Beyond - Legends The Age of Heroes (post-NJO AU: Anakin, Jaina, Jacen, L/M, H/L, Tahiri, Kyp,Jag) Sequel 2/2/07!

TKL:

Awesome pic! Such talent
Love the cover art

thank you I am glad you love it



Sil:

Does the redhead in teh background happen to be TK?

Nope, it?s Mara

I sure wish I knew how to use Photoshop so that this kinda stuff doesn't all have to be done by hand.

try this Good Turtorials



Yodas-evil-twin:

Much better.

no complaining against Jaina this time?
Glad you think it?s better



thanks to sdhfs, Forceblade and Spike



Bee:

long not seen
How are you?

Nice cover art.

I?m glad you like it



Lady Red:

Great coverart! It's perfect.
Wonderful job, Maggy.

thank you



Yobi:

If I could I would, but I don't even get it

Hah! Good excuse

Yup, you'll have to read TLF to understand that...

I will have to yes ... darn I need more time

` ´



It was after a huge sandwich on a sitcom.

oh
it?s still a city in Spain

Precisely.

teehee ... he is in a good position then

Well, if you want hints.

do I want hints?



~ Mags ~

 

Nice start to the story. I'm looking foward to more of this.

and awsome cover art Mags!

 

Can't wait for that first chapter. You've got the makings of a good writor you know.

 

Barefoot_XO: Hmmmm...
It has Anakin... and Tahiri...

That's true...

And a ridiculously huge assortment of my favourite characters, including such living legends as Gavin Darklighter and Garm Bel Iblis...

That's true!

I am so here. And this is a fact...

Good to have you

I'll be keeping an eye on this...

Thanks for reading!



JediMaster_Jen: I can't lurk on this one. I had to come out and post.

Yay!

You've got me very interested in what Callista is up to.

Good I can't really say if she's up to anything bad, but we'll see eventually





Whitey: I was more referring the fact that Mara's life will be ruined.



Sorry I didn't catch that Yes, things are not going to go well for Mrs. Skywalker.



Jedk: YAY *does-the-YodaKenobi-started-a-new-fic dance* Great start, can't wait for more.

That's one of my favorite dances Thanks for reading





Maggy: it?s still a city in Spain

Yeah, I know




melissa: Nice start to the story. I'm looking foward to more of this.

Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy it




FB: Can't wait for that first chapter. You've got the makings of a good writor you know.

Yup, I'm keeping them in a jar and I'm going to sell them on Ebay?

Thanks for your enthusiasm





Okay, I want to apologize up front for the length of the first chapter. Most posts will be about half of the size of this one but I just couldn't find a way to cut it down and not lose stuff I wanted in there. It will give you a good idea of what the Jedi have been up to in the 3 years since "The Living Force" though. Hope it's not too long

[image=http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y165/YodaKenobi/osb46jq1.jpg]

 

*Glances at pic.*

Hmmm, I wonder.

 

Chapter 1: New Jedi Order

Picture this: The skies above the planet Sullust are on fire. Like the volcanic surface itself, space is filled with shooting jets of plasma and plumes of flak thick enough to make the toxic world look inviting.

There is a war.

A flotilla of Galactic Alliance capital ships is clashing with a monstrous industrial army. Hundreds of starfighters are spilling out of warships on both sides like swarms of firebugs moving to devour a summer crop of mehza on Taanab. The streaking blue glow of ion drives, bursts of red fire, and a lattice of green turbo lasers fill the vacuum as staggeringly large masses of durasteel fire on one another, drowning out the glow of the planet they surround.

At the heart of the industrial fleet is a battle station, massive and intimidating, its batteries spewing particle beams into the ships the Alliance could spare for the fight and vaporizing them. Inside sits a wealthy warlord.

It is into this madness that two starfighters appear, two streaking bursts of light as they revert to real space.

Two Jedi Interceptors.

They are late— but not too late.

And one of them is unfortunate. One of the warlord's starfighters is in position to see the reversion on his sensors and launches a missile that will meet the Interceptor before any being's eyes could adjust to the streaking white light around the canopy becoming fine glaring points.

But the pilot inside the Interceptor isn't any being.

And he's never needed to be fortunate.

He has the Force.

He senses the danger before his enemy has even an idea what he's going to do— long before his thumb presses the missile controls.

The pilot inside the Interceptor is a Jedi.

His name is Anakin.

Before the missile can impact, while the stars are still in streams, Anakin Solo has already jettisoned the hyperspace booster ring and calmly tells the astromech in the droid socket on his port side to reverse his repulsors. The projectile hits the ring and the Jedi is already moving backwards, putting the starfighter in a tight spiral so the flames from the explosion won't do any more than lick his radiator wings.

In that instant the astromech puts the thrusters to a normal output and Anakin engages his ion drives, the Jedi Starfighter blasting through the ring of fire and shrapnel that is the remnants of his external hyperdrive, into the battle beyond.





"At least now we know I'm going to beat you back to Denon."

Anakin Solo's lips curled into a wry grin at the voice coming over his comm. Angling his fighter, he took the Jedi Interceptor down in a swooping dive towards the warships below, his partner staying right on his wing. The drives whined and the sublights burned a blue ion glow in their wake.

"That is the only way you'd ever beat me anywhere, Caster," he replied, still grinning as the twin craft soared through the trench created by two Alliance cruisers.

The Kuat engineered Eta-7 Jedi Interceptors were a gift from the Galactic Alliance after the Yuuzhan Vong War. In a government that was struggling through its first days of infancy, the galaxy was in need of symbols of heroism, honor, and tradition as much as anything, and to many, that's what Jedi were.

In previous years after the end of Palpatine's regime, anything reminiscent of the Jedi of the Old Republic would have been met with an angry backlash, as many still saw Jedi Knights as corrupt traitors and evil sorcerers. The only thing that would have faced more protest were symbols from the Empire, like the Jedi Interceptor, which bore an incredible similarity to the Imperial TIE Interceptor, with its circular canopy and V-shaped wings when the Jedi fighter entered battle.

Thirty years later, the galaxy was hungry for it. The people needed to believe in something, needed to remember a pride they once felt. And what better heroes could they find than the Jedi Knights, who'd valiantly battled the Yuuzhan Vong, the most serious threat the galaxy had ever faced? And actually managed to stop the monsters.

The horrors of the Empire seemed long forgotten, as did any perceived wrongdoing by the Jedi.

What better way for Chief of State Cal Omas to honor the Jedi and bring the spirit of the Old Republic to the galaxy than reminding people of the heroics of the brave Jedi Knights at the height of the Clone Wars?

The new Jedi Interceptor was an almost identical replication of Kuat Systems Actis, with its expansive canopy viewports, a bow of forward mandibles, and the stylized paint schemes. While never the heaviest in firepower, the Interceptor's compact size, not much larger than the average landspeeder, and overall design made it the fastest and most maneuverable fighter in history.

The Eta-7 came equipped with deflector shields, a cache of proton torpedoes that could be released when the radiator wings were open, as well as a built in JI-14 hyperdrive. While the Jedi preferred to use the external hyperdrive booster ring for traveling between worlds, as it made them some of the fastest in the galaxy, the JI-14 put it somewhere around the speed of an X-Wing in hyperspace, and assured that a Jedi wouldn't be stranded if the booster ring were ever destroyed.

The pair of Jedi starfighters sped past the cruisers with ease, twisting away from enemy fire as they approached the heart of the battle.

Anakin's blue eyes sharpened as he looked out the forward viewport of his cockpit that reminded him so much of the Millennium Falcon's. Surveying the mayhem ahead, he addressed the droid to his left, planted in the socket of his maroon-painted interceptor.

"All right, Artoo, increase power to the deflector shields and the sublight drives. The faster we can get through this mess, the better."

The aging astromech turned in his socket twittering a series of beeps and whistles as his photoreceptor blinked blue.

"I'm aware that the power has to come from somewhere. Take it from the cannons if you have to."

R2-D2 whistled a response. Anakin glanced at his console readout though he didn't need to. Having grown up around the astromech droid, he understood its tones almost as well as his Uncle Luke did.

[You do realize there's a battle ahead of you]

"I don't actually plan on doing much fighting," Anakin replied as he watched a distant X-Wing flash out of existence in a rolling ball of flame and super-heated metal.

[You never do]

Anakin only smiled in response to the droid.

His hair was slightly longer than normal, beginning to curl at the ends, ruffled locks pinned beneath the golden band of his headset communicator— the only equipment the Jedi wore in the new starfighters. Like the vessels themselves, the lack of a helmet, or proper flame-retardant, military grade, EV-ready flightsuit were as much a symbol as their simple robes.

And Anakin's robes were almost as dark as his uncle's, wrapped in a cloak nearly as black as the synthleather surcoat that covered most of his torso.

With the Alliance still reeling on the heels of the Battle of Coruscant, every regional warlord, pirate, and private army saw it as an opportunity to grab power and territory. The Jedi Knights had lost half their numbers in the war and the loses to the New Republic/Galactic Alliance forces were staggering. Entire planets' populations had become displaced refugees that needed homes and trade disputes between worlds often turned into full-scale conflicts without Alliance arbitration.

While his Uncle Luke stayed on Denon most of the time with his obligations to the Council, Jedi Knights like Anakin, his sister Jaina Solo, and Tahiri Veila were rushing from one edge of the galaxy to another as negotiators, rescue workers, and more frequently, warriors. It was ironic that Anakin had actually fought in more battle when the galaxy was at "peace" then he ever did during the Yuuzhan Vong conflict.

He glanced out of the canopy of his transparisteel viewport to see the other Jedi Interceptor, painted a deep blue, making a slow roll as it blew by an Alliance warship, the speed with which the durasteel plating streamed passed giving him the only gauge for just how fast they were traveling into the battle.

"Commander Klorne has given us permission to go in," came the voice over Anakin's comm.

"Did she say anything else?" He asked, referring to the Alliance officer who was in command of the fleet huddled around Sullust.

"Only to be quick about it, and that we'd better have a good excuse for being late."

Anakin grinned. "Do you think the battle with the Human League on Corellia will be enough for her?"

"I don't know— we might want to dress it up a bit and say they were threatening children and Ewoks."

"Perhaps if we do as she asks and make this quick, she'll forget about it."

He heard Wrev's astromech over the comm. "Speaking of quick, we've got the first wave of fighters dead ahead."

"Follow my lead," Anakin insisted.

"I wouldn't dream of doing anything else."

One of the most controversial Jedi in the Order, Wrev Caster was not known for his skill in the cockpit of a starfighter— while better than most, for someone strong in the Force, his piloting was less than inspiring. Still, Anakin had fought with the twenty-eight-year-old Jedi enough over the last years to know that he was a good ally to have at one's side.

The Interceptors' radiator wings snapped into position in perfect unison as the fighters soared into the hailstorm of battle, their drives screeching like a frightened whisperkit.

Dozens of SoroSuub H-12 Firestreamers swarmed the Jedi as they flew through a myriad of antifighter flak and battle shrapnel. Anakin's hands tightened around the yolk as he rocked his nimble fighter one direction, then took it hard the opposite, spiraling through the raining red plasma bursts without a single blast touching his deflector shields.

A mixed squadron of XJ X-Wings and old Y-Wings followed the Jedi through, trading fire with the streamers and beginning to thin out the swarm. A flashing laser blast struck across his bow and Artoo set off an angry warble, as Anakin realized he was going to have to open fire to make it through. Wrev's fighter was already launching precise waves of fire at any enemy who found its way into the Jedi's attack vector. Anakin's thumbs found his own firing studs as he came out of his spiraling and made an arching sweep starboard, green blasts erupting from his starfighter's lateral cannons— two ion cannons that would electrically disrupt the streamers, knocking out their shields and hopefully a few other systems without having to kill their pilots. Anakin grinned as he peppered two streamers with green blasts and knocked them out of the fight, leaving their SoroSuub fighters dead in space.

In his peripheral vision he saw a streamer pounded into fiery innards under Wrev’s fire and it quickly became apparent to Anakin that he could no longer take the time or the precise shots needed to disable the enemy fighters, letting his thumbs drift to the studs that controlled the Eta-7’s dual laser cannons as the swarm thickened with a second wave.

Artoo beeped rudely and Anakin glanced at the console readout.

[I told you]

Brow creasing and eyes sharpening, Anakin's maroon fighter weaved and spun away from the red fire that seemed to be spraying every direction in his canopy. His forward cannons pulsed, sending green blasts at an attacking Sorosuub fighter and watched it blossom into a plume of rolling plasma.

"They're everywhere!" An Alliance pilot screamed over the comm, before his scream echoed in Anakin's headset and he felt the being wink out in the Force, just as he had the enemy in the streamer he'd destroyed.

Anakin didn't have time to dwell on it or feel guilt as the familiar voice from the other Interceptor came over the comm. "They're coming back around," Wrev informed as Anakin checked his sensor screens. "You've got a tail, Solo."

R2-D2 squealed as two blasts impacted Anakin's rear shields and he felt a momentary lapse in the inertial compensator, pitching him forward.

"I've got it," Wrev continued, before breaking hard and taking his Jedi fighter into a tight roll behind Anakin's pursuer, sending streams of green light at its rear, reducing it to base elements. He could do nothing, however, to stop the streamers rising from beneath Anakin and spraying his belly with red blasts. "Anakin!"

"I can handle this one, just relax," the younger Jedi replied, feeling the rising streamers nearing him in the Force as he juked and jinked away from the fire. When he felt the lead fighter close enough he suddenly kicked the Interceptor's repulsors, blasting his starfighter up and the force pushing the streamer down, forcing it to collide with the other attacker and leaving them both in flames that quickly disappeared in the vacuum.

Anakin allowed himself a small chuckle and Wrev's voice was in his ear again. "I've never seen that before."

"It pays to be Han Solo's son."

Two squadrons of A-Wings arrived suddenly, flanking the H-12's and mopping up the remnants of the first enemy wave. Anakin spotted the drooping-joweled Sullustans in the A-Wing canopies and heard their angry chittering over the comm.

"I think we've just found the local defenses."

"I'm just glad there's still some left," Anakin responded, beginning to spot more of the friendly Sullustan forces and warships. "After two years of this, I'm surprised Vyler doesn't already have complete control."

With a few flights of enemies gone, the Jedi sailed through the mangled wreckage and contrails of debris with the remainder of the fighters Commander Klorne had sent to help escort them, giving them their first clear view of the heart of the conflict and the massive battle station in the middle of it all. It appeared more magnificent than Sullust's nearby moon, Sulon, its body as round as the planet. Thick durasteel plating made it as tough as any Star Destoryer and its shields ever more so, while a ring of metal that ran the circumference of it made it look all the more like a planet. The ring was connected by dozens of thick spokes which were actually long corridors that led from the docking bays and guard batteries to the heart of the battle station.

"The Piringiisi Wheel," Wrev announced over the comm.

Named for Sullusts capital where it first began construction and its appearance, the Piringiisi Wheel was Warlord Vyler's newest weapon, and the one he no doubt hoped would win him control of the planet.

"I'm sending a burst transmission," Anakin replied, before setting up a message for the Wheel.

"Warlord Vyler, this is Anakin Solo— the Jedi and the Galactic Alliance demand that you cease your attack."

There was a long pause, and just when Anakin was certain that the cowardly man would not respond, a hazy blue image of a bearded human male appeared in his cockpit.

"Anakin Solo— still brash as ever, I see. If you haven't noticed you are in no position to make demands," the man said in greeting, his brown beard stretching with his malevolent grin.

In all the conflicts Anakin had been helping to defuse in the three years after the Yuuzhan Vong's defeat, there were very few systems that he had to make two trips to. But less than a year ago he and Wrev fought a dozen battles against Vyler and his growing army of droids, on land and space, under Sullusts volcanic surface and on its moons.

Rivult Vyler was a former Imperial Warlord who was placed on the executive board of the manufacturing conglomerate, SoroSuub, when it joined the Empire after the Clone Wars. After the Yuuzhan Vong War, Vyler saw his chance to launch a hostile takeover of the company without Galactic Alliance intervention. However, Sullust was governed by the corporate executives at SoroSuub— Vyler's move was also a take over of the planet's Ruling Council. He sought control of the entire planet, enslaving thousands of native Sullustans and forcing them into the mines to fuel his war machine.

The aging human converted a whole division of SoroSuub into the manufacturing of battle droids, using technology purchased from the factories on Telti, and stolen from Tendrando Arms. The fact that he had become the sole owner of one of the galaxies most powerful companies, and a ruthless dictator of the planet, left an almost limitless bankroll at Vyler's fingertips, and he used it to buy what he could not produce himself. Lucrative contracts were handed out from Sorosuub across the galaxy for the construction of a fleet of warships so that the warlord could hold on to all he'd stolen.

To the Galactic Alliance, it became clear that Vyler's gaze was extending farther than that of the Sullust system, and they knew something had to be done, but with limited resources following the Yuuzhan Vong War, it took time to gather a force strong enough to combat the former Imperials army from the GFFA's thinned ranks.

Finally, the Alliance was able to send a small fleet and two Jedi Knights to Sullust, who eventually were successful in knocking Vyler from power and freeing the world from his tyranny. Though Vyler had escaped with a fair chunk of his army, Anakin had hoped it was the last they would see of the warlord when he and Wrev helped to defeat them at the Battle of Piringiisi.

As he gazed out his transparisteel viewport at Vyler’s fleet and the massive battlestation in the thick of it all attacking Sullust, he realized how foolish that hope had been. The warlord had launched what had been thought a desperate attempt to retake the planet, but the way the enemy fleet was beating back the Alliance, it was they who felt desperate, their fear thick in the Force.

"it's such a pleasure to see you again," the blue hologram sneered. "I was afraid you wouldn't make it here to see this— after Piringiisi, I would hate for you to miss it."

"The pleasure is all yours, I can assure you," Anakin quipped. "I'm waiting for your surrender."

Rivult Vyler laughed. "Perhaps the sensors are faulty in that Jedi fighter of yours, Solo— the Alliance may have brought more warships to this fight than I have, but the power of this battle station more than gives me the advantage— you don't stand a chance."

Anakin had to smile. Even after months of battle, the warlord had no idea who he was dealing with. "Vyler, this is your last warning— surrender, or you will be destroyed."

The robust human's laughter was garbled in the shaky transmission, as was whatever else Vyler said, though Anakin did pick out the word "delusional," before the hologram completely disappeared.

"Well, that was productive," Wrev said sardonically.

"We had to give him one more chance before we end this thing," Anakin replied.

"You're assuming that your apprentice will actually be able to do this with an army of battle droids inside the Wheel."

Anakin took his fighter into an arching dive towards the heart of the battle where firestreamers swarmed like flitnats and particle beams and green turbo lasers painted the flaming corpses of metal shrapnel around Sullust towards the Pirinigiisi Wheel.

"She's never let me down before."





Inside the gleaming innards of the Piringiisi Wheel, there is a loading bay crammed with repulsor crates holding stacks of plastine cylinders. They contain various munitions, armor, polished plasma shell missile tubes, streamer repair parts, and one young woman

She is there simply because she is the only one who could fit. Anakin and Wrev were too tall, shoulders too broad to even attempt it. As it is, she is folded up inside with the missiles giving her barely enough room to breathe.

Anakin had been worried about her, but she'd insisted that she could do this when they intercepted the supply shipment destined for the Piringiisi Wheel. They'd tried to work out a way for the other Jedi to sneak in as well but it simply would not work— even if it had, they would have been as weaponless as she is, as a lightsaber will not make it through the deep scanning the supplies went through to get on the Wheel. She was able to hide only because of some Jedi hibernation and presence suppression techniques, lowering body temp and heart rate.

She feels her master has finally arrived at Sullust— it is time. She'd been afraid that the skirmish on Corellia might take too long and he wouldn't make it here in time to end the battle.

The plastine cylinder slides open. Untangling herself, limbs stiff and aching from nearly a day stuffed inside, she climbs out of the cylinder and calls on the Force to help her lift the crate lid so she can get a look around the bay.

No droids in sight.

She lifts the lid farther and climbs out, landing clumsily on the deck when her legs don't react the way she wants them to. She gathers herself off the floor and begins to make her way through the battlestation. Traveling down a corridor, she walks into a hanger filled with Vyler's SGU battle droids.

This is what she assured her master she could do— begged him to let her do alone.

She is a Jedi Knight.

Even without a lightsaber, she is far from weaponless.

Pulling the hood of her brown cloak up, she creeps into the hanger, slipping by the chrome-plated battle droids who are bustling about, focused on the fight outside the monstrous construction.

This is what a Jedi does.

They avoid fights when possible, especially when it will be detrimental to their cause. When she can't get by a pair of sentinels guarding an exit, she distracts them, flicking her hand and creating a distant noise that they scurry to investigate.

Her master would be proud.

She slips through, moving deeper and deeper into the lungs of the great wheel, her mission clear in her mind.

First, she finds a computer console and loads the program R2-D2 gave her— she knows this will alert the droids, but it has to be done. Next, she climbs her way to the tractor beam reactor coupling. After she disables the tractor beam, all she'll have to do is destroy the shield generator and her mission will be complete. Making her way down the catwalk overlooking a seemingly endless drop, she steps around to the tractor beam controls and pulls the lever down, watching the power light disappear.

Two down.

She climbs back around the reactor to find the catwalk filled with towering battle droids, their blaster cannons trained on her. At that moment, she wishes she could sink into the hood of her cloak and hide forever.

"Freeze, Jedi," the lead droid says in a menacing metallic voice.

She blows out her breath, pushing a few loose strands from her face that came loose from the bun she had her hair tied in.

"Anakin's going to kill me."





Wrev Caster put his Jedi Interceptor on one shoulder, diving passed the strafing red lasers streaking down from the swarms of firestreamers that had enveloped the attacking Alliance force. His head slammed against the headrest as he kicked the ion drives harder, teeth clenched and breath caught in his chest.

Following Anakin Solo was going to get him killed.

He was too good— flew too fast. Anakin's connection to the Force was almost unconscious, and his starfighter simply an extension of his being. Wrev watched the burdungy-painted Interceptor roll and weave through enemy blasts, taking the nimble craft to its absolute limits, spraying green lasers at those in his flight path and leaving explosions like blossoms of flame and debris that streaked by the Jedi's canopy.

Another H-12 came swooping down at Wrev and he reacted on instinct, inverting the craft to dodge the fighter's attack and pulling up towards the firestreamer, opening his forward laser cannons and punching through its shields. The shockwave of the blast rocked his Interceptor and the astromech socketed beside him warbled a complaint.

Wrev didn't care— they'd made it through another wave of enemies and were that much closer to Vyler and the Wheel. Unfortunately, there were only a pair of X-Wings and a Y-Wing left of the Alliance escort Commander Klorne had given them.

Wrev saw his reflection in the canopy. His skin was fair, almost pale as his angular cheekbones and blue eyes seemed to cast shadows in the transparisteel. Long curls of dark brown hair were messy, unruly, and hung to his jawline, pinned beneath the gold band of his headset communicator while robes of sand were hidden beneath a brown cloak.

Wrev had never quite felt comfortable in the cockpit of a fighter. With a lightsaber, however, there were few in the galaxy who could match him, and that's why he was along for the ride.

The Yuuzhan Vong War had hardened him to battles. He'd lead resistance movements behind enemy lines, been imprisoned in Supreme Overlord Shimrra's palace, and fought in some of the biggest battles in the war, including their victory at Coruscant.

Even the discomfort of flying into battle had become second nature.

Still, there were some that would never truly trust him— who would always look at him and blame him for Corran Horn's death. Perhaps what bothered him most about that was the fact that he knew it was true. He bore some of the responsibility for the Jedi Knight's death— a former Rogue Squadron pilot and CorSec officer... a husband and father.

Wrev knew that the other Jedi were right not to trust him.

Yet, Anakin Solo didn't appear to be one of them. The young Jedi and he had been on many missions together since the end of the Yuuzhan Vong War, helped liberate Sullust once, and Anakin seemed to trust him— Wrev trusted him entirely.

Even now when his own danger sense was spiking in warning, instincts telling him to do the opposite of everything the youngest Solo was doing, he knew he'd survive if he could just keep up with Anakin. He never seemed to take a wrong step, an errant turn— in truth, Anakin Solo seemed invincible. He could feel that Anakin was protecting him in the battle.

He wasn't sure if this trust had anything to do with Jaina, but a bond had been formed, a harmony found when they worked together— though Wrev had a suspicion that it was simply Anakin, so strong in the Force, that any Jedi would feel a bond when in his presence.

Another thick wave of H-12's was rising from the Piringiisi Wheel to meet them and Wrev noticed that Anakin was actually changing course to charge the firestreamers.

Before he could even voice his concerns, Anakin must have felt his reservations in the Force.

"She's in trouble, no time to go around."

"Anakin, maybe you haven't noticed, but we don't have much of an escort left and I count three squadrons of enemy fighters. We can't make it!"

"The two of us can do it," Anakin assured. "Trust me, we can take them."

Wrev hissed. "You're worse than your sister."

He could hear Anakin's grin over the comm. "We both know that's not true."

Wrev had just returned from a mission in the Unknown Regions with Jaina Solo, where the two Jedi had seen the reemergence of the Empire of the Hand and a budding war with the Vagaari. The Jedi Order was afraid there was something darker behind it all, but so much of it was shrouded in mystery that it was impossible to know anything for certain. Still, the Jedi could feel the danger growing outside their borders and were beginning to believe the Chiss' claims that a powerful enemy was laying in wait to attack.

While Wrev and Jaina had worked well together and more-or-less completed their mission, there was no question that they frequently got on each other's nerves.

The two Jedi Interceptors slowly twisted until they were inverted, then dove towards their rising attackers as Wrev’s viewport was filled with the lines of warships and streaking starfighters in Sullust’s glow.

Anakin didn't wait for the firestreamers to reach them, suddenly launching his entire cache of proton torpedoes at the H-12's and a series of fiery explosions followed as the Interceptors pass through the flames and wreckage, Wrev's canopy flashing white with the last blast.

"Unbelievable," he sighed.

Anakin's shots had been perfect, lined up with the Force and the young Jedi had managed to take out six of the enemy firestreamers, punching a large enough hole in the enemy ranks to let them pass through.

He heard Anakin chuckle over the comm.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Wrev asked.

The Piringiisi Wheel was now with in their viewports and Wrev noticed that the three remaining fighters in their escort had winked out.

"Not as much as I'm going to enjoy getting out of here and not coming back to Sullust for a long time."

"Hey, somebody has to protect Nieus P. Sovel," Wrev quipped, referring to a controversial Sullustan philosopher and author who he imagined was hiding beneath his desk somewhere on the planet.

"Let's buzz the command center, just to let him know we're coming," Anakin said, as the two Jedi fighters blew passed the Wheel, flying only an arm's length away from a wide transparisteel viewport where they knew Vyler would be, their blue ion drives rocketing them in a flash of light.

"No turret fire," Anakin bragged as they approached the hanger they hoped to dock in on the massive battle station.

Wrev checked his sensor readings. "Anakin, I'm still picking up shields..."

"What?"

There was no time to sort it out as Wrev's sublight drives suddenly flared as if under pressure, and the durasteel frame of the Eta-7 squealed from the stress of some unknown force, pitching Wrev forward, his flight restraints the only thing keeping his face from becoming better acquainted with the forward viewport.

"Tractor beam!" He yelled, his fighter still groaning in protest. "Anakin! Can you get me out of this?"

He looked up to see Anakin's maroon-painted fighter similarly struggling against an invisible force as the drives screamed and he was steadily being pulled towards the Piringiisi Wheel.

"It appears the shields were not the only thing your apprentice forgot to disable," Wrev continued sourly.

"Hey, she got the turrets— that's the only thing keeping Vyler from just blasting us right now," Anakin replied, but Wrev could tell he was flustered as the pair were pulled the rest of the way into the durasteel battlestation, that Wrev began to believe would be their tomb.

 

*snags first reply* be back after I read this long post

~~~

That actually wasn't too bad.

Nice action scenes. Loved the starfighter battles.

Following Anakin Solo was going to get him killed.


While Wrev and Jaina had worked well together and more-or-less completed their mission, there was no question that they frequently got on each other's nerves.
there's an understatement

"Hey, somebody has to protect Nieus P. Sovel,"
oh no not him again

Who's Anakin's apprentice? Was it said before in one of your other fics or is this the first time? because if it's been said before, either I forgot of never read it. It's bugging me now.

Looking foward to more

 

That's pretty close to how I had imagined the state of the galaxy, including the Jedi Star Fighters. Though I thought they would be back in use because the Alliance was looking for anything that could carry a laser cannon and fly.

Wait he's using battle droids?! Vyler, those are the last things you want to use in an army.

I mean sheesh, they couldn't hit the Death Star even if it was a few inches from their face.

 

YK: what can I say?!

Brilliant, glorious images, combining the visual impact and chaos of the Prequels with the hard-edged reality and superb characterization of the OT.

Anakin being Anakin; Wrev being as well-developed as the pro-fic characters; and someone who may or may not be Tahiri, adding another dimension to the New Jedi Order...

Jedi doing Jedi stuff, with the clarity of thought and lucidy of vision they should have, and the training - technical, and of their Force-skills - to match.

And a Galaxy that's in a single post already rich and complicated and epic in its sweep, and utterly, engrossingly interesting; full of hope and danger, harsh light and softening darkness, stars and cold hard vacuum...

[More detail later!! ]



- The Imperial Ewok

 

Very nicely done with the starfighter battle, and I really enjoyed the banter between Anakin and R2. Glad to have the first chapter in the books. I especially liked the very beginning, introducing the war on Sullust, and the imagery was very well described.

Good chapter

 

Brilliant first chapter.

Anakins apprentice is Tahiri. D'oh. Saw that coming.

Well, I think you can do all the chapters this long, I love long reads.

Magnus

 

You're just saying that because Kyp got owned

So...what if I am? He's arguably the most powerful Jedi Master around! He should have beaten her!

Nope, sorry

Aw...fiddlesticks!

On to the post!

I don't know if it's just me, but this post was very reminiscint of episode 3. Adding to that, the Stover-esque writing style was very effective.

Picture this: The skies above the planet Sullust are on fire. Like the volcanic surface itself, space is filled with shooting jets of plasma and plumes of flak thick enough to make the toxic world look inviting.

A flotilla of Galactic Alliance capital ships is clashing with a monstrous industrial army. Hundreds of starfighters are spilling out of warships on both sides like swarms of firebugs moving to devour a summer crop of mehza on Taanab. The streaking blue glow of ion drives, bursts of red fire, and a lattice of green turbo lasers fill the vacuum as staggeringly large masses of durasteel fire on one another, drowning out the glow of the planet they surround.

At the heart of the industrial fleet is a battle station, massive and intimidating, its batteries spewing particle beams into the ships the Alliance could spare for the fight and vaporizing them. Inside sits a wealthy warlord.

Oh yeah...definitely reminiscent of RoTS. *the opening scene flashes through her mind*

Two Jedi Interceptors.

It's interesting that they chose the term Interceptors for that particular ship. It usually has an Imperialish feel.

Thirty years later, the galaxy was hungry for it. The people needed to believe in something, needed to remember a pride they once felt. And what better heroes could they find than the Jedi Knights, who'd valiantly battled the Yuuzhan Vong, the most serious threat the galaxy had ever faced? And actually managed to stop the monsters.

Oooh...more Stover imagery! My 5 senses are going on a ride here. And the whole Anakin/Wrev interaction definitely reminds me of the Anakin/Obi-Wan stuff.

"All right, Artoo, increase power to the deflector shields and the sublight drives. The faster we can get through this mess, the better."

The aging astromech turned in his socket twittering a series of beeps and whistles as his photoreceptor blinked blue.

"I'm aware that the power has to come from somewhere. Take it from the cannons if you have to."

R2-D2 whistled a response. Anakin glanced at his console readout though he didn't need to. Having grown up around the astromech droid, he understood its tones almost as well as his Uncle Luke did.

[You do realize there's a battle ahead of you]

"I don't actually plan on doing much fighting," Anakin replied as he watched a distant X-Wing flash out of existence in a rolling ball of flame and super-heated metal.

[You never do]

Anakin only smiled in response to the droid.

Nice to know Artoo's still in business! And he still has some personality at that.

"I don't know? we might want to dress it up a bit and say they were threatening children and Ewoks."



"Anakin's going to kill me."

Following Anakin Solo was going to get him killed.



"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Wrev asked.

Probably is.

"Hey, somebody has to protect Nieus P. Sovel," Wrev quipped, referring to a controversial Sullustan philosopher and author who he imagined was hiding beneath his desk somewhere on the planet.

Poor Sovel! I can so totally imagine him under that desk. Probably writing one of his books too.

 

Oh yeah update!

The images you create are inspiring and so visual. Again, I'm blown away and this is just the beginning.

In a government that was struggling through its first days of infancy, the galaxy was in need of symbols of heroism, honor, and tradition as much as anything, and to many, that's what Jedi were.

Wonderfully written. It's good to see the NR going back to it's roots.

His hair was slightly longer than normal, beginning to curl at the ends, ruffled locks pinned beneath the golden band of his headset communicator? the only equipment the Jedi wore in the new starfighters. Like the vessels themselves, the lack of a helmet, or proper flame-retardant, military grade, EV-ready flightsuit were as much a symbol as their simple robes.

Really love the 'nods' to the RotS battle sequences over Coruscant. The Anakin and R2 banter was a great mirror to Anakin's grandfather's past with the droid. The images of the Jedi wearing on their communicators and robes (minus flightsuits/helmets)impacted me when I first saw RotS in the theatres...really spoke volumes about the Jedi and their ways. Loved this touch to the new generation of Jedi Knights.

I know I personally wouldn't mind if the chapters were this long. Was such a quick read between the action, pacing and characterization...absolutely cannot wait for more.

 

[saves a place for later]

 

Wow. I could almost see the battle. Very interesting start... you kept it rather ambiguous, giving us a nice prelude.

You've drawn Anakin Sr./Jr. comparisions. Right down to the hair. Now I'm scared for poor Anakin...

 

Great first chapter. I really enjoyed how you managed to put in a lot of backstory and description while still keeping it interesting. Can't wait for more.

 

"Hey, somebody has to protect Nieus P. Sovel,"
Uhm...no, they don't have to protect Sovel.


Of course, I must also lavish the praise, I find these stories more gripping, and truer to the Star Wars feel than the later NJO and DN stuff. In fact, I have found myself often thinking happenings from your storylines where the what was published. This story is definitly taking off in the same way.

Bueatiful imagery, beautiful explosions. An enemy worthy of being called Warlord, as he is already as well rounded as Zsinj or Krennel ever was....


I don't think Anakin's apprentice is Tahiri (as she does not carry any of the trademark descriptions used while talking of Tahiri, such as the blonde hair or no shoes, plus Tahiri's listed in the DP as a Knight), but if it is who's listed as an Apprentice in the DP, then why is she able to lift things with TK ...



Now, when's the next post?

 

I have a guess at who Anakin's apprentice is but I'm, not going to say anything.

 

I love the way you've written Anakin here... the perfect blending of the best of Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan.

Wrev must have a death wish... following around after the Solos!

I can't decide for sure who the apprentice is.

Sovel?!?! We can never escape!

 

:rumroll::

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand

I'm here. Finally. After the sickest marathon read of your 'fics ever attempted. And I'm addicted. Already this story is giving me chills. So I will respond in a manner that befits my hopeless insanity and psychological dependency.

First of all, your cast list is longer than my... uh... last six months' bank statement? Very intriguing.

Second, your prologue is evil. But that's okay. Evilness is just goodness with a hint of vanilla. Like the difference between Coke and Vanilla Coke.

Third... well, let me just get right into the reactions.

EDIT: Okay, a few other things I should mention that just came up. First, there are only two Jedi Apprentices listed in the Dramatis Personae--Valin and Jysella Horn. I'm guessing Anakin's apprentice is Jysella. Though isn't that dangerous--pairing hot studly Anakin with teenaged hormone-driven hero-worshiping also hot Jysella? On Anakin's part, I'm not suspicious, but on the younger girl's... well, let's just say I forsee great danger in the future. Of course, I could be just inventing problems where there need not be any.

Also, I have to mention that I am glad we will get to see Nen Yim in this 'fic. Good ol' Nenny.

Also also, I like how the fleet commander is a woman. It seems funny to me that the Empire would be ahead of the New Republic/Galactic Alliance as far as females in command positions go (Daala, Tavira). There were always a handful of good female commanders in Stackpole's books (Areta Bell, Aril Nunb, plus that one who was on Night Caller and took over after the other captain died), but no admirals. So good for you, Yobi. Or is that just a ploy to increase female readership?

Also also also, I notice that Uhla is a shaper. I'm kind of fond of her, and it's nice to see that the Yuuzhan Vong are trying to reshape (pun intended) their society after the war. I hope we get to see at least a little bit of her and Anakin interacting.

And my final also, the also^4, is that I'm interested to see how Jacen has grown up since the end of the war. Or if he's grown up at all. I rather liked where his character was heading at the end of your trilogy, so it'll be nice if we can see some more maturity and confidence in his character. He has a lot of potential, like his brother, as long as he stays humble about it.

Now, for reals, on to the post.

Picture this: The skies above the planet Sullust are on fire. Like the volcanic surface itself, space is filled with shooting jets of plasma and plumes of flak thick enough to make the toxic world look inviting.

Perfect opening. The present tense makes everything more vivid.


But the pilot inside the Interceptor isn't any being.

And he's never needed to be fortunate.

He has the Force.

He senses the danger before his enemy has even an idea what he's going to do? long before his thumb presses the missile controls.

The pilot inside the Interceptor is a Jedi.

His name is Anakin.

Woohoo!


The Kuat engineered Eta-7 Jedi Interceptors were a gift from the Galactic Alliance after the Yuuzhan Vong War. In a government that was struggling through its first days of infancy, the galaxy was in need of symbols of heroism, honor, and tradition as much as anything, and to many, that's what Jedi were.



Very well described. And I love the throwback to the PT.


The Eta-7 came equipped with deflector shields, a cache of proton torpedoes that could be released when the radiator wings were open, as well as a built in JI-14 hyperdrive. While the Jedi preferred to use the external hyperdrive booster ring for traveling between worlds, as it made them some of the fastest in the galaxy, the JI-14 put it somewhere around the speed of an X-Wing in hyperspace, and assured that a Jedi wouldn't be stranded if the booster ring were ever destroyed.

Can I have one?


He glanced out of the canopy of his transparisteel viewport to see the other Jedi Interceptor, painted a deep blue,

Blue? That's hot.

 

Awesome chapter.

I am not a fan of space battles. Not that many can do them justice. Usually I skip through to the dialogue but here I actually read it through. Great job.

And I just have to say:

"Hey, somebody has to protect Nieus P. Sovel," Wrev quipped, referring to a controversial Sullustan philosopher and author who he imagined was hiding beneath his desk somewhere on the planet.

I hope this is the only reference to this character. I don't know if I can handle another fic listening to his philosophy, I'm just saying.

Is Jysella the apprentice? Wouldn't that be awkward if Wrev goes on assignments with Anakin, him killing her father an all. Just wondering.

Well I'll be back next chapter. Hope it's up soon. I'd like to see more Mara and Callista.

 

The skies above the planet Sullust are on fire. Like the volcanic surface itself, space is filled with shooting jets of plasma and plumes of flak thick enough to make the toxic world look inviting.

There is a war.

A flotilla of Galactic Alliance capital ships is clashing with a monstrous industrial army. Hundreds of starfighters are spilling out of warships on both sides like swarms of firebugs moving to devour a summer crop of mehza on Taanab. The streaking blue glow of ion drives, bursts of red fire, and a lattice of green turbo lasers fill the vacuum as staggeringly large masses of durasteel fire on one another, drowning out the glow of the planet they surround.


Okay, I just had to say that this is beautiful writing. I've only read the first section, and I'm so impressed, YK! Kudos...Kudos...


*Goes back to read the entire post*



*EDIT*

NOW I've read it!

This is a superb opening chapter, Yobi.


But the pilot inside the Interceptor isn't any being.

And he's never needed to be fortunate.

He has the Force.

And the Solo gene for arrogance! (That's acceptable arrogance, of course, because they're Solos.)


The Eta-7 came equipped with deflector shields, a cache of proton torpedoes that could be released when the radiator wings were open, as well as a built in JI-14 hyperdrive. While the Jedi preferred to use the external hyperdrive booster ring for traveling between worlds, as it made them some of the fastest in the galaxy, the JI-14 put it somewhere around the speed of an X-Wing in hyperspace, and assured that a Jedi wouldn't be stranded if the booster ring were ever destroyed.

Ooohh. Nice ship. If I'm very, very good, could I get one??


"All right, Artoo, increase power to the deflector shields and the sublight drives. The faster we can get through this mess, the better."

Yay! I'm so happy to see Artoo flying with Anakin! I Artoo!!


"Commander Klorne has given us permission to go in," came the voice over Anakin's comm.

"Did she say anything else?" He asked, referring to the Alliance officer who was in command of the fleet huddled around Sullust.

"Only to be quick about it, and that we'd better have a good excuse for being late."

I like Commander Klorne. A lot.


"I don't know? we might want to dress it up a bit and say they were threatening children and Ewoks."

Wrev's not Janson's apprentice, is he??


"Follow my lead," Anakin insisted.

Uh-oh!


Artoo beeped rudely and Anakin glanced at the console readout.

[I told you]

Artoo is cool.


"It pays to be Han Solo's son."

You know it!!


"Anakin's going to kill me."

Is that worse that the Warlord finding her?


All kidding aside, the action is terrific - vividly described, like a movie playing out in front of me. Just your usual brilliance, YK!

I had a super time reading this chapter, and I'm betting that the rest will be just as good ... if not better! (No pressure...)



oldj

 

Great posts! Sorry it took me so long to review DRL has been horrible for a bit. I love how this definately has an ROTS feel with the old skool style Jedi fighters and a droid army. I can't wait to see how Callista fits into all this. Great job!

 

melissa: *snags first reply* be back after I read this long post
That actually wasn't too bad.

I'm glad.

Nice action scenes. Loved the starfighter battles.

Thanks, I'm glad those worked

there's an understatement

It was more him irritating her, so maybe he remembers it differently I think he was pretty scared when she ran that Vagaari blockade though...

oh no not him again

I promise that's the only time he's mentioned

Who's Anakin's apprentice? Was it said before in one of your other fics or is this the first time? because if it's been said before, either I forgot of never read it. It's bugging me now.

No, it's one of those things I'm keeping secret for no good reason Find out for sure in a couple of chapters.

Looking foward to more

More in a few days. Thanks so much for reading





evil-twin: That's pretty close to how I had imagined the state of the galaxy, including the Jedi Star Fighters. Though I thought they would be back in use because the Alliance was looking for anything that could carry a laser cannon and fly.

Yeah, if you read EOTH (which I know you did) the set up for the state of the galaxy is also in the first chapter there. It was more for the benefit of new readers and those who only read TLF.

Neat idea about the starfighters!

Wait he's using battle droids?! Vyler, those are the last things you want to use in an army.
I mean sheesh, they couldn't hit the Death Star even if it was a few inches from their face.

Battle droids are back Calrissian had great success with the YVH droids and someone like Vyler can build an army without the support of very many people.

Thanks for reading!




Thrawn: YK: what can I say?!
Brilliant, glorious images, combining the visual impact and chaos of the Prequels with the hard-edged reality and superb characterization of the OT.

Thanks

Anakin being Anakin; Wrev being as well-developed as the pro-fic characters; and someone who may or may not be Tahiri, adding another dimension to the New Jedi Order...

Thanks again!

Jedi doing Jedi stuff, with the clarity of thought and lucidy of vision they should have, and the training - technical, and of their Force-skills - to match.
And a Galaxy that's in a single post already rich and complicated and epic in its sweep, and utterly, engrossingly interesting; full of hope and danger, harsh light and softening darkness, stars and cold hard vacuum...

It's very humbling when someone writes a review that's more beautiful than anything I've ever written I will put that on the duskjacket of the second printing when this turns into a novel

[More detail later!! ]

Okay, thanks so much, Thrawn Means a lot coming from you




Briman: Very nicely done with the starfighter battle, and I really enjoyed the banter between Anakin and R2.

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

Glad to have the first chapter in the books. I especially liked the very beginning, introducing the war on Sullust, and the imagery was very well described.
Good chapter

Thanks so much Glad you liked the descriptions of the war on Sullust. It's not all that important really, just trying to set up a good tone and come in with some nice action.





Magnuskn: Brilliant first chapter.

Thanks!

Anakins apprentice is Tahiri. D'oh. Saw that coming.

Where did you get that idea?

Well, I think you can do all the chapters this long, I love long reads.

Thanks, good to know In general they will be shorter than this one though.





sporky: So...what if I am? He's arguably the most powerful Jedi Master around! He should have beaten her!

That's true

Aw...fiddlesticks!

Ha!

On to the post!

I don't know if it's

 

That's true

See? You acknowledge my rightness!

Ha!

*sighs* Always did enjoy my misery, don't you?

No, it's not just you. It wasn't something I wanted originally, but it was unavoidable, so I just embraced it.

I'm glad to know that! So glad you embraced it...it really works.

Yeah it is, part of the evolution into the TIE interceptor.

*blinks* So...the Jedi'll be flying something like an Interceptor when the final evolution comes?

Artoo is just fine, you're thinking of I, JS again, I think

Oh, no confusion this time! Just a happiness that the droid hasn't been pushed aside.

Thanks for reading, spork

Always a pleasure!

Is it too late to ask for more?