Episode I

A NEW BEGINNING

The time of the Galactic Republic has come to an end. Through treachery and deceit the Dark Lords of the Sith have seized control of the Galaxy and embarked on a brutal campaign against the JEDI ORDER.

The Sith Lord Darth Vader leads the forces of the new Galactic Empire across the galaxy in pursuit of the surviving Jedi, determined to destroy them all.

Surrounded by the Clone Army on the distant Rim planet of Balturrel, Jedi Master KEE-XI LADEN and his apprentice SILAS TORSON continue a desperate plan to preserve the Jedi Order, and with it a hope of saving the Galaxy...

Prologue

In the silence of the brightly colored, moon-lit forest of Balturrel, they marched forth. A battalion of well-trained, battle-honed Clonetroopers of the newly-christened Empire, veterans of many battles in the Rim against the crumbling Confederacy. A6 Juggernaut vehicles rumbled ahead, clearing away the trees and brush and paving a clear road to the target of the troops.

In the middle of this forest, built into a hillside, was an inactive base of the Seperatists, run entirely by droids. The Juggernauts cleared the path and the troops began to filter in. Their leader, Commander Solom, watched from a Juggernaut control deck. Before him a holonet came alive and presented him with a blue-tinted figure, that of the Emperor's personal lieutenant; the helmeted Darth Vader. "Commander Solom, do you have anything further to report?"

"We've found the droid base, Lord Vader. If the locals' stories are correct, the Jedi have taken refuge within..."

"Find and eliminate them, Commander. And if you find no sign of them, you are to punish those who have wasted our time."

"Yes, my Lord." Solom waited for Vader to end the call before leaving to personally lead his troops into the facility.

The Clonetroopers spread around inside, platoon by platoon then squad by squad, searching every corner. The inner chambers were illuminated, the first confirmation that the base was still occupied.

A squad from Platoon B was the first to notice the robed figure standing at the opening to what appeared to be the control center. He called out to his comrades, so they turned and raised their rifles in unison at the man with graying black hair and beard. A split second before they could fire they heard the familiar sound of a lightsaber flashing to life. The blade shined green in the man's hand, and he deftly sent back every blaster shot, killing one clone and then another before an outstretched hand sent them all flying backward, their guns flying out of their grasp and the impact knocking them unconscious.

Jedi Master Kee-Xi Laden took in a breath, turning off his lightsaber for the moment, and felt the currents of the Force move and shift about him. He could see the Clonetroopers' methodical advance through the base and knew that soon they would be coming down on him. "Any luck, Silas?"

A head poked out from under one of the control stations in the nearby control center, a young man with dark hair to his neck and blue eyes. "Some, Master," Silas Torson replied. "I need more time."

"I am afraid time is running quite low for us, my apprentice," the older man replied. A sensation brought him to ignite his lightsaber again. More Clonetroopers appeared around the corner of the central hall, and with concentration Kee-Xi threw them backward. "We're going to have an entire battalion coming down on our heads."

"I'm working as fast as I can, Master," Silas replied, intent on his labor once again.

Kee-Xi reached out with the Force toward one of the fallen Clonetroopers, yanking a thermal detonator off of his belt and activating it before throwing it at and around the corner. An explosion made the entire facility rumble, a gamble that ensured they'd be swamped within minutes, but at least giving them a minute or so of calm. "Silas?"

"I think I have it!" Silas connected a circuit and light filled the console previously dark. He sat up from the floor and pressed a couple keys on the board.

The display lit up, and showed a likeness of various models of battle-droids lighting up. The base lit up entirely on the inside. A monitor, showing the outside, depicted a hanger opening and tank droids pouring out, firing on the unprepared Clone forces.

"I never thought I would be thankful to be surrounded by battle droids," Kee-Xi remarked in a moment of humor. Around the base the droids were emerging from secured compartments and drawing the Clonetroopers into skirmishes. "Come!"

Silas ignited his blue lightsaber and followed his master toward the back of the facility, and to the hanger there.

Their path became a literal gauntlet. Silas followed Kee-Xi's lead in moving around the combatants when possible, and neither paid much attention to actually defeating attackers, an impressive feat given that both Clonetroopers and battle droids were trying to kill them. The movements of his lightsaber were fluid, Silas allowing his feelings to guide his arms as blaster bolts were deflected one by one along the way, his beating heart slowly growing more louder than the heaving of his chest or the buzz of his weapon.

It was on the opposite end of the hillside that the hanger was located. Kee-Xi shouted for Silas to get their craft he held off a small squad of Clonetroopers that had followed them. Silas didn't look back to watch as his master moved swiftly, lightsaber twirling and slashing, cutting through their pursuers in the near blink of an eye with nothing but a few singes from near misses to show for their efforts against him.

Silas had focused his attention on the ARC-170 heavy starfighter in the hanger bay where they'd left it. Since they were out of proton torpedoes they wouldn't be able to get far in it if they were met by heavy resistance. But the fighter was refueled thanks to the reserves of the droid base. Every bit they traveled brought them closer to the rendezvous Kee-Xi had arranged.

Already waiting in the assigned socket was a bleeping, warbling astromech droid, known to Silas as R2-Z5 or "Zeefive". "Launch checks done already, I see," Silas remarked while settling himself into the cockpit. The fighter was designed for a crew of three normally, not counting an astrodroid, so Z5 was left with the additional duty of using the rear guns if it was ever necessary. "Master, we're ready!"

Kee-Xi sprinted over and leapt into the pilot seat, with Silas as co-pilot. They strapped in as the cockpit closed over them. A press of a button activated the hanger door and as it slid open the engines of the ARC-170 fired. Under the careful guidance of Kee-Xi the fighter moved into the night air and toward orbit.

"Master, picking up interceptors," Silas remarked. "They've coming around the planet and will be in firing range within a minute."

"Zeefive, prepare the rear deflectors and boost engine power. Begin calculating hyperspace course for Gantoon."

"Gantoon?" Silas asked. "I thought we were heading for Lumin Prime?"

"We are," Kee-Xi replied. "But I have something to pick up on Gantoon. New transportation. Now eyes front, Silas."

Silas directed his attention to the Eta-2 interceptors moving in on them. "They're still gaining Master. Twenty seconds to firing range..." Silas watched the distance tick down and counted it as well. Even a few seconds before they were in effective range laser fire erupted from the attacking fighters.

Kee-Xi performed a quick roll and accelerated "upward". Laser fire followed them, and a couple shots grazed them. "Deflectors are still working," Silas reported, a bit of sweat coming to his forehead. A warning indicator came up on his screen. "Master, ion cannon fire!" If their deflectors failed and they were hit by one, they would be completely doomed...

"Well done, Zeefive," Kee-Xi said aloud. He steadied the craft and his hand went to the hyperdrive control.

Behind them, two interceptors fired their ion cannons dead on target, but it was too late; the ARC-170 disappeared in an instant.

Silas watched hyperspace shooting by him and let out a sigh. "Master, let's not get ourselves in that much trouble again," he said.

Kee-Xi allowed himself a slight chuckle. "I will not make that promise, Silas," he answered.

"I thought you might say that."

Kee-Xi nodded. If the Empire knew anything about his plans, their pursuit of the Jedi would become even more intense.

It has come down to this, Kee-Xi mused to himself. This last desperate hope for a new beginning for the Jedi. Our only remaining hope in the galaxy... and it is all my responsibility. May the Force be with us, indeed...