ORD MANTELL

" Alright, let's see what the old man has to report." Jacen spoke. He walked up to his transmission console and called General Var Suthra. The holo-projector activated, and the general appeared. " Hello General. We've arrived on Ord Mantell." Jacen told the man.

" Perfect timing. I've just finished coordinating with my men on the ground there. SIS agent Ottau followed the enemy transmission to a specific location planet side. He'll give you the full details. Your T7 unit can interface with Darth Angral's hyperspace data transceiver and download his communications. Take the droid with you." Var Suthra explained to the man.

" Alright, then. You ready to kick some ass buddy?" Jacen asked the small droid.

" T7 = oiled + charged+ ready for action." T7 replied.

" That's what I'm talking about." Jacen stated.

" Guess that means I'm playing dejarik by myself, while you two have all the fun." Kira spoke.

" Don't be like that, Kira. I'm sure you'll find plenty to do while we're away." Jacen told the girl.

" Good. Take a shuttle down to Ord Mantell and meet Agent Ottau. Var Suthra out." The general gave his last orders before cutting the transmission to the ship.

" Alright, time to get to work." Jacen spoke. Jacen returned to the ship's controls with Kira and T7 and flew straight down to Ord Mantell's shuttle bay. When they landed in the docking bay, Kira immediately took note of how "shady" things seemed.

" Eh, I don't know about you, but I've been in plenty of spaceports in my life and this is by far the seediest place I've ever been." Kira told Jacen." Just as well I'm staying behind. I'll make sure no one steals our landing thrusters."

" Eh actually, if you wouldn't mind, take a look around the place. I'm sure there's something here we could find that could help us. But be careful. I don't like this place. Any place Angral has eyes in can't be safe." Jacen told the woman.

" Right. I'm on it. And don't worry, I won't get caught. I'm a natural at this." Kira told the man. She smiled at him smugly and Jacen rolled his eyes.

" Sure, you are." Jacen replied. The jedi walked back to the yoke of his ship and gently guided his ship down to the spaceport on Ord Mantell.

The planet was cloudy and dull, covered in so much smoke that sunlight barely peered its way through.

" Geez, what a mess." Kira mumbled.

" Yeah, that's what constant war will do to a planet. If you ever need a reason to remember why we're fighting just look at all of this." Jacen told the young woman.

Jacen continued guiding the ship downwards, and as he approached the spaceport, he turned on his communicator. " This is Jedi Knight Jacen Skywalker, requesting permission to land."

There was a brief pause and then a voice came through on the other end. " Permission granted Master Jedi, welcome to Ord Mantell."

" Well, at least there's friendly service, here." Kira said to the man.

" There's a bright side to everything."

Jacen brought the ship down in the hangar of the spaceport.

" Alright, let's get to work T-7. Kira, make sure you stay safe out there. Don't do anything reckless." Jacen told the girl.

Kira rolled her eyes and sighed as exhaled an exasperated sigh. " Sure sure. Just make sure you don't get yourself blown up out there."

A small smile popped up on the side of Jacen's face, he found himself enjoying Kira's playful banter more and more.

With T7 by his side, Jacen descended the ramp of his ship and started making his way towards General Var Suthra's republic contact on planet.

The duo made their way through the republic settlement, they were looking for agent Ottau. Luckily the man wasn't hard to find.

Var Suthra had notified the agent ahead of time, and when Jacen and T7 landed they were given the man's locations. He was waiting for Jacen and T7 right at the edge of the settlement.

When Jacen and T7 came into view Ottau immediately went to greet the two. Ottau was a tall man with dirty brown skin, most likely from the constant dirt and debris of the battlefields he's been a part of. He had shoulder length black hair, and was well built for a man his size.

" Agent Ottau! Republic SIS, ready to assist you master Jedi." The republic agent greeted Jacen with a proper salute.

" Good to see you agent." Jacen responded.

" I hope you like warzones, sir. Because this planet is full of them."

" Right." Jacen muttered. " Tell me what's going on, Agent."

" To make a long story short, there's a civil war going on between republic loyalists and a separatist movement bent on Ord Mantell's independence, or at least that's the official story. The unofficial story is the separatists are funded and supplied by the empire." Ottau explained.

" That's not good. Anything the empire has their hands in is bound to be bad." Jacen spoke. His attitude always became hardened when it came to dealing with the Sith empire. Just the mention of their name sent warning signals to Jacen's brain and put him on edge. He knew firsthand what the Sith were capable of.

" I hate to say it, but the only reason we're not fighting the empire now is because they won't commit their own forces. They'd rather throw separatists at us." Ottau spoke.

" Of course, they would. It's both cowardly and genius. They don't want to fight us directly. But they're smart enough to use our own people against us. A tactical Sith move." Jacen explained.

" Agreed. But unfortunately, that's not why you're here." Ottau stated. " General Var Suthra had me send a droid the hyperspace transceiver's location. I learned two things. First, it's on an island. Second, they don't like visitors there. My probe wound up disintegrated. Make sure that doesn't happen to you too."

" Don't jinx it."

" Haha! Sorry, sorry. Anyways, when you find the hyperspace transceiver, plug in your droid and download everything you can from its log. With any luck, we'll learn what Darth Angral's been up to."

" Alright, that sounds easy enough. Let's go T7, not a moment to waste." Jacen said to the little droid.

T7 beeped in agreement, and without a wasting anymore time, Jacen and T7 started making their way into the valley.

Jacen and t7 snuck their way through the valley that was between the republic settlement and separatist base. With the constant fighting between republic soldiers and the empire's men, it made it easier to avoid being detected., though there were still many different obstacles, such as mines and random air strikes that the duo needed to watch out for. And at one point Jacen was nearly trampled by a herd of grazers, large herbivores with rock like shells on their back.

" By the stars, T7. These things are huge." Jacen muttered as the herd passed them by. " Come on, little buddy. We're almost there."

Jacen and T7 continued their ruck, until finally within just a couple meters a large island across a small body of water came into view. The island was surrounded on all sides by separatists wielding all kinds of weapons, from vibro blades, to blaster pistols, rifles and cannons.

" These are the coordinates. So, this is where we gotta go. That's a lot of firepower protecting one place. That's at least fifty men, just on the outside. You think you're up for the task buddy? Or should we try sneaking around them?" Jacen asked the small droid.

" T7= Stealth= Best option for success."

" Alright, little buddy." Jacen agreed that taking the stealth approach would be better for what their purpose was.

" There are troops everywhere. Gonna be hard to sneak a droid past their barriers. But maybe... That mountain... If we can get up there, we could sneak around the furthest support unit and sneak in behind them. But its gonna be a climb, for me. I can pull you up with me." Jacen explained to the droid. " You ready?"

" T7= ready anytime."

" Alright, let's go buddy."

Jacen hopped down from his perch and together with T7, he sprinted his way across the small river, towards the rocky cliffside just under the blockade that kept people from getting onto the island.

Their approach was slightly less exciting as Jacen wanted, but even the chances of them erasing the data they were there for was too much a risk.

Jacen, managed to get to the cliffs without any trouble, using his abilities and speed to stay out of the sight of any potential snipers the separatists may have had hidden.

" Alright, little guy. Let's go." Jacen muttered. " This is gonna be a first for me. I've never lifted a droid while climbing up a cliff. But you know what they say, there's a first time for everything." Jacen took a deep breath and tied his robes tightly around his waist, and jumped up to the nearest edge he could grab onto, while also using the force to lift T7 off of the ground.

It wasn't a pleasant climb, but nothing that was too extreme for Jacen to handle. His earlier training made sure that he was physically well abled, being in better than some knights when he was a young boy, and his strength in the force was always astonishing.

Sweat dripped down his entire body as he continued climbing, and slowly the strain of lifting the droid was coming onto him.

Thankfully, it wouldn't be much longer until finally, Jacen reached the top.

" Hah... Hahh... You know something, T7? You're pretty heavy for a little droid." Jacen spoke. " I don't remember the last time I actually needed to stop and catch my breath.

" T7= Jedi alright?"

Jacen took in a deep breath. " Yeah, little buddy. I'm good. Come on, let's go. We have some data to steal."

With a beep of approval from the small droid, Jacen set off, further up the small plateau that circled around the large base. It was a simple job; the separatists were pretty relaxed on their security, they only had guards on the ground area, and they only focused their attention on the road leading to their base.

Meaning Jacen and T7 were able to easily leap down from their perch and enter the base without anyone even noticing they were there.

Having entered the base, Jacen crouched down. " Alright, T7. here's what we're going to do. I want you to move through the air vents. It'll be easier for us to get through the base." As Jacen was explaining his plan to the droid, he yanked a nearby panel off the wall and guided the droid over to it. " If anything comes up, or you can't move forward, then let me know and send me your coordinates. I'll come to you. Best case scenario we get into the communications room without a hitch, worse case, then we're back to the running together."

" T7+ Jedi= Never fail."

" That's right buddy. Now go. Hurry." Jacen nudged T7 along and fitted the panel back onto the wall. " Alright, now it's my turn." Jacen muttered. He made his way to the elevator in the base that led to the lower level and rode it all the way down without a hitch. ' Good thing we didn't burst in guns blazing. These guys hardly have any security at all.' Jacen remarked. He was surprised by how sloppy the separatists had their security laid out. If it were him, he would have guards at the top and at the bottom of the elevator at all times. But as Jacen reached the bottom floor, he found that there wasn't a soldier in sight.

Jacen moved further into the base, and the further he went the more soldiers he found himself coming across.

' Okay, so these guys aren't totally defenseless. This is quiet the garrison.' Jacen moved quietly through the shadows, hiding in small spaces and behind crates as he shifted past the guards.

' Okay, the control room should be up ahead, but there's a guard in the way.' Jacen took note of the guard that was guarding the command console. ' Alright, time for a little parkour.' Jacen slowly crept his way to a pipe along the side of the room and started climbing it until he was sitting uncomfortably on the pipes that led into the room. ' Here we go.' Jacen slowly crawled his way across the rafters, right towards his target, and then, as silently as he could manage, Jacen dropped down on the soldier covered his mouth and quickly stabbed him through the back of his chest with his lightsaber.

Jacen quietly lowered the man to the ground. " Sorry, but I can't have you bringing the whole base down on my head." Jacen lifted his communicator and called for T7. " T7, where are you? I'm at the console?

" T7= Waiting for Jedi."

" I'm here buddy. Come on."

Jacen heard the sound of T7's beeps and noticed the small droid waiting in the shadows nearby.

" Hey buddy, you ready?"

T7 beeped in approval and then quickly slid himself into the port on the main computer.

" Hyperspace data transceiver= Operational// T7= Scanning Transmission logs. T7= Found planet prison designs+ Tarnis communications to Darth Angral. T7 = located design files codenamed desolator// Darth Angral= Creating world killer weapon using Republic Technology."

" Download all of it, T7. We need to know what this world killer is and how we can stop it."

There was a quiet pause and then a moment later the port surged with electricity.

" Desolator files= Downloaded// T7 electromagnetic pulse+ Hyperspace transceiver= Permanent erasure."

" Good job. Now let's get the hell out of here."

Jacen and T7 both retraced their steps back through the base until they were safely away.

....................

It took the two of them quite some time before they made it back to the republic settlement, but thankfully they were able to avoid running into any kind of trouble with the separatists.

The moment Jacen and T7 stepped foot back into the town, Agent Ottau was waiting for them.

" I don't believe it. you're back already?"

" Yeah. We managed to get into their base and get out without drawing any attention to ourselves. We also managed to cripple their communications and erased their plans. They won't be making any use of that data anymore."

" I see. that'll make things easier for our field units. I appreciate it master Jedi. I'll put together a team to see if we can secure that island for our side, you should report to general Var suthra."

" I will. Take it easy Ottau."

" Right back at ya."

Jacen gave a nod to the agent and then quickly started his journey back to his ship in the spaceport.

" That went better than expected. And we didn't even need to do much fighting." Jacen spoke. " It'd be nice if all of our missions could go like this don't you think?"

T7 beeped with excitement and Jacen laughed at the droid.

" I hear that. I hear that." Jacen muttered.

* Whoosh!

As Jacen stepped towards the hangar door to his shuttle, the door whizzed open, and Jacen immediately spotted Kira being held captive by a Sith and two soldiers.

" Kira?!"

" Watch out!" Kira shouted to the man.

Jacen was confused, but before he could say anything else a man grabbed him from the side and tried to pin him to the ground.

Jacen countered, by reaching under the man's arm and using his momentum to throw him over his shoulders. Jacen then grabbed his lightsaber and drove it through the man's chest, before getting back up and pointing his lightsaber at the men holding Kira hostage.

" Okay... Let's try this again." Jacen muttered.

" Hey, not bad, master." Kira said to the man. Kira found herself deeply impressed by how quickly Jacen dispatched the large trooper.

" So, your master was here. Well played padawan, your lies convinced even Darth Angral." The Sith warrior looked at Kira and ignited his lightsaber.

" Here I am. If you want me, come get me. But let Kira go first." Jacen told the Sith warrior.

" Not gonna happen. She's, my hostage. If you don't want her death on your head, you'll throw down your weapons and surrender peacefully."

" Don't listen to him. Darth Angral made it clear I was to be unharmed." Kira spoke up. Her words immediately angered the Sith, as she had just destroyed his only bit of leverage.

" I see. Well, it looks like you need to get away from my padawan. Because if I don't kill you, then Angral will."

" Haaaa. I'll never understand what drives you Jedi to throw away your lives. You risk certain death to free this girl. Why? Some misguided sense of duty?"

" I love my people. And I'll do anything to protect them. I've killed Sith before and I'll be happy to do so again, if you don't let my padawan go. NOW!" Jacen yelled.

" Such sorry dribble. When I present Darth Angral with your head, he'll be most appreciative."

Jacen raised his saber up with both hands on his hilt and held it close to his face. " Go ahead and try."

" YAAAAAGH!" The Sith leaped across the room from Kira and tried to slam his saber down over Jacen's head. It would be a quick and easy kill for any regular jedi.

Unfortunately, Jacen wasn't regular.

Jacen easily parried the Sith's blade, and then swung his saber horizontally across the Sith's abdomen, cutting him in half in a moment's notice.

" You know, for someone who talks so much garbage you were really weak. Maybe next time try not to be so obvious." Jacen told the man. He sheathed his saber and quickly ran to Kira, who was still chained up. " Are you alright?" Jacen asked the woman. With a wave of his hands the cuffs that were restraining Kira were ripped off and discarded.

" Yeah, thanks. The bastards caught me off guard. I never saw them coming." Kira told the man.

" It's fine. Now, tell me what happened."

" Not much. I was watching smugglers get haggled and then the Sith found me. Darth Angral wanted me to tell him all about you; He threatened to kill me if i didn't answer all of his questions." Kira explained to the man.

" I see. I'm sorry if he hurt you. I should have brought you with us. Instead, I listened to the general and you were almost killed."

" Don't apologize. I knew what I was signing on for when we left coruscant." Kira told the man.

He was glad to hear she all right and understanding, but still Jacen felt bad in the very pit of his stomach. He never wanted to put Kira in danger, but with the kind of lives they lived, Danger was almost always guaranteed.

" What about Angral? Did you learn anything?"

" Angral left with an imperial admiral to refit a battle crusier. It sounds like they have some new weapon." Kira told the man.

" It can't be... Not already." Jacen muttered.

" What is it?"

" While T7 and I were on planet. We discovered files for a new weapon called the desolator. It was supposed to be some kind of planet killer."

" A planet killer? That can't be good." Kira muttered.

" It isn't. Come on. We need to warn Var Suthra."

" Right."

Kira, Jacen and t7 all quickly ran towards their ship. They were on a race against time now. Whatever it was that Angral was planning needed to be stopped. Because if they didn't it may very well mean the end of the Jedi forever!!!

.............

AHHHHHH! Oh my god its a new chapter?! Guys tell me if you want to see more. It's important that you leave a comment as that is the only way I can tell if you're interested.