Jedi Insurgency 148 (Interlude 20)

AN: The Bad Guys aren't the only ones doing things! Good Guys, rise up!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was a foggy day on Kashyyyk. The mist permeated the air, and was so thick, one could barely see in front of their face. The trees were massive, and on top of this already stifling mist, cast dark shadows, making even daytime appear like night. 

On this cool morning's day, Jedi Master Jaro Tapal stood at the front of a horde of beasts.  The purple alien was broad-shouldered, armored in worn robes, and held his blue double-lightsaber aloft, like a beacon. He radiated an aura of command, and that of an iron will. The Force flowed around him like a boulder in the middle of a river, although he was aged, and worn, he remained immovable. Such qualities were under constant attack by the multitude of horrors he had placed under his command, and yet, he endured. Not only did he endure this constant psychic battle with the most carnivorous creatures to haunt the galaxy, but the fog that coated their forms had been guided by him early that morning. 

Behind this group of beasts, the Wookiees had come out in great numbers. A million of the furred aliens wielding-crossbows and vibroblades-softly growled to one another, as the anticipation for battle grew. 

At Tapal's side, Cal Kestis-his Padawan learner-practically vibrated with energy. The Padawan’s copper hair flashed whenever he dipped between the shadows of the forest. He grinned up at his master with boyish enthusiasm. Despite the grueling war, Cal still retained some of his childishness. 

Tapal ruffled his student's hair, and grunted as he thought back to all they had gone through up to this point. 

For the last week, they had been marauding across the planet on a campaign of terror. Supply depots, and Imperial outposts had been destroyed one after another. After knocking out the Empire’s logistical support network, it was time to make a move on the planetary shield, it was time to take the main base, and kick the Imperials off this world. 

What once had been a bastion for the Republic, and protector of Kashyyyk, had now transformed into a processing center for slavery, and rare earth resources. Already, Trandoshans had been invited to take their harvest of Wookiee slaves, and the corporate sector had begun to strip the land bare. 

Such an affront had awakened the primal savagery of the native population, and revenge was at hand. 

“Think we’ll hit them before they know what’s coming?” Cal whispered in a hopeful voice. 

Tapal’s gaze remained fixed on the distant lights of the Imperial outpost. They were barely visible in the gloom, but the level of franticness in their sweep belied fear. 

“Observe the pace of their searchlights. Pull upon the Force, and tell me, what do they feel here?” Tapal asked, and poked Cal in the chest. 

The young teen staggered back a step from the prod, then closed his eyes. 

“Mnn, fear, I sense fear, Master Tapal. I guess they know we're coming.” Cal slowly opened his eyes, and nodded. 

“This is the last remaining Imperial facility on Kashyyyk. They know we are coming, but the fog, and dark of the trees covers our advance. Their scanners cannot pierce the veil. If we do our part, the Empire will not understand what is happening until it is already over.”

“Sounds good to me!” Cal responded with a thumbs up. 

From the right, a familiar roar joined the conversation. Chewbacca moved beside them, giving a deep, confident rumble. 

“Yes. We are ready.” 

“Haaangh!” Chewbacca growled, and a deep tribal growl began to be mimicked by the Wookiees. 

The forest came alive with this animalistic chant, shaking the dew from distant leaves. Puddles of water thrummed, and small animals who heard this noise froze. 

“As we practiced, Cal.” Tapal ordered. 

“Yes, Master.” Cal nodded along, and then held out both of his hands. 

An invisible wave took hold of this guttural emotion, and pressed upon the minds of the Imperials. Before long, the sound of a raging Wookiee's wrath was all they could feel. To those who possessed weaker wills, it was as if a Wookiee was charging right at them! One more step, and a big, furry paw would reach around their neck! 

“Now! Charge! For Kashyyyk, for the Republic!” Tapal roared, waved his lightsaber, and sprinted forward. 

The horde of nightmarish beasts native to Kashyyyk ran with him. Mines exploded everywhere, and blue bolts of laser fire tore up the forest all around him. 

“Woo!” Cal whooped as he jumped over a mine's explosion, and hopped from tree to tree. 

“Aaaaghn!” Chewbacca called out swinging from a vine. The massive Wookiee had spotted a scouting squad, and dropped down on top of a trooper with a crunch. Swiping his vibroblade, the Wookiee tore through the squad with ease. 

Then an explosion lit the forest floor in orange fire,  brightening up this dismal scene. One of the Wookiees’ planted charges shattered an artillery tower, sending it collapsing into the undergrowth. The clone troopers on the perimeter scrambled into position as klaxons sounded. 

“The Jedi are on the west side!”

“Repeat, the Jedi are on the west side!” 

“I think they know we're here!” Cal laughed, as he deflected a pair of bolts back. 

“Focus, Cal. We are not out of this yet.” Tapal pointed at a giant metal structure that acted as a wall to the facility, and spoke in a stern tone. It was barely visible, yet blue blasts of energy were constantly peppering the foliage, and surrounding forest. 

All along the wall, there were watchtowers, and heavy machinegun emplacements raining down blind fire into the mist. 

Tapal surged forward, his massive frame acted as a tank, and he broke through the covering fire to jump up the wall. Cal darted after him, practically bouncing between roots and rocks like an acrobat. 

The first squad of troopers they came across raised rifles without panic, and tried to mount a valiant defense. They were veterans of a cruel war, and had killed their way through piles of droids. Perhaps if they were commandos, cyborgs, or wore state of the art power armor, they could have done something. And yet, for all their training, and enhanced reflexes, they were but men.

The Jedi were already upon them by the time the first man had pulled his trigger. 

Tapal swept his blade in a heavy, arcing strike that cleaved a dozen men in half with hardly any effort. The last man in the squad was about to go out in a suicidal thermal detonation, but didn't register Cal, who used his short frame to his advantage. Swiping his blade at the trooper's knee, and then [Force Pushing] the grenade into an oncoming LAAT, Cal then braced himself as the flying vehicle came careening down, and exploded. 

Wookiee roars shook the clearing as they charged in behind the Jedi, overwhelming the clones in a storm of fur, muscle, and bowcaster fire. Explosions followed, and a section of wall was completely destroyed, allowing the beasts to enter the base, and wreak havoc amongst the enemy. 

“The first line has fallen, but we must act quickly! Doubtlessly they have realized that the shield generator is our target. Even now, their commander must be fretting over his next decision. Each second we waste, is one where he comes to the conclusion that destruction is his only option!” Tapal urged. 

“Then what are we waiting for?” Cal nodded along, and ran deeper into the facility. 

Despite the Wookiees, and Jedis initial success, the Imperial military was not the bloated mess that would have been. Lead by veteran minds, and soldiers who had fought for five years, their response to this violent attack was filled with urgency! 

Engines roared to life, as dozens of LAATs took flight. Amongst the tall canopy, these hovering vehicles were superior to fast moving ARC-170's, and began to provide cover support for the beleaguered Imperial forces. Bright green beams of plasma showered the battlefield. Every other second, a bright pulse would snake out, and claim a life. 

However, thanks to the thick mist, they had to hover closer to the ground, so that their searchlights could get a lock. 

Tapal sensed an opportunity, and turned to his Padawan, then pointed towards a tower. “Cal, draw their attention!”  

“I’m on it!”

Cal then leapt up the twisted metal remnants of a ventilation tower. At the tower’s peak, Cal planted his boots, and began to shout, and wave mischievously at one of the pilots. “Hey! Over here!”

As soon as he revealed himself, all of the clone troopers reacted instantly. Killing Jedi was hardcoded into each and every one of them. A rebel, such as the Wookiees was a nice target, but their programming made a Jedi irresistible. 

Dodging a missile, and a dozen beams, Cal slid underneath a building, drawing the bulk of the LAATs into a chase. Descending ever lower so as to get a bead on the boy, the flying machines had left themselves open!

Tapal chose that moment to strike. 

Hurling his double-lightsaber with the Force, the spinning blades moved at incredible speeds. Before the troopers had time to blink, two dozen LAATs had been destroyed. 

Holding his hand out, the metal rod of death flew back into Tapal's grip. 

“You've done well, little one.” Tapal grinned. 

“We're not over yet.” Cal replied in faux seriousness, but couldn't keep up the act, and cracked a smile. 

“How right you are, my apprentice. Such wise words should be studied.” Tapal patted his student on the back, and then pointed forward. 

The western section of the facility was mostly a smoking ruin by now, and both Wookiee and beast were tearing apart clone troopers as if their armor was made of decorative plastic. However, at the deepest part of the base, a set of giant garage doors rolled open. 

Deep in the compound, the rumble of armored feet shook the soil. A massive AT-TE walker lumbered between prefabricated walls, its heavy cannons reorienting toward Tapal and the Wookiees.

Behind it rolled a hulking HAVw A6 Juggernaut, floodlights sweeping through smoke as clone gunners prepared their turrets.

Tapal exhaled. “We hold the line.”

The AT-TE’s first shot scorched a trench through the trees, vaporizing a cluster of ferns.

The second shot never landed.

Tapal raised both hands, planting his feet. His muscles tensed under his robes, the Force channeling through every fiber of his being. The massive cannon blast struck his barrier of shimmering blue energy, and bent up into the sky. 

Cal skidded up beside him, palms out. “I got the walker, you take care of that rolling thing!” 

“It's called a Juggernaut!” Tapal called after him. 

“Whatever!” Cal shouted back. 

Wookiee bowcasters peppered the AT-TE’s legs, their heavy strength caused the armored walker to buckle, and groan. However, its front mounted cannons did not remain idle, and a score of Wookiees dropped dead due to their high firepower. 

Chewbacca, with an earth-shaking roar, leapt onto the walker’s front plating. His massive hands tore into its undercarriage and ripped open a maintenance hatch. Sparks burst outward as he yanked at internal cables.

“Woah, you're strong!” Cal exclaimed as he ran next to Chewbacca, and began to defend him from an oncoming score of blasterfire. 

“Aaangh!” Chewbacca agreed, and then shoved a fistfull of explosives into the AT-TE's exposed underbelly. 

“You go big guy!” Cal fist-pumped, and then ran out with him. 

As soon as the two of them cleared the area, an epic explosion rocked the air. 

Seconds later, the Juggernaut rolled closer, engines thundering. Turrets spat blue bolts of death, and giant tires the size of one-story buildings crushed Wookiees underneath. 

“Mmnm!” Chewbacca sadly growled at the sight of so many dead comrades, and was about to run head on with this massive barreling tank, only to be held back by a slender hand. 

“Believe in Master, he's got this!” 

Tapal sprinted forward, despite his large size, his speed was no less than that of a starfighters. He vaulted onto the hull with a Force-assisted jump, and buried his saber deep into the top plating. Cutting a circle in the top, he waved his hand, and popped open the Juggernaut like a can of soup. 

Dropping inside, Tapal made short work of the crew, blending them into a pile of limbs, bits, and bobs. He then took control of the behemoth, and redirected it towards the core of the facility. 

Flooring on the gas, he placed a dead trooper on the pedal, then made his escape. 

The resulting crash was excruciating to hear. Twisting metal, and the screams of ordinary Imperials-those contract workers who had come at the corpos behest-could be heard from inside. Windows shattered all along the base due to the impact, and an uncontrollable fire had broken out. 

Momentum had shifted all across the battlefield due to those series of actions, and most troopers were dead, or fighting it out in desperate pockets of resistance. 

“Cal, you go to the shield generator, I'll take care of the commander!”

“Got it!” 

Transforming into a storm of speed, Tapal led the charge, slaughtering all who resisted, and detaining those who surrendered. Sensing that the enemy commander would be ordering the destruction of the shield generator any second now, he pushed himself to the limit, and bulldozed his way into the command post. 

“Give the order, destroy-” The officer was about to order, when Tapal broke down the door, and waved his hand. 

Confused for a second, the officer swayed left and right. 

“Sir?” The man on the other end of the comms questioned. 

“Stand down. We have driven the Wookiees back.” The officer slurred, before slumping unconscious. 

Tapal grunted, and placed a hand against the wall to steady himself. That had been too close! 

“Shield generator's secure. Not bad for a morning stroll through the forest.” Cal said, trying to sound nonchalant, and all grown up about it. 

Tapal silently rested a hand on Cal's head. The boy tried to duck out of it, and the Jedi Master let him go with a grin. 

“You fought with courage, and focus.” A rare smile tugged at the Jedi Master’s stern features as he looked down at his student. “Your progress honors us both.”

“Thanks, Master. We make a pretty good team.” Cal beamed. 

Chewbacca then made an appearance, wrapped an arm around both Jedi in an exuberant, rib-crushing hug. Cal squeaked, and Tapal endured it stoically.

Above them, the forest lights brightened as the mist burnt off. 

For the first time in months, they had tasted victory. 

And as the Wookiees raised their voices in celebration, Jaro Tapal allowed himself a moment of quiet pride.

They had survived. The Jedi would survive. 

Together, they would continue to fight.

For the Republic. 

For the Order. 

But most importantly. 

Tapal looked at his out of breath disciple. 

For the Future. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

On the watery planet of Bestine IV, at an Imperial shipyard, the Commander in charge of the facility slammed his tablet on a bench, nearly snapping it in half. 

“Blast those Jedi! Without Eriadu's manufacturing capabilities, we're down to producing one ship a week! How am I supposed to get my promotion now?!” The Commander snarled to himself. 

Almost as suddenly as he had made that exclamation, an explosion rocked the dry docks. Stumbling on his feet, the Commander hopped on his terminal to see the security feed, and saw a blonde man point a blaster at the camera, ending the video. 

He recognized that man! They graduated the academy together, it was: 

“Crix Madine!” 

After exclaiming the traitor's name, another explosion rocked the facility. 

“Someone do something!” The Commander bellowed over the intercom, however, all he received was an ear piercing shriek from his comms unit, forcing him to stagger back. 

Cycling the cameras on his terminal once more, the Commander's heart went ice cold when he saw this week's Venator rise from the shipyard, and power its lasers. 

A bright green lance was the last thing he saw. 

~~~~~~~~

Within the crystalline halls of Illum, the Jedi communed, and awaited their sacred return to Tython. A feeling swept through the kyber crystal caverns. 

Soon. 

For most Jedi, accustomed to meditation, this was enough. The Force had spoken to them. 

A'Sharad Hett was not so patient. 

The son of Tatooine had grown restless as the days had dragged on. A promise had been made to take them to their holy land, yet war had dragged on. 

He was eager to learn the mysteries of his order, to better understand the building blocks of the Force. 

However, where peace, and calm called to his brethren, the steady beat of conflict stirred within his veins. They had all felt the darkness metastasizing from Coruscant, the cancer of the Sith had spread, their powers growing stronger day by day. 

Restless, and full of vigor, A'Sharad had felt a pull upon the strings of fate. A vision of waves and water crashing upon his beautiful Dune Sea. Of the long lost ancestry of his people-not that of the Tuskan Raiders-but of their forefathers, the Kumumgah. 

Images of his ancestors guiding him, of a mask leading him to moisture. Experiencing the baking feeling of Tatooine's suns, he knew where he must go. 

Without a word to the others, he silently left Ilum, and began his journey home. 

~~~~~~~

Upon the smoke filled, charred planet of Sullust, Jedi General Rahm Kota was drinking whiskey from an old canteen, and laughing merrily as he watched Poggle the Lesser stumble about drunk. 

“To viccctoree.” Kota raised his canteen, slurred, and then took a swig. 

“Mnnchukkk. You Jedi-” Poggle got out, then fell flat on his face, passed out. 

“Bug can't handle his liquor.” Kota laughed, then looked at his nearby passed-out apprentice who had gone unconscious after one sip, and scowled. “Bah.” 

Taking Sullust had been relatively easy. With the Sector fleet crushed at Eriadu, and the Imperial dogs regrouping to lick their wounds, his boys, and the bug's boys had done a number on the enemy defenses. 

“Easy as pie.” Kota chuckled to himself, and was about to take another swig, when he felt an incredibly intense dark aura, and he stilled. 

Nearby, the Padawan he had picked up along the way-Caleb Dume-had his eyes roll behind his head, and he passed out. 

Kota nursed his drink, and his knuckles went white, then he belched, and shook his head. Clutching his heart, he felt as if he'd lost something, yet at the same time, an incredible, luminous being had been born.

“Master…”