Star Wars: Rise of the Legion

A long, long time ago, in a Galaxy far, far away...


*Star Wars Main Theme plays in the background*

Star Wars. Episode LXXXIII: Rise of the Legion

Centuries after the Great Sith War, where the nefarious Sith Lord, Snoak, was overthrown, The Jedi have fully returned, and taken their rightful place as the peacekeepers of the galaxy.

But, as always, darkness will always follow the light. A General in the Sith War, Grith Morralloth, witnessed his brother, a Sith, die in the final battle, and blamed the Jedi for it, thinking them unjust for taking his life without giving him a chance to turn back.

Turning away from the Jedi and the Light Side of the Force, he bacame reborn as Darth Morrall, and began his own scheme to end the Jedi once and for all.

Grith, possessing not only the names, but also the exact location of all the future Younglings, stole all the future Jedi who were strongest in the Force, raising them and training them under the full influence of the Dark Side.
The result was a powerful army of Sith Warriors, dark knights who have never known light, or the influence of good.

Many years have passed and Darth Morrall has long since passed away, but his Sith Army continues to grow, laboring for the sole purpose of once again bringing about the downfall of the Jedi, and plunging the world into darkness.

However, even though these new Sith have never experienced the Light Side of the Force, many of them still feel it's pull.

There is hope for these children yet...

*Ahem* Hi. Me again. So you odviously know the plot, but there are a few things you need to know before continuing.

Long SB Lecturing Powers: ACTIVATE!!

First off, though they are Sith, they do have their own Code of conduct. (And no, these are NOT the rules of the SB diguised as a code, this is an actual code a Sith must live by.)

Spoiler

The Sith Code.

. No Sith will kill their brother.

.All Sith are bound to their Mentors until one of them dies, until the death of their Master, any Sith, fully fledged of not, will answer to their mentor.

.There is no discimination of any Sith. Regardless of their race, the army (Or Legion as the members of the Sith Army call it) Shall remained untified.

Also, notice that the code does not state that a Sith cannot marry or date. The suiters are chosen by the Mentors, according to who will make children strongest in the Force. All Sith are betrothed when they are Twenty and unified when they are Twenty-Nine.

The actual rules of the SB are this:

Spoiler

.Even the Sith of the Legion are still too Jedi to cuss, so no strong language.

.No graphic/explicit romance, although the warm fuzzies are fine.

.I know it might be a little hard not to God-Mod in this SB, but please refrain from it. If your character is very powerful come up with some sort of Drawback to their abilities.

.No killing off any characters without the owners permission.

And now, CHARACTER TEMPLATE! Woohoo!

Spoiler

Name:
Age: [the youngest is 8, the age a youngling of the Legion begins trianing]

Race: (Must be cannon)

Appearance: (Include a picture if you can find one, but descibe them again here)

Personality:

History:

Lightsaber description: [i.e Color, what it's made of, double/single sided, any special features, ect.]

Family/friends:

Occupation: (Sith of the Legion, Jedi, or anthing else you can come up with.)

Rank: (not required if your character is not a Legion Sith or Jedi.)

Up for Love: (If you character is Legion and betrothed, specify here.)

Good luck, my friends, and may the Force be with all of you.

Skye Merem

Hyperspace was strange. The only truly peaceful place in the galaxy. You could just sit and watch the swirling cool-coloured streaks that were actually millions upon billions of stars. You could sit and feel yourself traveling at just below the speed of light, one with the universe, and if you were lucky enough to access it, the Force. You could meditate under a smooth durasteel roof atop a soft cushion and see gleaming, ethereal strands connecting each living being regardless of species, some thicker and more profound than others, most brilliant white, a few the opposite and edged with red.

But only if you were lucky enough. Skye didn’t know whether she was one of the luckiest individuals in the galaxy, or one of the unluckiest.

Could you really count being trained by the Sith as lucky? Being forced from your home, watching your elders lose their heads right in front of you, see them roll slowly to yours and your best friend’s horrified sides? And when your friend dies the same way for showing weakness, should you lose yourself, or simmer in pain and regret for all eternity?

But, of course, she had to be the lucky one to survive, be proclaimed the only one in the clan with the ‘capacity for great darkness.’ She had to be the one to suffer. The one to almost fall.

Skye fingered her dagger absentmindedly, sitting in a lazy meditative position. It seemed whenever she tried to meditate, tried to calm herself down, she just ended up more stressed, watching visions of death flicker past her closed eyelids. She saw flashes of her training, some of the other young initiates. That one prodigy, the pureblood, that she knew for about a year before she escaped. She didn’t need that. She heard the Light’s call every night, and she listened. She escaped. She didn’t need to dwell on the past, steam over every loss. She needed to let go.

It was harder than it looked. She had been sorting through everything for six years, and nothing had helped. She had meditated, she had meditated more, she even went to see a mind-healer once. Never again. The Mon Calamari female had told her, in a soothing voice, that she had a mental health issue called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Skye had yelled something along the lines, “I’m not insane, and don’t you dare write down that I’m aggressive!” She stood there for a minute, reading what she gleaned from the therapist’s thoughts and feelings.


She’s defensive.


And then—

Poor girl.

With that last foreign thought, Skye had jumped out of the comfortable Coruscanti chair and, in a whirl of airy, stained white cloth, walked out the door, each step brisk and purposeful.

And there she was again. Delving back into her memories for solace. Escaping the confines of the sleek, silver ship and entering a world constantly on repeat.

“Miss Merem?”

Skye looked up to the doorway and saw her medical droid, NK-29 standing there.

“Are you alright, Miss?”

Skye barked out a short laugh. “I’m fine, Enkay. Go back and do… whatever you were doing before.”

NK-29 made a small, stiff bow before leaving.

Skye eased herself out of the meditative pose, her stiff muscles groaning uncomfortably. She stood up and pulled her leg up behind her until her foot touched the hairs on her head. She stretched into a backbend, and kicked over onto her feet, working the muscles out of their settled position. She did a few more stretches, plus one or two force-enhanced flips before glancing at the time displayed on her wrist.

Skye ground out some very unkind Huttese curses before racing out of the room, and into the cockpit. NK’s feeble cries of, “Miss!” were far behind her.

“Kriff, no, I was supposed to come out of hyperspace thirty minutes ago! Blasted meditation, blasted time—” She broke off before she could say anything else.

Restraint, Skye. Remember, you’ll never stay in the light if you lose control.

She took a deep breath.

Well, might as well see where I am before turning around.

“Merem, where are we?” A middle aged human man stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame casually. Skye gritted her teeth. She ha— disliked this man. With a passion.

“M’bout to find out. Hold on a minute, Kuress. Go back to your room. Go write a speech or something.”

He ignored her suggestion and walked forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. He whistled when he saw where they pulled out to. “That’s a sticky situation you’ve got yourself into. Just remember, I have to be at Coruscant in a few hours. Get me there and you’ve got your money.”

Skye glared at him and shrugged his hand off. “You’ll be there. Touch me again and I will hurt you.”

She could sense his grin as he held his hands up and leaned closer to whisper in her ear, “Strong, independent type?” Skye clenched her hand into a fist. Her knuckles were whitened by the lack of blood flowing through her fingers. She could see his smile grow wider, and felt his warm breath on her ear.

Snap-hiss. It took a fraction of an instant for his smooth collar to be ruffled by her hand, which was curled by his throat. The short-bladed white lightsaber was millimeters away from his throat. Kuress’s eyes were wide, full of terror.

“Don’t ever do that again,” Skye hissed. “The only reason you’re alive right now is because you will be giving me my due payment. This little situation right here may just cost you a thousand extra. And don’t you dare shirk your payment, because the Legion,” she nodded out the window. “Is nothing compared to me right now. Now, go back to your room.” She accented every syllable of the last sentence. He nodded as well as he could and strained against her grip. Skye let go of the newly creased collar. He all but ran out of the cockpit.

Skye blinked her cerulean-stained hazel eyes, cleansing them of the minute flecks of yellow. She bit her lip and turned to the viewport, cleanly turning the ship around and flying to the other side of the blueish planet, where the Legion’s ships weren’t, and calculating a new route to Coruscant.

You lost control, her mind hissed. You’re doing no good here. Why not just let go? You were trained in the Dark Arts for years, they come easily to you… Skye shook her head. “No. I can’t. I won’t.”

You think that the Light will cleanse you… Wipe away the “stains” the Legion has imprinted on you… You’re wrong… We are no stain. We are a scar. We will never heal, never fade away completely… We will dominate your destiny forever…

“You’re WRONG!” She roared. The echoes bounced all across the ship, reverberating in the smallest gears and the largest engines. A tear ran down her cheek. The voice gave no reply.

When Skye pulled the hyperspace lever, a smaller, hopeful voice whispered in her mind, Why not go to the Jedi? They could help… Skye shook her head. “No. I can’t do that either. I’ve killed too many. I’ve delved too deep into the darkness. They’ll reject me, like everyone else will.”

But maybe…

“No. I said no. I can’t do that. They’ll lock me up. It doesn’t matter that the only ones I’ve killed are the Sith, apparently it’s still murder. Besides, I’ve got money, I’ve got a good enough… job… I’m living happily enough. I don’t need anyone.”

Yet again, no reply. Skye stood and threw her hands up. “And look, I’m talking to myself! I’m talking to voices in my head that try to influence everything I do! Well, listen up, if you do listen! I control my own fate!”

Skye sat down again, still receiving no reply. She put her head in her hands and squeezed her eyes shut. “I need to meditate… Sort through things,” she murmured to the air around her.

An hour later, credits were exchanged from shaking hands to calloused ones. Kuress ran off, muttering about illegal travel and how he was going to report her behavior to the court. Skye, impassive, saluted him sarcastically and closed the ship’s ramp behind her.

“Skye Merem… It’s been a long, long time…” Skye froze and ignited her saber, whirling around.

Kriff.

Zarash Tichon

The Sith Legion's blademaster opened his eyes slowly, taking in his surroundings and stretching, an audible crack emanating from his stiff neck. There was a sudden thump in the room and the doors sliding noisily open. "Oi! Everyone up, we're 'ere!" The grumpy Coruscanti smacked the cargo bay release, and the ragtag group was bathed in synthetic light. "Welcome to Coruscant ya filthy peasants! Now get off my ship!" Zarash stood and pulled his cloak around him, making his way through the crowd of immigrants and towards the docking platform.

He had purchased cheap passage from a smuggler a number of weeks ago, opting for the gritty and unclean method of travel over the luxury he could easily have afforded, choosing the anonymity that came with illegal transportation over the higher quality and faster luxury of a starliner. Earlier that week, he had taken the liberty of relieving himself of his duties at the Legion's training grounds and waited for hours among the rest of the scum he was traveling with; murderers, thieves, slavers... He was shaken from his thoughts by yet another thump, turning around to watch as two bodies were unceremoniously thrown from the ship. Not everyone had made the journey it seemed.

Looking around and lightly brushing his hand past one of the lightsabers at his hip, he pulled his black scarf up over his face and lowered the goggles he had upon his forehead; Being a Pureblood had its advantages and disadvantages, one of the latter of which was his hue. If anyone here was allowed to see his face, his anonymity would be whisked away like a breeze.

Though he often was forced to keep his emotions in check for fear of being found out, he tentatively allowed the excitement within to fill his being. Of course, he had been to a few busy starports on his outings, but Coruscant was a class entirely its own, and he marveled at the towering buildings and the throngs of people who hurried this was and that. He watched as ships of varying sized lifted off or landed and shook his head in partial amazement. The Legion certainly plays down the grandeur of the city planet... he thought to himself.

He began walking towards the other end of the docking areas, looking over the ships and laughing inwardly at the stray glances he received from their respective crewmembers. If only they knew who I was. Perhaps their faces would reflect fear instead of confusion then. Suddenly a man pushed past Zarash, and his concentration was broken, his cloak spilling around him as he turned to face the perpetrator, his eyes suddenly blazing.

"You should be more careful where you tread, scum!" His fingers once again twitched past his blade as the man in turn faced the cloaked Sith. "Excuse me?"

Zarash looked up.... and up farther to gaze into the face of a massive man, a face of true disbelief present upon his features as he sized up the comparatively small, cloaked figure in front of him. He snorted. "I think it's you that needs to watch yer step, fella. A tiny guy like you could get...... hurt."

Tichon allowed the threat to settle in the air before raising his fingers almost imperceptibly and whispering. "I assure you, I am not threatened by your kind." With this, he swept his hand to the side and stared, unblinking into the large man's eyes as they widened. Time seemed to slow before the man went flying to the side, landing on his back and sliding over the edge of the platform, plummeting down to the streets below.

The Sith began to smile but then the rage faded, and his face suddenly was filled with horror and disbelief. He flitted to the edge of the platform with fear in his being, but relief flowed through him when he saw the man only twenty feet below, attempting to disentangle himself from the garbage pile he had fallen into.

Zarash hissed to himself and was several ship berths over by the time the people around him had registered what had just occurred. You fool! Rage is not your friend! What if you had just killed that man!? Do you truly want redemption or do you simply like the idea of it? He frowned deeply and allowed his thoughts and emotions to shrink away once more. He still had much to learn when it came to expressing himself, it seemed.

There was a noise behind him and he whirled around, coming face to face suddenly with a scared looking man, talking about reporting someone... He froze and narrowed his eyes as the Force suddenly rippled through him. The noises around the blademaster lessened and the light dimmed in his vision as he turned, looking straight into a very familiar face.

Merem.

In the blink of an eye, he allowed his training to consume him and his movements were amplified by the Force around him. Everything seemed to slow and he heard the ramp behind him closing loudly, but time suddenly caught up as the woman he now stood behind spoke, banishing his doubts.

"Skye Merem… It’s been a long, long time…" He pulled back his hood and threw aside his scarf and goggles in a single, fluid motion.

Anita Scarlet Stone

I was awakened by music blaring, they were my alarms. I grunted as I sat up and rubbed my eyes. My aquarium was thriving, brightly colored fish and amphibians from every planet imaginable flitted across the surface of the glass. I maneuvered out of bed, careful not to wake Ebony, who slept beside me every night. Ebony was a crientes, a species that many races considered mindless predators. She had a feline shape, but instead of the fur you might expect with such creatures, she was covered in black feathers. Two little tufts adorned her head, resembling feathery ears, but I knew that her ears were further down the side of her head.

I recalled when I had first found her, her plan to eat a clan of Ewoks had backfired and she had been terribly wounded. I nurtured her back to health, but when she was well enough to protest, she did. She was skittish, and at times, dangerous. But hey, I’d dealt with some pretty deadly creatures in my time, and her attacks were no challenge to me. Over time though, she grew to know me, and we came to an understanding. She was intelligent, more intelligent than most of the people I knew. It wasn’t that she could refuel a spaceship, but she was always there when I needed someone to talk to. She rarely left my side, and I had witnessed on many occasions that she would attack anyone who attempted to hurt me. She had earned many battle scars in this manner, but refused to leave my side no matter what.

I had dressed myself during this reverie, and trotted down the hallway towards the control room. I switched from automatic pilot to manual, and exited hyperspace. I had Anoobas to deliver. I walked nonchalantly over to compartment 118, which had the creatures pounding on the door, demanding to get out. I wouldn’t have kept such creatures for my own, too hard to control, and definitely too hard to feed. Such services and animals only ever went to those even richer than me. I was extremely happy that the client only wanted the alpha male and female, I wasn’t quite sure if I could handle more than two of these things at a time.

I dialed a sequence of numbers into a keypad on the wall, the combination changed between every unlocking, but in a pattern that only I knew for sure. Unlike with most compartments, this one didn’t simply open a door. The compartment completely detached from the ship, clients were charged extra for keeping the container, and shorting someone who transports such things as me… Let’s just say that Ebony was the least of your problems.

The client- I think his name was Paul? Paid for the container, he muttered something about an ‘overpriced hunk of metal.’ I snickered, if anything these rooms were underpriced. They were custom made for exactly the purpose of transporting dangerous animals. And Transporting them to Coruscant was no easy task. I collected my payment, and took a few moments to glance around.

Not too far from my ship, a man fell towards the streets. I knew this place, and that he probably hadn’t been hurt too badly, but I was curious. I recognised that man, he’d bought a shipment of Blenjeel sand worms from me, and wasn’t someone to be trifled with. It was curiosity more than anything that drew me in the direction he had come from. The hustle and bustle of the crowd was relatively easy to navigate. Whoever it was had probably disappeared into the crowd. I was about to leave, but I found myself directly staring at a red-skinned man as he whipped off some sort of facial disguise.

I had heard that people trained in the force could read minds, and I didn’t quite like that idea. I distracted myself from directly thinking about the Sith with information on Asyyyriak, which I found to be quite the interesting creature.

They live in the forests of Kashyyyk. I took a few steps towards the Sith, why would he blow his cover?

Every once in awhile a wookie child becomes their victim. I was close enough to hear him, probably not the best time to stop thinking about exotic creatures, but all I could think was, who is Skye Merem? One thought lead to another. Brain, I thought we were disguising ourselves.

What if they find out about… I attempted to strangle the thought before it was finished, but I had never been able to control my thoughts. ...The transport.

The transport, two words, which in my mind, equalled When I started hiding. Which inevitably lead to: I have used the force.

I backed away, what was I going to do anyway? Attempt to duel him? No, I had no training with my lightsaber. But… it seemed that he had a definite target in mind. I watched him as he went in another direction, and I began to run. Back to my ship, where I could better arm myself.

I stumbled into my armory, grabbing the nearest thing I could, a crossbow blaster. I set off back, attempting to track the Sith. The thought occurred to me that he might have backup, but I pushed it down, sometimes I felt that blind courage was the only way to succeed. I headed in the direction that the Sith had gone, as some might say, I was following my gut.

Maybe he had backup, maybe he didn’t. I’d say he did, because it wasn’t long before I suffered a blow to the head, and everything went black.

Blind courage- not always the best idea.

The night before....

Ro Fidsmor

"Uncle Jasek sure chose a busy place to meet up this time." Rubbing the fatigue from her eyes, Ro turned her gaze from the crowded metropolis below to the dark-haired man in the captain's chair and made this observation.

Grin Fidsmore stretched as he gave his young co-pilot a small smile. "Haven't been here in ages. You know, sometimes I wonder if that guy's really visiting his sick mother half the times he's gone."

The jumps to and from hyperspace had been bumpier than usual - which meant something needed to be fixed - and they'd spent about an hour circling around, looking for a good docking bay. By now, the sun had long faded behind Coruscant's smoggy horizon, but from this high up, they had a great view of the city's many levels.

Grin took in his daughter's tired eyes, auburn hair that was messier than usual, and her rumpled clothes. "You look exhausted. Get some rest, kiddo. This place'll still be the same tomorrow morning."

Ro removed her safety harness - Grin never wore his - and climbed out of the co-pilot's chair. She liked feeling needed at the controls, so she'd forced herself to stay awake all this time, even though she knew her father was quite capable of flying his freighter, the Jade Star, by himself. Besides, now that Uncle Jasek was coming back, she wouldn't be sitting in that chair for months on end.

"Good night, Dad," she yawned, giving him a quick hug. Grin wasn't the huggable type, but he'd always make allowances for his daughter.

As she made her way past the galley to the crew quarters, she heard her father call, "...And don't forget to take your meds, kiddo!"

Ro made a face. She took those vitamin supplements four times a day, and she was (almost) always punctual about it. That didn't stop Grin from reminding her four times as much. What was so important about them anyway? The yellow-green capsules were bitter to the taste, and if you chewed on them, the stuff inside was all gross and slimy.


After she'd washed up and changed into her favorite pajamas, Ro took a seat at her desk and sifted through the cluttered mess of tools, datapads, and scrap parts. Covered by a thin piece of cloth was her secret project. To the unassuming eye, it looked like an old Mandolorian blaster gauntlet, but Ro had made a few modifications.... She tinkered with it for a bit before growing bored - based on the two sets of blueprints she'd borrowed from a library on Dantooine some months ago, some important pieces were still missing.

Ro selected her favorite holonovel from her small stash and snuggled under her warmest blankets, reliving the adventures of the legendary Princess Winter and her trusty Wookiee companion, Shubarrkaa. By Chapter Seventeen, Ro's eyelids were so heavy, she shut down the datapad and pulled the sheets closer to her chin.

Just as she was drifting off, she heard Grin making his way along the corridor. With a hiss, the door to his quarters opened and shut. Not five minutes later, he stepped out again, his footsteps accompanied by the whirrr of their astromech, R7I5.

"You keep watch, Arsev," Grin instructed. "I don't want Ro coming after me."

Ro heard the little droid bleep-bloop in protest. "Hey, hey ... chill. I'll be back soon."

Ro sighed. He really thought she didn't know about how much Sabacc he played! Well, he rarely loses, she assured herself halfheartedly before sleep overcame her at last.


Grin Fidsmor

Grin took a deep breath, letting the dense pollution seep into his lungs. It was a familiar feeling, unpleasant yet comforting at the same time. He'd breathed this air for most of his early life - so far, it hadn't killed him.

The Uscru District was a place he'd always avoided. Too many blinding lights, too much noise. It was no place for children. Or beggars. Or both.

Keeping his head down and his hands in his pockets, he weaved his way past the deathstick dealers loitering outside the louder establishments and slipped quietly into the prearranged rendezvous.

The Snapping Septoid was like any other seedy underworld cantina. A swarthy bartender served drinks, avoiding the eyes of his customers. A trio of brawny female Twi'leks sat in a corner, glaring balefully at passersby. A tinny speaker system played discordant music around the place, but no one was dancing.

"Chubyub."

Grin felt a small hand tug at his jacket. Instinctively, he grabbed onto it with one hand, the other hovering over the blaster holstered to his side.

His opponent let out a small squeal and drew back. Grin saw that it was an Ewok, standing waist-high at most. This Ewok wore a bulletproof vest and had a nasty-looking energy slingshot gauntlet on one furry arm. "Chubyub," he repeated again, gesturing for Grin to follow him.

Most Ewoks spoke Basic; some, like this one, chose not to. Grin followed slowly, ready to draw that blaster, fire a few shots, and escape in the inevitable brawl should anything go wrong.

The Ewok led him to the rear of the cantina, where a dark form sat, cloaked in shadows. As it looked up, two glowing red eyes bore into his.

"Grin Fidsmor," it purred, "we meet again at last."

"Trist'eduno'lunam," Grin replied, addressing the Chiss by her full name. "You look ... radiant, as always." Your eyes do, anyway, he wanted to say.

Eduno, as she was called by those less familiar with the complex intonations of her people, chuckled ominously. "You flatter me, Fismor. That won't get you anywhere with me, you know."

"Of course."

"Sit down, Fidsmor. Let us talk business."

Grin took a seat across from the Chiss. Casually ignoring the drink that the Ewok placed in front of him, he opened his mouth to speak.

"Ah ... wait." Eduno placed a slender finger over her blue lips, shushing him. "Business is so cold and cutthroat. A round of Sabacc first. If my memory serves me right, you are a most formidable opponent."



Ro Fidsmor

A/N: Now the time is up to speed with the other posts.

When Ro awoke the next morning, it was to the smell of smoke and the plaintive wail of a flustered droid. Had Arsev tried to cook ... again?

Throwing a robe over her pajamas, Ro jumped out of bed and raced to the tiny galley, where the droid was indeed using his various "arms" to fumble with a frying pan. The smoking contents - perhaps the remains of protein rations - were quite charred.

With a poof of the fire extinguisher (kept nearby for when things like this happened), the fire was put out and Arsev dumped his burnt creation down the garbage chute.

"R7I5, you know you can't cook," Ro said wearily.

With his one rotating eyepiece, the droid seemed to frown.

Ro gave him a little pat on his domed head. "Thanks anyway, buddy." She opened the cabinets to see what supplies were left after Arsev's little culinary escapade. There was still plenty of chocolate powder, which would help that awful medicine go down. As she feared, there was a fresh bottle of vitamin supplement pills waiting for her on the counter.

Tired footsteps made their way into the kitchen, accompanied by a long, drawn out yawn.

"Good morning." Grin Fidsmore had clearly fallen asleep in his clothes, which were quite wrinkled. His brown hair - usually so neat - stuck up in multiple tufts, giving him a comical appearance.

"You snuck out again." Ro tried to look upset, but soon enough, she was laughing out loud. As much as it bothered her how he'd sneak out without telling her, she couldn't stay mad at him for long!

"At least I found us some work," Grin said defensively. He didn't take well to being laughed at. "I have to talk it over with Jasek when we see him today, but...."

"Is it respectable?" Ro asked as she mixed two drinks: hot chocolate for her, instant caf for him. Last time they stayed on-world for an extended period of time, they washed windows for a senator on Naboo. That and making a clandestine delivery to a spice-addicted Gungan.

"What does it matter? I said yes already."

"But you said you're going to talk it over with Uncle Jasek!"

"I was a little, uh, high, okay? I'm going to convince him to get me out of this mess."

Ro sighed. She was beginning to feel mad at him again. "All right, what exactly did you agree to do?"

"I'm supposed to capture ... a runaway giant, ferocious cat ... I think."

"Seriously?!" Ro thrust the mug of caf into his hands. She went to the cabinet and stuck a few ration bars in her pocket. Then, she walked to the exit ramp. "I'm going outside. I need some air. Don't worry, I won't wander too far off without telling you."

To that, Grin chuckled awkwardly. After a few minutes, he called after her: "Don't forget your vitamins!"

Take those stupid vitamins and throw 'em down the garbage chute, Ro thought sullenly.

She decided to take a walk. Not too far away, of course. Just around the docking bay, to look at the other ships that had come in during the night.

The gentle whirring of droid wheels on durasteel told her Grin had sent Arsev after her. She didn't mind the droid's company. Besides, if she ran into anyone unpleasant, Arsev could zap them silly.

The docking bay was practically empty, save for a couple other light ships. Several meters away was a small craft, a Fighter, heavily customized with several extra weapons. Ro decided to take a closer look. The pilot was nowhere in sight, nor a droid, which hopefully meant that she wouldn't need to talk to any new people ... or droids ... or....

"Hey!"

Startled, Ro whirled around to face the speaker. She immediately felt self-conscious of her appearance. She'd actually come out here in her pajamas!

...Well, if you consider baggy pants and a worn-out Hakko Drazlip and the Tootle Froots tunic pajamas. (All her dad's old things.)

At least she'd remembered to put on shoes. Well, if you considered her dad's old slippers adequate shoes.

"Loth-cat got your tongue?" the speaker persisted.

"I'm not homeless, honest," were the first words that came to Ro's mind, so she said them.

Jin Iguru

"I want all shields forward!!!" I shouted as I rushed from station to station, monitoring the systems over the shoulders of Mandalorian soldiers." Deploy all fighters now!! I want that super star destroyer in pieces!" The computer raised an alarm.

"Sir! We have approaching craft exiting hyperspace on our starboard side!!" I glanced at the monitor before turning to my padawans. They looked at me expectantly." Take your squadrons and board that destroyer. Destroy it from the inside." They both nodded and exited the command tower, already relaying the orders to their squads from their comm systems. I placed my comm to my mouth.

"Attention all available pilots. Arm your fighters with A-2 proton missiles! We don't take prisoners this time." I sighed heavily as I watched the small fleet of fighters race towards the large Legion cruiser.

"Sir!! Incoming transmission!!"

I pressed a button on my command console and a figure appeared, covered in robes and armour." Master Iguru, I challenge you to single combat!" The figure shouted. I smirked." Darth Xali, I would be honored, but right now, my padawans are busy tearing your ships to pieces from the inside." Darth Xali turned to shout at his crew as his holgram disappeared.

"Sir! Those incoming craft, they're C-Class Star Cruisers, they're with the Confederation!" I cocked my head." What would a bunch of mercenaries be doing here??" I froze." Prep all main guns at those Cruisers!!" I hastily raced for the command console when yet another blip appeared on the screen. "More incoming craft!" Someone shouted.

"It seems the whole galaxy is trying to kill you off." My second in command commented. I turned to Admiral Liang and let out a grin." They'll have to try a lot harder than some mercenaries." I turned to my command chair, and took a seat." I'm taking command of this battle now." I said as my naval soldiers all bowed." Get all power to our forward shields. Sunna. Tak. How goes your mission?" I asked out loud. There was muffled silence than a whoop from Tak." Making a run for it master!" He shouted.

There were even more cheers as the Confederation ships began to leave, losing all will to fight as they saw the most powerful ship in the Legion's navy, explode." All cannons, destroy that Legion freighter!!" I ordered." Use the Baxum shells!" I watched in grim happiness as round after round exploded against the Legion ship's hull, soon causing a large explosion. I smiled as my two padawans returned to the command tower.

I turned to the crew." Let's get to the Jedi temple on Coruscant. I believe that the Ordo clan is waiting there." They all whooped and cheered as Admiral Liang added two more slasheds to the victory board. "12 star destroyers, and 8 freighters." He said proudly." Shizeru!!" He yelled. The troops followed suit. Grinning I joined them."Shizeru!" I shouted.


(Over Coruscant)


"Sir, beginning the final approach right now." My pilot said, lowering the troop transport softly to the hangar of the Jedi temple. My two padawans placed on their hoods as my elite troopers, Shadow Squadron, took up positions around the landing pad, keeping an eye out for snipers. Snipers had already been stationed around the pad, but one can never be too careful. I already knew I had a large bounty on my head.

I left the carrier and quickly made my way into the temple as the carrier took off, headed back to the Shizeru. I bowed to the head of Clan Ordo, Lord Declan Ordo, who returned the bow." Master Iguru, I hear you were successful in your battle against the Reaver." I nodded." Darth Xali was a worthy opponent. But he was not as good as me."

Lord Declan spoke." Master Iguru, as you know, Shizeru and Ordo have always been close allies. Especially during the Clan wars. We failed you than, but we won't fail you now." He straitened." I would like to strengthen our alliance with 3 B-class Battleships with full crews, and roughly 200 warriors for ground missions."

I bowed extremely low." Lord Declan, you honor the Shizeru. I will speak to the council leaders, but I am sure they will accept. It's good to know we can take the battle to the Legion on the ground now." Declan smiled." Aye. Since you've dominated them in space. But I must return to Mandalor. There are matters to be taken up with the Mandalorre. He's been fighting for battle against the Legion, and refuses to let them hire out any Clans for combat. Perhaps he'll be happy to know we're fighting against them now. Perhaps even all of Mandalor will fight under you." I bowed again." That would be a fruitful day for our people. A Mandalorian force, united for one cause, would be a grand thing indeed." I bowed again as Lord Declan left.

I turned to my padawans." You can go catch up with your friends. Also, if you see Ciro, please ask him if he would meet me at my quarters. I wish to speak with him. Now I must report to the council." They bowed and left the hall. I sighed, straitening my robes as I approached the Council hall.

Dayoyme Lung

I found peace in the trees. I found peace as I jumped limb to limb after a squirrel like creature that ran across my feet waking me. The wind blew my hair back an out of my face as my boots made dirt rain down from the branches. The animal kept running across the branches until the jungle came to end over a small creek. This was my chance. I leaped and snatched the thing in my hand as I descended down, falling. I quickly tucked an rolled off into a grassy area and smashed the animals head in, killing it. Dinner was served.

I examined my catch before placing the creature in my robe pocket. From my other pocket I pulled out my lightsaber which instantly latched onto my hand upon touch. I swung it around at any loose branches the melodic sound of the soft swishing of the blade filled my ears with symphonies.

My home base was small. I had built a tree house only big enough to accompany me and the essentials of keeping me alive. It was bland and simple but it was all I needed. Off to the right of the tree is a small space ship I had come in on. I haven't even tried to turn it on in years, no use in leaving. Out front laid a small fire pit and two stumps I turned into chairs. I only used one though, the other I carved the initials of my master, B.S..

I climbed the ladder I carved into my tree up into my little home and went to skin my dinner. I sat dangling my feet down the trapdoor and watched as the hair shed off the creature creating a small pile a bird would eventually steal to make a nest. Soon the job was done and I went to roast my dinner. After it was cooked I travel back up the tree and sat myself in front of the hologram to watch the news for any major evens happening.

The usual reports came on warning of meteor shower, rebels protesting the new rules, and which vitamin supplements had the most calories. Then something flashed over the screen. The Sith Leader. They were covered in a black robe and wore a large mask over their face to conceal their identity. It appeared only for a moment then it was back to normal news as if nothing had happened. But something had.

I rushed down to the old ship and waited impatiently for the old creaky walkway to lower. I instantly jumped inside and tried to start the engine. Nothing. I screamed out of anger and paced around before trying to start the engine again, then again, then again, and then once more time. I laid on the ground, my whole body shaking with adrenaline, and scooted under the dash board. All the wires were in place, or at least they looked like they were. I have no clue about anything involving ships or anything of the sort. I jumped up, hitting my head on the dash in the process, and ran up to the tree. I scrambled up, blood now gushing down, and plopped my self in front of my transmitter.

"N 38.870926 W -78.256691" I said into the transmitter announcing my coordinates my voice shaking now. "I need help, now!"

Spoiler

Let me know if this is okay!! (And yes B.S. is Ben Solo, sorry not sorry)

Lamar Davis

Lamar woke to find himself staring up at the underside of Jimmy's bunk bed. It was a familiar sight, as this is what Lamar woke up to every morning. The wire supporting the off-white mattress creaked and bent with Jimmy's shifting. Lamar's bunk buddy often tossed and turned like this. Lamar figured that he probably had nightmares.

Not wanting to wake Jimmy, or Bart and Andy, sleeping in the bunk bed on the other side of the room, Lamar scratched his curly head and slipped out of his bunk and into the bathroom. He looked in the mirror and wiped the dried drool off his mouth, trying to yawn himself awake, to no avail. He finished his business, and moseyed down to the dining hall, dressed in his Sith training uniform, which looks a lot like a Jedi's robes, but black. He plopped down in a seat with his porridge. Lamar thought it was some gross stuff, but seeing as though he didn't have much to compare it to—save for the rare treat on his birthday—he didn't complain.

Just as he was setting his tray down on top of the stack of trays, Darth Enitis, Lamar's Master, walked in and stopped behind him. Lamar, sensing the presence of someone significantly taller than him, spun around and clapped his hands to his sides.

"I seem to remember telling you to be in my office at 8:15 sharp this morning," his master said, in a dangerously quiet voice that Lamar had come to fear and awe. How could someone sound so scary just from talkin'? Lamar wondered as Darth Enitis continued. "I hope you can explain yourself."

"Well, Master, I...uh," Lamar stammered, trying to find a better excuse than the fact that he woke up later than he wanted to. "Well, y'know...the food line was pretty long, and, um...oh, yeah! I couldn't find my left boot!" Lamar exclaimed, excited that he remembered what took him so long. He lifted his left leg into the air and wiggled the toe of his boot, as if his Master needed to be reminded which foot was the left one. "It was actually just under mah bed—"

"I expect more punctuality in the future," Darth Enitis cut him off, raising her voice. Lamar's placid face turned serious, and he put his foot down with a little thump. "And fewer excuses." She spun on her heel and stalked off down the hall. Lamar hurriedly followed, glancing around, a small smile playing itself onto his lips, wondering if anyone envied the position he occupied, with someone as powerful as Darth Enitis as his Master.

"Stop smiling," his Master said, without ever looking back once. Lamar's smile was indeed replaced, but with a look of utter amazement instead of the desired stoic frown. His jaw nearly hung to his chest and his eyes bulged out of his head. He straightened his back and his mouth, quickening his pace to match his Master's longer strides.

They arrived in the training hall, the Cave, some of the trainees called it. It was huge, both long and tall, and all the walls, the ceiling, and even the floor, were made out of a solid, dark brown rock. Lamar's boots made little slapping sounds against the stone as he took his place in the ranks among the other trainees. He glanced to his left and saw the prettiest girl he had ever seen. She had wavy blond hair, like that elf-queen lady from Lord of the Rings, but this girl's face was soft-looking and young. She was skinny and didn't have elf ears, to Lamar's quiet surprise. He was yanked out of his trance by his Master's harsh words.

"Lamar! How many times am I going to have to reprimand you today? Get your head out of the clouds, and do your calisthenics!" Lamar looked around to see all the other trainees on the ground doing push-ups. He dropped down, his face heating up. Several other Masters were there to watch over their own apprentices, and they rolled their eyes and shook their heads at Lamar's slip-up. He sped through his exercises, his arm and stomach muscles aching, and stood up to mill about while some of the stragglers finished up. Lamar saw his Master looking around for a droid, most likely to put her staff that she sometimes carried elsewhere, lest it get in the way of her training of her apprentice. Lamar rushed over.

"I'll do that, Master," Lamar said energetically, pointing at her staff. She looked at it, probably wondering how he knew what her command was going to be, a command that wasn't even going to be given to him.

"Fine. Here," Darth Enitis handed him the staff, and pursed her lips as he hurried away, placing her staff carefully against a table. He jogged back to his place in line, next to the pretty blond girl. Lamar risked a glance at her. She looked older than him, but not by much. Her eyes were a soft, chocolatey brown, the reflections of the bright, LED lights above them dancing in her pupils. She turned her head towards him. Lamar whipped his gaze back to the front of the Cave, biting the middle of his lower lip.

All the trainees knew the drill. They were going to spar now, with their Lightsabers, against a partner. They put on their protective sparring suits, and a helmet that blocked their vision. Their masters wanted them to get stronger with the Force. Lamar guessed that the Force worked better if they were blind, because why else would they have to wear those uncomfortable helmets?

"Alright, pair up, Lightsabers out," Lamar's Master told him, and the rest of the trainees. "Those who don't have a Lightsaber, go to individual training with your Masters." Lamar and Jimmy stood three feet apart, and, with their vision properly obscured, they began. Whenever Jimmy got a hit through to Lamar, he would try his best to follow Darth Enitis's frequent guidelines; "Use your anger" or "Let the rage overtake you". He would try to let his heart swell with it, but, instead of fiery anger, he only felt empty. Until he didn't.

"Hey Lamar, I saw you looking at that new girl," Jimmy said playfully, still having trouble on some of his "R's". Lamar couldn't see Jimmy, but he could hear the smirk in his voice.

"No I wasn't!" Lamar exclaimed defiantly. "I think you're makin' things up."

"You like her, you like her, youlikeheryoulikeheryoulikeher," Jimmy rambled, swinging lazy blows towards Lamar with his Lightsaber, but to Lamar, his words stung more. He scrunched up his nose inside his helmet, and gnawed on his lower lip, wondering if he should restrain himself. He made up his mind pretty quick when Jimmy started chanting, "Lamar and Talia sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I—".

"STOP!" Lamar swung his blade in a bright blue arc down on Jimmy's shoulder, right where his bone dropped off into the meaty slope of his neck. Right where his shoulder guard ended. Jimmy's singing and laughter erupted into a shrill scream as he crumpled to the ground, gripping his upper right arm. His helmet had rolled off of his head, and lay two feet away.

"Jimmy?" Lamar asked in the telltale voice of a guilty little boy. Four medical droids came, and whisked Jimmy away, leaving only a smell of blood that makes eyes water and noses scrunch, and a confused boy, too stunned to know the possible severity of what he did. Lamar half-heartedly jogged after him, but is jerked to a stop as his Master grabs his arm and drags him out of the Cave. The corners of his mouth droop down as Lamar struggles not to cry out of shame for what he did, and out of fear for Jimmy's wellbeing.

"Master, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Lamar says, tears choking his words. His feet race to keep up with Darth Enitis's quick pace as she hold his arm in a death grip.

"Don't speak. You may have broken the Code," Darth Enitis says in a low voice. Lamar's tears are running freely down his face now, and he lets out a sob every few words.

"Bu-but, he's n-n-not dead, is h-he Master? I-I-I mean, I di-didn't kill him, d-did I?" Lamar stammers, overwhelmed at the possibility of being expelled from the Legion, or worse, executed. Lamar, in truth has no idea what happens when someone does something as bad as what he did, but don't they know it was an accident? His Master suddenly lets go of Lamar's arm, and he looks around to see...nothing. It was dark in the room in front of him, until Darth Enitis flicks on a dim, blinky light. There's a small bed and a toilet. It looked like a cell.

"You will stay here today, until the Dark Council figures out what to do with you," his Master says, with little emotion. She turns to go, but turns her head to the side so Lamar can see her profile. "Don't cry. You have to be strong," she says, before walking away. With the flick of her hand over her shoulder, the door to the cell slams shut, and Lamar is left feeling more insecure than ever before.

Spoiler

@TheFantasy14 and @HazelGrace16, I hope this is okay! The Code being discussed is the Sith Code, the one Fanty mentioned in the synopsis of the SB. I was thinking that nothing could really come of Lamar's actions because, while he's not supposed to kill another Sith, Jimmy probably won't die, and at least Lamar is learning to use his anger! But he could either get praised or punished, I'm not sure yet. Opinions regarding this are welcome!

Erik whistled as the class A B-15 battle cruiser came into port. It really is a beauty. he thought as he looked it over. It had some damage here and there, showing signs of combat.

Thn Erik noticed the name painted on its side:The Shizeru. He whistled again, impressed. The knew of that ship, as well as its captain and exploits, had been heard across the galaxy. It was known for the destruction of the Legion armies everywhere it went.

Erik's adopted father and manager of the station, Korelai Stone, went up and greeted the commander as he and his crew disembarked. Erik stayed behind with the other riggers as he waited for Korelai to finish speaking. The captain, Jin Iguru then walked away with his crew and Korelai beckoned the riggers forward.

"Damage to the thrusters and weaponry, and minor damage to the engine." he called out as they reached him.

"Erik, you can take care of the engine on your own, can't you?"

"Yup, Dad." replied Erik with a grin. "I'm on it."

With that, Erik tapped his heels on the ground and activated his rocket boots, flew up in the air, somersaulted and went into the engine compartment.

Once in the compartment, Erik put on the special metal mask that made him not breathe in the fumes in the engine compartment. Then he searched for the damaged part of the engine and found it.

The part was charred and blackened, and there was a hole in the wall of the engine compartment above it which signified that a weapon blast had harmed the engine.

Erik used his boots to maneuver himself near the spot and floated there while he worked. His hands moved like clockwork, removing gears, oiling parts, cleaning machinery etc. Some parts were too damaged to repair, so he replaced them with parts from his bag.

Soon, he had finished most of the work, and just needed to tighten a few screws to finish the repairs. While using his screwdriver to do that, it slipped out of his sweaty hands and fell to the ground below.

Erik cursed. Now I have maneuver myself all the way down there. he thought miserably. There were several engine parts in between him and the screwdriver, and he knew it would be hard to fly down there without harming himself or the engine.

He reluctantly decided on the best course of action: The use of 'his little talent' as he called it. He looked around to make sure that no one was looking and took a deep breath. Then he stretched out his arm towards the screwdriver and pulled on it using the mysterious energy in the air which he could use with his talent.

The screwdriver flew into his hand, and he quickly continued to work. As he worked, his mind drifted to when he had met the old jedi. The jedi had told him that he had the strongest capacity to use the force that he had ever seen, which Erik had laughed off.

However, he realized that what he had just done resembled force manipulation, and he didn't really have another explanation for his 'little talent'...but no. He refused to believe it. In any case, if he had had the force, wouldn't he have been drafted by the Legion or the Jedi long before? That thought comforted him as he flew out of the engine compartment, leaving the engine good as new.

"Finished already?" said Korelai, looking mildly surprised. "Okay then, There's a tip with your name on it coming for you in the evening. Good work!"

Erik thanked him and smiled, before going to help with the other repairs.. He knew that his adopted father was over complimenting him to keep him at the station. He knew that his adopted family actually cared for him, and didn't want him going off to space again.

But despite the fact that he liked the city of Coruscant and enjoyed the work, he knew that he would feel the call to travel again one day. That was just the way he was. But that day is not today. he thought as he assisted his foster brother, Cory, to repair one of the thrusters. He and Cory were as close as any real brothers, and they often worked together, priding themselves on being the best Riggers in Coruscant.

"Good job, Cor!" he said as they finished with the thruster and he meant it. Cory was the only one whom he considered to be on par or even better at spacecraft repairs than himself, and one could see it in the thruster.

The pieces had been welded and attached together beautifully, and you wouldn't know that it had ever been broken.

"Couldn't have done it without your help, Erik!" replied Cory with a grin. 'I don't know what I"d do without you!"

Erik knew that he too was trying to get Erik to stay home, but Erik just laughed it off and thanked him. Within the next two hours, the repairs on the ship were done. Erik put on his dark brown coat and sat down. Korelai estimated the cost of repairs to be about 5k and promised Erik a tenth of it as his tip. Then he allowed the riggers to take a break.

Most of the Riggers, including Cory, headed to the cafe to get a drink but Erik chose instead to wander through the space port and see what new ships had come in.

As he was walking he noticed a girl-who he recognized as having come in with a ship the previous day- walking towards another ship parked nearby, a weaponized freighter.

As he was watching, Orm, the Rigger who had been working on it, ran towards her and began questioning her furiously, to which the girl replied "I'm not homeless, honest!"

Erik couldn't blame Orm (for she really did look homeless in her weird baggy shorts and pyjamas) or the girl, as she seemed rather startled. So he ran up to clear up the situation.

"It's okay Orm" he said. "She came in with that freighter." and he gestured towards the girl's ship.

Orm subsided and said, "Okay, Erik. Sorry." and went back to work.

"Sorry about that." said Erik, turning to the girl now. At that moment, he felt like he had been struck by lightning. Her face looked more or less normal, and she seemd to be a few years younger than him, but apart from that, her face reminded him of another face he had seen many years before...and all of a sudden he had a flashback.
"We can't leave him!" screamed a little girl's voice. "It's for his own good." said a woman's voice, ignoring the wails of the girl.

"Are...you okay?" said the girl, snapping him out of his memory.

Erik then realized that he had dropped to his knees and was breathing heavily.

He quickly got up and replied "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm Erik, by the way."

"Ro Fidsmor." said the girl, looking at him curiously.

"You look cold." said Erik, noticing the way she held her arms around herself.

"I am cold. And hungry." she replied, shivering a little.

As he looked at her, who looked rather fragile at the time, he started to feel protective towards her, like she had awoken a long-lost brotherly instinct in him.

He took off his coat and put it around her shoulders. It was too big for her, but she seemed warmer in it which made him feel better.

"Come with me," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "I'll get you a hot chocolate, and a snack."

Grin Fidsmor

Where the blazes is she? Grin took one last look around the docking bay and took a deep breath, struggling against the urge to tear out his hair.

He was going to have a long talk with Ro about not running off ... when she came back. She'd been gone for over an hour now. Even though Arsev was with her, Grin couldn't help but worry.

The sound of his name being called drew him out of his gloomy thoughts. A tall, dark-haired man jogged towards him, absently apologizing to the occasional passerby he jostled along the way. He wore a long grey (once black) coat over a faded blue tunic and threadbare trousers. His tousled black hair was short, save for a strand he kept tied at the nape of his neck.

"Jasek!"

"I waited around that diner for as long as I could," Jasek said breathlessly, "so I asked around and found the Jade Star here."

Smiling apologetically, Grin replied, "I got a little side-tracked...."

"Ah. You could've picked a quieter meeting place, you know. Galactic City ... seriously?"

Grin shook his head. "Eduno wouldn't have it."

"You're working for her again?" Jasek frowned distastefully. "And you'll of course want my help.... I'll help you, one last time, but Grin, you really need to think about the consequences--"

Grin held up a hand. "No. Don't tell me. It enables me to keep my daughter safe."

"Speaking of Ro," said Jasek, "where is she?" He removed a small box from his utility belt. "I brought something for her."

"That's what I want to know," Grin retorted. As they walked, he explained, "We had an argument earlier, and she kind of left in a huff. I haven't been so honest with her, I'm afraid, about many things, and she's getting upset at me because she doesn't understand."

Jasek clapped him reassuringly on the shoulder. "Stop worrying so much. Kids don't like it when adults are constantly breathing down their necks. They need a little space to themselves, to figure things out for themselves."

"You're right," Grin said halfheartedly.

"Besides," Jasek added, "she's still taking those Ysalamiri pills, right? She's practically invisible to any Legion scanners."

"About that...."


Ro Fidsmor

Ro peered over the rim over her disposable cup, shyly observing the young man who'd just bought her a fresh mug of chocolate. He had dark hair and a dark complexion, a contrast her own pale, freckled skin, and was clearly older than she. Not by much, though. He didn't look as old as Uncle Jasek.

They sat in a small cafe, in a booth that offered a great view of the Galactic City skyline. Across the room, the Rigger who'd yelled at her before was ordering a drink at the bar. He watched them warily. Arsev paced back and forth in front of the booth on his wheeled feet, warbling pessimistically the whole time.

"What do you suppose he's saying?"

Ro shrugged. She knew full well what the droid was carrying on about, and she didn't like it one bit. "He's just, uh, worried that I should get back to our ship before my dad gets too worried. We're supposed to meet someone ... a friend ... today."

"You said your family name is Fidsmor. Your dad's Grin Fidsmor, right?"

Ro nodded.

"He used to have quite the reputation around these parts," Erik said, his voice full of admiration. "But that was a long time ago, probably before you were born. I guess he went legit to take care of you, right?"

"Um ... yeah, I guess," Ro stammered. Not really!

Erik grinned. "Don't worry, he wouldn't be the first person in that line of work to come through here. We don't ask questions, my team and me - we just fix things."

Ro breathed a sigh of relief.

"Anyway, someone asked about your dad earlier today."

"Oh." Maybe it was Uncle Jasek.

"...Actually, there were two people. One late last night while my dad was making some last-minute repairs, and another early this morning. I can't remember who they were, though."

Pursing her lips, Ro mulled over that information. Who else would be interested in her father?

"Thanks, by the way. Do you buy breakfast for every hungry stranger you meet here?"

Erik chuckled. "No, no. You ... you reminded me of someone."

Before Ro could think of a reply, an older boy - another one of the Riggers - approached over their booth, his muscular arms crossed mock-seriously over his chest. "Break's over, Erik - we're getting back to work."

Erik laughed. "Thanks, Cory." He rolled his eyes and added teasingly, "Such a slave driver, bro."

Cory - if that was the older boy's name - grinned back. "You can bring your, uh, friend with you." Cory glanced down at Ro. "You don't look like you've ever used a hydrospanner before."

Ro cocked an eyebrow defiantly. "Looks can be deceiving. Besides, I'm a fast learner."

Much to the distress of a particular R7 unit, Erik took Ro's by the hand and said, "Come on then. You can help out, and when we're done, I'll show you what I'm building in my workshop!"


Erik clapped his hands to get his friends' attention. "Everybody, this is Ro! She's helping us out today - be sure to lend her whatever tools and parts she needs."

Ro felt several pairs of eyes scrutinizing her and immediately seemed to shrink inside. She didn't like being the center of so many peoples' attention....

Somehow, Erik seemed to sense her nervousness. While the rest of the team attended to a newly-docked corvette, he led Ro over to the Fighter she'd has been eyeing before.

"Captain Koban asked me to give the hyperdrive a tuneup," Erik explained proudly. "Plus, he says it needs a new paint job. He's going to pay me a little extra, but I'd tinker with this beauty for free! Wanna help?"

Ro rubbed her hands together. "You bet!"


Grin Fidsmor

When Grin and Jasek returned to their docking bay after a thorough search of the surrounding area, Grin found Ro perched atop a small Starfighter, her pajamas quite stained with grease, hard at work with a hydrospanner. So she'd made some friends among the Riggers ... she must have been following them around for most of the day.

Grin caught her eye, she waved, and he felt himself relax instantly.

As if he could read Grin's thoughts, Jasek said, "You see? I told you - you're always working yourself up over nothing!"

"I still need to talk to her about not running off by herself," Grin muttered.

"She's said the same to me about you," Jasek quipped. "Want to know what else she has to say? You play too much Sabacc, even though you're darn good at it, and--"

Grin laughed, but it wasn't a happy one. "Point taken."

They climbed atop the Jade Star's cockpit and sat there for a while. Grin's eyes drifted to his daughter, whose face lit up periodically and childish laughter echoed across the hangar's durasteel walls.

Jasek shuffled a deck of cards - he had nervous hands, he always said, and needed something to keep them moving. "So," he began, "about this new job Eduno's offering you...."

"I already accepted it," Grin cut in.

"I know. But what does she want us to do this time?"

Grin explained how the Chiss crime lord had recently lost a large feline - a Crientes, she'd called it - in-transit to her private menagerie. Contact had been severed around the Endor system, and Eduno suspected she was being double-crossed.

"She wants us to go all the way to Endor to find this ... Cree-whateveryacalledit?" Jasek muttered. "I can barely pronounce its name - I haven't a clue what one of these creatures look like!"

"Assume it looks like a fully grown Nerf, but with Gundark ears and claws. I had a cat once - a small one."

Jasek shuddered, causing the cards to fall and scatter. As he gathered up the ones that remained, he looked up suddenly and stared for a full minute.

"What? What is it?" Grin demanded. Following Jasek's gaze, he saw a tall figure, dressed entirely in black, running past with what appeared to be a large felinoid at their heels.

Realization hit them like a Gungan "boomah." "Crientes," they exclaimed in unison, not caring if they were saying it right.

"I bet they just came in from Endor," Grin said jubilantly. "And if it hasn't, what difference does it make? It's a Crientes, stang it!"

Jasek forced himself to smile, but deep down, he had a bad feeling about this.

Anita Scarlet Stone

When I awoke, some of the same people were milling around the dock as before, I’d reckon that only a few minutes had passed. My hand went to my head, which hurt to the touch. I pulled my hand away, it had a few small streaks of blood, nothing major. I guessed that I’d be fine, what had even it me? I carefully observed the deck, finding a rather large hunk of metal too far melted to have told what it originally was. It was marked with my blood, I followed an estimated trajectory, finding a ship, whose owner was still trying to find the problem.

I walked up to him. “Next time, try to keep your mechanical difficulties away from my head please.” I said as cheerfully as I could manage. “Thank you!” I said, without waiting for a response. I remembered that I'd been trying to find something, and I felt it would be dangerous, but I couldn't remember what. Ebony stayed close to my side, she seemed wary of so many people. To be quite honest, so many people should be wary of her, and oftentimes were.

I glanced around, I saw nothing extremely dangerous nearby. Ebony sniffed the air, her whiskers twitching. She growled slightly, a sound that put me on edge. I trusted her instincts even more than I trusted my own, she was far more in touch with the world.

"What's going on?" I said, although over the din of the crowd it was little more than a whisper. I held my crossbow at the ready, I skittered towards my ship, climbing on top of it for a vantage point. Once it had been a HWK-1000 light freighter, but with all the tampering I'd done to it over the years, I wasn't exactly sure what it was anymore. Ebony bounded up after me, keeping her body in a crouch.

I glanced around, the usual hustle and bustle. Some riggers, on one ship a giggling girl was helping out. Nearby, two men were staring directly at me. Maybe Ebony didn't like them for some reason? I had learned in the past few years that Ebony's instincts were rarely wrong, and I held them in high regard. The men started running towards me, I didn't want to start a fight, but anything, especially people running towards me didn't usually end well. I aimed my blaster at the one towards my right, just over the shoulder so that it would make a good warning shot.

"Stay away!" I yelled. "I'll give you one warning!"

They kept coming towards me, I fired the shot, which brushed the clothing of the one it had been aimed near.

"Come any closer and the next one will be fatal!" I yelled.

Grin Fidsmor

"Ow!"

As Jasek took a hit to his shoulder, Grin raised his hands in surrender, to show they meant no harm, only to find himself staring into the glittering green eyes of one of the tallest - and most beautiful - women he'd ever seen.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

I should probably explain myself, Grin told himself, but found he was at a loss for words.

Behind him, Jasek whimpered. Or was it the ... Crientes growling at him? He couldn't quite tell, not with the woman glaring twin emerald daggers at him. Between the giant cat and this woman, Grin had a feeling he'd end up horribly mauled - by the lady or the Crientes? - if he made a wrong move.

"Nothing," Grin stammered. "W-we noticed your unusual pet and ... uh...."

"Crientes, right?" Jasek butted in. When she corrected his pronunciation, he added, "Right ... I knew that."

"Where did you find it?" Grin mustered the courage to ask.

She crossed her arms, which looked strong enough to rip him in half if she so desired. "I don't see how that's any of your business, mister. She isn't for sale."

"But is she from Endor?" Grin persisted, ignoring the warning buzzers going off in his head. (Oddly, some of them sounded like Jasek.)

Jasek gave Grin a not-so-subtle nudge and stepped in front of him. With his uninjured arm, he gestured placatingly at the menacing pair, and said simply, "We didn't mean to bother you. We should be on our way now." With a cautious glance at the felinoid, he added, "Unharmed."

The woman made a strange, almost dazed face. "Yeah," she replied with surprising calm. "You should go." Beside her, the Crientes seemed to relax.

Jasek practically marched Grin away.

"That was stupid, Grin," he muttered. "What did you think you could accomplish, running at her like that? We were supposed to make a plan!"

"I don't know," Grin retorted, feeling a little self-conscious. I guess I did rush into that. "What did you do to them, huh?"

Jasek shrugged innocently. "I didn't do nothing. And if I did, you can just forget all about it."

That's just what Grin did.

Skye Merem

”Skye Merem, it’s been a long, long time.” Skye froze and ignited her saber, whirling around.

Kriff. Kriff, kriff, kriff. This is bad. No, this is terrible. They’re trying to drag me back to that hell-hole, oh no… Skye fingered the saber and turned around, narrowing her eyes.

Oh my god. Of all the people to be here, Zarash Tichon was not the one she expected. They had helped each other out in classes years and years ago, Zarash with saber techniques (The Pureblood Prodigy, as he was called), Skye with general education. When a teacher was particularly cruel to either of them, the other would fetch medical supplies. At least, in the beginning. As they both grew older, they grew more cold to each other and didn’t talk much. They would still practice their lightsaber skills together, but they would hardly talk. And then Skye left.

And now he was back. Zarash was standing right behind her, ready to take her back. The Legion never allowed anyone to come to Coruscant, and that had made her safe. Before she left the Legion’s ships, someone must have put a tracker on the hull of her ship! They sent out the one person who had a really good chance of bringing her back once and for all. If she were to escape, she had to act fast, while she still had the element of surprise on her hands. Her fists tightened imperceptibly, and in a flash, she had leapt up to bring both of her silver blades down on her old friend’s head.

As she expected, the now young man had his blade up before she could blink. The blood red of his saber illuminated the surprise she could see in his eyes.

“Skye—” Zarash tried to speak, but he was cut off by a particularly furious slash to his abdomen. He had to close his mouth and concentrate on not being mauled. After Skye left, she had gotten a lot better. Probably since she killed so many of the Legion. She definitely wasn’t as skilled as Zarash was, though, since she had cut off her classes at sixteen. But she had kept practicing, he could tell.

“Don’t you dare Skye me,” she hissed.

“But—“

“Shut your pureblood mouth! I’m not going back there, I will stab myself if I have to! So you can just leave! I know they wouldn’t send you here if it weren’t for me!”

“But I’m not—“ Again, Zarash was cut off by a crazed stab. She won’t listen, he thought. The only way to get her to stop long enough for me to speak is to take her down…

They fought ferociously for the next few minutes. Zarash seemed to be winning. Every new parry and jab exchanged sapped away a little bit of Skye’s energy. At a certain point, she was relying solely on the Force to battle. And every time Zarash tried to speak, she got a new rush of adrenaline that almost made her strike and cut him off. But those reserves were slowly fading.

He’s holding back, she realized. Why is he holding back, Sith don’t hold back — Her confused thought was cut off by the clatter of one of her sabers hitting the slitted durasteel floor. Closely followed by another.

Zarash Tichon

When first he laid eyes on her, his being was filled with excitement and hope, an emotion that he had not truly experienced in many years. Before he could say anything, he was cut short by the familiar snap-hiss of an igniting lightsaber. He frowned and sidestepped her first strike and grunted in surprise before igniting one of own and bringing it above his head to block her vicious strike.

"Skye-" He was interrupted again as she brought a saber lower in a slash to his torso, which he deftly parried and stepped back again, the cold metal of her ship pressed against him. In the heat of the moment, he could not understand why she was attacking him with such a passion.

"Don't you dare Skye me." Her voice practically dripping with apparent hatred, Zarash was taken even further aback, an unfamiliar emotion welling inside of him.... hurt...

"But-"

"Shut your Pureblood mouth! I'm not going back there, I will stab myself if I have to! So you can just leave! I know they wouldn't send you here if it weren't for me!"

"But I'm not-" Her frenzied attacks continued and he began to grow impatient, but he forced this down. If you snap now then you will never be able to face yourself again.

Making a pained face, he regretfully pulled his second blade and began his own offensive, striking faster and faster but allowing her the time to parry and purposefully missing by mere inches when she could not. The only way to get her to stop long enough for me to speak is to take her down... He thought to himself.

After another seeming eternity, the Blademaster grunted in annoyance and finally allowed the Force to permeate his being, and he jumped into the air, time slowing around him momentarily as he deactivated his twin blades, connecting them at the hilt before landing and reigniting them, giving the saberstaff a quick spin as Skye spun to face him again.

Twirling and spinning, he slashed down and across her, some strikes meeting her unusual lightsabers and some directed to simply bring sparks from the ground and surrounding durasteel walls. He mustered all his strength and slapped his crimson saber into her own before raising his fingers slightly and flicking, sending both of the weapons clattering to the ground in quick succession.

Kill her now! Kill her and the Legion will reward you handsomely!! A crazed voice in his head screamed, but he shook his head then, and the blaze in his eyes dimmed before retracting the blades into their hilts and placing the lightsabers back onto his belt.

"Skye." He spoke carefully and slowly. partly in an attempt to calm the woman in front of him, but also to ease his own fryed nerves.

"I'm not here to take you back.... I'm leaving the Legion behind me as well." He stopped himself, as he could see the clear distrust in her eyes.

He raised his hand and summoned her weapons to it, inspecting them briefly before extending them to her. "I know that you can't possibly trust me right now, but I hope that at least you will hear me out..."

Erikenai Stone

Erik wiped the sweat from his brow as he tightened the screws that attached the gun to its metal holder. He was standing on top of a small freighter, and fixing it with weapon upgrades. He had been working on it all morning, and was nearly done.

"Hey, Erik!" he heard Cory call up from below. "Lunch break! We're headed to the cafe!"

"Go ahead!" he called back. "I'll catch up!"

Cory nodded and left with the other Riggers. Erik called down to Ro, who was working on the same craft, painting its side.
"You can go too! I won't be long!"

Ro called back "No, I'll wait for you."

Erik nodded and continued to work. A few minutes later, he got up, having finished, and was about to fly off, when he felt his feet slip on the smooth roof of the craft.

"Kriff." he muttered as he slipped off the roof, and fell towards the ground below. He closed his eyes and braced for impact, but it never came. He opened his eyes, and realized that he was levitating half a foot off the ground! He looked at Ro, who seemed to staring at him with concentration.

"Are you doing that?" he asked, dumbfounded.

At that, Ro's concentration seemed to break and he fell harmlessly the last few inches.

She looked confused and muttered. "i dunno, I think I did...I don't know what I did!" She looked a little frightened, so Erik scrambled up and went to her

"It's okay." he said, trying to comfort her. "I can do it too." Erik had recognized what Ro had done as having the same ability that he had.

Ro's eyes widened. "You do?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Yup." Erik replied. "But we have to hide it. If we don't dangerous things could happen. So keep it hidden, okay?"

Ro nodded, and Erik smiled. "Good. Now let's have lunch, and then I'll show you what I've been building in my workshop, okay?" Ro smiled back and nodded, and Erik led her towards the cafe.

After a hurried lunch, Erik and Cory led Ro towards their workshop. "Are you sure you want to do this?" whispered Cory as they walked towards it, looking apprehensive. "She'll be the first non-family member to see it!"

She might be my family member. thought Erik but he didn't say it. He wasn't sure what that flashback was yet, but he knew that it must have been one of his earliest memories, that he had never recalled.

"I think we can trust her." replied Erik. Cory didn't look satisfied, but didn't say anything more. A few minutes later, they reached the workshop and the pair stepped in.

The workshop was a large room, with several side desks shoved to the side for what Cory and Erik had been building for the previous four months.

"This is what we've been working on!" said Erik proudly as he gestured towards the blue and white spacecraft in the middle of the room.

"Wow." murmured Ro as she admired the beautiful craft. It was shaped like an arrowhead, although a bit more triangular than most arrowheads. It was facing away from them, showing then the bird's tail shaped part that came out of its rear.

Erik grinned with pride as he showed Ro some of its features. "Ita design allows for much greater speed and maneuverability than an X-wing or a TIE fighter."

Cory then said, "See this." and he led them around the craft. He gestured to the wing. The wings thickened gradually closer to the cockpit, and Ro could now see that plasma cannons were built into the wing itself, giving them more protection from damage.

"Cool." said Ro. Here eyes wide with wonder.

Cory continued, "These cannons can fire 500 rounds a minute. Oh, and only the metal rims are fixed in place to give them protection. The actual cannon inside can be moved to different angles using a controller inside to allow it to shoot in various directions in front of the craft."

"And that's not all." said Erik. "Look." and he led then to the rear of the plane and showed Ro the guns nestled under the tail. "These will shoot through any pursuer! What's more, they can be angled in any direction using controls in the cockpit, and shoot at anything that's even slightly below the craft, or anything at any height at its rear."

Then he pulled down the door to the cabin and walked up the stairs on the back of the door to get in. Ro and Cory followed him.

"It can for about four people comfortably-six if you don't mind squeezing in. But it can be piloted by only one person if need be. There's the control panel." He said pointing to the front. There were four seats there. One was centrally located for the pilot.

"Are those bomb doors?" Asked Ro, pointing to sliding doors on the floor of the craft.

"They can be used for that." Replied Cory. "or they can be used to drop supplies to starving people. Or to deploy fully armed soldiers onto enemy territory. Oh and by the way, this ship has a hyperdrive and can go light speed. The first small fighter to do so, albeit with a 24 hour recharge."

Ro whistled as they left the craft. "This is amazing. I've never seen anything like it! How did you come up with it?"

Erik smiled and replied. "It was my idea at first, but I needed Cory to make it happen. It was his designs that we gave life to."

Cory grinned. "Thanks bro. I also came up with the name for this particular craft though remember?" And gestured toward the word printed in gold just below the super glass windshield at the front of the craft:Firestone.

"I named it for all the Stone siblings." He said proudly. "Though our older brother and sister, Terekai and Alliana didn't help build it."

Then Ro asked, "How're you gonna get it out of here into the sky? The door's not big enough!"

"Observe." Said Cory and he pulled a lever. The wall which the craft was facing folded inwards and upwards, revealing the skyline of Coruscant beyond. Then Cory closed it again.

Then Erik spoke up. "We're calling the type 'Delta fighters'. They're gonna revolutionise space flight for the better! First we're gonna patent the design and sell it to the Jedi, who'll pay us a lot. Then we can use it to expand the known Galaxy after the war..." His eyes glazed over as he said this, daydreaming about what he could achieve.

"You're not gonna be expanding the known Galaxy." Said Cory. "You'll be here helping me to manage production of this thing! Kriff knows I can't do it alone."

Not wanting to get into an argument, Erik just ignored him and said, "I think lunch break is over. We should get back to work." And they walked out of the room. As they did so, Erik noticed Ro fiddling with some scrap parts on one of the desks.

"Take some if you like." He said.

Ro grinned and said, "Thanks." And grabbed a few.

As they walked back towards the landing bay, Erik told Ro "I'm trusting you. Please don't tell anyone about the delta fighter."

Ro said. "I won't. I promise." And they walked back to continue their repairs.

A few hours later, Erik was fixing the engine of a small craft when he heard a blast. He looked towards the source to see Ro's father and another man facing off against a woman (who he knew as Anita from her rep in the city) and a large crientes. After a couple of minutes, Grin and the other man backed off and Anita continued on her way.

Erik called up to Ro who was on the roof of the craft. "Should we investigate into what that was about?"