Chapter 13

After some time on Gaia, Karel and the rest return to active duty. Karel and the others went on many missions around the galaxy, slowly noticing a rise in casualties.

I went to a ceremony on Dantooine. I was to represent the Big 5 since the others were on important missions. No, I don't care that I'm stuck at this boring meeting while my other teammates are out galivanting across the galaxy.

I was one of the first ones to get the award, then I was put on guard duty… I've got a few choice words for the person in charge of this, involving some colorful language that would make a grandmother faint. They only gave me a medal, so I would come and defend the place. You know what? I don't care.

No, I don't care at all. This is fine. Nothing that I see right now is wrong.

Emperor Kadabra is here too, and he seems even more board than I am. He looks out over the crowd, and then at me. "Do your job." His eyes said.

I circle around the building and find a vending machine. Maybe a soda will help to keep me awake. I buy a Coke and continue to walk around the building. After I finish the can I toss it in a can and smirk.

"Is this all our guards can do here? Toss cans of Soda in the bin"

I turn and see Lancelot standing in behind me. I salute him. Where'd that come from?

"Just needed something to keep me up. I always hated these types of things. If we do good, why do we need to be rewarded?"

"I like that attitude. I have a few questions for you."

"I'll answer them to the best of my ability."

"First thing, what do you know of Coruscant?"

"As much as anyone else, that it's the capital of the republic, the home of the Jedi temple, and the Senate. It's very heavily defended."

"Anything else?"

"When it's night the city had an orange glow to it. It has one trillion people on it."

"Have you heard of RJCDC?"

I've been there, to ask questions of course, not as a prisoner.

"I heard that was a prison. Hold scum comparable to those at Mandalore and Azkaban."

"Yes, so you've heard correctly. We have an Agent who is in there, and they have become a liability. We're coming up with a task force to attack the compound and find the agent."

"Who's the Agent?"

"Her name is Barriss Offee." Great, we're going to have to deal with her. She's my forth most hated person. She killed one of my friends.

"When will we leave?"

"After all the Mavens I select are finished up with their missions."

I nod.

"Now you should get back to your job." I nod and turn the corner. YES! Take that Guys, I won't be stuck on some backwater planet.

After the ceremony, I was brought onto Lancelot's ship. I didn't see Murphy anywhere.

"Where's Agent New York?" I asked Lancelot.

"He won't be on this mission. To have you on this mission I had to lend New York to Siren."

Oh, the poor soul. I hope Siren isn't so perverted when he's on the ship.

"Who are the other Mavens then?"

"You know them very well."

Does he mean…?

Daniel, Cecelia, and Dragonfist walk through the doors. Yep, they want only the best on this mission.

We all lineup. We stood still as we flew to Coruscant, or five thousand klicks from it.

Lancelot called us to attention.

"You are here today upon executive order from the Emperor himself. Your target is the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center. Your mission is to evacuate any prisoners willing to join the Empire. But your true mission is to kill a Jedi padawan by the name of Barriss Offee, along with any prisoners who stand against us."

He added a few details there from what I heard.

"When do we start?" Daniel asked, smiling widely. Of course, he would. I still see him as a friend, but he probably shouldn't be fighting every day, it's bad for him and his menta health.

"Soon. The Deathshead will not be setting down on the planet. Five hours ago, we deployed experimental troops to infiltrate Coruscant, and they will send a patrol transport to pick you up. From there, you're on your own." I don't like experimental troops. Nothing good comes from them.

"What about extraction?" I ask. I did think that was what we were going for. I mean, I wouldn't be opposed to ending her, but could she be a benefit to the Empire?

"A Trireme will be sent to attack the planet in 10 and remain here for 5 minutes. If you're not onboard when it arrives…no one will come back. Am I understood?" He ignored me.

"Sir yes sir!" We said in unison.

"Good. Lieutenant open the hatch!"

We get onto the ship and lock our helmets on. Dragonfist said something, but I didn't hear him. We all had on jetpacks, and when we jumped out of the ship we turned on our jetpacks. We moved to this ship that had it's hatch open. It was republic, so that's probably our stop.

It took some time, but we eventually got to the ship. When we got inside we turned off the jetpacks on our back.

We heard a monotonous, yet intimidating voice call out "Hello."

"You're the experimental troops?" Daniel asked. They felt weird. Something was off about them. They were dressed up as Coruscant Guards. "We were sent to test our capability in combat and assist you on your mission. What are your orders?"

"Alright. Here's what we do." I said. No one was taking the role of the leader. We needed one, so I raised to the occasion.

"Tejas, you will remain on the transport to lay suppressing fire. This transport is the only way out of here. Agents Illinois, Massachusetts, you will be coming with me on this mission."

"I have a question." It was Daniel. Of course, it's him. "Who named you leader?" He stepped next to me to intimidate me. He thinks that would work? I hold back from laughing. He hasn't seen what I've seen.

"Because I know how to lead people." I hope he wasn't thinking I was going to back down. I don't back down. "I have experience with leadership and I am giving you the opportunity to do what you enjoy. Unless you have a problem with that." I added. I was half expecting Daniel to throw a punch. Why is he acting like this? It's almost as if he hates me. Why?

Illinois chuckled darkly at the response. "I have none. Alright, you win."

"Good." One of the disguised troops said, "Because we are exactly 30 klicks above Coruscant's surface and closing in on the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center."

We get our weapons ready. We landed, and I looked out.

"I count at least twenty." Daniel said.

"The next question is how many of them are hiding." I say. I think I have a good estimate, about thirty clones were here at any one time.

"Killing them would bring out the clones."

One of the experimental troops leave the ship and walk towards the troops. He comes back after a minute. Did they figure us out? Then the troop grabs a blaster. Daniel shook his head in excitement for the battle, then scratched his armor with his knives. The clones figured something was off. Now it was time for this troop to taste battle. He ran forward, and to his credit, he was doing very well.

He got hit in the chest, and I was sure that he was going to fall after that hit, but he didn't. No matter how many times he was shot, he kept charging, firing at the clones. After he got to the clone formation he punched one so hard that he snapped the clone's neck.

"Let's move out." I say. We get out, but I'm surprised, today they have less troops then they normally do. We killed all but one. The last clone pulled out a thermal detonator and tossed it at the troop. It exploded, but the troop was still standing. It was a droid that had human skin on it. It's ugly.

It grabs the clone and squeezed him so tight that this chest was destroyed.

"Well… that was easy."

"Believe me. The fun's about to come."

Cecilia went back to the ship, and the droids went to the control panel. It ripped out the panel. I just look at it. You have to be kidding me. It ripped out some wires, and that opened the door. Five clones were waiting, but Daniel took care of them quickly.

"You. Stay with the ship. We don't want people to know of your existence." I order the droid. I salute and goes back to the ship.

We start our trek into the prison, and shortly get stopped by clones with electrostaffs. Nothing we couldn't handle. The clones didn't have heart problems anymore. Daniel took one of them out. The clone was still breathing. Not a sight I wanted to see.

The clones thought they could defeat us. I think by the time we got to the elevator we killed sixty clones.

One of the droids pressed the button to lower us. When we got to the floor we were looking for clones surrounded the elevator. I sent out a force push to knock them over the edge. I heard as they all fell to the ground.

The prisoners all came to see our handywork.

Dragonfist told me "I've got this."

He cleared his throat and used the force to amplify his voice. "Prisoners of the Republic, it is a pleasure to meet you. We are agents who were sent by Emperor Kadabra himself. He offers you all a chance to make yourselves greater than what you were and join the Sith Empire."

I think we're starting to get a few of them.

"For all those who wish to join the Empire, cover your mouths and noses and hold it for as long as you can."

I knew what he was doing. How did he know about that?

"Illinois, do it." Daniel knows about it too? I wonder how many will have blind faith in us.

"I thought you'd never ask." Daniel waves his hand and the emergency protocols in the cells activate. Tiny pieces of the wall slide open and white gas starts filling the cell. Those who are not holding their breath fall to the ground, wheezing slightly before going still. After a few seconds, the mist clears out and the cells become breathable again.

"Congratulations. You are all hired." He says, also magnifying the voice via the Force then follows his Force instincts to one of the cells and investigates it.

"I know that some of you may question whether or not the Empire will have the strength to destroy the Jedi and the Republic that has thrown you in here to rot. Which is why I will show you something." I feel sorry for her. She had no idea what was going to happen. He then uses the Force to de-activate the barrier keeping the fallen Jedi in her cell and a platform makes its way to her.

Daniel drags her out by the throat. "As you might have realized by now, this is Barriss Offee, a fallen Jedi who bombed the Temple. However, what you might not know is that she managed to also betray the Emperor. Let her be an example to any who would dare attempt to betray us."

He pulls out his weapon and activates it. places it against Barriss's stomach. She screams in pain as the spinning weapon cuts through her flesh and blood starts spilling on the metal surface. But Daniel doesn't stop there; he lets go of his hostage with his right hand and plunges it into the young ex-Jedi's stomach. She screams even louder as Daniel rips out the vermiform appendix, followed by her entire large intestine and wraps the thick organ around her neck. She starts choking, grasping for any strand of life she has left, but it drains away with her blood after several seconds of agony.

I was disgusted by this. It's a good thing I had my helmet on or they might have seen my anger towards Daniel. No one deserves to go out like that. Not even her.

What about Skywalker?

That's different.

Is it?

Yes, he's going to become Vader and kill all the Jedi. He would deserve this.

But you just said that no one deserves this.

Skywalker's different.

Is he?

I don't have time for this.

"I was wondering when I could try that move." Daniel says, stretching his arms casually.

I could feel Boba Fett. Was the one who led Vader to my master. He had admiration for the kill, while most of the others were horrified.

"For the rest of you, step onto the platforms and join our war. You will be given freedom, citizenship and the chance at revenge against the Jedi. The Republic's destruction is the will of the Force, and we are its instrument."

The prisoners come to me, and they bow. They proclaim loyalty to me. I notice one prisoner. He wasn't the typical prisoner for here. I would have to ask him why he's here. We divided ourselves with ten prisoners to get us all up. I was the last one, and when I got up, and left the prison there was a scene of pure chaos.

Explosions from Acclamators firing and being fired upon lit up the sky. The Droid that was left some how got a rocket launcher and fired it at a landing ship, hitting it. Assassin fighters littered the sky with transport and landing ships. The explosions from all the ships dazed some of the criminals except for the bounty hunters. We had a single Trireme-class light warship in the sky.

Most of the prisoners got on transport ships. We had two of them.

"Come on. Let's go!" Tejas shouted. My group splits in two and we got on the transports.

"How did you get a 2nd transport?"

"Some members of the Coruscant Guard decided to investigate why none of the clones were responding to their transmissions. We killed them and took their transport." One of the prisoners said.

The transports continue to rise in the air, their front-mounted twin missile launchers firing a set of missiles at a pair of ARC-170s, making them explode in balls of fire that crash to the ground. Tejas runs to the side of the ship and lifts up her plasma rifle before firing it on the cockpit of an ARC-170 they fly over. It takes 3 shots to punch through the glass of the cockpit and the resulting explosion coats the inside of the remaining cockpit red before it crashes into Coruscant's lower levels, sending a slender spire crashing to the ground and crushing a few sentients. I looked down at the bodies. What a waste.

The prisoners whoop. I shake my head. We move to the Ship. A yellow Jedi starfighter comes up behind our convoy, and shots down an Assassin fighter. We land in the ship. The republic launched a bombing run in our docking bay, but the shields take in all the energy. The bay doors closes, and shortly after we go into beam space.

Lancelot come up to us. "I want to hear the status of your mission. What is the fate of Boba Fett and Barriss Offee?"

Why does he care about Boba? Dragonfist gave the mission report.

"Boba Fett has been successfully evacuated as per the Emperor's order, along with 49 more prisoners. They will need some…disciplining, but they have the potential of becoming fine soldiers. Psycho here murdered Barriss as an example to those who would try and defect."

"Good job. How did the Adaptors perform in the field?" Lancelot laughed about what Dragonfist called Daniel. I don't think he really heard what Dragonfist said. Either that or he doesn't care. I don't know which.

"General, I speak for all of us when I say they are the best one-man slaughterhouses I've ever seen. Just one of them crushed an entire clone battalion and survived a thermal detonator to the face. However, you really need to have some clone personality and actions installed into their heads; their actions tipped the clones off that something was wrong, and they resort to killing their enemies too fast. I have no problems with that, but it won't work if they are going to impersonate guards." He was like a kid in a candy story. It was unnerving the way he was so excited.

"I see. Good job to all of you. I will have some soldiers give our new recruits a tour of the ship before Operation: RIPPER begins its second phase. Dismissed!"

We left Lancelot. Me and Cecelia went to the break room. I slumped on the couch. She got a cup of Coffee.

"What did Daniel do?"

"He opened Barriss's stomach, then hung her with her own intestines. I think he need some mental attention. He's going to kill someone in a blood rage."

"That's horrible. No one deserves that."

"And yet we see his depravity. He's changed since Hogwarts. I think he hates me."

"He's our friend. Don't say stuff like that."

"You don't see his eyes. He hates me, and I don't know why." I have only one idea. He hates three of us. He thinks that Cecilia, Murphy and I think we're better than him. I don't. I don't want to be compared to him. If he does this regularly, then he's just an animal. Nothing better than that.

"Does… Does he hate me?"

"I think so. He probably hates Murphy as well, since it's the three of us he sees talking to each other. I think he has an Idea that we think we're better than him"

"I don't think that."

"I never said you did. It's what he thinks of us."

The big 5 split up again. I went back to my ship and Murphy went back with Lancelot. Siren took Hawaii and was accompanied by Cecilia and the Empress to Deveron. They took the planet and fought the Jedi. Khione even took Cecilia under her wing.

I go back to my room and fall on the pillow. I place my hands under them, and I feel a box. I take it out and look at it.

I open it and see a note.

"It's time." A screen turns on, and I see a pilot. This is Kadabra's pilot, and Kadabra must be going to Mandalore. He leaves the room. I know what I have to do. I call upon the dark side of the force, and I choke the pilot. I see him holding onto his neck, then falling towards the planet. A tiny device on the bottom of the control panel goes off. Smoke rises from the panel.

The Emperor come into the room, and I see something that I never thought I would. Hailey Potter was transmitting to her brother.

"What is going on?" Kadabra asked

"Let me enlighten you, Emperor. Your ship is now under the control of the soldiers of the order of the Phoenix. We are going to avenge all those you have killed in your merciless quests for power. Your arrogance will become your downfall. After all these years, I have come to believe in Irony. What better examples is there, seeing you perish at the same inhumane prison you constructed? Goodbye, Big Brother."

My transmission cut off.

If he survives this, then I will never again help the order. If he survives, I will be his loyal soldier. I will be the weapon he uses against his enemies.

If.

Author's Notes: This one is mainly chapter 22 but ends at the beginning of chapter 24.

This chapter has a lot of blood and Gore in it. That isn't going to be the usual. This story is going to be ending soon.

If you like this, check out my story, Jedi Hunter: The Second Great War.

May the Force be With you

-DragonZlayerx12