A Correllian freighter looms over a dark blue planet and begins to descend. Inside the cockpit a young jedi sits before the controls as an old astromech droid chirps widely behind her.
T3-M4: Werr doo dee boo.
The Jedi presses a button on her comlink. Small hologram lights up.
Meetra Surik: This is it.
T3-M4: Trill dee dee.
Meetra Surik: Me too.
In one of the rooms of the ship two more Jedi sit on small leather beds. One Jedi sits patiently with a helmet in his arms while the other Jedi taps her foot anxiously.
Revan: Bastila, what's wrong?
Bastila: It’s nothing.
She takes her double bladed lightsaber off of her belt and fidgets with the various buttons.
Revan: Whatever is next, we are in it together.
Bastila: I know... it's just.
Revan: Just what?
Bastila starts to tear up.
Bastila: The entire galaxy rests on our shoulders, What if we can’t stop it?
Bastila: Revan, What about our daughter!
Revan starts to tear up, he stands up and walks over to Bastila. He sits down next to her and puts his arm around her.
Revan: I’m scared Bastila, I couldn't be able to live with myself knowing that I failed... that I failed her.
Revan: We may not live another day to see her but I won’t die knowing that I couldn't save her. She is all we have left.
Bastila smiles.
Bastila: Whatever it takes.
Revan: Whatever it takes.
Bastila puts her arm around Revan as they embrace in a hug. Revan wipes a tear from Bastila’s eyes.
Meetra Surik: Master was approaching our destination. Hold on it's gonna be a rough landing!
Revan: How rough?
T3-M4: Trill dee dee.
The Corellian freighter flies through the thick atmosphere as lightning flashes around them. One bolt hits the freighter's rear engine.
Meetra Surik: We're hit but it’s not bad.
T3-M4: Chirp trill boo bee.
The freighter rushes to the surface and makes a hasty landing on the rocky surface. The Ramp opens as the three Jedi and the droid exit. Revan places his hand on the ships hull as if taking one final look.
Revan: Goodbye my old friend.
Meetra Surik and Revan exchange nervous glances knowing what is next.
Meetra Surik: Are you ready?
Revan nods. He turns to T3-M4.
Revan: I’ll see you around.
T3-M4. Dooooo.
Revan puts his Mandalorian mask on. The three of them begin their journey walking into the distance as they slowly fade into silhouettes. T3-M4 stands beside the ship beeping sadely.
Star wars Guardians of the force
The fallen Jedi
Jacen and the others travel through a rock filled canyon. The sky above them begins to flash from the constant lighting strikes that fill the atmosphere. Aayla looks up into the sky.
Aayla: Are we any closer?
Jacen looks at the massive wall of rock towering above them.
Jacen: Not sure, We should get to higher ground and see where we are.
Aayla: Good idea.
DZ-23: Bleep dee doo.
They keep walking for some time.
Jacen: Don’t worry Dee Zee.
Ben places his foot against the edge of the rock wall as if checking for stability.
Ben: It shouldn't be too bad.
Aayla: Then let's go.
DZ-23 rolls into Jacens hands. He picks the small green droid up and places it in his backpack.
Jacen (sarcastically) : Oh please.
Jacen and the others begin to climb up the rock wall. Aayla uses her jetpack to quickly fly up the side of the rock wall.
Ben: Show off.
Aayla laughs.
Aayla: Race you to the top!
Aayla continues to fly upwards as Ben uses the force to launch himself in the air. He grabs onto the edge of the cliff holding on. Aayla stands above him.
Aayla: Beat you.
Ben smiles. Suddenly the rock that Ben stands on begins to crack and eventually breaks off from the rest of the cliff. Ben falls down to the surface.
Aayla: Ben!
Aayla jumps off the cliff. As she descends she meets Ben. She grabs a hold of him and activates her jetpack causing them to fly back up before they can hit the ground. As Aayla holds Ben in her arms, a blinding white light starts to form around both of them, eventually becoming so bright that you cannot see the two. The white light fades away as Ben and Aayla have combined once again to form a new being. They reach the surface and are greeted by Jacen, Finn, and Rey who stare in shock.
Finn: What!
Rey: That's imp-
Another white light forms around the being as Ben and Aayla split into their original selves.
Ben: We... can talk about it later.
Jacen tries to recollect his thoughts.
Jacen: Uhhhh.
Jacen: Well, There looks to be something over there. I recommended we check out what it is.
In the distance lies a small silhouette of an object.
DZ-23: Trill doo wee.
They continue on their journey until they reach the object which turns out to be a large brown ship.
Jacen: This is a Dynamic class freighter, I thought they stopped producing these during the Old Republic.
DZ-23: Trill dee dee.
Jacen: I'm surprised to see one all the way out here let alone the fact that they stopped production of this ship near the end of the old Republic.
DZ-23: Wirr bee bee.
Jacen: Maybe this can be our ticket off this place. Though it is probably in need of a few repairs.
Aayla walks up to a panel near the ramp of the ship. She prys it open with her fingers and begins fiddling with the wires. Moments later the wires start to spark.
Finn: Where did you learn that?
Aayla: I have a dark past.
The crew walks up the ramp. The lights begin to flicker on and off.
Jacen: What the!
Jacen walks into a thick clump of cobwebs. He wipes them away with his hand. DZ-23 rolls over to a large object covered in an old brown blanket.
DZ-23: Trill dee dee.
Rey: What is it?
Rey walks over to the blanket and rips it off the object. Dust begins to fly everywhere. Under the blanket sits a large droid. DZ-23 plugs into the side of the droid giving it energy. Moments later the droid eyes begin to light up followed by multiple beeps and sounds.
Rey: This is a T-series droid, They are as old as the Old Republic itself. I'm surprised that it’s all the way out here.
Jacen: I'm surprised this entire ship is out here.
Jacen gives Rey a sarcastic smile. Rey smiles in return. Suddenly the droid starts to power on.
T3-M4: Wer wer wer.
Jacen kneels down next to the droid.
Jacen: Hello there, My name is Jacen. What’s yours?
T3-M4: Doo dee dee.
Jacen: So how did you get here Tee Three?
T3-M4: Trill wer.
Jacen: I’m sorry to hear that.
T3-M4: Boo boo boo.
Jacen: Do you know what happened to them?
T3-M4: Werrrr.
Jacen stands up.
Jacen: Maybe he can help us.
Ben: What do you mean?
Jacen: The ship is in awful shape but we may be able to send a broadcast.
Finn: That could actually work.
Jacen: Hey Dee Zee
DZ-23: Trill dee dee
Jacen: See what you can do to fix up this ship.
T3-M4: Wooooo.
Jacen: Really! Thank you Tee Three.
T3-M4: Dee Dee werrr.
Jacen: Okay good luck with it,
Jacen looks through a window at the storm raging on from above.
Jacen: Hopefully we’ll be back soon.
DZ-23: Wer dee dee.
Jacen: We’re going to find Zel.
DZ: Dooooooo.
Jacen and the others begin to walk out of the ship. He takes one more look at the ship before they keep walking.
Jacen: So Ben.
Ben: Yea.
Jacen: You were gonna say.
Ben: Say what?
Jacen: Your thing with Aayla. Well...what happened?
Ben: We’ll... I’m not sure. It's like our minds and bodies merged somehow.
Aayla: The first time it happened it was-
Jacen: Wait this has happened before.
Aayla: Well only once. It was when we were split up in that cave.
Jacen: So how did you do it?
Ben: I’m not sure. It almost seems like an emotional connection almost.
Jacen: And what does it feel like when you’re… Together.
Aayla: When we combined I had never felt strangers not just mentally but physically too. I could feel his emotions and his strength. And when we came together it was as if we were working in perfect sync.
Jacen gives a look of amazement.
Jacen: Can you do it on command?
Ben: I’m not really sure.
Ben turns to Aayla.
Ben: Do you want to try again.
Aayla gives him a sarcastic smile.
Aayla: Why not.
Aayla and Ben walk to each other. They extend their hands placing it on the others. Moments later a white glow fades around their hands as it soon grows to around both of them.
Jacen: Whoa!
The white light starts to flick and almost destabilize as Ben and Aayla are both thrust backwards. In the process Aayla’s helmet flies off and rolls to her side.
Ben: We’ll it was worth a try.
Aayla smiles. Ben stands up and stretches his arm to Aayla. Aayla grabs Ben’s hand as he helps pull her up.
Jacen: Maybe next time. For now though, we must keep moving.
They continue walking through the rocky terrain. At this point the lightning has stopped leaving a cool breeze. Eventually they reach a small plateau where they can see the towering mountain before them. Behind the mountain lays a beautiful horizon the glows shades of blue and purple.
Finn: It’s beautiful.
Jacen starts to tear up but quickly wipes them away.
Jacen: Yeah.
Finn: I’ve been a Stormtrooper for most of my life. I never got to appreciate the beauty of life… Until now. Sometimes I still ask myself what if I stayed a stormtrooper.
Jacen puts his arm around Finn.
Jacen: We all have to face that decision at some point in our lives... To hold on or to let go.
Jacens hears a small noise from behind him. He turns his head to see what it is.
Jacen: No, it can’t be.
The others turn their heads in shock.
Zelios: Jacen Skywalker. It has been a while.
Jacen: Zel… What happened to you?
Zelios smiles.
Zelios: I experienced a power greater than anything else in this galaxy. Greater than the force itself.
Zelios’s eyes start to glow a bright purple.
Jacen: This isn't you Zel. You’re better than this.
Zelios lets out an evil wicked laugh.
Zelios: If you could only know what I have become.
Zelios pulls out two lightsabers from his belt. He ignites them with one glowing a bright blue and the other a lime green. Both sabers have a similar black core instead of their usual white.
End of issue two
Credits
Written by:
Marco Brnardic (the_senate.squad)
David King (fascinating_films)
Edited by:
Ellis Pickering (ellis___pickering04)
Captain R3X (captain.r3x)
Creative Consultants:
Richard Ched (Kavon52398)
A Sith Squad creation