EXTINCTION.....

[~Rogue Jedi~]

EXTINCTION

ERA: THE END OF “REVENGE OF THE SITH”

STORY: THE STORY STARTS AS THE GREAT JEDI PURGE BEGINS. A GROUP OF JEDI, SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE GALAXY, BAND TOGETHER AND FIGHT FOR THEIR SURVIVAL.
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CHARACTERS

SETH RALTER

SPECIES: HUMAN
SEX: MALE
AGE: 36
HAIR: BROWN, SHORT AND SPIKY
EYES: GREEN
HEIGHT: 6’1
WEIGHT: 189
PLANET OF ORIGIN: BRENTAAL IV
FORMER MASTER: KIT FISTO
LIGHTSABER: BLUE

HISTORY: FORMERLY A PADAWAN OF JEDI MASTER KIT FISTO, SETH WAS CAST FROM THE ORDER WHEN THEY LEARNED THAT HE HAD BROKEN HIS VOWS TO THE ORDER BY MARRYING A FELLOW JEDI NAMED WILLEY NORSHA. HE NOW LIVES IN THE UNDERLEVELS OF CORUSCANT AND MAKES A LIVING AS A BODYGUARD AND DABBLES IN GAMBLING.
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WILLEY NORSAH

SPECIES: HUMAN
SEX: FEMALE
AGE: 25
HAIR: BLACK, FLOWS PAST MID BACK
EYES: BLUE
HEIGHT: 5’3
WEIGHT: 110
PLANET OF ORIGIN: DATHOMIR
FORMER MASTER: MACE WINDU
LIGHTSABER: GREEN

HISTORY: ONCE JEDI MASTER MACE WINDU’S PADAWAN, WILLEY WAS GRANTED A REPRIEVE WHEN IT WAS FOUND OUT THAT SHE HAD BROKEN HER VOWS TO THE JEDI ORDER, MARRYING FELLOW JEDI SETH RALTER. A GIFTED PILOT, SHE NOW COMMANDS THE 101ST DIVISION OF THE REPUBLIC ARMY, IN CHARGE OF AIR DEFENSE OVER THE PLANET OF CORUSCANT.
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VORSK

SPECIES: RODIAN
SEX: MALE
AGE: 44
HEIGHT: 5’8
WEIGHT: 144
PLANET OF ORIGIN: RODIA
FORMER MASTER: PLO KOON
LIGHTSABER: GREEN

HISTORY: A BRILLIANT SCHOLAR, HE SERVED IN THE TEMPLE ARCHIVES UNDER JOCASTA NU UNTIL THE CLONE WARS BEGAN. HE NOW SERVES AS A SCOUT FOR THE REPUBLIC ARMY, EVER ON THE LOOKOUT FOR ANY AND ALL SIGNS OF THE SEPERATIST ARMIES.
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ZANOR JOHAHN

SPECIES: FALLEEN
SEX: MALE
AGE: 88 STANDARD YEARS
HAIR: BLACK TOPKNOT THAT RUNS DOWN BACK
EYES: GREEN
HEIGHT: 6’3
WEIGHT: 215 POUNDS
PLANET OF ORIGIN: FALLEEN
FORMER MASTER: CIG DRALLING
LIGHTSABER: GREEN

HISTORY: ZANOR WORKS CLOSELY WITH CORUSCANT INTELLIGENCE, GATHERING DATA FROM ALL OVER THE UNIVERSE IN ORDER TO HELP WITH THE WAR EFFORT. CURRENTLY ON ASSIGNMENT ON HIS HOMEWORLD OF FALLEEN.
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VALUS OPRISAH

SPECIES: BOTHAN
SEX: FEMALE
AGE: 44 STANDARD YEARS
HAIR: BROWN FUR
EYES: BLACK
HEIGHT: 5’4
WEIGHT: 137
PLANET OF ORIGIN: BOTHAWUI
FORMER MASTER: JUNA FORESA
LIGHTSABER: BLUE

HISTORY: A JEDI HEALER. AS THE PURGE BEGINS, SHE IS TENDING TO THE HOMELESS IN THE UNDERLEVELS OF CORUSCANT.
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THOM

SPECIES: NIKTO
SEX: MALE
AGE: 39 STANDARD YEARS
EYES: BLACK
HEIGHT: 5’11
WEIGHT: 178
PLANET OF ORIGIN: KINTAN
FORMER MASTER: TOMAS GREEG
LIGHTSABER: GREEN

HISTORY: A KAJAIN’SA’NIKTO, THOM IS CURRENTLY ON A PEACEKEEPING MISSION ON THE PLANET DANTOOINE.
**************************************************************************************
CANER NEP

SPECIES: SULLUSTAN
SEX: MALE
AGE: 54 STANDARD YEARS
EYES: BLACK
HEIGHT: 5’4
WEIGHT: 134
PLANET OF ORIGIN: SULLUST
FORMER MASTER: SHANDRA LEVY
LIGHTSABER: GREEN

HISTORY: CANER NEP, KNOWN FOR HIS SHARP WIT AND WICKED TONGUE, IS ON ASSIGNMENT ON MON CALAMARI, OVERSEEING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A REPUBLIC SHIPYARD.
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[~Rogue Jedi~]

Just now named the characters, will start the story later....

references:

starwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_New_Essential_Guide_to_Alien_Species


starwars.wikia.com/wiki/The_Essential_Guide_to_Planets_and_Moons

[~Rogue Jedi~]

EXTINCTION

PART ONE


Jedi master Kit Fisto was speechless as the turbolift rose towards Supreme chancellor Palpantine’s high rise office. A Sith lord? Was Master Windu sure? Quietly, he admonished himself. Of course Master Windu was right.

Of late, Palpantine had grown more and more powerful, gaining the confidence of the senate. It was not hard to imagine that that amount of power would corrupt the best of men, but a Sith Lord? Though he knew Mace was correct, he had to see this for himself.

As the turbolift came to a stop, the doors opened to a long lustrous hallway lined in red. Master Windu strode out of the turbolift without hesitation, his mind clear, his jaw set, completely focused on what had to be done. As Kit fell in behind him, he scanned the minds of the two other Jedi with them. Master Tinn was a picture of serenity, showing no sign of worry. Master Kolar, on the other hand, was a bit nervous. He did his best to cover it, but Kit could see his finger tapping the hilt of his lightsaber impatiently. Kit reached out to his friend, touched his mind……calm, old friend, we will get through this….

Master Kolar started and gave Kit an approving nod, relaxing slightly. At that moment, Mace activated the door to Palpantine’s office. There the old man sat, at his desk, apparently unarmed and harmless. Kit knew that it was a mistake to judge a man by his appearance and/or size. As Master Yoda said, size matters not. It occurred to Kit that his mind was drifting, so he shook his head and returned his attention to the task at hand.

Master Windu’s greeting was what was to be expected of the seasoned Jedi Master, short and sweet, and extremely blunt.“In the name of the Senate of the Galactic Republic, you are under arrest, Chancellor.” Master Windu drew and ignited his lightsaber, as did masters Kolar and Tinn.

Under arrest? Kit Had thought that they were there to relieve Palpantine of his powers, not arrest him. Whatever the case, this was Mace’s play, and Kit would back him 100%. A millisecond later, he found that his own lightsaber had been drawn and the green blade had flared into existence.

“Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?” Palpantine asked. Kit was blown away. The man had the sheer audacity to resist? Even if he was a Sith lord, he was facing four Jedi masters. “The Senate will decide your fate.” Mace said. Kit shifted his lightsaber in his hand, preparing to take Palpantine into custody. “I am the senate.” Palpantine answered. Kit noticed that Palpantine seemed anything but helpless now, power flowing off of him in waves. Dark power, Sith power. Mace sensed this too, and forged on. “Not yet.” He said.

Palpantine rose with the grace and easy of a jungle cat, showing no fear at all. As he spoke, he was calm, collected and totally in control. “It’s treason, then.” He said. At that moment, Kit noticed a silver cylinder appear in Palpantine’s hand, and, with a flick of the wrist, a red blade flared into existence.....SITHSPAWN…….

In the blink of an eye, Palpantine leapt and spun, landing before them and impaling Masters Kolar and Tinn upon his blade. As the two Jedi fell, Palpantine shifted his attack to Kit and Mace. Stang, he was fast!!! Kit struggled to block the first few blows as Mace adjusted more easily, retreating to give himself more room to counterattack.

As Kit devised a strategy in his mind, Palpantine’s red blade found his heart. Kit felt the searing heat of the blade slice into his chest, pierce his heart, cauterizing the wound as it exited. Jedi Master Kit Fisto fell, lightsaber clattering to the floor, moments from death.

He watched a few seconds more as Mace blocked Palpantine’s attacks and counter attacked. Silently wishing his friend well, he felt the last remnants of life ebbing from him. His last thoughts were of Seth Ralter, his former Padawan, who had been expelled from the Jedi order a little over two years ago. With his last bit of strength, he sent a warning to Seth……Beware, my old friend. The Sith have returned…..And with that, Jedi Master Kit Fisto was gone…..

[~Rogue Jedi~]

“SABACC!” Seth Ralter hooted as the ever changing cards turned in his favor. His opponent, a Barabel named Zorn, was less than pleased. “This one thinkz you cheated.” The Barabel stood and slammed both hands on the table as Seth collected his winnings. Seth knew that the Barabel could tear an average human apart in seconds, but he was not afraid in the least. He was, after all, a far cry from an average human.

Shoving the credits in his pocket, he downed the last of his Corellian ale. Getting to his feet, he looked up into Zorn’s reptilian eyes. “Don’t be a sore loser, Zorn. I have better things to do than wrestle with an overgrown lizard.” He turned his back to walk away, but the Barabel was far from being done. Zorn vaulted the table and reached out to grab Seth in a headlock, intent on squeezing the life out of him. Reaching out with the force, Seth anticipated the attack, dropping to one knee and sweeping the Barabel’s legs from under him. Zorn fell to the floor awkwardly, landing hard on his backside. He recovered quickly, rolling to his feet and prepared to launch himself at Seth again, only to find himself staring down the barrel of a holdout blaster Seth had drawn. He drew a bead between Zorn’s eyes, and then said “It’s not worth it. Go home, sober up, come back tomorrow, and maybe I’ll give you a chance to win back your losses.” Zorn stared Seth down for a few moments, realizing that Seth would just as soon kill him. Gathering what dignity he had left, the Barabel turned and stalked out of the bar without so much as a backwards glance. Seth smiled and holstered the blaster.

He had known Zorn for a month now, and was realizing that this particular Barabel did not share the same respect for Jedi that the majority of it’s species did. Not that that mattered here, for Seth had not been a Jedi for over two years now. In that time, he had rarely called upon the force, even in the most extreme situations. The Jedi had abandoned him when he had needed them the most.

Shaking the memory from his head, he turned and shrugged his black swoop jacket on, trudging outside. As he walked along the crowded sidewalk, he took in his surroundings. Here, in the underlevels of Coruscant, there were numerous ways to make a credit. He worked sometimes as a bodyguard, sometimes as a courier, sometimes as a bounty hunter. But he always returned to the Sabacc tables, he just couldn’t resist the thrill. Via the force, he could manipulate the way the cards changed, but he had never done so. He liked relying on skill rather than cheating. Besides, if he was no longer a Jedi, what right did he have to use the force?

As he turned a corner, he felt a sudden stab of pain in his gut. Pain, sorrow, surprise and fear, all mixed into one. The pain increased, bringing him to his knees. He went down onto his hands and knees, having a sudden vision of clashing lightsaber blades, of Jedi Master Mace Windu, the master that had been the deciding vote on his exile, holding his purple blade in a defensive position. He realized that he was seeing certain events unfolding, either present time or near future, and he was seeing them through the eyes of his former master, Kit Fisto.

A red blade came down diagonally across Master Fisto’s chest, piercing his heart. Seth screamed out, feeling the pain as if it were his own. Seth cried out again, this time not in pain, but in sorrow. Then, as Master Fisto disappeared into the force, he sent Seth a mental massage……Beware, old friend, the Sith have returned…


The vision ended, leaving Seth panting and sweating on the sidewalk. As he regained his composure, he got to his feet and realized what had happened. Kit Fisto had been killed. His former master, the only friend he had left, was gone.

Kit would come here to the underlevels once a month to check up on Seth, against the wishes of the council. He was always kind, never judging, never admonishing Seth for what he had done. In fact, when Seth had decided to cut his shoulder length brown hair a month ago, Master Fisto had actually joked around with him. Running his hands through the close cropped spikes, he had said “You look like an angry vine cat.” They had both laughed at this. Seth had never thought that losing his former master would affect him so deeply, but the pain he was feeling now, deep in his heart, rivaled that of the pain he felt when he had lost Willey.

Willey and Seth had been members of the Jedi order, and, despite realizing the dangers of doing so, had fallen in love. They fought it with every fiber of their being, knowing that they were breaking their commitment to the order. But, in the end, love had proven more powerful. They married in secret, far from the prying eyes of the council. After only two years together, they had been caught. Willey had broken down and told her master, Mace Windu, of their partnership. Mace had went straight to the council with this, and Seth was immediately cast from the order.

Mace defended his Padawan, saying that she was too young to know any better, and she had received only a slight reprimand. He remembered vividly that day. The council passing judgement on him, Willey crying outside the council chamber. He went to her, begged her to leave it all behind, to go away with him. He sensed that she wanted to, but that she feared by doing so she would be failing Master Windu. Seth tried to hold her, to convince her, but Master Windu would not allow it. That was the last time he had seen her. The Jedi took possession of his lightsaber and had evicted him from the temple that same day.

On the street, with nothing, only the clothes on his back, Seth had ventured into the underlevels. Heartbroken, alone, defeated, he took work wherever he could find it. At first, he buried his sorrows in Corellian ale. Then, after a year or so, he had pulled himself together, cleaned up his act, and took on more serious jobs, mostly bodyguard work. He was an empty shell, devoid of any and all emotion. How could Willey abandon me like that?

Seth suddenly realized what had to be done. Squaring his shoulders, he signaled for an air taxi. His destination? The Jedi Temple.

[SiriJaeh]

very interesting story RJ. it's very good.

looking forward to read more.

[Garyn Fett™]

Very nice. The only thing I would recommend is making new paragraphs every so often. Your existing paragraphs would fill up about a page on a word processor, and thats not considered too good, generally. I noted a few points that you could change into separate paragraphs, message me if you want to hear them.

But its a really good story.

[~Rogue Jedi~]

I am always open for suggestions, by all means, pm them to me.

[~Rogue Jedi~]

EDITED...You are right, it looks better. easier to read, more uniform. more to come later.

[~Rogue Jedi~]

Willey Norsah was at home behind the controls of the ARC-170 Reconnaissance fighter. She looked out the viewport as she banked through a lazy turn, seeing the beautiful planet of Coruscant below. Amazing, she thought to herself. The planet was basically one big city, every square inch covered in buildings. It was a beautiful planet, her home planet, and she loved it here.

Willey had been a full fledged Jedi Knight for over 4 years now, ever since she had finished her Padawan training with Jedi Master Mace Windu. Her duties now were with the Coruscant air defense, commanding the 101st Division of the republic army, in charge of keeping Coruscant safe from potential attackers. In her four years at this post, she had seen little action. With the exception of being pulled off duty last year when a separatist fleet had attacked a nearby Core world, she basically patrolled The air space around the capital of the galaxy.

Mundane sometimes, but all she cared about was flying. Her lightsaber and force training were complete, Master Windu had assured her, when she questioned if she should spend more time at the temple training rather than doing what she loved, which was piloting starfighters. Whatever the case, she felt as if she was born to be amongst the stars. Her thoughts drifted to the past, to Seth.

She thought she was over him, but at least once a day she found herself thinking of him, of the time they spent together. Why had they been so foolish? Seth’s answer to this was plain and simple. Love is the most powerful emotion in the galaxy, even more powerful than the force.” She remembers thinking he had lost it when he had first said these words, but, as time wore on, she believed it more and more. She was tempted beyond belief to see him, to venture into the underlevels of the planet just to catch a glimpse of him.

As it was, the only way she had of knowing if he was all right or not was Jedi Master Kit Fisto. Whenever Kit visited his former student, he would bring back holo images of him, showing them to Willey, even though Master Windu would have a fit if this was found out. Master Fisto assured her that Seth was alive and well, taking odd jobs here and there to make ends meet. He Also assured her that Seth still loved her, even though he would not admit it. Willey teared up every time she thought about this, but had managed to hold herself together….most of the time.

Just a few months ago, Master Fisto had paid her a visit, recalling events of his visit with his former Padawan. She had looked at the holo image, at her former husband, still handsome as ever. He had cut his hair short, over the ears, and had the top spiked. He looked so different, yet still so much the same. His eyes were different, she noticed. Once full of joy and life, they now seemed empty, devoid of any and all feelings. He was wearing black leather swoop racing gear. No lightsaber was visible, but she saw a blaster strapped to his thigh. Of course he had no lightsaber, it had been confiscated years ago when he had been cast from the order. Closing her eyes, she recalled what had happened that day……

Seth, in the council chamber, being judged. At the time, she was 21, while Seth had been 32. Master Windu had defended her, saying that she was too young to realize what she had done, while Seth, a seasoned Jedi Knight on the verge of being a Master, was old enough to have known better. She remembered Seth walking out of the chamber, grabbing her by the shoulders, professing his love for her. “Willey, come with me. We can still have a life together. Please, my love, we belong together.” He had said this even as he was being stripped of his lightsaber and Jedi robes. She wanted so bad to do it, to go with him, to be with him, to live their lives together. Then, Master Windu had stepped between them. “Her place is here,” He had said, “And she had made her choice to stay. Goodbye, Seth.”

And at that, Master Windu had placed his arm on her shoulder, guiding her away from him. She looked back only once, seeing Seth standing there, alone, looking defeated, Tears flowing freely down his face. That was the last time she had ever seen him……She was shaken from her thoughts as she felt a disturbance in the force. Admonishing herself for allowing herself to daydream while behind the controls of a starfighter, she focused on the disturbance. It was coming from planetside.

She looked down and reached out with the force, trying to pinpoint the location of the disturbance. It was roughly around the same area as the senate chambers, near Supreme Chancellor’s high rise offices. She pushed forward on the yoke of the ARC-170, guiding it down through the clouds, trying to get a better vantage point. As she neared the planets surface, she felt it…Death. She felt her former master die.

One minute, she had felt him vividly via the force, the next, nothing. It was the only conclusion she had, the only one that made any sense. Her former master was dead. But how? Master Windu was the most powerful Jedi in the order behind Master Yoda. Well, if one believed that Anakin Skywalker was the chosen one, the one prophesized to bring balance to the force, that would make Master Windu the third most powerful Jedi. How had he been killed? Willey saw the spires of the Jedi temple form on the horizon, and, without realizing it, she aimed her starfighter towards it’s vast docking bays. One way or another, she would discover what had happened to Master Windu.

[~Rogue Jedi~]

Seth boarded the air taxi and shoved a handful of credits at the driver. “Take me to the Jedi Temple, fast.” He said. The Driver, eyeing the credits, shook his head. “Haven’t you heard?” He asked, looking at Seth as if he were clueless. Seth shook his head, saying “What, heard what?” The driver punched up a display on his console, and the holonews popped up.

Seth watched as an attractive young lady appeared on the screen. He had seen her before on the holonet, she was the one who announced the lottery numbers every week. The driver adjusted the volume, and her voice came into existence. “What we do know is that there has been an incident at the offices of Supreme Chancellor Palpantine. The republic army has been dispersed to protect the Supreme Chancellor and to maintain order. Details are sketchy, but we have unofficial reports that there was an assassination attempt. All Skycar traffic has been blocked, as well as incoming traffic from off planet. More later on this breaking story, stay tuned for details.”

Seth watched as images of clone troopers appeared, bustling to and fro, directing civilians away from Palpantine’s offices. In the background, he saw a tall lean figure in what appeared to be Jedi robes giving orders to a small contingent of troopers. He could swear that he recognized the figure, but for now he had more important matters at hand. “So there is no way to the upper levels?” He asked. The driver shook his head. “All traffic has been blocked from the upper levels, didn’t you hear? Nope, you won’t be getting out of here anytime soon. Sorry, pal.”

Seth looked out the transparisteel viewport and saw that indeed all air taxis had stopped moving towards the upper levels. Most had stopped altogether, exiting their vehicles and talking amongst themselves. The driver, waving to a group of drivers he apparently knew, exited the air taxi and walked over, leaving Seth alone. Seth sat there a few minutes, considering his options.

He felt the anger rising within him, but then remembered a lesson Master Fisto had taught him early on in his training. “When confronted with a seemingly unsolvable problem, take a moment to sit back and consider all available options, even ones that seem impossible. Think outside the box.” Master Fisto had told him. Seth took a deep breath, sat back, and thought about it. OK…….He had to get uplevel. The most plausible way of achieving this is via an air taxi. That was not an option. He knew that there were hidden passages leading uplevel, places that one could get uplevel if they knew the location of these hidden passages?

But Seth had no idea where to look for them. He had never had the need, what with air taxis being available. Solution? Find someone who knows the area better than he, someone who knows every dark corner and alleyway in the underlevels. And he knew just who to look for. Exiting the taxi, he set out on foot west, towards a cantina a few blocks away. With any luck, he would find the person he was looking for.

Seth knew most of the players here in the underlevels, and Sorn Vastar was one of the most knowledgeable people he had met here. Not trustworthy, definitely shady, but knowledgeable nonetheless. A spice dealer, Sorn was a human from Corellia. Bad luck had landed him here years prior, as he had explained to Seth. Apparently Sorn was the son of a high ranking diplomat, and had been the black sheep of his family for all of his life.

It was during his late teen rebellious years that he had started venturing downlevel, against the wishes of his father. He frequented the seediest of bars and taverns, seeking out trouble. After one particular bad night, his father had decided to stop bailing him out of trouble. Sorn spent a few months in jail, and, upon his release, had discovered that his father had disowned him. Having to adopt a criminal lifestyle, he quickly discovered that he didn’t have it in him to wield a blaster, or to cause bodily harm to another sentient being. So he had met someone who ran spice here in the underlevels, and, much to his liking, he had discovered the pleasures of being a prominent spice dealer.

Women threw themselves at him. He was able to pay bodyguards and thugs to do his dirty work. He was able to be a criminal without getting his hands dirty, which suited him well. Seth sometimes worked for him as a bodyguard. Sorn paid well and he paid on time. As Seth neared the tavern called “The Tusken Tooth”, he slowed his pace and took a look around. He saw a few familiar faces, mostly locals. Satisfied that it was safe to proceed, he entered the tavern and sought out Sorn Vastar.

[~Rogue Jedi~]

Willey landed her ARC-170 in docking bay 31, noticing immediately that the area was deserted. Not a tech in sight. Weird. She slid off her helmet, running her hand through her hair, which had immediately fell over her forehead. She vaulted out of the fighter, grabbing her flight jacket as she did so. Slipping it on over her black flight suit, she walked over to the nearest maintenance bay.

Nothing. No droids, no humans, not a soul. Feeling uneasy, her hand slipped down to the lightsaber clipped to her belt. She suddenly realized the blaster she had secured in a shoulder holster, a requirement for all pilots. She had never fired it, never even drawn the thing. Walking over to the main office, she saw a single man dozing at his data terminal. She recognized him, what was his name, Kurt? She walked over and nudged him.

“Excuse me….” He stirred, but remained asleep. Willey frowned, prodding him with her fingers harder. “EXCUSE ME…….” The man shot up straight, startled, spilling a cup of caf al over his desk. Embarrassed, flustered, he looked up angrily, and then caught himself when he saw her. “Oh, sorry, Ma’am. Didn’t mean to keep you waiting. What was it you needed?” Willey looked around, gesturing at the empty hangar. “Where is everyone? I just finished my patrol and this place was hopping when I left.” She looked at her wrist chrono, noting the time. She had been here less than four hours ago. The man shrugged, making it clear he knew nothing. “Wish I could tell you. All I know is that a little less than an hour ago, we got a call from the higher ups saying to send everyone home. I only stayed because I am so backed up on paperwork.” He gestured to the many papers he had strewn about his desk.

Willey felt for him. She knew that the chiefs of these maintenance bays had their work cut out for them, and that sometimes the work was hectic. Nonetheless, she wanted answers. Leaning forward, she placed her hands on her hips. “Well, let’s see is you and I might find someone, yes?” she asked. It wasn’t a question, but more of a statement. As she slid her jacket back, the hilt of her lightsaber exposed itself. The man saw the lightsaber and his eyes widened. He looked up at her, is tone serious. “You’re a Jedi?” he asked. Willey nodded. “Captain Norsha, 101st defense birds. You’re Kurt, right?” He shook his head.” Kent, Ma’am.” Willey decided she was close enough. “Well, Kent, let’s have a look around, shall we?” She gestured towards the door that let from the bay to the temple itself.

He grunted, got up, and led the way over. Sliding his access card through the reader, the door hissed open, and together they stepped into the Jedi temple. Willey immediately felt it. Chaos. Mayhem. Death, happening here very recently. Edging her way ahead of him, she unclipped the lightsaber from her belt, leaving it unlit, but ready to be ignited in an instant. As she rounded the corner, she saw a body lying on the ground. It wore Jedi robes, and an unlit lightsaber lay a few feet away. She ran over, rolled over the body, and her breath was taken away.

The youth, no more than fifteen and obviously a Padawan, bore a long gash across his chest. The wound was cauterized, sealing the blood inside. There was only one weapon that could have caused this wound, and that was a lightsaber. What the hell? What had happened here? Willey looked down and felt a pang of sympathy for her fallen comrade. She straightened the body, folding the young boy’s hands across his chest. Walking over, picking up the the Padawan’s lightsaber, she activated the blade. The green blade sprung into existence with a SNAP HISS. She extinguished the blade, placing it back into the hands of it’s owner. It seemed fitting that way.

Standing up, she drew her blaster, which she held in her left hand, opposite the lightsaber in her right. She thought about it for a few minutes, then looked at the maintenance chief. “Get out of here, go call for help. Then go home, there is danger here.” The chief nodded, turning tail and running down the hallway. He was not a Jedi, and he had no business here. As he disappeared around the corner, Willey set out deeper into the temple, determined to find out what happened here.

Her keen senses alert, she walked at a brisk but cautious pace. Coming to a turbolift, she palmed the activator. Nothing. Strange, the maintenance droids were very efficient. Shrugging it off, she jogged down the hall to a set of stairs. Taking the stairs two at a time, she emerged in a large reception area. This was where visitors were greeted, non Jedi who came from all over the galaxy to tour the temple. Most civilians failed to realize that the Jedi temple was actually quite the tourist attraction.

Sticking to the shadows, she eased her way around the corner to the right, where she knew a hidden passage lay. With any luck, this passage had a turbolift and a set of stairs that would take her to the same level as the council chamber. Slowing her pace, she gave the corner a quick peek. Deserted, as was the rest of the temple. As she stepped out of the shadows, she saw them.

Bodies. At least half a dozen. Male, female, of varying ages and species. All Jedi. They lay in various locations, all of them sporting blaster wounds. Willey felt the bile rising in her throat, making an effort to force it down. She saw her friend, Aimee Renvin, sprawled across the body of a youngling. It appeared that Aimee was trying to protect the child. Kneeling down at her friends side, she brushed her hair from her face, feeling for a pulse. As she expected, she felt nothing. Looking down, she saw that Aimee had not even drawn her lightsaber.

Tears fell down her cheeks as she stroked Aimee’s cheek. Aimee was a prodigy of Jedi Master Jocasta Nu. Not a talented fighter, Aimee’s strength had been her capacity for knowledge. Master Nu had trained Aimee since childhood to one day take over her duties as administrator of the Jedi archives. Now she was gone, forever.

Feeling the anger swelling inside her, she tried a Jedi calming technique. After a few moments, she was in control again, but just barely. As she rose, she sensed movement behind her. Spinning, she saw a small contingent of clone troopers rounding the corner. Not realizing she was there, they talked amongst themselves. Relieved, Willey called out to them. “Trooper,” she said,” What has happened here?”

The troopers turned as one towards her, and, seeing that she held a lightsaber, opened fire upon her. What? They were firing on her? Before she realized it, her lightsaber was ignited and she was deflecting blaster bolts as they converged on her. Her green blade was a blur, constantly in motion, fending off red plasma energy.

As the bolts started coming more frequently and more accurately, she called Aimee’s lightsaber to her hand. The lightsaber flew from Aimee’s belt to Willey’s open hand, landing with a satisfying SMACK. A millisecond later, the blue blade sprang alive, joining Willey’s as she continued to block the shots aimed at her. After a few seconds, she regained enough composure to start backpedaling away from them, even redirecting a few stray bolts back at the troopers.

One fell. Then another. Then three more. But for every trooper she fell, two or three more took their place. Stepping over the bodies of their dead comrades as if they were nothing, the troopers remained frightenedly focused. As Willey realized that the odds were stacked far too high against her, she sensed movement behind her. Reaching out with the force, she felt another group of troopers emerging behind her. She half turned to see them, and a stray bolt struck her in the left arm.

Crying out in pain, she returned her attention to the initial group of troopers. A second later another bolt found her thigh. Falling to one knee, she rolled left, got to her feet, and backflipped down the hall, TOWARDS the second group of troopers. As she landed, she extinguished her sabers and extended both hands in outward waving motions. Troopers toppled like sabacc cards as she sent them flying with a violent force shove.

Risking a quick glance to her right, she saw the activator plate for the hidden passage. Rolling right, towards the activator plate, she narrowly missed being chopped to pieces as blaster fire chewed up the floor where she had previously been. As she got to her feet, she palmed the plate, and the hidden door hissed open. Diving inside as a few near misses singed her flight jacket, she landed hard on her side, driving the breath from her lungs. Gasping, she rolled in her back, drew her blaster, and blasted the activator plate. The door hissed shut with a loud THUD.

As she lay there, catching her breath, she realized that she had about two minutes until the troopers bypassed the activator plate and found her. Getting to her feet, she limped over to the turbolift, praying it was still operational. As she activated the controls, she got what she expected. Nothing. Looking over to the stairs, she realized that she had no chance of outrunning the troopers, what with her leg wounded. Soon they would have the door open and would kill her.

Looking around, she saw her only hope. A little above head level, a covered duct that led…..*well, anywhere but here*. She cut the cover away with her lightsaber, then, as the door hissed open a foot, stepped back as the cover to the duct fell to the ground. The door raised another foot, so she fell to the floor and lashed out with her lightsaber, severing the feet of half a dozen troopers. They screamed and fell, even as others pulled them away and even more too their place. Willey stood up and leapt up, calling upon the force to propel her into the duct. She landed inside just as the door opened, the troopers scanning the area for any sign of her. Willey crawled forward a few feet, then, when she came to a vertical branch off, crabwalked upward for twenty feet. As she entered another vertical shaft, she allowed herself to relax. Looking down at her leg wound, she saw that it was not serious. The one on her left arm was also not serious.

Unstrapping the small Medkit from her right leg, she administered a significant amount of Bacta laced painkillers to her wounds. After a few seconds, the pain started to fade, replaced by a feeling of numbness. As the painkillers took hold of her, she felt her eyelids getting heavy. Idiot, you took too much. Oh well, there wasn’t much she could do about it now. She closed her eyes, only for a few moments, then passed out, her last thoughts of her former husband, Seth.

[SiriJaeh]

then what happened?

i love exploring this era. well, i don't really know much about it, that's why i love writing and reading versions about it.

g'job...!

[~Rogue Jedi~]

I added more to the last post.

[Darth Valrum]

I love your work Rogue. Please keep going.

[phoenixdarkside]

great work rogue