The Aaren district on Coruscant got its name from the Aaren Galactic trading company. A long time ago Aaren Galactic was one of the largest and most successful trading companies in the galactic core. At its top Aaren was so large and influential that the Senate decided to name the district housing its main office after the company. Aaren Galactic's size became it's downfall however, when the company proved unable to keep up with a changing galaxy. After falling prey to a hostile takeover by a conglomerate of competitor trading companies it was cut up into a lot of smaller companies and distributed amongst the buyers. Today only the district name reminds of one of the most successful commercial enterprises in the history of Coruscant. The district has always continued to flourish as a commercial center housing the prestigious offices of some of the most important trading companies in the galaxy.
Jes sat in the cockpit of the transport shuttle en-route to the Aaren district. He'd put on some music and was enjoying the flight. It had been a while since he visited this side of Corrusant. He might as well enjoy the view.
Jes was one of the rare exceptions of people working at the temple who weren't Jedi. He helped out with maintaining the various craft which were stationed at the temple and did the occasional piloting job. This particular assignment was new to him. Normally multiple Jedi would accompany the students on an assignment like this but with many of the Jedi being deployed in the conflict, they could use all the help they could get.
"Good song..." Jes said to himself and started whistling softly to the tune. Way better than the stuff the put out these days. It was then that master Erad'un entered the cockpit,
"Well," Darin said, "Were they as nervous as they looked?"
"Hah!" mused Erad'un, "They're a bit nervous alright, but it is to be expected on an assignment like this. They did well in the briefing just now. The asked some important questions and they already agreed on a basic plan of approach. I have high hopes for them."
"Every time again I'm amazed at how much responsibility you give to students this young." Jes said.
"I can imagine it must seem overwhelming at times but they are training to become Jedi. That means they must be able to handle situations with enormous responsibilities. We feel it is best to teach them young, when you're still allowed to make mistakes. The boys are twelve years old, the girl is eleven. These situations offer enormous learning opportunities. But I do get your point. In some ways, these aren't kids anymore. They do need to grow up very fast compared to other children of their age. Sometimes it seems like a high price to pay..." Erad'un reflected while looking out of the viewport.
Jes nodded, "Well, I'm glad to hear they're doing ok. Can I ask what the assignment is about?"
"Sure, " Erad'un answered, "It's about a conflict between the Exxiss Trading company and OSI Exclusive Imports. There was some dispute about the import rights for certain goods and both parties have contradicting statements about who owns these rights. OSI also accuses Exxiss of being in league with the separatists, a most serious accusation in times like these. It's up to the students to find out what's going on and who is in their right. That's the short version anyway. "
"Ah, sounds like a tough assignment." Jes said.
"Yes, " Erad'un agreed, "There are many subtle complications at play. But I have a good feeling that they'll figure it out. How are we doing, by the way? Are we still on schedule?"
"Yes we are. We're about to enter Aaren airspace and we'll be arriving at the Exxiss facility in about 10 minutes. " Jes confirmed.
"Very well, I'll go see how their plan of approach is coming along and make sure they're ready for our arrival. " And with that, Erad'un left the cockpit.
A few minutes later Jes saw the commercial district coming up in the viewport. He turned off the music and tried to raise the Exxiss compound. "Exxiss facility 112, this is Shuttle Dantooine asking permission to land. Authorization code Alpha-Alpha-0-0-1-4."
A few seconds later there was a reply from the comm. "Shuttle Dantooine this is Exxiss facility 112, you are cleared for landing at platform Bravo-2. Right in front of our main entrance. Do you need further assistance?"
"Roger that Exxiss facility. No need for further assistance, see you when we touch down."
"Acknowledged Shuttle Dantooine, Exxiss facility 112 out."
And Jes entered the approach vector into the shuttle's computer. He keyed the intercom and said: "Hello back there, this is your pilot Jes Darrin. We have almost arrived at Exxiss facility 112 where I'm told you will start your assignment. Please prepare for arrival."
He could see the facility clearly now. On the penthouse level of one of the highest buildings in the region was a large platform containing a courtyard and the Exxiss district office complex.
It wasn't a very large complex but it looked quite classy with a curved white exterior and large deep blue transparisteel windows.
"They must be importing some exclusive stuff there." He said to himself.
In front of the main entrance of the building there was a large, exquisite looking garden with 2 big grass fields which contained the 2 landing pads meant for guests.
Jes put the shuttle down on the right side of the garden which the shuttle computer marked as platform Bravo-2. The courtyard was an architectural marvel by itself. Because the spire was higher than anything else in the region it almost looked like you could see across the entire hemisphere from here.
He powered down the drive systems, cleared the air locks and lowered the aft ramp. He then went to the back where he saw that the students were ready to get off board.
"Welcome to Aaren, people. The Exxiss facility is right outside. I'll be here if you need me. " Jes said.
"Thank you for the easy flight Mr. Darrin. We'll let you know if we need you."
"Alright, good luck out there!" With that, the Jedi left the shuttle.
From the boarding ramp Jes saw a few people outside apparently welcoming the Jedi guests. After some short and friendly looking conversation the entire party made for the front entrance and disappeared inside.
Jes took in the impressive facade of the Exxiss company from the viewport. "Not the worst place in the galaxy to spend some time." He mused to himself and finished all the standard post-flight diagnostic programs on the shuttle. He got his datapad from his backpack and sat back. Time to catch up on some reading. The only thing that could happen today was that he had to fly some of the students to an OSI location to continue with the investigation there. He expected them to be busy with the Exxiss investigation for at least a few hours. So he opened 'The grand strategy of the Mandalorians, the first age' and he started reading.
It was about 2 hours later, when a proximity alert from the shuttle's computer ripped Jes from his deep-dive into Mandalorian history. The displays showed a republic low altitude assault transport approaching the Exxiss facility. "What in the five brothers is this..." the said to himself and tried to hail the incoming transport.
"Incoming republic transport, this is Jes Darrin of the Jedi shuttle Dantooine, is there anything I can assist you with?"
The response was almost immediate. "Shuttle Dantooine, this is LAAT 253, please hold your position and remain on board. We'll be with you shortly."
Jes needed to know more. "LAAT 253, we are here on an assignment from the Jedi temple. Can I ask what this is about?"
There was no response. "I repeat, LAAT 253, we are on Jedi business. We were not expecting anyone. Can I ask what is going on here?" Still no response. The transport maintained its vector. It landed on the adjacent landing platform in front of the main entrance. Something didn't feel right...
He saw clone troopers emerge from the shuttle. It wasn't the signature white armor or the dc-15a blaster rifles that they had that triggered Jes' alarm bells; It was the pattern in which they moved. two groups of four soldiers and one of three. Two of the groups approached the main entrance of the buildings from two sides. The three others were heading towards the shuttle. This looked like a breaching scenario! What was going on? Where they assaulting the Exxiss facility? Was this part of the exercise?
It was then when he saw the front entrance opening. One of the students, Oris, Darin thought his name was, came out. He stopped suddenly when his confused look switched between the clones approaching the entrance from both flanks.
To Jes' horrid surprise the first clone squad opened fire on the student and Oris collapsed.
"They shot the kid!" Jes yelled in complete astonishment.
Time seemed to slow down while Jes took in every detail that happened in those seconds. The troopers hadn't hesitated. More importantly, as far as Jes had seen, they hadn't identified themselves or given any kind of order before they took aim and shot Oris. The shots were clean, two hits to the torso. The clones coldly moved on to the front entrance while one of them quickly checked Oris' lifeless body while passing. They apparently were clear to fire at will. Then Jes realized: "The Jedi were targets!"
Reality came rushing back at light speed when Jes noticed the clones that were approaching the shuttle now had their blasters raised. He was a target too! He knew he only had seconds to come up with a plan. This shuttle was unarmed and there were no weapons on board. He was outnumbered and out-gunned. He needed to create an advantage, fast. His mind sank into the mode which once had been his second nature. Cold, fully concentrated and determined, his eyes narrowed. Decisions were made on instinct and everything else was muscle memory. He couldn't believe how easily it all came back after all these years.
The shuttle! The shuttle was his only weapon. Jes quickly entered the master override codes in the shuttle control panel. He engaged the engines and lifted the shuttle about five meters in the air while ignoring all the alarms and madly blinking indicator lights. The approaching clones stopped moving and immediately started firing at the shuttle. Jes lowered the aft boarding ramp and keyed in the commands to send the shuttle directly at the approaching clones at full power. The shuttle engines came to life with a roar and the shuttle started it's short but explosive drive towards the ground. Jes ran towards the exit hatch and jumped out. He hoped that he could get to cover while the clones were too distracted with the shuttle. He landed in the grass and quickly rolled behind a hedge on the edge of the field. He ducked and turned just in time to see the shuttle crash into the ground right where the approaching clones where standing. With its engines at full power, the shuttle had built up so much momentum that it ploughed through the field right into the stationary landing craft. A large explosion engulfed both craft in a fireball. His distraction seemed to have been effective in all ways he meant it to be: The clones near the craft had been taken out and as far as he knew no one had seen him jump out. Jes quickly shifted his attention to the main entrance. "Damn! It had already been breached. The first two clone squads must already be inside. That meant at least eight hostiles in the building." He had to get to the Jedi, quickly.
He ran quickly but silently towards the front entrance but as he approached the breached door he heard 2 pairs of footsteps quickly approaching.
Two troopers. They must have been sent back to investigate the explosion. He quickly backed up to the wall next to the door opening. When the 2 troopers came out he grabbed the left one in a choke hold around his neck while using him as human shield. The second clone tried to shoot Jes out of reflex but instead killed his partner. Jes, who had already grabbed the blaster rifle from the hand of the collapsing clone, shot the second one in the head. Another two troopers down. He took the blaster rifle and a grenade attached to one of the clone's utility belt. At least he was armed now.
Jes scanned the entrance area, it looked clear. He immediately noticed another body behind the front desk. It was an Exxiss employee, probably a secretary. She had been unarmed. Whatever their mission was, the clones must have been under orders to leave no witnesses.
The district office for the Exxiss company wasn't very large. As far as he could see from the outside the building had two levels with two wings. There were at least five more clones inside. He had no idea where the Jedi were but he was still outnumbered and couldn't risk getting flanked while heading upstairs. He hurried into the left wing hallway containing entrances to multiple meeting rooms. He saw six motionless bodies of Exxiss employees who were in the middle of a meeting. The meeting rooms were sound-proof. They hadn't even heard the clones coming.
The left wing seemed clear so he moved into the right hallway with a similar layout. When he peeked around the corner he saw two troopers walking away from him, clearing side doors. He didn't take any chances and quickly shot them both. "Okay. The ground floor is clear."
He quickly moved upstairs. The second floor of the building had a few larger meeting rooms and personal offices. A large door in the central room was blown open. Jes sneaked along the wall and peaked inside. His heart sank. There were three clones. One of them was huddled over a body in a robe. Must be Master Erad' un. They hadn't noticed Jes yet. He heard one of them say: "No word from bravo-2. They must have run into resistance downstairs. Go check on them while we clear the rest of this floor. " Which was answered with a short: "Yes, sir!"
He needed to act quickly while he still had the element of surprise. He stepped out in the doorway in a prone position and opened fire. He took down 2 of the clones. The third one managed to duck behind a desk and started returning fire. Jes ducked back behind the wall. He couldn't risk using the grenade with the downed Jedi in there. He wasn't sure he was dead. He hoped that the clone didn't realize that. It was worth a try...
Without activating the grenade he threw it through the door opening and it landed behind the desk. He quickly rolled into the room taking aim where he expected the third clone to move. The clone jumped away from the incoming grenade which left him exposed. Jes took him out with two clean shots to the torso. He moved inside to check on the downed Jedi. He immediately spotted another body. A trooper who apparently hadn't lived through the initial confrontation. That was all of the clones he had seen storming the building.
Behind the desk were two more bodies which made his stomach churn. Apparently another Exxiss employee in an expensive looking suit and... another one of the students. Both were cleanly taken out and did not show any sign of life. Master Erad'un's lightsaber lay on the floor in an extension of his arm. As if he realized something was wrong, but was too late. The student, a human boy named Johk, was shot in the back. Probably one of the first to take fire. At least they didn't suffer.
Perhaps it was a terrorist attack from a separatist group which had procured some clone armor and weapons. Jes needed to be sure. He crouched next to one of the clone bodies and carefully lifted his helmet. His hopes sank when he saw the face he had seen a thousand times before. They were clones alright. So the Grand Army of the republic had turned on the Jedi. It was almost too crazy to imagine.
Then he realized there was still one student missing: the human girl. Marin. "Please let her be okay." Jes quietly said to himself.
He noticed a door on the left side of the office was open. According to his count, all clones were down. But you never trust on a count made in the chaos of combat. So with his blaster rifle drawn he carefully stepped in the room. Another door on the opposite wall was open. He made sure the room was clear and moved through the open door. He carefully started checking behind the desks dreading to find another body. When he moved further into the second room he suddenly heard a sound behind him add spun around.
"Don't shoot! Mister Darrin! Please! It's me Marin!"
The girl! She was alive! He lowered his rifle and stepped over to her. "Marin! Are you hurt?" And the girl ran over to him, threw her arms around him and bursted into tears.
She started speaking chaotically: "We were...We were talking with mister Onalla when there was a loud explosion and a blinding flash! The next moment there was blaster fire everywhere and master Erad'un, he, he told me to run! I didn't know where to go and... and...I..I hid in here! What's happening mister Darrin? Where is master Erad'un? And Johk?' Marin asked sobbing.
"We were attacked by clones, Marin."
"By clones?! But they're on our side!"
"I don't know what's going on Marin. But I'm afraid master Erad'un and Johk didn't make it. The clones took them out together with all the Exxiss personnel. "
"Oh no!" she said in complete disbelief. "And Oris? He went outside to get a few datapads from the shuttle!"
"He came outside just as the clones were approaching the entrance. He was the first one they took down. If it wasn't for him they would've taken me by surprise as well."
Marin started to shake, edging on panic.
Jes put his hands on Marin's shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes "Marin, listen to me. What happened here is horrible and I cannot explain it. We need to find out what is going on but we are still in danger. We have to get out of here first and I cannot do this alone..."
"And I cannot do this alone..."
The words Jes said sank in and Marin realized she was shaking. She had to calm down. She swept the tears from her face and closed her eyes. She tried one of the Jedi meditation techniques she had learned that should quickly get her in a more calm state. She pushed the horrors she just experienced out of her mind for now. She regulated her breathing and tried to feel the Force flow through her. She felt the Force all around her and she felt it in Jes Darrin. She felt the Force flow into her body and her breathing became more regular. Within half a minute she opened her eyes. Jes was still right in front of her, looking at her with a calm and comforting look that even though she knew it wasn't true, seemed to say he was in complete control of the situation.
"Okay... okay, I'm here. What do you suggest we do?"
"I don't think there are any more troopers around but I'll bet they got word back of our resistance and reinforcements are already underway. We need to get back to the temple. Now, I had to destroy our shuttle to take out the troopers outside the building. But this being a trading company I expect there to be a few company craft in this facility we should be able to take."
"The terminal in mister Onalla's office!" Marin said suddenly. "In order to do our investigation we were granted full access to the Exxiss network. I can find the company craft from the terminal."
"I'm afraid all the equipment in that office was destroyed in the fight. "
"Okay, the main desk then. " I should have all the access we need from there"
"Sounds like a plan. Let's go."
"What about master Erad'un and Johk! We can't just leave them there?"
"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do for them now. We need to get back to the temple, quickly."
Marin and Jes headed through a side door into the corridor and down to the first level. In the lobby Marin saw the body of the secretary.
"Nothing we can do for her either." Jes said and he took the body and carefully placed it on the ground next to the desk.
Marin sat down behind the desk and started working on the terminal.
"There's an exit to an executive hangar on a sub-level from the turbolift over there. There should be two shuttles in the hangar. I have the launch codes and the codes for opening the hangar at the back of the facility."
"Great work Marin! I can fly one of the shuttles. They shouldn't be flagged yet but I bet they will be when the reinforcements arrive and they see what happened here. So we need to get as far away from here as we can, as quickly as we can."