Episode 9 – General Solo
Stalemate at Mustafar! Following his encounter with his former Padawan, Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker now seeks to understand how Ahsoka Tano became the feared Darth Akul! Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Jacen Solo continues to train his friend and Padawan, Tahiri Velia in the ways of the Jedi!
On Ossus…
Jacen and Tahiri were sparring in one of the temple sparring rooms, using training sabers to avoid accidental injuries. Ever since Tenel Ka's injury, the use of lightsabers were forbidden in training or sparring matches. The two were exchanging fast blows, Tahiri in a sleeveless Jedi top, baggy Jedi trousers and barefoot as usual as she struggled to try and overcome Jacen's defenses while countering his offenses. She moved to block a blow, successfully blocking it but when she tried to turn the attack back on him, she was surprised when she saw Jacen glaring at her from the other side of their locked sabers and even more surprised when he proceeded to knock her to the ground.
"How many times must we go over this, Tahiri? You can't use brute force like that to overpower your opponent, especially when they're bigger than you. When speed and agility are equal it becomes a battle of strength, and usually the bigger guy will win." Jacen said as Tahiri climbed to her feet, calling her training saber to her hand with the force with a sigh of frustration.
"I'm trying, Jacen." She mumbled, neither noticing the doors opening.
"As a wise Jedi Master I knew once said, 'do or do not, there is no try.'" Luke Skywalker said as he entered the room.
"Master Skywalker." Tahiri greeted with a bow, Jacen bowing to the Grand Master in respect.
"Uncle." Jacen greeted. Luke returned the bow with a smile.
"I'm sorry to interrupt the training session but it was urgent. Jacen, your grandfather is here and he wants to speak with you, in private." Luke said as Jacen furrowed his brow, worried as to what his grandfather wanted.
"Did he say what it was?" Jacen asked as Luke nodded.
"Yes but he'd rather tell you himself. You better go see him." Luke said, his reactions and expression indicating it was serious. Jacen took a deep breath before hurrying out the door, Tahiri watching him leave before glancing at Luke.
"What's going on?" she asked as Luke looked back towards her, looked at her bare feet and then back up at her.
"Put some shoes on. You're going to need them."
…
Jacen followed his grandfather's presence in the Force through the temple to one of the outside docking areas where the Twilight II was landed. Jacen climbed into the turbolift inside, riding it to the bridge above. As soon as the turbolift doors opened, he could hear his grandfather's distinctive breathing sound from inside. He cautiously stepped onto the bridge, seeing the shape of his grandfather looking out the forward viewports as he stood, lost in thought.
"Is something wrong, grandfather?" Jacen asked. He knew it was a dumb question. Anakin's emotions were clear through the Force. Anakin was in pain, but the pain wasn't physical, it was grief, sadness, mourning.
"I am leaving, Jacen." Anakin said, confusing his grandson.
"Leaving? Leaving what?" he asked.
"I am leaving the Jedi for a while. A temporary sabbatical. I need to…meditate on recent events." Anakin replied as Jacen looked at him, clearly worried for him.
"Grandfather, what is happening?" Jacen asked as Anakin motioned for him to approach the front of the bridge. He then motioned out the viewport to where Jacen could see Tahiri and Luke approaching. As per Luke's suggestion, Tahiri had put a pair of sturdy boots on.
"The bond you have with her is perhaps one of the most powerful you will ever have. You have grown to love her like a sister. I can sense your feelings towards her. You cannot imagine her turning against you." Anakin said as Jacen looked at Tahiri who was talking with Luke as they continued to approach, Jacen's expression contorted in confusion.
"I'm not quite sure I understand, grandfather." Jacen said as he turned, noticing that Anakin had stepped away from the viewports, facing the back of the vessel in thought.
"I once had that bond with someone. Someone I cared for deeply much like you do for Padawan Velia. The bond I had has been shattered. I thought I could mend this bond as I am…but I was wrong. I could not mend it without the missing pieces." Anakin said, Jacen beginning to understand what he was talking about.
"You mean, Ahsoka?" Jacen asked, sensing his grandfather's sadness slightly intensify.
"To climb out of darkness, you must first discover how you fell into it. The same can be said when trying to help those who have fallen into darkness." Anakin said as Jacen gave an understanding nod.
"But, why are you telling me this?" Jacen asked as Anakin turned towards him.
"Because any of us could easily suffer the same betrayal. Tahiri could just as easily succumb to the allure of the Dark Side of the Force and turn against you. And there is no greater betrayal than that of a close friend. She will know exactly how to break your heart, to wound you in ways you never thought possible. I know of two incidents where this has happened to people I care about. The first was my old Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar when I had fallen to the Dark Side. He might have wounded me physically, but the wounds I dealt him were not physical but twice as painful. The second was me in my recent encounter with Ahsoka. Like Obi-Wan, the injuries I suffered in that battle were unlike any pain I have ever felt before, and not a one of them physical injuries either." Anakin explained as Jacen looked at him with pity and sympathy.
"I didn't realize." He said softly.
"Above all else, Jacen. There is one thing you must remember about those who fall to the Dark Side. Something that you must never forget. There is always hope of redemption. There is good in each of them. Even the Emperor had the potential to turn away from the Dark Side but he chose to cling to the illusion of power. You must never give up, should anyone you care for fall to the Dark Side. Do you understand me, Jacen?" Anakin asked as Jacen bowed his head towards his Grandfather.
"Yes, grandfather." Jacen replied as Anakin turned away slightly.
"Good. In the meantime, I have another task for you, Jacen. We are in need of more leaders on the frontlines of this war. I have therefore taken the liberty of assigning you your own command." Anakin said as Jacen blinked in surprise.
"My own command?" he asked.
"I have already arranged for transport for you and Padawan Velia, to take you both to the Hosnian system where your new command is waiting for you." Anakin said as Jacen took a cleansing breath. He had privately known that it was only a matter of time before he became involved in the war outside of the odd support mission. Anakin was merely giving him the push he needed.
"I-…I don't know what to say." Jacen said as Anakin glanced at him over his shoulder.
"I have handpicked this command especially for you. Don't disappoint me, Jacen." Anakin said in a stern tone. This caused Jacen to smile warmly at him. He could almost see his grandfather smiling warmly back at him beneath his mask.
"Yes, grandfather." He replied before Anakin turned and put his arms around him, embracing him. Despite Anakin's cold cybernetics and armor, Jacen could only feel warmth from his grandfather.
…
Jacen disembarked from the Twilight II as its engines hummed to life. Jacen saw Tahiri, and Luke standing a fair distance away, Jacen hurrying to catch up with them, turning to walk backwards long enough to watch the modified yacht take to the Ossus skies before turning back around.
"What's going on?" Tahiri asked, worried for him.
"I hope you're packed. My grandfather just gave me my own command. We're headed to the front lines, Tahiri." Jacen said as Tahiri blinked in surprise. Luke smiled at his nephew.
"And I can assume you accepted?" Luke asked.
"He's my grandfather. I can't refuse him." Jacen replied as Luke gave an understanding nod.
"No you can't. Not easily. May the Force be with you both." Luke said before giving his nephew a warm embrace and then gently patting him on the shoulder.
"You too, Master." Jacen said, bowing to his uncle, Luke returning the bow.
"Your transport is waiting in the Starspeeder hangar. Kessel Runner III." Luke said before departing.
"So, where are we going?" Tahiri asked as they started to walk towards the temple.
"The Hosnian system. That's where my command is supposedly waiting for us." Jacen said, surprising Tahiri again.
"Us?" she asked as he paused, looking back at her worriedly.
"We'll be fighting on the front lines of this war, Tahiri, in places where the Dark Side will be strong. Can you handle it?" he asked as Tahiri nodded.
"I'll try." She replied but Jacen shook his head.
"No. You won't. It's exactly like what Master Skywalker said just a moment ago. Do, or do not, there is no try. So I'll ask you again. Can you handle it?" Jacen asked as Tahiri stood at attention.
"Yes. I can." She replied as Jacen nodded with a small smile.
"Good. Come on, let's go see what kind of trouble we'll be getting into." Jacen said as they headed back inside the temple.
Later in the Hosnian System…
A Starspeeder 3000 in blue with white stripes dropped out of hyperspace in the Hosnian System. The minute it did, Jacen and Tahiri were both startled by what was waiting for them.
"This-this can't be right. That can't be my new command!" Jacen said in disbelief.
"Are you sure you heard your grandfather right?" Tahiri asked.
"He just said my command would be waiting in the Hosnian System. That's it. He never said anything about this!" Jacen replied as the Starspeeder approached the Tatooine Avenger and the 501st Fleet Group, a pair of modified TIE Interceptors in 501st colors forming up in an escort formation.
"Kessel Runner III you have clearance to dock with the Tatooine Avenger. We'll escort you in, General Solo. Stand by for tractor beam controlled landing." One of the Interceptor pilots said as they started to escort the Starspeeder in towards the hangar.
"Maybe it's just one Star Destroyer. Not the whole fleet." Tahiri suggested.
"Force, I hope so." Jacen mumbled. His hopes rapidly faded as he saw what was inside the hangar bay. Their Starspeeder was now in the tractor beam, being guided in by the Avenger so all he and Tahiri could do was stare at the sea of neatly arranged rows of former Imperial Stormtroopers, waiting for their arrival. The Interceptors had broken off their escort pattern as soon as the Starspeeder had been snagged by the tractor beam. The Starspeeder touched down inside the hangar at the foot of the rows of Stormtroopers and similarly uniformed 501st Officers. Commander Delta and General Veers were already approaching down the aisle for them as Jacen and Tahiri disembarked, approaching them. Veers and Delta both saluted to them.
"Welcome aboard the Tatooine Avenger, General Solo. The Five-Hundred and First Legion is at your disposal and awaiting your command." Veers greeted with a smile. Jacen could sense a surprising amount of confidence from Veers towards him.
"Look, this has to be one of my grandfather's sick jokes. There's no way I've got command of the whole 5th Fleet, is there?" Jacen asked.
"Of course not sir. The 5th Fleet is being commanded by your father, General Han Solo, in Lord Skywalker's absence." Veers replied as Jacen breathed a sigh of relief.
"Oh thank the maker. For a minute there I thought there had been some kind of mistake." Jacen said but Veers merely smiled in slight amusement.
"No mistake sir. As I said, your father has temporary command of the 5th Fleet. You, on the other hand, have command of the Five-Hundred and First. As per the Naberrie Protocol set forth by Lord Skywalker after the Legion's transition to the Republic in the year 6 ABY, the Five-Hundred and First is eternally bound to the service of Lord Skywalker and the Skywalker family. This includes you, General Solo." Veers explained.
"But I thought that was after he died." Jacen said as Veers and Delta both gave a nod.
"That is true sir but the protocol also states that Lord Skywalker may assign anyone he wish to command the Five-Hundred and First in the case of a voluntary leave of absence. Lord Skywalker selected you to be the Legion's commanding officer. Welcome to Skywalker's Fist, General Solo." Veers said as Jacen put a hand to his head in contemplation, taking a moment to process the information.
"Whoa." Tahiri said finally with a smile as Jacen mumbled something under his breath that she was pretty sure was a string of Huttese swear words.
"Uh, well, I suppose I better assume command then. I'm a little rusty on procedure. Do I need to dismiss the men or something?" Jacen asked as Delta removed his helmet, holding under his arm.
"That won't be necessary sir. Lord Skywalker mentioned that you might need some leeway to get used to the Command. For the most part, the Legion is self-sufficient. There were several years after the final death of the Emperor that Lord Skywalker had the Legion under its own command. My predecessor, Commander Vank, led the Legion for most of that time before he retired and I was given command of the Legion in his stead. We can handle all of the logistical and day-to-day operations on our own." Delta explained as Jacen gave an understanding nod.
"And I can take care of the rest. Alright, fair enough." He said as they started heading for the turbolifts, walking down the aisle of soldiers, all standing at attention. Jacen looked around at the troopers with curiosity.
"Before you fully take command, sir, I should mention that Lord Skywalker left a message for you on the bridge holoprojector. We've already seen it as per his instructions. It's the briefing on your first assignment." Veers said as Jacen shrugged.
"Well, I guess we better go see what the mission is." Jacen said as they headed out into the hall for the turbolift.
…
A few minutes later, they arrived on the bridge, the four headed towards the holotable near the back of the bridge.
"Lord Skywalker recorded this shortly before departing for the Jedi Temple." Veers said as he entered a few commands on the table controls, activating a hologram of Anakin standing on the opposite side of the table from Jacen and Tahiri.
"Jacen, by now you have assumed command of the 501st. Your first mission is to retake the Calibo System from the Sith. The Calibo system is home to an abandoned munitions factory once used by the Empire and abandoned after the Battle of Endor. The Sith have brought the factory back online to continue the manufactory and produce their own war machines. Your assignment is to either retake or destroy the factory. General Veers and Commander Delta will brief you on the details. Remember that the Force will be with you, always." Anakin explained before his hologram disappeared and a hologram of Calibo itself appeared. It was a beautiful planet from orbit and several holoimages taken from the surface indicated a mountainous terrain with thick green woodland forests and large lakes.
"Orbital coverage of the system is moderate. Three Destroyers, five assault ships, several corvettes. Plenty of fighters. We outnumber them almost three to one. We'll have no problems getting through their orbital defenses. The hard part will be the surface assault." Delta explained, entering a few commands into the console, the hologram of Calibo being replaced with a tactical display of Calibo's surface, specifically the area around the factory itself. The land around the factory was still largely woodland but with a large barren area to one side between the factory and the shore of a large lake.
"The Factory was previously bombed by the New Republic in the waning days of the Galactic Civil War and it resulted in the destruction of one of the main buildings and some heavy scorching of the area around the factory itself. The terrain is a little jagged but offers a little cover and the nearest landing point is just under a kilometer from the factory itself. There's a clearing in the woods roughly ten kilometers away but it would take far too long to reach the factory from there, during which time, enemy reinforcements could arrive. The primary landing area near the factory is too small for us to deploy walkers or any heavy combat vehicles I'm afraid. We'd have to wait until we've claimed a larger sector of the beachhead before we could bring in tanks or walkers." Veers said as Jacen gave a grim nod.
"I assume we have an insertion plan?" Jacen asked as both officers looked towards him.
"We were hoping that you would have one, sir." Veers replied.
"Of course you were." Jacen mumbled as he looked at the hologram of the factory, analyzing the area.
"Do we have any X-Wings?" Jacen asked.
"Certainly. We have two XJ3 Type X-Wings specifically set aside for you and the Commander, sir." Delta replied although Tahiri seemed hesitant.
"Yeah I'm not that big on flying." Tahiri commented.
"Then here's what we'll do. I'll lead a squadron of fighters to the surface, escorting our landing craft. The fighters and I will fly ahead, strafe the surface to thin them out a little, clear the landing zone. Once our landers on the ground, we'll push the factory. Tahiri will be with the ground forces. From there we'll take the factory, download its databanks, and then set the charges." Jacen said as Tahiri looked at the hologram.
"Seems simple enough. Resistance may be heavy though. Especially if they set one of their war machines on us." Veers said.
"Leave those to Tahiri and me. We'll take care of them." Jacen said as Veers nodded in approval.
"Wait, I'm leading the charge?" she asked.
"Only at the beginning. I'll land after a couple of strafes and take over from there." Jacen said as Tahiri gave a nod.
"Best to hit the ground running, Commander." Delta said with a look of confidence towards her.
"Thanks, I think." Tahiri replied.
"I'll be serving as tactical advisor from here while Commander Delta coordinates the orbital forces, freeing you to focus on the battle itself, General." Veers said as Jacen gave an approving nod.
"Good, then I suppose I better find myself some armor. Got any spare gear I can use?" Jacen asked as Delta smirked.
"Actually sir, we have something special for you. Top of the line gear." Delta said, motioning for him to follow towards the back. Delta led Jacen and Tahiri towards one of the back doors to the bridge. He opened the doors to reveal several Stormtroopers standing guard but their armor was noticeably different. It was sleeker, more advanced, more streamlined. Even their blasters were new. The armor was so new it shined in the light and the troopers hadn't had a chance to customize them as they lacked the traditional 501st markings.
"Phase-II Stormtrooper armor, designed by 501st Legion Engineers and manufactured by Abrams Arms as a special order placed by Lord Skywalker himself along with the latest blaster rifle commissioned for Republic soldiers, the Sonn-Blas F-11D Blaster Rifle and SE-44 Blaster Pistol. We get the special white plated variants of the blasters by the way. Special order. No difference in performance, just matches the armor." Delta said as Jacen looked the troops over with an approving smile.
"Very nice. Still being distributed to the troops I assume?" Jacen asked.
"The armor is, yes. Blasters have been distributed. The Legion will be returning to Kamino soon for a complete refitting and to take on our latest batch of soldiers. For now though, we've fitted only a quarter of the Legion's active troops. We've also got new landing craft by Sienar Fleet Systems. Atmospheric Assault Landers. AALs we call them." Delta said as Jacen smiled.
"A lot of new toys. My grandfather does enjoy spoiling his grandkids."
Later over Calibo…
The Sith fleet over Calibo was sitting idly by, not suspecting that a fleet of Star Destroyers would drop out of hyperspace a mere five kilometers from them, opening fire and deploying fighters. Among the ships that dropped out of hyperspace was an XJ3 Type X-Wing with grey plating and green markings, the X-Wing quickly flying into action along with several grey hulled T-65 X-Wings and A-Wings with the white and dark-blue markings of the 501st.
"Alright boys and girls we've got the drop on them! You are clear to engage! Pick your targets and give 'em hell! Black Squadron you're with me!" Jacen said into the comlinks.
"We're on your tail, Black Leader." The Black Squadron Commander replied as six TIE Interceptors formed up behind Jacen, staying in formation as Jacen brought his X-Wing in close to strafe the surface of one of the Sith Assault Ships, firing his laser cannons at some of the less essential systems and firing off a trio of proton torpedoes at one of the assault ship's turbolasers, damaging it and allowing the TIE Interceptors to blast it apart with their own laser cannons. Jacen looked back with a grin before turning back towards the front.
"You guys have done this before, I'd say!" Jacen said as he pulled away from the assault ship, the TIEs following suit as Jacen started flying towards one of the Sith Destroyers as it got pounded by two of the 501st Destroyers at practically point blank range. Two Sith Fighters then started to chase after them.
"We've got bogeys coming in! They're on our six!" one of the Interceptor pilots exclaimed. Jacen immediately reached for the throttle.
"I'll take care of them! Break formation on my mark!" Jacen exclaimed before cutting his engines just as he put the fighter into a tight turn, riding the inertia while his fighter did a full 180, using subtle pushes with the force to stop his spin so he was pointed backwards.
"Mark!" Jacen yelled, the TIEs scattering in all directions, leaving the two Sith Fighters right in his crosshairs. He immediately reengaged the engines, firing his laser cannons, reducing one of the Sith TIEs to a hulk of burning debris while damaging the other, sending it into a tailspin as Jacen rocketed past.
"YEEHOO!" Jacen cheered as he regrouped with Black Squadron. On the Avenger, a passing Veers paused and looked curiously towards Delta, listening into the comm chatter amongst the fighters.
"Yee-hoo?" Veers asked as Delta put a hand over the mouthpiece of the headset he was wearing.
"General Solo's eldest son." Delta replied simply. This caused Veers to give an understanding nod.
"Ah. I almost forgot about that." Veers replied before returning to the tactical screens. Back outside, in the chaos of the space battle, the 501st had easily broken through their lines, the Avenger leading the charge, a pair of Sith Bombers approaching it with torpedo tubes prepared but they were quickly shot down by Jacen and Black Squadron.
"That's two down! Looks like they're trying to make a run on the Avenger! Bravo Squadron, Able Squadron, prioritize those bombers! Turn them back or give the salvage crews some overtime!" Jacen ordered.
"Roger that!" "Able Squadron form up! We've got three inbound!" the squadron leaders replied.
"Stay frosty Blacks, there's something off about this whole thing!" Jacen commented as he brought his fighter around past the nose of one of the Sith Destroyers. He was starting to strafe the laser cannons on the destroyer's bottom side when he felt it. A slight disturbance in the Force. He glanced a look at his rearview monitor and saw a Sith Heavy Fighter approaching from behind and he knew immediately what he was dealing with. A black cloak and armor with a mask. A Dark Jedi. The other Black Squadron fighters had scattered to intercept other bombers, leaving Jacen to his lonesome.
"I was wondering when they'd show up." He mumbled as he started to try and lead the fighter on a chase through some the machinery along the lateral trench that ran along the sides of the destroyer but he couldn't shake the fighter. Jacen was dodging laser cannon fire from the fighter behind him when his fighter was rocked by a direct hit to the rear shields and then shook again as another shot grazed the port torpedo tube on his fighter. The readouts on his monitors indicating critical damage to the launcher, the failsafes shutting down the entire launching mechanism to avoid an explosion.
"Blast! I just lost my secondary weapons!" Jacen hissed as he took the fighter into a roll up and over to fly low over the hull of the Destroyer, the Dark Jedi still pursuing him aggressively. The Dark Jedi was suddenly forced off of him by a volley of laser cannon fire from Black Squadron.
"We've got your six, Black Leader!" the Black Squadron Commander reported as two Interceptors drove the Sith Fighter away, clipping the fighter's left wing, smoke trailing from it as it withdrew, headed for the surface of the planet below.
"He's not getting away! Cover me!" Jacen ordered, pulling his fighter around to begin pursuing the Heavy Fighter towards the surface.
"Yes sir!" the Black Squadron Commander replied as they started to pursue the fighter towards the surface. Their hulls started to glow from the heat of reentry but their shields kept them in one piece. The Dark Jedi started to lead them towards a tall mountain range, Jacen and the 501sts easily matching his maneuvers as they chased him, Jacen and the TIEs firing at him periodically. A couple of shots would hit his shields but the shields would recharge by the time they got a clear shot. Suddenly the Sith Fighter swerved out from around one of the mountains, flying towards a large lake, flying low across it, headed towards the factory on the opposite side of the lake.
"Heads up! He's leading us straight back to the-!" Jacen said before one of his escorts was blown out of the sky by turbolaser fire from near the factory. Jacen looked ahead and saw a turbolaser tower had been constructed in addition to at least three smaller turbolaser batteries, the turbolasers firing at them as they approached.
"General! Look out!" the other TIE pilot exclaimed, quickly overtaking Jacen's X-Wing with a burst of speed and flying in front of him, saving him from a turbolaser bolt, the bolt blowing the fighter's starboard solar panels off, sending him into a spin only to crash into the lake.
"That tower's gonna shred our transports! Only one thing to do!" Jacen exclaimed, quickly priming all of his fighter's torpedoes, while lining the damaged X-Wing up with the tower, being careful to not let himself get shot down in the process. One shot grazed his upper starboard engine, the engine catching on fire. His X-Wing was only two kilometers from the tower when he quickly pulled the eject lever, the canopy exploding off of the top of the fighter before his seat rocketed into the sky. He looked down to see the X-Wing go spiraling into the base of the turbolaser tower, its entire payload of torpedoes exploding on impact, the tower letting out a loud groan before collapsing down onto itself slightly and then falling forward. Jacen allowed a slight grin to cross his face for a moment before noticing the lake fast approaching beneath him.
He quickly hit his seat's emergency boosters, a few small maneuvering jets activating and slowing his descent before the seat finally splashed down into the lake. Jacen was plunged into several feet of murky brown water, his safety restraints detaching automatically from the seat, allowing him to swim for the surface. He reached the surface within seconds, taking a deep breath of fresh air. He instinctively swam for the nearby lake shore near the factory. He didn't see any Sith Troops approaching the muddy shoreline so he assumed he was in the clear as he pulled himself onto the shore. He quickly found a tall boulder sticking up out of the ground, taking a moment to rest against it, looking up towards the sky. Aside from the distant sound of alarms coming from the factory, the turbolasers had gone silent, and the only other sound was the sound of the water lapping against the shore and the sound of the wind in the trees. All the native wildlife had likely fled at the sound of the weapons fire. As he rested, he sensed someone approaching and soon heard the rattling of armor coupled with the sound of commands being shouted to the various men. Jacen knew right then that the Sith hadn't missed his landing and it had just taken them that long to reach him. He quickly looked down at his uniform. He had been wearing an ordinary pilot's jumpsuit and helmet to match. He looked and saw several Sith Troopers approaching his position, one of them spotting him.
"You there, freeze! Hands up!" the trooper shouted, pointing his blaster towards him. Jacen started to reach for his lightsaber but all he grabbed was open air. He quickly looked and saw, to his horror that his belt-clip on his lightsaber had broken completely off. All he had now was an ordinary blaster pistol. He closed his eyes to try and search for where his lightsaber might've fallen through the Force and knelt to the ground in a meditative pose just as the Sith Troopers arrived, surrounding him with their weapons pointed at him. Two of them quickly approached and forced his hands onto his head, one of them grabbing his blaster pistol and tossing it to one of the other troopers.
"Prisoner secured, sir!" one of the troopers said although Jacen remained in his meditation, searching for his lightsaber with the Force, stretching out with his feelings into the lake. He didn't pay the slightest bit of attention as a Sith Officer approached, looking down at Jacen with a posh sneer.
"Identify yourself, Republic scum." The officer instructed but Jacen didn't respond, his eyes still closed, deep in meditation. The officer let out an annoyed grunt before looking at the two soldiers guarding him.
"Search him for identification!" he ordered, the two troopers immediately beginning to frisk Jacen. Jacen knew he was running out of time. He needed to find his lightsaber before they found his identification card. One of the troopers then found something in one of his back pockets and pulled out a small card.
"Sir! The prisoner is identified as a Kyle Oren." The trooper reported, handing the card off to the officer. Jacen knew then that he'd bought himself some time. The name on the card was an alias he'd used on several occasions in the past. He was still searching the lake with the Force for his lightsaber before suddenly sensing a faint shape, his own presence surrounding it. He subtly opened his right hand, calling the lightsaber towards him from beneath the waves. He could sense it moving rapidly towards him.
"Kyle Oren, is it? Very well, Mr. Oren, consider yourself under arrest as a prisoner of war of the Sith Empire. Binders!" the Officer ordered. One of the troopers started to reach for his binders when Jacen's eyes suddenly shot open. His lightsaber suddenly burst from the water, flying into his hand and activating, impaling the trooper behind him with the green blade. Jacen quickly swung the blade around, cutting down the other trooper behind him before leaping to his feet.
"It's a Jedi! Blast him!" The officer ordered, backing away as the troopers opened fire but Jacen quickly started deflecting their blaster fire, taking two out with blaster bolts that had been deflected right back at them. He proceeded to cut down two more of them, the officer turning and running back up the shore as Jacen cut down three more, retrieving his blaster, before giving pursuit, stepping out from around the large rock and sliding to a stop as he saw at least two battalions of Sith Troopers approaching from the factory, all of them taking up position with their blasters aimed at him. Jacen stood at the ready, his lightsaber raised defensively, surveying the line of Sith Troopers, the officer quickly taking position behind them, his own blaster pistol drawn as he turned back towards Jacen.
"Prepare to fire!" the officer shouted, Jacen standing prepared to fight as long as he could stand.
"Ready! Aim?" the officer said, clearly distracted as he saw something else. Jacen noticed the other troopers starting to look away from him, pointing towards something behind him while talking to each other in clear alarm. Jacen heard the sounds of starship engines from behind him, he glanced over his shoulder and saw a cloud of mist over the lake fast approaching the area. He looked closer with a smirk as he saw squadrons of X-Wings, A-Wings, TIE Interceptors, and other assorted Republic Fighters flying towards the factory accompanied by several large dark grey transports with 501st markings on them. The turbolasers at the factory turned and started to open fire but one of them were suddenly destroyed by a proton torpedo fired from one of the X-Wings, the fighters flying low over the factory, strafing the ground with laser cannon fire, spreads of torpedoes and concussion missiles, scattering the Sith Troops on the ground below. Jacen hurried further up towards the factory, deflecting blaster fire from some of the troopers still focused on him. He saw three running towards him with weapons raised but they were suddenly gunned down by the blaster cannon fire of one of the transports as it touched down behind Jacen, the front boarding ramp lowering down quickly, revealing two rows of ten 501st Stormtroopers standing inside, the troopers immediately rushing out with blasters raised, opening fire on the Sith Troopers.
"Come on! To the General!" one of the squad leaders ordered as Jacen deflected incoming blaster fire away from the troopers. A little further up the lake shore, another AAL landed, the doors opening to reveal twenty more Stormtroopers only in Phase II armor and with Tahiri standing in the center aisle between them, activating her lightsaber as soon as the doors opened.
"Let's move!" she yelled, charging out with lightsaber raised, the 501sts following after her. The 501sts were storming the shore while Republic fighters continued to strafe the surface while also combatting Sith Fighters that had followed them from orbit or had launched from one of the hangar facilities near the factory. Jacen and Tahiri were separately leading entire squads of troopers straight towards the factory but the two remaining turbolasers were making their advance slow and difficult as they'd stopped trying to shoot down the fighters and had turned their attention towards the approaching Republic forces. Jacen and his squad quickly took cover behind the base of a small bluff as one of the batteries started to target them. He looked across the battlefield and saw Tahiri with her squad, taking cover behind the wreckage of a crashed Sith TIE Fighter.
"I need a comlink." Jacen said, one of the troopers immediately producing one from his belt.
"Here sir!" the trooper said as Jacen took the comlink and held it to his mouth.
"Tahiri! Can you hear me?!" Jacen asked, watching Tahiri from the distance as she ducked behind the debris and pulled a comlink from her belt.
"We're pinned down, Jacen! Those turbolasers are really causing us some problems!" Tahiri said as Jacen glanced up towards the sky, noting the number of Sith Fighters engaging the Republic's own.
"Our air support is tied up right now so we'll have to do this the hard way! Standby!" Jacen said as he turned to one of the troopers.
"Did anyone pack some explosive charges?!" Jacen asked, one of the troopers in heavier gear immediately scrambling towards him with a pack on his back. The pack contained several explosive charges inside. Jacen then raised his comlink again.
"Tahiri, grab a couple of detonators and standby! You and I are going to pull a Podracer on them!" Jacen said, the Stormtroopers immediately looking at each other in confusion.
"What's the General talking about?" one of them asked.
"Ugh, I wish we could find a better name for this!" Tahiri mumbled while Jacen watched her pack a few detonators into a satchel pack. She knew what he was talking about.
"Says the girl who cheered the loudest of us all at the Boonta Eve last year!" Jacen argued with a smirk, packing a few detonators in a pack one of the Stormtroopers handed him.
"I was rooting for your sister!" Tahiri argued as Jacen glanced out from behind cover, quickly observing the area around the turbolasers, noting that most of the Sith Troopers were distracted by the other Stormtroopers and the turbolasers were now targeting other Stormtrooper squads.
"Well when this is over we'll think of a new name. For now, we've got turbolasers to silence! Ready?!" Jacen asked, looking towards Tahiri who was looking back towards him, pocketing her comlink and reactivating her lightsaber. Jacen did the same and looked towards the Stormtroopers behind him.
"Be ready to give us some covering fire!" Jacen said as the squad leader gave him a nod.
"We've got your back, General! You sure you don't want us to draw their fire?!" the squad leader asked.
"Nope, we need those turbolasers focused squarely on me and Tahiri for this to work! Ready?! NOW!" Jacen yelled before he Force Jumped clear out of cover, landing on the other side and started running towards the turbolaser battery nearest him, Tahiri doing the same, rushing out from behind the crashed TIE Fighter and rushing straight for the other turbolaser. The turbolaser operators spotted the Jedi as soon as they reappeared and their cannons swiveled towards them, opening fire but the Jedi were able to nimbly jump ahead of the blasts, using the Force to shield them from behind and use the kinetic force of the turbolaser impacts behind them to propel them forward, allowing them to cross the distance with incredible speed, cutting down Sith Troopers in their path. Some troopers tried to intercept them only to get mowed down by blaster fire from the Republic Stormtroopers.
"Eat laser you Sith Scum!" one of the Stormtroopers yelled. Jacen reached the base of his turbolaser first, leaping high up into the air and landing on top of the turbolaser, completely out of the battery's firing range, ducking down to avoid stray blaster fire from the troopers on the ground. He quickly removed the bandoleer and was about to pull the priming pin to prime all of the detonators at once when he heard a hatch open nearby. A spotter's hatch built into the turbolaser had opened, a Sith Gunner attempting to climb out to confront the Jedi. Jacen proceeded to kick the gunner hard in the face, knocking him out and back down the hatch before pulling the pin and slinging the bandoleer inside the hatch before turning and running off the top of the turret towards the battlefield. He landed in a roll, popping up behind some cover, peeking out in time to see several Sith Troops rushing out of the turbolaser control room beneath the weapon, running off in a panic mere seconds before the turbolaser started to explode from the inside, a jet of flames erupting from the top hatch as the turbolaser's left barrel exploded off of its mounting and crashed to the ground as smoke billowed from the wrecked machinery. Jacen was smirking before looking over towards the other turbolaser which was still firing. He saw Tahiri just now arriving at the base of the turbolaser. He suddenly felt a disturbance in the Force and his eyes widened in alarm.
"TAHIRI!" He yelled, just as Tahiri opened the door to the control room before quickly jumping back in time to dodge a downward swing of a red Sith Lightsaber from inside the doorway. From the turbolaser emerged the Dark Jedi that had been piloting the Heavy Fighter earlier in the battle. The Dark Jedi was clad in the mask, cloak, and armor common to the rest of the Sith's Dark Jedi. Tahiri backed away, ready for a fight. She was about to attack when the Dark Jedi raised his hand towards her and proceeded to slam her hard against the side of the turbolaser with the Force, knocking her out. Jacen took a quick glance around and saw the 501sts quickly swarming up towards the factory.
"SITH! SITH!" Jacen yelled to them, motioning towards the Dark Jedi as he ran towards the Dark Jedi.
"Let him have it!" one of the 501sts yelled, the Stormtroopers quickly turning their weapons towards the Dark Jedi, forcing him onto the defensive before he could finish off the Padawan. The Dark Jedi turned his attention towards the 501sts, charging towards them, starting to attack. Jacen was starting to move to help them when one of the squad leaders intercepted him.
"No, sir! We'll keep him occupied! You take care of the Commander, but don't take too long!" the squad leader said.
"I'm not going to sacrifice you to the Sith!" Jacen yelled.
"You're not! Now hurry, sir!" the squad leader ordered before charging in towards the Dark Jedi. Jacen bit his lip before running towards the unconscious Tahiri.
"Tahiri!" Jacen exclaimed, running up to her, helping to rouse her with the Force, earning a few disoriented moans from the blonde haired Padawan. Jacen then heard a cry of agony come from nearby. He turned in time to see the 501st squad leader from a moment ago get impaled through the chest by the Dark Jedi's lightsaber. Jacen scowled at him in clear anger. He rose to his feet and proceeded to activate his lightsaber again, the sound of which caught the Dark Jedi's attention. Jacen proceeded to thrust his hand towards the Dark Jedi, forcing him to raise one hand up in defense, using the Force to try and withstand the more powerful Force Push from Jacen, causing the Dark Jedi to slide backwards against the gravel covered terrain a few feet before finally getting a firmer footing. Jacen then started to approach him, both Force Users raising their lightsabers and moving towards each other, the two bringing their lightsabers together in a flash of green and red light. On the ground, Tahiri finally started to sit up, a little dazed from earlier. As she looked around, she heard the sounds of lightsaber on lightsaber and looked up to see Jacen and the Dark Jedi exchanging blows. Her first instinct was to help him but she paused when she heard the loud thumping of the turbolaser next to her. She looked down at the bandoleer of explosives lying across her and knew what she needed to do. She quickly scrambled to her feet, running inside of the turbolaser control room.
Meanwhile more AALs were touching down and deploying more Stormtroopers but now they were accompanied by slightly larger transports carrying Republic tanks in 501st colors including a modified Canderous Assault Tank with predominantly grey colored plating with the white and dark-blue markings of the 501st and a red tinted cockpit viewport. There were a couple of communications antennae sticking up out of the back of the tank as well. In the cockpit of the Canderous sat General Veers in his armor commander helmet, watching a holographic display of the two force-users locked in combat while two 501sts piloted the tank.
"Order the men to steer clear of the General and that Dark Jedi! Don't interfere unless otherwise instructed!" Veers ordered over the comlinks. At the same time, Tahiri came sprinting out of the turbolaser.
"Move! MOVE!" she yelled, the Stormtroopers quickly following her instructions and putting some distance between them and the turbolaser just as explosions started to rip it apart from the inside. Jacen and the Dark Jedi were still locked in combat when they heard the turbolaser starting to explode. The two quickly looked at the exploding turbolaser and leapt in opposite directions just before one of the barrels came crashing down between them. Jacen looked towards the Dark Jedi who had seized the opportunity to fall back with the rest of the Sith Forces. He paused and looked towards Jacen, almost challengingly, before rushing into the factory. Jacen scowled and gave chase which didn't go unnoticed by Tahiri.
"Jacen! Wait!" she yelled, running after him as the Republic swarmed the failing battlements surrounding the Sith Factory. Even the tide in the aerial battle overhead had turned in the Republic's favor as more Republic fighters had arrived and even a couple of Tartan Patrol Cruisers had entered low orbit, firing on the Sith's fighters. Jacen was continuing his pursuit of the Dark Jedi as the Sith made his way towards the large doors at one of the factory buildings, the doors opening up, causing the Dark Jedi to stop and turn back towards Jacen who slid to a stop, realizing that the Sith was up to something. Sure enough, they heard the loud heavy metallic thumping of a large machine and soon saw a large four legged walker start to emerge from the factory, rounding the corner towards him. The walker was built like a smaller four-legged variant of the old AT-TE from the Clone Wars but had only two smaller repeating blaster cannons on ball-turret mounts on the front, flanking the cockpit which was only recognizable by a red tinted vertical viewport. There were two more turrets at the rear while on the back was a single large laser cannon with a long barrel, almost exactly like the ones used on the AT-TE except completely controlled from inside the walker, thus not exposing the gunner to enemy fire. The turret proceeded to swivel towards Jacen who quickly leapt out of the way just as the cannon fired, the force of the blast sending Jacen flying. Before the walker could finish him off, it was hit by blaster fire from the approaching 501sts.
"Take it down! Take it down!" one of the squad leaders shouted as several Stormtroopers primed and fired shoulder mounted RPGs at the walker. The RPGs striking the walker's armored hull, distracting the walker which turned its attention towards them, allowing Tahiri the opportunity to run in and help Jacen to his feet.
"Are you alright?" she asked as he dusted himself off.
"I'm fine! What about you?" he asked back.
"I think we're winning!" Tahiri replied as Jacen looked around for the Dark Jedi but he had disappeared, Jacen sensing the Dark Jedi's presence inside the factory.
"Good. Come on, we have a Dark Jedi to confront!" Jacen said as Tahiri gave a nod.
"I'm right behind you!" she replied as they ran inside the factory through the large front doors. Their departure did not go unnoticed by the 501st though as General Veers sat sitting half-way out of the top hatch on his customized tank, observing the battle while one of the squad leaders surveyed the field with a pair of electrobinoculars.
"Sir, General Solo and Commander Velia have entered the factory in pursuit of a Dark Jedi! Should we pursue?" the squad leader asked.
"Let them go. They are doing their jobs, and we shall do ours. Order the men to press forward and send in the tanks for support." Veers instructed before ducking back down into his tank, closing the hatch behind him as the tank started to move forward towards the front-lines, the squad-leader relaying the General's orders through his helmet comlink.
…
Back inside the factory, Jacen and Tahiri were fighting their way through Sith Troopers as they made their way onto one of the factory floors where large conveyor belts moved partially completed pieces of equipment beneath droid controlled construction arms and presses where the next stages of their construction were added. A single lone conveyor belt sat off to one side of the room that led to an incinerator and was where rejected parts were sent. Several catwalks were hung overhead and were intended for observation. The two Jedi had just entered the area on one of the floors near a conveyor belt of fresh carbonite metal sheeting headed towards several automated fusion torches meant to cut the needed shapes out of the metal.
"He's here." Jacen said as they both looked around for the Dark Jedi, sensing his presence within the chamber. They suddenly heard a metallic groaning echoing across the floor, the acoustics bouncing the sound around to the point they couldn't determine where it was coming from. Jacen finally saw it, a large piece of dislodged machinery, airborne and flying towards them both.
"MOVE!" Jacen yelled, he and Tahiri jumping in opposite directions just a split second before the machinery crashed into the ground where they had been standing. Jacen had leapt up to one of the catwalks overhead while Tahiri and vaulted over the conveyor belt. Jacen was climbing to his feet when he heard the hiss of the Dark Jedi's lightsaber and looked ahead down one of the connected catwalks to see the Dark Jedi standing at an intersection with his lightsaber active. Jacen activated his lightsaber again as the two started moving towards each other. Tahiri was just reaching a ladder to the catwalks when the Dark Jedi proceeded to rear back his blade and throw it towards Jacen, the blade spinning as it flew. Jacen ducked the airborne Sith Weapon, missing but the lightsaber proceeded to cut through the support beams holding the catwalk to the ceiling, causing the catwalk to bend downward beneath the Jedi Knight, causing him to lose his footing and tumble off of the catwalk, landing on one of the conveyor belts.
"Jacen!" Tahiri exclaimed, having seen this from half-way up the ladder. Jacen was still conscious but the impact on the conveyor had dazed him slightly as well as knocked his lightsaber from his hand, the weapon clattering further up the conveyor belt. Tahiri had jumped off the ladder and was attempting to reach Jacen to help him up when the Dark Jedi landed in her path, his lightsaber in hand. Tahiri quickly blocked the Dark Jedi's attack, the two entering into a headed exchange of lightsabers, Tahiri's blue blade clashing against his red.
Jacen finally recovered enough to see Tahiri exchanging blows with the Dark Jedi but also heard a loud metal thumping behind him. He looked and saw, ahead on the conveyor, were two large shaping machines that were hammering large pieces of metal into metal casings for Sith armor chest plates with a single smash. Jacen quickly scrambled to climb off of the conveyor and managed to do so with time to spare but as he reached for his lightsaber on his belt he couldn't find it.
"Not again." He hissed to himself as he looked around for it, finally spotting the weapon but just in time for it to be pulverized by the shaper, reducing the weapon into a collection of broken bits, effectively destroying it. Jacen groaned in frustration at the sight of his destroyed lightsaber. Even the synthcrystal had been reduced to a light green powder. He then heard the sounds of lightsaber on lightsaber from nearby as Tahiri continued to fight off the Dark Jedi but was losing ground as he forced her back towards the conveyor leading towards the incinerator. Jacen quickly started running towards them, scooping up the broken pieces of his lightsaber in the process with one hand while reaching for the blaster pistol in its holster just on the side above his left knee.
"HEY!" Jacen shouted, catching the Dark Jedi's attention. Jacen proceeded to throw the metal bits at the Dark Jedi, the bits raining down on him and forcing him to shield himself, Jacen quickly drawing his blaster pistol in the process. Jacen fired a shot at the Dark Jedi, causing him to deflect the shot but this was enough for Tahiri to run him through from behind, the blue tip of her lightsaber piercing through the
Dark Jedi's chest plate from behind. They could hear the Dark Jedi let out a gasp of pain. Tahiri deactivated her lightsaber as the Dark Jedi slumped over onto the conveyor which carried his body off into the incinerator. Tahiri and Jacen watched the Dark Jedi's body disappear down the conveyor in silence for a moment as they caught their breath.
"So…" Tahiri said, getting Jacen's attention, "…I never want to hear the lecture about losing my lightsaber ever again."
Jacen merely gave a conceding nod.
"Fair enough."
Later…
Jacen and Tahiri were just disembarking one of the returning AALs onto the Tatooine Avenger's hangar deck. The battle on the surface was over, the Sith forces defeated and the factory database was being scoured for useful information before it would be demolished completely.
"You held up pretty good out there, Tahiri. I'm proud of you." Jacen said as Tahiri smiled slightly.
"Not bad for my first time on the front lines of a battle." She said as Jacen chuckled.
"Better than I did, that's for sure. Some general I turned out to be, huh?" Jacen asked.
"Actually, sir, I believe your performance was nothing less than what we expected from Lord Skywalker's grandson." General Veers said as he approached, his armor commander's helmet under one arm.
"Forgive me if I don't take your word for it." Jacen replied.
"You should, General. I've served in two wars and have participated in numerous battles. I've served under your grandfather for most of that time and I believe that you performed exactly as he would have down there. Mind you he is patently unpredictable at times and by his own admission he is not infallible. He did ask me to give you a sort of, review of your performance and now you have it." Veers stated as Jacen relaxed slightly.
"Well, that's one vote in favor. But I still can't get that squad leader out of my head. I could've saved him." Jacen said as Veers gave a somber but understanding nod.
"That is one of the many lessons we commanding officers have to learn sometime and sometimes we learn that lesson the hard way. In war, good men die. We may or may not be able to save them. In his case, he died doing what he was trained since birth to do. He knew exactly what was at stake the minute he set foot on the planet surface. Don't take his death too personally, General. He died at his post and that is a noble death." Veers said as Jacen nodded understandingly.
"Are there any other lessons I should know about?" Jacen asked.
"At the moment, just one. Losing one of your own never gets any easier. In the Empire, we viewed Stormtroopers as expendable. I myself was guilty of this during my days in the Empire. But after getting to know each of these brave men, I can honestly say that they are by no means expendable. It used to be that celebrating a victory was in celebration of just defeating the enemy at a battle. Now it is to celebrate in the stead of those who died for that victory. Now, if you will excuse me General, I have my report to fill out." Veers said with a salute before walking away.
"He's not wrong you know." Tahiri said as Jacen nodded.
"Yeah. I suppose this is the reason my grandfather selected me. I'd never really experienced a loss like this before." Jacen said as Tahiri looked at him curiously.
"Not even after Tenel…" she said, her sentence dropping off as Jacen looked away.
"Nothing will compare to losing Tenel. But it still hurts." Jacen said as Tahiri looked around at the other Stormtroopers as they carried out their usual after-action routines.
"Besides, that trooper sacrificed his life to save both our lives." Tahiri said as Jacen nodded again.
"True. And like the General said, we should celebrate the victories in the stead of those who died for them." Jacen said as Tahiri shivered slightly.
"Yeah. Think I'll go find someplace warm. I always get cold on starships. Temperature controls are always set too low." She said as she started to walk off towards the turbolifts.
"If it's one degree cooler than the average temp on Tatooine, it's too cold for you." Jacen remarked, earning a coy smile from over her shoulder as she walked away.
…
Later on the bridge, Jacen emerged from the turbolift and headed towards the holotable where Delta and Veers were stood speaking with a hologram of Han Solo and Chewbacca.
"Ah and here's the General now." Veers stated as Jacen approached the table. Han shot his firstborn a winning smirk.
"Hey Junior, heard you just scored your first victory out there." Han greeted as Jacen grimaced slightly.
"We did, and don't call me junior." He replied.
"You would be proud of him, Solo. He and Commander Velia performed admirably." Veers said as Jacen gave a sheepish smile and shrug.
"Despite the fact my lightsaber got pulverized." Jacen replied.
"Ouch. How'd that happen?" Han asked.
"It's a long story but sufficed to say I was reminded of the unofficial Solo Family credo after I lost my lightsaber." Jacen said as Han smirked at him.
"We always shoot first." Han replied, Chewbacca roaring something that made Jacen bite his lip in amusement but earning an annoyed look from Han.
"No it's not that. And what do you mean we're scruffy lookin'? Have you checked the mirror lately pal?" Han asked but only got grunts of amusement from Chewie.
"Having a rough day?" Jacen deduced as Han merely shrugged.
"Not really cut out for this general stuff. Never really did enjoy it much. Give me a blockade and a cargo hold of contraband any day over this. This is just a temporary job. I can't wait for your grandfather to come back. I know, I can't believe I just said that either." Han said.
"Believe what? That he admitted to being a smuggler?" Veers asked, confused.
"No, that he misses my grandfather." Jacen replied, bumping his fists together to implicate a "butting of heads." Veers nodded his head in understanding. Delta merely shook his head, his expressions hidden by his helmet.
"Still, from what Max's report says, you did alright kid." Han said as Jacen shrugged, still a little unsure of himself.
"I suppose. But there are a few things about this battle that bothers me. Our Intel didn't say anything about turbolaser installations near the factory. And there were suspiciously few vehicles on site save for only a few. The factory was designed to manufacture the smaller combat vehicles, Sith Trooper armor, and small arms, and yet according to the report, we only encountered one." Jacen said as Veers gave a nod while furrowing his brow in contemplation.
"And we encountered two more after the General and Commander went after a Dark Jedi inside the factory. Strike Walkers, both of them, equipped for anti-infantry work. Stood no chance against our armor divisions regardless." Veers added.
"It is a bit suspicious. My men reported that the onsite warehouses were empty too. Perhaps we just missed the transport carrying the arms shipment." Delta commented.
"I'll let Galen know about this. This isn't the first incident where we've had an unexpected development like this." Han said as the turbolift opened to allow Tahiri onto the bridge, the Padawan headed for the table.
"Still, we've managed to deprive the Sith of a factory facility. I'd still call that a success regardless." Delta commented.
"Agreed." Veers said as Tahiri joined them at the table. She was barefoot again as usual.
"I suppose it was a 'mission accomplished.' Oh, hey, any word on where grandfather went?" Jacen asked as Han shrugged with a pitying expression.
"Sorry kid. Luke and your mother both say that he just needs some time to himself. He's got a lot on his mind lately." Han replied, Chewbacca letting out a worried howl.
"Yeah, me too Chewie." Jacen said.
"You take care of yourself kid. Solo out." Han said before his and Chewbacca's holograms faded out. Jacen immediately turned towards Commander Delta.
"Commander, you mentioned something about picking up a new batch of recruits from Kamino as well as transitioning the Legion over to the new armor. I'd like my grandfather to see we accomplished something while the Five-Hundred and First was under my command." Jacen said as Delta removed his helmet, an appreciative smile on his face.
"Very good sir. I'll order the fleet to set course for Kamino. We'll make the jump to lightspeed on your command." Delta replied as Jacen gave a nod.
"How long until we're ready?" Jacen asked.
"No more than two hours, give or take." Delta replied as Jacen gave a nod of approval.
"Good, then just have the fleet standby to jump when all ships have reported in." Jacen said before turning to head for the turbolift.
"Yes sir!" Delta replied as he, Veers, and Tahiri watched him depart.
Meanwhile, in Sith Space…
A Sith Star Destroyer, twice as large as an ordinary one sat amongst a fleet of the usual mainline Destroyers and Assault Ships. On the bridge of this larger Star Destroyer was Sith Admiral Natasi Daala. She was stood looking over holographic tactical data from a presently ongoing ground battle in a distant system between the Sith and the Republic. The Sith were getting overwhelmed by the Republic's forces but Daala didn't seem particularly disturbed by this. She was soon approached by a young red haired human man in a Sith Officer uniform. His rank insignia indicated the rank of Commander. The Commander saluted upon approaching her.
"Report." Daala said without looking away.
"The Republic has destroyed our factory facility in the Calibo System. They sustained moderate losses to the Five-Hundred and First Legion. Our casualties were near complete. Only one of our Assault Ships managed to escape the attack." The Commander reported. Daala didn't take her eyes off of the hologram and didn't seem to react.
"Forward a copy of your report to the Empress. She'll want to hear about this." Daala ordered.
"Yes, Admiral. Shall I inform Lord Fenrir to standby?" the Commander asked.
"You may inform Lord Fenrir and Lord Sheelal to standby. The Republic is playing right into our hands." Daala replied as the Commander arched a curious eyebrow.
"Admiral?" he asked, earning a stern glare from Daala.
"You have your orders. You are dismissed, Commander Hux." Daala instructed as the Commander saluted.
"Yes ma'am." He replied, starting to walk past behind her but pausing as he stood directly behind her.
"Tonight? Your quarters?" he asked softly. Daala subtly glanced his way.
"Oh-twenty-two-hundred hours." She replied softly, the Commander allowing a small smirk to appear on his face before walking away.
Meanwhile back on the Tatooine Avenger…
The 501st Fleet Group had just made the jump to lightspeed towards Kamino. Tahiri was roaming the halls of the Star Destroyer, trying to find Jacen although she was having little success. She was nearing the turbolift when she paused, sensing him nearby. She headed for a room with a pair of double doors and a pair of 501sts standing guard on either side. She started approaching the doors, sensing Jacen inside.
"Have you seen Jacen anywhere?" she asked the guards. She was asking them just for verification.
"Yes Commander, he's inside in Lord Skywalker's meditation chamber." One of them replied.
"Oh. Can I see him?" she asked, the troopers looking at each other for a second before looking at her.
"It's not restricted, ma'am." The trooper replied.
"Oh. Well, thank you." She replied as the troopers stood at attention.
"Proud to be of service Commander." The other one replied but when the trooper spoke it caused Tahiri to pause in confusion. The trooper had a woman's voice with a distinct High Coruscanti accent.
"Did he just speak with-…Nah." Tahiri said dismissively to herself, assuming she'd heard wrong, as she went ahead into the meditation chamber. Inside she saw the chamber proper sitting with the doors open, Jacen sitting inside the chamber in a meditative pose, the parts of a new lightsaber floating in front of him.
"There you are. I was looking all over for you." Tahiri said.
"My grandfather keeps a full lightsaber workstation here, complete with a stash of synthcrystals. I've been building a new lightsaber to replace my old one." Jacen replied in his near trance-like state as his lightsaber started to put itself together in the air in front of him.
"Looks like you're going with a new design." Tahiri said as she watched the lightsaber slowly be assembled with the Force.
"It is based off of a design found in my grandfather's database." Jacen replied as the last pieces locked together, the lightsaber finally completed. It had two smaller parts jutting out on opposite sides of the emitter, making the lightsaber look like an uppercase T. Jacen took hold of the lightsaber, stepping out of the meditation chamber. He proceeded to activate the lightsaber which activated with a growl-like hiss and a blue blade and more interestingly a blue cross guard from the two parts on the sides. The blade and cross guards crackled and hissed, both visibly unstable. Tahiri was wide eyed at the blade as Jacen spun it around a little, testing out its weight and grip.
"How is it? It looks a little unstable." Tahiri asked.
"Perfect."
End Episode 9
Seems like the Republic's victory may actually have been a hollow victory after all.
Yes we've had a few more appearances by characters from the Force Awakens! The first and most obvious is General Hux. In this he's only a Commander who appears to not be above fraternizing with a superior officer. The other is more subtle. Let me know if you notice it.
And yes, Jacen has a Kylo Ren lightsaber only in blue. There's a reason for this.
As usual, please refrain from mentioning any Force Awakens Spoilers in your reviews. PMs to me on the other hand are fair game. I've seen the movie.
And don't bother looking up Calibo on Wookieepedia. I made it up.
By the way, some of you are assuming that Darth Maul is the mysterious 3rd party. Spoiler alert: He's no~ot.