The shuttles were there and the codes worked. Within ten minutes they were in the air. To buy some time Marin also managed to close the hangar bay doors behind them.
About thirty minutes in flight, having focused on their escape and not the events that happened at Exxiss, they both managed to stay pretty calm. "I still can't raise the temple. No response." Marin informed Jes.
"Hmmm, could be something with the comm grid. We still have some time of flight ahead of us and it doesn't seem that they're on to us yet. We'll keep trying." Darrin answered.
Marin had to use every meditative trick she learned to calm her spirit after what happened. She was curious though, "You know, you seem awfully calm for someone who just witnessed a mass murder."
"I've had some experience." Jes answered, rather not going in details on the subject.
"Experience with this?! So the rumors must be true then?" Marin questioned. She was not satisfied with Jess' answer.
"What rumors do you mean?"
"Some of the students at the temple said you used to be some kind of soldier before you worked at the temple."
Jes, figuring Marin had enough to worry about decided to tell her the truth.
"They are. I was a soldier."
"Did you fight for the republic? I thought they didn't have an army before the clone wars."
"I didn't fight for the republic. I'm from Corellia. I was a marine in the Corelian Defence Fleet. Do you know the Corellian system?"
"Sure, it consists of five planets. They call them the five brothers right?"
"Exactly, the CDF was responsible for the defense of the Corellian System. I was part of NSOC, the naval special operations command. "
"You were in the special forces?"
"Yes. For a time I was in an experimental unit supposedly consisting of the best of the best NSOC had to offer. We were deployed in the more delicate situations: High-profile kidnappings, deep cover missions, high value extractions and such."
"Wow, that explains how you took down an entire clone squad unarmed."
"Well, I was armed once I got inside."
"How does an elite special forces operative ends up being a mechanic in the Jedi temple?"
"Mechanic and pilot." Jes pointed out with a small smile but he was distracted by an indicator from the control panel. "Wait a minute, that tale will have to wait until later. I'm receiving a signal here. It seems to originate from the Jedi temple! I don't understand, does this tell you anything?"
"Let me see...Wait a minute, this is the recall signal. They've activated the Jedi beacon!"
"I must have missed that memo, what is it for?" Jes asked.
"Well, its typical goal is to recall all Jedi back to the temple on Coruscant in case of an emergency. It is possible to attach other message components like detailed messages but there are none present here. Just the ping."
"Hmmm, strange. Maybe there is something wrong with the temple comm array. We'll be back in the temple district in about half an hour. We'll try raising them a few times till we get there."
Marin thought she recognized some resistance in Jess' voice when she asked him about how he came to work at the temple so she decided to drop it for now.
She got up and said: "I'm going to meditate, try to get my head straight . Please let me know me when we're nearing the temple."
"Will do."
Then Jes configured the autopilot to fly to the Jedi temple. He sat back, trying to clear his mind as well.
With a subtle alarm the autopilot notified Jes that they were approaching the set destination. The navigation computer told them they were approaching the temple district. Traveling back to the other side of the planet, night had quickly fallen. When Jess looked up through the viewport he could not believe his eyes, was that the Jedi temple? The Jedi temple was ablaze! He rushed to the back where he found Marin still sitting in her meditation pose. Her eyes however, were still closed. When he looked closer he saw that she was pale as snow and lightly shaking. She silently whispered: "No... we cannot go to the temple. We need to turn around."
"But the recall signal, they might need our help!" Jess said to Marin.
Marin seemed to calm down a bit, opened her eyes and looked at Jes, "No. We cannot go there. We have to go somewhere else."
It was then that Jes realized that when he had told Marin he could not do this alone, this were not just comforting words. She had seen something he could not have seen himself and he needed to trust her.
"Ok. I'll change our direction and we'll figure something out. " And he went back to the cockpit. Because he didn't know where they would be going he disengaged the autopilot and turned into the next traffic lane away from the burning temple.
A few minutes later Marin sat down into the co-pilot seat. "I'm sorry about the confusion. I had a vision while I was meditating. It was not clear. I just saw flashes. People hurting and suffering. And flames. It was so intense, so much pain. It completely overwhelmed me. I never experienced anything like this before.
"Don't worry about it. I'm amazed at how calm you stayed after all we've been through. Now, let's try to find out what's going on. If the temple is on fire and what you have seen is true, there must be something on the HoloNet."
"I'll look into right away" Marin said. And she flicked on one of the data pads and started looking for news related to what they had seen. It didn't take long before she found it.
"This can't be... It says here there's been a rebellion against the republic, by the Jedi!? That there was an assassination attempt on the supreme chancellor by a group of Jedi Masters." Her head shook in disbelieve as she read on. "The attempt was thwarted but the chancellor was wounded in the attack... Steps have been taken to put down the rebellion. All Jedi and those who aide them have been declared ENEMIES OF THE REPUBLIC!?"
"What?! Jes exclaimed. "That cannot be! That's a bloody lie!"
"All the mayor news sources are reporting the same story."
"Does it say when all this happened?" Jes asked.
"It says here it was only a few hours ago."
Jes tried to put some of the pieces together. "Right before we were attacked. That's too much to be a coincidence. It's all timed way too perfectly to be a response to an attack. If this is true, it was well coordinated and had to have been planned long before today."
"We need to find out the truth and get in touch with the remaining Jedi." Marin said.
"I agree." Jes said. "I have an idea. I have a friend down in CoCo town who I trust and who's always been well connected when it comes to information. Maybe he can tell us what's really going on. It's low-key, away from the temple and he's not affiliated with the Jedi or the Republic so I don't think they'll be looking for us there. What do you think?"
"Sure, it's the only plan we've got. Let's go."
A little later Jes put the shuttle down in a crowded parking lot a few blocks away from Dex's Diner. Just in case the authorities were on the lookout for their acquired shuttle and happened to pass by.
Going to Dexter was a long shot but it was the best he could come up with in this short time. He had first met Dexter a few years back when he was accompanying Jedi master Obi Wan Kenobi on an assignment. Kenobi had informed him of the turbulent and colorful past of the owner of diner before they first went there. More than anything, Jes had been amazed by the sheer amount of knowledge Dexter possessed. He had enjoyed a wide range of jobs in his days. He had, for instance, worked as a bartender in the outer rim, a scout, a prospector and an arms dealer. All of this had taken him across half the galaxy. Next to becoming a walking encyclopedia his adventurous life style had also made him well known in all kinds of circles. Some a bit more obscure then others. On Coruscant, being the largest melting pot of species from all over the galaxy, he felt at home. Having a restaurant in one of the most colorful districts of the planet had been a long time dream.
"This is where we find your well connected friend? " Marin asked with a very doubtful look on her face while observing the cozy looking diner.
"It is. You'll see." Jes said, not really knowing what to say that would do the owner of the diner any justice. Better just to go in and let her meet Dexter for herself.
The diner was empty but for one customer who was quietly sitting at the bar and the waitress droid FLO. When Jes and Marin entered they were kindly greeted by FLO.
"Hiya there mister Darrin, welcome back! And who is this pretty young lady?"
"This is Marin, FLO. She's my niece. " Jess lied.
"Well hello Marin, welcome to Dex'! Please have a seat. Can I get you two anything?"
"Is Dex in, FLO? I'd really like to speak to him. And I'd like a caf and how about you Marin?"
"No thank you, I'm good."
"Sure, he's in the back. I'll go get him and get right on your order."
When they had just sat down in a booth a large four-armed alien wearing a dirty looking apron on came over. "Jes Darrin! How have you been?" When he eyed Marin, who was still in her Jedi robes he added: "Ah..." Dexter, who immediately recognized Marin's robes, quickly called over FLO. "FLO, darling, would you be so kind as to inform mr. Ocklar that we'll be closing early today due to...family matters? He'll understand. and close the blinds and turn down the lights please."
FLO immediate rolled over to the only patron in the diner and inaudibly said something to him. The patron got up without hesitation and walked past them to the exit. Jes noticed that he only quickly nodded to Dexter without laying eyes on him and Marin. He must have perfectly understood the delicacy of the situation.
"Now, who do I have the pleasure to meet here?" Dexter said, looking at Marin. "This is Marin, Dex. She's a student at the temple." Dexter sat down in the booth opposite to Jes and Marin. "Hello Marin, nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you too Mr. Jetster." Marin replied.
"And well informed too. I already like you Marin, please, call me Dex."
"Now, the weariness on your faces tells me enough. Please Jes, tell me what happened."
"Well' I'm sure you caught something on the Holonet already..." And Jes told Dex what happened today. Without leaving anything out he told him about the assignment, the clone attack and the Jedi who were killed.
"…We wanted to get back to the temple but we saw it was on fire. Then Marin had a vision and we thought better of it. I did not know where to go Dex. We're completely in the dark. I hoped you knew something more about what's going on. What's all this about a rebellion?"
"My, my. That does look grim." Dexter said. "Yes, it's all over the news now. But I guess you saw that much. They say the Jedi tried to assassinate the chancellor and take control over the senate. "
"You buy any of that?" Jes asked.
"No. But what I see concerns me greatly. Many of my sources which used to provide me with intel have suddenly gone dark. The others say they don't know anything. I only got some snippets. I heard that the temple district is under military lockdown now. And some of my sources tell me there is no contact anymore with the Order. Other than that I only got word from a friend on Mygeeto who had seen a squad of clone marines cut down Jedi master Ki-Adi-mundi." I originally didn't think much of it, but together with the destruction of the temple, the stories on the HoloNet and what you're telling me, it almost looks like plot of some kind to take down the Jedi. The timing also seems too perfect for any of this to be any response to the so called assassination attempt."
"I thought the same thing." Jes said grimly, "The clones who attacked us never gave any kind of command or made any attempt to arrest anyone. They were there to take us out and leave no witnesses."
"Very troubling indeed. The sheer size of this operation suggests it has been planned on the highest levels. Maybe even Palpatine or a part of the Senate is in on it."
Jes took a deep breath taking it all in and sat back with a desperate look on his face.
"What do we do now Dex? Where can we go?"
"Well, looking at the scale and orchestration with which these attacks are taking place I think it is best to lay low for a while. I would suggest you leave Coruscant for now and go somewhere where they won't be looking for you."
"How in the five brothers are we going to do that? They must be looking for us by now. And since the war security has been extremely tight everywhere, especially at spaceports. They will have us the moment we pass a security checkpoint, access financial accounts or get id'd by a facial recognition cam."
"Hmmm, I might know a way to get you of Coruscant. But you must make a plan from there. I know some people who owe me a favor who might be able to help."
"That is very kind you Dexter but I don't want you to put yourself in trouble on account of us."
"Don't you worry about that. Get Marin and yourself somewhere safe until this all cools down. I have friends in the Order who have helped me in the past. I see it as a way I can do something in return. And who knows, we might run into each other again someday."
"Where will they be taking us?" Marin asked.
"I'll leave the operational details to them. The less I know, the better. But you can be assured it's a place which will give you options. These people are very experienced in what they do and I've worked with them many times."
"What do you say Marin?" Jess said.
Marin was trying to replay this surreal day in her head. This morning she had been a student at the Jedi temple, ready to take on her first assignment on her way to becoming a Padawan. Now she was on the run, hunted by the entire grand army of the republic with the Temple in flames and the entire Jedi Order shaking on its foundations. She still could not grasp what was happening. She needed to focus on the here and now... but could not think of anything else they could do but to keep running.
"I think it's our best option. Maybe our only one." Marin finally said.
"Okay, if your people could get us of Coruscant, we'll figure out the rest." Jess said.
"Right, I need some time to contact some people about the trip and the necessary paperwork. In the mean time I'll also cook you something nice and warm. You both should get something to eat. You might have a long trip ahead of you. It will also take some time to get everything ready. You can stay here tonight, I doubt anyone will be looking for you here. I'll improvise some beds. I'll doubt you'll get any sleep after what happened today but at least you can get some rest." Dexter said.
"Thank you Dexter" Jes replied. And with a modest smile Dexter was off to the back leaving Jes and Marin sitting at the booth.
"I don't really know what to say." Jes said after a while.
"That's ok. Neither do I. I'm just glad that you are here to help mister Darrin. I'm not sure what I what I would have done if I was alone."
"Please, call me Jes. And the same counts for me, Marin. I would've flown straight to the temple. Who knows what might have happened."
And then FLO came rolling over with two trays filled with food.
"Here you go! Specialty of the chef! I hope you like it" She put down the trays and rolled back to the kitchen.
Just when they were finishing the last bits of food Dexter came walking back to their table.
"Hello again friends, I hope the food was all to your liking! I managed to get a hold of my friends. They're going to set this up. Now all we have to do is wait. Sometime early in the morning a cab will come to pick you up. The cab driver is another friend of mine. He will have new identichips for you which will help you to travel anonymously. I suggest you leave your old ones here, I will dispose of them."
"You can arrange that this fast?" Jess asked skeptically.
"Well' it's a rush job alright. He told me there will not be time to hack the necessary data in the central databases so the chips will not work here on the Coruscant spaceports. The hubs my contacts normally take people to have less strict security protocols and no direct connections to the central republic database. From there, you'll be able to travel covertly but with relative ease. I also asked him to bring you some clothes so you can lose the robes Marin. No reason to make it easy for them to find you."
"Thank you Dexter. You're very kind." Marin said.
"You're welcome. The cab will take you to the rendezvous location. The exfil is done by two friends of mine which I trust with my life. They won't ask for any kind of payment, this is all taken care of. Just do as they say and they will have you off this planet before dawn without anyone noticing. Now, I've made two improvised beds from the benches in a few booths over there. I suggest you try to get some rest. I expect my friend will be here in a few hours. "
"I cannot thank you enough Dexter. You probably saved our lives."
"Don't mention it. Just get out of here safely."
Jes had mastered the art of sleeping in chaotic, stressful situations out of necessity a long time ago when a rested mind and body could mean the difference between life and death. Marin could not sleep. Her head was full with everything that had happened today. She decided that some meditation would probably clear her mind a bit. Maybe the force would show her things about the journey that lay ahead. And she went into trance.
She was apparently more tired than she thought. A few hours later she woke up when she heard a noise. Jes was standing over her.
"Marin, are you awake?" He whispered.
Marin quickly sat upright "I am, what's going on?"
"Our ride is here. " and he gave her the dirty looking clothes the taxi driver had brought with him.
"Well, it won't win me any fashion awards, but it'll do nicely for walking around low-profile. I see they brought matching pairs." Marin remarked after looking at Jes, who had already changed. "Yep, at least they smell cleaner then they look." And she went to change into her clothes in the diner bathroom. When she came out she saw Jes and Dexter quietly talking to a Rodian. She walked over.
"Ah," Dexter said. "There she is. This is Tiller, the cab driver I told you about. Tiller, this is Marin."
To Marin's surprise Tiller answered in standard without accent, a quite uncommon feat for a Rodian: "Nice to meet you Marin. Are you ready? We must get to the rendezvous point."
"I'm ready." She said and looked at Jes, who nodded.
"Ok, here are your new identichips. As I'm sure Dexter already explained to you, don't use them on Coruscant yet. With the heightened security, altering the central system will take some time. Ok, if we're all ready, Let's go."
Before they left Marin gave Dexter a big hug. "Thank you Dexter, for everything!"
"You're more than welcome Marin. Please come and see me sometime when this is all over."
"I promise!"
And they got in the taxi. Once they were in the air Jes asked: "So, where is the rendezvous point?"
"These people use different locations all the time to prevent the authorities from finding patterns. I'm taking you to the industrial district south of here. From there our contacts will take over. "