Author's note: I'm really, really sorry for the long delay. I was without internet for a few days and then I was away from my computer for two days so the writing process was really slowed down. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy.
Trial of a Smuggler
After receiving a message from the planet Kinyen that they had found a long lost Jedi holocron, Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano travelled there to collect it; only for bounty hunter Cad Bane to interfere and steal it from them. Despite the high tensions, Ahsoka assures the rest of the Alliance that the holocron was merely a fake presumably designed to cover the identities of the real ones.
Meanwhile, Captain Han Solo has been accused of treason by the Pyke Syndicate on the grounds that their shipments have been attacked by the Millennium Falcon! After hearing of the upcoming trial, the Rebel Alliance dispatched Princess Leia Organa to represent him, but can she win against the odds presented…
Oba Diah
Han sat in his cell, his attention being drawn when the door opened to reveal Leia entering.
"Well, if it isn't the grand princess" said Han.
"Still as wisecracking as ever, even on death road" said Leia.
"What are doing here?" asked Han.
"The Alliance sent me to represent you in the trial" replied Leia.
"Great" said Han "So anyway; how do you suppose you're going to win this case, your magnificence?"
"The details are still fuzzy, but we can start with when you last encountered the Pykes" replied Leia.
"It's too long since our last encounter" said Han "Heck; ever since I joined he Alliance, I've been doing whatever I could to just stay away from those spice drivers. Even before then I'd try to stay away" Leia sat down next to him. "None of it matters, anyway; if the Pykes want me down, they'll send me down. They're only using this trial as a way to justify their acts"
"It's occurred to me that it was not too long ago that you lost the Falcon to the Empire" said Leia "It's very possible that they used it to frame you"
"Why me in particular?" asked Han.
"You've participated in battles and performed various missions for us" said Leia "And given your past, I'd say you've gotten the Empire's attention in a very bad way. I just need to get dates and other information then compare it to what we have. We may just win through this"
"Just" said Han.
Meanwhile above Oba Diah
An Imperial star destroyer loomed over the planet. Vader stood aboard the bridge overlooking it, breathing ominously. An Imperial officer walked up to him.
"Lord Vader, the team you dispatched to Kinyen have returned" said the Imperial officer "They are awaiting for you in the hanger" Vader turned around and left the bridge. He walked down to the hanger where a small group of stormtroopers awaited him outside a Sentinel-class landing craft. He walked up to a stormtrooper commander.
"Have you found what I requested, commander?" asked Vader.
"Yes, my lord" replied the stormtrooper commander. Two stormtroopers opened up a crate. Vader walked up to it to look at it. Inside were the remains of E7-3S. "It was badly damaged. I'm not sure if it's repairable or not" Vader summoned the head to his hand and looked at it.
"Good work, commander" said Vader "Leave it to me"
"If I may ask; how did you know where to find it?" asked the stormtrooper commander.
"That part is not for you to know" replied Vader "Leave me" The stormtrooper commander nodded and exited the hanger, followed by the other stormtroopers. Vader looked deeper into the lifeless sensors of the droid head he held in his hands.
Meanwhile on the Executor
Cad Bane entered the bridge of the Executor.
"You have returned, my bounty hunter" said Sheotah "What has happened to the droid?"
"Got himself destroyed, as far as I'm concerned" replied Bane "Why; are you attached to it?"
"Of course not" replied Sheotah "It's merely a pity that I'll have to buy another" Hatana walked up to them.
"Have you got it?" asked Hatana. Bane pulled the holocron from his coat.
"Right here" replied Bane. Hatana snatched it from his hands.
"It's a fake!" snapped Hatana.
"What; how can you tell?" said Sheotah.
"I've held holocrons before" replied Hatana "A real holocron has a feeling that resonates through you, be Jedi or not. This feels nothing like a holocron"
"I gave you what you were looking for" said Bane "I was only doing my job"
"That may be so" said Hatana "But I'm beginning to question your servitude, bounty hunter. Fortunately; I do not make the final say, Lord Vader does. We'll contact him and he'll decide how to handle it"
Meanwhile on Corellia
Luke and Ahsoka entered Sarke's office.
"I heard of what happened" said Sarke "It is saddening to hear of the loss of a potential ally and even more so at the loss of the holocron. But assure us that it wasn't a real one, Commander Tano"
"If it were real, I would have felt something" said Ahsoka "The one we found, there was just nothing to it; it looked like a holocron but it just didn't feel like one"
"I trust your judgement, Master Jedi" said Sarke "The bounty was onto it from the beginning; we found the body of Tee Colosar washed up today, with the autopsy showing a strange fluid in his bloodstream. But for what reasons would a fake holocron be created?"
"We believe that it was meant to cover for the real ones" replied Luke.
"So are there any clues on where to find the real ones?" asked Sarke.
"Well…not yet" said Luke "But we've got so much to deal with right now that it's hard to focus"
"This is all Jedi business and I do not wish to interfere" said Sarke "I will trust your judgment. You may leave" Luke and Ahsoka turned to leave. "Commander Tano, can you wait a second" Ahsoka stopped and turned back to Sarke.
"What is it?" asked Ahsoka.
"You are aware of Cadfurew the Hutt?" asked Sarke.
"Yes" replied Ahsoka.
"And I trust you are familiar with his recent attempt on Princess Leia's life?" asked Sarke.
"Yes" replied Ahsoka.
"We've been interrogating the police officers and found several who we believed to be involved with giving him the resources" said Sarke "But I believe that there may be something bigger. We have reasons to believe that Cadfurew had a partner in this who organized everything whilst he was imprisoned"
"Why not simply bust him out?" asked Ahsoka.
"Because it would draw too much attention" replied Sarke "We believe that this partner has a position of power within the Rebellion and any major move like that would only lead to losing that position. The police and I have out speculations, but I was just wondering if we could get a Jedi's insight"
"Why not ask for Luke's as well?" asked Ahsoka.
"I thought that as the more experienced of the two you would be the right one to ask" replied Sarke "I know that as a Jedi you generally stay away from politics; but tell me, is there anyone who you suspect? Anyone in a high place who you find untrustworthy?"
"Well…I'm not sure exactly" replied Ahsoka.
"That's fine" replied Sarke "You can go on your way now, I just felt like asking because you were already here" Ahsoka turned to leave but found herself stopping in her tracks.
"Actually, sir, there is one who matches that description" said Ahsoka.
"Really?" said Sarke "Do tell" Ahsoka breathed in.
"It's Borsk Fey'lya" said Ahsoka.
"The Bothan; but he's been one of the Alliance's greatest supporters since the Battle of Yavin" said Sarke.
"I know" said Ahsoka "But he's not trustworthy. When Princess Leia and I went to Muunilinst, he came with us. While Leia was talking with the Banking Clan, he went off on his own. I followed him and…I found him threatening a pregnant woman"
"Why?" asked Sarke.
"He was trying to get information out of her" replied Ahsoka "When I intervened, he attacked me and later accused me of attacking him"
"And you are sure he is up to something?" asked Sarke.
"I'm not sure of that" replied Ahsoka "But…he's up to something"
"Interesting" said Sarke "We'll have to look into it. I thank you for your time, you may leave" Ahsoka nodded and left.
Meanwhile
MOXAL projected a hologram of Vader.
"What is it?" asked Vader.
"My lord, the bounty hunter has returned with a holocron but it is fake" replied Hatana.
"It was the exact same holocron you sent me after" said Bane.
"How are we supposed to know?" said Hatana "For all we know, this is merely a fake that they gave you to keep off"
"With the desperation they've had recently, I doubt they would go to this level" said Bane "Besides, I was off Rodia with no witnesses"
"Enough!" said Vader "Whether or not the Jedi are in possession of a real holocron is of no concern to you, Hatana. I clearly told you to not search for Jedi artifacts until I came back"
"But, my lord—" said Hatana.
"There will be no more of this" said Vader "As for you, bounty hunter; your efforts are nonetheless appreciated. You shall be paid"
"And what of me, my lord?" asked Sheotah "After all, I was the one who hired him"
"You shall be paid as well" said Vader "Captain Piett, compensate our collaborators with what we promised"
"Yes, my lord" said Piett "Right this way" Piett led Bane and Sheotah.
"Remember to stay out of this, Hatana" said Vader "If we lose any holocrons to the Jedi, it will be unacceptable" The hologram switched off and Hatana sighed.
Meanwhile
Vader stood in his workshop overlooking the remains of E7-3S who he was rebuilding. He summoned a tool to his hand and did work in his chest piece. He closed over the chest piece and reactivated E7. The droid sat himself up.
"Who are you?" asked Vader.
"I am E7-3S" replied E7.
"And what is to function?" asked Vader.
"To serve you and only you, my master" replied E7 "I will do your bidding and have questions about it"
"Good" said Vader "I have a task for you"
Meanwhile
Piett brought Bane and Sheotah into a small room. He walked over to a cupboard, pulled out a briefcase, turned to Bane, and opened it to reveal credits.
"As per your request, 50,000 credits in unmarked bills" said Piett. He closed the briefcase and handed it to Bane. He turned back to the closet, got out two briefcases, and turned to Sheotah. "And as for you; 90,000,000 credits" He handed them to Sheotah. "The Empire thanks you for your service" He left the room. Sheotah lifted the briefcases up and looked at them with disgust.
"Now if you don't mind, I'm going to transfer these to my account" said Bane. He turned to leave but Sheotah stopped him.
"Hold it" said Sheotah "I've got one last job for you, and I promise to pay you well. Get out your commando droids and follow me"
Meanwhile
Hatana walked through the halls of the Executor and into Vader's quarters. She squatted down at a small compartment and opened it.
"I'll make up for this mistake, no matter what Vader tells me" muttered Hatana to herself. She began rummaging through the compartment. "I just need the right…got it!" She pulled out a small device. She turned it on and it projected a holographic screen. "Let's see if there's anything new here" She looked through the recorded messages. "Only an hour ago, how convenient" She played the message.
"Lord Vader, this is Ru-Thire. I have made a great discovery, a Jedi holocron; and it's real one, not one of the fake ones that keep turning up. Unfortunately, my ship was damaged and I cannot get offworld. I am waiting for you on the fourth moon of Yavin"
"Ru-Thire; one of the most brutal Dark Jedi ever recruited by the Empire" said Hatana "It would seem that I found a holocron and a new ally" She stood up and walked off to the hanger. She got inside a Lambda-class T-4a shuttle and took off. However, MOXAL had followed her and was watching her silently behind a crate. He dispatched a small drone from his back which silently followed over to the shuttle and snuck aboard just before it took off.
Meanwhile in hyperspace
Luke and Ahsoka sat aboard the Rogue Shadow whilst it bolted through hyperspace. At that moment, Luke felt a strange sensation through the Force and held his forehead tensely.
"Is something wrong?" asked Ahsoka.
"There's…There's some kind of disturbance in the Force" replied Luke "Something…Hatana! She's going somewhere on her own…Somewhere to…collect something important"
"Do you know where it is?" asked Ahsoka.
"I'm not sure" replied Luke "I only got a brief glimpse"
"Try to concentrate harder" said Ahsoka "Close your eyes" Luke closed his eyes. "Now clear your head and focus"
"I see it" said Luke "It's somewhere I've been before. There are trees…waterfalls…temples…YAVIN 4!"
"Are you sure?" asked Ahsoka.
"I'd recognize it anywhere" said Luke "We have to go there"
"Then let's set a new course for the Yavin system" said Ahsoka.
Later
Hatana's shuttle came out above Yavin 4. It descended down into the forest below and landed. Hatana got out. She sat on the ground cross-legged and cleared her mind. The Rogue Shadow landed down and Luke and Ahsoka got out and walked through the forest until they found Hatana.
"Hold up!" said Ahsoka quietly whilst pulling Luke behind a tree.
"There she is" said Luke quietly.
"If we go in now, she'll only fight back and make it harder for us" said Ahsoka quietly.
"Agreed" said Luke quietly "Let's wait this out" Hatana's eyes opened and she stood up, walking off into the jungle. Luke and Ahsoka followed after her quietly. Whisper birds flew overhead. Ahsoka looked over at the trees and could see various woolamanders chattering and climbing through the trees.
"So this is where it all happened?" said Ahsoka.
"Yep" replied Luke "This moon was once the location of a quintessential Rebel base; or at least until the Empire came and chased us out" They followed Hatana until she came up on a large lake. At the center of the lake a lay an island and on the island was a large dark temple with a foreboding presence.
"Woah!" said Ahsoka. Hatana leapt into the lake and started swimming across until she reached the island. "Looks deep; skilled at swimming?"
"A little, but Tatooine isn't exactly the most vital place to learn how to swim" replied Luke.
"We'll try to stay close to each other" said Ahsoka "And try not to look down" The two slipped into the water and began paddling across. Unbeknownst to the two of them, the silhouette of a medium-sized creature swam below them, watching their every move. It approached them silently and subtlety as to not attract their attention. It swam closer and closer to them until it grabbed ahold of Luke's foot and pulled him under. "Luke!" Luke desperately held his breath and looked down at the creature that had attacked him. It was a green aquatic gundark and it was pulling him away fast. Luke desperately kicked it in the mouth until it let him go. Instead of leaving, the aquatic gundark began circling Luke. Luke got out his lightsaber and ignited it. The aquatic gundark passed by him and then passed by him again before finally lunging towards him. Just as it attacked, Luke stabbed it in the chest with his lightsaber. The aquatic gundark let out a shrill scream which couldn't be heard underwater and died. Luke bounded up and began swimming to the surface when a hand grabbed his and pulled him up. Ahsoka brought him to the surface and helped pull him to land. "You okay?"
"Yeah…" breathed Luke "Just need to get up" He got himself up. The two of them looked at the temple in front of them.
"She's inside" said Ahsoka. The two of them walked over to the entrance, where the foreboding presence was more powerful than ever.
"I sense something" said Luke "And I don't like it"
"It's the dark side, Luke" said Ahsoka "Whatever she's looking for is in here" The two of them walked into the temple. Large tomb flier bats lay roosting in the roof, some of them watching the pair eerily. As they walked further, they could see Hatana walking in front of them unaware of their presence. Hatana reached a small clearing. At the center of the clearing sat a cloaked figure that appeared to be meditating. Luke and Ahsoka hid in the shadows behind a pillar. As Hatana approached him, a pair of yellow eyes opened beneath the hood.
"Who dares approach me?!" growled the figure.
"I do" smirked Hatana. The figure stood up and pulled down his hood, revealing himself to be a green Vurk with large yellow eyes. "You are Ru-Thire, are you not?"
"Aye" replied the Vurk "But who are you?"
"I am Emerl Hatana, apprentice to your master—Lord Vader" replied Hatana.
"Lord Vader has no apprentice" snarled Ru-Thire.
"You have clearly been out of touch for a long time" said Hatana "Anyways, I believe you have a holocron?"
"If I did, what business would it be for you?" snarled Ru-Thire.
"That's not what matters" said Hatana "Do you have it?"
"Whoever you are, you are badly mistaken" replied Ru-Thire "I only take orders directly from Lord Vader himself and no one else"
"But you sent a message to Lord Vader that you had found a holocron" said Hatana.
"That message was for him or him alone" said Ru-Thire "He would not send anyone but himself on this task. Now leave"
"Or what?" said Hatana.
"Or I will kill you!" snarled Ru-Thire. He force-gripped Hatana, lifted her up into the air, slammed her against the wall, and finally slammed her down onto the ground. "Leave now, or I'll cut in two!" Hatana lifted her head up.
"We've got to get out of here" said Luke quietly.
"No kidding" said Ahsoka quietly "Anyone who can Hatana out that easily has got to be nothing but trouble. We'll have to get Kota or someone else in, they'll know what to do" Ru-Thire looked around. "There's someone else here. I can sense them…" Luke and Ahsoka froze. Ru-Thire turned his head to where they were hiding and pulled them out by their legs. "Jedi!"
"What are you two doing here?" snapped Hatana.
"You know these Jedi?" said Ru-Thire.
"For a long time, actually" said Hatana "Why?"
"Because it is my duty to destroy Jedi at any cost" replied Ru-Thire. He pulled off his cloak, revealing black armor underneath.
"I know; but let me handle this!" said Hatana.
"If you haven't succeeded in killing these two before, then why should I believe that you can now?" said Ru-Thire.
"Please listen, we haven't come to fight you" said Luke.
"Whoever you are, that doesn't matter" said Ru-Thire "You will fight, or you will die!" He pulled out a double-bladed lightsaber and ignited the red blades. Luke and Ahsoka got out their lightsabers and ignited them. Ru-Thire charged towards them and clashed against their blades. "DIE!"
Meanwhile
Han sat at the front of the courtroom which was filling up fast, but there was no sign of Leia anywhere.
"Hey, you good?" asked Corea, who was sitting behind him next to Chewbacca.
"Absolutely fine" replied Han "Except for the simple fact that my defense isn't here; what's keeping, it's not like her to be late for…well…anything"
"Just relax" said Corea "Everything's going to turn out just fine. I'm sure Leia will be able to appeal to their…more reasonable side"
"Well, good luck with that" said Han "A thousand of negotiators cannot change the mind of a crimelord" Corea looked around at all the people in the audience of the courtroom, noting the appearance of Gorga and Arok the Hutt.
"Quite a crowd you've drawn" said Corea.
"You'll be surprised by the amount of people I've ticked off over the years" said Han "Quite a few of them would delight in my death"
"Hey, is that a Falleen?" said Corea.
"A Falleen, where?" said Han. He turned around to see an elegant Falleen woman sitting on the other side, dressed in regal purple and gold garments. "I can't believe it; that's Savan, the niece of Black Sun's prince"
"You're surprised to see her here?" said Corea.
"I thought she was dead" said Han. Savan looked over to them, smirked, got up, and walked over to them.
"Well, look who got himself caught" said Savan "It took long enough"
"What are you doing here, Savan?" asked Han.
"I am merely an observer" replied Savan "As soon as my uncle heard about this, he just you'll need it" He walked back to her seat.
"Just great!" said Han. At that moment, Rhak entered.
"Settle down!" said Rhak "Vulnus Pyke enters" Vulnus entered and sat at the judge's seat.
"Let the trial commence" said Vulnus "Captain Solo, may I ask where your defense is?"
"Well…she…" said Han.
"Sorry I'm late, your honor" said a voice. Everyone turned to Leia who stood in the doorway with a book in her arms.
"Take a seat" said Vulnus. Leia walked over and sat next to Han.
"What took you?" asked Han.
"I was sorting through all the files over and over" replied Leia "I had to make sure that I missed nothing. Your life could very well depend on it"
"Apologizes for the late arrival, your honor" said a voice. Everyone turned their heads to Vader who stood in the doorway.
"Lord Vader!" said Vulnus "Forgive me, I was not expecting your presence"
"Do not worry, I have merely come to observe this trial for the Empire" said Vader. He took a seat. "Proceed"
"What now?" asked Han.
"Don't worry, just let me do the talking" replied Leia.
Meanwhile
Luke and Ahsoka dueled Ru-Thire through the corridors of the temple. They may have outnumbered him, but he was both incredibly skilled and incredibly savage which made it difficult. The extra blade didn't help either. Ru-Thire continuously drove them back. With a swift swipe, he knocked Ahsoka out of the way and kicked Luke forward and onto the ground.
"What a waste of potential!" said Ru-Thire. He raised his lightsaber, ready to kill Luke without a second thought. Ahsoka got herself up and was about to strike back, but she looked over at the tomb flier bats at the roof and came up with an idea. She picked up a rock and threw it at the bats, causing them to fly down and swarm around. In the confusion, Ahsoka ran over to Luke, grabbed his hand, and pulled him down the corridor and out of sight. Ru-Thire force-pushed the tomb flier bats out of the way and looked down the corridor they had disappeared down.
"This whole temple is strong with the dark side and it's making him more powerful" said Ahsoka "If we can just get out of here, we might—" Suddenly, the two of them were force-pushed forward. Ru-Thire lifted Ahsoka up and began force-choking her.
"Did you really think you could escape me in here?" snarled Ru-Thire "I could smell your Jedi stench a mile away. This temple is an element of the dark side itself; finding you in it was all too easy" Luke got himself up, ignited his lightsaber, and struck forward, only for Ru-Thire to meet his blade with his and send Luke backwards by knocking him in the face with his hilt. He then threw Ahsoka over at him and they both slammed into the wall. "Get up! At the very least you could try to die at the blade, like a true warrior" Luke blew some dust, got himself and Ahsoka up, and ran off out of the temple, being followed behind by Ru-Thire.
Meanwhile
"Captain Han Solo, you have been found guilty of attacking operations of the Pyke Syndicate" said Vulnus "How do you plead"
"Not guilty, of course" said Han.
"I would be more mindful of your manners, captain" said Rhak "If you value your life, you will be respectful"
"Order!" snapped Vulnus "First, we shall present the evidence against. Rhak" Rhak got out a small holodisc and placed it within a hologram projector at the center of the room. "After the first few attacks, we set recordings for our operations afterwards. This one was captured only a month ago" A hologram of a Pyke Gozanti Cruiser appeared. Suddenly, it began to be shot continuously. Another ship zoomed passed it and finished it off with a couple more shots. "Pause" Rhak paused the recording. "Now rewind" Rhak reminded the video until the point where the ship was in frame, revealing it to be the Millennium Falcon. "As you can see, the Millennium Falcon clearly destroyed our freighter. And we all know who the owner of that ship is. I now call upon the defense" Leia stood up.
"Your honor; I understand what you may think, but it is not so" said Leia "You see, the Millennium Falcon was stolen from us by the Empire not too long ago and we only recently got it back without knowing of any of this. As you said, it was only a month ago; I looked into it further and discovered that the dates of the attacks matched up"
"What are you implying?" asked Vulnus.
"Clearly the Empire was using the Falcon to disrupt your operations and they intentionally gave it back to us so Captain Solo would be framed" replied Leia
"And what precise evidence do you have that the Empire is behind this despite the dates?" asked Vulnus.
"Well—" said Leia.
"I thank you for your words, Miss Organa" said Vulnus "The defense rests. Now; I will go and decide the fate of this trial" He left his seat and exited the room.
"Wait, that's it?" said Leia "This…doesn't make any sense"
"Clearly you've never been to a Pyke trial" said Han "He made up his mind long before he entered the room. Heck; he only held this trial because he wanted my death sentence to look somewhat justified. He only let you go on for as long as you did to make it look like I had a defense"
"But you do" said Leia "This is all evidence"
"But he found a loop hole in all of it, which gives him an excuse to call it bantha fodder" said Han "This whole trial was muudabok court" It was then that someone tapped Leia on the back. She turned around to face a Pyke.
"Princess Leia Organa?" asked the Pyke.
"Yes" replied Leia.
"I am Urgui" said the Pyke "I have something to show you. Come with me"
"I'm not sure—" said Leia before Urgui pulled her in by the collar.
"Listen; it's urgent and I cannot tell you it right here" said Urgui quietly "If you want your friend to win this trial, come with me now!" He and Leia walked out of the courtroom, with Vader watching them closely.
Meanwhile
Luke and Ahsoka ran through the jungle, scaring away a flock of whisper birds. They took refuge in a small cave below a hill.
"We need to get back to the ship" said Luke.
"Agreed" said Ahsoka "But he keeps following us every step of the way"
"Are R2 and PROXY still aboard?" asked Luke.
"Last time I checked they were" replied Ahsoka.
"Then we'll just contact them to come to us" said Luke "But first we need to make sure we're not foll—" Suddenly, a double-bladed lightsaber flew down and cut down the tree in front of them causing it to come down towards them. "Get out!" They rolled out of the way as the tree fell down and crushed down the cave they were hiding in. The lightsaber flew back and landed in the hand of Ru-Thire who stood atop the hill. Luke looked through the jungle and saw that they were at the edge of more temples. "C'mon!" He and Ahsoka ran off through the forest. Ru-Thire leapt down from the hill and sprinted after them. Ahsoka quickly glimpsed back and noticed that he held a holocron on his belt.
"Luke, he's got a Jedi holocron!" said Ahsoka.
"What, where?" asked Luke.
"On his belt" replied Ahsoka "That must be why Hatana came here We need to get it off him"
"We need to get to safety first" said Luke. They passed by a browsing runyip as they ran towards another temple (this one was just a standard Yavin temple) and ran through the entrance and out of sight.
"You really think that you can escape me by simply hiding in the dark like cowards?" snarled Ru-Thire "I'll find you and then you'll see the true nature of the dark side of the Force!" He entered the temple.
Meanwhile
Urgui brought Leia into the palace's archive room. He got out a hologram projector.
"I was studying the footage over and over again and couldn't find anything distinguishing, but then I decided to zoom in closer to the pilot itself and made this discovery" said Urgui. He zoomed in to the cockpit and revealed the pilot, who was certainly not Han. "I was able to reconstruct the less detailed areas of the face; but as you can see, this is clearly not Captain Solo"
"Why didn't you go forward with this?" asked Leia.
"Vulnus is too arrogant to admit a mistake like this" replied Urgui "As soon as he realized the Millennium Falcon was behind these attacks, he pointed his finger towards Captain Solo without a second thought and without looking into it further. I only made the discovery recently which made it harder because he was preparing the trial"
"And what makes it different now?" asked Leia.
"Because if you show it in a trail in front of everyone he'll get cold feet about it" replied Urgui "The last thing he wants is to look foolish in front of others; and as the defense, you have all the right to use it" He ejected the holodisc and handed it to Leia. "We haven't got much time so—" Suddenly, a cable shot out which wrapped around his and pulled him back into the hands of E7-3S.
"Look what I found!" smirked E7 as he broke Urgui's neck and let his corpse drop to the floor. Leia quickly looked to the doorway and shot off towards it. "Not so fast!" He blasted after her. As soon as she reached the other side of the door, she closed it shut; only for a torch blade to drive its way through. Leia ran off just as E7 blasted down the door. "Here's E7!" He blasted towards her and pulled her off her feet, knocking the holodisc from Leia's hand. She reached for it, only for E7 to step on her hand. He picked up the holodisc and dangled it down in front of her teasingly. "Looking for this?" He broke the holodisc in half and crushed the two pieces. "Too bad!" He pointed one of his flamethrowers at Leia and charged it up. "Say hello to Alderaan for me, Princess!" Leia quickly got out her blaster and shot it. E7 stepped back shortly before his flamethrower blew, allowing Leia to get herself up and escape. E7 activated his jetpack and flew over in front of her. "Leaving so soon?" Suddenly, he was blown back by a blast. Chewbacca let out a roar as he and Corea stepped forward.
"Need help?" smirked Corea.
"Where did you guys come from?" asked Leia.
"We followed you after you disappeared with that Pyke" replied Corea "Oh; and you're welcome!"
"Let's just get out of here before he gets up" said Leia. They ran off down the hallway.
Meanwhile
Han lay back in his chair and looked at the roof hopelessly. At that moment, Leia, Corea, and Chewbacca entered the room.
"Back, I see" said Han "You know, it's the waiting I just can't stand; I'm just sick of being in this fake court. So, did you get what he wanted to give you?"
"I did, but then I lost it again" said Leia.
"That's a pity" said Han "Well…looks like I'm going down; pity, this just isn't how I imagined my death to play out" Leia sighed and sat herself down, feeling something round and flat in her pocket. She reached in to find a small holodisc.
"What's that doing there?" asked Corea.
"I don't know" replied Leia "I didn't take it…with me" She recalled that when Urgui pulled her in close to talk to her that he had placed something in her pocket without her knowing. On the holodisc there was an envelope. She pulled it off, opened it up, and read the letter inside.
"I trust you
But I cannot risk the chance of the first disc being destroyed.
Urgui"
"We might just have a chance" said Leia. At that moment, Vulnus returned to his seat.
"After lengthy brainstorming, I have made my verdict" said Vulnus.
"Your honor; I know the case is closed and you've rendered your verdict, but I have received some last minute evidence to support our case" said Leia.
"You dare speak to me without being spoken to?" snapped Vulnus.
"No" said Rhak "We will allow this" Leia walked up to the hologram projector and presented the holodisc. "How did you get this?"
"It was given to me by a Pyke named Urgui" replied Leia.
"Urgui?" said Rhak.
"Do you know him?" asked Leia.
"Yes; he is our advisor" replied Rhak "He's the most reliable man I know; even if he keeps things to himself at times, they're usually meant to serve a greater purpose. Where is he?"
"I'm afraid he's dead" replied Leia "We were attacked by a droid who killed him"
"Hold that disc!" snapped Vulnus "For all we know, you could be playing us"
"How would she know of Urgui?" said Rhak "If this truly is from him, then it will be reliable" He placed the holodisc within the hologram projector and it projected a hologram of Urgui.
"I am Urgui, chief advisor of the Pyke syndicate" said Urgui's hologram "Ever since it was discovered that the Millennium Falcon was attacking shipments, everyone has been blaming Captain Solo. But I was curious so I decided to take a closer look at the situation; and with the assistance of holographic reconstruction, I was able to make a discovery" The video of the close-up of the Millennium Falcon's cockpit was projected, revealing the pilot.
"This is impossible!" said Vulnus "It can't be!"
"I would trust Urgui's word with my life, so I will honor his last wish" said Rhak "Vulnus Pyke, you will release Captain Solo from all charges" Vulnus sighed.
"Very well" said Vulnus "Captain Solo, you are released" Han smiled.
"Good work, your highness" smirked Han "Couldn't have done it without you"
"Pity it was merely a delaying move" said Vader. He stood up, ignited his lightsaber, and walked over to Han. "Whether or not you are trialed, I will not let you walk away from this one, Captain Solo"
"You dare raise armament in my courtroom!?" snapped Vulnus "Guards, seize him!" Pyke guards entered the room and pointed their blasters towards Vader. Vader looked around at the guards who surrounded him and gave a massive force-push, blasting all of them out of his way. "Blast him!" The guards began getting themselves up and started shooting, only for Vader to deflect their shots and fight back. Han looked over at a blaster lying next to the body of a dead guard, leapt for it, and grabbed it.
"You can't be serious?" said Leia.
"Eh; might be one of our only chances to catch this guy" smirked Han. He stood himself up and followed the Pyke guards who were only just driving Vader outside, and were only providing a challenge due to their numbers. He continuously slashed down Pyke after Pyke as he reached the outside platform of the palace. As he was busy finishing off the guards, Han snuck up to him and started firing shots which merely got deflected.
"Very unwise" said Vader. He force-pushed at Han, who merely rolled to the side and hid behind a crate for cover.
"Tell me, where you trying to bring me down because of what happened at Yavin?" asked Han "I mean, I played my part and it helped in bringing that Death Star of yours down"
"It is true that you have become a vital part of the Rebel Alliance" said Vader "Which is why I have chosen to remove you as a factor"
"Know this, dark lord" said Leia whilst stepping out with her blaster drawn "If you mess with one person in the Alliance, you mess with all of us!" Corea and Chewbacca stepped out behind her and they began shooting at Vader as well. The crowds of guards began to surround Vader and corner him off at the edge of the platform. "There's no sense to continue this, Vader. We have you outnumbered and outgunned" Vader looked around at all who surrounded him.
"This battle has grown tiresome" said Vader "But know that each and every one of your Alliance shall suffer soon enough" He stepped backwards and disappeared off the ledge.
"My god!" said Leia. Suddenly, Vader appeared again, this time on the top of his TIE Advanced x1 which was being piloted by E7.
"I hate it when they do that" said Han. Vader flew off.
Meanwhile
Ru-Thire walked through the temple's hallways and into a large room, using his lightsaber to light the path for him. Luke and Ahsoka remained hidden behind two different pillars, remaining quiet and not moving a muscle. Ru-Thire turned off his lightsaber and closed his eyes, breathing in and out calmly. Suddenly, he ignited his lightsaber again and threw it towards the pillar where Luke hid. Luke ignited his lightsaber and deflected the lightsaber, but Ru-Thire summoned it back to him and lunged at Luke.
"Weakling Jedi!" snarled Ru-Thire.
"I'm not as weak as you think" said Luke.
"Really?" said Ru-Thire. He knocked Luke in the forehead with his hilt and force-pushed him into the wall. Luke reached for his lightsaber, only for Ru-Thire to step on his wrist. "It is a pity, really. Under Lord Vader's tutelage, you could've been a fine warrior. Yet you waste your potential on the light"
"I'll never follow Vader or any Sith!" said Luke.
"Then you'll die, like generations of Jedi before you!" said Ru-Thire. He raised his lightsaber, ready to smite it down on Luke.
"Let my friend go!" said Ahsoka as she charged towards Ru-Thire with her lightsaber out. She struck at him, only for him to dodge the shot, grabbed her by the back lek, and slammed her face into the wall. Ru-Thire threw her to the corner, and before she could get herself up he began force-choking her.
"You're so weak!" said Ru-Thire. Luke looked up and gasped.
"Ahsoka!" exclaimed Luke. He summoned his and Ahsoka's lightsaber to his hands and charged at Ru-Thire, who met the blades with his (and also breaking his concentration on the force-choke). He then knocked Luke in the face again with his hilt and kicked him off his feet.
"You're combat styles are simplistic and lack true skill" said Ru-Thire "Is this the best the Order has to offer now? I've killed younglings more skilled than you" He stepped back, force-pulled Luke in, and kicked him in the stomach. He then lifted Luke up by the throat. "Do you know the part I love about battle? It is when you get to truly savor it; only then does it truly become satisfying!" Suddenly, his lightsaber was slightly tugged by Ahsoka force-pulling it. But he regained his strong grip of it and force-pushed her back into a pillar. He then turned back to Luke. "But perhaps you do present more of a challenge than I anticipated" He raised his lightsaber again. "Farewell!" He swung at Luke again, but Luke desperately grabbed onto the lightsaber hilt with his hands in an attempt to drive him back. Ru-Thire forced the hilt forward to knock Luke out again, but Luke ducked this time and pulled the lightsaber from his grip. He rolled over and pulled Ahsoka back, who extended out her hand and summoned the holocron towards her. The holocron was ripped from his belt and landed in Ahsoka's hand.
"I'm not in the mood to continue this fight, Ru-Thire" said Luke "Stop now and we can figure something out"
"Figure something out?" snarled Ru-Thire.
"I don't know how you got into Vader's service, but you don't have to continue it" said Luke "The Sith will only use you for their own goals. Everything they tell you is a lie. Let us help you" Ru-Thire bared his teeth.
"No!" snarled Ru-Thire "I will not surrender to Jedi filth like you! NEVER!" He force-gripped the ceiling and walls around him and began to pull them vigorously.
"The whole place is going to collapse!" said Ahsoka.
"Let's get out of here!" said Luke. They quickly ran out of the room, through the hallways, and finally out the entrance of the temple, just before the entire interior collapsed down with Ru-Thire still inside.
"Luke, are you alright?" asked Ahsoka.
"Yeah, I'm fine" replied Luke "Just a little beaten up. You?"
"The same" replied Ahsoka. She looked at the holocron in her hands. "And it looks like we've got ourselves something" Luke looked back at the temple and then looked at the double-bladed lightsaber in his hand. "Are you alright, Skyguy?"
"Ru-Thire may have succumbed to his hate, but letting him die just doesn't feel right" replied Luke. He stuck the double-bladed lightsaber at the end of the rubble.
Meanwhile
Vader's TIE Advanced x1 entered the hanger of the Executor and he got out, with E7 following him. The two of them walked out of the hanger and into the hallways towards the bridge. Piett walked up to him.
"Lord Vader, good to have you back" said Piett "How was your mission?"
"Unsuccessful" replied Vader "But given time, a new opportunity will present itself" They reached the door to the bridge
"We had a bit of a situation whilst you were gone, I'm afraid" said Piett. The doors to the bridge opened up. Sheotah stood triumphantly with a blaster in his hands and all the Imperial officers and stormtroopers hostage. Bane and two commando droids stood beside.
"Ah; so the guest of honor has arrived" smirked Sheotah.
"Sheotah, what is the meaning of this?" asked Vader.
"While you were gone, I had the bounty hunter take control of the bridge" said Sheotah. He looked over at E7. "I see you've taken my droid for yourself; no matter, I can afford another. Now that you're here, we can begin"
"You're playing a very dangerous game" said Vader.
"Don't bother" said Sheotah "You lay one hand on me and my bounty hunter will blow you across this galaxy" Bane rolled his pupiless eyes. "But don't worry, it's no big deal; it is a matter of payment, that's all"
"I gave you payment for your service" said Vader.
"Those were mere credits" said Sheotah "I'd expect from someone simple like a small time crime lord or business; but you are the Emperor's dog, which means there's a bigger payment to have"
"Explain yourself" said Vader.
"Very well; for thousands of years, there was a grand Zygerrian Slave Empire" said Sheotah "It was my peoples' magnum opus; our shipments and sales were enough to rival the Hutts. But the Jedi came and took us down. During the Clone Wars, our queen was able to bring reestablish our Empire with the backing of the Separatists; only for the Jedi and the Republic to interfere again. After the incident on Sleheyron, I'm not going to let those Jedi dogs ruin anything ever again"
"What are you implying?" asked Vader.
"It's simple" replied Sheotah "As supreme commander of the Imperial army, you hold a good many worlds in your grasp; and many of them have weak but numerous races that merely exist to serve the strong. I want access these systems to start up my slave empire. Don't worry; our partnership shall continue, and I'll be a greater asset to you. Understood?"
"I understand perfectly" replied Vader "You were unsatisfied with your payment and want something. Very well; I shall give you a different payment" Sheotah smirked.
"See, it wasn't hard" said Sheotah "You're a reasonable man, Vader" Suddenly, Vader grabbed him by the wrist and twisted it downwards, knocking the blaster from his hand. He then pushed him into a group of stormtroopers. "What are you doing?!"
"Hold him still" said Vader. Two stormtroopers grabbed hold of Sheotah's arms and held him in place.
"I thought we had a deal!" snarled Sheotah as he struggled. He looked over at Bane. "What are you waiting for, bounty hunter; shoot them!" Bane merely gave him a cold look. "I'm paying you, remember!?" Vader ignited his lightsaber and held it near Sheotah's neck. "I was wrong; I understand that it wasn't my place to do that. But please, show mercy" Vader didn't reply. "PLEASE! I'm begging you! I'll do anything; just pl—" With a swift swing, Vader cut off his head and it flew across the room.
"What should we do with the remains, my lord?" asked Piett.
"Deal with the body anyway you want" replied Vader "But I'll keep the head" He turned towards Bane.
"Curious; he was paying you, yet you did not come to his aide" said Vader.
"I had already been payed, he was merely pushing it out" said Bane "Besides; I could never stand him anyway. I'm guessing this is the part where I'm accused of treason"
"You are merely a bounty hunter" said Vader "I'll let you go, this time" Bane left with his commando droids following him.
"Admiral" said Vader.
"Yes, Lord Vader" said Ozzel.
"Tell me, where was Emerl Hatana in all of this?" asked Vader,
"Nowhere, my lord" replied Ozzel.
"Nowhere?" said Vader.
"Yes; it's strange" said Ozzel "She was nowhere to be seen aboard the ship, even when Sheotah attacked" Vader looked off down the hallway.
Meanwhile
The Rogue Shadow flew off of Yavin 4. Luke entered the cockpit.
"Just made contact with Kota" said Luke whilst sitting himself down "I told him about everything that happened today, including the holocron. Are you certain that it's a real one this time?"
"Completely" replied Ahsoka "I can feel it" She looked over at Luke and realized that he seemed distant.
"Something's eating at you, Luke" said Ahsoka.
"I'm fine" replied Luke "Just a little shaken"
"No, it's something more" said Ahsoka "It's something about Ru-Thire, isn't it?"
"I don't know what it is; I know that he was aligned with the dark side, but I felt that deep down…there was something" said Luke.
"What exactly was it?" asked Ahsoka.
"I'm not sure" replied Luke "It was…a bright spot. There was something in his life that had meaning besides the anger and hatred. I don't know what it is, but it made his death uneasy"
"Sometimes even the most irredeemable enemies have a redeeming factor" said Ahsoka "Were you able to find any information on him from Kota?"
"Only one thing; Kota believes him to be an Imperial Inquisitor" replied Luke.
"What's an Inquisitor?" asked Ahsoka.
"Kota told me that they are an elite and elusive division of dark side users founded by Darth Vader to hunt down Jedi and find Force-sensitive children"
"If the Empire has an army of Force-sensitive assassins, why haven't seen any until now?" asked Ahsoka.
"Apparently they rarely partake on the frontlines, rather they are given vital missions that Vader or his acolytes are unavailable to do. And they're not an army, rather a group of agents"
"Where did they come from?" asked Ahsoka.
"Fallen Jedi, Dark Jedi, even Force-sensitive children who were taken by the Empire" replied Luke "Vader must have sent Ru-Thire to find Jedi holocrons and other artefacts"
"The Empire sure loves to turn the Force against the Jedi" said Ahsoka "If Vader, Hatana, and General Krenin weren't enough, now there's a whole group of dark side agents. Did Kota tell you anything else?"
"Apparently back on Corellia, Borsk Fey'lya has been arrested on the grounds of treason" said Luke. Ahsoka's eyes widened.
"How?" asked Ahsoka.
"Chief-of-State Sarke claims that he's suspected of being involved with the underworld" replied Luke "It feels a little abrupt if you ask me"
Meanwhile on Coruscant
Bane entered his apartment and instantly froze as soon as he saw Todo 360 lying on the ground motionless and slightly charred.
"Don't worry, he's not too badly damaged" said a voice "I'm sure someone of your caliber is able to repair him easily" Bane drew his blasters out. "There's no need for aggression, bounty hunter. I'm not here to fight" Out of the shadows stepped the Nightsister Carth'la.
"Who are you?" said Bane with his blasters pointed at her.
"I am merely a servant for a higher cause" said Carth'la "The Master wants your assistance, Cad Bane" Bane narrowed his eyes.
Author's note #1: The temple Ru-Thire was resting in was the Temple of Exar Kun.
Author's note #2: I was originally intending E7-3S to be an insectoid alien but I felt that it was merely pushing the Empire's Non-Human disdain. It's a rule that can be bent but not truly broken, and I hope to keep it that way.