Zhane Gollaan, newly knighted jedi of the new republic. Many jedis fought and died
for the very peace he now enjoys as masters of the council tell stories of sacrifice,
passion, and hatred that all must pass to become truly one with the force.
"I want that star destroyer eliminated, tell the 234th squadron to take down those
batteries before the battle barges arrive for a strafe," master Ong-da of the planet
Abregado-Rae, takes command of the republic destroyer "Infinity". "Tell the com pilots
to engage starfighters intercepting our men." His droid bleeped in commands to the
pilots in space, master Ong-da then turns his attention to his partner.
"Come, we got some flying to do."
"Master are you sure the sith lord Caedus is there? What if it's a trap?" the young knight
asked with a mountain of questions and doubt to match that. "I searched his presence, but
there was no hint except emotions of rage and hatred for jedis. Even that does not prove
his existence aboard that ship." The master then frowned at him, "You doubt my conclusions?"
The young knight looked surprised at how menacing his partner's face is, "no, master."
Streaks of energy flew in every direction, if not with the force, his ship would have gotten hit
and disintegrated as he and master Ong-da make their way at the star destroyer.
"energy shield to the front, 40% output." Ong-da spoke on the headset ordering Zhane to
do the same. A fighterdroid came at the back of Zhane's fighter when it registered on his
radar, "I got one on six, engaging!" he banked left, twisting the stick to a downward spiral.
The droid with its navi com calculating the vector of the target, followed. Firing a burst of
energy at the frail fighter. "Get him to my sights, I'll take him down Zhane," taking a hard right
and adjusting his fighter to meet the droid. Pressing the trigger to rain energy blast at the droid
that took all the shots to its front mechanism, eventually exploding. "Nice shot!"
The X-MKIIs have just disengaged from the crippled batteries of the destroyers when the
battle barges came from the left flank to start their run. "General, sheilds down for the
big bantha, over." Ong-da at his receiver, "Copy that Squadron, escort us on boarding the
ship. Shoot straight on our path."
"Roger!"
Having droids as fighters is a good way to conserve some men, but its pretty useless now
that a ship without external help from droids is doomed. "Good novas! I told you that mad sith
has been farked!" lieutenant general Cavite had already told his rockheaded commanders
that the sith has been a troubled one since its arrival. "Now I have to pay the price for his
unsolicited advice on taking this BLASTER INFESTED SPACE!!!" slamming a fist down hard
on the ceramic table, it hurt him more to loose this ship than the pain he felt with his hand.
"Sir," a young cadet entered the command room with its hatch wide open, the mechanism
thats supposed to close it is beyond repair. "What is it now? Core Meltdown?" all eyes on the
lieutenant general, nobody took it as a joke. "No sir, we have a breach." Shaking more madly
than before he felt that pain shooting from his hand, "They want my ship? They want it that
badly? WHAT DOES THIS RUSTBUCKET HAVE THAT THEY WANT?!?" Everyone fell silent.
Onga-da and Zhane have already reached the inner docking station while facing little or no
resistance at all. "What kind of ship is this? Its just droids here, have they all evac'd?"
"They're all busy on the upper decks," with a hand searching with the force, "We'll be alone
for quite a while." Zhane cheking a security console that showed extensive launch of fighters
about 23:294:90 hours. "They have used fighterdroids on all ships to defend this destoyer."
"They've been saving up for something," having sensed a mass of mixed thoughts and emotions
deep within the main hall, "we can start investigating there." Suddenly a droid passed by out of
a corner and saw both jedis looking at it. "Beep-to-blip-biiiiit," incomprehensible droid language
seems to be asking both jedis to follow it. "Its a trap, master." feeling that weird flow of force
around the droid, as if it was tainted in purpose with the darkside. "No, it was marked for the
purpose of inviting us." calmly they followed the noisy droid down the hall.
"This is rancorkiller 05 requesting assistance, over!" the pilot looking back at a droid fighter
pelting away his armor. "I'm at your back, mate!" a loud booming sound accompanied by a
bright flash on his rear reflector, "Thanks deathstar!" thumbing up at the senior pilot.
"No prob, just... Look out!" a huge debris on a collision course with the rookie.
Too late.
"Dang! We just lost another good one captain," a sad remark with unfaltering voice forwarded
the news to command station. "Affirmative, he's a young lad. Could've replaced you if he stuck his
eyes to the front." A droid has evidently scanned for another target and choose KS-1394 for the
kill, its 1395th kill today if it succeded. Radar warning grabbed Deathstars attention, checking his
12 seeing a droid unleashing a hell of volley fire. "Deathstar! Do a barrel roll!"
Midway to the roll, droid and human pilot saw each other, testing whom shall be the first one
to bite space dust.
"Welcome to my sanctuary, jedis," an old, ragged sith sat waiting on the cold hall. It has a silvery
complexion like that of terasteel, and its windows are overlooking the battle outside.
"Told you its not Caedus," nudging his partner...
"I win 500 credits."
"Later, we have a lot in our hands now Zhane."
The sith stood up in a spinning fashion, crimson lightsaber humming to life at his hand.
The two circled the sith, while it shuts its eyes to collect himself, a rare sith reaction.
"You acted as a decoy for darth Caedus," nearing closer to his target, "you know he'll leave
you here to our hands." The sith opens it yellow eyes to Ong-da, "you know nothing of his
kindness, a weakness he now uses to control the galaxy, why resist?"
"You speak oddly for a sith, are you on the right side of the sun?" launching an unexpected
midair somersault the sith landed on top of Zhane, "I'm sure you know yours as well?"
Pushing back the sith with the force, regained his composure, and rushed for an up sweep.
The sith bent down, away from the saber, to kick the knight's chest. Flying across the hall,
he cushioned his landing and coughed. Ong-da was delivering a straight cut to the siths
head, blocked, turned his arm side ways, sweep to the leg, blocked again.
Zhane brought his lightsaber at the siths arm, missing its target. The sith answered with a
low cut to the leg at Zhane, jumping just in time to save his legs. Countering, the sith faced
Ong-da to parry, while he kicked the zealous young jedi back to where he came from. A force push
sent the sith reeling back at Zhane, who saw the opportunity to run his saber through him.
A humming lightsaber echoed the room...
The battle barges are now firing at the wreck, escape pods flying away from the devastation.
The bridge of the ship has been blown clean, and the generators are exploding from the heat
and damage. Ong-da and Zhane are now rushing to their fighters to exit the doomed vessel.
"T-3R! Get that thing started, we're leaving!" Zhane yelled the order to his astromech, who
complied eagerly.
They cleared the station just in time when the crippled destroyer imploded into a bright ball
of fire. Exerting a long sigh, Zhane checked his fighter for damages. "You have done well,
Ong-da waving a conscious thought to the newly knighted jedi. "having to win a bet from a
master is an honor you know?" Chuckling he said, "I now know when to bet a large sum,
when the master is too sure of his feelings of the force!" Frowning yet smiling, the master
can always agree with a joke from his partner.
Lounging at the mess hall, Deathstar a.k.a. Dul'be, was drinking liquor with an old friend.
"These are the days you wished that they never come," contemplating at the rough, tired
face of the pilot, "you can't blame fate marking its course." "I don't blame it," looking at his
glass of fine Adremeda Liquor, "just that voice of innocence ringing in my ears, from someone
I know who had looked up on me." The captain patting his back, stood up and left him
to think it through. Alone and cold, he has outlived most of his friends, and he wondered
all this time...
"Why me?"
