was to blurry to be any good, probably because of the nerve gas. I tried to pull myself up but pushed me back down softly.
"Tharen, don't try to move, you've been shot." Said a woman a little further away, I recognized the voice, but the rushing wind around us and my foggy mind distorted her voice too much for me to figure it out.
" Where is Ranna?" I groaned.
"She's right here." Soothed the woman. "We're going to get you two somewhere safe then we'll talk about the next step after." I could sense we were in a speeder by the way we pitched to the side as we turned. "Dain, I need you to take the controls so I can check that blaster wound." The vehicle shook as the two switched positions. "Damn it Tharen, why is it that every time I find you, your about to die..."
~~~•••~~~
The next time I woke I was inside a dark, but strangely warm room. The only light source was a small window that filtered in dim, smoky, neon lights. Every time a speeder or cargo craft would pass by, the room would shake.
I was laying on a metallic operating table. I rubbed the spot where i had been shot on my right shoulder as I pulled myself into a standing position and cautiously limped towards the door on the opposite side of the room. Twice my weakened legs almost gave out from under me before I crashed into the door. I pressed the doors control and it slid open.
"Master!" Cried Ranna as she ran to catch me before I fell. She led me over to a large table with a central lamp that lit the center of the room. "You shouldn't be walking yet!"
"Etch, where are we?" I groaned, my shoulder ached worse than when I woke up.
"A safe house, deep within Coruscant." She answered. I noticed she was wearing a white leather jacket over her tunic. "Dain was just explaining how they found us."
She pointed to a boy with short, brown hair, maybe a year younger than Ranna. He was wearing a dark green jacket over a tan jumpsuit. "My Master foresaw that you would be in trouble three days ago, she failed to predict the extent of that trouble though."
"So you're a jedi too then?" I asked.
"Yes and no." He shrugged. "And before you ask, no we are not sith either."
A door slid open behind him and a cloaked figure stepped through and dropped a heavy crate of miscellaneous supplies by the door."Dain, you aren't scaring my guests are you?" Asked the same familiar voice from the speeder.
"Um... uhh... no, why would I do that?" He stuttered jokingly before the woman joined us at the table.
"I'm sorry for the accommodations but with the Empire hunting Jedi, its hard to find a safe place to hide."
"What empire? This is Republic space!"
"Not anymore." She answered. "Tharen, don't you remember me?" She lowered her cloaks hood and revealed her face. She had shoulder length black hair, brilliant blue eyes and a familiar grin that put me at ease, it was Saras.
"I thought you were gone!" I cried as she walked to my side of the table and hugged me tightly.
"I know, I'm sorry." She looked over at the Ranna. "Could you show Dain some of those meditation techniques that Tharen must have shown you? I need some privacy with your master."
"I guess I could, is that alright Master?" She asked looking to me. I nodded. "Alright Dain, come with me..." She said halfheartedly as she walked toward the door I came from.
Saras waited until both teenagers had left before she talked. "You don't understand how bad things have gone since Palpatine declared himself emperor." She explained. "Clones are patrolling the streets killing all the jedi they find! I'm so happy I found you before..." She kissed me.
"Saras, what happened to the jedi temple? How many others do you know survived?" I asked as I pushed her back a little. My emotions were tied in knots, on one hand, my best friend and lover had come back into my life, on the other, everyone else I knew was likely dead.
She didn't answer.
"I need to know, who escaped?"
"I don't know..." She cried. "Palpatine's new lackey, Darth Vader took an entire platoon of trooper to the temple the night we found you, ever since temple has become a trap for returning jedi."
"You can't be serious! How could this happen!" I wanted to blame Saras even though I knew it wasn't her fault, then I blamed myself, what if I'd been there, could I have helped defend the temple?
I must have had a pretty sad look on my fave because Saras wrapped her arms back around me and said "there's nothing you could have done. Nobody could have predicted this. I'm sure Master Caren made it out." I knew she was lying, I could sense it, my former master was dead, slain by Clones.
I had to push it out of my thoughts, something productive. "How did you go so long without being detected by other jedi? Surely they could have sensed you." I inquired.
"A little trick I picked up on Korriban, I can conceal myself inside the force itself and be practically undetectable by those around me."
"I'll assume that you've taught Dain the same skill?" She nodded. "How did you two meet up?"
"I'll tell you all about it later, right now we need to go to the Jedi temple." She ordered standing up again to pick up the crate of supplies she had brought in and started unloading them onto the table.
"I thought you said it was a trap?"
"Yes, it is. But there is something I need, we will need if we are going to help preserve the order."
"But you aren't a jedi anymore, you have no obligation."
"Tharen, I never stopped being a jedi, I just stopped obeying the Council's principals." She said pulling out a green flight jacket and tossing them to me. "Get dressed, hopefully they won't recognize you as a jedi. I'm going to go see if the kids are ready." She ordered before disappearing into the other room.
A moment later Saras, Ranna and Dain came back into the room. Ranna seemed to have relaxed a little more and returned to my side.
"So, what exactly are are we going to the temple fore?" I asked placing my hand on Ranna's shoulder to show her I was feeling at least a little better. She looked up at me and smiled.
"Remember that holocron we were searching for on Tython?" I nodded, the entire mission had been nothing more than a disaster. "Well, that is the main reason I am on Coruscant, I need it."
"You just said you needed it to preserve the order?" I inquired.
"Have you ever heard of the Order of Revan?"
I nodded again, I had always been interested in the Old Republic era, I saw it as more civilized and less corrupt. "They denounced formal jedi beliefs and taught the use of both sides of the force."
"Correct, well they aren't all dead."
"What do you mean? They all died during the Revanite war in Kessel."
"Tharen, I know for a fact that's not true, they are just spread out." Saras pulled her cloak's hood back over her head. "The only way the Jedi order can survive is by working with the Revanites, they are use to fighting empires and avoiding destruction."
"I don't like where you are going with this Saras, the Revanites were nothing more than disillusioned sith lords, how can you trust them." I pleaded. "Listen to me, they're-"
"No, you listen. They aren't the war mongers you've been led to believe!" Her tone was getting angrier. "They're truly good people that just want to live out normal lives!"
"And kill people for looking at them the wrong." I added.
"No! They have the same morals as the jedi, heck even some still consider themselves Jedi. They just have a looser view of the force and respectfully use both sides as tools."
"Saras, what have they done to you!"
"They've opened my eyes, just give them a chance, for me." She wrapped her gloved hands around mine and smiled. "Just trust me."
I kissed her softly on the lips. "Fine, but I need you to be at my side if anything happens."
She nodded and let go of my hand. "Thank you for trusting me, now we need to get going, I have everything planned out and ready, I'll explain everything on the way." Saras ordered, motioning for us to follow her out the door.
Saras explained the plan as she piloted her shuttle through Coruscant's Merchant Guild Zone. The plan was to split up, much to my displeasure, I didn't like leaving Ranna's safety in the hands of Saras's "student". Ranna and Dain would enter through the northern side of the temple's maintenance hatch and make their way to the temple's main power generator, then shut it down.
While they dealt with the power generator, Saras and I would enter through the eastern landing pad and make our way to the Archives and open the holocron vault.
As we approached I looked for any sign of life around the temple. None, just as would be suspected for any jedi returning to the temple. Saras had told me that for the first couple days while I had been unconscious, a call had gone out to all the remaining jedi to return to the temple, but it had been relieved to be a trap set by Darth Vader. The clones had reset the trap but the signal had already gone out, the damage was done. No more Jedi would enter the temple. Well, except for us.
Ranna was the first to jump off the side of the craft, then Dain joined her. "Be careful." I warned, looking down at the two teens below us. Then Saras bolted the vehicle around the temple's corner and headed for our entry point.
"What are you doing?" I asked, noticing she was setting the auto-pilot.
"We can't exactly leave this thing hovering around the temple can we?" She answered sarcastically. "Now get ready to jump, we don't have time to stop." She stood up from her seat and motioned for me to stand up. Her gloved fingers slid into my hand. "Jump."
A gust of high speed wind blasted my face as we leaped out of the vehicle's canopy and fell towards the temple. We both slowed our descent using the force and softly landed on the landing pad.
It was obvious that there had been a battle, blaster marks and the scorched remains of clone trooper bodies. "Oh no!" Cried Saras. I turned and saw what she saw. A few feet away, on the walkway that led to the Temple, was the body of a young boy. Saras and I slowly, respectfully approached his body. "I can't believe they're doing this..." a single tear fell from her eyes and landed on the boy's tunic.
"This has to end. How can the senate sit bye and allow this to happen?"I asked rhetorically. I grabbed the boys lightsaber off the ground a few feet away, placed it on his chest and covered it with his hands. "May become one with the force." I said solemnly. "Come on, we don't know how much time we have before one of the clones notice us." I said turning to Saras, who seemed too shell shocked to move.
I had to softly pull her to her feet before she said another word. "Who ever did this is going to pay." She pulled out her blaster from its holster and marched down the ramp into the temple.
A moment later a bolted after her. "Saras, you need to get a hold of yourself. If you go charging in there, you might blunder straight into a trap. She didn't speak. "Fine, if you aren't going to answer, at least slow down."
She slowed down slightly but not by much. Once we arrived at the entrance she pressed the screen next to the door but nothing happened. "Damn..." She pulled put her lightsaber and switched it on.
"Wait!" I ordered just before she started cutting through the door.
"What? Nobody is on the other side, I would be able to sense them."
"If you cut through that door, you'll set off alarms across the temple."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" She asked stashing her saber under her cloak."Are we just going to wait for it to rust open?"
"I wish we had that kind of time." I answered sliding past her and pulling open the door panel. I reached into one of my belt pouches and produced a slicer's screw driver.
"When did you learn to hack doors?" She asked as I began spinning the device inside the door's socket to try to find the locking mechanism.
"Just after the war started." The lock clicked after a moment and Saras pulled it open. "Just don't ask me to try it on wood." I motioned her to lead the way before drawing my own blaster.
My com-link beeped so I activated it. "Master, we've got a problem." Said Ranna through my damaged com-link. I must have landed on it when we escaped from the prison.