Chapter I

Chapter I

Citizens of the Galactic Republic! Our fighting men, women, and clones are waging courageous battles across the Outer Rim! Today’s little slice of the war showcases the sailors and pilots of Task Force Seven, known as the “Deadly Mynocks” as they wage a terrific fight near the star system of Belkadan. The rebel ambush is foiled by Admiral Illian and his band of death-defying star pilots. The rebellious forces are driven back with heavy losses.

Elsewhere, our clones fight magnificently, led by such young heroes as Captain Terellia and ace pilot Lieutenant Liam, who has already racked up an impressive thirty-three kills on his first tour of duty.

On Coruscant, the Galactic Senate gives a raucous ovation to Grand Centurion Palpatine as he delivers the latest news on the war and the source of the Jedi Clones.

“Even with all of their lies and denials, it is clear that the rebels are behind the unleashing of this monstrous threat to the galaxy. For bringing this horror to us, the rebels shall know the true fury of the Republic!”

Keep bringing the fight to them! No rebellion! No division! No backing down! Show your patriotism by buying war bonds to give our fighting people the support they need!

———————————

The red-painted transport affectionately known as The Bucket responded to Aiya Rios’s quick maneuvers before she engaged the light-speed engines. She had to slide the ship past the new warship dockyards and through the two security checkpoints that went into service only four months ago. Aiya’s skillful piloting enabled the ship to duck under the newest of three Orbital Weapons Platforms being constructed in orbit around Coruscant. To the public, this was all part of the build-up the Republic required to quell the rebellion that plagued the Outer Rim.

In private, it was in response to a surprise series of raids by the rebellion on Corellia, Ord Mantell, and Carida. The damage was mostly superficial, but enough to cause a near-panic among the government.

Several days into the voyage, one of the passengers The Bucket carried found himself at his favorite viewport at the front of the bridge. However, he found no comfort in the breathtaking view that space offered.

Anakin Skywalker began to pace back and forth on the bridge, wondering when they would arrive at Illum, the Jedi planet where he would begin construction of his own lightsaber. He had grown over the past few months and his height nearly matched that of his master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Although he still kept his hair closely cut and tied into a long braid, it still had the sandy color since he was a boy.

His impatience, however, grew along with his annoyance.

“Time to destination?” Anakin asked.

“A whopping seven minutes closer than the last time you asked,” Aiya Rios responded with an edge in her voice.

“If you’re looking to get there faster, I’m always up for a rematch in my Delta-7. Fairly, this time,” she quickly added. “No fair ripping my ship’s wing off just so you can hoist a trophy.”

Anakin turned to glare at her, but continued pacing. Aiya had once been Anakin’s rival when he was a starfighter racer on his home-world of Tatooine. Even though it was only a year ago that he had left that worthless hunk of rock, it seemed like a lifetime had passed. He tried hard to push that life out of his mind. That Anakin that was a nobody from a backward world. He refused to believe that Anakin existed anymore.

On the far side of the bridge, Obi-Wan Kenobi frowned at his padawan while he stood with Captain Raust. Together, they looked at the pacing Jedi as he barked at Aiya.

“He’s extremely impatient, Commander,” Captain Raust said.

“That will change,” Obi-Wan replied. “And please, Captain, I prefer the Jedi title that I earned to the military title that was given.”

“The law is specific about your wartime commission, Commander,” the captain replied.

“The law is only temporary until the Clone Wars is over. Make sure you return when I signal, no matter what the status of the task force is. Master Fisto will understand your absence. Anakin and I will be quite busy, but when it is time to leave, we will leave quickly.”

“You meant to say General Fisto, Commander,” Captain Raust corrected.

“No, I didn’t,” Obi-Wan said coldly.

“I have always enjoyed Illum in its summer season. It is a fine choice for the boy’s education,” a soft voice said from behind them.

Captain Raust saluted sharply as Obi-Wan embraced Jedi Master Ki-Ad-Mundi. “Master, I am pleased you could join us on our journey. I was beginning to wonder if you would ever leave your chambers,” Obi-Wan grinned.

“I didn’t feel it necessary to make myself known,” the Jedi Master said plainly. “The Jedi Council has taken an interest in the boy’s development. As such, they have tasked me to observe and fine tune his training.”

“He is my padawan,” Obi-Wan protested.

Captain Raust held the salute.

“Of course he is, my dear boy. However you are just barely a year removed from being a padawan yourself, are you not? It is only with extreme circumstances that you are allowed to claim someone this old as your padawan,” Ki-Adi-Mundi remarked.

“Given his abilities and his potential, Master Yoda himself wanted to train Anakin. However, things are what they are and with the way the war is occupying our efforts, perhaps it is all for the best that you are his master,” Ki-Adi-Mundi eyed Anakin carefully.

“I can instruct him just as well as Yoda,” Obi-Wan indignantly said.

Master Ki-Adi-Mundi raised an eyebrow and Obi-Wan blushed.

“You are in charge of his education. I am here to make sure that what you say sticks to him. Master Yoda is concerned that we are putting too much into him at too great a rate. He must learn the value of our ways, not just the knowledge,” Ki-Adi-Mundi smiled.

Captain Raust’s arm trembled.

“To be honest, I was glad when Master Yoda asked me to come along. I look forward to discussing Cerea with young Anakin. I have no doubt he can tell me much about my home since I have been forbidden to return,” his voice trailed off and his eyes glazed over in thought.

“Oh do put your arm down, captain, you look the fool,” he snapped.

They watched Anakin turn abruptly on his heel and ask Aiya, yet again, when they were arriving.

“He’s extremely impatient, Commander,” Captain Raust said again, flexing his sore arm.

Obi-Wan frowned as he watched his padawan.

“Illum will change that. It always does,” Ki-Adi-Mundi replied and put a hand on Obi-Wan’s shoulder.

———————————

“Really sir, I don’t think you have the first idea of what you’re talking about.” Padme Amidala, Chairperson for the Alderaan Committee of Armed Services, was growing weary of listening to this same, tired argument.

“It’s all too clear!” the shrill voice of the dissident rang through the chamber. “Why can’t you see that the corporations are the ones behind this war simply to line their pockets? They’re raking in profits with the Republic footing the bill!”

Padme rubbed her throbbing temples.

“Mr. Remmick, you have no direct evidence, no proof, and no facts to back your rather insane accusations. While it is true that INCOM starfighters as well as other, larger ships, have been seen used by both sides, can you show us undeniable evidence that they are dealing under the table?” she countered.

“You sold yourself to INCOM, SoroSuub, TaggeCo, and Adascorp when the war first started!” the squat, little man screeched. “People are dying out there by the millions while you sit here in a committee room doing nothing to stop them from taking away our freedoms!”

Padme signaled for order several times. The sound of chimes filled the air. “Mr. Remmick, unless you have something substantial to bring before the committee, we’re adjourned for the day.”

“What about the weapon? Can you sit there and deny that the Republic is constructing a weapon so monstrous that it could make star fleets obsolete? That it can bring any star system to its knees?” his eyes bugged from the effort.

“How fascinating,” Padme yawned. “I suppose it’s powered by a team of Rancors running on giant wheels?”

Several committee members laughed, but Remmick was un-deterred.

“And I suppose you can sleep at night knowing that citizens of the Republic you claim to defend are being harassed, arrested, detained, and eliminated for speaking out? We have Republic Enforcement Squads rampaging throughout the galaxy making citizens disappear on a whim!” Remmick shouted.

“It appears they missed one,” Senator Mira said and a ripple of chuckles went through the chamber before Padme shot him a cold stare.

“Once again, no evidence, no facts. I am growing rather tired of hearing your voice in this chamber. I thank the members for appearing today,” Padme signaled for adjournment.

“You want proof? I’ll give you proof! You’ll see, you’ll all see! I’ll give you something so explosive it will shake this tyrannical government!” Remmick screamed as he was dragged out of the room.

“I thank the committee members for appearing today. Please abide by the wartime curfew and remember that security staff will be coming by your offices today to scan for any illegal surveillance equipment that rebels might have planted,” Padme said in a dead voice.

Padme shook her head sadly before stepping out of the chamber and into a nearby hallway. She was immediately flanked by her Chief of Staff.

“I hate reading a statement detailing how our freedoms are being restricted,” Padme said.

“Senator, we’ve received another request from Alderaan Today for an interview, Senator Rand wants me to remind you about the gala next week, and you promised the Committee for Patriotic Support you would stop by their meeting tonight,” her Chief of Staff ignored her as she typed into a digital tablet.

“No interviews today, tell Senator Rand I have not forgotten, and tell the ‘Committee for Unconditional Loyalty’ they can…” She was stopped in the bustling corridor in front of her office by a tall man with a scar on his face that ran just above and below his left eye.

“The Senator has to meet with a different committee at the moment. I’ll have her contact you when she is ready to sell herself out to the next highest bidder,” he said as the office door slid shut behind them.

Padme slumped into her chair and let out a sigh as she looked at the flashing messages that were displayed as “unread” on her desk.

“Four hundred and fifty-one and the day isn’t over yet.” Padme said.

“I thought your Chief of Staff was supposed to be your gatekeeper? Doesn’t she filter the junk out and only send you what’s important?” Khian asked. He ran a hand through his black, shortly cropped hair before finding a spot on her desk not covered in digital pads to lean against.

“This is after the filter,” she sighed.

He picked up a tablet at random. “Oh yeah, a message from the Deputy to the Assistant Regent about the lateness of a report detailing why your reports are being submitted after their deadlines. I can see how this is critical to the war effort.” Khian said.

He grabbed another one. “Oh this is a real gem. You need to submit a report detailing what you can do to inspire your droids. Can droids even be inspired? I’m curious, how does the Undersecretary for Records and Logistics think anyone can inspire a droid?”

“And here’s a message detailing how I’m not paying enough attention to the media or the transmission screaming about how I’m supposed to be inspiring our glorious troops from behind my desk. Khian, I’m dying back here!” Padme dropped her head on the desk and several tablets clattered on to the floor.

“Listen sweetheart, you have looked at more strategic naval plans and army tactical reports than anything else. You’re not the Grand Centurion, but you sure as hell are acting like him. What more can you do?” he asked.

“Yes and how did I discover the existence of the clones to begin with? It wasn’t from sitting behind this desk. How did Anakin stop Darth Maul? Which desk is he sitting behind now?” Padme fumed.

“Anakin Stumpwalker is probably out in the middle of nowhere getting his head filled with Jedi ramblings about how everything is a part of everything.” Khian folded his arms.

Padme slapped Khian’s shoulder. “I asked you not to call him that.”

“I didn’t hear an answer for my question. If this desk is a problem, I’ll haul it out faster than a Hutt moves to a buffet. What more can you do? Are you going to enlist in the Republic Armed Forces? If you do, let me remind you that protecting you in a planetary battle ain’t in my job description,” Khian said.

“I might need a raise,” he winked.

“Senator Cordellian was offered a commission and is now a Captain of the Line in charge of a Mandator Class Dreadnaught. Lucky me, I got to inherit his seat as a chairperson. Even General Tarkin got a transfer and is now a Surface Marshal in charge of six sectors!”

“Cordy was offered the commission because he was a Lieutenant Commander long before he served on the Armed Forces Committee. What navy did you serve in? What weapons training have you had? How many people have you killed all in the name of glory for the Republic?” Khian asked.

Padme turned to look at her protector. “Once again, you make a convincing argument. Maybe you should run for office.”

“And wind up stuck behind a desk staring at forms all day instead of a woman whose smile lights up the room? I think I’ll pass,” he leaned in closer to her.

Padme pretended to focus on a digital tablet. “Do you think there’s any truth to what Remmick was saying? Is it possible that the corporations are dealing under the table to the rebels?”

Khian shrugged his broad shoulders. “As possible as a smuggler going straight. The rebellion can’t last very long and backing the loser never looks good to your shareholders.”

“Then how are the rebels getting their equipment? They have an impressive number of clones, but if they were limited in the number of ships and land vehicles then they should adopt a ‘hit and run’ strategy. The reports I have read show they are engaging us in open warfare in numerous systems across the Outer Rim.”

“That’s why Grand Centurion Palpatine gets the big payday.” Khian said.

“There has to be some way to determine that.” Padme’s voice trailed off as she stared out the window at yet another pristine day. “I need to dictate a transmission to Grand Centurion Palpatine. I think he and I can help each other.”

“You should know better than anyone else that investigations lead to a world of trouble. In your case, it leads to explosions and Sith Lords.” Khian fingered his scar in thought.

“That was one time, what are the odds it will happen again?” Padme asked.

Her desk intercom buzzed. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but Viceroy Organa insists that he meet with you as soon as he lands on Alderaan. Also, Magistrate Tyr wants to know when he can expect you at tonight’s committee meeting and the fitters are here to make sure your dress is ready in time for next week’s gala.”

Khian stifled a laugh as Padme rolled her eyes. “All for the glory of the Republic, I suppose,” she said.

Padme’s hand moved to press the reply button, but Khian’s hand shot out and grabbed hers before she could.

“Padme, why don’t you let me help?” he asked.

“Help?” Padme asked and tried to pull her hand back.

Khian’s grip was firm, but not crushing. “You, very dramatically, said you were dying back here. You have hundreds of unanswered transmissions, and you’re wasting time with all this nonsense. Isn’t it my duty to stop you from dying, even figuratively? Please, I can help.”

“And you have experience dealing with diplomats?” she asked.

“I have experience dropping them out a window,” he grinned.

Padme didn’t return the grin.

Khian stood up straight and adjusted his vest. “In all seriousness, I am well versed in the art of politics. I know I can help you. I want to help you.”

Padme smiled sweetly at him. “I suppose we can add ‘Administrative Liaison’ to your job description. That’s very sweet of you to offer.”

“Sweet is my middle name,” Khian smiled back.

“I don’t even know your last name,” Padme giggled.

“Well I have to save some mystery, now don’t I?” his thumb began to slowly caress the top of her hand.

Padme blushed, but didn’t withdraw her hand. The intercom buzzed again and they both jumped at the breaking of the moment. This caused their hands to break and dart back toward their respective owners.

She straightened her blouse before pressing the reply button. “Tell them they can come in and let them know my Administrative Liaison will need to be fitted for a suit as well.”

Padme giggled as Khian’s eyes widened in mock horror.

———————————

Anakin turned to watch The Bucket begin its ascent away from the surface of the planet and back into space. He shielded his eyes when the blast from the engines caught up to him, then turned to face his master. Obi-Wan wasn’t next to him, he was already walking toward a sheer cliff with Jedi Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, a bag slung over his shoulder.

He hastened to join his master. “Master Kenobi, when will the ship return?”

Obi-Wan turned his head, but Master Ki-Adi-Mundi put a hand on the Kenobi’s shoulder and they kept walking.

The bitter cold ripped through Anakin’s robe. “Master Kenobi, is the Jedi Temple close?”

Obi-Wan didn’t look back.

A sudden blast of snow hit Anakin in the face. “Master Kenobi, I’m starting to miss Tatooine,” he tried to chuckle.

Obi-Wan maintained his pace.

Anakin pulled his hood up over his head to provide some measure of protection from the howling wind and walked on in silence.  He tried to count the hours as they approached the cliff and then he saw their destination. Anakin turned to the Jedi Master for answers.

“Master Ki-Adi-Mundi, I’m confused. Why are you here?” Anakin asked.

The Jedi Master also said nothing.

The cliff was massive with sheer, icy walls, but housed the entrance to a tiny cave that beckoned to Anakin. “Is that where we’re headed?” he asked them both. Anakin was desperate to know more, but they returned his question with stony silence.

He couldn’t help but feel disappointed. Where was the Jedi Temple? Where were the massive columns or the hallowed steps leading up to a grand entrance? As they ducked slightly to get in the jagged entrance, he sucked in a quick breath of air.

Anakin could almost swear that the dark, foreboding cave was a living being with a Force presence of its very own. He no longer had the distant sun of Illum to tell him how long they trekked through the cave. He felt fully engulfed in the darkness and lost all track of time as they walked. The two Jedi did not ignite their lightsabers, but walked on without missing a step. Anakin seemed to find every hole, gap, and fissure that tried to trip him up.

How long had they been in this cavern?

Time dragged on until Anakin wasn’t even sure if it was day, night, or the following week. His feet ached, his throat was parched, and yet they trudged on. Finally, he saw that they were headed for a light that emanated from an opening. Anakin’s breath caught in his throat as they entered a vast cavern with formations of blue and green crystals that seemed to go on forever.

Anakin couldn’t even see the room’s ceiling. It was a cathedral of wonder that stretched on forever. He ignored his throbbing feet and only stared in awe.

Obi-Wan and Master Ki-Adi-Mundi continued walking up a path that lead to a higher level of the cave without missing a beat. Anakin stared for just a minute longer before following his silent master. They left the breathtaking room and entered another shaft that, except for the occasional pocket of crystals, left them walking in the darkness once again.

There were some crystals in the larger cavern that were as big as Anakin’s fist, why didn’t they just stop there? It seemed like that was the main room, why are they still walking? Is Obi-Wan bringing a cruel form of punishment by teasing him with crystals? With every step they took, questions grew in his mind.

After what seemed endless twists and turns in the tunnel, Anakin had completely lost track of the time and their whereabouts. Finally, new thoughts entered his mind. His master and a heralded Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan Kenobi, was guiding him through a crystal cave on the sacred Jedi planet of Illum en route to building his first lightsaber. They were accompanied by not only a Jedi Master, but someone who sat on the Jedi Council itself. Anakin let go of his control over the events and give himself totally to the moment.

Why should time matter in this place? Why does it matter if they travel two kilometers or twenty? The galaxy would still be there when they left the cave. Anakin gave himself to the Force and let it guide him and control what would happen next.

Obi-Wan and Ki-Adi-Mundi came to an abrupt halt.  Ki-Adi-Mundi dropped his bag near a small patch of green crystals.

“Now you’re ready,” Ki-Adi-Mundi said.

“Wait, what?” Anakin stammered and almost walked into him.

Master Ki-Adi-Mundi stretched his legs and smiled at Obi-Wan as if they were sharing a private joke.

“You’ve learned lesson number one and now we can finally move on. To be honest, I wish you had developed your mind a little sooner. My feet are killing me,” Obi-Wan grinned.

Anakin immediately understood. “Then it begins.”

Chapter VI

Chapter VI

 

            Citizens of the Galactic Republic! Our heroic forces continue their valiant struggle against the rebel forces across the galaxy! Despite stubborn resistance within the Galactic Senate, Grand Centurion Palpatine refuses to back down on the Military Conscription Act.

            “Clones are not the answer, we knew that going in. It is time for the youth of the Republic to enlist and show their patriotism by joining our brave troopers already engaged in conflict.”- Grand Centurion Palpatine

            Troopers such as the clones in the 37^th Delta Wing, or the “Delta Devils”, who are pushing the rebels out of the Yavin system. Or troopers such as those in the mysterious 501^st Legion who do the dirty jobs normal troopers cannot accomplish alone. They are responsible for hunting down and bringing justice to those that were responsible for the cowardly raid on Coruscant.

            “Every day, we have scout teams across the galaxy reporting back to us on the whereabouts of rebel traitors. They are always out there, always searching, and they will not stop until every rebel is brought to face the light of justice.” –Marshal Tarkin

            There are thousands of heroes, millions of soldiers, and trillions of citizens whose hearts all beat proudly for the Galactic Republic!

Keep bringing the fight to them! No rebellion! No division! No backing down! Show your patriotism by buying war bonds to give our fighting people the support they need!

—————————–

For countless weeks, Kentaru Remmick had assailed Padme’s office with transmissions about how corporations loyal to the Republic were also dealing under the table to the rebellion. The one time he claimed he had actual proof, he disappeared.

Khian watched through hours of surveillance recordings and never saw Remmick.

Khian tried to track down his financial records only to be stonewalled.

As far as the Republic was concerned, Remmick never existed.

He sighed heavily as he activated his personal communicator. Desperate times clearly called for desperate measures. He winced as he saw the pale woman’s face appear on his monitor.

“I’m tracing this transmission and if I find you’re within fifty kilometers of me, I’ll come down on you so hard the Nightsisters will look like nurse maids,” she said angrily.

Khian couldn’t help but smile. “I promise I’m not even on the same planet.”

When her expression didn’t change, Khian’s smile widened. “Lina, was it that bad?”

She ran a hand through her mass of bright blue hair. “Saying our relationship was bad is like saying a Hutt has an eating problem.”

“I don’t know why I broke it off with someone so incredibly beautiful, talented and verbose,” Khian said in his most flattering voice.

Lina’s hair turned jet black. “Cram it, Khian. What do you want?”

He took a deep breath and her hair turned a mousey brown. “I need a favor.”

Her hair shot into bright blonde and she laughed hysterically. “Goodbye Khian.”

“The safety of the galaxy is at stake,” he offered.

The hair remained a shocking shade of blonde. “Now I know you’re joking. There are only two things you have ever gone after and if money’s involved, I twenty percent, not ten.”

Khian shook his head. “Not a money job this time, but it is nice to see you’re still as honorable as ever.”

Her hair slowly returned to the mousey brown. “Flattery will get you ten-to-twenty years in a Republic Detention Facility.”

“I need a slicer and you know I only go to the very best. But since Nerat is working exclusively for the Black Sun I came to you instead,” Khian grinned.

Lina’s hair turned a lighter shade of brown and Khian’s hopes rose.

“What’s the job?” she asked.

“I need you to track someone down that the Republic has done a very good job of hiding from me,” he said.

“You lose another girl?” Lina asked.

“No…no girl,” Khian quickly stammered.

Lina’s hair turned the playful blue and she leaned back. “That’s the other thing you always go after. This wouldn’t have anything to do with that politician I saw you with on the Holo-Net, would it?”

“It’s just a job, nothing more,” Khian said.

Lina’s hair turned black again. “Don’t you lie to me! It’s worse than an insult.”

Khian exhaled slowly. “It’s important to me and to her.”

“Aw hell Khian, you fell in love with her,” Lina’s hair lightened. “What did you go and do that for? You will remember to invite your ex to the wedding, right?”

“She doesn’t know,” Khian blurted before he could stop himself.

Lina stared at him. “You remember what holding the truth back did, right? You have to tell this girl how you feel and I mean tell her point-blank.”

“We’re getting away from the point,” he argued. “The job. Yes or no?”

Lina’s hair now turned a dark, almost blood red. “What’s the guy’s name?”

—————————–

Lina was as good as he remembered and more. She verified that someone had gone through and completely eliminated him from any possible record.

“If there’s no trace, then how do you know it’s his place?” Khian asked.

“The apartment is registered to a business called ‘Mire KMC’. It was clever to make it sound like a business, but you need to get a move on if you want to stay ahead of the Republic Enforcement Squad sent from Coruscant for this job,” she warned.

“They’re not going local for this?” Khian asked.

She shook her dark brown hair. “This is a special group. They have visited twenty-four star systems prior to this and someone always goes missing on each world they go to.”

“Oh well I can’t keep all this fun to myself. Thanks for the info, I’ll send some credits your way,” Khian offered.

Lina’s hair softened. “Stop torturing yourself and tell the girl you love her. We’re all living on borrowed time. Talk to her before your time runs out.”

Khian paused in front of the building that held Remmick’s hideaway. The dwelling was a modest enough apartment. Entering through the lobby would invite trouble as his image was recorded by multiple cameras. The best way in was from the outside. The problem was that his apartment faced out onto a park and not another building and was over twenty stories up.

“It figures. Can’t make this too easy, can we?” Khian muttered.

He waited for a transport to pass before he raced to the building’s wall. He leapt as high as he could and slammed himself against the building’s smooth surface.

The Black Diamond Pitons that extended out of his wrists, forearms, and knees fit very easily into the exterior of the building and made his work physically taxing, but allowed him to scale the vertical structure.

Khian held his breath as a resident wandered onto their terrace on the floor above him. The woman stared out into the park for a handful of moments. Khian’s palms began to sweat and he prayed she continued to look out and not down.

She sipped something from her mug and coughed loudly. “You call this a drink?” she swore and dumped the liquid over the edge. It came within inches of hitting Khian and causing a loud splash a few feet from her instead of a few stories.

He continued his ascent when she disappeared back inside. Once he reached Remmick’s terrace, Khian deftly swung himself onto the landing and waited to see if there were any noises to indicate he had been given away.

Silence confirmed a job well done.

Khian smiled to see the door was unlocked. Who would think a burglar would climb over thirty meters when the front door was the easier path? He stepped inside and ran a quick security scan to see if Remmick had any intruder devices running.

True to his paranoid nature, Kentaru Remmick had four anti-intruder devices on his front door, but nowhere else. Khian’s search began.

His eyes passed over the usual material regarding Republic battles, various diplomats’ speeches, and other ordinary propaganda spewed by both sides of the war. Remmick had been spouting about proof just before he disappeared, was he just bluffing? Desperate for attention?

Khian had no trouble getting access to Remmick’s computer, but found nothing of importance. He went through a number of digital tablets that Remmick had all over his apartment, but nothing substantial was on any of them.

He froze when he stepped into Remmick’s sleeping quarters and saw twenty thermal detonators shelved above his bed. Was he planning a campaign of terror? Was Padme a target?

Khian’s scanner revealed more questions than answers. None of the detonators were active. In fact, none of them had any moving parts. When was a bomb not a bomb?

He stood on Remmick’s bed and cautiously pulled one off the shelf. Khian examined it carefully for any possible signs of life before he sat down and really studied the device.

It truly was a thermal detonator and not a copy or a toy. But why would he have so many of them with nothing inside? Khian decided to tempt Lady Fate and pressed the button on the detonator.

The circular device popped open and he gasped when he saw a piece of paper inside. The rolled up piece of parchment was reasonably fresh and in good condition, despite being so small and shoved into a palm-sized device.

Khian marveled at Remmick’s cunning. Paper cannot be sliced or hacked by anyone. There was no computer to access and no network to penetrate. The simplicity of it was very amusing. Khian quickly opened all of the detonators and put together the puzzle that Kentaru Remmick had created.

What he read made him break out in a cold sweat.

Remmick had obtained real evidence that the rebels were indeed being sold weapons and equipment from the largest supply depot in the entire Republic. While the evidence didn’t say who was doing the selling, it was the location of the depot made Khian’s heart race.

Dare he return to Ord Mantell?

Now the full weight of the dilemma sat upon Khian’s shoulders. If he told Padme about this, she would demand to rush off to the depot. She was headstrong and determined, that’s what he admired in her.

If she went to the depot, could he protect her? His thoughts wandered to Alanna and how he had failed her on the same planet. Thinking about it was painful enough, living it again would be a nightmare. How could he live with himself if Padme met the same end?

The only way to keep Padme from Ord Mantell was to destroy this evidence. He could just tell her that he had learned nothing and leave it be. Lying to Padme might save Padme. There was simply no way that he could show her what he found. He had to lie.

He wrestled with this a handful of heartbeats longer before he heard an all too familiar sound. Khian’s head whipped around to see the front door’s keypad glow bright blue. A humming intensified before the keypad blew out completely and landed on the floor.

Khian had another handful of heartbeats to act.

The door slid open and six men dressed in black armor rushed in to Remmick’s apartment. They moved with the precision of a veteran strike team, their blaster rifles covering all possible entry and exit points.

“Clear,” one said.

A seventh man passed through the doorway. His armor was a shocking white, with blue outlining the various panels, in stark contrast to the rest of his team. The others in his team hadn’t moved. They were still crouched in various firing positions, tensed and ready for combat.

The man in white slowly removed his helmet and placed it down on a table in the living room. His white-blonde hair and pale skin glowed in the artificial lighting. What stood out the most were his equally white eyes. There was no iris, no pupil, nothing at all that Khian could make out from his hiding place. His gloved fingers traced the outline of a desk and ran along the top of a couch before he turned back to his team.

“It doesn’t have to be neat, but it needs to be thorough,” he muttered.

His team went into action tossing the table over, ripping up cushions with long knives, and shattering dishes in his kitchen.

One of them dashed into the bedroom and froze. “Colonel Adani!” he called.

The man stepped slowly into the room and raised an eyebrow when he saw the thermal detonators placed perfectly back onto the shelves Khian found them on.

“You must respect a man who has a love affair with explosives,” Colonel Adani mused.

“Move to evac point Delta!” the soldier called, but the colonel raised his hand.

“I said ‘respect’ not ‘fear’,” he growled and stepped into the bedroom.

Despite the obvious danger he faced, this man walked casually around the bedroom. The colonel’s gloved fingers touched various objects as he moved around the room. He finally halted at the side of the bed and cocked his head to one side as he looked at the detonators.

“They’re fakes,” he observed without touching them.

“Sir, how can we know…” the soldier began.

Faster than Khian could blink, Colonel Adani grabbed one and threw it past the soldier’s head. The detonator collided with the wall, cracking it and sinking in several centimeters.

“You’ll just have to take my word for it, corporal,” the colonel said grimly.

“Collect them and nothing else. This is what Tarkin wants us here for,” he ordered.

The corporal swiftly gathered the detonators and shoved them into a bag that he then slung onto his shoulder.

The colonel took one last look around the room and moved toward the door. As he neared the door, Khian let out a sigh of relief.

The colonel’s white-blonde hair whipped around and he inhaled sharply. His eyes closed for a long moment and the whole room seemed to stop.

“Someone has been here,” the colonel breathed. “Ten…no eleven minutes ago.”

Khian swallowed as he heard the blaster rifles become unslung. He ducked down into the refuse chute and gripped his Black Diamond Pitons even harder. Khian silently cursed himself for letting his curiosity get the better of him.

The colonel stepped back while four of the soldiers entered the bedroom, rifles at the ready. They checked the obvious hiding places under the bed, glanced at the ceiling, the closet, and even outside the bedroom window.

“We’re clear here, sir,” the corporal reported.

“No…I don’t think we are,” Colonel Adani replied.

Footsteps neared the refuse chute and the sweat on Khian’s forehead intensified.

The barrel of a rifle poked the door once, then pushed through and held the door open. Khian waited for a head to follow and see him clinging over twenty stories from the bottom.

“Don’t be so stupid!” the colonel hissed. “If there was someone in the chute and you stuck your face in, that person could kill you without thinking twice. Send in a crawler droid and let it kill whatever’s in there.”

The footsteps backed away. Khian’s sweat dripped off of his chin.

A noise of a metal object hitting the floor was the turning point. Khian re-gripped the handles of his pitons and pressed his feet against the back of the chute. In one swift motion, he pulled himself up and kicked hard at the chute to propel him out and into the room.

Khian was fortunate to have two soldiers standing close enough to the chute. They were kneeling down, preparing the droid, when Khian collided with both of them. His pitons pierced their chest armor and he heard the sickening crunch of breaking ribs.

He stood up quickly and Alanna flashed in his hand as a third soldier charged him. The man was fast, slamming his helmet into Khian’s midsection. Khian grabbed the man around the helmet and his blade sliced across the man’s unprotected throat.

Colonel Adani’s open and gloveless palm slammed into Khian’s upper chest and he crumpled to the floor. He didn’t feel pain, but numbness radiated through his body.

“You’re either very good, or we got very sloppy,” the colonel said as the rest of his team entered the room with their weapons drawn.

He cocked his head to one side and put his gloves back on. “Perhaps a little of both?”

Khian could only grunt.

Another of his squad powered up his rifle and pointed the barrel at Khian’s head, but the Colonel held up a hand.

“You provide me with an unexpected bonus,” Colonel Adani smiled and motioned to his team. “You appear to be about Remmick’s size and shape. Close enough for the post-mortem medical team anyway.”

Two men came forward and put Khian on Remmick’s bed while others were spreading a foul smelling liquid on the floor in a very deliberate manner.

“Clean-up protocol Alpha,” the colonel ordered. “I want no DNA trace or blood stains when the locals arrive to put out the fire.”

Other soldiers picked up the three bodies and dragged them out of the room. The corporal opened a small box he had removed from his pack. Seven boxy-looking droids no larger than the palm of his hand immediately hopped out of the box and went to work. The droid scrubbed and used small lasers to eliminate any blood that the dead soldier left behind.

Colonel Adani gave Khian a bow with a great deal of flourish before leaving the room. One last member of his team tossed an open lighter into the room and backed out.

The fire spread quickly.

—————————–

“…got to him when I did…”

“…how can I repay…”

“…he’s always been headstrong…”

Khian blinked his eyes hard a few times as they tried to adjust to the light. Two heads entered his field of vision and he coughed a few times.

“He might be doing that for a while longer,” Lina said. “Just keep giving him water and I think he might just live to try and die another day.”

A soft hand caressed his forehead and his eyes focused around the worried face of Padme Amidala.

Khian couldn’t help but smile.

“Lina,” he croaked. “How did you…”

“I told you I was tracing the transmission. I know you too well than to leave you on your own. When I saw the smoke, I knew you had to be in the middle of something devious,” Lina smiled and her hair turned blue.

“I thought we weren’t on the same planet,” Khian said.

“No, you assumed I wasn’t on Alderaan and, once again, you assumed wrong. All I said was that I didn’t want you within fifty kilometers of me,” Lina smiled. “You can thank me later, with a bonus.”

“Lina…thanks,” Padme smiled.

Lina shook her head. “That boy is all kinds of messed up. If I were you, I’d straighten him out.”

Padme’s head swung back into Khian’s field of vision. “Can I get you anything?”

Khian sat up with difficulty and coughed again. His entire body smelled acrid from the smoke and he gratefully drank down a cup of water Padme handed him.

“A good cleaning service?” he smirked.

He braced himself for the smack on his shoulder that was sure to follow, but she didn’t move. The same tender expression on Padme’s face remained.

“I’ll let you rest. When you’re better, I want to know if you found anything at Remmick’s,” she said.

“Back to business already?” he joked.

Tears formed in Padme’s eyes and Khian stared. Did she feel…?

He had no time to think about it as she turned and left the room without another word. Khian leaned back against the pillow and welcomed sleep. His hand reached into his pants pocket and felt the scraps of paper he saved from Remmick’s apartment. The look on her face was all the persuasion he needed.

She deserved to know the truth.

—————————–

Being the lead producer for the leading news organization in the galaxy came with some tremendous perks. You could meet and arrange interviews with only the elite, the most famous people in the Galactic Republic. You could make or break careers of celebrities with a single phone call. The famous people that billions adored would adore you if you set up a favorable set of questions during a show. This always meant lavish gifts that bordered on sheer bribery that had made her lifestyle very posh.

You would also lose too much sleep worrying about doing whatever it takes to stay the lead producer before some young hot-shot with a handheld device gets a great story and then gets your job. In a flash, her posh apartment, extensive wardrobe, spa sessions, and daily massages would vanish.

What made Oreana T’riek pace late in her office that night was that fear. The walls of her illustrious office were covered in awards, photos of her shaking hands or hugging history makers in the Republic. Twelve years ago, she had catapulted straight to the top of the HoloNet News Network. Now her career was threatening to plummet right back to the bottom. Sure, she had met with great success in the past. But when you have the capability to communicate nearly instantly with only three hundred trillion citizens, the prevailing attitude is “what have you done for me today?”

The good news was that this little spat between the Republic and a few hundred renegade star systems was shaping up to be a full-scale war. That meant there were tragedies to exploit, drama on every planet, and millions of soldiers to interview and proclaim as heroes.

The bad news was that there were millions of soldiers to interview! The public tired so easily of grunts and flight jockeys making headlines who would die at the next skirmish. Admirals were always gave the most predictable quotes. Jedi generals were too boring. With battles raging across vast sectors of space, there wasn’t one person the viewing public could rally behind.

She stopped pacing for a moment. She didn’t really believe in a sixth sense, but chills went up her back as if someone was watching her. Oreana shrugged this off and went back to pacing.

Suddenly, she wasn’t at her desk. Oreana T’riek was standing at the top of a snow capped cliff, looking down on a great battle below. Even though she seemed to be at a great distance from the fighting, she could make out every detail with no difficulty. Even the driving winds and snow had no effect on her vision.

Below was a lone figure surrounded by rebel soldiers. The rebels were snarling at the man like vicious animals as he stood his ground. Without warning, they moved as one and pounced on the brave man. Oreana screamed as they buried him with their bodies, their hands savagely tearing away at anything that resembled their prey.

The man with sandy colored hair burst through the pile, sending rebels tumbling away in all directions. In his hands, a golden lightsaber bathed the area in its light. The look in his eyes resembled a furious storm and Oreana was overwhelmed by the courage and confidence he irradiated.

Moving quickly and with wondrous agility, the Jedi with the golden blade cut through the swarms of rebels. Everywhere the young man with the sandy hair was, rebels fell before him. There were none that posed a challenge to him. When it was all over and they were all destroyed, Oreana couldn’t help but fall hopelessly in love with this handsome hero of the Republic.

As quickly as it happened, she was back at her desk. The image of the young man was seared into her memory and her heart that thudded in her chest. She knew then and there that she had her hero and the entire galaxy would know and cheer him.

“Skywalker,” the voice trailed off in her ear.

Her hand slammed down on her console. A sleepy voice answered her transmission a few moments later.

“This had better be about a tawdry love affair,” her producer’s voice groaned on the other end of the transmission.

“I need to know what happened at the planet Illum today,” Oreana said, still trying to catch her breath.

“Illum? Never heard of it,” the tired voice on the other end grumbled.

Oreana ended the call. Clearly, this could not wait for her boss to wake up. Her heart thudded madly in her chest as her mind was locked in on that young and handsome hero.

“Computer, I need to know everything about the planet Illum, starting with any activity in the last twenty-seven standard hours,” she said and a single message flashed back at her.

Illum Battle Status = Republic Victory, please stand by.

Oreana pulled her knees up to her chest and rocked back and forth. She had to know who that was, who her hero was, who the hero of the entire Galactic Republic was.

And she would make him a star.