Blood Band Brothers

[Dark_Lady]

Jynn studied the planet carefully. It was a large gas giant, obviously uninhabitable to most, if not all, life forms.

 

Well, she thought in exasperation, this was a huge waste of time and fuel.

 

She started inputting coordinates into the ship's nav computer, preparing to make another hyperspace jump, when a few sensors lit up and words began flashing on the screen.

 

HYPERSPACE EXIT DETECTED

 

Jynn canceled her current heading and checked her radar. A Trade Federation Droid Control Ship had just dropped out of hyperspace.

 

"Lovely," she muttered. She felt something - no, somebody, bending his attention on her, somebody who was very strong in the Force. "Oh..." she said. "It was you."

 

Well, she thought, if he's strong in the Force, I should be able to communicate with him. She concentrated, trying her best to send a message to him.

 

"And who exactly are you?"

[Master_Archon]

((Actually, now it's just one Trade Federation Droid Control ship. We captured it, so, yeah.))

 

Cyphon felt small blips in the force hit him, he could easily tell it was coming from the ship that they had just seen off the stern of the ship.

 

"And who exactly are you?" came the message.

 

"I am Cyphon Destan, or Master Cyphon, the first grey jedi...who may you be?" he sent in reply, easily using the force to comunicate.

 

"Sir, we've finally activated regular engines, we're closing in on the ship. What should we do sir? We dont have many guns on this ship, they were all mostly shot off" said the low ranking officer that was controlling the menuvering and space movments console.

 

"Stop at around 100 ft. from the ship, that may be close, but at least if this person is an ally, enemy, or otherwise, we can use fear tactics to keep them at bay" said Cyphon in response.

[Dark_Lady]

"I am Jynn," she sent in reply, "one of the last of the Jedi Order." She watched as the Droid Control Ship approached steadily. "Incidentally," she said, "You might want to back off a little. You might have the best pilots in the world flying that thing, but a hundred feet is nothing one way or the other for a ship that size, and I would prefer to avoid a collision."

 

"Also," she said, with growing suspicion, "how exactly does a Jedi of any kind come to align himself with the Rebel Confederacy?"

[Master_Archon]

"Pull back two hundred feet" said Cyphon to the maneuverings officers.

 

"One of the last of the Jedi Order? Strangely enough, that's not true. You see there are over 100 surviving jedi, though most are knights, saddly, very few masters, and padawans survived, while there ranks are bolstered even more, due to force adepts we've picked up. Vader, will be the father of the New Jedi Order, as I have ordained him" he said explaining the situation with the jedi to her through the normal force manner.

 

"As for us being on a Rebel Confederacy vessel, that's because we were in a battle three days ago, and we took boarding actions against this ship, and thus captured it" he said this through the comm this time to her ship, so as to make things easier on the both of them. "If you dont mind, we're going to tractor you in. It's a ways out from the known galaxy, and I doubt even you know what's in the dark vastnesses of space beyond the known galaxy" he said to her.

[Dark_Lady]

"There are over one hundred Jedi remaining, right," Jynn responded over the comm. "Unfortunately, that's a lot less than there used to be. If we were a separate species, we would certainly be listed as highly endangered." She sighed.

 

"I don't mind if you tractor me in, although I usually prefer landing under my own power. And, by the way, who exactly is this 'Vader' character you mentioned?"

[Master_Archon]

"Vader, is Anakin Skywalker" Cyphon said to the stranger. "If you wish to land on your own power, then fine. Just dont try any funny business, or we will be forced to ram your ship" he said to her. "Corpral, inform me if you see anything, funny outside the ship" he said to the low ranking officer standing a short distance from him.

 

"Yes sir, I'll do that sir" said the Corpral. (I know Corprals aren't really officers, but by George I'm making this one an officer!) Cyphon turned and walked off the bridge, and headed for the hangar bay, passing by Shadow he said, "follow me, we have visitors to welcome." Soon they arrived at their destination.

[Dark_Lady]

Anakin Skywalker? she thought. Interesting choice for "father" of the Jedi Order.

 

Jynn executed a perfect precision landing in the hangar bay, checked her lightsaber, just in case, and stepped out of the ship. Two men stood waiting.

 

Well, she thought, I don't sense any imminent danger from them.

 

"Computer, initiate lockdown procedure," she said into her com-link. The door of her ship closed behind her and locked.

 

"Greetings," she said to Cyphon, extending her hand.

[Master_Archon]

Cyphon saw the young lady come out of the vessel, someone he really wasn't expecting to see. But showed no surprise either way.

 

"Greetings," she said to Cyphon, extending her hand.

 

He looked down on this strong but small figure of a woman, he lifted his hand, and grasped hers. He almost felt he would envelop her hand in his, he gripped firm, but kindly, and then let go. "I am Master Cyphon Destan, the first grey jedi, and this is my cohort, Master Shadow Gravemind, former jedi knight" he said introducing Shadow and himself. "Welcome aboard, we hope your allegiance is with us, and that you enjoy your stay" he said smiling. "Now tell me, what brings you to this forsaken place?" he asked her.

[Dark_Lady]

"You brought me here... at least, I think it was you," Jynn said. "I felt something drawing me to this place a while ago. As for my allegiance, we'll see. I don't just fly around the galaxy pledging myself to other people's causes."

 

She looked around the hangar for a moment. "Nice to meet you, Shadow," she said politely, then, turning back to Cyphon, "I sense a great number of Jedi. Who exactly do you have here?"

[Rexraptor2000]

"We have about twenty-five Jedi aboard, not counting us or the force adapts Cyphon has trained." Shadow said answering her question. Shadow was a bit curious about the force drawn subject, but he didn't press it. If anything, this area of space felt devoid of the force. Shadow was a bit on edge at the feeling since they had dropped out of hyperspace. Not because of the empty feeling itself, but because it felt familiar.

[Dark_Lady]

"Well, that's quite a few Jedi," Jynn said. Shadow looked slightly tense, probably for the same reason she was. "Doesn't it feel a little strange around here?"

[Master_Archon]

Cyphon turned to Shadow, "you feel it too, its very familiar to me as well" he said, sensing Shadows more inner workings. Cyphon turned back to Jynn, "yes, I drew you...I felt you, from a long distance away....you are strong....very strong....I wanted to see, and know who you were. So I reached out...you are like someone I know...you are like me..." he said this auspiciously. "You walk the path I once did...and still do...you are very untamed in your skills though....I know this is an on the spot question, considering I just met you. But I think it's time I took up another grey apprentice...the grey jedi order has been gone too long...would you be willing to have me train you...teach you the ways of the grey jedi?" He asked her stern faced, and serious. "You dont have to answer that now...just think on it...I would greatly appreciate it" he said smiling. "Now, come, let us show you around" he said motioning for them to get moving.

[Dark_Lady]

Jynn was slightly surprised by Cyphon's offer. How does he know about me? she mused. Oh well. Time enough to figure that out later.

 

She followed Cyphon and Shadow out of the hangar.

[Master_Archon]

They went around the ship for awhile, showing her all the rooms and such, and eventually ended up on the bridge. "Well, that's the end of the tour...hope you enjoy your stay" said Cyphon smiling.

 

"Sir! You might want to see this!" said one of the men at their stations. Cyphon walked over to the station, his eyes widened, his pupils shrank, and his hair stood on end.

 

Cyphon trotted to the main viewport, "Oh...NO!" He said this, his words seeming to get caught in his throut.

 

(Mens chorus in the background--little humor for you Rex!) There, coming around the gas giant, was the thing Cyphon feared the most...an enormous ring-world, with a ship graveyard orbiting it, came slowly around the planet. Cyphon turned to Shadow, a look of fear, that almost seemed to be a look of pain was on his face.

 

"I feared this would happen..." Cyphon said, in an almost trance-like state.

[Dark_Lady]

((Wait a minute... is it... This should be interesting.))

 

"Oh... No!" Cyphon gasped. He turned slowly and looked at Shadow, a devestated look on his face. "I feared this would happen..." he said.

 

"You feared what would happen?" Jynn asked, cutting his thoughts off abruptly. "If you're afraid of this place, then why exactly did you come here when there are thousands of perfectly normal and safe (depending on your definition) places to travel in this galaxy alone?"

[Rexraptor2000]

Shadow didn't notice Cyphon's and Jynn's comments as a wave of memories stone walled him at the site of the ring world. He remembered now- The Jedi had wiped his memory because... They were damaging his mind. The memories were to much for him mind to handle. They didn't want Shadow to get hurt, so they removed his knowledge of his past. Why though? Sure, it might've- Wait.

 

The memories of his last time here, as it turns out he was, began to pour through and he felt himself wrench at what he saw. The dreams he had been having he just assumed were nightmares and always told himself to forget them when they ended... they were real. These incidents seemed to be enough to damage someone's mind, but not quite enough to- Wait, what was he seeing now? The memories had ended at the end of his time here and now he was seeing things that couldn't be his own memories.

 

His heart felt heavy at what he saw next. He saw... children taken from their homes and made into the ultimate soldiers, an atrocity committed as he saw a defenseless planet's surface turned to glass and he knew that there were millions of people on its surface. It was the first of many. And it was at the hands of the ships that now hung dead in the massive ship graveyard in the thousands.

 

He saw dozens of planets suffer the same fate as their defenders could not hold against the invaders. He saw a campaign from the defenders to retake the first planet lost succeed, but they outnumbered the invader fleet three to one and they lost two thirds of their own fleet. It was a morale campaign of sorts and the losses were never disclosed.

 

Even the ultimate soldiers could not turn the tide of the war. They were only useful on the ground, not in space where the real fate determining battles were going on. Then he saw a battle in which they actually defended the planet, but the invaders weren't trying to take the planet. They were trying to get something off it, and they might have succeeded, depending on how you looked at it.

 

Then later, the biggest defender stronghold with 8 giant projectile cannons and 100 to 150 ships was attack by a fleet of invader ships with over 300 ships, with more coming. The defenders fought valiantly, and so did the ultimate soldiers on the ground, but they were ultimately wiped out, save for one ship that made a random jump to try and lead the invaders from the planet, so that another system with their homeworld nearby wouldn't be discovered. It carried the last ultimate soldier. And they came across another ringworld like the one Shadow was now staring at. Though it was a bit smaller than this one, it was about the size of Coruscant.

 

After being a set of objectives and missions, including being betrayed by the monitor of the ring and discovering its purpose, the ultimate soldier destroyed the ring. He returned to the homeworld and was awarded, while the invader in charge of keeping the ring safe was punished and given a chance to redeem himself.

 

After another turn of events, with the homeworld being invaded and an uprising within the invaders, they both ended up on the ringworld on which Shadow had been and was at again. Then he saw the death of an invader religious leader, the betrayal of the second chanced invader, the Gravemind speaking to the soldier and invader about the rings purpose, them both being sent to stop the ring from being used, and the prevention of the ring being activated by the invader along with the help of a defender.

 

This is why the Jedi had wiped his mind. It was too much for a child to handle, and the memories were put into his mind. He felt more, but they weren't ready to come yet. He could only say one word at the moment.

 

"Halo."

[Dark_Lady]

Jynn stood silently, looking through the viewport at the ring-planet, and waiting for Cyphon's reply. She could sense the turmoil in Shadow's mind as he stood behind her, and she wondered what could be causing him so much inner pain. Suddenly he spoke, just a single word, but a word that evidently held great meaning for him.

 

"Halo."

 

I wonder what that means, Jynn thought. She stared again through the viewport, trying to fathom the strange planet and the Jedi's even stranger reactions to it.

[Master_Archon]

((Dont go rushing too far ahead of yourself Rexraptor2000, remember, this is an infinite universe, Halo's history isn't quite the same, its going to be a little...different, but only a little ))

 

"You feared what would happen?" Jynn asked, cutting his thoughts off abruptly. "If you're afraid of this place, then why exactly did you come here when there are thousands of perfectly normal and safe (depending on your definition) places to travel in this galaxy alone?"

 

"We couldn't help it! We were forced to jump, and couldn't come out for three days, our course led us here!" Said Cyphon, waving his hand toward the scene. "Do you think I wanted this? I didn't, and I never do!" Cyphon said, barely holding back his anger, which was alot considering he hadn't released his anger in a long, long time.

 

Cyphon calmed, he looked over at Jynn, "sorry, I haven't felt this way in a very long time" he said weakly. "I...we, fear this place because it holds secrets, dark secrets, but they are not secrets of the dark side. Oh no, this place, at least what dwells in this place, is absolutely devoid of the force, so devoid, it's almost an opposite version of the force..." Cyphon said staring into Jynn's eyes, his eyes filtering between colors.

 

"This place is...tainted...and should be, and should have been left to sit here...but...something tells me we were meant to come here..." Cyphon said, a look of curiosity, and concentration coming on to his face. "Yes...and I believe you are also a key to all this...I felt you for a reason...I brought you for my own curiosity...but maybe there are deeper forces behind your coming...and our coming to this place as well," said Cyphon staring hard into Jynn's face, almost seeming as if he were trying to find something in the depths of her mind, or concious being.

 

"Shadow, this place may be a place of horror for the both of us...but we must...explore this place, and with the help of Jynn, we can do that. Her ignorance of this place may be our salvation and redemption. It could also be a way for us to put bygones behind us...once...and for all" said Cyphon looking at Shadow. He walked up next to Shadow so only he could hear, "I feel your trouble with this place...I've felt something hidden in you for a long time...I only hope you can overcome whatever has ressurected, and help us do what we must do...I know what you're thinking, 'how does he know of my troubles with this place?' I've known something dark was hidden in your past since the moment I met you...the jedi aren't as good at hiding secrets, as they once were...I only hope your willing to face your past...for all our sakes," said Cyphon, his face emotionless.

 

Turning to an officer he said, "take us in orbit around the ship graveyard, we need to get a closer look at those ships before we land on the planet." "Halo...I thought I'd never have to lay eyes on such a place ever again," said Cyphon sadly as the grone of the ships engines could be heard taking them forward.

[Rexraptor2000]

"If we have the time Cyphon, I would like to vist the remains of a Republic cargo ship in the graveyard and board it alone. I have something I need to see on there. It should have an emergancy transponder signal coming from it, rendering it easy to find." Shadow stated.

[Master_Archon]

"No need to use the transponder" said Cyphon craning his neck and looking downward out of the viewport. "It's right there," pointed Cyphon at the Republic Cargo Ship floating at the edge of the Graveyard. The ship they were on coming to a halt at the edge of the Graveyard, the vastness was more fathomable, and all anyone could say was, it was huge! Thousands of ships lay in orbit around the giant ring.

 

"Do what you must Shadow, for now I will take some troops, and explore one of those ships," said Cyphon to Shadow. Turning to Jynn he asked, "would you like to come with me, as I said we need you for this, it would also keep you from boredom, please, aid us in this endevore."

[Dark_Lady]

"I would be honored to come with you," Jynn replied, "and also very glad of the opportunity to be 'kept from boredom.'" She smiled to keep her growing apprehension from showing in her face. "Things have been a little slow lately."

[Master_Archon]

"Good, come with me" he said with a smile, and turning to leave. Suddenly he stopped and paused in thought for a moment, then turning back to Shadow he said, "may you put your past behind you, and 'May the Force be with You'" he said with an emotionless face, then turned back to walk off the bridge.

 

Soon they had entered the hangar where two Imperial Lander Shuttles, a Lambda Shuttle, and a Trade Federation Droid Lander stood ready to depart. Cyphon trotted up to Brutas and bowed his head in hello, and asked, "are the troops ready to depart?"

 

"Yes, ripe as rain they are, wot" said the old storm trooper.

 

"Good," said Cyphon in response. Then, signaling with his hand, Jaken and Vok appeared from their cloaking, "All of you are coming right? Good, glad you're willing," said Cyphon to the three, "oh, and someone will be joining us; gentlemen, this is Jedi Knight, Jynn, we found her not too long ago" said Cyphon introducing Jynn to them. They all bowed in a respectful hello.

 

"Well, good, another Jedi to bolster the ranks, hope we get to keep her, seeing she's a stray and all," said Brutas with some dry humor, and a little chuckle on his part.

 

"She's not a dog Brutas, she can make her own decisions, and she at least has manners, unlike you," said Cyphon in her defense, this recieved an indignent humph from Brutas, but he quickly got over it. Jaken and Vok didn't say anything, but Vok started figiting, and Jaken nudged him with his elbow, but Vok just turned quickly and disapeared onto the Lambda: Jaken looked down and shook his head, then walked up the ramp after Vok.

 

"Haha, don't worry about Vok, he gets nervous around women, Jaken keeps trying to get him out of his shell, but he always dissapears when Jaken trys to get him to talk," said Cyphon to Jynn. "Come, let's get a move on," he said to Jynn and Brutas, as they walked up the ramp.

[Dark_Lady]

Jynn followed Cyphon up the ramp, half-smiling at Brutas.

 

"So I'm a stray Jedi, eh?" she said. "Can I consider the fact that you wanted to keep me a compliment?"

[Master_Archon]

Brutas stood up straight, and puffed out his chest, "wot, yes, a compliment indeed, quite right, wot!" Said Brutas, with an air of pride on his look. Cyphon just smiled and shook his head, many of the soldiers on the shuttle would get up and bow their heads in hello when Jynn would pass, many started figiting and fumbling with their rifles.

 

"Don't worry, they look scared, but they're more nervous of you than anything else," said Cyphon explaining the men's strange actions. Cyphon motioned to a seat where Jynn could sit, and headed up to the cockpit. He nodded to the copilot, then turning to the pilot he asked, "are the men on the other ships ready?" The pilot nodded. "Good, tell them to follow tooth-sweet, and get into formation when clear of the ship," Cyphon ordered the pilot to tell the other ships.

 

Soon the Lambda Shuttle was lifting from the hangarbay floor, and heading outside into the ravaged, metal-covered vastness of the ship graveyard. The other three vessels soon followed, and entered into a loose formation, as they headed for a large alien vessel closest to the Trade Federation ship, some distance above the sundered Republic Cargo Vessel that Shadow was headed to.

[Rexraptor2000]

"May you put your past behind you, and 'May the Force be with You'." He said with an emotionless face, then turned back to walk off the bridge.

 

When you think the past is behind you, it always appears in front of you when it shouldn't, Shadow thought as he left the bridge also and headed for the hanger on the other side of the ship. When he reached it, he boarded an old clone gunship from the beginning of the Clone Wars. He fitted on a vacuum suit, since no ship in the massive graveyard had life support anymore, and neither did the cargo ship.

 

He then got into the cockpit and flew the gunship out of the hanger. He then headed for the cargo ship. After reaching the cargo ship, he had to blow open the hanger bay doors due to them being closed down. After landing in it, he exited the gunship and headed for the bridge.