Star Wars Invasion: Episode III, Chapter Ten

CHAPTER TEN

  The shrieking screams of pain that echoes throughout Ahto City were enough to make Kyle Katarn cringe. He and the others were situated in one of the many apartments rooms in the West Central. At the far end of the room, opposite of the door, was Nuuba, tied to a chair as HK-47, the droid whom Kyle had recently discovered, pressed a piece of red-hot metal against exposed skin on the Glorian's arm.

  "Warning: Each time you do not give me a satisfying answer, I will brand your arm until it goes numb," HK-47 said. "Then I'll brand your other arm. Then your chest. And then perhaps your face."

  "Nothing you do will make me talk!" Nuuba shouted, trying to mask his pain and fear with defiance. "You might as well kill me now and get it over with!"

  "Query: But what is the fun in that?" HK-47 leaned in closely to the Glorian, lightly pressing the brander on to his arm. "Whether you will talk or not, at least I will get pleasure out of doing this."

  The droid presses the heated piece of metal harder and Nuuba let out an agonized scream.

  "Statement: Your cries of pain are like a melody to my audio receptors."

  "That's enough, HK," Kyle snapped. The droid immediately stopped as it turned to face him, its photoreceptors filled with what looked like contempt.

  "Retort: You said I was allowed any methods necessary to interrogate him."

  "Yes, but I didn't say you could kill him," Kyle retorted. "We need answers, and he's the only one who can provide them. He can't do so if he's dead."

  HK-47 glowered at the Jedi Master. "Query: I suppose you have something better in mind?"

  "As a matter of fact, I do." Kyle walked past the droid and up to the restrained Glorian, crouching down to be at eye level with him.

  "Earlier, you said that telling us the fates of Manaan's inhabitants would delve into your plans, which you clearly value more than your life. But I'm not asking you to explain your plans, even though it would be nice to know. All I'm asking is a simple 'yes-or-no' question."

  Nuuba stared blankly at him, prompting Kyle to continue. "Is there anyone else besides you and your friends here in Ahto City, or on Manaan at all?"

  At first, Nuuba simply stared at him, any emotion being hidden by his mask. Finally, much to Kyle's surprise, the Glorian gave him a somewhat satisfying answer.

  "No."

  Kyle nodded. "All right then. I guess we're done here."

  Just as he stood up, Nuuba suddenly said, "I want you to kill me."

  The Jedi Master gave him a bemused look. "Pardon?"

  "I want you to kill me," Nuuba repeated. "My masters will do so anyway. Not just because I answered your question, but because I have failed my part of the plan."

  The Glorian looked up at him and for the first time, Kyle heard a tint of sadness and perhaps remorse in his voice. "I have nothing worth living for, at least not anymore. Please...end it."

  Before Kyle could respond, HK-47 brought out a large blaster rifle and fired seven shots into Nuuba's chest. The Glorian slumped forward in his seat and did not move again.

  Kyle glared at the droid. "You sure do have a cold, cruel heart..."

  "Correction: I do not have what you call a 'heart.' The closest thing I would have in regards to what I just did would be a 'guilt protocol'. However, I have had that disabled long ago."

  Kyle couldn't do anything but roll his eyes. "Whatever."

  To the rest of his team, he said, "Let's head back for the ship. We're done here on Manaan."

  HK-47 tilted his head. "Query: Would you mind if I accompanied you? It's clear that we share an enemy as well as an objective. It would only make sense if we...teamed up."

  Kyle eyed the droid skeptically. "Do I still have your promise that you won't kill any of my friends?" 

  "Recollection: If I recall correctly, I do not think I promised anything." HK-47 paused for a moment before adding, "However, considering you have done nothing to provoke any violent action from me, and since you are a lesser threat compared to the Glorians...I suppose you have my word."

  "Good to know," Arek muttered, already heading for the door. "Always want to be reassured by a trigger-happy assassin droid. Now let's get the heck off this planet."

*  *  *

  As General Creno made his way back to his spacecraft, he suddenly felt a sharp jab of pain in his head. For a brief second that felt like a minute, he saw through the eyes of Nuuba, one of the ones in charge of the operation on Manaan. Through his eyes, he watched as an HK-series assassin droid raised its blaster rifle at Nuuba's chest. He watched as the droid fired the weapon seven times.

  Then everything went black.

  Creno cursed. First Dantooine and Tatooine, and now Manaan. Three out of the five initial operations had failed and if he didn't hurry, Kasyyyk would be next.

  He had to get this information out to the Emperor, hopefully through General Starka once he got back to the ship to answer the Supreme Commander's call. And if he didn't, then the Reunification was doomed.

Star Wars Invasion: Episode III, Chapter Nine

CHAPTER NINE

  The terentatek came charging through the forest, crushing bushes and plants with its clawed feet and crashing through smaller trees. From what Anakin could tell, the creature was shorter than a rancor but had a similar stature and was just as dangerous.

  The stormtrooper Kalvin immediately brought out hi heavy blaster rifle and began firing at the beast. The terentatek responded by stomping the ground, causing Kalvin to trip over the quakes. At that moment, Lumpawaroo unsheathed a blade and, with a roaring cry, charged towards the beast. He plunged the blade into the creature's leg, prompting it to roar out in agony. It swung its humongous arms and struck the Wookiee, sending him flying off his feet.

  Anakin chose then to act. Igniting his lightsaber, he charged towards the terentatek, which, much to his confusion, did not do anything to stop him. Just as he was about to swing his lightsaber, the beast suddenly made a tremendous leap over his head, causing him to lose his balance. After regaining his footing, he turned around to face the terentatek again.

  Only to see that it was no longer a terentatek. Instead, a nexu feline stood poised to pounce at him. When it did, Anakin swung his lightsaber again, hoping to strike the savage beast down. However, he missed again and the nexu stretched out its arms to claw at his face. 

  As he wrestled with the nexu, calling out in pain as the creature began digging its claws into his skin, Anakin heard Naar call out his name as the Iktotchi commander let out a round of blaster bolts at the feline. After four shots, the nexu let go of Anakin and dropped to the ground, though it was far from dead.

  Before Anakin could move to retrieve his dropped lightsaber, the beast changed shape again and turned from a nexu into a large arachnoid. It made a small leap and landed over Anakin, trapping him behind a cage of eight legs. The spider-like creature then tilted its head forward, a venomous liquid dripping from its pincers. Its eight eyes were filled with malice as it leaned back and prepared to deliver the final blow.

  Anakin braced himself for the bite. But it never came. Instead, he heard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber activating. Looking past the arachnoid's legs, he could see Lysira standing behind the spider, holding his lightsaber as if it were any other blade.

  "Leave him alone," she said to the beast coldly.

  To Anakin's surprise, the arachnoid moved away from him, turning to face Lysira. After letting out a vile hiss, the creature spoke, its words in perfect Galactic Basic.

  "No one has ever challenged me and lived, human," the arachnid growled. "Even the galaxy's greatest warriors have fallen before me."

  "All but one," Lysira replied. "There is at least one warrior who has managed to defeat you."

  The arachnid hissed. "The Revanchist defeated me only by cunning, not in combat. But I will not be outsmarted by a lowly human such as yourself."

  Before Lysira could respond or react, the spider changed shape again, morphing into a purple-furred feline with a sharp horn protruding from the top of its skull. The saber cat pounced and for a moment, time itself seemed to slow. Lysira's eyes widened in terror, knowing that is she made a move, it would be too slow to strike the beast down.

  Anakin shook off his initial shock and was about to move to save Lysira, even though he knew it was too late. Suddenly, without being given any warning or glimpse of foresight from the Force, Commander Naar ran over to Lysira and pushed her out of the way. Unable to change course, the saber cat finished its move and dug its horn into the Iktotchi's midsection.

  Naar's cry of pain was downed out by Anakin's one of despair. Using the Force to take his lightsaber back from Lysira, he charged towards the saber cat, bringing his blade down to decapitate it. Although his lightsaber strangely did not cut through the creature's flesh, it was enough to create a nasty gash in its neck, causing the feline to roar in pain. It forced its horn out of Naar's side and was preparing to attack Anakin when a plasma bolt from Sev Nep's blaster knocked it out unconscious.

  The battle over, Anakin deactivated his lightsaber and quickly but gently laid Naar down onto the ground, examining the hideous, gaping wound the saber cat had made near the Iktotchi's chest.

  "Does anyone have a medpack?!" he cried out.

  "I have one," Tesara said, rushing over to Naar's side. "I'm not sure if it will help, though..."

  "It'll have to," Anakin muttered as he rummaged through the pack for a bacta patch.

  "Don't...bother..." Naar coughed, his voice hoarse. "I will only...slow you down. You must...go without-"

  "Don't say that!" Anakin snapped, trying to hold back his tears. "We need you! We need your leadership! We can't go on without you!"

  "Of course you can," Naar rasped. "Ten years ago...during the war...I was part of a battalion on Vinsoth. When my...superior officer fell in battle, he...told me that, sometimes, it doesn't matter what your rank insignia is...or if you have special powers or not. As long as you...have the brains and guts...anyone can be...a leader."

  The Iktotchi reached to place a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "I...trust that you have...what it takes to lead. Heck, I'm sure Sev could do it...if you want him to."

  A tight smile tugged the corners of his face. "The mission comes first, Anakin. Please...finish it...for my sake."

  Before Anakin could say anything, he felt Naar's hand slowly slide off his shoulder as the commander closed his eyes and became one with the Force.

  It would be a long time before anyone else would make a sound or movement...

 

Star Wars Invasion: Episode III, Chapter Eight

EDITED 7/16/2021 Took out a line from Jokar I found cringe-worthy ("decaying flowers for Palpatine").

CHAPTER EIGHT

  "You know, the least you could do would be to tell us whether or not anyone's left in this city," Kyle Katarn said. The armored being who he knew as the Old One scoffed at him.

  "Telling you as much would delve into our plans, which I refuse to do."

  "Whatever," Kyle replied as he and his team moved through the deserted streets of Ahto City. "How about giving us your name, then? There can't be any harm in that."

  The Old One gave a raspy-sounding laugh. "My true name is unpronounceable in the tongue of Galactic Basics. But during my time here on Manaan, I was called Nuuba."

  "Until they started calling you 'Old One,'" Kyle said with a smirk. "I overheard your little conversation."

  Nuuba, who had his arms around Jokar's neck while he gave him a 'piggyback' ride, suddenly began lightly clawing at the stormtrooper commander's chest. "What did you hear from it?" Nuuba asked quietly.

  "That you were about to activated a 'star harvester,'" Kyle said. "I might not know what that is, but judging by its name, I can make a good guess."

  The Glorian growled. "You're the ones hunting us, aren't you? You're the ones who killed Zordo and ruined the operation on Tatooine."

  "I have no idea what a 'Zordo' is, but we have been to Tatooine recently. Except we spent most of our time being a Dark Jedi's prisoners."

  Nuuba simply gave the Jedi Master a disdainful snort and did not say anything else.

  Kyle and team continued to move through Ahto City, thoroughly searching for any more Glorians or possibly captured natives. After nearly an hour and a half, they were just about ready to give up.

  "Let's face it," Arek said, throwing his hands up in the air. "Either the blasted scanner messed up or everyone just magically disappeared. And I don't think even the Force can cause something like that."

  "There's still one place we haven't checked yet," Tahiri Veila noted, pointing to a small facility located near an apartment complex in the Ahto West Central. "Maybe everyone's in there."

  "You're wasting your time," Nuuba said. "Even if you do find the city's inhabitants, what then? What's the point? You have already ruined our operation, so they are in no danger of-"

  "You know," Jokar said, "I'm really getting tired of carrying you." He lifted the Glorian off his back and dropped him to the floor. The legless being let out an audible groan.

  Jasel looked at the stormtrooper, smiling but speaking with a chiding tone. "Commander, I don't think you should disrespect your elders like that."

  "He's no elder of mine," Jokar muttered.

  Kyle moved past them and up to the facility which Tahiri had spotted. Seeing that the door was locked, he activated his lightsaber and placed it into the door. He carved out a hole large enough for him to fit through and stepped into the room behind the door, unlocking it from the inside. He then found a light switch amidst the pitch-black darkness of the room and turned it on, illuminating it.

  To his surprise, the room was smaller than he expected, not much larger than any of the apartments that he and the others had explored. Littered across the silver-plated floor were several droid parts- mainly limbs- as well as broken datapads and crumpled up pieces of flimisiplast. 

  Laid atop a rectangular table was the dismantled body of a reddish-brown droid, its design unfamiliar to Kyle. Its primary computer was left exposed in an open panel on the back of its head. Letting curiosity get the best of him, Kyle carefully walked up to the droid and tapped its brain module a few times.

  Suddenly, scarlet optics flared on and the droid let out an agonized scream.

  "Exclamation: Spare me your torturous practices! Stop before I exterminate you meatbags!"

  The droid then silenced itself as it analyzed its surroundings. It turned to face Kyle and spoke in a calmer, albeit colder tone.

  "Statement: You do not look like my captors. Unless you're using your pointless shape-shifting abilities again."

  "I'm not," Kyle assured the droid. "I am Jedi Master Kyle Katarn."

  "Query: Jedi, you say? If my recently reacquired memory banks are correct, I used to kill Jedi for a living."

  Kyle visibly tensed. "You don't say..."

  "Answer: Yes, but that was many years ago and I have since been given a new target by my master, which is these meatbags that call themselves 'Glorians.'"

  Kyle relaxed a bit. "What a coincidence, because we're looking to stop them as well."

  "Query: Is that so? Then perhaps I won't kill you like I was planning on."

  The droid's gaze then shifted to the scattered limbs on the floor. "Statement: Of course, even if I wanted to kill you, I would be unable to do so, for I am both unarmed...and armless."

  "As long as I have your word on not killing us, then I will repair you."

  "Statement: I can not promise anything, due to my primary functions," the droid said. "But I will do my best to limit my targets to only Glorians...for now."

  "Fair enough." As Kyle bent down to retrieve the droid's limbs, he added, "However, I'm going to ask you to spare at least one Glorian. We captured him recently and we're trying to get him to talk about his and his friends' plans."

  "Enthusiastic Statement: Ah, I could easily extract any information from him. Granted, he may die as a result, but he will have fulfilled his usefulness."

  "Normally, a Jedi would say no to that," Kyle said as he began reattaching the limbs to the droid's body. "But considering the situation, I'll make an exception. By the way, what's your name?"

  "Mocked Embarrassment: Oh my, I forgot to give you my proper designation. You may call me HK-47."

    

Star Wars Invasion: Episode III, Chapter Seven

CHAPTER SEVEN

  The elevator basket slowly came to a halt into the dark realm of the Shadowlands. Located on the ground level far below the wroshyr trees, hardly any sunlight reached through the thick overcast of branches and leaves. As such, Lysira gave Naar and Anakin lightsticks to guide them through the vast darkness of the forest.

  "So," Lysira said as they began moving through the Shadowlands, "if you were a shape-shifting alien plotting to take over the galaxy, where would you be?"

  "It depends on the limits of their shape-shifting capabilities," Commander Naar replied. "I don't know if they can only take on humanoid shapes or if they can impersonate inanimate objects as well."

  "What, like a tree?" Sev chuckled. "Blast, I knew I should have brought an axe."

  Lumpawaroo glared at the Sullustan and growled. Lysira also gave him a dirty look.

  "Wookiees don't take jokes like that lightly," she said coldly. "I would keep my mouth shut if I were you."

  "Okay, okay!" Sev crossed his arms. "Didn't think walking carpets were that touchy."

  As the group moved deeper into the Shadowlands, Anakin became more wary. All around them, he felt the cold, merciless gaze of predatory creatures as they stalked the forest, waiting for the right moment to strike. The others seemed to be feeling the same, for none of them dared to make a sound or sudden movement. They simply allowed the creatures to follow them while they thought on the best course of action to get rid of the beasts.

  Naar soon broke the silence when he whispered to Anakin, "There's at least three of them. They have four large legs and two smaller arms. And big tusks."

  "You caught a good look at them?" Anakin asked.

  Naar nodded. "When I give the signal, I want you and the others to run as fast as you can, while Kalvin, Tesara, and I handle them."

  "Are you sure you can take care of them alone? You might need someone with a lightsaber handy."

  The Iktotchi commander shook his head. "I can not have you risk your life like that. I promised your parents that I would look after you."

  Just like Threepio, Anakin thought. Aloud, he said, "I don't need protection. I'm a Jedi. We can look after ourselves."

  Naar smirked. "Four thousand years worth of Jedi dying and falling to the dark side doesn't really support that statement."

  Before Anakin could protest further, Naar pointed up ahead. "Go. You have a great destiny awaiting you, and I won't let it end here."

  "How do you know my future."

  Naar gave him a rare smile. "I'm an Iktotchi. We have the natural gift of precognition."

  No longer seeing the point in arguing, Anakin nodded and moved ahead of the group while Naar, Tesara, and Kalvin slowed their pace, charging up their weapons. The commander then quietly gave a countdown to his signal. Anakin braced himself, preparing a running position.

  However, just before Naar reached the end of his countdown, a loud, ear-splitting roar broke through the forest. The pack of katarns following the group suddenly retreated back into the shadows as the ground shook beneath their feet. Soon, behind the trunks of the trees, Anakin could see a large shape approaching them.

  Lysira's eyes widened in horror. When she spoke, her voice was in a whisper. 

  "A terentatek..."

*  *  *

  Jak Kasra looked up from his datapad to see a small, dagger-shaped starfighter land on a platform in Kachirho. He double-checked his datapad's schedule and scratched his head. Kachirho was not to be expecting any more tourists or visitors of any sort for the next two weeks. 

  Odds were that the pilot was simply lost. But just to be safe, Kasra signaled three Wookiee guards to follow him. Bowcasters at the ready, the trio of guards followed  him to the platform which the ship had landed on.

  The ship's boarding ramp lowered and a tall, dark-haired man dressed in a black suit and cloak walked down. His piercing cold gaze made Kasra feel uneasy.

  "Welcome to Kashyyyk," Kasra said to the stranger. "I don't believe you are on our tour list, so this is a rather unexpected visit."

  "Then I hope my presence is not an inconvenience," the man said sharply, not even pausing in his walk. "Direct me to the Shadowlands immediately."

  "Hold it right there," Kasra said, raising his hand, which was enough to stop the man for a moment. "What business do you have here on Kashyyyk?"

  "My business is not of your concern," the man said coldly. "Should it be?"

  Kasra blinked, his mind suddenly becoming disorganized. After regathering his thoughts, he said, "No, it shouldn't be. As long as it's for the good of the Alliance..."

  The man smiled, though Kasra wasn't sure if it had any mirth in it. "Of course it is. Why would it not be?"

  Satisfied with the answer, Kasra and the three Wookiee guards stepped aside to allow the man entrance to Kachirho. 

Star Wars Invasion: Episode III, Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX

  For Wallen, time seemed to be moving too slowly and too fast at once. Upon seeing Senator Ulur's body being thrown out the building, his immediate instinct was to try to save the Rodian senator, even though deep down he knew it was impossible. 

  Just as he stood to make a move, Xemer grabbed his arm and held him back. Before Wallen could protest, Moog Ulur landed onto the crystalline ground, his body giving a loud, sickening crunch. Wallen cringed and closes his eyes, not wishing to see the senator's lifeless body.

  All eyes were soon on the silver-armored being who had killed Ulur. Arms folded across his chest, the being was silent at first, until he spoke in a loud, booming voice.

  "I am sorry, but I will have to kill you all. No witnesses can be left of this day."

  In the blink of an eye, the armored being leaped from his place on the building to the ground below, unleashing a blast of energy that immediately killed a crowd of Christophsians and Rodians. Two Kerkoiden guards, armed with spears, charged towards the warrior, who brought out a pair of two swords and used them to kill the guards easily.

  "Come on!" Xemer hissed in Wallen's ear. "Let's run back to the ship before he reaches us!"

  Nodding, Wallen followed his Kel Dor lieutenant, crouching down so that the warrior wouldn't see them. Once they were certain that they were out of the being's eyesight, Wallen and Xemer began running as fast as they could.

  They soon reached the outskirts of Crystal City and ran even faster for the docking bay which they had docked their ship at. Once they had reached the hangar, the Rodian dock officer came out of his work booth with a look of concern on his face.

  "What's going on?" he asked. "What was that explosion I heard earlier?"

  "The city is under attack," Wallen said hastily, rushing into the hangar. "Senator Ulur is dead and I'm sure Lord Creno is as well. If I were you, I wouldn't stay here for long."

  "What are you talking about?" The dock officer's eyes narrowed in skepticism. "Did you two have anything to do with this?"

  "We don't," Xemer said, his voice strangely quiet as he pointed at something. "But he does."

  Wallen turned in the direction the Kel Dor was pointing. Standing before them, in the hangar's entrance near the dock officer, was the armored being, his two swords in hand, covered in different types of blood.

  "No witnesses of this day shall be left alive," the warrior murmured and with that he swiftly sliced the Rodian dock officer in half.

  "Get onto the ship!" Wallen cried to Xemer. As the lieutenant reluctantly followed his orders, Wallen pulled out his blaster pistol and aimed it at the armored warrior's head.

  The mysterious being chuckled softly, which unease Wallen greatly. "You don't really expect me to die so easily, do you? You saw what I'm capable of. If a dozen Kerkoiden guards can be killed in the matter of seconds at my hand, what chance do you think you have?"

  "Well, first of all, I don't think Kerkoidens are that strong," Wallen said, hoping to buy himself some time to escape. "I mean, sure, they have bury torsos, but their limbs are pretty small."

  "Either way, you will be no challenge." The warrior twirled his two blades. "Legions have fallen before me."

  "I'll bet they died from seeing your ugly face," Wallen said as he slowly stepped back towards the ship's boarding ramp. "That's why you wear a helmet, right? So you can walk around without people dropping dead like flies."

  The warrior growled. "And just what will your insolent insults accomplish?"

  "Who's insulting? I understand your problem and I feel sincerely sorry."

  Wallen was now standing on the ramp itself, with the armored being near its edge.

  "You're going to wish you were never born," the latter growled.

  "Try me." Suddenly, the ramp raised up and Wallen tumbled into the ship. At the same time, he heard the engines roar alive as the ship raised off the ground and blasted into the sky. He then got back to his feet and walked into the cockpit, where he found Xemer at the controls.

  "That was the stupidest thing I've ever seen you do," the Kel Dor lieutenant muttered. "I'm surprised he didn't kill you right away."

  "Hey, I've got to put my life experiences to use somewhere," Wallen said.

  "Experiences? Like what, taunting people?"

  "No. Being the taunted one."

*  *  *

  Baleful eyes watched as the Galactic Alliance ship vanished through Christophsis' atmosphere and soon blast off into hyperspace.

  Creno cursed to himself for letting them get away. The two investigators would definately return to Coruscant and tell the Alliance of what had happened here. Although he would be long gone by then, the Alliance would likely find something connected to him and the others and prepare themselves for the impending invasion.

  This was not meant to be, Creno thought. We were meant to have the advantage of launching an unexpected attack. But Toah Jarsan went and ruined those plans.

  His wrist-mounted comlink beeped. That would be General Starka calling. Creno was prepared for whatever punishment the Supreme Commander had in mind for him.

  We have won Korriban and Manaan is next. We may have lost Tatooine and Dantooine, but they can be replaced.

  All that is left is Kashyyyk. Once we have taken that world, the Invasion may commence.

Star Wars Invasion: Episode III, Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

  "What exactly is in the Shadowlands?" Jast asked as he and the rest of the team followed Lysira onto an elevator basket that led down into the realm beyond Kachirho's tall wroshyr trees.

  "Well, there are minstyngars," Lysira replied. "They're big simians that can squash you flat. Then there's these arachnids called kinrath, that can poison you. And then there are the katarns. You won't see them until it's too late."

  Sev chuckled. "Sounds like another Katarn I know of."

  "My, these Shadowlands sound very dangerous," C-3PO murmured. "Perhaps I should stay back here and wait for you to return."

  "Fine by me," Anakin said. "Though I don't know why you insisted on coming with us if you're just going to freak out at every scary place we go to."

  "Well, actually, I only came with you at your mother's insistence," the protocol droid replied. "I believe she wanted me to make sure you stayed safe."

  Anakin sighed. "She doesn't need to worry. I'm a Jedi, like my grandfather who I was named after."

  "I think that's what she's afraid of."

  Anakin stared at the droid for a moment, wondering what he meant by that. Finally, he shook his head and said, "Just wait here until we return, okay?"

  "As you wish, Master Anakin," C-3PO said. "Just...please do be careful."

  Once Anakin was in the elevator basket, which just barely had enough room for him and the others, Lysira tugged on a strong vine and the lift began its descent into the dark forest below.

*  *  *

  "We've only been on this planet for five minuted and already I'm getting bad vibes from this place," Arek muttered as he, Kyle, and their team walked through to deserted surface city of Manaan.

  "Oh, so the fact that no one's here in the city despite what the ship's scanner said wasn't enough to scare you?" Jasel snapped. She shook her head. "Either you're very brave or very stupid."

  Arek smirked. "Can't I be both?"

  "Quiet!" Jokar raised a hand for silence and the others stopped. "I hear voices coming from that apartment."

  They had arrived at a hallway with apartment doors to either side. One of the doors, from which Jokar had heard the voices, appeared to be damaged, with large dents covering it. It was almost as if someone had taken a turbohammer and tried to break in.

  Kyle Katarn carefully and quietly walked up to the door and planted his ear against it. Behind it, he could make out at least three voices, speaking in quiet murmurs, but loud enough for him to hear.

  "The preparations are finished," a raspy voice said. "We are ready to activate the Star Harvester."

  "Excellent," a deep voice replied. "General Starka will be most pleased. We are now one step closer to making our move."

  "Indeed," a nasally voice said. "It's a pity that Zordo failed, or else we'd be even closer."

  "A pity indeed," the deep voice said. "But no matter. We shall carry out the plan. Old One, activate the harvester. It is time for this planet to go dark."

  Kyle had heard enough. He unleashed a powerful blast with the Force, sending the door flying off its hinges. Inside, three, identical beings in silver armor were gathered at a round table. Upon Kyle's entrance, one of them aimed wrist-mounted weapons at him and began firing.

  Kyle activated his lightsaber and deflected the shots, sending them back at the armored being. While most of the bolts were absorbed by their armor, the last one made contact with the being's neck, which was unprotected, and it caused them to drop to the floor, briefly twitching before dying.

  The second being, who was a bit taller than the others, unsheathed a pair of blades and lunged at Kyle, who raised his lightsaber in defense. To the Jedi Master's surprise, the swords did not break upon making contact with the lightsaber and the resulting impact instead caused him to stagger back from the blow.

  Before the warrior could attack him again, Kyle used the Force to make his opponent lose their footing and drop to the floor. He then raised his lightsaber over his head and brought it down to impale the warrior's shoulder, pinning the being to the floor.

  Ignoring the agonized screams, Kyle stepped away from the warrior and brought out his Bryar pistol, aiming it at the third being, who was shivering with fear, their left hand hovering over a handheld remote control of some sort. Kyle fire his blaster at the device and turned it into scrap.

  Suddenly, the other being whom Kyle had pinned to the floor let out a rage-filled roar. He grabbed Kyle's lightsaber and pulled it out of their shoulder, hurling it at the Jedi Master. Kyle dodged it in time and called it back to him with his mind. The moment the lightsaber had returned to his hand, the armored warrior charged toward him with their uninjured arm reeling back for a punch.

  Just as they threw the punch, Kyle quickly sidestepped to the side and swung his lightsaber in a decapitating movement. The warrior's head quickly dropped to the floor with a resounding clang.

  All that remained was the third being, who was cowering underneath the table. Seeing that they didn't appear to be much of a threat, Kyle deactivated his lightsaber but stayed alert, slowly approaching the being with caution.

  "Mind if I ask what the heck's going on," the Jedi Master asked.

  The being shook their head, their raspy, masculine voice trembling with fear as he spoke. "If I tell you, my masters will kill me."

  "And I might kill you if you don't tell me," Kyle replied, pressing the blade emitter of his lightsaber against the being's abdomen. "So either way, it doesn't matter."

  "Fine, kill me," the being (Kyle presumed he was the 'Old One') said. "If you want information from me, you'll have to extract it from my cold, dead brain."

  Kyle smirked. "Actually, I have a better idea."

  Igniting his lightsaber again, he swung it and severed the being's legs below the knees, which, like his neck, were unarmored. Although the Old One's face was hidden by his helmet, Kyle could still imagine his reaction.

  "If you want prosthetic replacements, you'll have to tell me what you're up to," the Jedi Master said. "If not, you'll need to either crawl or have someone give you a piggyback ride."

  Kyle could feel the cold stare the legless being was giving him. "Humiliation won't get me to talk."

  "Piggyback ride it is then." Kyle lifted the Old One up from under the arms and carried him out of the room, where Jokar and the others were waiting, still gazing in awe at the quick duel that had just taken place.

  "You kept on of them alive?" Arek said in disbelief.

  Kyle nodded. "Don't worry, he won't be any trouble. Commander Jokar, how strong are you?"

  The stormtrooper raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, I can lift up a steel crate with no problem."

  "Good." Kyle then put the Old One in Jokar's arms. "You wouldn't mind giving out friend a ride on the back, would you?"

  Jokar stared at him with a mix of contempt and disbelief. "Are you serious?"

  "If I wasn't, you would know." Kyle signaled for the others to follow him. "Let's keep going. There's bound to be someone else in this city if the scanner said it was populated."

  As they moved on through the apartment hall, Jokar called out to Kyle, "Is this all because I'm the only Imperial here?"

  Kyle did not turn to face him as he said, "Of course not. I would've done the same thing to you even if you were Darth Vader."

  He showed nothing in his voice to suggest which way Jokar was meant to take those words.

Star Wars Invasion: Episode III, Chapter Four

CHAPTER FOUR

  Much to Kyle's relief, the city of Ahto was indeed still intact, stationed in the middle of Manaan's vast, oceanic surface. And according to the ship's scanners, it was still populated. The only problem was, no one was answering the ship's hailing beacon.

  "This is Rogue Shadow to Ahto City," Arek said for the third time, using a name for the ship found in its very few accessible computer files. "We are requesting for a port to land in. Do you copy?"

  Still no reply, not even a blast of static to signify that something was interfering with the broadcast. Plus, Arek had had Reeda and Jasel check the communications array on the ship at least five times, making sure it was working.

  "Look, if you want us to leave, that's fine," Arek went on. "I was never practically that fond of Manaan. Seasickness, you know."

  Still, nothing but silence. Arek turned to Kyle and frowned. "It's no use. Either their comm systems are down, or the Selkath aren't in a social mood."

  "Find us a place to land in the city anyway," the Jedi Master replied. "If there's people there like the scanners say, then they obviously had to have gotten there somehow."

  "Unless they're all Selkath," Jasel pointed out. 

  "But then, why make a surface city?" Reeda asked. "The Selkath are amphibious, aren't they?"

  Kyle nodded. "I believe so. Which means there are likely species other than Selkath in the city."

  "Including Glorians, I'll bet," Arek muttered.

  Kyle smirked. "Well, of course. Why else did we go all the way to the Inner Rim for?"

  Arek shrugged. "Get ourselves killed, I suppose."

  The Rogue Shadow made its way down towards Ahto City, which, from above, appeared in the shape of a flat, circular shell. The ship descended onto one of the city's many landing zones which, to Kyle's surprise, was not being supervised by a dock officer.

  "Can anyone explain why I'm weirded out by the fact that landing here is free?" Arek asked. No one chose to answer him.

  Once the Rogue Shadow had landed, Kyle, Arek, Commander Jokar, Reeda, Jasel, and Tahiri Veila walked down the boarding ramp to find not only the spaceport but the entire city itself desolate. Kyle gazed at the lifeless scenery before him, staring at the silvery buildings and facilities that made up the city, looking as if they had been polished rather recently.

  After a moment, he turned to Arek and said, "Are you certain that the scanners said the city was populated?"

  "If I wasn't, I probably would've only tried hailing them once instead of three times," the pilot replied. "Unless the blasted thing is broken, this place should be swelling with people."

  "Maybe they're all hiding," Reeda muttered, looking around the city. "Don't ask me why they would be doing that..."

  "Only one way to find out." Kyle gestured for Arek and the others to follow him. Lining up in a single file, the four troopers and Tahiri followed the Jedi Master into Ahto City, readying their weapons in case the Glorians gave them an unpleasant welcome.

*  *  *

  From the view of Wallen's GA-class light freighter, the world of Christophsis appeared as a crystalline sphere in green-blue colors. Scattered across the planet's jagged surface, Wallen could make out the cites of various cities, giving it a surface pattern not unlike Coruscant's.

  As he drew closer to Christophsis, his ship's comm radio buzzed and the gruff voice of a Kerkoiden spoke through. "Alliance ship SJ7, speak your business."

  "This is Captain Wallen Nix of GA Security and Intelligence. We're on officially classified Alliance business."

  "Does it have anything to do with Senator Ulur's negotiations?" the Kerkoiden asked. "Lord Creno told the Senate that he wished to negotiate in private, with no one else supporting Ulur."

  "I can assure you that this has nothing to do with the negotiations at all," Wallen said. "We simply wishes to speak with Senator Ulur once he's done."

  The Kerkoiden responded with a low grunt. "Fine. You may land at docking bay 228, on the outskirts of Crystal City. You'll have to get there by foot. If you're fast enough, you might be able to reach Senator Ulur in time."

  Typical, Wallen said to himself. Aloud to the speaker, he said, "All right. Thanks for your permission."

  Powering up the engine, he flew the ship towards Christophsis, entering the atmosphere and passing through the low dark clouds. Below, he could see the planet's crystalline terrain and the many tall, jagged, crystal-like buildings that made up its large cities. Eventually, he found a small, lone spaceport located on the edge of Christophsis' capital city, Chaleydonia, which was more commonly called Crystal City by off-worlders.

  Once the ship had landed in Docking Bay 228, and after Wallen had paid the Rodian dock officer, he and Xemer began waling towards the city, moving as quickly and swiftly as possible.

  "I guess the Christophsians care about their visitors' physical fitness," Xemer said with a chuckle.

  Wallen smirked. "Are you kidding? The Christophsians live under an oligarchy government, where they care only about wealth. If someone on this planet, visitor or otherwise, isn't wealthy or can benefit the Christophsians in any way, they couldn't care less about them."

  "I see," Xemer muttered. "Well, if that's the case, why is the Senate even bothering in trying to get Christophsis to join the Alliance?"

  Before Wallen could answer, a loud boom sounded from the city and the ground shook beneath their feet. Up ahead, Wallen could see one of Crystal City's many tall buildings on fire. Given that it was located in the city's center, and given the odds, he had a gut feeling that Senator Ulur and Lord Creno's negotiations were taking place there.

  As he and Xemer quickened their pace to running speed, Wallen heard his Kel Dor partner say, "I'm going to guess negotiation didn't go very well."

  Even while running, Wallen managed to give him a dirty look. "I wouldn't joke about something like this, especially around Christophsians."

  "Who said I was joking?"

  Just as the two of them finally reached the city, the ground shook again with another resonated boom. Christophsians, Rodians, and Kerkoidens ran for safety as large pieces of the central building broke apart and fell to the ground. Ducking for cover, Wallen crouched behind a fallen statue in order to get a good look at what was happening. 

  From what he could tell, there was a large gap in the central building, allowing him to see into what appeared to be a meeting room. Squinting his eyes over the glare of Christophsis' sun, he could make out the figure of what appeared to be a cowering Rodian, which he realized was Senator Moog Ulur himself.

  Standing before the Senator however, was a tall, armored being of a species Wallen did not recognize and could not describe. The sun's light reflected off of their silvery armor, giving the being a bright aura glowing around them, making it hard for Wallen to distinguish any features.

  Before he could comprehend what was going on, or before he could think of how to save Ulur, the strange being spoke, loud enough for the entire city to hear.

  "The negotiations are over."

  And with that, he made a small gesture with his hand, and the Rodian senator was sent plummeting to the ground thirteen feet below...