Episode 13 – Scrap
Jailbreak at Malachor! Following the daring rescue mission led by Jedi Knight: Kento Marek, many of the Sith's captured Jedi have been freed from Sith captivity! Meanwhile Republic Intelligence receives word of a Sith Operation on Raxus Prime! On Ossus the Padawan Pack is assembled and summoned to the Jedi High Council Chambers, where the fate of the Pack will be decided!
In the Jedi Temple on Ossus…
Tahiri Velia, Grun, Yodin, and Ronderu walked quietly down the halls towards High Council Chambers, all of them dreading what the Council had to tell them.
"So what do you think they're going to do to us?" Grun asked.
"Separate us, perhaps." Yodin replied, although it was a complete guess.
"Ronderu, are you alright? We haven't seen you since…" Tahiri said to the taller Kaleesh Padawan who glanced at Tahiri with a quiet glare.
"I have been meditating. Reflecting on my purpose. Thinking of my people as war ravages my home. Conflict is a natural part of life but I am still saddened by the knowledge that not only is my home embroiled in planet wide war, but that I am partly responsible." Ronderu replied.
"Your fault, it is not. Blame you, we do not." Yodin said as Ronderu turned and glared at him.
"Not even for Hisari's death?" Ronderu asked point blank. Yodin was noticeably saddened by her question but maintained his composure.
"Blame you, I do not. Miss her, I do. But blame you for her death, I do not." Yodin replied as they entered into the waiting area outside the council chambers where a certain dark haired youth and assassin droid waiting.
"Anakin! What are you doing here?" Tahiri asked, startled to see her friend.
"Getting away from Coruscant, that's what I'm doing." Anakin said as he stood to his feet.
"Why would you want to do that?" Tahiri asked as Anakin ran a hand over his face.
"Ugh, I've been cooped up on the Lusankya for almost a month. The exception was when my grandfather and I took a joyride on his new ship and frankly I'd rather not talk about that experience." Anakin said wryly.
"Statement: My memories of the experience are actually rather pleasant Master." HK-47 commented.
"The dumb droid activated an army of long-dormant Separatist Battle Droids and threw them at a Sith army on Dathomir." Anakin groaned.
"Objection: Master, I did manage to acquire a few IG-100 Magnaguard type Battle Droids for use by your fellow Jedi Meatbags in the training area here so I don't see how that was a negative, Master." HK quipped.
"What's with the droid?" Grun asked Tahiri who groaned.
"Ugh. Don't ask." Tahiri mumbled.
"Answered her question, you did not." Yodin said as Anakin shrugged.
"Right. Well, Master Marek's too busy with the war so Uncle Luke's agreed to become my temporary Master, at least until the war's over." Anakin said as the door to the council chamber opened, K'Kruhk emerging from within.
"Ah excellent, you have all arrived. The Council is ready to see you now." K'Kruhk said, stepping back into the room. As the Padawans entered the chamber, they saw the council was seated, although Galen, Kyp, Maris, Kyle, and Anakin Sr. were present via hologram. There were also a couple of figures standing near the center of the chamber. One of the figures was wearing a Jedi cloak with the hood up while the other Tahiri recognized.
"Jacen, you're here too?" Tahiri asked as Jacen Solo gave Tahiri a nod.
"Hello to you too Tahiri. I'm fine by the way." Jacen said as the hooded figure turned towards them.
"Man are you guys a sight for sore eyes." The figure said, causing the four of them to freeze mid-step in absolute shock. The figure pulled back the hood to reveal Hisari, her horn still broken and dangling at the end of her braid.
"H-Hisari is that you?" Grun asked, blinking in disbelief.
"Yeah it's me. Well don't act so surprised. Haven't you ever seen someone come back from the dead?" Hisari asked with a smirk.
"H-How?!" Tahiri asked, still stunned.
"It is a story you shall each have to hear in your own time. For now, time is of the essence." K'Kruhk said as Luke gave a nod.
"Yes. The reason we called you all here is that we believe it is time that each of you receive a new Master." Luke said.
"Some of you will be placed under masters that are involved in the war while the rest of you may not. But do not forget the lessons that you have learned from your previous masters, as they have helped you all reach the point where you are now." Kyle commented.
"Padawan Grun, your new Master is Master Solusar here. She specifically requested you for your affinity for historical information." Luke said as the Twi'lek Padawan looked to the Jedi Historian who smiled at the boy.
"I had a vision of your future, Padawan. I foresee you will become a great historian and chronicler of the Jedi Order. You are fascinated by the past and not necessarily glorious tales of the Jedi. You focus more on the facts and minor details, an important and handy affinity." Tionne said as Grun bowed to her.
"I look forward to our training, Master Tionne." Grun said, stepping over to stand just over the shoulder of his new Master.
"Padawan Yodin, if you will turn to look behind you, I believe you will see another person you had hoped to see again." Luke said as Yodin turned to look behind him and was startled to see Master Ikrit bounding into the room and come to a stop dead center of the chamber, catching his breath.
"Apologies for my tardiness, Masters. I was detained. Some dumb battle droid in the hall thought I was some manner of vermin and attempted to blast me." Ikrit said, Yodin's eyes nearly falling out of their sockets.
"Master! Alive, you are!" Yodin said, shocked. Ikrit regarded the young Padawan with a smile and a nod.
"Yes, Yodin I am alive. The Sith merely captured me at Yavin. I am free now and eager to continue your training." Ikrit said, Yodin smiling and nodding almost tearfully to his Master.
"Miss you, I did." Yodin replied as Luke cleared his throat.
"As much as I hate to interrupt…" Luke said, bringing the conversation back on track.
"Please proceed Master Skywalker, we will catch up later." Ikrit said, he and Yodin stepping away towards the door to watch.
"Padawan Ronderu, you are being assigned to Master X2. Like yourself, he was trained by Master Kota and wants to continue your training. He also hopes to acquire your help in tracking down your father." Luke said as Ronderu bowed to her new Master.
"I look forward to our training, Master X2." Ronderu said as X2 gave a nod.
"As do I, Ronderu." X2 stated, Ronderu moving to stand just over his shoulder.
"Padawan Hisari, you will be trained by Master Kirana Ti. She is currently on a mission to Ansion right now but has reported that she will be returning shortly. In the meantime, you will need to construct a new lightsaber to replace the one stolen from you on Kalee." Luke said as Hisari nodded.
"Understood Masters." Hisari replied.
"Padawan Velia. Yours is a…unique case. The Master you've been assigned to has not yet achieved the rank of Master so it came as a surprise to us when he came to us and asked to take you on as his Padawan." Luke explained.
"What surprised us is his age and preexisting relationship with you. We are uncertain as to how this will affect your training." Anakin Sr. stated via Hologram.
"Masters, I don't follow. Who is my new Master?" Tahiri asked. She then heard someone clear his throat nearby and noticed Jacen making an overt attempt at gaining her attention. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Jacen? You?!" Tahiri asked.
"I am a Jedi Knight, Tahiri and you are my friend. I was hesitant at first, especially so soon after Yavin but after a while I felt…compelled to submit the request before the Council. I informed the Council and they agree that perhaps this is the will of the Force." Jacen said as Tahiri took a deep breath.
"Okay, I accept your mentorship…but I don't think I'm ready to think of you as Master yet. I will remain your Padawan but, I ask for your patience." She said as Jacen gave a nod.
"I don't expect to be called Master right away. We'll give it time. But frankly if you never call me Master, that's fine with me. I just want to see your training completed." Jacen said as Anakin Sr. cleared his throat.
"Jacen, I do not wish to rush things but you are needed elsewhere. Is your ship ready?" Anakin Sr. asked.
"Yes grandfather. We'll leave immediately. I'll fill Tahiri in on the way." Jacen said as he headed for the door, Tahiri following after him as they headed into the hallway.
"Jacen, where are we going?" Tahiri asked.
"Make sure you bring a pair of really sturdy boots, Tahiri. We're heading to Raxus Prime." Jacen said as they passed Anakin and HK-47 in the hall.
"Where are you two going?" Anakin asked.
"Get this! Jacen's my new Master!" Tahiri said as they passed by.
"What?!" Anakin asked in disbelief.
"No time to explain, Anakin! Will of the Force! See ya!" Jacen called as the two started running towards the hangars.
Later…
A blue hued Starspeeder dropped out of hyperspace near the Raxus System, the Raxus star shining in the distance. Jacen sat at the helm of the Starspeeder, Tahiri sitting behind him in the only remaining seat in the passenger area. The Starspeeder had been modified for cargo transport with the eight rear most doors having been removed on both sides and replaced with two slightly slanted cargo doors and the two forward passenger doors. Inside the Starspeeder, behind and beside Tahiri, were at least ten Speeder Bikes, a swoop bike with a droid socketed sidecar, and a few crates of supplies. In the droid socket on the Starspeeder was Kento's droid, R4-M9. Jacen and Tahiri were both clad in heavy clothing to keep out the toxic atmosphere of Raxus Prime.
"So the Hisari that died after Kalee was a clone?" Tahiri asked.
"That's right. The healers at the academy tested her blood sample to that of a blood sample taken from the dead one during the autopsy. It appears the one that died was a sort of…flash clone and would've died anyway. The Sith Lord just expedited the process. The real Hisari was taken prisoner and sent to a Sith prison on Malachor V. Kento broke her out of prison with the help of a squad of Mandalorians. We've tested all of the rescued Jedi to see if they were clones and so far none of them appear to be clones." Jacen explained.
"That's incredible." Tahiri said, bewildered by the revelation.
"Agreed. That aside, I bet you have questions about why I asked to become your Master." Jacen said as Tahiri shrugged.
"Well…yes but they can wait. What's the mission?" Tahiri asked as they approached Raxus Prime. Jacen immediately began to deactivate the ship's communications and lower its shields to the point they were just able to repel the most basic of debris.
"Just a minute." Jacen replied as the Starspeeder began to enter the atmosphere, the shield alarms beeping rapidly as the ship descended into the atmosphere until finally they saw the debris covered surface of Raxus Prime.
"Hold on tight, Tahiri." Jacen commented as they headed towards five large towers that seemed oddly familiar to the two Jedi.
"Hey, is that-." "Looks like it doesn't it?" Jacen asked as they approached the towers which resembled the five towers of the old Jedi Temple on Coruscant, the originals having been destroyed during the Sith attack at the beginning of the war. Tahiri began to feel a presence in the Force as they drew closer to the towers, Jacen putting the ship into a landing pattern and setting the ship down on the top of the "temple."
"We're here." Jacen said as Tahiri immediately saw something she hadn't noticed as they were landing. There was a squad of men and women of mixed races wearing grey colored survival gear, emerging from within the "temple." One of the figures, a woman by her build, wore an X-Wing Pilot's helmet on her head and a red bandana over her mouth for protection, and was approaching the Starspeeder. Jacen immediately pressed a button, lowering the large cargo doors on the Starspeeder along with the main passenger doors.
"Did someone order some speeder bikes?" Jacen asked as he climbed out from inside the Starspeeder, Tahiri close behind.
"Glad you could join the party, Jacen. Hey Tahiri." The woman with the X-Wing helmet said, startling Tahiri.
"Jaina? What are you doing here?" Tahiri asked. Jaina glanced at Jacen who shrugged.
"Sorry, I didn't have a chance to explain the mission to her." Jacen said as Jaina rolled her eyes.
"Well now's your chance! Greys! Let's unload the bikes!" Jaina called as the soldiers of Grey Squadron quickly hurried to unload the speeder bikes.
"I'm gonna give you the short version. Republic Intelligence received word from a salvaging company here on Raxus that there were Sith forces sifting through the wreckage of an Old Republic military base that's been here since the Clone Wars. We're not sure what they're looking for but our orders are to locate the Sith base, find out what they're after, and then make sure they don't get away with it." Jacen explained as Tahiri nodded.
"Understood." She replied as Jaina approached with the swoop bike that had the droid socketed sidecar.
"So why is Tahiri here?" Jaina asked.
"Didn't you hear? She's my new Padawan." Jacen replied as Jaina put a hand on her hip.
"We~ll, so you actually followed through with it. And the council approved?" Jaina asked as Jacen nodded.
"Sure did." Jacen replied as X3 rode up on one of the speeder bikes, Quad Guns riding behind him.
"We're gonna have to double up on bikes. You only brought eleven, Solo." X3 commented.
"You try fitting more than eleven in there with room enough to breathe, Xavier." Jacen said as X3 shrugged.
"Whatever…what's Velia doing here?" X3 asked, earning a scowl from the Padawan.
"Could ask you the same thing, Xavier." Tahiri said as Jacen climbed onto a speeder bike.
"Enough! Let's accomplish our mission. You two can make out later, for now we have a job to do." Jacen said as Tahiri climbed on with him. They then heard R4 letting out a worried beep from the droid socket on the Starspeeder.
"Come on, R4! We're gonna need your sensors!" Jacen said as R4 popped out of the droid socket and ignited his boosters, flying over to Jaina's swoop and landing in the droid socket.
"Hey, isn't this Kento's droid?" Jaina asked.
"Yeah but he loaned him to me for the mission. He's spending some downtime at the temple." Jacen replied as Jaina looked at the astromech.
"Don't worry, R4, I'll make sure you get back to your master." Jaina said, R4 beeping something in response.
"Don't thank me yet, we haven't even left. Alright Greys, let's move out!" Jaina ordered as they all started up their bikes and raced off into the junk filled wastes of Raxus. The bikes were continuing to race along through canyons made of junk and debris when all of a sudden a blaster bolt flew past them from behind. The pilots quickly glanced behind and saw a pair of Sith Scout Troopers astride Sith Speeder Bikes in hot pursuit of the Republic forces. The Sith Scouts looked similar to the basic Imperial Scout Trooper but the mouth piece of the helmet was smoother and more dome-like, more resembling the old Phase I Advanced Recon Force Trooper helmets of the Clone Troopers during the Clone Wars. Their armor was also painted jet black.
"R4! Jam their transmissions!" Jaina ordered, R4 beeping a confirmation as blaster bolts flew past the squadron, the pilots nimbly evading their attackers. Quad-Guns immediately turned with two blasters drawn and fired at the Sith Scouts, striking one in the chest, knocking him off his bike into a massive vat of molten iron while his bike smashed into the junk and exploded. The remaining scout quickly veered off in a different direction.
"He's making a run for it!" Tahiri exclaimed. Jacen quickly veered their bike towards and up a steep incline, launching them into the air before coming back down about ten or twenty meters behind the scout. Jacen hit the accelerator, the speeder bike quickly catching up to the scout and firing with the blaster cannons, one shot hitting the scout's bike, causing it to start spinning out of control, decapitating the scout against some low hanging metal debris before the bike exploded against a wall. Jacen quickly banked their bike hard to the left and fired the bike's blaster again at a metal wall dead ahead of them, the blaster fire striking a fuel tank near the wall, causing it to explode. As Jacen followed the force towards Jaina and the others, they heard a louder engine behind them. They looked back and saw a Sith combat speeder on their tail. The combat speeder resembled a more armored version of the Empire's old Chariot LAV Landspeeder but with a larger turret mounted blaster cannon and two forward mounted blaster cannons. The cockpit had a narrower field of view due to the extra plating around the viewports. The Combat Speeder opened fire on the two Jedi.
"You got this?!" Jacen asked Tahiri nodded and reached for her lightsaber.
"Just get me close enough!" She replied as Jacen quickly swerved to the side around a tall piece of debris, the speeder swerving around the opposite side, giving Jacen the opportunity to hit the brakes, the combat speeder coming up alongside. The speeder's turret swiveled around towards the two but Tahiri had already leapt aboard with her lightsaber active and with one swing cut the barrel of the turret's cannon in half before leaping up onto the roof of the speeder, narrowly ducking in time to avoid a low hanging arch of junk. Suddenly the speeder accelerated, the sudden burst of speed knocking her backwards towards the back of the speeder, threatening to knock her off had she not grabbed a hold of the slight indentation in the top of the speeder where the turret sat. As she held on for dear life, she noticed a hatch on the top of the turret open, a Sith scout trooper climbing up from inside with a blaster drawn. She quickly raised her lightsaber in time to deflect the trooper's incoming blaster fire until the Speeder suddenly jerked slightly, causing her to lose hold of her lightsaber, the inactive hilt flying towards Jacen who had dropped behind the speeder. Jacen quickly caught the lightsaber in midair and clipped it to his belt. He tried catching up to the speeder but there was little he could do. The trooper took aim at the Padawan and was about to pull the trigger when a smaller figure landed behind him on the front of the speeder. The trooper turned around to see Whisker with a blaster rifle in hand. Whisker quickly shot the trooper in the chest, causing him to tumble out of the speeder and onto the debris below. Tahiri looked and saw that they had regrouped with the rest of Grey Squadron, Party Girl driving her bike close up next to the side of the combat speeder so that Whisker was able to leap over. The Chadra-fan quickly and carefully inched towards the back of the speeder while X3 and Quad Guns maneuvered around to the other side of the combat speeder, the Xexto quickly climbing up the side and drawing a blaster, firing into the speeder a few times to kill the driver and anyone else still inside while Whisker held out his blaster rifle towards Tahiri, allowing her to grab hold and pull her up more securely onto the speeder roof. They then heard an explosion from inside the speeder.
"Whoops!" they heard Quad Guns yelp as he quickly clamored off the speeder and back on with X3.
"R4! Take the controls!" Jaina ordered, the astromech beeping a confirmation as she turned towards the speeder as its engines were set ablaze due to a missed shot from Quad Guns. Whisker quickly slid down onto Party Girl's bike, both she and X3 pulling away from the doomed speeder.
"Jump!" Jacen yelled, Tahiri quickly squatting down before jumping into the air, Jaina using the force to catch the airborne Padawan and lower her safely back onto Jacen's bike. The bikes then all came to a stop as they watched the speeder crash and explode before tumbling off into a deep chasm full of acid below.
"Are we clear?" Jacen asked.
"We cracked a couple more scouts after you left us. The Sith are definitely here." Porky commented.
"Then we're on the right track. We're not far from our destination. From there it'll be a short hike to the Old Republic base. Let's ride!" Jaina called as the bikes revved up again and took off.
…
Roughly fifteen minutes later, they had found a clearing atop a crashed Imperial Star Destroyer partially buried under a mountain of debris and junk. The ship's natural sloping frame and angle of its landing made it a sort of artificial mountain. The bridge tower had been long stripped off by salvagers. The Greys had parked their bikes and were hiding them amongst the piles of debris and junk. Tahiri was standing nearby, keeping watch, as Jacen approached, unclipping her lightsaber from his belt.
"Day one as my Padawan and we're already having the conversation about not losing your lightsaber." Jacen said with a smile as Tahiri looked at him.
"Really?" She asked, sarcastically.
"Tahiri, I am your master now and it is my duty to make sure you become a wise and powerful Jedi. I'm not going to lecture you on something you already know Tahiri. I understand more than you know. Every Jedi has lost their lightsaber at one point or another. In most cases it's because of things beyond our control. Take my uncle Luke for instance. He lost his first lightsaber when his father literally cut his hand off." Jacen explained, earning another glare from Tahiri.
"Right, bad example. Oh, even better. My grandfather. He lost his first lightsaber several times, it even got destroyed. But like all of us he learned to hold onto it. I mean remember Kalee? You were knocked out and had your lightsaber confiscated. Even Master K'Kruhk's lightsaber was confiscated and you all had to make do without them." Jacen explained.
"I get what you're saying, Jacen. And I'll try to be more careful." Tahiri said as she took back her lightsaber, clipping it to her belt.
"I've always wanted to say this so please indulge me just this once. You have much to learn my young Padawan." Jacen said as Tahiri rolled her eyes with a smile.
"Yes, Master." She replied sarcastically.
"Hey! We're making improvements already!" Jacen chuckled as they approached Jaina and X3, the rest of the squad arming themselves, the only ones among them that was missing was Trapper and Shaggy, the two having departed to climb up the side of the Star Destroyer's hulk to get a better view of the surrounding area. R4 was nearby, still in the sidecar on Jaina's bike.
"So I thought Grey Squadron was a fighter squadron." Jacen commented as they approached.
"Actually we're both fighter pilots and spec ops specialists." X3 replied, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Makes sense." Jacen said as Jaina looked to her brother.
"Did you bring the information we requested by the way?" Jaina asked as Jacen nodded and held up a data-stick, handing it to Jaina who plugged it into a datapad, reading through its contents.
"Leave it to my grandfather to have access to these old records." Jaina commented.
"What's it say?" X3 asked.
"The base was established as an outpost years ago during the Clone Wars. It was established on the order of Jedi Master and General Mace Windu after a campaign on Thule. But the reason for its establishment was either classified or never recorded. After the rise of the Empire, the base was abandoned altogether and left to rot. That's where the records stop." Jaina explained as Shaggy and Trapper came running up to them from up the side of the Star Destroyer hulk.
"Report." X3 ordered as the two saluted.
"The Sith have virtually torn the base apart. They seem to be digging for something hidden beneath the base. They've got a huge excavator working but so far they've only pulled out large pieces of junk." Trapper explained.
"That's interesting. Did you get any visuals?" Jaina asked, Trapper looking to the towering Wookiee which presented a data-stick with a roar.
"Then let's see what they've found." Jaina said as she took the stick and plugged it into R4, the droid projecting a hologram of the base. They watched as the excavator unearthed a large round piece of twisted metal and lowered it onto a large cargo sled. There were other similar pieces already on the sled including a large sort of cube-like metal frame.
"Looks like they've found something." Jacen commented.
"Yeah and I have a bad feeling that, whatever it is they've found, it's not going to end well for the Republic." Jaina said as the hologram disappeared.
"So what do we do about it?" Tahiri asked.
"I think it's obvious, we swoop in and destroy the base." Cut Up said with a grin as he loaded a missile launcher.
"Dianoga pit! The only way in is through a narrow pathway and they've got that blocked off by turrets! We'd get gunned down in an instant!" X3 said as Jaina thought of something.
"Maybe we need an alternate entrance. R4, bring up the hologram of the base again." Jaina instructed, the Droid beeping a confirmation and projecting the hologram of the base once more. Jaina scanned over the hologram for a moment before finally spotting something.
"There! That's our way in!" Jaina said, motioning to the wrecked hull of an old cruiser that acted as part of the wall surrounding the base. On the port side of the ship, opposite the base, was a large gaping hole where the ship had apparently split partially into two, only having begun to split open, leaving a large hollowed out area in the space between.
"Oh I see what you're thinking. We can blow a hole in this cruiser and make our entrance through there into the Sith base, bypassing the guns and taking them by surprise." Jacen said as X3 gave an approving nod.
"Good idea but there's one problem. The hull appears to be in one piece on this side of the ship. We'd need something stronger than demo charges to blow it open. The stuff we brought ain't rated for punching holes in starships." X3 said, Cut Up nodding in agreement.
"Yeah, but we could weaken the hull. Then we'd need something bigger and stronger to really punch a hole in in it." Cut Up commented.
"Too bad we left the Starspeeder back at the landing site. We could've used it for a battering ram." X3 commented, earning an indignant series of beeps from R4.
"Whoa what's his problem?!" X3 yelped, startled by the droid's reply.
"Sorry, he used to work for the Star Tours agency, the company that owned most of the Starspeeders before the Jedi bought them up. He's a bit proud of them." Jacen said.
"Besides we may need the Starspeeder to get out of here. We need another option." Jaina said as Party Girl had an idea.
"Well what about this? It may cost us our speeder bikes but we could rig their engines into a much larger explosive for taking out the hull." She explained.
"Blue, you saw the path we took to get from the landing area to here. We need those bikes to get back." X3 said as Party Girl shrugged.
"Just throwing my ten credits in." she said, sitting down on a crate nearby.
"I like your idea for a battering ram though. If we could find an old vehicle in working order that's large enough, we could probably ram a hole through the old ship." Jaina said as Jacen looked back towards the mountains of junk and derelict vehicles.
"This place is full of old machines we could use. Trick is just finding one we can salvage." Jacen said.
"Agreed. Let's see if we can find something. Mount up, greys! We're going digging!" Jaina called, the Squadron members quickly recovering their speeder bikes and setting off.
…
The Squadron had broken off into three groups, Jaina leading Shaggy, Trapper, Porky, and R4 off in one direction, X3 with Party Girl, Quad Guns and Whisker in another, leaving Jacen, Tahiri, Squid, and Cut Up in another, each searching for some kind of vehicle they could use to accomplish their mission. After a few minutes travel through the junkyards, Tahiri spotted something amongst the debris.
"Wait! Turn around I saw something!" Tahiri exclaimed, Jacen hitting the breaks, the rest of his group slowing down with him before turning around and slowly flying back the way they came until Tahiri leapt off the bike and started running towards a large hulk of a vehicle resting beneath the collapsed wing of an old C-9979 Lander. The wing appeared to be largely shielding the hulk from other debris, creating a makeshift alcove for the hulk. Jacen and the other two soldiers quickly followed her to the hulk.
"What about that?" Tahiri asked, pointing at the hulk. Jacen approached the hulk with a smirk.
"Looks in good shape but an inspection will tell the tale." Jacen said as Cut Up whistled, impressed.
"I'm no historian but that looks like an old Trade Federation MTT to me." Cut Up said as Squid gave a nod.
"My father was a historian and I can tell you, that is an old MTT." Squid gurgled. The MTT had obviously been there for several decades but traces of its old CIS paint scheme were still visible.
"Well there you go. I think we have our battering ram." Cut Up said as Jacen spotted something on the cockpit of the vehicle. Upon closer inspection, he saw that a large metal beam was sticking out of the cockpit.
"Maybe not, take a look! There's some debris inside the cockpit. Better make sure the thing's still drivable." Jacen said as he used the force to pull the beam free of the cockpit, tossing the debris aside before leaping up onto the front of the vehicle with a few force jumps and peering inside the vehicle.
"Looks salvageable! Some of the controls are smashed but we might be able to rig something!" Jacen called down.
"We don't need it to do anything fancy, just move." Tahiri said as Jacen raised a comlink.
"Group two to Grey Leader." Jacen said.
"Grey leader, go ahead." Jaina replied.
"I think we might've found what we're looking for. You know how to find me." Jacen said.
"Copy that. We're on our way. Grey leader out." Jaina replied.
…
Later, Grey Squadron had grouped near the MTT, the front hatch opened and the squadron members examining the machine. Jaina and Party Girl were inspecting the controls in the cockpit, the Zeltron engineer lying on her back under the controls, examining their circuitry.
"Controls are shot, chief. I'd have a better time teaching a Hutt to dance than getting this thing moving again." Party Girl replied, sliding out from under the control panel and sitting up.
"Is there any way to reroute the controls? A patch of some sort?" Jaina asked but Party Girl shrugged.
"Here's the thing. The controls are all that's wrong. The repulsorlifts and everything else works fine…well except for the guns, those things are bent as-…well I won't go there. Anyway, I could reroute the controls but I'd need something to reroute them to. I could probably use that astromech if we could get him up here. It would take some heavy rewiring though." Party Girl suggested but Jaina shook her head.
"Not our droid to tinker with, Blue. He belongs to a friend of mine and I don't want him getting messed up. Different solution?" Jaina asked as the Zeltron shrugged.
"Well I guess we could try and salvage another set of controls from one of the vehicles around here but a droid would be optimal." Party Girl said as they climbed down from the cockpit into the hold of the MTT.
"Alright then I guess we need to search for a droid we can hook up to the controls." Jaina said as she approached Jacen, Tahiri, and R4. The other squadron members were making some small repairs to the MTT.
"So now we're hunting for a droid. Any specific type?" Jacen asked.
"Astromech or anything that knows how to drive." Party Girl replied. R4 immediately started beeping in alarm.
"Don't worry R4 I already said you weren't an option." Jaina said, calming the astromech. R4 beeped a quick thanks before rolling off with a sensor dish extending from the side of his conical dome as he rolled towards the front of the transport.
"Think we should resume the search?" Jacen asked.
"Take R4 and Tahiri with you. R4's scanners might pick something up." Jaina said as Jacen nodded.
"Right. Come on Tahiri." Jacen said as Master and Padawan headed for the Swoop, R4 activating his booster rockets and landing inside the sidecar shortly before they rocketed off
"So he's something." Party Girl commented with a suggestive look.
"He's my twin brother and your superior officer." Jaina said plainly with a thwarting glare.
"No fun, Grey Leader." Party Girl pouted as she headed back up to the cockpit.
…
Jacen, Tahiri, and R4 were several klicks away from the MTT and came to a stop at a crossroads, at least five different and questionably navigable paths in the junk existed.
"Okay, which way?" Jacen asked as they looked around.
"Not sure. Each way looks the same." Tahiri replied. R4 then chimed in, his sensor dish pointing one direction.
"Right, you say? Why? What do your sensors tell you?" Jacen asked, R4 beeping his response.
"A ship? R4 we're looking for a droid not a ship." Tahiri said but Jacen seemed convinced.
"Ah but where there's a ship, there's usually a droid." Jacen said as he revved the bike and took it off down a pathway to the right. They continued for at least another kilometer until they reached a dead end in the center of a large alcove full of derelict starships and other assorted debris.
"Okay, I see the ships but which one were you-…R4?" Jacen asked, startled when he saw R4 jump out of the droid socket and roll towards a ship partially buried in the debris. The two Jedi climbed off the bike and followed the droid as it shined a light on the ship in question. It was a partly buried Starspeeder 3000, the front half of the speeder buried under the mountainous debris while the back half remained exposed, the doors on the side still sealed shut.
"Leave it to R4 to find another Starspeeder. He probably wants us to salvage it so he can fix it." Jacen mumbled with a sigh but R4 began beeping excitedly.
"What is it R4?" Tahiri asked as R4 rolled towards the back door, a fusion cutter popping out as the droid began to cut into the door of the speeder until finally the door popped open, the astromech climbing into the Starspeeder.
"Better check it out." Jacen said as they climbed in after the astromech.
"What's the deal with R4 and Starspeeders anyway?" Tahiri asked as they climbed over the dislodged passenger seats inside the Starspeeder, R4 rolling towards the front where the cockpit shield was raised between the passenger hold and the cockpit.
"There was a travel agency in service shortly after the Clone Wars, called Star Tours. They contracted Sacul Industries Group, later a subsidiary of Incom, to manufacture the Starspeeder line and R4 used to belong to the Star Tours agency, working on the Starspeeders between flights. When the company went bankrupt after a few scandals and controversies, they sold their assets, including R4 and the Starspeeders. The Jedi Order bought up most of the Starspeeders and R4. At least that's what Kento told me over caf in the temple commissary. R4 just has held on to his stubborn pride in caring for the old ships." Jacen explained as R4 beeped a confirmation while slicing into a computer interface on a control panel near the cockpit.
"Oh I get it. So how'd he get to be Kento's droid?" Tahiri asked.
"He helped work on the Mynock, installing the upgrades. He was actually supposed to have been on board with us during that whole fiasco that started this war but he missed the flight." Jacen said, R4 beeping another confirmation.
"Looks like he wasn't that shaken up about it." Tahiri said with a smirk as R4 beeped a cheerful statement.
"What is it, R4? What's behind this cockpit shield?" Jacen asked as R4 beeped something else and turned towards the cockpit just as the shield paneling retracted down into the floor, the partition separating the cockpit from the passenger area also sliding down with the shield. R4 immediately activated his holo-emitter, using it as a flashlight to illuminate the cockpit, his light resting on a cylindrical droid with an oval shaped head and at least three arms attached to the cockpit.
"Oh so that's what he was looking for. A pilot droid! Good find R4!" Jacen said with a smirk, complementing the astromech who whistled a thankful reply as he rolled over to the base of the pilot droid and began uncoupling it from the cockpit circuits.
"It looks like the droid's designed to be able to interface with the Starspeeder. To be able to control it in case the physical controls are disabled or damaged." Tahiri said as Jacen used the force to lift the droid free of its housing.
"Let's just hope he's functional." Jacen said, setting him down in the passenger area and reaching for a switch near the droid's head, flipping the switch. The droid's photoreceptors suddenly flickered to life with a yellow glow.
"Wh~oa! What a rush!" the droid spluttered, a red speaker for its mouth flashing on and off with every word. The droid then pivoted its head towards the two Jedi.
"Oh, welcome aboard! I am Captain Rex, or RX-24, at your service!" the droid greeted.
"I'm Jacen and this is Tahiri. That's R4-M9." Jacen said, motioning to the astromech who beeped a greeting. Rex turned towards the astromech.
"R4-M9? Hey old buddy how've you been? Still functioning I see." Rex commented, R4 bouncing from side to side excitedly.
"You need a pilot! Well look no further! I can take you anywhere you need to go! Just make sure your seatbelts are fastened and we'll be off!" Rex said but Jacen quickly moved into the droid's path.
"Actually we already have a vehicle. I won't lie to you, we're effectively drafting you into the Republic Military." Jacen said as Rex's head telescoped up slightly.
"Republic military? Great! I've always wanted to be a military droid! Lead the way sir!" Rex said with a salute as he powered up a set of repulsorlifts on his base, allowing him to slide across the ground towards the exit door.
"Well that was easy." Tahiri said with a chuckle.
"You can say that again." Jacen said as they and R4 followed the excited droid towards the door.
…
Upon returning to the MTT, the Greys wasted no time getting Rex hooked up to the MTT's control circuits and they were now escorting the giant armored vehicle towards the crashed starship bordering the Sith Base. R4 sat up in the cockpit with Rex, the astromech and the pilot droid conversing with one another.
"So the agency folded? Whoa, I guess that means I'm a free agent! Well, not now that the Military's requisitioned me. Wonder what I'll do after this is over. What do you think?" Rex asked. R4 beeped his reply, his periscope extended up out of the hole in the MTT's cockpit, this being the only way for Rex to navigate the tank.
"Adjusting course an~nd…done. So I should enlist afterwards? Sounds like a good idea!" Rex replied as a comlink in R4's grasper buzzed.
"Two-four do you want to cut the chatter? We're approaching the target." Jaina ordered.
"Roger that, Grey Leader." Rex replied as the MTT and the speeder bikes came to a stop just outside the crashed starship. The Greys immediately leapt off their bikes and headed straight into the crashed ship. Jacen, Jaina, and Tahiri stayed back with the MTT and the droids, reviewing a hologram of the base area on the other side.
"The bulk of their defenses are here at the front in the only traversable area but we could use a second look before we launch the assault." Jaina said as Jacen nodded.
"Leave that to me. Tahiri, stay here with Jaina." Jacen said before running off, force jumping up the side of the hulk towards the top with a pair of electrobinoculars.
"So what's it like being the Padawan of a friend?" Jaina asked curiously.
"So far it's not so bad. I mean he is a Jedi Knight and knows what he's doing. But it's hard to think of him as anything more than a friend. A tutor perhaps, but Master? I dunno. I guess I just have to trust in the Council's guidance for now. What do you think about all this?" Tahiri asked as Jaina shrugged.
"This isn't the first time the concept of Jacen becoming your Master has come up. In fact the last time it did was during that whole fiasco on the Mynock, shortly after Tatooine and before we got captured by that old destroyer. I think the force meant for you and Jacen to be together as Master and Apprentice." Jaina said as Tahiri glanced at her.
"That didn't answer the question. What's with you Solo's and avoiding questions?" Tahiri asked as Jaina chuckled in amusement.
"I'm kinda taking a wait-and-see approach with you and Jacen. I don't make any designs on whether it's a good idea or not." Jaina replied, her comlink suddenly buzzing. She immediately pulled the comlink from her belt, answering it.
"Go ahead Jacen, we were just talking about you." Jaina said.
"No time for witty banter I'm afraid. Looks like the Sith have finished digging. They're loading the junk they found onto a transport. It looks like they're about to try and take off with it." Jacen said as Jaina and Tahiri felt a disturbance in the force.
"Come on back and get ready. We'll move as soon as the charges are set." Jaina said before pocketing the comlink as the rest of Grey Squadron came running back towards them.
"Charges set, chief!" X3 reported.
"Good. Everyone into the MTT! We'll give them one hell of a shock when that wall falls!" Jaina ordered as the MTT's front hatch opened up, Jacen landing on the ground nearby and running onto the MTT just as the hatch began to close.
"Alright Rex! Gun it!" Jaina called.
"Okay! R4, lightspeed into battle!" Rex declared, his flight visor sliding down over his photoreceptors, as the MTT's engines revved and the transport began moving towards the back wall of the crashed ship, picking up speed as it moved.
"Standby on the detpacks!" Jaina ordered as she, Jacen, and Tahiri took up positions in front of the squadron which stood ready behind them with blasters in hand. The Jedi had their lightsabers in hand as the transport came barreling through at high speeds towards the wall. It was mere meters from the wall when…
"NOW!" Jaina signaled, Cut Up pressing the button on the detonator, causing parts of the wall ahead to explode at the spots where the wall was still attached to the ship, severing the wall from the ship. The Sith in the base were alerted to the sound and turned just in time to see the wall come crashing down as the massive MTT rammed into it. The front hatch on the transport quickly opened, the dark interior of the vehicle illuminated by the glow of blue, green, and violet lightsabers. The Sith quickly turned and opened fire as the Jedi ran out into the base, deflecting blaster fire while cutting down Sith Troopers. The Greys were firing away at the Sith Troopers, making short work of them.
"I've always wanted to do this!" Rex exclaimed as he turned the MTT and maneuvered it so it ran around the large excavation hole, heading straight towards the Sith Transport. Unfortunately the transport was already loaded and quickly took off, the MTT just scraping the underside as it ran underneath the transport which lifted off into the Raxus skies and flew off into the distance. The MTT instead crashed into one of the turrets, smashing it while the transport's large bulk ended up blocking the other turret, keeping it from targeting the Jedi or the Greys.
"Welp…Thank you for flying with us but it's time to abandon ship!" Rex exclaimed as he detached himself from the transport's controls and powered up his repuslorlifts, R4, retracting his periscope and following the pilot droid out of the cockpit. Outside, X3, Cut Up, and Shaggy were crouched behind an overturned cargo sled, firing at the Sith Troopers.
"Shaggy! Two in the hole! Starboard side!" X3 exclaimed, firing a blaster rifle out from behind their cover. The Wookiee woman roared an acknowledgement before briefly popping up with her bowcaster and firing two shots at a pair of Sith Troopers attempting to use a deep hole near the one in the center of the excavation as a foxhole, both shots scoring headshots on the Sith Troopers.
"Good shot Grey-3!" X3 exclaimed as Shaggy dropped back into cover, letting out an angry roar.
"Am I the only one concerned that our team medic is also one of the best shots we have?!" Cut Up asked, prepping a thermal detonator then quickly tossing it over the sled towards the Sith after he accidently primed it, the detonator exploding shortly afterwards, taking a few Sith with it.
"I'm more concerned that our demolitions expert is our most accident prone member!" X3 replied. Meanwhile, behind Jacen and Tahiri, Quad Guns was covering their back with two blaster pistols and a blaster rifle in his hands, firing at three targets simultaneously. Whisker, Party Girl, and Porky were climbing the excavator, Party Girl quickly taking cover behind an outcropping on the side of the excavator's lower level, Whisker crouching beneath her while Porky covered their backside with a chain gun.
"Enjoying the view down there?" She asked flirtatiously as she holstered her pistol, opening a circuit panel on the wall and starting to splice cables together, causing the excavator's arm to lower until it could go no further.
"You need serious help, Blue!" Whisker squeaked, Porky continuing to cover them. The Zeltron merely grinned and spliced a pair of cables together, causing the excavator to start turning on its base, the large arm sweeping across until it crashed into the mountain of junk bordering the edge of the base, causing an avalanche of debris to fall down towards the Sith Troopers attempting to take cover near the edges of the base. The falling debris either crushed the troops beneath them to death or buried them alive. Trapper and Squid were behind Jaina as she led them on a slow but steady march towards the southernmost part of the base where the remaining Sith were attempting to escape via a Sith Troop Lander.
"Stop that transport!" Jaina ordered.
"Yes sir!" Trapper exclaimed as she shrugged off a rocket launcher tied to her back and prepped it, taking aim at the lander.
"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" the Mon Cala woman exclaimed as Jaina and Squid quickly ducked to the side, the rocket launcher flying towards the lander, flying past several troops, into the lander and exploding, causing the entire Lander to explode, the burning hulk crashing onto the ground as its landing struts were blown out from under it. The few remaining Sith, realizing that their only avenue of escape was lost to them now, dropped their weapons in surrender as the Greys celebrated their victory.
"X3, contact the Falon Grey for pick up! Mission Complete!" Jaina ordered as X3 gave a two fingered salute.
"Yes ma'am!"
…
Soon the Republic starships of Grey Group were in low orbit over Raxus, Krayt Gunships touching down to pick up the prisoners along with the pilots while a Krayt Gunship that had been modified for cargo transport carried Jacen and Tahiri's Starspeeder over to them from the landing area. Jaina, Jacen, and Tahiri were speaking to a hologram of Anakin Skywalker being projected via R4-M9.
"We've secured the base, Grandfather, but the Sith already made off with whatever it was they were after. We have prisoners so we'll be handing them over to Republic Intelligence for interrogation. Maybe they'll tell us something." Jaina reported.
"This news is most concerning. This isn't the first time that the Sith have made off with unknown artifacts. You mentioned that you recorded images of the dig site while they were still operating?" Anakin asked as Jacen nodded.
"Yes sir. We'll send copies along to you, Republic Intel, and the Jedi Council just to be safe." Jacen replied.
"Good. Jacen, Padawan Velia, how goes your training? Do you believe it will be a good fit?" Anakin asked as the two Jedi in question exchanged smiles and gave a simultaneous nod.
"Yes Master Skywalker, I think it will." Tahiri said as Anakin gave a nod.
"I am pleased to hear that. It would seem the Force is indeed at work in this regard. The two of you may return to the temple when ready to continue your training. Jaina, General Marek has another mission for Grey Squadron. Report to him as soon as you return to the Falon Grey." Anakin instructed.
"Yes grandfather." Jacen and Jaina said simultaneously as they and Tahiri bowed to the hologram.
"You have done well this day. As always, I am very proud of you. May the Force be with you all. Skywalker out." Anakin said as his hologram disappeared.
"Does it ever get weird to see Darth Vader and know it's your grandpa?" Tahiri asked, earning a glare from the Solo twins.
"Number one, never call him that. In public or otherwise. Second, it is a little unnerving but we know he's the kind, gentle, if not occasionally grumpy grandpa we've known since birth." Jaina said, Jacen nodding in agreement.
"He has his issues but then again we all do. He's probably a classic case of redemption in the Jedi Order. He fell deep into the Dark Side but found his way back to the light. When a Jedi falls to the Dark Side, the person they were before is considered lost. It's like having a second personality. When the Dark Side takes over, the person they used to be disappears and usually never fully returns. But when they reject the Dark Side and return to the light, they are usually welcomed back into the Jedi Order." Jacen explained as Tahiri gave an understanding nod.
"Would that even apply to Darth Akul if she ever found redemption?" Tahiri asked.
"Yes even Darth Akul. Heck, even if Emperor Palpatine had turned away from the Dark Side, he'd have likely been welcomed amongst the Jedi." Jacen explained, Jaina scowling slightly.
"Yeah but admittedly I'm glad he didn't. The creep tried to possess Anakin as a baby. Could you imagine Anakin as a Dark Lord of the Sith?" Jaina asked, causing Tahiri to smirk.
"It'd be easier to imagine Jacen as a Sith Lord." Tahiri said as Jaina chuckled. Jacen just rolled his eyes while crossing his arms over his chest with a smirk.
"And on that note, I best see to my men. Take care you two. May the Force be with you." Jaina said as she started to walk away towards one of the gunships, while Jacen and Tahiri with R4 headed towards their Starspeeder.
"Hey Grey Leader!" Rex called as he approached the Jedi Ace.
"Yes RX-24?" Jaina asked.
"You got any use for a used Pilot Droid? I could come in handy and I've always wanted to fly a starfighter! Also I've…I've got nowhere else to go." Rex said as Jaina smiled and nodded.
"I don't see why not. Come on, we'll get you checked out and put you through some tests to see how you handle in our style of dogfights." Jaina commented as Rex gave a salute.
"Yes ma'am!" Rex exclaimed excitedly as he climbed aboard the gunship.
Meanwhile…
Admiral Daala approached the throne of Darth Akul, Darth Stalker standing on guard like always. Daala proceeded to kneel at the base of the throne.
"My Empress, our mission on Raxus Prime was a success. We retrieved the parts for the machine although significant repairs will need to be made in order for it to function properly. Preliminary inspections indicate that it will work once repaired." Daala reported as Akul's throne spun slowly towards her.
"What of the other excavations?" Akul asked.
"All excavations have reported in. We have what we are looking for. We need only to bring the pieces together. I have already arranged for the artifacts to be brought together, we need only a place to work in private, away from the prying eyes of the Republic." Daala said as Darth Akul rose to her feet.
"Excellent. Prepare the fleet and set a course for the Thule System, Admiral. There we will assemble the weapon that will destroy the Jedi and the Republic." Akul said as she descended the stairs from her throne, looming over the Sith Admiral as she remained knelt before her Empress.
"Shall I expect support from any of the Hands?" Daala asked as Akul smiled.
"You shall. Go forth Admiral Daala, and do my bidding." Akul said, Daala bowing even more.
"It shall be done, my Empress." Daala said before standing up and leaving the room. Akul watched for a moment as the Admiral departed before turning towards one of the hallways and entering a side room where a meditation chamber sat closed. As Akul approached, the chamber opened, revealing a hooded figure within, a mechanical labored breathing sound coming from beneath the hood. The figure said nothing as Akul approached.
"It is time, my apprentice. It is time for you to play your part. It is time for your revenge." Akul said as she produced a double bladed lightsaber made of a dark grey colored metal with three blade-like protrusions encircling both ends of the blade emitters. The figure within the chamber proceeded to stand up, putting a leg up onto the edge of the chamber, the leg covered in black cloth with a large black knee length boot. The figure climbed out of the chamber and raised a hideous black hand made of metal with blade like appendages on the finger. The figure slowly took the lightsaber from its master's grasp, igniting one blade with a low hiss, examining the blade for a moment before deactivating it. The figure then lowered itself onto one knee, pulling back the hood to reveal a scarred and angry face that was covered in a black mask with two holes for the eyes to peer through while the mouth and nose were covered by a black triangular covering similar to Vader's own mask only thinner and made of a black sort of rubberized coating. The mask itself was grafted to the face, completely immovable. The figure pulled back the hood, revealing a pair of Togruta montrals and lekku but covered in Sith Tattoos.
"What is thy bidding, my Master?" Darth Vandal asked, her voice a synthesized yet feminine voice.
End Episode 13
Making Tahiri as Jacen's Padawan is a subtle nod to Jacen's Sith Lord persona of Darth Caedus and his attempt to train Tahiri as his apprentice. I've wanted to include RX-24 from the moment I conceived of the series.
Character Backstory: R4-M9
Thought I'd take a moment and focus on the backstory of the semi-OC droid character I created, R4-M9. To be clear, this R4 is the same from the old original Star Tours ride at Disney, pre-remake. There is another R4-M9, as seen in Star Wars Episode IV and that one is mentioned in this backstory but is ultimately not the same R4-M9. I have no idea why I like this droid so much. I am trying to not make him come off as a 2nd R2-D2 (because no droid will ever be as awesome as R2-D2). I guess R4 would be the droid I'd have if R2-D2 wasn't an option. That said, here goes…
…
Built by Industrial Automaton during the final days of the Clone Wars, R4-M9 was among 12 other astromechs of assorted R-series to be sold to the Republic for service aboard their warships, repairing starfighters and other vessels. However, the day before the sale was to be finalized, the Clone Wars ended and the Republic was reformed into the Galactic Empire. As a result, the sale of the droids got caught up in litigation until it was ultimately decided that the droids would be sold on the general market, with R4 and his fellow droids sitting deactivated in a warehouse on Coruscant the entire time. Less than twelve hours after being put on sale on the general market, the entire lot of 12 droids, including R4, were purchased by the Star Tours Spacelines Travel Agency.
When R4 was first activated, he excitedly assumed he would get to fly on a starship, forgetting that, as R4 units typically are by default, he wasn't equipped for spaceflight or hyperspace calculations. He was disappointed when he was separated from the other 11 droids (he being the only R4 unit in the group) and sent to work in the maintenance bays of the Star Tours Space Station: Spaceport THX1138. Despite being unable to fly, R4 went about his work without complaint. He made fast friends with the G2 repair droids in the Spaceport maintenance bays and at some point R4 met the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 while they were (unbeknownst to 3PO) working undercover to get a Rebel spy to safety. Also around this time, he learned that there was another R4-M9 working for the Empire aboard the Star Destroyer: Devastator but later learned that his "twin" was destroyed with the Death Star. R4 remained in the main repair bay until his fusion welder unexpectedly and inexplicably broke sometime around the Battle of Hoth. This was the first and only blemish on his performance record at Star Tours, as he had always performed at peak efficiency, hardly ever needing even the slightest maintenance. He did occasionally need a good scrub and oil which helped him function. As a result of his continued efficiency he never received a memory wipe. After his welder broke, he was assigned to the droid maintenance room where he worked with G2-9T, operating some of the larger machinery in the room used to repair the Agency's stock of droids. He typically found himself working beneath the walkways as the Star Tours passengers filed their way through towards the boarding area, looking up at them in silence and quietly envying their opportunity to fly in space.
In 4 ABY, R4 was dismayed to discover he was the last of the batch of 12 droids bought by the agency, to still be in service as most of them had been damaged beyond repair, completely destroyed, or in one case: stolen (allegedly by Jawas on Tatooine). R4 watched in sadness from beneath the walkways as his friend G2-9T was forced to perform maintenance on a badly damaged R5 unit that had been part of the batch of 12, but the R5 ultimately was deemed too damaged and was scheduled to be stripped for parts and scrapped. R4 humbly requested the R5's still functioning fusion welder be used to replace his own broken one to honor his nonfunctioning comrade, a request that G2-9T agreed to.
That following year, he encountered R2-D2 and C-3PO again as they worked on helping to prepare a Starspeeder bound for Endor, having been loaned to the agency while their masters were busy elsewhere. R4 fortunately was able to avoid the notorious "Tour to Endor" scandal that rocked the agency that same year when a Starspeeder (coincidentally the same Starspeeder R2-D2 was assigned to) bound for the Endor moon went on a chaotic flight that resulted in the Starspeeder overshooting its destination, flying into the path of a comet, then getting caught in a battle between the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant before returning back to the spaceport (There were also allegations of a third Death Star being involved but this has since been dismissed as rumor). After the scandal, R4 quickly learned of agency droids being sold off to pay for the agency's mounting legal bills. R4 was able to hold out until the end when the agency finally declared bankruptcy and he was placed on the auction block. R4 found himself purchased by Jedi Master Rahm Kota, at the request of Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker, along with several other droids and was shipped off to Yavin IV to work in the Jedi Praxium. It was the first time R4 had been outside of the Star Tours Spaceport since his initial activation.
He quickly adapted to life on Yavin, working on repairing the Jedi Order's fleet of starships. In an ironic twist, he found himself working on Starspeeders again, the majority of the agency's Starspeeder fleet having been bought up by the Jedi Order for use as transports and shuttles, citing their high speed and ample passenger space making them ideal for long range transports for the Jedi Order. R4 privately welcomed the Starspeeders as they reminded him of his humble beginnings. At some point shortly after his arrival at Yavin, R4 was fitted with a high end slicer package for a mission with Jedi Knight Mara Jade to help slice into the systems of an Imperial Remnant base and download the defensive layout to the Imperial Remnant capital world of Bastion which eventually led to the total defeat of the Galactic Empire and the Imperial Remnant. The slicer package was left inside of R4 after the mission.
After this mission, R4 found himself back in the hangar bays, continuing to work on the Jedi's fleet of ships in his spare time but he regularly found himself being brought along by random Jedi to assist in missions, occasionally working alongside R2-D2. He was one of the few droids assigned to assist Jedi Masters Anakin Skywalker, Mara Jade Skywalker, and Republic pilot Juno Eclipse-Marek, to assist with the modifications to a newly purchased Helot-Class medium space transport named the Mynock. R4 found the ship's name concerning, having been used to the numerical naming conventions of the Star Tours Agency for their Starspeeders, but he merely "shrugged it off" and went about his work. During the modification process, Anakin Skywalker personally modified R4, bringing him up to the required specs necessary to operate on starfighters. Anakin was also going to replace R4's conical dome with the rounder and smoother R2/R3 styled dome but R4 requested to remain as he was, at least cosmetically, a request which surprised Anakin but was honored nonetheless. Anakin did equip R4 with a pair of Brooks Propulsion Devices' rocket boosters (The company having reopened after the fall of the Empire), to assist in the modification work. R4 quickly found a use for the rockets, allowing him to rocket up to the topsides of ships to perform maintenance instead of having to wait for a magnetic crane to hoist him up. Throughout the modification history of the Mynock, R4 began to grow fond of the Mynock, and would occasionally retreat to the Mynock's cargo hold when work was finished on a given day to rest.
After the Mynock was finished, R4 was supposed to be stationed on the Mynock as its official onboard astromech, but R4 ended up getting left behind on accident when it was deployed on a fateful mission to Rattatak, carrying a Jedi Master, three Jedi Knights, two stowaway Padawans, and R2-D2. R4 wasn't that upset at being left behind, expecting the freighter to return eventually and quickly set about to get lost in his work once again. He was instead brought along with Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker on a mission to Mandalore. He remained onboard Mara Jade's private ship, the Jade Shadow, even after docking with the Star Destroyer Lusankya. When the Sith Empire attacked Yavin, R4 watched in sadness as most of ships and fighters he had worked so hard on throughout his service at the Jedi Praxium got damaged or destroyed in the fighting. Upon arriving with the Jade Shadow to Mandalore, he spotted the Mynock docked nearby and snuck over to it. He was onboard when Jedi Knight Kento Marek came aboard to take ownership of the freighter. Fearing that he'd be kicked off the ship again, R4 informed Marek that he was the Mynock's new navigator, a lie that Marek believed and later made official. Since then, R4 has remained faithfully on the Mynock or at his new Master's side. R4 occasionally gets annoyed whenever Kento's friend and advisor, the Bounty Hunter Ailyn Vel, leaves blaster parts strewn around the ship, once even finding one of Ailyn's blaster components on the outside hull of the Mynock, an instance which continues to perplex the astromech.
R4-M9 has developed a hearty work attitude, always looking for something to do. R4 is always faithful about his work and obediently follows orders. Having been initially programmed for Republic military use, he was preprogrammed with a healthy respect of blaster fire but is not afraid to enter a firefight if needed. He also, by default, has the specs for many old Republic vessels stored in his databanks and assists Master Anakin Skywalker in restoring and updating his collection of old Jedi fighter craft from the Clone Wars. He also assisted the aging Skywalker with the modifications to the Twilight II alongside R2-D2 and R4-K5.