The Chosen One and the Bar'sen'thor
Chapter 2: "The Hyperspace Jump".
The holoterminal connection severed; Claria turned to her friends. "The Grand Master wants us on Coruscant."
Koth Vortena sighed, "I really hope this doesn't take too long, My baby doesn't do too well being left alone." He was always concerned about the The Drunken Thranta, the Corellian corvette that he'd finally was able to replace the now-destroyed Gravestone with. "I really need to get back and optimize her systems."
Lana muttered, "If she was flightworthy after a few weeks of tinkering after sitting in a used starship dealer's lot under weather for a century and a half, Koth, I'm sure she'll be alright for a few days."
Koth let out an offended snort. "You don't know her like I do, Lana. She's a delicate ship, Just like the Gravestone was…." Koth said sadly as he looked out the viewport of the Defender-class Light Corvette.
"...that took out half the Eternal Fleet." Arcann grinned at Koth. "I was there." Surprisingly he never called him traitor as Arcann was wont to do, but Arcann had somehow softened since his turn to to the Light.
Koth muttered, "We were lucky to survive...no thanks to you." He shot a pointed glare at Arcann who shrugged. Claria and Lana both rolled their eyes. Koth didn't like Arcann, and Arcann, having turned to the Light, just enjoyed baiting Koth just to see his reaction. It seemed as though the former Emperor of the Eternal Throne of Zakuul had a playful side to him. It came out every time Koth and Arcann crossed paths.
Arcann turned serious. " Koth, I'm sure your ship will be alright until we return to Odessen."
"Easy for you to say." The Graveston had taken out the rest of the Eternal Fleet at Nathema and the Bar'sen'thor had to board the Gravestone over Odessen getting the ship to take itself out killing the artificial intelligence known as Zildrog permanently.
"Enough bickering." Lana growled under her breath, irritated at the constant bickering between the two Zakuulans. At least Sen'ya wans't here to back Arcann up; she was in the back of the hangar bay meditating the last time she knew of Sen'ya's whereabouts. "Are the coordinates for the jump to Coruscant plugged in, C2?"
"We are jumping to Coruscant?" Lqna whirled around to find Sen'ya smirking right behind her right shoulder.
"Yes," Claria answered for her. "I've just received notification that Our presence is required by Grandmaster Satele who is in talks with the Supreme Chancellor." Claria looked pensive. She wasn't certain as to the reasons behind the request to attend the talks and she really didn't like going in unprepared. It was something that Master Yuon Par had always told Claria to do, prepare for the unexpected but not only that, be prepared to do whatever the Force reveals as a solution to whatever problem presents itself. Frankly, Claria was prepared to go with whatever happened.
C2 nodded. "Preparing for hyperspace jump…" he informed her as he reached for the jump lever that would send them into hyperspace.
There was a flicker of a force-induced warning, however before Claria could warn C2, the droid had pushed the lever forward and they were committed. What lay ahead was something that could not be reversed. Claria sighed as reality shifted itself and then the stars themselves blurred into horizontal lines outside the bridge viewport as the Defender Leapt into hypserspace.
All they could do was wait. When the Defender reverted from hyperspace and the lines once again became stars. Claria's eyes widened as did everyone else's who were present on the bridge.
The skies over Coruscant were alight with explosions as the two massive fleets fought for supremacy. What exactly was going on. These were ships of a type that she'd never even envisioned. Two fighters were aiming for a large ship that was firing upon what appeared to be a destroyer. Has the Sith Empire returned to attack Coruscant again? What is going on?. Claria watched for a long moment. "Master, what heading are we going? If we continue on this path, we are going to be destroyed."
Claria reached out with the Force to figure out a path between the warring parties. "Heading two three six, between those two destroyers. We can't get too close nor do we want to make it seem as though we are hostile."
"Unidentified ship, you are in restricted space above Coruscant. Identify yourself!" A voice came over the comms.
"Jedi Master Claria Redsun…" Claria responded warily, "Who are you?"
"General…" the voice said confusing Claria who had never been that rank. "We require your assistance. You will be backing up Generals Skywalker and Kenobi on a mission to rescue the Chancellor immediately."
Skywalker? Kenobi? She had never heard of those names before, perhaps they were Republic Military, but as a Jedi she was duty-bound to assist whatever was necessary. She could sort out the details later. She was given a set of coordinates. "Man battlestations." she stated as the rest went to their positions. As she reached out with the Force, she could determine which side was fighting which side. These two fighters that were far ahead were heading towards the large ship which appeared to be a battlecruiser. And it appeared as though there were droids hanging off one of the fighters tearing pieces off it. "C2, match frequencies with the fighters".
Jedi Starfighters
Obi-Wan radioed, "Four more, closing from your left…"
Anakin responded irritably, "I know, I know…" he looked around.
Obi-Wan instructed him: "Break right and go high…"
Anakin spotted a large corvette moving in, "Obi-Wan, There's a corvette moving in. It's an old ship. I don't understand…" He saw the turret move towards them. "Obi-Wan, I'm getting a bad feeling about this."
The turbolaser fired narrowly missing Obi-Wan's ship but taking out three Vulture droids and the five Clone fighters in a brilliant explosion that jarred Obi-Wan's teeth. "What in the bloody nine Corellian hells was that?"
"Your tail is clear…" said a clearly female voice, accented in a dialect that he'd never heard before. "We've been asked by your superiors to augment your mission. I'll meet you in the hangar bay of your target. I hear time is of the essence."
That corvette was a marvel, as old as she was, it was flown by an expert starship pilot, from the looks of things. Anakin marvelled as he watched the Corvette make moves that he wouldn't even attempt from his own Jedi Starfighter. Evidently the pilot was either insane or had a death-wish. The turrets flared time and time again and each time, the turbolaser blasts eliminated five to ten clone fighters at a time, clearing a path for them to Grievous's ship. All they needed to do was point the way.
"I think the hangar is full." Obi-Wan said firing his starfighter's weapons at the Separatist droids congregated in the hangar-bay.
"Well, I guess we'll have to make room then." Anakin responded, by firing a full salvo from his lasers sending Separatist droids flying every which way. "Especially if she's going to land that corvette in the hangar bay."
They cleared the hangar bay with multiple laser blasts and set their Jedi Starfighters down. Soon the corvette joined them and the ramp lowered as Obi-Wan and Anakin waited. Two women, a redhead and a blonde, both dressed in black descended the ramp as well as a droid that looked like an assassin droid. The blonde turned to the man at the top of the ramp, "Koth...take the ship and head back to the Republic Fleet, try not to get it destroyed, or Claria will be most unhappy with you...and so will I." The last held a note of a threat.
Anakin's eyes widened in horror as the blonde came closer, her eyes were yellow and tinged around the edge with red. Sith! He ignited his lightsaber intent to do battle.
"Put your weapon away. I have no desire to fight you." the blonde told him. "I am your Jedi Consular's friend and companion." A Sith and a Jedi? Friends? This was impossible. But the Force wasn't blaring a warning at all. Was there truth in all of this? Anakin's mind spun.
"But the Sith are evil." Anakin said glaring at her.
Obi-Wan put his own lightsaber away as he had ignited his at the very same moment that Anakin had done so.
"Anakin, at least hear what the Sith has to say."
"Actually…" Claria informed him interrupting Obi-Wan and Anakin and Lana who were facing off with each other. HK-51 had his weapon drawn, trying to decide which Jedi to shoot first. "Should we not rescue the Chancellor first?"
"Alright…" Anakin said, pointing his finger at Lana, "But this isn't over."
"I shan't expect it to be." Lana said sweetly.
"We suspect the Chancellor is on the bridge. I expect there will be swift opposition to our every move." Anakin informed them. "I don't know how skilled you are. I've never seen you around the Temple."
"I suspect not." Claria told him. "I don't think you will have ever heard of me. But if you feel the need to look me up in the archive…" She stated, a small smile curving her lips, extending a hand to Anakin, "I'm Jedi Master Claria Redsun." Anakin's eyes widened in surprise.
"A Jedi Master?"
"From the temple at Tython, actually." Anakin and Obi-Wan looked at each other, eyes widening – the temple at Tython had been destroyed several thousand years ago. They had heard of Yoda speaking of tales of that particular Bar'sen'thor's force-healing abilities but those holocrons behind the tales were in the Restricted Section of the Archives, the same restricted archives that Anakin was hoping to gain access to one of these days...to save Padme Anakin thought from dying.
Master Redsun, a Healer she was, alive twenty eight hundred years before my birth she was. Block the darkside of the force, a plague that corrupted many masters, she could. Strong in the Force she was. Saved the Jedi Order of that time, she did. Obi-Wan recalled and stared at her again That Master Redsun? She was standing in front of them with a wry expression on her face as if able to see the confusion present in both Anakin's and Obi-Wan's mind and their resulting consternation.
"I suppose she'll be strong enough…" Anakin said weakly, feeling as though he had squarely put his foot in his mouth "...to help us...fight the Separatists."
"Shall we get a move on?" The blonde woman stated.
"I think Lana is correct. The faster we recover your Chancellor, the faster we can answer your questions."
Lana reached out with her senses. "I can sense the Dark-Side strongly on board this ship."
Anakin remarked snidely. "Are you sure that isn't just you?"
Lana shook her head. "No, there's two Sith Lords on board. One is extremely strong with the Dark Side, the other is his apprentice." Lana's familiarity with the Dark Side would come in very helpful in this situation, Claria thought to herself. Her own senses correlated with what Lana was saying. There were two Sith on board. And if she and Lana didn't cloak themselves with Force Cloak, they would be discovered by the Sith Lord.
Anakin sputtered, "Two? General Grievous isn't a Sith Lord."
"General Grievous?" Claria asked, confusion etching her face.
On the Bridge
"General Grievous…" Darth Sidious ordered, "Send the droids to the hangar bay, I want those Jedi killed."
Count Dooku looked at his Master, as Chancellor Palpatine sat strapped in the chair. "Are you sure the ruse will work."
The Chancellor looked at him, the tones of Sidious dripping malevolently from his lips. "I'm sure it will. Darth Tyranus. The pieces are in play and the end of the war will be in sight. Play your role well and you will be a useful tool within the Empire."
The Hangar Bay
The five headed towards the hangar bay's airlocks to the main body of the ship. As the hatch slid open they could see a group of droids headed towards their location, as well as a pair of droideka moving into place to provide heavy firepower from the rear.
Anakin was instantly deflecting their fire back at the droids with his lightsaber a blur, as was Obi-Wan. Lana backed them up with her crimson lightsaber weaving sending back the bolts as quickly as they came, expertly directed to knock the droids off their feet. Claria on the other hand sent a stunning force wave crashing into the front line of battle-droids and knocking them off their feet where they lay sparking, their systems shorted out, for all intents and purposes scrap metal. Anakin and Obi-Wan stared at each other in sheer shock at the Force blast that Master Redsun had inflicted on the battle-droids. Were the Jedi of the Old Republic that powerful?
Anakin thought. I've never seen Dooku capable of doing something like that.
And just then Lana raised her hand and levelled a veritable storm of force lightning down the corridor slamming into one of the droidekas while Claria hacked the second droideka to pieces in a blur of double-bladed lightsaber form that made it seem as if her lightsaber staff was a green circle. And just like that, the fight was over in the hallway.
The fights that came to them throughout their progress from the hangar bay to the bridge were over quickly as they moved swiftly to consolidate their position. And with the fact that two Old Republic Jedi and Sith were with them, the two Republic Jedi made swift progress towards the bridge.
Anakin's respect for Lana grew, even though she was a Sith, when he saw her flick one finger and send a droideka flying with full force into a bulkhead shattering it to pieces. And when Anakin looked over at her with Jedi senses, he could see that she was balanced fully in both Dark-side and Light-side which confused him even more. Did the Jedi lie to him that the Sith were completely evil, that they were hungry for power always.
What Anakin failed to realize is that the Rule of Two during Bane's period had consolidated the Sith into two individuals, a master and an apprentice, who were always seeking power. In the Old Republic, the Jedi and Sith were both societies which there were a spectrum of Jedi and Sith. Some sought power, others sought balance and others just wanted to be archivists and knowledge seekers. Lana was one of those who didn't believe in seeking power, that she drew her power from knowledge of Sith and Jedi teachings. Anakin was now seeing a Sith that didn't want power; that she was content where she was, at the side of the Bar'sen'thor, as a friend of the Bar'sen'thor.
And that confused him. He wanted to be powerful. Ever since he'd lost his mother, he'd wished that he'd had the power to save her. He mourned her deeply and that was the motivation for him to seek power, to be more powerful than any other Jedi that ever lived, to attain the rank of Master at the youngest age possible, to gain access to the Restricted Section of the Jedi Archives and learn the power to save those he loved from death. And now...now Padme was under threat. The dreams that he'd had every night when he was with her dealt with her dying in some way shape or form – whether it was from getting kidnapped by the Separatists and getting executed or from Darth Tyranus stabbing his lightsaber blade into her chest and gutting her. It also meant he wasn't sleeping well at all nor was he balanced as a Jedi Knight should be.
But Lana, a Sith Lord, had no aspirations to power, she was content just parsing information and keeping herself abreast of whatever was coming around the corner. And Anakin could tell that she was curious about this age – this time period that she'd found herself thrust into.