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Star Wars: The Road Not Taken


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Defender Class Vessel Light's Hope.

 

 

 

 

“So...you found this thing on Darth Angral's flagship...Any idea what it does?”

 

Kira Carsen, padawan to the Jedi Knight that everyone was calling “The Hero of Tython” didn't really know how to answer Doc's question. Truth be told, she was hoping maybe Doc had seen something like it in his travel's across the galaxy. But judging by his question it seemed that was doubtful.

 

“I was actually hoping you may have some idea what it is. The Jedi Council seems to think it's some sort of sith artifact but Rothor and I aren't exactly sure they're right on this one. When I look at it...I feel almost like it's calling to me. They're doesn't seem to be any way to activate it though. No switches, no buttons...nothing. It doesn't really do anything. As far as the Jedi Council is concerned it's just a sith artifact with no purpose. I guess they want it taken to Tython so they can throw it with all the other sith artifacts they've found over the years. Better safe than sorry.”

 

“It's probably for the best.” Rothor said as he entered the cargo hold and looked over the two of them. “It's my experience with sith artifacts that they have a tendency to cause trouble when you least expect them to.”

 

Rothor than turned to look at Kira smiled and then offered her his arm and the padawan had to suppress a smile. “I believe that we agreed to have lunch.” The smile finally managed to break through and a bright grin filled her face. “I'll be with you in a moment. I just need to make sure this thing isn't giving off any energy signatures before we eat.”

 

Rothor nodded and Doc followed him as the two of them headed for the kitchen on the small Defender class-ship as Kira passed a small scanning device over the large triangular device. She paused for a moment as she felt a small surge through the force as she scanned the device. She instantly turned off the scanner and reached out through the force as she tried to get a reading off the artifact.

 

Infinite possibilities...A path not taken...a road less traveled...

 

What the...What was that? Kira thought in alarm as she quickly turned around and ignited her lightsaber and held it in a defensive stance. As the words continued to repeat it seemed to echo all around her. It seemed as if the words were coming from within her head and all around her.

 

She slowly turned around as she heard a thrumming sound. Her eyes widened for a moment as she saw the artifact glow with barely restrained power. She could almost feel the power that the artifact was giving off. It wasn't light. It wasn't dark. It was something else.

 

“Rothor!” She shouted as the lights around the cargo bay began to flicker as the artifact seemed to pull more and more energy from the ship itself. “Rothor! Something's wrong! The artifact is drawing power somehow!”

 

Kira raised her hands and unleashed a blast of force energy at the artifact only to see something that caused her jaw to drop. The artifact was beginning to shake with barely controlled power. She could hear the footsteps of Rothor running towards her but for some reason the artifact was shaking more and more as it gathered more power.

 

Maybe a lightsaber strike will do the trick. She thought as she raised her lightsaber and brought it straight down on the top of the artifact. She watched in astonishment as the blade of the lightsaber seemed to fall into the artifact.

 

“Kira!”

 

She turned her body enough that she could see Rothor and Doc standing next to the entrance to the cargo bay. “Hold on Kira!” Rothor shouted as the artifact seemed to pulse for a brief moment and a blinding bright light filled the cargo bay.

 

“KIRA!”

 

The light faded and Rothor stared at the space that his padawan had occupied a moment ago. All that was left was the artifact. “Kira...” Rothor whispered in disbelief as he fell to his knees as the sudden feeling of grief rushed over him.

 

“I can't sense her...” He whispered. “She's gone.”

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Uhhhh...

 

Kira Carsen slowly opened her eyes. Her head was pounding and her body felt almost as if a Gundark had run her over a few dozen times. But other than that she seemed to be alright. She slowly rose to her feet and reached for the lightsaber on her belt just to make sure it was there only to find it gone.

 

No surprise there. She thought glumly. It seemed that anything that could go wrong often did go wrong and it usually went wrong in the worst possible situations.

 

She reached out through the force and tried to sense Rothor, after a few moments she stopped after sensing nothing at all nearby. Wherever she was, she was apparently alone unless there was a droid or something similar nearby.

 

Kira quickly turned around as she heard the sound of metal hitting the ground and her hand was half-way down to her belt before she remembered that her lightsaber was missing. But that didn't matter a moment later as her hands dropped to her side and her jaw dropped as she took in the sight in front of her.

 

"By the force..." She whispered as she took in the spectacle of destruction.

 

Corellia...But...the Empire left Corellia! What in the name of the Force happened here?!

 

Hundreds of destroyed buildings littered the skyline of Coronet city. Not damaged, destroyed. Destroyed Republic ships and pieces of Republic troop transports littered the ground. Damaged speeders littered the streets leading away from what appeared to be the epicenter of the destruction.

 

The bodies of republic troops littered the streets. Some of them had fallen with weapons in hand apparently fighting to their last breath. Others looked as if they had fallen while retreating or trying to regroup. But it was the same all over. Dead Republic troops.

 

But not a single Imperial trooper was on the street.

 

"St-St-Statement: Identify." Came a mechanical voice from behind her. Kira whirled around and dropped to the ground as she saw what appeared to be a badly damaged protocol droid limp towards her.

 

Hopefully this works. She thought to herself as an idea came to mind.

 

"Droid. Identify your make and Model!

 

The Droid stopped for a brief moment as it answered. She could see sparks coming from it's chest. "Answer: This until is an HK-53 Prototype assassin droid."

 

An Assassin droid? This most likely won't end well. She thought as she dropped down and began to gather the force around her.

 

"Query: What are you doing?" The droid asked.

 

Kira stood up and eyed the droid with a confused expression on her face. It was her experience that Assassin droid tended to shoot first and ask questions never. Yet this one sounded almost...curious.

 

"HK-53. Are you responsible for all...this?" She asked as she pointed at the battle-zone. Maybe the droid knew what had happened here

 

"Answer: No. This unit was dispatched to Corellia to attempt to eliminate the leader of the Imperium."

 

The Imperium?

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  • 11 months later...

((Sorry for the very long wait between chapters. I was totally stuck on what to do for this chapter.))

 

Kira looked at the badly damaged droid and noticed the extensive battle damage that droid had sustained. The front of the droid was covered with blaster bolts and it seemed as if one of it's arms had nearly been cut all the way through with a lightsaber.

 

Time to get to the bottom of this. She thought as she kept looking over the droid and noticed that the sniper rifle on it's back had been nearly cut in half.

 

"HK-53, Is this battle damage the result of the Sith Empire? Did the Sith kill these solders here?"

 

"Suspicious answer: No. The Sith Empire has not posed a threat to the Galaxy since the Battle of Tython. The Imperium managed to absorb most of what was left of the Sith Empire nearly ten years ago and since then has been engaged in a war with what is left of the Galactic Republic."

 

Kira looked up as a massive shadow began to eclipse the area. Her eyes widened in shock as a massive Harrower-class dreadnaught seemed to eclipse the sky itself.

 

"Annoyed Statement: It appears that the explosives I planted aboard the orbital shipyard did not finish the job. New orders are required from Galactic command." The droid seemed to mutter as it turned and headed for a nearby mostly destroyed building.

 

Kira took off after the droid as the two of them hid behind a large piece of debris and watched as small objects seemed to drop from the hanger and took off towards the north.

 

"Irritated Statement: Inferno pods. I assumed that I destroyed the hanger that held those. Excuse me for a moment." The droid said as it reached into the debris and pulled out a battered blaster rifle and took careful aim at one of the remaining inferno pods. Kira placed her hand on the droid's arm and pulled it down before it could fire.

 

The droid looked over at her with what she swore was the evil eye. "Warning: Please do not interfere with my mission or you will be rendered unconscious until my mission is complete."

 

Kira shook her head. "Listen. If you shoot down those pods, they'll know where to shoot. Do you really think you can outrun a turbolaser blast?"

 

The droid paused for a moment. "Reluctant resignation: You are correct. The Galactic command center must know what has happened here and must gain knowledge of the Imperium's new weapon."

 

Kira looked over at the droid and motioned for it to sit down. "Listen to me, I'm...not from around here. Tell me, what is this Imperium and what happened to the Sith Empire?"

 

The droid's eyes flashed for a moment as it searched it's memory banks. "Resigned statement: It is as you meatbags say, a long story. Shortly after a Sith known as Darth Angral attempted to attack the Republic world of Tython and was defeated by republic forces, a new faction emerged that was led by various Jedi and Sith who were upset with the way that their respective governments were handling the war. It was shortly after this faction emerged that more and more solders and citizens from both the Sith Empire and Galactic Republic joined the Imperium. Eventually the Imperium attacked the Sith world of Dromuund Kaas and the leader of the Imperium executed the members of the Dark Council live on the holonet."

 

Kira shook her head in disbelief as the droid paused for a moment as it ran through it's memory banks. "Although I was not yet activated when the Dark Council was executed I cannot help but admire the way they were executed: The members of the council were hung on the front of the Imperial Citadel above Kaas City. They could either starve to death or fall to their deaths. In the end, many chose to fall while a few held out hope that they would be rescued before they starved. They ended up starving to death and the few stragglers that fled to Korriban were executed and Korriban itself was nearly destroyed."

 

Kira was rendered speechless as the droid continued.

 

"Shortly after this, the Galactic Republic attempted to align itself with the Imperium only to have the Imperium launch an attack on both Tython and Coruscant itself. The Jedi High Council was killed and both the senators and the Supreme Chancellor were executed in front of the senate building. The Galactic Republic took severe losses in the subsequent battles against the Imperium and has been forced to relocate all of it's forces to the planet Dantooine which now serves as one of the few planets remaining under Republic control."

 

Kira shook her head. "Who could have done this? Who could have wiped out the Sith Empire and driven the Galactic Republic from Coruscant? Who could be capable of such cruelty and bloodshed?"

 

The droid looked at her and it's eyes glowed. "Thoughtful response: It is rumored that the leader of the Imperium was a Jedi. Only two visual records of him are known to be recorded."

 

Kira looked at the droid. "Can you show me? Show me who is capable of such slaughter?"

 

"Compliant statement: Yes. Holographic imaging system is damaged but I can project what images I have for a few moments." The droid paused for a moment as his eyes flashed blue and a holographic image of a robed figure appeared. The figure threw back it's hood and ignited it's lightsaber and Kira paused in utter terror as she saw the face of the one who had caused all this bloodshed.

 

"Rothor." She whispered in disbelief.

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  • 2 weeks later...

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