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

I just came upon this thread tonight for the first time. This story is wonderful. Seriously, Lucasfilms ought to be paying you for writing stuff this good. LOL! I can't wait to see what else happens. Great work Jeff 42 and Old Juan in keeping it going. OJ, I loved Qui Gon's ghost! That line about the "only one ever to meet and exceed your potential" is brilliant. Kind of sums up Obi Wan for me. What happened to Nanai, Jade and Shadowen? I really enjoyed their inputs as well. Sorry for the rave here, won't waste any more space.

 

Hey, Great Story guys!!!!!!!!! I too have just recently stumbled into this thread, and let me tell you, I am glad I did. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop. This story is beautifully written, it IS film quality. Anyway I hope you guys continue this story and try and get the other writers to join up again. THanks!

 

Thanks, everyone! I can't tell you how important getting compliments like this is to keeping me going. I don't know what Nanai and Shadowen have been up to, but I do know that JadeSkywalker is working on some other projects right now and won't be writing any more on this thread. One of these is A Parallel SW Universe, which I highly recommend. (Partly because I write in it too. )

[This message has been edited by Jeff 42 (edited 12-28-1999).]

 

Hi there!

I e-mailed Old Juan but since hotmails server is down for a couple of days(at least from where I live) I figured I might as well get my answear here by anyone. I just wondered if you guys would like another writer. I could mail you something and then you could judge if I´m good enough. If you wish to mail me you can use aalderan@mailcity.com
This story is great by the way. Let me know as soon as possible OK?
By the way, will someone put this all together at the end or what?

 

Ya that would be a good idea...all of us get together and start this story up again!

 

a

[This message has been edited by Wolverine (edited 12-27-1999).]

 

Thanks for the praise people. I really appreciate it. This is just to let you know that Jeff(fabulous writer by the way)will be finishing this story. He is the one who kept it alive after me and the other authors left. So it is his story to finish. I for one am looking forward to it.

 

Wolverine - I appreciate the fact that you want to help on this. Nothing against your post, which was pretty good, but it's not where I wanted to take the story. I have the rest of the story mostly planned out, and I'm not really looking for help writing it. Thanks anyways, and I hope you will continue to read and enjoy this thread.

 

OK. Keep up the good work. It´s really great. I shure hope you will put this all together in one long piece. You rely have a talent for this. Happy new year and all that.

 

As the shuttle cleared Yavin IV's atmosphere, Keiran was hit by a sudden wave of exhaustion. Keeping a Jedi Master from waking while simultaneously taking his lightsaber had used up nearly all his energy, and now the adrenaline flow he had been running on was wearing off. Keiran yawned and let his head drop into his hands, rubbing suddenly heavy eyelids. He nearly drifted off into unconsciousness, but he shook himself out of it. He would have time to rest once he made the jump to hyperspace.

Out the shuttle's front viewport, the red gas giant of Yavin loomed large and was continuously growing larger. Keiran took hold of the small craft's controls and turned it away from the massive planet. Then he took a few deep breaths, closed his eyes, and stretched out to the Force. Presences, shapes, various sensations; all swirled around him as he dove into the mystical energy field. He let it guide his hands as they slowly adjusted the controls. The small shuttle floated through the depths of space. Its trajectory gradually changed, up and down, left and right, until--There! Keiran opened his eyes. All he could see ahead of him was a vast starfield, but he knew that this was the direction he wanted to go. He punched the shuttle's hyperdrive activator, then sat back and watched as the stars turned to starlines, then to the colorful, swirling sky that was hyperspace.

* * *

Obi-Wan was roughly jostled awake in the middle of the night. His eyes snapped open to see young Andiell NiMalle looking down at him, an anxious expression on her face. "Wha--my lightsaber!" he exclaimed. Instantly, he realized that the weapon he carried everywhere, that had indeed become an extension of his self, was missing.

"Oh, no," muttered a worried Andiell. "Keiran must have taken it!"

"He what?" asked Obi-Wan, incredulous.

"I woke up a few minutes ago and heard Keiran sneaking through the Academy's halls. I followed him, but he outran me. Then he took off in a shuttle," explained Andiell. "He must have stolen your lightsaber before he left." The young woman paused, then said, "I have a bad feeling about this."

You can say that again, thought Obi-Wan. Quickly calming down, he said, "Keiran must be going after the Sith. We'd better wake the Masters."

"I guess so," replied Andiell. Obi-Wan got out of bed, grabbed a robe, and followed his trainee out into the shadowy corridors of the ancient temple. They walked in silence for a few moments. Then Andiell said, "Um, what do you think led him to do this?"

"He's impatient and eager to fight the Sith," said Obi-Wan. "You recognized this yourself. I've lectured him on his impatience in a few of our training sessions, most of them, now that I think about it, but I guess I didn't do a good enough job."

"Well, even so, I . . . I don't think there's any way you could have anticipated this." Obi-Wan smiled briefly; he could tell that it took courage for Andiell to speak up like this. "I just hope he'll be all right."

"I'm sure things will turn out okay," said Obi-Wan reassuringly. Indeed, he sensed that this seemingly unfortunate event would likely lead to good somehow. But at the same time, he knew that great difficulties would come before that.

"Here's Master Kah's room," announced Andiell, interrupting Obi-Wan's thoughts. He nodded, smiling grimly at the young Jedi. He was not eager to hear the Jedi Master's reaction.

* * *

All six of the Masters who were at the Academy had now gathered in the large control room, along with Obi-Wan and Andiell. The young woman quickly recounted the night's events. Then the pair waited for the Masters' reactions. All six showed varying degrees of disapproval, but none spoke harshly. Not yet, anyway, thought Obi-Wan.

"What do you think Jedi Foranoll intends to do?" asked Master Daan Teido.

"I'm sure that he means to find and confront the Sith," answered Obi-Wan.

"It's unlikely that he'll find anything," said Judu Kah. "However, this is still a serious matter. Jedi Kenobi, what do you think we should do?"

"I would like to go

 

All I have to say is that this is a GREAT story, and keep up the good work. BTW, Yoda's, Anakin's and maybe a few EU ghosts would be really cool

Yub Yub Commander

 

Great work Jeff. I am eagerly anticipating the next post.

 

Solid work. Can't wait till Obi-Wan proves he's right against these jabroni, wannabe Jedi and starts laying the smackdown. Anakin's ghost would be a must see, maybe when Kenobi's under house arrest.

 

Jedi Master Sai-Ten Nonen cautiously piloted the advanced shuttle away from the Jedi Academy's landing pads. He hadn't flown an interstellar transport in a few years, but the skills were quickly coming back to him, and the modern shuttle's controls were quite simple. Also advantageous was the fact that it had the fastest hyperdrive of any ship at the Academy. Keiran had left about two hours before, and those hours could be precious indeed.

As the shuttle cleared the jungle moon's gravity well, Sai-Ten stretched out with the Force. For the Jedi Master, it was fairly easy to sense Keiran's path across the stars. Sai-Ten quickly aimed his shuttle in the proper direction. But as he made the jump to hyperspace, he briefly sensed dark things ahead.

* * *

Obi-Wan sighed as he felt Master Nonen's presence disappear from the Yavin system. He had been concentrating on the old Jedi for quite some time; now Nonen had apparently gone into hyperspace. It seemed a bit convenient for Judu Kah that the bearded Master, who Obi-Wan felt was the most likely to be convinced of his point of view, had gone away on a mission at this time. But Nonen had volunteered, and Obi-Wan couldn't argue with his reasons for following Keiran. May the Force be with you, thought Obi-Wan at the departed Master. What Nonen found on his mission could play a huge part in the fate of the entire galaxy.

Obi-Wan laid back on his bed. He had been confined to his quarters with a permanent guard outside the door. The powerful Jedi would have no trouble eliminating the guard, of course, and perhaps the other Jedi at the Academy were even expecting that. But I'm not that barbaric, thought Obi-Wan wryly. Still, if the situation did not improve soon he might have no choice but to take some action.

Obi-Wan forced these thoughts from his mind as he closed his eyes, welcoming the onset of unconsciousness.

 

This thread is GREAT! When I first saw the topic I thought that it wouldn't be any good, but you've really changed my mind. Can't wait for the next post...

Give a man a fire, you keep him warm for a day. Set a man on fire, you keep him warm for the rest of his life.

 

Noooooooo! Not another one of my faves on page 2?!?!?!

UP!!!!!

 

THANK-YOU Jedi Gryph Grin...thank-you!

 

Ace Whitef squeezed the firing trigger and grinned ferociously as another enemy fighter went down under his guns. Only three more, thought the pilot. He pushed his ship's throttle forward in hot pursuit of another target.

The enemy had launched a surprise attack on an important Republic space station, coming in hard with a large array of deadly starfighters. But the attackers would not find success. Not against Ace Whitef's squadron! The enemy's numbers had quickly been decimated, and now it was only a matter of mopping up.

A melodious tone announced the acquisition of a targeting lock on the next fighter, and Whitef prepared to take it out. But suddenly, another, harsher tone interrupted him. It was the signal for an urgent message. Whitef grimaced, thinking, I told them I was working on some important business. He continued to pilot his starfighter, but then a gravelly Mon Cal voice sounded through the cockpit's speakers. "Sir, this is very important!"

Vice Admiral Ace Whitef sighed and hit the "pause" button on the fighter simulator, watching as the image on his viewscreen froze in place. He would never fly an actual starfighter, of course; he came from a long line of high-ranking officers who thought that piloting wouldn't be "proper." But he had always harbored secret fantasies of being a top fighter pilot. Maybe it was just his name. The admiral spent much of his time in his private simulator, flying exciting missions, getting away from the dull monotony of system patrol. He never put much effort into his real job, but no one else seemed to care. "Sir!"

Finally, Whitef hit a button to activate his com-link. "What is it, Captain? And this had better be good."

"Good isn't quite the word I'd use, Sir," replied the voice of Captain Jesmin Ackdool. "We're under attack."

 

<Trying to make invisible post appear.>

 

Top

 

Keiran sat up straight in his pilot's seat, his right hand poised over the shuttle's hyperdrive control. He could sense that he was getting very near to his destination. He did not know where he was headed, but--

Suddenly, Keiran was jerked forward as the small craft rapidly dropped out of hyperspace. Quickly recovering, the young Jedi looked out the viewport. For a moment, he did not notice anything, but then he realized that a fairly large portion of the sky contained no stars. Keiran focused in on this area and soon discovered that a large vessel, painted all in black, lurked there. I've arrived! he thought, but his excitement was tempered by the realization that that strange ship must have pulled him out of hyperspace with a gravity well generator. And that almost surely meant that they knew he was coming. I must be very cautious, he decided, adjusting the shuttle's controls to fly toward the other ship. This proved unnecessary, however, as it quickly locked onto the Jedi's shuttle with a tractor beam.

As Keiran drifted toward the dark vessel, he soon discovered that it was built for war. The massive ship was heavily armored and covered with weapons emplacements. It also had many sensors mounted over its large surface, as well as some strange-looking devices that Keiran did not recognize.

The shuttle continued to drift closer as the tractor beam drew it in. After a few minutes the Jedi was able to pinpoint his destination. A large hangar bay , which had appeared quite tiny from a distance, began to loom in front of his shuttle. As it grew larger, Keiran made out a polished metal interior, in sharp contrast to the black of the ship's hull. A few ships were scattered sparsely across the bay's floor. There were not many beings present, however. In fact, as the shuttle passed into the ship's interior, Keiran realized that the only occupants were four soldiers wearing dark armor and holding large guns. The shuttle slowed, then was set down smoothly beside the foursome.

Keiran clutched Obi-Wan Kenobi's lightsaber as he walked toward the shuttle's exit. He took a few long, deep breaths, reaching out to the Force at the same time. He would have to be ready to call on his powers at a moment's notice.

The Jedi Knight keyed open the shuttle's door and calmly walked out. All four guards brought up their weapons at once, pointing them at Keiran. "Stop right there," said the first one in a mechanical voice.

In response, Keiran reached out to touch the guard's minds, saying, "You cannot see me," in a hypnotic voice.

"What are you talking about? I said stop right there." The closest guard stepped forward now, gesturing at Keiran with his gun.

Uh-oh, thought the Jedi. He had not expected mere footsoldiers to be resistant to his Force powers. He briefly contemplated slashing them to pieces, but decided that killing should be left as a last resort. "Come with--" began the guard, but he stopped in shock as his blaster was ripped from his hands. Keiran grabbed it from the air, then swung the long weapon into the soldier's helmeted head. The guard dropped to the ground, while the Jedi leapt high into the air. He quickly set the blaster to stun as he came down behind the other guards. They turned, weapons at the ready, but were not fast enough. With three quick bursts of blue energy, the soldiers all slumped to the metal docking bay floor. Keiran fired once more, into the first guard, then began to walk from the docking bay.

He soon entered a hallway and was surprised to find it completely vacant. The Jedi paused, stretching out with his Force senses. A dark presence became apparent now, and it was nearby. Keiran followed it, slowly walking down the metal corridor. Less than a hundred meters later, he came to a thick blast door. He knew that this was his destination, that what he had travelled light-years to meet waited behind that door. The Jedi let his stolen blaster clatter to the deck as he pressed a button beside the door. It slowly came open with a groan. Keiran knew that he should ha

 

Wonderful!

I can't wait to see what happens. Please post more and soon.

 

"Perhaps you are mistaken about your intentions, Jedi," said the man, the Sith Lord. "But if death is what you have come seeking, then you will find it." The Dark Lord then drew a lightsaber of his own. With a snap-hiss, the weapon was activated, and a chill ran up Keiran's spine. This lightsaber was not crimson like the other Sith's, nor was it azure like Obi-Wan Kenobi's blade. Instead, it glowed an eerie black, somehow seeming to give off light and absorb it at the same time.

Keiran shook his head, then slowly began to move forward. He held his lightsaber steadily in front of him, and his gaze locked with his opponent's. The Sith held his ground, a confident grin on his colorless lips. Keiran continued to creep forward, finally stopping just two saber-lengths away from his enemy. Time seemed to stand still as the two motionless warriors stared at each other. It soon became apparent that the Dark Lord was going to let Keiran make the first move. Calling on all his strength in the Force, the Jedi did so.

Keiran lunged forward, feinted a low strike with his blade, then swung straight toward his opponent's head. The Sith casually turned the blow aside, making no attempt at counterattack. Keiran stepped back slightly, then unleashed a fierce left-right-left attack with his blue saber. Again, the blows were parried, and again no counterstike was made. "Is this all the Jedi have to offer?" said the Dark Lord. "I'm disappointed."

"I'm sure you'll be more disappointed when you lie dying on the floor," countered Keiran. He swung his blade hard again. As soon as it was blocked, however, the Jedi leapt high into the air. The two blades remained locked as he flipped over the Sith's head. Coming down, Keiran drew back slightly, then quickly struck at his enemy's backside. The Dark Lord managed to counter, but this time some exertion was apparent in his motions. Keiran did not pull back after this move, swinging his weapon down low and then sliding it up along the other's black blade. The Sith was forced to jump back, and Keiran followed with a fierce swing at his opponent's midsection. This strike was also blocked, and then the other saber came in high at the young Jedi Knight. A bit surprised, Keiran still managed to block easily. He quickly resumed his attack then, slashing down toward the Sith's knees. The air sizzled as the two blades met, again and again. Attack, block, attack, block. The duel was quickly becoming a fierce battle.

Keiran launched a hard attack at the Dark Lord's right shoulder. It was turned aside, however, and the Jedi realized that he had overextended himself. He was forced to leap back as the other blade came humming in at his belly. The Sith took advantage of the opportunity this time, pressing forward with a quick series of blows. Keiran found himself on the defensive. He had to continuously move backwards as the strikes came in quick and hard. The Jedi began to sweat as he fought to parry each blow. The Sith merely sneered as he doubled the ferocity of his attacks. Keiran had to jump backwards to avoid being singed by the dark blade. He landed with a jolt, feeling pain in his backside. He had run into the Dark Lord's throne! The young man stumbled as his ghastly opponent moved in again. The black blade came down hard, and Keiran barely managed to parry the blow. Now feeling a bit desperate, Keiran called on all his strength to push the other's blade away, then kick out with his left leg. The Dark Lord groaned as he was struck in the abdomen. Keiran back-flipped away, over the large chair, and landed just centimeters in front of the thick transparisteel viewport that separated the ship's interior from the cold vacuum of space.

Keiran did not return to the attack immediately. In fact, he could not. The Jedi stood in place, panting hard after the heavy exertion of the battle. He hoped that his opponent would not press the attack right away, and fortunately his wish was granted.

"Not bad, young Jedi," said the Sith Lord, although he did not even seem to be

 

OOOOH! Stay good Keiran, stay good!

This story is a treat!

 

Great story. Post more soon.