Chapter 2

The four Jedi exited hyperspace a trip later, with Coruscant in their sight. Thankfully, no Imperial ships were present in the sector. Now they needed to gather a fleet in time for the assault.

"They could be here any minute, how do we get a fleet by our side anytime soon?" Exar commed Viran.

"Kid, you forget I'm an official Jedi Master? I'm with the Republic. They'll listen to me." Viran replied.

At the same moment, the head of the NRSB (New Republic Security Bureau), Verena Dewan, was reading over security reports of recent criminal activity in her office. Verena was a female Tognath, one of many looked up to by citizens the citizens of Coruscant. She wore a similar Republic uniform as Ephraim's, only the security armor made the uniform more imposing. She immediately set her reports down and answered her comm when Viran contacted.

"Head of the NSRB, who is this?" Verena asked. She had a deep and somewhat raspy voice due to her breathing apparatus, which also acted as a translator.

"Jedi Master Viran Fexive, Coruscant needs your help."

"What is it?"

"We've had reported sightings of Imperial-looking vehicles coming Coruscant's way. A fleet. The Lieutenant Governor has requested we use one of our fleets to take care of it."

"Which fleet?"

"The Third Fleet should be enough."

"Good. We don't have much to spare after our recent discovery on Kamino. Be sure that you make the fleet efficient. We can't afford to watse it."

"Understood."

Just before Verena was about to end the conversation, she heard the sound of ships exiting hyperspace in the background of the comm system.

"What was that?"

"They're here. Get the fleet now!"

"Right away!" Verena dashed out of her office and sped all the way to the Third Fleet's hangar bay. Several X and V-Wings were parked everywhere, and the pilots were there with them, luckily. "Everyone! Coruscant is under attack! Get in your fighters and move!" Verena shouted.

"Yes ma'am!" They all replied and quickly got into their fighters. A moment later, the hangar was evacuated. When the ships left the hangar, the loud creaking sound of huge metal doors came to her ears. She moved to the edge of the hangar and looked to the ground outside to see the MC75 and MC80 cruisers rising from underground. She saw as they slowly ascended and shot out into space.

"They're here. Get the fleet now!" Viran shouted as TIE Fighters dispatched from star destroyers and started blasting at the four of them. There were dozens of TIEs and three star destroyers in the attack.

Aang, Exar, and Jo broke formation and started flying towards the TIEs. The Jedi gave it all they got, blasting and blasting until the TIEs broke away and moved around them.

"Where's Master Viran?" Aang asked.

"Over here. Eight o' clock." Viran replied. Aang turned his head to the left, towards Coruscant, and saw Viran leading a big squad of Republic ships. "How 'bout this?" Viran subtly commanded as the squad went forward to take on this nostalgic threat.

Erk joined Jayko on the bridge of the star destroyer, shortly after the Jedi's Republic reinforcements arrived. "We're outmatched." Erk said.

"What are you doing here?" Jayko asked sternly.

"Our master required me to be here."

"Very well." Jayko hesitantly replied. "We're here just to let my father know I'm here and I mean business."

"So this is all about some kind of vendetta against your dad?"

"No. We're against the Jedi as well."

"You know this will be declared as an act of war? Are you ready for that? We've barely amassed a typical Imperial fleet."

"Your eyes are quite shut for a sith. With every mistake, there's room for improvement. They'll think we've made a mistake by 'attacking' the capitol, but this is no mistake. This is just a warm up."

"For what exactly?"

"Real war, Erk. Real war. I'm not talking about something like this." Jayko motioned to the battle outside. "Not an occasional battle between two enemies. I'm talking battles almost all day, every day, everyone straining to strike a final blow upon their enemy... but nothing ends up happening."

"What's your plan?" Erk asked.

"Make sure my father knows of what I've done, then, Erk, then we'll prepare for real war."

"How? Like I said, we've barely amassed a fleet."

"Your eyes are quite shut, like I said. Squint an eye, and you'll barely see anything. But an open eye sees the whole picture."

Erk chose not to reply, but rather thought about what Jayko said.

Jo was performing barrel-rolls with his fighter, dodging TIE Fighter blasts coming from behind. Once they were done firing, Jo laughed and pressed a button which turned his ship's blasters around so they aimed at the TIEs.

Jo laid his eyes on the screen to his left, so he could see behind himself, and aimed at the TIEs.

"Oh no." The TIE pilots said.

"Gotcha." Jo said as he fired several shots. Once he saw all three TIEs explode, he shouted in victory, but at first failed to see that he was heading straight into a star destroyer. He quickly swerved sideways to avoid crashing into the bridge, and when he did, he ended up spotting Erk and Jayko.

"Who is tha-?"

...

Jo suddenly received a familiar feeling inside himself, as if he knew the person in the chrome stormtrooper armor. 'No,' Jo thought, 'Someone he's...' He got another feeling. 'Someone he's related to.'

Then it snapped to him.

"Jo! Watch out!" Exar suddenly commed him, noticing another TIE following Jo.

Then reality snapped to Jo as he noticed the TIE also. But the TIE fired at him the instant Jo saw it. The edge of Jo's right wing got hit, and Jo started losing momentum.

"Jo, dock with one of the command ships, we'll handle the rest." Exar commanded.

"It's not that bad, it's just the edge of the wing." Jo said as he blasted the TIE behind him.

"Come back to us, though. You've gone a distance away. You alright?" Exar said.

"Yea, yeah I'm okay." Jo replied, turning around and seeing how far he had gone. 'Wow, he's right.' Then started heading back. As he passed the same star deatroyer, luckily not getting shot by it, he cast another glance at the mysterious, yet fancy stormtrooper. He thought hard about this puzzling happening.

The fight continued shortly before the Republic forces overwhelmed the Imperial forces.

"We're getting overwhelmed, Jayko. It's time to retreat." Erk said.

...

"Jayko! We're about to die!"

"Go ahead and call the retreat. It's been long enough." Jayko said, walking off the bridge with a swish of his cape.

"They're retreating." Viran said, confused.

"I've seen this before, this is either really good or really bad. In other words, they're either just trying to send some kind of message, or thet're just pulling back before a major strike." Aang said.

"I'm going to stay posotive about this." Exar replied.

"Either way, we're needing to take defensive measures. Let's get back to your base and report this." Viran said.

"On it." Exar replied.

-Time Skip-

The Jedi had arrived back on Kashyyyk and had given their report. Jo wasn't very attentive most of the time, though. And it didn't take long for Exar to notice. Exar invited Jo to have a chat outside.

"What happened out there, Jo? You've acted like you've seen a force-ghost since the battle."

"A shadow."

"What do you mean?"

"I never met the one I saw, but he's... related to someone I have met."

"Was he leading the attack?"

"Yes. Alongside Erk." Jo clenched his fists.

"Well, whoever it is, we need to have a talk with the one he's related to. Do you know where he is now?"

"In the capitol."

"Oh? Wait, above the capitol, Coruscant, is where the battle took place."

"Yeah, and?"

"I've got two theories, but before it goes any further, we need to talk to this guy." Exar ran off to tell the others.

"Glad to be of help."

Erk and Jayko kneeled in a dark room, lit by a torch. Their boss was present, in the shadows, awaiting their report.

"The attack was successful. We drew out Republic forces and by now, word of our attack should be spreading around."

"Did they take it as an act of war?" Their boss asked.

...

"Quite possibly." Erk answered.

"Question for you, Jayko Ren: are you sure your father was on Coruscant during the time of the attack?"

"His presence couldn't have been more clear."

"Good. You are dismissed." The boss said to them. Erk and Jayko exited the room, and their mysterious boss remained. "The Empire will be reborn."