Chapter Two: The Blockade of Moraband
A trip through hyperspace was usually a time of rest, meditation and reflection for Artus. The Empire's grip around the Galaxy's throat tightened day-by-day; Artus had to seize any moments of peace he could. He reviewed the datapad he had retrieved from the Imperial Cruiser; it confirmed his suspicions regarding Korriban. The planet was now known as Moraband; its ancient Sith name of Korriban was lost to history. The Empire held the planet under blockade, with only official research vessels permitted access. In his cabin, Artus strapped armour and a bandolier to his robes. His Jedi robes remained in a box; a jet-black garb covered his body. Artus tied his hair up and clipped two lightsaber hilts to his belt. Before leaving Coruscant, Artus had taken a detour to the Imperial Palace – the new name for the Jedi Temple. He knew it was a risky decision, but he had found the remains of a Jedi Temple Guard in an alley near the base of the Palace. Whilst the Jedi warrior was long dead, his weapons remained largely intact. After some minor modifications, Artus was equipped with two new blades. In doing so, he had stored his late Master's blue lightsaber alongside the remains of his own original weapon. He equipped a supply pack to his back – inside lay the crimson Sith holocrons Luthen Rael had given him.
The cool blue rush of hyperspace filled the cockpit windows. Sev's hands rushed across the controls in order to maintain the Wayward Guardian's course. His co-pilot, Hanan, sat beside him, chuckling at Sev's frantic movements.
"You'd think that after five years you'd have the hang of flying this thing." Said Hanan, smirking. Sev rolled his eyes.
"I'm inputting the Imperial codes into the database." He responded, not looking up. "Hopefully we can fly right past the Imperial blockade."
"Oh yes. Because our plans and schemes to bypass the Empire always work." Hanan replied with a sarcastic tone. The cockpit door hissed behind them as Artus entered the cockpit. Sev turned towards his Jedi companion.
"Ready?" he asked.
"As I'll ever be." Responded Artus.
The Imperial fleet surrounding Moraband was larger than anything the crew had ever seen. Dozens of Star Destroyers orbited the planet, with countless starfighters and smaller ships darting between them.
"Damn." Grumbled Hanan. "That's a lot of Imps." Sev pressed a sequence of controls as the cockpit's lighting switched to a deep blue.
"Let's hope this works!" exclaimed Sev.
"Or what?"
"Or we have to break that blockade. Cloaking device is active. Imperial codes have been inputted in case that fails." Continued Sev. Despite the danger, a sense of calm filled him. Sev was the best pilot and engineer he had ever seen. Closing his eyes, he felt the Force surrounding him, strengthening his resolved.
"I am one with the Force. And the Force is with me." He muttered under his breath. The Wayward Guardian crept closer and closer to the blockade. The ship flew between a pair of Star Destroyers; Artus could see their individual turrets rotating in an attempt to search for anything that could even be perceived as hostile. Luckily, they failed to notice the ship as it slipped closer to Moraband.
As the Wayward Guardian entered Moraband's atmosphere the ride became much more unstable. The ship was immediately beset upon by strong winds and clouds of hot red sand.
"Everyone to a seat!" Sev yelled. "This is gonna be a rough landing!" Artus grabbed hold of the nearest empty chair and buckled himself in. He could see his lightsabers facing upright and rattling as the ship thundered towards the surface. Visability from the cockpit was near zero; swirling red sands obscured any sense of place.
"Karrablast! We've lost the landing gear!" exclaimed Hanan. Artus could sense the panic in his voice. "I have no idea how far we are from the surface!" Hanan's worries were soon answered. In a moment the dust cleared and the ground raced nearer. Sev wrestled with the controls in order to bring the ship upright but it was too late. The Wayward Guardian slammed into the dirt and scraped along the sands, leaving a cut through the landscape. The interior lighting switched to red, indicating an emergency, as the ship ground to a halt. Cracks had formed in the edge of the cockpit windows. The view was non-existent; orange-red sand covered the glass.
"Is everyone okay?" groaned Artus. He looked up to see his crewmates were bruised but nodding.
The crew had to leave the ship via an emergency hatch above the roof turret. The Wayward Guardian's crash had left a gorge in the sand for a considerable distance. Smoke arose from several areas of the ship. The bow of the Wayward Guardian had been buried in the sand. Artus clambered to the ground and moved towards the cargo bay doors at the rear of the ship. Sev had been unable to open them from the bridge, and a wall of sparks and loose wiring had prevented access from the inside. Artus removed a small metal panel from side of the Wayward Guardian to reveal a small silver lever. He pulled it. With a hiss, the cargo bay doors began to open. A creaking noise echoed across the sands. In trepidation, Artus walked into the cargo bay. The cargo bay was bathed in the harsh red emergency landing. Supply crates lay scattered around and a speeder bike had been thrown into the back wall. R7-W5 lay on the ground. The droid was scratched and dented but beeped with excitement at the sight of Artus. The Jedi raised his hand. Using the Force, he raised the droid upright. R7 responded by racing over to Artus with a happy beep. Artus crouched down until his face was level with the droid's.
"Hey buddy." He said with a smile. "What do we do now?"