Post by geopoliticus on Apr 23, 2018 3:10:56 GMT
Title: Countdown to 00:00:00
Rating: R
Location: Dagobah, Naboo
Date: 44 ABY
Character(s): Lord Archanon (Geo), Poe Dameron (Alex K.), Amilyn Holdo (Jas), Tallissan Lintra (NPC), Luke Skywalker (Geo), Jacen Solo (Geo), Paige Tico (NPC)
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrzwM0JEgwI
Theed, the capital and most populous city of Naboo was quiet. Not just from the noise of the hustle of a metropolis but there was no sound. No animals called out, no sounds of activity from the space port, even the wind seemed to be still. A faint ripple as the cloaked Eta-5 starfighter came about towards the bluffs at the edge of the city. Theed should have been lit with street lights and the ambient glow of the palace, but it was only dark. As his fighter drew closer, he could see charred remains of buildings that lined the main corridor of the city up to the steps of the palace. They looked like craters caused by turboblasters and siege autocannons. The fighter flew low over the skyline, searchlights from the large helmet of a Gorilla Walker lit up the main boulevard, “Do you see that?” Jacen looked at his side, though he could not see Tallie Lintra’s fighter, her voice came through clear in his helmet. A Stormtrooper looked up, his blaster rifle still trained on the line of civilians at their knees along the street. The faint whistle of the Eta-5 fighter caught his attention for a moment but he could see nothing. Jacen closed his eyes as he heard the faint crack of blaster fire, though he could not hear the sounds of the bodies dropping to the floor, he sensed their pain as they died.
“We can’t just let them--we need to…”
“Do what? The moment we give ourselves away, we are just as dead.”
“There must be a thousands of Stormtroopers down there.”
Jacen remained silent as Paige Tico and Tallie debated. They flanked his fighter, each flying their own modified interceptor. It was not their choice of craft, but the Eta-5 was the only one small enough, fast enough, and capable of cloaking for short periods of time to avoid detection by the Sith blockade that surrounded Naboo, “Just keep recording, this is what we came for.”
“Crusader One?”
“The lieutenant is right”
“We need to get this footage back to General Organa and the Resistance.”
Jacen added, they both fell silent. The soft whir of a holo-camera rotated slowly as it recorded the scene. They all wanted to blast as many of the Empire as they could, they each fought the urge for revenge. Jacen because he knew it was not the way of the Jedi, the other two Ace pilots because they knew there was a better strategy. Get this information to the Resistance, they are sure to act. Would they? Tallie and Paige did not really know what to believe anymore, with the Grand Republics betrayal of the Jedi, surrendering Coruscant, and now abandoning Naboo. It would be easy to give in but the certainty of Leia Organa, Amilyn Holdo, and Jacen Solo kept them in this fight. Jacen felt the distant pull of familiarity, like a moment of pleasure you get when you see, smell, or hear something that reminds you of a pleasant memory. He knew to trust these instincts, to trust in the Force.
“There… that is where is we need to go.”
That is what we came for.
Each of their navigation panels lit up with the blinking reticle pointing at the swaps and the deep waters beneath that led to the hollow core of the planet, “I have a bad feeling about this.” Tallie and Paige said under their breath, while not force sensitive, they were experienced enough that their senses lit up as much as a Jedi Knight when presented with danger. Forward lights came to life from each of the fighters and lit up the massive deep sea cave. Cones of light illuminated the millions of small particles of life that fed the leviathans of the deep. It reminded him of the snow fall.
-------------
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHuV2hQpylU
Jacen ran his fingers in front of his ear. It felt odd not feeling the Padawan braid dangling by his eye. He always wondered what the point of it was, Uncle Luke would say it was a reminder to keep his mind open and that he was a student and should be paying attention. He sensed the Jedi Master had other motives. He rubbed at the nub of shorn hair that remained, the familiar pang of Luke tugging at it to remind him to focus during meditation. He dug his toes into the wet soil. Jacen liked to be reminded he was on solid ground, particularly on this planet where he spent many days as a Padawan training on the high trees. Part of him loved being on Dagobah, it was so full of life. It felt familiar but with a sense of urgency and imminent danger that made it difficult for him to be at ease. He had completed his Trials and was uncertain why Master Skywalker would bring him back here. Luke was silent, he had not said much since they landed. They made their usual offering of Jogan fruit on the small wooden table in the equally diminutive hut by the swamp shore.
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=txeQObN7UEs
He remembers his time as a youngling, the duty seemed to always fall to him to make the daily offering. He would always watch the hut for several minutes, wondering how the fire in the hearth was always burning though he never saw anyone adding kindling. He heard whispers behind him, the other young Jedi were a good distance away, despite insisting they would be right behind him. He sighed, gathered himself and picked the bucket up with the fruit. He could smell a stew cooking though the pot over the fire sat empty. He knelt below the threshold to walk in, though not as much as Master Skywalker had to. Jacen found everything almost the perfect size for a small child, Why would a child be living here?
“Afraid are you?”
He jumped and fell back over the stool, dropping the bucket. He watched as one of the Jogan fruit came to as top by a small cot. The brown tattered blanket seemed to rise and fall slowly as though someone was in a deep sleep. “Hello?” There was only the sound of the crackling fire in response. He reached for his lightsaber but left it clipped to his belt, he felt alarmed but he did not sense any danger. To his feet now, he began picking up the fruit, piling it in his cupped arms. His eyes never left the cot and the way the shadow of the fire seemed to give the illusion of features to the shape of the blanket. On his knees, he stacked the fruit on the small wooden table by the cot. For a moment his attention was focused on making sure he stacked the fruit in a perfect pyramid. He smiled as the last fruit remained in place at the top. A laughter in the snapping sounds of the burning branches in the fire. To his feet again, he grabbed the blanket and quickly pulled it towards him. Nothing, he seemed both relieved and disappointed.
“Look… closer”
On the small pillow a green kyber crystal. At its core a faint glow grew brighter as it pulsed. He grabbed at it, brought it closer to his eyes. His small fingers inspected the nearly flawless crystal. “Thank you,” Jacen began to understand. “Who are you talking to?” Tenel Ka asked, she was impossibly close to him for having entered without making a sound. He figured she would be the only one to come and find out why he was taking longer than usual. She was the bravest of them after all and perhaps there was another reason neither really understood yet. He pocketed the crystal and brushed his knees. She picked up the bucket and handed it to him, adjusting the collar of his crimped tunic. “Thank you, race you back?” She smiled and was already several feet away from him before he stopped at the threshold and looked back. He smiled as the Jogan fruit was now gone.
As the years passed, the padawan would grow into a young Knight. Standing several inches taller, hair nearly over his eyes that held that same mix of adventure and caution. Not unlike a young Leia Organa. Their robes caked with mud where they dragged behind them. Luke seemed to be lost in his own thoughts as they watched the silhouette of the Uteni Tree. Jacen was surprised, he had never seen it before though he spent many weeks here training. He felt alarm by the way Master Skywalker had tensed, though only for a moment, it was entirely unlike him. “Jacen, one day you will have an Apprentice,” Luke spoke but kept his focus on the tree. His words seemed unnatural in the way it seemed as though the Grand Master was continuing a conversation they never had. He wondered if this was connected to the similarly out-of-place conversation they had on the Millennium Falcon on the way here, Our family has a strong connection to the Force. I had it, my si--your mother--has it, Luke became silent though it was obvious he wanted to say more. It was not that he had not anticipated taking on an Apprentice, he seemed to have as much a connection with them as the animals he surrounded himself with Probably for the same reason, he smiled as he remembered his mother quipped after his uncles observation.
“It is important you understand your fears. To see where--silence--in you must go.”
Jacen was confused by the change in flow of Luke’s words. He gathered himself again, just as he did all those years ago. The closer he stepped to the opening in the tree, the louder life became around him. He reached for his lightsaber but sensed like before, it would likely not be of use. At his side, inching closer he heard a loud growl, though it was not coming from the animals native to the planet. The giant Loth-wolf watched the tree, his head crouched and the hairs at his back raised high. He growled again, a sound so deep and alarming, Jacen had never heard Endor make before. Even crouched, the Loth-wolf stood a foot higher than Jacen. Endor bared his fangs and growled with each increase in the pitch of the sounds coming from the tree. Jacen kept his hand at his holstered lightsaber, having second thoughts about its usefulness. “Endor,” the Loth-wolf whimpered between growls as the Grand Master called out for him. It was obvious to Jacen he was meant to go in alone. Though still ready to strike, Endor remained in place, I wish you were coming too boy. He gripped a large vine, thick roots in the interior of the cave in the tree twisted and spun like an endless gordian knot. As he stepped further in, he could hear what sounded like a human screaming (Start Track: youtu.be/fHc-O9MBGnw?t=72 ), but it was coming from the large lizards that climbed up the walls, it was coming from the roots of the tree. The sounds grew louder and familiar. His breathing increased as he started to hear words in the screams, crying in pain, crying for help, “Aunt Mara?” Though his every instinct was to run away, he continued forward. He knew she could not be here.
“Helllllllllllp me.”
“Anakin!”
He started to run towards the sounds, deeper into the tree. His lightsaber ignited. The green kyber crystal tied to a twine around his neck began to pulse again. Luke closed his eyes, though he could not see Jacen, he could sense him in the Force. He glowed like the core of a newborn star. A great darkness surrounded that light and began to crush it. Luke focused as the light resisted, brighter now. The dark shadow continued to try to extinguish it. Endor barked loudly but Jacen had entered a different plane and could not hear. The collar of his tunic drenched in sweat. He slowed down as he heard whimpering. He brought his lightsaber forward to better see the silhouette on the ground. His eyes widened as he saw a boy, he wore the familiar robes of a Padawan. The boy was hunched over the lifeless body of a Loth-wolf. It was not as large as Endor, Jacen stepped closer and saw the familiar white stripe over the snout of Aldera. She was much larger than the pup who was just born. He did not understand, “Anakin?” The boy cried he ran his hands over the blood stained fur of the beast. Behind the neck of the Loth-wolf, a large cauterized gash from a lightsaber. The boy wiped his eyes and became still and silent. Jacen reached out for him with his free hand, he felt another hand on his own shoulder as he spun around. The boy roared at him, his eyes yellow and his face burned as though a yellow sun was emerging, threatening to turn the boy into ash. His vision blurred, he could feel his temperature was rapidly increasing. Beads of sweat burned his eyes. It was not Anakin. He saw a shadow approach, he could not see any distinct features but it moved with purpose. The cave seemed to expand out, like a great beast breathing out. The green kyber crystal around Jacen’s neck glowed, pulsing, becoming brighter. He could see more of the shadow but only the vague outline of a towering figure. It reached out to him.
“Do you see?”
He heard what sounded like the echoes of many voices, one followed the other but they all came from the shadow. Jacen held the lightsaber up in a defensive stance, stepping back as the shadow closed in. He would not strike first, it was not his way. The kyber crystal pulsed stronger, the light blinding him as it washed over the shadow. When the light died out and his eyes focused, he held up the lightsaber again, “Master?” While it looked like Luke Skywalker, there was something obviously different, obviously wrong. Luke smiled, it was not natural. The way the lines at his eyes lifted, accentuating the blind milky eye. A large scar from his scalp to the edge of his lips. His remaining eye was a bright yellow, the blood vessels coming from the iris seemed to be pulsing with black magma. He wore his familiar Jedi Master robe, but his hands were covered in cortosis armor and he seemed to be more threatening, it was his intention.
“Hello Jacen, still hesitant to strike first.”
“But how are you--?”
“Still trying to work everything out like a puzzle. Life is not that complex.”
“Do… or do not.”
Luke laughed to himself, Jacen was unsure of why. The red lightsaber ignited, it dragged behind him, carving out a huge gash in the roots. The roots twisted and spun to fill in the opening, Jacen also noticed they seemed to have wrapped themselves around Luke’s armored boots, the roots, they are coming from him! Luke looked at his own feet, his eyes rose to meet Jacen’s, his red lightsaber now pointing directly at him though more in a way to get his attention than to strike at him. Jacen was still holding his lightsaber up, ready to deflect.
“Let me guess, I forgot to tell you why you are here?”
“Typical me, teach you just enough to cut you loose and let you stumble your way through the galaxy.”
“It’s any wonder any of you live long enough to experience the clarity of the Dark Side.”
Luke laughed again, he lowered his blade but it was still high enough to strike at him. Jacen was becoming annoyed with the laughter, it seemed very unnatural, it came from a different place than what he had known all his life. There was still a twinge of pleasure in the laughter, but there was also something else that was menacing. The lightsabers buzzed as they made contact. Jacen dug his heels into the wet soil, the roots threatening to swallow his feet. He deflected the strike just in time, Pay attention! Jacen could feel the power in the voice. The cave around them seemed to expand and contract, the air smelled of smoke and ash. “Always seeking absolute solutions, always strategizing. You would make a powerful Dark Lord.”
”No.”
“If only you weren’t so weak.”
Lightsaber strike.
“Your sister will join me. She is the most skilled, the most powerful.”
“No!”
A punt by the red lightsaber in attempt to disarm him, he held his blade but his hand throbbed in pain.He was not denying the words, he was denying that this was his Master.
“Admit it. You will never be able to protect your family, your friends. Because you refuse to strike me down, you will see them all die.”
Jacen sighed, lowered his lightsaber. The light retreated into the hilt as he clipped it to his belt. Luke looked in confusion, the tip of the red lightsaber was mere inches from his nephews throat.
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVJ_gcAtE5I
“What are you doing? Defend yourself!”
“No, I will not harm you Master. If it is the Will of the Force for you to strike me down--”
“So. Weak.”
Jacen closed his eyes as he saw rage built in Luke’s face, the red blade rose into the air as it swung over his head and started to come down at him. Jacen felt a cool breeze against his face, drying the thin layer of sweat. He opened one eye to peek but found himself standing outside the cave, though he did not remember ever walking out. Everything about this experience has told him that perhaps he had a lot to learn about the Force.
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7DFGnVuZGI
Jacen held the kyber crystal around his neck, a faint light pulsed as it grew dimmer, Thank you. A Jogan fruit dropped to the ground and settled at his foot, Never alone, are you. “Annoying isn’t it? The way he seems to always be there.” This was the Master Skywalker he was familiar with. Though his words were sometimes ambiguous, he found comfort in the way Luke seemed to enjoy turning a phrase. Luke was comforting the Loth-wolf, his hand scratching behind a large ear. When Endor saw Jacen the great beast dashed forward, threatening to crush the Jedi Knight under his sheer wait. Endor came to a sudden stop, his paws digging into the soil as he slowly raised his large snout to Jacen, the ridge between their eyes touched. “Happy to see you too boy,” rubbed the large snout. Endor darted back, his head crouched to the ground, his hind quarters high in the air as his towering tail wagged happily. Jacen climbed his neck but only enough to wrap his arms around the great beast. The Loth-wolf let out a loud howl.
“What was that Master?”
Jacen turned towards Luke, who was watching the opening in the tree close in on itself. Great roots twisted and spun, the knot grewing tighter. The tree itself seemed to be growing smaller. He felt himself growing more at ease, smiling and chuckling at the way Endor chased after a tiny lizard, who seemed to be outsmarting the Alpha Loth-wolf. Luke held the red kyber crystal around his neck, though it once powered a lightsaber that brought much pain and suffering to the galaxy in the age of the Galactic Empire, it now served to remind him how important it was to face one’s demons, to conquer them, before they overwhelmed you and drove you to a dark place. Luke smiled at his nephew, while Jacen had already passed his Trials. He now brought hope to a Grand Master who saw the Jedi Order turned apart by the Great Schism. He saw in Jacen the future of the Order. It brought him a sense of comfort. He saw in Jacen, in Jaina, and in Tenel Ka, a strength he knew would be difficult to destroy, even for a Sith, Together they are stronger than any Jedi before them.
“The Force is everywhere, in and between all things.”
“...but there are focal points where the Force is stronger.”
“Like the Temple of the Whills?”
“Yes, but there are also places where--
While the presence of the tree had diminished, Luke could still sense the presence within, he could sense the vergence, “--the Dark Side of the Force is strong.” “Be mindful Jacen, even in those points where the Lightside of the Force is strong, it can quickly overwhelm you if you are not prepared.” R2-D2 chirped and beeped as he was nearly tipped over by the dashing Loth-wolf. Endor whimpered in apology at the Astromech, a long lick with a tongue nearly as long as the droid stood. R2-D2 sounded an alarm as slime covered his instruments. His dome spun, he beeped in annoyance as Luke and Jacen laughed.
“I saw something, someone, a boy, a Jedi… he seemed familiar but it was not Anakin.”
“He was in pain. I could not help him.”
Luke became silent, his hand slowly wiping the slime from the droid. Jacen knew this version of Master Skywalker as well, the one who obviously had more to say but remained quiet. Jacen did not like this Luke. Though he also wondered why this of all things bothered him more than the vision of his Master turning to the Dark Side and trying to kill him. He began to understand the meaning behind that part of his experience. It was the connection he had with the boy that he could not decipher. “What we see in these focal points of the Force, it shows us our greatest fears but is also shows us what might--”, Luke could tell by the way Jacen’s face tightened that he wanted to know more. “Jacen, remember the future is always in motion, nothing is ever certain.” While Jacen still had questions, he knew this was all that he was expected to know at this moment. He reached out again in the Force, the tree was lifeless but Jacen could sense a great darkness, he could see it. It was deep and endless.
----------
“Crusader One?
“Yes?”
“We going in there?”
“Yes.”
“I was afraid you would say that.”
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kaRj_Kv1nQ
The three fighters accelerated forward, descending into the cave leading deep into the hollow core of Naboo. They were visible for only a moment before they disappeared into the abyss. Forward lights lit up the interior of the cave, it seemed to be growing more narrow the further they went. The fighters flew in close formation, fish from all sizes maneuvered around them in the opposite direction, “They seem to be in a hurry.” Jacen saw a faint glow at end of the tunnel, it seemed to be where the fish were running from. He pushed the throttle as the fighter sped up, the flanking interceptors following behind. Large eyes from an eel that just managed to slither over Jacen’s canopy. As they drew closer, they saw the light flicker with activity, the kyber crystal at his neck pulsed. He contemplated for a moment before flicking the switches on the flight controls, “Cut your engines, take them in… unpowered.” It was not an order they were normally follow, given the close quarters of the tunnel and the uncertainty that lay ahead but they had grown to implicitly trust Jacen. The lights and hum of the engines of the fighters died down just as they coasted into the massive cavern.
“What is that?”
“I don’t know.”
It was not entirely true, while Jacen did could not recall what he was seeing, it felt familiar somehow. The fighters slowed to a stop, far enough away to be out of sight but close enough that they had a clear view. Hundreds of Abyssal Troopers buzzed around a stone structure like locust. Built into their helmets, bright lights were adjusted to better illuminate the surface of the stone surface. While each light on their own was small, multiplied times hundreds it was enough to give a rough outline of the stone structure, “Looks like a pyramid?”, “How did end up down here is what I want to know.” Jacen looked up, there were other exits from this cave, through other tunnels but they seemed to be just as narrow as the one they just traversed, Was it built down here? He doubted, even from this distance the stone from the pyramid did not match anything he was familiar with on Naboo, “What are they doing?” Jacen could not be certain but he was beginning to piece it together. The Abyssal Troopers had large maintenance droids in their hands, from each droid an intense beam of light emerged and cut into the rock and coral that anchored much of the pyramid to the core of the planet. He saw other droids hovering over the surface, blue smokey light emitted from their optical sensors they are looking for something, a way in?
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=soNidwqk1U4
The green kyber crystal at his neck grew brighter with each pulse. He gripped it trying to mask the light, he knew it could give them away. The light grew brighter still, breaking through his clenched fingers. A distant Abyssal Trooper looked up at the light, “What is that?” Other troopers began to take notice.
“Engines on, get out of here!”
Before he could confirm the two Ace pilots had heard his warning, he heard a loud roar from the pyramid as it came to life. (Start Track: youtu.be/VOygsSjSYvY?t=129 ) The sound was deafening, though only Jacen could hear it. Lights from the pyramid began to pulse in tune with the kyber crystal. Jacen covered his ears in pain, his lips extended, his teeth visible as he cried out but he could not hear it himself. His ears… his mind could only throb in pain, it could no longer process sound. Jacen watched as the Abyssal Troopers drifted unconsciously from the pyramid, he envied them for a moment as the pain in his mind threatened to tear him apart. His blacked out.
“Jacen?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Remember, even where the Lightside of the Force is strong, it can quickly overwhelm you if you are not prepared.”
He understood, letting go of his attempt to understand, to solve. He breathed deeply and relaxed the focus of his senses. His starfighter drifted, spinning slowly… view of the pyramid was clear but it only came about every few minutes. He saw strobes of red light, blaster fire. They filled the dark waters, reaching out for him and for the others, Paige, Tallie!. The light of the green kyber crystal diminished, the Tho Yor was awake. He closed his eyes for a moment, his thoughts focused. He gripped the throttle, his other hand flipping the switches of the control panel. The starfighter came to life, righting itself up and zipping forward. He saw the other two Eta-5 Interceptors already engaged. He began to hear them call out through his helmet, “Jacen!” He breathed, the air seemed to fill his lungs with greater energy than usual. He felt more connected, more alive than he had ever in his life. It was a feeling that was entirely the opposite of that he felt in the dark tree on Dagobah. He reacted to it much the same, he surrendered to its will completely. He fired at the feet of the oncoming Abyssal Troopers, the wake from his blaster fire struck the jets at their heels and sent them drifting away harmlessly. Even in this state, his eyes widened in caution at the collapse of the cave, huge formations of rock crushed the Tho Yor.
---------------
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSLn-_QuIGU
The Adjutant entered the bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer Effectuator. He wore the black uniform of an Imperial Officer but could be identified with the Inquisitors by the pendant pinned to his coat, it was round and shaped like an eye with a blade running through the iris. He stopped for a moment, while there was a number of personnel on the bridge attending to control stations, it was quiet but for the hum of the ships power systems. The Adjutant was immediately self-aware, self-conscious. It was an effect that Lord Archanon had on those in his service. Appearances were important to the Sith Lord. The Adjutant adjusted his collar, tugged at his gloves and stepped forward, aware of the amount of force and speed of each step. The officers in the pits on either side of the walkway paid him no attention. Near the front of the bridge, centered behind the panoramic view of the planet Naboo, a broad black cape. It was long with an elegant lining. As the Adjutant approached the Sith Lord, he came to a knee.
“My Lord I…”
“How is the excavation of the Jedi Artifact progressing?”
Archanon was not interested in his attempt at flattery, he was already anticipating the poor attempt at groveling. While Archanon did not need such submission, he has been here commanding the blockade of this wretched world for weeks and was growing wry of its sight. Progress was moving far too slowly for him, for the Grand Inquisitor, and he feared… for the Emperor. “My Lord, the artifact is deeply embedded in the planets rock and coral. Our lasers are proving to be--” “Inadequate?” Archanon smiled, his eyes scanning the view that the expansive bridge offered. Several other Star Destroyers and support craft lined Naboo like a planetary ring of ships. While they initially bombarded the planet, they needed only to disrupt its defense forces and displace its population far enough away from their true objective, which lay deep within the planets hollow core. The fleet was here only to ensure no one left the planet or system to inform others of their work. At first several ships attempted to run their blockade but they were turned back or obliterated. Those unfortunate starships that entered the system were never heard from again. The HoloNet and all communications were also being jammed, it was a completely black out. It was also growing tiresome. Lord Archanon fiddled with the House ring on his right hand. He was trained to search and inquire, not dig in the dirt or tend to a world that offered no challenge. The Adjutant rubbed his neck, certain of the pending attack but it never came, “On your feet. Come now, you are an officer of the True Empire.” Appearances were everything. Archanon adjusted the collar of the officers jacket. The Adjutant was sweating profusely, his eyes focused on the visible Lightsaber at the Sith’s belt. It was encased in gold, with elegant curves and clean lines. The Adjutant nearly fell to his knees again as his vision blurred, a moment of relief as Archanon smiled and turned again towards the view of Naboo.
“We will have to redouble our efforts then.”
“Ye--Yes! Of course My Lord.”
Start Track: youtu.be/VOygsSjSYvY?t=129
Before the Adjutant turned to walk quickly out of the bridge, he saw Archanon drop to his knees, his hands covering his ears. The Sith Lord roared so loud, the air around him seemed to expand and contract. Arcs of lightning built up in his clenched fist but he had no visible target, no way of silencing the sound. He turned towards the bridge crew as the sound intensified. A torrent of energy lashed out from his palms and struck the nearest officer, light ripped through her body as her flesh went translucent. The energy arced towards the next officer, in succession, the lightning almost looked alive. Power on the ship went offline for a moment before it flickered and came back on. Archanon tried to resist the sound but the more he tried, the louder it became. He felt such pain but so much power, he felt he could tear the ship apart with his bear hands. It was tempting. He grabbed at the Adjutant, used him as an anchor to lift himself up until his lips were close to the officers ear.
“Fire.”
“My Lord, our troops are still--”
“Fire! All ships fire!”
Those officers still alive pushed the charred and smoking corpses away from the controls as much as possible, some were fused with the panels. The massive siege autocannons of the nearby Mandator IV Dreadnought rotated towards the surface of the planet and opened fire. It was soon followed by a huge wave of energy weapons, torpedoes, and missiles.
-------
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsnlRZTSFFc
“I repeat, full power, the core is collapsing!”
“Finally, that’s more like.”
A smirk tugged at Tallie’s lips as she set the engines to full power. The three fighters raced through the collapsing tunnel. A huge cuttlefish was crushed under a spire of rock in their wake. Jacen was able to evade the larger rocks but his fighter was beginning to be struck. A flash of sparks from the access panel on his left wing. He read the computer output Cloaking system offline. This is going to be interesting. He flicked a switch and the red digits of the countdown clock were racing to 00:00:00. “We are running out of time.” An understatement, Tallie blasted a boulder, deflecting it enough for them to fit through through the opening, the rock scraped against his hull but he emerged on the other side, That was too close. They saw light at end of the tunnel, the open ocean was filled with huge clouds of bubbles. The three fighters shot up from the water towards the sky.
“All those people!”
“Eyes up!”
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_j_y3XthtM
The City of Theed was collapsing in on itself. The Palace sunk below the bluff, a huge dust cloud bellowed out. Civilians held onto the jagged edge of the craters opening up on the surface of the city but they disappeared into the abyss. TIE fighters and Imperial Shuttles attempted to take off, though most were crushed under the debris. Those that managed to reach the sky soon found themselves in the same predicament as the rebel pilots. The clouds began to burn a hot red, the light intensifying until a shower of blaster fire came down a far as Jacen could see. The contrails of missiles and intense glow of torpedoes mixed in. The weapons struck the surface in another wave, accelerating the collapse of the hollow core and the continental plate beneath the city. An Imperial Shuttle exploded as it was caught under the fire. The Eta-5 Interceptors spun and weaved as they reached the cloud line. Before they left for orbit, Jacen saw huge geysers of water erupt as billions of gallons of water began to reach out from the core and cover the surface, “May the Force be with you all.” You will never be able to protect your family, your friends. Because you refuse to strike… you will see them all die He remembered the words from a vision from his youth on Dagobah.
“Wouldn’t this be a good time to cloak?”
“Can’t, system was destroyed.”
Jacen tried to bypass the fried circuits but the system was still not responding. They emerged from the cloud line towards the vastness of space. In the distant, the ring of Star Destroyers was becoming more visible the further away from the planet they went. They appeared to have stopped firing for the moment. The timer on his dash was moments away from reaching 0.
“Tallie, Paige--get to the rendezvous point.”
“Woo there Boss, I might not be a Jedi but I can see that is a bad plan.”
“Affirmative, where you go… we go.”
“Besides, I have been cramped in this fighter for days, time to let off some steam.”
Typical Paige, even when presented with an impossible situation and overwhelming odds, she drove forward. They fighters engines whistled as flew at full speed towards the Effectuator.
--------------------
“Sir! Jedi starfighters!”
Archanon slowly regained his composure as the sound had died down. His eyes widened as he saw the small distant outlines of the fighters in the distance, coming right at them. He typically never showed so much emotion but the sound had shaken him to his barebones. “Launch all fighters, deploy the hounds!” The distinct outline of the TIE Predators emerged from the bowels of the Star Destroyer like a cloud of bees. Their engines howled and screamed as they charged at the Jedi fighters. “Here we go. Full speed, mow through.” He heard laughter from the Ace pilots as the three ships opened fire and collided with the Imperial fighters.
00:00:00
The amount of blaster fire made it difficult to see beyond a few yards but Jacen saw the outline of ships snap into normal space.
-------------
Start Track: youtu.be/sCVWm20fU0A?t=27
Rating: R
Location: Dagobah, Naboo
Date: 44 ABY
Character(s): Lord Archanon (Geo), Poe Dameron (Alex K.), Amilyn Holdo (Jas), Tallissan Lintra (NPC), Luke Skywalker (Geo), Jacen Solo (Geo), Paige Tico (NPC)
 |  |  |  |
| Lord Archanon | Poe Dameron | Amilyn Holdo | Tallissan Lintra |
 |  |  |
| Luke Skywalker | Jacen Solo | Paige Tico |
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrzwM0JEgwI
Theed, the capital and most populous city of Naboo was quiet. Not just from the noise of the hustle of a metropolis but there was no sound. No animals called out, no sounds of activity from the space port, even the wind seemed to be still. A faint ripple as the cloaked Eta-5 starfighter came about towards the bluffs at the edge of the city. Theed should have been lit with street lights and the ambient glow of the palace, but it was only dark. As his fighter drew closer, he could see charred remains of buildings that lined the main corridor of the city up to the steps of the palace. They looked like craters caused by turboblasters and siege autocannons. The fighter flew low over the skyline, searchlights from the large helmet of a Gorilla Walker lit up the main boulevard, “Do you see that?” Jacen looked at his side, though he could not see Tallie Lintra’s fighter, her voice came through clear in his helmet. A Stormtrooper looked up, his blaster rifle still trained on the line of civilians at their knees along the street. The faint whistle of the Eta-5 fighter caught his attention for a moment but he could see nothing. Jacen closed his eyes as he heard the faint crack of blaster fire, though he could not hear the sounds of the bodies dropping to the floor, he sensed their pain as they died.
“We can’t just let them--we need to…”
“Do what? The moment we give ourselves away, we are just as dead.”
“There must be a thousands of Stormtroopers down there.”
Jacen remained silent as Paige Tico and Tallie debated. They flanked his fighter, each flying their own modified interceptor. It was not their choice of craft, but the Eta-5 was the only one small enough, fast enough, and capable of cloaking for short periods of time to avoid detection by the Sith blockade that surrounded Naboo, “Just keep recording, this is what we came for.”
“Crusader One?”
“The lieutenant is right”
“We need to get this footage back to General Organa and the Resistance.”
Jacen added, they both fell silent. The soft whir of a holo-camera rotated slowly as it recorded the scene. They all wanted to blast as many of the Empire as they could, they each fought the urge for revenge. Jacen because he knew it was not the way of the Jedi, the other two Ace pilots because they knew there was a better strategy. Get this information to the Resistance, they are sure to act. Would they? Tallie and Paige did not really know what to believe anymore, with the Grand Republics betrayal of the Jedi, surrendering Coruscant, and now abandoning Naboo. It would be easy to give in but the certainty of Leia Organa, Amilyn Holdo, and Jacen Solo kept them in this fight. Jacen felt the distant pull of familiarity, like a moment of pleasure you get when you see, smell, or hear something that reminds you of a pleasant memory. He knew to trust these instincts, to trust in the Force.
“There… that is where is we need to go.”
That is what we came for.
Each of their navigation panels lit up with the blinking reticle pointing at the swaps and the deep waters beneath that led to the hollow core of the planet, “I have a bad feeling about this.” Tallie and Paige said under their breath, while not force sensitive, they were experienced enough that their senses lit up as much as a Jedi Knight when presented with danger. Forward lights came to life from each of the fighters and lit up the massive deep sea cave. Cones of light illuminated the millions of small particles of life that fed the leviathans of the deep. It reminded him of the snow fall.
-------------
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHuV2hQpylU
Jacen ran his fingers in front of his ear. It felt odd not feeling the Padawan braid dangling by his eye. He always wondered what the point of it was, Uncle Luke would say it was a reminder to keep his mind open and that he was a student and should be paying attention. He sensed the Jedi Master had other motives. He rubbed at the nub of shorn hair that remained, the familiar pang of Luke tugging at it to remind him to focus during meditation. He dug his toes into the wet soil. Jacen liked to be reminded he was on solid ground, particularly on this planet where he spent many days as a Padawan training on the high trees. Part of him loved being on Dagobah, it was so full of life. It felt familiar but with a sense of urgency and imminent danger that made it difficult for him to be at ease. He had completed his Trials and was uncertain why Master Skywalker would bring him back here. Luke was silent, he had not said much since they landed. They made their usual offering of Jogan fruit on the small wooden table in the equally diminutive hut by the swamp shore.
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=txeQObN7UEs
He remembers his time as a youngling, the duty seemed to always fall to him to make the daily offering. He would always watch the hut for several minutes, wondering how the fire in the hearth was always burning though he never saw anyone adding kindling. He heard whispers behind him, the other young Jedi were a good distance away, despite insisting they would be right behind him. He sighed, gathered himself and picked the bucket up with the fruit. He could smell a stew cooking though the pot over the fire sat empty. He knelt below the threshold to walk in, though not as much as Master Skywalker had to. Jacen found everything almost the perfect size for a small child, Why would a child be living here?
“Afraid are you?”
He jumped and fell back over the stool, dropping the bucket. He watched as one of the Jogan fruit came to as top by a small cot. The brown tattered blanket seemed to rise and fall slowly as though someone was in a deep sleep. “Hello?” There was only the sound of the crackling fire in response. He reached for his lightsaber but left it clipped to his belt, he felt alarmed but he did not sense any danger. To his feet now, he began picking up the fruit, piling it in his cupped arms. His eyes never left the cot and the way the shadow of the fire seemed to give the illusion of features to the shape of the blanket. On his knees, he stacked the fruit on the small wooden table by the cot. For a moment his attention was focused on making sure he stacked the fruit in a perfect pyramid. He smiled as the last fruit remained in place at the top. A laughter in the snapping sounds of the burning branches in the fire. To his feet again, he grabbed the blanket and quickly pulled it towards him. Nothing, he seemed both relieved and disappointed.
“Look… closer”
On the small pillow a green kyber crystal. At its core a faint glow grew brighter as it pulsed. He grabbed at it, brought it closer to his eyes. His small fingers inspected the nearly flawless crystal. “Thank you,” Jacen began to understand. “Who are you talking to?” Tenel Ka asked, she was impossibly close to him for having entered without making a sound. He figured she would be the only one to come and find out why he was taking longer than usual. She was the bravest of them after all and perhaps there was another reason neither really understood yet. He pocketed the crystal and brushed his knees. She picked up the bucket and handed it to him, adjusting the collar of his crimped tunic. “Thank you, race you back?” She smiled and was already several feet away from him before he stopped at the threshold and looked back. He smiled as the Jogan fruit was now gone.
As the years passed, the padawan would grow into a young Knight. Standing several inches taller, hair nearly over his eyes that held that same mix of adventure and caution. Not unlike a young Leia Organa. Their robes caked with mud where they dragged behind them. Luke seemed to be lost in his own thoughts as they watched the silhouette of the Uteni Tree. Jacen was surprised, he had never seen it before though he spent many weeks here training. He felt alarm by the way Master Skywalker had tensed, though only for a moment, it was entirely unlike him. “Jacen, one day you will have an Apprentice,” Luke spoke but kept his focus on the tree. His words seemed unnatural in the way it seemed as though the Grand Master was continuing a conversation they never had. He wondered if this was connected to the similarly out-of-place conversation they had on the Millennium Falcon on the way here, Our family has a strong connection to the Force. I had it, my si--your mother--has it, Luke became silent though it was obvious he wanted to say more. It was not that he had not anticipated taking on an Apprentice, he seemed to have as much a connection with them as the animals he surrounded himself with Probably for the same reason, he smiled as he remembered his mother quipped after his uncles observation.
“It is important you understand your fears. To see where--silence--in you must go.”
Jacen was confused by the change in flow of Luke’s words. He gathered himself again, just as he did all those years ago. The closer he stepped to the opening in the tree, the louder life became around him. He reached for his lightsaber but sensed like before, it would likely not be of use. At his side, inching closer he heard a loud growl, though it was not coming from the animals native to the planet. The giant Loth-wolf watched the tree, his head crouched and the hairs at his back raised high. He growled again, a sound so deep and alarming, Jacen had never heard Endor make before. Even crouched, the Loth-wolf stood a foot higher than Jacen. Endor bared his fangs and growled with each increase in the pitch of the sounds coming from the tree. Jacen kept his hand at his holstered lightsaber, having second thoughts about its usefulness. “Endor,” the Loth-wolf whimpered between growls as the Grand Master called out for him. It was obvious to Jacen he was meant to go in alone. Though still ready to strike, Endor remained in place, I wish you were coming too boy. He gripped a large vine, thick roots in the interior of the cave in the tree twisted and spun like an endless gordian knot. As he stepped further in, he could hear what sounded like a human screaming (Start Track: youtu.be/fHc-O9MBGnw?t=72 ), but it was coming from the large lizards that climbed up the walls, it was coming from the roots of the tree. The sounds grew louder and familiar. His breathing increased as he started to hear words in the screams, crying in pain, crying for help, “Aunt Mara?” Though his every instinct was to run away, he continued forward. He knew she could not be here.
“Helllllllllllp me.”
“Anakin!”
He started to run towards the sounds, deeper into the tree. His lightsaber ignited. The green kyber crystal tied to a twine around his neck began to pulse again. Luke closed his eyes, though he could not see Jacen, he could sense him in the Force. He glowed like the core of a newborn star. A great darkness surrounded that light and began to crush it. Luke focused as the light resisted, brighter now. The dark shadow continued to try to extinguish it. Endor barked loudly but Jacen had entered a different plane and could not hear. The collar of his tunic drenched in sweat. He slowed down as he heard whimpering. He brought his lightsaber forward to better see the silhouette on the ground. His eyes widened as he saw a boy, he wore the familiar robes of a Padawan. The boy was hunched over the lifeless body of a Loth-wolf. It was not as large as Endor, Jacen stepped closer and saw the familiar white stripe over the snout of Aldera. She was much larger than the pup who was just born. He did not understand, “Anakin?” The boy cried he ran his hands over the blood stained fur of the beast. Behind the neck of the Loth-wolf, a large cauterized gash from a lightsaber. The boy wiped his eyes and became still and silent. Jacen reached out for him with his free hand, he felt another hand on his own shoulder as he spun around. The boy roared at him, his eyes yellow and his face burned as though a yellow sun was emerging, threatening to turn the boy into ash. His vision blurred, he could feel his temperature was rapidly increasing. Beads of sweat burned his eyes. It was not Anakin. He saw a shadow approach, he could not see any distinct features but it moved with purpose. The cave seemed to expand out, like a great beast breathing out. The green kyber crystal around Jacen’s neck glowed, pulsing, becoming brighter. He could see more of the shadow but only the vague outline of a towering figure. It reached out to him.
“Do you see?”
He heard what sounded like the echoes of many voices, one followed the other but they all came from the shadow. Jacen held the lightsaber up in a defensive stance, stepping back as the shadow closed in. He would not strike first, it was not his way. The kyber crystal pulsed stronger, the light blinding him as it washed over the shadow. When the light died out and his eyes focused, he held up the lightsaber again, “Master?” While it looked like Luke Skywalker, there was something obviously different, obviously wrong. Luke smiled, it was not natural. The way the lines at his eyes lifted, accentuating the blind milky eye. A large scar from his scalp to the edge of his lips. His remaining eye was a bright yellow, the blood vessels coming from the iris seemed to be pulsing with black magma. He wore his familiar Jedi Master robe, but his hands were covered in cortosis armor and he seemed to be more threatening, it was his intention.
“Hello Jacen, still hesitant to strike first.”
“But how are you--?”
“Still trying to work everything out like a puzzle. Life is not that complex.”
“Do… or do not.”
Luke laughed to himself, Jacen was unsure of why. The red lightsaber ignited, it dragged behind him, carving out a huge gash in the roots. The roots twisted and spun to fill in the opening, Jacen also noticed they seemed to have wrapped themselves around Luke’s armored boots, the roots, they are coming from him! Luke looked at his own feet, his eyes rose to meet Jacen’s, his red lightsaber now pointing directly at him though more in a way to get his attention than to strike at him. Jacen was still holding his lightsaber up, ready to deflect.
“Let me guess, I forgot to tell you why you are here?”
“Typical me, teach you just enough to cut you loose and let you stumble your way through the galaxy.”
“It’s any wonder any of you live long enough to experience the clarity of the Dark Side.”
Luke laughed again, he lowered his blade but it was still high enough to strike at him. Jacen was becoming annoyed with the laughter, it seemed very unnatural, it came from a different place than what he had known all his life. There was still a twinge of pleasure in the laughter, but there was also something else that was menacing. The lightsabers buzzed as they made contact. Jacen dug his heels into the wet soil, the roots threatening to swallow his feet. He deflected the strike just in time, Pay attention! Jacen could feel the power in the voice. The cave around them seemed to expand and contract, the air smelled of smoke and ash. “Always seeking absolute solutions, always strategizing. You would make a powerful Dark Lord.”
”No.”
“If only you weren’t so weak.”
Lightsaber strike.
“Your sister will join me. She is the most skilled, the most powerful.”
“No!”
A punt by the red lightsaber in attempt to disarm him, he held his blade but his hand throbbed in pain.He was not denying the words, he was denying that this was his Master.
“Admit it. You will never be able to protect your family, your friends. Because you refuse to strike me down, you will see them all die.”
Jacen sighed, lowered his lightsaber. The light retreated into the hilt as he clipped it to his belt. Luke looked in confusion, the tip of the red lightsaber was mere inches from his nephews throat.
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVJ_gcAtE5I
“What are you doing? Defend yourself!”
“No, I will not harm you Master. If it is the Will of the Force for you to strike me down--”
“So. Weak.”
Jacen closed his eyes as he saw rage built in Luke’s face, the red blade rose into the air as it swung over his head and started to come down at him. Jacen felt a cool breeze against his face, drying the thin layer of sweat. He opened one eye to peek but found himself standing outside the cave, though he did not remember ever walking out. Everything about this experience has told him that perhaps he had a lot to learn about the Force.
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7DFGnVuZGI
Jacen held the kyber crystal around his neck, a faint light pulsed as it grew dimmer, Thank you. A Jogan fruit dropped to the ground and settled at his foot, Never alone, are you. “Annoying isn’t it? The way he seems to always be there.” This was the Master Skywalker he was familiar with. Though his words were sometimes ambiguous, he found comfort in the way Luke seemed to enjoy turning a phrase. Luke was comforting the Loth-wolf, his hand scratching behind a large ear. When Endor saw Jacen the great beast dashed forward, threatening to crush the Jedi Knight under his sheer wait. Endor came to a sudden stop, his paws digging into the soil as he slowly raised his large snout to Jacen, the ridge between their eyes touched. “Happy to see you too boy,” rubbed the large snout. Endor darted back, his head crouched to the ground, his hind quarters high in the air as his towering tail wagged happily. Jacen climbed his neck but only enough to wrap his arms around the great beast. The Loth-wolf let out a loud howl.
“What was that Master?”
Jacen turned towards Luke, who was watching the opening in the tree close in on itself. Great roots twisted and spun, the knot grewing tighter. The tree itself seemed to be growing smaller. He felt himself growing more at ease, smiling and chuckling at the way Endor chased after a tiny lizard, who seemed to be outsmarting the Alpha Loth-wolf. Luke held the red kyber crystal around his neck, though it once powered a lightsaber that brought much pain and suffering to the galaxy in the age of the Galactic Empire, it now served to remind him how important it was to face one’s demons, to conquer them, before they overwhelmed you and drove you to a dark place. Luke smiled at his nephew, while Jacen had already passed his Trials. He now brought hope to a Grand Master who saw the Jedi Order turned apart by the Great Schism. He saw in Jacen the future of the Order. It brought him a sense of comfort. He saw in Jacen, in Jaina, and in Tenel Ka, a strength he knew would be difficult to destroy, even for a Sith, Together they are stronger than any Jedi before them.
“The Force is everywhere, in and between all things.”
“...but there are focal points where the Force is stronger.”
“Like the Temple of the Whills?”
“Yes, but there are also places where--
While the presence of the tree had diminished, Luke could still sense the presence within, he could sense the vergence, “--the Dark Side of the Force is strong.” “Be mindful Jacen, even in those points where the Lightside of the Force is strong, it can quickly overwhelm you if you are not prepared.” R2-D2 chirped and beeped as he was nearly tipped over by the dashing Loth-wolf. Endor whimpered in apology at the Astromech, a long lick with a tongue nearly as long as the droid stood. R2-D2 sounded an alarm as slime covered his instruments. His dome spun, he beeped in annoyance as Luke and Jacen laughed.
“I saw something, someone, a boy, a Jedi… he seemed familiar but it was not Anakin.”
“He was in pain. I could not help him.”
Luke became silent, his hand slowly wiping the slime from the droid. Jacen knew this version of Master Skywalker as well, the one who obviously had more to say but remained quiet. Jacen did not like this Luke. Though he also wondered why this of all things bothered him more than the vision of his Master turning to the Dark Side and trying to kill him. He began to understand the meaning behind that part of his experience. It was the connection he had with the boy that he could not decipher. “What we see in these focal points of the Force, it shows us our greatest fears but is also shows us what might--”, Luke could tell by the way Jacen’s face tightened that he wanted to know more. “Jacen, remember the future is always in motion, nothing is ever certain.” While Jacen still had questions, he knew this was all that he was expected to know at this moment. He reached out again in the Force, the tree was lifeless but Jacen could sense a great darkness, he could see it. It was deep and endless.
----------
“Crusader One?
“Yes?”
“We going in there?”
“Yes.”
“I was afraid you would say that.”
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kaRj_Kv1nQ
The three fighters accelerated forward, descending into the cave leading deep into the hollow core of Naboo. They were visible for only a moment before they disappeared into the abyss. Forward lights lit up the interior of the cave, it seemed to be growing more narrow the further they went. The fighters flew in close formation, fish from all sizes maneuvered around them in the opposite direction, “They seem to be in a hurry.” Jacen saw a faint glow at end of the tunnel, it seemed to be where the fish were running from. He pushed the throttle as the fighter sped up, the flanking interceptors following behind. Large eyes from an eel that just managed to slither over Jacen’s canopy. As they drew closer, they saw the light flicker with activity, the kyber crystal at his neck pulsed. He contemplated for a moment before flicking the switches on the flight controls, “Cut your engines, take them in… unpowered.” It was not an order they were normally follow, given the close quarters of the tunnel and the uncertainty that lay ahead but they had grown to implicitly trust Jacen. The lights and hum of the engines of the fighters died down just as they coasted into the massive cavern.
“What is that?”
“I don’t know.”
It was not entirely true, while Jacen did could not recall what he was seeing, it felt familiar somehow. The fighters slowed to a stop, far enough away to be out of sight but close enough that they had a clear view. Hundreds of Abyssal Troopers buzzed around a stone structure like locust. Built into their helmets, bright lights were adjusted to better illuminate the surface of the stone surface. While each light on their own was small, multiplied times hundreds it was enough to give a rough outline of the stone structure, “Looks like a pyramid?”, “How did end up down here is what I want to know.” Jacen looked up, there were other exits from this cave, through other tunnels but they seemed to be just as narrow as the one they just traversed, Was it built down here? He doubted, even from this distance the stone from the pyramid did not match anything he was familiar with on Naboo, “What are they doing?” Jacen could not be certain but he was beginning to piece it together. The Abyssal Troopers had large maintenance droids in their hands, from each droid an intense beam of light emerged and cut into the rock and coral that anchored much of the pyramid to the core of the planet. He saw other droids hovering over the surface, blue smokey light emitted from their optical sensors they are looking for something, a way in?
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=soNidwqk1U4
The green kyber crystal at his neck grew brighter with each pulse. He gripped it trying to mask the light, he knew it could give them away. The light grew brighter still, breaking through his clenched fingers. A distant Abyssal Trooper looked up at the light, “What is that?” Other troopers began to take notice.
“Engines on, get out of here!”
Before he could confirm the two Ace pilots had heard his warning, he heard a loud roar from the pyramid as it came to life. (Start Track: youtu.be/VOygsSjSYvY?t=129 ) The sound was deafening, though only Jacen could hear it. Lights from the pyramid began to pulse in tune with the kyber crystal. Jacen covered his ears in pain, his lips extended, his teeth visible as he cried out but he could not hear it himself. His ears… his mind could only throb in pain, it could no longer process sound. Jacen watched as the Abyssal Troopers drifted unconsciously from the pyramid, he envied them for a moment as the pain in his mind threatened to tear him apart. His blacked out.
“Jacen?”
“Yes, Master.”
“Remember, even where the Lightside of the Force is strong, it can quickly overwhelm you if you are not prepared.”
He understood, letting go of his attempt to understand, to solve. He breathed deeply and relaxed the focus of his senses. His starfighter drifted, spinning slowly… view of the pyramid was clear but it only came about every few minutes. He saw strobes of red light, blaster fire. They filled the dark waters, reaching out for him and for the others, Paige, Tallie!. The light of the green kyber crystal diminished, the Tho Yor was awake. He closed his eyes for a moment, his thoughts focused. He gripped the throttle, his other hand flipping the switches of the control panel. The starfighter came to life, righting itself up and zipping forward. He saw the other two Eta-5 Interceptors already engaged. He began to hear them call out through his helmet, “Jacen!” He breathed, the air seemed to fill his lungs with greater energy than usual. He felt more connected, more alive than he had ever in his life. It was a feeling that was entirely the opposite of that he felt in the dark tree on Dagobah. He reacted to it much the same, he surrendered to its will completely. He fired at the feet of the oncoming Abyssal Troopers, the wake from his blaster fire struck the jets at their heels and sent them drifting away harmlessly. Even in this state, his eyes widened in caution at the collapse of the cave, huge formations of rock crushed the Tho Yor.
---------------
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSLn-_QuIGU
The Adjutant entered the bridge of the Imperial Star Destroyer Effectuator. He wore the black uniform of an Imperial Officer but could be identified with the Inquisitors by the pendant pinned to his coat, it was round and shaped like an eye with a blade running through the iris. He stopped for a moment, while there was a number of personnel on the bridge attending to control stations, it was quiet but for the hum of the ships power systems. The Adjutant was immediately self-aware, self-conscious. It was an effect that Lord Archanon had on those in his service. Appearances were important to the Sith Lord. The Adjutant adjusted his collar, tugged at his gloves and stepped forward, aware of the amount of force and speed of each step. The officers in the pits on either side of the walkway paid him no attention. Near the front of the bridge, centered behind the panoramic view of the planet Naboo, a broad black cape. It was long with an elegant lining. As the Adjutant approached the Sith Lord, he came to a knee.
“My Lord I…”
“How is the excavation of the Jedi Artifact progressing?”
Archanon was not interested in his attempt at flattery, he was already anticipating the poor attempt at groveling. While Archanon did not need such submission, he has been here commanding the blockade of this wretched world for weeks and was growing wry of its sight. Progress was moving far too slowly for him, for the Grand Inquisitor, and he feared… for the Emperor. “My Lord, the artifact is deeply embedded in the planets rock and coral. Our lasers are proving to be--” “Inadequate?” Archanon smiled, his eyes scanning the view that the expansive bridge offered. Several other Star Destroyers and support craft lined Naboo like a planetary ring of ships. While they initially bombarded the planet, they needed only to disrupt its defense forces and displace its population far enough away from their true objective, which lay deep within the planets hollow core. The fleet was here only to ensure no one left the planet or system to inform others of their work. At first several ships attempted to run their blockade but they were turned back or obliterated. Those unfortunate starships that entered the system were never heard from again. The HoloNet and all communications were also being jammed, it was a completely black out. It was also growing tiresome. Lord Archanon fiddled with the House ring on his right hand. He was trained to search and inquire, not dig in the dirt or tend to a world that offered no challenge. The Adjutant rubbed his neck, certain of the pending attack but it never came, “On your feet. Come now, you are an officer of the True Empire.” Appearances were everything. Archanon adjusted the collar of the officers jacket. The Adjutant was sweating profusely, his eyes focused on the visible Lightsaber at the Sith’s belt. It was encased in gold, with elegant curves and clean lines. The Adjutant nearly fell to his knees again as his vision blurred, a moment of relief as Archanon smiled and turned again towards the view of Naboo.
“We will have to redouble our efforts then.”
“Ye--Yes! Of course My Lord.”
Start Track: youtu.be/VOygsSjSYvY?t=129
Before the Adjutant turned to walk quickly out of the bridge, he saw Archanon drop to his knees, his hands covering his ears. The Sith Lord roared so loud, the air around him seemed to expand and contract. Arcs of lightning built up in his clenched fist but he had no visible target, no way of silencing the sound. He turned towards the bridge crew as the sound intensified. A torrent of energy lashed out from his palms and struck the nearest officer, light ripped through her body as her flesh went translucent. The energy arced towards the next officer, in succession, the lightning almost looked alive. Power on the ship went offline for a moment before it flickered and came back on. Archanon tried to resist the sound but the more he tried, the louder it became. He felt such pain but so much power, he felt he could tear the ship apart with his bear hands. It was tempting. He grabbed at the Adjutant, used him as an anchor to lift himself up until his lips were close to the officers ear.
“Fire.”
“My Lord, our troops are still--”
“Fire! All ships fire!”
Those officers still alive pushed the charred and smoking corpses away from the controls as much as possible, some were fused with the panels. The massive siege autocannons of the nearby Mandator IV Dreadnought rotated towards the surface of the planet and opened fire. It was soon followed by a huge wave of energy weapons, torpedoes, and missiles.
-------
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsnlRZTSFFc
“I repeat, full power, the core is collapsing!”
“Finally, that’s more like.”
A smirk tugged at Tallie’s lips as she set the engines to full power. The three fighters raced through the collapsing tunnel. A huge cuttlefish was crushed under a spire of rock in their wake. Jacen was able to evade the larger rocks but his fighter was beginning to be struck. A flash of sparks from the access panel on his left wing. He read the computer output Cloaking system offline. This is going to be interesting. He flicked a switch and the red digits of the countdown clock were racing to 00:00:00. “We are running out of time.” An understatement, Tallie blasted a boulder, deflecting it enough for them to fit through through the opening, the rock scraped against his hull but he emerged on the other side, That was too close. They saw light at end of the tunnel, the open ocean was filled with huge clouds of bubbles. The three fighters shot up from the water towards the sky.
“All those people!”
“Eyes up!”
Start Track: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_j_y3XthtM
The City of Theed was collapsing in on itself. The Palace sunk below the bluff, a huge dust cloud bellowed out. Civilians held onto the jagged edge of the craters opening up on the surface of the city but they disappeared into the abyss. TIE fighters and Imperial Shuttles attempted to take off, though most were crushed under the debris. Those that managed to reach the sky soon found themselves in the same predicament as the rebel pilots. The clouds began to burn a hot red, the light intensifying until a shower of blaster fire came down a far as Jacen could see. The contrails of missiles and intense glow of torpedoes mixed in. The weapons struck the surface in another wave, accelerating the collapse of the hollow core and the continental plate beneath the city. An Imperial Shuttle exploded as it was caught under the fire. The Eta-5 Interceptors spun and weaved as they reached the cloud line. Before they left for orbit, Jacen saw huge geysers of water erupt as billions of gallons of water began to reach out from the core and cover the surface, “May the Force be with you all.” You will never be able to protect your family, your friends. Because you refuse to strike… you will see them all die He remembered the words from a vision from his youth on Dagobah.
“Wouldn’t this be a good time to cloak?”
“Can’t, system was destroyed.”
Jacen tried to bypass the fried circuits but the system was still not responding. They emerged from the cloud line towards the vastness of space. In the distant, the ring of Star Destroyers was becoming more visible the further away from the planet they went. They appeared to have stopped firing for the moment. The timer on his dash was moments away from reaching 0.
“Tallie, Paige--get to the rendezvous point.”
“Woo there Boss, I might not be a Jedi but I can see that is a bad plan.”
“Affirmative, where you go… we go.”
“Besides, I have been cramped in this fighter for days, time to let off some steam.”
Typical Paige, even when presented with an impossible situation and overwhelming odds, she drove forward. They fighters engines whistled as flew at full speed towards the Effectuator.
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“Sir! Jedi starfighters!”
Archanon slowly regained his composure as the sound had died down. His eyes widened as he saw the small distant outlines of the fighters in the distance, coming right at them. He typically never showed so much emotion but the sound had shaken him to his barebones. “Launch all fighters, deploy the hounds!” The distinct outline of the TIE Predators emerged from the bowels of the Star Destroyer like a cloud of bees. Their engines howled and screamed as they charged at the Jedi fighters. “Here we go. Full speed, mow through.” He heard laughter from the Ace pilots as the three ships opened fire and collided with the Imperial fighters.
00:00:00
The amount of blaster fire made it difficult to see beyond a few yards but Jacen saw the outline of ships snap into normal space.
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