“How’d it go?” Alha asked as she followed me up the ramp. Heavy rain had began falling by the time we reconvened. It was mid-morning on Coruscant at that point.

“Could have been better, could have been worse,” I replied. “If I’m being honest, I’m not sure how much good it will do. There’s a possibility this conversation saved the Jedi, though it also could have just caused Sidious to invoke Order 66 sooner,” I explained. Worse, I was even more concerned with Sidious's power after the meeting. That green rat read me like a book, yet he's been fooled by Palpatine for years.

“How so?” She asked.

“I'm not omniscient, I just happen to know the general idea of the trap. It’s conceivable that there are more strings in this web we haven't seen. Sidious could have the Jedi under observation. If, say, a few hundred of them go AWOL and return to Coruscant, he will know something has gone wrong,” I explained. “In that scenario, he is denied a checkmate of total annihilation, but he would still invoke 66 and the Jedi would probably still be ousted from the Republic," I explained.

"With an army of millions of clones, most Jedi would die long before they get a chance to face the emperor. And a protracted war would favor Palpatine. It's not just the clones, he still has control over the separatist droid armies as well," I continued.

“If that’s the case, why don’t we just do something ourselves?” she asked.

“You don’t get it, the only other thing I can think of is to head straight to Coruscant and provide damage control for this mess ourselves.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Interjected Alhoy.

“That was not a plan, a plan has steps and goals. Anyways, we would need to arrive just as the assault on the temple begins," I reply.

“We saw our fair share of danger on Korriban … but why not get there beforehand?” Alha said. She seemed very interested in this rescue mission.

“At best, getting there early to give a warning will be ineffectual. Mace Windu probably won’t give me an audience. It’s more likely that he would arrest me on the spot, then I’d just be a sitting duck for the takeover. He’s not the type to parlay with a Sith Lord.”

“So we go in guns blazing? Heroes of the galaxy descending in at the last moment to save the day?” Alha said with a chuckle. “It sounds like the perfect Togrutan Holovid Drama!”

“It probably won’t go down like that,” I replied. Then I thought about it for a moment. Was I willing to let those innocent kids die? I could deal with him cutting a path through the Jedi Knights. They were real combatants. But, all the younglings too? What if we were the only ones who could help?

With a defeated sigh, I finally said, “2V set a course for Coruscant”

“It’s like a jewel, floating in the middle of space,” Alha said as we looked upon the ecumenopolis. “I’ve never seen anything like it…”

“I know what you mean, it looks amazing from a distance, it still looks good from the upper levels, but it quickly loses its luster the closer you get to the surface,” I replied. “Naboo, Alderaan, even watching the sunset from the rooftop bar on Mos Espa offers a better vista.”

“I’ll make sure to compare the views when you take us to all those places,” she replied while smirking. Then she grew more serious and said, “So, what’s the plan?”

During the trip, I had time to better organize my thoughts. Just because we couldn't warn the Jedi, didn't mean we couldn't get there early to help them.

“The attack on the temple is supposed to take place around sunset, but if Yoda makes a move, it could happen long before then. So, we’ll touch down within view of the temple, as soon as we see a column of troopers marching towards the place we swoop in and pick up anyone who is willing to leave and get the hell out of there,” I explained.

“That is a surprisingly simple plan…” Alhoy said with a hint of apprehension. "Shouldn't we help defend the temple?"

“Simple doesn’t mean easy. And have you been paying attention to anything I said? Every clone in the Coruscant garrison will be moving on the temple, there is no defense. At best you can delay."

"There will be a blockade around the temple screening all inbound and outbound traffic," I state, while zooming in on the area around the temple. The hologram settles on a small port just above the underworld. “So we park within it or at least as close as we can get.”

“From there, Alha and I will enter the temple while you stay with the ship.” I said as a holograph of the Fury appeared to float above the temple. “We will gather everyone we can in the council chambers and once the signal is given you and 2V will provide the evac.” At the mention of the evac, a red pulse appeared at the top of one of the towers in the temple.

“The good news is that the clones use almost no air support in the initial attack. For some reason, its carried out by strictly boots on the ground. So, we should have a few minutes before any starfighters arrive.”

“Why park so close if there’s no air support?”

“Our ship will trigger the need for air support, so the later we’re in the air, the later they will be too. Flying in from a distance will just give them more time to scramble their fighters.”

“Will they just let you walk into the temple?”

“It’s a religious building. Pilgrims and the public will probably be allowed in to pay their respects. Back in my day there used to actually be a sizeable area open to the public, but it closed before nightfall. The Jedi are traditionalists, so I doubt they will have changed that policy. We just get in, hide until the firefight starts, then save the day."

“I think it looks even better up close, like a mountain range made out of metal, except it’s the whole planet,” said Alha while we climbed the hundreds of steps up to the front gate of the temple.

“We aren’t anywhere near the surface. The surface is hundreds of meters below us where people live in filth and darkness,” I replied. "The actual surface of this planet is almost unlivable. Only mutants and monsters make that place a home."

“Oh…Oh it really is like a mountain range then.”

“I suppose it is.”

The two of us followed the stream of pilgrims and public visitors up the steps leading to the temple proper. About halfway up from where we started, there was a line of scanner-wielding temple workers searching the visitors, presumably for contraband and weapons.

“Beautiful weather isn’t it?” I said when it was our turn to be scanned.

The brunette human temple worker nodded with a smile. “It is! Peaceful weather hopefully foretells a peaceful future now that the war is winding down,” she replied then moved forward to scan me.

I made a small and slow movement with my hands, while slowly saying, “You have already scanned us, and found nothing. Time to move on.” The force swirled into the woman's head while I did this.

The worker looked at me for a moment then mindlessly repeated the phrase before letting us in. Technically we didn’t need any weapons for the next stage of the plan. I wasn't planning on fighting, but it wasn’t like I was planning on giving them up either.

At the top of the stairs, various groups headed by padawans, and Jedi scholars were prepping groups of people to lead the pilgrims and visitors on tours. The two of us chose one at random and stayed at the rear of a small group.

“So, what can I expect on a tour?” Alha asked as we set ourselves of at the back of a small group.

“There are some places I was curious about, but I've never been here...as a tourist. So, I'm not entirely sure," I replied.

“Then, how’d you know about all of this?” She said motioning towards the tour group.

“I was once invited to visit the place by a Jedi Grandmaster,” I explained before pointing at a collection box the tourists were throwing change into. “I imagine it also helps the padawans practice courtesy and public speaking, but that’s also pure conjecture.”

"A grandmaster? like Yoda? I thought you guys were mortal enemies?" Alha asked.

"Well, yeah but we had to team up to stop a guy from wiping out all life in the galaxy," I replied. Before she could ask anymore questions I turned and scanned for our tour guide.

“Excuse me, young lad,” I said with a wave towards our Padawan group tour leader. “Is there any place we can pay respects to Tarre Vizla, my companion here is something of an admirer,” I explained before exposing some of her beskar plates through her robes.

“Of course, his monument and empty blade holder are available to the public!” he said in a chipper tone. “I am Padawan Zett, by the way. Is there anywhere else you had in mind?”

“You wouldn’t happen to have a memorial area for Satele Shan?” I asked.

“The grandmaster? Her likeness is in quite a few areas, though my personal favorite is in the Hall of Grandmasters.”

“Thank you, Padawan. We’ll be in your care…I don’t suppose the Archives and Room of a Thousand Fountains are open to the public?” I replied with a smile.

“Sadly, you will need to apply to enter either space, the library and archives are very accommodating for researchers. Though the process can be lengthy, it is considered fair. The Room of Fountains is considered a mediation space, so access is not often given…”

“No worries.”

The Jedi temple was probably one of the most beautiful structures in the galaxy. The large stone and metal structures were covered in runes, carvings, and other pieces of art. The gardens adorning the exterior were a welcome green in the expanse of unnatural colors around Coruscant. It was peaceful there.

From my point of view, it was too peaceful. Like the calm before the storm, a hush had descended upon the place. Or maybe it felt like the temple was completely isolated. The bustle of the city was completely lost even in the outer courtyards; not muffled but completely gone. Entering the temple grounds was like leaving Coruscant proper behind.

Even worse the entire place dripped with the light side. Between the many Jedi and light side artifacts, I felt constantly on edge. It was like everything reminded me that I was out of place here. Korriban was positively reassuring at this point.

We arrived inside the temple just after lunch. But, the massive structure was far too large to explore in a day, even for the publicly accessible areas. It was a small disapointment all things considered, as we would probably not make it back for a while, if ever.

As the tour was winding down, we politely removed ourselves to the bathroom, though the only lockable one we found was a small-unisex stall. It was incredibly tight fit. Between my bulky frame and our armor sets, there was barely any room to move.

I slumped onto the toilet which freed up some room. Alho leaned onto the sink. My legs had some minor aches from walking around the temple for hours.

“For an enemy of the Jedi, you sure did know a lot about the various topics of the tour,” she said after a while.

“Know thy enemy and whatnot,” I replied. Times like this made me question why smartphones weren’t a thing people in the galaxy used. Sure, there were datapads and tablets, but none of those seemed to have any games installed.

“You knew more about ancient Jedi history than our tour guide,” she replied after a long silence.

“What are you getting at?”

“Nothing really, you just don’t look like the scholarly type.” She replied.

“And what type do I look like?”

“Well, if I’m being honest; you give off more of brawny but brainless aura, just from your looks though,” she replied.

“You’re saying I look dumb?”

“Not dumb, just that you don’t look like the kind of person who spends hours in front of a holocaster…” she said trailing off. “I feel like there’s no chance of saving this conversation at this point.”

I waved her off. “Don’t worry, I kind of get what you meant. If it makes you feel better, I didn’t do any special training to get this; I more or less woke up one day with all these muscles.”

“I guess that makes sense,” she replied sarcastically.

“Nothing in this galaxy ever makes sense,” I replied before changing the subject. “Now that we’re stuck hiding in a bathroom for a while, I gotta ask if this galactic adventure is living up to your standards?”

“The current mission is a little doom and gloom for my tastes, but I doubt they are all like this,” she said. “But I can’t complain, two days ago I was wasting away inside a desert hut. Now I’m at the literal center of the galaxy.”

“It’s not the real center of the Galaxy, they just arbitrarily made it coordinate 0 for convenience. And you’d be surprised how often this galaxy needs saving,” I replied. “I quite literally can’t imagine what it's like during an extended peacetime.”

“Really why is that?”

“…We should check in with Alhoy, it’s been too long since we heard from him,” I said. In part because I was worried about not having checked in but mostly to change the subject. I was veering into some seriously meta-conversation on how I only know the Star Wars galaxy from media that needed conflict to tell a story.

“How’s it looking out there?” I said after activating the com piece on my wrist. There was no response. “Alhoy, come in? Alhoy can you hear me?”

“Do you think someone’s blocking our coms?” I said after a moment.

“I have no idea, is there any way to tell?

Except, I didn’t hear her. At that moment, thousands of visions entered my mind. They flew by too quickly to comprehend accurately the individuals in them, but each one was a death caused by betrayal. Screams of pain pulsed out across the Galaxy.

When the scenes ended, I gasped for air. For some reason, I was hopelessly out of breath. When I refocused my eyes, Alha was in my face and holding me by the shoulders. Concern was in her eyes.

“Are you ok? You went catatonic for a while there…” she asked.

“It’s begun, and I don’t think our meeting with Yoda changed much. We need to leave now,” I explained. We both took a few moments to ready our arms and ditch the cloaks before opening the door.

When we left the bathroom, a series of explosions rocked the temple sending dust and plaster cascading down from the ceiling. “Alhoy, what was that?!” I asked into my wrist-com.

“Rocket fire from a distance…They just took out the temple hangars,” he replied. Oh now he plans on answering. "Thank the gods you answered, I've had X2 trying to reestablish coms for hours."

“Rockets? All the more reason for us not to be in the air longer than necessary,” I said.

The main hall was a flurry of activity. People were frantically running about; some were screaming others crying. Most had just felt the vanishing of the only family they had ever known, then moments later were forced to confront a similar fate.

Another shockwave shook the ground. This one emanated from the center of the hall.

An old and weary-looking Cosian stood amidst the rabble with both hands clutching a cane. He hit the floor a few more times, each one sending out a shockwave. “Hysterics will help no one. We must defend the temple,” he said once everyone had quieted down. “All non-combatants must vacate the ground level. Anyone capable should ready themselves for battle!”

As he was speaking a glowering middle-aged human entered the hall. He had long brown hair and was dressed in the tan robes of the Jedi. “The clones are attacking, they just cut down the outer guards! I and my padawans will take the front gates. Master Sinube, you should take the younglings into the council chambers, the doors are force operated and will serve as an ample deterrent to the attackers,” he said once he was standing in the center of the hall.

“Master Cin…” the older Jedi began to say.

“We can help with that!” I interjected quite loudly. Most of the faces turned to our spot by the bathroom door. It was mildly unnerving since most of those faces were Jedi preparing to fight to the death.

“And who would our mysterious savior be?” questioned Master Sinube.

“We were visiting during the public hours but seem to have been locked in with the rest of you. Unlike everyone else though we have a working starship capable of offering evac,” I replied.

“Oddly convenient,” Master Cin called out.

“I think we all know the force works in mysterious ways,” I replied. “I’m not sure exactly how many people can fit, but we have a lot of roo-“ I said before another explosion racked the temple grounds. “We don’t have time for this! Everyone who wants to leave, head for the council chambers! Anyone set on defending this decaying rock can stay!” I yelled and began walking towards the staircase.

I found my path blocked by a green lightsaber. It slowly moved and pointed towards my saber handle at my belt.

"What's the big, idea?!" shouted Alha from behind me.

“Your words are sweet, Sith, but your darkness betrays your intentions. Did you think we would just allow you further into our sanctum?” Cin asked. At the mention of the Jedi’s ancient enemy, most of the lightsabers in the hallway activated.

“We can try to evac in the courtyards, but it would put us needlessly close to the fighting,” I replied while trying to remain calm.

“A Sith in the temple while the lives of Jedi around the galaxy blink out of existence?” he questioned me again.

“I can promise you that I had no part in this. In fact, if you don’t leave with me, Anakin Skywalker and the 501st will cut you all down to a man,” I replied through gritted teeth. My anger was rising at just how inept these Jedi were. At least their ancestors were willing to work with the old me when it benefited the greater good.

“Enough!” exclaimed Sinube. “He speaks the truth; we can all feel an incredible darkness descending upon the temple. Whoever is leading that army is our true enemy. We will accept your help.”

Sinube turned to the crowd. “All younglings and Padawans will make their way to the council chambers. Master Cin will hold the perimeter. Has anyone seen Master Nu? We must salvage what we can from the archives. Master Shaak Ti is still recovering, we must aid her escape. .”

“Do what you must and bring what you can, but we leave ASAP,” I replied before force-pushing the green lightsaber out of my way.

With our argument over, order descended upon the room. Soon teams were organized to finish the various tasks. In a matter of seconds, the only ones still around were Alha, Sinube, and me.

“What will you do?” I asked the elderly man.

“Isn’t it obvious? I shall hold the line,” he replied.

“Yeah-no. Cin will give his life for our retreat, you’re coming with us,” I said before hefting the old man onto my shoulders. “Besides, these kids will need some guidance.”

“That’s it 2V bring her in nice and slow,” I said into my wrist-com. I was currently standing next to a large hole that had just been cut into the windows of the council chamber as the Fury levitated towards us. Keeping her grounded had paid off as no fighters were in the air, though that could change at any time. Far below, blaster fire crisscrossed the courtyards deflected by an ever fewer number of lightsabers.

Behind me were all the younglings we could find in the panic. Thankfully, Master Nu was there to usher everyone about, though she also had her hands full. Slumped against her shoulder was a sickly and almost lifeless Shaak-Ti who hadn’t yet recovered from her second loss to Greivous.

“Enough of this, put me down!” demanded the old master.

“No can do,” I replied. I first set the wizened old Jedi down off my shoulder when we first arrived. This only left him able to try and lock the doors with himself on the other side.

“Quiet down old man,” Nu interjected. “We all felt how quickly Cin was defeated, your sacrifice would be a needless death and buy us no time.”

"Thank you for being reasonable Master Nu," I reply. "I'm sorry we had to burn the library. I can only guess how great a loss it was."

"On a day where I felt the death of my people? Some old books are nothing," she replied with a grimace.

Outside, the landing ramps of the Fury extended towards the window, before hitting the side of the building with a satisfactory clunk.

“Docking complete, Sir,” came the report from 2V.

“You heard the droid, everyone in the ship!” I commanded. With that, the fiftyish force-sensitive kids and teens began clambering onto the Fury. The process took longer than I hoped, not the least because many of them were laden with sacks of holodisks and other Jedi artifacts. Master Nu had done what she could in salvaging important texts and destroying whatever she couldn’t bring with her though I had my apprehensions. For a group of ascetics, they certainly had a lot of crap to bring.

Everything was going great until there were only three children left in the room and a rocket crashed into the bottom of the Fury. The deflectors held stable, but the explosion pushed the ship against the tower causing a groaning of steel and the tower to shake horribly. If that wasn’t bad enough, the locks for the entrance door were beginning to unravel. They groaned and creaked as someone was forcing them open.

“I think we’ve got company!” Alha said.

“I see that,” I replied. “Your turn old man!” I yelled before tossing him onto the ramp into the waiting arms of Alhoy. If it wasn’t for his mag boots, the kid would have been sent flying from the force. I turned my attention to the door and commanded the force to hold it closed.

Another rocket hit the bottom of the ship. This one pushed it away from the tower by a few meters. 2V began bringing it closer to the tower again, but I stopped and said over the coms, “Stay clear, you’re too easy to hit when docked.”

“Alha, ferry them over, I’ll buy us time,” I commanded before igniting my saber.

The force that was trying to open the lock let go only for a blue saber blade to pierce the doors and begin carving out a circle from the metal.

“As if I’d let it be that easy,” I muttered to myself. Whilst still holding the lock with my left hand, I built up a powerful force-push with my right. Just before the assailant was about halfway through the door, I reversed my force on the lock, slamming it open as quickly as possible. At the same time, I unleashed all the built up power I had saved into my right.

It had the intended result.

When the doors flung open, Anakin was momentarily caught off guard with his saber pulled in an awkward position. He didn’t have a chance to block my push and was sent flying back into the hall. Then, I forced the doors closed once again, before looking back.

Alha had delivered the first child and was already picking up the second.

The blue saber returned to the door and completed its path in cutting a circle out of the door. Feeling his next move, I channeled another force push into the circular sheet of metal.

Our opposing powers met the cutout of the door with a small shockwave that stabilized after a moment. Then the metal began crimping from opposing pushes. Finally my fears were realized. My feet started to slide across the ground as I was being overpowered. He was pushing me back.

A gasp from behind caused me to chance a look. The last kid to leave was Zett.

“Anakin?! It really is you, why…why!?” the padawan exclaimed. He saw me looking and our vision met. His eyes were like saucers. God, he looked so scared.

My sliding was beginning to gain momentum, so before I lost my footing I angled the force and pushed the door to the left. Anakin’s power sent the disk crashing through the windows and out of the temple. It left with such force that I wouldn’t be surprised if it cleared the entire compound on the way out.

I could feel sweat dripping down my face from the effort, though I didn’t have long to register it.

In a flash, Anakin leaped towards me and brought his saber down in a crushing overhead slash. I guarded against it with my own saber, though the force of the attack forced me to my knee. The power of the chosen one was no joke.

“You know, I always wanted to have a conversation with you,” I said through gritted teeth. Up close, you could really see just how much of the dark side he was channeling. His normally blue eyes were ringed with the same gold of mine; of a true Sith. His skin was a pallid white, while dark circles ringed his eyes.

Confusion flashed across his face. Which was understandable, I mean you break into the Jedi council chambers expecting to find some defenseless kids to murder and instead you’re greeted by a demonesque alien wielding a Sith’s blade.

In his moment of confusion, I shifted my weight and changed the leverage on my blade. The change meant Anakin’s blade slid down my blade to the left. I combined the movement with a force push from my blade hand to send him flying away from me. The move didn’t do any damage though. Instead, Anakin did a backflip through the air and landed on his feet.

“Who…what are you?!” he demanded.

“I’ve been known by a few names. I doubt my monikers would mean anything to someone as ignorant as you,” I replied.

He rushed me and we exchanged blows while red and blue sparks showered the air around us. Each exchange reverberated with power. Our blows were strengthened by the force and any lesser fighters would have been sent flying. After a particularly hard hit between our blades, we backed off again. I took a step to the right and began circling him. Anakin followed suit.

“Really, you should be thanking me. If I wasn’t here you’d have to add child killer to your transgressions. Now you’re just a traitor and a murderer.” I took a discreet step backward while we circled.

“The Jedi betrayed me long before I ever took up arms against them,” he snarled. I just shook my head while taking another step back.

"Leaving the order was always an option; you didn't need to kill everybody," I replied.

"I...I had to, they won't let me walk the path I need to walk," he replied. "I need the power to protect… everyone." I took another step back, this time bringing me to the outer edge of the room.

We continued to circle each other until it brought me back to the windows. Then, I said, “Listen, I’d love to debate you on this, but I’m a busy guy and you just used up all your time with me. Just know that worse men have found redemption from worse deeds." Then I fell backwards through the window.

As I entered freefall, Alha swooped down with her jetpack and clasped her hands under my arms.

“A little warning would be nice. You nearly gave me a heart attack!” she yelled into my ear.

“It’s not like I would die; I can just slow my fall with the force,” I replied. Technically, that wouldn’t even be the farthest fall I ever landed, though that was when I was still in-game. It was still one hell of a rush as I had never base jumped in real life.

The Fury was starting to take heavier fire by this point. Large blaster bolts and some AA lasers were joining the rockets in the assault of the vehicle by the time we made it to the ramp. I turned around for a moment. Anakin was shouting something from the window, though I couldn’t make it out from over the sounds of battle.

“2V, get us out of here!” I yelled. The droid wasted no time in punching the sub-light engines to the max. Instead of the feeling of acceleration the ship just rocked back and forth.

Back at the tower, Anakin's outstretched hand was pulling our ship down with the force.

"This kid literally won't let go..." I said before readying a powerful force-blast. I was just about to release it when a slew of blaster fire and a small rocket shot towards the tower from behind me.

Anakin was forced to block the accurate blaster shots with his lightsaber which left him defenseless against the missile. It struck true against the tower and knocked him back from the window. Immediately the freed ship lurched forward before picking up speed.

“Alha, Alhoy, man the side turrets!” I commanded as I made my way to the cockpit. In the game, dogfights had been one of my favorite pastimes. The Fury had survived her fair share of battles and engagements, though I would have preferred my trusty Quell starfighter.

“2V, I’m taking over. Get our hyperdrive prepped. I want it engaged at the first opportunity,” I said. I strapped in and pressed a few buttons that engaged my control panel. All around deflectors were at 70 -an explosion rattled the ship- 62%.

“Three incoming fighters, sir. They are gaining on us at an alarming speed,” 2V indicated.

“We will need to retrofit these engines,” I replied. “They were cutting edge three thousand years ago, but we’re probably one of the slower ships our size now.”

I thought for a moment before saying, “Disengage the forward deflectors, reroute any nonessential power to the engines and the rear.”

“But sir, if anyone gets in front of us-“

“Anyone in front of us will find themselves within my sights,” I said, cutting him off. He complied and the rear deflectors were back up to 80% while our engines picked up some speed.

The three ARC starfighters were now firmly on our tail, forcing me to try to evade them while still climbing out of the atmosphere.

“Rear shields are at 74%, 30 seconds till we can jump,” 2V intoned.

My two turrets were firing in completely different patterns. Alhoy on the left seemed willing to only shoot when he was close to hitting. His two barrels were firing like a rifle, as in once every second. Alha on the other hand didn’t take her finger off the trigger until her gun batteries overheated. Yet between the two of them, they were able to keep our enemies on their toes.

Two of the fighters seemed willing to fire at us from the trailing position. The third pushed his speed up and tried to get below us. He probably wanted to engage us with his rear turret.

“Shields are at 61%, 20 sec-“

Getting so close was a big mistake. I slammed the power down for a moment, causing him to overshoot, then accelerated again. The maneuver caused everything not nailed down in the back to crash onto the floors.

It only took a moment for him to enter my sights and I engaged the forward blasters. Both his wings were ripped off in the fire. The craft immediately lost altitude and plummeted towards the surface in a spinning wreck.

“-onds to jump, never mind, recalculating.”

The downside to such a maneuver was that the lower speeds made it far easier for our rear enemies to maneuver. The ship rattled from explosion after explosion as I brought us back up to speed.

“Deflectors are reaching critical condition, 32- no, 25%!” yelled 2V with some concern.

“I can see the numbers 2V, just focus on the jump, how long?”

“10 seconds!”

“Can’t you two hit anything?!” I yelled over the comms.

“7 seconds!” An explosion rocked the rear of the ship. The shields fell to 10%.

“I’m trying!” yelled Alha.

“5 seconds!”

“Just do it and stop trying!” I commanded. Just then one of the fighters erupted into smoke.

“Nice shot!” I yelled. The shields had dropped to 5%.

“1 second! Initiating Jump sequence!”

Space stretched out before us; the stars blurred into long lines. Then with a shudder and bump, we entered hyperspace.