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The New Imperium Repost
By Stryderman
Star Wars
The New Imperium
1
Kyle k’Bolaan cast his dark eyes forward. Corellia was growing larger in his viewscreen. Its beautiful green, white and blue swirls comforted Kyle. Kyle turned the ship slightly, going into the traffic lane. A few moments ago, he had received a transmission saying he had clearance to land in Corellia’s capital, aptly named Corellia. He was a Jedi Knight of the New Republic. He had recently graduated from being a Knight, and had been tutored by Master Luke himself. Now he had taken an apprentice of his own, Nade Solo. She was back on Coruscant, in the Jedi Temple. Kyle had received his first break in work since he had become a Master, and was using it to visit his homeworld of Corellia.
The dark blue and green planet grew larger still. Kyle glanced to his side, where Bojan Thraa was sitting in the passenger seat. Thraa was Kyle’s old friend, and had some time off at the same time as Kyle, and had agreed to come along for the journey. He was a Zabrak, from Iridonia. Like all from his race, he had a high midichlorian count, meaning he was strong in the Force. Also like the rest of his race, he could endure intense physical and mental pain for certain amounts of time.
Kyle turned his brown eyes forward again. His ship broke through the atmosphere, whipping through white clouds as they raced towards the planet. Kyle applied the brakes. His faithful ship, the Lightspeeder, had been given to him when he was initiated into the Jedi Academy, twenty years ago. He had been only three years old, but had grown up learning to fly it. It was Corellian, an Ashstar 125 Gunrunner. It had a Hyperdrive Generator, and a laser turret. Just in case.
As Kyle brought the Speeder to land in Corellia, he felt something odd in the Force; the city was Void. The Force-waves given off by it were neither good nor bad; hence the term ‘Void’. This only occurred if the city was really neutral towards the Galactic Struggle, or if someone strong in the Force was cloaking the city’s true intentions. Up until now, Kyle thought, Corellia had been on the side of good. He shrugged this off and departed from his beloved starfighter with Thraa by his side
“It sure is good to be back,” said Kyle.
“I have a bad feeling about this,” said Thraa, his whispery voice harsh and blunt.
“I sense it too,” assured Kyle, “But I’m sure it’s nothing. Maybe some new campaign has made Corellia neutral …”
“Perhaps,” replied Thraa, disbelief in his voice. The two Jedi proceeded to the Registration Office. Kyle noted with discomfort that the Speeder was still outside the hangar. They hadn’t made a move to move it inside. Still, they greeted the man at the Registration desk cheerfully. The moon cast bars of light along the floor, illuminating the room slightly.
The man at the desk slowly looked up. He looked the two up and down. They both wore brown cloaks and capes over tan-coloured tunics. Kyle’s hair was shoulder-length and free, his beard, though, he kept in check. The man screwed his face up in distaste. “Can I help you, gentlemen?”
“I hope you can,” said Kyle, “I’m here as a citizen. I’m Kyle k’Bolaan …”
“Charmed. And this is?”
Thraa spoke up, saying “Bojan Thraa. Tourist”
“Indeed,” said the man. “I’m afraid I can’t let you into our city”
“Why not?” said Kyle calmly.
“New laws and regulations,” replied the man coolly. Something was wrong.
Kyle reached into the Force, saying, “You will let us through. Your superiors will be satisfied,” and as he did so he waved his hand, disguising it as he swished his cloak.
The man cleared his throat. “I will let you through. My superiors will be satisfied,” he droned. He touched a button on his chest, saying, “Let these two gentlemen past, guards”
Guards? Thought Kyle. Since when were there guards … he nodded curtly to the man behind the desk and stepped outside the door opposite the one they had entered.
“Lightsabres at the ready …” said Kyle warily as armed guards approached them.
“I agree,” replied Thraa. The guards looked the pair up and down, and asked who had given them authorisation. Kyle again tapped into the Force, enabling them to get past the guards. Kyle was leading an inquisitive Thraa through the streets, and they were about to enter a hotel when a guard shouted, “There they are! Stop them!”
Kyle drew his Lightsabre, Sacred Weapon of the Jedi Order. It was a simple metal handle. He pressed the activator and a humming white bar sprung out, surrounded by a blue glow. Thraa drew his also, and a green bar shot out. Blaster fire sounded, and soon bolts of laser pinged around them. Occasionally, when one got too close for comfort, the Jedi would deflect it; send it back at the guards. “Let’s leave,” said Kyle, his voice level.
The two Jedi ran along the street, Kyle guiding Thraa through back alleys, letting the Force and his very limited, though Force-enhanced, memory guide him. Soon they emerged a hundred feet from the registration office. The Lightspeeder was still sitting there on the metallic landing pad. Kyle led Thraa towards it. The guards had taken a short cut and were hiding within the registration office. As Kyle entered it and the familiar smell of ozone crackled through the air, he felt the slightest waver in the Force.
Then, out of the shadows, a white, red-glowing bar shot out of the shadows of the unlit room, followed by a figure. Kyle ducked and rolled for the door, stood up and swung his sabre to deflect the laser bolts of the guards tracking him. He spun back around again just in time to see Bojan Thraa try to deflect the red-white bar. Green connected with red in a clash of bright white light. The force of the blow sent Thraa’s lightsabre out of his hand. The dark, hooded figure wielding the red glowing bar plunged the blade, up to the handle, into Thraa’s chest. Kyle hit the ‘Open Door’ key next to the door and sprinted outside the office, towards the Lightspeeder.
Light pinged about him, scorching the floor and singing his cloak as Kyle clambered aboard the ramp into the Speeder. He told the computer to heat up the engines as he plopped into the pilot’s seat, lightsabre away. He looked back through the transparisteel windshield to see the door to the registration office open, and the hooded figure holding the red bar. With a pang of unwanted panic Kyle realised that the red glow was that of a lightsabre. The lighsabre was switched off and the owner turned back into the office.
2
Kyle strode purposefully through the halls of the newly constructed Jedi Temple. It was four hours since the death of Bojan Thraa on Corellia. Kyle had spoken to Luke via comlink, telling him about the lightsabre-wielding enemy. Luke had already sensed Thraa’s death, but had known nothing of Bojan Thraa’s death.
Kyle entered the door leading into Luke’s quarters. Luke was meditating by the window, which overlooked the cities of Coruscant. In the distance, Kyle could make out the old Imperial Palace, gleaming on the horizon.
“Welcome, Master k’Bolaan,” greeted Luke, still with his eyes closed.
Kyle bowed, saying “Greetings, Master Skywalker”
Luke stood up and turned to face Kyle. “I’m sorry about Bojan Thraa’s death, Kyle. I knew him as well as you did. He will be sorely missed here at the Temple”
Kyle nodded mournfully, looking inside himself for a moment. Then his mind abruptly found itself back at the present. “Master,” he began, “What killed Bojan Thraa?”
Luke sighed and sat down in a chair. He gestured that Kyle should do so too. Luke took a deep breath, and sighed it out. “I think,” he said, “It was a Jedi”
Kyle felt a spike of shock for a second as the assumption sunk in.
“At least, it struck down a Jedi Knight with a lightsabre. Not many citizens of the galaxy can do that,” continued Luke. “I think that we are not aware of what is going on on Corellia any more”
Shaa Ti stepped into the office. The unlit room was at the top of one of Corellia’s skyscrapers. Shaa Ti could see a forest in the distance, even in the twilight of the moment. The forest reminded Shaa Ti of his homeworld, Kashyyyk. He was a Wookiee, eight feet tall, furry and ferocious-looking. His bowcaster was outside, in reception. Lord Jakor didn’t like it when his minions brought weapons in.
Shaa Ti growled to say that he was there. Like all Wookiees, Shaa Ti knew only Wookese, though understood Basic. He had a translator on his belt.
“Good evening, Master Jakor,” chirped the translator, “Shaa Ti, reporting to you sir, as you requested”
Shaa Ti sighed. The eternally happy mini-droid got on his nerves. In the shadows of the room, something stirred. “Welcome to Corellia, Shaa Ti,” said a voice that chilled the air. It sounded like icy water dripping over sharp rocks. A cloaked, hooded figure appeared. It was slightly shorter than the Wookiee, and more compact, like a human.
It was Darth Jakor. Shaa Ti knew that Jakor didn’t like overly happy servants, either. Shaa Ti growled and snarled another sentence.
“What is you request of me, Master Jakor?”
“I need your bounty hunting skills to help track down a Jedi Knight. His name is Kyle K’Bolaan. I want him alive; I want him here. You have twenty-four hours, Shaa Ti”
Short and precise; typical Jakor. Shaa Ti rumbled an affirmative and strode from the room, his furry, lanky legs carrying him quickly. It would take three hours to get to Coruscant, three more to get from Coruscant to Corellia … leaving Shaa Ti with eighteen hours to track down K’Bolaan. It would be the easiest job Shaa Ti had had in a long time.
8/26/2003 4:15:27 AM
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