The Sands of Time: 500 Years after Return of the Jedi

you can't just leave us hanging like that. Post more soon.

 

<I started school last week, which is why I haven't found time to post. I won't be able to write as often as I have been, but don't worry, I'm definitely planning to complete this story. Here's a new post.>

Tae Sorian could hardly believe his eyes. Standing outside his cell were two figures. The first was a prison guard, and the second . . .

He had done a double-take at the sight, but this only confirmed his initial thought. Obi-Wan Kenobi had returned! Tae eagerly got up from his bed as the guard opened the cell's door.

"The Senate has ordered you placed into Jedi custody," she said, sounding very perturbed. Tae grinned at her, perhaps a bit cruelly, before walking out the door and standing beside Kenobi. "Jedi Kenobi, you may take him from here." The guard remained by the now empty cell as the Jedi gestured for Tae to begin walking down the hall.

After they had gotten out of earshot, Kenobi spoke. "You seem pleased to get out of there."

"What did you expect?" asked Tae, smiling.

"True. Well, we'll be heading back to the Jedi headquarters now, and you'll have to stay there for a short while before we get the details of this mission worked out. I'm sure you'll be smart enough not to try anything funny."

This news was a bit disappointing to the smuggler. "Can't you just put me on a ship and send me off?"

Kenobi looked at Tae with an expression that said *Do you think I'm an idiot?* "We're not just going to let you go. A Jedi Knight will be accompanying you to Coruscant."

Tae supressed the urge to curse. So much for getting out of the Republic's clutches. . . . But still, it beat prison. "A Jedi . . . you, by any chance?"

"No," replied Kenobi. "I have other business to attend to. We have not decided who will go with you yet."

"Oh." Tae shrugged, and then they continued down the gray corridors in silence.

* * *

The command room's table was surrounded by the highest ranking officers of Home Fleet, and High Admiral Serra Harsekk sat at the head of it. The new Supreme Commander of the Republic Navy could not help but feel a bit nervous. She was most certainly an experienced and decorated officer. That didn't necessarily mean a whole lot in these peaceful times, but she had still spent many years in command of starships. Yet the situation she found herself in now was an entirely unexpected one. Raoul Antilles's murder had come as a huge shock to Serra, and her selection as his replacement had been almost equally surprising. And now she was thrown into the biggest conflict to hit the Republic in more than a century. The recent military cutbacks only compounded her distress. But if this battle was to be won, Serra could not dwell on these problems.

The admiral took a long breath, then spoke to the assembled officers. "All right. We're hitting a target at an unknown location in the Coruscant system, defended by an unknown amount of firepower. The plan is to pull ships from Home Fleet, Corellia, and Bilbringi to meet up with a fleet near Kuat. Then we'll head in to Coruscant. The Jedi believe they can locate the Sith's base for us. And then we'll just have to hope our task force is good enough."

"What about the smuggler fleet?" asked Admiral Rains.

"We don't know for sure if that's going to come through, so we're going to plan that it won't. It it does, that's a bonus."

Rains nodded, and then Commodore Zrorsk spoke up. "High Admiral, have you decided who will command this task force?"

Serra was silent for a few moments before replying. "I will. And my flagship will be the cruiser Alderaan VII."

 

Great post!

 

This story is to good to be let alone.
Post more.

 

Darth Spectre sat silently, shrouded in darkness within his private meditation chamber. The Sith Lord was immersed in the Force. He stretched his concentration across light years of space, and his immediate surroundings became virtually nonexistent. His focus was on a larger scale, and he considered carefully the position of his campaign to gain control of the galaxy.

The Sith attacks on nearby star systems had come to a halt. That was not a problem, however, as he now had gained enough resources, both material and sentient, that he should be able to successfully wage war on the Republic. But now the fools in the government had apparently been alerted to the threat. And that meant--yes, he decided. The time had come for the single most important strike of all.

He would draw his forces together, then launch them at the planet Republica. The capital was fairly well defended, even in these peaceful times, but the forces surrounding it would still fall under the massive onslaught that the full Sith fleet could bring. And the Republic would be caught off guard, especially with the cloaking devices employed by his vessels. But the window of opportunity might close soon, so there was no better time than now to strike.

Spectre came out of his meditation, then sent a signal through the Force to the mind of Darth Ebony, commander of his starfleet. He received a quick mental acknowledgment from the Twi'lek Sith Lord. Then Spectre slowly stood up and began to move toward the chamber's exit.

He could sense his apprentice approaching, and--something was wrong. The Sith Master concentrated harder, but could not quite figure out what it was. A vague sense of trouble gnawed at the back of his mind. . . .

Then the door slid open, and he was greeted by the sight of three glowing red lightsabers.

 

Awesome! Post more soon.

 

For a brief moment, Darth Spectre felt afraid. He took a step backward as Darth Varelse and Darth Ruin followed Ebony into the chamber. Each of his apprentices wore expressions of rage, and Spectre knew that, although he was without a doubt the most powerful being in the galaxy, the three well-trained Sith together could overpower him. But he was the Master, and his power was far more than just brute strength. For his apprentices to bring him down, they would have to put their minds fully to uniting against him, and that was something Spectre was capable of preventing.

"My apprentices," he said cautiously. "This is a surprise."

The trio of Sith remained silent. Their lightsabers, all pointed at their master, spoke for them. And their body language said volumes as well. Varelse's countenance was twisted into feral rage, and his red eyes burned fiercely. Ebony's face, tattooed in the deepest, darkest black, was barely discernible, but it was obvious that he had a bone to pick. And Ruin, the lone human of the trio, stared at Spectre with cold anger, a stark contrast to the burning-hot of Varelse's but equally dangerous.

"You are surprised, as well, I know," Darth Spectre finally continued. "Surprised at each other's existence. You each thought that you were the sole Sith apprentice, that you were special. But I am afraid you have overestimated your importance to me." Varelse growled, but Spectre did not react to it. "The times of only two Sith are past. The galaxy is a huge place, and it takes more than two to conquer it in a reasonable amount of time. But once it is conquered . . . yes, there will be plenty of space for each one of you to rule."

Ebony's eyes gleamed, but when the Twi'lek spoke his reaction did not seem so favorable. "Then why do we need you at all?"

"Why, indeed? Think, my apprentices, and the answer is obvious. Without me, you could never hope to successfully bring down the Republic. Yes, right now you may have deluded yourselves into thinking you want to kill me . . . but you really want to kill each other. Do not deny it. And with me gone, how could that be prevented? And don't believe that you could get rid of me, then your two fellow apprentices, and take everything for yourself. Could any one of you alone control my vast legions?" Spectre did not answer the rhetorical question. Instead, he laughed at the thought. And it was apparent that his words were beginning to take effect. The boiling anger that had previously been present in the three Sith had been replaced by uncertainty. The cold logic behind his speech had hit the mark, and there was no way now that they would carry through with their threat.

"You can switch off your weapons, my apprentices. Yes, you won't be needing them for the time being." All three hesitated, not wanting to seem weak. Then Spectre applied a slight mental pressure, and the crimson blades simultaneously winked out of existence.

The odd red glow that had filled the chamber was replaced by almost total blackness. "You may go now. But do not worry, my apprentices, our conquest of the Republic will come soon enough."

The three Sith turned slowly and shuffled out of the room. Yes, the conquest would come soon enough. But perhaps, after this unfortunate event, it could wait a few more days.

 

I'm speechless.

 

Wow. That was cool.

 

Great work!

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Obi-Wan was deep in thought as he strode down a hallway in the Jedi's Republica headquarters. He was going to a meeting of all the members of the order who were present here, one that would surely prove very important. For at this meeting, the Jedi would have to decide what their plans would be for the attack on the Sith, as well as just what they would do about Tae Sorian.

Sorian. That was the issue that took up the bulk of Obi-Wan's concentration. The smuggler would have to leave Republica very soon to have a chance at pulling together a sizable fleet in time, and it had not yet been decided who would accompany him to Coruscant. Obi-Wan himself obviously couldn't, as he had explained to Sorian earlier. There was no way Cashacca or Judu Kah would go, and the Knights who had not been trained in combat would probably not be safe on the journey. Then there were Keiran and Andiell, but Obi-Wan knew he would need them to help battle the Sith. And besides, he wasn't sure he could trust either of them to be all right by themselves on the galaxy's former capital. Obi-Wan shook his head. Precious few possibilities remained, and none of them were as well-prepared as he would have liked. But if this plan was going to go through, he would have to choose someone.

Obi-Wan came to a door, turned, and entered the conference room. It was filled with Jedi of a variety of races. He quickly took a seat and spoke without preamble.

"We do not have much time left. The Republic fleet is set to leave here in four days for Kuat, and by then we will have to have our plans for the battle finalized. But right now, there is a more pressing concern. Tae Sorian must leave by tomorrow morning, and someone must go with him to Coruscant."

There were no immediate volunteers, but Judu Kah did speak up. "I have said it before, and I will say it again. Is allying with smugglers really necessary? We could simply give him back to the Republic. And whoever goes with him will not be able to . . . to fight in the battle." The Jedi Master's voice became softer as she concluded, but it seemed she had finally conceded that fighting would be necessary.

"I have a feeling about this. . . . I think it is important that this man help us, even if he is a smuggler. Now does anyone wish to accompany him?"

Obi-Wan slowly swept his gaze across the room. Cilian Dakar was silent, bringing to mind the Mon Calamari race's traditional disdain for smugglers. But then, finally, someone spoke up.

"If no one else will do it, I am willing." It was H'tashi Taurin, the Togorian Jedi, and Obi-Wan nodded as he met her eyes. H'tashi was one of his most promising lightsaber pupils, and although he would have liked for her to join the Jedi strike team, he also knew that she was one of the best choices for this task.

"Thank you, Jedi Taurin. I will discuss the details of your mission later, in private. Now if you will come here, I have something for you."

The golden-furred Togorian got up and walked gracefully across the room. Obi-Wan also stood, and H'tashi stopped a few feet in front of him, then bowed her head.

Obi-Wan reached for his belt and pulled from it a metal cylinder. He could see H'tashi's eyes widen at the sight. She managed to remain under control, however, and Obi-Wan extended the object to her while speaking. "This is a newly constructed lightsaber. It may be useful on your journey. Use it well."

H'tashi hesitated barely a moment before eagerly grabbing the Jedi weapon in her right forepaw. She stared down at the hilt for a few seconds, then looked up into Obi-Wan's eyes questioningly. He gave a slight nod, and she responded with a toothy grin as the lightsaber was activated.

A deep violet blade sprang to life. The gathered Jedi fell into total silence, and the hum of the weapon became the only sound in the room. H'tashi swung it back and forth a few times, getting a sense of its weight. Reflected purple light danced over her glowing eyes.

Then the blade was switched off, and H'tashi looked at Obi-Wa

 

Awesome. Glad you didn't leave the story to die.

 

Uppers, this story does not deserve to be in the back.

 

Great post!

 

"I have spoken briefly with Serra Harsekk, the Navy's highest-ranking officer. We are planning to bring a fleet into the Coruscant system; then, hopefully, we will be able to detect the Sith base through the Force. The fleet will make a microjump to reach its target and attack. With the Sith defenses confused, we should be able to land a Jedi strike team on the enemy base. I would like to have two separate shuttles carrying three Jedi each, if possible."

Cashacca, the Wookiee Jedi Master, growled approval. "I am not an expert in military matters, but that sounds like a good plan, Jedi Kenobi," translated the small device on his left cheek. "Have you decided which Jedi will land on the Sith's base?"

"I have five of the six, actually," replied Obi-Wan. "Keiran Foranoll, Andiell Nimalle, Cilian Dakar"--the eyes of all the beings in the room moved together, looking over each Jedi as he or she was named--"Varian Deszo, and myself," concluded Obi-Wan. "I would like to get one more member, to round out the second trio."

Not too surprisingly, Sarn Zor'sya immediately spoke up. "I would join the strike team, if you need me."

But the young Bothan had not yet attained the level of Jedi Knight, and his combat skills were still lacking. "I'm sorry, Sarn, but I don't believe you are ready for this job yet." Sarn looked away as this was said, but the hurt was still evident in his eyes, and Obi-Wan wished he could do something to make his apprentice feel better. And perhaps . . . "How would you like to help out in another way? If the Navy agrees, I think that you would be a good choice to lead the starfighter attack."

Sarn was incredulous at first. Then, slowly at first, a somewhat nervous grin appeared on his face, one that before long became quite wide. "I would be glad too. . . . I haven't flown fighters all that often, though, but . . . I think I could handle it."

"I think you could too." The Bothan had been an excellent pilot even without any Force training, somewhat reminiscent of another youngster Obi-Wan had encountered long ago . . . or two others, in fact. Of course, Sarn was not a Skywalker, but it seemed that he still had sufficient ability to expertly fly a starfighter into combat. "I will have to talk to Admiral Harsekk, but if you do some time in the sims and impress her enough I'd guess that she will give you the job."

"Thank you," said Sarn, with an expression similar to H'tashi Taurin's of a few minutes previous. Obi-Wan nodded, glad to have come up with this idea. But that still left him lacking a sixth member for the strike force.

"Now that that is done with, is there anyone else who would volunteer to join the assault?"

Obi-Wan slowly moved his gaze around the silent room, and he was disheartened by what he saw. No one present had had extensive saber training. A few of his more promising candidates had been killed in the attack on the Academy, and of those remaining . . . well, perhaps he would have to settle for a team of five. But six would be so much better. . . .

"I suppose I could go with those I have already named, but I feel that adding one more would significantly improve our chances for success. Now, is there anyone, please, who will join us?"

No one answered for several seconds. Obi-Wan's heart began to sink--

Then the silence was broken, and he was quite literally astonished.

"I . . . I will join you." Judu Kah had spoken. She sounded hesitant, to be sure, but Jedi Master Judu Kah, Obi-Wan's most vehement opponent in the order, was the one now volunteering to join him in combat. "I cannot wield a weapon, but my powers can still be used for defense, and if that is what it takes to defeat the Sith, then . . . then I will do it."

Obi-Wan did not speak for several moments, stunned by the female Master's words. And most of the other Jedi present were even more amazed. The room was utterly silent, and it seemed as if no one could even blink their eyes. Many unexpected things had happened since Obi-Wan's appearance, but seeing Judu Kah offe

 

Awesome!

 

Up!

 

The orange sunlight of an early morning on Republica streamed down through enormous transparisteel windows. Outside, the spires and towers of myriad buildings were silhouetted against the rising sun of the capital planet. Speeders and starships skittered across the many-hued sky, while pink clouds dotted the horizon. It was quite a view--and then Tae Sorian looked in the other direction.

"This is nice."

H'tashi Taurin had obviously picked up on the sarcasm in his voice, for the Togorian Jedi scowled at him. She did not reply verbally, however, and Tae continued to look over the grubby spaceport the two were in.

Stains from various foods and beverages were commonplace on the cheaply carpeted floor. A single decrepit cleaning droid slowly worked its way around the terminal, but its efforts seemed to be mostly in vain. The seats arranged in rows throughout the room, with their worn padding, were about one-third full. Most of the occupants looked like they had seen better days, whether they were washed-up tough guys or simply poor sentients trying to scratch together a living. Tae had been in a lot of spaceports in his life, and even with his line of work, this was not one of the better ones. Republica was for the most part a clean, shiny place. Obviously that pristine quality did not extend through the entire planet.

"Begin boarding for shuttle flight 427 to Coruscant," said a mechanized voice. Tae glanced at Taurin. The Jedi got to her feet and he followed her toward a ramp leading to the shuttle platform. They briefly entered open air before making their way into the transport, which was at least two decades old. The conditions inside it were not much better than they had been in the terminal itself, and Tae grimaced as he took a cramped seat.

On a typical day, there were only about fifty shuttle flights leaving from the entire planet of Republica with Coruscant as their destination. Most residents of the capital had no business on its predecessor, and vice versa. Of those flights, perhaps two or three could be deemed as approaching luxurious. Apparently the Jedi Masters had not thought it necessary to book one of those voyages.

Taurin sat next to Tae, and before long the time of departure had come. The transport vibrated slightly as its engines roared to life. A few seconds later, it lifted off the platform and began its rise out of the atmosphere.

"This is your pilot speaking," said an alien voice, its gender indeterminable to Tae's ears. "We will be reaching Coruscant in approximately 16.5 hours. Enjoy your flight."

Sure, thought Tae, rolling his eyes. But he knew that, once their destination was reached, things could get very interesting.

 

Great post!

 

Up

 

don't die on me now.

 

Sorry, this isn't a new story post. I have been pretty busy doing other things lately, and haven't had a lot of time to write on this story. I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm definitely still going to complete this . . . eventually.

 

this is great the thred is still going
i have been off line for about 8 months and just now got caught back up ...
i need some help i cant find 2 other storys i was reading one was the forces of decption and the other was a crossover with the x-men
if any one can help me please e-mail me at bnick1967@gateway.net

 

Well, it's been several weeks and nothing. Looks like another one bites the dust. . .