Beyond - Legends Exodus (Post-NJO AU: Jaina, Jacen, Anakin Solo, H/L, L/M, Tahiri, Jag, Kyp, more) New fic 5/30/08!

You're very welcome!!!

Yep, that's why I love her!

LOL! I can totally see that happening in RL!!!

.... I don't like the look of that smiley you used, Yobie...now you're scaring me...

He's even better with Tahiri involved...

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! But you just said Anakin was the best?!?!?!

I'm starting to think I should have voted for Anakin...

You're welcome!

Friday?!?!? That soon?!?!? Yippie!!!!!!!!!!

Ant.

 

This is where the fun begins!

Nice start!

 

Really a striking opening YodaK. For somereason as I read the post I could hear Judi Dench reading the lines with her exalted voice and various images flashed into my mind.
Now, I do have a really wild imagination, but I think my reaction also speaks about how good the opener actually was,,,,

With such a great opening, the story must be good as well.

Looking forward to it.

 

great yoda, please pm me with this sequel

 

PIPER: I have no words for that Yobi, Thank you.

Aww

What a way to begin this story, and is so true to the character of the Solo Trinity.

Thanks! They are definitely the primary focus of this one. And I like that. "Solo Trinity"

That sounds like Captain Jack...



Or a little Joseph Heller.

Thanks for reading!





Ant: Yep, that's why I love her!

Me too

.... I don't like the look of that smiley you used, Yobie...now you're scaring me...

It's part of my job.

He's even better with Tahiri involved...

Agreed


NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! But you just said Anakin was the best?!?!?!

It doesn't make him off limits

I'm starting to think I should have voted for Anakin...

Another good choice...

Friday?!?!? That soon?!?!? Yippie!!!!!!!!!!

Hehe. Not too far off now at all.






Palpy: This is where the fun begins!

I hope so

Nice start!

Thank you very much Glad you enjoyed it.





poku_29: Really a striking opening YodaK. For somereason as I read the post I could hear Judi Dench reading the lines with her exalted voice and various images flashed into my mind.
Now, I do have a really wild imagination, but I think my reaction also speaks about how good the opener actually was,,,,



I don't know if that's good or not I'm glad you liked it though

With such a great opening, the story must be good as well.

I'm really hoping

Looking forward to it.

More on Friday




sdhfs: great yoda,

Thanks

please pm me with this sequel

Will do Thanks for reading!






New post on Friday. It should give everyone more of an idea what the galaxy has become in the month since The Age of Heroes. Also, Maggy is working on some wonderful artwork that should be ready soon

 

You know I was sure I posted a reply here. But then I remembered the 'puter ate my post

I do recall being very intrigued by the opening, especially because it was as nummy as the icing on my birthday cake

I laughed at the notion of Jacen, the moral compass. All of a sudden my thoughts were, He's turning Sith for kriff's sake!" But then again who knows. I could argue for any of the three siblings to go dark based on your set up. Very clever you are.

 

YK: Is this the reverse, reverse, reverse psychology Goddess_Jaya was telling me about?

Quite possibly...

He'll be around here somewhere. Pale and lonely
I wonder what LosDosMos is going to think of all of this

The more, the merrier probably.

Definitely. Order 66 was a lot smarter.

Plus my clones are waaaaaaaaaaaay better than those pitiful Raithians.

For... Oh, I can't tell you.

At least someone knows...

Actually, that's exactly the way Luke saw him all through Dark Nest... he may finally be changing his mind.

He was probably better off with a moral sextant instead of Jacen's moral compass.

That was awesome

I didn't make it though , found it on Photobucket and copied it. Too good to pass up if I needed something like that...

Thank you very much, Commander Wedge Glad to have you along for the ride once again.

*Salutes* Thank you, Sir!

Piper: That sounds like Captain Jack...

I read that again with that in mind and it does sound kinda like Jack...

 

Yay! We're off again. Great atmosphere established with that Prologue, and it will be fun to speculate as to who will fall.

It IS strange to think that the stars we see in our sky could have thousands or millions of years ago, and we wouldn't know. Really makes one think about the whole space/time thing.

Those Solo kids were taking a risk being all together in one shuttle - still the same old risk-takers I see! Tut tut. I hope they installed ejection seats.

Marvellous start - could you PM me when you post?

 

No time for replies right now, but I thought I'd show you guys the artwork Maggy was kind enough to make:

[image=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/160/383246339_1d32cb47c4_o.jpg]

Hope you all like it I think Maggy did a great job. I'm very picky so she had to redo things a lot of times I won't even guess at how many hours she put into it. But I'm very grateful she put up with me

 

Bravo, Maggy!

Now I'm going to have to study this for more clues

 

Looks good.



[image=http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r213/CloneCmdrWedge/reven.jpg]

Hmmmm..... Where have I seen something like that before...


[image=http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q18/TB-3289/Darth%20Revan/RevanScreenCap2.jpg]

You're still going to say there's no connection or not comment on it at all, aren't you?

Be interesting to see where that goes.

 

Excellent Cover Art, Maggy!!! Well done!

 

First of all, I'd just like to say what a WONDERFUL job MAGGY did with this cover art!!!!!

It looks so AMAZING!!! *pats Mags on the back*

Now, on to my analyzing...

The first thing that strikes me is Anakin is in the front. That could mean a few things...
1. He's in the front cus he's the BEST!
2. He's in the front cus he's gonna turn EVIL!
3. He's in the front cus he's gonna be the HERO!

Another thing, is he's wearing all black...and his hair is darker...

I must say, Anakin's new look is kinda becoming...

We all know what a black outfit means, though... SITH!

Jaina is the only one with a lightsaber...is that because she's the "Sword of the Jedi"??

I may be over-analyzing things just a tad, but hey, that's me!!!

All in all, it's an amazing cover, and it's only made me MORE EXCITED about what is to come with this 'fic!!! *puts away the sugar*

Ant.

 

Sweet! I am now very glad I came back to the boards. I love Maggy's coverart.

The hunt is on.

If you're a Jedi Knight, you must plan your escape.

And the only hope you have for survival, is to run.

I seriously cannot wait until Friday!

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh it's here!



I'm pretty stoked.

 

TKL: You know I was sure I posted a reply here. But then I remembered the 'puter ate my post

That's weird, because I thought you had replied too I must have been thinking of AoH.

I do recall being very intrigued by the opening, especially because it was as nummy as the icing on my birthday cake

Aww I hope you had a wonderful brithday

I laughed at the notion of Jacen, the moral compass. All of a sudden my thoughts were, He's turning Sith for kriff's sake!"

Yeah, no kidding Luke seemed oblivious to it for years though, and has this sort of weird relationship with his nephew where he looks up to him. I think Jacen's questions about the Order play into Luke's insecurities about having reconstructed the Jedi with so little formal instruction.

But then again who knows. I could argue for any of the three siblings to go dark based on your set up. Very clever you are.

Thanks And thanks for reading





Wedge: The more, the merrier probably.



Plus my clones are waaaaaaaaaaaay better than those pitiful Raithians.

Probably. I've been meaning to sketch a Raithian trooper and find a scanner to add it here, but haven't gotten to it yet.

At least someone knows...

I know how the series ends too

He was probably better off with a moral sextant instead of Jacen's moral compass.



Would seem more appropriate.

I didn't make it though , found it on Photobucket and copied it. Too good to pass up if I needed something like that...

Yeah, thanks for sharing it





Tahi: Yay! We're off again. Great atmosphere established with that Prologue, and it will be fun to speculate as to who will fall.

Thanks That has become part of the fun.

It IS strange to think that the stars we see in our sky could have thousands or millions of years ago, and we wouldn't know. Really makes one think about the whole space/time thing.

Yeah, and how slow the speed of light really is

Those Solo kids were taking a risk being all together in one shuttle - still the same old risk-takers I see! Tut tut. I hope they installed ejection seats.



You're more right than you know!

Marvellous start - could you PM me when you post?

Of course Thanks so much for reading, I'm glad you liked it







TKL: Now I'm going to have to study this for more clues

Oh, they're in there





Wedge: Hmmmm..... Where have I seen something like that before...



You're still going to say there's no connection or not comment on it at all, aren't you?

Yes, yes I am

You can draw your own conclusions based on the picture

Be interesting to see where that goes.

I hope so






oldj: Excellent Cover Art, Maggy!!! Well done!

I second that!





Ant: First of all, I'd just like to say what a WONDERFUL job MAGGY did with this cover art!!!!!
It looks so AMAZING!!! *pats Mags on the back*

Glad you like it. Maggy is very good at this stuff.

Now, on to my analyzing...
The first thing that strikes me is Anakin is in the front. That could mean a few things...
1. He's in the front cus he's the BEST!
2. He's in the front cus he's gonna turn EVIL!
3. He's in the front cus he's gonna be the HERO!

Yeah, I knew people were going to draw certain conclusions no matter who I put in front, so I had to pick carefully. Alternate cover:

[image=http://farm1.static.flickr.com/181/384164581_3bb3d5be4d_o.jpg]


Another thing, is he's wearing all black...and his hair is darker...
I must say, Anakin's new look is kinda becoming...
We all know what a black outfit means, though... SITH!

Those are Jedi robes

Jaina is the only one with a lightsaber...is that because she's the "Sword of the Jedi"??

 

Hmm . . . do I see faint strands of long, Jaina-like hair on the Revan-lookalike? Or am I just wishing it isn't Anakin who's becoming the Sith?

Really, really nice cover, Maggy, in case you're reading this. I think it's better than her AoH one, which felt kinda crowded. But I like the sheer creepiness of this one.

 

TGIF!

So much to review about! Heading back to the very beginning.

Characters: Anakin Solo, Jacen, Jaina, Tahiri, H/L, L/M, Kyp, Jag,everyone else who's ever been seen, spoken, or mentioned in a SW story

I love the ending part of that - everyone, huh?

About the opening character quotes:
Wow. Heavy stuff. I think of the three canon quotes, it's very interesting that Jaina is the only one to make a conscious decision to use the dark side. If I recall correctly, the Anakin/Ikrit quote comes from when Centerpoint was used to destroy the YV worldship. That's not the dark side, but it does show that he can be manipulated into doing things with catastrophic consequences. He was my bet for Havok coming out of AoH, but I also got the impression that Havok will be going into this with his (or her) eyes wide open. I'm not even going to start commenting on the Jacen quote - it's too absurd to me.

Besides, it was Vergere who said that and guess where it landed her - in the deceased column!

The incandescent twilight from the stars that burn in the heavens around Felucia is not what it appears.

It's hard to beat the Eye of the Galaxy. I adored that storytelling device. However, the sun analogy is perfect for this story. Kudos!

They want revenge.

I know someone else asked, but this piqued my interest too. Why do they want revenge, and on who exactly?

At every step, you can feel his hot breath on the back of your neck, can hear the sizzle of blaster bolts scorching the hem of your cloak and licking the heels of your boots.

Reminds me of one of the teasers you posted for us. Very creepy imagery.

And this is the case for the three Jedi Knights aboard the shuttle blasting towards Felucia.

Oooooh, it isn't.

Because the three Jedi aboard the shuttle are all named "Solo"? siblings, and the grandchildren of another Sith Lord, long dead.

Oooooh, it is.

Jaina? the oldest of the Solos. She is the Sword of the Jedi, a true warrior and the most gifted at the controls of a starfighter or hilt of a lightsaber.

That's a pretty neutral introduction, especially in comparison to her opening quote.

Her twin brother, Jacen? the moral compass of the Jedi Knights with a knack for understanding other living things. He has a knowledge of the Force perhaps greater than any other Jedi and is more than capable in combat when fighting is unavoidable.

Moral compass?!? *groan* I guess soooo. It's hard to think that the guy seeing dead chickens can be a leader for anyone else.

Their younger brother, Anakin, is perhaps the most powerful of all. Named after his grandfather, Anakin has an almost unconscious connection to the Force and is famous for his courage and dedication to the Order. He sees and senses things that no other Jedi can.

*hugs Anakin* I have a feeling you're going to need that later.

Because, by the end of this story, one of these three Jedi is going to fall to the Dark Side of the Force, and be reborn as Darth Hâvok.

We know that already!

The enemy knows their shuttle is coming and they will be shot down before they even reach Felucia's surface.

Yikes. I'm curious why they were heading to Felucia in the first place (now that I finally figured out where that planet fits into the canon-SW-universe), but shocked that they were shot down. Jaina and Anakin are excellent pilots (and Jacen's no slouch either), so for someone to shoot them down the situation must have been really bad.

And the only hope you have for survival, is to run.

*squeeeeeeeeee*

I liked the flow of the prologue - the short simple sentences. It lended a sense of urgency and, uh, clarity to the events unfolding in this chapter of your saga. There's bound to be complications and hidden plots later in the story, but right now there is one thing happening that can't be ignored: Jedi are being hunted, period. The words said it, but so did your

 

YK: I know how the series ends too

In Fire?

Yes, yes I am

Knew it.

You can draw your own conclusions based on the picture

The only thing that I'm reading into the cover is that the Raithians are probably connected to Revan somehow. I doubt that is Revan though, unless he found the Holy Grail or Plagueis found Doc Brown...

Those are Jedi robes

Just like Anakin Sr's. Right?

 

Thanks yet again for reading another one of my stories

Thank you for writing them!

 

Lost was awesome.

Juliet making those vaccienes to get people pregnat makes me think that thats why they have the kids.Also there was alot of little refrences,including the room Karl,Alex's boyfriend,was in was room 23,Juliet's sister's pregnancy test was made by Charles Widmore whos daughter is Penny who is Desmonds girlfriend.

 

cheese: Hmm . . . do I see faint strands of long, Jaina-like hair on the Revan-lookalike? Or am I just wishing it isn't Anakin who's becoming the Sith?

The Revan-look-a-like is Darth Malig, so no Jaina hair. Sorry

Really, really nice cover, Maggy, in case you're reading this. I think it's better than her AoH one, which felt kinda crowded. But I like the sheer creepiness of this one.

The cluttered feeling of the last one was my fault, not Maggy's Glad you like the new one





Jaya: TGIF!

I love Fridays

So much to review about! Heading back to the very beginning.

w00t!

I love the ending part of that - everyone, huh?

Yeah, I've been using it for awhile

About the opening character quotes:
Wow. Heavy stuff. I think of the three canon quotes, it's very interesting that Jaina is the only one to make a conscious decision to use the dark side.

Well, she's responding with anger. I don't know that that's consciously choosing the dark side, or that Jaina ever did But I see your point.

If I recall correctly, the Anakin/Ikrit quote comes from when Centerpoint was used to destroy the YV worldship. That's not the dark side, but it does show that he can be manipulated into doing things with catastrophic consequences.

Yeah, you're right. He was also carrying the weight of Chewie's death and Daeshara'cor's

He was my bet for Havok coming out of AoH, but I also got the impression that Havok will be going into this with his (or her) eyes wide open. I'm not even going to start commenting on the Jacen quote - it's too absurd to me.

Heh heh heh

Besides, it was Vergere who said that and guess where it landed her - in the deceased column!

She sacrificed herself to save him because he's so important

It's hard to beat the Eye of the Galaxy. I adored that storytelling device. However, the sun analogy is perfect for this story. Kudos!

Aww, thanks

I know someone else asked, but this piqued my interest too. Why do they want revenge, and on who exactly?

I can't really tell you yet. I'll just say it's a really good reason and goes beyond the "Sith hate the Jedi" thing.

Reminds me of one of the teasers you posted for us. Very creepy imagery.

Yeah. It will get creepier in chapter 1.

That's a pretty neutral introduction, especially in comparison to her opening quote.

You were hoping for some Sith-hintings?

Moral compass?!? *groan* I guess soooo. It's hard to think that the guy seeing dead chickens can be a leader for anyone else.



Good point!

*hugs Anakin* I have a feeling you're going to need that later.

He will

We know that already!

Just making sure you remember

Yikes. I'm curious why they were heading to Felucia in the first place (now that I finally figured out where that planet fits into the canon-SW-universe),

There will be a hint about why they're going to Felucia in chapter 1, but you won't actually have the full picture until like chapter 10 Sorry.

but shocked that they were shot down. Jaina and Anakin are excellent pilots (and Jacen's no slouch either), so for someone to shoot them down the situation must have been really bad.

Or they're flying something that's not too maneuverable *Points at trailer*

*squeeeeeeeeee*
I liked the flow of the prologue - the short simple sentences. It lended a sense of urgency and, uh, clarity to the events unfolding in this chapter of your saga. There's bound to be complications and hidden plots later in the story, but right now there is one thing happening that can't be ignored: Jedi are being hunted, period. The words said it, but so did your style.

Thanks so much I really wanted that feeling of urgency and fear to come through. Glad it worked for you.

And that last line? Majorly sque-wo

 

Chapter 1: Exigence

The secret to hiding, Zekk knew, was to behave as if you belonged wherever it was you happened to be. This was especially true when one was forced to hide out in the open. He couldn't look as though he wondered if he was being watched, even if the desire to do one quick sweep of the plaza with his jade eyes burned deep within him. Instead, he had to behave as if he were completely indifferent to everyone and everything— without seeming as though he was trying to be avoidant.

The Jedi Knight did his best not to hunker down in his seat as he sipped the cooling cup of stimcaf— more of a prop than a refreshment— and tried to stay seated casually at one of the small tables in the dining court of the massive pedestrian market complex. It occurred to him that there might have been more discreet places to meet his contact on the planet Kothlis, but moving out of its capital city of Tal'cara presented its own set of difficulties, not least of which were the thriving predators who lurked in the Gankto forests.

Even in the Bothan world's metropolis however, he couldn't seem to escape the fetid stench of old cheese that emanated from the fungus on the forest-tree's trunks.

Zekk reached out in the Force, surveying desultory columns of pedestrians traveling through the plaza, and strolling in the levels above along the small bridges that led them to other shops throughout the complex. There was no trace of any danger in the area, and yet he had to frown at the realization of just how adept he'd become at searching for it.

In the month since the Vagaari launched the invasion of Denon and the Raithians joined the Galactic Alliance, he had removed almost any vestige that might identify him as a Jedi. A crimson synth-leather jacket, simple tunic, and gray trousers had replaced his Jedi robes, and though he'd opted to draw his long black mane in a tail rather than cut it off, he'd begun to grow a wispy beard over his increasingly gaunt and pallid young face.

The only real remnant of the person he'd been before the Jedi Exile seemed to be the lightsaber he'd tucked into the waist of his pants, concealed by the hem of his jacket.

How much had changed in a month.

It had all fallen apart so fast, it was difficult to fathom when he really focused on it— the vids on the HoloNet of Luke Skywalker plotting with Talon Karrde and Lando Calrissian to blackmail senators and make Cal Omas the first Chief of State of the GA four years earlier, Skywalker's arrest, the arrest of the other Jedi leaders, Gavin Darklighter's murder...

Zekk swallowed another mouthful of tepid caf and tried to forget the terrible and confusing events that had led him to Kothlis that day— tried to forge the rumors that the Raithians' setup was actually the work of two Sith Lords. He'd had his own experience with the dark side years before, and he couldn't deny the knot of cold fear that sent tremors up his spine at the thought.

The sight of a slender Bothan wearing a lavender suit making an unnaturally direct path through the plaza broke the Jedi's train of thought. Her boots seemed heavy with languor as she slalomed around the other tables obstructing her path, the movements of someone who had probably been traveling around the market place most of the day to assure herself she wasn't being followed, and that Zekk wasn't setting some sort of trap for her. As she neared him, Zekk noticed how her dusky, caramel fur appeared to bronze beneath the light streaming through the latticed dome of transparisteel above them.

He started to rise in order to offer her a cordial bow and invite the alien to take the seat across from him, but she stopped him before his hands could even begin to push on the arm of his chair.

"That's not necessary," she said quietly, but sharp enough to let Zekk know she was apprehensive. "Just stay where you are and keep your hands on the table, please."

Zekk acquiesced, laying his palms flat on the translucent white table before him. The Bothan seemed pleased and Zekk thought he heard a small chortle or purr as she slid into the seat across from him.

"Are you Dag'nar?" He asked, certain it was his contact.

"I'm going to assume you just said my name because you are a fool and not because you're trying to get me killed," she said evenly.

"I—"

"First things first— Why do Sandpeople ride unruly banthas?"

" 'To keep them in line'," Zekk managed to answer without rolling his eyes, completing the code phrase that sounded more like one of Jacen Solo's bad jokes.

The fidgeting Bothan nodded, accepting his response.

"It's good to finally meet you—"

"Save it, mister," Dag'nar scoffed. "There isn't enough time for you to pretend you enjoy this meeting anymore than I do— let's cut to the chase."

Daryn Dag'nar was a member of a local resistance movement that had sprouted up shortly after the discord over the Caamas document as a way of protesting certain families' involvement in the genocide. The group, calling themselves the Caamas Justice Front, quickly became an organization more concerned with the sale of illegal goods stolen from Bothwai rather than political action— it wasn't really surprising to Zekk. Bothans were notorious for using politics to serve their own self-interests.

"Very well..." Zekk stammered, more than a little put-off by her abruptness. "I was told you know how to get things... rare things."

"You were told correctly," Dag'nar nodded. "What is it that interests you, stranger?"

Zekk couldn't help but glare around the plaza quickly to ensure no one was listening before he leaned closer to the criminal across the table. "Shields," he said. "Big ones. Military grade."

"Deflector shields, eh? For what exactly?"

"What difference does it make?" Zekk questioned, his suspicion rising.

"It matters in the way the shields are projected. There aren't a lot of options with a ship, but if it's something inside a planet's atmosphere, like an installation, you can project the shields from inside or out. Or, if it's something orbiting the planet, they can be projected from there."

"Let's say it's a ship," Zekk decided, thinking it was close enough.

"How big are we talking about?"

"A little smaller than a star cruiser, I suppose."

"I see," Dag'nar said thoughtfully, absently stroking the fur on her chin. "That could be quite tricky— and costly."

"Yeah, I kind of figured," Zekk groaned. "I imagine you and your people desire a reasonable fee for your trouble, beyond the cost of the generators."

"Well, it is quite dangerous, my young friend."

"Terrific," he went on dryly, punching numbers into his datapad and sliding it across the table. "I can give you half now and half when we get the generators."

"How about we make it seventy-five—"

"Wait—"

A cold knot formed between Zekk's shoulder blades that sent his head whipping around to find the source of his distress. The spike of fear a Jedi felt was more than familiar to him— he was in danger.

"What's going on?"

Zekk ignored her, his eyes scanning the plaza intently as every muscle in his body pulled taut. And then he saw them— armored troops rushing in from all the plaza's exits. It wasn't the gallant armor the Raithian soldiers wore when they'd first come to Denon as saviors— instead, the metallic blue plating seemed cold and intimidating, their helmets adorned with darkly tinted faceplates that gave them the appearance of having no eyes.

Zekk was out of his seat and crouched like an angry sandpanther in an instant, his right hand reaching back to retrieve his lightsaber while his gaze traveled upwards for some means of escape, only to find more enemy troopers stations on the bridges and paths there.

It was a trap. The horror he felt in Dag'nar let him know the Bothan was as surprised as he was to see the soldiers, which meant the Raithians had had some other way of locating him. Without a doubt, he knew that Faybol or one of his minions must have been nearby.

The other beings who'd been dining in the plaza had taken notice of the swarms of blue metal moving in and were diving under their tables in fear, some even using their chairs as shields, with only a few stifled screams to accompany the disarrangement.

The face of the Raithian forces was known across the galaxy of course, and beloved. Those seeking refuge weren't frightened by the soldiers— they were filled with terror because they knew the Raithian presence there meant one of those treacherous Jedi were nearby, or some other enemy of the Alliance, and they didn't want to get caught in the crossfire.

"Freeze, Jedi," the lead trooper directly in front of Zekk called, his armor bearing the silver markings of command. The commander had his blaster rifle leveled at him already like the dozen-and-a-half other soldiers stationed around the plaza. "We have you surrounded. You'll only get one chance to surrender, and I suggest you take it."

Zekk smiled at the futility of it all for lack of a better alternative. The Raithians had taken many Jedi as their prisoners already, including Master Skywalker, but no one was sure if they were even alive anymore. With two Sith Lords rumored to be running the operations, Zekk wasn't willing to take his chances.

A familiar snap-hiss sounded as a blinding white column erupted from the hilt of his lightsaber in a mist of scarlet. In an instant, the weapon's brilliance drew a hail of stun bolts like a shadowmoth to a flame. Zekk managed to block one— not an easy feat considering the wider arc of the blast— and rolled away from the others, still crouched. He sent a Force-push at the commander, knocking him and the two soldiers directly behind him to the ground as stun bolts landed dangerously close to the fleeing Jedi.

The Raithians quickly abandoned their attempts to take him alive and Zekk's heart sunk when he saw many of the soldiers freeing the Verpine shatter guns they had holstered or slung over their shoulders.

That was part of what made the Raithians so frightening— they were determined to hunt down all the Jedi and adaptable enough to use new techniques to take them down. Shatter guns discharged a small metal slug that was difficult for a Jedi to intercept with a lightsaber blade and was fired with enough force to do very serious damage to its target.

Not letting the fear overwhelm him, Zekk came up from another somersault across the floor and vaulted over a table in his path. The hum of his lightsaber was all he could hear as he brought it down in a two-handed hack that carved through the armored torso of the closest Raithian.

A guttural scream from the man as he fell lifelessly to the floor was echoed with a pained bellow behind Zekk, and he turned to see the chest of Dag'nar's violet robes washed in red, the Raithians not having hesitated to place a trio of shatter gun pellets in her neck and breast when she was reaching for a small holdout blaster.

The distraction of the Bothan's death was all the troopers needed to get into position again to fire on Zekk, with more Raithians rushing from the other end of the plaza to corner him. His crimson blade flashed, managing to sear through two of the projectiles rocketing at him with a rising diagonal slash, but he couldn't get a third.

The alloy ball tore through Zekk's right thigh and he felt the bone shatter as another round was planted in his hip. Pain shot through the young man's body and his vision blurred, wildly swinging his blade as he stumbled to intercept another of the projectiles.

He staggered forward until he felt something sharp pierce his left shoulder from behind. The soldiers behind him had managed to catch up and get a clean look at him, but it wasn't another shatter gun round that had struck him— Zekk knew exactly what it was as his limbs went numb and the lightsaber slipped from his grasp, clattering to the floor next to the smoldering corpse of his victim.

Pestile toxin.

With the help of Talon Karrde's information network, they'd been able to track the origin of the mysterious poison to Felucia, but it did little to help Zekk at the moment. The Raithians had been using it to capture Jedi all over the galaxy. The rare nerve agent didn't need to even enter the bloodstream— simple skin contact was enough to cause temporary paralysis in its victim, something the Jedi could do little to stave off. If it had been a substance they were forced to inhale, there were Force-techniques to slow its effects, but there was little even a Jedi could do to stop a toxin that simply needed to touch their skin.

Zekk could no longer feel the blinding pain in his leg as he collapsed. His body began to spasm uncontrollably and his mouth frothed. The last image the young Jedi saw before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he lost consciousness completely, was a sea of blue armor surrounding him.





Wylla Kor ran.

She bolted down the vacant streets of Eriadu with all the strength that remained in her pain-wracked body, her lekku dancing behind her to the beat of her boots slapping against the damp ferrocrete while her lungs gulped in the stench of sulfur that seemed to fill every breath on the planet. The Jedi's mind was filled with only one thought— escape.

They had come out of nowhere, ambushing her on a routine supply run she was making since Ossus had been cut off from Alliance shipments. It should have been routine, but then, nothing was anymore.

They'd been waiting for her there with Verpine shatter guns, cortosis-woven blades, and pestile toxin— the latter of which she'd narrowly avoided contact while the former had both left their marks. The Twi'lek's lithe body was now covered in nicks from their blades, rivulets of crimson rolling down her salmon-colored flesh, and with every movement, the shatter gun round lodged in her bare stomach turned and ached, coiling tighter within the sinewy muscle of her abdominal wall like a plastine screw.

She would have collapsed if it wasn't for the jolt of adrenaline pumping through her bloodstream. But the fear had seen to that, the heart stopping moment that had set into motion her body's most basic, most animal survival instincts.

It hadn't just been a squad of Raithian troopers there waiting for her— He had been there as well.

The being the Jedi had come to fear.

Wylla made a sharp turn down a shadowy alley, thrusting her lissome legs in a desperate attempt to make it back to the spaceport. There was no escape from him. She could feel his presence in the Force— predatory, hungry, and near.

The Jedi's boot hit a deep puddle, kicking up an umbrella of murky water as her lungs tightened further, the slug in her guts making it difficult to breathe.

A sound behind her sent her whirling around, drawing her lightsaber, before flushing the space in cerulean. It had only been a small tap, and Wylla was somehow more petrified to find there was nothing behind her.

She stood poised with her blade at a guard, cold fear in her veins as she searched for the source of the disturbance, the electric hum of her weapon seemed suddenly deafening.

She felt something brush her cheek.

This time she brought her blade along in a slash as she whipped around, hoping to catch whomever was stalking her with the cutting beam. Her eyes saw only the ripples and waves of scarlet fabric, a simulacrum haunting her in the narrow patch as her lightsaber whirled in a blinding arc that cut a smoldering swath through her enemy's cloak.

The pliant, spindly being inside the blood-red shield, however, was nimble enough to somehow spin away from the strike, allowing Wylla to only singe the loose billowing fabric of his cloak, where from inside its folds another lightsaber growled into existence. As the creature narrowly dodged the fury of the Twi'lek's blade, the force of Wylla's swing left her back presented to him, muscle's twisted and taut beneath her coral-colored skin.

She felt his blade, burning, and carving, and hissing as it passed through her, the pain excruciating before she felt almost nothing. Her attacker had sliced off the tip of her right lekku, but that was really incidental as she flopped down on the wet ferrocrete headfirst, her form a sac of fluids and loose nerves that spilled out from the glowing scar where he had severed her spine.

Wylla Kor's eyes began to flutter closed as a grimy boot stepped in front of her, the pain that had been torturing her vanishing forever. She used the last of her strength to look up, and saw Faybol standing over her, the cowl of his scarlet cloak pulled up and the humming ruby blade of his lightsaber still clutched in one clawed hand. The mysterious predator's features were hidden in shadow and the lightless mask of metal was as empty and terrible as anything the Twi'lek could remember.

The hunter said nothing, only standing over the Jedi and watching her die with a sort of chilling indifference that might have stilled others' blood, until Wylla Kor lost all thought, and sunk completely into the Force's embrace forever.





There were more of them out there— Baliss Phlora could see them. She peered out the front window of her modest home, clutching the blaster rifle in her rail-thin fingers as if it were the only thing keeping her upright in a crouch, and saw the shadows of the strangers creeping through the fields of mezah— her fields. It made her angry enough to see them trampling through her crop that she nearly opened fire again.

Baliss recognized them, of course. She may not have had HoloNet access out in the country, but other places certainly did on Rivisa 6. When last she'd been into town, the farmer had seen the gallant soldiers on a large screen at the spaceport— they were heroes, courageous and strong, who'd saved the Alliance from the Vagaari threat.

Now they had stormed her property— and Baliss knew why.

It was all that Jedi's fault— all the Jedi's and the fault of the golden crop shimmering in the sunlight outside.

Kyp had been his name— Kyp Durron. He'd come with another young Jedi, about two months earlier. The dark-haired Jedi had tried to convince her that she was a Jedi, that she should go back with them as a Jedi herself.

It was because of the mezah— her record setting crops were a double-edged sword if ever there was one. Durron had said the fact she was able to make it grow so robustly was proof that she had the Jedi abilities and had used the Jedi's Force to make the plants so large.

But it wasn't true! All Baliss had ever done was care for her fields as best she could, nourishing and protecting the mezah night and day. Her crops were always the largest.

She was a hero on Rivisa 6— her famous mezah helping the moon's economy as it was shipped off to other worlds. She'd been beloved. Celebrated.

And now they were going to kill her.

The Raithians wanted Jedi. They were hunting them all over the galaxy because the strange faction had committed treason and were being swept out. And now, because of Durron, the Raithians must have thought she was a Jedi too.

She'd killed the first two at the front door, catching them by surprise with a pair of lucky shots that burst through the space between their helmets and their metal chest plates.

But how many more lucky shots would she make? She had to find some way to escape— but how? Baliss owned no great weaponry, no speeder, no ship.

Her neighbor had a speeder, however, and lived only a kilometer away. If she could get to it and drive to the spaceport, she might have someway to sneak off of Rivisa or procure a ship.

The fair-skinned woman tried to think of someway to evade the Raithians as she swept the curls of her pale blonde hair behind one ear. She concentrated on making the mezah outside thick and difficult for the Raithians to navigate— it was such a good crop and they bonded so well that the mezah seemed to respond to her.

Baliss' only advantage was the field— she knew it. She loved it. The Raithians didn't. There was a chance she could slip through it without them finding her— that she could escape.

There was no time to waste, she knew.

Taking a deep breath, Baliss tip-toed towards the door as she saw another metallic-blue armored trooper carrying a heavy blaster rifle.

She aimed her own, squinted, her leathery finger tensing on the trigger from behind the shield of the parted door.

Baliss would fire. She would kill him. And then she would run. It was her only chance.

There was no place for her to run though, except away.

 

*first*

 

Ha ha first one here - now I'm going to read and review.

Grrr - Maggy got in just as I was posting. [shakes fist]

Instead, he had to behave as if he were completely indifferent to everyone and everything? without seeming as though he was trying to be avoidant.
Yeah, Zekk. Drink casual.

Even in the Bothan world's metropolis however, he couldn't seem to escape the fetid stench of old cheese that emanated from the fungus on the forest-tree's trunks.
Ewww. Reminds me of my husband?s socks.

As she neared him, Zekk noticed how her dusky, caramel fur appeared to bronze beneath the light streaming through the latticed dome of transparisteel above them.
Nice image!

Why do Sandpeople ride unruly banthas?"

" 'To keep them in line'," Zekk managed to answer without rolling his eyes, completing the code phrase that sounded more like one of Jacen Solo's bad jokes
Or Maxwell Smart.

But oh deary me - poor old Zekk. And even worse for Wylla. Faybol is a cold callous being.

I really think Kyp was a bit stupid if he did try and contact Baliss. I mean there's a time and a place to recruit new Jedi, and this sure ain't it! I hope she does get away. Maybe she could convince her plants to become carnivorous.

The chapter certainly portrays the dire situation the Jedi are in. And now of course, I'm wondering how poor old Luke is faring, not to mention Anakin and Tahiri.


Mags
Perfect cover. Love it. Is it my imagination, or does Jacen look like Johnny Depp? [slobber, slobber]