Star Wars Invasion: Episode IV, Chapter One

STAR WARS: INVASION

EPISODE IV

WRATH OF THE GLORIANS

   It has been two weeks since Anakin Solo and his team left for the four planets infiltrated by the Glorian invaders. While they managed to liberate three of the secretly subjugated worlds, the fourth one, Kashyyyk, mysteriously vanished through a portal and disappeared off the galactic map. Since then, the Galactic Alliance and the Imperial Remnant have been working together to find Kashyyyk's whereabouts and to prepare themselves for a possible impending invasion.

   Meanwhile, Jedi Knight Jaden Korr is investigating the disappearances of several Jedi, looking to see if their fates are connected with these mysterious invaders....

   [This story takes place around 35 and 36 years after the events of A New Hope.]

CHAPTER ONE

   Sleheyron was not a planet that Jaden Korr was looking forward to visiting. With the smell of Tibanna gas fumes filling the air, as well as the despicable sight of slave traders, criminals, and the like, he doubt the planet was a high point for anyone's vacation. Unless they were a Hutt, of course, or owned the planet like the Hutts did, which was unlikely.

   The only reason he was on Sleheyron in the first place was because he had met a Rybet informant who claimed to have knowledge on where several Jedi were disappearing to. Jaden was unsure whether the claim had any merit, but he soon realized that it was the only lead he had and agreed to meet the Rybet on Sleheyron.

   As he sat within one of the very few cafes found on the planet, sipping from his mug of caf, Jaden noticed a burly Dashade sitting in a booth opposite of his, staring at him with a scathing glare. Somewhat unsettled by the alien's gaze, Jaden averted his eyes and looked in the direction of two conversing Weequays. Suddenly, both of them brought their conversation to a halt and turned to look at him, eyes narrowed. Not wishing to start a scene, Jaden simply pretended to be interested in his fingers.

   After about twenty minutes, he finally noticed the cafe's door open and saw his Rybet contact walk in. He waved the bipedal amphibian to his booth and the squat being quickly made his way to the table.

   "Sorry about the wait," the Rybet said as he squeezed his plump form into his seat. "I got held up by a trio of Skrilling thugs. I don't think I'll have enough credits to rent a ship, let alone find any planet other than this place to be on."

   Jaden waved a nonchalant hand. "Don't worry about it. If your information is valid, I'll give you enough credits to spend a month on Glee Anselm."

   The informant beamed. "Many thanks, Master Jedi." He extended a webbed hand. "Name's Ribb, by the way."

   "Jaden." The Jedi Knight shook the hand. "So, you said you knew where my fellow Jedi are disappearing to, right?"

   "Well, a good idea about it, at the very least," Ribb replied. "I was running an errand for the Hutts on Moonus Mandel when I overheard a pair of Veknoids talking about some incident on Taris."

   Jaden scratched his chin. "Well, Jedi Master Dolar Ven'sol was on a mission in the Outer Rim when he disappeared..."

   "And I hear there's this Rakghoul plague going on there, so that might be connected."

   Jaden nodded. "It might very well be. A good lead. Anything else?"

   "One other thing." The Rybet looked around cautiously, as did Jaden. The Dashade seemed to be gazing out of a window behind Jaden instead, while the Weequays had resumed their conversation. Ribb then leaned in closely, speaking quietly as if not wanting to be overheard. 

   "I think the Hutts might be behind it."

   "The Hutts?" Jaden asked, speaking softly as well. "What makes you say that?"

   "I've been to Nal Hutta recently and there's tons of posters asking for bounties on Jedi. Mainly ones who have been spotted near or even in Hutt Space."

   Jaden's eyes widened. "Bounties on Jedi? Since when have people been so bold to do that?"

   Ribb shrugged. "Probably not since the days of the Empire. No idea who exactly is posting them. Could be some renegade Sith who really wants revenge."

   "Even a Sith wouldn't go down that low." Jaden shook his head. "I should report this to the Jedi Council as soon as possible. Thank you for this information, Ribb."

   Just as the Rybet opened his mouth to reply, the Dashade sitting behind him rose up and brought out a heavy blaster rifle. Before Jaden could cry out a warning, the brute fired half a dozen plasma bolts through Ribb's head. The informant collapsed onto the table, a greenish-colored blood leaking from his wounds.

   At that moment, the two Weequays got up from their seats and aimed their blaster rifles at Jaden. Behind him, he sensed a male Nagai and a female human each unsheathe a pair of blades, readying themselves in a Jar'Kai opening stance.

   Jaden merely rose from his seat, silently observing his surroundings. Then, without warning, he grasped the edges of his table and, with all of his might and calling upon the Force, lifted it and threw it at the Dashade. With the brute briefly distracted, Jaden leaped over the late Ribb's seat, evading blaster fire from the Weequays, and landed directly behind the Dashade's seat. He then activated his lightsaber and lunged its emerald blade into the alien's back, piercing his heart and killing the brute.

   As he began deflecting shots from the Weequay pair, the Nagai warrior and his companion leaped over the booths just as Jaden had and lunged at him. The Jedi Knight crouched down and rolled just as they landed blade-first onto the floor. He then dashed for the Weequays' table and preformed sun djem on their blaster pistols, slicing off the barrels and rendering the weapons useless.

   Before the pair could react, Jaden unleashed a powerful blast of the Force that sent the two Weequays flying out of the cafe window and into the streets. Sensing the two warriors approaching him from behind through the Force, Jaden jumped through the now-transparisteel-less window and into the busy streets of Sleheyron, its moving crowds oblivious to the action going on. He then turned around to face the two warriors, raising his lightsaber in a defensive position.

   The Nagai was the first to attack, lunging at Jaden with both of his swords raised high. The moment their blades clashed, Jaden realized that the Nagai's weapons were made of cortosis. Not wishing to start a duel and really attract attention, he broke away from their fight, performing a backflip before dashing through the streets and blending in with the crowd.

   As he began heading for the hangar in which his ship was, he sensed that the Nagai and the woman were drawing closer. Passing by an alleyway, he made a small motion with the Force, knocking over a couple of garbage cans. This gave him the distraction he needed, for the two warriors unsheathed their blades again and ran into the alley, thinking it was him.

   Jaden decided not to waste any time and began walking faster- almost to a running pace- for his ship. As he did so, he brought out his comlink and contacted the other five Jedi that consisted of his team.

   "All right, guys. We're going to Taris."