New Jedi Order: Aftermath (COMPLETED!)

[xwing_original]

Warning: this story will contain spoilers for the entire NJO series, so do not read if you do not want to know!

Also, I recommend you read my fanfic New Jedi Order: Castaways before reading this story; there are many references to it.

You have been warned.
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[xwing_original]

The war is over.

No matter how often Jedi Knight Tyria Sarkin thought that phrase, she couldn't seem to grasp it.

The war is over.

Too many years, too much bloodshed, too many losses, too many defeats made it impossible for the Jedi Knight to grasp that fact.

Over.

Tyria still carried two lightsabers, though only one was clipped to her belt. The other was secreted in the pouch she carried at her side. The hilt on her belt was her own; the lightsaber in the pouch belonged to a fallen Jedi Knight of old.

Callista.

A hint of pain passed through Tyria once more as she recalled that battle on some far-flung world the galaxy had long forgotten. There had been four players, she recalled. She doubted she would ever, ever forget any of them.

Herself. Resigned from the military, Tyria had taken to traveling the galaxy, searching for clues of the old Jedi Order. For years, she had traveled the Outer Rim, slowly becoming a Jedi Knight. Inevitably, the attack of the Yuuzhan Vong had cut her off from the Republic and the Jedi Order she served, leading her to a battle on a world of vast importance, yet insignificance.

Doran. Her son had traveled with her, a Jedi in his own right. He had learned the ways of the Force and of the lightsaber, becoming a powerful Jedi, perhaps more so than his mother. Instead of attending the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV, he, too, sought clues of the Jedi in the Outer Rim, traveling with his mother.

Joel Lance. Joel had been a military man, not unlike Tyria. From what she knew of him, he had resigned from the New Republic military and quit the Jedi Order to lead a ragtag band of X-wing pilots known as Lock Squadron in a classic Rebel-style war against the ever-encroaching Yuuzhan Vong. The Squadron he led stumbled into the same conflict which few knew of, perhaps saving Tyria and Doran from death.

Callista. Callista was a fallen Jedi of the Old Republic. Contained in the gunnery computer of the Eye of Palpatine, Callista had been restored to a physical body of a Jedi who desired to cross to the Other Side. Stripped of her gifts, Callista had long trained along the Outer Rim, attempting to find the Force once more. Succeeded she did, but it was her undoing.

Though she wouldn't have had it any other way, Tyria believed.

Tyria gazed over the rubble that had once been Coruscant, now returned to the hands of not the New Republic, but the Galactic Alliance.

Master Skywalker...Luke, she corrected herself, told us, all of us, that we need to meditate on how to best serve the Force.

She sighed, looking out over the rubble that would one day, hopefully, rise again to be the capital of the galaxy.

So where do I fit in with the will of the Force?
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[xwing_original]

Tyria's borrowed X-wing settled easily in the hanger of the Star Destroyer Mon Mothma. As the canopy released, she saw Kell and Doran waiting for her.

As the Jedi slipped from the starfighter's cockpit, she looked at her family. Doran carried a few new scars from the last battle with the Yuuzhan Vong, but Kell was as fit as ever. He had been flying with Wraith Squadron, in spite of his age.

Tyria made a note to harass him about his receding hairline as her booted feet hit the Mon Mothma's deck. Smile on her face, she embraced first Doran, then met Kell with a kiss. "I missed you," Tyria said.

"I missed you too," was Kell's reply. Together, hand-in-hand with Doran trailing, they began to walk further into the interior of the Mon Mothma.

Tyria had been part of a Jedi starfighter group assigned to a different task force than Kell's Wraith Squadron. It had literally been months since the husband and wife had seen each other. Now, together at last, the stresses of the war began to fade away.

Tyria listened intently as Kell described the nightmarish run into Coruscant, trying to escort transports filled with commandos through the planetary dovin basals. Many had failed, and thousands of Alliance troops had died before reaching the surface. The nightmare, however, hadn't ended upon reaching the planet. The starfighters, including Wraith Squadron, continued to harry the Yuuzhan Vong on the planet by whatever means possible.

Thousands of pilots had died, including most of the Wraith Squadron. Kell's X-wing had been badly beaten by coralskippers, and he had ended up crashing it on the surface of the planet. Fortunately, it had been near a band of Alliance commandos.

Tyria's starfighter group, on the other hand, had fared well in the final battle. Flying X-wings, A-wings, and E-wings, the Jedi group had taken only three losses. While the loss of three Jedi Knights was horrible, it was nothing like the losses the standard starfighter units had taken. Entire squadrons had been reduced to ashes; many were left with a flight or less of pilots. Cruisers had been hard-hit, reducing many to molten slag.

As Kell and Tyria continued to talk, Tyria could feel the poisons of the war began to fade away, leaving only weariness. Too many years, she thought.

Finally, the family reached Kell's cabin aboard the Mon Mothma. It was quite lavish for a single pilot, Tyria noted. There were two bedrooms and a kitchenette in the pilot's suite. Tyria smiled. "Did they know we were coming?" she asked.

"Naw," Kell said, deadpanned. "If they'd have known that, they'd have given me a smaller room."

Tyria elbowed him in the side, laughing and listening to Kell laugh. I've missed that sound.

Doran quickly took the smaller bedroom and disappeared. Within minutes the heavy, slow breathing indicated Doran was fast asleep.

Tyria and Kell sat together at the small table in the kitchenette, talking about the war, the peace, and the Jedi.

"What do you plan on doing now, Tyria?" Kell asked, sipping a glass of Alderaanian wine. "I heard about what Master Skywalker said to the Jedi."

"I don't know," Tyria confessed. "I spent most of the day on Coruscant...or what's left of it...and I just don't know. There are too many options."

Kell nodded, then yawned. Surprised, he glanced at the wall chrono. "It's a bit late," he noted.

"We could go to bed," Tyria said. "I'm exhausted."

"Too tired?" Kell asked with a wink.

"Rogue," Tyria shot back, but a smile crossed her face. "No, not too tired."

Hand-in-hand, the two entered the larger bedroom.
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[Hollynkesten]

nice story... forever faithful... keep it up
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[xwing_original]

Tyria dozed fitfully in the wake of the passion she and Kell had shared. True, deep sleep was denied her as she tossed and turned.

Master Skywalker's words echoed in her mind. The will of the Force.

Sighing, she stretched out into the Force, hoping to use it to refresh herself...

The familiar galaxy blazed before her in all its brilliance. Stars, unsullied by the five-year war that had rocked the galaxy as the Jedi clashed with the Yuuzhan Vong, blazed brilliantly.

Then, somewhere on the Outer Rim, a darkness began to spread. One by one, the stars began to burn out. The darkness slowly spread towards both the Core and the Unknown Regions.

In a flash, Tyria saw the living world of Zonama Sekot. Instead of the brilliant greenery and life she had seen before, it was a world of ashes. Little was left; corpses of the both the native populace and the transplanted Yuuzhan Vong littered the surface. She could sense the pain of the living world as it died.

Again she saw the galaxy and watched helplessly as the stars burned out. The encroaching darkness slowly made its way through the entire galaxy, leaving no star untouched, until Tyria was left in darkness.

"A great threat," a familiar voice said, "is still among the galaxy. It is greater than the Yuuzhan Vong were, and will destroy everything if it is not stopped." Tyria couldn't quite place the voice, but it was maddeningly familiar.

"What can I do to stop it? What is it?" Tyria called out.

The voice continued, as if the speaker had not heard her. "This threat must be stopped, or everything, both the species of the galaxy and the Yuuzhan Vong, will perish."

"But what can I do?" Tyria called out again.

"You must stop this threat...at all costs."

"But...what is it?"

"The evil meant to combat evil must be stopped..."

With those last words echoing through her mind, the darkness around her began to dissipate.

Tyria awoke gasping in her apartment. "What's wrong?" Kell asked.

"I...nothing," Tyria said, fighting for breath. "It was nothing."

"Are you sure?" Kell asked, concern evident in his voice.

"I need to talk to Master Skywalker in the morning," she said. "It can wait until then." I hope, she added silently.
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[Jedi Dax Jentor]

Oh I really want to read, but I have not finished NJO yet.

I am still on the Force Heretic novels (a new Pat Conroy book came out and I had to read it).

I will read it though
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[Jedi Kiara]

Looks pretty good so far XWO! Keep it coming!

FYI- I actually read this a while ago, but I decided to give you some lurker treatment for a bit. Since, after all you said you had no time to read stories in November, but yet you found time to read my sister's story...

It's ok, *sniff* I suppose my story just isn't interesting enough...*sniff* go ahead, say it...YOU THINK I'M A BAD WRITER!!!!!

*sniff*

Ok I'm done complaining at you. Now post more!
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[Hollynkesten]

Awesome post... hurry and post agian soon!!!
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[Amidala Skywalker]

This is good! The only NJO book I've ever read was Destiny's Way and I didn't continue with the series, so I'm not really worried about spoilers.

Can't wait to read more!
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[xwing_original]

College has consumed my life, but between December 1st and December, oh, 10th, I should have some time to write. Right now...GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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[Jedi Dax Jentor]

Ahhhh college. What good times it was. Enjoy while it lasts. Get hung over while there are no bosses waiting for you at work. Thats my advice.
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[Jedi Dax Jentor]

Alright xwing_o we are needing some more stories.

lay one on us
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[xwing_original]

OOC: I should be studying for finals...where the hell am I? Oh yes...

IC:

Tyria wearily dropped into the chair opposite Master Skywalker aboard the Jade Shadow. Both the Shadow and the Millennium Falcon were doing final checks before preparing to lift off, heading for some destination unknown to Tyria.

"What do you need to see me so for, Tyria?" Skywalker asked, sipping a mug of hot chocolate. "I was planning on returning to Ossus within a few weeks."

"I know...but I feel it is important." Tyria hesitated to say more, suddenly feeling embarrassed.

Skywalker set his mug down and leaned forward. "What is it?"

"I had a vision," Tyria said. "I saw..." she trailed off as the images, so vivid and sharp, flashed through her mind again.

Skywalker could sense nothing but the turmoil pouring off her. "What did you see?"

"I saw...I saw..." Tyria fumbled for words. "I saw the galaxy...our galaxy. I saw it like it was fresh and new, before the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. And then the stars burned out, beginning from the Outer Rim and devastating the entire galaxy. The whole galaxy turned black. I saw Zonama Sekot and the Yuuzhan Vong and the others, all dead. It was complete destruction...there was nothing left alive."

Skywalker leaned back in his chair, his face unreadable. "Were there any other details?" he asked quietly.

Tyria shook her head.

"Where did this destruction begin?" the enigmatic Jedi Master asked.

The female Jedi thought for a moment. "Somewhere on the Outer Rim. I'm not really sure exactly where...I couldn't see it that clearly."

Skywalker was silent for a moment. "Is it possible that the Yuuzhan Vong themselves are responsible? There are scattered bands left all throughout the galaxy. Perhaps they have some weapon left in reserve."

"But then why," Tyria asked, "would my vision have showed the Yuuzhan Vong on Zonama Sekot dead? Surely they wouldn't just slaughter their own kind."

"After five years of warfare," Luke said quietly, "I still don't understand them completely. Perhaps those that were captured would be considered defiled, Shamed if you will. I don't know the answer.

"But I do know something, Tyria."

"What's that?"

"The Force gave you this vision. Not me, not Jacen, not Kyp or Corran or Joel or any of the other Jedi. It was given to you. I feel that the Force only gives these visions to the people who can use them. Tyria, I believe you should be the one to investigate and try to stop whatever destruction is about to be unleashed. Take other Jedi with you if you'd like, but I think this is your responsibility."

"I'm honored, Master Skywalker."

Luke flashed a grin, still as boyish as it had been on Tatooine a lifetime ago. "Just Luke.

"Now," he said, "if you need to contact me, contact Kenth or Kyp. They'll be able to get in touch with me. Han, Leia, Mara, and I are all taking off for some, well...vacation."

"Thank you, Mas...ah, Luke."

"Go, Tyria," Luke said, "and may the Force be with you."
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[Amidala Skywalker]

Very cool. I really like this story!

It's good to have some Aftermath...it seems like it's been forever.
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[Jedi Kiara]

I like how well you characterize Luke! Sipping hotcocoa and smiling his boyish grin. It's great! I'm glad you got more time to post!
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[Hollynkesten]

Keep Writing!!! That was awesome~!
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

Tyria had no idea where she should start. Quietly, she had a starfighter, an XJ X-wing, aboard the Ralroost prepped. Undoubtedly, she needed to head out to the Outer Rim and investigate.

It took her little time to pack. Years in the military followed by extended travels as a Jedi Knight had taught her to pack lightly. She took little with her: a flightsuit, some very bland clothes that would allow her to blend in on a hundred thousand Galactic Alliance worlds, and both lightsabers she carried, her own and Callista's.

The problem, though, was what to do about Kell and Doran. How could she explain to them that she had to go?

* * *

Kell frowned at the datapad lying on the bed he and his wife shared. He picked it up and saw that a file had been left open on it.

To my dearest Kell:

I don't know how to explain this, but I had to go...


OOC: I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack
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[Jedi Kiara]

OOOO!!! Welcome back XWO!!!!!!!!! Can't wait for more!
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[Hollynkesten]

Its awesome to have you back!!!! More please!
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[Amidala Skywalker]

Great to have you back!!!!

Post more!!
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[xwing_original]

"Form up!" Joel Lance shouted over the comm. "Lock Squadron, re-form!"

The X-wings that comprised Lock Squadron slid into position around the Jedi Knight's starfighter.

Joel did a quick check. "Where's Twelve?" he asked.

"Twelve is EV," one of his pilots answered. "That coralskipper suicided on him, and he ejected."

"Copy. Did you transmit his location to the rescue shuttle?"

"Already done, boss."

"Alright, Locks, back to the fray," Joel said, pouring the power to the engines and leaning the X-wing through a sharp bank.

Lock Squadron had since formed up with other Galactic Alliance units. Although the battle of Coruscant was won and the Yuuzhan Vong had 'surrendered,' far too many of the scattered coralskipper squadrons and yorick coral warships had decided honorable death in battle was preferrable to surrender to the infidels.

Joel's hope was that this so-called 'mopping-up action' wouldn't be anything like the 'mopping-up' after the death of the Emperor- fifteen, twenty years of constant combat against the remnants of the Empire.

The X-wing group slid easily through the battle debris of shattered X-wings and coralskippers. Off in the distance, the Star Destroyer Freedom was exchanging fire with a massive coral vessel which easily massed as much as the Galactic Alliance warship.

The battle was quickly turning in favor of the Galactic Alliance forces; the X-wings were besting the coralskippers, and dozens of B-wings and E-wings hammered constantly at the big coral warship with salvos of proton torpedoes. The Freedom's shields were holding strong and the vessel's turbolasers poured massive turbolaser fusillades into the Yuuzhan Vong ship.

Still, individual losses still were happening.

Joel had just shot up a coralskipper that had been pursuing Lock Six when it happened: a Vong coralskipper went unnoticed by the Jedi pilot and slid into his aft.

Deuce, Joel's R2, screamed a warning, but it was too late. Deadly plasma fire raked the X-wing, punching through its shields.

Joel saw fire all around him and reached for the eject button. A moment later, something exploded at the back of his fighter and he was pitched forward in spite of his flight harness.

Instinctively, Joel reached out for the Force. An instant later, something hammered his helmeted head. The helmet prevented the object from directly harming him, but the shock carried brutally. Joel's vision began to blur, and all he saw was fire.

"Lead," he heard distantly, "are you okay?"

Joel tried desperately to reach the Force, trying to find the hidden spot that would lead him to the mystical energy, but couldn't find it.

Then the X-wing itself exploded.
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[Hollynkesten]

get him outta there@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW
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[Darth Dru]

Good job X-Wing, keep the stories comin'! You should look into writing, you have some creative ideas and good writing skills! Lookin' forward to reading more, keep up the good work!


STAR WARS Episode 7
http://forums.jedi.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14227

[xwing_original]

Haze...haze...grey mist colored the air. He could feel the light moisture on his skin, smell it, taste it. He was floating. There was nothing of substance around him...he stood on nothing, yet he did not fall.

But something...no, someone...was coming. He could feel it.

It was a woman...middle-aged, still beautiful....she shone faintly blue in the mists.

"Who are you?" he asked.

She smiled. "Do you know who you are?"

He considered for a moment. "I'm not sure."

"That's what I thought," she laughed. "You are Joel Lance."

"Joel...Lance?" Even as he spoke the name, his memories began to condense, to clear. "Yes, I remember."

"What do you remember?" the woman asked him.

"I was...I was in a starfighter battle. My X-wing took a hit, and...and..."

"It exploded," she prompted.

"Who are you?" he asked abruptly.

"I am Callista Ming."

Instantly his memory flashed back to the horrible battle on some nameless backworld. The starfighter battle, followed by the lightsaber and amphistaff duels on the ground, and the woman he had never met...sacrificing herself...becoming one with the Force to save himself and two other Jedi.

Becoming one with the Force...

"Have I...have I crossed over? Am...am I dead?"
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[Hollynkesten]

he can't be dead... just not allowed.. absolutly NOT.. you get that... well.. if hes dead.. then he comes back to life.. so he can be dead... but he mus end up alive... yep yep... 3 days to next post..... ty very much
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[xwing_original]

Callista's laugh was light and pleasant, yet there was gravity behind it. "You should be. By all rights, you should be dead...

"But the Force is not yet done with you."

"So I still live?"

"Yes, you will live," Callista affirmed. "You are essential in what is coming into play. You and the one who still carries my lightsaber."

"Your lightsaber..." Joel pondered that for a moment. "Tyria Sarkin?"

"Yes. You must find her. The darkness which has tried twice in a generation to consume your galaxy will now destroy it completely to eliminate the light."

Joel shook his head. "Darkness? What are you talking about?"

Tyria smiled. "The Force is one, as the Jedi Vergere believed, but it is still light and dark, as Master Skywalker believes. Twice, the darkness has tried to dominate the galaxy in your lifetime, but now, defeated, it will destroy everything..."

"How?" Joel asked skeptically.

"With a weapon meant to combat the darkness...a weapon which will leave the galaxy in ashes."

"What is this weapon?"

Callista's mouth moved, but Joel couldn't hear her. "What did you say?"

Callista shook her head. "What's happening?" Joel tried to ask her, but now no sound came from his own mouth. "What?"

The grey began to haze over his vision, and the shimmering vision of the fallen Jedi Knight began to fade away into obscurity. "Callista? What's happening?"

The grey continued to cloud his vision. It intensified, darkening his vision..darkening...darkening...

"Welcome back, Commader Lance."

Joel blinked, trying to adjust to the sudden light. "Wha-?"

The medic smiled at him. "Welcome back to the land of the living...you've been unconscious since we recovered you. We suspecting the oxygen depravation had done serious damage."

Joel blinked, the room coming into focus. He was in a medical bay. His quick survey indicated it was probably aboard one of the Alliance's Star Destroyers.

"No, no damage," Joel said, blinking.

"It is a mystery how you survived the explosion of your X-wing, though," the medic commented. "The pilot's couch was vaporized and you were free-floating through space."

The will of the Force, Joel thought silently. Aloud, he said, "No idea."

"We'll need to keep you under observation for a few days," the medic continued. "I'm sure you understand."

"Yeah," Joel said, running his hand through his hair. "I'll stay without protest, but only on one condition."

"What's that?" the medic asked.

"I need a holocomm line. I need to get in touch with Master Skywalker."
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[Jedi Kiara]

Ooo that's really cool that he survived, and that Callista came to him! This is getting so good! Thanks for posting more, XWO!!!!
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[Hollynkesten]

YAY!!!!! Kiara.. note he posted on his three day mark!... XWO: you have four days this time around.... but it will go back down to three if a PM is sent....... and never extends more than five days...
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

The XJ X-wing dropped out of hyperspace. Tyria Sarkin's eyes were closed even as the starfighter reverted to realspace.

The Jedi Knight breathed long and slowly as she stretched out into the Force. Divorcing herself of her physical body, she stretched her senses to their utmost limits.

Nothing. No sense of danger, either immediate or potential.

Sighing, she opened her eyes and punched up systems data on her main monitor. The X-wing was performing admirably well, but the fighter needed fuel after all the small hops around the Outer Rim as the Jedi tried to discover the enigmatic source of danger.

Guess I didn't think this over too well. There's not much on the Rim since the Vong came through.

Frowning, she tapped into the newly commissioned Holonet. Using the security clearances her status as a Jedi gave her, she ran a search for any military vessels in the area. She located one, a Mon Calamari cruiser designated the Windstorm.

The starfighter corrected its course and reverted back into hyperspace.

As the familiar mottled blur of hyperspace swirled around her, Tyria tried to surpress her emotions. Nothing. Yet again. Nothing.

She closed her eyes and settled herself, then reverted back into a Jedi hibernation trance.
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[Keiran]

Wow, that's really good. Once again since im a new FF'er I read the whole thing from the start and your doing a great job! I always wondered what happened to Tyria after Wraith Squadron, and your filling that gap in for me.
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[Jedi Kiara]

Another great post, XWO!!!!! Glad to see you're making Holly's mark! I wonder what's going on with Tyria! Post more soon!!!!
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[Hollynkesten]

of course he is!!! he's smart, he doesnt want me overloading his inbox does he??? More please XYO.. i really liked it!

ill give ya the full 5 days!
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

Just cuz I'm in a good mood and I realized how short that last post was...

* * *

"I'm sorry, Commander Lance. We've been unable to reach either the Jade Shadow or the Millennium Falcon. Would you like us to keep trying?"

Joel sighed. "No...can you locate Tyria Sarkin for me instead?"

"Give us a moment to try to patch you through. She's listed as being aboard the Mon Mothma. Please hold."

Joel sighed again, a bit irritably this time. The familiar crest of the old Rebel Alliance floated above the portable holocomm unit. It abruptly vanished, but it was not Tyria Sarkin's image; it was Kell Tainer, her husband.

"Tyria's not here," Tainer said tiredly. "What can I do for you?"

"Tainer, I know we haven't met, but this is Commander Joel Lance. I'm sure Tyria told you about meeting me?"

"How could I forget?" Tainer asked, brightening a bit. "I owe you for saving her."

"I need to find her," Joel said.

Tainer was immediately on the defensive. "Why are you looking for my wife?" he asked.

Joel hesitated before answering, deciding on an approach. He opted for as close to the truth as he dared skirt. "It's a Jedi thing. It's rather important, as I understand it, and Tyria is needed." Joel felt a bit guilty, but suspected that, while Tainer was reliable, there was no way of telling whether this holocomm line was completely secure.

Kell nodded slowly. "Sorry I can't help you. She didn't really tell me where she was going, except that she needed to go alone. She slipped off the Mon Mothma quietly in an X-wing and vanished. She left a note, but didn't leave a destination."

"Alright," Joel said. "Thanks for everything, Kell."

"No," the other man smiled, "thank you. I owe you."

Joel put the holocomm unit down as the transmission disconnected and leaned back in the medical bunk. I'll stay here for another twelve hours and then, one way or another, I'm out of here.

Out of curiousity, he rolled over and initialized the terminal built into the wall for Holonet access. When the connection was established, the Jedi punched in a query for Galactic Alliance vessels in the Outer Rim. To his surprise, the Windstorm was among the cruisers listed.

"I thought the Windstorm had been decommissioned years ago," he said aloud. "Didn't think my old ship was still in the service. That'll be as good a place as any to start."

Years ago, before Joel had become a Jedi Knight and resigned from the service, he had served as a starfighter pilot aboard the Windstorm in operations against the remnants of the Empire. He had resigned from the military, as Tyria Sarkin had done, to pursue the Jedi life.

I'm coming home, he thought to himself as he shut down the terminal. Well, as close to home as I'll ever find in a galaxy ravaged by civil war and the Yuuzhan Vong.

Joel pulled the sheets up and dozed off, knowing he'd need to be well rested when he headed to the Outer Rim.
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[Narciel]

I'm not really that big of a fan of NJO but this is a good fic! I'll be reading it! Keep up the good work!
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Valiant Command: Chapter 3: Ghosts of the Past in Fan Fiction now!

[Hollynkesten]

i got extra lucky!!!!!!!! two psots withen like twenty minutes!!! still the 5 days tho.. i dont go beyond that soooo
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[xwing_original]

Tyria was brought back to consciousness by the insistent beeping of her R5 astromech. Slowly reviving herself from her Force trance, she noted through blurry eyes that she was just over a minute away from reversion from hyperspace.

Using a trickle of Force energy to refresh herself, Tyria was alert and ready as the timer ticked down to zero. As she had many times before, she kicked in the shields and powered the sublight engines, then grasped the hyperspace control and eased it off.

The X-wing reverted normally. The mottled blur of hyperspace became starlines, which retracted into stars.

The cruiser Windstorm, an old MC-80, hung in space before her...pouring turbolaser blasts in every direction.

Two Yuuzhan Vong corvettes hung dead in space; another yorick coral vessel, a frigate analog, was responding to the Windstorm's fire with plasma of its own. The two vessels exchanged barrages as the Windstorm also tried to pick off its coralskipper harassers.

Tyria stared for a moment at the unexpected battle, then cursed herself. Her lasers were off-line, and would take several minutes to run through pre-fire. She had a full rack of proton torpedoes, though, and shields were strong.

Not bothering to lock her s-foils into attack position, as the lasers were not ready to fire, she jammed the throttle to full, racing for the Yuuzhan Vong frigate.

By now she noted that the Galactic Alliance starfighters, a motley combination of X-wings, A-wings, and E-wings, were just barely holding their own against their adversaries. It took Tyria a moment to realize why.

Well away from the starfighter battle and the duel between the Windstorm and the frigate, a massive coralskipper carrier hung in space. Unlike most Yuuzhan Vong vessels, the carrier was virtually unarmed, allowing it to carry even more coralskippers into battle.

Tyria changed her course.

"Arfive, run a scan on that carrier. Are there any skips left?"

The astromech beeped, then displayed the information for the Jedi pilot. The carrier had launched, judging by the number of coralskippers left on the massive ship and the number of empty 'arms,' less than half its starfighters.

The X-wing raced toward the cruiser. Arfive began a countdown to torpedo range, clicking away numbers on a secondary monitor. Tyria scanned through the Galactic Alliance comm channels, finally finding the battle channel the Windstorm and her fighters were using.

"This is Jedi Knight Tyria Sarkin," she called. "Is anyone there?"

"Jedi Sarkin, this is the commander of the Windstorm. We could use your assistance."

"Commander, is there any problem with me hitting that skip carrier?"

"Not as far as I'm concerned. If you can keep the rest of those skips out of the battle, we can still win this."

"Copy, commander. I'll do my best."

The commander, no longer speaking to her, called out across the comm, "All soldiers, take hope: we have Jedi assistance!"

Cheering filled Tyria's cockpit. She smiled, but her smile turned grim as she heard the all-too-familiar static burst of a starfighter being destroyed.

TEN SECONDS TO TOREPDO RANGE, the astromech painted on her primary monitor.

"Copy, Arfive. Arm torpedoes, but don't light the engines. We're going to do this shadow bomb-style."

AFFIRMATIVE.

The carrier finally spotted the approaching X-wing. A squadron of coralskippers began to deploy, but it was far too late to stop the Jedi Knight.

The displays for Tyria's lasers lit up green to indicate they were ready to fire. "Just on time," she murmured. She unloaded all her torpedoes, giving them a heavy shove with the Force toward the carrier. Unable to concentrate on the torpedoes with the skips closing, she decided to let them coast into the massive ship.

Altering her course slightly, she flicked the s-foil actuator. The s-foils split apart into their familiar shape, giving her lasers better coverage. Smiling, she opened up with the relatively light weaponry on the carrier.

The carrier immediately deployed voids to protect itself. Tyria strafed back and forth, getting occassional shots past the voids, but more importantly, distracting them.

The torpedoes, all nine, hit near dead-center. Even nine proton torpedoes wasn't enough to destroy the ship, but it cracked the hull. In an instant the air inside the warship rushed out, leaving only cold asphysixation for everything and everyone within.

The Windstorm's commander was crafty, Tyria realized. The instant the torpedoes cracked the carrier's hull, the Mon Calamari cruiser unleashed a salvo of fire on the cruiser. Now unprotected, the cruiser was ripped apart by turbolaserfire.

Tyria, caught up in the moment, let her Jedi control slip for a moment and sent out a victory cheer across the channel.

Then she was nearly blinded by plasma fire.

Cursing herself, she rolled the X-wing into a tight loop. Dammit, forgot about those skips the carrier let loose.
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Read the New Jedi Order: Aftermath (Completed!)
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[Hollynkesten]

YAY... your keeping way ahead of deadlines!!!!!!


agian 5 dyas.. tho i like this daily thing you have going
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[Darth Raul Zorander]

good job, xwing lets hear more!
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Proud member of the vast Right-Wing conspiracy

[xwing_original]

Tyria juked, watching the plasma jet past her s-foils. She rolled the starfighter, but the coralskippers hung tightly behind her.

A drop of sweat reached her eye, burning her. She blinked away the irritation, desperately evading the vengful Yuuzhan Vong pursuing her.

Then space around her was lit up not with plasma, but with brilliant golden lasers. The Windstorm's starfighters had finally arrived. X-wings and E-wings mercilessly vaped her pursuers.

"Welcome, Jedi Sarkin, to the Windstorm," came the commander's voice over the comm. "Please come to our main docking bay."

Tyria, slightly dazed by the brief battle and her brush with death, obediently lined her X-wing up with the Windstorm's docking bay.

As she slowly approached, she took a moment to carefully examine the warship. It was an old MC-80 Star Cruiser, clearly aging. In spite of the ship's age, however, it was well-maintenanced. Aside from blast scoring, the warship showed little signs of battle damage. Whoever commands this ship clearly keeps it well-serviced, Tyria noted.

She had no more time to observe the ship as the docking bay loomed around her. Carefully, Tyria set the battered X-wing down on the decking, which was scuffed but clean.

As she popped the canopy open, Tyria could see the ship's officers lined up at the edge of the flight deck, clearly waiting for her.
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Read the New Jedi Order: Aftermath (Completed!)
Read Dark Forces (In progress)

[Sith Gene Starri]

Looks good so far, keep going.
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RP Char

[Jedi Kiara]

Holy cow! I hadn't realized you posted more! And when I came and checked, there were FOUR new posts!!!!!! This is so great! So it looks like he might be able to get a hold of Tyria after all!
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[xwing_original]

Tyria hadn't forgotten her military training. She marched smartly up to the ship's officers and saluted. The Windstorm's captain, a human woman who wore a lightsaber herself, saluted back and smiled warmly. "Welcome to the Windstorm, Jedi Sarkin."

"Thank you, Admiral," Tyria returned after a quick glance at the woman's rank badge.

"I'm Indiana Bridger; the people I'm on a first-name basis with just call me Indy." She smiled. "I never met you when you were in the service, but I heard about some of your exploits with Wraith Squadron."

Tyria smiled back. "That's a long time in the past, Admiral."

"Yes...yes, it is. So tell me, Miss Sarkin...may I call you Tyria?...what brings you out this way?"

"Yes, you can call me Tyria. I'm...well, may we discuss that in private?"

"Certainly," Indy said. "This way. We'll talk in the officers' briefing room." She turned to the ship's officers who were still lined up. "Dismissed."

The Admiral and the Jedi turned away and headed down the Star Cruiser's long hallway to Indy's conference room.
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[Hollynkesten]

again awesome post... please post more soon...... five days
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[Jedi Kiara]

That was great! But, so short!!!! I can't wait for the next part!
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[xwing_original]

Admiral Bridger shut the door behind her, then turned to Tyria. "Please, Sarkin, have a seat."

"Thank you, Indy," Tyria said. "And please, just Tyria."

"Alright. Tell me, what brings a Jedi Knight all the way out here?"

Tyria smiled. Not much for smalltalk, this Admiral. Refreshing. "Frankly, it's hard to explain...but I have reason to believe that there is a Yuuzhan Vong threat out here yet."

"A threat?" Indy's eyes narrowed. "Even with the Yuuzhan Vong leadership captured and the Vong capitulating all over the galaxy?"

Tyria swallowed. "I know it sounds preposterous, but I believe there's something out here that could destroy the entire galaxy."

Indy paled. "I've always trusted the Jedi Knights. I know that they understand things the rest of us don't. But can you be any more specific?"

"I wish I could. The Force...it guides us, gives us visions, but rarely gives us perfect clarity or..." she chuckled, "...footnotes for visions. Whatever knowledge the Force gives us is often enigmatic. Even Master Skywalker cannot determine the meanings of visions. But I do know that there's something out here...something I believe is nearby here...that is a danger to us all."

"The war is over, but we still face a greater threat," Indy murmured. "Isn't that what happens time after time? It seems like the galaxy is destined to forever be at war."

"I hope that's not true," Tyria replied. "The strength of the Jedi has been halved since we began the war, and the military is in no stronger now then it was at the beginning, either."

Somehow, after the words tumbled from Tyria's mouth, they felt utterly wrong. It took her a moment to realize why. She had heard, sometime during the war, one of the other Jedi speak of the true nature of the war. This isn't a war that military strength alone can win. It is a battle of ideologies, not warships. It is the strength of a hundred-odd Jedi against a culture determined to destroy everything. It is a spiritual war.

In that moment, she knew, whatever happened in the next few weeks, that the fate of the galaxy rested not on the military, but on the Jedi. Not just the Jedi, but a Jedi.

Herself.

She shivered a moment at the premonition.

If the Admiral had noticed Tyria's momentary discomfort, she chose not to mention it. Instead, she stated, "We don't have much out here, but we can offer you a cabin for some sleep and some maintenance for your X-wing and R2 unit. We'll even refuel your fighter and restock its proton torpedoes."

"Thank you, Admiral," Tyria said, "I'd much appreciate that. I'd like to continue on my search as soon as possible."

Indy smiled. "I wish you the best of luck. Your X-wing will be ready to fly whenever you are ready; for now, I suggest you get some sleep. You look pretty tired."

Tyria nodded. "Thank you, Indy."

Indy smiled. "Thank you, Jedi Sarkin. Without the Jedi, we would have lost the war, and if not the war, then our humanity. It is the least we can do. May the Force be with you in your search."

"And may it be with you, Admiral."
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Read the New Jedi Order: Aftermath (Completed!)
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[Hollynkesten]

and with that holly looks at XWO and dmenads more at once... but in good nature, gives him 5 days to write and type it up for her!


more please
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

Joel finished the last pre-flight check just before he glanced out his canopy. He started when he saw someone sitting on the nose of his X-wing.

He hit the release, and as the canopy rose he recognized his visitor as Jan-lo Sunner, a woman he had flown with years ago when he had taught at the Academy. Too many years, Joel thought.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jan-lo asked.

Joel smiled. "I'm heading out. Jedi business."

Jan-lo shook her head. "There's a small group looking for you. I heard you bailed on the med center."

"Me?" Joel asked innocently.

"Yes, you." Jan-lo laughed. "You haven't changed."

Joel shrugged. "You going to let me leave, or are you trying to keep me here?"

Jan-lo shrugged. "Actually, I didn't know you were trying to leave. I figured you were just hiding until I heard your repulsorlifts going through warm-ups."

Joel winced. "Forgot how loud those can be."

"So anyways, I'll let you go. After you're gone I'll inform the med staff that you left on...'vital Jedi business' or something like that."

"Thanks, Jan. I owe you one."

"No problem, Joel. I just want to hear what this business is when you get back."

"You going to be here?"

Jan-lo snorted. "With the Coruscant rebuilding project just getting started, where else would I be?" Sobering a bit, she said, "Good luck, Joel...and may the Force be with you."

Joel nodded. "And with you."

The X-wing easily lifted off the Star Destroyer's hanger decking, then disappeared through the magcon field.
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[RogueSaber66]

XWO, you are one of the best writers I've ever known. Castaways simply blew me away and inspired me to write my own stories. Keep up the good work.

[Hollynkesten]

yes, your taking a little too long to write.... please post more! (By wed)
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

Tyria gazed back at the Windstorm one last time. Then, turning forward, she gave the X-wing more power.

The little fighter shot away into deep space. The Jedi Knight looked over her boards, still trying to decide on a destination. The hyperdrive was hot and ready to go; all she needed to do was pick a planet and she would be gone.

Dozens of systems scrolled past as she watched her main monitor. Master Skywalker would tell me to let the Force guide me. I shouldn't think about it, I should feel it.

Shutting her eyes, she let her fingers hover over the controls. Gently, she brought her index finger down. She didn't recognize the name of the system. The Elnoria system.

Frowning, she punched up some data on the system. Several mineral-rich worlds, standard yellow sun, one inhabitable world. The Elnoria system, according to her database, had been the site of a fairly large conflict between New Republic and Imperial Remnant forces. The Imperials had held out for a surprising amount of time, inflicting heavy casualties on the Republic fleet. While the system had eventually fallen, it had been a costly victory.

Well, I guess that's as good a place as any to start. After making some small navigation adjustments, she engaged the hyperdrive, leaving the Windstorm and her Galactic Alliance friends behind.
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[Hollynkesten]

keep up the good work... but wheres Joel!??!?!?

more by friday!
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

Holly- he's coming; it takes time to fly from Coruscant to the Outer Rim

IC:

The hop to the Elnoria system was thankfully brief. It was only a few hours trip in the swift X-wing.

Tyria spent the brief hours in a meditation trance. Instead of trying to glimpse the future, she merely allowed the energy to swirl around her, fill her. Instead of controlling it, she merely felt it. Like my earliest days of learning.

The X-wing reverted from hyperspace on the outer edges of the Elnoria system. At this great a distance, Elnoria's primary was barely bigger than the other stars in Tyria's field of view. One of the system's planets was close enough to make out in the darkness of space.

Far closer than the planets, however, was a shape that Tyria couldn't quite identify immediately. "What's that, Arfive?" she asked the astromech nestled behind her.

The R5 astromech ran a sensor scan and painted the image on Tyria's main monitor.

Tyria's blood ran cold.

The unidentified target was a Yuuzhan Vong cruiser.

She slapped the sublights off, hoping to hide her presence. "Arfive, give me a full sensor scan, maximum resolution. If there's anything else here, I want to know about it! Also, give me a full readout on the cruiser."

Tyria waited for several tense minutes before the information she requested began pouring over her monitors.

SENSORS DETECT NO SIGNS OF OTHER YUUZHAN VONG VESSELS. NO CONTACTS MATCH KNOWN CONFIGURATIONS OF CORALSKIPPERS OR WARSHIPS.

"That's not much of a relief," Tyria muttered. "The Vong like microjumps; they could have something waiting outside the system just waiting to jump in."

The image of the coral cruiser flashed back up on her main display. Instead of the standard image of a matalok cruiser, the Yuuzhan Vong mainstay, this cruiser was badly damaged. Its hull was gashed open in several places; according to Arfive's readings, there were no living dovin basals left.

For that matter, there was no life at all that the sensors could pick up.

Tyria leaned back in her pilot's couch, thinking long and hard. A Yuuzhan Vong cruiser out here in the middle of nowhere, dead. No trace of Vong activity anywhere. No reports of Vong activity. A completely dead cruiser...completely dead...

"Arfive? Power up the systems. We're heading in to investigate."
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Read the New Jedi Order: Aftermath (Completed!)
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[xwing_original]

OOC: I'm surprised at the complete lack of responses...so I'm breaking my usual rule of "no post until feedback" and posting something again.

IC:

Tyria's X-wing rapidly closed the gap between her reversion point and the dead matalok cruiser. She half-expected coralskippers to detach from the once-living cruiser, or at least come under fire from its plasma cannons.

Instead, the approach was eerily quiet. There was no sound but the thrum of the X-wing's ion engines as the fighter rapidly closed on the dead cruiser.

Tyria shivered involuntarily as they neared the derelict warship. Oddly enough, from her perspective, she couldn't see what caused the massive breaches. She saw no blast damage, nor any melted coral that would have indicated a firefight. Instead, the evidence was completely the opposite: the coral seemed mostly intact, other then where it had been ripped apart. It's almost like it was ripped apart from the inside-out, Tyria thought. Like...I don't even know what could do something like this!

Arfive warbled at her as the distance to the coral cruiser dropped below a kilomter. Tyria eased off the throttle as the X-wing closed. She made one easy fly-over, more to shed velocity than to examine the dead ship. Still, the quick look showed that the cruiser bore similar breaches on the off-side of the ship, too.

"Arfive, are there any gaps big enough to set the X-wing down in?" she asked aloud. The R5 warbled a reply; the translation scrolled across her CMD.

AFFIRMATIVE.

"Can you give me flight data?"

In response, her navicomputer lit up with received information. Tyria tapped the controls; a moment later, a spot lit up on her HUD where it laid over the Yuuzhan Vong vessel. "Hang on, Arfive," she said, "I'm taking it in."

The Jedi eased off the X-wing's throttle further as it closed on the dead coral vessel. Carefully, as she had only a meter of clearance, she slipped the XJ X-wing through the massive fissure in the smooth hull.

She immediately ran the X-wing through landing procedures. When the landing gear was locked down, she set the starfighter down.

Well, she tried to. The gravity in the Vong vessel was extremely light; most, if not all, of the dovin basals were dead, meaning that the ship's gravity came from the mass of the ship itself, which wasn't anywhere near standard gravity.

She let the X-wing bounce six times without repulsorlifts before the fighter finally came to rest. Checking her sensors, she saw that, naturally, there was almost no air in the dead ship; it had been vented. Carefully, she sealed her light flightsuit. That'll give me enough air and warmth for an hour in this ship, I think. I'd best be quick, though.

Carefully, she popped the canopy. There was a hiss as the cockpit's air rushed out into the dead vessel, then silence. When the canopy was at its highest position, she pulled herself over the edge of the cockpit and let herself fall slowly to the dead coral deck.
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[Amidala Skywalker]

I forgot to check this thread. I'm still reading! (Just lurking...)
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[RogueSaber66]

Hey, I had the same problem with mine. Anyway, Keep up the good work!

[Hollynkesten]

ok... so i missed one post.... dangit...least ot was only one... and get joel there..... NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!


sunday
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

Tyria pulled a lightsaber from her belt. Her own lightsaber was inside her flight suit; Callista's golden blade ignited brilliantly, shimmering brightly in the darkened hold.

The Jedi Knight slowly moved away from her fighter, not wanting to move too quickly and lose contact with the floor. She held the lightsaber like a torch, illuminating her path through the dead matalok.

The first pile of dead Yuuzhan Vong revealed little; their entire bodies were ruptured with crystalized blood. The massive decompression of the living warship when it splintered had killed these warriors.

Tyria continued without examining any of them too closely. Instead, she worked her way deeper into the Yuuzhan Vong cruiser. She tried to ignore the bile rising in her throat at the sight of the dead warriors. Sickened, she kept moving.

Finally, Tyria reached a portal that was still sealed. Most of the vessel's entryways had no covering anymore; it seemed that either they had failed to close or had ruptured with the decompression.

She thrust the shining lightsaber into the middle of the portal. Air hissed through the gap. Tyria rapidly sliced a rough circle in the skin-like seal. The lightsaber barely changed pitch as it effortlessly cut through the barrier. Tyria was nearly blown over as the air rushed out through the new gap.

She continued deeper into the vessel, to the now-depressurized areas of the warship. Here, too, she found bodies of Yuuzhan Vong warriors; with these, however, the cause of death was unclear. Sickly patches covered unrotted skin; much of the bodies, especially the scarred faces, had decayed away.

Tyria fought down her urge to vomit as the new victims came into view. Still, she managed to stay on her feet as she examined this new development.

When she closed with the corpse to examine it more closely, she fell to her knees and gagged at the sight. What could have caused this? It looks almost like this warrior was sick when he died...and there was air in here. He doesn't really look like he died violently, either.

Tyria rose back to her feet unsteadily. I've seen a lot of nasty stuff during my time as a Jedi...and back on Toprawa. But this takes the ryshcate.

Leaning against the dead coral wall for a moment to gain her balance back, Tyria shook her head. Something happened here...something bad.
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[xwing_original]

The Jedi slowly made her way back to the XJ X-wing, mind reeling from the gruesome images she had just seen.

What could have done that? The question kept bouncing around Tyria's mind. That Yuuzhan Vong looked...ill...as if he died of disease.

But that could just be decay...then why is the whole vessel dead? It doesn't really look like it was destroyed in battle.

The troubled Jedi Knight reached her X-wing without incident. Extinguishing the blade, she vaulted easily into the open cockpit. The low gravity allowed her to jump the three meters to her pilot's couch without using the Force.

The canopy settled around her. An instant later, warm air began to hiss into the cockpit. She loosed the seals on her flight suit and began to breathe the X-wing's air. "Anything exciting, Arfive?" she asked the R5 unit socketed in the fighter's astromech slot.

NEGATIVE.

Tyria nodded. "That's fine. Power up the XJ's systems. Let's get out of here."

Well, I know now why I was supposed to come here to the Elnoria system...I was supposed to find this. But what in the galaxy is this? A dead matalok, died of a battle that wasn't fought. Massive damage...dead Vong warriors...but no sign of battle. No blast damage, no melted coral from laserfire, nothing.

Sighing, she watched as the systems lit up green on her diagnostic displays. The XJ had only been shut down for a half an hour, so it powered up relatively quickly and without incident. Ten minutes after settling into the fighter's cockpit, the X-wing lifted out of the matalok's fractured hold.

As the X-wing cleared the yorik coral hull, a single contact lit up on her primary displays. "What's a Star Destroyer doing all the way out here?" she mused aloud. Arfive whistled at her, but she smiled and replied, "That was a rhetorical question. I wasn't really expecting an answer."

The Destroyer was moving out-system. Tyria began to open a comm channel to hail the warship, but an unknown dread froze her in place. Something's not right here.

"Arfive," she said aloud, "track that Star Destroyer. I think it's setting up for a hyperspace jump. Give me a probable destination."

The R5 whistled an affirmative. Tyria continued her vigilance in silence as the Star Destroyer maneuvered through the system's gravity wells. The massive ship did jump to hyperspace...only to re-appear a moment later a mere fifty kilometers from the XJ X-wing.

Tyria immediately killed all her systems, leaving only passive sensors active. Her R5 squawked a protest, but the Jedi ignored the astromech. Oh, Sithspit.

The old Imperial II-class Star Destroyer began to advance on the dead matalok cruiser. Can't fire my engines...can't hail them...think, Tyria, think! What do I...oh...that'll work.

Reaching out with the Force, the Jedi Knight began to carefully push against her own starfighter. The X-wing slowly accelerated away from the Star Destroyer and dead Yuuzhan Vong cruiser. Shadow bomb trick, except with my whole starfighter.

There was no sign that the Destroyer had spotted the tiny X-wing; instead, it ignored her completely as it closed on the dead cruiser. Tyria frowned. What in blazes is it doing?

Abruptly, its turbolaser batteries opened up on the dead matalok. In moments, the yorik coral vessel began to shake itself apart as the intense emerald laserfire melted deep, jagged holes in its hull. In minutes, the entire cruiser was little more than rubble, no piece larger than a coralskipper.

Tyria watched wide-eyed. Something is going on here...something bad.

Of course, nothing is ever easy or simple for a Jedi Knight.
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[Hollynkesten]

i honestly think that your the only writer who gets another post in the same story, withen a day!!!

keep it coming!!!
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

The Star Destroyer abruptly ceased fire. Ponderously swinging its bulk around, it aimed for an outsystem-jump. "Arfive, track it," Tyria ordered. The R5 warbled an affirmative as the massive warship's engines began to burn brightly. Tyria held the X-wing steady, trying to keep the sensors moving as little as possible so the astromech could make a more accurate track.

The Destroyer's engines flared once more, than the mighty ship flickered with pseudomotion and disappeared.

Tyria immediately began cold-starting the X-wing's systems. The fighter was warm enough that it would take only a few minutes to be fully operational again. Though this has got to be hard on my X-wing...it's going to need some service work soon.

"Got a track, Arfive?" the Jedi Knight asked her droid. The droid paused for about ten seconds. Then, across Tyria's primary monitor, scrolled several lines of text.

PROBABILITY INDICATES JUMP TO TITANIA SYSTEM.

"Where's that?" Tyria asked.

The data began to pour over her monitors. It's here in the Caderal Expanse, just like Elnoria. No colonized worlds. A short hop. No garrison there, either.

Time to pursue.

"Lay in a pursuit course, Arfive. Tell me when the jump is calculated."

Tyria leaned back in her pilot's couch while the R5 made the necessary calculations for a lightspeed jump to the Titania system. Tyria thought back to the Destroyer's inexplainable actions.

Why would they waste the firepower to blow up a dead Vong cruiser? For that matter, what happened to those Vong warriors? Where'd that Star Destroyer come from? And just what is it doing out here? Too many questions...and I don't have any answers.

Yet.

The R5 beeped, interrupting her thoughts. The phrase "COURSE LAID IN" scrolled across her monitor. Tyria glanced at her sensors, made a minute adjustment to her course, and engaged the hyperdrive. The XJ X-wing immediately transited to hyperspace and was gone.
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[Hollynkesten]

more please..............

that was very nice post
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

Joel Lance's X-wing dropped out of hyperspace a dozen kilometers from the Windstorm.

"Galactic Alliance X-wing hailing cruiser Windstorm," Joel spoke over the open comm. "Indy, you there?"

"Joel? Is that you?" came a reply a few moments later.

"That's the rumor, Indy."

"I thought I had heard your Lock Squadron had gotten ambushed and destroyed behind Vong lines."

"The rumors of my death," Joel commented dryly, "were greatly exaggerated."

"So what brings you out this way?" Indy asked the Jedi pilot.

"I'd rather discuss it face-to-face, if possible."

"Alright; I'll clear you for bay three. Park your snubfighter there; we'll service it for you while we talk."

"Sounds good, Indy. See you in a few." Joel snapped the comm off, then goosed the thrusters and looped the X-wing toward the Windstorm's open bay.

It took only a few minutes to set the XJ X-wing down in the pre-designated hanger. Deuce handled the X-wing's shutdown procedure as Joel vaulted out of the X-wing and landed in a crouch on the decking of the Windstorm.

Admiral Bridger was waiting for him. "Joel!"

"Indy!" Joel smiled as they embraced. "How have you been?"

"I was enjoying retirement," she said wryly, "before the Vong wandered along. I ended up in command of the 'Storm since the fall of Coruscant."

"Were you there?" Joel asked.

Indy nodded. "I ended up flying an evac ship out. The Windstorm wasn't there, though; she was part of a task force holding off some of the Vong on the border."

"Ah," Joel said, "I wasn't at Coruscant. We were back behind lines fighting the Vong in older tactics."

"You always were a Rebel at heart, weren't you?"

"Of course," Joel smiled.

"So...what brings you out here?"

Joel took a deep breath. "I'm looking for Tyria Sarkin. Near as I can tell, she'd have passed through this area."

Indy nodded. "She did. In fact, she helped us beat off a renegade Vong attack. After she got a bit of bunk time and we serviced her X-wing, she took off again."

"Where to?"

Indy shook her head. "She didn't know where she was going when she left the 'Storm, or at least she wasn't telling us."

Joel's heart sunk. "Damn. That complicates things. Can you at least point me in a direction?"

Indy nodded. "From her jump vector, I guess she was heading toward Elnoria." She hesitated. "I don't remember...were you here during the war for control of the Caderal Expanse?"

The Jedi Knight shook his head. "I joined up with the fleet right after the main conflicts ended. I helped with some of the clean-up operations. If you'll recall, I was flying with that mining convoy that was ambushed."

The Admiral winced. "I remember that, too; it wasn't pretty."

Years before, Phoenix Squadron, which Indy had lead at the time with Joel flying in the Phoenix Six spot, was flying as part of a joint escort with several other squadrons. A group of renegade Imperials had sprung a surprisingly well-coordinated and overwhelming ambush. The squadrons had been helpless as the freighters, mining vessels crewed by civilians, were ripped apart by wave after wave of Imperial fighters.

"Anyways," Indy said, "We're guessing she headed toward Elnoria. Why, we don't know."

"Thanks, Indy. How long will it take my X-wing to get refueled?"

"Shouldn't take long. You're not going to stay?"

"Not unless I have to. Longer I stay, the colder the trail gets."

"Fair enough," Indy nodded. "Good luck, and may the Force be with you."

"And with you, Indy."

As Joel turned to go, the Admiral called to him one last time. "Hey, if you need help, just give a shout. There's not a crewman on board that wouldn't help two Jedi Knights."

Joel smiled. "Thanks. Here's to hoping we don't need a cruiser to bail us out. Take care, boss."

"You too," Indy said softly as the Jedi Knight retreated to the hanger where his X-wing waited.
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[RogueSaber66]

If this is leading where I think it's leading, it's almost too scary, because I have something similar in the works. Just keep writing. Great stuff.

[xwing_original]

Tyria's X-wing reverted to realspace at the edge of the Titania system. There, she set her sensor resolution to maximum and surveyed the system.

It took her some time to locate the Star Destroyer. It was deep in-system, near the system's star. It was apparently in the shadow of a small, super-hot world, Demetrius. According to Arfive's calculations, the Destroyer was firing its engines at a steady rate to prevent it from moving out of the planetary shadow.

"Can you see what they're doing, Arfive?" Tyria asked. The astromech tootled a negative.

"Alright, we'll do this the old-fashioned way. Calculate a microjump...I want the planetary gravity to drag us out of hyperspace inside the planetary shadow. That heat would fry our X-wing if we'd drop out in open space.

The R5 whistled, then began calculating the jump. Tyria felt her Jedi senses tingle as she prepared the fighter for the microjump. Time to see what this Destroyer is up to.

Arfive whistled one last time; the X-wing's navicomputer lit up green to indicate jump information received. Tyria nodded and touched the hyperdrive controls.

For an instant, the stars stretched into starlines. Even before the cloudy bluish swirl of hyperspace could fill her vision, the starlines snapped back into stars as the X-wing reverted from hyperspace.

Tyria's senses continued to tingle. She heeled the X-wing over, nearly nailed by a turbolaser blast from the Star Destroyer.

"Whoever that belongs to doesn't like the Galactic Alliance," Tyria mumbled as she began weaving the XJ through evasive maneuvers. Arfive began beeping excitedly.

"What is it, Arfive?" she asked. Instantly her primary display lit up with images of starfighters launching. They were typical Galactic Alliance snubfighters: X-wings, E-wings, A-wings. "Got model types on those?" the Jedi Knight asked.

The X-wings were tentatively identified as T-65A3s; the E-wings were Series 4s; the A-wings were a newer design, but the exact model number was unavailable.

WARNING: A-WING PROFILES SUGGEST MORE SPEED AND MANEUVERABILITY THAN XJ-CLASS X-WING.

"Thanks, Arfive," Tyria said. She set her comm to an open channel. "Hostile Star Destroyer, this is Jedi Knight Tyria Sarkin. Please stand down and identify yourself."

"This is the Star Destroyer Sunrise. What do you want, Jedi Sarkin?"

As the Destroyer responded to her hail, the turbolasers ceased firing. Tyria noted uneasily, however, that the starfighters were still closing on her position.

"I caught a flash of you in the Elnoria System; I was unaware that any Galactic Alliance vessels were operating out in this sector." Following a nudging in the back of her mind, she neglecting to mention the Windstorm. "May I inquire as the nature of your activities?"

There was a long pause. "Follow your escort to the Sunrise's primary hanger. We will discuss it once you are aboard."

"Copy, Sunrise. Jedi Sarkin out." Tyria bit her lip as the mixed group of fighters settled into formation around her fighter. She headed towards the Sunrise's main hanger as the fighters clustered in a flanking position behind her fighter. It would take a simple throttle shift for the fighters to fall back from a flanking to a following position, giving them a clear line of fire.

Looks like you're committed...time to trust the Force, and find out what's going on out here.[/i]
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[xwing_original]

Tyria felt her senses continue to tingle, even as her X-wing rose into the Sunrise's main hanger. A chill gripped her; every fiber of her being exclaimed that something was wrong.

The sleek XJ X-wing settled to the deck, surrounded by the starfighters that, several minutes previous, have been lining up to take shots at her. The canopy rose, letting the Jedi Knight exit the snubfighter.

She dropped easily the three meters to the decking, landing in a crouch. Her warning senses blared at her even harder as a man in a General's uniform approached her, keeping a fair distance between them. Tyria moved away from her fighter to draw nearer the man.

"Jedi Sarkin, welcome to the Sunrise. I apologise for the lack of hospitality; we weren't expecting anyone to drop in on us.

"Least of all a Jedi."

"My apologies," Tyria commented dryly. "Wasn't my intent to look hostile."

"I'm afraid," the General said, "that my gunners are a bit trigger-happy."

"I noticed."

"What are you doing out here, Jedi Sarkin?" he asked.

Tyria's senses were blaring in full danger mode. Her hands dangled easily at her sides, near Callista's lightsaber, still fastened to the belt next to hers. She noted that some of the soldiers with the General were fanning out, slowly encircling her. "I was...investigating an anomaly." It was not strictly true, but it was not strictly untrue, either.

A certain point of view, Tyria reflected wryly.

The General nodded. "I don't believe in coincidences," he commented. "Especially where the Jedi are concerned."

"General," Tyria said, "I'm not out hunting for you, if that's what you mean."

The General shook his head. "I can't take that chance. I apologize, Jedi Sarkin."

Tyria snatched the lightsaber off her belt. Its sunlight blade hissed to life in time to bat away the first stun bolt that angled towards her. Tyria fell into the rhythm of the Force, following its warnings to fend off the attacks.

A Jedi Knight, armed with her lightsaber, is a dangerous foe. However, not even the greatest of Jedi could withstand thirty attackers at different angles. Tyria had no cover; she had moved too far away from her X-wing while talking to the General, and had been caught flat-footed in spite of her danger senses. Now, even with her speed heightened to inhuman levels, she couldn't keep up with the massive waves of stun bolts whining towards her.

She held the attackers off for the first four salvos of fire, either dodging or deflecting every attack. During the fifth attack, however, she missed one stun bolt. The energy ripped through her nervous system. She dropped the heirloom lightsaber as she fell to the decking, nerveless. Several more bolts hit her downed body.

Tyria felt the blackness rushing in as the last image of feet approaching her was burned into her memory.
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[Amidala Skywalker]

She'd better be okay! Now would be a good time for Joel to find her!

More please!
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[xwing_original]

Joel's X-wing dropped out of hyperspace in the Elnoria system. "Set sensors to maximum resolution, Deuce," he called to his astromech. "Anything out there?"

The astromech chirped irritably. It would take considerable time for a single X-wing to scan an entire system for another single X-wing.

Joel smiled at his little droid, then reached out into the Force, searching for another Jedi presence.

It took time to expand his senses to cover the entire system. Joel knew that he would never be able to effectively sense a system while in combat; however, without distractions, he could create a rather large bubble of awareness.

After two hours, Joel surrendered and sank back into his pilot's couch. She's not here. Either she has moved on, or she never came here in the first place. Blast!

"Deuce," he spoke aloud for the first time since giving the droid its initial orders, "have you found anything?"

The astromech beeped. Moments later, Joel's main display began magnifying something. Joel watched intently as it came into focus. "Coral debris?"

The astromech whistled an affirmative, then displayed some numbers on the screen. "Less than three days ago, huh? That's odd," Joel mused.

And now where should I look? Tyria's not here, I don't have any idea where she went next, and no probable leads. Great.

"Deuce, give me a list of systems here in the Caderal Expanse."

The astromech displayed a short list on Joel's main display. The pilot scrolled through the systems, calling up data on each in turn. None of these seems like a probable target. Hell, I don't even know what she's really looking for out here.

Abruptly, Deuce squawked a warning. Joel glanced up at his displays in time to see a Star Destroyer emerge from hyperspace. The Jedi Knight acted instinctively, immediately killing the X-wing's systems. His displays and engines went dark, making him invisible but essentially blind.

Though a Jedi is never truely blind.

Joel stretched out in the Force, this time tracking a specific ship, rather than searching a star system. While he could feel no hostile intent from the crew, that merely meant they hadn't seen him.

Maybe that Destroyer's not a threat, Joel thought. Maybe it's just my old pilot's instincts.

The Jedi had spent years with the Rebellion, battling the Empire. Its Star Destroyers and TIE fighters were truly the symbols of the evil the Empire personified. Like other Rebel veterans, Joel experienced a moment of dread every time he saw one of the gargantun ships.

But if it would have been my pilot instincts, I wouldn't have killed my engines. I would have either attacked or fled.

Joel continued surveying the warship as it maneuvered. "Deuce, can you track that ship optically? I don't dare start anything up or they'll detect us."

The astromech blatted. Joel smiled. The need for translation between the pilot and the droid had long since passed. I hope we can get an accurate enough track. Something's going on here. I thought the Windstorm was the only Galactic Alliance warship out here. Hmmmmm.

The Star Destroyer finished maneuvering. A moment later the mighty warship flickered with pseudomotion, then disappeared into hyperspace. Joel began starting up the X-wing's systems. "Get a track, Deuce?"

It took a moment for the main display to flicker to life, but when it did, it displayed one phrase: DIA PAS.

To the Dia Pas system, then, the Jedi thought. Hopefully we'll find our answers, and Tyria, there.
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[Hollynkesten]

darn right hes gonna find her there.... he better hurry the heck up and get her out!
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

It took Deuce three minutes to calculate a direct jump to the Dia Pas system. During that time, Joel prepared and transmitted via Holonet a short message to Admiral Bridger aboard the Windstorm.

The R2 unit snuggled in the XJ's astromech slot beeped at the Jedi. Joel nodded and engaged the hyperdrive. The stars stretched into starlines, then burst into the familiar bluish-white mottled skies of hyperspace.

The jump to the Dia Pas system was only two hours in duration. It was not enough time to make a Jedi hibernation trance worth-while, so Joel maintained consciousness as he pondered his options.

"Alright," he said aloud to no one in particular, "here's what we've got. Tyria Sarkin-Tainer, Jedi Knight, came out here in response to some kind of vision. I'm out here because a dead Jedi, who I met once while she was alive, told me that Tyria would need my help with some threat to the Alliance. I don't know what that threat is, or where Tyria is. I am following a Star Destroyer because I can." He laughed aloud. "Wow...I must sound like a spice addict. Sheesh."

The Jedi Knight checked his lightsaber's power, then pulled out a well-worn service blaster. Never know when I need one of these. Too bad lightsabers don't have stun settings. It, too, carried a full charge.

From under his pilot's seat, he retrieved several thermal detonators. "A throwback to my old days with the commandos," he murmured aloud. "Never know when I need to blow something up."

With his gear checked and ready, Joel spent some of his precious minutes eating a self-cooking packet of food. Forking some unrecognizable lumps of meat and a few odd-looking vegetables into his mouth, he searched around for something to drink, but came up dry. He shrugged and continued his meal. I'll need this food, I think. Can't hurt to be on a full stomach when I get to the Dia Pas system.

With his appetite abated and his gear ready, Joel began to meditate on the Force. He did not gather the Force onto himself; rather, he allowed it to flow through him.

The familiar energy flow calmed him, eased his worries about the blind jump to Dia Pas. Still a fighter pilot at heart, he hated jumping into a system without intelligence data. There were too many unknowns. Fighter pilot missions had a tendancy to go bad even with good information; jumping in blind was a quick way to get killed.

But Joel could feel that he was doing the right thing. The Force seemed to assure him of that.

Then Deuce beeped. Joel's eyes snapped open. He saw the timer flashing on the main monitor, and when it reached zero, he disengaged the hyperdrive.

The X-wing reverted to realspace in the Dia Pas system.
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[Amidala Skywalker]

More soon please!

BTW...you are the nicest writer of us all around here because you post so often! I love it!

Do you write the story ahead of time and copy-paste it onto here? Just curious.
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[Hollynkesten]

more... please?????
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

Next post-tomorrow

What I'm doing now-helping a friend write a resume for her mom so she can get a job

What I will be doing next-Starting Kit Carson's Autobiography

Answer to AS's question: I write as I go. I don't write ahead of time. When I have a few moments, I stop by J.net, type up another post, and hit 'submit'...which is why they are always of such varying lengths.

Glad everyone's enjoying the story so far.
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[RogueSaber66]

One word: Genius. Actually that's three. Now seven. Now ten. YESSSS!! Wait. Thirteen. no, thats unlucky. SEVENTEEN

[Hollynkesten]

You said somehting other than your story... miracle!!! well... either way, hope you find some time in you oh so busy schedule to give us more story!
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[CRITIQUE DISCOURAGED]

[xwing_original]

The massive gas giant called Morba filled Joel's view.

The planet, the pilot knew, was both a boon and a bane. The planet had twenty-two moons, allowing for incredible mining prospects. The planet's rings served well to conceal fleeing ships and small Rebel bases, back when the entire Expanse was a warzone between Rebel and Imperial forces.

However, the planet was extremely dangerous for an unwary pilot. It generated a powerful magnetic field which would disrupt the systems of an unshielded craft.

Joel checked his X-wing's shields and noted with sastisfaction that they were running optimally. "Deuce," he asked, "any sign of that Star Destroyer?"

The R2 beeped a negative. Joel frowned. "Are you sure that Dia Pas was the Star Destroyer's heading?"

Deuce squealed irritably. "Sorry, sorry, I know, optics isn't the best way to track a ship." The Jedi Knight sighed.

Abruptly, his danger sense tingled. Joel opened the throttle to full and shoved the X-wing into a dive.

The Imperial Star Destroyer the Jedi had been attempting to follow reverted to realspace right above the fast-moving X-wing.

"Deuce!" Joel shouted, "You didn't tell me we could have beat them here!"

The Star Destroyer opened fire on the X-wing, emerald laserfire filling the space around the agile starfighter. "X-wing, stand down," a neutral voice called over the comm. "Repeat, stand down and identify yourself."

Joel ignored the comm for a moment, concentrating on evading the Destroyer's fire. "Give me a good reason to do that, Destroyer," Joel muttered through gritted teeth.

"X-wing, stand down," the voice drowned again.

"This is Galactic Alliance starfighter Lock One," Joel stated evenly, even as the X-wing rocked from a near miss. "Identify yourself, Destroyer."

"This is the Star Destroyer Sunrise," the voice came back. "We are ceasing hostilities now."

Joel evened out his snubfighter as the laserfire ceased. "Deuce, it's not standard procedure for Alliance ships to fire on targets that haven't proven hostile, is it?"

The R2 beeped a negative. "That's what I thought." Joel frowned, then stretched out with the Force.

Aboard the Sunrise was a powerful Force presence, though it was muted. A Jedi Knight! Joel realized. If it's muted...that may be Tyria. Meaning she's a prisoner.

"Jedi X-wing, would you please come aboard the Sunrise?" the same comm operator asked him.

"Damn," Joel muttered. "Between a rock and a hard place. Guess there's only one thing to do."

The X-wing gently swung through a turn, lining up for the Sunrise's main hanger. Joel kept his approach slow, though he kept his shields up to prevent the gas giant's magnetic fields from frying his instrumentation. He noted that the turbolasers were tracking him, waiting for him to make a wrong move.

Joel kept the fighter steady all the way into the Sunrise's hanger. As the X-wing rose into the hanger, a tractor beam locked onto the fighter, preventing Joel from making any sudden maneuvers. Surprisingly gently, the fighter was set down on the hanger's decking.

Joel checked his lightsaber, blaster, and thermal detonators, then popped the canopy. Moving fluidly, he lept from the X-wing's cockpit, landing in a crouch on the decking.
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