BALANCE | A Star Wars story

XXV

I walk out of the Cupola with a sickening purpose.

I pass the guards that were waiting by the doors and with a wave of my hand they don't try to stop me.

When I get to the street I realise that I still need some supplies. I turn and head in the direction of the nearest shop that looks like it sells food and water.

I walk in and despite not being able to read Cheunh, I grab some foods that look fairly nice and grab some bottles of water. I don't know how they haven't frozen in these temperatures.

The Chiss behind the counter says something that I don't understand and I just wave him off and stalk out the shop. I hear him shouting after me but I don't turn back.

People are beginning to look at me now and I know I have to get out of here as fast as possible. I reach the place where there are several elevators each with a number above indicating which port it leads to.

In a split second decision, with a little help from the force guiding me, I head towards the elevator with a 12 above it.

The ride up to the surface is a long one, distantly I hear alarms begin to ring but they fade away as I get closer and closer to the surface.

My teeth begin to chatter uncontrollably and the cold that never really went away kicks in and leaves me shivering. I clutch onto my meagre possessions to try and halt some of the cold from reaching my chest, it doesn't work and my hands are so pale there almost transparent.

The elevator dings open and I step out into the icy air and look up at the ship before me. It's an AEG-77 Vigo. Now what's one of them doing here? I ask myself but it's no time to worry about that.

Ah well I'm sure the Black Sun won't mind. I shrug and rush up the open the ramp, I scour the force to see if anyone is onboard but thankfully the ship appears to be deserted.

I rush to the bridge and dump my stuff on a nearby chair before sliding into the seat in front of the controls. I begin pressing buttons and use the handle to power up the engines, the ship begins to fly and I steer it upwards and out of the port.

I let out a sigh of relief which is followed by alarm bells ringing in the force. Two starships are following me off Csilla and into space, green laser beams shoot past me and I serve to avoid one I feel coming. I look around but this ship only has forward facing canons,

"Well that was shit design" I mutter to myself before accelerating upwards past the clouds of Csilla so I can finally see the stars again.

Beams of light soar past me and the ship shudders as one makes contact with the left wing. I push the ship forwards leaving Csilla far behind me as I prepare for hyperspace. After punching in the coordinates for Korriban, I swerve to avoid causing anymore damage to the ship and then push the trigger to send me into hyperspace.

○ ○ ○

I nibble on a ration bar I found in a ration pack that I had grabbed. I've fully explored the ship, I used the refresher to wash and relieve myself so now I feel clean and warm however I am still in the Iokath clothes because I could find any other ones unfortunately.

I found some extra stores of food and water hidden in the ship just incase but apart from that whoever was travelling in this ship was travelling light, much to my annoyance.

I twirl the flash drive between my fingers and stare at it aimlessly. Concealed in this tiny thing holds the end of the Jedi. The end of everything I know.

     From what I read, this plot has been in the works for a while and the Jedi have no idea what's coming for them. I was taught in those first few months after the incident that the Sith are no longer a problem. All were wiped out eons ago and any who remain don't have the power that they once did.

      I was also taught that the Church of the Sith doesn't exist and after witnessing what I did on Iokath I can very much say that they do.

     The Sith are back. Maybe they were never gone. It doesn't matter. The only thing that does is saving my home.

     I hope that the Hutt has managed to get word to the council or is at least on his way there.

     The Hutt. I haven't thought of him since I left Iokath and immediately feel a flood of guilt. I don't really understand why, he dragged me across the galaxy to help him find some bounty hunter who I'm sure he's still in love with but I feel guilty for just leaving him there.

Despite everything I hope he's alright.

Hyperspace swirls around me and I'm thrown back to when Master Nilim and I were on our way to Saleucami. Our last mission together and we spent it stood in a large hall negotiating.

It was so unbelievably boring and during those long hours I wished ever so desperately for an adventure. To finally do something other than stand about whilst my Master negotiated something or other.

The council always told me that it was good practice, that one day I'd become the councils lead negotiator like Master Nilim. I never truly believed them. I always knew I was destined for more.

So I wished, never believing the force would answer my prayers. But it did. It granted me an opportunity and who am I to pass up such a perfect opportunity to prove the council that I can do more. That I was meant for more.

Soon I'll be at Korriban, on the adventure I so longingly wished for, and I'll defeat the heads of the operation and shut it down completely before returning to the council a hero. A hero who they will never underestimate again.