Star Wars Destiny: Episode III, Chapter One

STAR WARS DESTINY

EPISODE III

THE EMPEROR'S WRATH

It is a dark time for the New Republic with the return of Emperor Palpatine and the loss of Luke Skywalker. However, since the majority of the Imperial forces have retreated to the Unknown Regions, the reborn Emperor has not made another attack on the Republic...yet.

It is now up to the Republic and the New Jedi Order to find Luke, and prepare themselves against this new phantom menace...

CHAPTER ONE

If there was one thing Han Solo hated the most, it was waiting.

The mission was supposed to be simple; break into an abandoned Imperial base on Kothlis, take any remaining data its computers had, and return them to the Millennium Falcon. What Han small team of troopers were not expecting were the base's doors to be locked, meaning they had to be sliced through. And that would take quite some time.

"Are you done yet?" Han asked the trooper who was slicing through the door. "We're getting old here."

"I'm sorry," the trooper said. "Whoever was in control of this base really didn't want anyone getting into it."

"Never underestimate the Empire..." muttered the Jedi Knight Toah Jarsan, who was standing nearby. Ever since his master vanished, Toah had changed greatly, losing his young, quieter self and becoming more mature, but disturbingly cold for a Jedi. Han almost hated to admit that he missed the 'old Toah'.

"I got it!" the trooper finally said as the base's doors slide open. Inside, the room was pitch-black, requiring the other troopers to switch on their night-vision visors. "Well, I'd be a monkey-lizard's uncle..." one of them murmured. Within the base were dozens of stormtroopers, all dead, and a pile of wreckage that had once been the base's computer terminals and tech.

Everything was onsolete. Whatever Han and his team needed was either destroyed or already stolen. One of the troopers, known by the name of Blade chuckled towards Toah. "And you said not to underestimate them! Yeah, I'm scared!"

Toah and Han glared at Blade but said nothing. The Jedi Knight knelt down and examined one of the stormtroopers corpse. Frowning, he turned back to Han and the others.

"Blaster wounds are still warm," he said. "They must have been killed not too long ago. It's likely that whoever did this is still on Kothlis."

Han sighed. "That's great. Let's get back to the Falcon before we get to join these guys..."

 *  *  *

"They're on to us," the crimson-armored warrior said to his master. "They know we're here."

"No, they don't," the master replied. "Remember, they don't even know of our existence. And it matters not if they find us, for they shall be killed all the same, regardless if they have a Jedi in their group."

A smile crept onto his face. "But now is not the time for death. We must go. The Emperor awaits us."

His apprentice nodded and followed the master to the hidden shuttle behind Kothlis' towering trees.

*  *  *

"Don't tell me you're empty handed!" Commander Hawk called from the Millennium Falcon's cockpit as Han and his team boarded the ship.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Hawk," Han replied. "Nothing but dead Imperials in that base. All of the computers were trashed."

As Han headed for the cockpit, Toah and three of the troopers sat at the ship's dejarik table. Blade removed his helmet and grinned at the Jedi Knight. "I still can't believe you thought we underestimated the Empire!" he laughed. "Come on! They're cowards! Most if not all of them retreated to Force knows where, and they haven't done anything in a year!"

"Easy for you to say," Toah muttered. "I still feel as if they're planning something...like another invasion..."

"Invasion?" spat the veteran trooper known as Spike. He barked out a loud laugh. "Oh, please! If it didn't the first time, what will make them think it will the next?"

Toah did not answer. He honestly had no idea...

*  *  *

Leia honestly could not remember the last time she felt depressed. With Luke gone, the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin IV felt almost empty. Very rarely did she see a Jedi Knight at peace, and the archives were crowded with Jedi determined to find a way to find Luke.

But Leia could not help but feel despair, despite Luke's previous encouragements of hope that he had instilled prior to his disappearance. She felt unsure of her current role as temporary head of the Jedi Order, even with the guidance of the newly formed Jedi Council. 

Alas, all she could do was wait, and pray that Luke would find a way to return.