Chapter 12. Fate of the Star Fire
The Star Fire was in orbit of an uninhabited planet many light years deep inside the unknown regions. Captain Mason had given his crew much needed shore to the planet below. They had also claimed the planet in the name of the Galactic Alliance. There was a Skeleton crew on board the Star Fire. Mason was checking on log ins when Jedi Master Sun Jin entered the bridge. "Captain is something happening? I felt a disturbance in the force."
Before Mason could answer Lt. Voles spoke up, "Sir long range scans are picking up three Arquillion star ships entering the system."
"Captain-we need to leave now!" Sun Jin said walking up to the Captain, "I sense a powerful presence in the force aboard that ship."
"So the Arquillions are a force sensitive race." Voles said from his station.
"Yes they are but someone aboard that ship is using the force and the Arquillions believe in the force but they don't use it."
Mason couldn't believe, "Are you saying that the Arquillions are going to attack us?"
"That is exactly what I am saying."
Mason sighed and walked over to the COM station, "This is Captain Mason to all crew members on the planet surface-Please return to your shuttles and return to the Star Fire-this is a code red."
"They won't make it we have to buy them some time." Sun Jin said.
Mason grunted just as his new wife Nala joined him on the bridge, "Launch all Drone fighters!" He ordered.
As the droid operated star fighters swarmed out of the Star Fighter the shuttles started docking on the Star Fire. The Drones attacked the three Arquillion warships slowing their attack against the Star Fire. "Set course for the outer rim!" Mason ordered when the last shuttle had docked, "All crew members get to your stations!"
Bridge of the Arquillion Command ship Glaiator
As the Star Fire pulled away from the planet the three Arquillion ships had just finished off the drone fighters. "Sir the Star Fire is making a run for the edge of the system." The science officer said from her station.
The Captains of of Arquillion warships were referred to as Praetor. Praetor Aro Kom walked to a man dressed like Darth Vader's side. "If they make it to the edge of the system they will make the jump to lightspeed."
Anakin who was under Donovan's control and forced to assume the role of his infamous Grandfather turned his death mask covered head towards Aro and said in a voice similar to his Grandfather's. "Pray they do not Praetor. Increase speed."
Capital class Star Destroyers were fast, but the Arquillion warships were just a little faster. "Lock on all ion missiles and fire!' Vader demanded.
The Star Fire
"Evasive manuevers!" Mason yelled. Out of the 150 missiles fired at the Star Fire fifty from each ship only nine of them did any damage to the Star Fire. One of the main thrusters was hit allowing the Arquillion warships to catch up to the Star Fire. "You are a Jedi can't you do something?" Mason said looking at Jin.
"There are dozens of things I can do Captain-I could mind trick the pilots or create illusions-I could smash their drive controls, but as I said there is someone far more powerful than I on board that ship-My fellow Jedi and I will prepare for his arrival."
Mason stared in disappointment as Jin left the bridge. The ship came to a stop as the thrusters were hot with an ion blast. "All hands prepare to boarded-If anyone can get away return to the Alliance and tell them what has happened." Mason walked up to Nala and pulled her side.
"I will remain at your side." She said.
"No I want you to get away if you can."
"My place is at your side!"
Mason waved over a commando, "Commander get my wife to a shuttle."
Voles spun around in his seat, "Captain we are being boarded!"
There was a huge explosion in the main hanger, but the ship commandoes and battle droids were already in position. They even had five VHK droids. A hail of blaster zipped through the hole made and the Arquillion soldiers charged the Star Fire's forces. Over fifty men fell in the first wave and the defenders lost fourteen men. That is when a Roller tank came into the hanger, Roller tanks were large silver spheres that rolled across the ground. The tanks could hold a crew of ten and another fifty troops. The sphere opened up horizontally and started shooting from all sides. When everyone including the battle droids were dead the roller rose up on the quarter bottom half of the sphere and the fifty troops exited to secure the hanger.
"Who is this guy suppose to be-Darth Vader?" A sniper asked perched on the ceiling scaffold of the hanger with his spotter. He took aim at the Darth Vader like man but a battle speeder rose up in front of him and fired on the two men.
Star Fire's Bridge
"Captain! They are slicing into the system I can't keep them out."
Mason went to the COM, "I want all troops to station themselves in hanger three we will make a stand there. You men come with me."
As the defenders ran from hanger to hanger they were being chased by the roller tank smashing through the lower levels of the ship and a battle speeder. That is when Arron Right swung on a grapple line with his lightsaber drawn and slashed the battle speeder. As he landed the speeder went slamming into the wall of the hanger. Pani Kod (Female Sullustan), Abel Stak, and Gyph Lek (Male Zabrak) all stood with there hands pointed at the roller tank. With there combined strength they crushed the tank as if it were a piece of paper. Sun Jin pointed his hand at the doors and used the force to close them, then they sealed the doors with their lightsabers.
Darth Vader walked up to the sealed doors, "Commander find another route through the ship-I shall deal with the Jedi." He pointed his hand at the door and ripped it off the track with little effort. Then he walked forward until he was standing twenty feet from Sun Jin and the Jedi. Anakin's masked split in tiers down the middle left and right then it folded into a collar around his neck. "Jedi surrender and the great Donovan Leers will spare your lives."
"I don't believe it-" Gyph Lek said, "-Its Anakin Solo!"
"My name is Darth Vader-fool Anakin Solo is dead! I shall give you only one chance to surrender."
Jin tried to use the force as he spoke, "You are not Darth Vader-Donovan Leers is controlling your mind."
"Enough! Now you shall die in your foolishness!"
"Come he hears nothing!" Abel Stak said leaping at Anakin.
"No wait!" Jin yelled, but it was too late as Vader raised his hand and threw force lightening at at Stak. He screamed as he was hit and thrown across the room into the wall.
"We'll have to fight him together!" Jin yelled.
They all ignited their lightsabers and attacked at the same time. Vader wielded a lightsaber with a red blade. He blocked left and kicked Arron Right in the chest. Then he spun into Lek swinging for the Zabrak's head, but he ducked, and Vader quickly responded by kneeing him in the face. Vader spun his blade around his back to block an attack from Jin, then he force pushed Jin as Pani Kod attacked from the left. He caught her sword hand severed it and threw her lightsaber like a spear with the hand still attached to it at Stak as he sat up. Then Vader stabbed Kod in her chest killing her. With two Jedi dead that only left Sun Jin, Arron Right and Gyph Lek. All three Jedi had Vader surrounded, but they couldn't break through his defenses, but eventually Sun Jin was able to slash him across the back. Vader's armor protected him from serious injury but the green energy blade still melted through the armor. He sneered and unleashed a force wave that threw Lek up into the air and onto the cockpit of a fighter. Jin flipped and landed on his feet while Arron hit his back and slid across the floor.
Vader jumped twenty feet across the hanger with his saber pointed at Arron, "No!" Jin screamed grabbing him in the force but Vader twisted his body keeping his saber pointed at Arron, threw his free hand out at Jin and cast lightening at him. Jin blocked the attack with his Saber and all he could do was watch as Vader landed knocking Arron's lightsaber from his hand and stabbed him as he lay on his back.
"If you would have trained him better perhaps he would still be alive!" Vader said standing up and walking towards Jin. Jin summoned Arron's lightsaber and charged Vader, but Vader was too fast in the span of twelve moves Vader severed both arms and struck Jin with his saber. Jin's body vanished instantly. As Vader collected the lightsabers of the fallen Jedi he felt Lek sturring on the cockpit of the fighter. He pointed both hands at the fighter casting lightening at the ship and it blew up billowing his cape.
The battle on board the Star Fire lasted another two hours. Over sixty percent of the crew was dead. Captain Mason and the command crew were taken alive while the rest of the survivors were locked in the main hanger. With his mask up, Vader walked back and front in front of the command crew, but he stopped in front of Peter Voles.
"What is your name and rank boy?" Voles looked at Captain Mason who nodded and that is when Vader backhanded him in the face. "Answer me when I speak to you boy!"
"Hey that is not called for!" Mason yelled, but the Arquillion soldiers held him back.
Vader looked at Mason, "He should answer me when I speak."
"Voles!" He said rubbing his face, "Lt Peter Voles."
"The force is strong in you-have you had any training?" He asked as Voles stood up.
"No-I have taken a vow not to study the ways of the Jedi-like my father and his father before him."
"Interesting-my master ordered me to kill or capture all the Jedi on board, but one is missing-I could kill you in her place-but I was also ordered to take the command crew alive-Hence my delema-The force is strong in you-you will make a powerful apprentice."
"You may as well kill me now-because I will never serve your master."
"Believe me when I say that you have no choice in the matter." Vader turned to the commander, "Take them to my ship."
The crew of the Star Fire had been defeated and Vader made them watch while he had the other Arquillion warship use its tractor beam to push an asteroid into the Star Fire to make it look like an accident. Then he returned to the Arquillion home world.