1
Dantooine.
The brisk morning shines upon the dew-covered courtyard. The Jedi Academy stands tall and proud, a beacon of hope for the settlers who seek refuge from the perils of other worlds. Kath hounds, long since tamed by a lack of Juhani's power, graze in the meadows while settlers watch them and discuss their crops, their land, and the new Sandral/Matale baby. It is a day of peace, and quiet. The Jedi Council debates, while the Padawans play.
This day is a day of normal perfection. Nothing disturbs the still fountain that is Dantooine.
Then, a ripple. Another... another.
A fleet of ships come out of hyperspace. The leading vessel is one that Carth Onasi would recognize.
The Leviathan.
A small fleet of ships arrives behind them. Single-passenger craft lie at the edge of the planet's gravity well. Waiting. Saul Karath signals the commander, who signals the captain.
Who signals the gunner.
Crimson beams stretch out into the planet's atmosphere. Craters appear in the ground as settlers run screaming in terror. They look back, and see the pristine Jedi Academy, still untouched by the shots.
Then, the first strike to hit the Jedi Academy seals their entrance into the Academy. Another blows a hole in the roof.
It is lost, the settlers realize, there is no hope for us now.
The outside of the Jedi Academy still looks quiet, as if following the Jedi adage of going down when struck, so that the enemy passes like a wind over you.
Inside, chaos erupts...
* * *
I was awoken by my friend, who looked at me with wide eyes. "We have to leave!" he said hurriedly, "the Academy is under attack!"
I scurried to my feet, and got dressed. The sound of cannonfire still boomed throughout the academy.
"We have to get to a ship!" I cried, "we'll be crushed in here!"
My friend and I were Initates into the Force. Barely able to wield any part of the Force, we were in training to eventually become Jedi. We had stuck together through countless troubles, such as the Kath Hound invasion of last year. We managed to cut up a few Kath hounds before the Jedi came to our rescue.
But now, we were in a panic, racing through corridors. We got to the central courtyard, and saw a terrible sight. Sith troopers and Dark Jedi engaged the Jedi, and they appeared to be winning. I watched as Master Zhar came out, and began devastating the enemy. Then a Dark Jedi came out and challenged him.
They fought wildly, snapping from left to right, shoulder to waist back to head, quick as lightning. Around them, the battle raged on between the Jedi and the Sith.
Moving quickly, I picked up two Sith Tremor Swords off a couple of Trooper corpses and tossed one to my friend. As we always did, together we fought this Sith menace. We were not the most skilled of any fighters, but we took down a few Sith troopers who were shooting at us. Then I looked, and saw the Dark Jedi knock away Zhar's lightsaber. Before he could recover, the Dark Jedi plunged his lightsaber into him up to the double-hilt.
As Zhar fell, Vandar took his place, but the Dark Jedi choked him, spun him in the air, and slashed down the Master's back. He fell dead. Then, the Dark Jedi turned to us.
We charged him from two directions, taking him off balance. But with his double-blade he defended himself from our ferocious attack. Several times either myself or my friend slashed into the Dark Jedi, wounding him. But he never backed down.
A whipcrack of the Force sent me reeling towards the wall. I smacked hard against it, becoming dazed. I got up but couldn't fight. I was disoriented by the hit. I watched my friend fight the Dark Jedi.
To my great surprise, a hack from my friends sword snapped the hilt, breaking the crystals on one side. Undeterred, he fought with a single blade. A minute later, I was back in the action. But another push and I was down, having hit right in front of the Great Tree.
I got up in time to see the Dark Jedi plunge his blade three times into my friend's chest. He fell to the ground, got up partway, and collapsed, dead.
In a panic, I dropped my sword and ran as fast as I could to the Matale grounds. I had no time to ask for a ship; I just had to get out of there, fast. I jumped in the cockpit, made my fingers dance across the controls, and was off.
In space, I was attacked by Sith snib fighters. The ship I was using had no weapons, and I simply dodged them, nearly colliding several times, before finding a hyperspace route. I had escaped the Sith, for now. But, I thought as I looked on the Holo of Dantooine, my friends did not.
I wept bitterly as the craft streaked through space.
This looks good. An excellent way to start a Fanfic. Although I thought Master Zhar and Master Vandar died on Katarr. Although Master Vandar could die at the Battle Of The Star Forge. Keep posting.
2
The small craft streaked into a remote system in the Outer Rim. As it left hyperspace, it was greeted by a desolate system. The star in this
system had long since grown into a supergiant, eradicating all life in it.
As desolate as Dantooine.
I watched the screens for nearby systems, and found a system that had one planet that teemed with life: The Sol system. It seemed pefect:
The inhabitants all lived on Sol III, and none of them had ever seen beings from off-planet. The populace was entirely human, like myself,
and they were few in number: Only 7 billion. There was only one problem...
No hyperspace routes.
I knew how dangerous scouting new routes was. Many who tried did not return. But I knew that I had to get to this system before I ran out
of fuel, and I was going to try. Then I remembered that I was a Jedi-to-be. I reached into what I could of the Force, and a possible route
called to me. I made the jump...
* * *
The jump was successful. I came out strikingly close to Sol X, however. I made it to the fifth planet when I realized that I was completely
out of fuel. In an effort to reach Sol III, I made a roundabout of the planet to speed up my craft. However, the intense gravity nearly tore
apart my craft, sending chunks toward the dense atmosphere.
I reached into the Force again, and managed to escape by threading through the trecherous asteroid field. Finally, I made it to Sol IV. I used
this planet to speed up my craft, and I got sent to Sol III by centrifugal force. However, it was far from smooth piloting after that. At the
angle I was approaching Sol III, I'd be turned into a fireball. I tried to slow down by rounding Sol III, but that proved too much strain for
my brittle craft. In order to keep the thing in one piece, I hurtled into Sol III's atmosphere on the opposite side I approached on.
I fell a long ways with my craft, but I had enough time to turn my crash into a spark-throwing skid, and I lept out of my craft just before it
exploded. The local government was already there to see the "fireball" hit the ground. When I explained what happened, they sealed off the
entire area to protect the area from unfriendly eyes. They deemed it Area 51 and forbade anyone from going into that zone.
In the meantime, I had to go into exile, blending with the population. I knew I needed to continue my Jedi training, but too much use of the
Force could attract the attention of the Sith. Donning jeans, tee-shirts and smaller shoes, I became part of the planet's population. A family
agreed to take care of me, and because of my age, I was placed in the school system.
Nobody would suspect I was a Jedi in training. I showed anger. I showed fear. I showed hate. Enough that if they knew I was Force-Sensitive, they'd think I was a Sith instead of a Jedi.
But it was all a lie. Because I felt none of it.
I never understood the point of fear, hatred, or anger. It seemed so pointless. But I acted the part beautifully, and I learned about the planet. The inhabitants call it "Earth" and the government is split into 190 divisions, and they constantly quarrel. None of this fact, however, appeared in the daily lives of the citizens. I had to act nonchalant about it as well, if I was to remain hidden.
Getting good. Keep posting.
3
I did exceptionally well in school, but knew that the limited education offered by Sol III came second. In small amounts, I trained myself to use the Force. Not like a Jedi Master, but enough to be considered a Padawan. I never did two self-classes near each other in time. Disturbing the Force in this way was very dangerous, for even the smallest Sith invasion would be fatal to me.
Now that I was a Padawan, it was time to carry the weapon of the Jedi - the lightsaber. I had access to the pieces, if I crafted them together into the correct pieces, I could possibly craft a working lightsaber.
Finding the crystals would be the big challenge. To my surprise, however, I found that diamonds, if properly placed, could equal a Force-sensitive crystal. The diamonds could me much smaller as well, and would make a well-focused blade. I traveled to the Arkansas region, and gained access to some large diamonds. They had no real value on the market, I was told, because of imperfections in it. These "imperfections" was the fact that they were not going to be a pretty color. I didn't care. I got large quantities of the stuff, and attempted to assemble my lightsaber.
The first attempt failed miserably. The saber didn't even ignite. I tried rearranging the basic layout of the saber's interior. After hours of working, I closed it up, and pressed the button.
The explosion was heard in houses across the neighborhood.
* * *
After several such attempts, and several visits from the emergency workers and the police, I finally created my blade. Activating it produced a long, silver blade that glistened and pulsated with energy. I had finally done it. I had finally created my own lightsaber.
Of course, I needed to learn to use it effectively. There were no such classes on Earth. Not even in most of the galaxy, actually. So I signed up for the next-best thing: Swordsmanship classes.
It was vigorous, and invigorating. I soon mastered the saber. Now I had to master the lightsaber, which was still going to be difficult. Also, I needed to gather news about the galaxy. So, I attempted to build a droid that would be capable of defending itself, but would also be good at speech and creative thinking. There was only one model out there that even remotely fit that description.
The HK series.
Countless attempts were made. HK-52 blew up before I could speak to it. HKs 53-78 were no different. Finally, I was able to create an HK droid that worked - HK-100.
As the last piece clicked into place, my creation spoke.
"Self-Observation: My body appears to have been made from forged alloys that will withstand tremendous pressure or blaster fire. My circuits are perfectly strung, my motivators are at 100% potential. It seems that my creator has done a good job constructing me."
I looked at my creation, and he saw me. He understood perfectly what was happening: He had just been 'born'.
"Query: Is there someone you need killed, master?"
Ooookaaay, I thought, this droid may be trouble.
"No," I replied, "I need you to gather information on recent events in the galaxy and report back. Specifically, I would like information on what has become of the Jedi on Dantooine, and the Sith who attacked it. Also, information on Dantooine itself, and what has happened to the settlers there."
"Statement: As you desire, master. I shall return." With that, he blasted off on the pre-installed jetpack I had created. I had done this because I had no ship, and needed information quickly.
In the meantime, I trained myself further in the Force. I learned to levitate multiple objects and create a whirlwind with them. I learned the art of Stasis, and the lightsided version of lightning, Disable Droid. I also mastered the art of affecting minds.
Not very advanced, but these were skills I needed to have. It had been three years since my escape from Dantooine.
* * *
About 2 1/2 standard months later, my HK droid returned. "Statement: Master, I have all the information you requested that I find."
I turned, and asked him to join me in the sitting room so I could comfortably listen as he told his tale.
"Recitation: I traveled first to Dantooine, as you requested. I thank you for installing that miniature hyperdrive within me. It makes my behavior core glow when I think about my superiority to my predecessors!
"The Jedi Academy was in ruins. The structure was basically intact, but the entrances were sealed. I was forced to blast a hole in the wall and enter that way. Inside, I found rotting corpses everywhere.
"You programmed me to recognize the Jedi Masters if I saw them there. I did not. I did, however, find your friend's corpse in the main chamber. I buried him under the stump of the tree because I knew of his importance to you.
"Speculation: It seemed likely that in spite of what you saw, the Jedi Masters Vandar and Zhar survived the brutally efficient attack. I searched, but found no corpses of them.
"Continuation: I interviewed several settlers. They have moved into the Matale estate and call it 'Khoonda'. The first one I told that I was representing a Jedi, and she refused to talk. It seems that paranoia has struck the settlements.
"I talked to the leading official, who said that one robed figure mentioned Katarr. So, I traveled to the planet to find more information.
"Statement: I there found the two Jedi Masters you believed dead. They refused to relate to me how they survived, but after I explained I was there on behalf of you, they said that they are planning on holding a Council meeting there."
I thanked him, and he went to shut down for the night. I stayed up late, reflecting on this strange news.
Great. Although:
To my surprise, however, I found that diamonds, if properly placed, could equal a Force-sensitive crystal.
Don't you mean Crystal? Master Zhar and Vandar survived. That makes sense now. Keep posting.
I will. But first I want to explain:
To my surprise, however, I found that diamonds, if properly placed, could equal a Force-sensitive crystal.
By that I mean that they could both create a lightsaber beam, if you do it right. Oh, I'm going to have to leave for a bit, maybe a good portion of the rest of the day. Ah, but I'll be back... :)
4
After another year, I sent out HK-100 once again to gain information on the Jedi Masters, and any recent cataclysmic events in the galaxy. It was not very good for a Jedi Knight to be stranded so. But the only way to get off-planet would be to build another ship, and that would be difficult at best.
Yes, I recently attained the rank of Knight. Not that anyone knew about it; I simply felt in the Force that I had grown up some more. It was an excellent feeling, to be strong, and yet it felt good to help. I was widely known as a helper who would always give his strength to others.
Unfortunately, it would soon be a day of trials.
On day, in a local High School, I was minding my business when a classmate threw an eraser at my groin. I showed a lot of anger as I hurled the eraser back, hitting him in the head. Of course, the anger was fake. But he didn't know that.
He charged me, landing a kick on my chest. I flew back, but landed on my feet. I was no stranger to hand-to-hand combat, and began my counter. It wasn't difficult to overpower him, and he fell. Then three of his friends joined the fight. And soon he did again. Outnumbered 4 to 1 I had no choice but to add the Force to my fight.
Using the Force first to speed myself up, I faked a straight right to a dual strike on both sides. Two noses on the left and right broke and they went back, reeling. After that, I used the Force to add strength to my attacks, and a light kick became a powerful jab to the gut. Another went down. My original opponent was the only one standing at this point. He backed down.
But too late. Having been forced to use the Force, I knew I had just signaled my position to the Sith. I felt it in the Force.
They were coming.
* * *
I was being interviewed by police officers when I suddenly got thrown into a nearby wall. I had always kept my lightsaber clipped to my right shoulder, and now my saber slipped out of its holster, clattering to the floor beside me. Grabbing it, I threw myself into a ready position.
At the door was a tall figure. He was in an outfit I knew too well. Tight gray coverings covered by stitching of jet black, and a black hood that covered his head and a mask that obscured his face. His eyes were as black as his hood. Boots of equally jet black were the final complement to the black double-hilt he had clipped to his belt.
"Ah, a pleasure to see you again," he said, and his voice made the others shiver. But not me. I never had understood fear, anger, hate, or rage. But something about him was unsettlingly familiar.
"'Again', you say?" I retorted, "I've never seen you before in my life!" If only I was as confident as I sounded of this.
"Ah, but you have seen me before," said the Dark Jedi. He was clearly savoring this moment, the moment of recognition. "Back, seven years ago... on Dantooine!"
I got up in time to see the Dark Jedi plunge his blade three times into my friend's chest. He fell to the ground, got up partway, and collapsed, dead.
The blank stare, his look at me before he fell...
It was in this moment, this dark day, that I understood fear. And anger. Hate. And rage. And also revenge.
I understood them because I felt all of them.
Without a pause to get ready, my lightsaber ignited in mid-jump as I attacked this murderer. This assassin. Wildly I hacked, and slashed, and cut. It was forcing back the Dark Jedi. My fury had him bavked into a wall.
Or so I had thought.
Of all things, he smiled at me. A whipcrack of the Force sent me reeling back, cursing the whole way. Police opened fire on the Dark Jedi, only wo be cut down by the double-blade. Then he looked at me.
"Surely you remember how it feels to be pushed back?" he asked, mockingly. I got up, ready to kill. And I charged again, adding kicks and punches and Force powers to the mix. At random a desk would slam into the Dark Jedi; other times a sharp kick to the knee. I finally backed him down to the ground, my lightsaber pointed at his throat.
I was ready to kill, finish him. But as I readied myself to strike, I remembered that I was a Jedi.
Not a Sith.
I brought up my blade, and backed off. My anger was expended. I had felt it, and knew how to ensure it would never come back.
He, on the other hand, was filled with rage and shame. He picked up his saber, and pushed me to the ground. My lightsaber scattered across the floor.
"You have lost!" The Dark Jedi said, "and now I will finish what I started seven years ago!"
"Statement: You Dark Jedi seem always to underestimate the HK droid. That will be your downfall." HK-100 was back, and he whipped out a Sith Assassin rifle, pointing it at the Dark Jedi.
I simply stood back as HK drilled the Dark Jedi. Finally, a Power Blast got him in the head while he blocked a shot to the chest. He fell, dead.
5
I knew as well as HK did that Dark Jedi are rarely alone. And this was no exception: I felt dozens of Sith Troopers disembark from a small transport. There were several strong in the Force, and I could only assume they were Dark Jedi. I drew my lightsaber to me, and HK readied his blaster for the huge fight.
The school had several buildings and the main building had two levels. I was on the second, and it would be a hard fight. I also felt the truth that civilians - perhaps children - would die at the hands of these Sith schuttas.
Instead of taking the stairs like non-Force users, I lept down the length of the stairs to the side entrance below. Through that door, several Sith Troopers emerged and drew their blades. Then they couldn't move, trapped by my Stasis Field. I cut through all of them, but none fell. I retracted my Stasis, and body parts flew, with their movement suspended by Stasis until removed. I then went to the main entrance of the school.
Dark Jedi were there to meet me, and blasted a Force power I had never seen before: A fireball flew towards be. Dropping my lightsaber, I quickly created a shield with the Force. The shield surrounded me, and so did the flames. I was engulfed, but the flames began to swirl around me like a whirlwind. The flames dropped to the floor and disappeared. A black ash stained the floor around me, but not inside my shield. Picking up my lightsaber, I charged all three of them.
The first had one saber, and he was damn good at it. We whipcracked for a good five minutes of unstoppable fighting before he was struck down. Then the others - one with a double-hilt and one with a longblade and a shortblade - attacked in unison. HK was able to assist, and the battle was considerably shorter than it could have been.
I walked out the front entrance, and saw in the parking lot a group of Sith Troopers at the ready. Combat droids also joined the fray. Soon, I was outnumbered 35 to 2. And I didn't even care.
Reaching deeper into the Force than I ever had, I asked the Force, Will I survive this conflict?
The Force answered, Yes.
So, I charged them, cutting left and right. Taking them by surprise, a swipe cut down 4 Troopers at once. Filling the gap, the others pushed me back. Occasionally one would fall from HK's assault rifle. I then lept behind the group of assailants and surprised them again. However, as the battle raged on, I began feeling tired, and my ability to fight decreased.
A savage kick from a droid of all things sent me flying and landing hard against the asphalt. I couldn't even get up, I was in too much pain, and the enemy was advancing! But I knew I would survive. I trusted the Force completely. Then, a clear voice rang out from the side:
"I was on my way to Dantooine and thought I might be able to get you out of trouble... again."
It was Vrook. Charging the enemy's center, he decimated the enemy forces until there were only a dozen left. Standing next to Vrook, we held off what was left of the assault.
Vrook turned to me, and I said to him, "I haven't had time to get information from my HK droid. Can you tell me how the meeting on Katarr went?"
Vrook turned stony cold, and said disapprovingly, "You ought to have opened your mind to Katarr. Had you not been so self-absorbed with your own training, you might have felt the atrocity commited at Katarr.
"Katarr was destroyed by the Sith. Most of the Jedi are dead. Are you so deeply wallowing in self-pity that you did not even feel the deaths of the Jedi Masters, Knights, Padawans?"
I had no answer for Master Vrook.
Two great Chapters. The battle had great detail.
I assume that we are in between KOTOR/TSL.
6
Vrook continued to stare me down. It has a familiar sight. I recalled all the times he had saved me as a small boy on Dantooine. When my friend and I were ambushed by Kath Hounds, it was Vrook who came to our rescue. When two settlers plotted to kill the first Jedi they saw, and saw me first, it was Vrook who stabbed their sword-hilts.
And, the Force told me, he was the one who sent in your young friend to rescue you, almost seven years ago.
I was only eight years old.
Forced to see a friend die at eight years old.
It was almost too much to bear. But Vrook didn't let up. He knew I was contemplating my past. "Don't dwell on your past. We must focus on the here and now."
"Very well," I told him, "What should we do next? I do feel it is time for me to leave this planet. But where can I go? Other than here, Dantooine is the only place I know."
"Get on board my ship. Inside there is a single-passenger ship. Take it to Telos, and help in whatever way you can with the Ithorian's attempt to restore the planet. I will head to Dantooine and try to help restore the planet to its former beauty."
I ached to go to Dantooine, to see old battlegrounds, old places.
Old friends.
Vrook sensed this, and said, "You cannot go to Dantooine. It would break your heart. You have the potential to become a good Jedi. Seeing the Academy as it is would cause you to seek revenge.
"Could you at least see the grave of my friend?" I asked him. But I already knew what his answer would be.
"What for? Does he contain some secret that needs to be unearthed? We cannot focus on the past, young Knight. Let him go. He is one with the Force... and he has been assisting you since you left Dantooine."
I thought back to all that I had done. I had done extraordinary things for a boy, having piloted a broken craft to Earth's surface, having trained myself...
"It is impossible for a Jedi to train himself. It was your friend all along who showed you the path to enlightenment. It was he who made you stop when you were ready to kill his murderer. It was he who made it possible for you to construct your own lightsaber."
I was stymied by this. It all felt right, it all made sense. But I shocked myself by saying, "Why should I just believe you like this? I'd need proof of some kind to accept that."
Vrook looked at me again, and a faint smile appeared on his face - a rare prize. "You have grown since I last met you. Distrust is wrong, but so is your former eager acceptance. However, if you feel through the Force, you will know that what I have said is no lie. Do not be ashamed of the fact that you had help. A true Jedi is never alone."
I felt this fact in the Force, and it gave me new strength. "Come," said Master Vrook, "I can guide you in making a proper lightsaber, instead of the one you carry. It is crudely made."
I held my ground on this point, and refused to give in. "This blade was made by both myself and my friend. I cannot lightly abandon it. And it does work perfectly."
"For how long?" Vrook challenged. "That blade may soon quit. I am not saying to destroy that blade. By all means, keep it! I am saying that you should have a blade that reflects you. That blade reflects your friendship."
I agreed then, and made a second blade under Vrooks direction. My hilt was simple in design: Merely a silver-ish cylinder. But inscribed on it were the words Light, Hope, and Justice. My blade used a green crystal, and others focused the blade.
"Well done," said Vrook. "Now it is time for us to get gonig, and part ways."
Soon, in space, two craft diverged, one going left, toward Telos, and the one on the right going to Dantooine.
The crafts jumped into hyperspace.
Another great Chapter. Although it was called Chapter 5. Shouldn't it be Chapter 6? Or was it part 2 of Chapter 5? This is getting good. Keep posting.
good stuff, i like the concept.
7
Telos.
My craft streaked out of hyperspace. Gliding toward the planet, I saw what was once a beautiful planet. Now a barren waste, I made my way to the floating orbital platforms. My computer read to me: ARRIVING AT CITIDEL STATION: DOCK MODULE. I coasted into the docks. Airlocks kicked in, and the room was quickly pressurized.
As I left the craft, I was approached by several security guards. Not having done anything wrong, I politely bowed and greeted these soldiers. They asked of me, "You're the Jedi, right?"
"I am a Jedi," I replied, "but whether I am the Jedi or not depends upon whom you seek."
They replied that they were looking for me. Or rather, that Lt. Grenn wished to speak to me. I accepted the invitation and met Lt. Grenn at Entertainment Module 081. I bowed to the lieutenant of the Telos Security Force. He was curteous to me, but wanted no small talk.
"I heard that a Jedi was coming to dock here, but I didn't believe it. Now that I see you in person, I'm a little surprised that the Council would send a boy to help out. They must believe this is no big deal. We'll see how good you are, I guess."
"There is no Jedi Council," I replied sadly, "all of them were wiped out." Except Vrook, I thought to myself.
If Lt. Grenn cared about the fate of the Order, it didn't show. "No matter. We'll get you to Restoration Zone 203 immediately. Chodo Habat has some work he needs a Force-wielder to do. He wouldn't give specifics."
Soon I was on Telos' surface. The shields, I learned, were the only thing keeping Telos' now poisonous atmosphere from killing the life I saw. And I did see life. It looked more like a greener version of Dantooine. Plains, ridges with grassy tops, grazing carnivores... almost like home.
I was brought before Chodo, who brought me to an area that several Ithorians had mined. He explained that they were carving a path to a good location for a new shield generator. However, the rock was quite impermeable. He ordered the detonation of the explosives. About 20 charges detonated, but only a few standard inches were gained.
I knew what he had in mind. Igniting my lightsaber, I melted a hole deep and big enough for the charges to have better impact. It was the beginning of years of service.
Good arrival to Telos. Keep posting.
An intriguing story. Looking forward to reading more.