“Attack!”

Adam vaulted easily over the fallen tree that was between him and the enemy, running at a full sprint toward the formation of Szuu’s soldiers that were arrayed on the battlefield. It was difficult to perfectly make them out through the haze of the sandstorm that had kicked up less than ten minutes before, but he could see well enough to navigate the field. Szuu’s forces would likely be worse off; they also had to contest with the rising sun in their eyes.

As he ran, Adam had a strange moment of lucid thought to consider the symbolism of the time of the battle and the position of the two armies. The combined forces of the Republic and the Jedi Order had their backs to the dawn, while behind Szuu’s forces was the retreating night sky. Adam smiled for just a moment, considering it an auspicious omen. Light versus dark, good versus evil.

Then he buried his lightsaber in the unfortunate Sith soldier that stood before him.

For several minutes the battle was simply a blur. He could sense Daedor and Goran, both nearby, laying into the Sith lines and dealing heavy casualties.

“Set the hook!” Daedor shouted. Both Adam and Goran nodded and plunged deeper into the Sith lines, attempting to cause as much of a ruckus as possible. Adam kicked a soldier in the chest and struck down another with his saber, taking a moment to scan the area around him.

Less than fifty feet away, Darth Tomb was stalking toward them.

Adam fought down the brief flash of fear that threatened to overwhelm him. Instead he reached out through the Force, lifted a nearby Sith speederbike, and flung it directly into the armored Sith Lord’s face.

Tomb staggered and fell to one knee, and Adam noted that the Sith Lord had lost his helmet from the impact. He braced himself, concentrating to keep his hold on the heavy speeder, and readied to slam the vehicle into Tomb a second time.

Please, no! That is my father! It was Goran’s voice in his head, speaking to him quickly through the Force. Adam blinked in surprise, arrested the speederbike before it could slam into Tomb, and instead flung it end-over-end into another rank of charging soldiers. Bodies went flying in every direction, and a handful of seconds later the vehicle exploded, causing even more damage and confusion to the Sith lines.

“Withdraw!” Adam swung his saber at another soldier that had made the mistake of getting too close to him, then turned and bounded back toward their own front lines. Goran was less than a step behind him, but Daedor was almost completely surrounded.

Both Adam and Goran stopped, turned, and lashed out with the Force. Sith soldiers toppled all around the Iktotchi Jedi, and after adding his own parting shot (which felled nearly half a dozen soldiers) Daedor was running toward them.

Adam looked to Goran. “Do you have this under control?”

Goran nodded. “Go.”

The young human turned and sprinted away at a right angle. Five meters later he leaned down in mid-stride and slapped one hand against the ground, calling on the Force to hurl himself through the air. He tumbled almost gracelessly through the air, head over heels several times over, and landed on his feet atop the steepled roof of the ancient castle tower that the raging sandstorm had begun to uncover.

Adam turned off his saber, taking a moment to catch his breath and survey the battle. He watched as Goran flung Tomb through the air back toward the Order and Republic lines using the Force, and the Sith Lord did not stand back up. He saw Vadalia and Caine battling soldiers and Sith warriors both, alongside the majority of the Jedi Council. Sharn sailed through the air to land near his former master, and the two crossed sabers surrounded by Sith troops.

He saw Backus, Vandar, Stonewell, and Diin engage Szuu, and moments later Morrigan joined the battle as well.

Finally he picked out Troona as she stalked toward the grand melee between Jedi and Sith Masters. He closed his eyes and reached out to her through the Force.

Atop the tower rooftop. Come and face me.

When he opened his eyes he saw her staring at him with hatred and hunger, and she immediately changed course to begin running in his direction. Adam turned and walked to the other side of the tower, lowering to sit down and then folding his legs in front of him. Troona would not be long in arriving.

He took a few moments to meditate and refocus his mind.

If he hadn’t known better, it would have felt like hours before he heard Troona land almost directly in front of him. Adam opened his eyes and looked up at her; the Twi’lek girl was looking down at him with an expression somewhere between a smile and a sneer, saber in hand.

“Hello, Troona.” Adam’s voice was calm and even. He stood up with a deliberate slowness, then took his saber from his belt again and ignited the gold-colored blade.

“Hello, Adam. Ready to die?” Without waiting for a response, Troona swept her lightsaber at him. He batted it aside with little effort, then thrust out his free hand and pushed out with the Force, sending her stumbling to the opposite side of the tower.

“Today is not the day that I become one with the Force, Troona. What must I do to convince you that you could be so much more, so much greater, if you would only turn away from the Sith?” Adam’s tone was plaintive.

No sooner had the words left his lips, however, than Szuu landed on the tower roof at his apprentice’s side. Adam’s eyes narrowed, and without hesitation he strode toward the Sith Lord.

“Go away, Szuu. She does not belong to you anymore!” Then Adam leaned back, raised one foot, and kicked Darth Szuu square in the chest.

The Sith Lord was surprised by both the action itself and the strength behind it. He staggered backward, tried to catch himself, then tumbled over the edge as the rooftop tiles crumbled beneath his feet.

“You bastard! Why did you do that?!” Troona extended a hand, and Adam was bathed in lightning.

He fell to his knees and screamed.

The Twi’lek girl turned and jumped down after her Master. Adam managed to crawl to the edge of the tower roof and peer down just in time to see Backus land between Szuu and Troona. The Sith Lord was still dazed from his fall.

Backus lashed out with his saber, striking a telling blow. Troona’s expression turned from one of hatred to one of gleeful opportunity. She took a step forward and buried her own lightsaber into Backus’ back.

Szuu seemed to snap out of his daze with the combination of pain and anger. “I told you he was mine!” he bellowed. As Backus fell, Szuu seized his own apprentice and flung her carelessly away, nearly 15 meters.

Morrigan, who had been left to deal with the remaining Jedi Masters once Szuu had left the engagement, landed at the fallen Twi’lek girl’s side. “What did you do, you stupid girl?!” Kicks and insults rained down on Troona’s huddled form.

Adam summoned up his strength, pushed up to his feet, and launched himself into the air. “Leave her alone!”

He buried his own lightsaber in Morrigan’s shoulder before he even hit the ground. The Sith witch screamed in pain and hate, launched a final kick down at Troona (more insult than anything else), and turned to flee. Adam swung his saber again and struck, causing her to stagger and sneer over her shoulder at him, but then she was gone.

Szuu had called a retreat, it seemed. The remaining Sith soldiers were either surrendering or in a full run away from the battlefield, and what dark force users were still conscious were in a hurry to follow the lead of their Council leader.

Troona was still on the ground, huddled tightly and weeping. Adam turned off his saber, clipped it to his belt, and stepped up to her side. “I hope that this day has shown you that Szuu is not as powerful or fearsome as he would have you believe, Troona. And I hope you will not run away. I would like to talk to you, but for now I must see to my master.”

By the time Adam made it to Backus, Master Shasa was already there and seeing to his wounds. She looked up when he approached and shrugged. “I have done what I can, but I do not know if he will survive.”

Adam nodded his understanding. There was nothing he could do to help Backus at the moment. Instead he closed his eyes and reached out through the Force, sending his Master a teasing and friendly message.

Master, you must be more careful. I am not sure how many more of such grievous wounds you can take.

There was no response, but Adam had the feeling that Backus had heard him. Shasa was still watching him, and Adam nodded to her. “Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help him, Master Shasa.”

The Selkath Master nodded, and Adam returned to Troona’s side. She was crying on Sharn’s shoulder, but when Adam arrived the Kel Dor immediately handed her off to him.

“Did you put your old master to rest, Sharn?” Adam asked.

The Kel Dor nodded. “I am going to finish it now.”

Adam nodded again, and Sharn walked away. He looked down at the crying Twi’lek in his arms. “Can you walk?”

“I… I think so,” was her sobbed response.

“Come, then. Let us find someone to see to your injuries, and then you can get some rest. I am sure you are very tired.” Adam was bone-tired himself, but he knew that it would probably be at least a few hours before he would have the luxury of rest.

He located Master Shasa, and she agreed to see to Troona’s wounds. Afterward he began to walk back toward their camp, meeting up with Goran and the others as they began to trickle away from the battlefield.

“Adam, well done,” Goran said.

Adam flashed a quick smile to the Arkanian Jedi. “You as well, Goran. I am sorry if I seriously injured your father. I didn’t know it was him.”

Goran nodded. “I know. It’s alright, I believe he will be fine. Eventually.”

They walked in silence for a handful of minutes before Adam blinked and looked around. “Goran… where is Daedor?”

“I thought he was with you,” Goran answered.

Adam shook his head. “I have not seen him since I went to the tower and left the two of you on the field.”

To be continued…

It is to be war.

Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. After a short voyage to Telarath, we arrived to find the city in shambles. I reached out through the Force and located Master Backus at the clinic, and after landing we all set off in that direction.

There was absolute chaos. The injured were everywhere, the staff was overwhelmed and crowded, and nobody could quite tell me where my master was. I reached out to the Force again and followed it to his room, only to find Backus unconscious. Sitting by his side was Master Seth, who said that he would inform me of when Backus woke.

Until then, the other Padawans and I turned our attention to aiding the wounded in whatever way we could. Goran and I used our talents to heal until Master Vandar arrived, and asked Goran to come with him.

It wasn’t long after this that Master Seth came to me and told me that Backus was conscious. I hurried back to my master’s side and he told me, in broad terms, of the battle that had taken place. Backus had been injured in combat with Szuu, and his strength was waning already.

I asked him what happened on Korriban, and he refused to tell me. Then he slipped back into sleep.

I was annoyed, to say the least.

Though I am unsure of the details, I could feel the confusion and worry when Goran rejoined us later. The Sith had apparently decided to test their new weapon directly above his father’s laboratory, but not before they had (we believe) taken him prisoner.

When Backus woke the next time, he gathered the Padawans together and informed us that we were going back to Yavin to reconvene the Council. Once the others had left, Backus asked to speak to me alone.

He told me about his past with Szuu.

The two of them had grown up as friends together in the Order. When Szuu had begun his fall toward the dark, Backus tried to stop him. They struggled with one another and drew the attention of another apprentice.

Szuu killed the other apprentice, knocked Backus unconscious, and then fled. By the time the masters had found Backus and discerned what had actually occurred, Szuu was beyond their reach.

My master blames himself for Szuu’s acts. He believes that he should have been able to stop his fall, and that his failure to do so makes him culpable.

I could tell that this wound was too deep and old for me to heal then and there. I asked about Korriban. Backus refused me again.

I left, practically seething.

Back on Yavin, the Council convened again. For a day life was as it had been before; I met with the Prefects that had taken over our duties during our absence and found that there had be no significant problems. I tried to meditate in my usual place behind the waterfall, but I had trouble focusing.

The next day, the Council summoned the Prefects again. They told us that the Council, with all of the support the Republic could muster, was declaring war on Szuu and his followers. The Council advised us to make ourselves ready, for in one month we would do battle with the forces of the Sith.

Daedor, Goran, and Vadalia announced that they would go to Vadalia’s homeworld and beseech her people for aid. Sharn decided to return to Taris and bargain with the Hutt we had met with before in hopes of earning an alliance. Caine was determined to seek out his former master and enlist his aid against Szuu.

I convened the Padawans who had taken the responsibilities of the Prefects when we had been gone. I told them that they would no longer be attending their normal classes. Instead, I would do what I could to train them myself, with the assistance of whatever other Prefects were on hand.

They were all skilled, but not many of them had seen battle. I dubbed them “Strike Team Nova”.

With the help of the Force, and with the help of my fellow Prefects and friends, perhaps I can make them ready in time.

Jedi Academy, Yavin-4

There is great turmoil in the galaxy.

I have felt for some time that the Force was holding its breath, preparing for some great event. Today I believe I witnessed the beginning of that event.

Darth Szuu and his so-called “Sith Council” attacked the temple here on Yavin-4.

I was meditating in the cave behind the waterfall when I heard a thunderous crash. When I managed to make my way out I saw that a freighter had crashed into the Academy’s hangar. Sharn and Goran were already investigating and aiding the injured, so I turned my attention elsewhere.

A second freighter – Sith in design – flew low over the academy grounds, dropping Sith troopers on speeder bikes everywhere. The younger and less experienced students ran immediately for cover, while myself and the other Prefects jumped into action. The battle here was something of a blur; I bounded onto the back of one speeder and slew the soldier piloting it, then jumped off into the lake just in time to see Sharn riding one of the Sith speeders around the Academy grounds and engaging other soldiers.

I made my way back out of the water to see the Masters of the Council moving across the grounds to join the battle. When I looked back to the hangar where they were headed, I saw Darth Tomb surrounded by several other Sith soldiers. Daedor dealt with the soldiers swiftly (and masterfully, I must say) by calling on the Force.

No sooner had the soldiers been felled than the other Sith masters joined the battle, dropping from their ship to land around Tomb. The Council and the Sith clashed in a spectacular battle.

If I had the luxury of watching it, I am sure I would have learned a great deal. However, no sooner had the Sith Masters landed than their vessel swept to the other side of the Academy grounds, and the Sith Apprentices jumped down.

I saw Troona immediately. She hasn’t changed any more than I have.

We fought. We spoke. In the end, nothing significant was accomplished by either of us, though I believe I did nearly fell her at the very last moment before she sped away.

By the time my duel with Troona had drawn to a close as a draw (again!) the Sith Masters and the majority of their apprentices had retreated to the Council’s chambers. The Council engaged them again, but the Sith quickly boarded their waiting ship and took off again.

We took one prisoner: a Sith Apprentice grievously wounded by Master Stonewell during the fighting. He is in the medical bay now.

Goran used his connection with Sulan Nelprin, one of the Sith Apprentices, to try to glean some information as to what they were after. He saw a piece of an ancient breastplate with ancient Sith script engraved into it. He asked me and the other Prefects if they knew what it meant or what the item might be, but none of us did.

While the Council met to discuss matters, the Prefects turned to investigate the crashed vessel in the hangar. Daedor discovered some useful information on the vessel’s computer; it had been constructed on the planet Odru, and its first and only voyage had been to Yavin… where it had promptly crashed into our hangar. Undoubtedly the droid-piloted vessel was intended from the beginning as a distraction.

Afterward, we were summoned to meet with the Council. They confirmed what Goran had told us about the piece of Sith armor, and informed us that a group of Masters would be leaving to pursue Szuu and his allies. They instructed us to travel to Taris and meet with a Sith-hunting former Jedi in search of information about Szuu.

This plan was met with some trepidation from the Prefects (myself included), but we agreed to do as our Masters told us. Before the day was out they had left to pursue the Sith, and we were preparing to depart the following morning.

I had thought to bring the Sith Apprentice that we had captured with us, as a potential source of information, but the other Prefects did not believe this to be prudent. Instead we questioned him before we left (after I helped to heal him enough to be conscious).

We learned that the item that Szuu had stolen was a Sith artifact, used to enhance the powers of a Dark Force user. We also learned that Szuu’s next plan was to test the artifact.

The Sith also attempted to bait me. He said that there was so much that I did not know about my Master, and about Szuu. Before I even realized it I had reached for my saber. Thankfully, Goran stopped me.

Korriban. Whatever happened there, whatever it means, haunts me to this day.

After contacting Master Backus to inform him of what we had learned, the Prefects all set off for Taris. Locating the ex-Jedi bounty hunter was simple enough, and I directed Goran and Vadalia to him. Daedor and Caine went out to explore the city and see what they could learn, while I accompanied Sharn to meet with a local Hutt.

Sharn and I met with little success at first; the Hutt was not interested in helping us for free, and we had almost no money to spare in order to pay him. Only a few minutes after our meeting with him, however, we received news that Telarath had been attacked by Sith.

I reached out through the Force to check on the well-being of Master Backus. He was wounded, but not seriously and no longer in danger. Sharn and I went to meet with the others again, and were told that we were to meet with the bounty hunter at his office in an hour.

We decided that if the bounty hunter did not have significant information that lead us elsewhere, we would go to Telarath. Several of the Prefects also voiced their concern that we had been sent on a blue milk run just to keep us out of danger. I believe they may be correct.

In the end, the bounty hunter had some information on Szuu, but nothing that pointed us to anywhere new. He informed us that he was also headed to Telarath, and he agreed to trade one of his spare starships for the one that the Council had allowed us to use.

We agreed, and are now en route to Telarath. I am worried about Master Backus.

I believe it is time for me to ask him about Korriban again. This time, I must be insistent.